Ex Tenebris Luxus

[Dread Advocate]

PROLOGUE
CHEWING ON STARS

SOMEWHERE IN EASTERN TURLOK, 2556 HOURS, 6/19/08 A.U.

The chill of the wind in the night didn't bother Demos. He preferred the cold. It reminded him of how he often felt: alone. But whatever he felt didn't matter. What did matter was that he actually was alone. Demos' only two friends in the world had vanished a week before.

Demos, at eighteen years of age, was of average height. His dark, shaggy hair often covered his chocolate eyes. He usually wore a grimace on his face. His complexion told that he spent barely enough time in the sun. Scars lined up and down his arms.

Demos stood up on a cliff observing the country of Turlok. The landscape was even more beautiful at night when lit up by Laesché's three moons Raash, Braem, and Neivk. To his right and in front of him, Demos could see the rest of Turlok and the mountains to the north. To his left was his home Soranthel, the nearest town Ynand... and the area where he last saw Galen and Thais.

The only sounds that echoed through the night were the songs and cries of nocturnal creatures. The clear sky was full of stars. Are they really what the scientists say they are, burning balls of gas billions of miles away? Or are they unseen, benevolent beings that watch over everyone and everything on Laesché?

If they really are kind things, why aren't they watching over me?

Solitude is often a place where one could chew on things. Demos chewed on the thoughts of the unknown, what happened to Galen and Thais, and why he left Soranthel.

Demos had been up the past week and needed rest, but he couldn't sleep. All he could do was go over the events of the past few weeks and wallow in self-pity. If there really were benign beings out beyond sight, and if they really were watching over Demos, they must have different plans for him. He succumbed to sleep and dreamed of something he hadn't dreamed about for what felt like an eternity.

 

[Dread Advocate]

INTERTWINING OF FATES

SORANTHEL, TURLOK, TIME UNKNOWN, 7/04/04 A.U.

The birds flying through the sky were beautiful. But they seemed... wrong. They would disappear behind a building and reappear from behind another building on the opposite side of the street. It could have been a rather large flock, but the birds all looked exactly the same. If they were real, shouldn't they have different markings?

A sharp pain his gut, brought his attention away from the birds. He fell to the ground, clutching his stomach, when a flash and a sickening crunch brought an odd warmth in his face, and intense pain. He coughed as he struggled for air, and ended up spitting out three teeth and warm, red fluid.

As he lay on the hard ground, gasping for air, drops of cold fell on his back. A crackle of thunder and, as if the heavens knew exactly how he felt, the sky cried for him. The muggers took off, complaining about their clothes getting wet, and left him moping on the ground in a small puddle of his own blood mixed with water from the sky.

* * *​

Thais always came prepared. The weather man said that it would be a bright, sunny day, and her mother scolded her for taking an umbrella in such beautiful weather, but she didn't care. She just had this feeling deep down somewhere that today would be a rainy day. And she was right.

Thais was a petit young woman with piercing blue eyes. Her elbow length hair was dark brown with light streaks of crimson. The bridge of her slightly pointed nose was dotted with very faint freckles.

Thais was halfway home from her walk when she stumbled over a... something in the middle of the street. She regained her balance and looked at where she tripped. It was a lump. A closer examination revealed it to actually be a body. The body appeared to be alive; its arms moved slowly and it shuddered every now and then.

Thais began to walk away. Whoever it was, it wasn't her problem. But that wasn't the right thing to do. She turned around and walked back toward the body.

"Are you okay?" Thais felt dumb when she asked. She knew the answer.

"Why do you care?" The body struggled to say.

Stunned, Thais thought of a reason as to why she actually cared. As she began to answer, the body looked up. It was a young man, about the same age as her. He was bloodied and ragged, as if he had fought a bear and lived to tell the tale... barely. He was covered head to toe in mud, making his dark hair seem darker. Fresh blood oozed from his broken nose and mouth, he was missing three teeth, his flesh was bruised, and his clothes were stained with blood.

"Because it's the right thing to do," She replied calmly. "What's your name?"

He didn't reply as Thais helped him up.

"Where do you live? I'll help you get home."

"Two blocks west."

"Then come on. We've got quite a walk in this pitiful weather," Thais said as she helped the boy limp through the rain. "What happened to you?"

"I was jumped."

"By whom?"

"By jocks at school," his voice filled with anger as he spoke. "Of all the people to belittle and treat like a beast that doesn't deserve to even be thought about, they target me."

"Did you ever do anything to them?"

"No," Tears welled in his reddened, bruised, chocolate eyes. "I didn't even look at them, and they began to attack me."

There was silence for the next few moments. The rain eventually came to a halt as the two approached a small neighborhood of a dozen houses.

"Which house is yours?"

"Number nine," He was shivering. He had to get home quickly. "You can let go now. I think I can make it."

"No. You can barely stand up because you lack the strength. We have to get you inside soon."

"Let go," He slipped out of her arms and began to take several wary steps forward. "See? I ca-" His eyes rolled up into the back of his head as his legs gave way. He collapsed and hit the ground with a thud. Thais ran over to Demos' crumpled form and put her head against his filthy chest. She could barely feel a heartbeat. He wasn't dead... yet.

She sprinted over to the third house on the right. After she calmed herself down, she knocked on the door. A few precious moments passed by before the door
opened and middle aged woman stood before Thais.

"I'm not buying any cookies." She said with a rather rude tone and slammed the door shut.

"Ma'am. It's your son." The door opened slowly and the woman glared down at Thais.

"What about Demos?"

"He's passed out in the middle of the road."

"What? Where?"

"At the gates."

The woman grabbed the keys to her keranium car and started it up. She drove over to where the boy lay, now shivering, as if he was seizing. Thais and the young man's mother heaved Demos into the back of the car and drove off to the nearest hospital, in Ynand.

"Here, put this jacket over him," Demos' mother grabbed a jacket from the passenger seat and handed it back. "What happened to him?"

"I was taking a walk and I found him covered in mud and blood," Thais explained. "He was barely able to crawl."

"How did he get covered in blood?"

"He said that he was attacked."

"By whom?"

"People from his school, wherever that is."

"That's the only high school in the town," The mother sounded suspicious. "There aren't many students there. Don't you go there?"

"No, ma'am. I'm home schooled."

"Demos always said that he was treated like garbage. His father and I never listened, we always told him that it was just a phase and that he'll be okay. I guess we were wrong."

Half and hour had passed when the car pulled into the emergency room drive way, and Thais went to get a doctor. The doctor, a small man, came rushing out with a gurney. Despite the man's stature, he lifted Demos up with hardly any effort and gently placed him on the gurney.

"How long has he been like this?"

"I don't know," Thais spoke up. "I found him like this on my way home."

Inside, the doctor pushed the gurney to a random, empty room and placed Demos on the bed. He grabbed a clipboard and began writing things down, muttering to himself. Thais picked up the phrases "fractured nose," "multiple contusions," "moderate concussion," and "missing teeth."

"Here," Demos' mother handed Thais a small strip of paper. "Call and ask for Galen Kokinos and tell him Demos' condition." She left the small room and went to go speak with the doctor.

Thais looked at the paper and read the numbers. Above the numbers was the Regia Hotel, a famous hotel in Rejyr, on the other side of Turlok. The Regia was notorious for being extremely pricy and annoyingly "uppity."

Thais grabbed the bedside phone and called the hotel, waited for what felt like hours, listening to annoying waiting music, and finally got a hold of Galen. She explained the whole situation to him, to which he replied that he would be there as soon as possible.

As Thais put the phone down, the doctor came in and began treatment. He ushered Thais out of the room, mentioning that Demos will need immediate treatment. Thais found her way to the waiting room and sat down next to Demos' mother.

After a long silence, the older woman finally spoke up. "What you did today was a very kind thing. You know, young lady, not many people would do what you did. The war may be over, but people are still untrusting of each other."

At the mention of the Chain Wars, Thais flinched, as if it were a touchy subject.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine," Thais tried to hold back the tears, but couldn't, and she began crying a river of saline. "It's just, my two older brothers..."

"I'm terribly sorry," Demos' moter reached over and hugged Thais. "I didn't realize that..."

"No, no. It's okay. " Thais breathed as she regained her composure.

* * *​

Thais awoke the next morning in a chair in Demos' room. Demos was asleep connected to various machines that monitored his status. His mother sat next to him, holding his hand like a mother does when her children need comforting. Demos' face was bandaged up and the bruises up and down his arms had lessened. Some scabs and scars still covered what skin that was exposed.

An hour or so later, a young man walked in. His short black hair was unkempt, and his face showed that he had just flown halfway across the world. His emerald green eyes were bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept in days. Various scars across his arms said that he'd been in too many fights.

"Hey, Mrs. Colonomos." He said, sounding exhausted.

"Hello, Galen," Mrs. Colonomos said with a sigh of relief. "He just got out of the OR, so he'll be out for a few more minutes. But the doctors say that he's going to be fine."

"You must be Demos' rescuer," Galen turned toward Thais and held out his hand in a friendly gesture. "Thanks for saving my friend's life."

"I am." Thais took his hand and shook it.

Mrs. Colonomos left the room to go to the cafeteria several minutes after Galen's arrival. When she left, gurgling sounds come from Demos as he struggled to get up. With Galen's help, he managed to sit himself upright.

"Hey, buddy," Galen grabbed Demos' hand in a brotherly manner. "How're you feeling?"

"I never thought I'd wake up to your ugly face in my life," Demos managed a smile that revealed the doctors had regrown his teeth. Modern medicine was a marvelous thing. "How was Rejyr?"

"Hot and sandy, like it is every year," Galen chuckled. "So I presume Obelix is getting bolder?"

"Yeah. And he has new buddies in his gang," Demos looked behind Galen. "Thank you for stopping for me.

"I just happened to be in the right place at the right time." Thais said with a smile.

"When I get better, I promise I'll give you a proper thank you. I don't believe I got your name."

"You don't have to do that," Thais said, feeling hot as she blushed. "But my name is Thais Xylander."

"Thank you again, Thais. Listen, why don't we hang out more often, the three of us?"

"I think I can do that." Thais smiled and walked over to Demos' bed to sit next to him and Galen.

 

[Dread Advocate]

ANASTASIUS

COLONOMOS RESIDENCE BASEMENT, SORANTHEL, TURLOK, 1246 HOURS 5/07/07 A.U.

"Read it again, Thais." Galen said.

"On Septdies, Flornse 7th at 1330 hours, during the seventh year After the Unification of Mankind, all students at Soranthel Comprehensive High School are to attend an assembly in the auditorium. The assembly will be mandatory. Any student who refuses to attend will be punished severely. Students are required to bring a notebook and a writing utensil for notes."

"What do you think this assembly's about?" Demos wondered aloud.

"I don't know, the birds and the bees?"

"Nah. They gave us that speech a long time ago," He chuckled. "Perhaps it's a long, boring speech about the future, and how our generation is the most important part of it, like they've given us each and every year."

"But what would explain why the assembly is on a Saturday?"

"I have no idea." Galen and Demos continued to argue for several minutes.

"Boys, let's start getting ready," Thais said with a tone of authority. "The assembly starts in twenty six minutes."

"Yes, mother." Galen snapped. Thais glared at him, forcing him to look down in fear.

The three left Demos' house, made quick stops at Galen's and Thais' house, and left for Soranthel High. They talked about various subjects along the way, laughing as they went. When they were less than a mile to the school, they encountered Obelix, also called the Oppressor, packing up boxes outside of his house.

Obelix was a massive, muscular, sports fanatic. His hair was styled as a buzz cut. His heavy brow nearly concealed his beady eyes. He had a slight under bite, and a square jaw. His face was dotted with acne and razor cuts. His right ear was larger than his left, albeit barely noticeable.

"Hey, Colonomos," Obelix pointed at Demos. "Thanks."

"For what?" Demos said before a massive fist flew and hit him in the gut.

"For ruining my friggin' life! Because of you, you little turd, I have to move to the other side of the friggin' country!"

Demos felt a surge of anger swell up in him. His face turned red with rage, and he balled his hands into fists, knuckles turning white. Thais put her hand on his arm, ready to hold him back.

"Sure," Galen said. "He ruined your life, after you thought it'd be the best idea in the world to mug him. Now, I don't know how well your gray matter works, seeing as you're the star player on the school's crash ball team, but it sounds to me like you ruined your own life."

"He didn't have to friggin' squeal!"

"Oh get over it. Be glad he finally stood up for himself."

