Oceanus had the knife, but it was right behind his back. As he used it to silently cut through his ropes he saw what he thought was his attacker but it was in fact someone he knew all too well. A man who had been among them the whole time, but until now had finally revealed himself to aid in his hour of need.

“By the kings...” Lycus the elder son of Niles had brought the knife to aid his escape.

“Quiet down you fool.” Oceanus looked to the others to make sure they were still fast asleep.

Anthony was still in his resting state, his eyes closed, his muscles not even startled, as was Clio who was sleeping peacefully. With his hands nearly untied he decided it best to speak softly at least until they were further away than this barn.

“The field, meet me in the field.” Lycus quietly left the barn and headed out leaving Oceanus to completely free himself.

It didn’t take that long, after his hands, he got to his feet and quietly moved past everyone. He couldn’t stop but took one last look at Anthony waving his hands in front of his eyes and realizing he must have been tricked by his outrageous claims. He had heard him whisper that he could sense danger while he slept, but even walking right in front of him he seemed fast asleep proving he was merely a mortal man after all. If he had the chance, he would have used the very ropes he bound him with to strangle him in his sleep, but there was no time to indulge in such a pleasure. There was only one thing that mattered at this point, to escape and do it while he had the chance.

He managed to sneak out of the barn successfully, and head toward the wither field of wheat he had noticed along the way. On the outer fencing of the fields he saw a large shadow of a horse under the moonlight, with a man holding it by the reins. There he found Lycus waiting for him, but not sign of anyone else.

“Can I have my knife back now?” Lycus asked, annoyed before Oceanus put it up to his throat.

“I should slit your throat for all the trouble you’ve caused us.” He stared with eyes of fury.

“Hey, I was supposed to only give you information about the farm, I didn’t even know about the hunter.” He cried in fear.

“That wasn’t a hunter, I don’t know what but did you see what he did to Castor?”

“Hey, the guy was jolting me for information, why should I care about...”

“If he wanted to kill you, he would have done so in the first place, just like my other friend did when she worked on your leg.” Despite his fury, Oceanus was a realist and he knew that the real problem was not this lowly wreck of man, but something else entirely. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this, the information given said he was just a hunter, not a mage with this kind of potential.” He whispered to himself before returning his sights on Lycus. “Change of plans, I’m going back to Gourd and bringing reinforcements. Then we’ll burn the field and this whole farm to the ground.”

“Wait, you said you just wanted the field you never said anything about...” Before he finished he pressed his knife against his throat again.

“You got a warning, deadbeat.” He tossed him aside before heading to his horse. “When I get back here, I better not see you here.”

Thwack! A strong force of blunt object hits Oceanus across the temple, and with a kick to the knee he tumbled down to the grass in front of the feet of his attacker. He looked up and saw his ebony hair glistening in the moonlight like a wolf’s fur. A blunt dagger of fire gems held in his hand pointed at his face, like a fantastic club across the head.

“You, how...” before he could respond Oceanus felt a strong kick breaking across his jaw and drop of an elbow clobbering him in the stomach.

He was out cold again, but Lycus was petrified with fear not expecting that Anthony could be so stealthy and so powerful get the drop on both of them. His brown eyes were now focused on his next target, sharpened like daggers against a coward frozen with fear.

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“You would destroy your family's greatest treasure for self preservation?” Anthony got up to his feet and slowly walked toward the cowering adolescent.

“I, I needed the money, my gambling debts, I thought I could...”

“You thought you could use Emerald Leaf as collateral, then when you back into the corner you made a deal with the Boreas Group putting your family in imminent danger.” He gripped his weapon tightly imagining what Oceanus could have down to Ida in interrogation. “You probably justified it was better to sacrifice one field over your life, did you give any thought about the people who’d hurt, the lives you’d threaten, the consequences that could affect more than just your selfish acts?”

“Nobody was supposed to get hurt.” He begged. “It’s just a stupid leaf, a stupid leaf.”

