Cherry ran next to Sam, who was now constantly glancing behind or around them. She had never seen Sam like this, and she barely recognised her. Something about her seemed to change, warp around her, or was it through her. Up ahead, leather-clad warriors began forming lines or perhaps formations some space from the lake.

"What are they doing?" Cherry asked.

Sam watched them take their positions, "They are guarding the lake," she panted, "its the ones in the hills I'd be worried about."

"Hills?" Cherry asked, glancing around and stumbling.

Sam grabbed her arm, keeping her on her feet, "Behind the lake. Your attention needs to be on getting to the lake. Do not forget my instructions."

Cherry nodded, gasping for air, "When am I on my own?"

"I will get you through the line," Sam said, "after that ... it has to be all you."

Nodding, Cherry smiled, "Thanks, Sam. We're nearly there."

Sam moved ahead of Cherry as they neared the defensive line. They came to attention crossing bows denying access any further. Cherry grasped Sam's arm as they came to a halt. She could hear Ares thrashing through the long grass, which seemed to grow high as he moved toward it. Everything in this place appeared to know who belonged and who did not, it was a beautiful, strange place, and everything Cherry saw she held dear, it was something Cherry found baffling.

"Who wishes access to the lake?" a woman's voice spoke from behind the leather mask tied behind the head and covering the upper half of the face.

"My name is Samantha Headrow, the protector of Cherry Bassett," Sam said, "it is she who wishes to access the lake and come of age for the protection of our knowledge, world and heritage."

"Who is Cherry Bassett?" the woman asked.

Sam stepped aside for them to see Cherry, "This is Cherry Bassett."

"What is your full name?" the woman asked.

"My name is Cherry Anastasia Nadeleine Nadesha Odelette Neala Bassett," Cherry said, glancing at Sam, who raised her eyebrows; Cherry caught the meaning ... she had to say more, "I am Cannon Basset."

"Do you wish to claim your heritage and promise to protect it for as long as you live?" the woman asked.

"Yes, I do," Cherry said, wondering what else was needed.

"You must reach the lake, declare yourself and immerse your entire form in the lake before the time runs out. If you accomplish that, the lake will give you passage to your heritage," stepping aside, the woman bowed her head, "you may both pass. To my brethren, I wish you good fortune and may you fulfil the assignment designed for you."

Sam looked at the woman, "I thank you and accept the end of this assignment," she said, looking at all the others prepared to defend their heritage with their lives, "stand strong, brethren, know help comes when you least expect it and fulfil the destiny you were designed for."

Raising her fisted right hand, she waited. Slowly they raised their fisted right hands, acknowledging one of their own from the mysterious sanctuary they had heard of in the outside world. Walking through the path made for them, Sam breathed a sigh of relief as they broke through onto a wide beach of sand.

"There is your destiny, and you have very little time," Sam said, "go; I shall be here when you come out."

"Are you sure no one can stop me now?" Cherry asked.

"There is always a chance of it happening," Sam said, pushing her toward the lake, "now go."

Sam watched Cherry set off at a run again. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched the guard tighten their ranks as they heard Ares coming closer. Suddenly from a nearby tunnel, a woman appeared. Everything in Sam tightened, and she automatically pulled a handgun from one of her holsters, something the brethren living here were never allowed to carry, nevermind use. Silently she braced herself, waiting.

"It is good to see you again, Samantha," the woman said, her voice sounding familiar, like warm honey over unsettled nerves, "I'm sorry I wasn't more vigilant. It seems my sons no longer remember their mother."

"Greetings Andriette. Are you telling me that the Tenderhook boys are your sons?" Sam asked, "why were they not raised with you?"

"They were for a short time of their life," Andriette said, "but I refused their father the information he wanted, you see he thought I was controllable but was proven wrong. Wishing to punish me for my disobedience, they were taken away," she stepped out of the tunnel revealing Andris behind her, he held a weapon close to her head. Sam raised her gun, aiming at him, but he pulled Andriette in front of him, shielding himself.

"You always were a coward, Andris," Sam said, "always sending someone else to do your dirty work. Have you lost all your sense that you threaten the woman who gave you life?"

"If she is my mother, I do not know ... this woman," Andris said, looking at his mother without recognition as she turned toward him.

"You were very young, fillo do meu corazón," she whispered, "both of you were everything to me. I loved you both so much. Amatus, why do you do this?"

Andris shook his head, "What did you say?"

"I asked you why you do this?" Andriette asked.

"We need the information to finally succeed," Andris said, blinking rapidly as though something unlocked inside, "father will stop punishing us if we give it to him."

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Andriette shook her head, "Your father is evil, Amatus," she said, "he does not know what love is or how to live in a world without pain and suffering. Your Uncle is just as bad, please... you can choose not to be like them."

Something slammed closed as she spoke. Andris turned in the direction Cherry was running, levelling his gun on her.

"Call her back, or I kill her right now," he said, "then no one gets the information."

"Someone will always get the information," Sam said, keeping her arm and hand steady, "but it will not be you."

"If you don't stop her, I'll..." Andris looked around before grabbing his mother's arm and pointing the gun at her head, "my brother has arrived, and he will be through these puny defences in minutes."

Sam shook her head, and without taking her eyes off the insane gaze, she bellowed, "I call the brethren to defend at all cost against the evil threatening to destroy their world, culture and way of life."

"That was the wrong answer," Andris said, lifting the barrel and aiming it toward Andriette's temple.