"He friggin' sued me and placed a friggin' restraining order on me!"

"And you friggin' assaulted him. How about we settle this peacefully? We can begin by buying you a tighter shirt."

"How about we settle this now, like men? And we can begin by me shoving my foot up your *** sideways and then make the little turd lick it clean."

"Really? What size shoe do you wear?"

"GALEN!" Thais shouted and slapped Galen across the face.

"You ought to put these dogs on a leash." Obelix said. Thais marched over to him and kicked him in the groin.

"Shut up!" Thais shouted. "Hurry up and pack your bags before you get hurt anymore."

"I'll get you, all of you," Obelix struggled to get up and then ran into his house. "You just won't friggin' know when."

Thais turned around and walked towards Galen and Demos. She grabbed them by their ears and drug them onwards. Their cries of pain eventually became pleas of release. When they had reached the school, she let go of them.

"Demos, you need to learn to shrug things off. You know that he's just upset because you finally took action against him," Thais said in a kind tone with a face of equal kindness. When she turned toward Galen, her face became a mask of disappointment, her azure eyes glaring into his emerald eyes with a raging fire. She put her finger in Galen's face and said with a voice likened to a furious mother. "And you? You need to control that mouth of yours. You could have started a big fight, which could have led to more legal problems for Demos' parents, your parents, and Obelix's aunt. The next time you decide you respond with a smart mouth response, think, first, about the consequences. And also, the next time you look into the mirror, look at those scars and think about how many of those scars were results from your mouth. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Now get inside and find us a seat."

* * *​

The auditorium of Soranthel High School was a very basic chamber. It was filled with approximately one thousand seats due to the town's low population. The stage had gone through multiple renovations over the decades. A recent addition after the end of the Chain Wars was a chandelier of crystal that took on the appearance of glittering stars as soon as the stage lights dimmed and the chandelier itself was raised up into the ceiling.

Up on the stage stood the school's principal, Coalan Tristram, trying to quiet the room full of teenagers. Sweat beaded on his bald head from the stage lights. His portly body looked like it could barely stand. The room finally settled down when he pulled out an air horn and held the button until the horn died.

"Now that I have your attentions," He said as he wiped the sweat off of his brow with a handkerchief. "I know you're all wondering why we held this assembly today. We have two special guests today. If one of them will kindly come out, he'll pick up from here..."

A tall man walked onto the stage from backstage. The man was middle aged, with a thick, bushy moustache. His hair was thinning, wiry and unkempt. A pair of horn-rimmed bifocals rested on the end of his button nose. His gait spoke of a man who had been mistreated during childhood or just had back problems, but his posture demanded utmost respect.

"Good afternoon," He spoke with a slightly nasally voice. "How many of you know who I am?" Nobody in the auditorium raised a hand. "I thought so. I am Doctor Salamo Hoffman. Who wants to take an educated guess as to what my profession is?"

"You check peoples' temperatures?" A freshman in the front row shouted, to which everyone in the auditorium laughed.

"No," Hoffman chuckled. "Thank you for trying, though. Anyone else? No? I am the head researcher of the creatures that appeared during the war, the creatures that the Church insists on calling Saiken," The mass of bodies shifted, listening more intently. "Ah, I knew that would grab your attentions.

"Now, who here would like to take a guess at the origin of these creatures, these Saiken?" Nobody spoke up. Many of the students gave Hoffman blank stares. "No guesses? Oh well, we scientists don't know either. They could be anything from aliens, to weapons of war created by the Peoples' Republic of Cantolix, to mutated moles. All that we do know is that they come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes; all Saiken are one of a kind."

He walked over to a table set up in the center of the stage. Upon the table lay a projector of an old design, dating around the middle of the war. Hoffman pulled a remote out of his hand and clicked a button. A beam of light projected a screen filled with various texts and figures.

"In the middle of the Chain Wars, approximately forty-seven years Before the Unification, the creatures just appeared. I know that isn't an educated or logical explanation for the origin of these creatures, but that's just what happened. One possible-"

Two loud cracks, like a clap of thunder in Demos' ear, went off, followed by a scream of pain. Everyone in the auditorium looked to the back to see a security guard stumble in. He was holding his right arm and hopping on his left foot. His entire right side was covered in blood. A hooded figure stalked behind him. The figure raised its arm and swiftly brought its hand down upon the guard's neck. A quiet crack put the guard down on the ground.

The figure walked out into the light and raised its right arm. The long sleeve of its hooded jacket came down to reveal a rail pistol. Another loud crack and a blue flash from the barrel of the pistol sent the auditorium into a screaming panic. Hoffman ducked behind curtains of the stage while Mr. Tristram pulled a small door at the base of the stage out and crawled his wide frame beneath the stage.

Demos saw a door next to the stage, tapped on Thais' and Galen's shoulders and told them to make for the door. Demos craned his neck above the seats and saw the figure observing the room carefully, as if it were looking for something... or someone. Demos urged Galen and Thais to get ready to head toward the door. He sprinted for the door, and Galen and Thais followed closely. He opened the door and let them go in first. He took one last glance at the figure. He could have swore that it looked directly at him.

The three ran for their lives. They tried to open each door that they came across, but each one was locked. They reached the southern end of the school and finally opened a set of double doors. They hurried inside the doors, which led to the gymnasium. They ran to the eastern end of the gym and hid under the bleachers.

Thais tried to contain her fear, struggling so hard to not scream and cry. Demos and Galen had never seen her cry. She grabbed them by their shirts and pulled them in. She began to tremble and the three huddled closely, embracing each other, knowing that they could die today at the hands of cold-hearted murderer.

The sound of doors creaking open echoed throughout the gym. Footsteps vibrated through the floor. A moment of silence, then a gunshot pierced the silence. A masculine voice shouted, slightly distorted, as if it was trying to hide its identity.

"WHERE ARE THEY, OLD MAN?" Old man? Demos didn't see anybody as they rushed into the gym.

"Who, young man?" A gentle voice said calmly.

"JUST TELL ME WHERE THEY'RE HIDING!"

"Ah. They're in here," A pang of terror surged through Demos' heart. How could this old man just simply give away where he was hiding with Thais and Galen? "But I won't let you harm them."

"THEN YOU CAN DIE WITH THEM!" A gunshot boomed through the air. "WHAT THE-"

A clang of metal echoed through the gym. Demos looked through a crack in the bleachers to see the old man standing in the center of the gym, what he assumed to be a bullet lay at the man's feet, still steaming from being fired. More shots went off, and all the bullets met the same fate as the first one at the man's feet.

The gunman continued to fire until the magazine went dry. He then threw down the pistol and drew out a knife, its blade jagged and razor. It hurt Demos' eyes just to look at how sharp it was.

The gunman screamed and charged at the old man. He was mere feet from the old man when the man dropped his staff, and with a graceful twist, pushed both of his hands forward. An invisible force sent the gunman flying through the air, crashing into the gym's concrete wall, and the floor splintered in a path from the man's hands to the wall.

"IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?" The gunman rose, stumbled for a moment, and searched for the knife. He found the knife at the foot of the bleachers under which Demos, Thais and Galen were hiding. He sprinted for the knife. The old man flicked his right wrist and the gunman dropped.

The gunman's hood came off, revealing Obelix's face. Blood slowly oozed out of his nose. A goose egg began to form on his forehead, where he collided with the wall.

"You may come out now, " The old man was looking directly at where the three were hiding, his wrinkled face a kind expression of assurance. Galen came out first and walked over to Obelix's body, muttering a string of curses as he inspected the body. "He's not dead. I simply rendered him unconscious."

"Who are you, sir?" Demos walked out cautiously. The first thing he noticed about the man was a large scar across his chest, most of it hidden behind a blue sash. and another scar, smaller albeit still large, across his face. He had no hair on his head other than silver sideburns that stopped halfway down his face and a waist length goatee. Other than fine silk pants and the blue sash, he wore nothing.

"I am just a foolish old man."

"Foolish? You just saved our lives."

"So I did," The man walked over to where his staff was and picked it up. Despite how old he appeared, he was surprisingly fit. "My name is Anastasius. And you are?"

"I'm Demos, sir. He's Galen..." Demos pointed over Galen, still inspecting Obelix's body. Thais walked over to Demos and the man called Anastasius.

"And I'm Thais." She said, her voice shaky with adrenaline and fear. Galen finally walked over to the center of the gym. Galen opened his mouth to speak, but a quick glare from Anastasius shut his mouth.

The group of four was quiet for several moments. Anastasius had his eyes closed and moved his lips silently, as if he were quietly chanting to himself. He eventually opened his eyes, inhaled and smiled.

"I must leave now. I hope to see you three some other day." He turned and walked out of the gym.

As he opened the doors, Mr. Tristram, knees shaking and body covered in sweat, and several police and medics rushed in. Hoffman was with the group, speaking to Anastasius. The medics checked on Obelix, woke him up, and then let the police put him in handcuffs and take him away. The shouts of curses and threats echoed throughout the school. Hoffman walked in, and approached Demos, Thais and Galen. He observed them carefully, scratching his chin.

"Anastasius tells me you three are the cause of the events of today," His voice was stern, a voice that could make any man cower at his feet. "Did he say anything to you?"

"He said that he hoped to see us again some other day." Galen spoke up.

"When do you three graduate?"

"Next year. Why?"

"Because the day after you graduate, I would like to speak with you three," Hoffman pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. He scribbled something on it, then handed it to Thais. "You look like the responsible one. I'll see you then." He walked off and spoke with Mr. Tristram. Demos and Galen looked at the paper with Thais. Hoffman had written:

Soranthel High School auditorium @ noon, 5/31/8 A.U.

in a very sloppy handwriting.

They walked out of the school in silence. The sun had begun to set. When they were outside, they avoided interviewers and cameras. Whenever one did approach, Galen or Demos would shove them aside.

The news crews had finally backed off when they had approached Demos' house. Shouts of thankfulness from parents and tears of joy were the last things Demos could remember of that night.

 

[Dread Advocate]

SINE NOMINE

SORANTHEL HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM, TURLOK, 1115 HOURS, 5/31/08 A.U.

Today was the first day Demos had been in the auditorium since Obelix attempted to take his life along with Thais and Galen. He may have gotten out alive, but the guard had bled out before the medics could get to him. Since then, the auditorium has become more of a hall of lamentations than a room where people would enjoy plays put on by dedicated students.

The auditorium wasn't the only thing that haunted Demos; the people became more suspicious of him. Everywhere he went, he received stares, or would watch as people cower in fear of him and flee. He often wondered why people feared him now. He never did anything to make people afraid of him. People used to actually pay attention to Demos, but in a way that no human would want. Now, people try to avoid him completely. Demos often thought that he was going insane because of this.

Demos and Galen had been sitting in the auditorium for nearly half an hour in total silence when Thais walked in. Even though Demos was Obelix's intended target, all three of them bore the guilt of the guard's murder on their shoulders. Alone, they couldn't handle the feeling, in pairs, they could barely hold on. But when all three of them were together, they would catch each other before they would fall.

Noon came and passed with no sign of Hoffman. Galen had offered to go to a local restaurant to purchase whatever was within the budget when Hoffman finally entered. He appeared stressed out, with bags under his bloodshot eyes and his already thin hair thinner that it was a year ago. He placed his bag on a table at the base of the stage and pulled out an assortment of objects.

"I'm terribly sorry I'm late. I thought you three might like lunch, so I stopped at a deli and bought sandwiches," He whipped out a dozen sandwiches, each one labeled on a sticker what was on the buns, from everything to just ham and cheese. "After we've eaten, we'll get down to business."

They each grabbed a sandwich with greedy hands. Galen devoured his as fast as possible, nearly choked, and lunged for another. Demos ate quietly and slowly. Hoffman started off a conversation about the past year, how the government threatened to stop funding for the Saiken Research Department unless the scientists working under it could produce results on the origin of the creatures in a short amount of time. He then moved on to a rant about how the country's economy would be the death of him, which evolved into another rant about the corruption in the government. Before Hoffman could continue into another rant, Demos, Galen and Thais finished their sandwiches.

"You've had a year to ponder, and now you receive answers," Hoffman said as he put most of the objects back into his bag. "As I recall, Anastasius is the gentleman that saved your lives, correct?"

"Yes, sir." Galen said, his mouth sounded dry from the four sandwiches he consumed.

