Gathered around a blazing campfire with a mug of hot chocolate wrapped in my hands, and with Fabe and Keenan both up and healthy, I felt more content than I had since the Loki face-planted in the forest.

I couldn't say the same about Marylea. The girl with the flaming red hair sat next to me, staring at the floating marshmallows in her cup. She hadn't spoken since she left the room.

"So, you're set on going to the Keeper, huh?" asked Jud.

"We need to," said Fabe. "Or Aragonia will perish."

"It won't, exactly," corrected Keenan. "It is only its inhabitants, objects, buildings that will cease to exist. The same land, replaced by a new people."

I shuddered. "We need to meet the Keeper as soon as possible."

"The way to the Keeper Core is treacherous," said Lerickel in a soft, sing-song voice. She swept a wavy lock of black hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear, which I realized were slightly pointy. "You may not all reach the Core alive."

Fabe groaned.

"If Jud approves, you guys could stay here," I said, straightening. "I'll go alone. That way we risk less."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Marylea said dryly.

"Oh we're coming," said Fabe, puffing out his chest.

Next to him, Keenan nodded as he fixed his steely gaze on me. His eyes were dark, deep, brooding. He had been almost as quiet as Marylea since he woke.

"Perhaps if you protect each other," said Lerickel, "You might all make it alive."

"Exactly what dangers will we face?" I asked. I held my breath, braced myself for the answer.

"Serpeople," said Lerickel. "I know - there're many evil creatures in the waters around here."

"Are the waters poisoned or something?" asked Fabe.

Lerickel shook her head. "We don't know. The waters have been unsafe for decades." She gave a small sigh. "Anyway, you may or may not meet Serpeople on the way to the Keeper Core. You'll have to take a boat down a river, and the Serpeople live in one of the caves you will pass. They'll try to lure you but you must resist. Stuff your ears with cotton, if you must."

"What do they do to people?" asked Marylea.

"We don't know. But we've lost many good men because of them."

"And gotten rid of a few bad ones," added Jud, a twinkle in his eye.

"What happened to them?" I asked.

"They never came back. Their boats washed up on shore, empty. No signs of struggle. Nothing."

"If everyone went missing, how'd you know of the Serpeople?" asked Keenan.

"There have been survivors," said Lerickel, shifting her gaze to her husband.

"Me," said Jud, his gruff voice loud in comparison to Lerickel's. "I survived."

I stared at him with newfound respect. "What was it like?"

Jud wet his lips. "While I was there, I was dreaming. They make you dream, see? They fulfill your wildest dreams, but thing is, you're dreaming. It's not real. Anyhow, I was dreaming of my wife, Lerickel, when I realized something was off. It wasn't her. It looked like her, smelt like her, felt like her... but it wasn't." He put his arm around her and gazed at her with a soft, loving expression. "So I woke up, and I escaped."

Lerickel put her hand on his and smiled at him.

"I don't understand," I said. "Why doesn't the Keeper deal with them?"

Lerickel's eyes were veiled with sadness. "She cannot."

"Why?"

"That I cannot say." She looked away. "But she would if she could."

"Do you speak with the Keeper?" asked Fabe.

"I used to." She gave us a sad smile. "But no longer, because of the Serpeople."

Marylea spoke in a tinny voice. "Were you... friends?"

Lerickel smiled again. "You could say that." She stood and gathered our empty cups. "It's our little secret. Now, let's get you ready for the trip, shall we?"

"I hope you don't get motion sickness," said Jud, as he led us down a tunnel to the start of our journey to the Keeper Core. "The small boat can be speedy, but it gets awfully rocky."

"I think that's the least of our worries," said Fabe weakly.

Jud gave Fabe a serious, almost sorry look.

"In all fairness," Jud said, "I'm sure Aragonia appreciates all that you're doing for them."

Fabe chortled. "Yeah, maybe Velamiere will give me a raise."

I grinned. I felt a surge of pride for my companions. We weren't doing this to be appreciated, no. We were doing this to save our home.

I told this to Jud, and he beamed. "You're right. If something were threatening the Tavern –" He looked into the depths of the tunnel, and the side of his lips twitched. "There's no knowing what I'd do."

We arrived at the end of the tunnel, which was the entrance to a larger one. This second, larger tunnel had a river running down it, and was lit by giant pearls embedded in the stone ceiling.

