

Once Upon Another World

Book One of the Salak'patan Series

By Shiva Winters

Edited by Melody Hewson

Copyright 2012 Shiva Winters

Smashwords Edition

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this free e-book. Although this is a free book it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and it may not be reproduced, copied, and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, and wish to share it with your friends please encourage them to visit Smashwords.com to download their own copy of this work, where they can discover other works by this author. Thank you for your respect and support.

Chapter One: The Tangled Beginning

Journal Entry: 07/03/20XX

I've never written a journal. I've never really felt the need, not in the 25 years of life that has precede this one. The truth of my day-to-day existence is probably so very boring to most, that were anyone to ever read a conscientiously kept journal by me, it would suck away that person's essence and leave them to go on an undead rampage for brains. Still some part of me has grown convinced that such a record of my existence has become necessary, and for whatever reason my consciousness has come to agree. However, since almost nothing has ever happened to me and I fully expect that nothing will ever happen, however first there are some necessary legalities to get out of the way.

WARNING: Imbibing the contents of the following journal goes against the Surgeon General's advice. Should you choose to continue be warned that the boredom that results will cause severe allergic reactions in most people. Common symptoms include patchy baldness, rashes on the buttocks, Napoleonic complex, bloating, the desire to play the accordion, tax audits, traffic tickets, the need to have more than 10 cats, and boredom that often leads to coma and eventually death.

My name is Raven Sinclair and I was born in a small town in Indiana USA, located on the tiny blue and green planet called Earth. Though my origins are ever so humble, at this time I am living in New York City. And in all truth I have been regretting the decision to move here almost since the moment I first committed myself to it. While the city itself is amazing and perhaps even one of the wonders of the modern world, unlike most others I did not come here to 'make it big' nor simply because I was lured in by the bright lights. This city is like no other and as the saying goes, 'If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.'. Well there is something left unsaid in those well known words, if you don't 'make it here', this city will devour your soul and leave you an empty husk. And I am starting to think I have begun to feel just a little of that emptiness within myself. It is not that I am failing, quite the opposite in fact. I think my lackluster feelings for this place have almost everything to do with the fact that my motivations for coming here were not entirely pure. In truth were I to give voice to those motivations I would fail utterly at the task. I don't honestly know why I choose to make that decision, even in those first moments after I made them, other than the fact that deep down some persistent whispering voice was telling me that if I came here something would happen, something I've always wanted. For all that I long for the day when I can quietly slink back across the countryside and go 'home', that unspoken and unclear belief has still managed to keep me from leaving for over a year now. I can't help but wonder if that same voice that drove me to leave behind everything I have ever known in order to come here, is the same voice that now prompts me to write a journal that most likely will never be of any significance to anyone.

As I think back through the years, I can not help but feel that driving force has always been a constant in my life since I was a very small child. In truth, my life has been plagued by visions... perhaps 'visions' is too strong of a word. They are more like lucid dreams, but ones that would come both during my waking and sleeping hours, and lacked that disconnected sense of reality that dreams typically contain. Throughout my life I have been visited by a young girl my age who would appear out of thin air. And while this could simply be dismissed as the products of an over active imagination, these visitations have never been quite so unreal as to make that a possibility in my mind. While my sanity might still be in doubt, the facts of the matter have not yet disproved my mental stability, much less that these visitations are not entirely and wholly real either. At times she would only appear for mere seconds, other times she would stay long enough to talk with me in a voice not quite heard with one's ears. But as the years progressed she appeared more often and would remain at my side throughout entire days. As strange as it might sound to someone who is fully immersed in what most would consider reality, she has been my best friend for the whole of my life. As a child I told her everything, my deepest, darkest secrets, things no other person has ever known, or will ever know.

It could perhaps go without necessarily being said that I was never a 'normal' child growing up, and as a relatively well adjusted adult I do believe that even without my 'visions', that I would not have been considered to be like the other children. Even discounting my unusual visitations, as I search into those far off childhood memories, it seems to me that I've always been one of those people was on the outside looking in. It perhaps does not be need stated, but I was never one of the popular kids, and despite my sizable stature, I had no desire to play sports, no desire to go to parties, and really no motivation to undertake any of the things children of any age are supposed to do. I always stood at odds with the world around me, as if some part of my soul was always telling me that I did not belong there. Tis a strange thing to realize that you can look at the world outside your window and know deep down that this is not the world you were supposed to have known. But strange feelings aside, I suppose that disconnected state of being aided me in the career into which I have met with success, and nothing else need to be said on the matter at this time.

Where my family was concerned, or not, my father was neglectful and inattentive for the few years that he was swirling about in my earliest of memories. By the time I was four years old he was gone, having divorced my mother and run off with some bar skank who may or may not have been a hooker when they first met. His absence from my formative years is perhaps of no great loss. As for my mother, well.. it is has been my observation that only a single mother can be as giving and self-sacrificing as she was. She was dedicated to the health and well being of myself and my younger brother. At times she worked three jobs to insure that we had food and shelter. And even though she often had to work late hours, no matter how tired she might be, she always had time for the two of us. The love I feel for her was in every way earned and deserved, and in every sense she did an amazing job of raising the two of us. While she could only do so much to meet the selfish demands most any child would make, I can honestly say having heard many a horror story from others who shared my generation, that I had a peaceful happy childhood. So were someone to go digging back into history long since past, I can not imagine they would not find much evidence as to the reasons why, or the causes behind, my little touch of madness, since the facts of my reality are not all that different from many of my generation.

My involvement with Sione, my 'imaginary' friend, continued throughout my childhood, awkward adolescence, and even through the crucible that is modern high school, broken only by her occasional absences. As we both grew older her visits grew more infrequent, perhaps only rightly so considering we both had a great deal less free time on our hands. This perhaps gave me more reasons to doubt the nature of her reality, but despite the doubts that did and continue to infringe on the beliefs I have held close for so long, it has not yet changed them. While I might one day come to believe that she was merely a figment or a fairy tale created by a fevered brain, which would be a very sad day for my current self, my belief still remains firm that she is every bit as real as I am.

I graduated high school with a joy unparalleled in all of human history, only too eager to leave behind the days trapped in the same halls and rooms with my so called peers. Rather than attending college like so many others did, I spent the next couple of years working meaningless jobs and trying to figure that age old question of what I wanted to do with my life. Having never been in the possession of much of a social life and having spent many a night outcast and alone, there had always been time and motivation to fill those empty hours with something to cut through the silence. For me, that outlet was reading, and it was a hobby I started as early as the fourth grade and continued throughout all the years of my youth. I suppose if one reads enough books, the desire to write one of their own will eventually strike them, at least this was the case for me. At some vague point in that first year after high school, it became a new hobby that I took up one evening when I had nothing to read and the TV had been on the fritz. As it would turn out, spending so many years reading fiction novels coupled with a 'unique' sense of reality gave me all the background I needed to become a writer myself. Shockingly enough, by the time that I was twenty-one I had my first best-selling book.

So it was that when the decision to move to New York prickled at the back of my mind, I had more than enough money as well as a few legitimate reasons to venture across the states, taking my chances in the big bad city by the bay. Especially since my agent, most of the major publishing houses, and the world at large all used this city as their doorstep. Still, there are far too many days when this city and the people that fill it, make me wish that I had stayed in my dark little backwoods of a home town where life was simpler...

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

*BRING!* In the near silent confines of his apartment and those confines within himself, the sounds of his cell phone were shockingly loud and excessively abrasive to his already agitated state. But nevertheless, of those few people aware of that number, almost none of them would have called so very late in the day unless it was of importance. Glancing up to the dial of the silent clock as its' mechanical hands recounted the passage of hours since he had last paid it any attention, he hurried off in search of that infernal device as it sounded out once more through the room. He was neither surprised to recognize the number or at all put out by so late a call, answering it even before a third ring could ripple across the space.

"Hello." He murmured across the line.

"Raven.." He recognized the voice almost instantly and knew that his friend was deeply troubled, just by that single spoken word. "It.. happened again.." Mr. Montoya told him in the darkest of tones and with very real fear hovering just beneath the surface.

"Who?" Raven asked him in return, needing to hear nothing else to be aware of the troubling matter they were discussing.

"Amelia... we tried to convince her not to go there.. but she was so worried about Raymond.." Mr. Montoya told him sounding very nearly at the edge of tears.

"Dammit.." Raven growled. "You need to keep everyone else away from that place, my friend. Do whatever it takes... I'll... I'll go and I will find out what the hell is going on."

"Are you.."

"No,.. I am not sure of anything, but I feel damn certain that I can at least get away." Mr. Montoya tried to talk him out of his decision for at least a few more minutes, before he relented since he knew deep down that all of them needed to know what was going on. Soon enough Raven was able to end the call and drop his phone onto the empty couch cushions. With his thoughts even more dark and troubled than they had been moments before, he turned to the windows to peer broodingly out over the city in the distance. Had it not been for Mr. Montoya and his vast circle of friends and acquaintances, Raven would probably have left the city after merely a month spent in its' shadows, with his proverbial tail tucked between his legs. The robust, 'over the top', and at times eccentric older man, Mr. Montoya ran a small but wonderful Italian restaurant on the east side of the island. The restaurant served almost exclusively as a gathering point for his vast circle of friends most days and every night. People simply flocked there, drawn in by the warm personality, caring nature, and the vague indescribable sense that this person was someone who was larger than life. Raven had few doubts that just about anyone, even the most contrary or mean-spirited sort of people, who spent even a small amount of time in Mr. Montoya's presence, could not help but wish to be considered his friend. And Raven was all but certain that it was impossible for Mr. Montoya to ever have anyone who would consider themselves his enemy. The man was simply magnetic, drawing in all manner of people from all different backgrounds and making them wish to be his friend.

Raven had met him in those vague first weeks after Raven coming to the city from 'MiddleofNowhere, USA'. He had been suffering from an overly abused and bruised sense of self as he did nothing but question the wisdom of remaining in a city that was so unlike anything he had experienced before. At the time he had taken to all but wandering the streets like a little lost puppy seeking something, anything that might allow him to regain some sense of balance inside his head. Like the miracle he had so desperately needed, but had not truly asked for, he found Montoya's Italian Eatery. To say that he was drawn there would be an untruth, for he had woken up one morning and was leaving his tiny hotel room before he was fully awake. Unerringly, he had crossed through the unfamiliar city until he found himself going through the door of the eatery. It had felt almost as if he had simply woken up that morning with a mission, knowing where he was going and only too aware of how he would be greeted when he got there. Practically within the first seconds of his arrival, Mr. Montoya was welcoming him like some long lost member of the family. Before Raven was truly aware of it, he had spent the whole day sitting in the same booth being visited repeatedly by Mr. Montoya and his three rather pretty daughters, as the four of them made their rounds.

Raven was just deciding that his long stay made him uncomfortable enough to make a quiet retreat out the front door when Mr. Montoya was sliding in across from him, almost as if he had been summoned. Even in his most wild of fantasies, Raven could not have expected Mr. Montoya to invite him, a complete stranger, to 'dinner with the family'. The truth about the unusual nature of the 'family dinner' became more clear eventually, but Raven could still no more have denied that far too charming man his request than he could willingly removed one of his own limbs. That evening, Raven discovered that he was far from the first, and most likely not the last, person to be drawn to that quiet little refuge from some far flung corner of the city. The 'family dinner' was actually a support group of sorts for a wide range of diverse people, all of whom, himself included, could not be considered 'normal' when compared to most everyone else in the city. All of them were in possession of some ability that was usually assumed to only exist in the realm of science fiction. Telepaths, Empaths, Telekinetics, Pyrokinetics, and other even stranger abilities, all possessed by regular people. They had all been drawn in by Mr. Montoya's presence, and all of them, including his own daughters, took just a little extra strength and comfort in knowing that those abilities which had made them different for most of their lives. What Raven had unknowingly stumbled upon, or perhaps been summoned for, was a weekly meeting of a vast and diverse group of friends who shared the troubles and benefits of the things within them which had set them apart from those around them.

Raven, who had long ago become aware that he was different from all of his childhood friends, quickly became addicted to the sense of belonging, especially since it was the first time that he could ever remember feeling it. Had it not been for that one event, he likely would have long since given up on that other vague and indistinct calling that had lured him across the country. While he had no doubt that the voice would not have simply left him alone had he retreated to home and hearth, he would have gladly ignored had it not been for that small group of people who had welcomed him into their number so openly and joyfully. As that year had passed, Raven had learned about all he could about them and they had learned about him in return. In time, he had come to the conclusion that they really were the family that Montoya had claimed them to be, and much to his surprise he had become a part of it.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Raven's mind was still chewing its' way through the lingering shadows of his disturbed thoughts, when he picked up that plain, unassuming looking business card that had become such an ill portent in recent weeks. During the past month and a half, several of the people in their group had reported feelings of dread, or the vague sense of something malicious shifting across the land; almost as if a demon from the days of yore or some unknown creature were slowly circling in on the oblivious city. A short time later, the first of the mysterious business cards had appeared, placed in front of some of Mr. Montoya's extensive network of contacts, friends, and family. One by one, over a dozen people had responded to the invitation those business cards were offering, and one by one they had all disappeared, not to be seen or heard from again. Raven assumed that the first ones to disappear had gone largely unnoticed by anyone. While his new friends were well connected, even they could not know everyone. When more and more people had gone off and had not returned, a sense of fear began to grow among those closest to them. It only grew worse as people known by their group followed the fates of so many unknown others. Then that deeply worrying situation had struck all too close to home when one the members of their very own group had gone to answer the call and was now missing.

Although he was never one to brag about such things, it was widely acknowledged in Raven's small circle of friends that he was the one in possession of the strongest extra-sensory talents and he was capable of things none of the others had ever considered as being possible. Because of this, it was not too long before his worried friends and colleagues had asked him to investigate the string of unexplained disappearances. What little he had already found was far from comforting; a few days previous he had gone to one of the places where others had received one of the unassuming business cards. He hadn't needed to wait more than a few minutes before a dark shadowy presence had impinged on his searching senses. Only too aware that the other man was not 'normal', the mysterious figure had gotten to his feet, walked past Raven's table, and dropped a card in front of him. Raven had been debating what he should do about it ever since then, but his choices seemed to have narrowed once one of their own had disappeared and no one knew what they were up against.

The card itself had offered no clues about what lay behind the unknown series of events only peripherally related to it, imparting only the name of one Dr. Michael Ronen and his title as the head of Research at Weslyn enterprises with a New York street address. The ubiquitous and often indispensable Internet offered even less useful information, which was surprising considering it was in some ways the core of human knowledge. Hours of searching turned up only a tiny blurb of information regarding a recent government contract for Wesley enterprises that had been awarded earlier that year, allowing them to conduct confidential research. The decided lack of information started to seem even more sinister when coupled with the fact that on the back of the business card was a hand written invitation to come visit at any time. Simple human curiosity was the only thing needed to lure people into whatever game was being played. Raven was not the only one who disliked what the simple card implied, and everything else about the situation.

By the coming of the next dawn, Raven woke after only a few scant hours of troubled sleep. His agitated state and the knowledge of what he must do come morning had kept him from settling down until well into the latter hours of the night. As he peered through the small apartment at the door to the hallway beyond, he wished, not for the first time, that he could get away with walking through the city beyond with a sword strapped across his back, like a character from a novel. Unfortunately, that did not quite strike him as being a choice for his current situation, since he was fairly certain that the police frowned on that sort of behavior. He briefly considered more conventional weaponry, but he did not own a gun much less a permit to carry it into the public, and he had few doubts that a pocket knife would never get past the guards and metal detectors that defended most every building in that security minded day and age. Only too mindful that danger was waiting for him at the end of his trip across the city, and that any attempt to face it with more than fists and the abilities that put him at risk would only draw still more trouble, Raven left his apartment to face whatever was lurking in the shadows.

To the rest of the world, the Weslyn building was a plain and ordinary kind of brick and steel office building, one not unlike a thousand similar buildings that filled the confines of the city with their unassuming exteriors. To Raven, however, even approaching the front entrance was like stepping into the black, ominous shadows cast across the landscape by dark storm clouds. It was a sense of something evil and not quite right that permeated the region for more than a block in every direction, a sense of something terrible lingering just out of sight. No matter how hard he might try he could not push aside nor banish that insidious seeping ooze of 'wrongness' that poured off of the place. Had he been just a little less stubborn, Raven would have turned around in those first terrible moments, retreated back across the city in a rush and never spoken of his failure to anyone. But just as he had not let his unsettled dreams turn him back, he would not and could not turn away when he was on the cusp of confronting evil. Though his mind might tease him for trying to interject a touch of poetic fiction into something so very serious, he had no doubts that something that was indeed very evil had been taking place inside the building. The place stank of it, of those acts that had happened unseen from the outside world. He tried not to think too hard about the fact that he was walking right up into the front doors, only too aware of the sense of a trap ready to snap closed behind him.

Raven was honestly a little bit disappointed when he found neither metal detectors nor any obvious contingent of armed guards after entering the Weslyn building. When he had presented himself at the reception desk and asked to speak with the head of research, the rather dour woman on the other side of the desk had neither seemed surprised by the normally strange request, or curious as to who he was or why he was asking. He was directed to take a seat in the waiting area, and did so with his mind screaming to get out of the place immediately. As he sat there waiting, he noticed any number of strange people, the kind of people most wouldn't even look twice at on the street, but the kind of people he saw and felt almost instantly suspicious of after seeing them. It was as if they were hiding things from the eyes of the world, like they were strangers in a strange land who did not quite belong there, and he could not help but notice all of them were aware of him as well.

"How can I help you today... Mr. Smith?" The woman who approached him certainly did not look like a Michael, so Raven could only assume that they were delegating their victims down a chain of command.

"I was in a restaurant three days ago. A man passed by my table and dropped this card in front of me." Raven stated, working hard to keep his voice calm and even as he held out the indicated business card towards her.

"Ah!" The woman murmured with a false sense of excitement that didn't quite reach her eyes as she took the card from him and examined it. "Mr. Smith, we are currently conducting a research project using talent scouts and human resource experts to find people who fit our criteria. You wouldn't happen to have the time to add your perspective into the data we've already collected, would you?" When Raven strained his senses towards her, he was frustrated to find that he felt nothing from her, not even the sense she was bored. This could only mean that she had somehow learned to hide her thoughts and feelings from people with abilities similar to his own. That fact alone would have been enough to make him even more intensely ready to be anywhere else and doing anything else, however he had already gone this far and could not turn back until he knew for sure what was going on inside the ill feeling building.

"I have nothing else to do today." Raven told him as he pushed his doubts to the side and summoned his resolve with a deep breath.

"Follow me then, please." She requested of him, gesturing him past the lobby and towards the elevators that he had glimpsed in the distance. With a decisive movement, Raven pushed out of the chair and followed the doctor. He paid very close attention when she produced a security card from the pocket of her lab coat, swiped it through the scanner, and rapidly entered a ten digit code into the key pad. A soft bell announced the arrival of the elevator a second before the doors slid open to reveal the extremely plain interior. The woman gestured for Raven to proceed her into the enclosed space, and with great reluctance he did so, feeling the trap doors snap shut behind them.

"You're probably not aware of this, but we are doing research on extra-sensory perception." She announced as they began their ascent towards the 20th floor. "We have people traveling all over the city looking for possible candidates to participate in the study. When they think they have found someone, they give them a card very much like the one you received. Curiosity is a very powerful motivator and a perfect tool for our purposes, since the people typically show up here sooner or later."

"Fascinating." Raven replied, trying very hard to sound interested while his dislike of the situation only grew.

"It really is." She commented pleasantly, but she had a smile that was just a little like one a particularly nasty kind of predator might give once it had lured it's prey within striking distance. "Would you be willing to be a research subject for a few hours."

"I suppose so, I have always had a fascination with the paranormal." Raven murmured back to her, even as his mind screamed at him for being a complete and total idiot. The elevator dinged about that time and the doors opened into an indistinct hallway that would not have been out of place in just about any building inside the city. The hall was studded with regularly spaced dark wood doors, most of them closed, the obligatory scattering of plants, reproductions of famous works of art, and more people wearing lab coats. Just as it had been down in the lobby, when they passed out into the hall, he caught several veiled looks of curiosity sent his way. Those few that did not give him more than glance gave off the very distinct impression that they were not what they appeared to be, and some of them had distinct bulges of artillery under their lab coats, which did not bode well for him.

Raven and the doctor walked down the plain white halls and past little plain white rooms filled with plain kinds of cheaply built furniture. At that moment, Raven could honestly say that never in his life was he more pleased that he hadn't gone to college and gotten one of those 'honest' professions his grandmother had been so very fond of harping about. If he wasn't intensely aware of the danger closing in on all sides, or the fact that he was knowingly treading closer and closer to that sense of the unclean, then the five minutes he had spent there, might have driven him stark raving mad . He worried briefly hat he would lapse into a coma after being in such an uninteresting environment for so long. However, it could just as easily be assumed that the blandness was part of the trap, some kind of psychological warfare meant to put a potential victim at ease. It was just another thing that was altogether unpleasant to think about while he allowed himself to be lead along, just like another lamb to the slaughter.

"Oh!!" Having just turned a corner along the hallway, he couldn't be sure who was more surprised to find that more than one person was trying to occupy the same bit of space at the same time. The collision was inevitable, and his massive frame came into abrupt contact with her much smaller one. Instinct and quick reflexes, however, saved him just a little bit of face as he automatically reached out to catch her arm, preventing her from being thrown bodily to the floor.

To say that she was beautiful was as close to a lie as any understatement might come. She was luminescent, almost glowing in the sheer magnitude of her utter beauty, and easily the most amazing figure Raven had ever touched, which might have explained why his fingers tingled where they encircled her arm. It was perhaps why he also felt drawn to her, almost as if she were in possession of some spell that made him wish to be even closer to her. She had a flowing mane of dark hair, like a fall of black water, pouring down over her shoulders and ending just above her perfectly shaped bottom. The color of her hair was so deep and intense, that even in the rather poor lighting it almost seemed to glow a dark sapphire blue, save for one perfect streak of white at her right temple which twisted together with darker strands in all too fascinating fashion. Her face would not have been out of place in an ancient Greek sculpture garden, being the face of a goddess descended to the Earth. She had prominent cheekbones, shapely lips, a straight and perfect nose and delicately arching brows all with perfectly pale skin. She also seemed surprised by such a strange chance encounter, and Raven felt his heart literally skip a beat when her intensely emerald toned eyes looked deep into his. Even though she projected an aura of innocence and youth, she had the body of a trained warrior. Some part of his mind, not struck dumb by the beauty of this stranger, noticed how perfectly she would fit in as the Heroine of any fantasy novel.

He hastily tried to apologize past a tongue that did not wish to work, but he was further distracted by the oddity of her clothes. Even though they looked like some of the fashions of the day, they had a certain cut to them that did not quite fit into his everyday kind of world, almost as if there was not a fashion designer in that world who could claimed them as their work. Even as they staggered apart from each other, both apologizing and trying to take the blame, Raven couldn't deny the intense reluctance he felt at stepping away from her. Nor could he fail to notice that her own backwards steps seemed to hesitate in much the same way. The sight of perfect beauty could not change the facts of the situation Raven was in while he continued to follow the doctor down the hall, but it was enough to make him look back, hoping that he might get just one last look at her, only to find that she had turned to watch him depart. He was surprised to see her blush as she turned quickly away and hurried out of sight. Even though he was convinced that there was something inexplicably familiar about her, his mind, once free of such a potent distraction, was quick to remind him of the facts of his situation. After a long walk, they finally arrived at a small and utterly uninteresting room, and he was asked to have a seat with the muttered promise that someone would be with him shortly. The space was bare, the floor was gray tiles, the walls were white plaster, the table was painted aluminum, and there were two uncomfortable looking chairs. Raven had seen more than enough cop shows in his life to take note of the long, oversized mirrors that dominated one of the side walls, and knew instantly that he would soon have an audience. Raven took the seat that would allow him to sit with his back to the wall as the door was closed behind him.

He could not yet feel anyone on the far side of the mirror, but he did catch his own image in it and couldn't help but study that person. He was not and would never be considered handsome, and had never deluded himself into believing otherwise. His profile was too hawkish and angular, his bone structure too heavy. His strong jaw line tapered towards his chin, his lips were too thin, and even when he smiled he appeared to be scowling. His nose was thin, a touch too long, and tapered upward towards his heavy brows, which made his eyes look sunken into his skull, as if to escape his face. This insured that his eyes seemed dark and mysterious at all times as they peered out at the world with a silvery-gray gaze that seemed to bore into him while he stared at his own image. His eyebrows were thin blond streaks along the ridges above his steely gaze. His hair was drawn into a short tail at the back of his head, a pale gold color that already showed strands of white, belying his age. He was large and tall, well muscled, with broad shoulders and a heavy set of bones that made him resemble a living brick wall when he stood facing someone. By his sheer looks alone he could intimidate even the most aggressive of figures or scare small children into a cowering silence.

The subtle sense of movement behind mirror turned his eyes from his own image, followed by a rustle of soft sound and the sudden feeling that someone, somewhere was looking at him. The door to the room opened in the next moment, allowing a plain dressed man in a white lab coat to pass into the quiet space. Raven received a nod of greeting as the door closed behind the plain, unassuming figure and he took the four steps necessary to cross the small room and slide his thin little body into the other chair.

The scientist slid a box onto the table, he had the air of someone who was thoroughly bored with such proceedings and the shuffling of papers and supplies seemed unnaturally loud in the dead motionless air. Unlike his escort, the man's mind practically screamed at Raven with his unprotected thoughts and emotions while he slowly spread his materials out on the table. Unfortunately, he knew nothing important to Raven beyond what tests would follow and how little he expected Raven to do any of the things he would be soon asked to do. There was a small stack of cards, a small closed box that rattled as he moved it, and a selection of file folders. Raven knew that he could call the test off right then and safely get out of the building, but the others had to know, and in truth he needed to know just as much as they did. The scientist turned to the first page of his paperwork and a pen appeared from a coat pocket. He then wrote something down before his eyes finally turned to Raven. He knew then that it was too late, if he tried to leave they would stop him as a matter of principle.

"Before we begin, I need to get some information from you." He stated in a mild tone. "Dr. Ronen's assistants are sometimes forgetful about getting such information."

"All right." Raven replied when the man looked up expectantly.

"Name?" He asked.

"Dan Brown." Raven did his very best not to smirk at the idea that his rival in the world of writing might end up taking the blame, no matter unlikely the two of them might be mistaken for one another. Raven only just managed to keep his expression straight.

"You told our receptionist your name was Smith." The man commented with a narrowing gaze.

"Well, I thought you guys were bill collectors or something." Raven countered smoothly.

"Date of birth?"

"6-7-75" Raven told him and was again given a strange look, as if the man might actually challenge him to prove that he was over forty.

"Place of Residency." He asked smoothly in the next moment.

"New York City." Raven replied. "Duh." He added, rolling his eyes. The Doctor did not quite glare at him, but he certainly left the impression that he had. He then went on to ask for a dozen other identifiers, all of which were given lies in response. When asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement and a waver, it could not have been more contrived by the way he was forced to pick up the sheets from inside the folder that his finger prints would be collected from the documents later on. Only too pleased to play along and knowing that childhood burn accident had removed that particular feature from his hands, Raven signed the documents without complaint.

"Do you mind if the proceedings are recorded?" His interviewer asked half a second later, then gestured to the camera in the corner of the room. Raven had no doubts that it had been running the whole time, and was just as glad he had never intended to let them capture even one clear image of him. Practice and experience had taught him that if he focused hard enough on not being seen, the images recorded by security cameras would simply blur around him. Were he ever to get caught on camera by one of those police shows, the producers would not even know what to do.

"No." Raven replied, just a little angry that he would have to actually go through with these tests before he could have any hopes of making these people reveal their true intentions.

"Can you tell me what is inside of this box?" He asked holding up the indicated object.

"Two ordinary black ink pens, a name tag, a small empty bottle of grape jelly, seventeen cents in small change, and a piece of paper." Raven stated calmly, he thought he could hear a small surprised sound from behind the mirror. The man noted his answers down on the file, seemingly unaffected by Raven's words. Considering he knew himself to be exactly right, he decided that the man's stone faced expression was one he would never wish to face across a poker table.

"Can you read the name tag?"

"Why would I need to, it's your name tag after all." This time at least he managed to get the man's exterior to crack just enough for a tiny bit of surprise to show through.

"And what is my name?" He asked steadily.

"Noel Justar, research assistant to Dr. Ronen, security number 6649032546." Raven replied quickly. Noel, now visibly flustered, wrote something on the paper he had in front of him. "And your birthday is 11-14-70." This made his eyes snap up sharply with an all too intense surprise, since that was supposed to be the very next question.

"Can you tell me what is written on the piece of paper?" Noel asked with a voice that was no longer steady.

"Lunch, Thursday at 1:30." Raven replied after a moment of concentration. "With Dr. Ronen's other assistant, Jenny Gregor. You really like her, don't you?" Noel was now deeply flustered, but stubbornly refused to show any emotion, although it still leaked through despite his efforts. Noel shifted the box closer and opened the lid, from it he removed the change and set it down on the table.

"Can you move the coins with your mind?" Noel asked, Raven looked down at three nickels and the two pennies with a sigh. He had long since passed the point of no return, he knew what was already coming, so it was an easy decision to go all the way. It barely even took focus to slowly move the coins to form a small circle on the surface of the table. Noel looked on in fascinated horror to find that such a thing was even possible, but Raven was not done by a long shot. Moving with a painful slowness the five coins stood up and balanced on their edges, slowly spinning around as like ballet dancers. Next they lifted completely away from the table and flowed effortlessly in the air as they continued to slowly twirl while orbiting around an invisible central access. It was the showmen in him that made him grasp for more power, dredging it up from deep within himself to make something else happen, and just as suddenly the spinning coins were gone, teleported away. As his performance had become more and more impressive, several of the minds he sensed on the other side of the mirrors had unclenched and their thoughts had begun to leak through, becoming only too easy to read.

"What the hell?!?" Noel exclaimed surging backwards out of his seat and toppling his chair with the sudden movement.

"Check your pocket." Raven replied, paying for his showmanship with a headache that broke across his senses. Noel's hand barely dared to reach into the pocket of his lab coat to find seventeen cents in small change along with both of the pens from inside the box. Just as the objects dropped from nerveless fingers to strike the floor at the man's feet, the door behind Noel surged open to allow the actual Dr. Ronen to appear, holding two cups of coffee just as Raven had expected. His mind was only too vulnerable in his excited state, and it was through that open channel Raven knew almost instantly everything he wanted to know. He also learned about the other thing he had very much wished to gain from the massive risk he had taken by showing up in the first place. Dr. Ronen's open mind only too clearly recalled exactly where his office safe could be found, and even provided hints to all the wide spread mysteries it contained. While it might still be in doubt that Raven would escape, he was at least certain he'd be able to get more than enough blackmail material to protect his friends, and get it out of the building.

"Thank you Noel, I will take it from here." Noel nodded and slipped out of the room, staring as if Raven had sprouted horns during the interview. Dr. Ronen closed the door and sat down, then set one of the coffees in front of Raven and sipped at his own cup. "Now we will try the cards." He added while setting his coffee cup down.

"Why?" Questioned Raven, not willing to play this game any longer.

"Excuse me?" Dr. Ronen questioned in return.

"Because Admiral Teg and Commander Castin have already seen enough." Raven replied, gesturing towards the mirror and the unseen figures behind it. "But there is someone else in there, isn't there?" Raven did not wait for an answer, instead he reached out towards the third mind he sensed on the far side of the glass. What he encountered was like a wall; a perfect, flawless surface that reflected back only his thoughts but nothing of individual hiding behind it. He pushed and prodded, but only managed to extract a name from the woman. "LeShana, what an interesting name." Raven commented while still looking at the mirror.

"Well, I am not satisfied." Dr. Ronen commented dryly. "Try the coffee, I make a good cup of coffee, if I say so myself." Raven gave him a false smile as he lifted up the cup and poured it across the paperwork between them.

"Defor trem Greeks weslown gorga." For some odd reason it somehow seemed appropriate to use Dego, that strange language used in the days of his youth and learned from his imaginary friend. "Thank you for the coffee, but I have to be going." Raven added as he rose from his seat and crossed quickly to the door.

"I am afraid that we can not let you leave." Dr. Ronen told him firmly, but wasn't about to try and physically stop a man twice his size.

"You act as if you are actually being given a choice." He murmured in return before opening the door on the empty hallway. Raven closed the door behind him and ignored the angry screams from the smaller door to his right. He couldn't possibly imagine why those inside would have such trouble working the handle, even though the thought put an evil little smile on his face. Moving quickly and calmly, he recrossed the distances through the halls beyond, doing his best to project the sense that he somehow belonged there, which would hopefully dissuade any of the people in those halls from trying to stop him. He had not see any stairway access doors during the walk from the elevators, and doubted that he would find one were he simply to start opening blank unidentified doorways. All he could conceivably do was focus on making everyone he encountered think he was where he was supposed to be and quicken his steps just a little more.

As he turned the last corner towards the elevators, a group of armed Marines came rushing towards him carrying a great deal of firepower in their hands. It seemed like a miracle when they rushed past him and proved that the far less practiced of his bag of tricks had worked perfectly. Raven did his best to increase the feelings he was projecting, and quickened his pace just a little more until he reached the elevator doors. Once there, he swiped Dr. Ronan's security card through the reader and his fingers danced across the keypad and expertly punched in the proper code. Since no alarms sounded and the down light began to glow nearby, all he could do was wait with all the patience he could summon while the elevator took its' time arriving. When at long last the elevator doors slid open, he wasted no time climbing in and pressing the button to the first floor, but about halfway through his downward trip, the elevator jerked to a halt and a thick yellow gas began to pour into the tiny chamber from around his feet, filling the small space with a thick noxious kind of cloud. Raven took a deep gulp of fresh air, closed his eyes, and endured that intolerable situation as best as he could while he waited for the smoke to slowly billow up around him. Eventually it grow thick enough to obscure him from the ever watchful eye of the camera overhead. The heavy stack of file folders in Dr. Ronen's safe were brought to his hands just before he prepared himself for his even bigger and more potentially dangerous trick. Although it did not take long in reality, inside his head it took an eternity before he was completely lost in the haze. He then dug down into the deepest parts of himself to summon every ounce of his strength before reaching out and pulling with all his might.

Raven reappeared in his apartment several miles away, and instantly doubled over with pain. His head throbbed violently in time with his pulse and his eyes watered from the lingering remnants of the gas. Only through sheer force of will was he able stagger to his feet and stumble his way through the small room, fighting back the effort to give into the nausea that threatened to make his breakfast the worst idea ever. His fingers fumbled uselessly for a nearby bottle of pain killers, and his overly abused senses were unable to even comprehend numbers as he downed a gaggle of little white pills that were likely three or four times the recommended dosage. Staggering with weakness and backlash, he knocked over furniture and broke a lamp while he lurched towards the bedroom, his mind awash in a sea of blinding agony. He did not quite make it to his destination, but his immense size was just enough that he managed to avoid the floor and instead collapsed onto the foot of the bed where he could drag himself onto the surface and bury his face against the burning painful wash of light flowing in through the windows. It took hours of fitful sleep before the pain began to slowly fade, the aftermath of his escape reluctant to release him from its' thrall. Having little choice in the matter, Raven simply let it flow over him, waiting in tortured agony until he was capable of thinking clearly once more.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

There were times when she wished most desperately that she had been a little less hard-working, dedicated, or competent in all the years that had proceeded the current one. If she had been lacking even a small amount of any one those qualities she might have avoided a vital promotion, recommendation, or advancement that would have left her to linger as just another every day sort of field agent. Had this been the case, she might not have been so unlucky as to be one of those sent to Earth, she might not have been put in charge of that region, and therefore would not have to deal with the situation or the infuriating, idiotic, and abrasive morons who were ultimately supposed to have oversight into the Center's operations in that area. It was bad enough that Admiral Teg and his lap-dog 'Commander Crony', as he was known behind closed doors, were both vile and all but intolerable on a good day, but to be forced into dealing with them on a bad day was almost enough to make one hurt themselves in order to be sent home for treatment by someone who was not a total barbarian.

LeShana tried not to let her exasperation and nearly overpowering distaste for the Admiral color her feelings for all the humans who inhabited the strange planet, but in truth, he and his lackey were slowly and surely destroying any credibility any 'Terran' might ever have with her. It was perhaps not even him so much as the fact that he was the mouthpiece for so many others, barking orders like they owned not only the city but in fact the whole planet around them. It was all of them; all the sleazy politicians, corrupt little lawyers, power hungry military officers, and nasty, mistrustful little parasites that were always hanging about in the shadows of such people. Of course she knew that all of the people on Earth were nowhere near as bad as their worst examples, but having spent far too long in close proximity of so many who were so vile, was slowly but surely making her lose any sense of objectivity. It wasn't the people's fault that their political and military leaders were so nasty and lacking in anything like moral fiber. It was most certainly not their fault that those who were supposed to protect them were betraying them each and every day as they aspired only to their own personal ambitions and gains. LeShana only wished that she could do something to change the way things were being done, wished that the Center, and through them herself and the agents in her command, could apply pressure to the Admiral and his morally corrupt means of 'recruitment'.

But the fear was running hot and strong through the military and political leaders of Earth. With so much change just over the horizon, they were all scared of what the future could bring. They were involved in a new arms race, not one of weapons but one of people. They were snatching up their own people to try and gather as many talents as they could find, even those whose skill was so insignificant as to be nearly unusable. It was all due to the fear that they might be invaded or that the enemies they saw in every shadow of their own world would attack at the slightest hint of weakness. Their paranoia was driving them to commit terrible crimes under the heading of being 'for the greater good'. LeShana could not stand seeing another trusting soul being drugged and dragged away to be treated no better than a common criminal and being forcibly enlisted into the ranks of the future military. If she hadn't been so troubled by how strong a person from Earth would need to be to pull off the sheer unadulterated display of talent she had seen earlier that day, she would have been ecstatic to see one of his potential victims pull one over on the Admiral.

"Nothing!?!" The Admiral demanded, his voice hovering at the edge of becoming a bellow, as it usually was. "How can there be nothing?!" He demanded angrily of his subordinate, his face red and his chest puffed out in nearly uncontrolled fury.

"There were no fingerprints inside the room or on the documents that he signed. There are twenty-seven Dan Browns inside the greater New York metropolitan area, and none of them come even close to the description of.."

"The Description!!!?" The Admiral did bellow this time.

"All the cameras in the lobby, elevators, hallways and inside testing room were fully operational, sir. But they recorded little more than a fuzzy blur. And.. the audio recording equipment was functional but it was heavily distorted when the subject spoke. We tried to repair the files but there were no matching voice prints in any of our databases." The Lieutenant replied as calmly as could be expected considering the outraged superior officer. "There is nothing we can do, sir." The final comment brought out the ranting, raving, oversized brat that LeShana had been expecting all along, and the Admiral systematically went about destroying his own office. LeShana erected a mage-barrier around herself and let the thrown and scattered items simply bounce harmlessly off the invisible wall. The Lieutenant was not nearly so lucky and was struck across the face by some heavy piece of office equipment before he could flee outright from the room. The Admiral was wise enough not to do something similar with the Commander, after all, he wouldn't want his prized pet to bite the hand that fed it. After nearly an hour, the Admiral finally calmed enough to demand that she 'fix this' as if the 'escapee' was some broken toy and she could solve his problem with a few drops of glue.

"There is something we can do, but.." LeShana replied softly and calmly. She had long ago called back to the Center to inform them of the situation, and having already consulted with her own superior officers she was only too well aware of how the two men were going to take the announcement of their decision.

"But?" The Commander and the Admiral asked on the same breath.

"We are going to take him to the Center for training." LeShana stated calmly as she turned away from the windows to look into the Admiral's eyes. His shoulders squared off, his spine went stiff, and his eyes narrowed into two dark little angry specks. For just a moment, LeShana was hopeful that he was going to throw another temper tantrum and try to attack her. She would only too readily welcome the chance to teach him a lesson he would not forget for quite some time, after he got out of the hospital anyway. If she had actually had to answer to him in the grand scheme of things, she might actually have felt a little bit worried.

"And why is that?" The Admiral demanded through clenched teeth.

"Someone who could pull off so accurate a test and demonstrated the ability to teleport could be very dangerous, both to his kidnappers and anyone who tried to train him. Even though the energy levels here on Earth are a hundredth of what they would normally be, he is far too powerful to be trained on this planet with its' limited resources." LeShana replied calmly.

"He is the first real candidate we've had!" The Commander replied angrily, beating the Admiral to the objection.

"Section 34: subsection 4 of the Center-Earth treaty." LeShana stated firmly, having already checked over that section. "Read it." Her message delivered, LeShana turned and walked out of the room, leaving the two angry men in her wake. The Admiral growled at her back and quickly pulled up the section of the treaty she had mentioned. LeShana simply smiled and walked down the hall towards the agent's lounge. She pushed open the doorway and stepped inside, causing the conversation to stop for several seconds until they saw who had entered, then the level of noise rose back to its' normal volume. She wandered across the room through the tangle of Center agents, cleared her throat to attract their collected attention, and waited for things to go quiet once again. "All right, let's quiet down for a second." The volume dropped immediately out of respect and all eyes turned to focus on her. "It looks like we finally have someone who matches the profile for our other mission here on Earth, but it's clear that we are not going to get any useful information from our military friends."

"When do we ever?" Someone asked from the back of the room and there was a ripple of resentful laughter through the room. LeShana wished she could have joined them, even in such a bitter mocking sound, but as their commanding officer she was supposed to show respect for their 'allies', no matter how little they actually acted as their title implied.

"We need to do a location spell on him, so I am going need three people to help." Several hands lifted into the air almost immediately. "Good, Destin, Solair, and.." LeShana spotted a graceful hand in the back of the room. "When did you get back Vosthan?" She asked in surprise of his sudden reappearance.

"An hour ago." A silky musical voice replied.

"Good, you're the fourth." LeShana told him, knowing he would be useful in the spell casting. "On another note, rotation is coming up, so those of you that are schedule to go back, get your stuff ready.. if you haven't already." There was another ripple of laughter. The three agents she had named gathered together near the door waiting for her, and when LeShana joined them, they slipped out into the silent nighttime hallways of the Weslyn building. They headed for one of the magical workrooms where the shields would make the spell easier to accomplish, cut off from the crush of unshielded minds outside.

Unsurprisingly, the workrooms were empty since so few of them had any magical energy to spare most days. LeShana choose one at random before leading the others inside. Being the first to enter, she flicked on the lights as she slipped past the threshold, contemplating the plain surroundings and the flimsy furniture as she entered. It seemed odd to not be able to simply order the lights on, but Earth was still decades away from integrating that kind of technology. The four of them settled around the small circular table silently. The room was sparsely furnished, which was in case there was magical accident, where more often than not all the furniture in the room was the fatality. They settled themselves and used whatever meditation techniques worked best to calm their minds and prepare their magical energies for what would follow. LeShana was the first to finish and she waited for the others silently, watching her fellow agents since she had nothing else to do with herself. Of the four of them, she was the strongest magically, but she was only just slightly stronger than Vosthan.

His people were still the stuff of legend on Earth, a half forgotten memory of times long ago still stored in the racial memories of the descendants of that world. He was perfectly beautiful with a senseless grace that was enough to make some weep. His people were called Elves by Earth legends and the rumors of their beauty were nothing compared to the truth of reality. His hair was a fall of pure silver, his ears swept back to sharp points, with a slim supple body that seemed almost to harken back to the statues of angels she had seen at a nearby temple. At all times he was calm and composed, never letting so much as a hint of emotion through his cool exterior. He wore the typical clothing for a Center agent on Earth, but there was an ethereal quality about him that could never truly be hidden by the disguising spells he was forced to use when he went out onto the streets.

Solair was another non-human in the agent contingent, though her race looked far more like humans than the elves. She was a Segor, a race whose telepathic gifts were unmatched by any other race, and to her, reading thoughts was as simple as breathing. Outwardly, she was plain looking, with blond-brown hair, and green eyes, but like all agents, she was fit, trim, and a well trained warrior. Beneath her plain exterior, however, she had the most beautiful spirit that LeShana had ever encountered. Destin was one of the few full humans, a rarity among their number, since most of their contingent could claim at least some small blood relation to one of the other races. He was not particularly handsome, at least not in LeShana's eyes; short for a human, he had a very boxy appearance, with a square face and muscular build. His hair was mouse brown, but his eyes were a very intense blue that seemed to stare right through a person when he choose to focus on them. His magic was the weakest of their number, but his incomprehensibly deep connection with Solair made up for such a shortcoming. Destin was life-bonded to Solair, the most profound and rewarding of relationships known in the Halls. It formed between linked souls as a perfect match, a connection that transcended all others, so that even in death the two of the would be bound together. The death of one would quickly lead to the death of the other, but while it was a potent downside, there were advantages and benefits of such a bonding that went far beyond the bad. There were time when it was sickening to be around the two of them, they were so deeply in love with each other, and LeShana had jokingly worried about getting cavities from spending too much time in their presence. Such a reminder forced LeShana to hide a twinge of jealousy, since all her life she had dreamed of sharing the same sort of relationship with someone she loved.

One by one, the other agents finally opened their eyes and nodded that they were ready. LeShana reached out to join hands with her friends; physical contact was not necessary, but it helped when dealing with the difficulties of using magic on Earth. As one they allowed their gathered energy to flow out and join together, allowing their power to mingle and become stronger through that connection. The magical energy that they gathered together formed a swirling, glowing cloud that shifted and danced like a fog to her mage-senses. The varied colors of their energy blended together in a rainbow hued dance of light as the various tendrils began to form and meld slowly to become a pure white cloud of energy. Once the circle was complete and their energy fully merged together, LeShana let each of them 'taste' Raven's aura. Even though the contact with him had been brief, it had been enough for her to feel its' colors and textures. It was a very distinctive aura, especially for a native of Earth; smooth gold with rough purple intermixed over top of a sheen of black that seemed to glow from within. Each of the agents silently acknowledged their readiness through the link shared between them.

Without any true need for words, either verbal or telepathic, it was agreed upon silently that LeShana would take the lead, Solair and Destin would back her up, and Vosthan would anchor all of them as the progression of the casting moved along. Diving deep down into the earth beneath their feet, LeShana and Solair extended their influence into those places where magical energy existed and called the energy upward. With an agonizing slowness, the magical energy gurgled up in answer to their summons. Earth's magic was still weak and hard to find, which made even the most minor of spells far more troublesome than they should be. When the power arrived, they gathered it up, purified it, and made it their own before storing it away while they waited for more to come, trying to gather enough for their purposes. After what felt like hours of impatient waiting, they at long last had enough energy for the spell, and LeShana and Destin wove the energy into a great net; their ethereal hands molding it to their wills. As the net began to form, Vosthan and Solair began to test the net for strength, insuring that there were no holes or weak spots. Raven was strong and if he knew more than he should, he might be able to slip through any such flaw. When at long last the net was completed, they called for yet more power, summoning the strength necessary for the next stage of the casting, and further increasing LeShana's impatient frustration.

It did come, however, and a little bit later they were ready. LeShana lifted out of her body and floated up above the city. Solair and Destin were right behind her while Vosthan remained in his body to guide them back should they get lost. The city glowed through their mage-sight, its' beauty surpassing even the sky-line set against the falling sun. LeShana paused for a few long seconds, just watching the play of magical lights that no physical eye could ever see, until Destin woke her from her thoughts with a gentle reminder that they had a task to be completed. Together, they gathered the net close, drawing it in and watching as the glowing cords of energy shifted and bunched in their ghost like hands. LeShana then gathered her power, focusing it around them before sending it surging outward to cast the net skyward. It moved up and spread outward like a second sky before slowly drifting down across the vast, urban landscape all around them. It then settled across the darkened city like a glowing spider's web shifting across the two landscapes. As the net came to rest, the colors of the threads shifted subtly as they sought out the energies of the aura Raven had exuded, searching for him silently across the planes of ever present magic, weak though they might be. After what seemed like an eternity the colors changed from a subtle gold to a dazzling white. LeShana gathered herself and surged downwards towards the net, and as her fingers touched it she was pulled into the network of energy and was swiftly dragged towards the location of the one they were seeking. Solair and Destin were only a heartbeat behind her while Vosthan lingered, ever present, in the backs of their minds. The swift ride came to a sudden halt followed by a flash of light, and when their vision cleared they were staring down at Raven's sleeping form.

He was sprawled across a couch, the TV glowing soundlessly in one corner, and all around them there was nothing but silence. LeShana moved closer until she was standing disembodied over the sleeping figure. Reaching cautiously outward, she touched his head and slid easily past his mental shields. His barriers were so littered with holes and weak points that she thought it was a minor miracle that the mental noise he must live with in the overcrowded city did not drive him to madness. Even through the heaviest shields, people with telepathic gifts were forced to endure the mental noise generated by so many people living so closely together, and the city had a great many people and a great deal of noise. LeShana quickly worked a simple spell, tagging him with a tiny beacon of energy that would allow them to track him with magic. She made sure the mental tag was firmly in place while Destin and Solair investigated the rooms around them, trying to obtain an address or some sense of where he was in the vastness of the tangled metropolis. Perhaps disturbed by her presence in his mind, Raven stirred and LeShana quickly pulled away before he woke. Destin and Solair followed LeShana's orders and dove away, following the tendril of energy created by Vosthan that would lead them back to the Weslyn building, however, for a reason she could not entirely explain, LeShana lingered in that far away place.

"Sione?" Raven called sleepily, his voice barely intelligible past the slurring of the letters. LeShana jerked back with a sudden fear, moving quickly away from the strange man as his mind stirred further towards waking. Just before she too escaped, she took one last look at him, then fled towards her body. She managed to return to her physical body and force open her tired eyes before Solair and Destin could think anything might be amiss. They released their conjoined hands slowly, as each of them had to fight the sudden fatigue that descended over their senses which was the price of the night's work. After a time, they were able recover enough of their physical strength to leave the room without help of the others. LeShana watched silently as Solair and Destin said their good nights and slipped away towards their bed and the promise of some well deserved sleep. Vosthan rose from his seat and started to leave, but LeShana lingered, her mind spiraling in confused tangles. Before he could disappear, some unknown force stopped him and he turned back towards her looking puzzled.

"Why the look?" LeShana asked, trying very hard to hide her thoughts from his piercing gaze.

"Something happened back there, when you did not return immediately with the others, I waited and sensed your surprise." Vosthan replied calmly, causing LeShana to inwardly curse his uncanny senses. "What was it?"

"Nothing." LeShana replied quickly, knowing that it would do little good.

"Come now, I know you better than that." Vosthan murmured as he walked around the table to massage LeShana's shoulders. With hands that worked like they had a magic all their own, knots seemed to dissolve under his touch, and as if to spite her, her body started to relax. He was one of the few people that LeShana had ever truly felt comfortable with, and perhaps that was why he had been one of the people selected to teach her magic. But it went deeper than that, they had been lovers once long ago and in many ways it felt like another lifetime, but then there were times that made it feel far too close for her own comfort. "What is it." Vosthan prompted, not about to let the matter fade now that he knew he had her cornered.

"It's just that this Raven seems so familiar." LeShana began haltingly, entirely too uncomfortable to tell him any of it, much less the truth that felt so oddly personal to her right then. She most certainly had never wanted anyone to suspect that something had happened in the office hallway when he had arrived, nor the effect that his touch had on her in that briefest moment of contact. Above all else, she never ever wanted to admit that her mind had struggled not to think about him for the remainder of the day. But not simply because of the troubling truths he represented or the fact that he was an important complication into the business of the day, the reasons were something she did not even want to admit to herself. Even still, she should have known better than to hope she might be able to fool Vosthan, and could only wish that whatever words followed would remain between the two of them. "And today during the interview he spoke in Dego. It was a little muddled but it was still better than most people manage in our world, much less from an uninitiated world like this one."

"What did he say?" Vosthan asked softly, keeping his voice light and his tone one of soothing calm.

"Beware Greeks bearing gifts." LeShana muttered with a frustrated sigh.

"Appropriate." Vosthan commented, letting a touch of amusement seep into his tone. "Let me guess, the coffee was drugged?"

"Yes." LeShana agreed closing her eyes against the nearly irrational surge of anger and frustration she felt at that. As tired as she was, if she allowed herself to lapse into yet another mental rant she'd not get to sleep for hours. "These Earthers are under the impression that it is best to drug their candidates to make sure that they will not talk to others. Their paranoia is.. infuriating.."

"After so many centuries of war, these people have begun to see enemies in every shadow." Vosthan commented to her, allowing a rare sound of frustration to follow his words into the still silent air, and only too easily recalling her own mental comments to that effect, drawing her closer to that state of outraged anger. "However, we can not force them to believe as we do, we can only try to show them that there are brighter paths to follow and wait for them to see the light. Eventually the restoration of Earth's magic will have reached the point when the truth can no longer be denied and they will have no choice, but until then we can only hope we will not need to use more forceful means of getting them to rethink their ways."

"I suppose." LeShana added, sighing once more.

"There's more isn't there." Vosthan prompted, able to read her better than any other person could. If he hadn't or did not mean quite so much to her, she would have only found intense levels of frustration and anger at his easy insight into her inner workings.

"You know me too well." LeShana growled, wishing just this once that he would let the matter fade away.

"Possibly." Vosthan returned with a chuckle. "Tell me."

"I should have learned long ago that I can't hide anything from you." LeShana whined, starting to feel as if she had been wrung out with the wash and then left in a soggy heap somewhere. "All right, just before I left, Raven woke up, and he spoke a name that was surprising to hear.."

"Sione." Vosthan whispered when her own voice faltered.

"You knew?" LeShana asked incredulously, snapping her head around to look up into his sharp eyes.

"Yes." Vosthan replied with a calmness that was more than a little frustrating to her at that time. "But I wanted you to say it. Anyway, perhaps you simply misheard, he was half asleep, after all, and you are only partially alive after having been trapped on this world for so long. Soon enough we will have our chance to obtain answers." She could neither deny his logic nor summon up even the faintest wish to argue with him, yet his words did not ease the troubled nature of her thoughts. "When are you due to go back for leave?"

"You're changing the subject." She growled back at him.

"That I am." Vosthan agreed calmly.

"I was due to go back this rotation, but Vorda went and got hurt." She begrudgingly told him, knowing she had no chance of diverting him from the subject. "They are supposed to be training someone to replace me, but that could be weeks. I am already overdue for a trip back."

"How did he get hurt?" Vosthan questioned.

"One of those damn fool treasure hunts of his, he got mauled by a Sada on Triplyn." She told him.

"Bad?" Vosthan asked.

"Real bad. He would have been dead if he hadn't been carrying a tracer. Lost a leg and an arm, he'll probably get a desk job unless the Center opts for cybernetic replacements."

"We should wait for a few days before we go after this Raven. If nothing happens for a while he might let his guard down." Vosthan suggested softly.

"Two days at least. I do want to get to him before the military decides to put it's foot in it." LeShana agreed, though reluctant to defer to his clearer judgment. "If they get him and try and to train him, he is more likely to blow up half the installation."

"Fools and idiots all of them." Vosthan agreed with a malicious little chuckle.

"I should get to bed." LeShana stated, sliding up from her seat. He nodded and followed her from the room.

Chapter Two: A Dark and Troubled Sky

Days passed and nothing happened, letting Raven settle back in his normal routine, but he avoided the Weslyn building for a couple of blocks in every direction. He did look over his shoulder a little more often, but that was perhaps a normal reaction to having narrowly escaped being drugged and imprisoned. When informed of his experiences there, Mr. Montoya and all their friends did very much the same. None of them could likely think of anything they could do about it at that time, but they could do their very best to insure no one they knew and cared about would fall into whatever nefarious plans were taking place. Mr. Montoya was quick to assure him, and probably everyone else, that there were avenues he could take up within his vast circles of friends and contacts, but the details were not forthcoming. When the 25th of the month rolled around, it was perhaps the only thing able to distract him from his other problems. That was the day he had scheduled to meet with his publisher and agent, and the two of them together had a remarkable capacity for wearing on his nerves. Despite the fact that they should not have anything to complain about, since his latest book was doing extremely well with a peak of 16 weeks on the top ten list, neither of them had ever seemed fully satisfied unless they had something was going wrong. Raven woke up and immediately stalled for as long as possible, taking an extra long shower, and pretending to debate what he would wear that day. Gathering up the hard copy of his new novel, he shoved it hastily into the bottom of a black backpack, and with a reluctance tantamount to one who was unwilling to go to their own execution, he got ready to depart.

Slipping on a pair of sunglasses, he stepped out into the hallway and nodded to his passing neighbors politely while he wandered down the hall towards the elevators. Having long since seen the futility of driving his car anywhere in that city when he wanted to be on time, he walked along the sidewalks towards the subway entrance. The subway ride was quiet, thankfully, but it had the added side effect of making him feel just a little paranoid as he kept looking over his shoulder, as if expecting to catch someone following him at any given moment. The publisher's office was near Wall street, insuring that the sidewalks were packed with those he referred to as 'corporate clones'. While he had nothing against them personally, he simply could not imagine being a part of their world, since it ran so very contrary with his own sense of self. It was always a surreal experience to walk through such areas, since in odd and amusing ways, he could almost imagine that he had somehow stepped across the borders between two different realities, especially since he so very much clashed with ascetic of such places. Following the flow of the crowd, he entered the publisher's building and nodded towards the guards. They waved him through, after all there were very few people, including other writers, that looked and dressed like him. The tallest of the fellow writers he had ever met was still a foot shorter than him and was as skinny as a rake. Raven got onto the elevator with a bored sigh and pushed the button for the twenty-fifth floor, knowing that the day was going to be long and painful, he was all but certain of it.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Does anyone not understand their assignments?" LeShana asked, looking around at the gathered agents. Three days ago they had decided that it would be a bad idea to attempt to capture Raven by kicking down his front door, that would raise too many questions with the local law enforcement. Their other option was to try and capture him out on the streets, and for the last two days they had been waiting for him to emerge from his lair, never honestly suspecting that their task was a harder prospect than one might expect. The last two times he had emerged, he had walked to a corner store and right back to his apartment, far too quickly for the other agents to get into place. They finally saw their opportunity, however, when the agents watching his house had informed them that he was on the move deep into the heart of the city. One of the agents had followed him onto the subway to Manhattan and had reported their 'prey' was on the alert but that he had not spotted his followers. No one had any questions, so LeShana dismissed them so that they could get into place, then she nodded to Vosthan, who was giving her an expectant look, so he followed her out of the room. Vosthan was dressed in the rather severe looking clothes of a professional driver, appropriate attire since their 'getaway vehicle' was in fact a stretch limo to get Raven out of the scene. Its' darkened windows were an advantage in capturing an unwilling candidate, not to mention the added space in the back was conducive to any struggle that might take place. LeShana still had no answers about Raven, despite the fact that they had spent much of their time trying to learn as much about him as possible. They had done intensive background work and there was nothing to explain the known aberrations between his files and their knowledge of him. How he had known Dego and why had he called out the name 'Sione' when LeShana was in his apartment were the two most vital and pressing concerns in her own mind.

They left the building together, twelve agents in all, and loaded into three cars for the short drive to the area where he had last been seen. When they reached the area of the building Raven had entered, eight of them would disperse and follow Raven if he left on foot, while the others in the cars would follow if he left by means of a vehicle. LeShana and Vosthan would follow at a distance until they were ready to move in for the capture. They were all veteran agents, so they knew to improvise if something unexpected happened. The relief crew from their home planet had come in the previous day and would be able to handle any other matters that might come up while they were occupied. There was not much to do anyway, any group of green agents could handle things. It did not take them long to reach the area where Raven had last been seen, and the agents spread out just as they had planned. Vosthan pulled the car down a small side street and settled in to wait. LeShana tried not to get excited by the idea that finally, after days of tormented waiting she would be getting her chance to penetrate the veil of mystery that had plagued her naturally curious mind, but her attempt was in vain.

"This is Andiva, I've got him. He is exiting the building and moving west." The announcement made an intense surge of excitement bubble up from within LeShana.

"You are too close, Andiva." Her group leader called warningly.

"He's stopped.." Sanquin announced in the next moment, making an all too real fear that he would realize they were tracking him that made LeShana's blood run cold. "He's pulling out a cell phone.. Now he's on the move again." She breathed a sigh of relief and tried to settle her rattled nerves, the mission had only just begun after all. They needed to catch him off guard, and if his demonstration had taught them anything it was that they could not afford to underestimate him. While they might not hope to confront him out of the public eye, the fewer witnesses there were, the better it was for all of them.

"What is it with these humans and acting as if they were all permanently glued to their devices." Vosthan murmured distastefully.

"Look at it this way at least he isn't driving with that thing attached to his face." LeShana commented back to him. Soon enough, Raven hailed a cab and their groups re-gathered to follow him as he traveled north along the island. His home was in a different direction, so they could only be thankful that he may yet give them the opportunity they needed to achieve their goals. The mid-day traffic, however, was quite intense as any number of other travelers moved about the city for afternoon meals and meetings. It took more than hour to travel the several miles north before Raven was exiting the vehicle and emerging into a far quieter kind of neighborhood, where he entered a small local eatery. By the time their teams had caught up with the lead vehicle and could be dispersed around the area, they were far too late to catch him out in the open. All of them were given plenty of time to grow impatient and worried as they waited for him to re-emerge. Only too able to picture him slipping out a backdoor their sweep had missed, or worse, him simply teleporting away once out of sight, LeShana came to a decision after about an hour of interminable waiting, when her patience grew thin and her nerves could no longer wait.

"I'm going in. Destin, Solair, follow me inside. We need to make sure he didn't give us the slip." Vosthan looked as if he had many numerous objections to voice, but all it took to silence them was for him to see her worried expression. "Everyone else, keep on your toes and wait for my signal." No one really felt brave enough to question her, and most of them undoubtedly had worried about the same things during the long interim since their arrival, no few of them were above lingering along the path between the limo and the restaurant, however, making their concerns all too clear in the silent looks they gave her. Ignoring her own doubts about the wisdom in doing this, she peered deep into the front window as she passed, but saw no trace of her quarry. Growing ever closer to the edge of panic, she quickened her steps just a little more and hurried through the front door. The setting inside was a little dark, a little worn, but all together homey and unassuming, with the over all effect being rather pleasing to the eye. Even as she stepped up the receptionist stand, openly peering about in the hopes that he was still there, her eyes found his own. Seated in the far back corner, out of sight from the front window, he sat with his back to the wall and with a perfect unobstructed view of anyone who entered. What was even worse was that his eyes were on her even before she found him through the sea of people inside. In that moment, there was not even a hint of doubt within her that he had recognized her from that brief encounter inside the Weslyn building. He knew why she was there, and just by that gaze alone, he made it clear to her that in fact he had been waiting for someone to reveal themselves. How he could have known, why he had waited, and a hundred other questions rippled through her mind, even as instinct made her freeze in her spot, at a lost of what she should do next. Raven solved her dilemma when he nodded to other side of his small, out of the way booth, and made a small gesture with his hand as if inviting her to join him. "He.. made us somewhere along the way.. everyone be on alert." LeShana whispered warningly. Shaking herself from her surprised stupor, she ignored the sign suggesting she wait to be seated and crossed the room to slide down onto the bench seat across from her target. For the second time that week, she was struck by the sudden and intense sense of deja vu as she came close to an otherwise perfect stranger. It was almost as if some part of her was trying to tell her something about him or that somehow, inexplicably, they had met in another lifetime.

"Took you long enough." He rumbled at her as she awkwardly settled on the vinyl seat of the booth. Having already suffered through hours of verbal berating, debates, nasty comments, and recriminations because of his actions, the nasty little verbal jab was almost enough to make her wish to enact violence against him. It did not at all help that he was giving her a smug, sinister kind of smirk as he spoke to her. "Were all of you somehow under the impression that I was an idiot? I could sense the malice waiting for me outside while I was still on the elevator."

"It's not malice.. it's determination." LeShana snapped back at him, feeling a nearly irrational need to defend herself and her people. His eyes left hers and his smile faded a little when something else managed to catch his attention, and she gave a subtle, sideways glance towards the door. She caught sight of Destin and Solair entering the restaurant and doing their very best to pretend that they fit in, even as both of them were exuding surprise to see her sitting across from their would be target.

"Yeah, because 12 against one isn't the least little bit malicious." He finally quipped back at her.

"How did.." Knowing almost instantly that she had made a mistake with that instinctive demand for information, she was even more irritated by that condescending smirk which appeared on his face in the next moment. "Fine.." She growled back at him.

"Here come the claws." He snapped back at her with growing amusement, almost as if he was trying his hardest to make her angry, and was unfortunately succeeding.

"We know who you are, we know where you live, and we know what you can do. We don't want a fight, but if that's what you want, then we are prepared for it. Now.."

"Is that a threat?" He asked her with a smile.

"NOW.." She continued with a touch more force in her voice. "..there are two ways we can.."

"By the heavens, please don't tell me you are going to say: 'There are two ways we can do this, the easy way or the hard way.'?" He interrupted her with an infuriating smugness and a roll of his eyes that pissed her off on mere principle. "What are you a third rate villain from some novel written by a monkey chained to a type-writer? I'm mean seriously, how cliché can you get! What are you going to tell me next? 'My people have the building surrounded, you'll never get away.'?" That smile, that nasty, spiteful, condescending, superior little smile seemed almost impossibly effective in cutting right through her and getting under her skin like nothing else in the universe. She was pissed off just looking at it, and found herself only wishing she could pull a weapon and teach him a real lesson for even thinking to try to tease her when she was only trying to do whatever she could to help him.

"No, next I tell you that you can either walk out of here on your own two feet, or we can drag your ass out of here by your hair." She snapped back at him, no longer able to contain her intense, bitter dislike for his infuriating attitude. Even if she might have enjoyed seeing that smile disappear in the heartbeat that followed, the expression that replaced it made her blood run cold. His eyes grew dark, his lips narrowed, his heavy brows dropped, and his large muscular body tensed, and all at once his smug sense of calm, confident defiance was gone to be replaced by a disturbingly terrible sense of real danger sitting right across from the table from her. For first time in her life, LeShana had met someone who could give her an angry glare and truly put a little fear into her world. It was as if Raven had a depth unseen until that very moment, and that depth contained the stuff of nightmares.

"Now, it's your turn to listen..." His rumbling baritone voice rippled through her, conjuring up the image of a demon given human form, causing her heart to race and her mind to scream in near terror at what might follow. When he spoke those first words, he shifted to lean forward over the table, making her wish desperately she had more room to slid back and keep her distance from whatever terrible monstrosity sat behind that dark gaze. From the table he picked up a spoon, and even that rather blunt object was somehow enough to make him even more menacing than the a mere moment before. "I don't care who you work for, Weslyn enterprises, the military, NSA, FBI, Homeland Security, or whatever damn foolish thing you use to identify yourselves. Because whatever it might be, whomever you might be, you tried to drug me, kidnap me, and use me.. and I don't like it one damn bit. And it's not just about me lady, it's also about my friends, and one thing you never need doubt is WE DON'T LIKE THREATS!" He growled at her like a vicious, blood-thirsty predator, not even needing to raise his voice. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Destin rising to his feet as both he and Solair felt her fear and panic, but she wasn't the only one to take note of that subtle change to their surroundings. Three sharp strikes of the spoon against the side of his glass was all it took for the entire atmosphere to suddenly change.

Never in LeShana's entire life could she have imagined a trap so very, very devious. It was so well thought out, arranged so hastily, and executed with such precision it would have been unthinkable to her, or even the most paranoid of her agents. To have had an entire public place arranged so perfectly as to leave not even the tiniest of clues that the patrons were anything less than normal, and to have done so in such a small amount of time staggered the limits of imagination. The three sharp sounds brought everything to a complete utter silence. The mumbling, murmuring crowd all around them could have disappeared for all there was not a single audible clue that they were still there. Even as her eyes snapped around, the three of them found every single eye turned to glare at one of them, and no few of those angry gazes fell upon LeShana. The room, which had seemed pleasant and mostly peaceful just seconds before, suddenly took up a dark and angry sort of malevolence that permeated everything. Even the kitchen and wait staff stood somewhere nearby, filling the space with an unavoidable sense of danger, burning in low, dark tones across the room. And all of the hatred, anger, and mistrust was focused entirely on the three of them. If she and her friends weren't at serious risk in that moment, LeShana might have admired the kind of mind that could create such a perfect lure.