"Do any of you know who Anastasius is?" Demos gave Hoffman a blank stare, while Galen was more focused on drinking water as soon as possible. Thais looked as if she tried to remember what Anastasius even looked like. "He is one of the three Grand Masters of the Church. He told me that you three are to meet with him in the Cathedral of the Saiken, located in Rimthwei."

Galen actually began to choke at the mention of Rimthwei. Rimthwei was known across Laesché as Hate Central. Uncontrollable gang wars, poverty, and drug abuse plagued the city like a flea-infested dog. The thought of the Cathedral being located in such a mad and depressing location was almost unbearable.

"Of all the places in the world to build a place of obvious importance, why Rimthwei?" Demos asked.

"I didn't decide where to put the only Cathedral -"

"Wait, that's the only Cathedral?"

"Yes. The world governments may have listened to the Grand Masters that the Saiken were essential to world peace, but they never agreed to fund the Church. So the past eight years, the Church has been gathering followers and slowly constructing the Cathedral in Rimthwei."

"How do they keep safe from all the violence?"

"How should I know? I am an atheist. I don't pay attention to anything there. The Grand Masters are merely contacts, to me. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to stay on topic," Hoffman said sternly. "Where was I? Ah yes. Anastasius has summoned you three to the Cathedral. But he said that you three may come only on two conditions. The first condition is that none of you take a vehicle."

"What?! Why?" Galen shouted.

"He gave no reason. But he did state that refusal to comply will result in him not meeting with you," Hoffman said calmly. "The other condition is that you accept these gifts."

A brief moment of silence passed as Hoffman pulled out three small objects, each one heptagonal in shape. The objects possessed what appeared seven buttons, six on the sides and one large one in the center. Closer examination of the six outer buttons revealed them to be mere decoration. The center burned with a soft glow, each one a different color; red, blue, or green. On the side that bore no button or decor was one small hole. It was square-shaped and appeared to travel deep into the inner workings of devices. On the underside was an adjustable strap, as if it were made to be worn on the wrist.

"What are those?" Thais inquired.

"These are devices that the Grand Masters gave me to give to you. They call them Braces."

"What do they do?"

"Watch," He pressed the glowing, center button on each Brace and stood back. A soft humming sound emanated from the Braces as a blinding light lit up the auditorium. Three figures, each one from a single Brace, began to form. Demos opened his eyes as the light faded. "The Braces are designed to store the Saiken creatures. A single creature resides in a single Brace. And the Church requires that you 'bond' with one and one only. Any more is apparently impossible."

"What do you mean?" Demos asked.

"I know nothing of the Church's practices," Hoffman snapped. "Now, back on subject..."

Hoffman pointed to the three small creatures, each one slightly under two feet tall. The shortest one was a toad-like monster that bore three horns upon its forehead. Its leathery skin was grass green in color. Small tusks protruded from its lower jaw. A pod-like growth pulsated on its back. The middle creature was a small, otter-like mammal. Soft, chocolate colored fur covered every part of its body except its belly, which was snow white with a light blue stripe across the midsection. Its paws were webbed with very small claws, barely sharp enough to penetrate skin. The tallest creature was an anole-like lizard. Its scales were orange-red, speckled with black spots. Its neck-crest flared to show a magnificent array of shades of red. Above its black eyes were flames that glowed softly, yet burned furiously.

"These three particular Saiken do not have names, scientific or common. They are what the Grand Masters call 'sine nomine.' They say it means 'nameless.' You have the honor of not only naming them, but keeping the one that you name. But I do ask that when you name it, don't make it too outrageous."

Galen stepped over to the creatures and examined them closely. After several moments of contemplation he pointed at the fiery lizard. It stepped forward and watched him with calm eyes.

"Lavole. That's what it is." He said.

"Odd. But not outrageous." Hoffman said as he scribbled something on a clipboard.

Thais took one step forward when the green toad-thing marched over to her and sat down. It stared deep into her eyes, as if it was analyzing her soul, and began to rub its head on her leg.

"It- it's Slirnic." She said slowly.

"I said not outrageous..." Hoffman grumbled and scribbled again. "That leaves you with the last one, Demos. Go ahead and name it."

Demos walked towards the otter and crouched. It walked toward him and held out its hands, as if it were asking something. Demos picked it up and shuddered at the softness of its fur; an indescribable sensation at his fingertips. It sniffed his face curiously before playfully licking his cheek.

"Lustream," Demos said as he wiped drool off his face. "You're Lustream."

"Again, odd," Hoffman scribbled one last thing on the clipboard, and looked up. "I'll be sure that this information gets to my colleagues and the Grand Masters. Here are the." Hoffman handed the trio each one of the heptagons.

"Why does this feel cliché?" Galen sneered.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hoffman snapped. "You have your orders. It's a long journey to Rimthwei. Now off you go, while we're still young."

Galen left as soon as Hoffman finished speaking. Demos and Thais stayed behind to give thanks and say goodbye to Hoffman, much to the man's dismay.

Galen was outside waiting. Even though he was carefully examining every aspect of Lavole, he tapped his foot impatiently. The burning lizard eyed him, licking the air. When Demos and Thais had approached, it turned its attention towards them, showing no signs of fear.

"We make for Rimthwei tomorrow." Galen said, looking up.

"When did you become President?" Demos asked.

"Collect only what you need to survive." Galen ignored Demos. "Money, food, clothes..." He trailed off.

"We're not leaving tomorrow," Thais stepped in. "In three days, we'll leave. By then, we'll have prepared enough."

A long moment of silence filled the air. The Saiken were halfway asleep. The silence was finally broken by a reluctant sigh from Galen.

"Fine. I still feel like this is rather cliché."

 

[Dread Advocate]

WHISPERS OF A SHADOW

COLONOMOS RESIDENCE KITCHEN, SORANTHEL, TURLOK, 1332 HOURS, 6/3/08 A.U.

Demos had nearly finished packing for the journey from Soranthel to Rimthwei. Galen suspected it was a good four weeks walk. Demos eventually pulled out his life savings and reluctantly added his two hundred ninety-eight credits to his wallet.

The night of the meeting with Hoffman, Demos walked into his house and sat down in his chair in the basement. The Saiken creature he was partnered with quickly jumped in his lap and fell asleep. Mrs. Colonomos eventually walked into the basement, and shrieked at the sight of Lustream. She calmed down after an hour or so. When Demos told her what Hoffman had said, she immediately rejected the thought. It took her husband's words of wisdom and a day and a half of thought to change her mind.

Demos was waiting for Thais or Galen to call for the time to leave. Nothing was on the television except for soap operas. One particularly new soap opera had just begun its world premier when it was interrupted by a special news report.

"This is a Turlok News Network Breaking News Report," The announcer said. "Now, here's your host: Angela Kolbe."

"Good afternoon, I'm Angela Kolbe," The middle aged news reporter said. "We received word an hour ago that the Turlok Correctional Facility and Psychiatric Institution was attacked. We sent a crew to the isolated facility for confirmation. The citizen who reported the news, who wishes to remain anonymous, is apparently a security guard who checked in for his shift. Beware, as the images you are about to see may be disturbing."

The screen faded to reveal the exterior of a morose building with towers at each corner, and twenty-foot high walls covered in barbed wire. A quick change of pictures revealed a hallway that was practically empty, except for the occasional body lying flat, the faces censored, and all cell doors open.

"The Turlok Correctional Facility and Psychiatric Institution, home to over five hundred inmates and patients, once stood as a monument for the justice system of Turlok. It has now become the site of a horrific crime. All guards within the facility were found dead, the blood drained from their bodies, and a strange insignia carved into their foreheads."

The screen flashed to a photo of an anonymous guard's waxy forehead. True to what Kolbe had said, a strange mark was carved into his flesh. It was very spider-like in appearance; what looked like legs surrounded the edges. At the top, separate from the rest of the symbol, was what appeared to be a heart, split into four parts, three of which bore a slight resemblance to the number six. The center of the mark featured what appeared to be a jagged X above an upside down W with a dot in the center. Mentally, the mark screamed of power that could strike fear into the heart of the brave, and hypnotize the mind of metal.

"Also, all security footage has disappeared, along with every inmate and patient," The screen began to show mug shots of various inmates. One of the inmates shown bore a striking similarity to Obelix, albeit grizzled and ragged. "We'll bring you more information as it comes. All updates will be displayed on the bar at the bottom of the screen, and on our netsite: tnn.com."

"We now return to our regularly scheduled programming." The announcer closed up the special report, and the television returned to new soap opera, which was just concluding its first episode.

A knock at the door brought Demos' attention away from the television screen he had turned off after the soap opera had ended. Demos rose from the chair and began to open the door. As soon as he put his hand on the doorknob and twisted it, it flung open, knocking him onto his back. He looked up to see Thais and Galen glaring at him with impatient looks. Behind them hovered a Mule-class "dumb" bot, a robot-like machine with a single purpose: to carry baggage. Thais must have received it from her uncle, a traveling man who retired several years ago.

"It's 1400 hours," Thais said quickly. "We were supposed to leave at noon, but somebody," She turned to face Galen and raised her voice. "Didn't wake up until an hour ago."

"Are you ready?" Galen yawned.

"Yeah, let me go get my stuff. I'll be back in a few minutes." Demos said and took off to his room. He quickly grabbed his bag and his wallet, and beckoned Lustream to follow. He closed his bedroom door and turned around, to be greeted by both of his parents. A few moments of silence passed before both adults lunged forward and embraced their son.

"We're going to miss you so much, Demos," Mrs. Colonomos began to sob. "I wish we could be there with you, every step of the way. Just yesterday you were my little boy who always came to me when you needed something. Now, you're a handsome young man who can make his own choices. And you have friends who will be there for you."

"We're proud of you, son," Mr. Colonomos said as the family began to end the hug. "Never forget that. Take care," He held out his hand and shook Demos'. Demos noted how his father's hand was trembling. "Now, go. You're friends are waiting, and so are the Grand Masters."

After a few more moments of farewells, Demos walked out the door and loaded his bag onto the bot. Before the three could exit the neighborhood, Mrs. Colonomos stopped them one last time and gave each of them a paper bag, filled to the brim with various foods. With the final farewells long gone, Demos, Thais, and Galen approached the open road out of Soranthel and began their journey to the Temple of Saiken.

* * *​

The sun had set an hour before the group had stopped for the night. A small fire was blazing in the makeshift fire pit, while the Saiken were sleeping several feet away from the fire. An hour of silence was eventually penetrated by the first cries of nocturnal creatures.

"Did either of you hear about the prison break?" Demos finally spoke up.

"No," Thais said. "Which prison?"

"Turlok Correctional Facility and Psychiatric Institution."

"I thought that place was impossible to escape from."

"So did I."

"Do you know any more details?"

"All prisoners and patients are missing. All personnel, too," Demos lied. He shouldn't worry them about the true fate of the guards. "I think this has to do with Cantolix."

Galen was silent for a few moments, until he drew his gaze from the fire. "Huh? Oh," Galen recollected his thoughts. "I don't know. Wasn't that the prison where the Oppressor was placed in?"

"Yes, it was," Thais gasped. "That can't be good."

"How is that not good?" Demos asked. "I know it's bad he's on the loose, but TCFPI is on the other end of the country, and he doesn't know that we've left Soranthel."

"Demos, no matter what, he's going to try to find and kill you. And he'll start by taking those you're closest to. Didn't you ever read comics?"

"No." Demos never really cared for comics. There were one or two that he had glanced, but he didn't get into them.

"When the villain is unable to bring the hero out, he uses the hero's only true weakness: family and friends. It's cliché, but it's also logic."

Mom, Dad Demos thought. He was too shocked to think about what would happen to them if Obelix did get back to Soranthel. What kind of person would do such unspeakable acts? Then he remembered what happened to the guards at the asylum. Monsters still did exist, even though the Chain Wars ended eight years ago. "I have to go back home and warn my parents."

"No," Galen said. "You can't. If you go, we'll lose a whole day's worth of walking, and the more time we spend out here, the more impatient the Grand Masters grow."

"Then don't come with me. Keep going on, and wait for me in Ynand."

"One more comic-life connection: this is what Obelix would want you to do. He'll do either one of two things: attempt to kill you when you arrive at your parents', or he'll ta-"

"That's enough!" Thais shouted, ending the songs of the nocturnal animals for several seconds. "Seeing as we can't come to an agreement, let's do something I really don't wanna do." She looked at the Mule-bot.

"You're insane!" Galen smiled. "Let's do it."