Sam found the opening she was looking for and fired, surprising everyone around them. Andriette gasped as Andris fell to the ground, the sounds of fighting came from behind her, and Sam turned to watch Ares pause as the gunshot reverberated. Suddenly he began fighting as though he were a demon, slashing at anything in his way to get through her brethren continued to bar him with defensive moves. Sam winced as he mercilessly plunged his knife into three of her brethren.

"This is what your sons have become, Andriette," Sam said, "I am sorry, but you know I am tasked with protecting our heritage and my brethren."

"And you will," Andriette said, looking down at the still form of one dead son, "they could have chosen to walk away instead; they stayed and made it their life. Vive coa espada coa intención do mal e morre debido ao mal."

"Live by the sword intending evil and die due to evil," Sam repeated the words Andriette had said, "sadly, they chose to live that way."

Turning and walking into the fray, Sam pulled her sword from her side, deflecting a death blow Ares was to deliver and pushing the edge of the blade against Ares' neck, "Enough," she said, the single word held authority not often heard in this world, "it is over Ares."

"It will never be over," Ares said, as he stood very still, his chest heaving, "my brother is dead, and I will end our life's quest if it's the last thing I do."

Sam raised the sword a little more, levelling the blade threateningly against his throat, "Be careful what you wish for," she kept her distance but took the precaution of pulling her gun from her side, "you decide which way you wish to go."

Ares seemed to still as though suspended and lifeless; Sam narrowed her eyes; he was preparing for something. Suddenly he smiled, and Sam's blood ran cold.

"There is always the rule about there being two heirs who can claim the heritage," he hissed, "you have already killed one, and I am the other. What if we challenge who should be inheriting?"

Andriette gasped, "You know you have no claim."

"Oh, but we do," Ares said, in an insane sing-song voice, "we are your children. You have claimed us at the brink of the lake."

"Andriette, you are correct," Sam said, "however, the part he doesn't know is ... to be able to challenge, he would need to live a life without blemish."

"Blemish?" Ares asked, cocking his head to one side, "my life doesn't have a blemish."

Sam watched the insanity leech into his eyes, "You have been under a cruel hand your entire life, and you have dealt death by your own hand and word," Sam said, "your life is nothing but a blemish ... on your father's line and on humankind, you do not have a claim."

"We'll see about that," Ares bellowed, "you have interfered for the last time."

A circle formed around them. Sam glanced from side to side, understanding this fight was hers alone. The restrictions had fallen in place, and Sam was the only one who could prevent the insanity from leeching into everything around them.

"What do you have in mind?" Sam asked, stepping further back.

"Have in mind?" Ares asked as he frowned, "one thing ..." he glanced past her at the slain form of his brother, "to see you dead as you should have been all .... those .... years ... ago."

"Ares, you should know this," Sam said smiling, "I'm designed to survive."

"It's the same thing your father said before I killed him," Ares said, not seeming to hear his mother's gasp and soft sob, "you will go the same way."

Suddenly he pulled a gun, raising and aiming at Sam's head. Sam blinked, raised her gun and fired into Ares's shoulder. He dropped the gun hissing at the pain and cursing the damage to his new coat, seemingly unaware of the blood running down its front and dripping to the ground. Crouching, he picked up the gun with his other arm, struggling to get a good grip.

"Ares, for your mother's sake," Sam said, "stop this ... let this go please ... let it go now."

"I am stopping this," he said, raising the gun slowly and aiming, "I'm going to kill you."

"I tried, Andriette. Accept my apologies," Sam said, raising the weapon and firing. Lowering the gun, Sam sighed as she watched his body drop to the ground, the red hole in his head matching his brothers. Turning to her brethren while sheathing her sword and holstering her gun. Sam closed her eyes before slowly bowing her head and waiting.

A gentle touch on her shoulder drew her gaze to the kind gaze hidden behind the mask, "You defended your brethren well."

Sam smiled and nodded, turning to Andriette, watching as the older woman took control of the situation, removing the bodies and directing what was to happen with the injured. Turning toward her brethren, she found them forming a strange formation. The outer line in front of the meadows faced outwards, the following line faced inward toward the lake, the third line faced the fields and the fourth the lake. They did not need instruction; they knew what each had to do and simply moved to perform the task.

There was nothing for her to do here but wait on Cherry; her gaze followed Cherry's route. Sitting cross-legged on the sand as her mother had shown her, Sam waited vigilantly.

Running down the beach, Cherry felt like she was moving toward an oasis. She was hot, breathless and nearly out of time. The stitch in her side came suddenly, making her gasp, but the spasm in her leg made her stumble and drop to her knees in the sand.

"I am Cannon Basset," she whispered, "and I will not be defeated and will make the deadline."

Looking up, she could see the water's edge. Pushing to her feet, she ran as hard as possible, reaching the water's edge with seconds to spare.

Launching herself toward the water, she shouted, "I am Cannon Basset, and I claim my heritage."

Plunging into the water, she dove deeper into the blue; it was cooling and refreshing. Coming up to the surface, she found herself inside a cave. Swimming toward the small sandy shore, Cherry wondered where she was; feeling the ground beneath her feet, she stood and walked onto the shoreline.

"Where am I?" she whispered, turning in a circle.

The cave's shape reminded Cherry of a bubble, a craggy rock face and ... a soft glowing light coming from somewhere near what could only be called the back of the cave. Cautiously moving toward it, Cherry moved deeper into the cave.

"Where am I going now?" she whispered into the chilled air.

Cara ao teu destino echoed around her. Very fitting, Cherry chuckled toward her destiny indeed.