"I told you, I am not a moron." Raven's voice was soft, but in that silence his words struck her as if they had been shouted. "And the fundamental rules in any conflict is, you do not confront someone on their home turf. And here's a tip for the future. The best way to trap someone is make them think they are the ones with the advantage. Now we know who you are and we know what you are after, and if you and your friends think you are going to get away with what you are doing without a fight, I'd suggest you'd better correct that attitude right quick. I think the three of you had best be on your way." It was perhaps the best bit of advice LeShana had been given in quite some time, but even as she slid out of the booth, something deep down stopped her.

"I'm.. sorry I said it like that.." She found herself whispering, even before she really had any concept what she might say to him. "The thing is.. we don't like what your government is doing anymore than you do.. only.. we.. we can't stop them." For just a heartbeat, the past three years of frustration came bubbling up to form a foamy froth of rage, betrayal, and impotence, and LeShana discovered to her horror that she very nearly started crying at her own words. "Even if we were to leave you alone.. you're still not safe.. none of you are. Admiral Teg is going to keep chasing you for the rest of your lives.. and unless.. someone does something.. he's just going to keep doing what he has been doing. We were simply trying to help you by keeping you away from him.." LeShana was thankful when Solair stepped over to her a moment later, putting a comforting arm around her and guided her away before she really did start crying. Once outside, she recovered enough of herself on the way back to the car to tell everyone to pull back with a calm and steady voice. Her gratitude went only as long as it took to reach the back of the limo where Vosthan reported to her that serious trouble was brewing at the Weslyn building.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The mood at Montoya's was one of celebration, after they had driven off the interlopers. Although he was severely tempted to quote Conan the Barbarian and proclaim that what was best in life was, 'To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of the women.' in that thick half broken accent, Raven honestly felt as if his victory was a hollow one, at least where he was concerned. He felt nothing but his most profound gratitude for all his friends, all of them having somehow arriving at the diner and in place mere minutes before his cross-town taxi had arrived. Such a feat in and of itself had to have been a miracle, but to have seen the faces of the three invaders when they realized what they had walked into was the greatest gift from the heavens, even if the sight of the beautiful woman coming close to tears had torn him up inside when it became clear he had caused it. While all of them were justifiably angry, it quickly became clear to him after their departure, that the three visitors were not directly involved in the all of the bad events he and his friends had been made aware of in recent weeks. What was worse, for him, was that the woman had been right in the end, in just about everything she had said, and the truth had landed on her side of things.

"For a man who has just driven his own demons back into the darkness, you sure are looking quite displeased my friend." Mr. Montoya rumbled in rich, verbose tones as he slid his considerable bulk into the seat across from Raven's own perch.

"I have simply cast the most minor of evils back into the pit my friend, the true darkness, which has fed the little one, is still out there and it is still looking." Raven whispered back to him with a sigh.

"Is that not enough?" His friend asked of him with a dark and worried expression that reflected the deep concerns still present in Raven's own heart. "For all that we and those like us have every reason to be just a little wiser than others, ignorance is universal. You, my friend, ventured straight into the darkness without hesitation, you have learned things and brought back proof enough to save many others. Is that not enough?" He asked Raven, patting the thick stack of documents and files Raven had taken with him when he had left the Weslyn building. Dr. Ronen's mind had been most helpful in locating all manner of internal governmental top secret documents, lists of 'enlisted personnel', and otherwise the kinds of things a professional blackmailer would simply salivate over. If even one sliver of paper from that stack of documents were to be put into the hands of a reporter brave enough to face down the trouble sent his way, it would easily become the scandal to end all scandals. Raven knew that fact well, having had plenty of time to read through a chunk of the documents during his long recovery. The many far flung languages and dialects had made it slow work, but he still knew things that could rattle people to their cores. And with Mr. Montoya's vast circles of contacts, it would take but one word from Raven to bring down doom and destruction upon those who would use them for their own ends. Even still, he knew in his heart that would only be a temporary solution, because the chaos that would spread if they revealed the truth would cost millions of people their lives.

"But I will never be safe.. and as long as this is the truth, none of those I care about will be safe either. I might have had a victory here today, but I have put all of you at risk to do so." Mr. Montoya gave him a worried look, as if he hadn't quite had the time to think about that particular point. "I believed her.. when she said she didn't like what was going on. And I believed her when she said they were trying to protect me from something worse. If I hadn't known that in here.." Raven thumped his chest over top of his heart to emphasize his point. "I would never have given the signal, I would have let them take me, and then at least all of you would know what would happen to them, and they would warn everybody else. What would have happened if we had tried that with 30-40-50 marines with automatic rifles?"

"Aye.." Mr. Montoya agreed darkly at that shared image of heavily armed troops busting in through the door and dragging Raven away.

"I went to the Weslyn building for the right reasons, but that doesn't make what I did the right thing by any means, my old friend. We might know for certain it's a trap, but that neither puts us at any less risk, nor does it do anything to bring an end to the problem." Raven muttered to him, rambling as his troubled state was given an outlet and his mind was free to work through everything else. "Not to channel Spock or anything, but logic dictates that the strong must protect the weak in order for all to survive."

"That's sounds.. quite ominous.." He commented to Raven in return.

"Well nothing is going to change unless someone is willing to stand up to the monsters and idiots who are behind this travesty. Anyways, having me around is only going to encourage the bigger demons to look closer at all of you. I want all of you to stay safe.. while I go off and do the dumb thing once again." Raven told him, slapping his friend on the arm before shifting to his feet to make a quiet, quick, and discrete exit. On the outside, he was almost immediately aware of a feeling of being watched, and even though the first time had annoyed him endlessly, this time, in some small way, it felt like just a tiny chunk of luck. His feet stopped while his head turned, seeking out the source of the feeling. He quickly located a car half a block down and on the far side of the street, and could see the two shadows in the front seats. As he changed directions and walked right towards them, it was almost easy to see and sense the sudden rise of panic and fear as the car's occupants argued animatedly over whether they should start the car and run him down as part of an escape plan, or pretend to be innocent of everything. Neither reaction won out over the other, at least not until he was actually standing at the driver's side window, which made both men sit statue like in their seats and stare ahead rather comically while a giant figure hovered over their windshield. Finally, after Raven had knocked on the driver's window twice, they got the hint that he wasn't going away and the window dropped so that he could address them.

"You work for those three we chased out of the restaurant this afternoon, yes?" Raven demanded of them calmly.

"Uh.." The driver muttered, clearly trying to come up with a lie and by not doing so proved his guilt beyond a doubt. His partner, on the other hand, was smart enough to see the doubting, slightly annoyed expression on Raven's face and smacked his companion on the arm in frustration.

"Yes, sir." He replied, leaning over the seat to peer up at him. "We were just told to follow you.. you know, to make sure you got home safe.."

"Well, congratz boys.." Raven stated, opening the back door of the car before swinging himself into the seat. "You've succeeded in capturing me. Now if you would please take me to one of your safe-houses, hide-outs, or jail cells not inside the Weslyn building, I'd rather not meet the doctor or the general twice in my life time." Neither one of them was entirely sure how to handle the situation, much less confident that combined they had the man power to forcibly eject him from the car. So in the end, the driver started the car, pulled away from the curb and entered the evening flow of city traffic, while his partner had many muttered conversations over the phone.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

As if the universe was simply trying to prove to her its' intense levels of hate and contempt for her through the agents still at the Weslyn building, Vosthan reported to LeShana that trouble was brewing from the source of all annoyance and idiocy in the known universe, Admiral Teg. Only too aware that it had been simply a matter of time before the self righteous prig's over inflated sense of self would prompt him to do something monumentally stupid from the moment she had challenged him, LeShana ordered the cars back across the island. Unfortunately the details were scarce, most of her team's strong telepaths had come with her in the hopes that their superior mental barriers would prevent Raven from detecting them. In addition, whatever the Admiral was up to had involved cutting the buildings outside lines of communication. What little Vosthan had managed to gather only warned that it was a serious situation, and that LeShana needed to be ready for whatever the moron had planned. When they arrived, she and Vosthan entered the building alone while almost everyone else held back and remained outside the building, just in case the idiocy that would follow was to be as bad she expected. It took less than a minute to discover that the day was to be one of those where she was doomed to simply underestimate everything and everyone. Almost immediately inside the doors, she was confronted with the sight of the Admiral standing behind an armored wall of gun wielding troops. It was as if he was consciously trying to remind her of how he, his government, and it's military had repeatedly violated the treaty by failing time and time again to destroy the banned pieces of military hardware.

"You are in violation of the Earth-Center treaty." The Admiral bellowed, only too proudly, from behind his vanguard. "You will immediately turn your prisoner over into my custody and desist any further attempts to obtain him for your own ends. Under Section 12: subsection 4, and I quote, 'No Earth citizen should be taken against his will by any Center authority.'."

"Section 12: subsection 4.1, and I quote 'Unless the person is deemed to be a threat either through acts of terrorism, criminal acts committed outside of Earth territorial space, or gifts that surpass the abilities of the Earth governments to train safely.'." LeShana countered immediately, growing more than a little angry that he would try to use a half truth in order to weasel his way into getting what he wanted.

"Section 10: subsection 34, 'An Earth citizen who is granted diplomatic immunity by his or her government may not be removed.." The Admiral parried quickly.

"'Unless the citizen wishes to be removed." LeShana finished for him. "Further more, 'Diplomatic Immunity may not be granted unless the Earth citizen requests it through official channels and has not committed any crimes. This, however, does not apply in the case of dangerous gifts as specified in Section 12: subsection 8 through 12.'." The Admiral quickly flipped through the pages of the treaty looking for some recourse. LeShana smiled and was just about to proceed inside, but was stopped by the rather intense sound in front of her, there was no sound quite like that of twenty-five automatic rifles being cocked in unison.

"'An Earth military commander has final say in matters of Earth security.'." The Admiral finally bellowed back at her.

"Section 24: subsection 54, 'No Center agent may be hindered or stopped in the completion of their duty by any authority other than the Center itself.'." Leshana was almost angry enough that she might be tempted to violate every bit of training she had ever received, just so that she could ignite the pompous, dictatorial, moronic twit and watch him burn. "Admiral you have violated that treaty and stretched the letter of the law at every possible chance and in every possible way for over year. And now you DARE threaten me with illegal weapons, while proclaiming to be upholding the letter of the law, which says those very weapons are banned. You have come so dangerously close to violating every tenant you are supposed to uphold, that I no longer have words for the level of idiocy you are putting on display at this very moment. FINE! If you want to start an incident, then I hereby order you in violation. I will order an immediate halt to the Restoration project, every Center agent in this building, and every Center agent on this planet will disappear. We will let you have your way, and if you want to sacrifice your planet's future over one talented boy, so be it! I can not help but wonder what your fellow citizens would think of that. There are 130 other countries that are a part of that treaty, I wonder what they would do when they discovered that one man on a power trip over one small boy, ruined it for all of them." LeShana looked to Vosthan, who nodded, held up his hand and ripped every single one of the weapons into chunks in the space of a heartbeat, sending the pieces scattering across the floor. A few seconds later, the other agents summoned at his signal appeared and filed past the shocked soldiers on their way out the door. "Let's get out of here." LeShana ordered, pulling the door open as she lead the mass defection out into the street.

By the time the last of the stragglers from all across the city had reported in safely to their off-site and unofficial headquarters, diplomats and political professionals from seven different departments of the US government had called, trying to apologize for the incident. LeShana had needed only to answer one of them and only long enough to ask if Admiral Teg had been removed from his position as the director of that region's efforts. When the answer had been 'no' LeShana had hung up and refused to take any more of the calls that would have made her phone ring endlessly, had it not been set to silent and shoved into a jacket pocket. While LeShana had nowhere near the authority to allow her to call off the treaty, end all diplomatic ties, and end the restoration efforts, nor was she likely have any support in the Great Council for such an act, she did, or would rather, have the unquestioned support of all the other teams and team leaders. That would be helpful in making the situation look as if it was about break down, if nothing else. There had not been even one of her counterparts that had not already spent at least an hour at some point, lamenting ever getting involved with the world and the people who ran its' governments. As much as LeShana might like to think her problems in that part of the world were bad, unfortunately the incident wasn't the worst one that had occurred that year by any means. At the time, it had seemed that the whole of the world's population were working against them in one way or another. She could only hope that the latest incident and the mere appearance that there was real trouble stirring, could jerk the chains of all those corrupt politicians into acting like they had some sense of decency for just a few more weeks.

The off site facility had the unimaginably useful feature of being completely unknown to the local government, as well as being well off the beaten path. Set deep within a tangled landscape of well aged warehouses, along a chunk of the New Jersey shoreline, it was all but forgotten to the outside world. If one were to walk a ways down the road or risk the climb up a rusty ladder outside to the thin metal sheeting of the roof, they could see the city up on their northern horizon. Ultimately, it did not offer them any kind of comfort, climate control, proper facilities, or a modicum of civility, considering there were now 250 agents suddenly jammed into what was essentially 10 rooms, even though one of the rooms was easily large enough to hold that number, it still wasn't exactly a pleasant environment for any of them.

"What on Earth is that heavenly smell?" Tuvin asked, sniffing the air with his muzzled face while his large, bushy tail began to wag. If LeShana and the others were a little less exhausted, then one of them might have chosen that point in which to tease him over his display. But his sharper senses did, in fact, herald a smell that was intensely pleasing as it wafted down the hall towards them. Even as LeShana's stomach rumbled in response and she came close to following the scent towards its' source, the half open door swung fully open and the very last person she might have expected to see, besides that most hated of Admirals, walked into the room carrying a great, heaping, double armful of food.

"By the time me and your boys here got enough food for everybody, we had nearly worked the kitchen staffs of every decent take out restaurant between here and Manhattan into early graves. So I have no idea what I've got here.. much less which is the best smelling." Raven muttered calmly as he stepped into the room like he belonged there. "But it's best to grab some now, I nearly lost an arm getting this much through the hordes out there."

"What the hell are you doing here?!" LeShana demanded angrily when she finally found her voice once more.

"Regretting the offer to pay for dinner for all of you?" He murmured as he slid his burden down onto the table. The others all laughed happily at him, but LeShana wasn't sure she was quite so ready to forgive him.

"Come here." She growled at him angrily, grabbing his arm and yanking him towards the hallway. As they left, he calmly ordered her people to make sure to leave some of the food for her, further infuriating her with his sudden thoughtfulness. Considering the situation, there was only one room where they had any chance of finding even a modicum of privacy. Across the hall a magical workroom, and the shields that cut off the room from the rest of the building would make sure that no one else would hear if she started yelling, as she so very much wanted to do. "Now, tell me why the hell you're here." She hissed at him as she swung the door shut behind them, which only just avoided being qualified as being a 'slam'.

"You know, we have a saying here on Earth, , 'You are beautiful when you are angry', but I never really got it until now. With all of this.." He gestured to all of her as he spoke. ".. and that temper, damn girl you've got it goi.." The rest of his words were cut off as finally her slowly eroding control of her temper simply snapped, and she threw his much larger mass back into the metal wall behind him.

"Why the hell are you here?!" His infuriating superior smile that had so easily angered her earlier suddenly reappeared.

"I just thought you shouldn't have to go without my charming presence." On the edge of doing him some serious damage, she yanked him forward, fully prepared to slam him into the wall a second time, except that suddenly she was being spun around and was pushed back into the wall herself. Although not gentle about it, some part of her did acknowledge that had he wanted to hurt her he easily could have. Her attempt to strike him was caught, and in the next moment he had captured both of her hands. In a potent display of gentle strength, he pinned both her arms above her head with one hand. "You weren't lying to me when you said you hated what my government was doing." It was not the question she would have expected, instead it was a simple, unadulterated statement of fact. "And you were right, that idiot of an Admiral won't be satisfied until he's got me on his short little leash and eating out of the palm of his hand. Well I don't want your protection.." Never in LeShana's life had found someone so infuriating, and when she tried to surge free of his grip he held her back without even seeming to try. ".. but, I do want to change things so that I don't ever have to worry about my friends, and you are my best chance to do that."

"I hate you.." She growled at him.

"Good, because I'm not too fond of you right now either. So are we in this mess together, or..?" Before she was forced to give him the last answer she might have wanted to give, the door snapped open and Solair and Destin were both suddenly there. Raven looked away from her glaring gaze and glanced back at them as if assessing the chances of him winning a fight against all three of them. "Well.. I guess we can finish this conversation later then."

He let her go, and for a heartbeat she was very tempted to strike him out of sheer spite. Before she could render her final verdict, Solair swept into the room and pulled her away. As she was drawn out into the hallway beyond, it almost looked as if Destin was going to teach Raven a well deserved lesson for being such a pompous jerk, and she was ready to encourage him to do so. Instead, they both left the room in her wake. She was, however, intensely surprised when the door closed behind them and she was grabbed and pulled tightly into Solair's arms, her friend hugging her close. A reassuring, calming aura enveloped her, all but forcing her senses to relax. After a while, Solair released her, and together with Destin, guided her through the now empty halls to her room. Destin opened the door and Solair guided LeShana towards the bed. With a massive sigh, LeShana flopped down onto the cushioned surface. Before she could tell her not to, Solair had pulled off LeShana's boots and Destin was pushing a tray of food into her lap, all but ordering her to eat. Destin perched on the edge of the desk as Solair took the chair, each taking a similar pose. LeShana tried to get comfortable, despite the fact that she was trying not to wither under their expectant gaze, while her stomach demanded she eat something.

"Want to talk about it?" Solair finally asked.

"No.. go away." LeShana replied snappishly.

"Not going to leave." Destin told her stubbornly.

"Then I order you to leave." LeShana told him even more stubbornly.

"No." Destin replied, locking horns with her. He was one of the few whose sheer will and stubbornness matched her own. LeShana tried to stare him down, but she only lasted a moment before she broke off the uncomfortable gaze.

"I am too tired to argue with you." She finally conceded. "I just wish I was home, away from this back water planet and its' idiotic, aggravating, inhabitants."

"What's bothering you more, Raven or that moronic Admiral?" Solair asked her softly. In Earth parlance, LeShana believed this was called a 'good cop, bad cop' routine.

"Raven.. the Admiral.. No! Both of those pompous, self assured, inflated, overblown, idiotic men!" She whispered tiredly, feeling the need to break something or someone rising as she thought about a certain smug smile.

"Hey, I resent that remark." Destin told her with half a smile.

"No, dearest, you resemble that remark." Solair countered, and LeShana could not help but smile at the insulted look Destin gave his bonded, even though that was the last thing she felt like doing at that moment.

"I just wish I could go home and forget about that infuriating Raven." LeShana added as the truth came flooding back. "He's just so frustrating. When I finally think that I have him cornered so that he'll actually have to listen to me, he pulls his trap on us. He pisses me off out sheer joy, drives us out of there, and the shows up here like there's nothing wrong in the world!! HE is the MOST frustrating man I have EVER met!!" Solair and Destin exchanged a mysterious look that gave LeShana the distinct impression that they were speaking telepathically, but she could not hear what they were saying. "What?!?!" She demanded of them, angered that they were talking behind her back.

"Nothing." Solair replied, looking at LeShana.

"Just discussing a theory about Raven." Destin added. "Nothing that would interest you."

"Get some sleep. In the morning everything will seem better." Solair suggested. She rose and took Destin's hand, and they left, closing the door behind them. LeShana had the distinct feeling that she was being left out of the loop. Sighing with the knowledge that she could do nothing about it. LeShana finished eating, turned off the lights, and rolled up in her blankets, hoping that sleep would come quickly.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Despite the situation, the fact that he had more or less made himself a prisoner, and the fact that practically every time he looked up, 'she' was there glaring at him from somewhere nearby, Raven had to admit that he hadn't quite had so much fun in quite some time. LeShana was such a shrewish, contrary, vile sort of person that if she wasn't so unimaginably beautiful, he doubted that there was a soul on any world who would actually go near her. He was convinced of his opinion shortly after their third meeting, when she had decided it was a smart idea to apply a little exercise to the conversation. He wasn't entirely sure why, knowing his facts to be indisputable, that he still couldn't shake the deeply seeded need to get to know her and ultimately to get closer to her. It was very odd for him to feel that way, making the emotions both deeply troubling and vastly unsettling for him. While he was by no means 'inexperienced' when it came to the delights of relationships, especially those of the opposite sex, his unspoken feelings for Sione had long ago made any relationship unwanted; there was no woman who could quite compare to her in his way of thinking. His deep attraction, therefore, to someone who could nearly drive him to the end of losing his well controlled temper with just a single glaring look was very deeply troubling.

He had not known that the source of many troubling things was, in fact, the group's leader, until long after he had turned himself over into their care. He had no way of guessing the events of the previous day which had taken place, besides the ones he had been directly involved in. As much as he was troubled over the hubbub about himself, he couldn't help but be flattered that so many were going to considerable lengths over his humble self. Although he joked with no few people about the situation his appearance had caused, in truth, he was very much concerned about the whole situation. It was the first time in his life, after all, that he had caused not only an international incident, but an inter-planetary one. While it was quite an accomplishment for someone who rarely left his apartment, Raven's perverse sense of humor only carried himself so far before his more noble instincts started to get all out of whack over the heaping piles of problems he had inadvertently caused. Despite his comments to Mr. Montoya about the strong protecting the weak, Raven had known for his whole life that he had almost no inclinations to ever playing the hero. He was not a crusader, not really a protector, certainly not a hero in any of it's forms, and he was most definitely not a leader in any way. If a book were ever written about his life, he would not even be considered a main character, especially when compared to those he knew or had known throughout all the preceding years.

It just so happened that the quickest route away from the area where Raven had been 'captured' by the two men left behind to watch him, passed almost directly through his 'home turf' on their way to the off-site facilities, so Raven had talked them into stopping by his apartment. While he really did want to get some clothes and a few items that would make an extended stay away from home a little more comfortable, the truth of the matter was that he mostly wanted to retrieve the copies of the stolen documents. While he might make up some excuses as to why, the truth was that he was hoping that he might be able to buy a little forgiveness for his dirty trick at the restaurant. Of course, a facility like the one at the Weslyn building was practically stuffed full of official and unofficial documents, that much pretty much went without saying. What Raven had ended up acquiring, however, was not even a common collection of top secret documents. Dr. Ronen had obviously been one of those people who had spent just a little too much time behind the scenes in the worlds of politics and secrets. Raven's invasion of his mind had taught him a great deal about that man, and the people he was fully prepared to betray at some point in the future. All the files Raven had taken were from the good doctor's safe, not his filing cabinets. It had turned out that his efforts to collect talents of all kinds had also provided him with the means and opportunity to collect a spy network of his very own. He had been using those people to locate and steal top secret documents from governments all over the world, including his own, so that he could use his secret collection to blackmail any number of governments and people at some point in the near future, using them to buy his own island somewhere.

While the good 'Dr. Moreau's' plans would not likely workout for him, his one man conspiracy was providing Raven's friends a great deal of protection, and his 'captors' an all too vital source of information. If anything, his troubled and troubling decision to surrender into their custody might have long since become a source of doubts and regrets, had it not been for the fact that all the widely dispersed, twice stolen information was producing a combined reaction of anger and outrage that was if anything more intense than his own reaction to it. As for them, after having been given such a vast source of information across such a vast array of topics, their attitudes towards Raven had quickly turned around, and many of them seemed to be deep in plotting and scheming since much of those files contained the kinds of things those behind the plots would never have wanted that group to see. As for Raven, he wasn't certain of much about them, other than the fact that he trusted their motivations a great deal more than the others who wanted him for their own ends. All of the files had provided him with just enough insight to prompt him into many startling revelations. The biggest revelation was the fact that the group was not of Earth, which had become very clear to him. Where or how they had reached Earth were still questions without answers, but no less so than their ultimate designs for Earth and its' inhabitants. Given the situation that had made them cautious allies, whatever they might be, whom they might be, and wherever they had come from were small concerns to Raven at the time.

Though his concerns would not likely go away any time soon, he doubted that many of his new 'friends' would be forthcoming with all the answers he might wish to ask of them. Fortunately, his extra senses offered many compelling feelings, letting him know that he was not wrong to put his trust in such complete strangers. His arrival had been unannounced, so the previous night had provided him with the first actual, factual clues that he was indeed caught up with people who were not of his world. Many of the people he encountered the first morning did not appear to be human, including one of those people who had been close to LeShana the previous evening. All things considered, including how exotic some of them looked without concealment, Raven couldn't help but feel like he was handling this realization quite well. He certainly hadn't gone screaming into the streets the first time a male bipedal wolf had come into view, nor did he just stare blankly at the many others who could by no means be seen as human.

"And where did all this come from?" LeShana demanded. Raven had already explained this to at least a dozen of the people that swirled in and around him through the course of that first strange day, but it seemed that with LeShana, anything and everything that was even vaguely relating to him would always leave doubt about the facts. Her burning dislike and unhidden contempt for him was clearly displayed in her expression, but that only tweaked his need to further complicate things by giving the same mid-level nastiness right back to her.

"My printer." He snapped in return, sitting back in his seat and folding his arms behind his head as he gave her a smile he knew she hated so very much. The eyes of the other 'Agents' around her all went wide as the sense of great danger bubbled up within her. Most of them backed away, as if to distance themselves from any chance of friendly fire coming in their direction. It was perhaps fortunate that the female something, Solair, elbowed him sharply in the ribs before glaring at him with an unspoken reprimand. ".. when I made these copies of the documents I took from Dr. Ronen's safe." He finally continued. "It seems that he and the Admiral were so excited by my abilities, that he dropped his barriers, and I learned about his plans for widespread blackmail and early retirement."

"You stole them!" LeShana growled angrily at him.

"Well excuse me, Lady, I seem to have a moral blind spot when it comes to those who would drug and kidnap me just so they can make me one of their toy soldiers!" Raven snapped back at her almost instantly, his own anger only too readily surging up to meet the fiery core he sensed in her. "Next time I'll make sure to ask the bad guy if it's okay for me to steal his stolen blackmail stash."

"And where are the originals?!" She snarled down at him.

"I gave them to a friend who needed them more than I did." He hissed back her.

"YOU WHAT!!?!" She screamed. He was just about the launch up to his feet so that the two of them could have it out once and for all, when one of the agents grabbed LeShana by the arm and pulled her away, even as another grabbed Raven, yanked him to his feet, and forced him to walk in the opposite direction.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

LeShana seethed as Vosthan guided her up the stairs and into the conference room, which just so happened, either by design or chance, to be the only room other than the work room with the heaviest shields. The heavy shielding meant that Vosthan and his conspirators did not want anyone listening in. LeShana remained quiet until they were joined by Destin and Solair, but once the door was closed behind them she exploded.

"What the hell is going on here??!!!" LeShana screamed, yet all of them remained frustratingly silent. "Well?!?"

"LeShana, calm down." Vosthan murmured, only adding to the building fury bubbling up inside of her.

"Why the hell should I calm down, when my own people are conspiring against me?!!!" LeShana countered, not about to let him try to talk her down or shut her up.

"I said calm down!!" Vosthan yelled, and despite herself LeShana could not do anything but follow that order. After three years being his student, her instinctive obedience was still too strong to ignore despite all the intervening years and shared events. "Sit down." Vosthan added in a calmer voice. LeShana bonelessly dropped into a nearby chair but still had enough fighting instinct to glare at the three of them. With his usual senseless grace, Vosthan sat across the table from her and took several deep calming breaths. Destin and Solair remained in the background trying to appear neutral, but she wasn't fooled for a second. "LeShana, I have known you for a very long time. I was the first person to get through your shell when you were brought to the Center, after your parents were killed in that bandit raid. I have watched you grow into womanhood and helped you along as you grew into your power. I have watched with pride as you became one of the most honored agents of the Center. I have considered myself blessed to have you as a part of my life. As a child you told me everything, and when you choose to confide in me, then and now, I was and still am honored." Vosthan paused to take another long breath. "As a child you once told me that you had a best friend, but that no one else could see him. I remember you telling me that the two of you sometimes talked for hours at a time. It is not unusual for gifted children to have imaginary friends, there is a certain isolation that comes from being gifted and the social awkwardness that comes with it, but something about the way you described him struck me as odd. When he failed to be forgotten as you grew older, I knew something was different about this friendship. So I thoroughly checked you for magic, and even went as far as calling in agents who specialized in other forms of magic, but they too were unable to find anything amiss. However I was not able to let matters settle like that, so I started researching. While that provided me with some ideas it failed to offer me anything like proof. In truth I never did find a real answer, but some time ago I come across a theory that ran parallel to my own. What Destin and Solair have told me has strengthened my resolve in this theory." Vosthan paused. LeShana was unable to see where he was going with his speech. "You have life-bonded, LeShana." She was about to start yelling over the absurdity of his idea, but Solair began to speak before LeShana could raise her voice.

"You're showing all the classic signs, LeShana." Solair began in the same soft calm voice she almost always used. "I was the first to recognize it yesterday. I shared my theory with Destin, and once he looked for the signs, he too could see them. So the two of us have been watching you closely to make sure that we were not mistaken."

"But we were not." Destin picked up, without pause, where his bonded had left off. "Bonding is not an easy experience, for either person. It stresses the emotions so that both people involved have trouble dealing with what is going on around them. And both of them will show drastic changes in personality until the bond strengthens." Destin looked a little guilty and fell silent.

"I am not bonded!" LeShana yelled, half ready to go down and kill the boy just to prove it to them. "I mean, how can I possibly be bonded to some untrained Earth mage. I never even met him until seven days ago!!"

"It took me all of five seconds to bond with Solair. We've had our hard times, but our situation was not as stressing as yours. At least not at first.." Destin told her, Solair placing a comforting hand on her beloved's shoulder. LeShana remembered how Destin and Solair had arrived at the Center, the story forcing its' way into her thoughts. After those stories bubbled back into her mind she could do little else but look away guiltily, since she would no more want to wish either of them recall those painful memories than she would want anyone to remind her of her own.

"LeShana," Vosthan whispered softly, his voice shaking her out of her dark thoughts. "I have known you a long time, so I can recognize the signs better than anyone else here. You are life-bonded." LeShana simply stared at him, trying to speak up and continue denying everything, but the truth had now been exposed to the light of day and there was no way to avoid it.

"Show her." Solair ordered her own bonded. Destin nodded gravely and pulled a small portable computer terminal from his pocket.

"When we first began to test our theory, I 'borrowed' a portable memory device Raven brought with him last night and I found this." Destin opened the terminal and activated a file. He set it on the table and slid it across to LeShana. All she could do was stare blankly at the journal entry, her mind refusing to read it at first. When she did read it, compelled beyond reason to focus on the words, she noticed that it described a troubled childhood and an unhappy past, until it started to describe the invisible girl that had befriended a lonely young boy. The mood seemed to lighten every time the name Sione was mentioned. When LeShana finished the journal entry, she found that she was unable to speak. Without warning, tears started to well up and she was unable to fight their influence. Vosthan circled the table to gather her in his arms, holding her as she cried.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Raven had been forcibly put into an eerily silent room once more, all but hauled there by two hulking brutes who had informed him that he was to stay put until told otherwise. While his anger was still burning like the surface of the sun, he had been more than a little tempted to challenge that order. The only thing still keeping him from acting on the impulse was the thought that it would probably have gotten him a well deserved beating. Some uncounted time had passed, and his only too real and potent anger had since gone cold, leaving a sick kind of feeling in its' wake. His male pride might never have allowed him to admit it, but not long after that he had very nearly broken down into tears, and really wasn't entirely sure why. While the unexplained outpouring of grief had not faded entirely, there had been more than enough time for other less pleasant kinds of feelings to come pouring in, filling the void left by his anger. He had been such an idiot, acting like the pompous twits he had insulted and shunned so often in his past. He couldn't even think of why he acted as he did, but this did not change the fact that he had gone against every single principle he had held onto in his past. He had blithely tossed away so much of what he had prided himself on 'not' being during much of his life, ad he had undoubtedly stirred up trouble when there was more than enough of it to go around already. While the self-centered, bratty little voice was, perhaps, part of the problem, and might try to claim that LeShana had been the one to start it, it could not force him into believing he had been right to return it in kind. It was this thought that was at the forefront of his mind when the door to the small room suddenly opened. Solair entered first, along with the man who seemed to be lingering in her shadow at all times. She smiled at his backwards glance while he remained standing before the one window in the room. While the man stopped near the table, Solair walked over to stand next to Raven near the window.

"We would like to talk to you." She began softly as she stopped next to him. "Unless you'd like to continue acting like a spoiled little monster." He was just about ready to decide that he was in no mood for a reprimand and tempted to get pissed, when the figure behind him spoke up in rumbling tones.

"Don't tease him Solair, he hasn't had an easy time of it either." He reprimanded her softly.

"I'm sorry." She added, resting her hand on his arm. Raven fought against the urge to pull away from her, and the flood of emotions and information started to pour into his mind. He tried to block out the rush of the images that came in, but couldn't. Solair seemed to realize something was wrong and pulled her hand away as if she had been burned. One image stuck in Raven's mind was that of LeShana reduced to tears.

"What did you do to her?!" Raven accused, instantly ready to be outraged for some strange reason.

"Nothing!! She's fine and in bed." She replied, her expression quickly changing to one of surprise.

"Then why was she crying?" Raven replied threateningly, more than ready to attack someone despite the fact that he and LeShana hated each other.

"She'll be fine." Solair assured him. While he very much wanted to argue or start yelling, something about her stopped him. He might not know much about these people, but he knew without words that Solair would not lie to him, though he wasn't entirely sure why he felt this way. "Why don't we sit down." Solair suggested, gesturing to the table and the empty chairs. Raven sat down with the greatest of reluctance, intensely aware of the sense that they were about to drop a bomb of some kind on him. It did not even need to be said, it had been something that had hovered over him for the last five days, like a black storm cloud that promised rain. And now he could sense its' presence, all too close and ready to unleash its' fury on his overshadowed little world. Solair took the seat closest to him, then made several false starts to explain herself before she finally stopped, clearly feeling intensely uncomfortable about something. <<I don't know how to begin an explanation.>> She told her partner.

<<I don't either, my love. Maybe we should ask Vosthan to come down here.>> Raven looked towards the table top, embarrassed that he was hearing what was obviously supposed to be a private conversation. <<He can hear us.>> Raven's head snapped up to find both of them staring at him.

"We apologize Raven, we forgot how powerful your gift of telepathy is, you can't help but hear us." Solair apologized in a soft whisper. "I think it best if you did get Vosthan, he might be able to make a better start then we can manage."

"Would you like something to drink?" He offered, Raven nodded soundlessly as his voice seemed to go silent all at once. The other male took one look at Raven's face and seemed to decide in that moment not to ask what.

"I should try and make some sort of start." Solair told him as the door closed behind the stocky man. "What do you know about us?" She asked him, keeping her voice soft.

"Well.. not much that isn't a jumbled mess of tangled, second hand information." He whispered back to her. She made an encouraging sound, so Raven tried to recall all the bare facts that had either been hinted at or implied in all of the stolen documents. She confirmed some of it, informing him that none of them were from Earth and that they were all there trying to peacefully integrate his world into something bigger. She was just about to offer him something more, or perhaps open up that big bag of mysterious and let him peek inside, when the door opened again. Vosthan stepped inside with Destin following behind, carrying a tray of glasses and a half empty bottle. He set the tray down, then emptied the bottle into the glasses before distributing them, each only half filled, to all of them. Raven took a sip and felt the comforting burn of something strong wash down the back of his throat.

"I ask only that you listen to me." Vosthan began softly, seeming to take great care in picking his words. "I know that what I have to tell you will seem strange, and you will no doubt find it hard to believe me. But I swear that everything I am about to tell you is the truth, or as close to as one might come without spending a lifetime to review the details."

"Accepted." Raven whispered back to him, since the heavens knew he had seen enough strange things already.

"Let me begin by saying we are not from Earth and that none of us were born here. We come from a place called the Salak'patan. It is a magical realm that consists of a massive numbers of planets, each connected by a set of magically created hallways and doors, each leading to one of the worlds within our realm. These passages through what you might consider space, are called rather uncreatively, 'the Halls'. Our group is from the Center, it is the planet that sits in the exact middle point of the entire Salak'patan, and houses the core of the spells that create the interconnecting labyrinth of passages. Our group is part of a policing force, we are there to enforce law and order and to insure justice is served." Vosthan paused, his eyes becoming unfocused as he seemed to plan out his next thoughts. "More than a hundred thousand years ago, before the time when the Center was founded, there was a war. A horrible war that raged across the entire expanse of the Salak'patan. Rival factions fought over riches, lands, and power; we call this time the Mage War. These factions had terrible weapons of mass destruction, capable of annihilating entire planets, or simply obliterating the life force of a world, which would severe that world from the Halls. The latter is what happened here on Earth, and it has caused this world's long, slow decline. In the closing days of the war, a weapon of such a design was used here as an act of vengeance by one of the rival factions. Those people that had not fled the approaching armies, now found themselves trapped on a slowly dying world with their link to the halls destroyed. They carried on as best they could, slowly forgetting the existence of the other realm." There was a pause as Vosthan caught his breath, using the break to take a sip of the contents of his glass. "Eventually, back in the halls, the war came to an end, and after a time a treaty was signed by every planet yet discovered. Three things came out of that treaty: One, the Center was formed to enforce the peace, Two, weapons of mass destruction, including guns, were banned, and Three, a political process was put in place at the Center to help stop conflict before it escalated to war. These laws are still enforced fanatically, and even if the ideologies have changed, the underlying laws have not."

"Magic is used for almost everything in the Salak'patan; it powers our cars, lights up our cities, and serves just about any other purpose I can name. In accordance with the treaty, we use edged weapons, such as swords, knives, and bows. Primitive weapons they may be, but far less dangerous in trained hands than guns, much less untrained hands." The other man interjected into the break of flowing words. Having far too often heard stories of children finding their parents' weapons with tragic results, Raven could only too readily agree to those kinds of steps to prevent danger.

"Now let's skip ahead to the present." Vosthan agreed as he again took up the driving force of the conversation. "Twenty years ago, a group of scientists and some of the most intelligent minds in the Salak'patan, were gathered together to try to discover a way to restore the planets that had paid the terrible price of the Mage war. They did what no one had done before and succeeded in finding the means of achieving that long sought after goal. For the last ten years, the Center and other agencies have been searching for the planets that had lost their magic so long ago. Seven years ago, we approached the Earth governments with the offer to restore what they had lost. They would have to agree to follow the laws of the treaty, which they did, and since then we have been moving ahead with the restoration efforts. Three years from now the restoration of Earth's magic will be completed, at which time, Earth's governments must comply with the accords of the treaty. It will not be easy, since the people of Earth are very much set in their ways, but our hope is that the promise of new lands and new peoples will help to motivate them. To gather this force, the Center has agents in every country, searching out gifted candidates that can be trained to help in Earth's defense. Unfortunately, fear is driving many of the governments on your world to take drastic actions to achieve this goal, and I fear that the efforts of the Center to encourage compliance with the accords that are at the heart of our peaceful society have seen set backs and innumerable delays." Vosthan paused, staring deep into Raven's eyes as if seeking some mysterious thing Raven knew nothing about. "However, this does not change the fact that you are the most gifted person we have found yet. So powerful, in fact, that training you here on Earth would be dangerous."

"Thank you, Vosthan, I think we can take it from there." Solair interjected apologetically. Vosthan gave Raven one last strange look before he stepped quietly from the room. "There are more complications in your situation than we originally thought. You... um.. you.. have life-bonded with one of our number. It's.. ah.. how should I explain this." Solair paused in thought, glancing over at Destin as if the answer might be found in his eyes. "It is a profound connection, a spiritual bond that links your heart, body, and mind with another person. Your current state of unrest is a direct result of that connection snapping into place. It will not last for very long, I can assure you of that having experienced it myself. But it is a rare gift and at times a terrible curse, it all depends on the day you and your partner are having."

"You will eventually end up sharing your thoughts and feelings even more closely than a regular telepath. You will act more like one person than two at times." Destin chimed in, picking up the conversation right on the heels of her words. "You will not feel the full effects of this bond for years, but I tell you it's more than worth it. However, until your bond settles, you two are going to go through hell. The formation of the bond is very unsettling emotionally, spiritually, and magically. Your gifts being untrained as they are will make it even more upsetting."

"Life-bonds are supremely rare and very much desired. For the.. ah 'hopeless romantics' of our society, few things are more in line with their wants and tastes as a bonding such as Destin and I share, and the bond you will one day share with LeShana. You're lucky, as are we, to have such a bond." Solair told him softly as the two of them smiled at each other lovingly as the looked deep into each others eyes.

"You share each others' pains and pleasures. The connection is so deep that if one person dies, the other does not survive their bonded's death." Destin warned darkly.

"Most people search all their lives for their bond mate, but most do not find that person. It is, as I said, very rare, even among a vast collection of gifted people liked those at the Center." Solair added with a small smile for him. "LeShana has always been a bit jealous of bonded couples, so I am happy that she has finally found the one that belongs to her." At the mention of LeShana's name, Raven was overwhelmed with feelings, and for a split second he was looking through her eyes. She was in a small room sitting on a bed looking up at Vosthan. Raven shook off the sensation and returned to his own head.

"I barely even know her, much less can I spend more than two minutes in the same room with her without one of us being in a killing rage. Plus, I don't love her, and she hates my guts!" Raven replied, finally finding his voice. Solair gave him a sympathetic look as she reached over to pat his arm.

"I don't know about that." Destin remarked, sounding almost amused by the entire situation, very much to Raven's deep annoyance.

"I would like to tell you a story, Raven." She whispered to him. "When I was a little girl I lived on Dego, that is my peoples' home planet. I always dreamed about a small boy, he was an only child, just like me, but his family was a group of travelers, never in the same place twice. He came to me in my dreams, and sometimes during my waking hours. I was but a child, I had no idea what this meant to me or to him, but I knew with all my heart that he was real. When I was eight years old, there was a vast celebration on all the planets that my people occupied, because a new Empress had just taken the throne after her mother stepped down. Traders flocked from all corners of the Salak'patan to come reap the profits of the celebration. And I had reached an age where I was deemed to be responsible enough to go out on my own. When my parents gave me permission to go, I was so excited that I ran all the way to the fairgrounds. As I wandered the fair, I met a small boy, his family was too busy selling their wares to notice that he had slipped away. I knew the moment our eyes met that there was something special between us." Solair paused to join hands with Destin across the table. "We knew without words that we belonged to each other. We were not old enough to question the meanings of this bond, and we had no reason to think that our parents would think it wrong. We were innocent, but when our bond was discovered it was not taken well. Do not get me wrong, my people honor the life-bond above all others, but a Segor bonded with a human was not well received. They believed it to be some kind of evil portent, and thought to rid the world of us before some disaster would happen."

"My family had been traders for generations, and they did not like the thought of one of their children being gifted." Destin interjected with a darkness that hung heavily in his eyes.

"We were saved by a Center agent who would not stand for two children being killed simply because they were not the same race and were life-bonded. He saved us and brought us to the Center, where we would be safe from any retribution." Solair paused and the pain was clear in her voice, the lines of her body and face. "There we were befriended by a small girl named Sione." Solair continued stoically, even as Raven's heart stopped beating in his chest. "She helped us adjust to this new place and quickly became our best friend."

"Our professional lives are not without dangers, even today there are those who will use our families against us. So when we decide to become agents, we choose new names, ones that are lacking in family history, our records are hidden, and we do not contact our families without caution." Destin added in a low rumble.

"When Sione, my bonded, and I started our training. I took the name Solair, my bonded partner took the name Destin, and Sione took the name LeShana." Solair paused for a long time as she let all of that sink in.

"We would like to apologize, first of all. We invaded your privacy and read your journal entry." Destin told him seeming to realize how unwelcome this news would be in Raven's thoughts.

"We know that what we have told you is a lot to absorb, but no one expects your instant comprehension. We are sorry about the rough handling earlier... had we let the two of you carry on as you were, you might very well have started a riot among everyone else. With your new bond eroding any sense of control either of you might have, it is best that you at least remain inside here since its' shielding will keep anything from leaking past the walls. But if you need something or if you want someone to talk to, ask whomever is outside the to bring one of us here. We'll check in with you later, as will Vosthan." Solair told him softly.

"How's LeShana doing?" Raven asked quietly.

"I'll go check. While I'm out, I will see to it that someone brings a bed in here, and something for you to eat." Destin replied, and slipped out of the room.

"Are you all right?" Solair asked him as the door closed.

"Just tired and confused." Raven whispered, not real keen on the idea of going into the details.

"It will pass." Solair reassured him softly.

Chapter Three: Reactions and Revelations

The evening had passed quietly, and much the same could be said for the next morning. Although Raven really would have liked the chance to talk with LeShana about the bizarre situation they had suddenly found themselves in, and to offer her the apology she only too rightly deserved from him, he wasn't about to push things and insist she come see him either. As much as he would have wished to deny that there was anything between them, that all the others who knew her best had simply been mistaken about the two of them, there were innumerable clues, both large and small. Solair had spent much of the evening telling him about all manner of things that were related, directly and indirectly, to life-bonding. By the time she was done, he couldn't exactly impose any doubts on their conclusion without sounding like a whiny child, stubbornly denying the truth of one thing or another. Their first, rather abrupt encounter in the hallway, more than anything else, stuck out in his brain, and the intense, almost over-powering fascination he had felt towards her at the time. The way his fingers had tingled where he touched her was, according to Solair, a sure fire warning sign of a life-bond. The way she was so very capable in affecting his emotions in both large and small ways was another important sign. While he might have wanted his rather significant temper to be the last thing she affected, Solair had assured him only too quickly that this too was part of the bonding process. In truth, as much as his heart and mind might rebel against the facts, he could no more deny the truth than he could disprove the existence of the sun. He was having a harder time reconciling the idea that LeShana and Sione were the same person than he was coming to terms with the whole concept of life-bonding; that there was a force which could compel two people to spend their lives together, much less die in the same moment. These thoughts circled through his head endlessly, interrupted only when there was a knock on the door, just before it swung open to allow Vosthan to step inside.

"Is something wrong?" He needed only to look at the other male's face to be aware that something significant was on his mind at that moment.

"You could say that." Vosthan replied as he stepped inside and swung the door closed in his wake. "Despite the trouble and the potential political disaster that LeShana stirred up over you, Admiral Teg has decided to take this incident to the international stage. He is claiming that you have been taken against the spirit of the law, and that Earth has the first claim on your gifts."

"Spirit of the law? Is he a sleazy admiral or a corrupt politician?" Raven asked, growling as a very real need to beat someone into a coma came pouring over him.

"At this time, both could apply." Vosthan agreed with scowl. "While the Center is not fully prepared to end our alliance with Earth simply over you, the documents you have loaned to us have brought any number of matters to a head. And they were of considerable use for LeShana when trying to convince our leaders of the true depth of the problems she and the other leaders have been warning about."

"Well, I can't say I was able to read or translate more than half of what was there for all the days I had them with me, but I'm not at all surprised your lot has been having such problems. Unfortunately, Earth has had a hundred thousand some-odd years to grow all too fond of bloody conflict with its' neighbors." Raven told him, half as a warning and half as a slightly depressed commentary on the planet and culture which had raised him. "I can assume that some form of confrontation is in the works, and because I am the rallying cry for a vile, underhanded breed of bottom feeders and parasites, all of you will want me there."

"Yes, exactly." Vosthan agreed with a nod.

"Well, you needn't worry about me, as far as I am concerned I have been far better treated by all of you than that jackass in a uniform." Raven assured him first and foremost. "I can't promise I'll be a good little boy and sit there nice and quiet like, but I'll try my best to defend what is true if given the chance."

"I can't say I take that as the greatest of assurances, but I suppose were our positions reversed I could not make a more honest promise myself. Is there anything you need between now and the time of our departure?" He offered with a slim smile.

"A shower." Raven requested with a smile. Vosthan could not help but smile in return.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Raven emerged from the shower feeling almost human again, and dressed in his own clothes. His attire was not exactly the most appropriate to address a large 'distinguished group', but it did put some small amount of his annoyance and discomfort at ease. It was probably for the best anyway, especially if he was truly going to speak in public he would rather look like his normal, disreputable self. He barely knew what to think when he discovered that LeShana was waiting for him in the next room. The cringe that followed this discovery was both unwanted and unavoidable, and he knew without words that she was feeling the same. Their eyes met in an awkward gaze across the small space as she slowly rose from her seat.

"Hello, Raven." LeShana whispered uncomfortably, echoing the feelings that ran rampant through his own senses.

"Hello, LeShana." Raven replied, unable to find any of the words he had thought to say earlier. There was a long, unbroken silence as both of them searched for words. "LeShana, I am sorry." He finally blurted out. "I.. I.. I don't know what I was thinking. I.. I didn't know that I was hurting you. Um.." Raven snorted to himself, as anything else he could have said left him in a rush. Words on a page seemed to come so easy, but when faced with what he wrote about, he lost his prior eloquence. Hanging his head, he felt overwhelmed with guilt and silent recriminations. LeShana crossed the space between them and put her hands on his cheeks, lifting his head to stare deep into his eyes for what felt like an eternity. He wasn't even aware that something had changed between them, they simply fell into each other and their lips met in that instant. Raven suddenly found himself overwhelmed with sensations, indescribably wonderful sensations that cascaded over him like pure rain, and when they finally parted she was smiling.

"When this is all over, you and I need to talk." She whispered to him in a soft, sweet voice that was enough to make his heart clench. His arms now circled her waist and he was very much aware of the lines of her body pressed against his. Even though she was still a stranger, it was somehow the most natural feeling in the world.

"Are you always so calculated?" He asked as own his smile appeared. Laughter danced across her eyes and she ran her fingers down his arms as he held her close.

"Yes.." She murmured in return, her beautiful green eyes dancing with an indescribable light. ".. so get used to it.

"Well I am pompous and arrogant, so you're going to have to get used to that." Raven told her, chuckling only too readily as he found himself caught up in the sense of mischief that hung in the air.

"No I won't, I am the woman." LeShana replied coyly and laughter came bubbling up inside of him.

"Deal." Raven told her as the laughter subsided. LeShana smiled as she slipped her hand into his and his arms dropped away from her body reluctantly, allowing her to lead him out of the room. They walked through the hallways together and out onto the warehouse floor. For the most part, the large room was empty, but there was still a small gathering to the right side, and that was the direction he was being led. Vosthan, Solair, and Destin were there waiting for them with another man who Raven recognized as one of his guards. All of them were all in uniforms he had never seen before, making them look very regal and poetic, completely unlike many of the Earth uniforms Raven had seen. Each was carrying a sword, and he knew without words that they weren't there simply for show, there was no doubt that they knew how to use them.

"Ready?" LeShana asked as the two of them neared the others, each responding with affirmatives. Solair took one look at LeShana and Raven's interlocked hands and exchanged a happy glance with Destin. "Forin, if you would." The other agent nodded and turned towards the empty doorway nearby, positioning himself directly in front of the empty space. Forin lifted his hands up until they were level with his shoulders and closed his eyes. As he watched, Raven slowly became aware of a strange sensation that seemed to travel up from his feet till it had enveloped him, vibrating through him with a strange energy. From one second to the next, the empty door was replaced with a glowing portal that looked into a marble hallway.

"Cool." Raven murmured. LeShana gave a snort of amusement as she lead him through the doorway. Raven was once more awash with strange sensations. He suddenly felt like he was being stuck in the spin cycle of a washing machine. The feeling only lasted for a heartbeat, and when it ended he found himself standing in the marble hallway he had glimpsed through the magic portal. Destin, Solair, and Vosthan followed them through and the portal closed down behind them. "Very cool." Raven added as an afterthought.

"This way." LeShana directed, as they began weave their way through the halls towards their goal, whatever that might be. As they turned the corner, and Raven spotted the Commander he had glimpse at the Weslyn building. LeShana cursed softly but kept moving and he refrained from comment.

"You can't go in there." The Commander warned as he spotted the small procession.

"Get out of my way, I have every right to be in there." LeShana told him just as quickly.

"Not anymore." The Commander sneered.

"She told you to back off." Raven warned, not about to let him try to intimidate either of them. Deciding that no further warning would be necessary, Raven twisted his power about the Commander. The Commander was suddenly inflicted with an extremely painful migraine. One of the guards lifted his weapon, but that was as far as he got before he and his companions were similarly afflicted.

"Stop it, Raven." LeShana ordered, and he did, but only after they had reached the doors. Solair patted him on the shoulder and gave him a warm smile, but made certain that LeShana did not see it. <<Take a seat and stay quiet until I call you.>> LeShana added as she threw the doors open. As much as it might bother him to have her ordering him about, he could only appreciate that his bonded, or whatever he was supposed to call her, was a very strong woman.

The argument that was going on inside went quiet as their group started down the stairs of the gallery. There was a long line of ambassadors stacked into three tiers of seats, and all of them stared in disbelief as LeShana started down the stairs. Solair guided Raven into a seat near the floor so that she and Destin could block him in on either side, only Vosthan and LeShana walked out onto the floor. If the Ambassadors greeted her with disbelief and distrust, her counterparts from the treaty countries did not. There was a very loud chorus of telepathic greetings from the other agents from where they were seated behind the ambassadors of the countries they represented. Raven was hard pressed to keep their telepathic voices from overwhelming him. LeShana greeted them quietly and proceeded to take her place behind the American ambassador, next to Admiral Teg who glared at her in such a way that Raven couldn't help of think of those horrifically creative things he could imagine as punishments for the man.

"Yes, it is good of you to make it, Agent LeShana. I believe that Admiral Teg was about to take the floor." The chairman began, trying to recover. Admiral Teg rose, straightened his jacket and descended to the floor, where he took a seat at the table that dominated the center of the open space. He then took the chair with every bit of dignity that he thought was due to him. Raven strangled the urge to run up and beat him into a pudding like substance, something that LeShana was grateful for, having sensed the lines of his thoughts.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the treaty council, I come here to report a grievous violation of an Earth's citizen's rights by the Center and its' agents." Admiral Teg began, pausing as if he expected some kind of shocked gasp from the empty gallery.

"When does the guy with the peanuts come around?" Raven asked, just loudly enough for his voice to carry around the silent room. Many pairs of eyes turned to look at him. Some were glaring hatefully, but a larger portion were showing amusement.

"Eight days ago, a strong potential candidate came to our New York office. He tested higher than anyone had ever tested before. There must have been some misrepresentation, because he fled the scene. We asked for help from the local Center contingent, but they refused, claiming that he would not be trained on Earth because, and I quote, 'He's potentially dangerous.'. The Center agents then proceeded to track him down and to deny us any information as to the candidate's whereabouts. The Center agents, lead by Agent LeShana then proceeded to capture him and to deny us access to this person. When I tried to force the issue, Agent LeShana then proceeded to recite the letter and verse of the treaty, forgetting the rights of Earth in this matter." Admiral Teg stated in rich tones that made him sound like an even greater pretentious twit than Raven had assumed him to be.

"Welcome to the pompous channel, today we will report the life and times of Admiral Teg. A man whose head is so large.." Raven muttered, once again loud enough to carry, Solair tried to stop him by digging her nails into his thigh. ".. he can't fit through doorways." Raven persisted, and was rewarded with another round of looks, this time most of them were on the verge of laughter.

"What kind of alliance is this when our citizens can not be protected from the tyrannical reign of these Center agents?" The Admiral sneered the word Center. "How are we to protect our citizens from these.." Raven had heard enough and shoved out of his seat, despite the attempts of Solair and Destin to stop him.

"Your honor, may I say something, since it appears that I am the matter under discussion?" Raven asked, almost yelling, ensuring that all eyes turned to him as his rather powerful voice echoed through the chamber. He was pleased by the way the Admiral seemed to shrink away from him. Raven preened under their gazes, puffing out his chest and tilted his chin up a little.

"And who are you?" The chairman asked, not quite intimidate by him.

"I am Raven Sinclair, the candidate that the Admiral claims had his rights violated." Raven replied, haughtily slurring the words for effect, proving he could show his contempt with the best of them.

"If we let you speak, will you shut up?" The Admiral asked, looking over his shoulder with a scowl.

"Are you going to keep talking?" Raven asked him. The Admiral nodded, not quite understanding. "Then no." The Admiral glared at him in a threatening manner, but Raven lowered his gaze and glared right back. He won the duel when the Admiral turned his chair back towards the other side of them.

"As I was saying." The Admiral began again. There was no way Raven going to tolerate such behavior and he pulled free from Destin's grasp, shoving through the swinging doors. Crossing the floor in five powerful strides, Raven grabbed the microphone and lifted it from the table.

"I have something to say." Raven growled into the microphone, his words magnified many times over.

"Mr. Sinclair, you have not been recognized by the chair." The chairman told him, as if somehow that would stop him.

"Then you are welcome to try and stop me, because I am going to say it anyway." Raven replied with a defiant glare. The Admiral jumped out his seat and reached for the microphone, but that was a mistake and one that Raven wasn't going to tolerate. Almost negligently, Raven put his forearm across the side of the Admiral's head. The petty little man fell back into his seat and was tied there by Raven's gifts. "I wasn't finished, asshole." With a sharp kick, the chair was sent rolling across the floor to collide with the far wall.

"Mr. Sinclair, you are coming dangerously close to contempt!" The chairman warned.

"Funny that, because that is all I have for a supposed body of representation that would allow the injustices that this one has!" Raven yelled into the microphone, his words booming through the room. "Were you aware, that the Admiral has been drugging his candidates to make sure that he had their full 'cooperation'?" Raven paused for a response, and was met with a total lack of surprise. "Well, well, not a teary eye in the house." Raven stated with his full level of contempt and sarcasm, which was not any easy combination to pull off. "How can any of you sit there and claim to be fighting for the rights of 'your' citizens when you take away those rights at the drop of a hat?!"

"Mr. Sinclair, we are here to serve the people." One of the ambassadors interjected.

"I am the people! I am the one you claim to be defending! And I am outraged.. no this goes far beyond outrage, I am enraged by this showing! You sit there and claim to defend the rights of the citizens of Earth, then go back to your homes safe in the knowledge that the injustices you have imposed on other people will never happen to you or anyone you love! I am sickened, I am hurt, and I am disgusted!" Raven told them, his voice cutting like a knife, no one but the agents would meet his sweeping gaze. "I thought perhaps there was one decent human being on this planet capable and willing to lead our world, but Apparently I was wrong about that. Well if this treaty council isn't or won't defend my fellow human beings, then maybe I should ensure that there is a government who will." He slapped the doctor's blackmail files down onto the table. "And I am sure there is enough in these to ensure that there is a revolution in each of your countries by the end of the year, including my own. You see, the Good Admiral here has a habit of picking associates who are every bit as sleazy and corrupt as he is. And Dr. Ronen, my would be kidnapper, has been using his captive test subjects to gather his personal blackmail Empire on each and every one of you. And I assure you, just as I stand here before you, there is enough in here to see each and every one of you lynched by your own people. Let's see, what do we have here.. Oh, America, the land of the free, unless you have a gift. Then into an military internment camp you go." Raven called out, opening the top file and lifting one document up to examine it.

"No one would believe you!" The US representative squawked. Raven turned to look right at him, his eyes blazing with anger. The man looked into them and his gaze dropped almost immediately, his heart full of fear.

"Oh no, I assure you, all of these are nice and official, sealed, signed, and everything." Raven expounded, quite enjoying himself by this point, even if LeShana was going to eviscerate him a short time later. "Oh, China! Someone's been a bad, bad boy. Hording illegal weapons in the Ten shin mountains, that's not very nice." Leaving behind the table he began to walk the floor naming crime after crime, flipping the copied documents through the air in the direction of those behind so many terrible things.

"You won't live long enough to tell the people." Someone threatened, and Raven turned to glare in that direction.

"Oh, please, kill me right now. I Dare You, I double dare you. And I promise, I swear to you, it will be the last mistake you ever make! Because within 24 hours of my death, the first of these official documents will be in the hands of the media. And it will be GLORIOUS, it will be a Shit Storm to end all scandals. Go ahead, put a bullet in my chest right here, right now. Because I will take every last one of you mother fuckers down with me!! If not here and now, then when the lynch mobs come pounding at your doors!" Raven ranted right back at them without hesitation or fear, far too pissed off to give one single thought as to his own life, since the moment they would have gotten their hands on him his life would have been over anyway. "Put a gun to my head and pull the fucking trigger, because you will be the one to face the point of a gun not long after. I have tried for eight days to reconcile what has happened and what I have heard claimed! But no matter how hard I try, I can't make one damn lick of sense of ANY of it. Now I'm a pretty smart guy, but I can't find a single, solitary explanation that would give this whole bloody mess any kind of sense. WE RISE and WE FALL by what we claim, and you sit here CLAIMING to be the champions of the people, and yet not one of you cares ABOUT anything that has anything DO with the PEOPLE! I am sickened by what I have learned. CRIME AFTER CRIME AFTER CRIME!!!" He started throwing handfuls of papers at those in the front rows of the room. Each document was a travesty, a tragedy, and each thing, each official act, was an act of cruelty against their fellow humans. "HERE they are! THIS is your LEGACY, acts so VILE that each of you should be on trial for War crimes. Each of these represents the people YOU FAILED to protect!! When I look at all of you, I am sickened just to be in your presence! There is not a word in any language that come close to explaining what I feel when I think of this group!!! May all of you burn for all of eternity what you have done!!"

His final words spoken, Raven threw the remainder of the pile up into the air, turned and walked away, flipping over the table as he left. The room was filled with a piercing, horrible sound of electronic squeals caused by the microphone, which forced the assembled mass to try cover their ears against the tumult. At the back of the room, he viciously kicked the doors open, his anger burning in him like a wildfire. The Commander threw himself in front of Raven, and like with the Admiral, this proved to be a very bad mistake. There was no warning and no second chances as Raven swung with all his strength, planting his fist across the Commander's face. The man dropped like a rock and hit the floor hard. Feeling a little better after that, he stepped over the Commander's prone body and kept walking with a smile on his face. The guards were far more wise, stepping back and making it clear they were going to stay out of his way. Raven couldn't hear the applause that followed in his wake, not through the angry pounding of his heart. He simply kept walking until he found a place were silence reigned, where he could lean against the wall and close his eyes. His breath was ragged and his heart pounded brutally in his chest, his rage still burning in his senses even as self recriminations started to follow. He forced himself to take long, deep breaths in an attempt to beat back his monstrous temper before some fool happened upon him.

"Raven, it's Solair." Warned of her approach, Raven was not surprised when the comforting hand touched his shoulder. "Did.. did you plan that?" Solair asked him nervously.

"Not really.. and I should probably warn LeShana about my temper.." A laugh with no real amusement in it came forth.

"Are you going to be all right?" She asked, taking in his ragged breathing.

"Eventually.." Raven replied before taking another deep breath.

"You've done that before?" Solair asked softly.

"When I needed to make a point." Raven told her in return, and sensed something from her in that moment. "What?" Raven asked, lifting his head and opening his eyes.

"I think we should forget about making you an agent and put you into the diplomatic corps." Solair whispered, causing Raven to chuckle as he leaned his head back against the wall. "Do you want to go back to the warehouse?" She asked him. His blood slowly started to cool, though it wouldn't go away completely without an internal fight.

"What about LeShana?" Raven asked, suddenly nervous about his performance.

"It is all right." Solair reassured him with a warm smile. "She thinks that it would be for the best."

"Then we should probably go back." Solair nodded and put her arm in his as she began to lead him back to the place where the portal had been formed.

"You can make a very.. formidable, first impression." Solair told him as they walked through the halls. They returned to the warehouse and Solair was immediately assaulted by a barrage of question by the gathered agents there. She told them to wait and took Raven to a quiet spot before fetching something for him to eat and drink. He ate only as a matter of routine while great waves of guilt flowed through him, dreading the moment LeShana returned to take her own anger out on him. Solair and the others remained at a distance, and only wisps of sound reached Raven's ears on the far side of the warehouse floor. The agents were keeping their thoughts quiet, which came as something of a relief, since the last thing he wanted was to hear the tale recounted. Eventually, boredom and the need to distract himself from his circling thoughts caused him to wander off in search of his computer. With the device firmly in hand, he returned to his former place and did his best to try and distract himself with the one thing that might be able to push aside such recent events. Occasionally one of the agents would stop and interrupt him to ask him if there was anything he needed. He was polite in his denials, since the one thing he wanted at that moment was for LeShana to reappear and give him the beating he could only expect after his actions.

"She's coming back." Solair warned him after what felt like an eternity later. He pushed out of his seat to join the gathering of agents, waiting to greet her upon her return. The portal opened with a flash, but she was not the first one to step through. Raven recognized the individual who appeared as one of the agents that had been at the meeting. Another one followed her, and then a seemingly endless line of them appeared. Long before LeShana arrived, three more portals opened nearby and still more agents flooded the room in great waves. Somewhere someone else yelled 'Let's party!' but he ignored them, as he only had eyes for LeShana. Raven was suddenly afraid that she would not appear, but she was there seconds later, closely followed by Vosthan. The gate closed behind them and LeShana looked around as Raven fought his way through the crowd to get near her.

"Raven." LeShana called when she finally spotted him pushing past the last few people to get to her side.

"LeShana, I am.." Raven did not get any farther before she threw her arms around his neck and dragging him down to kiss him passionately. They did not part for quite some time, and when they did, LeShana was the first to find her voice.

"You don't need to say it." She told him, leaning her forehead against his. Her smile was contagious and he could not help but smile back while the torment of the last few hours was forgotten in an instant.

The gathered agents let out a whole-hearted cheer, causing the pair to turn together to see what was going on. At the far end of the building the food had started to arrive. It took almost all of the local contingent of agents to bring it in, and once they did there was a tidal surge of people towards the food-laden platters. The tables quickly filled, and some were forced to perch on the stairs to the upper level of the offices. Halfway through the meal, a high pitched noise very much like a bird's call pierced the tumult. The agents respectfully quieted down as someone stood up on one of the table and raised his glass in the air.

"Here's to the end of the aggravations of the last three years. May the treaty council never forget the lesson they have been served today!!" The man yelled, much to crowds delight. A roar of sound rushed across the room as a multitude of glasses were thrust into the air. The agents quieted once more as the speaker raised his glass to continue. "And here's to the instrument of ignorance's demise. To Raven, who's eloquent speech may well end so much pain and anguish." The speaker added before tipping his glass towards Raven. Everyone turned to toast him, and to his embarrassment he blushed at the unexpected praise. Fortunately for him, most of the crowd was too far away to see it. LeShana, however, did see the blush, and try as she might, she could not help but laugh. He gave her a look that promised retribution later. The speaker raised his glass once more. "Here's to LeShana, for having the wisdom to bring along our newest young recruit." All the agents toasted LeShana, and she preened under the praise. "And here's to me for making sure she got there." The final toast was greeted with a hail of food and balled up paper. The speaker descended in an attempt to escape the barrage and the laughter that followed.

"Are you all right?" LeShana asked him as the cacophony died back down. "Are all these people bothering you?"

"I'm fine, it's not bad right now." Raven reassured her, taking her hand and planting a kiss on her knuckles. "Thank you."

"For what?" LeShana asked tilting her head to look at him.

"For putting up with me." Raven whispered. The smile she gave him was worth more than his weight in gold. The party lasted for another three hours before it started to break up, and the agents drifted off to create portals to return to their home bases. Raven figured that there would be a lot of hangovers in the morning, unless of course they had discovered the cure to the common hangover along with all their other accomplishments. Raven helped some of those that lingered to clean up as best as they could, considering the vastness of the mess. Only after a rough clean-up was completed did Raven remember that he had left his computer out on one of the tables. Cursing, he went in search of the expensive object, only to find it in the possession of one of the agents that had stayed behind. She was sitting at the table where he had been sitting and she had obviously been reading his work in progress. Struck by a moment of uncertainty, Raven stopped a few feet away, unable to think of a way to ask for it back without being outright rude. Even in comparison to the other people, she was unique, so he took a good look at her while he waited. She was extremely beautiful, but in a different way than LeShana. Her hair was a pure silver-white that fell down, unbound, to her shoulders and down her back. There were a few strands of hair that fell across her face, but she did not seem to notice them. Her face was angelic with perfectly carved bone structure, and the sculpted body of a fighter or a dancer. Her eyes were a cool silver gray, surprisingly enough, the exact same color as Raven's own eyes. She was an elf, like Vosthan, and had the same senseless grace as he did. She wore clothes that were typical of a Center agent in so much that they just did not seem to fit into current fashions. She looked youthful, but Raven felt that she was slightly older than him. In that moment as he stared at her, she looked up and spotted him.

"Did you write this?" She asked him with a smile.

"Yes." Raven replied, approaching to sit down across from her.

"It's good, in fact it's very good." She told him softly. "I know some people back in the Salak'patan that would pay you a big advance based on these pages."

"I toy with writing once in a while." Raven replied modestly.

