“That place that we went to, was most definitely Un-Childproofed. It felt like, on that day, all the child proof tabs that are put into wall sockets to keep kids from sticking something into them were all taken out and our fingers were shoved right into the live, hot, wire. I don’t think we were children anymore after that day.”

Letters from Jaius to Ali.

That week went by in a flash. Hours and hours of planning and getting things prepared had her and Jaius and everyone else up before first light, and not to bed until well into the evening. She didn't have more than a few seconds at any one time to ponder his response as there were literally thousands of decisions to make each day. She remembered the talk that Olivia and her had had about their desires for what their wedding day would look like, but none of their thoughts had covered getting married this year on an alien world to a boy she had really just gotten to know a few months ago. She didn't see another choice though. She knew from what Ye'tul told her that Maleric can rarely be trusted, but if she didn't go through with it she was sure it would lead to a battle and people die in battles, she couldn't risk any of her people's lives when she could possibly save them through this action. She hadn't slept well the past few nights.

When she was alone in her room, and staring at the canopy over her bed, when there were no decisions to distract her, the weight of the decision she had made came down upon her. She remembered the proposal as Maleric spoke it, the uncertainty in Nisa's body language. The quick glance that she stole to Alianna. In the briefest of seconds she had been forced to decide her entire future, at least as much of it as was open to her deciding. What would happen if Jaius and her found out they really didn't like eachother? Or what about if somehow they did find their way back home, then what? Would they still be married? Their parents would probably freak out and not let them see eachother. She had no Mr Bear to confide in, or a Mother to ask what the best thing to do was, or a Daddy to walk her down the aisle as she had always dreamed. But she had learned the hard way over the past few months that to dwell in that which she didn't have would only leave her cold, hungry or possibly dead. She had asked Ye'tul if he would walk her down the aisle and he had agreed to do so. If he had any regrets about her decision he did not let her see them. She had her bridesmaids, and Nisa would be her Maid of Honor. She had been concerned that Jaius wouldn't have any groomsmen but he seemed to make quick friends with some of Ye'Tuls men after the first day here, and there were those three other boys from Maleric’s compound that went wherever he did. Maleric was his best man. She wasn't sure that was by his choice but it is what it was. The man who would marry them was Elder Gorn. He was the oldest man among Alianna's people and so she had felt that he was the best one to do it, even though he didn’t look more then 30.

She had written a script for him to follow, based off excerpts from the thousands of books she had read and a few family weddings she remembered going to. The night before the wedding found her laying on her bed completely unable to sleep. She felt so tired, but sleep would not come. She sat up and got out of her bed. She placed her feet into her slippers and parted the curtains that surrounded her bed. She looked at her disheveled self in the mirror and cringed. Hair all out of place, swollen bags under her eyes, Jaius would freak out and run away from her in a few hours unless she can get some sleep. She sighed, and moved over to the balcony and opened the glass doors. She moved over to the railing and looked out across the darkened trees to the mountains that lay not to far away. After a few minutes she heard something below her, in the private courtyard that was for her use only. She saw someone down there, moving around in precise moments that looked like some form of martial arts. There was a grouping of crystals, like the ones at the bottom of the creek that they saw when they first got here at the bottom of the small pool at the back of the courtyard, when the person passed in front of the pool she caught a glimpse of their face in the light of the crystals and saw that it was Jaius. She let out her breath, unawares that she had been holding it in. After that tattooed man tried to assassinate her, she had been overtly cautions about anyone moving about that she didn't know. She smiled as she watched him for a minute or two more. He had changed a lot since she had last seen him, both physically and mentally. He had always seemed a bit pudgy, and his eyes dimmed from depression, but now he was lean and had grown at least a few inches and his arms betrayed muscles that had not been there before. She mussed at how much they had both grown up in the four months since they had been here, both physically and mentally. She sighed again at the lack of sleep, but since they were both up she decided to go down and talk with him. She went back into her room and shut the door. She then put on the one dress she wore when she was pretending to not be the Hyress and the cloak that went with it and then went over to the corner of her room furthest from the door. The wall here was rounded and she reached up and touched a certain brick and pushed. She heard the click and silently the wall pushed inward and revealed a secret stairwell that spiraled downward to another secret door that led to the courtyard. Nisa had shown it to her on the first night she was here. She had spent many hours in hat courtyard since that day and knew every foot of it.

She quietly moved down the steps and slowly opened the secret door. She stepped out through the vines that covered it and walked softly toward Jaius. He was standing in front of the pool looking intently at the stones at the bottom. She walked silently up and stood next to him. “Couldn't sleep either?” he said before she go to him. She paused only a moment as she thought he hadn't heard her coming but then stepped up next to him. 'I thought I was the one with super hearing.” She said with a smile on her lips. He turned to her and grinned. “You know, that was the first, light, funny thing I have heard in months. I'm really glad we are back together, Ali.” She blushed slightly and then looked at the pool. “What were you just thinking about?” He waited to respond till she looked up at him. When she turned to look he said simply “You.” He nodded back to the crystals. “Seeing these crystals glowing in the water made me think of that last day by the creek, where Maleric tossed you into the river right above them...” “...And you saved my life again.” She finished his sentence with a slight smile. “You saved me too Ali. I would have died of starvation and depression if you hadn't been there with me.” She blushed again and then he did something that she hadn't expected, he placed his hand in hers and closed it. She closed hers around his and looked down at their hands closed together and smiled. “I see you aren't concerned about holding a girls hand anymore.” “Nope, especially not yours.” He said with a sincere smile. “This place has a way of working the fear right out of you.” She sighed and held his hand a bit tighter. “It really does, and it also seems to replace some fears with others.” She said looking at the crystals. “What do you mean Ali?” “I mean, I was afraid of the Dungeon and what the kids might do to me, and I was afraid of the crystals and their power, but now my fears are for these people and how can I keep them alive and myself also, and you.” She said looking back into his eyes. He lowered his head and ran his other hand through his hair and sighed. “I know. There is so much bad here that it makes the Dungeon and everything we went through there look like a walk in the park. At least at school there wasn't the imminent threat of death around every turn. I'd take one hundred Steven Pennington's over one Maleric any day.`` She laughed, which was a very sweet sound to his ears. “I agree Jaius, I would have Keri Bellows as my roommate for the rest of my life to remove myself from Theric and his scheming and these assassins.” He gently raised his hand and gently moved her face to look at him. “Assassins?” She lowered her head and closed her eyes, shutting out the memory. “A man who was turned invisible by a cloak of crystals somehow had been in my room and he leapt out of his concealment and tried to kill me. Nisa, the girl pretending to be the Hyress, she saved my life.” He lifted her chin up. “Ali what did the assassin look like?” She looked up at him. “He was a man with a bald head and tattoos all over his body. He held a dagger of black crystal that glowed with a dark light. The light seemed to be fed from his tattoos that glowed. It, the dagger, pushed through my shield and would have killed me if Nisa had not thrust a knife into his head behind his ear.” As she described the man further Jaius kicked the ground, let go of her hand and turned toward the water. He kicked the ground again with a frustrated sound. “Jaius what's wrong? Why are you upset?” “That man was one of Maleric's men. He would also report to Maleric all that you were planning, he must have had a secret way in and out of your room. He must have heard all the secret counsels that you had there.” She stared at him in horror. “You mean he was in there for more than a few hours.” He nodded, “weeks by my counting. He met with Maleric at least five times since I got to the compound.” She shuddered even though it wasn't cold. “Ali…”. He took a deep breath and a number of pieces of information came together in his head. “I don't believe that Maleric is going to keep his word, even if we marry tomorrow.” She shook her head and sighed. “I have feared that too, but I don't see a way out of it, except to attack him and then my people, you, us might get killed.” “Ali, we may have to do just that. We know he knows all your plans, but I didn’t know Beslin had orders to kill you. If Maleric’s plan is to kill you and he knows how to defeat your men, then I believe in my heart that he will still try to take everything by force. Some things he has said makes me think he will not just settle for this marriage arrangement. Your men should be prepared to fight tomorrow, we should even consider whether it is better to strike first and take him by force.” She looked at him, searching his face. He thought he saw a glimmer of agreement with what he said in her eyes, but then she sighed. “Jaius, we aren't some characters from a movie or book, who devise a cunning plan and foil the bad guy, we are two children who have never been in a battle and this is reality. People will die if we strike, you could die, I can't risk this. We have to go ahead as planned and pray for the best. I will tell Ye'tul to have the men prepared and to stage some men in the anti-chamber off the great hall just in case.”

