"Do you, Cannon Basset promise to protect and extend the knowledge base the women of our family have kept safely for the good of humanity?" Rilea asked, meeting her daughter's gaze, "do you promise to allow this knowledge to be used only for the good of humanity and our families?"

"I promise to protect and extend the knowledge base," Cherry answered; it felt like she had been saying sentences like that for hours. She wondered when she would get through this ritual, "have I met the criteria?"

Looking between the two women who smiled at her, she wondered if she was ever getting to the part of finding out what she was protecting literally with her life.

"You're nearly there," Andriette said, smiling, "our queen has one more thing she needs to do ..." she paused, "no ... two more things she needs to do, and then you'll find out what all of this is about."

Nodding, Cherry turned to her mother, who came toward her, holding a scarlet cloth wrapped around something. It was held out to her until Cherry lifted her hands, and Rilea placed it across her open palms before continuing to speak.

"With this, I hand over the heritage of our people," she said, clearing her throat, "may you understand and embrace the life you were meant to lead, bringing the knowledge and the next generation to the world when it is required."

"Unwrap it," Andriette whispered, "and hold it by the handle blade up."

Cherry folded the heavy scarlet cloth away from the centre, exposing a sharp-looking dagger. She gasped at the piece's beauty, the handle encrusted with stones. Slowly picking it up, she cried out as the gems bit into the flesh of her hand.

"Don't let it go," Andriette said, "allow the handle to examine your bloodline."

"What?" Cherry asked, her eyes widening as she felt her palm slick with blood.

"Don't let go," Andriette said, "hold it upright and follow our queen."

Keeping the knife gripped in her aching hand, she followed her mother toward the back of the stone area, which was colder the further back they went. A passageway of light flared up as they walked, something she noticed about her mother's presence; the chamber seemed to respond as she moved around. Would she ever be like that in this place?

"We're here," Rilea said, placing her hand in the centre of an intricate design, "all you need to know is in this vault. The last step of the ritual requires you to enter and acknowledge me as your mother, and I acknowledge you as my daughter. Once that happens, I must leave, and you will be closed in. No matter what happens, you must hold onto that dagger and only release it when you exit the chamber. Do you understand?"

Cherry nodded, "I understand. What happens inside?"

"It is a knowledge only you can know. You are not to speak of it to anyone ever," Andriette said, "it could be different for everyone, or it could be the same for everyone ... only the person who is experiencing it knows."

Nodding, Cherry inhaled and nodded, "Let's do this."

Smiling, her mother took her hand from the intricate design, and the rock face slid apart like glass sliding doors. Together mother and daughter entered; the ground shuddered violently at the intrusion of a newcomer. The rumble, this time, sounded like the beginning of an earthquake.

"I, Rilea Basset acknowledge Cannon Basset as my daughter," Rilea said.

"I, Cannon Basset acknowledge Rilea Basset as my mother," Cherry said, turning toward her mother and hugging her.

Silently her mother returned her hug, turned and left the chamber. Watching her go, Cherry remained in place until the chamber door slid shut, enclosing her inside. Turning to face the inside of the cave, Cherry frowned; it seemed she needed to walk into the depths of the space but felt unsure.

"What am I supposed to do?" she whispered, "I need some direction."

A thin pale blue light ran along the floor toward the back. Slowly Cherry followed, whispering words she had heard her mother say when she was a child.

"A fe e a confianza van da man mentres o amencer e o solpor diarios se separan. Corazón e man son sempre un para os que aman desde o principio," she sighed, looking around but only seeing darkness; churning deep within had her repeating the words, "faith and trust go hand in hand as the daily dawn and dusk do part. Heart and hand are always one to those who love from the start."

The blue light she followed spread out, running up the cave walls, filling the ceiling with colourful veins meeting and clashing together above her, reminding her of luminescent fireworks. Sparks hung suspended over her head as she continued further into the cave. The space seemed empty, but when Cherry would have stopped to look around again, she heard her full name whisper calling her forward or was it backwards; shaking her head, she followed the sound into the slowly lighting depths.

Was she truly alone?

Was someone else in this place?

She may never know, but she felt compelled to move forward to follow and discover.

Garan felt the prolonged rumble; they were close to success, but he knew the Tenderhook men would not stop; they would keep coming. If they died, they would commission someone insane and cruel as they were to continue in their wake. Looking around, he could only see one brother. Where was the other?

