“The white rabbit is in danger,” General AlHadeen spoke quickly and with authority, “He can’t be scried. Who’s the closest agent in the capital?”

Bella stuck her head through the tarp to invite herself to the conversation.

“As far as I know, the Brigaddons are our link to the capitol,” She said, “They’re the most well trained. They know what they’re doing. We can’t exactly scry anyone undercover in the castle. You know Xandra’s too smart for that.”

“We have to protect the white rabbit,” the general took long strides and Orenda stared down at the staff. “Perhaps Ali should give you the chalice. You can sail to the other coast faster than you could walk it.”

“He said we didn’t have time,” Bella argued.

“How fast can the Burned Roc move?” General AlHadeen asked, “Your speed is legendary.”

“We could probably make it to the earth continent in a week if we went full speed,” Bella said, and General AlHadeen looked up at her in disbelief, but she said nothing. Instead, she waved her hand and the stone in her ring began to glow as a flame burst from it.

“Mom?” Ali asked.

“The Chosen One has returned with the Sacred Staff,” General AlHadeen told him curtly, “How are things on your end? The djinn appeared to us. We need that djinn, Ali, I have word that even now Xandra is aware of the rebellion. We can expect her navy to sail in from your side.”

“Wait- Rendy got the staff?” Ali asked, “Is she with you? Bubby! Everyone! RENDY GOT THE STAFF! SHE’S THE CHOSEN ONE!”

“Focus, Ali!” General AlHadeen demanded, “I’ve just told you the empress knows what we’ve done and you’re going to be her target. I can’t fight my way across this continent to protect you as quickly as her military can sail! If you can’t control that djinn, if you aren’t safe-”

“I’m perfectly safe!” he argued, “Even if I didn’t have the djinn! I would rather die here than let those Urillians step foot on our land again! They won’t make it to shore.”

“Can he hear me?” Orenda asked, and General AlHadeen fell into step beside where Orenda rode on the kart rather than walking before her.

“Rendy!” Ali looked happier than she had ever seen him, “Hold on a second! Bubby, come here, I’ll extend the scry!”

The image in the flame widened, and Orenda saw Ali from the waist up. Bubbider ran into frame, and Orenda noticed that she looked ill as well. She remembered that Ali had told her their stronghold was being protected by a whirlwind of water. Why would the djinn do that? He had to know it would weaken them. But when Bubbider saw Orenda she smiled and waved, then pointed at the staff, as if she thought Ali hadn’t seen it.

“That’s it!” She screamed, “That’s the staff! You’ve done it, Rendy! You’ve been chosen to wield the weapon of a god! You can take down the Emerald Knight! We’ve won now! It’s only a matter of time!”

Orenda looked out over the hopeful faces of the crowd, to the hopeful face of Ali’s mother, and down at the staff that did not channel magic.

“Absolutely,” She lied, “With the strength of the staff I can take down the Emerald Knight. I’m the Chosen One!”

“We’ll keep everything together here,” Bubbider promised, leaned in close and said, “I’ll scry you tonight, Rendy.”

“Alright. I’ll probably be on the sea,” Orenda told her, “I may fall ill again.”

“You’re stronger than that, Rendy,” Ali told her, “You may not even notice it now, with the staff to power you.”

“Right,” Orenda said.

“Ali,” General AlHadeen said, “What has the djinn said about the white rabbit?”

“A bunch of nonsense,” Ali said, “I don’t know why he’s speaking so cryptically if he expects anyone to do anything about it. If he would tell us what he needs done, we could do it. He wants to go to the earth continent himself, but we… that would not be a sound military strategy. This is the coast the Urillians sail in on. We really need this place in particular to be protected.”

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“I don’t think the white rabbit need fear attack from anyone,” General AlHadeen said, “He’s a legend. They say he’s made of sterilite.”

“I can’t believe that drunken idiot has reached legendary status,” Gareth mumbled from inside the cart and Bella glared at him.

“He’ll be in better spirits once we’re back on the Roc,” she told Orenda. “But I can’t imagine Xac would expect an attack from Lapus. He has such a good relationship with all his kids.”

“Oh!” Orenda said, connecting the dots, “Lapus is Xac’s son! Named for his friend. Why doesn’t anyone ever just say what they mean?”