After unloading their bags and other paraphernalia off of the bot, Thais began to reprogram it. All the while, Demos scribbled down the situation on a sheet of paper. When both of them were done, Demos placed the note in the Mule-bot's cargo box. The bot began to float towards Soranthel.

"There's only one flaw in this plan." Galen said.

"Way to rain on our parade," Thais said. "But, yes. I am aware of the fact that we won't get it back."

"Because?" Demos was tech savvy, but not very knowledgeable in robotics.

"Because it can be programmed to go somewhere, or follow someone. It can follow anyone, so long as the person it's following is in view."

"Why don't we send one of the Saiken with it?"

"Because they're not tall enough for it to see."

With a sigh, Demos went over to his belongings and laid down. The moons had yet to come out, but he still enjoyed watching the stars. Taking a deep breath, Demos forgot about the news of the prison break, and waited for a shooting star. He never found one that night.

 

[Dread Advocate]

SPELUNKING

LAKE KALLISTEI, 48 MILES NORTH OF SORANTHEL, TURLOK, 1211 HOURS 6/7/08 A.U.

The few days since departing from Soranthel, despite how progressive they had been, were torturous. While not as rugged as most mountains, the foothills of the Aei Mountains, which spanned most of eastern Turlok, were still rough on many who traversed them on foot.

Galen felt that the trio had made good progress on the trek to Rimthwei, and so decided a day off at Lake Kallistei was needed. The fairly large lake was a favored camping spot by many across Turlok before the Chain Wars. A great battle had taken place on the northeastern shore of the lake early in the war, with the Turlok Army standing victorious. Before the battle, the waters were crystal clear, but it has since been a massive, muddy puddle. The Turlok government had attempted to restore the lake to its former glory some time after the battle, giving up after a mere three years of purification. While the lake was clearer than it had been in many ages, it was still dark and stagnant.

Galen stood on the shore skipping rocks, Thais sat under a fir tree, drawing the scenery in her sketchbook, the Saiken napped in the sun, and Demos sat on a boulder, worrying about his parents. He still couldn't grasp why anyone would even think about taking another human's life.

"Your parents will be fine," A calming, masculine voice in Demos' head said. "The Composer is with them. No harm shall come to them. The Composer has made it so."

Demos looked around for the source of the voice. He found only his friends and two of the Saiken eating lunch under the fir Thais sat under. He looked down at his side and found Lustream staring at him. It soon broke eye contact and began rubbing its head against Demos' arm, its soft fur calming his nerves.

Demos cradled Lustream in his arms as he walked over to the fir. Galen and Thais offered him lunch. They sat there under the tree the rest of the day. Demos never mentioned the voice to his friends.

* * *​

Galen woke at the crack of dawn and began packing to continue the journey. Demos and Thais joined him soon after. They ate breakfast, were fully packed, and ready to depart within the hour.

The three waded across the frigid waters of the Kallistei River, and shivered to the northwestern shore of the lake before turning west into the thickets. Several hundred feet into the woods, shouting could be heard. Fifty yards further revealed the shouting to be a group of six people arguing at the mouth of a cave, accompanied by a Mule-bot. One looked up and gathered the attention of Thais.

A young man with almond-shaped eyes approached Thais, bowed, and said, "Excuse me, young lady, do you happen to know where we are?"

Thais hesitated. The man appeared to be from Cantolix, probably a spy to Turlok, or a saboteur plotting to restart the Chain Wars. After a brief moment of silence, Thais answered. "West of Lake Kallistei."

"I told you, Azrael," He turned his attention to the only bearded man in the group. "The site is in a cavern west of the lake."

"Okay, okay. You were right," Azrael spoke in a thick accent; Syrkhrali, Demos thought. He had very tan skin, with large black eyes, thick black hair, and a large beard. A pair of reading glasses fit loosely on his rather large nose. "Where are my manners. Allow me to introduce us all. The women are Amana and Bina," He pointed to two petit, Syrkhrali women, both of whom wore shawls to cover most their faces. "You've met Akira. Yes, I am aware that he is Cantolese. But he's no threat to you, or me, or my associates. Over there is Kazimir," He glanced over at a tall, pale, young man. Long, blonde, poorly groomed hair covered his face. He looked up and pushed back his hair to reveal a rosy nose and cheeks covering a gaunt face. His icy eyes glared at the Saiken with fear. He was dressed in very thick fur clothing, despite the summer heat. "Here is my brother, Abbadon," He slapped the back of a man who bore a passive resemblance to him on the back. "And as you know, I'm Azreal."

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Galen asked after a brief moment of introducing himself, Thais and Demos.

"We are archaeologists sent by the alliance of our countries, Cantolix, Syrkhrael, and Slavikaine, to investigate rumored ruins in the vicinity. The only issue is we can't find the ruins."

"Why would the Federation want to investigate ruins in Turlok? Isn't that the Turlok Government's job, to fund research in our country?"

"Your nation's corrupt political body is more concerned with taking money from the its citizens and spending it away on the useless materials of the world."

"Ouch," Galen grimaced. "Does our government know about this?"

"Yes. Turlok and the Federation are in a mutual agreement and have been since the Unification."

"Would you and your comrades care to join us on our trek to these ruins?" Kazimir asked in a deep, nasally, booming voice. The other archaeologists fell silent.

"Are you sure, Kazimir?" Amana said. "They're just children, they know nothing of what we are doing." The Slavikainian said nothing. Amana turned to the teens. "Kazimir rarely talks. He is a no-nonsense person. So when he does speak, he means business."

"You are welcome to come with us, if you please," Abbadon said. "Just stay out of the way if you do."

With that said, the archaeologists ventured into the cavern. Galen and Demos immediately followed them, eager to see these ruins. Thais and the Saiken hesitated. The Saiken seemed to distrust either the fact that they were about to travel underground, or something else. Thais urged Demos and Galen to keep back several meters.

The six scientists pulled out hard hats and flashlights, apologizing for not having extras. Galen commented that they didn't need a flashlight; the flames on Lavole's head produced enough light to make one feel safe.

After what felt like hours, the group came upon a massive chamber, with a ceiling too high for the flashlights to see. Demos couldn't believe that they were that deep into the Aei Mountains. To either side was a tunnel, both heading opposite ways.

Azrael opened his mouth to speak when a rumble was felt within the stone floor. Pebbles began to fall from the ceiling, and the tunnel behind them collapsed. Boulders the size of houses plummeted and shattered, one crashing down on the Mule-bot. The group panicked, splitting up in the frenzy. The scientists ran to the left, and Demos, Thais, Galen, and the Saiken took off to the right. Within seconds, the quake came to a halt.

But everything was black for Demos.

* * *​

A loud, painful throbbing in his head was the first thing Demos noticed as he returned to the land of the living. He realized two more things within seconds; he was cold, and his limbs were dangling. A quick moan and he found himself on a freezing, stone floor. He heard voices off to his left, two to be exact, echoing off stone walls. A soft warmth began crawling over him.

Demos opened his eyes only to find himself in pitch blackness. He glanced to his left and a saw a fire hovering in the air. Something cold and shaky grabbed his face, and his vision cleared with a jolt. The floating fire was simply the flames above Lavole's charcoal eyes. Looking straight ahead, Demos saw Thais' face, half lit by Lavole's inferno.

"Demos," Thais heaved. "Are you okay?"

"What happened?" Demos struggled to speak.

"You were his in the head by a fist sized rock. You're lucky to be alive."

"How long have I been out?"

"About three hours. We need to get out, but the only entrance was the way we came in."

"This tunnel could go on for miles, throughout the entire Aeis," Galen opened his mouth to continue a thought, but held back the words.

"What?" Demos asked.

"Nothing. It's just unusual for this area to quake..."

"Who's the Composer?" Demos remembered the voice he heard by Lake Kallestei the day before.

"I don't know," Galen paused. "We should keep going, the sooner we get out, the better."

The group trudged on through the darkness for what felt like hours. Water dripped from stalactites every now and then. Bats chittered here and there. They eventually stopped for what they assumed was the night. Demos couldn't help but wonder if they would every get out alive.

* * *​

Demos awoke with a jolt; a thunderous boom echoed throughout the cave. Screams quickly followed, and ended with a series of more booms. As the final sound waves finished resonating off the cave walls, Galen stood up and cautiously crept through the tunnel. Lavole hesitantly followed, along with the others.

An hour past before a dim light was seen from ahead. The silhouettes cast by the light showed a tunnel like a gaping maw, with stalactites and stalagmites appearing as bared fangs. Stepping into the warm, well-lit chamber revealed stone ruins with a menacing appearance to them. Massive steps led up to what looked like an altar. Spikes protruded out in asymmetrical patterns all over an archway that led straight into the stone wall. Fearsome looking runes and pictographs were spread across columns as high as the cavern ceiling.

The group climbed to the top of the steps and crouched behind the altar. The altar was decorated like a adolescent boy's dream; Skulls and bones lined the corners. Carvings of bloodshed and horrific creatures were spread all over its surface. At the base of the altar, just to its right side, a pistol and a dozen brass shells lay scattered. On the other side of the altar, heavy breathing was heard.

Demos peered over the altar. "OH S-" Galen covered Demos' mouth, pulled him down to the granite floor, and ended his cacophony with a sharp, "Shh!"

The heavy breathing stopped. Footsteps edged their way over to the altar. A man's foot appeared at the corner. The three looked up to see Kazimir the Slavikainian glaring at them, a bloodstained knife in his right hand. A fire of malice burned behind his cold eyes.

Kazimir raised his knife for the kill when the Saiken tackled him from behind. As he rolled down the steps, the small creatures lined up at the top. A blazing inferno erupted from Lavole's mouth, engulfing the Slavikainian in flame. Lustream waved its forepaws around. A rushing sound reverberated off the cavern walls and rose to a deafening roar. Out of every opening in the cavern, down to the smallest crack in the floor, a torrential wave thrashed around, drenching the man and flames. The smell of cherry blossoms and honey filled the chamber. Shrubberies began sprouting out of the rock. As Kazimir came to a halt at the bottom of the steps, vines burst from the floor and entangled him. As soon as the flora appeared in the cavern, thick thorns sprang from the vines, digging themselves through the man's thick clothing and deep into his flesh. Flowers sprouted from the vines, exploding in bursts of green and yellow puffs that smelled of freshly cut grass in Kazimir’s face, leaving dozens of tiny cuts across his face.

Kazimir's shouts filled the cavern, hurting Demos' ears. He didn't struggle to escape the bramble; he only sat there, screaming. In his gut was the knife. Demos realized that what he thought were screams of agony were actually fits of giddiness. The man had gone completely mad.

"Who are you, really?" Galen demanded.

"Rezak," The Slavikainian chuckled. "Ignorant fools. Your universe shall crumble. The Obmanshchik shall rise. And even your Composer cannot survive this."

"Give me a straight answer!" Galen raised his fist, ready to strike, but there was no answer. The man's hysteria had come to a close. He lay there motionless, pale, his eyes dimming.

Thais stood at the altar shuddering, her back to Galen. Demos looked over at the archway. In a circle, the other five archaeologists lay in a pool of blood. They matched the same fate as the guards at Turlok Correctional Facility and Psychiactric Institution; a menacing mark was carved into the flesh of their foreheads. Akira, Azrael, and Bina had gaping holes in their chests; their hearts in their mouths. Abbadon’s chest was open, but his heart remained.

A rumble deep in the earth began to shake the cavern. Galen beckoned for Demos and Thais to follow him as he began to run into a tunnel. They obeyed, darting into the dark tunnel as boulders blocked the way that they came. The earth continued to quake, and the group of six kept running. Demos soon lost sight of Lavole's flames, along with his friends. He felt Lustream leap onto his back as he kept going and darkness swallowed him.

The tunnel began to ascend, and light began to filter through an opening at the end. The air became fresh and dry. Demos stepped out into sunlight, feeling secure again. The rumbling stopped and the tunnel collapsed. The beautiful scenery of Aei Mountains at sunset filled Demos' eyes as he adjusted to the light he hadn't seen it what felt like an eternity.

But Demos and Lustream were alone.

 

[Dread Advocate]

SEPARATED AND LOST

SOMEWHERE IN EASTERN TURLOK, 1038 HOURS 6/10/08 A.U.

Panic. That was all that Demos could do. He couldn’t sleep; he had no food, no water, and no shelter. All he had was Lustream and himself. It was only a matter of time before he would slip into madness, not unlike Kazimir back in the cave, and perhaps even die.