“It’s not a leaf, it's your heritage...and I have no respect for anyone who does not honor their family's heritage.” He raised his high, ready to deliver his fury upon the defenseless man.

Lycus waited for the enviable impact of the crystallized rod, but instead heard the sound of a bag of coins jingling as they hit the grass. He looked to the coins and then to Anthony who was holding his fire gem knife by his side.

“Master Zoe believes that all life is precious, so I will respect her wishes and allow you to live tonight. There’s thirteen gold pieces in that pouch, more than you deserve. With that you could start a new life, take this horse and ride far away from here and maybe learn from your mistakes. I’ll tell you family you fled to save them from more fiends such as these men.”

“They’ll never believe that.” He laughed hysterically at the thought of his own character. “They’ve known me their whole lives, I would never...”

“I’ll tell them you undertook the rite of the crusade, a custom as old as recorded time, not to achieve some magic ability but to learn how to improve your own self worth. If you return in five years to a better man, your father might forgive you and might forget about all you’ve done or undone. If not, then consider yourself no longer a member of this family.”

“Why should I?” He no longer tried to stand up against a man with words. “It’s my home, why should I leave on some ridiculous pilgrimage?”

“Being concerned with self preservation I’m certain running is something you’re accustomed to.” He raised his dulled blade again reflecting its crystallized structure in the moonlight. “Or I could easily take my gold back and take up this man’s offer, you decided.”

The bag was only inches away, but seeing how quick he was to take on a crippled Water Mage, he did not want to press his luck this far. In the end he was correct, that when it came to running or fighting his first instinct to run was stronger. With minimal hesitation he grabbed the bag and jumped on the horse, riding away into the night. Anthony saw the fallen Oceanus slowly stirring but still fast asleep from being knocked out cold. He lifted Oceanus over his shoulders and carried him back to the barn and proceeded to secure his bonds once more. Anthony watched him all night, until he once again entered his resting state, until night turned into dawn.

As promised Anthony explained how Lycus took the horse and left the barn while Zoe and Clio secured the prisoner’s ready to transport back to Gourd. There were tears and there was sorrow, mostly from his mother who wept for the loss of her son. Ida the youngest child consoled her mother Thisbe while Anthony had the task of consoling her father Niles. He did not say much, simply staring out the fields lost in his thoughts on the house porch while Anthony stood beside him.

“I always thought his gambling problem was just a phase where he would grow out of it and always return home, but...” Niles rubbed his head as Anthony watched the anguish in his brow. “He always said he’d quit and his mother believed him, but I knew when those spiders in the parlors caught him in their web they would never let him go.”

“Maybe this recent turn of events caused him to examine his life choices.”

“He never respected our family customs, and he always dreamed of leaving this farm for great riches. Maybe he’ll find them when he returns from his pilgrimages.” He looked to Anthony and placed his hand ons his shoulder. “At least Thisbe will have some hope that he son will return a better man, maybe one half as good as yourself.”

“I’m no good man, I’m just a man trying to do good.”

“You did very well, Bios, you are friend of our family, hopefully someday we can repay you kindness in turn as we have with Ms. Gaia.”

Before he could answer, he heard a sound coming from far away. It was the sound of wheels moving swiftly down the dirty roads, the sound of rushing hooves pulling against the dirt, and the whipping reins against metal and fiber. It could only approach a wagon, but since Zoe and Clio had already pulled up their wagon to the barn to carry the injured.

“Get you Thisbe and Ida and head inside, right now.” Anthony said as he stepped off the house porch.

“What’s going on, Bios?”

“I need to inform Master Zoe, you’re going to have some company.”

At first he didn’t know what he meant, but a minute later he saw a glimpse of horses traveling in a cloud of dust upon the boundary of his farm. Not knowing who they were, he did as instructed, leading Thisbe and Ida into the house, while Anthony gathered the attention of Clio and Zoe. They had managed to carry the heavily bandaged Castor from the house, but placed him down near the barn door as Anthony explained who was arriving. They saw the wagon slowing down and stopping just outside the barn, and two strangers emerging from its carriage.