“I wish we could get a message out to Xac,” Bella said, “We’ll send Draco to scout the Burrow when we get close. He’ll be so excited to meet you, Orenda. He always considered you his child. He wanted you to come and live with them, but he tends not to think things through. You would have been impossible to hide on the earth continent, especially so soon after that battle.”

“Xac should have known about that battle,” Gareth said, “That whole thing was a clusterfuck. If we had planned better…” he lowered his voice and said something that Orenda, judging by Bella’s reaction, thought he probably said a lot, “It was a suicide mission. Soko knew she was going to die. It was her last big hurrah.”

“Gary,” Bella hissed, “Not in front of Orenda.”

Gareth fell silent.

They were upon the place now where the docks had once been, but whatever smoldering remains had once been there had since been pushed into the sea. Orenda was shocked at how dangerous the scraggly rocks were underneath. It was obvious that they would destroy the bottom of any ship that came near.

“Why would they build the docks in such a horrible place?” Orenda asked.

“It wasn’t this horrible before,” General AlHadeen said, “Some of our earth mages decided to make it a bit more difficult for anyone coming in from this side. Let me say goodbye to my son and I’ll see you off.”

She stepped away from them as Gareth hopped out of the cart and unrolled his carpet.

“You’re Captain Nochdifache!” A human woman pushed her way from the crowd, “Please! Please tell me- does the werewolf exist? Is your first mate really a shifter?”

“Yes,” Bella stepped forward and took both of the woman’s hands in her own.

“And you…” the woman seemed nervous, as if she were meeting a celebrity, “You know… the white rabbit?”

“Yes,” Bella told her, “I’m the big bad wolf on the high seas, and I know the white rabbit.”

“We’re… we’re not,” The woman said, but she began to cry and could not finish.

“We’re not monsters,” Bella took her face in both hands, “That’s what you were going to say, isn’t it? What are you? When you shift, what are you?”

“They… they tell me I’m a panther,” the woman tried to dry her eyes, “My mamma too, back home on the earth continent, but they… our master found out and I… I had to run and… The Knights of Order helped me but… I’m so happy to meet you!”

“Everything’s going to be alright,” Bella told her, “You aren’t a child anymore- and in those wilds that they call a wasteland are huge expanses of woods. The mountainside beyond them is deserted. Everything is going to be different here.”

The woman nodded.

General AlHadeen returned and held out a hand to help Orenda off the cart. Orenda took it, hopped down, and stood next to her. Even being this close to the sea she could feel it again, the sickness creeping into her.

“I hate the sea,” she lamented.

“It doesn’t seem to bother the captain,” General AlHadeen remarked. “Orenda, would you mind if I took a look at that staff? I know you’re in a hurry but I… I would like to commit it to memory. It is rare that one ever gets to set eyes upon the weapon of a god.”

“The last time anyone other than me tried to touch it,” Orenda warned her, “It burned him. So… at your own risk.”

General AlHadeen reached out, wrapped her hand around the staff to take it, then jerked back as if she had touched a hot stove. Orenda had expected her to take it and nearly dropped the staff into the sea, prompting a shocked gasp from the crowd.

“I… take your meaning,” General AlHadeen said, staring at the injury on her hand. “I suppose it isn’t that only the Chosen One may draw it from the sacred flames. It seems that only the chosen one may touch it at all. You’re a holy person, Orenda.” She put her uninjured hand on Orenda’s shoulder, “The Order is lucky to have you. Help the white rabbit quickly, and I pray you return before the Emerald Knight reaches our shores.”

“You want me to bring Xaxac with me,” Orenda read the meaning in her eyes.

“Xaxac OfAgalon was the greatest cage fighter Xren ever knew. Until his mysterious disappearance during a ‘terrorist attack’ he was the world champion three years running.” She smiled and laughed, “They plastered his posters up everywhere he traveled. He was not difficult to look at.”

“I’m not saying he’s not hot,” Gareth said as if he was involved in the conversation though he very clearly was not, “I’m sure he is, even now, as vain as he’s always been. I’m saying he’s annoying. But still, we can’t let the little furball die or whathave you. Come on, Orenda. Get on the carpet.”

“Brigaddon,” Bella corrected. “Agalon was the man who thought he owned him. Brigaddon is Xaxac’s name.”