The events of the past week raced through his mind. One could only stand so much stress; a madman was out to kill him, the leaders of the Church were expecting him, he was separated from him his friends, his family and the rest of civilization, and he was lost in the mountains. The chances of him being found by anyone out here were miniscule.

It’ll do no good sitting here and moping. He thought to himself.

He began walking westward¸ hoping to stumble upon a small town or Ynand, or even better, Galen and Thais. Stumbling over rocks and being trapped in briars didn’t even hinder his determination to survive. Demos only stopped to rest for a few minutes or drink at a small brook.

Night came and went, and Demos never slept. He’d been lost for two days, and still found no sign of civilization. During the course of the second day, he climbed a tree and looked around. Southwest of this tree, Demos saw something he’d never thought he’d see again: a column of smoke rising into the sky. The smoke was just a few miles away.

A surge of hope swelled in his chest. In his excitement, he let go of the tree trunk and fell to the roots of the tree. He landed on his left arm, heard a sickening crunch, and screamed in agony. Holding back any more yelps, Demos sat up and looked at his arm. It was bent at an odd angle, scraped, turning an ugly shade of purple, and swelling.

Lustream had been waiting at the base of the tree. When Demos crashed out of the branches, it rushed to his side. Whilst Demos was observing the damage done, Lustream began to lick his arm. A wave of anguish rushed through Demos’ body as its tongue touched his flesh. Out of reaction to the pain, Demos struck Lustream. The Saiken squealed and took off in the bushes.

Demos became numb to the pain by the time he realized what he had just done. He didn’t know whether to care or not. So far, the only useful thing Lustream had done was also unnatural. The only thing that distracted Demos from his arm and hitting the Saiken was how tired he was. Everything ached, especially his left arm, he couldn’t think straight, and his eyes were getting heavy. But he didn't care. He stood up awkwardly and limped towards the smoke.

It was dusk when Demos could smell something burning over a hickory-fueled fire. Lustream still hadn't returned. Demos could see sparks and the glow of a blaze through the trees. Excitement welled inside him. He couldn't keep the yell inside from escaping. He screamed in joy and took off running towards the fire.

The next sequence of events were a blur to Demos; he stepped on a twig that set off a trap. Before Demos could figure out what had just happened, he found himself hanging upside by his right foot, his broken arm dangling down painfully. Something sharp then punctured his side, followed by a sensation of wooziness. Demos shouted for help, but found his words slurred together. The last thing he remembered before blacking out was a slender figure walking towards him and the smell of hickory smoke filling his lungs.

* * *​

When tunnel collapsed behind Galen and Thais, the first thing on Galen's mind was to do a headcount. To his left was Slirnic and Lavole, his right, Thais. But where was Demos? Sure, Demos wasn't the fastest runner in the world, but there was enough time for even him to get out before the tunnel collapsed.

Thais began clawing at the rocks and debris. Galen soon joined her. They soon had moved enough rocks to supply an army of tiny, toy catapults. Galen began to crawl through the hole they had dug when small rocks began to fall. Before he knew it, he was being pulled by his belt away from the hole. A massive boulder fell and covered up the hole. Galen turned around and was glaring down at Thais.

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" He screamed.

"Look behind you! Do you not see that truck-sized boulder?" Thais screamed back with twice the fury.

"I was this close!" Galen held up his index and forefinger an inch apart. His voice was getting wavy and his eyes watery. "This frigging close to getting in there and finding Demos! But no, you had to pull me away! Don't you care about Demos?"

"How dare you!" She slapped him across the face. "How dare you even suggest that I don't give a damn about Demos! Of course I do, he's my friend!"

"Just your friend? Well, he's my best friend! You obviously don't care about him enough!"

"Who was the one who saved his life when you were vacationing away on the other side of the country? ME!"

Thais slapped him again. Galen raised his fist to slug Thais. A long second, perhaps the longest second in the world, went by. In that second, Galen lowered his hand. Without a second word, Galen stormed off northward. Lavole quickly darted after him. Not even Thais' screams and pleads for him to come back apprehended him.

* * *​

Thais couldn't sleep that night. Who would after losing two friends within a few hours? In the darkness, under the stars and moons, Thais just stared out towards the light pollution that had to be Ynand. She cradled Slirnic like she used to one of her stuffed animals back in Soranthel, the exact same way when she was distressed.

The sun rose three hours later. By midday, Thais rose and began walking towards Ynand, Slirnic at her heels. Stumbling over rock and root, she eventually reached the outskirts of the town by dusk.

With no money, Thais couldn't afford to go to a motel. Where would she sleep? Certainly not with the filthy beggars found by the outskirts in their parasite-infested nests. The first place that came to her mind was the hospital; the very place where she became friends with Demos and Galen. No. She didn't want to think about them at the present time, especially since Demos was most likely dead, and she was still furious with Galen and his words. But where else was she to go?

The hospital was very much the same it had been four years ago; a dull brown building with a busy, pearlescent, almost utopian interior. Thais slowly approached the front desk, occupied by a large, blonde nurse.

"How may I help you this evening?" The nurse asked immediately.

"I-I need a place to sleep for the night." Thais struggled to say the words.

She was still in shock of the past few days.

"I'm sorry, honey, you'll need to go to the homeless shelter for that." The nurse looked up at Thais and look of disgust curled on her pudgy face. Thais hadn't realized how filthy she looked. She was covered head to toe in dirt and dust, her arms were scratched up as if she had wrestled with a rabid cat. Her clothes were torn and ragged. Her eyes were swollen and red, tears leaving trails in the filth on her face.

The nurse then glanced down at Thais' feet and shrieked in horror. "WHAT IS THAT... THING DOING IN MY LOBBY?!" The cacophony caused the entire lobby to fall quiet and look at the desk. Slirnic jumped at the sound of terror emanating from the nurse's mouth, looking around to see what she was referring to. "GET OUT, FILTHY HOBO! BOTH YOU AND YOUR... DOG-THING!"

She grabbed a broom and chased Thais and the Saiken out of the hospital.
No sooner was Thais a block away from the hospital did a door to a small home open and an old woman, no older than seventy, step out. She was rather tall, with streaks of silver in her long, charcoal hair. Her dark green eyes sparkled with youth.

"You shouldn't mind Ms. Mürrisch. She's been like that all her life." The old woman spoke with a voice like warm syrup.

"You heard her screaming all the way over here?"

"My dear, the entire town heard her. Come in, come in," She offered Thais in the small house. "I won't take no for an answer."

Thais hestiantly went through the door. Her first impression of the house was difficult to decypher; the tiny home was a like a senior citizen's house, but there was no paraphernelia one would associate with a little, old lady living alone. Come to think of it, there were no decorations on the blindingly white walls at all. She entered a small dining room with a cherry wood table set in the center. What smelled like apple pie was baking in the gas oven.

The old woman bustled over to the over and pulled out a steaming pie. She cut it into eighths and placed two tiny plates on the table. After serving a slice of pie on each plate, she sat down. Thais followed suit, but didn't touch the pie.

"Go ahead and eat, dear," The woman said with a smile. "Be careful though, it's still hot. I'll go and prepare you a bed and a bath."

"Wait," Thais said quickly. The old woman stopped and looked at Thais. "Can I get your name please?"

"I'm called Gaia by some." And she quickly left the room.

Thais looked down at the pie, picked up a fork and began devouring the dessert. It scalded her tongue. She didn't care; she was starving. The pastry seemed to strengthen her; she felt stronger with every bite.

Thais was licking the crumbs off the plate when Gaia came back into the room. Thais quickly put down the plate, blushing.

"I've made you a bed in the back room, the tub is filling up with warm water, and there's a set of clothes by the tub. I think they should fit you alright. Go on, clean yourself up. I'll clean and patch up the clothes you're wearing while you bathe."

Thais set off to the bathroom, undressed, stepped in the hot water and felt relieved. Thais took her time bathing, so long in fact, that by the time she was out, her fingertips and toes were more wrinkled than a prune. She never noticed Gaia step in to pick up the clothes.

Thais, bathrobe on and hair in a towel, found Gaia in the sitting room, sewing patches onto Thais' clothes. Gaia glanced up, and ushered Thais to sit in the armchair opposite her. Thais did so and sat in an uncomfortable silence.

"Tell me, dear," Gaia finally broke the silence, her eyes still on her patchwork. "How did you come this state? You're obviously not a local; I know everyone in Ynand."

Thais recalled the events of the past eleven days, from the meeting with Hoffman all the way to the cave. Gaia showed some concern at the ruins mentioned in the cave, the crazed Slavikainian, and the prisonbreak. The awkward silence continued when Thais finished her tale.

"Go rest, dear," Gaia spoke again. "We'll send you back on your journey to Rimthwei tomorrow at noon. Off to bed." She gently pushed Thais into a tiny bedroom with a twin-sized bed in the corner.

After ensuring that Thais was comfortable, Gaia left to continue patching. Thais quickly found herself floating in dreams of all the mishaps of her journey, but it was as if they hadn't gone sour. It was the best rest she had gotten in years.

* * *​

Thais awoke to the smell of bacon, scrambled eggs, waffles and toast wafting through the air. She sat up and found a tray of said breakfast foods, a pitcher of syrup and glass of milk on the bedside table. She ate slowly, savoring the flavor and texture of each bite. Like the pie last night, she felt strengthened by the food.

Thais walked toward the kitchen and heard Gaia whispering around the corner.

"-no! You musn't tell her yet! You must wait until she reaches the Church, Florioscorn. When she does, you must wait until the other three arrive," She paused, as if waiting for a reply. "I don't care what you think. They will reach the Church. They are all in the Composer's Hands-" Another pause. "I'll speak with you later. You're partner is just down the hall, eavesdropping."

Panic flooded Thais when Gaia appeared around the corner, smiled, and gestured Thais into a seat. Thais tried to put what she heard in the back of her mind as Gaia placed a new backpack on the table and began filling it up with a cantine, clean clothes, and food.

"Go get dressed, dear, it's nearly noon." Thais looked up at the clock above the counter: it was 1146. Thais obeyed without question. When she was dressed, Thais noticed a bulge in her front pocket. She pulled it out and found a leather wallet, filled with hundreds of credits.

"Ma'am, I can't take this money. I'd feel like I'd just stolen from you." Thais said.

"Oh, don't worry about it. You'll need it more than I will." Gaia retorted with haste and she walked Thais and Slirnic to the door. "I've put a map in your pack, so you won't get lost. I hope to see you again." She smiled and shut the door.

Thais began walking towards the road outside the city, looking at the map to find the most direct route to Rimthwei.

 

[Dread Advocate]

LACK OF CLARITY

SOMEWHERE IN EASTERN TURLOK, TIME AND DATE UNKNOWN

He was in the kitchen, filling out another college application. Nothing of the past week had happened; it was all a horrid nightmare. After filling out the resume, he was going to go over to Galen's house and celebrate graduating.

He stepped out the door and found the usual twelve-house neighborhood. The ten minute walk to Galen's house was just like it had always been; people avoided him and stared. But did it matter? No. All that mattered was securing his place in the world.

He walked in the house and climbing the stairs to Galen's room. But this wasn't his house. Galen's home didn't smell of hickory and poplar. The sound of a fire crackling never echoed in the house.

Demos opened an eye and found himself looking at a log. He rolled over and a jolt of pain shot up through his body. He remembered now. Nothing was a dream; the cave, falling out of the tree, getting caught in the trap, it was all real. Demos shot up and felt his head pound. He felt a bandages wrapped all around his head.

He stood up, looked around, then walked into what looked like a sitting room. Portraits of two women, nearly identical aside from their garb, hung above the fireplace. He was in an unfamiliar place, with his arm wrapped up in a sling, and his head was bandaged up. Demos hadn't been this confused since his last algebra exam.

Demos slowly walked outside and found himself in a beautiful, yet small meadow. A rainbow of flowers were spread across the field. Various winged insects flew from flower to flower. Behind him was a small, log cabin. A path of half-buried cinderblocks curved around the cabin, stopping at a trail into the forest.

Curiosity got the best of Demos, and he followed the path. After several minutes of hiking, Demos heard a stream flowing. As he approached the sound, he saw Lustream jump into the air and fall back down. Surprised more than overjoyed, Demos cautiously walked towards the brook. He saw a petit figure who looked vaguely like Thais at the water's edge, feet splashing about. Demos could barely remember anything about Thais.

"Thais?" Demos' voice was hoarse.

