Wyld was leading the way with a torch in one hand while Minagh followed with his dim shimmer of violet energy around his body. As they walked, the architecture turned into natural cave walls with no cavern paintings, no stories of Saor of ancient past.

The walls instead were lined with crystals of greens, reds, blues and whites, with a smatterings of yellows, purples, oranges and blacks. Each crystal seemed to shine as Minagh grew closer, like they were resonating with his energy.

Minagh placed his hand on a nearby crystal, a green jutting out of the wall. It hummed softly at his touch, acknowledging what and who he was. Minagh felt something within his mind, an urge to pull the crystal free. So he did.

The crack as the crystal came loose alerted Wyld, who turned back. He wasn't angry, but he did seem slightly annoyed at this development. 'Minagh, those crystals are infused with pure Source energy. They can be incredibly dangerous.'

'I'm sorry,' Minagh said, 'but it was like it was talking to me. It wanted me to pull it out of the wall.'

Wyld didn't pretend to understand, but thanks to the stories of the Saor he was at least aware that the Source Child understood more on an instinctual level in this place than any other did. Though Minagh was not Saor, it already whispered to him things Wyld would never have considered.

Then Minagh crushed the crystal into powder.

'What are you doing?!' Wyld hissed as he watched Minagh look at the powder in his hand. Minagh, with one hand, removed one of his boots and rubbed the powder into the sores on his foot. Before their eyes, the sores vanished, and Minagh's foot was the healthiest it had ever been.

'I might... take a few of these before we go.' Minagh said, looking up at Wyld apologetically.

Wyld, eyes still on Minagh's foot, nodded wordlessly. He was completely taken aback and out of his depth. Perhaps these crystals housed the power of previous Source Children instead of just pure Source energy. Wyld did remember one was considered the greatest healer of all time.

Minagh was pulling out only the green crystals from the wall, believing the colour was what differentiated the healing power from the others. He'd hopefully have time to examine the powers later.

'We should keep going, Wyld,' Minagh said, placing the handful of green crystals into his pack. 'We'll have time to play "What does this do?" later.'

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Wyld actually smiled at the jest, and continued to walk. He was not going to lie, the Saor did want to see what the other crystals did.

Minagh's eyes wandered as he walked, looking at the walls that shone and made tinkling sounds from the crystals. This place was more beautiful than anywhere he'd been on Earth. Then again, Minagh had only really been to Ireland and India with small amounts of time in other locales. Perhaps a place like this existed on Earth, it just had not been found yet.

Finally, after ten minutes of walking in crystallised beauty, Wyld stopped before a darkened gateway of chiselled stone and gemstones.

'What's up?' Minagh asked.

'I can't go with you beyond this point. The Source itself is for Source Children only.'

Minagh frowned. He disliked that rule simply because it meant his new friend couldn't discover everything along with him. But, Wyld did not look like he would budge on this. The Saor sat down on a nearby bench, took out his bone blade and began to clean it carefully.

'I shall guard the entrance. Just in case. Good luck to you, Minagh.'

Minagh looked at the gateway and breathed in. He took one step before Wyld cleared his throat.

'The Pixie, too.'

Frostpetal huffed and flew out of Minagh's hair, sitting on the bench beside Wyld. Minagh smirked. He'd almost forgot she was present. Just Minagh was allowed through. He stepped over the threshold and disappeared.

Minagh was in a closed off room of stone and crystal, surrounding a deep basin of rock in the center. Within was a thick, translucent white liquid that whispered softly. It emanated a power that Minagh felt as familiar. He stepped forward and looked within... and he knew.

'The Source... it's where the Saor go when they die.'

Inside was a swirling mass of thousands of souls, some of which looked up at him. Each was unique, each retained what they had looked like in life. Until they moved on, to become a new Saor, content to be forgotten by the rigours of time. Minagh stepped back out of respect, and the basin exploded upwards. A white spectre climbed out and forced Minagh to the wall.

She was a Saor, like all the others within. She was dead, like all the others within. But she had form, she was solid.

'You are the one I was murdered for?'

'Murdered?'

Minagh knew who she was. The previous Source Child. If she had been murdered to provide the power to Minagh, that could only mean the one who had given it to him had killed her. Markotet.

'I'm sorry. I didn't know.'

'The fault is not yours,' she said. 'But this power is for the Saor, Minagh. You cannot forget where it came from, you must become their protector.'

'How am I going to protect the Saor and the Humans?' Minagh asked.

She smiled, her face softening. She let him go and stood back, sitting on the side of the basin. 'The Saor are not so easily felled like humans are. I only ask that you return to aid them should they ask.'

Minagh understood. Wyld was an example of the tenacity of the Saor. They'd be able to survive so much on their own. Unlike Humanity, who had issues simply getting along with each other. Hell, less than one hundred years ago there were six wars simply to try and oust one French man.

'How will they be able to contact me? How will I be able to get here quick enough to help them?'

She smiled, falling back into the basin willingly.

'The Source protects you as well, Minagh.'