"We only have one brother out here," Garan said to Carl as they fought back to back, "do you see the other?"

Carl ducked the blade of the knife intended to slice deeply into his side; extending his tight fist, he felt bones crunch under his knuckles, his eyes scanning the area, "I don't, which can only mean one thing ..." he drew his weapon firing at two attackers singling out a leather-clad warrior, "he must have gotten inside, but I didn't hear the alarm from the infirmary so it must have been the other side."

"If he is inside," Garan said, his face pale, "Rilea and Cherry are in danger; no one is permitted to step outside the restrictions."

"You forget who is with her," Carl said, spinning in a circle with his batons flying in all directions, bodies falling around him, "what would you like? I could go in and assist Sam, or you could go in and do what you can."

"You go," Garan said, "I will not leave my people."

"On it," Carl called as he fought to the back door of a place he had never been to but felt as though he knew better than his own home.

Sliding through the entrance to the busy infirmary, Carl looked around. Bodies lay everywhere, the smell of blood drenching his senses while the many exits confused him. Grasping the arm of a young medical attendant, he quickly asked for directions required to protect Rilea and Cherry. The young man frowned at him.

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"We are not permitted to tell the way," he said, pulling his arm from Carl's grip and moving toward the bed where an older plump woman attended a female warrior.

Frustration lanced through him, he had a task to perform, and no one would assist him. Moving to an area between the three archways ... entrances? Exits? Shaking his head, he supposed their name would change depending on what you were using them for. Carl looked out each door before returning to the centre, where he stood, considering which way he should take. On the third time, he paced to an exit and back to his place; a tall leather-clad warrior stood beside him.

"The way depends on what you need to accomplish," he said, "my name is Batair. I saw you fighting beside our leader Garan."

"Carl is the name, and finding my direction is the game," Carl said, sighing, "Garan asked me to protect Rilea and Cherry, but I don't know which exit will get me to their position the quickest."

"None of them will," Batair said, "and you will be too late when you arrive. Come, I will show you the quickest way, and you will need someone in the ranks to assist your passage. Our internal warriors will not believe anything you say without someone to verify your words."

"I would be so grateful if you would assist," Carl said, leaning closer and whispering, "we think an older Tenderhook brother is within these walls ... I seem to remember his name being ..."

Batair narrowed his eyes, raising his hand, "We do not speak of the father and uncle ... those abominations caused much harm to our people. If one of them is inside, you are needed more than you know," striding through the centre exit as he spoke, "they have no morals and do not revere life."

"Oh, I know that is why I need to get to wherever they are as quickly as possible," Carl said, "we also need to get word to Samantha; I think she is waiting on Cherry at some lake."

"We are heading there now," Batair said, "at the moment, our leaders are safe, but they will be vulnerable when the ritual is complete. Protection will be required at that time ...it will be required then most of all."

"Okay, let's move ... quickly," Carl said, lengthening his stride to keep up with Batair, "how long until we get to wherever you're taking me."

"Five minutes," Batair said, pausing as a secondary alarm blared within the walls, "run ... we have less time than we thought. It would seem your brethren is on her own and doing her best."

"What are we waiting for?" Carl asked, "let's go ... you said run, let's run."

The two men raced through the tunnels breaking out into the main cave near the guard room, continuing down a sand path reaching the mouth of the river and the sandy beach where Sam stood staring down the gun barrel.

"That cannot happen," Carl breathed, pulling his weapon and firing into the gun, making the man holding it flinch and whirl in his direction.

Moving across the sand, drawing the attention of the older of the two brothers, "I see you're trying to get to what was never yours."

"It is mine. My nephews are in there gaining everything," he snarled, "we have a blood right."

"Sam, is this true?" Carl asked.

"They do have a blood right," Sam said, "but they are not inside getting whatever he thinks they may acquire for him ... his nephews are dead."

"No," he shook his head as though something buzzed through his mind, "not true ... that cannot be true ... they both got inside ... I saw it."

"They did, but they were killed," Sam said, "there was someone inside who was not held to purity restrictions when dealing with sadistic people like yourself and your nephews," Sam shrugged; she seemed unfazed, yet Carl noticed her gaze harden before she continued, "there is only one way to deal with someone who will kill their own mother ..." she shook her head, "you have lost."