"Those pearls are everywhere," said Keenan, his scholarly mind kicking into full gear. "What are they?"

"Just pearls," said Jud, shrugging. "I have a feeling the water has something to do with their development."

Again with this magical water. I wondered if it really was the reason behind the mermaids and Serpeople. If so, where did the water get its magic from?

"There's your boat," said Jud, pointing at a wooden boat just large enough to fit the four of us, moored to a rickety jetty. "And here're some weapons to increase your chances of survival a little bit." He handed out axes and swords. Fabe chose an axe, and Keenan and Marylea each chose a sword. I patted my trusty sword, and Jud nodded.

He was trying to be casual to calm our nerves, I knew it. But it wasn't working. My heart pounded so hard it was all I could hear besides the ringing silence and the gentle swishing of the river water against the rocky shores.

"All right then." Jud wiped the beaded sweat that had formed on his forehead. "Safe travels. Send word when you're safe."

I noticed he'd said "when" instead of "if," and smiled at his kindness. "Thanks, Jud." I was not a hugger, so I held a hand out to shake his. "Take care of the Tavern."

"Oh come here," said Jud, and he pulled me into a bear hug. When my surprise wore off, I put my arms around his large, bulky form, draped with soft animal furs and leather.

After we'd said our goodbyes and stuffed cotton in our ears, we piled into the boat and pushed off. I turned back to wave at Jud. He grinned, the edges of his puffy beard inching upwards.

Lerickel hadn't come to send us off. I had a sinking feeling it was because she found it hard sending four young adults to their doom.

I tried to shake that thought out of my head, but it lingered as I stared ahead at the dark, glassy river water. Keenan and I rowed, stroking the water like a mother does her child. We didn't have to exert much force; the river had a current on its own that carried us along. Fabe and Marylea sat at the bow, staring into the unknown.

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For about thirty minutes we rowed in tandem, matching our strokes to each other's. The cotton balls in my ears muffled the rush of river water against the curve of the boat and the rocky walls. It was almost a peaceful journey, but I'd learnt not to relax under any circumstances. Often times, peace harbored something sinister.

Then I heard a voice.

"Ash. I'm here."

My ears perked up like a rabbit's. My heart stilled.

"I'm here."

I whipped to the left to face the direction of that sweet, sweet voice. There was a cave opening situated in the middle of the rock wall, and before it, a sandy bay spread out like a flat crescent moon. A soft, orange light flickered from inside the cave depths.

"Tem?" I called. "Are you in there?" I turned to Keenan. "Do you hear him?"

Keenan stared straight ahead, his eyes wide and blank. That wasn't an expression Keenan wore very often.

Frustration built up inside me like hot steam. I reached up and yanked the cotton balls out of my ears. They were muffling Tem's voice. "Tem?" I called. My voice echoed in the vast tunnel, bouncing off and everywhere.

"Ash, I'm here."

My spirits soared. "Guys, we need to turn that way," I said. "I hear Tem's voice. He's close!"

Still no response. My three companions stared straight ahead, their faces blank. Then Keenan shot to attention and started steering to the left. He looked anxious, like he'd seen a shark starboard. I noticed he'd pulled the cotton balls out of his ears, too. They rolled around on the floor of the boat like tumbleweeds.

I stared at him, confused, but didn't object. We were headed in the direction Tem's voice was coming from. And that was all that mattered.

I was so happy I could fly. Tem was back. He was back! I remembered the last time I saw him: his fingers, reduced to little nubs, his eyes wide, full of unspoken words. Then I remembered the last three words he'd said to me.

My stomach squirmed.

"I'm coming for you, Tem," I said, my voice carrying a frantic edge. "Wait for me. I'm coming."

***

Tem and I were in a meadow. The Aragonian castle loomed ahead, its red and orange flags waving in the wind. The air smelt of spring and cinnamon buns. It was Market Day; Aragonia bustled with activity. Happy Aragonians partook in the celebrations, feasting, playing games and enjoying the divine weather. Children ran along the rooftops, as they were always prone to do. Normally I would yell at them to get down, but today I felt strangely at peace.

I bit into a cinnamon bun, leaned into Tem's lean chest, and sighed.

How we got there I didn't know. I didn't care. Tem was here, Aragonia was safe, and the world was beautiful.

"I'm so glad you're back," I said softly.