"That probably means that your a writer." She commented with a chuckle.

"Eight or nine best selling novels." Raven told her, bragging just a little.

"If working as an agent doesn't suit you, you can make a killing writing novels." She told him.

"That is the second alternative career that has been suggested to me today." Raven commented back to her.

"What was the other?" She asked him intrigued.

"Diplomat." He replied. She laughed warmly without any sense of mocking in her tone.

"A man of all trades, I like that."

"I wouldn't think fantasy would be that popular in the Salak'patan. I mean, it sounds like a fantasy world as it is." Raven remarked to her.

"The truth is never what people want, and the Salak'patan is the truth." She replied with an honest smile. "Here." She closed the screen and slid the device back across the table to him, and Raven accepted it with a nod of thanks.

"Maybe sometime later you can show me some of the other things that you have written." She suggested.

"I would like that." Raven told her honestly.

"By the way, my name is Sarath." She stated, offering him her hand.

"Raven." Raven replied, completing the offered handshake.

"For now." She added with a grin.

"For now." Raven agreed.

"Don't worry, I'll track you down." Sarath added as she stood up, smirked, and walked away. Raven watched her go, and as he sat there he felt the weight of the day descend. Despite being only the first hours of the evening, he went in search of his bed and the promise of sleep. His footsteps carried him back to the work room on instinct and he slipped inside. He was just about to turn on the lights when he spotted the candle light and the sleeping form of LeShana on the bed. Cursing softly, he hoped she wasn't angry that he had messed up their private meeting, but knowing he couldn't avoid her, he put the computer on the table and walked to the bed. She woke up at his approach.

"I'm sorry." Raven told her.

"It's all right, blow out the candles and get in this bed." LeShana ordered softly, and he wisely did as he was told. LeShana wrapped herself around him, kissed him on the cheek, and promptly fell back to sleep. Raven was less than half a step behind her.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

There was never a time in all of Raven's memory when he could recall waking up quite so well rested and refreshed as he did the following morning. While his sleep fogged mind stirred towards waking, he could feel LeShana's weight against his side, her soft warmth tucked up against him. It was, perhaps, the most peaceful feeling he had ever experienced. He almost considered not waking up just so she would remain there with the soft lines of her body pressed up against his side forever, but it was an idea that was doomed for failure. When he finally opened his eyes, she proved to have been awake sometime before him, laying on her side as she stared down at him with a smile on her face.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked her, closing his eyes and turning to face her.

"Just looking at you." She replied, sounding amused.

"You're so weird." With an indignant snort, she picked up one of the pillows and brought it down on his head. "Hey!" Raven protested, turning back around to look at her only to get hit again. With a growl, he grabbed the other pillow and retaliated. Raven gave her as good as he got, but in the end, he had to conceded defeat after she pinned him to the bed. As he laid there, he felt no compelling reason in the universe as to why he should even pretend to try and struggle free.

"Do you give up?" LeShana asked, laughing down at him.

"I believe I have no choice." Raven told her with a bright smile.

"Wise man, but you're now my prisoner. I can do anything I want to you." She whispered teasingly as she sat on his chest, but she simply remained there for a long time simply looking at him.

"What is your fascination with staring at me?" Raven finally asked her .

"Quiet prisoner, or I will have to silence you." She giggled back down at him as one of those wondrous smiles appeared on her face.

"Do your worst." He told her with a chuckle. LeShana leaned over and kissed him. "You will never silence me." Raven told her as they parted, causing her to smile evilly and kissed him even more deeply.

"Had enough?" LeShana asked with a playful, laughing sneer.

"Never." Raven replied. LeShana smiled wickedly and kissed him again, this time leaving both of them breathless for a long time. "Please, no more." LeShana smiled and stopped before their game escalated to a point that neither of them were quite ready to go yet. Suddenly the door opened and Destin stepped through. He took one look at the two of them and his face flushed, his expression becoming one of acute embarrassment and intense discomfort, before he turned back towards the hallway.

"It's all right Destin, I was just torturing our captive." LeShana told him laughingly and stopping him before he could leave. With a cautious smile he turned back towards the pair.

"I am sorry to interrupt, but there is something that you might like to see." Destin told them. LeShana did not need to hear anymore. She rolled off of Raven's chest and pulled on her boots. Not bothering to find his shoes, Raven followed her out of the room and smiled widely as she caught his hand to pull him along, almost as if worried he might decide to linger. Out on the warehouse floor it was clear that a great many others had been working hard to conduct a more complete cleaning, but the agents were all gathered at the far end of the room and huddled close to the TV at that moment.

"What's going on?" LeShana asked, but no one answered her. Instead, her attention was directed towards the television. A reporter was on the screen, standing on the White House lawn, and in the background there were a dozen other reporters and camera crews. It wasn't hard to guess that something big was happening, since there were far more people than he had seen in such scenes before that day.

"Once again, we will be coming to you live with a presidential announcement in just a few minutes. Denise, do we have any information as to the subject of this press conference?" The reporter was asked by the anchor on the other half of the split screen.

"No, Mark we don't. As we reported earlier, this conference was completely unplanned and announced just one hour ago. Our sources at the white house do not know anything about what the president is going to say."

"About the treaty?" LeShana asked Vosthan, who had moved to stand next to her.

"What else could it be?" Vosthan replied, glancing over at Raven with a soft smile. "Ever since the signing of the treaty, there has been very little news to report on." LeShana was about to say something else, but the picture switched to the president as he descended the front steps of the white house. He was followed by the one hundred and sixty Earth delegates of the treaty council, and there were many faces Raven would have quite happily gone the rest of his life without seeing ever again. LeShana looked nervously at the picture and Raven couldn't help but feel the same, since he had certainly played a role in the previous day's proceedings. The president took the podium as the delegates took their seats behind him.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press, citizens of Earth. I come to you today to bring the most momentous announcement ever in our long history. For three years now we, and when I say we, I mean all the countries and peoples of Earth, have been negotiating a comprehensive treaty with the government of another world." The president was forced to pause, as their was a great outpouring of sound from the gallery. "We are at an interesting point in our history. A hundred years from now, the people of Earth will look back and marvel at this time. A time when it did not take an army, a new technology, or the first contact with a new species to usher in a new age for our people. It took one man's belief in the goodness of our way of life." Raven's snort of skepticism, derision, and contempt drew a great many smirking sideways glances of amusement his way. "Through his words, he made the treaty council see through the differences that so often get in the way of true understanding. I want to thank him with all my heart for what he did, because he reminded us that we are in this together. He taught us that we are one people, and that the stuff that binds us together transcends race, country, and politics." Raven really didn't like the way the speech was going, and begged that the heavens might somehow spare him from such a horrible fate as becoming famous. "That man is Raven Sinclair. He showed us the way, and helped us find the path to our planet's destiny. Through his intolerance of the injustices we inflict upon ourselves, he united us with his outrage, and taught us that we are one planet, and one people."

"Ah shit, does this mean I am going to get a medal?" Raven cursed, feeling the sudden need to break things. The agents laughed while LeShana kissed his cheek. The president continued his overblown, high handed speech for quite some time, and as was often the case when the politicians started dolloping out high-handed words, his brain more or less hit his internal mute button.

"In a few hours the treaty council will release a copy of the full proceedings of the events of the last two years. At which time, we hope to hold another press conference and answer any remaining questions. We also have hopes that the other leaders of this new treaty will attend with us." The President turned and descended from the stage. LeShana turned to Raven and kissed him passionately. It was a long time before their lips parted. When they did, the other agents made a full barrage of rude noises.

"Oh grow up." LeShana ordered, laughing at them as just a little color rose to her cheeks. "All right, we have a lot of work to do. Vosthan, get me the other leaders on a conference call. Ogon, get in contact with the press secretary at the White house and get whatever information out of him that you can. Everybody else, start coordinating the other agent groups in our territory and make sure they are ready for whatever may come out of this. Solair, I need you take Raven to his apartment to get his stuff, as this is probably our last chance to do it without having the press snapping at our heels."

"The front way or the back way?" Solair asked. LeShana took one look at the media frenzy going on in front of the white house and then looked back at Solair. "Right." She replied with a bit of happy laughter. LeShana smiled at him before she slipped away on the heels of everyone else, heading towards the offices on the far side of the building. "We had better get moving, it will not take them long to track you down."

"Even less than that." Raven commented, and followed Solair to where she could create a portal. When it formed, he jumped through and Solair followed him inside what had once been his own private sanctuary. A thought occurred to him as he looked around at the rummaged chaos inside and he refrained from asking her how she knew where to place the portal. Since he had not really seen the apartment as his home, there was very little that he felt compelled to take with him. He ensured that all his important paperwork was boxed up and ready to go.

"What do you want to take back with you?" Solair asked him.

"Let me see." Raven replied as pushed his way into the closet. There was not much there that he would wear under normal circumstances, so he took what he wanted and tossed it on the bed, and Solair then packed it away. It took all of an hour to gather everything together, only adding to some pictures and odds and ends that he would like to keep. As they moved the bags into the living room where they planned take a portal back, Raven peeked out the window and was more than a little surprised that the street was packed with media vans. There were enough reporters present to block traffic. With a shake of his head, he left the window before they spotted him. Solair brought another portal to life, and together they tossed the bags through, Raven took one last look around at his apartment and decided that he was just as glad to be leaving.

Back at the warehouse, the main floor was a flurry of activity. Raven hoped nothing was wrong as he shouldered his bags and started to carry them back to the work-room. Solair helped him move the bags before going to see what had prompted such activity. Raven was not really concerned, after all, if he needed to know something, someone would show up to tell him. He was doing his best to organize the contents of the bags when there was a knock on the door. With the expectancy of bad things moving his way, he scowled and told the person to enter . LeShana stepped through the door and shut it behind her, then threw the bolt before turning back towards him.

"Something wrong?" Raven asked her with concern.

"No, the president wants to have another press conference, and he wants us all to look official, so everyone is running around trying to find their uniforms." LeShana told him with a small smile as she wandered towards him. "I personally needed to escape the chaos."

"Well, I'm pleased that you decided to escape with me." Raven told her, which brightened her smile and brought a much adored sparkle to her eyes.

"Now, where were we?" LeShana asked as if she did not already know. "Oh, I remember." She added, wrapping her leg around Raven's and tripping him back onto the bed.

"It's starting to come back to me." Raven added with a smile. LeShana kissed him with rising passion and he was given little choice but to respond in kind. As if on cue, there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Every damn time." LeShana cursed as she jumped up and walked to the door. Raven smoothed out his clothes and wiped the lipstick from his lips. LeShana savagely pulled open the door and practically took the head off the young man standing there.

"Really LeShana, is this anyway to treat your elders?" The man asked in total defiance of his youthful good looks.

"Master Fora?! What are you doing here?" LeShana asked, truly surprised, as if she recognized the voice but not the speaker.

"You, silly girl, I am here to give you the leave you have desperately been needing." He chuckled as he stepped into the room, looking over Raven very closely. "And to take a look at our newest natural diplomat, author, and agent candidate." Master Fora paused before adding. <<That, and I heard you have life-bonded with him, so I could hardly pass up the chance to meet the man that may finally capture the heart that so many have tried to, and failed.>> He added. Raven tried to hide the fact that he had heard the last bit, but despite his attempt to control it, he blushed. "Oh, so the rumors are true then." Master Fora remarked, not missing the blush. "There is no need to be embarrassed, my boy, it is not your fault that you cannot help but hear us. Besides, if half of what I hear is true than I think that I already like you."

"And what have you heard?" Raven asked him, just a little curious.

"That you were the most brash, brazen, forthright pain in the ass to inhabit the planet." Master Fora replied with a wicked little smile across his lips.

"Oh good, I was afraid that it was something that was untrue." Raven remarked and they both got a good laugh out of that while LeShana closed the door behind the new arrival.

"Sit, we have much to discuss." Master Fora ordered, taking a seat at the table. Raven took the chair next to him and LeShana took the chair across. "Now, my first question is for you LeShana. Have you started his training?"

"No, you know that I have no gift for teaching." LeShana told him.

"Your gifts lie in other areas, my dear. It is just as well, I do not think you would have had the time anyway. I have heard that you have been quite busy." Master Fora remarked. "I suppose we should begin by finding out what exactly your gifts are." Master Fora held out his hands to Raven, who reluctantly accepted them. "Now relax, this won't hurt." Raven took a deep breath and tried not focus on anything in particular. The palms of his hands started to tingle and he had to fight the urge to scratch the scarred flesh. That was followed by a strange feeling in the back of his mind, like someone rummaging around inside which ended after only a few seconds. "You are a remarkable young man." Master Fora added before he looking at LeShana nodding towards the door. Raven watched as they left and was suddenly afraid that something was wrong. He felt a reassuring flood of emotion come through the bond and decided he could leave things at that for the time being, it wasn't as if he didn't have enough problems at that moment.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

LeShana followed Master Fora across the hall and into the office on the other side. He was silent until LeShana had closed the door behind her. Whatever had compelled him to conduct this meeting alone, he was not letting anything leak out that she could interpret with any kind of accuracy. She could feel Raven's worries come through the bond loud and clear, and assured him as best as she could while still hiding her own worries about the rather unusual event.

"What is it?" LeShana asked her former Master. "The bond is still new, I don't know how long I can keep Raven from knowing how unusual this is."

"It is nothing bad, LeShana, just.. extremely intriguing." Master Fora reassured her with a bright smile.

"Well, then, what is it?" She questioned, not quite ready to let her guard down after so many upsetting and troubling things all piled into one overfilled and frustrating week.

"Until now, I would not have thought that I would ever see someone whose gifts were stronger than those demonstrated by Sarath." Master Fora replied with a significant look as he leaned against the desk.

"Stronger than Sarath!" LeShana half asked, shock forcing her to sit down. Sarath had been the strongest mage to arrive at the Center for training in three centuries. She surpassed their usual standards for rating a talent, and did so with an ease that made all others look like they were standing still. Sarath's mage ability would be enough to strip a planet of all life if she were ever to lose control, or least a giant chunk of one, and Raven was stronger than her. "By how much?" LeShana whispered, not really sure she wanted to know.

"Not much, at least in relative terms, those two are so very strong I think they have stretched any means of measurement quite some time before. But certainly enough that it would be dangerous to forget this, or to underestimate him during training. Other than the fact that he has an uncommonly high number of gifts, combined with the strength of his mage-gift, he is quite normal." Master Fora replied softly. "I just wanted you to know. This also, no doubt, means that Sarath will have to return to the Center to help with his training. It is nothing personal, you are a fine trainer, but it is a good idea to have a magical teacher that is as close to the strength of the student as possible. It was enough of a risk to have you train Sarath."

"So Raven will need her. I understand, I know the risks of an untrained gift as well as any of us." LeShana replied with a nod. "You sometimes forget that it was one of my year mates that died when he lost control of his gifts, and I remember what happened to his instructor."

"He never did walk again." Master Fora commented sadly. "I wish we had found him earlier though. He is going to know very little in the way of sword work and hand to hand combat. Language skills and knowledge of the Salak'patan can be implanted but the combat skills can not."

"It won't take that long." LeShana replied, confident in the fact.

"Why not?" Master Fora asked her with twitching lips, as if already suspecting the answer.

"With me hounding him, he won't have a choice. Between me and Destin he won't have a chance to slack off." She told him with a warm smile, quite ready to go home then and there, eager to put the past year of frustration far behind her.

"So it had occurred to you that it might be best if he had a one on one instruction." He commented, sounding pleased by her forethought.

"Yes, it would be to embarrassing to go through the first part of the training with the young ones, and it also would be dangerous. He is not a weakling and might not realize his own strength until someone gets hurt. Besides, it will not be long now before Destin and Solair are due for their bonding-time, and we don't have the shielded facilities on Earth to give them the peace and quiet they are going to need." She told him after having had the time needed to consider everything earlier that morning

"Not to mention what it might do to the agents here or the people of this world." Master Fora added with a knowing smile.

"Will you be taking my place at the press conference?" LeShana asked him eagerly, knowing that even if he were to deny her in this, that he was only too vulnerable to pretty face and a little begging. He smiled quietly, knowing well how much she loathed long speeches and boring politicians, and decided to take pity on her.

"Yes, unfortunately the paper work was filed this morning, and that leaves me holding the bag. You have been released from duty and have been given leave to get your bonded ready for his departure." Master Fora told her, making his own disappointment at having to take over her duties all too clear. "When I get back, I will start the process to send Sarath, Destin, and Solair back to the Center. Depending on when young Raven is ready to leave, you five might be leaving together."

"He's not like most, he won't dally for long." LeShana assured her old teacher with a smile. He nodded, but his expression told LeShana that he did not quite believe it. "I better get back, I have been promising to have a long talk with him for days now, and you have to get ready.."

"After the days that you have been having, I can understand why your talk has been interrupted." Master Fora commented. LeShana smiled at him in response and slipped back across the hall. Raven smiled at her when she returned, pushing aside some of the great stacks of papers that were now spread across the surface of the table.

"Well?" He asked, his cute little expressions displaying the nervousness that he somehow kept from appearing in his voice.

"It's all right, Master Fora was just surprised by how strong your mage-gift is." LeShana told him. Raven nodded, clearly not comprehending the facts or concerns, but more than willing to take her word for it. "Raven, how long would it take you to pack up and be ready to go?" Raven looked away thoughtfully as his quick mind worked through a task list he had probably been compiling all morning.

"Three days, maybe four." He replied, despite her words to Master For a, she nevertheless found herself surprised by the small number he offered with such a high level of confidence. "If it was up to me, I would leave right now, but.." He shrugged his right shoulder as she had seen him do several times before, making her wonder if he had been seriously hurt as a child, or if it was simply a deeply ingrained habit. It was just a subtle reminder that there was so very much for her to still learn about the person who had suddenly, and almost inexplicably, become so deeply important to her. ".. there are things that I need to take care of first. I need to talk to my agent, my publisher, my banker.. and my mother." Raven gave her a sour expression, one that made her think that he was not looking forward to the last conversation. After a little thought, she decided she could understand. After all, they now had Raven's name plastered all over the news and his mother had no doubt seen it. The fact that he would undoubtedly have to tell her that he had met a women, fell in love, and was even now readying himself to quite literally fall off the edge of the planet was probably going to make the conversation even harder on both of them. The mere mention of that forthcoming event was easily enough to make LeShana balk at the prospect of leaving, despite the fact that she had been eager not minutes before. After all, she had only heard her friends horror stories about the trials and tribulations of the much rumored and feared 'mother-in-law', but this would be her first experience with that much feared creature.

"There is no need to rush.. we can wait until the others are ready to leave." LeShana told him softly, suddenly realizing how hard it must be for him.

"Others?" Raven asked, catching on to her statement.

"Sarath, Destin, and Solair are going to come with us." Much to her surprise he gave her a soft smile, a nod, and seemed to accept the news as if it was only to be expected. It was such a curious reaction that she had to catch herself before she thought to question him about it. "Master Fora is here, so I won't have to go the press conference. How about we order some food and have that talk we have both been wanting?" He nodded as she unbuttoned her jacket and tossed it on the bed, exposing the more flattering long sleeved shirt underneath. "You order, and I can send someone for it." With a smile and a nod, he and rose to open the door for her. When she passed him, his hand touched the small of her back to guide her out in the hall and she couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement ripple up her spine. Outside, the warehouse floor was empty except for a few agents that were not out reestablishing their headquarters at the Weslyn building or attending the press conference. They were all agents who were not officially on the rosters, but were there to make sure that the Earth governments were not secretly readying themselves to betray the treaty. LeShana could only hope that after what had happened, their group would be considerably less busy in the near future.

"Can someone go out for food?" She asked softly as she and Raven neared the small gathering.

"No cars." A dour man called Silverwing told her with a grimace.

"And the remaining petty cash went out for the party, none of us have had the chance to get more." Another undercover agent named Regs added. Without hesitating, Raven dug into his pockets and tossed two things at him; a set of keys and a thick money clip. He told them where his vehicle was located, and since it was not all that far away, it shouldn't have been too hard to retrieve the much needed extra vehicle without difficulty. "You want to order?" Regs asked with a smile and whistle as he flipped through the thick stack of bills.

"Sure." Raven replied quickly while Silverwing tossed him a cordless phone. "You guys hungry?" There was a round of acknowledgments as Raven expertly caught the device and dialed a number by memory. He walked a few feet away so that the droning of the TV would not interfere with his call. LeShana could hear him rattling off a long list of dishes and sizes, giving her the impression that he did it a lot. Raven thanked the person on the other end and hung up. "Let me tell you where you need to go." Raven stated, turning around to face Regs.

"Montoya's?" Regs asked him, and Raven nodded dumbly. Regs smiled at him and glanced over at LeShana, then back at him. LeShana hid a smile. "After our failed attempt to.. recruit you.. we went back to the restaurant. Considering the situation the boss lady reported to us, we felt that it was only for the best that we apologize and, you know, make peace. We tried the food, and it was so good that we've been getting food there ever since. Besides.. it is some of the best food for a romantic meal." Regs replied with a knowing smile. Raven's face flushed at the comment, and LaShana though it was rather cute. Regs chuckled and slapped Raven on the back.

"Then let me write you guys a note. My friend would like to know that something has changed. He might not be willing to trust the treaty countries any more than all of you, but he should hear it from me that you and yours are the good ones." Raven added hastily. Regs gave him an honest look of gratitude as Raven quickly wrote out something along those lines. "You might end up facing an interrogation sooner or later, but Mr. Montoya knows a lot of people. If you get him on your side.. well.." Regs chuckled and nodded as turned to head for the door. LeShana put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him on the forehead. Raven looked embarrassed, but he still delighted her with his warm, loving smile. Even more eager than before to learn all about him, she couldn't help but adore him for the faith and trust he already had in her, and through her, in her co-workers and friends. As they waited for Regs to return with the food, they watched the press conference on TV. Raven seemed extremely bored by the proceedings, but he was making an effort to listen to the long winded speeches. LeShana was bored by it as well, but tried not to show it, after all, she should have at least some idea what was being said. It took Regs just under an hour to get back with the food, and Raven rose to accept one of the bags. He waved Regs off when he tried to give him the rest of the money and the car keys.

"Keep them, I don't imagine my car will do me any good where I'm going, and the rest is just paper after all." Raven told him, chuckling at his own generosity.

"But we might need the car back for when we head north." LeShana warned, uncertain of what form the arrangements would take just then. Regs simply smiled, nodded, and pocketed both items before rejoining the others. More than a little pleased by his actions, LeShana took Raven's hand, kissed his cheek, and drew him back towards the waiting privacy of the workroom. They stopped in the kitchen for a couple of plates and some utensils, and LeShana also got a bottle of Fes wine that she had been saving for a special occasion. Raven cleared the table of the letters and papers that he had been sorting as LeShana opened the containers and set the table. As each container was opened, LeShana's nose was assaulted with the smell of many unfamiliar dishes, but Raven had known what he was doing when he ordered. LeShana lit the candles with a thought and dimmed the lights without a word. It was cloudy outside, so there was very little light coming through the window to spoil the romantic mood.

She was the first to start questioning her bonded and quickly discovered that Raven's past lacked the intrigue and mystery she might have expected after finding him to be such a complex person. There were many pauses in the conversation as they each fed each other tidbits and exchanged tender touches. She made sure to warn him about the strength of Fes wine, since the vintages could be stronger than some hard liquors. The sky was darkening as the questioning turned to LeShana.

"You've heard about my childhood, now tell me about yours." Raven suggested with a gentle smile.

"Well, I was a middle child. My family had been mages for centuries, and for five generations they worked in the courts of the Deken Empire. We lived in a small town just outside the Imperial city. When I was five.." LeShana trailed off painfully. Raven took her hand and brushed his fingers along her cheek. "When I was five, a revolt was started against the Empire, and our village was burned to the ground, its' inhabitants were killed, including my parents and sisters. I was the only one to survive.." Hot tears fell down her cheeks, and without a second thought, he turned towards her and wrapped her up in his strong, supportive arms.

"I'm sorry." Raven whispered to her in a soft, low voice. "It will be all right, I'm here now, and I will never leave you." However strange it might have been to hear those words coming from the mouth of a man she had known for less than a week, when he said them there wasn't any way she could doubt their truth.

"The Center was brought in to bring the revolt to an end, and they helped to find the survivors. Thousands of towns were attacked that very same night, and it was hard to pick up the pieces. So many children were brought to the Center, where they could be cared for, and I was one of them." LeShana continued, determined that Raven know the truth. "My gifts began to awaken when I was eleven years old, so the Center started my training early, before I could get into trouble. Especially when I became a teenager and my hormones made my gifts dangerous. I was the youngest agent ever to graduate from the Center. I was just fourteen, but it was decided that I was too young to work field assignments. So I was given an administration job, helping new recruits. When I was sixteen, I started in the field, working with Vosthan as my mentor.. it was a lot of no risk jobs until I was considered competent to work the more dangerous assignments. There were a lot of diplomatic missions as well, so when this assignment came up, I was at the top of the list. Vosthan declined, but recommended me.. he never did like being in charge. I have been on this planet, on and off, for three years now, but now that I have met you I will be spending the next few years at the Center, helping you become an agent."

"You had a hard time?" Raven asked with a confused look. LeShana thought that he must have been picking up something from the bond.

"There were times." LeShana admitted, somewhat reluctantly. "I have never really had a serious relationship, that made things harder some times." Raven snorted without malice, leaving the distinct impression that he too had been unable to have many meaningful relationships.

"But you had friends to help you." Raven commented softly probably picking that up through the bond as well.

"Yes, there is that. Destin and Solair were always there, Vosthan, and then Master Fora came later. All of them together helped me through the hard times." She agreed as he smiled, pleased to hear that her life hadn't been impossibly hard. There was a little bit of pain in his eyes, and the truth was she had been impressed by how he had held together. He told her that he had always been a lone wolf type, but that there had been his long distance bond with her to help him. LeShana had not been fooled, she had been able to sense the pain and the echoes of loneliness through their bond. He was proving to be quite adept at hiding his true emotions, but he could not do that with LeShana, not anymore. The conversation slacked off at that point, something she was grateful for, since intense conversations, no matter how important, were draining on both of them. As they both turned back to their meals, they talked about trifling things, the kinds of basic, personal preferences that would become important later. "So tell me, what do you need to do to get ready to go?" LeShana asked as they finished their meal and sat back, sipping the wine.

"Well, first I have to deliver the last two books in the series that I am contracted to do, and then arrange it so that all the money goes into the account for my mother. After that, well.. my mother would never forgive me if we didn't go out there to see her.. I mean.." Raven grimaced as if he was imagining what the conversation was going to be like. LeShana caressed his cheek, bringing his awkward words to a stumbling halt. There was no reason to worry about all that still lay between them and their new home. "As I said, it depends on how soon I can get my agent and my publisher together."

"You already have the last two books ready?" LeShana asked, changing the subject to something infinitely more easy to deal with for the time being.

"They've been finished for three months now. The only reason that I haven't turned them in was because I knew if I did, my agent would try and talk me into something else, and I needed a vacation." Raven replied with a sarcastic smile. "I'm not one to dally when there is work to be done."

"Then why not just turn the books in and get on with other projects?" LeShana asked him, sensing something interesting in the background of his mind. "Wouldn't that make you more money?"

"Yes, it would make me more money." He told her with a sigh and soft smile. "But my writing has never been about the money. I love writing and I am good at it. It's a good feeling to know that I can bring a moment of joy into someone's life by doing something I am good at." Raven paused for a moment as he considered his next words. "Besides, if my publisher knew just how fast I can write when I put my mind to it, he would expect me to write ten or eleven books in a year instead of two or three." LeShana returned his smile warmly. It was good to know that he was not obsessed with the accumulation of wealth like most of the planet's population seemed to be.

"I think that you are going to like the economics of the Salak'patan then." She observed, and he did not ask for an explanation. It was hardly a time for an economics lesson anyway. During the long, comfortable quiet that followed, they exchanged enamored looks. Raven was the first to make more than a strange look as he set aside his glass and leaned forward, sliding his hand along LeShana's cheek. She reached up and covered his hand with hers. Raven leaned closer to kiss her gently, lightly touching his lips to hers. After that, there was no need for words as everything that they might have said tingled through the bond silently. They learned about each other in a far more personal and intimate fashion during the hours that followed.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

They both woke at the same time some hours later, LeShana's senses still tingling with the effects of their first union. The sun was down outside and it was early evening. They both woke to the sounds of their empty stomachs. By silent agreement, they got out of bed and dressed slowly, punctuated by long kisses and passion filled looks. They left the room hand in hand and walked towards the kitchen, the building almost completely silent, which was unusual for that time of day. In truth, as much as she might be curious about the unusual emptiness, she couldn't help but be intensely grateful for the silence and the sense of privacy it brought, while her mind and body both seemed to vibrate with what they had shared. While the fare was not creative or particularly tasty, it did offer both of them the sustenance they needed. After their meal, Raven went off to arrange the meetings with his publisher and agent, hoping to get them together the next day so it could be done all at once. LeShana went to find someone who could tell her how the press conference had gone. She found Destin and Solair in the warehouse floor, watching the TV and sharing something to eat. LeShana walked towards them, and Solair spotted her before she was halfway across the space.

"How did everything go?" LeShana asked once she was near enough.

"Good, but not as good as your little encounter with Raven." Solair replied with an evil, cat-like smirk, causing LeShana to blush a deep crimson.

"You heard?" LeShana asked in small voice. Destin nodded with big smile changing his usually solemn expression.

"Now you know why bonded couples have the most heavily shielded quarters in the Center." Destin remarked to her, which made LeShana blush even more.

"It's alright, we have been the only ones here for the whole time." Solair reassured her. "So everyone doesn't know." LeShana relaxed a little at that. It was one thing if your two best friends were the only ones who knew, but it was entirely different to discover that a whole team of agents knew you just had sex. LeShana tried to banish her blush as she took a seat nearby.

"So, we are going to go back to the Center with you two?" Destin asked her, only too wisely changing the subject.

"That's the plan." LeShana replied softly as Solair rubbed her arm reassuringly. "Sarath too, since she will be needed to train him in magic. You will be teaching him combat skills, and Solair will help me with whatever else comes up."

"Sarath is training him in magic?" Solair asked, deeply surprised by the twist as LeShana nodded soundlessly in return. Destin whistled loudly, since they all knew what it meant without an explanation.

"How much combat training do you think he has?" Destin asked her.

"Very little." LeShana replied sadly. "Which is why I need you, putting him in the beginners classes would be insulting and counterproductive." All three of them looked up at the sound of footsteps to find that Raven was walking towards them.

"I've got a meeting set up with both of them at noon tomorrow, can one of you take me so I won't be so obvious to the crowd of reporters that might appear if I'm spotted?" Raven asked with a hopeful smile.

"In other words, you want one of us to cast an illusion spell on you so they won't spot you." Destin commented.

"No, I can handle being indiscreet on my own, but it works better if someone else is the focus of attention." Raven replied smiling back.

"The trick with the cameras!" LeShana exclaimed, guessing accurately.

"Exactly. If I focus on not being noticed, I won't be. And with someone else leading the way, it works even better." Raven agreed, chuckling at her as she gave him a loving smile.

"I'll do it." LeShana told him, He nodded gratefully and took a seat next to her. Afterwards, the conversation turned to how good it would be to get back to the Center. Raven remained silent and listened to them talk. LeShana only added a few comments, content to lean back against Raven as he moved closer to tuck her in against his body. She could not even have imagined how good it felt to have those strong arms around her, much less the way she she seemed to perfectly fit in the curve of his shoulder.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Raven was never one to waste time, this was something LeShana learned about him only too clearly in the following days. Raven managed to arrange meetings with his agent, the publisher, his banker, and his landlord during the next two days. In the case of the first two, he had completed the last two novels of the book deal long before the meeting, and had admitted that he already had the first three books of the series completed before he had ever made a deal. That being the case, it was a simple matter of ensuring the editors knew not to slice and dice the storyline too badly. He told her that he had enough on his mind, and more than enough in the path that lay before him, that he didn't truly care that much about what would happen with either novel. He simply wished to have the last few lingering responsibilities of his old life placed firmly behind him so he could focus on what was truly important to him at that time. His accounts could conveniently be turned over into his families' keeping with just a few documents, which could be signed during his visit with them and mailed back to the bank to make everything legal. His landlord was a little less accepting of the early end to his lease, proclaiming all the trouble he had endured because of Raven's sudden fame, but the fact that there was a couple thousand dollars in electronics Raven would no longer need, not to mention three rooms of furniture, eased something of the uncomfortable exchange. The remainder of Raven's personal items were discarded with a bit of help, and his security deposit was forfeited to ease his landlord's 'burden'. LeShana was a little surprised that he could be so ready to leave everything behind, and with so little fuss over the details. Despite his reassurances to the contrary, she was just a little worried that he might regret everything he was so readily giving up. Fortunately, Master Fora's word carried a great deal of weight back at the Center, so they had not argued with him or given them any red tape about the fact that four agents would be returning with one new student.

When it came time to leave, LeShana did not miss the pain that he was trying to hide behind his eyes. It was one thing to think about giving up everything you knew for love, but it was entirely different to actually do it. They had been given a large van to make the trip in, and the group of agents that would be replacing them would bring it back. As they pulled the car out, she said goodbye to the mission to which she had dedicated three years of her life. In a way, she was sorry to see it go, since at long last all that had frustrated her about the mission seemed to be on the cusp of change, but it was not much to say goodbye to, not when compared to what Raven was giving up. Even though the warehouse was not in New York, it still took some time to find a stretch of open road not clogged with traffic, which was the one thing that LeShana would not feel bad leaving behind her. Raven sat staring sullenly out the window, his mind buried deep in thought. She remained silent, leaving him alone with them, knowing any attempt to force him out of his funk might only make things worse. She instead struck up a conversation with Sarath, Solair, and Destin, hoping to encourage her bonded to leave his black thoughts behind for a time. They talked about the recent events in the Salak'patan, even though none of them had enough time to get a full briefing from friends who had recently traveled from the Center, but each of them had some news to share. Several hours passed and darkness fell. They stopped just inside the Pennsylvania border for food and gas. Sarath took the wheel for the next stretch. LeShana assumed the passenger's seat, Raven took the second seat and Solair and Destin curled up in the back to get some sleep. After the fifth hour of complete silence, LeShana could no longer take it and turned in her seat to look back at Raven, who was sitting behind her, looking like a statue and about as animate as one.

"Raven," LeShana began. ".. what's bothering you?"

"Just wondering what I am going to tell my Mom." He whispered at long last, turning away from the passing scenery to acknowledge that he wasn't alone in the vehicle. "I mean, she thought that the move to New York was too far. What is she going to say when I tell her that I met a woman, fell in love with her, and I plan on going with her to another planet? On top of that, I have only known her for a total of ten days."

"It will be eleven by the time we get there." Sarath commented with a smile. Raven rolled his eyes at her, but did not make any comment in return.

"Do you regret the decision to go?" LeShana asked him, feeling her throat close in fear of his response.

"No." Raven replied with such conviction that there was no doubting him. "I want to go, I want to be with you. You alone are worth any price.." Raven trailed off with an embarrassed look. "I just can't think of how to tell her that." He added in a low voice.

"I'll be there with you." LeShana told him as she reached back to take his hand.

"If it helps, so will I." Sarath added, unable to resist the urge of putting in her two cents. "If you're this strong, I want to meet your family and see if any of them are as strong as you." She chuckled, then sighed as another thought occurred to her. "It's easier to train two mages than one, and if any of them are like you, I plan to tie them up and kidnap them. I don't want to take another five years out of my life later on when one of your family shows up with a gift as powerful as yours."

"Five years?!" That was not what Raven wanted to hear.

"That's how long it normally takes to train an agent." Sarath replied quickly. "Well, usually."

"Sarath, don't be so dramatic. You well know most of that time is letting students grow into their strength. And it certainly didn't take you that long." LeShana interjected, trying to keep her bonded from having a mental breakdown. "Raven is going to receive one on one training in the two areas that he is most lacking in, magic and combat. The rest is just information that can be transplanted." LeShana turned back to Raven who was wearing a smug smile on his face. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." Raven replied as his smile grew larger.

"Why don't I believe you?" LeShana asked him.

"Because you haven't learned to trust people." Raven replied with repressed laughter. LeShana sneered at him and turned around in her seat to glare at his chuckling presence.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

It took them longer than expected to reach Indiana, mainly because they got lost during the first night, which prompted the decision to stay at a hotel for several hours of non-moving sleep. Nevertheless, they arrived about noon on the second day of the trip. Raven was driving and it was a good thing, since his home town had some confusing streets made only more so in recent years. Ten years previous, it had been a small town who's only claim to fame was being along the junctions of two major interstate roads, but there had been a recent boom, and for a time there had been new houses going up around the clock. Raven's nervousness returned as he turned down the street which had been his home for almost eighteen years. With the passing of each renovated house, the nervousness seemed to triple. If there weren't four other people in the car, Raven might have turned around and headed back to New York. By the time he managed to bring up enough courage to do so, he was already at the driveway. He drove down the new concrete path and brought the van to a halt out of the way of anyone who might arrive to see his family.

The house, like his home town, had gone through extensive changes as his mother rearranged it to her liking. In truth, nothing of the original house remained to remind him of those childhood memories from so long ago. There were two other cars in the driveway, his mother's and his younger brother's. He recognized his brother's car mostly because it had been a college graduation present from Raven two years earlier. His youngest brother, Simon, was having a hard time breaking into the gaming industry, since the job market was flooded with brash young programmers that had been raised on modern video games. Simon was staying with their mother to save on expenses and was working from home, designing his own games while trying to get the attention of some company that he would want to work for. At Raven's insistence, his mother had retired early and was living off the money Raven had made with his writing. With wise investing, she would never have to work another day in her life. As it was, she had worked much her life to give the best for him as his brother. It was the least Raven could to do in return for sacrifices she had made all her life for the two of them.

"You going to be all right?" LeShana asked him. Raven nodded and took a deep breath as he opened the door to the car and all of them exited the vehicle. It would take a while and it was rude to leave any of them to wait inside the van. He lead all of them towards the back door, but they did not get there before both his brother and his mother appeared.

"Raven!" His mother called, and ran to hug and kiss him. Simon followed at a more sedate pace, eying the strangers with suspicion and interest. "You've been up to no good again." She whispered warningly, but smiling even as she said it.

"You know me, I'll never change." Raven replied with a grin.

"You keep it up, and we are going to have to invest in a moat, a seven foot metal fence, and a some big dogs to chase off all of the reporters and single women." Simon commented with a mocking scowl.

"Don't forget all the enraged husbands and all the game designers whose ideas you've ripped off." Raven replied, taking his brother's hand as he released his mother.

"Mom, I would like to introduce you LeShana, Sarath, Solair, and Destin." Raven began, gesturing to each of the agents. As Sarath shook her hand the two of them exchanged a strange look, but it passed so quickly that Raven thought he had imagined it.

"You can call me Nadia." She told them, shaking their hands.

"Don't I get an introduction?" Simon asked, giving the three women a charming smile, proving his playboy ways had yet to fade.

"No, now go away." Raven replied just as quickly.

"Don't make me send the two of you to your rooms." His mother threatened, mostly in play.

"Yes, mother." Raven and Simon replied with the same mockingly meek tones.

"This is Simon, probably the lowest human on the evolutionary scale." Raven reported to the agents, to which Simon retorted by punching him in the arm. Simon walked to Sarath and took her hand, then bowed to her, kissing her knuckles like he was somehow stuck in the middle ages. "You have my permission to hit him." Raven told Sarath, who smiled at him.

"Don't tempt me." Sarath replied as Simon rose, wearing a flirtatious smile.

"Let's go inside. The neighbors already think we're strange enough." Simon suggested with a warm chuckle. As they walked towards the house, Raven looked closely at his mother. She was looking better, more relaxed, more alert, as if the ravages of time seemed to be reversing in her case. Oddly enough, she looked more like a woman of twenty than a woman of sixty. Much to his surprise, Raven did notice that her ears her now appeared to be slightly pointed, but he decided that he was seeing things. They stepped inside and walked through the house towards the living room, where there were more than enough seats for all of them.

"You're staying here for the night." She told them definitively, even before he might say a word to her about anything.

"Mom, we can get hotel rooms." Raven replied just as quickly.

"Nonsense there are more than enough rooms here for all of you." She told them with a smile. "Simon, go get the rooms ready. You five have no doubt been in the car for a long time." Simon pushed out of his chair and left the room.

"This isn't just a social visit, I need to tell you some things." Raven began softly.

"You're leaving, I know." She replied, interrupting him before he could truly begin. "I know all about the Salak'patan, the Center, and all that." The look of shock on his face was closely matched by the expressions of the others, and only Sarath seemed unmoved.

"How, what, when, I.." Raven stammered, as eloquent as ever.

"It can wait, I don't want your brother to hear this, not right now." She told him quickly, forestalling any further brilliant word play on his part. His mother changed the subject to something safe as his brother returned. Simon sat down and listened quietly. "Simon." His mother began after several minutes of unabated comments on the weather. "I just realized that we are going to need some things from store." She told him, though it was clear to all of them that it was simply her way of regaining some privacy. "Can you go?" Simon thought about it for a moment with a mockingly playful smile before nodding. His mother located a pad of paper and quickly scrawled out a list. "And pick up some pizza on your way back." Simon grumbled, but he nodded anyway as he left the house. Everyone was silent until they heard the car pull out of the drive way. "I have never told this to anyone, so please bare with me if I struggle. I have repeated this story to myself a thousand times, and I have never really found a good way to begin it. Raven, I am not your real mother. I am an elf. I brought you from the Salak'patan twenty-four years ago. You never really belonged on this world, and I knew that one day you would return to the Halls where you belonged. I am a paladin of Seletra, and I have been one of her paladins for almost three hundred years. But thirty-two years ago, I was working at a manor of the Black Raven Empire's royal families. I did not know why I had been directed there, but it was not my duty to question her wishes. It was there that I befriended a young woman. Her name was Sestal, she was fifteen and a very charming girl." She gave Sarath a significant look. "I instantly liked her. I was surprised when I later learned that she was the lord's daughter, and as time passed, we became friends. I was honored when I became her closest confidant. On the day that she turned eighteen, her father told her that she was going to be married to a wealthy business man. Her father felt that the match might bring him more prominence on the council, not to mention much need funds after his bad business decisions. Sestal was heartbroken, and I was fearful." She told them quickly and without embellishment, clearly worried and fearful of his reaction to her story.

"Corthan had a very bad reputation. He had been married four times, all of his wives had died in child-birth and all of them took their children with them into the afterlife. It was also rumored that he was very promiscuous and had jilted lovers on thirty planets. But Sestal had no recourse, the decision had been made, and this was before the laws were passed that outlawed forced marriage. So Sestal was wedded a week later and was moved to Corthan's estate. I went with her to serve as her personal servant. Corthan was not gentle with her; he forced sex on her for three months until he was sure that she had conceived, then went off to pursue other beds without a second thought. I hated him, but Sestal couldn't. She did not have the strength to hate him, so I hated him enough for the both of us. I witnessed the birth of her daughter, she named her after me, Lunara." She paused for a moment to take a long, slow breath. "I watched Luna grow up and Sestal wither. She was not made to bear children. The doctors did their best to try and help her, but she had lost a lot of blood. Sestal just seemed to shrink away in the backwater that we were stuck in. Until two years later, when Corthan bought his way into the court of the Emperor and moved all of us to the Imperial capitol. It was there that Sestal seemed to recover, as she was surrounded by friends and given better care by her doctors." She sighed and took a moment to pause and rest her voice.

"That was where she met a brash young mage, Neatain. He was handsome, charming, mannered, and he lavished every moment of his free time on her. It was perhaps only too easy for her to fall in love with him, and I worked hard to hide their relationship from the gossips at court. I helped them meet away from prying eyes and even went as far as using my magic to assist their liaisons. I had forsworn the use of magic for many years after a simple spell had landed me in trouble, but I would have done anything for her. The relationship ended abruptly when Neatain was reassigned to some outpost world. Two months passed and then Sestal discovered that she was pregnant. She had not been with Corthan for three years, so it was certain to be Neatain's child. Sestal refused to give up the child, a baby conceived in love, so she hid her pregnancy for as long as she could and past the point where it could be aborted." She paused to wipe a few tears from her eyes, and Destin offered her a tissue.

"When Corthan found out, he was enraged past the point of sanity. He tried to hit Sestal, but I stopped him, although soon after we were sent to an outpost world that was barely even settled, to wait out the birth of the infant. In secret, he ordered his guards to kill the baby as soon as it was born. I learned of this and tried to smuggle Sestal away. We were found and dragged back to the manor, then I was thrown in the dungeon and Sestal was locked in her rooms. But the dungeon was old and the guards did not know who they were dealing with, although my escape would take time neither of us really had, because Sestal went into labor soon after being brought back to the manor. I could hear her screams throughout the night it took me to free myself. I escaped, killed the guards and the servants that were loyal to Corthan, so when Sestal gave birth, I was there. The sheets were covered in blood and she was in a great deal of pain, but she begged me to take her son and keep him safe. I wanted to stay and help her, but she would not hear of it. She knew she was dying and there was nothing anyone could do, and I could not deny my young friend's dying wish. So, I ran away with the newborn. I needed to get away from Corthan's wrath. he was a very powerful man, and I knew that there were very few places that could protect me and the child. My mind worked furiously, trying to figure out where I could escape to. That night, Seletra came to me and she told me what I had to do to save the child. The next morning I woke with a new sense of purpose. I went to a forgotten planet called Earth where we would be safe. I used my magic to change my appearance, but I needed more than that. I moved from town to town, doing odd jobs, learning the language, and taking care of the baby. I worked my way south until I reached this town, and by that time I was desperate, fearful that I would lose the infant my friend had given her life for. That was when I found a young woman. She had crashed her car into a tree and was dying. There was nothing I could do to save her, but with her I saw hope. I took desperate measures.. got rid of her body, cut my head and exchanged my clothes with hers. Then I started walking dazedly down the road. It was not long before a police car found me. They questioned me, but I did not know the answers they wanted, so they simply assumed that I had amnesia. They took me and the child to the hospital, and as her family members came in, I replaced their memories of her with memories of me and added the child as well. With the last of my magic I insinuated myself into that woman's world. With my assumed husband, I gave birth to another child and started to take care of my adopted child and my own. Time passed slowly for me, but now as I look back at it, it seems to have passed within seconds." She paused as she remembered. "That child was you Raven. Simon is my half-blood son."

"Why don't you want Simon to know all of this?" Raven asked, having long since passed the point of shock.

"One day, I will tell him. He has a lot of growing up to do still, and I do not want him to do it the hard way. When the magic fully returns, and his magic is awakened, then I will return to the halls. I will train him myself, or bring him to the Center so he can be trained there. Seletra has not left me here all by myself and she will call me one day and I will go off again." She replied, then shook her head. "Sarath.. I knew your mother, she was the best of people no matter what poison your father has raised you on." She added with a few more tears. Raven was shocked, but Sarath was not. He stared at both of them, too stunned to get his mind to work properly.

"Sarath is my sister?" Raven asked after an eternity.

"Yes, she is." She replied soberly.

"Excuse me." Raven stated and walked off into the house. Once out of sight he ran up to the stairs to the library and thrust the door shut, his mind reeling from the revelations that he had just been told. He could feel LeShana approaching a short time later and moved away from the door.

"Raven." LeShana called as she carefully walked in. "Are you all right?"

"This is too much." He whispered back, everything seeming to shatter around him. "I have had my world dashed against the rocks." LeShana wrapped her arms around his stomach and laid her head against his back. "I fall in madly love with a woman I have never really met before, I discover that the stable world that I have thought of as home is not the only one out there, nor is it really my home, I am told I can do magic, and now this, a sister!" Raven let his words fade, his voice weak with tension.

"Do you wish that none of this had ever happened?" LeShana asked him softly.

"NO!" He replied adamantly, using just a little more force than absolutely necessary. "I just wish that every time I finally got a stable picture of who and what I am, someone would not come along and completely crush it to pieces. There are just so many times one can have their beliefs destroyed before it becomes too much to handle."

"I know." LeShana replied soothingly. "I promise that when we get to the Center, we won't shatter your views more than once a month." She added with a smile that was heard but not seen. Despite himself, he was forced to chuckle before a bone deep sigh followed. "Sarath is worried that you ran off because of her." LeShana told him after a short silence.

"It isn't.. I just didn't want the others to see me fall apart." He replied, his voice full of trembling emotions. "When I first meet Sarath, I knew there was something there, like some kind bond. More subtle than the one I felt for you, but it was still there."

"Blood calls to blood. She is your sister, your heart knew who she was even when you didn't." LeShana told him softly, speaking almost as if it was a matter of fact back where she came from. "We had better go reassure her before she decides to copy you and run off."

"We won't need to, here she comes." Raven replied, sensing her as she came up the stairs.

"Raven." Sarath called from the other side of the door.

"Come in." LeShana called and Sarath slipped inside, practically projecting her troubled emotions since her upset thoughts were affecting her shielding. "It's all right." LeShana assured her. Raven could almost hear LeShana relating the last few minutes to Sarath telepathically but was thankfully spared the details. Sarath sighed heavily, her sense of relief permeating the room. LeShana patted Raven on the back and let him go so that he could turn to face Sarath.

"I have a brother." Sarath whispered, surprise in her voice. She walked closer and embraced Raven, and he hugged back out of reflex. But as time passed, the rumbling emotions seem to settle as her presence simply brushed aside everything else, heralding acceptance.

"Where were you when I was trying to get a date for the prom?" Raven asked her resting his chin on the top of her head. Sarath laughed softly back at him.

"Where were you when I fending off unwanted suitors?" Sarath asked him in return.

"Probably trying to get a date." Raven replied with a laughter in his voice, causing her amusement to grow in response.

"Simon's home." LeShana commented, looking out the window. "You two better break it off before he gets the wrong idea." LeShana added with a smile of her own.

"He's not my type." Sarath murmured with a smile.

"Just don't go and try steal LeShana away from me." Raven warned her.

"How did you know?" She demanded of him as she pulled away just a little.

"I'll tell you later." Raven replied, tapping her on the tip of her nose, as he let her go and moved towards the door.

"LeShana, did you tell him?" Sarath asked, almost sounding as she were accusing his bonded of something.

"No." LeShana replied, looking just as confused.

"Simon is more handsome than any three men put together, and you barely even noticed him. Even LeShana and Solair took extra long looks at him." Raven commented, sticking his head back through the door as he stood in the hallway, the two women growled at him. Sarath lobbed a pillow from the couch at him a half heartbeat later. Raven ducked back into the hall after allowing the pillow hit the wall, and just as quickly stuck his head back into to smile at her before retreating back downstairs.

"He is going to be twice as hard to control now." Sarath commented.

"I'll keep him in line." LeShana told her with a wide smile. Sarath smiled back at her and nodded as she walked towards the door.

Chapter Four: A New World and the Rising Darkness

They left two days later, after Raven had shared a tearful goodbye with the woman that had raised him. In truth, he wasn't really sure how he should feel about any of it, after all, she was still his mother, she had raised him, she had cared for him, she had even saved his life before he had truly had one. But things had changed between them and they both knew it. While she would perhaps always be 'Mom', that title seemed somehow skewed or off balance whenever he had used it after he had found out the truth. His thoughts inevitably ventured back to the mother who had exchanged her life for his and that was shading an all important word with mixed feelings. On top of everything else, he was having a hard time assimilating his latest shock. Raven's thoughts were dwelling on the mother he would never meet, the father he would never know, and his newly discovered sister. In its' own way, this was far harder to take in than the realization that Sione, the woman he had loved all his life, was LeShana. He had known Sione for the whole of his days, but Sarath was completely new to him. There was no doubting that she was his sister. Although she only vaguely looked like him, he could still see the best aspects of his own face in hers, once he knew to look for them. Sarath had at least suspected that out there somewhere she might have a brother or sister, but Raven had always believed that he knew who his siblings were. It was all very confusing and all very wonderful and terrible at the same time.

In the strangest of fashions, it almost seemed that all the dreams conjured up during the awkward years of teenage angst had come true. He had met a woman that would love him without price or conditions, the man he considered his mortal enemy and bereft of human decency was not his true father, and the world that he had always felt at odds with was not his true home. Even at the gates of adulthood, Raven had clung to many of those beliefs as some sort of last ditch effort to keep the world from stealing away a piece of his soul. It all come, in many ways, as a revelation, answering all the questions that plagued him since he was thirteen; why he and his brother had looked nothing alike. Why he had felt no kinship with any of his supposed family members, other than his mother. Why he had demonstrated gifts that his brother had not. Why he had nothing in common with anyone else who he was supposed to be related to. Raven would miss his mother, and Simon, but somehow it made his move easier. But having all his youthful dreams realized in a matter of days was still not easy, not when their was so much pain behind them, and the death of his birth mother laid most heavily on his heart.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"This is it?" Raven asked as he got out of the car, his many doubts written on his face and unveiled contempt dripping from his words. Normally such contempt from anyone would have been enough to stir up LeShana's considerable capacity for dislike, but she knew without a word being exchanged that he did not mean his words the way they might sound, so she could forgive him. Three days after departing his family's home, with many long and empty roads behind them, they were deep in the unspoiled Canadian wilderness. Raven had calmed considerably as those days and distance had passed behind them, which was a relief to all of them. As much as LeShana had disliked his dark brooding as they left behind the city, his personal storm cloud on the fifth day after leaving his mother's house had very much more disturbing to her own thoughts and feelings. Finally, he had calmed and it seemed, with a much lighter heart, he had even started asking about the worlds that would soon be a part of his new home. It likely helped that their first destination was so far away from everything that was troubling him, a place almost unreachable in bad weather as it was far removed from anything else, and the nearest town was a hundred miles away. Located up a twisting gravel road and deep in an old growth pine forest, a simple brick house was the only structure for miles and even it was unimpressive.

"What were you expecting?" Destin asked, getting out behind him.

"Something more grandiose." Raven replied softly, not even sure what he had been expecting himself. "I meanm this is supposed to be the gateway to thousands of worlds."

"Good things come in small packages." Sarath commented as she got out of the drivers seat.

"A hundred thousand years ago, there was a great temple surrounding the gate, but it has been a long time, and much of it has been destroyed by the passing of eons." LeShana added, smiling over at him. "Maybe when Earth has been reconnected to the hallways, they might build something more befitting to the importance of this place. But right now, it would only serve to draw attention here. We don't want the Earth governments to know about this place until they're ready, and right now they only see this place as just the simple home of a bizarre hermit."

"The gatekeeper also likes it that way." Solair commented to him. "Why else would he choose to live on a planet with no magic of its' own, and forgotten in all but a few ancient texts?"

"I guess it makes sense." Raven finally replied, shouldering his bags even though he clearly still felt under-whelmed by the setting.

"You don't sound convinced." Destin commented, chuckling softly as he clapped Raven on the back.

"Because I'm not." Raven replied with a cool smile. It was then that the gatekeeper emerged from his small house and walked over to greet them. He exchanged a few words in a language that Raven did not understand with LeShana, to which she shook her head and replied with another bout of words. The gatekeeper added something, and gestured for them to follow him into the woods. "What did he just ask?" Raven asked Destin in a low voice.

"Just wondering if we were going to stay the night." Destin replied.

"He must get lonely." Raven added sympathetically.

"Actually I don't." The gatekeeper replied, turning his head to look at Raven, who gave him an embarrassed look. "It's all right." He added taking in Raven's expression. "I enjoy the solitude, for the most part. You've had a long trip, I was just wondering if you would like to wait, at the Center it is late at night."

"Ah." Raven replied with a weak smile.

"So you are Raven Sinclair." The gatekeeper added with a smile. "I have read all of your books, I enjoy them a great deal."

"Well thank you." Raven replied, feeling a little more heartened by the compliment, but he had admitted to LeShana that it always felt awkward when he met one of his fans face to face.

"I hope you don't stop writing. I want to read the end of the Stones series."

"If I had the time, I could tell you what happens. But an Earth publisher has the last two books, they should be coming out over the next couple of months." Raven told him softly. "That, and Sarath says she knows some publishers, perhaps I will still be writing in the Salak'patan."

"If you can find the time and energy with your training going on." The gatekeeper commented.

"Well, that will pass in time, and I have half a dozen novels in my bag that I would like to see in print." Raven added for the sake of his conscious. The gatekeeper nodded with a smile and let the conversation drop.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Raven and the others were walking down a rough path through the great trunks of ancient pine trees, thickly packed together in a dense tangle indicative of an untouched wilderness. The air smelled of pine and with each step, dozens of layers of needles gathered over the years were crushed underfoot, sending still more of the scent lofting up towards their noses. The entire area and all that surrounded them sent a peaceful aura whispering across their group. What little bird song that they could hear was quite far off. The sky was overcast, even though they couldn't see it from under the canopy. It was dark as twilight, even though the sunset was still hours away. The path weaved through the branches seemingly at random, so they could not see where it ended, and the beginning of the path had long since been obscured. After about a mile traveling through the untouched wilderness, they started to pass large stones, roughly shaped and worn down by the weather. The rocks were large and would have passed as boulders except for the occasional sharp edge that belied any natural formation. Their destination was a small clearing littered with still more of the large stone blocks. In the center of the roughly circular clearing, there was a large stone circle, inscribed with ancient writings. LeShana and the others hung back as the gatekeeper approached the stone circle alone, so Raven was obliged to stay with them. The gatekeeper walked to the edge of the stone circle and closed his eyes, standing there for a long time, silently holding his arms out to his sides. Just beneath the surface of reality, Raven could feel power growing around the man.

<<Gatekeepers are chosen because they can do what we can not, drain power from living things. The magic that we use is energy that has already been released from living things and has joined the energy within the earth. That energy then replicates and grows stronger and in turn helps the plants and animals that released it. The energy that we use has been purified without the traces of what the energy belonged to originally. He can do it for himself, which makes him ideal for working on planets without the magic that we can use.>> LeShana explained telepathically, answering many of his unasked questions, and having no doubt sensed those questions through their growing bond. <<The magic we can use is a life force in the greatest sense of the world.>>

<<Sounds like a case of macro-symbiosis.>> Raven commented to her, as his long ago school lessons were remembered. <<The plants and animals feed the magic, and the magic supports them.>> Just then, the energy that the gatekeeper had been gathering reached a feverish pitch, so much so that it seemed to warp the very air around them. The gatekeeper then started to weave the energy that he gathered. It felt in many ways like a pass-through, the portals that had been created to get them to the treaty council, except that it was a thousand times more powerful. Like the notes of a song unheard by any ear, the energies started to weave a doorway over the stone circle. They could all sense the gatekeeper reaching far away for places unknown to Raven. He might not have been able to follow where that path led the gatekeeper, but he could feel the point when the gatekeeper found what and where he was seeking. More of the energy slipped away and the tunnel he had created snapped into place with a flash of very real and very bright light. A vortex filled the door shape hanging over the stone circle with a crackle of energy, like the momentary flash of lightning. It was a swirling tunnel of white and deep blue, and far off down the tunnel, they could see a stone room with a curved ceiling. He would not get a second chance to look, Destin clapped him on the back and ran for the tunnel, so Raven ran with them, crossing the distance in a few pounding heartbeats. LeShana was the first through and Sarath was barely a second behind her. Solair and Destin were the next to go through. Raven did not hesitate knowing that the gate consumed a lot of energy and that the gatekeeper could only hold it open for so long. He leapt into the vortex and was suddenly immersed in a separate world, not one of light and sound, but one of energy. He could hear his thoughts echo a thousand times, his eyes were dazzled, and direction failed to have meaning. Energy cascaded over him, making his skin tingle. It was over in a few heartbeats and he landed in the stone room he had glimpsed from billions of miles away, back on Earth. Raven felt his knees buckle as soon as his feet touched the stone floor, and he hit the floor hard, bruising his knees and hands, sending his bags scattering across the smooth stone. He took many deep breaths as he stared down at the polished stone floor below his hands, LeShana was at his side seconds later.

"It'll pass." LeShana reassured him firmly. "Created gates can be hell on the senses."

"Why aren't you on the floor?" Raven asked her.

"We are all trained mages and have done this hundreds of times." She explained with a little bit of soft laughter. Raven was soon able to rise with LeShana's help and support. He then noticed that Destin and Sarath had split his bags between them and were waiting for him to recover. Solair was explaining something to a spear bearing guard a few feet away. As Raven waited for the disorientation to pass, he looked around the room. The walls and ceiling formed a great semi circle over their heads, and in the center there was a curved sky light. The walls and ceiling were heavily carved with strange writings. There were four mechanical doors, each heading in different directions. In the exact center of the room there was a great glowing crystal that levitated three feet above the floor. It was the only source of light in the room. In rainbow hues it spread its' light through the large chamber, allowing a shifting cloud of color to be scattered across the floor and walls. Its' surface shimmered with indescribable patterns and tones of light, as whispers of color arced through the blinding glow of pure white.

"That is the center of the Salak'patan, it generates the hallways and connects to all the planets that can be reached through those passages. It is unbelievably ancient and powerful." LeShana explained after noticing the direction of his gaze. "Ready to go?" She asked him, and Raven nodded, though he was entirely sure if he was lying with that simple gesture. LeShana supported him as they walked towards one of the mechanical doors.

"We arranged for you two to get the bonded quarters next to ours before we left, that way there will not be a second incident." Destin told them, chuckling over some thought he did not share. Raven wisely did not ask what 'incident' Destin was talking about. He knew that he would not like the answer. "They are not far away." Destin added as they walked along. Sarath was the first to reach the door, she pushed the button and was rewarded instantly by their opening. The two metal doors parted to reveal a small carriage with padded seats lining the walls. LeShana helped him to reach one of the seats, where he could turn to look through the window and admire the view he saw before him.

The Center looked as if had been carved out a great volcanic crater. The crystal chamber sat suspended over the very center of the hollow depth by four great curved arches of stone that connected with the rim of the crater. Far off at the bottom Raven could make out a lake and a grove of trees. The walls of the crater were lined with large stone balconies, seemingly thousands of them, each with windows and doors leading inside to the rooms beyond. Some of the balconies were lit by the glow of the rooms that lay behind them. To the south there was another volcanic peak, that one sporting a huge window almost a hundred feet tall. It glowed with a thousand different colors, and he did not doubt that the whole peak had to have been hollowed out to create a window like that one. In the sky, there were three moons, one was silver, one was a cool blue, and another was dark green. Past the crater, there was vast forest for many miles extending nearly to the horizon, unbroken except for a few houses. Far off in the distance there was the faint glow of a city.

The carriage started to move slowly, sliding along the top of the stone column heading for the rim of the crater beyond as he watched the changing scenery with a sense of wonder. A pair of Dragons flew past the light of the moon, perfecting the scene, almost as if they were welcoming Raven home. The carriage stopped and the doors at the other end opened up. With LeShana's help, Raven walked through them. On the other side there was lobby and a bank of elevators that would take them down into the crater. They walked past the reception area towards the set of elevators, and Sarath pushed the button of the fourth doorway which was larger than the other three. Raven soon found out why, the doors opened and revealed a smaller version of the carriage. This one could only seat six people, eight if they were all good friends. Sarath punched in a destination code and the carriage set off at a pace that was shockingly fast. It shot forward through a tunnel just wide enough for the carriage and nothing else.

"The Center's crater is far too large to just walk through. Without transports, it could take two hours to walk from one side to the other." Destin told him. It was a short trip, and paused at the next station, where they got out. They stepped out into a plain carved stone hallway lined with doorways every fifty feet or so.

"These are the bonded partners rooms, easily the most heavily shielded rooms at the Center." Solair told him.

"Why so heavily shielded?" Raven asked her, not really sure what she was telling him.

"Bonded couples can experience far more intense emotions than a normal couple. After all, we are so closely connected that we are practically living in each others' heads. This intensifies our emotions, and without really heavy shields those emotions will be projected." Solair explained with a small smile. "Also, twice a year a bonded couple will need to spend at least a week together with no outside contact. It is necessary to help us keep clear headed and renew the bond. If it's delayed, it becomes harder to communicate, and can cause serious medical problems up to, and including, death." She added as her smile turned very grim.

"Is it too late to reconsider?" Raven asked with a quiet smile. LeShana smacked him on the arm. "Please say it's not." Raven added, and was rewarded with another smack.

"This one is yours." Destin told them, stopping in front of one of the many doors. LeShana slipped in next to him and pressed her palm against the small metal panel at the side of the door. Destin, Solair, and Sarath stepped inside first. Sarath and Destin deposited their burdens near the door. "Get some sleep, and when your ready, call us. We will go get the paperwork done and get assessments on what Raven actually does know." Destin suggested as he turned back towards the door. LeShana nodded and stepped inside, Raven following her. LeShana called an unfamiliar word and the lights came on, revealing a collection of furniture piled in the center of the room. They were standing to one side of a large room, and there was a large fire place along the right hand wall. It looked like it was shared with the bedroom since he could see a large bed through the small opening. The left hand wall was dominated by a large, flat screen and the door, and there was small kitchenette in the other wall. The far wall was all glass, comprising huge, floor to ceiling windows that gave a tremendous view out over the crater. There were a pair of glass door that led out onto a huge curved stone balcony that peered out over the abyss of the crater wall. There was a door just past the fireplace that led into the large bedroom, and from there, into the bathroom with a tub that was more than large enough for two and there was also a small shower stall. Raven smiled at the idea of sharing a bath with LeShana. Back in the bedroom there was a large bed with two closets, a wardrobe, and a dresser with a mirror mounted to the top.

"I see they were good enough to bring my things here." LeShana murmured disapprovingly as Raven returned from his exploration. She glared at the pile of furniture, rugs, and curtains. "And I was hoping to go straight to bed." She swore and grabbed the curtains. Raven sighed in return as he started to dig the chairs out of the pile. He moved the large table to one side of the balcony doorways and arranged several wooden chairs around it. LeShana hung the long whispery curtains across the windows and doors with a bit of magic. When she was done, she took care of a multitude of rugs to cover the cold stone floor, in the living room and the bedroom. Raven moved the couch, placed two lounge chairs near it, and the coffee table in the center. There were several smaller tables that Raven put near the walls. When LeShana was finished with the rugs, she mounted several pictures by drilling screws into the walls with magic. Afterwards, she went to put sheets on the bed and clean up the mess the movers had made of her clothes and possessions. Raven put a few stools near the counter of the kitchenette, and then went to help LeShana unpack the boxes in the bedroom. It took them about an hour to get everything arranged to LeShana's liking, and by then Raven could more than feel the day catching up with him.

"Would you like to share a bath with me?" LeShana asked him, and Raven nodded tiredly.

"Just no funny stuff, otherwise you'll be carrying me to bed." Raven warned her with a smile. LeShana went to draw a bath and Raven went to find some clothes he could change into for sleep.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Raven woke slowly the next morning, enjoying the feel of the first real bed he had used in more than a week. The sunlight was streaming through the two bedroom windows, but it did not hit the bed, so Raven was unconcerned. He only stirred when he realized that LeShana was not next to him, since that was more than enough reason to wake up. He sat up and looked around the bedroom. Finding the door to the main room was open, he grabbed the robe that was hanging from the bedpost and pulled it on. His bare feet made very little sound as he moved and found LeShana was sitting at the table in her robe with breakfast near her right hand as she read something from a computer pad. He wandered across the floor to sit across from her.

"Morning." LeShana murmured with a smile.

"Is it?" Raven asked, looking out the windows uncertainly.

"Pretty much." LeShana replied chuckling.

"I should call Destin." Raven commented, brushing his hair back with his hand in a futile attempt to contain the chaos.

"Before you do that, I want to teach you Mophen'kora." LeShana told him, looking up from the terminal.

"That could take years." Raven commented ignorantly, to which she chuckled.

"It's not the same way you learned Dego, it's a knowledge implant. Mophen'kora is pretty much the universal language of the halls, and it's the language used at the Center. Now that we're here, I don't have the restrictions against using magic that I had before. It won't take me long to recharge the energy I use, so I can give you some of the information that you're going to need." LeShana explained, giving him a loving smile.

"What do I need to do?" Raven asked, returning her smile.

"Just relax, it won't take long." LeShana told him. Raven sat back and took a few deep, calming breaths as LeShana got up and walked around the table to stand over him. She laid her hands on his forehead and he could feel her touching the edges of his mind. LeShana's influence slowly extended deeper into the center of his mind, reaching for the areas that were not under his conscious control. Raven could not follow her movements there, but he could feel her shifting about inside. She then opened a channel from her own mind and a flow of information poured through. Raven felt a new awareness awakening, a new language growing on the tip of his tongue. It was over in seconds, but in that short time a wealth of information had been learned. Raven could now understand the words that had been exchanged with the gatekeeper. In addition to this, there was now an inherit knowledge of the Center, all of the halls and places that he would need to know and where they were, as well as knowledge of the technology used at the Center and the halls. LeShana lifted her hands and stepped back. Raven opened his eyes and smiled up at her.