The person turned her head, hair whipping around. She most definitely wasn't Thais. She was about the same age as Demos. Her black hair was shoulder length. Numerous freckles across her face were slightly more prominent than Thais'. When she stood up she was a head shorter than Demos, whereas Thais was only inches shorter that Demos. Like Thais, this girl had blue eyes, but hers were a pale blue that made Demos think of x-ray vision. Demos also took notice of how the girl was about as fair skinned as he was.

"Oh, er- I'm sorry. I thought you were-"

"Who's Thais?" She asked in a friendly voice.

"A-er-a friend." Demos' mind felt fuzzy. How long had he been out?

"You've been asleep for five days," The girl seemed to have read his
mind. She then relayed a story of how Lustream came to her out of the bushes, how she found him in her trap, put a nasty gash on his head by cutting him down, and the rest of the past five days.. "Every now and then, while you were asleep, you'd yell."

"What would I yell about?"

"Mostly about a girl named Thais," Lustream jumped out of the water again, landing on the banks of the stream. "This little creature almost never left your side, unless I would come here to the creek. Let's get you back to the cabin, it's almost lunch time." She said as she glanced up at the sky.

Back inside the cabin, Demos sat down on the sofa. The girl filled two glasses up with water and handed one to Demos. She then sat down in an armchair next to the sofa. The sound of gravel grinding announced a car pulling up into the driveway.

"Mother's home," She groaned, rolling her eyes. "I can only guess as to how she'll react to you up and out of bed."

The door opened and a woman no taller than the girl, and nearly identical in almost every feature. She was in her mid-forties, carrying two armloads of groceries. She put each item away without any notice of Demos or her daughter. It was when she sat down next to Demos that she began talking.

"I was wondering when you'd finally do the dishes, honey. I was-" She looked over at Demos, eying him suspiciously. "Ebony, may I speak with you outside?"

The woman marched out the door, and the girl called Ebony slowly followed. Demos didn't have to press his ear against the door to hear what happened next.

"DELTA EBONY CLARUS! I SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU TO DO TWO THINGS WHEN THIS YOUNG MAN WOKE UP IN THE EVENT THAT I WAS NOT AT HOME! WHAT WERE THEY?" The woman shrieked in a voice so high that Demos was surprised to see that all glass in the house hadn't shattered. Demos couldn't hear what Ebony said. "AND HAVE YOU DONE EITHER?" Another pause for what Demos assumed was Ebony's turn to speak. "WHY NOT?--YOU'RE IN DEEP THIS TIME, YOUNG LADY! NOT ANOTHER WORD! YOU ARE TO EAT YOUR LUNCH, GO TO YOUR ROOM, AND STAY THERE UNTIL DINNER! GET BACK INSIDE."

As they walked back in quietly, Ebony was red in the face and had her fists clenched. She stormed into the kitchen and began fixing herself lunch. She ate quickly, then stomped into the hallway and slammed a door.

Ebony's mother made Demos a grilled cheese sandwich, and shuffled him towards the what Demos assumed to be the guestroom. As she was closing the door, Lustream slipped in. Demos could hear Ebony's mother shuffling through keys and locking the door behind her.

Long after Demos was finished with his sandwich, he couldn't help but wonder why this woman was so upset. Even during dinner, though she let him eat at the table, she kept glaring at him. Demos offered to help with the dishes after dinner, but was declined. As Ebony picked up his empty plate, she dropped a slip of paper in his lap. The paper read:

Open the guestroom window at midnight.

* * *​

Midnight felt like it would never come. But when it did, Demos opened the window as quietly as he could. As soon as it was halfway opened, Ebony jumped through, startling Demos.

"Before you start talking," Demos whispered. "I need to know something."

"Ask away." Ebony whispered so quietly, Demos had to strain to hear her.

"Where are we?"

"We're nestled in a valley in the Aei Mountains, fourteen miles northeast of Ynand. Now I have some questions for you," She paused, listening to make sure her mother was still asleep. "What's your name and where are you from?"

"Demos Colonomos. I'm from Soranthel."

"Alright. How did you end up lost in the middle of the Aeis?"

Ebony listened intently as Demos relayed his story. Demos even included the details about Obelix and Kazimir the homicidal Slavikainian. She expressed great interest in anything having to do with the Church. The silence that followed was broken occasionally by the hoots of an owl.

Without a word, Ebony jumped out the window. Demos tried to call her back, but she was already climbing through her bedroom window. Demos laid back on the bed, but never fell asleep.

* * *​

Hours later, Ms. Clarus, although still distrusting of Demos, had allowed him out of the guestroom to take him to Ynand for the necessary paraphernalia. She was obviously very eager to be rid of him. He didn't sleep that night.

The next day was spent preparing Demos for his departure. Demos finally grown on to Ebony's mother sometime after lunch that day, as she asked him what he wanted for dinner rather than automatically grill him a sandwich. As with the previous two nights, Demos didn't sleep.

Demos' fourth day in the valley with Ebony and her mother was a day of relaxation. Demos was completely packed and ready to leave, his head wound had completely healed with only minor scarring, and his arm was less painful.

After lunch, Ebony's mother offered Demos to a walk to the creek. He cautiously agreed, wondering why she would want to take him into the forest. Would she bash his skull in and dump his body in the rapids? Or something worse?

As they left the cobbled path to the trees and stepped onto the dirt trail, Ebony's mother spoke up. "I suppose you'll be leaving tomorrow?"

"Yes." Demos replied.

"I also suppose you heard me yelling at Ebony the day you woke up?" Before Demos could reply, she kept talking. She already knew the answer. "I don't know if you realize, but I'm a very cautious woman. I just don't want my baby to end up like me, and my mother, and my mother's mother..."

"I'm sorry?"

"Listen to me ramble. The point is, I'm terribly sorry for the way I've treated you the past few days. I told Ebony to call me and the police when you woke up. In a way, I'm glad she never did either of those things."

Demos never expected what happened next. Ms. Clarus grabbed him by the shoulder and held him in a rib-cracking hug, careful enough avoid hurting his arm. Demos, startled, returned the embrace, gently. Demos agonized over when it would end. After all, a nearly complete stranger who reluctantly allowed him into her household was hugging him. Who wouldn't want such a hug to end quickly?

They returned to the cabin and found Ebony sitting on a boulder. Lustream lay in her lap, sleeping. Ms. Clarus returned indoors, leaving Demos alone. Having nothing else to do, Demos sat on the boulder next to Ebony. They sat in silence for several hours, until dusk, before Ebony spoke up.

"Take me with you."

"What?"

"Take me to Rimthwei, to the Church." Excitement welled in her voice.

"No. I can't."

"Why?"

"You weren't summoned by the Grand Masters. They wouldn't
accept counsel with you."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"I-I just know."

"You just know? Do you really think I'm that stupid?"

"It's too dangerous."

"Too dangerous? Right. I know how to defend myself. Living out
here in the backwoods doesn't automatically protect me from the world."

"You're not coming with me, Ebony."

"Yes I am, Demos," Ebony stood up and stamped her right foot on the boulder. "You ca-" Ebony's mother called from the front door, beckoning her to help her the kitchen. With a long groan, she heeded her mother's calling.

When the door slammed shut, Demos let out a sigh of relief. The truth was, Demos sometimes felt uncomfortable with the way Ebony would look at him, and almost never let him out of her sight. Awkwardness aside, he also didn't want another incident where he would end up separated from his friends. If he allowed Ebony to join him on his trek and something were to happen to her, he would never be able to forgive himself.

Demos returned inside, set off towards the guestroom, and made sure all his belonging were together. He then entered the kitchen, and sat at the table. Demos ate his large plateful of spaghetti in silence. Ms. Clarus informed him that when he left that he should follow the driveway to the main road, and from there continue to Rimthwei. She offered to go to Soranthel to update his parents on the matter in the afternoon. Demos accepted the offer and wrote the address on a napkin.

Demos didn't sleep again night. He kept thinking of how to leave before the crack of dawn soundlessly. He slept in the clothes he intended on wearing tomorrow, not wishing to awaken Ebony or her mother in the morning.

* * *​

Demos stopped to eat his breakfast when he arrived at the road. He was more out of shape than he was when he left Soranthel. The one-hour walk down the driveway had tuckered him out so much, he was sweating like he'd just spent hours at the gym. Demos took a mental note to not pass out so often.

He walked northward the rest of the day, never pausing for more than ten minutes. He was astonished at the amount of traffic this road got: almost none at all. He expected a vehicle to pass by every other second, only to find one ever other hour. Even the road between Soranthel and Ynand got more traffic than this, and that was saying almost too much. Throughout the walk, Demos couldn't help but feel like he was being followed.

At sundown, Demos found himself a cliff half a mile off the road that overlooked the rest of Turlok. It was unusually chilly at the top of the cliff for late June. Demos didn't mind the cold, though. He kept his mind on the unknown, pondering the reality of stars, and whatever happened to Galen and Thais. Fatigue got the best of Demos, and he slipped into slumber. He dreamed of the fateful day four years ago, when he met Thais.

* * *​

The smell of bacon and scrambled eggs wafted through the air. Surely this was a dream. Only his mother's home cooking smelled exactly like that. Just to be sure, Demos opened an eye. He was let down, looking out across Turlok rather than his own room. But where was the scent coming from? Demos sat up and turned around to find, cooking over an open fire, Ebony.

"Ebony?" He yawned, too tired to yell.

"Morning!" She said gleefully. "I hope you like your eggs slightly runny."

"Ebony, why are you here? I told you not to come with me."

"Do you honestly think I'm going to spend the rest of my life in that cabin, exchanging screams with my mother?"

"Go back home, now!" Demos stood up, his tone rising.

"No! I'm not going to rot in that cabin like the rest of my family! You get to leave your home and explore the world! I don't have that luxury!"

"I didn't have that luxury either, until two days before I left! My mother absolutely refused to allow me to leave!"

"But you still left, didn't you?"

"Only because my dad talked her into letting me go."

"Even if she never agreed to allow you to go, would you have gone?"

Demos had no retort. He was beaten, and he knew it. The next words left his mouth before he could think clearly.

"Is that what your mother meant by she didn't want you to end up like her?" He hit a nerve; Ebony turned away from him and began to shed tears. "Your mother followed some jackass on a crusade and something terrible happened?"

"NO!" Ebony shrieked, ending the chirps of songbirds. She took several seconds to breathe and calm herself down. "No. Mind your own business, please. Just know that I'm not going back home. I will follow you to Rimthwei, whether you like it or not. And if any moron thinks he's smart enough to stop either of us without a good reason..." She opened her bag and pulled out a pistol.

"Are you threatening me?" Demos tried to remain calm at the sight of the firearm.

"No, no. Of course not. Why would I?" She gave him that same stare that made him feel very uncomfortable. "Don't forget to eat your breakfast, before it gets cold."

Demos ate his breakfast warily. For all he knew, she was trying to poison him. But he realized she could've slotted him back at the cabin, or even the moment she found him in the trap. The food was exceptionally delicious, so delicious in fact, that he licked holes in the paper plate where grease had settled in.

After burning their trash and putting out the fire (Ebony had to look away during that process), they marched back to the road and continued the long walk to Rimthwei.

 

[Dread Advocate]

VOICES AND ECHOES

98 MILES NORTH OF YNAND, TURLOK, 1822 HOURS 6/22/08 A.U.

There hadn't been much to do for the past seven days except walk and think. Even then, there wasn't much to think about. Most thoughts involved poor Demos, how much farther, and Icarus and Lysander. The majority of those thoughts focused on Icarus and Lysander. They just wouldn't go away. It was like some foreign presence was probing those particular memories.

"Tell me about these two young men, Icarus and Lysander," A voice echoed in Thais' mind. Startled, she stood up and looked around in the dusk, only to find nothing. "Please, tell me," Fear filled Thais. She was hearing voices from sources that weren't there. "You needn't be afraid. I'm as real as you are."

"Who are you?" Thais cautiously whispered.

"I've gone by several names. But you may know me as Florioscorn."

"You're the one Gaia was speaking to! Where are you?" She said loudly, staring into the fire.

"Yes, I was," Florioscorn said calmly. "All in good time. Again, please tell me about Icarus and Lysander."

"Well, what's to know? They were both my brothers. They both served Turlok during the war. Icarus served as a gunship pilot and Lysander as a marine." Thais stopped herself. It wasn't everyday that she talked about her brothers, let alone to a stranger she couldn't even see. She slowly inhaled to calm herself down before she could cry.