He looked at her and was about to argue that they should still try to take Maleric, but as he studied her he saw her outfit and recognized it as the one the ladies in waiting wore, the one she wore at dinner the night they came, her disguise as it were, and a different plan began to form in his head. He knew Maleric knew of the Queen Amidala ruse and so that wouldn't work, but what if she was somewhere completely different? Someone completely different?

She was confused at his sudden smile, but returned it. “What?” “I just thought of how we can draw out Maleric's treachery.” “How?” He bent down and whispered in her ear for a number of minutes. Her face clouded in disappointment as he talked, but by the end of it, she saw the wisdom of it, and the benefits. She signed heavily as he finished, and looked up into his face. He could read the disappointment on her face, and he thought he understood why it was there. “I know its a big sacrifice Ali, but he won't see it coming.” She nodded and looked back into his eyes. “I trust you Jaius, and it is probably the only way to get him to reveal himself, I'll… I'll be okay.” He nodded, already knowing how he would make it up to her.

He squeezed her hand and smiled. She smiled and looked deeply into his eyes and winked, he winked back. Even with all the changes he mentioned she felt just a slight bit better about tomorrow as they said good night. He disappeared behind another secret passage that she had not known about, which gave her a slight chill as she didn't know about that passage. It seemed just as she laid down and closed her eyes she was being shaken awake by Nisa. “Ali, it's time to get up. There are so many preparations to make and to get you dressed.” Came her friend's voice from the other side of the curtain. Alianna sighed deeply wanting to cling to the sleep that had eluded her this past week, but she knew she couldn't, not today of all days. “Actually Nisa, it is you that needs to get ready.” She grabbed her friend's hand and drew her through the curtains and motioned for her to sit down next to her. Nisa sat down and looked at her. Alianna leaned in and whispered into her ear. Nisa's eyes got wider as Alianna talked. When she was finished she looked at Alianna. “I will do whatever you ask of me sister, but...are you sure?” Alianna nodded with eyes downcast and a slight frown on her lips. “Then we must get ready.” Alianna nodded and they both went through the curtain and toward the wardrobe. Ye'tul had a similar reaction to Jaius's plan as Nisa had, but just as Nisa had, he agreed and left to prepare his men.

As she saw that all was ready, she just prayed that Maleric couldn't count too well, or just didn't notice. She waved to Nisa as she entered the secret passage that led out to a shed behind the kitchen entrance. She traversed her way to the opening and quickly moved through the town to Madam E’llen's house. She knocked on the door and a few moments later Madam E’llen appeared as the door opened. The woman, who Alianna didn't think could look shocked jumped ever so slightly, she recovered quickly however. “My Hyress, to what do I owe the honor of your presence at my house today?” “Madam E’llen, may we come in?” “Of course my Hyress, you are always welcome under my roof.” The woman stepped aside and Alianna walked in. When the door was shut she looked into the one room where four girls of different ages were standing in the dresses they would wear to the ceremony. They all turned red and bowed when they saw her. “Oh, Hyress, we did not know you were coming or else we would have prepared something for you to eat.” Said the oldest, a girl Alianna estimated to be in her 20's. “Thank you, but there is not time for breakfast, we need your help.” When she said that, all of them drew near her. “How may we serve you this day My Hyress?” Said Madam E’llen. Alianna took a deep breath and then looked at Madam E’llen. “Madam E’llen, for today only, you will be bringing five daughters with you instead of four. Do you have a dress and hooded cloak that will fit us?” All of their eyes got wide but Madam E’llen was the first to recover. “Yes, My Hyress, we can alter one of Clia's outfits to fit you.” She said, indicating a girl with short dark hair who looked more like she was Alianna's age. Alianna smiled and lowered her head. “Thank you Madam E’llen, you have blessed us with a great kindness today.” “No, my Hyress, it is you that have blessed us with this great honor.” Alianna smiled as they all proceeded into the girls room and set about fitting her to this new outfit.

As mid day approached the Catha-Dral was awash with activity. Servants were rushing to and fro completing tasks as the time for the ceremony drew near. Ye'Tul was stationing his men around the room and inspecting them. Jaius stood at the bottom of the raised dais on which the Thron sat. His eyes were locked into it as he studied the intricately carved purple crystal. Maleric and the other groomsmen, arrayed in their armor and swords, stood behind him. “God, I know...well I know I haven't said anything to you in a while, but if Paltophern is closer to you then the Earth, please protect us today and let this plan work. Ah, Amen.” He prayed silently in his head. Just as he looked away from the Thron what sounded like trumpets began to blow. He and the others looked to the doors at the far end of the hall. The doors swung open and in stepped the first of the bridesmaids.