"Thank you." He whispered in Mophen'kora. LeShana smiled and returned to her seat.

"Get dressed and get something to eat before you call Destin, he is not patient man, unless he does not know if you're ready." LeShana added returning to her seat and the terminal with a smile for him. Nodding, Raven walked into the kitchenette. There was a small alcove in one of the walls which was called a replicator, and it could produce any food that it had been programmed to make. Raven had a few ideas about what he would like to program into it, but that would have to wait for another time. He ordered a simple breakfast and returned to the table, glancing at what LeShana was reading. It was a report about the recent incidents in the Salak'patan where agents had intervened. Raven ate quickly and returned the dishes to the replicator, where they promptly disappeared. He gathered some clothes that would not be a loss if they were destroyed, since Destin was a master swordsmen and an opal belt in martial arts, so Raven knew it would not be an easy match. He was in for a surprise, but Raven was perversely not going to tell anyone until he had sprung said surprise. LeShana was still at the table when he returned to the living room. Using the large screen terminal, Raven punched in Destin's number and Solair answered.

"Could you please tell Destin that I am ready whenever he is?" Raven told her in Mophen'kora. Solair smiled and nodded before she broke the connection. He turned away from the large panel and looked over at LeShana. "Would you like to come?"

"I had better, I'm your sponsor and you're going to need me to patch you up after a bout with Destin. I cant very well present you to the Dean looking like we just finished beating you up." LeShana replied with a smile. "Call Sarath and tell her that she can do an official testing once Destin is done." LeShana added as she stood up. Raven bowed with a smile and turned back to the terminal. Raven dialed her number and let it ring, but she did not answer, so Raven left her a message. LeShana emerged from the bedroom, dressed and tying her hair back in a pony tail. There was a knock on the door shortly after that. Destin stood in the doorway holding a sword in its' sheath.

"Let's go to the weapon's training room." he suggested.

"All right." Raven replied, and LeShana followed them out into the hall. Solair was with him, and they all exchanged greetings before heading off towards the transports. The section of the Center devoted to training was on the far side of the crater and down thirty levels. They took the transport over to the far side and an elevator down to the correct level. Nearly a quarter of the crater was devoted to training agents, with twelve large weapons rooms, two-hundred work rooms, five hundred or so class rooms, a large section of offices, ten cafeterias, and enough dorm rooms to house a small army of fifty thousand. Normally Raven would be staying in one of the small rooms with the other students, but being bonded made that out of the question. Most of the rooms were not equipped with replicators, so they had the large cafeterias to service the need of food. Destin was taking them to the weapons room used by upper class men, so it was used mainly in the afternoon while the other weapons rooms were used almost around the clock. They pushed inside the swinging doors and he could see that there were four large mats dominating the floor, all of which were empty at the time. There was a small loft for the trainers, and three doors along the right hand wall opposite the loft. Two were locker rooms, the third lead to an archery course. To the left, along the wall, there was a selection of weapons; staves, swords, knives and greater number of weapons that Raven did not recognize, some of which could not logically be used by humanoids. The other three walls were lined with benches and cabinets which held padded armor. Destin indicated the closet mat with the tip of his sheathed sword and went in search of padded armor for the both of them. Raven headed towards the racks of weapons to select something that wasn't too ill fitted to his style.

The edges of all the weapons were dulled, but were kept in immaculate condition. His old master would have been quite pleased. Raven picked out , a long, graceful sword with perfect balance which he felt was the best suited to his needs. He then returned to the mat and started to strap on the padded armor around his vulnerable parts. Destin was already suited up and was checking the fit of a plastic sheath that covered the blade of his sword, which would dull the edges so that he would not take a chunk out of Raven by mistake. The padded armor was easy to get on and not heavy so it was not long before Raven was checking the fit of the gauntlets. He knew from the information that LeShana had given to him that most agents, unless they were undercover, would wear gauntlets to protect their arms and hands. There were an advanced combination of metal and technology. When retracted, the gauntlets would look like armbands, but when activated, they would spread and circle the forearm, hands, and fingers in a coat of protection that was virtually indestructible. The practice gauntlets only protected the forearms while agents had to have their own gauntlets fitted so that they could protect their fingers.

"How do I use this thing?" Raven asked jokingly as he lifted the sword.

"The pointy end goes in the other man." LeShana called from where she was sitting next to Solair.

"Okay." Raven chuckled as he proceeded to balance the sword on the tip of his finger. "I am ready." He replied, and Destin stepped out of the ready box and onto the mat. Raven did the same still balancing the sword on the tips of his fingers.

"Are you going to continue to act like a circus performer or am I going to have to beat the playfulness out of you?" Destin asked in a low, threatening voice. Raven pretended to consider his question for a moment before replying.

"I think I'll take the beating." Raven told him, and Destin growled low in his chest, charging across the distance. Raven watched his approach with disinterest, but at the last possible second, he flipped the sword over and grabbed the hilt. Almost playfully, Raven blocked Destin's slash and whipped the sword around to sweep Destin's leg out from under him. Destin hit the mats with a surprised thump before taking a swing at Raven's feet. Raven leapt over the swing and ran to the other end of the mats. Destin got back to his feet looking extremely sour.

"You never told us you can fight." Destin growled.

"Tis not my fault no one asked and just assumed." Raven replied with a smile. "Besides, a beginner could have blocked that swing." Raven added with a grin. Destin started forward with a scowl, approaching Raven in a far less direct fashion after having been given a good reason to be cautious. Raven circled away, forcing his opponent to try and catch up, therefore putting himself at risk. They circled each other, both of them looking for a weak spot to exploit. Raven was the first to make a move, with a feint to the right and then charged straight at Destin. Destin hesitated, struck by a moment of rare indecision as he watched Raven's massive form approaching at full speed. At the last second, Destin dodged to one side. Raven ran right past him and then spun, the sword arcing out in a low sweeping movement. Their blades collided as Destin tried to strike at his back. Raven was the first to recover, and he swung low, aiming for an outstretched knee. Destin blocked it by hitting Raven's blade from below, sending it flying upward before stabbing towards Raven's midsection. Raven sidestepped and the blade passed within inches of his side. Raven then countered by bringing his sword up and over, Destin blocked it and grunted under the force of Raven's swing. Destin pushed him back and used the chance to get his feet under him. They faced off for a second each of them a little surprised. Destin was the one who attacked next as he leveled a cross-slash at Raven, which was blocked just as quickly.

They started to battle in earnest, Destin continued his attacks, speeding up his thrusts and blocks while forcing Raven back and back again. Raven managed to keep up, narrowly avoiding blow after blow. He managed to get Destin to back off a few times, but he was fighting a veteran warrior with years of experience on him. They both of knew that Raven was going to lose, but he was not giving up so easily. Destin forced him back several more times, and then stepped up the pace. Destin started to score hits, minor ones, but enough to make Raven falter. Just as Raven was about completely back off to catch his breath, Destin flipped his sword and disarmed him. It spun off to thud against the mats thirty feet away. Raven dodged and blocked six more potentially lethal hits with his gauntlets before he stumbled and fell to his knees. Destin brought his sword around over his head and swung down. Raven saw it coming, his hands moved almost of their own accord to perform a maneuver that he had never pulled off before. Destin brought his sword down with frightening speed, aiming for Raven's shoulder, which would count as a finishing move, and Raven caught the blade in the palms of his hands, stopping it in midair. Had the blade been sharp, of course, he would have been missing chunks of his palms. Destin seemed surprised and that was what Raven was hoping for as he shoved back on the sword between his hands. The hilt rammed into Destin's thigh, not enough to hurt him but it succeeded in distracting him just long enough to allow Raven to shove upward with all his strength, still clutching the sword, and slam it into Destin's chest.

The impact would leave a bruise, even with the padding, as well as leaving Destin unbalanced. Raven got to his feet and shoved hard, toppling the agent. Raven then released the sword and flipped high into the air, dodging the swing that Destin aimed at his knee. He landed on his hands and pushed off once more, flipping in the direction of the sword three times, before his hand landed squarely on the hilt of the blade. Armed once more with a weapon of his own, he canceled his momentum by planting his feet. Just as he got his feet under him and his sword up in a defensive position, Destin was on him, having wasted no time crossing the mats towards him. Raven blocked the first swing and attacked, his sword hit nothing but empty air. He flipped the sword over his head and felt the impact of a swing aimed at his back. Raven then spun, swinging the sword in a low arc only to have Destin jump back and bringing his sword down. Raven was overextended and was not be able to pull back in time. The sword came down on his shoulder, the impact numbed his hands and his own sword fell from his fingers. Raven fell back against the mats defeated. The point of Destin's sword appeared at his throat seconds later.

"Should I finish you off?" He asked with a small smile.

"I don't think I have a choice in the matter." Raven commented, looking at the sword pointed at his exposed throat. Destin swung the sword out of the way and offered Raven his hand. He accepted and grimaced in pain as Destin pulled him to his feet.

"You did far better than I expected." Destin told him softly.

"You expected to beat me like a raw recruit." Raven replied as he bent to retrieve the sword.

"That is where you were wrong. Don't think that I didn't see those secretive smiles that you got every time someone mentioned your weapons skill." Destin replied, clapping him on the back. They walked back to the benches where Solair and LeShana were waiting with towels and water. Raven accepted both after setting the sword to the side, and then collapsed back against the bench.

"Where the hell did you learn that?" LeShana asked him, mildly angered.

"One of my neighbors taught me. He was a Japanese master and he was staying with his daughter. One day I saw him working in his garden, trying to move a large block of wood, so I helped him. After that we became friends. I helped him with tasks he could no longer do himself, and he taught me how to fight." Raven told her and received her forgiving smile.

"Then can I assume that you can fight hand to hand with some level of skill?" Destin asked.

"If I say yes, does that mean we can skip it?" Raven asked him in return.

"No, I am afraid not." Destin replied with a chuckle.

"All I'd like to know is how you caught that sword." Solair commented to him.

"That's the first time I've managed to pull it off." Raven told her as he pulled off the gauntlets. LeShana then offered him the padded gauntlets that were used for hand to hand combat. Raven took them while LeShana helped him to take off his boots. Raven put on the hand guards and the head gear while she helped with the foot pads. Raven checked the pads and put in the mouth piece as he waited for Destin to finish with his own gear. He nodded, and they both returned to the mats to take their places in the ready squares. They both stepped out and circled each other, Destin now cautious. He had learned better than to try and charge straight at Raven. Raven noticed as he switched directions that Destin was slower to his right side. He let a small smile cross his lips as he took in that fact.

This match was far shorter and ended with Raven as the victor. Destin had gotten impatient enough to charge straight at Raven, who sidestepped and used Destin slowness to the right mercilessly. Raven won by flipping Destin and dropping him to the mats. He then pinned him there with a foot on the side of his neck, and Destin conceded the fight. Raven helped him up and they both limped back to the benches. Raven had given as many good hits as he had taken, and they both knew it. Sarath was there waiting for him. Raven waved to her and promptly collapsed onto the bench, pulling at the straps of the armor as he did so. He discarded the padding as if it weighed twenty times its' actual mass.

"LeShana, darling, if you had any romantic plans for tonight, Destin just ruined them." Raven said with a weary smile.

"Solair, the same to you." Destin added as the three woman all laughed. Destin pulled out a small pad and started to write something on it with the stylus. Raven grabbed the sword and walked over to the weapons rack to hang it back where he had found it. Solair and LeShana dumped the padded armor in the dirty bin so it could be cleaned. As Raven returned to the bench, Destin finished what he was writing and handed the pad over to Sarath, who slipped it into her pocket. After saying their goodbyes, Destin and Solair left, heading back to their quarters.

"Do you want to do this here or in a work room?" Raven asked her.

"If I hear correctly, there's a gaggle of upper class men on their way here, so we had better do this in a workroom." Sarath replied, indicating the rambunctious noise coming from the locker rooms and hallways. Raven nodded and offered LeShana his hand, which she accepted with a smile and Sarath lead the way out of the weapons room. The hall was filled with excited students all clambering to get into the locker rooms, but they quieted instantly at the sight of three adults. Just for the amusement of it, Raven glared at all of them, silencing them even further. They walked on without saying a word, turning a few corners to the nearest set of workrooms, where they fortunately found a room that was unoccupied. Since the next closest was three floors down, they all considered it fortunate. Sarath flipped the card around in the holder and pushed the door open. The room was somewhat like the room back on earth. There was a simple round table and a few wooden chairs just as there had been before, and it was obviously the discarded and repaired furniture from the rest of the Center. He could feel Sarath raising a strong shield around herself, and LeShana did the same before putting a shield around him.

<<All mages are required to place a shield around themselves and any non-mage or mage in training that enters a workroom.>> LeShana explained quietly. With a nod, Raven took one of the chairs as LeShana took one that was across from him, but Sarath remained standing, waiting for him to settle himself. Raven nodded that he was ready and leaned his head back against the headrest before closing his eyes. Sarath set one hand on his head before touching the edges of Raven's pitiful attempt at shielding. They worked, but Raven knew that they were not up to standards after feeling LeShana's and Sarath's own. By the time he had grown used to the sensation of someone else rummaging around inside of his mind, he began to notice how different LeShana's aura was from his sister's.

<<When you start training, it will be easy for you to pick out the colors of other people's auras.>> Sarath whispered to him. She was quick to finish her assessment, then withdrew for a split second to jot down the results of her investigation. <<While you're cooperating, I want to teach you the basics of shielding. This is your center.>> Raven felt a pressure in the center of his chest. <<You anchor your shields here, and you push out from here. You can lessen your shields or increase them at will. Magic shields work on the same principle, only your anchor is outside your body and you use the energy you can feel around you to feed the shields.>> Sarath retreated and Raven opened his eyes. "Got it?" Sarath asked verbally, as Raven looked up at her. He nodded with a grateful smile. It did lessen the pressure of the other minds he could sense all around him.

"Raven, could you step outside for a moment so that we can finish this form?" LeShana asked. With a nod, he slipped out into the hallway. There was no question as to why they wanted a bit of privacy, there was a preliminary psychological profile on the form and they were no doubt going to be as honest as they could be in their assessment. Not wanting to offend him openly, they had sent him outside. With a sigh, Raven took a seat at one of the benches that lined the hall, settling in for the wait ahead and watching people as they swirled past him. There were a great many students, all of whom had a certain overconfident look about them that identified them easily from the number of graduated agents that had been in the field. Raven knew from the impression that he had gotten from LeShana that the field was not as easy as the youngsters thought it was. Considering the trouble he had caused back on Earth, he could only too easily imagine how that could be nothing but the understated truth.

However, there was one person walking through the halls that captured Raven's attention completely. There was something about him as he walked with such grace and power that it set him apart from all of the others around him. The other occupants of the hall did not even seem to take note of him as he walked through it, as if unable to sense the strange power hiding just beneath the surface. His face was hidden within the hood of his white cloak, on the shoulder of the white fabric there was an emblem of white silk. The emblem shimmered in a curious way but Raven could not quite make out the shape of it. He wore a scarred leather scabbard at his hip and his hands were hidden in black leather gloves. He did not wear a uniform and his clothes were somewhat shabby, as if he had just gotten out of the field. Raven could feel a penetrating gaze emanating from the hood, yet it was not an evil gaze. Instead, it was somehow the look of someone that answered to a higher power. Raven was not afraid, but he had the feeling that anyone that angered the strange man would die, and die quickly. Raven continued to watch the man as he neared, fascinated even though there was nothing truly remarkable about him. The man in the white cloak almost walked past him, but something made him turn to look right at Raven before he had past. His hand lifted and touched his chin, and he turned Raven's head from one side to the other. He nodded just slightly before his hand dropped, then he turned and walked away without a word. Raven watched him as long as he could before the man disappeared from view, passing behind a knot of students. The two women emerged from the workroom a little bit later, but Raven's thoughts were still stuck on the man in the white cloak. LeShana had the pad in her hand and she gestured for him to follow as Sarath walked off down the hall on some other errand. Raven pushed himself up and fell into step next to his bonded.

"LeShana, what's with the people in the white cloaks?" Raven asked her.

"White cloak?" LeShana asked, confused by the reference.

"There was a man walking through the hall a moment ago wearing a white cloak, with some emblem on his right shoulder." Raven explained persistently, even though he almost thought to forget the whole thing.

"I don't know, some agents get a bit eccentric after a few years in the field." She told him with a soft chuckle. Raven took the answer for what it was worth, but still his thoughts dwelled on the strange man long after their conversation. They were headed for the closest set of elevators on their way to the Dean's office. He was five floors above them in an area dominated with the administration section of the training quarters. When they arrived, they were asked to wait, and the secretary took the assessment so that the Dean could read over it in private. They settled in the waiting room and discussed Sarath's own conclusions. Raven was careful not to mention the psych profile, since that was something he might be better off not knowing. After a while they started to trade childhood stories. Despite their long term/long distance relationship of the bond, there was much that was still unknown between them. They waited for about twenty minutes before the Dean was ready to see them.

The meeting with the Dean perhaps could have gone a little more smoothly, but Raven quickly grew to have a serious dislike for the Dean on multiple levels and in multiple ways. The Dean made it quite clear that he thought Raven did not deserve something so wasteful as having four fully trained field agents all dedicated to his training, much less any kind of special treatment because of age, size or origin. However he also could not counter whatever authority figures were set higher in the chain of command than he was, who had already issued the orders that would see to his training. Even still, Raven was hard pressed not to give into the temptation to break the nasty little man into tiny pieces simply for giggles, but with LeShana there to keep him and his temper in check, they managed to get away with a minimum of courtesies. With his evaluations done, and his near future all but set along the path of being trained so that he could one day, hopefully soon, become an agent, there was no reason why the two of them could not simply slip out of sight and spend the rest of the day and night alone and in each others company. It was a prospect that Raven would never have denied that he valued above a great many things, and to say that the events of the afternoon and evening were a 'delight' was an understatement that might be the biggest one of his life.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

While she would perhaps not have admitted it to anyone but Solair and Sarath, because those two would certainly never betray anything she told them in confidence back to Raven, the first time he and she had expressed their growing feelings for each other that night on Earth had easily been the most sensual event of her whole life. He had proven only too capable of stirring up her anger, and come night he had proven his ability to excite any number of other feelings as well. Ever since then, her body had been all but screaming with the frustration of neither having the privacy nor the time to engage in a second encounter. By the time they had gotten done remaking their apartment into something habitable on the evening of their arrival, she had been too tired from days on the road and too little sleep. But they had more than made up for all the missed opportunities by the second afternoon, evening, night, and the following morning. To her deep and utter satisfaction, Raven had quickly proven to have all the stamina, staying power, and quick recovery time to keep up with even her most unreasonable demands. She left him snoring softly in the bed with the curtains pulled against the daylight, getting a well earned chance to regain the hours of sleep both of them had neglected the previous night. With legs that felt like jelly and a body that still tingled with the memory of what they had exchanged, she slipped free of the covers to get cleaned up and dressed.

It went without saying that all of them wanted to move ahead as quickly as possible with Raven's training. Not only because he did as well, but because every agent was needed in the field, so tying up Sarath and Destin and, through him, Solair, was not the ideal choice. It was fast approaching lunch time, however, and she truly wanted the two of them to linger in the quiet solitude that had made the previous afternoon so wonderful. She knew that she could have easily used the screen to beg off any lessons, however she didn't want to wake Raven by doing so, much less have him hear her gush just a little about the reasons behind the request. With these thoughts in mind, she slipped out into the hallway and crossed to the room Destin and Solair shared. Solair answered almost immediately, but had clearly not been long out of bed herself.

"Well look at you.." Solair knew her far too well not to see the clear evidence of her most satisfying night. But even as LeShana smiled back at her wicked gaze, Solair's face fell and became troubled. Before LeShana could get the first word of a question out, Solair surged forward, grabbed her arm, and was suddenly pulling her back down the hall. Much to LeShana's intense confusion, the moment her friend touched her, she was struck by a sudden and almost violent urge to pull away from her touch.

"Let me go!" She snapped sharply, but Solair only just held her more tightly as LeShana was practically dragged back to her apartment. As she was pulled inside, she yanked away and couldn't quite understand her violent rejection the next moment.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but you were projecting.. badly." Solair told her calmly, as she moved further inside to cut herself off behind the intense shield wall. "If you were outside for even just a few minutes longer, half the crater would have known everything you were thinking and feeling."

"I don't.." LeShana whispered, struggling to get her mind working right after such a strange turn of events. Even as her over-reaction to Solair's touch began to fade, another, deeper reaction began to ripple through her; a total and complete rejection to the feelings of having even Solair's shielded presence inside their rooms.

"You two have just entered the first stages of bond shock, LeShana." Solair told her calmly as she crossed to the screen and began to activate any number of privacy settings meant to warn off anyone who was thinking of coming to their room for a visit. Bond shock was that much feared state all life-bonded couples had to be intensely careful to avoid. It was the reason why life-bonded couples had to take at least a week sequestered away from the outside world once a year, if not every six months. Without the time in seclusion to unwind and decompress from being out in the stresses of the outside world, a couple would enter bond shock. It was a dangerous state where they could, and would, affect anyone in a vast area. If the early warning signs were ignored, the couple would worsen, sicken, and then finally die. It was an all together very bad state of affairs. "Let's face it, you two have both been pushed right to the edge by stress and all the stuff that's happened, we should have paid closer attention to that. Half formed bond or not, you two absolutely, without question, need to remain sequestered in here for at least the next two weeks. I am not even going to let either of you try to argue about it. With your bond still as new as it is, if we don't nip this in the bud right now, it may warp the bond permanently."

"Oh gods.." LeShana whispered, her mind sticking on such a horrible idea, and was all at once on the verge of tears.

"What the hell?!" Raven choose that moment to wake up, and was instantly in the worst of moods, but LeShana intercepted him before he could think to turn on Solair. As soon as they touched, he seemed to sense how much she just wanted to feel his arms around her.

"You are not to leave this apartment for any reason young man. You are to stay here and take care of her until further notice." Solair announced, as she moved towards the door. And though he might bristle a little at being addressed as such, Raven had gotten smart enough not to counter, back talk, or outright defy her, knowing only too well there would be consequences he wouldn't like, if not from Destin than from LeShana. "I'll take care of informing Sarath of what's going on and you take care of explaining it to him, is that understood beloved?"

"Yes." LeShana agreed softly.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Raven was sleeping peacefully. With only so much to do and nowhere else to go, there had been little reason for either of them to even pretend at keeping anything resembling a 'normal' schedule. If so accused, LeShana might have admitted to helping him along towards reaching that peaceful state, she only really hoped that there was no reason to face any kinds of questions. It had been days since they had been forced into seclusion, and while some part of her was only too grateful to push everything else off to the side to be forgotten for the days and weeks that lay ahead, she did wish that they had been able to enter their peaceful state of non-interference in a more planned fashion. It was perhaps just as well. Destin and Solair had decided that having endured many of the same stresses that had driven LeShana and Raven to such a poor state, that they were only too happy to push their own bonding ahead just a few weeks and extend their stay in seclusion just because they had the excuse to do so. As for Sarath, she, like LeShana, had spent longer than a year on Earth and was just as grateful to have even a small amount of time to be on a world that was less backwards and out of touch than the newly-rediscovered little planet had been. She had already gone off-world for a much needed vacation, so LeShana could only hope that Sarath would be in her hotel room and able to answer a concern that was burning in the back of her brain.

Walking across the floor to the com-panel, she turned down the volume before dialing her number. Raven, for his part, had taken the news of their exile quite well, considering it gave both of them all the time in the world to learn about each other, and no compelling reason in the universe to wear clothes while they did it. He had also expressed his hopes to 'catch up' on his textbooks and studies, but the truth of the matter was, he had spent most of the past six days assimilating vast amounts of information. She might have been impressed if he could read one text book in two days, but he was already reading the advanced magical textbooks and finishing each after only a few hours. The previous day, LeShana had tested him, jokingly, with the intermediate written magic test. Not only had he passed the test, but had received a hundred percent, and even went as far as to correct one of the questions that was incorrect. Such reading and retention skills were not normal for a human, and he had been going through a thousand pages a day with perfect retention. With such thoughts firmly in mind, LeShana waited for Sarath to answer the number that she had left with them when she called three days previous. LeShana waited patiently as the call was routed through an interplanetary server, and when it connected, Sarath's tanned face appeared. LeShana held her finger to her lips to forestall a loud greeting, and Sarath's smile dimmed when she saw LeShana's face.

"It's all right, Sarath, I just had some questions that I don't want Raven to hear." LeShana assured her.

"Is this a sex question? Because I am pretty sure you'd know all that by now." Sarath asked her teasingly.

"No, I just wanted to ask if you told us everything about Raven? He has being reading like a fiend with perfect retention, at a rate and percentage that is just not human. And as he adjusts more to magic, his appearance is changing, and not in the way other humans have in the past."

"What's changed about his appearance?" Sarath asked secretively. She knew something but was not going to say until she was sure she had to.

"His hair is almost completely white, like yours, and his ears are acquiring small points, his profile is also becoming sharper. He is losing a little weight, becoming more lean." LeShana explained with a shrug. Sarath sighed and looked down for a moment with a clenched jaw.

"All right." She finally said after a few seconds of silence. "There was something I wasn't going to tell you two. Mostly because of Raven, we both know how obsessed people on Earth are about their life spans. In the negotiations, that was our biggest selling point." Sarath broke off and grimaced. "Raven isn't human." She finally stated, and paused to let the news sink in. "If there is any human DNA in him, it is very distant. My mother, and his, were both elves. My father was an elf, but his was not. Raven's father was Anarian."

"An Anarian.." LeShana murmured in shock. "The third longest lived race in the whole of the Salak'patan!" LeShana exclaimed, making sure to keep her voice down.

"Yes." Sarath replied simply. "I only found out after talking to Nadia that night. Full Elves can expect two thousand years of life without any real old age, and Anarians, as you know can expect almost five thousand years. Anarians and elves are not typically compatible, which is why his parents worried very little about children, but it has happened before. Anarian/Elf crossbreeds, on average, have life-spans of about three-thousand years. People from Earth being so paranoid about life-spans, I did not want to tell Raven. I was afraid that if he knew what he might have to give up, it would put stress on the bond. After all, humans can only expect eight or nine decades of life with modern medical technology." Sarath explained in a rush.

"It explains why he has such a good memory." LeShana commented as her mind reeled. "Elves and Anarians tend to have very good memories and the ability to learn quickly."

"I'm sorry, LeShana. I should have told you." Sarath told her in a low voice.

"Good morning." A third voice added. LeShana turned to find Raven crossing the floor behind her.

"How much did you hear?" Sarath asked him nervously.

"All of it." Raven replied with a small smile, then casually began to tie his hair back as both of them stared at him.

"And?" LeShana asked him testily.

"And what? I already knew all of that." Raven replied with another smile.

"Since when?" Sarath asked defensively.

"Last night." Raven replied as he walked towards the replicator.

"How?" Sarath and LeShana asked on the same breath.

"Oo, cool stereo." Raven commented as he retrieved a cup of coffee. "I have not just been reading books about magic, you know. I read one about modern technology the other day. After that it was not hard to figure out how to connect to the planetary server on Earth and dial into my mother's home. I asked her and she told me. I use the mirror, after all. What, you did not expect me not to notice that I was changing?"

"And you're not upset?" LeShana asked him nervously. Raven snorted, then set his cup on the table and walked closer, resting his hands on her upper arms.

"What would be the point of living to be three-thousand years old without you to be there beside me?" He whispered, and LeShana bowed her head as tears started to slide down her cheeks. He lifted her chin with a gentle touch. "Life without you would be more than I could take." LeShana enveloped him and Raven held her. Sarath whispered a goodbye and closed the connection, making the screen grow dark right about the time she decided to kiss him, and not caring if that might lead the two of them right back to the bed.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

It had been less than a month since LeShana had returned to the only place that she could still call home, except that it didn't really feel like 'home' anymore. For all the weeks that had passed by and all the days she had spent in the same halls, she couldn't quite place the feeling of disconnection from the place she had loved. While LeShana might have tried to dismiss it as just her imagination, or the fact that so much of her personal life had shifted that it was affecting everything else, not even Raven's intense effect on her senses and the simple, everyday things that had changed because he was there, could truly explain the lingering shadowy feeling in the back of her mind. Even then she had tried to deny it, however the feeling refused to go away no matter how hard she tried to push it into the back of her mind. The strange and unwanted feeling was at its' most intense in the rare moments when she was alone and out in the hallways of the crater at night. At times like that, she could almost feel the eyes of something she did not like lingering in the fringes of her surroundings, as if there was some powerful predator stalking her from just out of sight. More often than not, she began to travel with her hand clutching tightly to the hilt of the dagger she wore at all times, and even in environments that should, by all rights, be completely safe. All at once, the instinct for danger nearly peaked as she was passing by a darkened hallway that lead to areas not yet occupied by the slowly expanding organization of agents. She would have screamed if not for the fact that someone automatically covered her mouth with a calloused hand. She would have pulled her weapon if not for the sharp, almost painful grip her would be attacker had on her arm. But in that instant, when she would have slashed out with magic, the hands that touched her became ones that were deeply familiar as her senses realigned and allowed her to sense that Sarath had been the one to unwisely grab her and yank her into the shadows.

<<Don't scream.>> Sarath's sharp telepathic tones ordered as the hand covering her mouth was moved away. Suddenly there was a magical snap of a cloaking spell being cast over the both of them, cutting them off from the sight of anyone who might happen along. <<Sorry, but there are some people who really need to talk to you. And we don't need any witnesses right now.>>

<<What the hell is going on?!>> She hissed angrily, having coming very close to hurting or even killing her friend.

<<That's what all of us would like to know.>> Sarath replied quickly, and with a deep sense of mystery and frustration bristling in her mental presence. <<Come on, the others are waiting for us nearby.>> Although LeShana very much wanted to know what was going on right then, there was something very compelling in Sarath's sense of urgency which all but forced her to keep her tongue and her thoughts in check. Having sensed her startled emotions somewhere far off in the crater, she could feel her beloved's own worries and concerns projecting down to her. She sent back a wave of love and reassurance she did not necessarily feel, easing his sudden tension as Sarath drew her into motion, taking them deeper into the unoccupied tunnels and far beneath the occupied levels of the crater.

Once upon a long time ago, she, Destin, and Solair had used such places as their own personal playgrounds. All of them had been far too young to enter the Center training programs full time, and more often than not had only had lessons for half of their days, so there had been plenty of time for them to go running off into corridors and rooms built in ancient unknown spans of history before the Mage wars. Once there, they could play at being agents, fighting evil, and saving the innocent for the endless hours before one of their caretakers might come looking for them. Oddly enough, those endless days of her youth had made LeShana an expert on the layout of the crater, and had given her plenty of opportunities to learn the locations and routes of many secret passages and tunnels that had been a legacy of more dangerous times. It was a legacy she had shared with Raven during their first full day at the Center, and something he took a perverse pleasure in knowing. So she had little reason to be surprised when Sarath pulled her from the official path and they entered the dusty tunnels of a secret passage where her friend lit a mage-light; a floating orb of magical energy that could be created and banished as needed. It's medium bright, slightly red-ish glow chased back the deep shadows and allowed both of them to see where they were going.

They traveled downward, twisting and turning their way deep into the tunnels that rested at the very base of the crater's cliffs. The vast age of the tunnels and passages were made absolutely clear simply by how thick the air was, with untouched layers of dust that covered the floors and formed dense clouds of it stirred up by their passage. As they moved deeper and deeper into places that had likely not seen people in twenty generations or more, LeShana was once again struck by the intense urge to demand an explanation of her friend and former pupil. What made her hold her tongue was the fact that, as they moved, the same sense of 'wrongness' that had so plagued her previous thoughts had grown more and more distant, as if the predatory gaze she had found so disconcerting was contained only within the occupied halls of her home. There was also a slightly irrational fear that if she broke the silence with the softest of whispers the gaze might turn to find them once more. Fortunately, not long afterwards, it seemed as if they had reached their destination and all at once they were leaving the hallways behind to enter a large room that cut off any sense of the outside world the very moment they passed its' threshold. It was a large space with an arched ceiling that vibrated with the sense of power rippling through the air. Ancient, magical shield-walls were embedded in the stone around them, cutting off the sense of everything outside.

"This room is directly below the crystal heart of the Salak'patan, high above our heads in the entrance chamber. We hope the added interference of those magical links coursing down through the planet below us and these old shields will be enough to keep this private." Sarath stated suddenly, seemingly calm as she pulled back the hood of her cloak when the two of them came to a stop just inside the room.

"We?" LeShana could not help but catch the curious choice of words. As if prompted by her question, two dozen others appeared from three different directions, each cloaked in magic and many, like Sarath, were cloaked in concealing garments as well.

"We." Sarath agreed with a slightly amused smirk, even though her eyes were intensely worried. As the others moved closer, many pulled back their hoods to reveal familiar faces that LeShana had seen before that time. Center agents, one and all, some of the most noted and notable names among their current ranks appeared, each wearing similar dark expressions. Even Destin and Solair joined them as more people arrived at the back of the others.

"There were only a couple of us when we first met down here." A deep rumbling voice from the largest figure stated softly, as all the others moved closer to gather in a tangled circle, with Sarath and LeShana along the inner ring.

"You have noticed, haven't you, LeShana? That something feels different, even that something is wrong in this place we all call home? I mean, after all.. you've been here a lot longer than any of us." Another of the near strangers asked of her. At first, she really didn't know how to answer. While her thoughts had been dwelling on the very same fact not seconds before she was pulled away and lead down there, she almost did not want to acknowledge that she had felt it. As if doing so would be admitting that something was indeed terribly wrong with the only home she had left. Undoubtedly sensing the direction of LeShana's troubled thoughts and her turbulent emotions, Sarath stepped closer to her and rubbed her back and shoulders, easing back just a little of her rising fear and panic. Finally, she simply nodded soundlessly, unable to summon up the strength and courage to give voice to her fears.

"Most of those we have brought into this group know this already, but for those of you who are here for the first time, I will repeat this so that everyone knows the extent of our information." Okin stated to the group. He was one of the agents who was near legendary in the current ranks of Center agents, having served their cause for more than 400 years previous with distinction and honor, and having been involved in some of the most notable events of the most recent age. "I was injured just under a year ago while out on assignment, and was brought back here to recover. While that slow process was underway, I was given the distraction of teaching several classes for our younger generation. About six months ago, something changed. I can not say for certain what day or night it happened, but it was certainly not more than a few days before the first of us began to notice it."

"There were only about a dozen of us at first who even seemed aware that something might be wrong." Dirina stated, picking up the story without pause, as if they had practiced their recitation dozens of times before. "All senior field agents, all of us numbered among the most powerful and skilled of our brethren. We aren't sure who really noticed this change first, or really who started gathering allies before the others, but it wasn't long before the twelve of us found each other."

"Six of those who first joined our group are now dead." Okin stated darkly and without preamble. There were several gasps from among them, but LeShana remained silent only because her voice seemed to have deserted her. "Another two have been reassigned to places so far distant, even maintaining contact with them has proven difficult."

"Perhaps unwisely, some of us sought from the beginning to seek out the source of these troubled feelings, and some were simply never heard from again. The official records stated they died in the line of duty or were killed because of quarrels with unknown parties.. but.. we know better." Dirina stated with an ill portent clear in her every word.

"We can not know who is behind this, only that someone in the high ranks is aiding this.. invasion, of what used to be safe ground." Okin muttered just as darkly, his eyes filled with anger and worry. "Since then we have been laying low, trying desperately to gather allies we trust in significant enough numbers that we might be able to take action against whatever it is that is causing us such worry. And then a month ago.." LeShana's blood ran cold at his words as fear clutched at her heart, her mind only too readily anticipating what might follow. ".. something changed."

"It was.." Dirina hesitated over what to say next.

"It was like all the hatred of a thousand worlds screamed through the night all at once, and then went silent for fear of something that had just entered this world." Someone unseen finished for her.

"That was the night your group returned to the crater, LeShana." Orin stated, confirming her worst fears in plain words. "Since that time, we have been watching closely from the fringes, trying to identify what could have caused that darkness such fear and hatred."

"It is strongest at night, but it goes quiet when you some of you have emerged during the hours of dark, but grows loud again when you return to your rooms. By process of elimination during these last few weeks, we can only conclude that.."

"That it is Raven which It fears." Spoke an entirely new voice, that came from beyond the shadows at the edges of the large room. Most of them spun towards the sound, weapons appearing in hands and spells ready to attack, but all of them were in for a shock even greater than the fact that they had been discovered. As that figure emerged, no one could doubt that they faced a Paladin, a chosen holy warrior who served the names of the gods. Long ago, long before the Center had been formed and the agents began to spread justice and peace through the halls, that duty was served by the Paladins. The nebulous group had always been shrouded in mystery and secrets, even more so in their modern age. With the rise of the Center and its' peace keeping efforts, the Paladins had been weakened in both numbers and influence, as their orders shrank in the face of the agents, who in essence, had replaced them as a stabilizing force for good. The mysterious individual was male and shrouded in a brilliant, white leather cloak with a silk patch above his right arm, representing the goddess Seletra, whom he served. "You will have to excuse me for coming here uninvited.. but I fear time grows short and we can no longer afford to ignore each other."

"How did.."

"I would suggest we save the questions for another day.. if all of you linger here too long, the shadows you have come together to face will begin to suspect that a force may be gathering to oppose it." The paladin announced apologetically as he moved towards them. "I can confirm that all of you have correctly seen the heart of what this darkness fears.. it is that young man who has disturbed whatever all of you have felt. However, I fear that this blackest shadow has been at work in these halls for far longer than a mere half a year. My brethren and I have been aware of it moving from beyond the borders of what is known for a very long time, little by little, growing closer and more powerful as it has neared the heart of our reality. It is an ancient evil, far beyond anything you might comprehend, and Its' unending hatred has found a focus. It, like I, can sense that young Raven is a person with a vast destiny ahead of him, and it will stop at the nothing to see his light extinguished for all time."

"But.. he.. just got here.." LeShana countered, trying desperately to deny his words even as her heart echoed back a glimmer of their truth.

"No, my dear, he just returned here." Sarath gasped next to her and a grim shadow crossed LeShana's senses at even the memory of Raven's origins. "He was protected once before by being carried off to a forgotten world, where he could be raised in safety and taught the values of peace. But now that he has returned, the darkness that would have found him only too vulnerable before, now sees him as an even a greater threat."

"But what can we do?" A fearful, feminine voice from somewhere behind LeShana squeaked.

"Alone, there is nothing you can do against something so powerful. But together.. we might do much to hinder this ancient evil, to delay it's plans. We paladins have ways of moving through these halls unnoticed by all, and beyond the evil's gaze, but we can not travel with impunity and do all that agents might. Together, we might yet find a way to hold back this encroaching darkness and buy ourselves some much needed time." The Paladin told them as he stopped not far away.

"Time for what?" Orin asked.

"Time for Raven to become what he must be, and time for all of us to learn what this darkness truly wants, besides the death of the one who it fears."

Chapter Five: The Final Test, Followed by the First

It was a silence both magical and mental, which no other place had yet achieved during the hours he had spent far away from the crater, and the city that sat in its' shadow. Despite the fact that the Center was an entire world that played host to the magical heart of the entire Salak'patan, very little actually existed on the planet, for whatever strange reason might be behind it. At some ill defined point, about one-hundred miles beyond the crater in every direction, there was simply nothing but untouched wilderness. What was perhaps even more odd, to his way of thinking, was that the entire opposite side of the planet was restricted, even from the agents who lived on and protected that world. The official story was that the continent on the far side of the planet was used for confidential research, but the entire thing struck Raven as being a cover story to hide a far more interesting kind of truth. Still, it hardly mattered to him, since he had more than enough things to worry about than to focus on suspicious questions that might have already been given truthful answers. However one might look at it, it was probably not as hard as he might think to find a place that felt as isolated as the one he occupied at that moment, but even though he had spent many hours trying to do that very thing, he found himself returning there time after time, when the press of too many minds started to wear on his nerves. Back on Earth, he had never really felt the need to find peace through solitude, even during the seemingly endless year trapped within the borders of New York city. However, that had begun to change over the past six months, and more and more often, he found himself fleeing the confines of the crater and the things that made it such an uncomfortable place to be all the time. When he had tried to explain this need to LeShana, worried that it was indicative of a deeper problem, she had assured him that it was perfectly normal. Even when she had said it, there had been a worried shadow of troubled thoughts in her eyes.

There had been lots of similar kinds of looks during the passage of the last few months, so many, in fact, that he almost began to wonder if he was simply not seeing things correctly, that perhaps he was just reading too much into what could be, for them, simple everyday kinds of expressions. At other times, he had been concerned that he was pushing his friends too hard while he sought to obtain the full extent of his training and magical mastery with every ounce of his speed and ability. But that thought had been discarded the one day he had not felt all that well, and Sarath and Destin both had all but dragged him from bed to get him to work even harder to obtain the level of skill they felt he needed. While they were still able to cast doubts over his worries, he had come to believe that there was indeed something wrong that they were not sharing with him. The evidence had slowly mounted in an all too short time since he had first been brought to their world, but he had not reached the point where he was willing to confront any of them to demand answers, not even LeShana. The truth was, he had more than enough to occupy his mind and to fill his days without going to look for trouble where there might not be any.

With so much having changed so rapidly, where his once quiet life had been concerned, Raven had long since been dedicated to the idea of completing his training faster than anyone might have thought possible. He had long ago grown weary of the unsettled feeling that had prompted him to go to the Weslyn building and set into motion all that had followed. And where his training and his unspoken goal had been concerned, he had succeeded beyond even his own wildest ambitions. LeShana had been accepted into the program at the age of ten and a half, and had graduated just a few months after her fourteenth birthday. Sarath had finished her training in three years at the age of nineteen. The records showed that the fastest ever to complete their training had a been a young man named Orin some 300 years before, and he had managed to finish the program a week before his seventeenth birthday, taking a total of two years and seven months to graduate. At six months of training and still at the age of 25, Raven only had to pass one final test before he would obtain his badge and position within the ranks of the Center agents. Granted, he had received one on one training in the two areas most needed, and granted he had a racial legacy that made the absorption of so much information all too easy, but despite his advantages, he believed that even if some future critic added on an entire extra year to his number as a way to penalize him for getting special treatment, he would still beat the fastest record for training by nearly half.

Raven Sinclair was no longer. The name had been a figment of his own imagination and chosen because it looked good when printed across the cover a book. He had discarded his given name to take on the created persona, and with two identities discarded in the face of his ever changing path through life, he had taken on a third; 'Monorth'. Suggested to him by LeShana and Sarath as his use-name during the years ahead, he hadn't honestly been too fond of the title when they had first suggested it. They had been all too quick, however, to remind him of the biggest event of the previous six months. The administrators that managed the training program had not been convinced that he could learn all there was to being an agent in so little time, much less all the basic information needed to be a citizen. Nor did they think he could absorb all of the magical theory in the same few months. The board of education, which ran the training programming, had insisted that he prove himself before he was even allowed to take the final tests he needed to pass in order to become an agent. While much of it had been simply spewing back vast stores of facts, when it had come time for him to prove he could indeed learn and apply magical theory in such a short time, they had put him in the ring with the only mage that could be considered his equal, his own sister.

Sarath, confident in her own teachings and eager enough to promise him a no holds fight, had nevertheless been taken by surprise when he had simply sat down and shielded himself once the fight had begun. Taking that as a sign of his inevitable defeat, she had merrily pounded away at him with spells, never realizing he was using a special kind of shield that absorbed the impacts and energy of any attack, feeding it right back to him. Using all her effort and energy, he had summoned up fire elementals, vague spirits of the abyssal planes that would do just about anything for anyone if fed. Given more than enough energy to feed a few million of them, when he had released them with instructions to burn, it had been up to him to ensure that his sister, himself, and the audience were not turned into crispy pieces of bacon, as the unfettered elementals unleashed a fire storm. Later, Sarath had teased him, claiming the demonstration was already becoming a modern day legend, among the students and agents alike. His new name was actually a reminder of the act which took those two words, Fire and Storm, in Dego and smashed them together to form the title 'Monorth'. Having thought it over, he had finally decided that he rather liked the idea of carrying such a dangerous sounding title. It went without saying that he had passed the administrators' extra tests with flying colors, and had been included on the rolls of those who would participate in the graduation exams which were supposed to follow sometime in the very near future.

A piercing bird call rippled out across the mountain tops and cliff sides, shaking him from his wandering thoughts. The sight of the vast, deep pool of crystal clear water surrounded by hardy, cold weather tolerant trees, which were sitting at the fringes of the waters, was a familiar one. The dark cliffs which rose up on three sides were quiet something, as they formed a deep stone bowl, at the bottom of which was the waterfall fed lake. The site's isolation, more than anything, had brought him back time and time again when he needed to escape the pressure of so many other minds and so many of his own thoughts. That particular day, however, he had not come to relive the recent past, but had instead gone there to ready himself for the near future. With such a firm reminder stuck firmly in the forefront of his thoughts, he refocused his efforts and applied himself to achieving the light meditative state that had been one of his very first lessons in magic. At the Center, they taught a no holds barred approach to magic, and there were literally hundreds of different schools, paths, philosophies, and ways of performing magic. Sarath had been fond of saying, 'If it works, use it. If doesn't work, your dead.'. The saying was a bit harsh and a bit of bad poetry, but truth existed in many forms.

There were six different basic types and techniques for controlling energy and creating spells. They were; ritual magic, direct magic, summoning magic, globe magic, set spells, and ungifted magic. The basic premises for all six techniques were the same; controlling energy, but there were many ways of accomplishing the same goal. Ritual magic controlled energy through symbols that focused the mind to direct the flow of magic, and to achieve whatever goal the caster was trying to accomplish. With direct magic, the mage acted as a conduit for the energies, and it was by far the most common technique. However, it had the disadvantage that the more powerful the spell, the more powerful the mage needed to be. Summoning magic brought creatures and beings that could be used and directed to the ends of a means. With such a technique, he could summon a demon from one of the lower ethereal planes to attack his enemies, or summon a wind elemental to add power to a storm. Globe magic used a combination of shields and energy to create spheres which could explode or be used to do other things. Light spells were the most common use for such a type of magic, but it was also possible to create a globe that would spit fire balls. Set spells were very similar to ritual magic in that runes and designs were used to direct the flow of energy. However, it took a great deal more power to create these types of permanent spells, and set spells were the most difficult of the 'gifted' magics. It took tremendous amounts of control and was normally very complex. Of the form of magic, the spells that would be used to restore the magic of worlds like Earth were the most notable of set spells. It took thirty mages four days to complete just one spell, and each planet had to have a web of ten or so spells to complete the restoration. The advantage of set spells was that they did not need a mage to control them, or feed them energy once they were completed. And finally, there was ungifted magic, which was the hardest of the six techniques. The other five forms of magic required a person that had mage-gift to control energy, but with ungifted mage-craft, there was no need for any ability. It took years of training and absolute self control, but it was possible to do magic without the gift. The one advantage to ungifted magic was that there were no limits to how much energy could be controlled and used at one time.

It was almost as if Sarath was still hovering over his shoulder and barking the words of the lesson while his mind reviewed the information. He summoned energy from a nearby energy-field to fuel the slow progression of spells he was there to practice. In general, there were four types of energy outside one's self, where energy could be gathered from. Energy fields, mage-streams, mage-nodes, and energy reserves. Energy reserves were pools of stored energy created artificially that could be tapped by mages, like storage tanks of water, ready when needed. The other three were natural forms of mage-energy. Energy-fields were the weakest of the three and he likened them to being like a recent rainfall on a concrete parking lot, where the energy lingered on the surface for a short time. From the energy-fields, recently released energy flowed down the surface and into mage-streams. The energy in mage-streams was stronger and more concentrated, running through the earth like the flowing paths of streams, creeks and rivers. They were also known as ley-lines by some cultures on Earth. Where two or more mage-streams crossed, a mage-node formed, but only high level mages dared to tap into them. The energy inside the nodes was triple the strength of the streams and heavily concentrated, making them potent but highly dangerous. Only strong set spells, powerful attacks, and summoning spells required the use of a mage-nodes. Since not all worlds were as abundant with magical energy as the Center, they were taught to use energy conservatively and make the most of simple spells.

The spells he was there to practice were spells that actually served no real purpose in terms of practical effects, beyond their effect on the mage who cast them. They were meant to test a mage's ability, control, and focus, while relaxing the mind and easing the tensions of the body. They were a progression of shapeless, formless spells that, when he performed them, reminded him of the twisting trunks and sweeping branches of willow trees made out of light. The spells had no effect on the real world, beyond feeding the plants and animals in the immediate area when the magic was released and the energy flowed back into the environment. Sarath had told him when she had first shown him the spell progression that it took only moments to learn but a lifetime to master. This was because there was simply no limit as to what those spell forms might take at the direction of a mage's will, nor was there a limit onto the scale a mage might choose to build them. She had told him all about the monk who first showed her the meditative process as well as the awe and wonder he had invoked in her younger self. Monorth had to agree with her assessment of the spell progression, at least the part about taking a lifetime to master, since her creations put his to shame. With his physical eyes closed and his vision in darkness, he could create a glowing forest of rainbow hued trees or a vast cityscape floating on the calm surface of the lake around him. His mind followed a different path on his current visit, however, one of swirling, shifting cloud shapes that filled the space all around and above him as they moved, collided and broke apart, as if shifting in the changing winds.

As if on cue, at the very moment when he was about to begin the final and most delicate part of the spell sequence, an all too familiar and normally all too welcome presence touched his mind and brought his long and difficult process grinding to a halt. No matter how hard he might have tried keep a hold on the spells and continue the progression, the touch had been a warning, and from within his pocket, his portable communicator started ringing. While the bond they shared could probably let them know what the other was thinking and feeling at any given time and place, neither of them were strong enough telepaths to communicate over a distance of more than fifty miles. Sighing as the spell simply crumbled away and its' energy dispersed to the four winds, he shifted enough to retrieve his infernal device from his pocket and answered LeShana's badly timed call.

"You're annoyed with me." She commented with a falling expression, seen clearly on the softly glowing holographic screen.

"My beloved, I am annoyed with the Universe. It seems to be behind a grand conspiracy that will prevent me from ever bettering my performance with my sister's favorite spell progression." LeShana gave him a half amused smirk of sympathy.

"Another day, my love, you are needed back here now." She informed him rather pointedly. Knowing only too well that any effort aimed at arguing with her was an effort ultimately doomed to failure and disgrace, he sighed and nodded. Pleased that he was learning his lesson, she giggled at him and made a face before she closed the connection. Sliding up to his feet he refilled his personal energy reserves as he readied himself for the short trip back towards home. One decided benefit of having gone through so much frantic work in order to attain his magical mastery was the fact that travel had never been quite so easy for him. With pass-throughs and gates, he could literally go to any location on any world in the Salak'patan and travel those distances in a heartbeat. With both spells, it was recommended to make them with doorways or something solid and open in the middle in order to anchor the spell so that it did not flux, collapse or otherwise fail. For him, he had not needed a place to anchor either spell since just after he had first cast either of them. Of course it was also recommended that one know exactly where they were going and having been there before in order to ensure they weren't making a mistake, but this too was a restriction that he seemed well able to bypass. For him, it was just enough to have some good photographs of the area and some small sense of what the world was like in order to travel there. It was something that had surprised no few people when he proved able to do this. Pass-throughs were a general place to place spell that let a mage travel between different locations on a planet's surface. Gates were much stronger and were used for inter-planetary travels.

The pass-through formed in a flash of light and he stepped through it. On the other side, he reappeared in the living room of the apartment they had shared that past half a year. Monorth could hear LeShana splashing around in the shower, so with a shrug he walked towards the bedroom, glancing in the mirror as he passed and was once again surprised by how different he looked, even to his own eyes. His hair had faded to pure white, his face had thinned so that he looked even more like a predatory bird. LeShana was of the opinion that it made him look more distinguished, which Monorth supposed could be true. His body had been honed to a point where there was no extra flesh and he rippled with muscle. Much like his skills, he had been sculpted and shaped so that there was nothing but what was needed. He would never be handsome, not that he really wanted to be, but the changes his training had wrought had left him with a far more sinister appearance. Of course, if he truly wanted to, he could use magic to change his appearance to be anything he wanted. With enough energy and time, Monorth could change his appearance so that he could look like anything or anyone he choose to. But what was the point of looking like a young god when he had already meet a woman that he loved more than life itself?

"Don't get comfortable, we have a meeting to go to." LeShana called from the bathroom as the shower shut off.

"All right." Monorth replied, but there was something in her voice that set him on edge. Though she had spoken with bored tones, Monorth had the distinct feeling that there was something he was not being told. The final tests instantly came to mind. He reacted to this by grabbing a few extra weapons and hanging them on his person, adding noticeable weapons to distract from the hidden ones. The most noticeable of these was the sword belt that Monorth strapped across his back and the dagger sheath that he placed on his belt. LeShana emerged from the steam-filled bathroom and looked up at him. If she noticed the sword belt and the dagger, she did not let on. She kissed him as she walked towards the closet to pull on some clothes. She dressed as she explained that this was a meeting that was meant to tell the students taking the test the rules he would have to follow. All the students that had applied to participate and the instructors were going to be there. She was going to be one of the moderators, like many of the agents on leave or between assignments at the time. A great many active agents were going to be helping with the final test, since a large number of the agents that taught classes regularly were agents that had suffered a debilitating injury in the line of duty. This was on purpose, it was an open reminder to all the students that they put themselves on the line when they went out into the field, and that crippling injuries and death were a reality every agent might face in the execution of their duties. This was to ensure that the young and stupid were discouraged from becoming agents.

"Time to go." LeShana told him as she looked up at the wall clock. Monorth nodded and headed for the door. She was just a step behind him and, just to make her smile, he opened the door for her with his best courtly bow. LeShana smiled warmly up at him as they both stepped into the hallway, and, as always, their part of the hall was eerily quiet. Of course, there were no other students staying in the bonded hallway, but it was still a little eerie. "You're awfully quiet." LeShana commented as the started down the hallway.

"Just worried about the test." He told her in return.

"You'll do fine." LeShana replied, bumping her body into his playfully. She hung onto his arm and Monorth smirked back at her. They were headed towards the student sections of the of the crater, which was clear as soon as the entered the transport and she typed in the destination, but the specifics were far less clear. When they arrived in the area, the halls became suddenly crowded, and most of them looked far too young to be able to take the final test. His thoughts were confirmed in the next moment by LeShana's sharp tones. "Are all of you taking the test?" LeShana asked, projecting her voice so that everyone in the hall could hear her. All eyes turned towards her and there were a great number of embarrassed and fearful looks as the hall quickly cleared of people. It made sense that most of the students were curious about the tests, after all, it was the one thing that was withheld from them about their training. Once most were in full retreat, the two of them started moving, taking a course that twisted and turned through the halls. As they moved, they saw other agents clearing out the hallways of students whose curiosity had overruled their judgment. Further along, the two of them joined the flow of students and agents that were heading towards one of the large workrooms. Combat magics took up a lot of space, so there were a number of large shielded rooms where such magic could be practiced. It also had the advantage of being heavily shielded so that no one could listen in.

The floor was packed with chairs, a small stage had been set up at the far end, and the walls were lined with agents acting as guards. The sense that something wasn't right about the situation increased the moment Monorth stepped inside. LeShana kissed him goodbye before she headed to join her fellow agents along the walls. Knowing he couldn't go about making accusations, he took a seat near the back to wait for whatever was to happen after all the other students arrived. There were a lot of nervous looks being exchanged between the students. The meeting was either a surprise or most of them were having second thoughts about the test. Monorth was ignored, and he ignored them in return, since there was no love lost there. Like his days in high school, Monorth was considered to be an outsider, and therefore below their notice. The beginning of the meeting was signaled by the Dean, who stood up and walked to the podium in the center of the stage. The doors were slammed shut and the shielding on the room was thickened, all of this happened in the space of two breaths, increasing the sense of unease in the room.

"This meeting has been called to finalize the rolls of those who will be taking the final examination to become a fully fledged agent of the Center, and to inform those of you who will be participating of the rules." The Dean began, his voice echoing through the silent room. "Before I begin, are there any that are having second thoughts about taking the test?" Several hands were raised reluctantly. "You may leave." Looking all the more uncomfortable, ten students rose and headed for the door. The Dean remained silent until they were gone, and the doors were closed once more. The shields around the room strengthened again, nearly tripling their original force. He then became aware of an insistent humming in the room, the kind assigned to a mass spell. Monorth strengthened his defenses, although none of the other students seemed to have noticed it. The Dean was speaking, but Monorth knew that he was the distraction. The spell started to come into force slowly, lulling the students into sleep, but he fought against it. One by one the other students fell, drooping in their seats. Very soon, Monorth was the only student left awake.

<<Don't fight it, Monorth.>> LeShana quietly commented in the back of his mind. Monorth ignored her and shoved himself to his feet, reaching for an energy-field through the shields. The collective effort of all the agents in the room focused on him. Monorth resisted as much as he could, but there was only so much he could do against the collection of forty mages and he dropped off, tumbling to the floor.

"I would not have thought he would give us that much trouble." Someone commented as Monorth was enveloped by darkness.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Monorth woke slowly from the spell, his mind little by little becoming aware of the cold air on his face, the damp grass beneath his head, and the sharp rock that was digging into his back. Once his memory started to return and his mind pushed back some of the lingering fog of the sleep spell, he began to fight for consciousness. When he finally managed break free of the effects, his eyes shot open and he was oddly surprised to find himself starring up at the leaves and branches of trees overhead, and beyond them stars peered down through the opening in the canopy. Sitting up slowly, his eyes cast about the clearing where he found himself. He was laying out in the open and seemingly deep in the untouched wilderness. His next instinct was to check himself, seeking out all the weapons he had been wearing, his sword and his dagger were gone as were all the other weapons that he had worn openly. But, as he had hoped would be the case, they had missed every single hidden weapon he had made the habit of keeping on his person at all times. In some part of himself, he could only bless his beloved from the bottom of his heart for having not betrayed his cache to her fellow agents. Of course she had known all about the hidden pockets, small spaces and unusual additions that had been added to his clothes and gear, in some cases she had even helped him to make them. He fought back the cold, mostly humorless laugh he felt compelled to voice as he levered himself up into a standing position. It would serve no purpose and would only warn anyone nearby of his presence. As he took a longer, deeper look at his surroundings, he spent a moment to brush off the dirt and leaves that had conspired to cover him during the unknown passage of time. A small square of white attached to a tree trunk caught his attention first, and with a few purposeful steps, he crossed over to it. With a light tug, it came free of the trunk and he carried it back to the center of the clearing where the light was better.

'The test begins now.' He rolled his eyes at such an obvious and unhelpful set of words written across the front of the folded page of paper. If that had been all, he might have been severely disappointed and more than a little irked, but when he unfolded it, there was more inside. 'Your goal is the town marked on the map below, your mission is to cross hostile territory, penetrate the defenses, and by any means necessary, other than death, seek out the symbol of your victory. Your only weapons are your magic, your wits, and anything you can find. The danger is real. While we do not want anyone to get hurt, it is a reality that all agents must one day face. Between you and your goal is a force of hostiles who have been given orders to stop you by any means necessary. You must either try to escape the combat area on foot or carry out your mission. There are spells in place to prevent you from using gates and pass-throughs, and anyone caught using these spells will be expelled from the test and will face expulsion from the training program. Without victory, there is no turning back.' There was a small sense of having already won a minor victory, seeing as 'what he could find' had already wielded results. Even still, he couldn't help but find fault with placing rules on a 'war'.

Knowing that the light, all too necessary for reading, was the same kind of light that would make him only too obvious to any potential enemy, both official and unofficial, he moved back towards the shadows. With his mind fully clear of the fogged effects of the sleep spells and the 'rules of war' lingering at the fringes of his mind, he could only just imagine the kind of chaos that must be taking place somewhere nearby. The other students were likely falling upon each other like ravenous animals, seeking anything and everything they might steal that could be of use. Once safely in the black shadows beneath the dense canopy, and glad that he had taken up the habit of wearing dark clothing, he took the time to free all that he had hidden about his person, taking inventory of what arsenal he would have at his disposal. One boot knife of a decent length, a set of retractable electric metal gauntlets, a set of throwing daggers, and the greatest prize of all, two eight inch long metal handles. The last two items were not an every day sort of thing, and both had been all too ridiculously expensive, but what looked like useless lengths of metal were actually electric metal swords. When activated and swung out to the side, the spells set within them would extend out into full length, curved swords with wickedly sharp edges. He and LeShana had found them off world some months before, when it was suggested by Destin and Sarath that they could all use a few days of rest. The two simple looking things had cost more than a luxury car back on Earth, but they were so valued at that moment that it made the price seem tiny in comparison. Shifting the handle pouches outside of his clothes and hanging them on his belt for easy access, he then activated the fully retracted forms of the gauntlets so that he could slide the armbands in place. He knew a great many agents liked such protective gear, and he had, after many attempts, decided that such things hindered his fine blade work. However, in a pinch, the gauntlets could stop a sword blade, knife point, or add just a little extra 'omph' to a swinging fist, so he liked to keep them as a back up plan.

With the map firmly laid out in his head and his mind firmly on the task and the dangers that still lay ahead, he silently moved deeper into the woods. It wasn't much more than a few hundred yards before the sounds of something taking place began to filter through the landscape to reach his ears. Through the darkness, the cold amber glow of a mage-light became clear through the backdrop of night. Only too aware that traps were a real possibility and that taking the easy path straight into any problem was the fastest way to find one, he grimaced before climbing into the branches of the nearest tree. Propelling himself in a series of telekinetic jumps that allowed him to traverse between the branches, it wasn't long before he could more clearly hear the sounds of some sort of clash taking place in the near distance. Wisely cautious, despite the fact that he could not be seen from the ground, he did not alter the pace of his travel to get to his intended destination any faster, since one misstep would likely send him hurtling toward the ground. He did, however, take the most direct route toward the sounds of the ongoing fight and the sounds of shouting voices. It took time before his path through the branches brought him in line with the moving lights and shifting sounds, where he paused at a perch that allowed him to see what was happening while remaining concealed. The scene that greeted him was not one he found pleasing, as there were two agents below him in a small clearing, both of which were heavily armed. They were obviously toying with a student who was not armed, and was clearly exhausted from running. He had never been overly fond of bullies, and he had made it a habit all of his life to intervene when he found those who took such joy in tormenting those smaller or weaker than themselves. The growl that rumbled through the deepest parts of his chest was not a pleasant sound, but it just happened that the direction of escape for the victim was carrying him directly towards the area where Monorth lay in wait. All he needed to do was free the sword handles from their pouches and allow his own victims to come straight to him.

As silently as an owl lashing out of a dark sky onto its' next meal, Monorth leapt from the branches as the student plunged headlong into the underbrush at the edge of the small clearing. And just as a bird of prey might have done, he struck the nearest agent feet first, sending him crashing to the ground, and added a swift kick to the temple to ensure that lesson was well learned. He then spun toward the second agent, and with two sharp movements, flicked out the two handles to either side, sending two long, wicked looking blades slashing into the air. He had to admit to himself in the half second that followed, that the agent's expression was priceless as it changed from one of utter confidence and delight to terrible fear, as he found himself no longer looking at an unarmed victim but an armed and angry man. Despite his rather comedic expression, his opponent was still a trained and battle hardened solider. It was no more than a second before his training kicked back in and he was quickly launching an attack. His opponent was armed with only a single broad sword and Monorth countered the agent's first swing, then brought the other sword around, only too ready to use his additional blade to his advantage. To his credit, the agent was quick on his feet and able to throw himself out of the way of the second, inward sweeping edge, but that was the extent of the grace period he was allowed and Monorth gave him no chance to recover. Monorth's swords glittered, spinning in glowing patterns in the magical illumination of the agent's mage-light. Monorth knowingly pushed him towards the edge of the clearing towards the last place he had seen the other student. Just as Monorth hoped, when he pushed the agent back, a dark figure loomed out of the deep shadows holding a branch aloft. The branch descended with a satisfying thud and the agent collapsed in an unconscious heap.

"Are you all right?" Monorth asked quietly, while behind them the mage-light disappeared and the clearing was cast back into darkness. The blades in his hands retreated from sight with and all too satisfying 'Snap' and he slid the handles back into the pouches at his belt.

"You're help is appreciated, but not necessary." The other student replied as he stooped to retrieve the agent's sword. "I was leading them into a trap."

"Then I apologize for messing up your well laid plans." The other student stood up and turned towards the forest, making a sound similar to the nighttime songbirds that inhabited the areas around the crater. Deeper in the forest there was a reply, and he was moderately impressed to find that not all the students were preying on each other when a large group of them emerged from the dark forest seconds later.

"All clear." One of the students whispered. At once, several mage-lights flared into being, partially blinding him for a few seconds.

"Well, it seems that we have encountered a new potential ally." A feminine voice commented, making Monorth turned to look at the speaker. She, like all the other students, bore signs of the unkind treatment of the agents with a large bruise darkening her cheek bone. Despite this, Monorth was surprised by her beauty. She looked as if she would be more comfortable in a photo shoot than in a combat situation. Despite his first impression, she was holding a huge broad sword that was as large as any sword Monorth would use, and he was a foot taller than her as well as being a great deal more massive. "Thank you for your assistance."

"I had nothing better to do." He replied dismissively.

"Noble and under-modest, how refreshing." She replied with a soft laugh. "Especially after were used to dealing with people that would rather attack us for our weapons than help us. I am growing tired of working with so many bruised egos." There was a round of laughter from the gathered students. "My name is Nasia."

"Monorth." He responded in return.

"I do not think we have meet." Nasia commented to him as she gave him a penetrating look.

"I never spent much time with the other students." Monorth told her, leaving much unsaid.

"No doubt, because most of the other students are so stuck up that they walk into walls since they can't see past the tips of their noses." Commented the student that Monorth had helped, and he would have had a hard time trying to deny the assertion if he had chosen to do so.

"So what's the situation?" He asked Nasia, since she was obviously in charge.

"The town is heavily fortified and defended. The rest of our group is there, waiting for us to bring back as many weapons as we can get." Nasia told him with a growl, informing him without words the kind of greeting he could expect. "They've got the high ground and all the weapons. Shields like stone walls, and plenty of ammo for their sniper positions. They got three of us before we knew what was going on, two of them were seriously injured."

"There not going for killing blows, but that is the only concession." Another one of the students replied, looking up from the agent he was stripping of supplies.

"I think I can help you with weapons." Monorth told Nasia.

"Unless you're carrying an arsenal with you, that is not going to be much help." She informed him with serious doubt.

"I'm not carrying that many on me, but I know where I can find them." He stated, just as quickly and all too confident of the easy answer to such a complex problem.

"Where?" Another person asked.

"The Center." Monorth replied as calm as could be.

"We can't go through the shields, they're too strong, and it sets off an alarm that will bring any agent in the area down on us." One of the others commented with obvious frustration, possibly from their own attempts to try a similar theft.

"I don't plan to go through the shields." Monorth replied confidently. "Is there any place that we can hide while I work?"

"We have a hidden clearing, but I still don't know how your going to do.." Nasia began, before Monorth interrupted.

"Just leave that up to me. And if I'm wrong, then you can abandon me to the mages that follow the alarm." Monorth told her, all too ready to have the conversation end. Although he had already seen through the only too obvious dangers the situation presented, if it was going to take an outright invasion to enter the town successfully, he'd much rather do it with as many targets around him as could be found.

"All right, then, let's get moving." She ordered, and the students dosed their mage-lights as they moved out in a tight group. It was not far to the hiding place, which turned out to be in the bottom of a gorge, hidden from above by thick trees. Although it was not the most defensible position, it was concealed and quiet. Monorth took a seat in the center of the small clearing.

"What do you need the most?" Monorth asked her as he settled himself.