"It's okay. Not crying only proves that you have been too strong for too long," He said reassuringly. "Let's take this one step at a time. But first, you must rest."

"But I'm not tired." Thais yawned. She wasn't this tired ten seconds ago. Her eyes were getting heavy with sleep. The sun had barely set, and the moons were just beginning to glow over the land. Before she knew it, she was curled up in the sleeping bag Gaia gave to her.

* * *​

The bright flash, an explosion of confetti, the plastic tiara, and a loud chorus of "Happy Birthday" were overwhelming for a five-year old. The cake, a towering confection of chocolate and vanilla, was placed on the dining table. Thais had to stand on several phonebooks to even see over the pastry. She blew out the candles and was greeted by even more confetti and camera flashes. She dove into the slice of cake placed in front of her with a ravenous hunger.

The instant the first gift was placed in her lap, she tore at the paper and screamed in excitement as she lifted the boxed doll high into the air. By the end of the gift pile, a mountain of trashed wrapping paper had formed behind Thais that was twice as tall as she was.

It was dark out when all of her relatives had left. She was passed out on the couch, cradling her new doll, her tiara lopsided. Her father was picking up garbage in the dining room and her mother was cleaning dishes. The door opened and quickly, but quietly, shut, probably another relative reclaiming something forgotten

The shattering of china woke Thais up. She heard her mother crying and her father shuffling upstairs. She rubbed her eyes and looked around, noticing nothing different. Then two people walked into the living room. Her eyes widened as she recognized them.

"ICARUS! LYSANDER!" Thais shrieked, jumping off the sofa and running towards her brothers.

Icarus was tall, wearing his Air Force uniform. He had his mother's crimson hair. He was the oldest of the two; twenty-two years old. Lysander, at age twenty, was short, with his father's dark hair. He was still in his combat fatigues. Both had the family's azure eyes and slightly pointed nose.

Thais took Lysander's combat helmet and placed it over her tiara, covering her eyes. Lysander picked her up gently and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Icarus mimicked the affection for his sister. The two brothers then embraced their parents.

While Icarus informed his parents on how long they were on leave and news on the war, Lysander pulled something out of his pocket. Thais took it carefully and examined it. It was a necklace, made of some kind of metal. Despite its size, it felt heavy. Dangling from its chain was a very small, golden amulet, about an inch and a half in diameter. It was decorated with a fiery bird, the tips of its feathers caught in a frozen inferno of gold. Illegible characters danced around the bird, carved into the metalwork.

"While I was stationed in a small village in Cantolix, I bought this. The man I purchased this from carved it himself; I watched him finish it. He said the characters on it mean, 'No one is the whole of oneself; one's friends are the rest.'" Lysander said, placing the necklace around the child's neck.

"What does that mean?" Thais said after thinking on those words for a moment.

"It means that so long as you have friends, you are complete."

"But I don't know anybody. How can I have friends when I don't know anyone."

"Aren't I your friend?"

"But you're my brother, it's not the same!"

"That doesn't mean I can't be your friend, does it?"

"Okay," She said, blushing. "But don't tell Icarus."

"My lips are sealed." He whispered as she put her tiara on his head.

* * *​

The stars were still shining when she awoke. She had just remembered the necklace that Lysander had given her all those years ago. Thais felt guilt rise in her chest. Until the sun rose, she sat and stared at the stars.

When the sun did rise an hour later, she quickly ate breakfast, picked up her bag, and continued on, Slirnic trailing behind her. The day was as uneventful as the rest of the days since Ynand had been, excluding yesterday.

"You had a special bond with Lysander, yes?" Florioscorn's mellow voice said at dusk.

"Yes. I always felt like he cared about me more than Icarus." Thais whispered to the dark.

"But they both cared about you deeply." It wasn't a question, Thais knew that well enough. "The necklace he gave you, whatever happened to it?"

"I-I don't know." Thais lied. The truth was, she had thrown it down a storm drain several weeks after her brothers went missing, several days before the Unification, in fact.

"Pity," He said sorrowfully. "It was very beautiful. It was rare to find such fine craftsmanship during that time period. But such worldly possessions aren't necessary under the Composer. They're nice, but won't get you anywhere.

"Rest now. You need sleep. You're still quite a few days away from Rimthwei."

* * *​

The rumors of world peace were becoming more common and more likely to come true with each passing day. Three old folks come out of nowhere, spoke to the world superpowers, claiming that the creatures that appeared fifty years ago, also out of nowhere, were the key to ending the Chain Wars, and, by extension, saving the human race from extinction. All countries of the world have been holding their breath as the superpowers attempt to come to terms on this "peace." All battlefronts had been ordered to a ceasefire whilst the governments decide.

But none of it mattered; Icarus and Lysander were gone. Thais didn't want to believe it when the officer came to the house and broke the news to her parents. She couldn't shake the look of horror on her mother's face out of her mind. She still didn't want to believe it. But she'd have to accept the truth someday. But it was still hard to believe that her two best friends, her brothers, her own flesh and blood, were gone.

It seemed only yesterday that Icarus and Lysander came home on her fifth birthday, that Lysander had given her the chain necklace. Her hands were trembling with rage. Or was it pain? She couldn't tell. Everything was just a blur now. It was a miracle she hadn't decided to join them.

Ever since the news broke out, Thais found herself walking about the neighborhood for hours on end. Now, here she was in front of a storm drain, adding to its contents with saline. She held the chain in her hand; it still felt heavy. She mindlessly rubbed her fingers over its craftsmanship. Anger got the best of her, and she threw it into the drain. She walked away before she could even hear the splash.

* * *​

The heat of the sun was beginning to be very irritating. All she wanted to do was stay in this sleeping bag and never leave. Not because it was warm, but because she didn't want any motorists that pass by to see her crying. That was the worst dream she had had in years. But it wasn't just a dream; it the worst memory Thais could remember.

Something cold and wet was smothered on her face by something rough, like sandpaper. Opening her eyes, Thais found Slirnic licking her face. There was no point trying to remain put now that her eyes were open. Slowly getting up, Thais patted the Saiken on its head. Apparently anxious to get moving, it attempted to help her pack up.

Back on the road, Thais tried to wipe the dream from her mind. The most she could achieve was suppress it. An hour past midday, she spotted a sign. Reading it, then rereading it, she realized that she was five miles from Eigles, a city that was just a quick drive away from the capital. Relief flushed through her. She could restock her now dwindling food supplies.

She reached Eigles mere hours later. The city was rather small but bustling, built next to the Eigles River. A monument to the Unification, relatively new, arched over the river like a feline's back. The streets were full of people, most of whom gave stares to a young woman walking into the city with a full bag on her back and a toad-dog-thing at her heels.

Near the center of the city, Thais stumbled into neighborhood, older than the rest of what Thais had seen, full of old, manor-like houses. Awed by the architecture and pure beauty, she walked through it. The last house on the right-hand side marred the beauty of the street. It had fallen into disrepair, its yard overrun with weeds and waist-high grass. A wooden sign below the mailbox read:

RESIDENCE OF DR. SALAMO HOFFMAN
HEAD OF THE SAIKEN RESEARCH DEPARTMENT

She warily walked towards the austere front door. The place looked like it hadn't been occupied for years. The chances of Hoffman still residing in there were slim. Thais always pictured him living in his department, a sleeping bag beneath his desk. She knocked once on the ancient door before it swung open.

"Back again? Oh, I, erm, I'm sorry," A month had barely passed since Thais last saw the man, but it looked like years had been added to him. He looked paler, his eyes red pits. "It's you."

"Were you expecting someone else?" Thais looked puzzled.

"Actually, I was expecting, erm, the, erm, never mind. Come in, come in. Have some tea?"

"Yes, please, thank you."

The interior of the house was much cleaner than the exterior. The marble floors were spotless. Massive bookshelves that were stuffed full of tomes and texts with boring-sounding titles had not even a speck of dust. A spiral staircase in the back led up and down.

Thais followed Hoffman down the staircase into a library. He gestured her into an ugly green armchair that was more comfortable than it looked. He quickly returned upstairs, leaving her alone in the archives. He returned several minutes later with a tray of tea and cookies.

"I hope you don't mind green tea. It's all I have at the moment." He said as he handed her a china cup.

"Green is fine, thank you," She then sipped the tea. It tasted bitter, more bitter than green tea should taste. "How's the research going?

"Not so well. We in the SDR are no further in our research than we were last year. The government is getting extremely impatient," He paused to sip his tea, making a face of disgust while swallowing. "So, tell me, what brings you to my humble abode in this humble city? I'd expected you to be in Rimthwei by now," Thais opened her mouth to speak when Hoffman quickly interrupted. "Wait, let me guess. You and your companions were separated by some tragic incident?"

"How did you know?" Thais was taken aback by his seemingly psychic guess.

"Just yesterday I was visited by one of your companions. What was his name? Gary?"

"Galen?"

"That's him. He barely touched on a tale of the past few weeks. He said something about a cave and murderers, Demos dying, and then he left. He seemed very angry about something, but also very confused."

"He was angry at me. I stopped him from going back into the cave to look for Demos."

"I doubt Demos died. He may not be the brightest bulb, but he's tough." Hoffman's words of reassurance were helpful, but he barely knew Demos. Something was up.

"Do you know something that you're not telling me."

"No!" He snapped. "I'm just making a logical assumption based on the past two times I've met the boy!"

A few moments of silence followed. In those moments, Hoffman grabbed a book from a shelf, opened it, blew the dust out from the pages, and began reading.

"Can you tell me where Galen went?" Thais said after finishing her tea.

"Of course I can, but the real question is whether I will," When Thais opened her mouth to ask again, Hoffman continued. "To save the oxygen, I will tell you: He stormed off north towards Rimthwei. I expect he's just three days away from the Church."

"Thank you so much for your time and the tea." Thais said quickly, grabbing her bag and running up the stairs, two steps at a time. Hoffman was at the foot of the staircase by the time she shut the door.

Thais ran all the way out of Eigles, Slirnic barely able to catch up. The fact that she was so close to Galen lightened her heart. It wasn't until she was a mile or so outside of the city when she stopped to catch her breath. Slirnic joined her a minute later, also out of breath, and clearly agitated.

When her breathing returned to a normal tempo, she continued on. After several minutes, her bag felt heavier than it had in a while. Dropping the bag on the ground, she fell to her knees and began emptying the contents. There was the map and change of clothes. But there was also fresh food and the canteen was full of fresh water. Thais never restocked. Perplexed, Thais gave the bag a good shake to ensure that all items had been expunged. A jingling sound came from a side pocket.

Thais gasped when she opened the pocket. Shining at the bottom was the chain necklace that Lysander had given her when she was five. It was just as lustrous and smudge-free as it had been the day he gave it to her. The Cantolese characters glistened in the sun, and the fiery bird seemed to glow. She carefully placed it around her neck, terrified that it might shatter to a thousand pieces at the slightest pressure. She remembered what the characters meant: "No one is the whole of oneself; one's friends are the rest."

Her energy and hope revitalized, Thais eagerly continued to Rimthwei, and to her reunion with Galen.

 

[Dread Advocate]

METEORUS

23 MILES SOUTH OF EIGLES, TURLOK, 1911 HOURS, 6/27/08 A.U.

Tonight was a perfect night for stargazing. To make such an activity extra special, a meteor shower was going on. They were like fireflies; blinking into sight one second and gone the next. And there were dozens of them, too.

In the week since leaving the cottage in the Aeis, Demos couldn't help but notice how Ebony kept getting closer and clingier to him. Although he was slightly unnerved by her odd behavior, he tolerated it. On a positive note, there had been no life-threatening situations.

The meteors were flying with increased vigor as time passed; it got to the point where five or more could been seen at once. Beyond the veil of zooming lights, in the black void, one particular star was glowing brighter. A streak of white burned into Demos' vision, a deep rumble felt through the air and the earth, and the smell of ozone filled the air.

"What was that?" Demos said loudly. Rather than speak, Ebony grabbed his wrist and began to drag him through the thickets towards the glow of a fire.

The crater was large, about five feet wide and three feet deep. Smoke billowed from the blackened soil. The ozone scent was strong here. Blindly, Ebony jumped to the bottom of the pit and picked up what Demos assumed to be what was left of the space rock. But when she turned around, he saw that it was no mineral.