They all wore the hoods of the ladies in waiting and so Jaius couldn't tell which one it was. As she reached the halfway point in the aisle between rows of seated guests, the groomsman at the end of the line went up to meet her and escorted to her place opposite him on the other side of the dias. As the men returned to their spots, Jaius noticed Alise and Lorna. They both had tears coming down their faces, but they smiled as they saw him looking at them. He smiled back hoping it reassured them.

Soon Maleric left his place and went and met the lady with the purple sash which marked her as the maid of honor. Then there was a pause and music began to play and in walked the Hyress dressed in a flowing white gown with a veil over her face, but the white face paint and red markings able to be seen through it. Golden hair peeking out through the veil and the crown on top of it. The Captain , Ye’Tul was walking her down the aisle, wearing his full crystal armor and a deep purple cape with a white rose on it.

When she made it halfway, Jaius strode forth and met her and she placed her arm in his. They moved to the front of the dias where a tall thin man had taken his place to begin the ceremony. He felt her arm grip his more tightly then he thought would be normal and so he placed his hand over hers and gave it a slight squeeze. When they arrived at the dias they stopped just a few feet from the tall thin man, who was standing on the lowest step that led up to the Thron. “Dearly beloved.” the man began, reciting from the script Alianna had given him. Jaius tried to keep his attention locked on the man and not anything around him, but he was also trying as hard as he could to catch Maleric in his peripheral vision. If he had been able to see him, he would have seen him looking very closely at the one who stood next to Jaius. When the man asked for the rings, Maleric moved in front of Jaius and held out the two rings made of Gold and fitted with different crystals. A thin smile on his face as he moved back to his position. After they had said their vows, the man looked past Jaius and said. “If any here have reason as to why these two should not be joined, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace.” One second, then two slipped by, and Jaius saw the old man's mouth begin to open, and he began to let himself believe that Maleric was indeed going to hold to the proposal. But as time flowed into that third second, Jaius heard the deep bass erupt from behind him. “I have issue.” Bellowed Maleric. Jaius turned to see him pull a device from his pocket. It was a small golden ball. He hummed a note and golden cords lashed out from it and wrapped themselves around the necks of the Hyress and all of the other Ladies in waiting. They all grabbed at the cords and began to make choking noises. Swords immediately sprang into the hands of Jaius, his Groomsmen and Ye'tul and the rest of the Guards. But before anyone could move, Maleric bellowed “Hold your places. I know that one of these that I hold is your Hyress, I know of the ruse she has devised to keep herself protected in public, cunning, but I am even more so. Now, drop your weapons and your armor and stand against the wall.” Jaius saw then that all of Maleric's men had drawn their weapons and were slowly moving toward the guards and groomsmen, even the three that always stayed with Jaius. Jaius sheathed his sword and Maleric raised an eyebrow but then slowly nodded to him. But the other guards did not put away their arms. Maleric sneared. “Do you think my threats are without merit?” he raised the ball upward and the cords tightened and strangled gasps rang out from the women that they were attached to. They all dropped to their knee's straining for breath. Just before Maleric spoke again a female voice rang out clear and beautiful from among the gathered guests. A girl stood up from Madam E'llen's table and began to sing, in her hand was the purple shard that connected her to the Thron. The chair immediately crackled with energy which shot out from it in seven thin beams. The beams severed the cords and knocked the ball from Maleric's hand. Then larger beams in size and number shot from the chair and encircled all of Malerics men. They all became trapped in the same golden sphere that Maleric had used on Jaius. One also shot toward Maleric but he raised his arms and a ruby shield deflected it and it shot and hit the far wall.

“Disarm yourself Maleric, you are trapped and your men cannot help you.” Alianna said as she moved away from the other guests to stand in the main aisle and removed the hood that had hidden her features. “You have betrayed your word to us and we will not allow this treachery to stand.” The other ladies in waiting and Nisa who had been next to Jaius stood again and revealed their faces also. Maleric began to laugh. A deep, malevolent sound.

“You are resourceful and far more clever then I gave you credit for my Hyress. But I do not believe that I will disarm myself, and, I do believe it is you who is trapped.” He looked to the side wall of the hall below the large crystal windows and said “Now!” Suddenly reality wavered like heat waves in the desert in thirteen places along the wall. Out sprang thirteen bald men with black tattoos etched into their skin, each holding a black crystal dagger and sword. They rushed upon the Guards. Some fell instantly due to the surprise of the attack and the fierceness of these men's prowers. Alianna cried out as she saw them fall. She turned her gaze to Maleric and sang one of the most heart wrenching notes Jaius had ever heard. It was a lament mingled with a battle cry. Anticipating her target, Jaius dove to the side as a large purple beam of energy shot from the Thron at Maleric. At the last second Maleric held up his forearm and the ruby shield intercepted the beam. Light exploded from the impact, but as Jaius shook his eyes clear he could see that Maleric still stood even though he was being pushed back by the force of the beam.

Jaius got up and ran toward him and cut the harness from Maleric's body, the one that held a lot of his gadgets. Maleric glanced at him and sneered, the betrayal plain on his face. Suddenly the beam stopped and Jaius looked to Alianna, one of the Tattooed men had approached her and she and Ye'tul were trying to best him. She was using that crystal sword he had seen her use before and blasts from the Thron, but the man kept dodging them.

Ye'Tull yelled out and a door at the rear of the room opened and more of his Men rushed in to fill the ranks of the fallen. All Jaius got as warning was the noise of Maleric's sword coming from its sheath. He intercepted the blade, but knew right away that Maleric was a seasoned swordsman. Jaius had to devote all his attention to fighting him, and even then, even with all the moves of thousands of swordsmen from hundreds of movies flowing through him, he could feel Maleric gaining the upper hand. Then he heard Aliann's voice cry out with such sorrow that his heart ached. The fight with Maleric moved at one point to where he could take a glance in her direction, and then he saw why she had cried. Ye'Tul lay dead on the floor, three of the black crystal swords protruding from his body but their owner’s headless bodies also lay around him.