"Bows and arrows and swords." Nasia replied after some thought. Monorth nodded and slipped into a trance, letting his mind float away from his body. Once free to move as he wished in the absence of an ethereal gravity to hold him place, it was only too easy to leave the forest below and see the shields above. Overall it was an impressive sight; a massive barrier glowing against the backdrop of the stars, lined with alarm spells and without a crack or weak spot. It was perhaps for the best that he had not planned to go through the shields considering that would result in only one thing. Instead, he let his consciousness sink into the ground and through it into the planes of energy that were the undercurrent of most any world. They glistened to his mind's eyes, sparkling and beautiful as they crisscrossed the ethereal landscape. Locating a mage-stream that was running in the right direction was easy and he followed it all the way to the edge of the shields where they penetrated the space between the two parts of reality. As he had expected, even though the shields extended to the levels of energy, they did not block the passage of the energy itself. Had such a thing been done and the passage of the energy been blocked, it would have caused dangerous pools of stagnate energy to form, which would have made all sorts of problems, both in the short and long terms. Of course no one would have thought to use them as a passage in or out of the shields, since all mages were wisely taught caution when dealing with raw, untapped mage-energy. He, however, had a vital level of respect yet almost no fear, even if it weren't for the considerable level of strength in his gift, he learned early on in his training, simply because something 'wasn't done' did not mean that it couldn't be done. Retracing his path back to the clearing, he forged a conduit that would allow energy to travel along it, or rather matter that had temporarily been converted into energy. Like a tunnel extending between two points, he quickly and efficiently built the conduit between the clearing and his exit point. Once there, Monorth partially merged with the stream, making him invisible to the shield's alarm spells, and was allowed to slip past the barrier unseen.

He passed easily beyond the shields and back out into the open air. Once outside, it was easy to locate the Center. He simply needed to follow the signature of the crystalline heart of the halls, which burned like a massive lighthouse beacon in the distance, leading him home. It was only too easy to reach the Center and locate one of the internal arsenals. Although similarly protected by shields and alarm spells, the barrier was easily altered to allow him unnoticed entry. Like a thief in the night, he started to grab at the weapons that were needed, and sent them sliding down the conduit where they would re-emerge in the clearing. Deciding that just this once greed was a good thing, Monorth nearly emptied the arsenal. Afterwards, it was a simple mater to slide down the conduit with the last package, returning to his body and opening his eyes. He found, rather proudly, that the clearing was filled with weapons, and the boxes were being raided by the all too eager students.

"How did you do that?" Nasia asked him, as if she didn't quite believe what she was seeing.

"Trade secret." He murmured back to her, much to her annoyance.

"Now the only problem is getting these to the town." Someone commented pessimistically.

"Not a problem." Monorth told them as he concentrated for a moment, and a second later the many boxes disappeared.

"Where did they go?" One of the students asked him, shocked by the disappearance.

"An old spell I found in the archives." He replied with a shrug and a smile. "I'm holding them in limbo until we need them."

"You are full of surprises." One of the girls commented with a pleased, almost flirtatious smile.

"I suppose I would have to be to finish my training in half a year." He told her with a significant look. The other students, some of whom had been ones who would have snubbed him hours before, suddenly had a glimmer of respect in their eyes.

"Let's move." Nasia ordered, bringing silence over their group as they all tightened buckles and straps, extinguished lights and began to search the darkness for any enemies once the gorge was left behind. When they passed through the area where they had attacked the agents, the pair were already gone, which meant that they had woken up on their own or, far more likely, there were other agents nearby. They stayed quiet and kept moving, only too aware that the chances of being attacked increased exponentially if they made too much noise for any reason. They had to walk several miles before the forest let out into a fruit orchard, set on the borders of the town. This edge was marked by the distant lights and the cacophony of sounds echoing across the distance from within the town walls.

<<Village ahead.>> One of the scouts commented, sending a wave of tension through their ranks. Staying low and moving swiftly through the deepest shadows they could find, it wasn't long before the fortified town and it's high stone wall loomed into view. Beyond the wall, the city was filled with lights making it hard to look at after the darkness of the forest.

<<We go in through there.>> Nasia replied, pointing out the course of the small river that flowed through the center of the town. The main gate and the grated access point of the river were the only two places in the wall where there was an opening. While the gates were open, it was obviously the more dangerous choice, as going through the gates had the potential to be a fatal ambush. As they left the forest behind, the group became even more silent and eager to seek out the few scant shadows that filled the middle ground between the edge of the orchard and the banks of the river. They reached the river without incident and found that the water was a slow lethargic flow. Although this decreased the chances of someone being swept away, the barely moving water had nary a ripple to hide anyone moving through it. Nasia and another person took the lead, sliding into the water and moving steadily upstream against the current. Monorth was only a step behind them. They stayed near the banks of the river, where the shadows were thicker and where ripples would be less obvious, but the water was cold and they were all quickly numbed by their immersion. Monorth was not the only one who kept glancing nervously up at the looming town wall, half fearing that someone was pointing a bow at them as they waded closer. despite his fears, however, nothing came streaking down through the darkness before they reached the darker shadows beneath the wall. There was a grate to block their entrance but it only extended about two feet down into the water and was easily bypassed, but on the other side, the absolute dark of the tunnel made it nearly impossible to see more than a few inches in front of their faces. On the far side of the tunnel, many of them were blinded by the sudden intense light that filled the borders of the town, what they discovered there once their vision cleared was pure chaos.

Their ears were assaulted by the sounds of battle from all sides and their noses were filled with the scent of blood and burning wood. From the river they could see that nearly half of the town was burning and there were broken buildings, craters, and evidence of a long, destructive war being waged on a massive scale. A magical fire, flickering with a menacing blue-purple flame was burning dozens of buildings. As they slipped passed, it cast an evil light over everything. It was clear to Monorth that someone had lost control of a spell and he could see the silhouettes of people struggling to put out the fires. Further upstream they caught sight of seven magic duels and three sword battles, all of which were ongoing. They could also spot dozens of sniper positions, and all out war taking place in every direction, much of it seemingly ignorant of the danger that the fire presented. Nasia guided them through the river, past the fires and battles alike, and none of the other students even questioned her as to how or why she knew where to go. They left the safety of the river at a small dock that extended out into the water and quickly ducked into an alley to watch nervously as a patrol of agents passed by their minimal hiding place. With an expertise that seemed out of place, their small group was lead through the streets and alleys towards the far side of town. Their destination was a small, run down shack that leaned against the town wall. Nasia had them hang back in the shadows of the alley as she approached. She knocked and had a short conversation with the person that answered the door, then stepped inside. The person at the door waved at them to approach. Monorth hung back, having long since learned to trust his eerie instincts, and he was having one right then.

One by one, the students approached and were let inside. There were twenty of them all together, besides himself, and he waited until the last of them had entered. He did not trust the situation, and had not trusted it from the beginning. Even if it had not seemed too perfect to fulfill his needs, his instincts would have been warning him off anyways, since it was too easy to assume a trap might be in the future. Sliding into the deep shadows as the last student stepped inside, he waited and watched, intent on seeing what would happened. The door guard remained in place, hovering against the backdrop of the lit interior, which seemed rather unwise since it was supposed to be a 'secret base' of a supposed 'rebel army'. Right on cue, a second person appeared at the doorway and there was a short conversation between the two of them, all of which was too distant for him to hear. When three people emerged into the light, he quickly backtracked to a small alcove in the wall of the building to his right and from there watched as the first three were soon joined by three more. He watched as they fanned out and started to move towards the alleys that led into the area from three directions. As they moved out of the shadows and into the softer light coming in from the moons overhead, Monorth was able to see their faces. He could not have failed to recognize Solair and Destin as the three groups went in their separate directions, and in truth he could not even summon up the sense of being surprised by such a minor twist.

He moved deeper into the shadows, allowing all his would be hunters more time to put some distance between them. Two of them went off to the right towards the next alley, two went to the left, and two came straight towards him. As Monorth waited for the nearest to reach him, he prepared several spells while questioning how trained agents could be so over-confident that they would not shield themselves from a magical attack. The two that were headed his way reached the alley after a short time. While one took a side trip down a small, dead end alley, the other continued forward and all Monorth had to do was wait. When his first target was within three feet of him, he sprung his own trap. In a heartbeat he cast a silence spell, mage-bindings, and a sleep spell. The first agent dropped to the ground without a sound or struggle. Monorth prepared another set and headed for the side alley, but when he checked the corner he discovered the other agent already emerging from the alley. She spotted Monorth and was about to cry out an alarm just before Monorth cast the spells, but all she managed to do was make a weak noise before she to collapsed to the pavement at his feet.

Monorth grabbed the first agent and dumped the unconscious body next to his partner before leaving the alley to track down the other four. Sliding along the wall to the right, heading for the next nearest group, he prepared another double set of spells as he approached the next entrance. As unwise and over-confident as the first pair, the second set were at the near end, talking softly to each other and making excuses as to why victim number 20 of that group had run off. Monorth cast the spells without even needing to look and an instant later there was the sound of two bodies dropping to the ground. He checked the two of them before heading off towards the third group.

However, this time he was by no means as lucky. Even as he cast the spells, there was a sound from somewhere behind Monorth that rattled across the middle ground. One of the agents, rightfully paranoid, shielded himself in that split second between the sound and Monorth's casting, causing the spells to slam into the defenses and destroying them. Before he could react, his unfettered opponent was rounding the corner. His gauntlets reacted to his touch even as a flash of steel whipped out of the shadows. Monorth caught the swinging blade, but was too late to block the second. Sharp pain snapped across his senses as a dagger dug deep into the flesh of his side, but that did not stop him from grabbing the man's other arm and slamming their foreheads together with tremendous force. The other man groaned and dropped unconscious to the ground. Cursing silently at the bad timing of the universe, Monorth quickly rendered the man as non-threatening as the rest before tearing away a long strip of the man's cloak to wrap tightly away from his bleeding side. The wound was not deep, but it was painful and would serve to slow him down should he come to an all out hand to hand war to achieve his goals.

Knowing it was only a matter of time before someone else might show up to check on their absent comrades, Monorth flowed through the shadows, taking the long way around towards the shack's left wall. There was a small window in the wall and through the thick, smoky glass a dim light emerged. Even more cautious than before, he moved beneath it and carefully peered over the sill taking, stock the situation inside. He could make out a small ,empty room and three figures moving about inside as they stood crowded together near an oil lamp which was the interior's only illumination. At the back of the room was a doorway. Since the shack was up against the wall, Monorth assumed that it must lead into a room inside the wall itself. Monorth made his way around the shack towards the doorway, staying low as he carefully twisted the handle. He eased open the door with an agonizing slowness, and was thankful there were no tell tale squeaks or squeals, nor were there any sounds from inside that indicated that anyone had notice the door opening. Monorth cloaked himself in an invisibility spell and slipped inside through the partially opened doorway.

"I still can't believe this trick is still working." Nasia muttered as Monorth eased the door closed behind him.

"Were you caught by it?" Another agent asked her.

"My first time, but I avoided it the second time." Nasia replied.

"How many are back there?" The third man asked as he jerked his head over his shoulder, indicating the doorway at the back of the shack.

"Sixty of them." The second agent replied.

"Who is still out there?" The man asked. Monorth did not really listen to the list Nasia rattled off, since he was concentrating on getting closer. He was within two feet by the time the list was complete. Monorth cast his spells seconds later, and all three agents collapsed without a sound. Monorth smiled and walked with a little more confidence towards the door, but he did check it for any trap spells before opening it. There was a small tunnel six feet long before it emerged into a large stone room lined with bunk beds, beds which were filled with unconscious students. Monorth growled under his breath at the sight, debating what, if anything, he should do. After some thought, he decided to wake them. He felt that they had been caught in with a dirty, underhanded trick that no one deserved, even if most of the people caught were the same ones that had shunned him just because he was different. Monorth cast a mass awakening spell and many of the students shot up from their prone positions, already reaching for weapons that were no longer at their sides. Others woke more slowly. In both cases, Monorth was soon surrounded by angry, confused students.

"Quiet." Monorth finally demanded in a voice that would carry, bringing an almost instant silence that left him free to talk. "You were tricked, all of you. I managed to fight my way through to wake all of you up."

"You!!" Someone laughed.

"Yes, there are three unconscious agents inside the shack, and another six out in the alleys if you don't believe me." Monorth replied. The speaker pushed through the crowd and into the shack, but he returned a few seconds later looking somewhat shocked. "The first thing we need to do is get those agents inside so that they are not discovered."

"And then?" A female voice asked.

"And then we find out where the 'symbols of completion' are." Monorth replied.

"With no weapons?" Another voice asked.

"I have enough weapons for a group three times this size." There were sounds of a general consensus. Eight or nine of the students went to retrieve the bodies of the unconscious agents as Monorth moved back into the shed. A few minutes later, the nine agents were lined up against one of the blank walls. The room was crowded, but not so much that the walls were bulging at the seams. Monorth woke the agents with a wave of his hand, and removed the silence spells, even as he shielded the room against the chance that any of them would try to call for help.

"Monorth!" Four voices spoke at once.

"Surprise!!" Monorth yelled back. "Where are the symbols?" He demanded, and nine faces glared back at him, refusing to speak.

"They'll never talk." Someone in the back stated.

"Yes they will." Monorth replied with an evil smile.

"You try and make us and you will never become an agent." One of the agents Monorth did not know threatened.

"You seem to have forgotten, this is war." Monorth replied, looking into the man's eyes. "You made up the rules. 'The danger is real.'" Monorth quoted. "Seems to me that what's good for the goose is good for the gander." Monorth walked closer and crouched down near the frightened man. "And I don't take threats very well, you should probably remember that." Monorth grabbed the man's chin and looked deeply into his eyes. He tried several times to pull away but Monorth would not let him.

"You can't do this, Monorth." Destin told him, and Monorth looked over at him. "It's against the rules."

"And since when is leading innocents into traps one of the rules?" Monorth asked coldly. "Seems to me that you people only like to follow the rules when they are convenient to you."

"There in the town hall, in the center of the town, it's the largest building. There are snipers on the roof, and at least fifty agents inside." Solair told him, saving him the trouble and possible charges of having to force the information to the surface. Only disliking the 'exercise' more and more as time went on, he had already decided that 'by any means necessary' was an applicable solution to all the potential problems.

"It's a trap!" Someone screamed.

"Of course it is." Monorth replied, rising to his feet. "Clear some space." He ordered. The gathered students scrunched together, making more than enough room for him to unload the cache of weapons. He brought the weapons out of limbo and dumped them in the open space. Without a word, Monorth ripped the lid of one of the boxes and pulled out a black cloak. He swung it around onto his shoulders and headed for the door. As he moved away, the students converged on the weapons like hungry dogs, but he ignored them.

"Where are you going?" Someone called after him.

"Into a trap." Monorth replied as pulled the door open.

"But who is going to lead us?" Someone else asked. Monorth turned and looked at the waiting students, each eye locked onto him. He looked at each and every one of them, as his eyes passed over the last of them, he smiled, turned, and went back into the darkness.

<<Good luck, Monorth.>> Two minds whispered at him. Monorth did not reply as he raced for the safety of the shadows. He just managed to reach the darkness close to the walls when a large patrol of agents came out of three alleys simultaneously. He cast a spell of invisibility on himself and watched as the patrol closed on the shack. As the last of the agents passed him, Monorth slipped past them and into safety, while behind him the sounds of fighting broke out. Out of sight, he took the time to rework his make shift bandage into something that wouldn't hinder his movements. As for the others, Monorth did not care. He had given them a fighting chance and now they would have to stand or fall on their own. Once he was out of the war zone, Monorth took to the rooftops. Despite the fact that the town was small, the rooftops were close together and he could avoid the patrols. He move quickly along, carefully avoiding the areas where the snipers were posted.

"Stop!!" Someone suddenly screamed behind him. Monorth turned and looked back the way that he had come, and sure enough the person was looking in his direction, holding a readied bow on him. He dropped the invisibility spell and used the energy that it returned to him to create a flash of light that would blind the man behind him. When the flash went off, he leapt up and started to run. Seconds later, an arrow thudded into the roof inches from his heel, which served as rather good motivation for him to speed up his steps before leaping to the next roof. By some twist of bad luck, Monorth landed right in the middle of another group of snipers. They were too surprised by his sudden appearance to raise their weapons, but with a curse he set off at a desperate pace. The archers recovered quickly and soon there were a hail of arrows being fired at him. Monorth thrust up shields around himself, blocking the arrows, and continued to run, shifting his course towards the river. The snipers quickly changed tactics from arrows to spells, and soon fire balls and small meteorites started to rain down all around him, adding to the destruction and chaos already taking place below. Outnumbered, he could only strengthen his shields, pick up his pace, and continued to run. Down on the street below him, however, another patrol of agents were attracted by the commotion. They started to fire off spells that rocked the building beneath his feet. Monorth cursed even louder and jumped over another alley way. Under such a barrage, the outer most layer of Monorth's shields started to erode away.

The situation quickly was quickly spiraling towards becoming desperate, so he made a split decision and leapt over the side of the building towards the street below. As he fell, Monorth cast three spells; the first was another invisibility spell, the second was a spell of silence so that no one would hear him, and the third was a spell of Monorth's own devising. The last spell would mimic the magic effects of a teleportation exactly, so that they would think he had jumped away. Surprisingly it worked, and the spells stopped slamming into everything around him, which was quickly followed by an uneasy kind of silence. Monorth hit the ground and rolled, bruising more than he wanted to think about, the swift descent taking its' toll on his already worn body. Along with lifespan and health, magic also increased his durability. It allowed him to take a lot more damage, although the impact kept his knife wound from closing. However, he was not about to linger when there were already so many gunning for him, so he forced himself up to his feet before launching into a brisk run down the street. There was simply no point in taking the chance that his pursuers were not fooled. He made sure the invisibility spell was shielded from any energy leaking away, which he thought was what had gotten him into trouble in the first place. Only after he had reached the next alley did he pause to catch his breath and try to suppress the rather sharp pains in his sides; one from his knife wound and one from the effort. As he waited in the shadows, another large patrol came rumbling towards him. Seeing an opportunity, he stepped from the shadows to follow them as they moved swiftly towards the center of town.

It was quickly made clear which of the many buildings was the town hall; the area was practically bristling with agents. They were on the roofs above, on the ground below, moving fringes in heavily armed groups, and a small army was guarding the entrance of the building. As Monorth let his escorts cross into the open, he fell back and slipped into the shadows as a ray of purple light swept over the patrol. He suddenly noticed a shadow appear where no one visible had been standing seconds before. It was another student, cloaked in another invisibility spell, no doubt having followed similar lines of thought as Monorth, except that he or she was unfortunate enough to be caught by the spot light. As Monorth moved into an overshadowed doorway, a hail of arrows blossomed from the roof and plunged down around the cloaked student. The barrage was followed immediately by a wide range of spells sent from ground level. Monorth felt a little sense of pride as the student escaped the ambush and was hopeful that perhaps he or she would warn the others of what they would be facing. Though it had not worked out for him thus far, he toyed with the idea of enlisting the aid of his fellow students as he hid from another sweeping beam of the search light. The idea was quickly discarded, however, as being against his own personal sens of style, and because a frontal assault would surely be ineffective. Several different plans worked their way through his mind, but he rejected quite a few of them before one appeared that made an evil smile appear on his face. He quickly summoned a wind elemental, fed the small, unseen creature all the energy it might want, and gave it a very specific mission. It soon shot off, only too pleased with having received its' reward. With a sudden surge of confidence, he rid himself of the cloaking spells and walked openly into the courtyard. The spot lights wasted no time before focusing on him, but before the attacks could descend, he snapped one of his swords open and jammed into the stone at his feet. Monorth withdrew three paces and bowed his head in a ritual gesture that most people on most worlds would recognize.

"A challenge?!" Someone called from above. Monorth did not reply, he simply stood completely motionless as a ripple of excited comments coursed through the agents. Finally someone decided that they were brave enough to come forward, and he stopped three paces from Monorth's sword, as was the custom.

"Name your stakes." He called to Monorth.

"Swords only, single combat, to the death." Monorth replied, raising his head to look at his opponent.

"Death matches are not allowed." He replied, clearly shaken by the whole 'to the death' part.

"Afraid?" Monorth taunted, giving his potential opponent his most delicious of condescending smiles, a smile that, if used at any other time, would warrant a beating from his bonded.

"Never." His opponent replied with an angry edge to his voice. "No interference." He called to his fellow agents, then drew his sword and took a ready stance. With a thought, Monorth retrieved his sword, causing it to flip through the air into his hand. "Simple tricks do not impress me." His opponent called, to which Monorth just smiled. This would be a difficult opponent, working with Destin had taught him that. The man had the same reach and at least ten pounds on Monorth, and he also held his sword with an expert hand.

He made the first move, charging Monorth and aiming a thrust as his chest, but he side-stepped the blow and snapped his blade across the agents armored shoulder. Monorth spun out of range and activated his gauntlets. The agent struck at him with an over hand blow in the next moment. He caught the blade in his left hand and savagely kicked the man in the chest, causing him to fall back with a winded grunt and lose his sword in the process. Monorth tossed the blade away and cracked the agent across the skull with the back of his blade, and he dropped like a stone, as if to prove that not all of Destin's lesson were 100% accurate. Monorth then took ten steps towards the main door of the building and planted his sword in the stone a second time. Considering the situation, he doubted that any of the agents really took notice that he had just crossed the borders of their outermost ring of defensive spells, which was meant to prevent a certain form of travel from crossing inside. He took three steps back and bowed his head to wait, it took a lot more time for someone to come forward.

"What are your stacks?" A woman asked stepping forward.

"Single combat, magic only, to the death." Monorth called back.

"Agreed." She replied, not at all resisting the 'to the death' part. Monorth nodded and his blade snapped back into his hand. He retracted the blade and placed it back into its' pouch. Again Monorth waited for his opponent to make the first move, and she struck with a full blown fire storm. He was quickly surrounded by a glowing mass of blue-green flames. Monorth simply stood at the very center, unmoved and untouched by the reaching arms of fire, and with a mocking smile on his face. Growling angry, she struck next with a shower of rocks, which crashed into the pavement around him, but once again Monorth stood untouched in the center of chaos. "Fight!" She ordered, launching a cloud of mage-arrows, but he simply parted them and sent them flying off into the darkness. "You will fight!!" She screamed, becoming enraged by her failures and his lack of concern. He could feel a mass of energy building around him that would easily level the surrounding area, but again he made no move to strike. The next attack came in the form of a massive bolt of power that lit up the square and forced everyone to close their eyes against the burning light and cover their ears against the roar of noise that threatened to deafen all of them. The mass of energy struck Monorth head on and he was consumed by the light, but the bolt traveled no further than where he stood. Sight of him was cut off from all sides as the stone of the plaza was cratered and an intense explosion broke across the open space, sending out a spray of dust and debris. All of them were shocked that when the light burned away and the dust settled, there was seemingly nothing left of Monorth, as if the force of the spell had burned away even his corpse.

It was very hard not to laugh at the tentative investigation taking place outside, as Monorth stood at one of the town hall windows watching the scene below him. The summoned wind elemental had only too eagerly passed inside the building and sent him the images of what it saw inside. It had quickly and efficiently provided him everything he needed to know in order to teleport into the building once he was past the outer barrier. The agent had provided the much needed distraction to keep his movement both unseen and obscured, he had simply leapt away and detonated his shields along with the spell meant to destroy him. Inside, the agents who had been moving about the hallways, watched the scene below with the same worry as those who stood outside, unaware that Monorth stood nearby, watching them watching what should have been him. It wasn't long, however, before the unplanned gathering was breaking up and sending people moving in every direction. Monorth choose one of the agents at random and followed her unseen and unheard. Together they traveled in companion-like silence, through the hallways and into a long series of underground corridors. The agent entered one of the many chambers along the corridor, but the one she entered was lined with many hospital beds, filling the long room. Some of the students who filled many of those beds were awake, heavily bandaged, and holding their new agent badges with proud smiles.

Growing confused, Monorth did not pay quite as much attention to his surroundings as he should have, and he unknowingly walked straight into a dispersion trap, laid a few steps beyond the entrance to the room. Several people gasped as Monorth's concealing spells were annihilated and he was suddenly exposed. The woman he had followed caught the surprised sounds and the directions of the sharp looks and spun around on him. Even as he readied himself to be attacked or forced into attacking, she did the last thing he might have expected.

"Congratulations." She told him. A short time later, he had been delegated into a small room where he sat, stripped to the waist while a nurse stitched up his side, cutting off the oozing flow of blood that still seeped from his painful wound. Even though he hadn't quite believe her, neither was he willing to start a fight in a space only too obviously meant to be a hospital room, so against his better judgment he had allowed himself to be lured into an exam room not far away and was asked politely to wait. He was about halfway through the all together unpleasant experience of having his side made relatively whole again when the woman he had followed below ground tapped on the door, swinging it open with a smile before another older woman was gestured inside. Though he had thought himself familiar with all the ranking agents and department heads, he knew instantly that she was not among the familiar faces, even though she carried same air of authority with her as the others carried with them. She took in his suspicious gaze and seemed almost instantly amused by his expression.

"You can relax Agent Monorth, Marta did not play you for a fool." She told him softly as she held out a familiar looking leather wallet with an all together unfamiliar set of contents. The badge had his name engraved on it and the photo id along side it had his face and information printed on it. She chuckled when his eyes shot up to give her a startled look. "This test is not about winning or losing, young man, it's about having the commitment to carry through with a mission. While we hate the fact that so many end up injured, sometimes seriously, the fact that the students carry on knowing they can get hurt or killed is enough to prove that they believe in what they are doing. Every year we conduct things this way. There are those who see one of their friends get hurt, or their first taste what real combat is like and they just run. We usually find them crossing the shield barrier on their way towards home and family. We can only wish them well, after all, this life is hardly one for just anyone. For me, personally, I am shocked as hell that there are any graduates at all from this test."

"So.." He gestured vaguely in the direction of the hospital room.

"Agents one and all.. at least if the hospital food and having to spend a few weeks in recovery don't show them why a life of adventure usually leads to a bad end." She agreed with a smile. "Most who end up graduating are like them, those few who gave it their all, avoided our traps and simply didn't make it."

"More like all." The nurse stated bitterly. The older woman gave her an indulgent kind of smile.

"It's a miracle no one has died in quite some time, I will admit.. but that too is a lesson I suppose. We try to train our agents caution and prudence, so I can't imagine there are many who go challenging senior field agents to death matches." She commented to him sharply.

"I needed to get inside the teleportation barrier so I could get to whatever spot my wind elemental could find me to get inside." He told her, shrugging his left shoulder.

"As Mrs. Daniels has already pointed out, almost no one ever actually makes it inside this facility the hard way.. you are a rarity, Agent Monorth." He smirked back at her.

"In more ways than one, if you listen to rumors." He commented back to her.

"Aye." With that, she smiled at him, turned and stepped back through the door. "See ya around."

"Who was that?" Monorth asked of his nurse.

"That, my boy, was Palinia, the head of the undercover agent division. You should consider yourself lucky, since she is not one who is easily impressed." She told him quietly.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Let me see it again." LeShana begged him playfully as the sat their 'breakfast' table. Of course, by the time they had both gotten home it had been very late morning or early afternoon and neither of them had enough energy to do more than collapse into bed and sleep like the dead, so their breakfast was coming at a time when most people would be getting ready for dinner.

"You are SO weird." He rumbled back at her, but despite his words he was smiling brightly at her, his eyes sparkling with mischief. The next moment, he was pulling out the slim leather wallet and flashing her the shiny metal disk inside of it. Just as it had the dozen times before, there was a surge of pride and happiness within her at that sight. Of course, LeShana had known right from the start of the final exam that he would have never turned away in the face of the mission, and she had even let herself believe he would be one of those who were rated as a stand-out performance and getting honorable mention in the records for the test, but she had never even guessed he might be one of the few who would succeed in actually entering the off limits area. Such an accomplishment might happen once a generation, if that, and the records had shown that it had been two-hundred years since anyone had done as well as he had. The individual that set the record had collapsed shortly past the threshold. More than anything, she was proud of him, but even if he had taken two or three years to finish his training she would still love him every bit as much as she did that day. However, he hadn't even taken a year to do what took most people half a decade to achieve. She knew, without a word ever being said, that it had been because he did indeed love her that much, and hadn't wanted to keep her or anyone else locked up at the Center for any longer than necessary. He had worked harder than anyone had thought was possible in order to get her back out and doing the job she loved, even when the situation was intolerable.

"I'm just so proud of you is all." She countered adoringly. He was just about to say something meant to tease or annoy her when the door bell rang through the apartment. She made a face at him, knowing only too well what he had been about to do, and hurried away to open the door. The sight that greeted her on the other side made her blood run cold and her soul ache, because whatever might follow was most certainly not good. Four people waited on the other side of the door, Trask, the head of Center security, Palinia, the head of undercover agents, and two armed men wearing guard uniforms.

"Is your bonded here, LeShana?" Trask asked of her, clearly not liking what had brought him there any more than she thought she would.

"Yes?" Monorth asked from inside the room, and she almost wished he hadn't, even as she stepped back to allow the two of them inside while the guards stood watch over the door.

"Agent Monorth, I have come here to ask where you were between the fourth and fifth hours of this afternoon." Trask rumbled as he approached across the floor.

"I was here, in bed." Monorth replied, instantly suspicious. As the intense feeling of wrongness rippled strongly across her senses, LeShana hurried across the floor to hug herself to his uninjured side.

"And someone can confirm this alibi?"

"It's not an alibi, sir, it's the truth." Trask gave him a penetrating look, but Monorth met his eyes, unwavering in this statement.

"I was here with him." LeShana stated softly. Trask called up some information on his computer pad and turned the screen towards them. It was a picture of a very beautiful woman and obviously the image was taken from an agent id, since there was a white border around it.

"Do you know this woman?" Trask asked of him.

"Not really, but she was one of the agents working the final exam last night. She was luring the unsuspecting into one of the traps. I believe she said her name was Nasia." Monorth replied calmly. "What's going on here?"

"Monorth, someone.." Palinia began.

"A reliable witness." Trask corrected sharply.

"SOMEONE .." Palinia overrode his words with a glare. ".. has accused you of Nasia's murder."

"She's dead?!" Monorth's unrestrained shock could not have been feigned. "How?!"

"She was murdered.. rather violently, in the deep tunnels this afternoon." Palinia told him softly.

"And someone said it was me?!" He demanded of them.

"I'm afraid so.." She agreed quietly. "Monorth.. were you angry with her?"

"No! Annoyed perhaps, I mean that's a pretty low trick, but it wasn't her idea. She was.. well, she was more than pretty enough to get most of the other students to not question if she was really a student.. but other than that, I didn't care about her. Why would I? She failed. I freed the other students to help cause a commotion so I could reach the town hall more easily. Even if I was angry, why would I kill her? I've got everything I could ever want right here, much not to mention, I won that particular game of deception and betrayal." Monorth countered quickly and easily, clearly upset about the mere implication that he might be involved. Even Trask, whose doubt had clearly been written on his face the moment before, seemed to sense that Monorth was so put off by the thought, that his own suspicions were given a kick to the teeth.

"The eye witness could have been mistaken. If what you have told us is true, it should be supported by the security logs for the main door here, and by the security cameras and protocols in the crater. I am not going to place you into custody at this time, however, as I would be considered negligent if I didn't restrict your movements. You are to remain in your quarters until further notice and a guard will remain out in the hallway. Please understand these are actions I do not take lightly and do so only because.." Trask actually faltered, and it was an entirely new experience for LeShana to see him flustered.

"Because he has to." Palinia stated on his behalf.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Any joy there might have been for the afternoon was obliterated early on, as Trask returned twice with further questions, as well as to take LeShana's statement and confirmation that she slept on her beloved, not simply near him. He had never once been able to get out their bed without waking her, no matter how tired she might be. But things were looking even more grim by sunset, as hints were dropped that the 'eye-witness' was in fact someone of high rank and impeccable record. LeShana, of course, knew that it would have had to been someone highly placed at the Center, since her mind all too readily latched onto the first month and the unexplained fears she felt walking the halls alone. Destin, Solair, and Sarath all came once the news had reached them, and all of them were staunch and unshakable in their support of him. Each of her closest friends all had the same look in their eyes, the same fear that whatever was behind the vile, untruthful accusations was the shadow. It was the same thing that had taken them deep into the tunnels, for their weekly meetings of an ever growing group that had felt the same wrongness that had plagued their home since LeShana had returned from Earth. As the hours of the afternoon passed into evening, Monorth's agitation and frustration only grew. As much as she felt for him, LeShana needed to do something. Trusting his sister to keep him from running off and doing something stupid, LeShana sent out the coded signal they had all been taught to do, and she and Destin slipped out in the late hours of the night. They traveled swiftly and were some of the first to arrive at the meeting place. It seemed almost obvious that the rumors had spread all across the Center, since no one was able to meet her penetrating gaze. Suddenly, a face she'd never thought to see appeared with one of the last groups to arrive.

"LeShana!" Orin reprimanded sharply as she lunged across the room, ready to tear a giant chunk out of Trask's hide wherever or however she managed to get a hold of him. "Trask has been our ally in this all along, but he's avoided the meetings for the sake of appearances."

"Then why were you so convinced that Monorth was responsible when you came the first time this afternoon?!" LeShana demanded of him angrily, not quite ready to trust anyone at that point, much less the man who was trying to put her bonded in prison.

"Because of who the eyewitness was.. I.. I.. just couldn't.. wrap my head around it. I'm sorry.." He was more flustered in that moment than any of them might have thought possible, as Trask was well known for having a stone faced expression the likes of which no one could fracture. "LeShana.. someone has tampered with the logs, when I checked them this morning, no activity was detected anywhere near your quarters during the time of the murder. When I checked again.." He hung his head and shook it slowly.

"Who was the witness?" Destin, normally the calmest person in any given room, practically growled the words, as real anger transformed his gentle expression into something very nearly monstrous.

"The Director of agents, Captain Aslyn." Trask whispered to them, and it seemed as if the whole room went cold and deathly still.

"LeShana.." The mysterious Paladin whispered quietly through the fearful stillness. "It seems obvious now that any attempt to confront this evil from the inside is doomed to failure. We need to talk about how best to defend your bonded from this and what we might be able to do to force this darkness into the light."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Hours later, utterly exhausted, supremely pissed and more frightened than she really would have wanted to admit to anyone, much less the man she loved, LeShana and Destin returned to her apartment, and she did her very best not to glare at the guard still lingering just outside her door. It seemed obvious the moment they entered that Monorth had had a passage of hours no easier than either of them, and that he, in turn, had not made it easy on either of the women who stayed behind to keep an eye on him in LeShana's place. Only too able to guess how much worse the next few hours might be, she prayed that the five of them might simply make it through the night ahead, much less the hard days and even harder choices ahead of them. It had already been decided, it was already clear to her that the first thing she needed to do was tell him the truth. Everything she had been hiding from him for the past six months.

"Monorth, we need to talk." She whispered to him, and tried to prepare herself for what was to come.

Chapter Six: The Face of Darkness

"Do you remember the plan?" LeShana asked him for the third time that morning. It was quite difficult not to let his annoyance ripple up to the surface and make his tongue say something he would regret in the all too near future, but he managed to bite back the words.

"My Love, I won't forget.. I promise you." He swore to her. For the second time that morning, her eyes grew watery and she sniffled fiercely before burying herself in his arms, desperately clinging to him with fear and worry all to sharp in her heart. As much as instinct and his gut might wish for him to be supremely annoyed with her for holding back any manner of secrets from him during, he could just as easily see the fear in her eyes, caused by whatever the feelings that had so haunted her and the others. He had just wished that they might have all told him sooner, instead of assuming that his ignorance would have led to bliss. He could only logically doubt that he would have been able to do anything to stop it, but at least he could have been more careful. He was a naturally cautious person and even having known a month before that he might have been able to do something, could have prevented Nasia's death, or his own imminent arrest for her murder. Of course, it was possible that it was only be his hindsight over others' choices, and that was ultimately unfair to LeShana who had only been focused on protecting him and keeping him focused on becoming less vulnerable to the darkness all of them had talked about.

Trask's information said that early that morning, a meeting was being held among all the departments heads and the Great Council's oversight committee, which ran the political side of Center policies and initiatives. With the only evidence of his innocence destroyed, his alibi compromised; since obviously LeShana would do anything to protect him including lie, and the 'eyewitness' of such 'high, upstanding character', it seemed obvious what the decision would be. There was not very much doubt as to the time frame of his arrest, Trask had nearly predicted to the minute when the doorbell would sound through the apartment. What would happen after that was a little less certain. Allowing himself to be arrested was out of the question. Even if there was some means of proving his innocence, whatever it was that sought to take him out of the picture most certainly could not afford to underestimate him. The only clear means along such a path was to have him on slab somewhere. Locked away in prison, his gifts suppressed by spells or drugs, weaponless, friendless, and trapped, he could not be more vulnerable. Whether it was to be a dispute with another inmate, another agent seeking revenge, or a staged escape attempt hardly mattered all, what did matter was that if he was taken captive, his life was automatically forfeit, with LeShana right along with him. So his only option was to escape, become a fugitive from justice, and hope that there was someway, somewhere to strike back at the darkness that had already landed the first blow in a war Monorth had known nothing about.

When the doorbell sounded, it was almost with the chiming of the clock at the appointed hour that Trask had predicted. For just a moment, LeShana seemed ready to break with the plan she had come up with, unwilling or unable to leave his arms in order to go answer the door. But knowing that it had to be done, that they needed to prove what was perhaps only suspected was there, he kissed her long and hard and sent her on the way to answer the summons after the second doorbell chime. Once he had known how little the conspirators had known about the potential faces of their enemies, he was not surprised when the door opened and Aslyn and Marta, the dean of the agent training program, entered at the front of the pack. Marta's obvious hatred of Monorth during their first meeting had made him dislike the man immediately, but the concealed hatred during the latter meetings had made him a prime suspect in Monorth's way of thinking. specially once he knew that there was something out there with a serious need to see his blood run free. The pair was followed, almost unwillingly, by Trask, Palinia, and six of his men all armed and armored, though clearly his men had no idea that they were walking into trouble. Being the only area of the apartment not cluttered with expensive furniture or valuable keepsakes, Monorth waited and watched their approach, sitting calmly outside on the railing of their large balcony.

"We are here to place you under arrest for the murder of Agent Nasia. You will cooperate with.." Aslyn snarled at him, but he was in no mood for speeches.

"No." Monorth retorted sharply, interrupting her words without hesitation or doubt.

"Excuse me?!" Marta snapped back at him.

"No, I don't think I'll do that either. You two, and the master tugging at your strings, can kiss my ass, kiss it real good. I have no intention of going with you." The guards behind them had no idea what to make of his carefully chosen words, but Monorth had no doubts about the results, as all at once a sense of utter and total hate rippled through the previously calm air.

"Arrest.." Aslyn almost ordered, but Monorth snapped his fingers and the magical trap spells he had set in place snapped closed. The six guards dropped where they stood, spelled into sleep and tied up tight.

"Afraid to do your own dirty work, you shit eating monster conjured up by some half-witted wizard?" Monorth taunted with his most condescending smile. The once subtle rage emanating through Its' two pairs of eyes quickly flamed into a white hot, all consuming rage. "You want me dead, well here I am, you pathetic excuse for.." Anything else he might have said was rather pointless, for he got all the proof he asked for and quite a bit more when both of the darkness' puppets struck with all the rage and fury it could send pouring through them. He wondered if it was something he said as both struck down with enough force to annihilate him, half the balcony and implode most of the windows inside the crater. For all that he was a powerful mage, he only just managed to create a barrier strong enough to spare his life as he was projected away from the exploding stone, and sent flying out into the empty air of the crater beyond. He had just enough time too look up and see another set of powerful spells being launched at him from above before his gate snapped open and he dropped through it to be taken to some far away point of safety. His only hope, at that moment, was that others could keep their promises to keep LeShana safe and get her out of there before the thing turned on her.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

No matter how much any of them had wanted to believe that it wasn't possible, no matter how much all of had wished that they had merely been jumping at shadows or that they were suffering through some kind of mass paranoia, none of the could doubt what they and everyone else in the Center had felt behind the attack. Sarath had teased once or twice that her brother could test even the infinite patience of the gods themselves, so she wondered why some part of her had doubted that he could taunt a demon into showing Its' true colors. He had made so that she and many of the others who were in their circle of conspirators had no room left for doubt, many of them standing discretely out of sight on their own balconies and had felt the raging core of hate and anger emerge. And it was more powerful and more frightening than anything they might have imagined. Destin and Solair had been good to their word, rushing the room the moment Monorth's gate had taken him away to a safe place, running head long into the teeth of the all too terrifying rage. They and Trask both confirmed in shaky voices that had they and all those simply summoned by the commotion had not been there, then whatever monstrous thing they were facing was would have turned on LeShana in the next moment. Her life and Monorth's life would have been forfeit if not for those who would face evil head on, or for those whose simple curiosity had taken them right into the heart of the chaos.

"I am not crazy am I?" Sarath looked up sharply at the unexpected voice. How Palinia had gotten into her quarters was a good question, and how she had gotten in there past a locked door was an even better one. But the older woman's face was as white as a sheet and her eyes as wide as saucers. ".. there was.." Sarath doubled and then doubled again the shielding on her room in the following heartbeats, making it seem as if anything outside of the room disappeared completely.

"You should be careful from this moment further, Palinia, as careful as you've ever been in your whole life when talking to anyone about anything having to do with strange things happening around here." Sarath murmured to her. Palinia's startled expression at the sudden thickening of the shields surrounding them passed quickly.

"There was something else inside Aslyn and Marta this morning, wasn't there." She insisted, crossing the room toward Sarath. "I've known those two for fifty years or more .. and those.."

"We couldn't know for sure until this morning. We only suspected Aslyn yesterday when she leveled those accusations against Monorth, and he suspected Marta when we told him our theory. As for who.. or rather, what it might be, no one can know for sure yet. There's a group of agents who have been aware of something being off for the past year, but there are others who say it's been here for longer." Sarath told her softly. "Up until this morning, it has just been a theory, a feeling of something.. Wrong.. hovering around the crater. But whatever it is, whatever it's goal might be, it's scared of Monorth and wants him dead." Palinia simply collapsed into the nearest piece of furniture, as if her legs no longer had the strength to support her. While Sarath's heart went out to her, she was hardly in the position to feel sympathy for anyone right then.

"What are you going to do?" Palinia asked of her.

"What can any of us do? If you really felt that thing today out on the balcony.." Palinia looked away and nodded, not needing Sarath to finish the statement. "What's worse is that it already has hooks in some of our friends and we have no idea which ones have been infected. Trask believes you aren't one of them, but then again, I might end up dead here in the next few minutes or the next few hours for even admitting I know anything."

"If that thing had a hold of me I doubt that I would feel so conflicted right now." Sarath gave her a questioning look. "Asl.." She caught herself, scowled, and changed what she had been about to say. "IT has ordered me to recruit you, Destin, and Solair to go and track down Monorth, where ever he might have gone. I am to assign you an escort whose 'loyalty is above question' and to instruct you to take LeShana. IT believes that her connection to him may provide the clues to allow you to track him."

"While IT tracks us, I'm sure ." Sarath agreed with an angry sigh.

"I can help you to escape the crater, then.."

"That won't be necessary." LeShana stated, appearing from the spare bedroom, surprising Palinia deeply by her sudden entry into the conversation.

"We had time enough to at least think ahead. It was my brother's idea to force that thing to show itself this afternoon, so that maybe others would start to see what is fundamentally wrong at the Center right now. This.. assignment.. however it may play out, is in line with what we needed most, the excuse we would need to get ourselves out of this place and further away from that thing's clutches." Sarath informed her quietly, as LeShana came over to perch on a nearby piece of furniture. "And so that we might escape.. somewhere, where we might be able to plan ways of fighting back."

"I didn't want to believe Monorth was the one who killed that woman.. no matter who said he did. That man of yours didn't seem capable of something like that. That's why I forced my way into the investigation along with Trask, to prove to myself that I wasn't capable of so sorely misjudging someone." She sighed as her expression became even darker and more worried than before. "I only wish I could be the one to go with you.. just to get away from, IT.. but.." She shook her head and looked the two of them into the eye. "Whatever you might need, whenever you might need it, I will do my very best to provide it. I'll stay here to support you as best as I can."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Monorth pulled at his soaked clothing, ducking his head against the lights of the passing cars, and the spray of water that followed them. He had been walking for hours with hours more to go. He once again realized with regret that for all the thought he had put into the confrontation, he could have thought just a little more about where he would go when the escape part of the plan had been upon him. Then again, plunging a few thousand feet and chased by powerful spells of destruction was probably something that would rattle anyone. In that moment, he had simply called up one of those places where he had always felt safe and now he was paying the price for his safety; having instinctively picked a distant park where they had spent many a summer day as children. Earth had been an easy enough destination to have in mind, since they had all been to that world before, its' low levels of magic might prevent the monster from sending Its' goons or cronies after them, and it was one of the few places were he might be able hide in plain sight for the days it would take the others to catch up or escape on their own. If he had not exhausted his energy reserves by creating the gateway, he could have simply created a pass-through to his mother's house, but it would be hours before he had enough power to do so. Earth's magic was recovering, but it was still weak compared to other planets. It was a familiar noise and a flash of red, blue, and white lights that woke Monorth from his thoughts. He looked up as the police car came to a halt in front of him. He continued to walk closer and the police officer got out of his car and approached, bringing his flash light up to focus on Monorth.

"What's going on here?" The officer asked as he approached.

"An all together bad day officer. Managed to forget my phone, my car wouldn't start, and I've been out in this pleasant weather for hours, and I'm still only half way towards town." Monorth replied, as he came to a stop within easy talking distance. Trained to be suspicious, the officer's gaze focused on him for many a long moment before his flashlight switched off and he holstered it at his side.

"Well, I'm afraid I can't have you runnin' along the side of even a rural highway in this muck, otherwise I'll be back here before long to scrape ya' off the hood of someone's car. Come on, I'll get you there in one piece and out of this mess." The Officer stated, jerking a thumb back towards his patrol car.

"Only if it's not too much trouble, officer." Monorth replied, reluctant to expose himself to law enforcement's ever curious gaze, but was not about to deny how little he liked the idea of spending hours more trudging through the rain.

"It's not, it's been real quiet tonight." The officer told him as he followed the police officer back to the patrol car. Monorth got into the back and the officer got in and turned off the flashing warning lights. "Do you follow sports?" The officer asked as he reentered the flow of traffic.

"Not really." He replied truthfully.

"How about politics?" The officer questioned.

"Sometimes." Monorth replied ruefully, and the officer chuckled at that.

"Where are you headed?" The officer asked, and Monorth gave him the address and the officer nodded. "I am still trying to get over the anti-weaponry ordinance, that came out of left-field didn't it?" It took him a moment to realize what exactly the officer might be talking about, since he had failed to keep up with the news coming out of Earth, much to his chagrin.

"I suppose it did, but I guess you can see the point of it. I mean, I could go a whole life time happily not seeing another news story about some kid shooting another kid." Monorth replied, just as quickly. The officer gave him a startled look in the rear view mirror, as if he had failed to think of things that way. "So maybe they've got a point to want guns to be forgotten."

"You may well be right, my friend, but still.. it feels like a step backwards, having to start carrying around a sword or some such nonsense." The officer commented to him with a chuckle. "Like I might need to find me a proper horse to start doin' my patrols and all that."

"There are advantages to swords, if you think about it." Monorth stated to him.

"Like what?" The officer asked skeptically.

"You never have to look for something to cut up a head of lettuce." He told the officer, who laughed long and happily at the jest, making Monorth smile.

"There's a good point." The officer trailed off. After that, the conversation changed to other things that were less awkward, and more to fill the silence of the road as they left behind the hillsides and farm fields, moving through the housing allotments.

"Here we are." The officer stated as he pulled into the driveway of his mother's house. Monorth thanked him and got out of the car. The officer waved goodbye and pulled out. Monorth waited for him to drive off down the street before heading for the house. There were still lights on, so thre was good chance that he would not have to break in, but he was not about to risk the officer getting suspicious when he went to the front door and rang the bell. After all, it had been nearly two years since he had necessarily needed keys to get inside. There was a bit of commotion from inside and a moment later his mother appeared in the doorway.

"Raven?!" She asked as she opened the door and gestured him inside. "You're soaked."

"You noticed." Monorth commented to her with an impish smile. "Do you have anything dry I can change into?"

"I think your brother might have something that would fit you." She replied, and then suddenly looked deeply confused. "What happened? Where's LeShana?"

"It's a very long story, and not one I'm ready to tell." Monorth told her.

"Then don't say any more." She told him with an understanding expression. "Let's get you dry before you ruin the carpet. After that, something to eat and a stiff drink would be in order."

"Sounds great." He agreed.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

It was dark, so Aslyn could not see where she was going, nor could she control her body. Her mind screamed in terror, but her body continued to walk without her consent, taking her deeper into the forest and deeper into the shadows. She could do nothing that seemed able to regain her control, so she beat against the inside of her skull and begged the heavens for something to change and to give her some way to fight back. She had gone to bed after seeing Trask and the others off, and she and Marta had been up late doing something she could not quite remember at the time. Even as the worry struck her mind, she realized that she did not know what she had done that morning or the day before, or even the day before that. She had woken up much later, after the moons had set, but she was not in control of herself. Without knowing how or why, she had found herself leaving the Center and walking into the deep forest that surrounded the crater. The forest was dark and filled with strange noises that were never heard high up in the cliffs. Aslyn was fighting panic, her heart was pounding so hard that she feared it would burst inside her chest. She watched as the forest thinned and she emerged into a roughly circular clearing. There was someone waiting there, dressed all in black, a mere shadow atop the small hill in the middle of the clearing.

"Good, you have arrived my servant." A deep, dark voice emerged from cloaked figure. It was not the voice of a living being, instead it was cold, so cold that it seemed the make the air freeze around her as it spoke. But it was a voice that did not simply vibrate through the air around her but came pouring up through her. And it was a voice filled with hate, such terrible, all consuming hatred, that it seemed to suck all the joy from the world merely by the sound of it. "And where is Marta?" It asked. As if expecting an answer, a moment of silence passed before there was a rustling behind Aslyn. She longed to look back over her shoulder, but even that was forbidden. She could only watch out of the corner of her eye, terrified, as a second figure walked up next to her. She could see that it was Marta, and that he was standing stiffly, his eyes looked around with that same fear that she felt. Aslyn longed to call out to him, but her voice, like her body, was frozen and incapable of doing anything. "Good, you're both here." The dark voice commented. "You have served me well, both of you, and now we are approaching the end of our task. In the morning you will go to your offices and order your agents on Earth to find and capture Monorth. He thought to elude me, to taunt me, to hide from me on that backwater that hid him once before from my sight. BUT NO MORE!" The voice grew colder and more powerful, and Aslyn's mind shuddered and as her every instinct screamed for her to pull away from the dark and terrible presence that seemed to grow and shift no more then ten feet from her. The dark figure moved closer, causing Aslyn to struggle against the confines of her body. "They are to find him, kill him, or bring him to me before it is too late. Monorth MUST be destroyed!!" The figure stated, obsession and a terrible hate echoing thickly in Its' voice. "I, your Master, demand this be done! Now, before that terrible light finds him again!!"

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Monorth walked down the Strip, awash in the millions of dazzling lights and strange sounds. It had only taken him a few days to cross a large chunk of the country by car, after departing his mother's house, having left her with the warnings of both the trouble that might follow him there, as well as the trouble stirring back in the realm she once called home. Though she hadn't exactly told him what she might do, there had been something in her eyes when she handed over the keys to her car and sent him on his way. The plan from the start was to reach Earth and then immediately lose himself in a place that contained so many oddities and strange things that he would hardly stand out among the population. For those purposes, there was perhaps no better place than Las Vegas, though Rio during Mardi Gras would have been a close second. The city would also put him on a nearly straight north-south line with region, where he had left the world half a year before. This, too, had been part of the plan. the chances of him hiding the exit point of his gate during his departure from the Center had been close to impossible, so even though he had a hundred million worlds to pick from, Earth had ultimately been the only world that had made sense. He had also hoped that its' still barely negligible levels of magical energy would prevent the monster from trying follow. Whether his strategy would work was less than certain, but it had also been the only one that had made a lick of sense.

In truth, he could not help but wonder at why something so evil and so ancient would become fixated on him. It simply did not make any sense, and hadn't since the others had informed him of all the things he had been left ignorant of during the past months. For all that he was a little unusual, there was simply nothing significant about him beyond a higher than average ability to perform magic. He was in possession of no significant knowledge, no extraordinary or unusual abilities, and despite the fact that he might learn quickly, he wasn't really all that smart or wise. So why he was the one out of all the eight-million people who lived and worked at the Center, that was the chosen target for the obsession of some terrible demon of the long forgotten past, much less when faced the quadrillions of people who inhabited the Salak'patan made no sense. No matter how he turned, shifted, or looked at the problem, there was simply no clarity to be had, much less any answers to be uncovered.

He had arrived there with the sunset and had seen little reason to not simply take one of the rooms inside one of the city sized hotels. Having driven most of the past twenty-four hours in order to arrive there, well ahead of any possible pursuit, much less those he was there to meet, he had fully intended to pull the curtains, crawl beneath the covers and wait for the sense that LeShana was close. However the city seemed to breed insomnia, because despite the fact that he had been driving since the previous sun rise, sleep refused to come to him. Rather than simply lay there in bed and stare at the ceiling while pining for the days when the world had seemingly made sense, he had finally given up the struggle and ventured out into an all too bright night which beckoned him from the other side of the curtains. While there was a chance that he had been simply making excuses, this thought was ignored, after all Las Vegas was legendary as a place that never slept. For all that he had been grown up, free to do as he pleased when he pleased, and had been rather wealthy at one time, Monorth had never been to the tourists' Mecca. Even he had to admit that he was taken by surprise and more than a little dazzled by all those bright lights and beautiful beacons that tempted and taunted like few others might. He had already wandered in and out of a half dozen of the big destination hotels and crossed a large chunk of the Strip. Sometime during his passage, he had come to the conclusion that LeShana and whomever might be with her had arrived in the city, and had they been alone, he might very well have headed back to his hotel room or tried to lure LeShana and Sarath out of theirs.

If it could have been done without worrying about who had been sent with them to ensure their continued 'loyalty', however, there was a strong sense that something was waiting to happen, and it was going to happen soon. The sense had nothing to do with that city or the fact that his friends had arrived there, because when glanced over his shoulder, there was no doubt that he was being followed. It was far too late to question the wisdom of venturing outside, and it was far too late to regret not choosing some other location to meet. He had already been recognized or detected, and he was already being followed, and he was being followed by no less than three separate groups. It did not seem that the three groups were aware of each other, but Monorth was very much aware of all of them. Along the way, he paused to peer at one of the many fountains that lined the streets, pretending to watch the artistic flow of water while secretly watching those that were watching him.

The first group consisted of four individuals. They held themselves straight and were dressed conservatively. They seemed out of place and had a presence about them that made the people around them defer to them, even though they did not know why. They were obviously agents, their clothes were made to look like native earth designs, but the fabrics did not match up. The second group was something far more sinister. They wore all black and hid their faces behind brimmed hats and dark sunglasses. Behind the glasses, there was a fanaticism that was total and exclusive of all else. There were two of them and they watched Monorth with a predatory hunger that made his skin crawl. Whatever they wanted from him, it was not something he would want to give. He had hoped that the third group would be LeShana or Sarath, but it wasn't. The third group was aware of the other two groups and they were certainly aware of Monorth. They were the total opposite of the group in black, as they almost completely blended in with the crowd and it was hard for him to pick them out from the swirling, ever changing backdrop. There was nothing truly distinctive about them, really, other than that they were almost totally focused on Monorth and the other two groups. There were either two or three of them, but their number seemed to shift with the ebb and flow of the crowd.

He could feel that LeShana was in the city, but he could not tell specifically where she was located in the tangled landscape. Nor he could afford to focus on finding her when he was being followed, no matter how much he could use her help right then. Taking his last look at the three groups, he moved away from the fountain. He set a pace that was faster than the casual strolls most of the other visitors enacted as they moved along the concrete paths. By doing so, he forced his pursuers to either separate themselves from the background, or maintain their anonymity and be left behind. In a part of himself able to maintain a sense of humor in the face of a troubling situation, he couldn't help but point out the utterly ridiculous kind of parade he was leading down the sidewalk. As Monorth walked, he tried to think of a plan that would let him lose his inadvertent traveling companions, or give him the option of dealing with them one at a time. One thing was certain, that he could not afford to let innocents get in the way. He could take care of himself, but everyone else on the street could not. Just as he was about to decide that his situation could not get any worse, his eyes caught those of a woman standing near the entrance to a casino as he hurried past. It was only too obvious she was watching him as he passed, and when he glanced back, he found her falling into step a few paces behind him, starting a fourth group. She had either decided that he was a good target for a mugging or was a police officer. She was soon joined by two cohorts that separated from the crowd to join her. Monorth cursed his luck as they reduced his chances of getting away considerably. Monorth could lose two groups easily, three groups if he was lucky, but four groups would lead each other right to him.

Monorth continued to curse under his breath as he moved closer to the street. With desperate times now upon him, it seemed that desperate measures were called for. At night there were fewer cars on the street, so they were moving along at a fair clip. However many times he might have lamented his bad choices and his ill luck, Monorth had never truly considered 'throwing himself into traffic' until the moment finally came. He waited for his chance and watched the cars as they swept along, moving in the opposite direction, and when he spotted his opening, he took it. His muscles bunched up, preparing for impact, then he leapt up and out into the street to land on the hood of a fast moving taxi cab. Accelerating down the street, he shifted up onto the vehicles roof and held on tightly, glancing over as he swept past all four groups and left them to chase after him. When a large truck pulled up along side the taxi, its' driver and passenger staring at him with expression of disbelief and shock with their video camera focused on him, he decided that he might as well give them a memento of their visit. He shoved away hard from the taxi's roof and jumped across, putting a large dent in their hood before diving immediately out through the palm trees running along the median. There, he hit another car's roof and again leapt away, passing right in front of a tour bus before landing on the far side of the street on the opposite the side walk. He immediately rolled to his feet and launched to a full out run down the tangled path of tourists, sweeping past any number of souls staring at him in stunned horror of his rather daring escape. He hardly had time for them, however, because when he glanced back he saw that he was being closely pursued by the first group. Monorth then looked back towards the opposite side walk, seeing that the second group was almost even with him and showing great foot speed. The third group was bringing up the rear, trying to look inconspicuous. He had left the fourth group behind him, and the second and third were having a lot of trouble crossing two lanes of traffic.

Suddenly, a section of the sidewalk exploded next to him, and Monorth was rocked sideways as the concrete beneath him shattered as well . If it had been a warning shot from the agents, it was a pretty close one, and soon all four agents were firing spells off at him. Everyone of the sidewalk scattered, evoking a series of near-disasters by the cars in the street. Monorth shielded himself heavily and sped up the pace of his feet. He soon lost sight of the other groups, but he was having too much trouble with the agents to worry much about them. The sidewalk and the buildings were no longer safe as more spells exploded, and then suddenly one hit the sidewalk at his feet, throwing him up into the air. Monorth curled into a ball and hit the ground hard, and rolled up to his feet, barely losing a step. He kept running, cursing with each footfall as he was in just the type of confrontation that he had been trying to avoid, one that endangered innocent people. He then cursed the necessity as he started a spell, using a coin from his pocket as the base, he finished the spell and dropped the coin in his wake. Seconds later the spell exploded, sending the four agents into the air. They hit the ground hard and unconscious. The force ball had been localized, so that no one else would be hurt, but he couldn't help but feel a certain justice in teaching his fellow agents a valuable lesson in friendly fire. Traffic on the street was stopped and the second group was running between the lanes, still even with Monorth, and he stared at them before turning back to the sidewalk. They crossed the street amid the sounds of horns, screams, and metallic agony. They reached the sidewalk and started to come after him, actually gaining ground on their fleeing target.

They had foot speed that was not human, and were probably spelled with illusions to hide their true appearances. Monorth knew that they would catch him, so he made a split decision and stopped, turned, and charged straight at them. They could not slow down in time. Monorth clothes-lined both of them, slamming them into the pavement. They were down, not out, however, it would only take them a little bit to recover. Monorth took the chance to see who was behind him. There was another group of agents in the lead; seven of them and they were not happy. Behind them, the fourth group had multiplied to nine, and way behind them the third group was still following. Monorth cursed and ran down a side street, fighting against the crush of people and cars. As Monorth shoved his way through, another group of people wearing all black formed up in his path, he could only see them because of his height. One of them took let out a bellowing scream that was anything but human. They dropped their illusions to reveal shapes that were not appealing. They looked like huge ants, with four legs and four arms apiece, their bodies glistened with a natural armor plating. The tide of people screamed in horror and soon Monorth was caught in the flow. He managed to catch hold of a lamp post and held on for dear life until the crowd scattered, he then let go to face off with the five insects.

"You die!" The leader screamed. "Our master demands it!"

"Guys, I'm really having a bad day. Perhaps we could settle this later?" Monorth replied, pitching his voice to carry.

"Talk cheap, die now!" One of the others spoke.

"No thanks." He replied, then reached towards the sky with his right hand. Seconds later, a massive bolt of lightning descended to strike them, and four of them fell to the ground with screams that could melt glass. The leader was shielded, and it looked around at its' companions. Monorth assumed it was probably not pleased, judging by the rage that poured off of it. None of the four that had collapsed moved, but the leader uttered a battle cry and charged. Monorth let it come, his hand finding the pouch at his hip. The ant came straight at him and Monorth waited patiently in its' path. At the last possible second, he flipped the blade open and rolled to the side, swinging the sword at its' legs. The blade sheared right through them, sending the ant screaming and tumbling away. Monorth was up and charging a second later, just in time to see the ants arms swiping at him. He ducked under the first set, but the second hit him. Its' three inch claws ripped into his side and he was thrown into the nearest building. Monorth quickly rolled out of the range of the injured creature, preparing himself before charging a second time, approaching towards its' injured side. The ant leaned to swipe at him again, heaving its' broken body as it maneuvered in for the strike, but he leapt over the reaching claws and plunged his sword into the creatures head. The blade ripped through the armor and gouged the creatures skull. Monorth hung onto his sword, dragging it down the creatures body, splitting it open like a ripe fruit. He then ripped the sword free as his feet touched the ground, retracting the blade as he backed away, his side screaming in pain.

"Halt!" Several voices screamed in unison. It was the group of agents and the fourth group. Both of them seemed unaware of each other as they raced straight at Monorth. He cursed and started to run in the other direction, stumbling over the burnt remains of the ants. The pain in his side slowed him considerably as he took the first alley he came to, trying to lead the groups away from more of the innocent population. The alley quickly ended with a tall fence, because only too obviously, the universe couldn't give him even one good break that day. Still, he jumped up and caught hold of the top of the fence and ignored the agony of his wound as he pulled himself over. Monorth dropped over the far side, where he came crashing down on the hood of a car, but just as quickly his feet slipped on the smooth, sloped surface and out from under him, causing him to come crashing down onto the windshield, which shattered as he landed. Monorth rolled off the hood and stumbled onto his feet as best as he could. He was in one corner of a massive parking lot with bright light coming from lamps overhead. This was not the best place to make a stand, but at least it was better than the streets. There was only one entrance, straight to the right, along the back of the casinos. Otherwise the area was completely enclosed.

He heard the sound of running feet approaching the end of the alley, and took that as his cue to move deeper into the parking lot. Somewhere in the tangle of vehicles, he dove between two oversized utility vans and ducked into the minimal cover they offered. As the agents and the Earth police started to come over the wall, Monorth fired off a spell that shattered all the light bulbs in the parking lot. This had the effect of making it much darker in the parking lot, but there was still the light coming from the surrounding casinos. Monorth ducked down and moved farther away from the fence, where he found another good hiding place between two limousines. There, he dropped down to the pavement and slid off his jacket, and with a knife, he cut up the fabric and soon had a rudimentary bandage. He ground his teeth as he bound the fabric around his stomach, under his shirt so it was less obvious should he manage to get away.

As Monorth finished bandaging himself, he took a quick look around. The leaders of the police and the agents were in the middle of a loud argument as their assorted forces looked nervously around the parking lot. Monorth contemplated trying to escape while they were bickering, but they were closer to the exits and in a clear line of sight of any place he might have used as a route away from there. The agents were too close for him to use a pass-through, they would sense it and would be able to track it to its' source. His best choice was to take them out by ones and twos, but for that he would have to wait for them to break apart. He watched as the argument continued between the leaders of each group. What snippets he managed to catch led him to believe that they were actually arguing which group had jurisdiction and therefore first grabs on him. It was flattering to think that everybody wanted him, but considering the situation, Monorth would have liked to forgo that pleasure.

The motion of two black figures near the regular exit to the parking lot suddenly attracted Monorth's attention. The two figures moved swiftly around the edges of the area, using the cars as cover, just as he was doing. He could not tell if it was group number three, more of the ants in disguise, or yet another group entirely. Whatever it was, it meant that there were more at the party, and he was still vastly outnumbered. Whoever or whatever they were, they were making almost a straight line directly towards him. Monorth glanced nervously at the group of agents and police, hoping they were still caught up in their argument, which would give Monorth the chance to negate the threat of the newcomers without alerting them. But when he turned back to the approaching figures only to find that they were not where they were supposed to be, he cursed under his breath and looked around. Suddenly, he felt a presence at his back. He twisted around as he raised his hands to attack, only to have one of them grabbed his hands and the other covered his mouth. One of them kindled a small, weak mage-light and he nearly cried out in disbelief; it was LeShana and Sarath. They all ducked back down as Sarath put out her small light.

<<Seems you have stirred up the hornet's nest.>> Sarath commented in his mind.

<<And I'm all out of bug spray.>> Monorth replied. <<They sting too.>> He added, lifting his injured side to the light.

<<Are you all right?>> LeShana asked, her tone one of deep concern.

<<For now.>> He replied, sending his love to her. <<There are bigger problems, can anyone say Alamo?>> Monorth added, nodding over his shoulder.

<<Who are they?>> LeShana asked, looking in the direction that he indicated.

<<A mixture of agents and local police.>> Monorth replied. <<There are two more groups, one that has not done anything so far and a large group of ant-like creatures wearing illusions, and none of them are in the mood to talk.>>

<<How did you get hurt?>> Sarath asked.

<<Well, I managed to avoid injury when the agents started throwing spells around, but one of the ants could not resist introducing me to the business end of its' claws.>> He told her.

<<They're breaking up.>> LeShana warned them. <<Monorth, you go to the right, Sarath, you go left, I'll go down the middle. Take them out silently, and move on to the next one. If something happens, call the alarm and get out. Try not to leave something permanent like death behind, we don't want bodies on our hands.>> LeShana ordered. Sarath and Monorth nodded before slipping away, responding instantly to the voice of authority. There were six of them in Monorth's direction, only one of which was close. He slid along the shadowed wall, making his way to a place that was in the agent's search pattern. When he was positioned correctly, he hunkered down to wait, and the man predictably came right up to Monorth. He reached out of the darkness and covered the man's mouth. He only struggled for a moment before Monorth dropped him with a spell. He then pushed the unconscious man out of the way, under the front bumper of the nearest car before heading for the next victim.

<<My area is clear.>> Sarath announced.

<<Go help Monorth.>> LeShana ordered. Monorth grumbled about overachievers as he stalked up behind the nearest agent. Monorth expertly clocked him and he dropped to the ground without a sound, but his side protested madly about dragging the body as he dropped it between two closely parked cars. Monorth spotted Sarath as she snuck past him to attack the next nearest person. He got around to cover her flank and guard against any other nearby agents from seeing her. As it so happened, just as Sarath made her move, the nearest individual turned and saw her drop her target. The agent stupidly did not call an alarm and charged straight at her, but Monorth stepped out right in his path and upper-cut him in a vicious punch. The agent came crashing down, hitting the pavement with a dull crack, and Monorth stowed his body.

<<Trouble.>> LeShana announced. <<Three of them and coming at me.>>

<<Lead them towards the two vans, we'll set up an ambush.>> Monorth directed. LeShana acknowledge and broke cover to run towards the vans while Monorth and Sarath raced into position. LeShana sprinted past them, leading the agents through the bottleneck. Sarath clothes lined the first to come through and Monorth tripped the second, and felled the third with a spell. LeShana finished off the second with a quick, clean kick to the temple, but the encounter attracted the attention of the remaining agents. The three of them dashed for cover, Monorth added up the numbers, but they did not seem to equal out, one or more of them was hiding or had gone to get help. Four agents approached the area and found their unconscious cohorts. LeShana lead the attack, spelling one and grappling another. Sarath dropped the second and then squared off with the fourth. Monorth brought up the rear to knock out the one grappling with LeShana then boxing in the fourth for Sarath to finish off. They could see no one else, and took that as the clue to get the hell out of the parking lot. They headed towards the exit at a run, but Monorth was in real pain now, barely able to keep up the pace. They rounded the corner to head out towards the street and stopped dead in their tracks. There in the shadows was the leader of the agents, and he was pointing a gun straight at them.