Tem tipped my chin up slowly so I was facing him. His eyes were wide with confusion. "Was I gone?"

"You disappeared." I shuddered. "Aragonia started refreshing, and you disappeared." I reached out to touch his face. It was baby smooth and warm as the fresh bun I held in my other hand. "You're back. Everyone's safe. Life is perfect."

Tem squeezed me from behind. "I won't leave you, silly. Aragonia won't leave you."

I purred like a contented cat. Happy.

Then a flash of lightning erupted from the azure blue skies. A flock of birds erupted from a nearby tree, squawking in alarm.

I sat up with a jolt. "What was that?"

Tem's hold around my waist loosened. "Ash..."

I turned to look at him, and saw that the tips of his messy brown hair was flaking into gold dust. His face was pulled into a frown, his eyes red and puffy, as if he'd been crying.

"No!" I cried. I patted his hair down, trying to keep his hair intact. "Stop! Please don't." Hot tears swarmed my eyes. "I can't do this again!"

Tem's face was sad, helpless. "I won't leave you," he said softly. "I promise I won't." Then the sides of his face flaked into gold dust that rose into the air, where they were swept away by whistling storm winds. I grabbed at the gold dust, desperate to hold onto him, but they slipped through the gaps in my fingers. I sat back and watched in horror as Tem's face vaporized before me, the way he'd vaporized on his wedding day.

His lips moved as they pinched into gold dust. "I love you," he whispered.

Then he was gone.

I stood, feeling like I'd been stabbed and had my heart wrenched out of my chest. The blue sky had given way to rolling, dark clouds, from which flashed erratic bouts of lightning. The storm winds wrestled with the trees and wrenched at my Caval. Then the Aragonian flags were torn off their poles, one by one, as if plucked off by an invisible giant. The stone blocks of the castle crumbled to the scrambling, shrieking people below.

I buried my hands in my face and screamed.

I jolted upright, panting. The meadow was gone. My tailbone ached from sitting up so quickly on hard stone floor. My fingers brushed the damp, gritty surface of the floor I sat on. A quick scan of my surroundings told me I was sitting in a stone cell a little wider than my body height. I was alone.

I sat still, painfully aware of the emptiness in my chest. It was as if a swarm of rats had gnawed into my chest cavity and cleaned it out.

It was not real. Nothing about the meadow was real. Tem wasn't back. He never was. Soon everything I knew and loved would be wiped clean, empty and meaningless like a blank slate.

Somehow, losing Tem a second time was much more painful than the first. While the first time was excruciating, the second time was like a sledgehammer that'd knocked all the wind out of me. I clutched at my heart and lay on my side. Then I rolled myself into a ball like a lost baby mouse, and cried.

For the longest time I heard nothing but my sobs and hiccupping. When my body finally tired and the sobbing eased, I pulled myself up against the wall and bumped my head lightly against the blocks. While my skull throbbed in protest, my heart couldn't find room to care. Give me amnesia. Perhaps then I'd forget the pain.

Then my ears tuned towards a sound so happy I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I heard laughter, revelry, cheering.

Someone calling my name.

I stood up and missed the swish of my Caval on my legs. I looked down and saw that I was clothed in my underclothing of white cotton tunic and pants. My loyal Caval and sword were gone. Whoever had captured us must've seized them.

I walked to the door, realized it wasn't locked, and pushed it open. Which dungeon master didn't lock prison doors?

I stepped out of my cell and saw many more prison doors, each a thick slab of metal with a small window at the top that was barred. I was in a simple stone corridor lined with torches that provided meagre warmth in the chill environs of the dungeon. A cacophony of voices echoed in the empty stone corridor, all of them coming from various cells.

I followed a familiar voice. My dazed mind refused to recall a name, or a face; it only knew it was a familiar voice.

"Ash, you're too hard on yourself. You need only memorize one chapter."

The fog cleared, and suddenly I knew who it was. An ache crept into my empty heart. Keenan's voice was so soft, so full of love. He was dreaming of me. Of the love I could never return.

I heard a laugh, one I hadn't heard in a long time. A contented sigh. "Shall we go for a ride afterwards? I know of a trail down by the creek that has a spectacular patch of lavender. I know you love the scent."

I peeked into the room his voice was coming from. My face blushed with embarrassment from invading his privacy like that. Perhaps I should wake the others, let them wake him... No. He wouldn't want the others to see him like that.