Jaius instinctively knew what had happened. Ye'tul had allowed the men to run him through so that he could draw all their heads into the perfect arc to take them all out at once. Alianna fell to the ground, tears streaming down her face as she cradled Ye'Tul's head in her arms. Jaius saw another tattooed man coming towards her his dagger raised to strike. “Ali look out!” he yelled and tried to move towards her but Maleric intercepted him and began attacking him again and it was all Jaius could do to parry the strikes. “Someone help the Hyress!” he yelled. But he could see the man standing over her about to strike. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as ruby energy shot across the room hitting every person present, except for the tattooed men. The body suits that they all wore began to glow with a crimson glow and began to feel tighter then normal. Everyone, including Maleric began to rise into the air untill they were about five feet off the floor.

At the main doors to the room stood a woman who had to be at least be 6 feet tall. She was dressed in white colored robes with silver symbols etched into them. The robes were made of thousands of tiny white crystals. She held a large staff in her right hand with a large red crystal at the top of it. The streams of ruby energy were coming from her staff. All of the tattooed men stopped what they were doing and sheathed their weapons and moved toward the woman and formed a guard around her.

“Maleric, did you really believe that I would not find out about your ambitions. To seize the Thron and these lands for yourself. Were you so foolish that you thought that you could turn my servants against me with the mere offer of land and wealth? I have given them immortality, what is your paltry offerings compared to that?” Said the woman as she walked regally down the side of the wall and then toward Maleric once she reached the dias.

Jaius saw Maleric go pale, and began to tremble. Jaius's mouth dropped as he thought that that wasn't possible.

“Herald, you know that all that I do is to serve you and the Eternal.” Maleric said pleadingly. Jaius could barely believe it was the same man. Maleric had turned from the world's worst bully into a man pleading for his life.

She came within a few feet of Jaius and Maleric and she glanced over at Jaius briefly and laughed as if at a joke. “This is the one you called Son? So without consequence is this boy.” Jaius's glared at her, but she had already turned her back on him. She turned to Maleric. “You were barely useful to me as it was Maleric, the most inconsequential of your family. It was mere pity that had me enlist you in my service to begin with. Now, what little usefulness that you had has come to an end.” Maleric struggled with his bonds like a caged tiger but he was unable to move, unable to reach any of his gadgets. “Rid us of his uselessness.” She said. Together, as if moving as the same person, the ten tattooed men that surrounded her moved forward and in one swift motion drew their black crystal swords and ran Maleric threw. He cried out with a wet gurgling sound, but then his head slumped forward and his lifeless body merely hung there, blood beginning to flow down to a puddle on the floor. Then his skin began to turn black.

Real fear began to creep into Jaius's bones. He was trapped, with no way of escape, and this woman had just shown a willingness to kill. What if she killed him? His family would never know what happened, and what about the harm he had done to Jekk, he could almost feel the sin on himself. Would he go to Hell? Was there a Hell? It was all he could do to hold his cool against the onslaught of these thoughts. The noise of Maleric's last, gurgling cry, echoed in his head. Would he be next?

The woman did not turn back to him, instead she was looking right at Alianna. Jaius looked past Maleric to where Alianna was struggling against the hold of the ruby energy. She tried to sing but could not seem to get enough air out of her lungs to produce a coherent note. The constriction of the suits must be preventing her from singing. She kept trying though, and these rasping, strangled notes came out, but were not sufficient to call on the Thron. Jaius could see her eyes wide and frantic as she looked at the woman. It almost seemed like she knew who the woman was. The woman walked slowly up to her and then circled her as if she were appraising a valuable statue.

“ Well, well my dear. It would seem that you truly do have naturally pale hair and blue eyes, and, apparently you are quite adept at singing the stones.” The woman glanced over her shoulder where Nisa hung suspended. “Take off her crown and bring it to me.” One of the Tattooed men went to Nisa, took off the crown she wore and moved over to the woman. As the crown left Nisa's head her hair and eyes returned to their normal color. The woman took the crown from the man and examined it. “It would appear that you even have some knowledge of crafting objects that use the power of the stones. You are a rare find indeed my dear. I am now very pleased with my decision not to come here and destroy you when you first stole the Thron from Nisa. You will be very useful to me as I seek to win control of all of these lands for the Eternal. You, will enjoy your new home I think.” She said with a smile. This sent Alianna into a frantic spasm of struggling against the energy that held her. Something seemed to change in the room. Suddenly, there was a coldness that seemed to reach into Jaius's soul, and terror gripped him. He saw a similar reaction from the other's in the room. The only ones not affected were the woman and the ten tattooed men. Jaius could just barely make out a wavy outline of a form next to the woman. It looked like the waves that heat makes as it rises off the road in the deep summer. The woman cocked her head to that side as if listening to someone and then nodded. She turned and slammed the staff with the red crystal on it to the floor and it stayed there standing perfectly upright. She then placed her hands in her pockets and then raised each hand. In each hand she held a golden crystal. She sang a hauntingly beautiful note and the crystals flared to life. A golden beam shot toward Alianna and engulfed her in a sphere, much like the one Maleric had used to capture Jaius from the woods. The other shot in Jaius's direction, but instead of hitting him it engulfed Nisa. The golden sphere interrupted the ruby beam freeing them from its grasp but trapping them just as surely as before.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Come.” said the woman to the men around her. “These two will be joining us, the rest...may rot.” She held the crystals out in front of her and Alianna and Nisa moved to be about four feet in front of her. Each one was pounding on the inside of the bubble and they were both screaming in terror but their cries could not be heard. This sphere was apparently stronger than the one Maleric had made.

Jaius tried to do the same thing she had done for him when Maleric took him. He shouted as loud as he could out loud and in his head. “I will come and get you Ali!” The woman laughed as if he had just said the funniest joke in the world but said nothing. The Woman, Ali and Nisa, and the ten men exited the room, and then they were gone. As soon as she left, cries of fear, terror, anger, began ringing out from the room. They were muffled by the constriction of the suits, but they were audible. “Everyone stay calm.” Jaius said. Can anyone move their arms or legs?” There were groans and grunts as people tried to move, but from what Jaius could see, there was only slight movement allowed by the constricted suits. He looked at Kenic who seemed to be struggling with all his might to use his sword to cut his own suit off and then also trying to cut off the suit of the guard nearest to him. When he saw Jaius looking at him, he shook his head, but kept trying. This is how the night passed, two hundred people or more, the whole village and staff of the Catha-dral along with the men and Alise and Lorna from Malerics compound were floating above the ground unable to move.