"Halt." He told them unnecessarily. "Monorth, on the orders of Aslyn, I am to bring you back to the Center by any means necessary." He looked at LeShana and Sarath, his face changed to one of confusion. "LeShana.. Sarath what are you doi.." He never got to finish what he was going to say, as someone loomed out of the shadows and dropped him with a blow to the head. The figure stepped out of the shadows, and Monorth was surprised to discover that it was the woman on the street, the one that had been leading the police officers.

"I never liked him anyway." She murmured, looking down at his unconscious body. She ducked down and pulled the gun from his lifeless fingers. "He never knew when to back off."

"Are we under arrest?" Monorth asked her.

"Yes,.. at least until we get you to a hospital." She smiled at them. "I'm a friend, an ally from someone you knew at the Center, I'll get all of you away, but you've got to trust me." LeShana was quick to agree and Monorth breathed a sigh of relief. He honestly felt like fainting, but resisted the urge as she freed a small radio from inside her jacket. "This is unit 32 requesting medic teams." She stated into the radio. She then gave them the location and put the radio away. "Let's get you out here." She added to Monorth, LeShana supporting him as he limped towards the street.

"Sorry about your co-workers back there." LeShana murmured to her.

"It's all right, you didn't know we were on your side, and besides we needed to get rid of the agents before we could help you." She replied. "Lieutenant Sabin, mage first class."

"Agents Monorth and LeShana." LeShana told her.

"Agent Sarath." Sarath told her.

"I know you have questions, but please hold them until I have time to explain." The Lt. requested, looking at the three agents.

"We will." About that time, an ambulance pulled into the driveway, its' lights flashing, the emts came rushing towards them. The Lt. stopped them for a short conference before handing them a card. Monorth laid down on the stretcher as the conference was underway, then the Lt. approached him and LeShana.

"I am sending you to a doctor that will keep things quiet. I will come and talk to you after I clean up this mess." Monorth and LeShana nodded. He was loaded in the ambulance, as they pulled out, even as two more ambulances arrived. Monorth relaxed, trying to forget the pain at least for a few minutes.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

They had departed from the Center no more than a day behind Monorth, sent out on orders to find him and coordinate the effort to 'peacefully' bring him into custody. However, there was not a one of them who had not been aware of their real mission. Trask and another agent had been assigned to their group in a 'support' capacity, but it too was a lie that none of them had believed. Thankfully, Aslyn, and whatever was using her, was unaware that Trask was already firmly on their side, and that versus the five of them, there was no chance the other agent would get to complete his own official meeting. His eyes had gleamed with the need for vengeance, and all of them could only too easily guess that had they intended to carry out their mission, the other agent was to be the 'hand of justice' that would see to it that Monorth never saw the inside of a jail cell. About eight hours was all that their group could take of him, and with a little sleep spell, a little manipulation to alter his memory, and a less than gentle shove, they had left him somewhere in Canada by the side of a road. They had then proceeded with all available speed south for the rendezvous. As was perhaps only appropriate, they hadn't even settled into their hotel room when LeShana felt that her love in over his head and in trouble. In the end, they had to perform surgery to repair Monorth's side, the doctor had been surprised that there had been no internal damage, however there was a large chunk of talon stuck in one of the wounds. At least he would not leave Las Vegas without some keepsake to remember his trip with. LeShana was by his bedside in the recovery room when he woke, and neither she nor the others had been more than twenty feet from his room in the day since he had been brought there.

"How is he?" The police lieutenant asked, having managed to sneak up behind her as she stood by the coffee machine, which had been her main source of nutrition and energy during the past day. She did not do much more than glance back at her while she waited the machine to fulfill it's purpose and fill her cup.

"Well.. frustrated, and more than a little ready to be out of this place." LeShana informed her a moment later. She was more than a little surprised to see that three more people had all managed to sneak up on her in the Lieutenant's wake. What was perhaps the biggest surprised was that one of the faces was one she recognized and had thought was still back at the Center.

"You two know each other?" The officer asked of the white haired paladin of Seletra, who nodded to LeShana.

"We have not been formerly introduced, Janet." The Paladin stated back to her.

"He's sort of been helping us unofficially deal with the problem that brings all of us here." LeShana added, almost on the same breath. After that, it was advisable for all of them to gather in Monorth's hospital room. It was quite crowded with nine of them, but was only too necessary, since it was clear to at least some of them that Earth might not be as good of a hiding place as it once was. Her beloved was not the least bit happy to find that the interlopers had once again multiplied. "Monorth." LeShana reprimanded, as she felt him subtlety preparing spells.

"But they were chasing me last night." Monorth countered, only too readily holding a grudge.

"We were there to try and help you." The oldest of three told him.

"These people have my complete trust." The Lieutenant told him, but coming from a stranger who had, in fact, also been chasing him, that was hardly the glowing endorsement the younger woman intended it to be. "At least reserve your judgment until I have explained." Monorth nodded his acceptance, but he was not happy about it. "This is Dumas. He leads this group. He is a wise and generous person." The man she gestured to had gray hair and a calm, kind face that everyone in the room, besides Monorth, recognized from their various encounters. Like all of the people in the group, he was extremely fit and had the look of people who knew how to handle themselves in any given situation. Dumas, however, seemed in every way to be the oldest of the group.

"You're too kind, young one." Dumas commented to Janet, who smiled at him warmly.

"This is Leta. Don't play cards with her if you want to keep your money." Leta smiled evilly at the comment. She was a few years older than LeShana, with a cool, expressionless face and gold hair to match her gold eyes. "And this is Starn, the original strong arm." Janet finished while Starn showed his smile, which was infectious. He was big enough to give Monorth a run for his money in the departments of size and strength. He had dark black hair and deep amber eyes that seemed to give away his feelings. "All of them are paladins from the Halls and serving one of the major gods." She quickly pointed out that Dumas served Seletra, the goddess of wind, Starn served Rein'heil, the god of Earth, and Leta served Leviathan, the god of water. It was a veritable who's who from the widely worship pantheon of gods and goddess from the settled parts of the Halls.

"What are three paladins really doing on Earth?" Destin asked with clear suspicion and not so easily buying their cover story.

"Let alone doing together? I thought paladins traveled alone." Solair added on the heels of her bonded.

"What's going on here?" Was Trask's question.

"And what's so important about Monorth?" Sarath asked defensively.

"What do you want?" Was LeShana's simple question.

"Can someone get me a burger?" Monorth asked, clearly in the mood to just be difficult. He had unfortunately been in the same kind of mood most of the day he had been awake, and LeShana suspected it had something to do with the painkillers.

"Calm down." Dumas ordered, and all of them subsided almost instantly. "All of you will have your answers, but they must wait."

"But what about my burger?" Monorth asked, drawing strange glances from everyone gathered, much to his deep amusement. LeShana shushed him and he promised to be good for a least a while longer with a look.

"Let me explain." The Lieutenant began unnecessarily. "For some years now, ever since the rediscovery of Earth by the Center, paladins have been coming here to comb the ranks of our people to look for candidates to train, much as the Center has been doing." There was a knock on the door before the Lt. could continue any further. The Lt. cursed and walked towards the door, then unlocked it and told the person to go away.

"I will not." The voice replied. "I am needed right here."

"We're busy." The Lt. replied. "Come back later".

"Dumas, tell her to let me in." The woman ordered. Dumas looked stricken and went to let the woman inside. Monorth was not the only one to be utterly shocked by the person who swept into the room with a confident smirk.

"Nadia?" LeShana asked in utter surprise.

"Janus?" Leta asked at the same instant. Everyone regarded each other in surprise, only Monorth's mother was not included in that exchange.

"I came here as quickly as I could." She stated to everyone. "It seems that I am not as quick as I used to be."

"Not so, there are many dark servants still lurking in the shadows." Starn told her.

"Now all we will need is for Her to show up to make this a meeting that would surpass the imagination." Dumas commented.

"Wouldn't it though." Nadia/Mother-in-law/Janus replied, smiling at LeShana.

"Am I the only here that would like to know what the hell is going on?" Monorth asked with a smile, hoping to lighten the mood that hung around the room. The gathered agents, police, and paladins all laughed, just as Monorth had hoped they would.

"Seems that I am no longer the one without questions. But I do plan to get through with what I was going to say." The Lt. told them firmly, as if daring the universe to interrupt her once more. "As I was saying, paladins have been coming here on recruiting missions. I was one of those that they found, but I did not feel suited to the task of joining their ranks. Instead, I became one of their allies here on Earth. They helped me to hide from the Earth recruiters until I was safe from being abducted." She smiled at Monorth in thanks for the boon. "After Monorth changed that, I came forward and was trained as quickly as they and Starn could teach me. I retained my position here and Las Vegas, becoming one of the first magically trained police officers. Dumas, Leta, and Starn were warned of the trouble to come, and were sent here to help. When we heard that agents were being called in to capture Monorth at all costs, we knew what the coming trouble was. It was just too suspicious for any of us to ignore the signs. So I started sending my people out to watch for you. We were hoping to avoid trouble altogether, but I guess that was impossible. Dumas asked me to keep you out of the hands of the agents. We had suspicions that there were dark servants here, but we had no idea that there were so many of them."

"Something very powerful does not want you to live past your training." Dumas told Monorth.

"Tell me something we don't know." Monorth replied with a dark scowl.

"We need to get him out of their reach." Nadia/Janus commented.

"Yes, but with a group this size, that will make things hard." Leta commented.

"We could split up." Destin suggested.

"Agents, on the way up." Monorth told them suddenly.

"You sure?" The Lt. asked him.

"Yes, someone just brushed my shields and it was too strong to be someone trained locally." Monorth replied, pushing people out of the way as he tried to stand up. LeShana had to save him as he proved weaker than he had thought.

"Dammit." LeShana cursed. "Destin, Solair, Trask distract them."

"Janet, go with them." Dumas ordered the Lieutenant.

"When we're clear, we'll meet you back at the Hotel." Destin added, as the four of them headed for the door. They left the room at a run. Monorth struggled to get dressed in the clothes they had brought with them, but Sarath and LeShana finally had to help him. Once he was ready, the group left the room, ignoring the objections of the doctor who had been coming to check on Monorth. They went down the back stairs, heading for their cars waiting in the back parking lot. Security tried to stop them, but Sarath flashed a badge at them. They got away with ease and headed for the hotel, throwing off spells that would confuse their trail. When they got to the hotel, LeShana and Sarath shielded the rooms, heavily cloaking the spells from most detection spells, and that would hopefully give them time. Destin and the other arrived shortly after they had finished their work.

"Any trouble?" LeShana asked of them.

"They tried to give us some, but we pushed back. You were gone by the time they got to your room." Trask replied.

"And we were gone by the time they tried to find us." The Lieutenant added for the sake of the worried group.

"All right, we're safe for a time. And this room is easily defended, thanks to the efforts of Sarath and LeShana." Dumas told them with a sigh.

"Then could someone please explain what the hell is going on?" Trask demanded as his temper started fraying.

"I wish we could." Leta told him. "There is much that we can not say."

"And even more that we do not know." Nadia/Janus added.

"There is something that we and Monorth need to do, before we can explain fully." Dumas told them. "We can tell you something of what is going on, but that is all we can do."

"Then I guess that will have to do." Trask replied, all of them settled around the room within hearing distance.

"I could, perhaps, begin with the history of paladins, but that would only benefit Monorth I think." Dumas commented.

"He is the only that does not know it." LeShana commented teasingly, and he glared at her, softening it with a ghost of a smile.

"Monorth is something special.." Dumas began. "He has a great destiny ahead of him that may well change the Salak'patan as we know it. I can not say for sure, I do not know the future, nor am I one who can say what will happen. But the dark forces are gathering to try and strike him down before he comes into his strength. The dark servants are part of that, those insects were their opening gambit. And there is more trouble brewing at the Center as well." All of them nodded at that. "Monorth must be taken away from here, out of danger."

"If they wanted to get Monorth why didn't they strike at him when he was a child, or before he was trained?" Solair asked.

"Why is everyone talking about me as if I am not here?" Monorth asked angrily, LeShana patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"They could not find him as a child, Janus protected him well. And after that, he had not chosen the path that one day might lead him to his great future." Dumas told her softly. "The future is not a set course, one decision may change the path that the future may take. There are thousands of possibilities that lay ahead. Only in a small number does Monorth become what he might become." Dumas added.

"We can not say much more." Leta told them. "The less you know, the less notice the forces of evil will give you."

"Oh, great, not only am I in an afternoon special, but it's one of those bad sci-fi ones." Monorth muttered under his breath so that only LeShana caught his comment. "Why is it that every would be hero has to talk like he's some selfless martyr that faces death at every turn?" Monorth asked, pitching his voice louder. Dumas chuckled, it was a warm sound that made all of them smile.

"Perhaps we are being over-dramatic." Dumas told him.

"We need to divide up." LeShana suggested, changing the direction of the conversation.

"Yes, that is true." Dumas agreed with a nod for her.

"With your permission, Nadia, I would like to send Trask, Destin, and Solair back to your house." LeShana suggested, ignoring the objections from the three she named. "It's an order." LeShana added, crushing further objections with a glare. "We will meet there later."

"That's a good idea. I will give you three a note for my son. I just up and left without leaving word." Janus commented, worry lines showing in her face.

"We'll shield it and make sure that it's defensible if trouble follows you back." Destin stated, looking for anything that would compensate for the fact that they would not be going.

"Leta, Starn, you will be staying here to help Janet clean out any dark servants that may remain. And to help lead the agents away from our trail." Dumas ordered. Both paladins seemed disappointed, but nodded understandingly anyway.

"Between the five of us, we should have little trouble." Sarath stated reassuringly.

"We should be safe here until morning." Dumas commented.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

In the morning they departed. Destin and his group headed back for Indiana and Dumas and the rest of them headed north. They stopped at Monorth's hotel to get his clothes and so that Destin could take the car. Since there were five of them, Janus rented a large van for the trip. Leta and Starn watched them depart before leaving with the Lieutenant to help clean out Las Vegas. For the second time in less than a year, Monorth was on the road, confused by the things that were happening around him. Rather than trying to think about it, he spent part of the first day carving a hole in the talon that had been left in his side and putting it on a chain. Perhaps it could be a good luck charm, because it certainly seemed the time to court a little luck, but after that was finished, there was nothing to do. The scenery outside of the van was stark and uninviting, and both Sarath and LeShana were asleep, slumped together in the middle seat. They had spent the whole night guarding the door. Dumas was driving, and his mother was in the front seat, completely silent. Monorth tried to get some sleep, but his mind was reeling and there was nothing to distract from it. Rather than do nothing, he choose to cast as many healing spells as he could on his wound, hoping to heal it as quickly as possible. Afterwards, however, he was right back were he had been, bored with no distraction. That was when his mother took notice of him. She crawled into the back seat next to him, careful not to disturb LeShana and Sarath.

"Can't sleep?" She asked of him, and Monorth nodded his head even as sigh came bubbling up.

"This is why I hate long car trips, nothing to do and no room to do it in." He replied.

"You have questions, perhaps I can answer them." She suggested.

"I thought you said that you could not tell us anymore." Monorth contradicted.

"The others yes, but you, no." She replied, which prompted Monorth to think about it for a moment.

"Well I guess that I should start by asking you what I should call you now?" Monorth asked her.

"In private, you can still call me Mom, but Janus when there are others around." Janus told him. "In our line of work, we can not afford to have weak points to be attacked."

"So you aren't going back?" he asked her.

"It's time, your brother is old enough to go into training. And he knows what he is now, I told him after you left." His mother told him. "In the note, I told him that Trask and the others could answer any question he might have. He has changed a great deal since you last saw him" She added nostalgically.

"I don't suppose he's the only one." Monorth replied, gesturing to himself.

"That's true." She replied. "But things must and will change." Monorth lapsed into deep thought for a moment as he contemplated his next question.

"I can't think of what I should ask next, maybe you could start from the beginning." He suggested.

"I'm not the scholar that Dumas is, but I can give you the information that you need so you can ask questions." She told him with a smile. "I should probably start by telling you about the gods. There are many of them, some that are real, some that are imagined, and there are some that have been forgotten. But they are real, entities of power and wisdom that try to guide those of us who are mortal. Who knows when they started to do this or why the take interest in our lives, but they do. There are some that work for the betterment of all races, and there are some that work towards the subjugation of all races. They're like people in that they are capable of good and they are capable of evil, only the balance differs for each. And just like people, there are those who are more or less powerful than others. There is no universal law governing them, they follow their own pace and want different things. Some people theorize that they are working towards some kind of balance, I don't know, I am not a theologian. There are literally thousands of them, each with their own powers and interests. But there are seven of them that stand atop the pile. Seletra, the goddess that we serve, she is the goddess of the winds, she stands at one of the seven elements. Then there is Leviathan, who is the god of water. Rein'heil, the god of the earth. Valriestia, the goddess of fire. Lyrestia, the goddess of life. And Telnarin, the god of death. And finally, Tethan the god of power. He seems to be a neuter, but he is commonly referred to as male. All seven of them are balanced, they are capable of good and they are capable of bad. In truth, they resist defining characteristics that we can give them, it's hard to encompass the near infinite with our limited views. What may seem like evil, may become a blessing later on. And ultimately, good and evil are limited perceptions and humanoid ideals. All the gods work towards some greater ideal, we are the ones that label it good or evil just because it runs with or against what we want to believe."

"There are more things in heaven and earth." Monorth commented, and his mother nodded understandingly. "Now, what about paladins?"

"The origin of paladins, like so many things, is unknown. It was long before the Mage War, hundreds, maybe thousands of years before that time, but our records from then have long since been destroyed, much like so many other histories of what came before that great darkness. All we do know is that many years ago, the gods started choosing mortal beings to serve as examples of their ideals in mortal realms." His mother told him softly, with love and adoration in her eyes. "Just like the gods that we serve, we are neither good nor evil and we do what we can to further the greater goal. There are some cultures that would call the servants of Seletra evil."

"Which is the larger part, the ones that consider you good or evil?" Monorth asked, more than capable of guessing that himself, since it seemed that Seletra had already saved his life twice.

"Good, but you have to realize that about twenty-five percent of the halls are still unexplored. For all we know, that percentage will think us evil or they may not even follow the same gods. It is a large place that we inhabit, there is no telling what is out there or what we have not seen." She told him with a far off look in her eyes.

"What are these dark servants you were talking about?" Monorth asked her.

"They are those that serve the gods we see as evil, gods that believe in suffering and torture as things that will strengthen the races, and weaken those that oppose them." She explained softly, with a darkness in her voice. "As far as we know, these gods are few and weak on the totem of power. We have never heard any of their servants call upon one of the higher names. As far as we can tell, these gods seek more people to worship them to give them greater strength and influence. They prey on the weaker aspects of a person's soul, the baser elements. They attract those that are at odds with the world around them and are angry at the hand they have been dealt."

"But what about those that believe in one supreme being?" Monorth asked her.

"There might be correct, there is no way of telling." She replied as her brow wrinkled with concentration. "There are those that believe that there is only one supreme power, and perhaps it's true. Maybe all the different gods are simply different aspects of one great being. There is no one, true way, and all ways have their own truths." She added philosophically.

"So where are we going?" Monorth asked her, unabashedly changing the subject.

"To a place north of here. It's a secret place, hidden deep in the forests." She replied.

"But why?" Monorth pushed gently towards understanding.

"There was an ancient temple there." Janus replied.

"That's not answering my question." Monorth replied, giving her a look that he hoped would pin her down so she would answer.

"All right, I guess that you will need to know eventually.." His mother seemed more than a little uncomfortable. "Seletra wants to talk to you." She finally answered, and he was left dumbstruck, caught between fear and interest. "That's a lot to absorb, I will leave you to think about it. If you have any more questions, just ask me or Dumas." She added quietly before escaping back to passenger seat. Monorth had always considered himself something of a philosopher, but what he had just been told went past the point of philosophy and into the realm of reality. Left alone with his thoughts, his mind reeled under the new revelations, trying to wrap his mind around the new aspect on his expanding world. Deep inside him, a small part of his brain was saying, 'Oh great and I just got over the fact that the world was far larger than just one small blue planet.'

Chapter Seven: A Series of First Meetings

Since there were four of them to drive, they decided not to stop for anything other the necessary reasons, lest the agents or the dark servants pick up their trail again. Monorth was refused a turn at the wheel and was forced into idleness by a wound that was rapidly healing. The desert soon gave way to twisting mountain passes, and then large tracks of forest. By his estimation, they were somewhere in Washington state or Oregon, and of course Dumas and the others did not bother to venture a guess. It turned out that the two paladins had been following the call of Seletra, using instinct to guide them towards their destination. Monorth just hoped that Seletra had a road map or an updated GPS somewhere, as getting lost was not his idea of fun. After a few talks with Dumas and another talk with his mother, he was slowly coming to an understanding on the matters of gods and goddesses, albeit a confused one. Near nightfall on the third day, they reached the end of the road, quite literally, as they stopped deep inside a vast band of forest and at the dead end of a overgrown dirt road. Dumas woke everyone up as he started to find the flashlights and compass that they had bought no more than three hours before, when they last stopped. Monorth got out of the van, doing his best to straighten his clothes before he accepted a flashlight from Dumas, though he could only hope that he wouldn't be struck down for appearing before a goddess slightly ruffled. Once they were all ready, they headed into the forest, following the lead of the two paladins. It was a long walk and it was dark, that was all he would later remember. They traveled for nearly four hours, ever deeper in the forest, or even in circles for all that he could tell. By the time they finally arrived, Monorth was so tired he did not care. Their final destination was nothing more than a tumble of old, worn stone in the middle of an overgrown clearing. Disappointed and tired, he sat down on the nearest rock. He was more than a little surprised by the place, having expected more for the second time that year.

<More than what?> A strange voice, unlike any other he had ever heard before asked. It was not quite sound and not quite telepathy, and of course there was no source that he could recognize. <Things that are built are there for only a fleeting moment, and then they fade. It is a fitting testament to time's influence that a once great temple is overrun by slower things.> There was a laugh, a crystalline, musical laughter that filled his mind with sounds he would have been unable to describe.

"Who's there?" Monorth called, out rising to his feet.

<Who else would be out here in the middle of nowhere, as you so eloquently put it?> The voice asked, but before Monorth could make a sarcastic reply, the clearing was filled with light. Pure white light, like that of the moon, and it blinded all of them for a time. When their eyes cleared, there were no longer simply five of them standing there, because a sixth figure was standing in the center of the clearing. Janus and Dumas dropped to their knees and bowed their heads almost instantly. Monorth felt like doing so as well, because Seletra was beautiful. She was more than beautiful, she was perfection personified. It was a perfection that could not be real, it simply could not exist without destroying the fabric of reality.

<My, so dramatic.> She commented, but seemingly just to him. She wore a dress of pure white like the light that had filled the clearing not seconds before. Her hair was a rain of silver that reached to the ground, and her eyes were also silver, like the light of the sun caught behind a thin cloud, high in the sky, but behind the beauty there was power. The power to shape worlds and the power to destroy them. Coupled with the power was a vast knowledge. In her eyes, Monorth glimpsed the elder races in their infancies, worlds destroyed and worlds created; to look upon her was to live an eternity in an instant. <I had not thought you a poet, my dear Monorth.>

<I wish you would not bow, Janus, Dumas.> Seletra commented forlornly, looking a little shamed as the two paladins stood up. <I thank you, though, for doing as I ask.>

"We serve you, great one." The two paladins said simultaniously.

<I know, and you serve me well.> Seletra reassured them, before the goddess's attention shifted to Sarath and LeShana. <Sarath, and LeShana, though you do not serve me I am proud to know that people like you exist. It proves that there are those who will serve on the side of justice and good without a higher power breathing down their necks.> Seletra commented to them.

<<A noble sentiment.>> Monorth commented at her. Seletra ignored him but there a twinge of a smile on her lips.

<Monorth, I would like to speak to you in private. The rest of you are free to stay or go at your will. My servants will bring you anything you may need.> With that, Seletra turned and walked deeper into the forest with Monorth following a few steps behind her. A light appeared to illuminate their path deeper into the forest. They walked for some distance until they reached another small clearing. This one was open to the sky, and there was a little waterfall there. <Please, have a seat.> Seletra suggested. Monorth looked around before deciding to settle into a small hollow formed by the roots an old tree. A chair appeared for Seletra. It was white, like her dress, and appeared as if it had been spun from the stuff of clouds.

"So what's up?" Monorth asked her flippantly, deciding that if he was to be struck down by the divine, then he might as well have some fun with it before the end.

<You intrigue me, young Monorth.> Seletra commented to him. She did not laugh at his jest, but she seemed to. He couldn't be sure, but she looked at him in a way that made him almost think that she knew him, and not just a personal knowledge taken from a being who had watched over him since birth, but rather, as someone who had seen him, talked with him, and knew him as a person. It was an all together strange feeling to see that in her gaze and not be able to understand why it might be that way.

"As opposed to the old Monorth?" He asked with an amused smile.

<You are normally so serious, but you are sometimes so irreverent. You regard me with neither abject fear nor out-right devotion.> Seletra told him in soft words that danced across his senses, like the whisper of a cool breeze sliding across bare skin.

"Just part of my charm, I guess." Monorth replied with a smile.

<You, yourself, commented on the power I posses to destroy worlds, what makes you so confident that I could not direct that power at you?> Seletra asked of him, another of those pleased smiles shifting across her perfect features.

"I look at it this way." Monorth murmured softly back to her. While he had toyed with the idea, he also felt no threat from the figure, no matter who or what she might be. "Why would you? What am I compared to you? And what difference would it make to you if I was myself or if I was too busy bowing to see the ground where I was walking?" Monorth asked her in return. Seletra regarded him with an intense stare, seeming to drill into his soul. Monorth ignored the pressure she was exerting on him. There was no point in worrying about it, since she could crush him if she wanted.

<You are so odd.> Seletra finally commented, dropping the stare.

"As opposed to what?" Monorth asked her. "As a great philosopher once pointed out, 'There is no such thing as normal'."

<And which philosopher was that?> Seletra asked him, clearly pleased.

"I forget, but the movie was good." Monorth replied. Seletra's musical laughter filled the clearing once more.

<You, Monorth, are not what I have come to expect, even from a person with a soul as old as yours. Even now, when you are not quite yourself.> Seletra told him as her laughter died away. It was a very odd statement that struck him as containing mysteries he might never be able to penetrate, but wanted too badly.

"Expectations are only rarely ever the truth." He told her with a smile.

<I suppose, but my expectations have rarely ever been wrong.> She countered just as quickly.

"Well, there you may very well have the advantage of me." He commented back to her, which prompted her to make a playful face at him. "If it helps, you're not what I expected either." Monorth added, resisting the urge to smile just a little more brightly.

<Why is that?> Seletra asked him.

"I was expecting the Ice Empress." Monorth replied, her laughter once more echoing through him.

<From the way Janus and Dumas describe me, I suppose you could expect no less.> Seletra teased them in their absence with obvious affection.

"I don't wish to be rude or say anything that will get me struck down.. but I can't help but question why you asked to speak with me." Monorth not quite asked of her as his inner demands for answers finally overrode his desire to understand the curious figure just a little bit better.

<Back to the matter at hand, it is a pity that our first meeting had to come at such an inauspicious time, but it was nice to have an interlude where work was forgotten.> Seletra sighed, very much like any normal person might have, but in many ways it made her seem more human than he could ever have expected.

"If it was not for moments of mirth, what are we working for?" Monorth asked, as his seriousness began to return.

<Out of the mouths of babes.> She teased happily in return.

"I am not that young." Monorth told her indignantly, her laughed once more filling his heart with the sound.

<There is much to discuss.> Seletra began as the seriousness returned this time to both of them. <There are powers marshaling against you, Monorth.>

"Tell me something I don't know." He replied, touching his healing side.

<In all truth, the likelihood of you surviving their combined attentions is nonexistent.> Seletra told him, her expression becoming grim. While it hardly sounded like the good news he had been hoping for, he had known all along that his chances of survival had never been that good. It had only been the fact that he had more than enough to live for that hadn't let him simply stop, even before he started, and let the monster strike him and LeShana down.

"If I am to be the torch bearer, I must know that the time that I hold that flame is short, but if I fall, someone else will come and pick up the light and carry it further than I did." Monorth told her. "My death may be imminent, but I will go into it willing. Though I promise you one thing, I will take as many of them with me as I can."

<There are other options than walking blindly to your death.> Seletra told him.

"Like what?" Monorth asked, feeling just a little suspicious. Janus had always told him not to trust candy from strangers, maybe she had meant it for strange goddesses as well, but the point was less clear.

<You could become my paladin, and in the battle to come I can lend you the strength that you need to survive.> Seletra stated, her voice tense. Monorth took a deep breath, his mind milling over the proposal for a very long time as strange, unknown emotions appeared and then passed, only to be replaced by others. As much as continuing to live was a big motivator for him, something else kept getting in the way of the seemingly singular option that might allow him to do that. Finally, after an eternity of internal debate, there was only one answer ringing deep within him.

"No." Monorth finally replied.

<What?!?> Seletra demanded sharply, her voice echoing with her shock and confusion.

"If I live or die by my choices, so be it, but if I can not accept your offer with a happy heart, than I can not accept it. And something deep inside me has only one answer to your kind offer. So it calls out to me and so I have given its' response. There is a lot I don't know about a great many things, but one thing I do know is that the freedom of choice is one of the few freedoms anyone has." Monorth explained, even as his own resolve seemed to solidify at the sound of his own words.

<But if you do not, you will die.> While it was spoken as a warning, it almost sounded like she was begging him not to deny her offer.

"Then I will die knowing that I made that choice." Monorth replied grimly, having never been one to fear the unknown. "Can you be sure that I will die? Honestly, completely know this? I think Janus said it best, long ago when I was still young, 'The future is not written and one choice made with your whole heart can make a world of difference'."

<I have seen for myself that if you do not accept my help, you will die.> Seletra told him, sounding almost heartbroken. Although he felt for her, it could not change the echoing truth he felt inside him.

"That is my choice to make. If my soul goes on to inhabit another body, then make sure that the next person isn't as dumb as I am." Monorth told her, chuckling at the thought.

<How can you be so nonchalant about death?> Seletra asked him, clearly deeply confused by his refusal.

"Why fear something that's inevitable?" He countered straight away, and she looked away as if having forgotten this bit of truth. "I am mortal, aren't I? And as such, I refuse to spend my life fearing death. Seems to me that spending every waking moment beating it back is a great way to not live that life. Death is not an end, grand destiny or not. As I said, someone else will carry the torch in my place."

<Most mortals flee from death, and yet you go to seek it.> Seletra commented, sounding as if she was amazed by something she did not share with him.

"Death tends to find mortals even if they flee." He replied quickly.

<The soul of a poet and a heart that is fearless. You are truly unique.> Her voice seemed to come from some place far away, and simply echoed across the void to reach him. There was a sense, somewhere in those ripples of not quite sound, that almost seemed to add, '.. you always were'.

"I am what I want to be, nothing more and nothing less. I can't pretend to be anything but that." He added philosophically. "After all, 'To thine own self be true.'."

<If you can't not accept my help with your whole heart, then accept this.> Seletra reached behind her chair and lifted a silk bundle into view before holding it out towards Monorth. He rose to his feet and walked closer to accept the bundle, and was surprised that it weighed nothing in his hands. He slowly unwrapped the tangled fabric, watching as the folds of silk dropped away. Inside was nothing Monorth had ever imagined in the wildest of fantasies, it was like looking at harnessed light. The light shone brighter than the sun, but did not hurt his eyes to look at it. It shimmered and danced before his gaze, flowing like liquid against his hands. It was a sword, one forged before the reckoning of time, but as ageless as the petals of a budding flower. Monorth could not describe its' true beauty and brilliance, it surpassed his meager words just as Seletra had. When he reached up and touched the hilt, the handle seemed to spring into his hand of its' own free will. The light coalesced, thickening as its' power took shape, burning painlessly through his senses as it changed and shifted without rhyme or reason. The light tripled in a fraction of a second, then died away even faster. When he could see again, he was holding a sword that was almost ordinary. It was a two handed blade, with a plain brown wrapped leather handle, the hilt as black as the sky bereft of stars. The hand guard was curved like a crescent moon and the pommel was diamond as large his eye. Monorth carefully drew the length out of the plain brown leather sheath. The blade was spectacular; pure gold with intricate designs traced into its' surface in silver. The blade was wide near the hilt but tapered into the span of it, and near the tip, the blade grew outward and then came sharply to a point, like the shape of an aspen leaf. Even though the blade looked like it was gold, it was not made of any metal Monorth had ever heard of. It almost seemed to glow with it's own light. As Monorth moved the blade, it almost appeared to be transparent from a certain angle, filled with a crystalline glow that refracted, harnessed, and captured the light all at the same time. He moved the sword through the air. It weighed nothing in his hand, a more spectacular blade could not have been imagined in Monorth's dreams.

<One of the finest blades ever forged. Made by a race that roamed the halls before humans ever became aware of the world around them. They only made seven of them to give to their greatest warriors.> Seletra told him, calm as could be and seemingly at a distance once more. <Many of the blades have been lost and forgotten, I have had this one in my possession for years beyond counting. I give it to you knowing it will serve you well as it had served those who possessed it before you.>

"I don't know how to thank you." Monorth began, but Seletra held up her hand to forestall him.

<There is no need. You have repaid me by reminding me what the mortal races are capable of.> Seletra countered. <In seeking ones' goal, it is sometimes forgotten why that goal was being pursued.>

"What happens now?" Monorth asked her.

<Now you go to sleep, and when you and your companions awaken, they will not remember me or their time in this grove.> Seletra replied.

"And I?" Monorth asked softly.

<You will remember what happened here, but not all of it. There is only so much a mortal should know about their future.> Seletra told him, then paused as if contemplating something. Monorth could feel a great power stirring in the back ground. <I can no longer foresee your future, something has changed. Your choice has shifted something in the skeins of time, rearranging the pattern. The coming war has been delayed, but for how long, I can not tell. And its' outcome is now in doubt..> Monorth nodded and then bowed from his waist, taking Seletra's hand with his own to gently kiss her knuckles.

"Thank you, great lady." He whispered, looking up at her with an impudent smile. Seletra smiled at him, an emotion hiding in her eyes, and with that she waved her hand, and darkness surrounded him.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The next thing Monorth was aware of was the motion of the van, where he woke up with a start, sitting up suddenly. He could remember the entire night with perfect clarity, the images of the events seemed to be burned on his mind. But there was something missing, something important, something about the future. He tried in vain to recall it, but he failed to do so, no matter how hard he tried.

"Good morning." Sarath announced from the front of the car. Monorth turned to look at her. "Sleep well?"

"Yes, fine." He told her as Seletra's words continued to echo through his thoughts.

"That was some storm last night, I'm glad we were able to find what you were looking for Monorth." Dumas commented. Seletra's words returned about what would happen, and he nodded, picking up the sword from where it was sitting on the floor.

"Good thing too." He added.

"Next stop, Indiana." LeShana commented.

"And from there, we go after those bastards that have been manipulating Aslyn and Marta." Janus added. There was a round of agreement from the other occupants in the car. Monorth settled back to relax and only then remembered that something had changed.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

It took them another three days to recross the country and arrive in Indiana. By that time, the agents were getting desperate and had actually added Monorth to the most wanted fugitives list, to which he responded by simply using a spell to change his appearance with an illusion. When they arrived, Monorth had expected to be overwhelmed by questions from the others, but oddly they seemed content to hear about the trip. Seletra had no doubt eased the process by making the others forget that his group had gone somewhere before coming there, and his sword did not even raise questions or eye brows, as if it had always been there. The planning session to discuss their return to the Center did not take place until the next day, when Simon could be there, and the other two paladins could conference over the phone. Dumas and LeShana, as the senior members of both groups, had decided that it would take all of them to ensure that they succeeded. Even though the living room was large, with nine of them inside, it was cramped, so some of them ended up perching on the arms of chairs and on the floor.

"I think we should enter in two prongs. Each group going after one of the leaders." Leta commented over the phone.

"Three agents and two paladins in each group." Starn added quickly.

"That sounds good." Janus replied.

"We are going to have to work at night, our chances are better then." Destin stated.

"We could create a pass-through right now and bring Starn and Leta here and then make another pass-through to the gate-keeper. We could attack tonight." Solair suggested.

"We can't go straight there." Monorth told her.

"Why not?" Trask asked him defensively.

"If you had not noticed, I am the only one here that is still armed. You don't think that the guards are going to wait around while we raid an armory do you? And even if we rearmed ourselves, we still need access to maps to plan out the attack and what to do if something goes wrong. And what about Simon? No offense to my brother, but I doubt he could defend himself from a half-trained student." Monorth told them. A lot of them hung their heads, as they had been planning just that. "We need a safe-harbor, a place where Simon can stay in safety. If I had access to a replicator and a computer I could make some weapons that will tip the balance in our favor to get in and out without getting hurt and without hurting anyone else. We can't afford to hack and slash our way through this."

"Monorth's right." Janus agreed just as quickly, further squashing any objections.

"Anyone have an idea where we can go?" Destin asked, but only Dumas had any idea as to a possibility.

"I know a place. The problem is that they don't like Center agents that much." Dumas told them. "It could be difficult to convince them that we are on their side. The advantage is that they will do anything in their power to destroy the dark servants."

"The Selas Empire." Starn murmured over the phone, and all of the Center agents looked stricken. The Selas Empire was a closed society to them, only the barest diplomatic courtesies existed with the Center, and full agents were not allowed inside. Besides these facts, the Selas Empire was a matriarchy, men were considered less important and were not allowed to be anything but servants. The idea that there were agents and mages at the Center who were male chafed considerably throughout the region. Mages were considered gifts from the goddesses in the Selas Empire, and even male paladins had trouble traveling within their borders.

"If we were looking for a place that was safe from the Center, I think we found it." LeShana stated coldly.

"It's the best choice we have." Monorth told them.

"Agreed." Janus added reluctantly.

"All right then. Leta, Starn, get your things together, talk to Janet and say my goodbyes for me. In two hours be ready for the pass-through. We will gate to the Selas empire from here in the morning." Dumas ordered. The paladins agreed and hung up the phone as they went off to get ready. Monorth went with his mother to help her get ready to leave. Mostly it was taking care of the paper work to transfer all the titles and bank accounts, but he was surprised to discover all of that had been taken care of in advance; his mother had known this was coming. They would be transferred to her confidant and one of her closest friends to watch over and manage during both of their absences off-world. She was only person on Earth that knew everything about her, including her life as a paladin, and she had already agreed to take care of things there, at least until his mother made a final decision. If his brother Simon did not wish to stay in the Salak'patan, he could come back to Earth to live. Otherwise, there was not much to do other than ordering enough food for the small army that had descended on the house. Things fell together just as Dumas had planned, Leta and Starn came through the pass-through on time and they all shared a night deep in conversation. The agents were caught up in strategic planning, while the paladins caught up with Janus. Monorth did not want to join either conversation, so he took Simon off to give him his observations of the Salak'patan, and to give him the two languages he would need in the near future, the language spoken in the Selas Empire and the language of the Center. Simon seemed grateful to have someone that knew how to answer his concerns, since Monorth had been asking himself the same questions less than six months ago and had the answers his brother needed already in mind.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

In the morning, Dumas made the gate using the living room entrance as the base of the spell, and did it with the grace that came with time and practice. When it formed and they all rushed through, Monorth made sure that Simon did not hesitate, as he might have were their positions reversed. Dumas brought up the rear and the gate died away behind him. On the other side they were in a small reception room with a stone arch built into the center of the floor. There were no guards in the room, but the gate had obviously signaled someone because it wasn't long before a woman wearing elaborate robes entered through the side door a few seconds after the gate closed. All the men bowed to her, except for Monorth, who had decided that if he wouldn't prostrate himself for a goddess than he wouldn't bow to anyone mortal either. Dumas had given Simon a few lessons in etiquette, so he was the only one besides the girls who didn't look like an idiot.

"We wish to see the Empress." Janus requested as the woman stared blankly at Monorth for a long moment, clearly shocked by his behavior.

"Are you expected?" She finally asked of the females leading their group.

"We are known to her, but we are not expected." Janus replied respectfully.

"Follow me, I will ask if she will see you." The receptionist replied as she lead them out of the room. Dumas and the others rose to their feet and followed with their heads bowed. Only Monorth was bold enough to walk with his head upright while he looked around at the beauties of the palace as they passed through it.

<<What are you doing, you will get us into trouble.>> Trask accused in a controlled voice.

<<So be it. I've always wondered if castles really had dungeons, this might be my only chance to find out.>> Monorth replied calmly, knowing only too well how much those words would annoy his fellow agent. They soon reached the throne chamber and were told to wait outside. The room was almost silent as the receptionist opened stepped through, closing the door in her wake. As the door closed, Sarath punched him in the arm. Monorth smiled as he looked at her, which really only angered her more. It wasn't long before the receptionist returned and let them inside, and the room was mostly empty, but there were a few people milling about the fringes, undoubtedly waiting for an audience. Janus and LeShana took the lead as they were led across the room towards the throne's dais at the far end. Monorth took the chance to get a good look at the Empress, and as one might expect, she was both beautiful and regal, but surprisingly, she had a warm expression. Though he had honestly stopped looking at other women in such terms, he could see she was actually quite beautiful, certainly enough to turn heads on most any world. She looked over the group and obviously recognized some of their number, judging by the slight sparkle in her eyes as she studied them. Monorth caught a hint of amusement in her gaze as she looked at his raised head. Behind her, there were two handmaidens, most likely acting as her advisers and guards. There were mutterings from the gathered woman, no doubt about the need to see Monorth hog tied and beaten for not knowing his place. When they reached the foot of the dais, all the men dropped to their knees, except for him. He bowed at the waist before the Empress, along with the women. Monorth remained standing as the word 'blasphemy' echoed through the room. Trask punched Monorth in the leg, which he ignored.

"It is good to see my friends once more." The Empress began, then her eyes turned to him, as if seeing him for the first time. "A man with spine, how droll." Though her 'official' amusement hardly appeared on the surface by any means. "What can I do for you?" She asked of Janus and LeShana.

"Empress Alya, we are in dire straights and had hoped to impose on your great generosity for a time." Janus replied.

"What is your need?" The Empress asked, her tone turning serious.

"I can not speak of it where ears may hear." Janus replied.

"A serious matter then." The Empress stated. "If no ears may be present, then it should be so. Lady Sophia." The Empress turned her attention to the waiting receptionists.

"Yes, My Empress?" The receptionist asked.

"Prepare the ambassadorial suites." The Empress ordered. The Lady bowed before turning and walking away. "I have heard all your problems and they will be dealt with as I see fit, you may leave." The Empress told the others in the room. The women waiting about the room bowed and then left, closing the doors behind them. "You, sir, tread in waters that none have before." The Empress stated, looking at Monorth.

"Perhaps I will then be bitten." He replied with an amused smile. The Empress laughed, a light sound that echoed the room in a soft and charming way, but it was far from the sound of someone who cared always about appearances.

"What is your name?" The Empress asked.

"Monorth." He told her. She tried to fix him with a displeased look, but her demeanor soon broke and she smiled at him.

"I wish I could keep you here for a time, to see how my court would react to your impudence." The Empress told him with a laugh. "Dumas, Starn since when have you played the parts of submissive males? Get up, all of you." The four men rose to their feet, and Trask and Simon were confused by this turn, as were LeShana and Sarath.

"Perhaps after we have completed our mission, I could do just that." Monorth replied with an evil smile, one the Empress shared.

"If I had known that you wished to tweak the noses of your court, I would have done much as Monorth had done." Dumas replied, then smiled at Monorth with amusement in his eyes.

<<How did you know?>> LeShana asked Monorth.

<<Beats me, bowing did not seem like the right thing to do.>> Monorth replied, not quite telling her the real reason, which would raise all sorts of questions he didn't really want to go into at the time.

"I want to know what's going on." The Empress told them. "But not here, I want to get off of this podium and out of these thrice-damnably uncomfortable robes." She added forestalling Dumas.

"You sound just like your mother." Janus commented, to which the Empress smiled warmly at the paladin. One of the Queen's handmaidens attracted her attention and whispered something in her ear. The Empress nodded and turned back to the group.

"There are two ambassadorial suites ready for you, and they are near my own rooms. There should be sufficient room for all of you. Divide them any way you choose, I will join you in the nearer suite in an hour." The Empress told them. One of her handmaidens descended the stairs to lead them through the halls. This time when they left the room, none of the men bowed their heads.

"I could kill you, Monorth." Sarath whispered to him as she fell into step next to him.

"There are three things I will not do, Sarath. I will not break a trust, I will not lie to cover my mistakes, and I will not bow to someone that does not yet deserve it. I bend a knee to no one, Sarath." Monorth replied quietly. "I will bow to the Empress, but to no one else."

"I just hope we do not pay for it." Sarath murmured.

"I will pay the price, not you." Monorth replied, getting the last word. They soon reached the suites and the handmaiden politely pointed out that the Queen's huge suite was right next to the ones where they were to be housed. She also showed them that there was a door connecting their suites together, for discreet comings and goings. The handmaiden made a point of showing them the rooms' amenities before leaving. There was little argument over the rooms, since each suite had four bedrooms. LeShana and Monorth took a room in the first suite, as did Dumas, Sarath and Starn. Trask, Destin and Solair, Leta, and Simon took the rooms in the other suite. Janus was going to share Dumas's room. Monorth had known that there was some past between them, but remained silent about the omission, since his mother was her own woman and didn't need his input.

There was a bathroom for each of the bedrooms, so everyone had a chance to get a shower and clean clothes in the hour they waited. Simon was somewhat reluctant about the native fabrics, but Trask helped him tailor the clothes to suit his sense of style. All of them gathered in the first suite in anticipation of the Empress's arrival. Monorth took control of the computer, working out the designs for some of the weapons he thought might be useful, especially if they were going to be fighting more dark servants. He had discovered early on that he had a gift for working the magic and technology of the halls to fit his needs, and at times like the one they were facing, there was perhaps no talent more useful. The Empress did not arrive as they expected, but instead came through a more discreet entrance than the door. There was apparently a secret passage between the Queen's chamber and the ambassadorial suite, which must have traveled along the inside wall, because she emerged from there, and two of her handmaidens came with her. All three were dressed in clothes that were anything but the ceremonial robes they had seen. They looked more like they were going out riding.

"That passages gets more dusty every time I go through it." The Empress complained as she entered the room.

"Maybe you should have it cleaned." Dumas suggested with obvious amusement, approaching her to pick webs out of her hair.

"Maybe I should make you do it, Father." She replied. Dumas simply smiled as he hugged her. Only Janus seemed unsurprised by the newly revealed fact. "I expect all of you to keep it secret." The Empress added, looking at all of them. Monorth doubted that even if one of them told anyone it would be believed. "So what is it this time?" The Empress added, looking back at Dumas.

"Let's sit down." Dumas suggested, and the Empress took a seat next to him as the handmaidens came to sit at the table near Monorth.

"Well, there's trouble at the Center." Dumas began. "There are Dark servants and something else working against Monorth here, and we don't know why. But we do know that they have taken control of the Dean of students and the Head of agents to try and get at him. We needed a safe place to get armed and plan out our attack. On top of that, we need a safe place for Simon to stay." The Empress nodded silently, though she clearly liked hearing this news as little as they had.

"I have heard that there is trouble at the Center, but I had no idea what it was." The Empress told him. "I will do what I can to help you on one condition." She told them.

"What's that?" Sarath asked her nervously.

"After it is done, and everything there has been set right.. Monorth has to come here and help me turn the court on its' collective ears!" The Empress replied. Monorth smiled widely at the demand. "I have been continuing my mother's plan to elevate the status of our men and becoming part of the larger arena of the hallways. My empire can not stay the way it is forever, we must change or stagnate and die. I have done all I can, but without help, I can not force my council to pass the laws I need to create the change this Empire needs. My councilors are old, set in their ways and convinced of the superiority of women. I can understand why my ancestors did what they did, but that was in a time when greed and corruption ruled the Empire, much of it was the work of men. That is no longer true; my father and others have shown me that men are the equals of women." The Empress eloquently explained.

"Deal." Monorth replied. "I have seen this situation on the other foot, where women were subservient to men, and I would gladly do what I can to help you."

"There is another aspect to it. Monorth was born from the royal line of the Black Raven empire, you can act as if you are considering an alliance marriage. That will reduce the chances of him getting burned." Janus added, with LeShana agreeing with smiles and nods, surprising Monorth with her easy acceptance of the situation.

"Excellent!" The Empress explained. "So what will you be needing from me?" The She asked, looking around the room.

"Well, Monorth has volunteered to take care of our weapons, what we need from you is a map of the Center and its' floor plan. Along with keeping an eye on Simon. Other than that, we need to stay here until everything is ready." Dumas told her.

"It would be no trouble to take care of Simon, but I can't help you with the maps. That information is restricted to everyone but agents." The Empress told them.

"How about another computer and access to a gate com-unit?" Trask asked.

"That I can give you." The Empress told him with a confused look.

"I helped design the computer security protocols and I know how to take them apart." Trask told them with an evil look.

"If any other needs come up, please speak with me or my handmaidens." The Empress told them. "Now if you will excuse me, we have much to catch up on." She added, taking Dumas's hand before leading him into the next suite for privacy.

"If you wish, I can take you to retrieve another computer and any other component you need." One of the handmaidens told Trask. He nodded and got out of his seat to follow her from the room. The second handmaiden rose and walked around the table to look at the screen Monorth was working on.

"What is that?" She asked him.

"It's a restraining device, a set binding spell. We're going to have move fast, and we can't afford to let the guards alert the others. This will hold them until its' deactivated, and I'm designing it so that you have to know how to deactivate it or you get caught in it's field." Monorth told her.

"I am surprised by the design. Most set spells are simplistic, but this is rather complex." The handmaiden told him.

"You're a mage?" Monorth asked her.

"Like you, we handmaidens are more than we appear to be." She told him with a warm smile. "If you would like to practice, I am sure we can provide that service."

"Perhaps, but I have a feeling that I would lose." Monorth replied.

"It would be interesting to find out." The handmaiden then turned to join the others. Simon appeared in her place, taking a chair to sit near Monorth.

"Why am I being left behind?" Simon asked him.

"It's too dangerous, you have to realize that all of us have had extensive training." Monorth replied.

"I can handle a sword." Simon replied defensively. "When our Master trained you he was training me too."

"There's more to it than the sword, Simon." Monorth replied. "You felt the power of the gate, right?" Monorth asked him, and Simon nodded, not quite sure what he was getting at. "Imagine that kind of power directed at you, with the intent to burn you out of existence." Monorth told him. Simon had the good sense to look a little pale. "You don't know how to defend yourself against that kind of power yet."

"But you do?" Simon asked nervously.

"Yes." Monorth replied simply.

"What about Mom?" Simon questioned.

"She does, but she might be a little rusty. I think that I will suggest to her that it might be a good idea for her to spend her time practicing." Monorth stated. Just as he finished saying so, Janus cleared her throat behind him, and they both had the good sense to look riddled with guilt.

"The handmaidens are going to take us down to a work-room so we can practice. Do you want to come?" She asked them.

"Not me." Monorth replied. "But why don't you get Sarath to go with you and start Simon's training between matches? We don't want him to be picking up anything that he does not want to hear." He suggested.

"That's a good idea." Janus commented. "So how about it kid, are you up to dealing with Sarath?" She asked him. Simon looked nervous and excited at the same time and readily agreed. As they left, Trask and the other handmaiden were returning. He took up a position at the table, offloading two computers and connection nodes for the gate com-unit. To transmit a signal between planets in the hallways, a gate com-unit was required to pass between the planets. It used a variation of an artificially created gate spell, and was capable of crossing the void instantaneously. Trask and the handmaiden were totally ignorant of anything else as they worked. Monorth listened to them with half his brain, surprised to hear that the handmaidens were also experts in modern computers as well.

Monorth finished the design of the binding spell and ordered a prototype from the replicator. He let it sit in place and started on the next design. His encounter with the ant creatures had taught Monorth that it was a good idea not to get so close in order to fight with it. He was making another electric metal design to create a throwing weapon that would shrink down into the handle, but expand into two opposing blades, like ax heads, for throwing. He thought about designing its' shape so that it would return like a boomerang, but what would slice through armor could easily take fingers as well. Monorth also entered the design of the flip swords, all of them would be carrying regular swords, but it did not hurt to have an extra hidden punch. It occurred to him that the handmaidens may benefit from his design. It was hard to hide weapons, like full sized swords, under their robes.

"Excuse me." Monorth called. "I was thinking that I have something that might help you and your fellow handmaidens." He stated after getting her attention. She rose from her seat and walked around the table to look at the design on the screen.

"What is it?" She asked him. "By the way, my name is Wes." She added with a smile.

"It's an electric metal design sword I've.. Ah.. borrowed from the man who created it. Since the other handmaiden pointed out that you are more like a group of bodyguards, I thought that you might be interested in this. It's a sword that contracts down into the handle, so it's easy to conceal." Monorth told her softly.

"That would be more than helpful." Wes replied. "Can I see one?" Monorth leaned to the side and found one of the pouches. He then opened it and pulled out the handle.

"You flick it open. To retract it, you squeeze the base of the handle." Monorth explained as he handed the blade over. The handmaiden experimentally flipped the sword open and contracted it.

"Perfect balance." She commented, experimentally swinging the blade.

"I will leave you the schematics for the blade and the binding spell that I designed, along with a few samples." Monorth told her. "And I'll write up some instructions that will allow you to adjust the blade length."

"That is most helpful." Wes told him as she returned the contracted sword.

"It's the least I can do." He replied, putting the handle back in its' pouch.

"Thank you." Wes replied with a smile. Monorth turned his attention back to the computer, printing up the schematics and the instructions before he retrieved the schematics and the binding spell disk. Monorth then made several of the swords, several of the disks, and one of the throwing weapons. The disks still had to be set with the binding spell. Monorth squeezed the handle of the throwing disk was reward with a vicious looking weapon. He returned to the table and started to set the binding spells. He had three disks ready when the others returned from their practice session. Simon and Janus looked a little more confident. Destin, Solair, and the handmaiden all looked exhausted, Sarath and LeShana merely looked winded.

"Don't practice against her." Destin warned, pointing at Janus.

"So, I remember more than I thought." Janus replied, hiding a smile.

"Alaine, come look at this." Wes called. The handmaiden joined her friend at the table. Wes picked up one of the sword handles, and soon the two were deep in discussion over the swords and the possibilities they presented. LeShana and Solair walked over to look at the other toys Monorth was working on.

"What are these?" LeShana asked, pointing at the other handle and the disks.

"Well, the handle is a throwing weapon, and disks are a binding spell." Monorth replied, sitting back in his chair. LeShana picked up the throwing disk, and Solair choose one of the completed disks. LeShana was more than a little surprised by the disk.

"How does this work?" Solair asked him curiously as she examined it.

"Press the button in the center and then slap it on whomever you wish to." Monorth replied. Solair looked evilly over at her bonded, she then pressed the button and stalked towards Destin. When she was within a few feet of him, she reached out and tapped the disk to his chest.

"What the.." Was all that Destin managed to blurt out before the binding spell took effect. It wrapped Destin's entire body in invisible bonds that he would not be able to break, neither with struggling or with magic. "Get this thing off of me!" Destin demanded. He was wrapped completely, his body stiff and straight as a board.

"I was testing it." Solair told him, trying to hold back laughter.

"Get it off me!" Destin screamed angrily. The Empress and Dumas appeared at the door to the next suite, attracted by the commotion.

"It works." Sarath commented, hiding her laughter.

"Let me go!" Destin ordered.

"I will, if you will just calm down." Solair assured him. She walked around the couch and reached for the disk.

"I wouldn't." Monorth warned, but it was too late. The trap spell activated, and Solair's bound body soon dropped across Destin's lap. This time it was too difficult for all of them to keep from laughing. Solair and Destin looked around angrily as everyone laughed. "I warned you." Monorth told them.

"Let us go!" Solair demanded, her voice bordering on rage. Monorth shook his head and rose from his seat to release them, carefully unlocked the trap spell and deactivated the binding spell carefully. Solair rolled off of Destin and hit the floor with an indignant noise. Monorth picked up the disk and walked back towards the table.

"That was not funny." Solair gave everyone in the room a glare.

"So it's a trap spell as well." LeShana commented, changing the subject.

"Yes, it can hold three, maybe four people immobile for ten hours before the power supply burns out. Once the trap reaches its'' energy capacity it can not trap any more people, but the person still has to know how to unlock it. It's protected from simply trying to blast it off, there is an energy shunt that will transfer the energy to a high capacity battery which will store it without frying the circuits." Monorth explained. "I've got the designs ready for more flip-swords, throwing disks and the binding spells."

"Any other brilliant ideas?" Leta asked, joining them at the table.

"A few, but none of you would like them, so I will forgo the pleasure of an argument and stick with what I have." Monorth replied. "I figured a flip sword, two throwing disks, and ten binding disks a piece would do."

"Sounds good, but I would make twenty binding disks for everyone, the Center is a big place with a lot of people inside it." Dumas told him.

"As long as someone is going to help me set up the spells." Monorth replied with a tired sigh that was mostly for show.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

It took them three days to get everyone armed, including their regular contingent of weapons. About that time, Trask was finally able to break through the computer security to get them the maps they needed to plan the assault. That night was hectic, with the ten of them staying up until dawn, trying to work out a plan. It turned out that Marta and Aslyn both lived in the diplomatic quarter of the crater, the most secure area of the Center. Monorth would have to work out a device that could short out the security system and the door locks without setting off the alarms, but it was not an easy task by any means. The project took another three days of intensive research and designing. Monorth went through ten designs before finding one that actually worked. By the time they were ready, the Center had made an announcement, making Monorth a fugitive. It was not unexpected, with both the dark servants and the agents searching Earth it was not surprising that they had quickly found out that he was no longer on the planet.

However, Sarath was quick to point out that his status might actually work to their advantage, with so many agents coming into the halls to look for him, the security forces at the Center would likely be short handed, which would make their jobs easier. It would be far from a simple hit and run attack While their plan was based around such simplicity, they were trying to break into one of the most secure facilities in the Halls, and that all but eliminated the chances of anything being simple. Monorth and Starn were both strong believers that their goals should not be a simple information gathering campaign, that they should strike right at the monster, take it by surprise, and eliminate it once and for all. Of course, their plan was easily argued into pointlessness since they still had dozens of allies back at the Center who had yet to find even the slightest bit of evidence as to where the monster might be. All they knew for certain was that it was somewhere in the area of the crater, but that was only because it cast a general cloud of malevolence across an area larger than a city. Information was the one thing they needed and there was only one possible source for the all too valuable intel, the two 'puppets' that they knew about.

They planned to strike from two directions, increasing the chaos that would be fed by their allies still in place at the Center. Their allies would be creating false gates all throughout the crater and high security areas, creating ten times more false alarms than real ones. Their group would enter in two teams, each in charge of retrieving one of the targets. Monorth, LeShana, Trask, Dumas, and Leta in the first group, would go after Aslyn. Destin, Solair, Sarath, Janus, and Starn in the second group would gate in as close as possible to the high security areas, capture any guards not called away by the false alarms with binding spells, and get to their targets as quickly as possible before gating away to safety. Once back at the Imperial palace, it would be up to the Paladins to break the controlling spells on the pair and hopefully be able access what they knew about the one who was controlling them. If something went wrong and they were unable to take hold of their prisoners, they would abort and get back to the Selas Empire as quickly as possible and contact the Empress. The Empress had already written up asylum papers for each of them in case the mission did go sour. All of them were set with three spells that would prevent them from talking if they were captured. Monorth, LeShana, and Sarath had cast those spells, being the strongest mages in the group.

Chapter Eight: The First Strike and the Final Strike

Monorth kept himself from trembling as the footsteps drew closer, it was the third guard in ten minutes to pass through the hall. The first two were stowed in the storage room that hid Dumas, Trask, and Leta. He and LeShana were hidden in the shadows of a side hall, awaiting the approach of the guard. Since the security forces numbers were reduced, they had spaced the guards ten minutes apart, within hearing distance of the others. A shadow loomed over Monorth and he struck like lightning, hitting him with the binding field. LeShana struck a second later with a silence spell. The guard dropped to the ground, tied up and silenced. Monorth grabbed his feet, the only area safe from the trap spell, and dragged him down the hall and into the storage room.

"Next patrol in twenty minutes. Let's move." Dumas ordered. They left the safety of the small room and jogged down the hall. They had entered the crater through the work rooms so that the shields hid the signature of the gates, but since it took a lot of power to punch through the shields, Sarath and Monorth were already half exhausted. They were using every spell in the book to get through their ordeal without alerting anyone, and to make their allies' distractions that much more effective. It was working. They had been at it for nearly an hour and they had slow going because of the patrols. They had to take out the groups that passed the doorways to be fried open, and after so long, they were finally nearing Aslyn's room. Trask took the lead as they neared the door. Pulling out a security disruptor, he jammed it into the security panel. The lock fried in a shower of sparks, the door opened with a quiet pop, and they rushed inside, where they found Aslyn sleeping in her bed. Monorth slapped a specially designed binding spell on her, as Dumas and Starn silenced any sound she could make, mental or otherwise, by casting silence and sleep spells on her. Trask quickly finished a gate he had been preparing, as well as spells that would muddle the signature and prevent anyone from following them across the void. An alarm was set off as it formed but there was no help for it. They were through it faster than any guard could get to the area. They arrived back at the palace inside the ambassadorial suite. Sarath and her team had arrived with Marta only seconds earlier. Aslyn and Marta were dropped onto the couch and the spells holding them silent and asleep were removed, but they left the binding spells in place. Both of them woke and started to struggle, unaware of anything but the binding spells.

"Hold still!" Dumas ordered in a voice that prevented any objections. The two women stopped their struggling and sat completely still. Dumas walked around the couch and placed his hands on their heads. His eyes closed and it was obvious that he had gone into a trance. The paladins had to take over from there. They knew more about the spells that the dark servants used better than any of the agents. Monorth turned and went to the replicator, ordering something that would calm his nerves and restore his lagging energy.

The way it had been explained to them was that the process of breaking the spells holding the two agents in the shadow's control could take a few minutes, it could take hours, or it could take days. There was simply no way to know how deeply imbedded in their minds it had become, and all that depended on how long It had been in control, or how intensely It had bound them to make them do its' bidding. They had struck late during the Center's day, which was the hours of the early morning on Selas Prime. They hadn't been gone for more than an hour during their assault, but the sun had risen and ascended nearly halfway across the sky by the time anything had changed in the silent figures on the couch or the paladins gathered around them. By that time, they were all starting the feel the passage of hours, but no one was willing to fall asleep, even sitting up in a chair nearby, for fear of what the next moment or the next hour might bring. The danger was real, the magical ties put into both of the agents could tell the monster behind them exactly where they were, and that could bring it right down onto the Imperial palace. Finally, after an intensely silent eternity, the Paladins visible jerked away from Marta and Aslyn, who both seemed to collapse inward from their rigid states. Specially assigned guards were called in from the hallway and were ordered to take both of them down into shielded cells in the tunnels beneath the palace, which wasn't exactly a good sign by anyone's way of thinking. All the paladins looked visibly drained by the long vigil and magical struggle, and none of them looked happy.

"It has only had them for a few months." Dumas commented, his voice sounding distant as he and the rest collapsed onto any available piece of furniture that could support them. "It manipulated them at first, before capturing complete control."

"It's frighteningly powerful." Janus told them with a voice that crackled with exhaustion. "It was all we could do to break some of the controlling spells."

"It came so very close to finding us, so many times.. but we managed to keep that information from It somehow." Leta added, sounding almost as if she was ready to start crying. "It still has influence over them that we can not break."

"Its' hatred of you.. it's all consuming.. it will stop at nothing to see you destroyed.." Starn warned Monorth, who honestly wasn't all that surprised, even if he was still confused as to why.

"It is Ancient beyond any frame of reference I might give, an old evil cast in the shape of some memory, able to survive eons of time, the death of the body, and even the destruction of Its' soul." Janus whispered to them, sounding truly afraid of the truths she spoke. "It has been.. lingering at the fringes of this reality and the next for a time beyond.. reason.. all to destroy you here and now."

"This goes further than that." Dumas murmured to them, his eyes focused on no point or place any of them might see. "For all that it is old.. It.. knows you.. It has met you somehow."

"I think that is less important right now than whether or not you found out where it might be hiding." Monorth countered before everyone got focused on the wrong topic. It was not the first time that something ancient and powerful had seemed to know him, and while a little less pleased by the instance, he'd rather not think too much about either event.

"Yes." Janus whispered back to them.

"It fears the light given off by the crystal, It lingers in the northern forests gathering strength to move closer." Starn muttered darkly.

"It will destroy the Halls in order to strike at Monorth." Dumas stated a bit more firmly. "We have no more than three days before it is strong enough to do just that."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

They could not afford to wait, but at the same time, they could not face something so powerful and so evil at anything less than full strength. They could not attack right away, as all of them might have wanted, but neither could they afford to waste days and weeks lingering hidden and in safety while they gathered an army capable of facing such a monstrosity. If they had only three days then they could afford to wait for a short time, long enough to rebuild their strength and do what little they could to increase their numbers. Trask and Destin both returned to the Center, both being of the sort that could be easily overlooked in a crowd and as such could more easily move about. Starn and Leta hurried off in a somewhat desperate attempt to find and recruit more of the far flung Paladin forces. Unfortunately, neither group was guaranteed any chances of success of obtaining even a few more than their number currently accounted for. In terms of agents, the information taken from magical strings leading from Aslyn and Marta to their puppeteer had confirmed that there were still more people being controlled by the darkness within the ranks of the Center. Any efforts to recruit for the coming battle there had to be done carefully, otherwise, they might only provide their enemy the chance to attack from behind and from within their ranks, and that was something none of them wanted. As for the efforts to bring more paladins to the fight, their sheer lack of numbers made it doubtful that Starn and Leta could find even one more, much less the army the upcoming fight was sure to require.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

As Monorth stepped through his gate alone, there was also one thing that was certain in his mind, that all of them, himself included, were willing to win at any cost, and that there were spells that could destroy even a god if need be. All it took was the knowledge and the willingness to sacrifice one's life. It was certain to be as dark a thought as there could be when one was walking alone into the lair in which darkness dwelled, but he supposed it couldn't really be helped. With the possibility of many people arriving from far flung regions of the halls, none of them were willing to risk that their gates and pass-throughs would be destroyed, even before the people creating them were able to emerge. Although no one liked it, least of all he and LeShana, he was perhaps the one thing that might divert Its' attention for any length of time. With great reluctance, Monorth was sent ahead, alone and unaided, on the smallest chance that he could keep the beast's attention on himself long enough for the others to gather at the Center, and then attack in force. Aslyn and Marta had spent much of the past day screaming obscenities and threats, the beast's hold on them was barely even hindered by the shielded cells where they had been housed. The only thing that had made any of them believe it was at all possible for their attack plan to work was the fact that when Monorth had gone down to the dungeon to see them, the thing that was inside them had been only too eager to try and tell him why he needed to be destroyed.

"Here we go." He whispered to himself, trying to force his waning resolve into some kind of rally. He had first gated to the distant mountain lake where he had often gone to meditate, to confuse the monster about where he had been hiding, then took a pass through right to the doorstep of where the thing had been waiting for quite some time.

"Come have you, to sacrifice yourself for the others?" The voice called through the darkness as Monorth worked his way through the forest towards the clearing, which had been so vividly burned in Aslyn's and Marta's memories. The words came just as the dense tangle of trees and underbrush parted and he stepped across the line that marked the edge of the shadows and moonlit ground. The black, hateful thing stood at the very center of the clearing, atop a black piece of stone that stood above the flat surface around it, as if to announce that Its' throne was there. As the burning rage and hate grew nearer, the sword at his right shoulder grew heavier, as if it too could sense the nearness of evil casting a shadow over it, which no light could completely burn away.

"I come to give you a warning; leave this world now, before I am forced to destroy you." Monorth called back to It. There was a vast, echoing rumble of laughter that seemed to shake the whole world, but there was no joy in the sound,only contempt and still more hatred.