"You will die," the words bellowed across the open space bouncing from the rock walls as a knife was pulled and thrust into Sam.

Carl heard his voice but not what he was saying; the desperation mounted as Sam stumbled backwards, looking down at the knife sticking out of her chest near her shoulder. Moving in to defend her, Carl's fist flew, connecting with the arrogant face sneering at those around him. He staggered and pulled his weapon, firing at Carl, who pushed it to one side before dropping to a crouch and scooping the staggering legs from under the cruellest Tenderhook he had known. Flipping to his feet, Carl pulled his weapon, pointing it down at the older Tenderhook brother and fired three times. The body stayed on the ground, and Carl waited.

"I think you killed him," Batair said, "what do you call this style? A double tap to the heart and head?"

"Yes, it's a style of assassination killings," Carl whispered as he lowered his weapon, "how did you know?"

"I have a twin that is part of the outside brethren," Batair said, "he was telling me a little of the world out there; it sounds frightening."

"It is," Carl said, "that is why Garan made the decision he did," noticing a small group of leather-clad warriors kneeling in a circle, "Sam ..." running over, he pushed through the group attending to Samantha's shoulder and gunshot wound on her left side, "Sam?"

She opened her eyes, "Give me a minute," she whispered, "I have to survive this. I'm not finished with my mission."

"What are you talking about?" Carl asked, frowning.

"There is still a Tenderhook alive," Sam hissed as the bullet appeared at skin level, "our way of life is not secure if the bloodline exists."

"Yeah, but he is outside," Carl said, looking around, "I saw him outside."

"Are you sure of that?" Sam asked, looking at the woman hovering above her, "can you pull the bullet from my side?"

"The metal object?" the woman asked.

Sam nodded, "I cannot see it, but if you can ..." she panted, "pull it from my side; it will be a great help."

The woman nodded, pulling a thin knife from her leather utility belt, "Keep still."

Carl watched as the knife was carefully wedged under the edge of the bullet and lifted, pulling the metal casing from Samantha's wound.

"Thank you," Sam whispered, "Carl, can you help with this dratted knife."

"You know I can't just pull it out," Carl said, kneeling beside her, "you could bleed to death."

"Physically impossible," the attending warrior said, smiling, "she is one of those who are designed to survive."

"Any recommendations?" Carl asked, looking at her.

The warrior smiled at him, "Pull the knife out," she chuckled at his expression, "if the request has been made, and it has right now, we all heard her ask for your assistance ... comply. That is the rule."

"You have a simple world," Carl sighed, "here goes."

"Hurry up," Sam grunted, "we're running out of time."

Carl gently took hold of the handle, inhaled and pulled the knife from the wound. Blood bubbled with the extraction running into the sand; Carl frowned but continued pulling the knife. Sam exhaled as the tip left the injury, and the skin closed shortly after.

"Thank you," Sam said, closing her eyes and breathing deeply, "will be with you all in a minute."

"Okay," Carl said, shaking his head, "that was a first for me," looking around at the waiting warriors, he found them smiling at him, "what?"

"Thank you for helping us to maintain our restrictions," a young man said, "we are not permitted to assist with such things."

"Why not?" Carl asked, watching Sam push into a sitting position.

"It will defile the purity of their craft," Sam supplied, "the bullet was one thing, but the knife was thrown with the intention of malice."

"So?" Carl stood, giving Sam his hand to pull her to her feet, "what if it was?"

"Inside the walls, they are restricted from associating with anything done in malice," Samantha said, rolling her head on her neck, "it is to maintain the purity of the place."

"There seems to be a lot of restrictions about living here," Carl said, "I understand why Garan did what he did."

"He is the visionary our people needed," the female attending warrior said, "without his foresight, we would have been extinct many years ago."

"Right," Carl said, "now what?"

"Garan gave you a task to complete," Sam said, "and I have a purpose which requires fulfilling."

"Where do we find Rilea and Cherry?" Carl asked.

"They would be with Andriette," the young male warrior said, "through the side door over there and second arch on the left, follow the tunnel and state your names and tasks at the round stone, follow the blue lights, and you'll find Rilea and Andriette waiting for Cannon Basset to complete her coming-of-age."

"Thank you, brethren," Sam said, scooping up the blade from her shoulder, turning and following Carl.