The thoughts of Death assailed Jaius throughout the night. No longer would it be a quick death, but a slow death over days as they all slowly dehydrated. Still the same thought pounded in his brain. “Will I go to hell?” Twelve hours of the assault of these thoughts almost had him in tears as the light of day began to fill the crystal windows of the great hall. Some had fallen asleep, and Jaius had to admit to closing his eyes a few times, but as he was trying to fight back his fear he thought he heard a noise out in the hallway leading to this room. It was a weird shuffling sound. As it got closer a foul smell began to come into the room. He saw people start to stir at the noise and the smell. Some near the door were trying to hold their noses but couldn't. The smell was very familiar to Jaius, but in his sleep deprived stupor he couldn't recall what it was. Then a figure of a man appeared in the doorway. The man walked into the light of the room, dragging a damaged leg behind him. He had wispy hair and where his eyes should have been skin had replaced the open sockets. He was covered in muck and the smell and shuffling sound was coming from him. A huge smile appeared on Jaius's face. “Jekk! Jekk over here.” “Jai..u..s?” came his slurred speech. “Yes Jekk its me. You don't know how glad I am to see you. Jekk in the middle of the room there is a staff with a red crystal on it. Can you knock the staff over or brake the crystal?” “I he..ar the summin of thes cryssstls Jiussss. I'll ty.” He saw Jekk move slowly toward the staff and saw that everyone else in the room was now awake and watching Jekk very closely. He saw Alise and Lorna smiling at him. Jekk reached the staff and tried to push it over but it didn't budge. He tried throwing his shoulder into it, but it didn't move. “Jekk, come get my sword, its crystal also, maybe you can break the crystal or cut the staff.” Jekk came slowly over to him and felt for his arm and moved down his arm to his sword. “I'll ty Jiusss.” He went back to the staff and listened for a moment then lifted the sword over his head and brought it down on the crystal. It clanged off it. He tried a few times, but each time it had no effect. He tried cutting the staff and also to no effect. Then Jaius saw it in the weird light of the morning, a silvery shimmer around the wood and the crystal. “It's shielded Jekk. The sword won't work.” Seeing how Jekk was able to hit the crystal precisely and the staff though gave Jaius an Idea. “Everyone close your eyes.” he said. Slowly at first some did but after he said it two more times everyone had complied. “Come here Jekk.” Jekk slowly walked over to Jaius. When he got to him Jaius said. “Jekk, do you think you could cut my cloths off, especially the body suit that is holding me here?” Jekk leaned in close to Jaius, and then reached out and felt where his cloths were.. “Yes Jiussss, I sink I can..” “Okay, Jekk, I trust you. Cut me out of my cloths and then I'll help you with the other men.” Jekk nodded, took a step back and listend closely. Then he hefted the sword over his head and four months ago, Jaius would have closed his eyes and screamed like a girl, but something in the change that had happened to him over the past few months kept him from doing either. He watched as the sword descended on him and he knew before it hit that Jekk had succeded, he'd always been good at judging angles. The tip of the blade cut through his outer cloths and also the bodysuit enough that he fell out of his cloths five feet to the ground. He landed with a thud but barely felt any pain as the elation of being free overwhelmed him. “Jaissss, are yous osays?” Jekk said in a worried tone. “I am better than okay my friend, I am free.” He reached over and pulled off a tablecloth and wrapped it around himself like a toga. “Everyone, Jekk did it, I'm free. I will free the men first, and then Jekk will free the women. He is blind so you need not worry about propriety.

“Kenic, once I free you we will go to the Armory and bring back fresh armor and weapons and also clothes for everyone to put on until they can get back to the rooms. For the rest of the guards, once you are free come to the armory, understood?” all the guards called out in the affirmative. “Does everyone understand what is going on?” He heard more yes's than no's and so he nodded. “Jekk, I’ll help Kenic.” He motioned to the man floating near him. “You start freeing the other Guards. You may need to make a few strokes with them as you will have to cut in-between their armor.” Jekk nodded. “I will Jaissss. Where are they?” Jaius looked around. “If you are a guard say out loud that you are one, Brysen you first.” Jaius said to the man floating near Kenic. The man began to inton that he was a guard. Jekk nodded and began to move toward him. Jaius ran over to Kenic and grabbed the man’s sword. Drawing on his catalog of movie and T.V. scenes with swords in them he raised the blade and aimed for the space in-between the armor sliced downward and cut through the straps and enough of the undergarment to slice it open. One more cut a bit lower and Kenic dropped to the ground. Kenic reached over and grabbed another table cloth and placed it around himself like Jaius did. When he had tied it off he looked at Jaius and nodded. “Lead on Son of Maleric.” Jaius paused for just a moment then went forward. He and Kenic both stopped and saluted Ye'tul's body as it hung lifeless in the air then they went on toward the Armory. As they passed the body Jaius saw something shimmering on the ground. It was the purple shard from the Thron that linked the crystal chair to whoever held it. “Ali must have dropped it in the fight. Better keep hold of this, I don't trust anyone else but her with it.” Jaius quickly bent down and grabbed it and held onto it.

Once all the men had been freed and given what clothes and coverings they could find, and the guards had been re-armed and armored, Jaius led them into the courtyard. Eventually, after what seemed hours Jekk came shuffling out to the courtyard followed by the women who had donned every form of dress and covering that could be found. Once everyone was gathered they looked expectantly at Jaius. Jaius was about to speak when he had a troubling thought. “Kenic, send two men throughout the Catha-Dral and see of there is anyone else who is trapped who wasn't in the main hall, have them take two of the women along to help any of the women that might still be trapped.” Kenic nodded and motioned to two guards who nodded and headed back towards the main doors. They stopped near the women and whispered to two of them toward the back. The women looked at each other and then nodded and followed the men.