Keenan sat up, his eyes closed, his arms hugging something invisible. He, too, had been stripped to only his gray cotton underclothes. He laughed again. Then he craned his face, puckered his lips.

"Stop!" I cried, then clasped my mouth with my hand. I hadn't meant to say it, hadn't meant to wake him that way.

Keenan stilled. His arms fell, and his eyelids flew open. He blinked once, twice, and looked around the bleak cell. Then he looked right at me.

His gaze burned my face. I looked away, feeling my cheeks burning so hot they could cook an egg.

"Oh," he said, his face sinking with disappointment. "It was all an illusion, wasn't it? No, wait. Never mind. Don't answer that."

I didn't know what to say anyway. I stood there, unspeaking, and he just stared at the ground. Then I mustered my voice and said, "C'mon, let's go get the others."

We found Marylea in the next cell in a sitting up position. Her red locks were matted but still relatively clean looking. She was bent over and laughing at something. I went up to her shook her awake before she revealed anything embarrassing.

When she opened her eyes, I saw the light in her eyes fizzle out and die.

"What just happened?" she asked. "Where am I?" Her gaze fixed on Keenan, whose face was ashen. "Was I dreaming?"

"Yes, Lea," I said. "The Serpeople put us in a trance."

Her eyes reddened almost instantly. Her face flushed, and she beyond me at Keenan, who stood still as a scarecrow. I could almost hear her shouting inside her mind. Ash, why did you wake me?

Because it wasn't real, Lea.

"Fabe's next," I muttered, and left the cell. Keenan followed closely behind me, as if Marylea's disappointment was too painful for him to bear. Marylea sat alone, silent, before she got up to join us.

I strained my ears for Fabe's voice. In the door across Marylea's cell, someone was moaning in a way that induced serious goosebumps. Then I heard the familiar chirpy voice coming from the next cell over.

"Yangzhou fried rice, comin' up. Oy, Velamiere, thaw some carrots and peas for me. Hurry, Dimitri's waiting."

"He's over there," I said, pointing.

We found Fabe standing up, grinning from ear to ear, his arms moving as if he was cooking with a giant wok. I swung his door open, placed a firm hand on his shoulder, and shook him awake.

Like the others, his face fell the moment his eyelids lifted. He blinked once, twice.

Then his smile burst right back on his face. "Oh my Stars, Ash. That was AWESOME. Best dream ever. Velamiere was my kitchen slave!" His grin widened. Then he caught sight of our grim faces, and his grin faded. "What?"

At least one of us enjoyed their dream.

"Nothing. Now that we're all awake, help me wake the others. There're more prisoners in here," I said.

"Not so fassssst," hissed a cold voice. I stepped out into the corridor and gasped. A snake with a human head stood a foot taller than me, its golden scales glinting in the torch light. Its emerald eyes flashed. It had a broad torso which narrowed down the waist into a swishing tail, and one of its two arms held a glowing trident. The creature wore a smart purple and gold guard uniform.

The serpent-like creature spread its thin, bronze lips and cried, "They're awake!" Its voice carried a snakelike, ethereal quality, like it was speaking through a fog.

Fabe squealed, spun on his heels and darted off in the opposite direction, only to smack into another Serperson.

The Serperson he'd bumped into bared its fangs, each one seemingly sharpened with ruthless precision. "Back off!" He brandished his trident and pointed it at Fabe.

Fear and dread raced through my veins. I should've known this prison-break was too easy.

The Serperson Fabe bumped into noticed my movement and cackled. Five more soldiers appeared around the corner to stand behind him, and I found out what had tickled his funny bone.

Five more appeared on the other end of the corridor, so there were twelve guards in total. We were grievously outnumbered.

I looked at my companions. All of them had bleak expressions on their faces.

"What do you want with us?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from quivering.

"Interesssting. Few have ever woken. Come with usss," the Serperson said. "King Gargaron will want to talk to you."

I heard more laughter coming from a distant cell. Someone was making faint, kissy noises.

"What are you doing with them?" I asked.

"Not your problem," hissed the Serperson. "Follow usss. Don't worry. We never ill-treat our guesssstsss." His bronze lips curved upwards, as if sharing an inside joke. "Hurry now. Oh will King Gargaron be excited."