"OH! So I am to be destroyed?! You failed the last time we met, Sword-bearer.. and you are doomed to fail this time! I have become more powerful than you! Not even having my name erased from the Great Book could eliminate ME!!" As it spoke, Its' voice grew louder and more powerful, shaking the earth beneath his feet and rattling the sky overhead. Its' power began to grow while the seemingly small vessel began to blur and warp as Its' true form was forced to the surface. "Oh, you were powerful then, but this time is different, that sword is not yours yet. Without it, you are but a flea beneath my HEEL!!" Given only the tiniest of warnings, Monorth threw up the strongest barrier he knew how to create only an instant before a powerful blast came crashing down out of the heavens and annihilating everything around him. "RESIST ALL YOU WANT, YOUR DEFEAT IS INEVITABLE!!! AND THE BLACK EMPEROR SHALL RISE ONCE MORE!!!!"

"We shall see!" Monorth screamed back as he drew his sword, and with an effect he could not have predicted. Once free from the sheath that had hidden it and its' power, for the second time in his life his sword flared up with a light ten times brighter than that of the sun, burning away all the shadows save the one that stood directly in Monorth's sight. The beast gave a truly shattered roar of rage, hate, and this time, pain, as the burning golden blade swept into view. In the fraction of a second that followed, when the beast's power waned, Monorth struck with all his might, pouring away his strength into a spell. It slammed into being with a crackle of sound twice as loud as thunder, as great massive chunks of stone and earth lurched up from eight directions and all came slamming inward around the darkness. <<NOW!!!>> He screamed back across the empty space between him and the crater in the south.

All at once, dozens of pass-throughs yawed open at points all around the clearing and through the glowing openings people raced into the scene. At first it was just a handful, then it was dozens, then it was hundreds, and eventually it was more than two thousand souls racing into the fight. As they came onto the scene, all of them began to fire off their most powerful spells, aiming at the black thing temporarily captured by Its' stone prison. Massive fireballs lit up the night, icy spears lunged downward, blades of wind slashed at it, meteorites lanced down from the heavens, black lightning bolts pierced down from the starry sky, massive arrows of light snapped downward, vast impossible beasts appeared from nothingness and raced in to claw, scratch and bite at the darkness, and a thousand other manifestations of power ripped through the once quiet night. It all added up to a cacophony of chaos and madness that staggered the mind and blinded the senses, and all of it proved to be nothing compared to the black thing at the heart of all the hatred and anger. It roared with a force enough to take many right from their feet as Its' true strength emerged, ripping free of any attempts to restrain it, and shredding anything close enough to attack it, before sending a deadly cloud of stone and energy exploding outward to pummel the surrounding forest and shatter the landscape. From the cloud of dust and debris, a giant black cloud that was darker than black took shape, rising up above even the tallest tree; a nebulous black thing, filled with nothing but rage and hatred that permeated everything with the darkness. Even as Monorth was left stunned by the near sense of immeasurable power, many of the others simply picked themselves up and began to throw still more ineffective spells into the black mass, pushing away every bit of their strength in the futile hope that there was some weak spot, some vulnerability no eye could see. But it seemed hopeless.

<Even in the darkest of black, there is always a tiny flickering of light, and where there is light there is hope.> This was not Seletra's voice, nor any other he might name, but words like those could cut through the sound present at the end of a world, and it echoed through him like no other thing ever had before. As the words passed through him, a new kind of strength seemed to burn through his veins, a new kind of sense was born in his brain, and a new kind of power rushed up through his fingers clutched around the hilt of his sword. Even as his mind tried and failed to comprehend what might have changed from within the black mass, his eyes found the tiniest flicker of light within the thickest part of the darkness. Before he realized anything else, it felt as if his body was taken over by some other person, and he found himself lunging headlong right into the center of the madness. Some part of him was aware that the sword in his hand had ignited once more, transforming into a burning beacon against the shadows.

Before he was even truly aware of what was happening, the burning beacon of light was being plunged into the thickest part of the darkness, lunging downward into the noxious cloud that consumed his arms and body in a sickly cold mass, making his skin crawl and mind ache in the terror at the pain that lanced through his unprepared senses. Whatever he felt as his blade sunk deep into something solid was clearly nothing compared to what the shadow felt as the burning light struck home and pierced deep into It. The monster unleashed a bellow of hatred that shook the whole world with the sound, rupturing the ground and leveling the trees and people for miles in every direction. Monorth might have covered his ears had he been able to, but all he really had the chance to do was sense danger sweeping in from his left side, far too late to do anything but take the blow. A vast, sweeping arm connected with him and he was launched like a rag doll, away from the darkness, all sense of the world banished as he struck the ground and was sent tumbling end over end with such force that it felt like an eternity before he finally came to a halting stop. Somewhere, in some part of him not lost to pain and disorientation, he felt more than heard It bellow something that sounded like It might die, but that all of them would die with It.

His mind rolled over and he just barely managed to open his eyes in time to see the sky become black, as if hell had broken loose to invade the world of the living. The ground began to shake with a force unequaled by any mere earthquake. Even as he watched, great fissures began to open up in the ground all around and a hot wind emerged from the fissures, filling the air with the scent of sulfur. It was infinitely clear in the half moment that followed, that the world really and truly was going to end that night, and it might very well take many of the other worlds of the Halls right along with it. But once again, when all seemed ready to be swallowed whole by the darkness, another, brighter light poured into the void to chase it away, as someone started to fight the uprising of power, pushing back the powers of destruction that filled the air and ripped through the ground. Somehow, somewhere, Monorth found the last of his strength and forced his half broken body to rise to Its' feet. Deep within himself he felt a struggle of wills that filled the clearing with light. The invading will belonged to LeShana. She was the one who was fighting the all-consuming darkness. There was no doubt, no hesitation as she called in the final strike, spinning away her life to end the unnatural creature, then and there, by casting the spell that would be the last any mage might cast. The knowledge that he was going to die washed over him, bringing a surreal sense of great peace as he to reached into the ether and began to recklessly summon power. His life force began to pour out from his body as he threw his essence and all that he was or ever would be into the singular moment. He would be consumed by the power, joining his beloved in their final moments, but together they would stop the destruction of the Center at the cost of their two lives. Monorth's vision faded first, and the world grew dark, but the bond that remained firm between them strengthened, even as their lives faded. His world contracted to the glowing mass of energy that surrounded both of them, everything else was burned away by that final spell. And with their last thoughts, Monorth and LeShana cast the strike and made the world echo with the force of their final act. All that remained of them and the monster was oblivion.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"How is he?" Sarath asked, leaning her head against the glass. She was tired, the past few days had been like an unending nightmare; sleeping or waking, it never quite faded. All of them had felt LeShana and Monorth fade in the power of the spell, and with their final breaths, they had created something that was nothing short of a miracle, but it had come at a terrible cost. When their spell had taken shape, it had canceled the godling's spell of destruction, burning it away before it could annihilate the world as they knew it. Out beyond the rim of the crater, there was a new crater, ten miles wide, where the final battle had taken place. The soil inside the crater was a melted pool of black glass, bereft of anything that had existed there before. All of them had woken up back at the Center, either living or dead, spared by some unknown force in the final seconds before all the gathering power had been unleashed. Search parties had found Monorth near the very center of the destruction, unconscious and nearly dead. While his body was alive, and in the care of the finest doctors they could summon, no one could be sure about his soul. He had not moved since they had brought him to the hospital, and his mind was walled off so tightly that even Sarath had failed to get through to him. He simply lay perfectly still, as if he were already dead, a staring corpse in a hospital bed. The doctors of the Center had sent out to every professional medical school in the halls to try and find a way to treat him, but there was nothing to be found and no hope, save that his heart was still beating. The death of one half of a bonded couple had always resulted in the death of the other and there were no treatments. Sarath doubted if there were any miracles left in that world. She felt tears ready to spring up, but fought them back, knowing it would not help Monorth to see her break down, if he was aware of anything at all.

"The same." The doctor replied as she came to stand next to Sarath at the observation window.

"Any sign that he is even still aware?" Sarath asked, just as she had every three hours for the last three days.

"None." The doctor replied, her voice weak with emotions she was trying to hide, much the same as the ones Sarath was struggling against. "I'm still trying to decide if he is remarkably strong, or if something is holding him from death." The doctor added, as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Sarath wondered if she would ever hear her brother's voice again, see his smiling face, or watch as he did something that he knew would annoy her. When she could no longer look at him, she turned away from the window as unchecked emotion boiled up inside of her.

"Call me if something happens." She told the doctor before escaping from the sight of Monorth, laying lifeless on the hospital bed.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Monorth lay in his hospital bed, his heart in pieces beside him as he stared endlessly at the ceiling above him. It was simply impossible to do anything any more, he could not care about anything, all that mattered was that LeShana was dead. All he wanted was to die, but something was stopping him. He wished, he begged, and he prayed that it would leave him be and allow him to join his beloved LeShana far away from the fear and pain he felt at that moment, but still he remained tied to a world that offered him nothing but pain, loss, and emptiness. He had died, he knew that without question. He had felt the afterlife looming near him, but then it had faded from sight before he could reach it. He had woken up in the Center, surrounded by grim looking doctors and aware of only one thing; that LeShana was dead. Her presence was gone forever from his mind, leaving a gaping, bleeding wound deep inside of him. It was a wound that no medicine would make him feel any less, that no surgery could ever repair, and nothing, save her return, could ever heal.

Somewhere beyond the screaming pain and aching emptiness, it was quiet, the empty hours of night when very little stirred. Every now and then a nurse passed by the room, poking their heads inside, but it was something that he did not care about. Nothing mattered now, only the fact that LeShana was dead, and her love and warmth would be gone forever. Without her, he was a shell, filled with nothing but pain, preventing even the smallest joy to touch his heart. But then there came a sound. A persistent sound that was growing steadily louder. It was not the sound of feet walking nearer to the door, nor the squeaky wheel of a cart. It was something else, like the low whistling of the wind against a rocky cliff face. Then he felt something impinge upon his mind, and for the first time in days there was no pain. Almost of their own volition, his eyes turned towards the hallway outside, his mind awaiting the appearance of the presence. When she finally appeared, Monorth was certain that he was hallucinating, because it was LeShana who was moving into his line of sight. Not the dead bloody his nightmares had shown him, but the living, breathing LeShana he loved. Her smiling face was as radiant as when she was alive, and the same sparkle was in her eyes. She watched Monorth as she passed by the windows, and she almost seemed to float through the doorway and into the room. She moved slowly, as if she was no longer part of his world. Her unbound hair eddied in a nonexistent wind as she approached the bed, moving closer to him.

<<LeShana?>> Monorth asked the figure that had entered the room.

<<It's me, my love.>> LeShana replied, and with her words he could not doubt it, it was her. She was the same, down to the exact detail, even the music of her voice.

<<But.. but you're..>> Monorth trailed off uncomfortably as he struggled to sit up, LeShana settling on the edge of his bed.

<<Dead?>> LeShana asked, and then laughed in his mind, a sound that filled him with warmth and intense loss. <<Yes, I suppose I am.>>

<<How.. why are you here?>>

<<A favor from a friend, so we could say goodbye.>> LeShana replied. <<There is so much more after death, my love. Things I never knew could exist.>>

<<I don't want to say goodbye, I want to see it with you.>> Monorth told her.

<<It's not your time, there is so much left for you to do.. my only wish is to be with you, but it is not to be. I could no more wish for you to join me now, than I could stand the thought of the worlds that brought us together being destroyed.>> She whispered to him in soft, gentle tones, her ghostly fingers reaching out to caress his cheek in a tingling touch. <<We have to say goodbye, at least for a little while.>>

<<A little while?>> Monorth asked uncertainly.

<<One day, I will be able to come back to you and we will be together. But I will be a different person, with a different face, and a different voice, although it will still be me. That I can promise you. A love like ours is something not even death can stop. We were meant to be together, you and I, and we will be, but not right now.>> She told him with a sadness and regret that he too could feel echoing through him. <<That I can also promise you.>>

<<I am so sorry. I couldn't save you.>> Monorth whispered, tears running down his cheeks.

<<You could not have saved me, not even by giving up your own life. This is the way things had to be, the world was not ready for you. For us.. it needs to change so that we can be happy once more.>> LeShana told him as she touched his cheek, gently wiping away the tears.

<<It hurts so much not to have you at my side.>> He told her, fighting the tears.

<<I know.>> LeShana replied quickly back to him. <<It hurts me not to have you by my side.>> She lifted his head to look into his eyes. <<I can not take away the pain, but I can ease it by sharing. You have to move on, you have much to do, and you have a full life ahead of you.>> Monorth tried to think, but it felt like he was betraying her memory to ask for the pain to be eased, and it hurt even more to think of moving on without her. <<I know what you are thinking, but I can tell you that you will not and can not betray me. You can't go on like this, you're tearing at the hearts of the others that love you and need you in their lives. Think of them, think of your sister, think of Dumas, Alya, and all the people who need you like no other person in the universe, only they don't know that yet. This world needs you, that is why I can not and will not let you die. It's not your fault, but you have become a part of all those lives, and they need you, just as I needed you when I was alive. You can not betray me or my memory, you need to live your life free from the pain of loss. There is so much ahead of you, so many loves and much pain. But no matter what, you can not live your life as if I am still by your side, that is the only real betrayal you can force upon me.>>

<<I can't decide.>> Monorth told her.

<<Pain shared is pain halved. The others that need you can not do this, but I can. It is a gift that only I can give, and it is for you and them. Please.. please let me do this..>> He could only nod once to her whispers, and then the pain began flowing away like water, lessening the pressure of the aching hole where LeShana had been. For the first time in an endless sea of days, Monorth could breath for the time, free from the terrible ache and emptiness. As LeShana drained it away, he glimpsed images and people that he did not know, but might one day meet.

<<Thank you.>> He whispered. <<I.. I will always love you.>> Monorth felt one final tear roll down his cheek.

<<As I, you.>> With that, LeShana disappeared, returning to the after life. He tossed away the sheets and dangled his legs over the side. Monorth was tired of lying in bed. As LeShana had told him, there were things to do.

<You're still a remarkable person.> Seletra murmured, appearing in the doorway of the room. <I had expected you to recover, but not this quickly.>

<<Who said I'm recovered?>> Monorth asked her, rising to his feet only to discover that his legs were completely functional.

<I suppose that you are not recovered in full.> Seletra corrected with a deep sadness in her gaze that somehow made it even easier to face his own. <Mortals confuse me.>

<<Why is that?>> Monorth asked, searching for clothes other than the dressing gown he was wearing.

<The depths of your emotions. You can show extremes that are surprising. And even in pain, you choose to go on, it's hard for me to imagine going on after such a loss.> Seletra whispered to him.

<<If I had the choice that I wanted, I would not.>> He was a touch surprised to find some of his clothes in the room's small cupboard.

<But you do so because LeShana was able to share your pain?> Seletra asked of him.

<<It was because I got to say goodbye, and knowing that she understood how I felt, that we both knew how each of us felt. It helped.>> He fought back a surge of raw, unchecked emotion that bubbled up within him and closed his eyes against the pain, even as he forced himself stubbornly to finish his words. <<... that I knew that she was happy, that she went to the next world without the pain caused by living. Do I have you to thank for giving me that chance?>> Monorth asked her while buttoning up his shirt.

<It was I that arranged this meeting, yes.>

<<Thank you for giving me that chance to say goodbye.>> Monorth whispered back to her. <<So what brought you here?>>

<I'm not sure. I wanted to see that you were well, of course, but I just felt like seeing you.> Seletra replied awkwardly, clearly having not expected him to turn the questions back onto her. <You intrigue me.> Monorth smiled at her, trying not laugh. If it were anyone other than the goddess of the wind, he might well have let that sound slip. <What is so funny?> Seletra asked him irately.

<<It's just that I am not that interesting, I don't even get close to intriguing.>> Monorth replied, smiling even wider.

<Perhaps you are not that interesting to other mortals, but to an immortal you are fascinating.> Seletra informed him.

<<Now I've been upgraded to fascinating, at this rate you'll run out of words to describe me.>> Monorth stated, and this time it was Seletra that laughed, her musical laugh reminded him of LeShana.

<Does it hurt to think about her?> Seletra asked him, picking up on the thought.

<<It does, and it always will, but with the pain, there are good memories to balance it out.>> Monorth replied dismissively again, forcing himself to move forward just as she had asked him to do. <<I was only with her for a few months, but I knew her for a lifetime.>>

<I must go, but we will see each other again, Monorth the poet.> Seletra told him before drifting back down the hall. Monorth sighed heavily and pushed away from the bed. There were no boots in the closet, so he walked out in bare feet, ignoring the fact that the stone floor was cold. He walked towards the nurse's desk, only to find that there was no one there and he waited for ten minutes for someone to show up before leaving. With annoyance mixed with pained, he could not and would not stall as he turned away from the desk and went straight away to bonded quarters to start packing up. He would not need to live there anymore, there were simply too many memories that would hurt if he stayed, so it would be for the best if he left it behind. LeShana had given him more than just relief from the pain, she had shown him that life must go on. The room was dark and empty when Monorth opened the doorway. He did not turn on the lights, hoping to get through it as quickly as possible.

Determination took him straight to the closet and he pulled out the largest pieces of luggage he could find. Turning on a small light to see by, Monorth packed his things and tried not to look at those things that had been LeShana's. It did not take long, and he closed the luggage and took the bags towards the door. Once done, Monorth forced himself to eat. He ate the food without looking at it, only the necessities of his body able to make him do it. He then walked out onto the balcony to let the wind dry his tears. It was still hard, Monorth might think he was brave, but it was still hard. The only thought that could make it any better was that he might one day be reunited with his lost love. He sat on the rail watching the stars and moons, trying not to think about anything. It was only the door opening inside the apartment that forced Monorth to finally look away. Sarath spotted him through the darkness and walked through the living room to the balcony. Her face was calm, but there were marks of extended periods of crying. She came to sit next to him waiting for him to say something.

"I would like it if you could arrange for everything in the apartment to be placed into storage." Monorth requested of her, knowing he could not possibly face that himself.

"I'll take care of it." Sarath told him, slipping a comforting arm around his shoulders. "You can stay with me as long as you need to." She added. "You know you've got the medical staff up in arms?"

"I tried to tell someone." Monorth whispered as some of his usual annoyance at life's little twists was called up within him. "But I had to do this before I lost the nerve. I could not let someone else do it."

"I understand, and I managed to convince them that you have spirited yourself out of tougher places than a hospital ward." Sarath muttered.

"We need to go. I don't think I could take the sight of this place during the day." Monorth told her, gesturing towards the first hints of light in the western sky. Sarath nodded and rose with him. Together they left, grabbing Monorth's things as they went.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Sarath had a set of rooms on the far side of the crater along the outside wall. The balcony had a good view of the eastern woods. Most of the single rooms had been taken, so Sarath had managed to get a double with two bedrooms and a large living space. It was a throw-back from the old days when the Center had been much smaller and each student was taught one on one, while sharing quarters with their teachers. Monorth had the feeling that such arrangements did not worked out all that well, but times were different back then. However, just as he had hoped, there was nothing in the room to remind him of LeShana or any of the memories that were so often called up when he wanted them the least. He still felt as if he was betraying her by trying to forget the pain, but there was no help for it. He simply had to keep reminding himself of that life must go on. In some strange way, it felt as if he were being punished during the course of the next week, as his repeated requests for immediate assignment were seemingly ignored. While he understood that with Aslyn's continued absence the command structure of the Center had taken a hit, but he wanted to get out and start moving forward again.

"That's a fairly displeased look on your face." He hadn't heard the doorbell, nor the sound of anyone knocking, but whether or not Palinia had broken into Sarath's rooms or the door had simply been unlocked, didn't really matter, she was already inside and standing at the doors leading out to the balcony.

"I can't imagine that anyone forced into idleness and ignored by their comrades can sit there and take that kind of torment with a happy go lucky smile on their face." He stated back to her. It was far too late to be nice or to force one of the 'brave expressions' everyone seemed to be wearing around him onto his own face. It was the biggest reason why he hadn't left Sarath's apartment in two days; he was sick of people giving him those kinds of looks. When he glanced back at her, Monorth could feel a small surge of gratitude that she was not so afflicted.

"Is that what you think is going on?" She asked calmly while she crossed the balcony and came to perch on the railing next to him, her feet dangling his over the drop just as his own were.

"I am sure everyone else sees it differently, but that's certainly what it feels like on my end." Monorth not quite growled back to her.

"Is that the reason behind the daily calls to Aslyn's empty office to plead for assignment?" She asked of him with a tilt of her head.

"Pretty much." He confirmed. "Are those cries for help the reason you're here?"

"Pretty much." She countered with a slightly teasing smirk. "Is that what they really were?"

"Trying to analyze me?" Her amusement grew, as did her smile as she nodded honestly back to him. He sighed and considered long and hard before deciding what to say next. "You do realize I live in a bird's nest, one little push and I've got about twenty seconds to say my goodbyes before I find a nice swift end on either rock or earth." He informed her, jerking his head towards the drop not even inches from the tips of his toes. "Or heck, I can wander off back to Earth, I'm sure their are plenty of dark servants still running about who'd love to make it nice and slow." Her smiled faded just a little bit at his words. "The last thing LeShana would have wanted was for me to follow her, and the first thing she would have wished for was for me to carry on the lessons she tried to teach me." Monorth gave her a no-nonsense, unflinching look deep into her eyes. "Now, if I wanted it to end it, I assure you I could name any manner of all too creative ways to die.. like, for example making a gate up into the sun up there. I am fairly certain that one would be almost instantaneous.." Just a little bit more color drained from her face at his choice of words. "I want an assignment because there is not one thing in this Universe that is going to make it hurt one bit less, but if you keep me stuck here waiting, I've got all the time in the world to think of the easiest way to stop that pain. If they are afraid that if they let me do the job I was trained to do, that I am going to immediately get myself and whomever I'm working with, killed, tell me right now and I'll be gone." He made a sweeping gesture with his hand like a bird taking to the sky. ".. I'll go find something to do and no one will have to think of me or worry about me again."

"Okay.. that's exactly what they are afraid of.. but not me, not anymore." She told him softly, as some small portion of her smile returned.

"So, you'll.."

"I can't. At least not right away." He was just about get angry with her when she gently gripped his arm and gave him a look that asked for just a little more patience. "There are rules I have to follow before someone can be assigned to the undercover division. But if you'll give me just a few weeks, at least until the end of the year.. I promise that you will have more work on your hands than you could possibly want. A man of your skill is rare, even in a group as large and as talented as the Center. Had things been.. different, I might have had to fight an all out war to have you assigned to my division."

"So.. I'm stuck here for another month?" Monorth asked her, trying and failing to hide his horror and frustration at the thought.

"I didn't say that." She told him chuckling. "I won't pretend that I haven't been talking to all your friends.. so I can admit, some of them had me a little worried. If it wasn't for Sarath.. Well.. let's just say we would not be having this conversation." It was enough to make him smile and take a deep, tension relieving breath. "You wouldn't mind being partnered with her, would you? Once we get things straightened out that is."

"Of course not." She smiled a little bit brighter and nodded.

"Dumas was the other one who seems to have a handle on what you might be going through. Which is why I thought I should bring up the fact that he is the one who is offering to get you out of here, keep you busy for a while as I fight my battles of paperwork and tend to my paper-cut casualties." She informed him, patting his shoulder. Monorth was quick to give her a curious look. "You'll have to talk to him about the specifics, but I think he was hinting at trying to recruit you away from me and into his line of work. He also mentioned something about a favor for his daughter?" It took a moment for Monorth to remember his promise to Alya, and while not really in his immediate agenda, it was indeed very much the distraction that he might have wanted most at the time.

"It's a long story." He told her cryptically. "Yah, if it'll get me out of here, and keep me out of your hair, I'll go with him.. I just.." She didn't force him to finish the thought as just a touch of sadness appeared in her gaze and she nodded.

"I think Sarath could use the chance to just get away from this place to, but.."

"She's been worried about me." He finished for her.

Chapter Nine: A Fool's Folly and Revelations at Year's End

Dumas was shocked by Monorth's appearance when they meet the morning of their departure. Monorth had chosen his outfit carefully, for the pure shock value of it. His clothes were old, worn, and dirty, a good roll in the mud had assured the last one. His face was smeared with soot, his shirt was torn in several place, the gold blade was strapped to his back,. There was blood on one pant leg, saved from a rare steak, his shirt was not tucked in, his other pant leg was cut with what looked like an open wound peering through the hole, worn boots, and disheveled hair. Monorth was not able to contain his amusement at seeing the paladin's face, even as he had to reassure him that he was all right. It was part of Monorth's plan; Dumas would leave an hour before him to tell the Empress of his arrival, and then Monorth would arrive in the middle of court to shock and scandalize it into a terrible kind of silence. He made Dumas swear that he would give no hint of his little surprise, since the Empress would have to react with honest shock at his arrival, or her court would not believe it could possibly be real, and that Monorth had just been some kind of terrible mass nightmare.

"Mind my things." Monorth ordered brashly, something no man was ever supposed to do inside the Empire, and absolutely never with a woman. It was an offense punished by public execution. "I must speak with the Empress." He told her before stalking off, Not giving her he chance to say anything. To her credit, she recovered quickly enough to try and chase after him, but the brisk pace Monorth set soon left her behind. He reached the entrance to the throne room and was confronted by the guards that stood at either side of the doors. When he told them who he was, they seemed surprised, but they moved aside quickly, despite the many concerns written in their eyes. It made sense for the palace guards to all be in on the conspiracy, at least the official part concerning his presence in the court. To have anything less would have made it a suicide mission. Monorth approached the doors, then threw them open with one mighty shove.

Despite their size, the doors slammed open with a resounding crash, bringing all activity inside to a complete halt, which made his arrival only too perfect for his purposes. Monorth posed in the doorway for a moment, allowing the people inside get a good, long look at him and take in the sight he must have made, which alone would have probably scandalized the Empire for decades to come. It was only made even more delicious by the fact that he was only beginning his reign of terror. Once they had taken in his appearance, he walked inside, head held high and with a self important swagger he had always hated seeing others perform. His course was straight and true, directly toward the Empress, scowling as he went, and forcing the courtiers to part before him. There was not a single soul in the whole room who could recover from their shock long enough to try and stop him. With a subtle glance, he made sure the Empress was as horrified as her courtiers, but for her it was an entirely different reason than the rest of the people in the room. Monorth reached the dais at the far side of the grand hall and without pause, nod, bow, or any prostration at all, he ascended the steps two at a time. He was just a little disappointed that the courtiers had enough sense left in them to utter the shocked sound that swept through the gathered women, since he nearly lost the hold on his laughter right then. Deciding he might need to go a few steps further to ensure the Empress was getting her money's worth next time, he made a note of this for the following days.

When he reached the top of the steps, he approached Alya, nodding to her as if he were her equal, then stopped, leaned over, and kissed her on the cheek. This time there was more than a shocked sound there were even some soft cries to have his blood spilled then and there, from any number of the courtiers. Monorth walked to side of the throne and leaned up against it, posing there as he cleaned his finger nails with a small knife. He was hard pressed not to laugh at the expressions looking up at him. The Empress was silent for a long span of minutes, but eventually she got over her surprise and rose shakily from her throne. She walked to the edge of the dais and announced that court was over for the day, in a voice that trembled. Monorth admired her composure and her acting ability, though he liked to think he had helped it along just a little. As the courtiers filed from the room one of the Queen's handmaidens led Monorth out through the back entrance. Once they were out of sight, both of them dissolved into laughter almost the instant they were out of earshot. Monorth's legs gave out and he fell to the floor, with her collapsing right beside him. When they had both recovered, they were quick to escape to the safety of the ambassadorial suite, since the Empress was no doubt as angry as she was amused. When he got to the suite, his luggage was already waiting for him. Monorth thanked the handmaiden and grabbed his bags before heading for the first available bedroom to take a shower. He would be sharing the suite with Dumas, who was not officially there. Monorth stripped off the damaged clothes and practically leapt into the stream of water.

"I can't believe you did that!!!" The Empress yelled as she entered the bathroom. He looked at her, pulling the curtain aside just enough to see that she was trying not to smile, even as she had spoken. Monorth smiled back and turned off the water as he reached for a towel. With it wrapped around his waist, he emerged still dripping.

"Don't try and pretend you're that mad." Monorth replied calmly, though he was secretly relieved she was such a good sport about it, a public execution would look bad on his resume. "You loved it, and we both know it."

"What's going on?" Dumas asked, entering the room.

"He is impossible!" The Empress replied, rounding on her father. "You will not believe what he did!" She added before storming out of the room. Dumas and Monorth exchanged amused looks before Dumas followed her. Monorth took the opportunity to dry off and get dressed in something more substantial than a towel. When he emerged from the bedroom, dried and dressed, Dumas and the Empress were on the couch convulsing with laughter. Even her handmaidens had lost their dignity and were collapsed in two of the chairs. They were the ones who gave him a round of applause as he appeared. Monorth responded with a bow before walking over to join them.

"You have the court in an uproar." Wes informed him.

"It was all we could hear as the Empress returned to her suite." Alaine added.

"Nothing like starting off on the right foot." Monorth replied with a wicked smile, that set them all off laughing again.

"There is no way anyone is going to be able to top that." The Empress told him.

"Oh, I don't know, my Empress, I have a few ideas." Monorth told her with an evil little smile.

"No, you can't call me that anymore." She admonished, and Monorth was a little surprised by the sternness of her voice. "After a performance like that, you have to call me Alya." Monorth nodded respectfully.

"With rewards like that, I can assure you that by the time I'm ready to leave, I will be calling you by some embarrassing nickname." Monorth told her. Alya accepted his challenge with a respectful nod. She was not convinced he could do it, but Dumas was, that much was clear in his eyes.

"I would not doubt him, my dear, he has a way of surprising everyone." Dumas confirmed verbally.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The Empress arranged to introduce Monorth to the court the next day, presenting him as her betrothed, and a member of the Black Raven royal line. The betrothal usually entailed a period of six months where the husband learned what his duties were and allowed the Empress enough time to decide if he was suited to her. Generally the prince, as he was called after the marriage, acted as the Queen's head servant, waiting at her side for any commands, but not when she was attending court, no men were allowed into the grand hall, even in the capacities of a servant. Monorth, of course, would not be following those instructions, since he planned to be as rude and obnoxious as humanly possible. He arrived for the betrothal ceremony dressed appropriately for the occasion. Afterwards, He would be attending a meeting of the council, as was appropriate, but not as a servant, which wasn't.

When the courtiers filed into the throne room for the morning court, Monorth was there, waiting at the foot of the stairs dressed in attire that was more appropriate for a member of the royal line. All of them undoubtedly recognized him as the man who appeared before them the day before, judging by the evil looks sent his way with some regularity. The room fluttered with the sound of conversation as the courtiers waited for the arrival of the Empress. Just for the thrill of doing it, Monorth scratched himself as if he were alone. The sound nearly tripled at such a 'vile' act, but before it could quiet on its' own, the fan-fare started. The Empress entered the throne room through the back entrance, followed by her handmaidens, and Monorth turned to look at her, exactly as he was not supposed to do. There was another ripple of angry sound. After the Empress took her seat, the courtiers bowed, but Monorth simply waved at her as if he were a child. The courtiers no doubt saw it, for there was another ripple of rage from the assembled women.

"Before we start court, I have an announcement." The Empress began in a clear, crisp voice, sitting forward in her chair. "As my council has urged me to do, I have chosen a husband. To strengthen our political standing, I contacted the Emperor of the Black Raven Empire and asked him for an alliance marriage." The Queen's voice faltered in another show of great acting skill. "It is with great pleasure that I present to you, Monorth, of the royal line of the Black Raven Empire." Monorth turned back to the gathered courtiers.

"Hiya." Monorth called out, waving at the shocked faces. He was almost certain that some of the older women present were ready to faint. He then turned back towards the Empress, as he was suppose to, and started to walk upwards towards her. The Empress rose from her seat to descend and they met halfway to take each others' hands. They were suppose to kiss, an innocent kiss, however, Monorth decided that was not appropriate. He released her hands, grabbed the sides of her head and bent her over as he kissed her passionately. When Monorth released her, the Empress was as shocked as her courtiers. The sound that emerged from the crowd was no longer polite whispering, in fact, some of the women were almost screaming for blood. Monorth took the Empress's hand and turned to face the crowd. They posed there for a moment, after which they were suppose to part and return to their places. The Empress did as she was supposed to, but Monorth waited for her to turn and slapped her on the behind before he descended to the floor. The Empress returned to her throne uncomfortably, and Monorth was escorted outside by the guards before court began. He managed to get back to the suite before he lost control. His adventure was more fun than he could remember having in some time.

Dumas was not there, and Monorth assumed that he was out doing something in line with his duties as a paladin. When he recovered, he went into the bedroom and added a sash that marked him as the royal consort. Then sat back to relax, waiting for one of the handmaidens to summon him to the council session. Monorth waited for about an hour before the handmaiden politely tapped on the door. Wes entered at his word and stepped inside to close the door in her wake before dissolving into laughter, much as he had done. He smiled at the overwhelmed handmaiden and went to retrieve an accessory for his next performance; a book meant for children. By the time Wes was ready to leave, they were already late for the start of the meeting, which could not have been more perfect in Monorth's line of thinking. He was grateful that Wes was there to guide him. Since the palace was massive, it would have been impossible for him to find his way without her. When they reached the council chambers, Monorth waved Wes to go in first. He then ruffled his hair and untucked one side of his shirt before stepping inside. The eyes of the councilors all turned towards him with barely contained rage. He put a big smile on his face and waved hello.

"Sorry, I forgot about the meeting." Monorth told them and the women were once again shocked by his audacity. No man, not even the prince, was supposed to speak without first being spoken too. He walked inside under the watchful eyes of thirteen elderly women, and proceeded to make another faux pas, taking the seat at the far end of the table, opposite the Empress.

"That is not your seat." One of the councilors almost screamed, and Monorth looked at her stupidly. "That is your seat." She pointed to the chair behind the Empress. He shrugged and stood up, 'accidentally' knocking over the chair. The chair he had taken was supposed to be reserved for the next Empress, and it was considered bad luck if it was knocked over. Monorth righted it and walked down to sit on the chair behind the current Empress. He then settled in his seat and opened his book, pretending to ignore the proceedings, flipping a page every once in a while. He soon 'decided' his seat was uncomfortable and draped himself over the arms of the chair, lounging there. Every time Monorth glanced over at the councilors, they were all staring at him with inconcealable hatred and the need to spill his guts on the floor. Even though the Empress was speaking, none of them seemed to hear what she was saying. Every once in a while, she would pass around a piece of paper and each of the councilors signed it, never even aware that the Empress was pulling a fast one. Monorth changed his position eventually, turning so that his feet were extended up the back of the chair, while his head hung over the front of the seat, giving him a unique perspective of the room. Occasionally, he would stop the proceedings by laughing like a mad man over something from the book. About an hour into the session, the oldest woman in the group had endured enough. She exuded dignity, it practically dripped from her, and it was obvious, to him at least, that she was tied up in the idea of her own self importance.

"Your majesty." The woman began, interrupting the Empress in mid speech. "I can not take much more of this brutish male. He does not know his place, and he seems to delight in breaking our traditions. The traditions, I might add, that have served this Empire for seventeen thousand years. I was on your mother's council, I have raised five daughters and three sons, and never before have I seen such a display!" The woman's diatribe continued for many more moments. Monorth pretended not to take notice of her until she was nearing the end, listing Monorth's less than admirable qualities with such detail that even he was surprised by such a laundry list of character flaws. Even lacking curse words, the woman could lead a platoon of battle-hardened troops without any problem. As she finished, Monorth went into action. He got to his feet and rose to his full height, casting a shadow over the women before he threw the book down and kicked over the chair.

"That is enough, I am of the royal line and am not to be insulted like this." Monorth began, pitching his voice just under the level of screaming. "My line goes back thousands of years beyond yours. My manners are impeccable and the rest of the stuff you said is as untrue as anything as I have ever heard said." Monorth told them, stomping forward.

"You are a brutish naive beast with no more breeding than the common mutt!" Another women replied.

"You want a piece of me?" Monorth asked her, leaning over the table menacingly. "There is no person I fear, man, woman or beast." He looked her over as if certain she should be counted in the last category. "But out of respect for hot lips, here.." Monorth jerked his thumb at the Empress. "We had better take this outside."

"What!?" The woman asked, caught between shock and outraged anger.

"What, do you want to fight here?" Monorth asked her, pretending to be confused. "I will knock you out." Monorth added with more bravado than necessarily.

"Stop this outburst at once!!!" The Empress ordered, for which Monorth was thankful since he didn't really want to beat up a woman half his size and three times his age. "You will return to your seat, and remain there in absolute silence until the end of the council session!! At which time I will deal with you!" The Empress threatened, but Monorth stared at Alya, making the challenge in his eyes all too clear. Alya rose from her seat and walked closer to him, and her handmaidens came forward to side with the Empress. Monorth stared down at her for a few more minutes before backing down to return to his chair, which he righted before picking up the discarded book. And just to draw out more outrage from the councilors, he draped one leg over the arm of the chair. The Empress passed around a few more things to be signed into law. Once again, the councilors signed them without looking at what they were. They were too busy staring angrily at Monorth, and exchanging vengeful looks with each other. Finally, the Empress opened the floor to new business, at the end of the meeting. Just as he had expected, the leader rose from her seat and started to beg the Empress to break off the betrothal.

"Please your majesty, there must be another suitable candidate of the right sort to fulfill the need for an heir." The woman began. "Throw this one back as he deserves to be." She glared hatefully at Monorth.

"The insult to the Black Raven Empire will be great." Another councilor put in, and that seemed to be the signal for everyone to put in their three cents, each vying for the Queen's attention.

"Enough." The Empress finally ordered. "We can not afford to insult the Emperor of the Black Raven Empire. There is much time before the wedding, so we must use caution. I will see it to that my betrothed is properly trained. And if time proves that he can not be trained, we will risk insulting the Emperor to try choosing a more suitable prince." The Empress explained. "Now leave me to deal with him." She requested. The councilors glared at Monorth, wearing wicked smiles as they filed out of the room, all of which he ignored. The Empress rose from her seat and turned to stare down at Monorth, no doubt to hide the smile she was wearing. Once the door was shut, she broke apart, practically falling into his lap, overwhelmed with laughter. It was several minutes before she was able to stagger back to her own seat. The handmaidens did the same, and Monorth just relaxed, letting the smile he had been hiding emerge. Even the guards lining the walls broke character enough to smile. The Empress kept trying to point at Monorth to say something, but she never got past the pointing part. He imitated her, increasing the amusement of everyone.

"You are dangerous." The Empress finally managed to say, and he shrugged, smiling a little wider.

"I warned you." Dumas commented, dropping the illusion of a guardswoman to walk closer. Monorth had sensed his presence in the room and in the throne chamber, but he had not been sure either time which pair of eyes to look into. "Hotlips?" Dumas asked Monorth, who could only shrug since the nickname had come to him out of nowhere.

"I don't even want to think about what you might have planned next." The Empress commented.

"Good, because you don't want to know." Monorth replied with a smile that was pure evil.

"So how much did you get passed?" Dumas asked Alya.

"All of it." The Empress replied, holding up a leather folder.

"All of it?" Monorth asked her. "Does that mean the fun is over?"

"Absolutely not! I am going to keep you, if only for the pure entertainment value." She replied, and he returned the smile she gave him. "I thought that I might be able to slip one or two of the resolutions by them, but never thirteen in one day. But they just kept signing them, totally focused on you."

"He was the perfect distraction." Wes added.

"Would you have actually taken Lady Demi outside and fought her?" Dumas asked him a touch worried.

"She was asking for it." He muttered, but did not give any further clarifications.

"That was a masterful performance." Dumas added, and Monorth acknowledged the comment with a nod. With that, Alya rose from her seat, and together the five of them took the back passages to the ambassadorial suite. They all collapsed into the couches with wide smiles.

"This is the most fun that I have had in years." Ayla told him after a long silence.

"Well.." Monorth replied, contemplating her words. ".. would you consider something then?" He asked with a wicked smile. Alya nodded reluctantly, not really sure if she was quite ready for his suggestion.

"Would you take me off my leash, so I can have some real fun?" He asked.

"Monorth, what are you going to do?" Dumas asked warningly.

"I'll have your whole court in a total uproar within two days." He promised. "By the time I'm done, they'll let you marry anyone you want just to get rid of me." He added, Alya looked unsure, but her eyes were thoughtful.

"On one condition." The Empress finally replied. He quickly decided that she should have been born a merchant, she had a propensity for making deals.

"What's that?" Monorth asked her.

"You have to be here for the wedding when I do choose a husband." Alya replied with a smile. Monorth bowed gracefully to her. He got the feeling that she already had someone in mind, with a grin he rose from the couch and headed towards the replicator. He ordered half a bottle of brandy and took a pull off of it. He then left the alcove with the bottle and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Dumas asked as Monorth headed out of the suite. He smiled at the paladin as he ruffled his hair to a tangled mess as untucked the other half of his shirt. Monorth then showed him the half empty bottle of brandy he had acquired.

"I am going to get to work." He replied. "I said two days, but let's see if I can go one better." Dumas simply shook his head and turned back to his conversation with one of the handmaidens.

"You're incorrigible!" Ayla called after him. Monorth shrugged and pushed the door open, slamming it behind him as he lurched into the hallway. He staggered through the palace halls, butchering a drinking song as he wandered aimlessly through the corridors. Whenever he came across a courtier, he would ask them a question in drunkenese, that strange formless language that no one but a drunk could understand. About a half hour into his wanderings, he spotted one of the ladies from the council and could not resist the idea of saying hello as he stumbled in her direction, continuing his song. When he was close enough to strike, he ran up to her and kissed her full on the lips. She pulled away and screamed before turning to run back the way she had come, continuing to screaming shrilly for the guards. Monorth staggered after her, since she was attracting enough attention to summon the whole court, which was rather in line with his goals of getting the court to see their high proof prince in action. When he reached the foyer of the throne room, there was large crowd gathered around the Lady. She was babbling to the guards and the other courtiers at a high rate of speed, almost too fast for himself or others to understand the words. He waited in the hallway so that she had the time to babble out the whole story before he went lurching out into the open. Almost instantly, someone spotted him and yelled for the guards, but he feigned his inability to understand the screams for his immediate execution as he staggered in their direction. The guards responded to the cries of the women and converged on Monorth, only too aware that he might be the cause of the first execution on the steps of the palace's gates in 1,500 years if they did not do something immediately. Since fighting the guards would only cause the wrong sort of trouble, he belched loudly his objections to his treatment which was a sound that echoed rather well in the large vaulted space, bringing more screams and angry noises. They reached him long before he could stagger very far across the oversized chamber, grabbed him by the arms, and then dragged him back to the ambassadorial suite. They opened the door and shoved him inside for the benefit of the gaggle of women that had followed behind them, only too ready to see him taken to the sacrificial slab as opposed to his luxurious suite. Monorth's sudden appearance attracted the attention of Dumas and Ayla, who turned to look curiously at him.

"Alya, you might want to get back to your room." Monorth commented, leaning against the door and smiling at the muffled screams of the angry mob just outside.

"Why?" She asked, her eyes narrowing and just a little ready to be mad.

"What did you do?" Dumas asked his tone one of deep concern.

"Let's just say I will never look at Lady Reese the same way again." Monorth replied. There was a round of confused looks from everyone. "She's a great kisser." Monorth added with a lovelorn sigh. Alya just shook her head at him and nodded towards her ladies in waiting so that two of them would follow her back to her suite. Monorth chuckled as they departed before he moved to drop across an empty seat and smoothed down his hair.

"You are doing well, but I still don't think that you have topped your entrance yet." Dumas commented to him, as if eager to taunt him to even more daring acts.

"Probably not, but I still have some things up my sleeve." Monorth told him, to which Dumas shook his head before he returned to the board game that he was playing with Wes. Monorth lounged back and waited for Ayla's return. When she did come, almost an hour later, she was either on the verge of laughter or extremely angry. It turned out to be the former as she broke apart soon after appearing.

"You actually kissed Lady Reese?!" Alya asked him, almost outraged. "I thought you were joking!"

"Apparently not." Monorth replied with a wicked smile.

"At this rate you really are going to surpass your promise by a day!" Alya commented, taking a seat next to him. "They are already offering me anything I could want to find a new husband."

"Don't cash that chip in, not just yet." Monorth told her. "I need to do something that would get you and them so angry, that they won't even think to question what you are asking for."

"Sounds like a good idea." Alya replied, her expression turning thoughtful. "If I asked for special dispensation, that would be enough to make them ask too many questions I'm not ready to answer." Monorth held back his surprise at the words she let slip. His research into his unusual role had provided him with enough information to know that the Empress required special dispensation only when she wished to marry a commoner, and traditionally someone that she was life-bonded with. It had happened only once before in the history of the Selas Empire, and it had taken ten years for the council to make their final decision on the matter. "Have any ideas that could accomplish that task?"

"Just one." He replied, holding up a finger of warning. "But I will not tell you what it is. For this to work, you have to be as shocked as everyone else."

"Why don't I like the sound of that?" Dumas asked with a smile.

"Because you are wise beyond your years." Monorth replied with a dark and dangerous smile. A banquet was to be held that night, supposedly in Monorth's honor, but since Monorth had reached a state of perfect inebriation hours before the guests would begin arriving, he would not need to attend. It was a perfect state in his eyes, since not only were state banquets vastly boring, but to have the Empress forced to sit alone while the seat next to her reserved for the 'guest of honor' would only serve as a highly visible reminder of the scandal he had blatantly and boldly created. Monorth had, in all truth, been planning to stretch his performance out over a period of two weeks. However, the Empress was motivated by something that she was keeping secret from him and the tense state, in turn, was motivating Monorth past the point of endurance. A quiet night was what he needed to restore his slowly eroding resources, so that he could perfectly pull off the performance that would be the following day's finishing blow. It was the familiar sounds of the secret passage opening that woke Monorth from his thoughts. He turned in his seat, startling the man who had been emerging from the doorway.

"Can I help you?" Monorth asked him. The man was trying to decide if he should dash back through the doorway or trust Monorth, his emotions obvious in the first awkward moment.

"Is Dumas here?" He asked in a nervous and meek voice. He was all together plain and unassuming, the kind of person that most people would not look at twice if they were to pass him on the street. While Monorth did not consider himself a fair judge of things, the new arrival was handsome enough without the flashy good looks or the rotten personalities often associated with great beauty. He had dark hair somewhere between black and brown, with plain features, but the most amazing hazel eyes peeking out from his downward tilted head.

"No, he's attending the banquet." Monorth replied. "Is it something I can help you with?"

"Are you.. Monorth?" The man asked even more awkwardly than before.

"Yes, I am." He replied. The other man's nervousness seemed to dissolve away in a matter of a second.

"Oh, good! I was afraid that you were someone else." He stated confidently. "Is it all right if I wait here for Dumas?" The man asked.

"As long as you tell me your name." The transformation was remarkable, it had to be an act and one almost good enough to have fooled Monorth's highly suspicious nature.

"It's Stephos." He replied walking over to take a seat. "I am the Empress's bonded." Stephos added, as if that cleared things up, while actually only confusing the situation. His remark did, however, answer as many questions as it created.

"So she is bonded." Monorth commented under his breath, nodding to himself as the driving motivation became more clear to him in.

"She didn't tell you?!" Stephos asked, practically freezing in place. "She'll kill me if she finds out."

"Don't worry, she won't hear it from me." Monorth reassured him quickly. "Besides I had already thought something of the sort was going on."

"Thank you, Alya has such a terrible temper when I mess things up." Stephos told him.

"I can believe it." That was more of an understatement in his way of thinking. He rather thought Alya was capable of stripping a person of their flesh with just one harsh look.

"She is very much afraid that someone will find out that we are bonded." Stephos added for his benefit. "Sometimes I don't understand why."

"I can understand it." Monorth told Stephos who looked at him in askance. "She has been hiding it for so long now that it has become ingrained."

"That does make sense." Stephos replied, his face dark with thought. "So you're the one that has been causing so much trouble." The wicked smile that appeared was filled with a playful energy, and though it was obvious he was trying to change the subject to something a little less serious, Monorth was more than happy to go along with the unspoken desire.

"Me? Oh no, I am afraid you have mistaken me sir, I would never cause trouble. Who could have told you such a vile untruth?" Monorth asked him innocently, and Stephos snorted with amusement at his mocking expression.

"The servants and guards all know about me and the Empress, they have been helping us keep our secret for a long time." Stephos explained with a calm, deeply pleasing kind of smile that made it hard to not like the older man and made Monorth wish to be his friend. The smile, more than anything, made Monorth understand just a little of what must have brought them together. "They tell me all about your performances, though I think they might be exaggerating just a little. I do know how very grateful my beloved feels towards you, though, even when she's been tempted to be as scandalized as everyone else. Do you really think the council will give Alya special dispensation just to get rid of you?"

"I'm positive of it." Monorth assured him quickly with a snort of repressed laughter. "I have already gotten the council close enough to it already. If I hadn't already played my drunken prince card into this game, I might have even gotten them to do it tonight."

"Alya told me about that, I would have liked to have seen the council session. She went on and on about how you managed to distract them so that she could pass all the legislation that will allow her to make it so men can be something more than servants." Stephos commented, and Monorth shrugged his shoulders.

"All you have to do is know what 'is not done' and then go right ahead and do it." He told him with a sigh. "You have to know the rules so that you can break them." He added after Stephos gave him a confused look. "So what brought you over here?"

"Dumas and I always talk when my beloved is out doing something." Stephos replied. "I did not know that he was.. was.. what did you say he was doing?"

"He's posing as a servant, measuring the court's hatred of me and seeing how far they are actually willing to go to get rid of me." Stephos nodded, quietly thinking that over.

"He's done that a few times before." Stephos finally murmured, as if he was admitting to something. "I want to thank you for what you're doing. You have no idea what it means to all of us."

"There is something you can do to pay it back." Stephos looked at him askance. "Find me something with more bite to it than this." Monorth told him, holding up the empty bottle of brandy. Stephos smiled endearingly at him and went to retrieve a bottle from Ayla's chamber. When he returned, he filled two glasses and handed Monorth one of them.

"So how did the two of you meet, if you don't mind my asking?" Monorth said, taking the offered glass.

"Well, I was a lower servant, working in the cellars one winter, the coldest winter in a hundred years. The palace was freezing, and there weren't enough servants to keep all the fires lit. So they pulled me out of the cellars and sent me to the Queen's chamber to collect the ashes and to put the fire on while she was out at court. I was just lighting the fire when she came in, the throne room was even colder so she ended court early before she started losing toes. I froze, I had never seen her before, and the next thing I know our eyes meet and that was it.. love at first sight." Stephos told him, his expression become vague and distant, as if reliving the all too fond memories in the span of the minute that followed. After a time, he shook himself just a little and gave an apologetic kind of smile before speaking up once more. "Before long, I was assigned to be her personal servant, and soon after, I became more than that. She would not let me work after we realized that we were bonded. Her handmaidens started to educate me, they help me learn to be a prince, hoping that one day I might actually be able to fulfill the role."

"I will do the best I can to see that it happens." Monorth promised him in no uncertain terms, becoming even more determined than an hour previous. The door to the suite opened and Dumas and the Empress walked in, both looking at Monorth and Stephos with expressions that ranged from surprised to horrified.

"What's going on here?" The Empress asked angrily as she charged across the floor.

"It's all right, Alya, I already knew." Monorth told her, forestalling Stephos from taking the blame.

"How did you know?" Dumas asked, picking up on Monorth's meaning.

"Having experienced it personally, I recognize the signs in others." It was a lie, but if Monorth could save Stephos and Alya any stress in an already stressful situation, he would do so without qualms. Both of them accepted the explanation at face value and visibly relaxed. "Stephos came here to talk to Dumas." Monorth added, the three of them relaxed even more. "What did you think I would do?" Monorth asked them next. "I may have no shame, but I do have a smidgen of honor."

"I see that someone has been raiding my liquor cabinet." The Empress commented, coming closer to where they had seated themselves.

"I felt like celebrating a little early and Stephos was kind enough to bring something that was not replicated." Monorth told her.

"You seem confident." Dumas muttered.

"It is not a crime to be confident if there is no doubt that you will succeed." Monorth told him formally.

"I'll drink to that." The Empress replied, borrowing Stephos's glass.

"So will I." Dumas concurred as he got one of his own.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The next morning, Monorth readied himself for what would be the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. He was alone and had flat out refused to let any one of them see what he was planning to do. Dumas was back in his guise as a guardswoman, Stephos was out doing whatever it was he did during the day, and the handmaidens were with the Empress or roaming the grand hall and taking in all the over stimulated gossip. Monorth was ready for morning court, having once again planned to interrupt the session. He left the suite wearing an illusion that would not give the game away and prevented him from being stopped, emulating Dumas and posing as a guard woman for the length of the journey. He carefully made his way to the back hall that would bring him out on the Queen's dais and he remained in the illusion until he was within sight of the throne. He dropped the illusion and walked confidently out into full view of court, wearing a loosely tied robe and loose undergarments. The robe fell to mid thigh on him, and was stained heavily. Monorth's hair was a tangled mess that look more like a haphazard bird;s nest more than anything else and he was holding a steaming cup of coffee. This was, of course, all illusion, Monorth was actually fully clothed and neatly groomed. The courtiers stopped so quickly that there was an echo; it was a rather amazing sound to hear two thousand people all stop in mid-sentence. Every single person stared slack jawed as Monorth walked up and leaned up against the thrown, sipping his coffee as if he did not have a care in the world. Alya actually had to turn to look at him, then she nearly gave the game away by laughing, but she clamped it down in a remarkable display of self control. when Monorth finally took notice of the staring faces, it was to show anger, not embarrassment.

"What?! Haven't you ever seen someone drink a cup of coffee before?" Monorth asked in a voice that would carry to the back of the room. There was a stranglehold of repressed laughter near the back right corner, but that was all.

"Get out!!" The Empress finally managed to scream, still trying to get over her shock.

"What?!" Monorth asked of her.

"Get out now!" The Empress ordered, standing up to face him, mostly because she could not hide her grin any longer. "It is forbidden for any male, even you, to attend court! You come here unwashed, wearing clothes that would shame anyone, acting as if you own this court, and then dare to question me?! Get out of here right now!!"

"Why? What did I do this time?" Monorth asked incredulously.

"I said get out!!" Alya screamed back at him.

"Not before you answer my question." Monorth demanded in return, but the handmaiden nearest him grabbed his arm, signaling that he had better give it up before the Empress started laughing. Monorth glared at the courtiers before he was lea out of sight. Once they were in the hallway, he dropped the illusion.

"Are all your clothes an illusion?" The handmaiden asked, and Monorth shook his head and gestured for her to listen. Alya was demanding that her council be convened at once. With that, she turned and practically ran into the hallway where Monorth and the handmaidens were waiting.

"I can't believe you!" The Empress whispered vehemently, hitting him in the arm.

"Ow, it'll show you if I never do another illusion for you again." Monorth complained and pretended to be hurt.

"It looked real enough." The Empress accused.

"Oh please, I am so much larger in real life." Monorth replied with a wicked smile.

"I was talking about your illusion!" The Empress told him in an angry whisper, hitting him again.

"Oh." Monorth replied with feigned ignorance, before creating another illusion, that of a handmaiden as she glared at him. "I will not miss this council session." The Empress shook her head and took the lead out of the hall. Monorth fell into step at the end of the line. They went straight the council chamber, but somehow Dumas had beaten them there. Monorth saw him standing near the doorway and they exchanged the tiniest nods of recognition. The Empress stomped to her seat as Monorth took his place with the other handmaidens.

"I will be damned to the underworld before I marry that royal idiot, Monorth!!" The Empress cursed vehemently . "I want special dispensation, and an order giving the prince the right to speak on the council." She demanded. "Without those two things, we are going to be stuck with someone like Monorth for the length of my reign. That is the only way I can encourage an appropriate consort to accept a marriage contract!" There was no arguing, no questions, just action. The council tripped over themselves to get the documents made up and signed, and Alya accepted them without a word. But when the signed and sealed documents were in her hand, her entire demeanor changed in a heartbeat.

"I have a confession." The Empress told them, dropping the facade of anger to the deep and utter confusion of her entire council. "It was dirty and underhanded, but I saw no other way to act for the good of my realm." The council women all looked a little confused, but listened the to Empress nonetheless. "All of this has been part of an intricate ruse to confuse and mislead all of you. You think the Empire is fine the way it is, my mother and I do not. Things have to change, and they will. Our Empire has shrunk and our financial situation has been worsening for years. So with the help of Monorth, I have the documents that will allow me to bring about the change that the Empire desperately needs." The Empress paused to take her seat. "The documents that you signed yesterday are not what you think. You were so involved with what Monorth was doing that you did not read them, and I did everything in my power to make you realize that." The Empress sighed heavily. "Starting now I will be instituting change. Beginning with this council. From now on, the council will be popularly elected, not by the royals and not just by women, but by everyone; men and women, commoner and royal. I expect that since most of you have spent your lives back-stabbing and clawing your ways to your positions that I will no doubt never be seeing any of you again." The Empress told them, then rose from her seat to stare down at them. "After that, more changes will come. Men will become equals, and no longer just our servants." Her piece spoken, the Empress left the table and started to head for the door.

"The Generals will never allow it." One of the women replied, hitting the table top.

"The Generals have already sided with the Empress." One of the guardswomen replied with an angry glare that took all of them back a step. "Unlike all of you, we have no illusions about the inferiority of men."

"We will stop you." One of the other councilors threatened. "We have allies in other Empires with larger armies."

"Larger than the Center?" Monorth asked in return as he dropped the illusion, then pulled out his badge to show it to all of them. "Try it, I am sure that we would find many eager to oppose you." He added, putting the badge back in his pocket.

"I would suggest that you remain silent, unless you might say something that will give you a nice, comfortable stay in a jail cell." The Empress warned from near the door. "All of you have two days to pack your things. Go to your estates and never return to this palace. I would not plot anything either, you will all be watched closely." The Empress turned and walked out of the room.

"And anyone that crosses the line will find me knocking on their doors." Monorth added, looking at each them with an evil glare. "And I can find more creative things to do than put you in a jail cell." Some of the women started weeping. Monorth made a rude noise and walked from the room.

"You know there's likely to be more than one of them who might try something." Monorth commented, catching up with the Empress.

"I know, and I already have a list of possible dissenters. Having the loyalty and the ears of the servants can reveal a great many things." The Empress replied. Monorth nodded and fell silent. All of them walked back to the ambassadorial suite in silence.

"By the way, nice legs." Alya mentioned as Monorth opened the door for her. He made a face at her, and that was enough to lighten the mood. After all, it was a victory celebration and Monorth already had bottles of champagne waiting, with enough glasses for everyone set out and awaiting their return. "Your were that sure?" Alya asked incredulously. Monorth snorted as he went to open the first bottle. One of the handmaidens went off to retrieve the others. Dumas entered the room just about the same time that Stephos did.

"Monorth, do you ever do anything that you don't succeed in?" Dumas asked him without thinking, and he quickly realized his mistake. He tried to stammer an apology, but Monorth waved him to silence and tried to smile through the pain. LeShana's death still hurt to think about. He hid it well as he handed out filled glasses, then started a round of toasting he did not join in. Monorth took a glass and went to the windows to stare out at the cultured gardens. Dumas came to stand next to him, offering what comfort he could. "I'm sorry, Monorth."

"It's all right." He told him. "It is going to hurt for a long time, maybe even forever, but I need to get used to that." He turned back to look at the gathering of handmaidens and others. "At least there are still small joys in the world." He added, pointing at Alya and Stephos feeding each other small tidbits of food.

"Thank you, Monorth. My daughter's happiness is the greatest gift you could have given me." Dumas murmured. "She brought joy back into my life, and you brought joy into her life. I owe you a great debt."

"Want to pay it back?" Monorth asked with a smile.

"What would I have to do?" Dumas asked in return.

"Keep Seletra off my back." Monorth replied, trying to lighten the mood.

<I heard that.> Seletra whispered in his mind.

"Not even I could do that." Dumas replied before returning to the celebration.

<<I knew you would.>> Monorth replied. He could feel her touch his cheek. He sent her the image of her completely naked before chuckling. Seletra made a rude noise at him before her presence left his mind. He did his best to wipe away the traces of sadness before returning the celebration and setting off another round of toasting.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Monorth threw himself down on the couch. It was late and he was getting ready to go to bed. The celebration had lasted well into the night, and in the morning he would have to be present at court so Alya could call off the betrothal. She would also be announcing her official betrothal to Stephos and giving the truth about the changes to come. The embittered council women had no doubt been spreading poison in the ears of the courtiers all afternoon. Monorth looked over at Dumas who was dozing on the other couch.

"Dumas." Monorth called. The paladin woke up and looked over at Monorth. "I wanted to ask you when you were planning to leave, I realize that you had things you wanted to do." The paladin shook himself towards waking and concentrated for a moment.

"Well, since you wrapped this up so quickly, I guess at the end of the week, depending on how things go." Dumas replied. "The thing I wanted to do the most is in twelve days, so we have plenty of time before we have to be there." Monorth did not ask him what he was planning. It mattered very little to him, grateful that he wasn't pining away back at the Center.

"We have a big day ahead of us, we had better get some sleep." Monorth mentioned as he rose from the couch. Dumas nodded and followed his example, both of them heading towards their rooms.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Monorth woke with the dawn, despite the late night. He was groggy and only too aware of having had a little too much champagne, but it was not the hangover he had expected. He washed and dressed appropriately, since there was no more point in playing the part of the disreputable noble. Monorth did not know why, but he buckled his sword across his chest, checking that the hilt was within easy reach over his right shoulder, but not really willing to debate why; it just somehow felt right to be wearing it that day. Monorth also added his gauntlets for the fashion value of it, as he felt the silver bracelets looked good clasped to his forearms. He was ready with hours to spare. Dumas, on the other hand, did have a hangover, and was not ready until just before the call to head to the court came. Dumas had to hustle to get into position. Monorth used an illusion so that he could blend in with the crowd, there was no point in letting them see him before he was ready for the divorce, such as it was. He arrived before most of the courtiers and stationed himself near the steps of the dais. The room was filled with excited chatter, mostly trading rumors of what the Empress was going to say and what the former members of the council had been saying. Stephos entered the room minutes before the Empress to take his rightful place at the left of dais at the base of the stairs, which roused another burst of speculation. Monorth moved closer, ready for his part in the ceremony. The Empress entered the room with the usual fanfare, taking her place at the throne and Monorth bowed this time.

"I must begin the session with a few announcements." The Empress told them as they rose. "Is Agent Monorth here?" Monorth dropped his illusion and walked forward amid the shocked chatter of surprised courtiers. He walked to the base of the dais and bowed but he did not go to one knee, as was still customary.

"I am, your majesty." He replied with great dignity.

"I hereby break my betrothal with you." She started to descend as Monorth started to ascend. When they reached the middle point of the stairs, Alya slapped him, officially ending the betrothal. Monorth descended without a word, to the surprise of the courtiers. "And I hereby announce my betrothal to Stephos, my life-bonded." Stephos came forward and went down on one knee before ascending to meet the Empress. They kissed, as was proper, and there was a rage of applause. Monorth did not take it personally. Stephos descended to take his position at the bottom of the thrown. The Empress returned to the top of the dais.

"As many of you may know, yesterday I dismissed the council. Their efforts are the reason that our Empire has lost prestige. They would not listen to the call for the necessity of change, and make no mistake, there will be change." The Empress announced in no uncertain terms. "Through the efforts of Agent Monorth and others, I now have the authority to change the way the empire works. In two days time, I will release a guideline that will describe my ten year plan to change our society for the better. This.." The Empress made it no further, as the doors at the back of the room burst open and a strange fanfare was played. A richly garbed man entered in regal strides, followed by three overly dressed men. He wore the emblem of the Black Raven Empire on his chest, and Monorth felt trouble coming his way.

"Empress Alya, I apologize for my rude interruption. But I have come to confront a man who calls himself Monorth. He has brought shame to my house and has falsely claimed to be of the royal line." The Emperor bellowed. "It is a matter of honor." 'Honor' was hardly a word that mattered to Monorth, who was tempted to reach for his sword on the mere principle.

"Monorth has not brought shame to your house, Emperor Negeth. He has proven of a great use to me and my court." The Empress replied. "He is most honorable and has even been asked to become one of Seletra's paladin, by Seletra herself."

"That may be so, Empress Alya, but the insult remains." The Emperor replied. "He has no right to claim to be of my blood-line, nor can I ignore the broken traditions and the slights against my name."

"Those slights were done with my knowledge, to allow prosperity to return to my land." The Empress told him. "As for your name, he has not claimed anything, I did it on his behalf. But it is known to both him and those above repute that he does have the right to claim it himself."

"Since you have said it, I must believe that is true." The Emperor replied. "But I wish to speak to this Monorth to confirm what he can or can not claim."

"If you wish to speak to Monorth, then speak to me." Monorth called out, tiring quickly of the verbal fencing match. The crowd backed away, leaving Monorth in the Emperor's line of sight.

"You are Monorth?" The Emperor asked in disbelief.

"I am Agent Monorth." He replied with a tilt of his head and a scowl.

"I challenge!!!" One of the Emperor's men screamed. "In the name of the Emperor, I call for compensation for the slights against my family name!"

"Silence, Oare, it is not your right!" The Emperor exclaimed.

"I am your son, I have every right." Oare replied. The Emperor looked angrily at his son and then turned to Monorth.

"You have been challenged, sir." The Emperor told Monorth. Monorth looked up at Alya, she shook her head but could do nothing without compromising herself.

"I accept the challenge." Monorth replied looking back at the Emperor. The Emperor and the other two backed away, leaving Oare in the middle of the room alone. Oare drew the blade at his hip and carved an intricate design in the air. Monorth resisted the urge to snort sarcastically. Simon could take the boy apart. Monorth activated the gauntlets on this arms and walked forward. The gathered courtiers moved away on either side, giving them room to fight, but he did not draw his sword. Monorth turned back to the Empress and bowed, then turned towards the Emperor and bowed, before finally turning towards Oare. He was outmatched in every category, Monorth had the reach, the weight, the speed, and the training. Oare had his bravado and less brains then a bird. He beckoned Oare to come at him, wearing a sarcastic smile on his face. Oare smiled confidently and charged straight at Monorth, which was his first mistake. Monorth watched him come, unmoving as a block of stone and showing the same amount of worry. Oare screamed as he neared Monorth, who was unimpressed. At the last possible second, he side-stepped, grabbing Oare's blade. Monorth used his superior weight to spin Oare around, releasing the blade and watching as the younger man staggered backwards. As he did so, Monorth drew his sword, drawing a gasp from the crowd because of the impressive sight it made. He doubted there were any in the crowd that recognized it for what it really was.

Oare recovered and squared off, and they circled each other warily, more because it was something of a tradition in a sword fight than for any real function. Oare finally made the first move. Having learned nothing from before, he charged at Monorth, who decided to meet him this time. Oare brought his sword over his head and their blades met, Monorth stopping Oare's strike with a minimum of effort. Oare struggled to bring the blade down, but he grew tired of smelling the younger man's breath and pushed him away. Oare staggered back, but Monorth was on him before he could swing again. He beat him back, endlessly taking him circles and countering the feeble counter strikes. Every time there was an opening, Monorth took it, cutting the man's shirt to ribbons and leaving only the emblem of the Black Raven Empire intact. When Monorth decided he had proved his point, he forced the younger man's blade to the floor and snapped it in half by stepping on it. As Oare stared in disbelief at the remains of his sword, Monorth drew back his gauntlet encased hand and punched him. Oare dropped to the floor, nursing a split lip and a bloody nose, the point of Monorth's sword at his throat a half second later. Monorth held it there motionless for several seconds.

"Kill him!!" Someone screamed.

"You have to kill him, Agent Monorth. It is a matter of honor." The Empress announced.

"If I listened to hearsay, I would have to say that Agents have no honor." Monorth removed the gold blade and sheathed it. "There is no point in killing him, he is an outmatched and defenseless boy. There would be no honor in his death." Monorth turned to walked away, heading for the dais. "If honor is so important, he can come back when he can present a more worthy challenge."

"You have no honor!!!" Oare screamed, and threw the remains of his sword at Monorth's back. The blade came within inches of him and stopped in midair. Monorth held it there for a few seconds before letting it clatter to the floor in the silence of the hall.

"That may be so, but neither do I strike at a person's back." Monorth replied calmly. "And I would suggest you find a new shirt." The courtiers actually laughed at the comment, as there was very little left that even resembled a shirt. It was almost completely shredded. Monorth deactivated his gauntlets as he walked away.