“Listen everyone. You need to go back to your homes and get normal clothes. Please have everything returned to the Catha-dral once you've changed. Go back about your business for the day. I will lead a party to find the Hyress. I will be leaving Kenic in charge, you will listen to him as if he was the Hyress do you understand?” Everyone looked a bit confused but as they started to understand they nodded and departed for their homes. All that remained in the courtyard were Jekk, the guards, Alise and Lorna, and the staff of the Catha-Dral and the remaining ladies in waiting.. “Jaius, are you sure about this. I'm just a soldier not a leader.” “I trust you Kenic, that is the best qualification I can think of right now.” Kenic still looked concerned, but nodded after a moment. Jaius then looked at Jekk. “Jekk, I am so thankful you came, but what made you come when you did?” Jekk looked towards him. “A women casme tos the compund and sshee desyoed all the buillings and pepless shee cols find. Iss hid mysseellff inss the Picsss muckss ans she couldsss nos findsss mess. When sheess leevsss I left to trysss to fins youss to tellss youss.” He heard crying from his right and looked over and saw Alise and Lorna holding each other with their sholder's shaking. “Their Parents.” he thought. “Jekk, did she destroy the barns, and the people in them?” He looekd at Alise and Lorna, and then back at Jaius “Shesss dessoyed the barnsss, but I'ss coulnt telsss if she kills those trappss belowws them.” Jaius noded and them moved over to Alise and Lorna and touched their back gently. They looked up at him through tear stained eyes. “We will go there as soon as we are ready here and see if anyone survived.” They nodded their heads their cries and tears subsiding. Eventually the men reported back to them. “We freed a few of the servants but most people were in the hall at the time. Theric was still chained in the dungeon, floating, but we felt it prudent to leave him there for now.” Jaius nodded in agreement. “Kenic, give me six men that you trust and the girl with the wide eyes, Clara I think her name is, and enough Horuses for us all plus Alianna and Nisa and two for Lorna and Alise.” He nodded toward the two he had been talking to. “We will go to Maleric's compound and if I find what I'm hoping to find there we will then have an army that can take on this Herald. Kenic, if we never return, you'll need to protect and care for these people.” Kenic nodded in agreement. “I will serve them with my life Jaius or my death, as Ye'Tul did.” Jaius nodded. “Keep the twins who can sing the stones near you at all times. And search the entire building for any more of those hidden tattoo men.” “I will do this right away Jaius.” Jaius took a deep breath and nodded. He then reached out and clasped the mans arm in a manner like shaking hands that he had seen the guards do. The man clasped his arm in return and then nodded. “One more thing Kenic.” The man looked at him. “Take good care of Jekk.” Jiaus said, nodding his head in the direction where Jekk was standing covered in muck and smelling terribly. Kenic glanced over at him and then back to Jaius. “He will be my second Jaius, until the Hyress returns. He will have the best that the Catha-Dral can offer.” Jaius smiled and nodded his head. “Thank you Kenic.” The man smiled and then Kenic turned and began giving orders to have the Horuses brought and provisions readied. Jaius looked at him for a moment, then went over to Jekk.

“Thank you Jekk for everything. You saved all of us.” “It was nosssing Jaisss. I ams shankful thas I's founds youss. I thoughs I wouls bess aloness fors the ress of my lifes.” Jaius clasped him on the shoulder. “You will have a home here as long as you want to Jekk. Kenic is in charge and he has named you as his second. You will be well taken care of.” Jekk made a motion of swiping at eyes that wern't there anymore and sniffed a numbe rof times, Jaius took it as he ws crying. “Thanss you Jaisss, no oness everss beens thiss nicess to mess.” “I hope I'll see you again Jekk” Jaius said with a smile. Jekk tunrned and looked right at him, his eyeles face staring at him as if he could see him. “You willss Jaisss, you wills see me againss.” Just then Kenic came over to them. “Jekk, I am Kenic. Thank you for saving all of our people. In honor of this, I would ask that you would be my second in charge here until the Hyress returns.” Jekk looked at him and smiled. “I humbless acceptsss your ofceer Kenicss.” Kenic smiled. “We are honored to have you join us. Come, I will show you to where you can clean up.” Jekk waved back at Jaius and Jaius waved in return. The surity of Jekk's statement that he would see him again gave him some comfort, but there was also something odd in the way he said it. Something almost Prophetic.

As he was thinking about this a very morbid idea raced through his mind.. He frowned but then looked at the others and said. “I'll be back soon.” He then turned and went back inside. He first went to the main hall where the staff still glowed with ruby energy and the bodysuits of over a hundred people still floated in the air. Ye'tul's body had been removed by the other guards, but Maleric's still floated there. He went over to where it floated and looked into the dead eyes of his would be Father. Maleric's arms and neck had turned black, black as the swords that had slain him. He had noticed the same in Ye'Tul when he saw his body floating there as they were trapped all night long. “It must be from the black crystal swords and daggers.” He whispered. An odd sadness crept into his heart. Even though he knew how vile Maleric was and had hurt so many people, he could not deny the fact that he had respected him. He had made him feel that he had a worth and purpose and this was something his real father had never done.

A part of him was repulsed that he could mourn such a man, but another part welled up with emotion at his passing. A lone tear fell from one eye. He did not let this persist for long though. He quickly shoved all of that away and looked down at the floor where Maleric's harness still lay. He picked it up and looked through its contents. Some things he knew what they did, others were a mystery, but none of them seemed to be something that would tell if someone was lying. He put everything back and put the harness on, tying the leather straps together that he had cut with his sword. He then pulled a chair over and stood on it and grimly looked over Maleric's body for something that might be it. After a minute he found that around each ear Maleric had a small device crafted from gold that had crystals woven through it. It fit around the back of the ear, kinda like his grandpa's hearing aid. Maleric's long hair must have covered it. He removed them and placed them over his ears. He then searched the rest of his pockets for anything else that he could use. He found a few things, including the Lightning Gloves, the last thing he noticed was a ring with Maleric's crest on it. It was of an eagle with its talons spread forward ready to attack. Jaius hesitated for a moment, but then took it and placed it on his own finger.

As he left the room he ran into Kenic. Kenic looked at the harness and his eyebrow shot up, but then he lowered it and nodded. “What was his is yours by right now, Son of Maleric. Use them more wisely then he did.” Jaius nodded. “Kenic, this may sound odd, but I want you to lie to me.” The man looked confused. “Maleric had a device that would tell him if someone lied to him. I put it on, but want to know how it works.” Kenic studied him a moment and then nodded. “My name is Jaius.” he said. Jaius felt a tingling in each ear as Kenic lied about his name. “Thank you Kenic, this will be useful for what I need to do. I need to interrogate this Theric about the Herald. I need to know where she lives and if she has any weaknesses.” Kenic noded. “I will show you to his cell.” Jaius nodded and followed the man into the bottom most chamber of the Catha Dral. It was a clean room with walls of crystal. At the front of the room were bars of yellow crystal spaced about five feet apart and between them a field of golden energy was arking between them. Kenic went over to a crystal that stood out from the wall and pushed it and the fields disappeared. On the other side Jaius saw the same man who had dragged Alianna into the main Hall the first time they were brought to the Catha-Dral. He was floating five feet off the ground with ruby energy coming from the ceiling and making his body suit glow. Jaius moved over to him and looked up into the man's eyes. He saw, hate, tiredness, and fear in those eyes. “I am Jaius, son of Maleric.” He said, showing the man the signet ring. The man's eyes grew wide as he saw the ring and that it wasn't on Maleric's hand anymore. Jaius saw sweat start to brake out on Theric's head. “I need to know everything you can tell me about the Herald of the Eternal. And if you lie, I will know, just as Maleric would always know. If I catch you in a lie, I will leave and no one will come down here again.” The man searched Jaius's face looking for any hint of a bluff, but after a moment sighed. “Very well, son of Maleric. She came out of the west about twenty years ago with the girl Nisa. She proclaimed to be the Hearld of the Eternal, and displayed her powers over the stones and gadgets as proof. She said that the Eternal had decreed that Nisa was the Hyress and that she would be our ruler. Nisa also displayed power with the stones and more out of fear than anything else we all agreed. There were about eighty of us then. She killed Maleric’s Father Jukas and then she installed Nisa on the Thron in his place. She would come back three or four times a year after that to trade gadgets and crystals for food and materials and she would always spend a lot of time with Nisa in the Hyress's apartments. I had originally joined these people from Maleric's part of the clan. He wanted to make them his own and sent me as spy to look for a way to poison his Father and take over himself. When the Herald showed up, he did not seem surprised and told me to watch, observe and advise this Hyress as best I was able to his benefit. As far as I know the Hearld has no weakness, but I do know that her dwelling lies to the west about two days' journey. It is a house made of crystal. They say that the crystal has water flowing through it, but I cannot say if that is true or not. “

A chill ran down Jaius's spine as he described the house. “The woman, the woman from my nightmare. The one that was whipping Ali and that other girl, that dark haired girl.” An image of Nisa floated in his mind, and that image matched to the one of the dark haired girl from his nightmare. “How could I have dreamed all of that and now I'm living it? Maybe this is all a dream, or maybe I'm going insane.?” He let none of this play on his face but just stared impassively at Theric. “That is all you know?” Theric was about to open his mouth, but then paused and sighed. “She always has this shimmering presence with her. I have heard her claim with my own ears that it is the Eternal himself. This is all that I know Son of Maleric.” Jaius felt no tingling in his ears, but there was fear gripping his heart. He had seen that shimmering, and something about that “presence” seemed to bring fear and terror to everyone, especially Ali and Nisa.

“You have spoken true Theric, and so I will free you from this restraint, but you will stay in this dungeon until I return.” Before he could protest, Jaius drew his sword and cut the man free from the suit. As he fell He and Kenic turned and left the cell, and Kenic pushed the crystal again and the field sprang alive, and the two left the room as he heard Theric yelling at him that he was now worse off then he was before. The image from his nightmare months ago played through his mind as he walked up the steps. The house at the bottom of a valley with crystal walls, but yet water was flowing up from the ground inside the crystal. Looking in through the window and seeing that woman standing over Ali and who he now knew was Nisa, whipping Ali with that red crystal. For some reason thought it wasn't the woman, or Ali being hurt that his mind kept coming back to, it was the walls made out of Crystal with the water on the inside. What if he could somehow destroy the crystal, ruin her house, perhaps her power would be weakened. A plan formed in his mind, but it relied heavily on how thorough the Herald had been in her destruction at Maleric's. Before going back outside he ran up to Alianna’s rooms and looked quickly for anything she might need. A quick scan of the room revealed her backpack sitting on a chair next to the vanity. He found inside it all their possessions from back when they lived in the creek, especially the knife shaped crystal shard that had become so useful to them. Not seeing anything else readily available to add to the pack, he grabbed the pack and hurried out of the room and back to the courtyard.

When they came back out to the courtyard. There were fourteen horuses in the open area. Six of the Guards took up almost half of them. Then Clara on one, one saddled for him, a-top two sat Alise and Lorna, two attached to a cart that was loaded with supplies, and two saddled for Alianna and Nisa. The one for Alianna he remembered her telling him about. That she had named the mare Emily and that she was very special. There was a young horuse next to Alianna's that was not saddled. Jaius asked Kenic about it. “The Hyress left specific instructions that Emily's foal was not to be separated from its mother, so therefore it must go as well.” Jaius almost opened his mouth to argue the point but then shut it again and nodded. He clasped Kenic's arm one final time, and then went over and mounted his Horuse. He had ridden once on a family vacation, but it didn't go very well. But as he sat down, hundreds of movie scenes of people riding flooded his mind and he felt fairly confident in his ability to get the Horuse going. “We ride to Maleric's compound and hopefully will find survivors there. Then we ride west to find the valley with the Heralds house in it. We will either rescue the Hyress or die trying.” Those around him in the courtyard nodded, and Kenic lifted his hand in salute as they headed out down the road that lead from the Catha-Dral out of town. As they went through the village the people had lined the road and saluted them as they passed.

The ride to Maleric's took about a ½ hour. As the walled compound came into site in the middle of a broad valley it began to sink in that all that was below him now belonged to him. Maleric had named him his son, and so when he died all he had became Jaius's. He had never owned property before, and really had no Idea what to do with it now that it was his, but he had always imagined himself in the movie being Lord of a Castle. The reality was a lot less fun. He could see plumes of smoke rising from inside the walls. The herald must have gone on a rampage. What would he do now, the owner of a burnt out castle? There were people down there who had relied on Maleric and his men for protection. The farms that surrounded the compound were ruguarly harrased by wanderers and Maleric and his men would always head out an deal with them. Jaius had accompanied Maleric on one or two of these occasions. Maleric and his men passed swift Judgment on the purpotrartor. The men took him off into the woods, Jiaus always heard a scream and then silence, and Maleric's men always returned alone.