"It would seem that your challenge has been met and defeated, Emperor Negeth. If you still wish to pursue answers, then I would suggest that you seek them in a less public arena." The Empress announced. "You are, however, welcome to stay for a time, and may attend court if you wish."

"I thank you, Empress Alya, I will stay for a time." Emperor Negeth agreed quickly and calmly, despite seeing his son face a pointless and meaningless death. "I would also like to apologize for my son's behavior." The Empress nodded respectfully and took her seat, signaling the beginning of the daily event, putting her speech off until the end. The room was quickly filled with quiet conversations. Monorth took up a position near the base of the dais, leaning up against the railing, and Stephos was quickly surrounded by well wishers. He seemed overwhelmed, but would manage well enough as time passed, if he was any judge. Monorth was standing in something of a null zone; no one dared to tread within five feet of him. After about fifteen minutes, Monorth spotted the Emperor heading his way through a break in the crowd. He nodded to him as he approached.

"Agent Monorth, I would like to thank you for sparing my son's life." The Emperor began in a soft voice. "He is hotheaded, and very much convinced of his superiority in all things."

"If it's an option, I might suggest some trainers at the Center that will beat that out of him, and teach him something of sword work while they're at the task." Monorth replied with a smirk.

"I might consider it, he has been spoiled rotten and could use a dose of common sense." The Emperor told him. "At a later time, I would like to speak to you."

"I will be free after court, you can speak with me then. I will be in the ambassadorial suite nearest the Empress's chamber." Monorth replied.

"I thank you. Until we speak again." The Emperor replied before returning to the milling crowd. Monorth only stayed where he was for another half hour, two hours was more than he could take at one time. He pushed off the wall and nodded at Alya before departing. He went straight to the suite, happy to be away from the crowd and their stares. He dropped to the couch face first, but there was knock on the door a short time later. Monorth grumbled and went to answer it, and found one of the handmaidens on the other side.

"I can't stay long, but I wanted to tell you that we were impressed." She told him. "All of us were."

"The boy was abysmal in matters of skill, and no great challenge." He reported with a shrug.

"Still, it was show of skill not to leave a mark on his skin. Perhaps you would like to drill with us sometime." The handmaiden suggested.

"Perhaps." Monorth replied. She nodded and let herself out. Monorth returned to the couch to wait for the others to return. He woke to the sound of an opening door, having unexpectedly dozed off. Monorth turned to find that Dumas was returning.

"Court's ending." He informed Monorth warningly.

"Which means the Emperor is probably on his way." He commented, scrubbing his face.

"I will be here with you, in case he asks something that you don't know." Dumas assured him quickly, but it wasn't very comforting. "I have been filled in on the matters of your birth."

"Thank you, but I don't know if I am going to tell him that." Monorth replied. "It depends on my judgment of him."

"You will be surprised, he's very much like Alya in that he is more concerned about his people than his position." Dumas commented back to him, making Monorth resist the urge to ask about the statement, and instead shifted the topic slightly.

"Then what was all that about honor?" Monorth asked.

"He has to keep up his public image. If he had arrived when the Empress was free, that would not have happened." Dumas told him with a sigh and shrug. "Oare would still have challenged you, though, he has always been a hot head." There was knock on the door, but it opened before either of them could reach it. The Empress with two of her handmaidens and the Emperor with the two of the men that had been in the throne room when he had arrived, entered the suite without ceremony or fanfare. Oare was blissfully missing from the group.

"Dumas!" The Emperor called, surprised to see the paladin.

"Emperor Negeth." Dumas replied, bowing from the waist.

"Oh, don't start that again." The Emperor grumbled, advancing so that he could embrace the paladin. Alya smiled at the two as she passed them so that she could sit down next to Monorth. The Emperor finally released him and backed up a few steps, looking at Monorth.

"Agent Monorth, let me present Negor, the leader of the Black Raven guard, Neatain, the leader of the Black Raven mage-corps and my brother." The Emperor presented. Monorth nodded at both of them, trying desperately to hide his surprise. Neatain was supposedly his father after all. He took the opportunity to get a good look at Neatain. Like Monorth, he was tall, with pure white hair, and gray eyes. But there was no other similarities, their faces were complete opposites, and Neatain was very thin. "So you associate with this piece of riffraff who calls himself Dumas?"

"Dumas is the Emperor's son." Alya explained quietly, and Monorth had to hide another burst of surprise, that would make Dumas his cousin, the same with Alya. Dumas looked at Monorth knowingly.

"Let's find some seats." The Emperor suggested. "It has been a long time since I spent two hours walking among the courtiers." The Emperor seated himself on the other couch, Dumas sat next to Alya while the others stole the chairs from the table. "Now, let me hear your story, Monorth. I would like to know what claim you have in my family."

"So you don't want to contest that I am in your line?" Monorth asked nervously.

"If Alya says that you are of our family line, that's good enough for me." The Emperor replied. "So tell me about what happened that you were never written into the family tree." Monorth bit his lip for a second, trying to think of a way to explain it without revealing the truth. "Well, come on, I don't bite hard or that often."

"I would like to tell you, but I am nervous about the consequences." Monorth finally replied.

"Consequences?" The Emperor asked.

"The tale of my birth is neither a happy tale nor one that I am eager to tell." Monorth replied.

"You can stop trying to fence with me." The Emperor told him warningly. "For you to be completely unknown, I would have expected a story that was horrible. You are among friends, and I can promise that what you tell us will go no farther than this room."

"It's all right Monorth." Alya added.

"Listen to my grand daughter, she knows what she is talking about." The Emperor commented, chuckling with a good natured kind of smile.

"Do you want me to tell them, Monorth?" Dumas asked, Monorth shook his head at him.

"You know?" The Emperor asked. Dumas nodded, but would not say anything about it.

"Would it suffice if I told you that Lunara Servril is my half-sister?" Monorth asked of him.

"Is Corthan your father?" The Emperor asked. "I know that detestable man has fathered quite a few children he won't acknowledge." Monorth shook his head in reply. "Then how are you related to her?"

"Sestal was my mother." Monorth blurted out. Neatain went a little white and Monorth pretended not to notice.

"I never knew she had any children besides Lunara." The Emperor commented to him with growing suspicion.

"It was hidden from the court." Monorth replied, sensing that there was no way to not give him the complete truth. "I will tell you as it was told to me. When Sestal was at court, following her husband's ambitions there, she fell in love with one of the men she met. They courted in secret and she became pregnant by the relationship." Monorth leaned forward and rested his head on his hands. "She struggled to hide the pregnancy from Corthan, trying to save her child from him and the rage that would have resulted. When he finally found out, he sent her to an estate as far away from the eyes and ears of the court as he could manage, to remain there for the rest of the pregnancy. Corthan packed the estate with servants that were completely loyal to him, save one, and then secretly ordered them to kill the infant when it was born. The one servant that was not loyal to Corthan took the newly born infant and escaped to a dead-world, far from Corthan's influence. I was that child." The Emperor contemplated that for a long time.

"Do you know the name of your father?" The Emperor asked.

"I do, but I don't want to tell you what it is." Monorth replied, just wanting the matter dropped.

"Are there others that can confirm this story?" The Emperor asked.

"Several, but I ask you to take me on my word." Monorth told him.

"I would like to, but it seems far fetched without further proof." The Emperor commented.

"I ask for nothing." Monorth told him, as he sat back and looked into his eyes.

"Can you at least tell me why you won't say your father's name?" The Emperor asked insistently.

"Leave it, father, he told you what he could." Dumas suggested, even as Neatain cleared his throat. Everyone turned to focus on him.

"I know the name of his father." Neatain told them.

"How?" The Emperor asked, and from his face, Monorth gathered that the Emperor thought it was by some magical means.

"Because it is my name." Neatain replied, to which Monorth clenched his jaw. He had been afraid that Neatain would figure it out.

"What?!" Several voices asked all at once.

"Sestal and I fell in love, but I went off to complete my training, and I never saw her again. I never knew that she was pregnant with my child." Neatain told them, his voice shaking with emotion. Monorth rubbed at his face nervously, things was getting too complicated.

"Can you be that sure?" The Emperor asked, trying to wrap his brain around the bombshell Neatain had just dropped.

"Yes, he can." Dumas replied quickly, before things could get any worse. "Lunara found her mother's journal and learned of this, which caused her to break with Corthan. And I have heard the story from a close friend that was there through all of it."

"Janus?" Neatain guessed, and unfortunately guessed accurately.

"Alya's birth mother?!" The Emperor asked.

"Janus was my birth mother?" Alya asked, adding to the complications. Monorth pushed himself off the couch and walked towards the windows, thankful that no one noticed.

"Alya, your mother was sterile, she could not have children. And as you know, she never married, but she wanted a child desperately. Janus and I loved her, so we did what we could to help her. We gave her the child she desperately wanted. You were born just before Janus had to leave for the Black Raven court, following Seletra's orders." Dumas told her quickly, trying and failing to dampen the emotional impact of his words. "Janus knew that she could not be with you, so we never told you. Erlesa was your mother; she raised you and loved you more than anything else." Monorth leaned up against the glass, trying to relieve the pressure of his throbbing headache.

"Can you understand why we never told you?" Neatain asked.

"I suppose." Alya admitted reluctantly. "I just wish someone would have told me earlier, I missed a chance to talk to her."

"Alya, she is not going anywhere. In fact, she was talking about finding a place where Simon could learn to use his magic, since they can't stay at the Center forever." Dumas told her quickly, trying to peacefully resolve the Empresses' many personal issues created by the conversation. "Perhaps I can convince her to come here. That way you can meet your half-brother, Simon, at the same time."

"What tangled webs we weave." Monorth muttered under his breath.

"Simon's my half-brother?" Alya asked. Monorth decided that his best option was to get out of the room. He looked out into the gardens and choose a nice secluded spot, quietly teleporting away. He was quickly immersed in the total silence of the hedge maze. By a stroke of luck, there was bench waiting for him in the shadows. He dropped down on it and breathed a heavy sigh. Monorth leaned his head back and focused on ridding himself of his headache. The As soon as it was gone, he changed his focus to try and calm his mind, which was hardest task he could undertake. He had warned them about the consequences, but that did not help him any. Almost an hour passed before Monorth was ready to face the world again, but he was not going to return to the suite until he knew that things were quiet.

Monorth's sharp ears caught the sound of someone approaching along the gravel pathway. They had dampened their aura to make it hard for him to sense, and they were trying to be silent. He eased his sword from its' sheath and slowly rose from the bench. He then moved across the pathway to slid into a hollow where the leaves of the bushes had died away. He dampened his own aura, but did a better job of it. The footsteps stopped suddenly as the person tried to decide what they were going to do. After a few seconds the footsteps began again, but this time the person was not trying to hide them. They jogged into the corridor, approaching Monorth's hiding spot. They reached his line of sight and stopped to look at the bench. Monorth surged out of his hiding place and grabbed the person's head, bringing the gold blade to their exposed throat.

"You make a move towards a weapon and I will gut you like a fish." Monorth threatened keeping his voice low.

"I apologize, Monorth, I should have known better than trying to sneak up on a trained Agent." The person told him. Monorth cursed and released the man. Neatain turned around and gave him an apologetic look. "I am just glad that you don't kill on sight."

"Yes, you should be." Monorth replied re-sheathing the blade.

"I guess I should used a spell of silence." Neatain commented with a sardonic grin. "Or would you have sensed that too?" he asked. Monorth snorted but did not reply. "Everything is quiet, I was asked to come and retrieve you."

"Why were trying to sneak up on me?" Monorth asked him with a angry glare.

"I did not know if you were going to run." Monorth looked at him doubtfully before turning to lead the way back to the entrance. "Do you have a problem with me?" Neatain asked nervously.

"No, why do you ask?" Monorth replied, turning the corner.

"Because you don't seem to want to talk to me." Neatain replied quickly.

"I have been in the Salak'patan for less than a year. In that time I have learned that the woman who raised me was not my real mother, I met my half-sister, was bonded to a woman that I loved more than life, and then lost her, I was trained to use powers that I never dreamt of before, learned that my birth-mother died giving life to me, nearly went insane, helped to change the infrastructure of an entire empire, been asked to be a paladin and turned it down, killed a demon who was going to destroy the halls, gave up a promising writing career to come to a place I had never seen before, discovered that my adoptive mother was a paladin, been attacked by dark servants, learned that my uncle is the Emperor of the most powerful government in the Salak'patan, that my second-cousin rules another powerful Empire, survived something that I should not have, been harassed by a goddess, defeated another cousin in battle, and met my real father. And here I am, still trying to catch my breath. And to top it all off, the year's is not even over yet." Monorth replied quickly and with barely a pause, a little of his internal frustration pouring out. "So I would appreciate it if you gave me a little time."

"Do you have any idea where we are going?" Neatain asked after several minutes of silence. Before Monorth could make a reply, the exit appeared when they turned the corner.

"I might." Monorth told him. They left the maze and headed towards the palace entrance, the silence following them as they walked through the palace. They reached the ambassadorial suite, and Neatain opened the door, walking inside. As he did, Monorth caught a glimpse of Janus and Simon sitting on the near couch. "And then there were two more." He muttered, entering the room. He then noticed that Stephos was also there, sitting next to Alya. The room was growing desperately short of seats.

"Welcome back, cousin." Alya told him, making Monorth smile slightly.

"Here, you can have my seat." One of the handmaidens told him. Monorth shook his head at her and reached into the next suite over. He teleported one of the couches into the room and dropped down into as it appeared.

"Handy trick." Negor commented.

"It works." Monorth replied.

"Think you can find another one?" Dumas asked from where he was perched on the table. Monorth nodded and found the other couch, but before he could bring it, he needed to make room. He lifted the furniture, with all the people still on it, so that the couch appeared in the space he had cleared. Monorth then resettled the furniture so that it made an area large enough for everyone to be able to move around. "Show off." Dumas muttered, taking a seat on the newly arrived couch. The Emperor came around to take the other seat, Neatain took the other half of Monorth's couch.

"Never said that I wasn't." Monorth replied, looking over at Dumas.

"Now, if we can just get him to put it all back when he's done." Alya commented looking over at him.

"I'll do it, but I don't do windows." Monorth told her and Alya rolled her eyes at him.

"Children, please." The Emperor admonished.

"I am older than you." Janus commented. The Emperor gave her a look that would curdle cheese, but softened it with a smile.

"Back to the business at hand." The Emperor said. "It seems that Monorth has brought up more questions than answers."

"I warned you." Monorth retorted, but the Emperor choose to ignore the comment.

"And I feel that it is my responsibility to try and solve as much of it as I can." The Emperor continued without pause, but gave a sideways glare of admonishment.

"Here he goes again, problem solving mode." Alya muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

"There are entirely too many wise-cracking children in this family." The Emperor grumbled, glancing towards the heavens as if praying for strength.

"They get it from you." Neatain interjected.

"Don't you start too." The Emperor ordered, much to his brother's chagrin.

"The truth hurts uncle." Degor supplied, to which the Emperor sighed heavily and tried to continue.

"As I see it, Corthan has crossed the line one too many times. This horrible business with Sestal has brought that fact to a head. I am going to strip him of all his titles, lands, and fortunes, and divide it up. It will then be split between Monorth, Janus and Simon, and Sarath, despite the fact she renounced any claim to her inheritance just to get away from him. I'll see to it that the rest of his children are cared for personally if need be."

"I couldn't accept that." Monorth told him quickly.

"You can and will." The Emperor snapped at him, not about to accept anything like a denial from anyone at that point. "The crown will manage your portions until you choose to claim it. Janus and Simon, the same for you, and the same for Sarath. You will be given hereditary title, so even if you don't claim it, it will be there for your children, this means you Simon." The Emperor pointed at the young man. Simon smiled at him and seemed to be taking the news well, much better than Monorth. "In three weeks time, we will be having our annual celebration, and I expect all of you to be there." The Emperor added, staring at Monorth.

"Don't worry, Monorth and Sarath will both be there if I have to tie them up and drag them there." Dumas commented.

"Only if you want to lose a few fingers in the process." Monorth told him warningly. Sarath would most certainly claim a price in blood.

"Now that it's settled, I am going to return to my suite and deal with Oare, who has been waiting for me." The Emperor told them as he rose to his feet and headed towards the adjoining suite. Monorth rose and walked to the replicator, intent of getting something to settle his complaining stomach, but Dumas followed him. He was starting to wonder if the paladin could simply not keep himself from sticking his nose into whatever problem was at hand.

"Do you have a problem with Neatain?" Dumas asked him quietly.

"No." Monorth replied. "Which is the same thing that I told him. And as I also told him, I have been through hell and more in the last year. I'm still trying to come to grips with all of it, give me some time."

"Give him a chance." Dumas half-ordered.

"I will, once I get a chance of my own." Monorth replied snappishly.

"Would you like me to talk to him? He's really worried." Dumas asked. Monorth sighed and thought about it.

"If you think it would help." He finally relented, knowing that the paladin was only trying to help, even if his help was completely unwanted. Dumas waited for a second before turning to walk towards Neatain. He leaned over the couch and said something to Neatain, who nodded before both of them headed towards Dumas's room. Monorth ate slowly and then went to join one of the conversations. Thankfully, Negor and the handmaidens were talking about tactics, a neutral subject Monorth could join.

Chapter Ten: Strange Encounters at Year's End

The next few days were full to the brim, mostly with celebrations about the Empresses' betrothal. Surprisingly, the changes the Empress had planned were almost universally accepted by the people, if not all the Ladies of court, which was even more reason for celebration. Neatain and Monorth grew less tense around each other slowly, and by the end of the week they had an open dialogue, but there was still a long way to go before either man would feel comfortable around the other. Monorth got along better with the Emperor, whose outlandish personality was hard not to like. The Emperor, Negor, and Neatain left the day before Dumas and Monorth were planning to depart. Simon and Janus planned to stay, although Janus had plans to leave for the same destination as Dumas in another few days. Simon would stay behind and would continue his training with the handmaidens. Simon would no doubt become a permanent resident of the Selas Empire, and he and Wes were already becoming quite close. Janus would be moving on and returning to duty once she was sure that Simon was settled. She would be there for the Black Raven Empire celebration, however. Dumas and Monorth called Sarath to inform her of the events of the last few days and to give her notice that she would be attending the Black Raven Empire's annual celebration. Dumas was still not telling Monorth what he was planning to do at the end of the next week, and Janus was not going to tell him without Dumas's permission. Dumas and Monorth were seen off by the Empress, Stephos, Simon, and Janus.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Where are we?" Monorth asked with every bit of doubt and uncertainty he could pour into three little words. After days of wandering between worlds and meeting all sort of characters who Dumas called his friends, they had entered another gate and jumped to another world that felt all but empty to his senses. They emerged so that they were standing in the middle of a small stone circle laid out in the middle of a forest clearing. An unfamiliar sky was overhead with two crescent moons hanging against the darkness. The edge of the forest was in sight, and there was light coming from somewhere, accompanied by the sounds of voices and music that crossed some distance to echo to their ears. Just before they had departed, Dumas had told him that it was the world and the event that had prompted him to tender the invitation to Monorth weeks before.

"On a small planet called Desa'lo Monpor. It's on the frontier of the explored Salak'patan, and inhabited by only a few small villages on another continent. It's not claimed by anyone and has been declared a neutral world." Dumas told him as he started moving towards the distant sounds. "On this day, every year, there is a party like no other."

"Not another party, I am about partied out." Monorth told him, downtrodden.

"This party you will like." Dumas told him. "This is the only place anywhere, where you can meet paladins and servants of over two hundred gods and goddesses, we gather here every year."

"Why?" Monorth asked him.

"To see new faces, get reacquainted with old friends." Dumas told him with a sigh and a shrug. "There are contests of strength and skill over the next two days. Don't worry these things are usually pretty quiet, but don't drop your guard. Some of the groups are more rowdy than others."

"Dark servants?" Monorth asked him nervously.

"No, they are too jealous of other peoples' power to attend, and of course we hate them with a frightening passion, so they stay away. No. there are groups that are more neutral in their beliefs. The patrons of war, for instance, like to pick fights." Dumas replied calmly as moved along.

"Patrons of war?" Monorth asked curiously.

"Yes, they follow Motrin, the god of war. They are not considered paladins because mostly all they do is start fights in bars. They are one of the more benign groups, none of them are smart enough to start a real war." Dumas replied, starting along the worn path through the band of forest. "Then there are the patrons of music, trying to change the world through song. Don't tell them anything unless you want to end up hearing it warbled back to you with musical accompaniment. There are quiet a few other patron groups that come here. Mostly I brought you so you could meet the paladins."

"Trying to provide a shining presentation that will convince me that I made a bad decision and beg Seletra to make me her paladin?" Monorth asked sarcastically.

"Something like that." Dumas muttered with a smile. "In truth, it is an attempt to get you to realize that there are many gods that you could be serving. I know Seletra pretty well, and I can tell you that she wants you to serve the light, even if it's under the mantle of some other name." Monorth rolled his eyes, trusting the darkness to hide the gesture. They soon emerged from the forest. They were soon standing on a hill top over-looking a small, shallow valley formed by an ancient dry river bed with the gathering waiting below. There were thousands of people, and even from his vantage point, Monorth could identify at least fifty races that he had never seen before. "Let's go." Dumas stated as he started down the hill. "If anyone asks, tell them that your Seletra's paladin and don't mention being an agent. Some of them can absolutely paranoid about this party being kept a secret." Monorth nodded, knowing that perhaps anonymity was soon to be his lot in life as an undercover agent and decided that practice made perfect after all. As they reached the edges of the party, Dumas was greeted by an almost overwhelming cry of recognition. Monorth fell back, staying to the shadows, away from eyes of those crowding around Dumas. Not all of them were paladins of Seletra, many of them were from other sects. Monorth had spent some of the past week researching the plethora of different branches of godly service. There were literally hundreds of groups, protecting everything from music to knowledge to religious institutions and sacred forms of mage-craft, the gathering was a veritable sampler of the wide range. Monorth watched them as he walked around the area, heading for a shadowed section on the far side of the tables and dance area. Monorth reached the area and took a seat at the end of the table, watching the crowd swirl around, catching snatches of conversation on the cool night air. He was not one of them and he doubted that he ever would be.

<Stranger things have happened, Monorth. I have heard many a being swear that they were not special and they went on to do great things.> A voice whispered, but it was not Seletra. Instead, a male voice with the same power invaded his mind. The voice boasted an overconfidence that made it far from welcome in Monorth's way of thinking. He turned to look at the figure standing in the darkness behind him. The figure was dressed completely in blue, even went to the point of wearing a blue scabbard at his belt. His hair was so dark that it actually had blue highlights in it. His eyes were blue, and he was handsome by all meanings of the word, in other words, the text book definition of a god.

"Are you and Seletra going to gang up on me?" Monorth asked, annoyed by the intrusion on his thoughts.

<No, no, Seletra and I are not like that.> The god replied quickly. <I am simply here to offer you another option.> He added, sounding like he should host game shows. <If there is something objectionable about Seletra, I can offer you the same benefits as she has.>

"And who are you?" Monorth asked. "Make it quick before my patience runs thin."

<Is that a threat.> The god asked with growing anger.

"Merely the suggestion that I might resort to threats if I feel that my time is being wasted." Monorth replied, turning back towards the crowd.

<There is nothing that you could do to me.> The god replied confidently.

"Oh no? Not all my research has been of the innocent sort, I happen to be aware of several spells would make you uncomfortable enough to leave me alone." Monorth replied with annoyance.

<And I could crush you with a thought.> The god threatened.

"That may well be, but others have tried and failed before you. Your welcome to take your chances, but you had better hope I don't go and do something that you won't like." Monorth replied without hesitation.

"Leave him alone, Leviathan." A new voice replied. "He is obviously not threatened by you."

<Your impudence is more than I can tolerate, Marsel.> Leviathan replied, turning towards the woman.

"Then you're welcome to leave." Marsel told him. "And if my impudence is too much, then you probably should not have made me your paladin."

<Fah.> Leviathan muttered before disappearing. Marsel shook her head and walked closer to Monorth. Emerging from the shadows, she took a seat next to him and sat there quietly for a little while.

"So what was he bothering you about?" Marsel queried quietly after a time.

"He wants me to be his paladin." Monorth replied with a sigh, since lying to her might cause trouble down the road.

"Ah, well it's good to know that there's another person who is willing to stand up to them. They are entirely to used to people bowing to them." Marsel commented with unconcealed contempt.

"I'll drink to that." Monorth commented back to her, even if he did not have a drink.

"So who do you serve, now?" Marsel asked, suddenly confused. Monorth thought about his answer and decided that she seemed trustworthy enough.

"Right now, I am a Center agent. Dumas brought me here to try and convince me that I should join the cause of light, even if it was not Seletra I was serving." Monorth replied, turning to gauge her reaction, Marsel simply nodded at him.

"Dumas is one of those that are convinced that every good fighter should be working on the side of light." Marsel commented. Monorth shrugged and took a good look at her. Marsel was like himself, far too striking to be one of the beautiful people. Her facial features seemed to be a mixture of the Saki, a race of humanoid cats, and elfin characteristics. She had the slit-pupil eyes of her feline heritage but the pointed ears of an elf. Saki ears were much longer and generally covered with a thin layer of hair. She had blond hair and odd, golden eyes. She was almost all muscle, giving her a trim, tomboyish body. She was dressed much like the other paladins, in plain, serviceable clothing, loaded with weapons. She wore a blade on her back that was almost five feet long and as wide as Monorth forearm. "So what are you doing over here?" Marsel asked after taking a similar look at him. "Dumas abandon you?"

"No, I just don't belong here, and am wise enough to know that." Monorth replied. "Dumas is playing tour guide, and brought me here hoping I would rethink my position."

"Ah, I can understand. I resisted Leviathan's insistent offers for help for almost three years." Marsel admitted to him with a warm chuckle.

"Dumas is all right, it's Seletra popping into my head that bothers me." Monorth replied.

"Seletra's trying to get you to sign up to?" Marsel asked, surprise in her voice.

"Yes, why? Is that a problem?" Monorth asked of her.

"No, I just never heard of two gods trying for the same person before." Marsel replied honestly. She fell silent as she thought it over, and when she woke from her thoughts she looked back at the party. "Come with me, we all feel like outsiders our first time." Monorth thought about refusing, but curiosity got the better of him. "There are no doubt a great number of people who want to meet you. The only reason no one has come over is that sometimes things get a little heated and people come over here to cool off." Marsel added, taking Monorth by the arm. Monorth had not realized until that moment that Marsel was almost a foot taller than he was. Monorth was used to being the tallest person in the room, but now he knew what other people felt like when he was around. Marsel practically dragged him out of the dark corner and into the light. First she insisted that he get something to eat and drink, before she deposited him at one of the lighted tables. She practically ordered him to stay there and went off to retrieve some others she wanted him to meet.

She returned after only a few minutes, leading three people towards where Monorth was seated. He took a close look at their patches and symbolic cloaks to try and determine who they served. The first was a full blooded Saki woman, wearing a black cape with a deep purple character sown on the shoulder. She served Valan, the goddess of knowledge, which meant that she was a warrior dedicated to the recording, rediscovering, and the preservation of knowledge. The second was a man was wearing a badge on his shoulder that was in the shape of a shield with three crossed swords on it. He was a full elf, unfairly handsome, and belonged to A Sword of Justice; a group that was dedicated to righting wrongs. They were like unpaid warriors/lawyers, that worked for people's rights. The third wore a green cloak with a bright green symbol, identifying them as a paladin of Rein'heil, the god of earth. She was easily one of the most beautiful human women Monorth had ever seen, resembling a delicate china doll and moved like an assassin. With Marsel in the mix, Monorth would be hard pressed to think of a stranger group. They all approached and sat down near him. Marsel took a seat next to him and the other three sat across from them.

"So you are Monorth, the agent that helped the Empress of the Selas Empire free men from lives as servants." The Sword of Justice paladin commented.

"You're that Monorth?" The paladin of Valan asked, truly surprised. "I must hear your story!" She added, taking out an electronic pad that was used for dictation.

"An agent, I would like to see what you can do on the battlefield." The paladin of Rein'heil added.

"As would I, Ves, but first I must make introductions." Marsel gave him a predatory look. "He is small, but I can feel that he would be a challenge worthy of defeat by my hand."

"Don't be too confident, Marsel, I have heard that Monorth here graduated from the Center in six months. He would be a very formidable opponent." The paladin of Valan told her. "By the way, my name is Alexandra." She added, smiling at Monorth.

"I am called Armus. I serve Neel as a Sword of Justice." Armus told him.

"And I'm Ves, I serve Rein'heil." Ves added. Monorth nodded amiably to all of them. "Are you staying until tomorrow? I would love to test my blade against yours." She asked, fingering the hilt of the sword at her hip.

"I will be staying, but I don't know if I'll participate in the tests. After all, I'm not a paladin, patron, or sword of anyone."

"Of course you will join us." Marsel commented, jabbing him in the ribs.

"Is that one of the seven blades?" Alexandra asked him, looking at the blade at Monorth's shoulder. Monorth gestured for them to wait for a second as he reached for his empty plate. Monorth held it up over his right shoulder and seconds later, an arrow thudded into the metal plate, the tip piercing through it's smooth surface.

"It is one of the legendary blades." Monorth replied, setting the plate down. None of them heard him, however, as they all stared at the plate in amazement.

"How did you.." Ves asked him.

"I heard it coming, just as I can hear the three thugs that shot it coming towards us." Monorth replied as he turned to face the men that approached them. All three of the men were huge, looking like advertisements for steroids. One of them was carrying a bow and the other two were carrying swords.

"Who are you to interfere with the fun of the patrons of war?!" The largest of the three asked, stumbling over the more complicated words. Monorth simply stared at them, smiling in amusement, which seemed to throw them for a loop. They milled about for a second before wandering off back the way they came. Once they were gone, Monorth turned back around and started to pry the arrow out of the plate.

"That was amazing." Neel commented. "I did not hear it."

"Nor could I." Alexandra added.

"Anarian's have an amazing sense of hearing." Monorth told them. "I am half Anarian and half elf." He added to clarify. As Monorth spoke, he twirled the arrow in his fingers, carefully placing a spell on it; the patrons of war were not done yet. "Could you two move a foot farther apart?" Monorth asked Neel and Ves. They seemed confused by his request, but did as he asked anyway. Seconds later, Monorth leaned to the side and an arrow passed between them to thud into the ground. Monorth twisted and threw the arrow he was holding. The spell flared to life, throwing off a great deal of light. It flew true, straight to the person that had fired it. There was a muffled scream off in the darkness and the light died away the instant it arrived. Monorth snorted and turned back around to retrieve the arrow from the ground where it had hit. He then wove the same spell on the second arrow.

"Did you hear that one?" Marsel asked.

"I didn't have to. I have dealt with my share of bullies in my time, I know how they think." Monorth replied with a sigh.

"We should destroy them, that was intended for a killing blow." Marsel commented, ready to launch herself at the enemy.

"No." Monorth ordered. "The archer has already gotten what he deserved." They quickly discovered what he meant, as the archer stumbled into the light with the arrow embedded in his shoulder. He gave Monorth an angry look, but stumbled into the crowd without doing anything else.

"Remind me never to do anything that pisses you off." Neel commented. Monorth nodded with a smile.

"You are a dangerous man." Marsel muttered, but Monorth did not need to acknowledge her comment.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Monorth woke with the dawn, gladly leaving the cabin he had spent the night in. Since it was a yearly event, most of the major groups had built settlements able to house the thousands that showed up for the festival. He had stayed with Seletra's paladins, their settlement set back in the woods overlooking the valley. The cabin had few windows and no smoke stack, so it became rather stuffy over the course of the night. He woke feeling worse for the few hours sleep, instead of better. He could only guess how the others could stand the noise, normal and mental, and still sleep. Monorth retired late into the night, but the planet had a thirty-two hour day, so he had still managed about six hours of sleep before waking with the dawn. He had spent most of the night annexed away from the crowd with Alexandra, who was determined to hear every detail of his life. He had only intended to give her the bare facts, but she had a way of dragging every detail out of him, kicking and screaming. He used the well to get enough water to wash his face before heading back towards the valley.

The Fen, a race of small, lizard-like creatures, had no doubt been up for hours preparing breakfast and setting up for the games. The Fen stood about three feet tall, but were surprisingly strong. They were one of the races that were the structural support of the Salak'patan, serving as servants, secretaries, and other such positions, where the primary duty was to help others. In fact, they sought out such positions, as they loved to serve others, and in return the other races provided for them. They were extremely intelligent and good natured, and were the most selfless race as a whole. It was even rumored that some people had been lynched by mobs of people for being unkind to a Fen. Monorth doubted the validity of such stories, but he could understand why they existed since in the first place, since the Fen did not deserve even the smallest unkindness. As Monorth reached the edge of the forest, he saw that he was right; the area had been transformed, and set up for the events of the day. The Fen moved rapidly between the areas, working at a pace that only they could keep up. Monorth also saw that he was not the first to arrive. At the nearest end of the valley, an eating area had been set up and there were many already at the tables. He started down the slope to join them.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

It was nearly midday by the time everyone was awake and fed, then it was finally time for the games. The valley was filled with different arenas. There were several fighting rings, some for armed and unarmed combat, and the largest was at the far end of the valley for magic duels. There were archery targets off to one side and on the other, a set up for throwing weapons. There was a mass of weights for testing strength and a large number of things Monorth could not recognize the purpose of, but he intended to stay out of the contests anyways. Against his better judgment, however, he let Marsel convince him to enter the magic ring with her, and nothing he could say to her seemed to make any difference. He knew even before he entered the ring that he would no doubt be the victor.

"Are you ready." Marsel called from across the ring, and Monorth settled cross-legged in a patch of singed grass and nodded. Marsel was put off, most magic duels were conducted standing up so one could avoid spells but she was not worried.

"Go ahead." Monorth called back. A crowd was beginning to gather as Marsel began to gather power. Monorth had not even erected shields when she struck. She aimed a very powerful lightning spell at him. At the very last instant, Monorth threw up a barrier and the lightning struck harmlessly against it. Marsel was a very powerful mage, but her magic lacked finesse, making up for it's lack with plenty of brute strength. She continued to rain down magic for some time, Monorth remaining motionless and unaffected by everything that she tried to use. The crowd was more than a little surprised when Monorth closed his eyes and seemed to ignore her attacks.

"Are you going to fight back?!" Marsel asked angrily, and Monorth summoned a wind elemental. A couple of people in the crowd laughed as it appeared. The wind elemental was very weak, more or less a child in their plane of existence. Marsel scoffed and aimed a spell at it. Normally it would not take much to send the tiny elemental running home, but her spell of earth struck and something strange happened, the wind elemental defeated it. There was a murmur from the crowd, one of surprise. Marsel attacked again and again but each spell had no effect.

"It's time to end this." Monorth called, opening his eyes. With an intense flash of energy, the wind elemental went from weak to massively powerful. It grew with surprising speed, becoming something like a tornado given life. It lashed out at Marsel, striking her shields, slicing into them, and Marsel suddenly realized that it was not some trifle. She reinforced her shields, but it was already too late, the wind elemental knew its' new strength. It whipped itself into a raging fury, a powerful dance of movement and energy. Marsel was soon being buffeted by a tornado, and her shields were easily torn to shreds. Finally she was tossed from the ring, unharmed but a little dizzy. The wind elemental calmed and moved to Monorth, then did something none of crowd would have expected; it bowed to him. Monorth bowed in return, smiled, and helped it return to its' home. Elementals were very jealous of power, and though a great many mages struck bargains with them, the other mages made a habit of giving just enough power to entice to creatures, but never enough to truly satisfy the elemental's hunger. It was recommended that a mage never give away too much, but Monorth did not follow many recommendations. He rose to his feet and stepped from the ring, the surprised paladins cleared a path for him.

"That was very dangerous." Dumas told him. "The elemental might have attacked you."

"Why should it?" Monorth asked him. "It wanted to be friends, and friends don't attack each other."

"You made friends with an elemental?" Dumas asked him in surprise.

"Elementals want power, yes, but they are dangerous because mages give them only enough power to get them to do what they want." Monorth told him. "I gave that one as much power as it wanted, and it felt that since I had not shorted it, that we could be friends."

"You are a very strange man." Marsel stated, appearing behind him and slapping him on the back, making him stumble.

"Since you have indulged Marsel, perhaps you will indulge me?" An unfamiliar woman asked. She wore a black cloak with a black emblem on her shoulder. She was a paladin of Telnarin, the god of death and co-ruler of the afterlife. The paladins of Telnarin were spoken of in whispers, and it was said that where ever a paladin of Telna went, there would soon be a death. She fingered her sword and nodded towards an open weapons ring. "Unless you are afraid to face the bringers of death."

"I have already died once this year." Monorth told her. She nodded in response to his words of challenge and lead the way to the ring.

"You're actually going to fight her?" Marsel asked in utter shock.

"They say it's death to lock swords with the paladins of Telnarin." Dumas grumbled. Superstitions and unwarranted fears made Monorth growl in the back of his mind. The woman reached the far side of the circle and drew her sword, which was black, as if it had been carved from obsidian, and a line of glyphs ran the length of the blade, written in silver. Its' edges were serrated in long, sweeping curves on both of it's edges. It was a vicious looking weapon.

"It's one of the seven!" Dumas cried out.

"Then I guess I will have to keep my eyes open." Monorth grumbled. The crowd was already gathering, murmurs and exclamations ran through them as they gestured towards the paladin's sword. One of the legendary seven was not something even an army of paladins saw every day.

"You can still step from the circle." She called to Monorth, who gave her a cool look as he tossed Dumas his cloak.

"It was nice knowing you, Monorth." Marsel grumbled, before Monorth drew his own sword. The intensity of the crowd tripled as people took in Monorth's golden blade.

"And then there was two." Monorth muttered to himself.

"Where did you get that?" The woman called, seeming surprised.

"It was a gift from a friend." Monorth called back. The next second was filled with utter silence. Monorth leapt high into the air, bringing his sword down with all his strength. She caught his attack but had to drop down to her knees.

"You're strong." She muttered. "But are you quick?" With a speed that was surprising, she all but disappeared from under Monorth's blade. Monorth spun and countered her strike, then swiped low, but she jumped back and the blade missed her.

"Where did you get your sword?" Monorth asked her.

"To learn that, you will have to defeat me." She replied. An instant later, she charged straight at him, their blades connected and they grappled with each other. "But you are not going to win." She whispered.

"I know." Monorth whispered back.

"Then why face me?" She asked, a little surprised. "Do you not fear death?"

"Fear is a weakness." Monorth muttered, pushing her away and in a rapid fire succession of strikes and counter strikes, drove her almost to the edge of the ring. Before he could force her outside, she disappeared. It was not a movement faster than the eye could follow, but quite literally disappeared.

"What the hell!" Dumas screamed from across the ring.

"Magic is forbidden in the ring!' Someone else yelled. Monorth ignored all of them and the sudden rise in volume from the crowd. He did something unexpected, moving to the center of the ring, sat down, and closed his eyes.

"Monorth, what the hell are you doing?!" Marsel yelled. "Get up!" Monorth focused his senses, tuning out the world. An instant before it came, Monorth raised his blade over his head, and another blade collided with it. She tried to force his blade down, but could not do it. Monorth opened his eyes and looked up at her. An instant later, she disappeared and reappeared at the far side of the ring. Monorth rose and returned to his corner. He nodded to her, and sheathed his sword, a sign of honorable concession. In a flash, she was on the far side of the ring with her blade at his throat, but he looked into her eyes.

"I could kill you, right here, right now." She muttered calmly.

"Then we would die together." He told her. She looked down to find a dagger ready to gut her.

"We would, wouldn't we?" She commented with a small smile.

"Sometimes the only way to win, is to take your opponent with you." Monorth muttered. She raised her sword away from his throat. Monorth moved his own blade away from her stomach and she sheathed her blade.

"Until we meet again." She mumbled before disappearing. The crowd broke apart, somewhat disappointed and completely confused.

"What the hell was all that about?" Dumas asked Monorth.

"Looking death in the eyes and showing no fear." Monorth replied cryptically.

"That's a pretty horrible thought." Dumas grumbled.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Where the hell is this?" Monorth asked, looking out over a vast cityscape. They were standing atop a small mountain under the shelter of a small temple, built around the Salak'patan gate. They had remained at the paladins festival for two days in total, staying for the ceremony that honored fallen comrades the night after the two days of contests. After that, Dumas had whisked him away to another planet where they spent the night. In the morning, they made a pass-through to the hall gate to make a short trip to a planet neither Dumas or Monorth had ever visited before. The reason of the trip was another secret, and he swore that if it was another party he would personally kill Dumas in the most horrible way possible. He would have thought that the city was pretty except that there was a torrential rain falling in sheets, obscuring the sight.

"This is Teleder, home to one of the largest known cities. It covers this entire continent. This temple is one of the few wild places that has not been overrun. The whole city is centered around the Tala consortium, one of the largest producers of manufactured goods in the Salak'patan." Dumas explained to him.

"I did not think anyone built anything in the halls." Monorth muttered.

"Believe it or not, there are things that can not be replicated." Dumas replied. "Replicators, for instance, or air cars. Tala consortium makes both, along with fabrics, weapons, computers, and about a thousand other things. The more complicated the item, the harder it is to replicate, and weapons are best made by hand. Replicated weapons are not as strong. And there are some fabrics that are not replicated with the same quality."

"That explains why Tala consortium is here, but not why we are here." Monorth grumbled.

"Don't worry, I think you'll like this." Dumas replied, pulling out a small, very folded sheet of paper. "You see, Telemor city was built on the ruins on an even older city. Thousands of years ago, this other city thrived through the commerce of this place. This planet has four gates, each to a different ring, but during the Mage wars, that city was destroyed. Time passed and it was forgotten. When Tala consortium came here, it built over the ruins. But there is a legend that the previous city hid its' wealth in catacombs deep under ground."

"So we are going treasure hunting." Monorth commented with a snort of derision. "What interesting things you do."

"Some people like extravagant food, some excesses of sex, and a few are like me. I love searching for treasure." Dumas replied with a forlorn sigh. "Between the festivals at Sel'mor and Black Raven I do what I want. It is my vacation, of sorts, as much as I can be on vacation, being what I am."

"So how do we get into these catacombs?" Monorth asked keeping his doubts to himself.

"There is an ancient mine shaft at the base of this hill that will take us part of the way." Dumas replied, consulting the hand-drawn map.

"Let's get moving before the rain decides to pound us into oblivion." Monorth suggested.

"Right." Dumas replied, putting the map back under his cloak. "I would prefer not to get completely soaked. Is there anything you can do?"

"Just stay close to me." Monorth replied. As they started to descend from the hill top, Dumas was surprised to discover the rain did not hit them. "I just altered the shields to block the rain." Monorth commented as Dumas prepared to ask him how he was doing it. "And before you say that it's not supposed to work like that, let me tell you it can." Dumas gave him a piercing look, but dropped the subject. They walked together down the slope, following Dumas's direction. Soon the deep, dark maw of the mine shaft appeared through the gloom. They were in luck, since there were warning signs but the entrance was not boarded up. They walked inside and Monorth dropped his shields. Dumas created a mage-light, filling the tunnel with soft blue light. Monorth kindled his own, adding a white light. "Does that map have the mine tunnels on it?"

"Yes, when I acquired the map of the catacombs, I did some research and found the maps of the tunnels." Dumas replied. "The deepest tunnel comes surprisingly close to the edge of the catacombs." He added.

"How can you be sure?" Monorth asked.

"Notations of depth and distance." Dumas replied negligently. "This is not like the stories, they made very detailed maps of the catacombs."

"If this were like the stories, there would no doubt be a dragon at the end of this cavern." Monorth commented with a hint of amusement. Dumas snorted and put the map away.

"This way." Dumas commented, pointing to the first tunnel to their right. They started off dimming their mage-lights slightly, since there was no need to let anyone see that they were in there. They walked together in silence, pausing every so often so that Dumas could check the map. It was hard to tell time down there and Monorth lost count after the first hour with no way to pick it up again. It seemed like days, but it was probably less than three hours when they finally came to the tunnel's end, deep inside the earth.

"What now?" Monorth asked.

"According to the maps, we need to punch a hole through six feet of stone." Dumas replied, checking the maps.

"All right." Monorth replied, walking to the stone wall. "I will start a small hole just in case we are drilling into some underground river."

"That only happens in stories." Dumas told him. Monorth gave him a dubious look. "Just drill it all at once." Monorth nodded and started off. He bore into the stone with magic, melting it away. He felt that he was nearing the end, when the rock cracked and water came rushing in, making the hot stone hiss and crackle. Monorth dove for the tunnel support, grabbing onto it only seconds before the water hit. They were soon enveloped in a tidal torrent of dark, murky water. Monorth searched for Dumas and saw that he had grabbed another support and was holding onto it for dear life. They needed to get rid of the water; it was still coming through at an astonishing rate, and the water level was rising quickly, since it had no where to go. Monorth locked his legs around the support and reached out with his magic, drilling into the walls and floor searching for a place that could handle the run off. The water had reached his neck when he finally hit pay dirt, first in the tunnel floor and then in a side tunnel. The water started to drain away quickly, giving them some relief. Soon the water from the catacombs slowed and finally stopped completely, dropping quickly and forming two whirl pools close to Monorth. He held on, refusing to give in to their pulling influence. Once the water finally drained away to nothing, Monorth released the support and turned to Dumas.

"Oh, that only happens in stories." Monorth mocked Dumas, fighting off a smile and walked back to the original tunnel. The flow of water was reduced to a trickle down the center of the new circular passage.

"Do you want to go through?" Dumas asked him.

"No, I want to dry off, but going through can be a consolation prize." Dumas rolled his eyes and started up the tunnel with Monorth following a few feet behind him. They emerged into what appeared to be an ancient lake bed. Thirty feet above, there was a small trickle of water. It would have taken years for the lake to be filled by such a small trickle of water. Dumas started up one of the slopes, and Monorth was obliged to follow. As they pulled themselves out of the pit, Dumas pulled out the map, which fortunately was coated in plastic. "Okay, according to this, the original tunnel into the catacombs was up there." He pointed into the darkness on his right. "And the way we want to go is that way." Dumas pointed over the empty lake bed into more darkness.

"Now all we need is a bunch of cave dwellers to appear, ones that don't like visitors." Monorth muttered.

"That only happens in the stories." Dumas muttered back.

"That's what you said about the underground lake." Monorth commented.

"You said river." Dumas replied. Monorth grumbled, but chose not to continue the argument. They skirted the edge of the lake and made their way into the darkness. They traveled for another hour, pausing more often to consult the map. They were almost half way there when a strange sound made both of them pause. It had been a clicking noise, different than the sound of dripping water, and it had sounded very loud. Monorth grabbed Dumas's arm, dragging him back to a nearby alcove. Dumas wisely choose not to object. Ten minutes passed and Monorth was about to give up when his eye caught a flicker of light. He drew Dumas's attention to it and they both extinguished their lights. A phosphoric glow quickly took over. It was coming from the moss that covered the walls. The light was pitiful, even to their sharp eyes. The orange light of a torch continued to come closer. Dumas and Monorth reached for their swords, silently drawing them. When the light loomed only feet away, Dumas charged out into the tunnel, Monorth a step behind him. The creature they confronted screamed in horror and dumped the basket it was carrying. It was a Fen. Both of them lowered their weapons apologetically.

"Humans, always charging around like the end of the world is near!!" The Fen cursed.

"We apologize good sir, we did not know anyone lived in these caves." Dumas began.

"It is all right, I suppose. I am part of a survey team trying to investigate these caves for future development." The Fen replied.

"Who would want to live here?" Monorth asked with a sarcastic look around at the tunnel.

"Fen." The Fen replied angrily. "The Fen like caves, we live in them when we can."

"Sorry." Monorth replied. "We apologize again and we must be going."

"All right, and don't jump out at people again or I will hear about it." The Fen warned. They both nodded and turned, heading down the tunnel, re-lighting their mage-lights.

"That only happens in stories." Monorth mumbled.

"You said unfriendly cave dwellers, he was closer to unpleasant." Dumas mumbled back. "There is a large chamber up ahead." He commented, raising the level of his voice. "We should be careful of bats."

"That only happens in stories." Monorth commented in return as they entered the chamber. "Echo!" Monorth screamed. Nothing happened, but the echo of 'echo' returning. "See?" Dumas growled at him as he led them in the direction of the next leg of their travel. As they entered the tunnel, they could both hear the fluttering of thousands of wings. Dumas gave Monorth a superior look which Monorth choose to ignore. The next hour was quiet, the only sound was that of dripping water. They were deep into the caves, nothing but the moss seemed to be alive down there. They passed several lakes and stunning stalactite and stalagmite formations. They paused just outside a large chamber. As Dumas checked the map, Monorth peered into the darkness. Something moved and Monorth froze, only his hand moved, trying to attract Dumas's attention.

"What is it, Monorth?" Dumas asked without looking up.

"Something's out there." Monorth replied.

"The treasure chamber is just across here. You're just being paranoid, cousin." Dumas grumbled.

"I saw something move, and it was big." Monorth insisted. Dumas sighed and looked up from his map.

"What did it look like?" Dumas asked.

"Like a tail, like a giant dragon's tail." Monorth replied. "Like a tail that belongs to a giant dragon getting ready to barbecue us and eat us."

"There are no dragons down here." Dumas told him. "Dragons are intelligent creatures, they do not eat humanoids, and they do not breath fire. That only happens in stories." Monorth took a sharp breath and backed up against the wall.

"What?" Dumas asked.

"You said it." Monorth muttered.

"I'll prove it to you." Dumas stated with an angry sigh. His mage-light flared up and he sent it into the chamber. It did not get very far before it bumped right into a massive eye peering into the tunnel. The head reared up, screaming so that the whole tunnel shook. Monorth dove across the tunnel, pushing Dumas back against the wall. He then wrapped both of them in thick shields. Seconds later, the tunnel became an inferno as light surrounded them. They could feel the heat of the flames, even through the shields. As the fire died, a massive fore paw reached into the tunnel and grabbed at them. Its' claws sunk into the shields and they were dragged out into the chamber.

"Why did you have to say it?" Monorth demanded of Dumas angrily.

"Say what?" Dumas asked in return.

"That only happens in stories." Monorth replied. "Now it's going to eat us."

"Excuse me." A massive voice broke in.

"Just one second." Monorth replied, ignoring the voice. "Every time we say it, it happens, you just had to say it didn't you."

"Excuse me." The voice said a second time.

"I said just one second." Monorth replied, not realizing who was speaking. "You couldn't have said something creative? Maybe you could have said something else, but no, you had to say the words of the curse, and now we get to spend our last minutes being a meal for a dragon. Thank you very much! Now, what do you want?" Monorth asked, turning around only to find a massive eye peering into the shield bubble.

"Can you help me?" The massive dragon asked.

"Are you going to eat us?" Monorth asked, a little surprised.

"Of course not, have you any idea what humans taste like." The Dragon replied, making a disgusted noise.

"Does they taste anything like chicken?" Monorth asked, a little nervously. The Dragon gave him a curious look.

"No. Anyway, I was hoping you could help me." The Dragon replied. "I have been stuck down here for years, and I would like to leave."

"How did you get down here?" Monorth asked.

"I was helping with some construction in the city, but we hit an underground river that no one knew about and the ground gave way. I fell into the river and was washed into these caves. And I have not been able to get out since." The Dragon explained.

"I thought Dragons could change their size." Monorth commented.

"And I didn't think Dragons could breath fire." Dumas added.

"Dragons can change their size, but it is relative to their original size and am an old Dragon. I have not been able to find an exit to the outside that I could fit through." The Dragon replied. "And if a Dragon reaches my age, they can breath fire."

"Oh." Monorth and Dumas commented stupidly.

"How can we help you?" Monorth asked.

"Can you make a pass-through large enough to allow me to return to the surface?" The Dragon asked hopefully.

"As long as this is not the smallest you can get." Monorth replied.

"I can make myself smaller." The Dragon replied.

"Then I can help you." Monorth told him. "Only.. can you put us down first?" The Dragon laughed, shaking the walls with the sound. He lowered them a considerable distance before setting their shielded bubble on the ground. Monorth dropped the shields and Dumas created a mass of mage-lights, sending them up towards the ceiling. The chamber soon filled with light, illuminating the mass of dragon that sat before them. He was larger than many buildings Monorth had seen, nearly three hundred feet long, with a wing span that was no doubt wider that five hundred feet.

"By the way, my name is Quto'hil of the fifth Dragon clan." The Dragon added, looking down at them.

"Monorth, agent of the center." Monorth replied.

"Dumas, paladin of Seletra." Dumas interjected.

"Both men of honor." Quto'hil commented.

"Could you show me how small you can get so I can tailor the pass-through?" Monorth requested. Quto'hil nodded and started to shrink slowly. In the end, he was about the size of an oversized bulldozer, but it was easier to make a pass-through for the much smaller size. Monorth turned towards the nearest wall, starting his preparations of the pass-through.

"How did you last so long down here without food?" Dumas asked.

"I hibernated most of the time." Quto'hil replied. Before Dumas could ask anymore questions, the pass-through opened, revealing the scene from the mountain top above. Monorth turned back to the Dragon and bowed. Quto'hil moved forward slowly, making sure that he did not step on either of them. At the verge of the pass-through, he paused and craned his neck back around to look at them. "I owe you a great favor, if ever you have need of a return, call upon any Dragon of the fifth clan for help." Quto'hil told them. Monorth and Dumas nodded in reply and the Dragon nodded back, then turned towards the pass-through. He cautiously stepped through. Monorth kept it open until they saw the Dragon emerge on the other side. He sat back on his haunches and let out a roar. They could not hear him back in the cave, but the air seemed to vibrate with the force of the sound. Monorth closed the pass-through with a feeling of immense satisfaction.

"It only happens in stories." Monorth grumbled, turning back to Dumas. Dumas ignored his comment and extinguished the mage-lights, plunging the cave back into darkness. Monorth rekindled his own as Dumas lit a smaller one and they walked towards the final chamber. The last tunnel was a long, steep slope. It took them a long time to reach the bottom. When it finally ended, it was in a another massive chamber. The new one was free of dripping water, with smooth, carved walls, which was all that was immediately visible. They both created more mage-lights, sending them out over glistening piles of gems, gold and silver, exotic weapons, strange metallic objects, books, and assorted chests and boxes. Soon the room was filled sparkling shimmers of amassed wealth. There was a stasis spell about the room, which explained why nothing looked as if had been placed there more a few hours ago.

"I never expected this." Monorth murmured. "I thought people only found wealth like this in stories." He added. Dumas gasped, startling Monorth. "What!?!"

"I just had a horrible thought." Dumas replied. "What if we are characters in a story?" He asked, looking at Monorth, who looked back at him. They exchanged looks for several minutes.

"Nah!!!" They both finally replied in unison, laughing at their own foolishness.

"Now, where do we start?" Monorth asked, moving through the stasis spell and into the fields of gold and gems.

"Well, I would suggest that we move all of this to a more user friendly environment." Dumas replied.

"Have any ideas?" Monorth asked.

"I do. I will create a gate, and you start preparing this stuff to be moved." Dumas ordered. "Gold, silver, and gems first."

"I will also put a shield on the tunnel, in case someone else was attracted by all the noise." Monorth added. Dumas nodded and started his gate preparations. Monorth shielded the tunnel at the half way point before turning back towards the treasure. He then cleared a space at the back of the cave, using telekinesis, shoving everything into one great pile. Everything that did not feel like gold, silver, or gems was moved or teleported to the back. By the time Dumas had completed his gate, Monorth had everything roughly sorted. They both started to push the gathered coins and gems through the gate into what looked like a storeroom. It did not take long before the floor was clear of all of it, and the storage room was stacked to the roof with it.

"Let me move the arrival point of the gate for the rest of this." Dumas commented, Monorth nodded and waited. The gate terminus soon blurred and refocused on another empty store room. This time, each item was lifted and carefully transported through the gate, especially the books, which were no doubt priceless due to their age. When the cave had been completely cleared of everything, Dumas changed the destination of the gate one last time and they both left, emerging into a luxurious manor on some far off planet.

"Where are we now?" Monorth asked.

"My home, on Black Raven Prime." Dumas replied, sinking into a chair, worn out from keeping the gate open for so long. "My father gave me it when I became a paladin. Everything is down in the storage rooms, safe behind locked doors."

"Ah." Was Monorth's only comment. "So what do we do now?" He asked after many moments of silence.

"Stay here until the party and look through all that stuff we just found." Dumas replied, lighting candles and the logs in the fire place with a thought. Monorth sighed gratefully and dropped down into a chair.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

It had been a long day for both of them, so they went to bed shortly after finding something to eat. When Monorth woke late the next day, Dumas was already awake and in the living room. An empty plate was in front of him, and his eyes were glued to a computer screen. Monorth greeted him as cheerfully as possible and went to the kitchen in search of the replicator. With a large breakfast in hand, Monorth returned to the living room to join Dumas. He sat down and started eating, letting the silence linger for awhile.

"You know, I was thinking." Dumas commented finally, looking up from the computer screen. "Since I was not planning on leaving for a few days, we might want to go and get Sarath early."

"And put her to work helping us sort through that mass of treasure? I was thinking the same thing." Monorth added. "I'll go get her after breakfast." Monorth replied. "I was wondering if I was entitled to any of that stuff."

"I was assuming that we split it right down the middle." Dumas replied, a little surprised.

"No, that's too much. The latest news from Earth is that the Center and some of the larger consortiums are going to provide matching funds to convert the Earth economy on to the Salak'patan standard. I'll have plenty of money after the conversion, so I'll be rich man indeed. That's not including the estate Emperor Negeth will be giving me." Monorth told him. "No, I was thinking that there might be some things I would like to have. I got a better chance to look through them than you and there were a few items that caught my interest." Monorth added, Dumas thought about it.

"I don't see any problem with it, but only after we catalog everything and we both agree what is whose." Dumas replied. Monorth nodded gratefully. "I am still going to insist that you get some of the money, you can give it to Sarath or Simon."

"Sounds more than fair, considering that this was your discovery. I just went along for the ride." Monorth told him.

"Don't be so modest, we would never have gotten any farther than the lake bed if it weren't for you." Dumas replied. "Besides, this was not my only successful treasure hunt. The storage rooms are all filled with this kind of stuff. I'll show you and Sarath later today."

"Well, if I'm going to catch her, I'd better get going." Monorth commented, wiping his mouth. Dumas wished him luck and went back to whatever he was reading. Monorth walked to a clear area and started his gate. It took a short time for it to open, and Monorth emerged into Sarath's apartment seconds after that.

"Hello?" Sarath called from the bathroom.

"It's Monorth." He called back.

"I wasn't expecting you for another week. Is something wrong?" Sarath asked, her voice coming closer. She soon emerged from her bedroom, wrapped in a towel and combing her wet hair.

"Nothing is wrong, in fact, Dumas and I are finished until the celebration and we were hoping that you would be free to join us at his house." Monorth told her.

"Yes, I'm free. I haven't heard anything from you since your last call in the Selas Empire, when you told me everything that happened there." Sarath commented, returning to the bedroom. "Has anything changed?"

"Not as far as I've heard. The four of us are getting portions of your father's estate. He is now convicted and will be in jail for the next few hundred years. When that's over, he'll be exiled from every major political power, and will have to make his way on his own in the nether regions of the Salak'patan." Monorth replied, taking no small amount of pleasure in the news.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Monorth opened the balcony door and stepped into the cooler air with a sigh of relief. The first day of the Black Raven celebration involved a formal party at the palace for everyone who could contrive to be there. The throne room was packed, and Monorth had to escape to a balcony to find relief from the crush of people inside. He set his glass of wine on the wide railing and settled next to it, then pulled his dress jacket more tightly around himself. In the capital city it was winter and it was cold. Dumas had warned him before they left, but Monorth had gotten used to the Center's tropical climate. They had come from Dumas's home early in the morning to join a small private family party early in the day before the celebration went into full swing. Janus and Simon were there as well. Along with Monorth and Sarath, they had received the papers and contracts concerning their new estates. Monorth, Dumas, and Sarath had finished cataloging everything from the treasure hunt. In a few years, if no one issued a report of a theft, Dumas would announce the discovery and donate appropriate items to various museums. The chances that someone would report the trove stolen were small, and under salvage laws they were well within their rights to collect the contents of the cave, but Dumas wisely wanted to avoid any lawsuits.

Monorth stared down at the streets below, which was filled with people. Lit up like a million stars, distant music drifted to his ears like the rolling of ocean waves. It was beautiful to look at, high atop the hill where the palace sat. From a distance, it looked peaceful and serene. It was not the truth down there, where in reality it was chaos, with thousands of people packed together, each with their own agenda. Monorth could not help but make the analogy of the two places and himself. Far away, he was quiet and serene, yet inside he was torn in a thousand directions, trying to decide between the greater good and his more personal needs. There is nothing more complicated than looking inside one's self and trying weigh the truth against what everyone else saw on the outside. The major drawback to having come to the celebration was that Monorth was once again confronted with Neatain. Neatain, for his part, was doing his best to make things as easy as possible, but it was going to be awkward for a long time. Until the painful realizations of their past were less vivid, they would not have much luck in forming any kind of relationship. Monorth was not sure if that would happen or if he was eager for it to happen. It had been a hard year, full of memories he wished he did not have. In the quiet moments of the last few weeks, he wondered if it would be better if he did not remember any of it. It was a hard question to answer, because with the bad there was the good. In the past year he had never been happier, or sadder, than he had ever been in his whole life.

Monorth shook himself free of such thoughts, trying to steer to something more in line with the mood of the celebration going on inside. That day was the end of the standard year, almost three hundred and thirty days had passed, and Monorth had arrived in the Halls shortly after the first day of the year. The day marked the end of his first year in the Salak'patan. It was hard to think back to the long-ago day on Earth, when he had decided to go to the testing facility, the day that had sparked off the entire chain of events that had led him to the point the was, it almost felt like ancient history already. Something that had happened to someone else, the mistakes were still his, but the right decisions had come from someone else. The consequences were always the hardest truth to face up to. The passing year seemed to be an anticlimax to the life he had imagined somany months ago, he had never imaged it to be anything like it was. He had pictured himself the hero, holding a blazing sword and his enemies left beaten and destroyed in his wake. Like the heroes he had spent years writing about, people who did the right thing, never made mistakes, and were never caught in tragedy's vengeful path. His past year would never happen in one of those heroic tales. Monorth was not a hero, however, and he no longer thought he would be. To seek it was to find failure, the true value of a hero was in the eyes of others, just like King Arthur was in the eyes of the weavers of fairy tales. A shining figure who never failed and never gave up. Monorth might not be a hero, but he did have one thing in common with King Arthur; he was not going to give up. The next day was the beginning of the new year, and it was to be the beginning of Monorth's new life. He could not fix his mistakes, he could not change the past, but at least he could carry on. It was his second chance at happiness, and he was going to grab onto it with both hands, never letting go. Falling hurt too much to live through a second time.

"Monorth?" Alya called, and he turned to look at her. "Grandfather is asking for you." She told him.

"I'll be right there." Monorth replied as he shifted away from the railing and retrieved his glass. He was not perfect, but the least he could do was to carry on, and try to right the wrongs of the world.

Monorth stepped back inside. Emperor Negeth spotted him and called him over. Monorth maneuvered his way through the crowd, letting the past become the past with each step and searching for the twisting path towards the future.

<You always did have an over-developed sense of the dramatic.> Seletra whispered in his mind. This time it was Monorth who laughed.

Author's Notes

As always I would like to begin by thanking you the reader for the persistence and dedication to have reached the far end of one my massive tome like novels. On this book my second order of business is to thank my friend and fellow Smashwords Author, Melody Hewson, who made this less error prone version of this book possible. Through her hard work and immunity to bad writing, this book has been reworked into something a little less shameful than the version that was published for nearly a year. That version was the best I could do versus a demon infested body of text that consistently and constantly eluded my attempts to fix it. Though I secretly questioned Melody's sanity in taking on such a task, without her this book might still be lingering in a state that is almost unreadable. So thank you Ms. Hewson for being more stubborn than I and a glutton for punishment

To say that I wrote this book a long time ago is the grandest of understatements, I in truth penned the original version of this work more than half of my life previously, and no I will not share the exact number that encompasses. Please note I said 'penned' and typed, yes the most original version of this work was created with a several notebooks and a succession of ink pens. Fortunately for you the reader, this version of this story was long ago burned as a sacrifice to the gods. I have no delusions about how horrifically bad that particular work was, it was so bad in fact that five years and 2 dozen edits of various ferocity could not have created a work I'd ever let anyone read. But that work was also the very first time in my life I had ever written anything simply for myself and not because it was a school assignment or as I might have termed it then, school punishment. That book for all its' vast incurable flaws was something that brought a lifelong hobby into my existence, and writing has been something I may never well get sick of doing. For this at least I can feel some sense of gratitude, for that nightmarish tangle of plot holes, campy dialogue, and bad characters. This version of this book has now reached a venerable version edition of 13.1, with Melody's hard work to finally cut out most of the stupid left by my many varied attempts to fix this book's many issues.

Speaking of journey's that did not seem as if there was any light at the end of a long dark tunnel. When I first tried to begin the process of recreating this book into something fit for the eyes of readers, I still had many serious doubts it was possible. I honestly felt as if I were unequal to the task, since I could only too easily remember all the parts, twists, and comments within these pages that served to annoy me in various ways. My original intent when I delegated this chunk of text into the backrooms of my digital storage was that one day, I would create another book in its' entirety, to fill in the beginning of this series. However, it would have taken me three or four times longer to see a new novel created to be the shadowy doppelganger of this book. And even then I could not change any of the major events and plot points without having to alter a further 4 books to match. So it was that with a heavy heart, I bit back my distaste and began a scorched earth campaign where I aggressively slashed and burned large chunks of text. Attentive readers might very well have caught the evidence of those areas that are new and those areas that are old, if you didn't than maybe I did better than I feared in blurring the lines between those two interchangeable regions. But I have however made it through triumphant, and I thank you for following suit and enduring along with me to have reached the end of this novel.

About this newest version of the book, I can honestly say that I exceeded my own lackluster expectations for the final version that will go into digital print. While I personally still have many an issue with some of the choices I made long ago, if it weren't for the fact that a great many characters I personally enjoy writing about have come from these pages I might very well have given up making a version anyone might actually enjoy reading. Of course my biggest reservation, regret, and issue is the death of a main character. It is honestly something I swore once upon a time to NEVER do, had any of you known me a life time ago you might be surprised I would even include such a thing. My two year long rant over the death of Aeris in Final Fantasy 7 would certainly make me a liar and a hypocrite at this very moment. However the Monorth that results of this one event is a character I have come too deeply enjoy for his irreverence and continuing blasphemy, as well as his unshakable resolve and dedication. And for this I can not and will not apologize for, even if I were to meet my old self in some quasi-reality state of being at some point in the near future.

Of course logically, I as the author of this work should have spent the last page proclaiming the brilliance of this work and insuring that all you readers why this is entirely the case and why you should be waiting with baited breath for next exciting installment, however I am not like that. For all that this work has drastically improved in this latest version, I have few delusions of it's greatness. Objectively I would say it's pretty good and worth more than the price tag by some small measure. Considering this book is free and will undoubtedly remain free for sometime to come I know some of you took that as less than high praise. For me, I am glad it has reached the point where I feel that my effort was not wasted and relief that this book is good and that I am not free to move ahead with the books I personally enjoy 10 times as much as this one. And no, I do not exaggerate this fact, I really do re-reading my own work on those days when the blahs have me and I need a pick me up. The next books are the works I often run to in order to escape the reality of a bad day.

When this book was originally released, it was only the second of my novels, but since I am here changing things anyways, here comes the list. Wandering Steps Across a Starry Sky is my most recently released novel, it's a stand alone novel which is no associated with any other series. The Sixth Line of Defense, Book one of the Forgotten Children series, is the first book I ever released and still a personal favorite. Now here comes the books that follow this one in the Salak'patan series, Book Two: Of Forgotten Days and Lost Worlds, Book Three: At the Gates of the Worlds' Rim, Book Four: The Twisted Strands of Time, and Book 4.5 The Gossamer Threads of Fate. All six of these books have been released and can be found in any number of online retailers, and are available now. Thus far there are two other books of the Salak'patan series in the works, two novels that will stand up in the slot for the 5th book.

Smashwords Author Page: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ShivaWinters

Author's Website: http://shadoweddreamz.wix.com/shiva-winters

Author's Blog: http://shadowed-dreamz.tumblr.com/

Thank you for reading.

Truly, Shiva Winters

Melody Hewson's Smashwords Author's Page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Rabidwolfie