“What is to become of them now?” He thought. He had little time to think about it as they approached the river that formed the island where the compound sat. One of the rafts used to ferry you from one side to the other was on this side of the river. They floated over the waters on crystals that were on their bottom. The crystals were still glowing under the raft. Jaius smiled as he pointed to the glowing crystals at the bottom of the raft. Alise and Lorna looked where he was pointing. When they saw the glowing crystals the both moved next to each other Ang threw their arms around each other both exclaiming happily. Clara looked at him. What is there to rejoice about Son of Maleric?" Jaius looked at her still smiling. “ The Callamores power all the devices around the compound, the crystals on the bottom of the boat are glowing, that means the people trapped in those awful rooms are still alive and singing.” Slowly what he said began to sink in and she to let a smile touch her face. “They're alive!” She said happily Jaius nodded then started using the raft to ferry everyone over. The gate stood in ruins. It was twisted and burnt and so was a good portion of the wall that it was connected to. As they rode into the compound the devastation was total. Bodies of men and women and children lay in the street and all of the buildings were raised to the ground, except for Jekk's Pic pen. Jaius turned toward Lorna, Alise and Clara. “Do you know which callanore your parents were in?” Clara shook her head, as she looked at the destroyed barns in the corners of the walls. Alise and Lorna, pointed to one in the north east corner. “I think it was that one.” Said Alise, her voice heavy with emotion. Jaius looked to that corner and nodded. “Lets start there.” He motioned everyone forward and soon they were standing before the ruined structure. Jaius breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that the wall with the switch to enter the chamber below was still standing. He went over and pressed the crystal switch on the wall and heard the click as the stone stairs began to separate and the stairwell appeared. They descended the steps quickly and smiles started to appear on his face and Alise and Lorna's as they could definitely hear the singing coming from the next room. They had survived. As he entered the room and saw the horrific machine strill imprisoning these people, the words of Maleric came back to him that he had said to him the last time they all stood here. “Behold, your inheritance.” That statement sickened Jaius now even more than it had then.

“Quickly, we need to find out how to disconnect them from the machine, then, I am going to destroy this monstrosity.” Alise, Lorna, where are your parents.” He looked behind him as he spoke, but they weren't there. Then he turned around and saw them running to the end of the one row, where a man and woman were imprisoned next to each other. They both smiled and waved the rest over to them. Jaius and the other's followed and came to stand next to Alise and Lorna. The apparatus was truly terrible to behold. The people looked like they were encased in some form of Iron lung. They were trapped inside a black sack that looked like some form of rubber. Metal beames and leather bellows moved back and forth forcing air in and out of their lungs in measured rhythms. The most heinous thing was the headgear. It was made of leather and gold and encrusted with crystals. It looked like a human skull on the outside of the person. The headgear manipulated their mouths to produce the notes. There were tubes going into their mouths and also coming out from underneath the apparatus. It took them over an hour to figure out how they were hooked into the machine and to devise a way for them to be removed from it. It took them another hour of painstakingly slow movements to get them free.

They had to lift them from the machines and set them in the middle aisle of the room. As soon as they set them down, Alise and Lorna ran over to them and embraced them. Their parents were so week they could barely wrap their arms around them, but they tried, and the joy filed tears were more reward then anything else Jaius could think of. He had to turn away after a few moments however. It opened a door he had shut weeks ago, thinking of being reunited with his parents threatened to let loose a floodgate of emotions that he had no time to deal with right now. Slowly, one by one they freed each person that was trapped in this horrific mechanism. Eventually they found Clara's parents also. There were about a hundred and twenty people in total between the four barns. It took much longer than he anticipated, however, to get everyone disconnected.

It took a full week to free everyone and to get their strength back enough to ride out. He had to send two of the Guards back to get additional supplies for all these people. Every night he lay awake roiled with guilt over the fact that he couldn't find a way to free them faster, for their sake's but also for Ali and Nisa. Every day here was another day they needed to endure whatever that woman was doing to them. There were moments where he almost decided to leave some men here to finish the work and take the rest off to find them. The brightest point during this time was when the last person had been freed they would all gather in the room next to the one where the people had been trapped, and Clara, Alise and anyone strong enough to would sing and Jaius would wear the ruby encrusted gloves of Maleric and they would watch as the lighting burned that horrible apparatus to cinders. It was also these displays of power that continued to remind Jaius of why he had to wait here to free all the people and get them strong enough to travel. The memory of the woman's power displayed at the wedding ceremony and her willingness to use it to kill always kept him from leaving. He knew he would need far more power then he currently had to defeat her, he just hoped that one hundred and twenty two people who could sing the stones would be enough to overwhelm her.

He had requested more crystals from the Catha-Dral and also let Kenic know that the farmers in this valley would need protection. He had sent two men out with Clara to inform all the farmer's of the change in leadership, that Maleric was dead, and that the forces of the Catha-Dral would be patrolling the area now and offering them protection. Also that they could trade freely with the People of the Catha-Dral.

At the end of the week the people were healthy and strong enough to travel and so he gathered everyone in the ruined courtyard, He looked out over the crowd and sighed. “How did I go from school loser to being a leader of people and a knight rescuing a damsel in distress?” She was much more than that to him. Best friend, companion, and maybe more. The whole idea of the wedding had been forced by necessity. He had come up with it in the hopes that Maleric would reveal himself as the traitor he was and then he would be trapped by Ali and her men, trapped on her own turf. He hadn't anticipated the tattooed men, or the Herald, but the idea had worked up till that point. But, the talk they had in the garden was sincere. He would have married her had Maleric actually held to his word. That was what was troubling his thoughts right now, preventing him from getting out what he needed to say to these people. Did he have deeper feelings for her, and if so, did she feel the same way for him? He forced these thoughts down with all his might and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them he wore as composed of a mask as he could make out of his face. “Everyone, Maleric is dead, and as his Son all of this is now mine. But I do not claim it, or you, and in that regard you are all now free.”

Everyone cheered and hugged and laughed with joy at what he said. “I must go now though and rescue someone very close to me. The Hyress, from the Catha-Dral has been taken captive. She fought to defeat Maleric, and is one of the major reasons you stand here free today. I will not use any right I have as Maleric's son to force you to go with us, but I am asking you as free persons if you will come with us and aid us in freeing her. The one who holds her is powerful and I cannot guarantee that any of us will come back alive, but I must ask for your help for I fear that only with the help of your voices and the stones will I be able to defeat this Hearald and save the Hyress. If you wish to come with us, to help us, please cross this line.” He nodded to Lien, one of the guards that had come with him., Lien drew his sword and carved a long line in the ground before the people.

The people waited for a moment to see if he would say more. When he didn't they all looked at eachother. Some whispered to eachother and others shook their heads. In the end 110 of the 120 crossed the line. Jaius nodded his head. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart to those who chose to come, and there is also no ill will to those who did not. You may stay here and rebuild this place, or you may go to the Catha-Dral or to anywhere else you wish.” The people looked shocked at that, but quickly recovered and most chose to stay and rebuild.

The next day the large company left Maleric's compound and began the journey west to look for the Herald's house. Jaius had equipped the people that joined them with crystals and when they asked him what song they should use against the woman, he taught them the only one he could remember from church. Amazing Grace.