Although it was still steaming, the soft glow of silver could be seen through the vapors. But it wasn't steam coming off of the object, it was more like it was being formed by steam. Corners and sides materialized, followed by what looked like buttons. When the final drops of cloud had faded away, Ebony held in her hands a heptagonal Brace. Lustream appeared from behind Demos, saw the Brace, and yipped and spun in a wild dance.

"Quickly! You must get this to Salamo Hoffman!" A voice shouted in Demos' head, the same voice from Lake Kallistei.

"What?" Demos thought aloud.

"Hmm?" Ebony's steel eyes were fixed on the object.

"No time to ask questions! Make haste to Eigles, now!" Without a second thought, Demos took off to the north. Ebony quickly reacted and followed. They finally stopped after an hour of traipsing in the dark.

"What are you doing?" Ebony panted, still holding on to the Brace. "Why can't we rest for the night? We'll be in Eigles tomorrow."

Demos said nothing. He just took a sip of water from his nearly empty canteen, and kept on walking. Ebony eventually gave up on trying to get Demos to speak. Before long, the light pollution of Eigles could be seen. As they crossed over a large hill, the silhouette of the arch that spanned the Eigles River came into view.

Upon entering the city, Demos stormed into the first phone booth he found. Looking through the phonebook and about a dozen people with the last name of Hoffman, he finally found Salamo Hoffman's address. He then proceeded to ask every pedestrian for directions to that address until he received the shortest, most accurate route.

* * *​

It wasn't the mailbox that told Demos it was Hoffman's house; it was the apparent lack of yard care and the state of disrepair. The floorboards on the front porch creaked from strain as Demos knocked on the door.

A long moment passed by. The sound of various things falling over and unlocking numerous locks emanated from the door. The door opened an inch or two, still kept shut by a bronze chain, revealing two red, puffy eyes.

"What do you want?" A hoarse Hoffman growled.

Rather than say a word, Demos pointed to the Brace in Ebony's hands. The door shut, followed by the sound of a small chain sliding, then swung open, and Hoffman's hands grabbed Demos by the collar and drug him in. Ebony slowly walked in, closing the door behind her.

Demos was drug towards a spiral staircase, thinking of what could be below, when Hoffman swerved left and threw Demos onto a metal stool. Glancing around, he noticed that he was in a small room with a dusty computer monitor, a small bookshelf stuffed with binders labeled with something to do with Saiken, and a steel table in the center of the room. Hoffman stepped out for a few seconds and returned shoving Ebony into the room. He snatched the Brace from her and placed it on the table.

"Where did you get this?" Hoffman got into Demos' face. He could smell sickening amounts of alcohol on his breath.

"First, tell me what you are doing." Demos tried not to vomit.

"Where did you get the Brace?" Hoffman's tone was rising. "This very same Brace was in my office just yesterday! Tell me, how did you get it?"

"We were just outside the city watching a meteor shower, when it fell out of the sky."

"Please! Do you really think that I'm that stupid? How did you get into my office and take that Brace? TELL ME!"

"I just did!" Demos shouted. "Now, tell me what the hell is going on!"

"We," Hoffman paused briefly to calm himself down. "We were doing research on the Braces. The Church gave us four of them, instructing us to press the button during a "Bonding." But we wanted to understand how they worked, as it was clear that they were not manmade. We tried everything to open them, activate them, you name it, but nothing ever happened.

"Then barely a month ago, I took three of them to Soranthel..."

"For the Bonding."

"Precisely. That was when something extraordinary happened. They actually worked when the center was pressed. I returned to Calus, hoping for the fourth to work the same way, but to no avail. I've been trying to figure it out for weeks. I left it on my desk last night as I was leaving. And now here you are, with my research."

Hoffman opened his mouth to speak again, but swallowed his words immediately. Pulling a flask out of his pocket, he took a quick swig and left the room. In the background, Demos could hear pots banging around.

In the moments Hoffman was gone, Ebony stood up and peered around the corner. She then silently strode over to the table and picked up the Brace, examining every aspect of it. Demos wanted to tell her to stop, but he couldn't help but wonder what the Saiken inside looked like. Before he could tell her to press the button to see if anything would happen, she did.

Miraculously, something did happen; a low hum, like a buzzing bee, crescendoed to a moderately loud, bass tone, and white light filled the room. When Demos opened his eyes, he dropped his jaw at what he saw. Before him was a three-foot long serpent with silver and black scales with a luster like polished steel. It's lower jaw protruded outward, and appeared to be made of keratin. It opened its eyes to reveal pearlescent pits seemingly with no end. Above its eyes was a crown or crest of sorts, also apparently keratin. The tip of its tail was shaped like a double ended sickle. The Saiken's most impressive feature was about a foot from its head: golden, bat-like wings stretched out four feet each. Covering the majority of the thin membrane between the "fingers" of its wings were elongated scales, almost like feathers.

The Saiken looked around the room for a brief moment before setting its pale eyes on Ebony. It then launched itself into the air with a mighty kick from its wings, the downdraft blowing Demos' hair out of his face, and wrapped itself around Ebony. It coiled around and around, most of its body hidden behind her. It stretched out its wings again, making her silhouette seem like an angel.

Hoffman stumbled into the room, mumbling about something. At the sight of the new Saiken, his eyes widened. "WHAT IS THAT?!" He screamed. The serpent opened its maw and hissed, a blinding light burning from deep within. "FIRST YOU STEAL MY BRACE, THEN YOU DECIDE TO TAMPER WITH IT?" What color was in Ebony's face disappeared as she desperately tried to apologize. "THIS! IS! FANTASTIC! MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS. BUT..."

"But what?" Ebony asked.

"But..." Hoffman lowered his face and began to feel his in pocket for his flask. "But the Government just let me go hours ago. Said I 'am no longer qualified to head the Saiken Research Department with my lack of results and questionable methods.' They've replaced me with a Canisraf, of all people."

"Who?"

"A man named Didier Mauviette," Hoffman said the name with a tone that clearly stated a prejudice for the Canisraves. "Despicable man, if you ask me. His methods are more questionable than mine; his cross the moral boundaries of even the worst criminal or politician. And he exemplifies all the stereotypes of Canisraves..." Hoffman rambled to himself for several minutes.

After taking several notes on the new Saiken, Hoffman asked Ebony to name it. The first word out of her mouth was "Meteorus."

"Fitting," Hoffman finished the notes. "It would be my honor if you two could stay overnight. I have more than one bedroom down and upstairs, and I'll order you two breakfast from a nearby restaurant that makes heavenly pancakes..." Demos and Ebony considered the offer for several moments. Stay in a strange place for free, with a drunk man whom Demos has only met twice before and has also offered to pay for breakfast at dawn, or stay in a strange place that would most likely overcharge the two and offer inadequate breakfast for a fee? The answer was obvious.

Hoffman set Demos and Ebony with bedrooms on the second story, Demos on the western end of the house, Ebony, the eastern end. Ebony was across the hall from Demos. The state of cleanliness only appeared to extend to the ground floor and below. Demos' room for the night was musty smelling, the bed creaked as he breathed, and massive cobwebs collected dust in the corners. It was the cobwebs that unnerved Demos; he'd always been terrified of anything with six or more legs that moved silently and potentially killed in a single bite or sting. He'd seen some pretty big spider webs back in Soranthel, but never this big. If it weren't for Lustream's nerve-settling fur, he probably would have never gotten any sleep that night.

* * *​

Ebony woke up just as the stars were fading. She opened the window and watched the sun rise up over the Eigles River Valley. The sparkling reflections cast by the river were hypnotic. Meteorus flapped over to the window and coiled itself up, watching the sunrise with Ebony. She scratched its silky-smooth, scaled head, and it affectionately nipped her finger.

A knock on the door an hour later brought her attention away from the sunrise. Hoffman's voice announced from the other side that it was breakfast time. She opened the door and saw Demos' head glide down the stairs. In the hall before the dining room, she found Demos just standing, wiping sleep from his eyes.

"Morning," She yawned. "Why aren't you going in?"

"Hoffman said to wait until-"

Hoffman's head immediately poked through the door, and he ushered them in. On the table were mounds of pancakes and biscuits, stacks of bacon, a pitcher of syrup, a tub of butter, a gallon of milk, another gallon of orange juice, and three set plates.

The only sound made during breakfast was the clanging of metal on porcelain. Hoffman was quite correct on the pancakes; they weren't too fluffy or too flat, they weren't syrup sponges or syrup-proof discs. They were just right. Who ever made the pancakes must've been the perfect grandmother.

Ebony officially announced breakfast over with a long, obnoxiously loud belch. While Hoffman took up the dishes and began clearing off the table, Demos and Ebony went upstairs, took individual showers, and prepared for departure. They returned downstairs to find Hoffman blocking the front door.

"Where do you think you're going?" He demanded.

"To Rimthwei, where else?" Demos sneered. "What's the cliché metaphor? 'The early bird catches the worm?'"

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, y-"

"Why not?"

"Because I have a plan," The balding man rose his tone. "A most preposterous, most treasonous, most dangerous plan."

"And what would that be?"

"I'm going to break into the Saiken Research Department. And you're going to help me do it."

 

[Charmander#4]

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.

 

[Dread Advocate]

SO CALUS

HOFFMAN MANOR, EIGLES, TURLOK, 0942 HOURS, 6/28/08 A.U.

It took a few seconds for Hoffman's words to sink in. When they did get through, Demos' eyes widened in disbelief. Surely the man was mad. No one since the beginning of the Chain Wars has ever broken into Calus, Turlok's capital, and lived to see the next day. During the war, so many years, men, and resources had been wasted attempting to besiege the city. This supposed "invincibility" became the source of most Turlok politicians' super-inflated egos.

"I think you've had too much to drink, Hoffman," Demos said. "That's insane, treacherous even. We'll be arrested, or killed."

"I do believe I said all those in some manner," Hoffman said. "But no matter. All three of us will benefit from this plan."

"How so? I don't think being placed in TCFPI is beneficial for me at all."

"Trust me." Without another word, the man walked out the door, opened a passenger door for a rusted, grey van, and invited Demos and Ebony in.

Demos started walking away from the vehicle, Ebony two steps behind him. But something in the back of Demos' mind was tugging at the van. Was it curiosity of Hoffman's ludicrous idea, or the fact that Calus was twenty miles south of Rimthwei? Perhaps a little bit of both. But whatever it was, Demos executed an about face and marched over to the van. He stood before Hoffman for a second, his crown barely coming up to the older man's eyes, quickly glared into his black eyes, and climbed into the leather seat.

"What are you doing?" Ebony said after climbing into the adjacent seat and Hoffman had closed the door. "I thought going to prison or dying weren't on the top of your to-do list."

"I don't know."

* * *​

The moderately long drive to Calus was mostly uneventful. At noon, they stopped at a small diner on the side of the road and feasted on the greasy deliciousness of burgers and fries, all of the expenses were covered by Demos. As they got closer and closer to Calus, Demos noticed that Hoffman was getting twitchy; he constantly looked left and right, he would rub the back of his neck every now and then, and kept his right hand on his left side inside his coat as if there were an injury or he were trying to keep an object in place. It wasn't until he could see the skyscrapers of Calus in the horizon that he stopped fidgeting.

The massive towers weren't the most impressive feature of Calus; buildings like that were all over the world. The most imposing sight was, instead, the Wall. The famed Wall of Calus was thought to be the reason why Calus never fell during the war. Nevertheless, the Wall stood sixty feet high, and made of a combination of various metals that gave it a silver sheen. After passing a checkpoint that had been abandoned since the Unification, the van entered a tunnel through the Wall. It took a good two minutes to pass through.

Most of the city seemed to be planned for an attack: almost all buildings, excluding the skyscrapers, older buildings, and anything of national importance, were no more than two stories tall. The streets were organized and clean, with an entire lane on both sides devoted to emergency vehicles and military personnel. Demos couldn't help but notice the amount of security everywhere. Small cameras were posted every ten yards, with at least two armed guards at every other corner. The closer they got to the center of the city, the more guards were seen and the taller the buildings got.

They parked the van in front of a small building with a faded sign that was impossible to read. The window, though, informed them that it was a bookstore and coffee shop with a dozen novels with crinkled, yellow pages. Hoffman turned back towards Demos and Ebony and told them to wait in the van for a few minutes. Before either could respond, he exited with a black bag strapped around his shoulders and entered the shop.

Hoffman must have lost track of time because they had been waiting for an hour. The summer heat was starting to seep into the van and sap the cold air from the deactivated air conditioner. Demos opened the door and stepped out into fresh air, Ebony did the same and leaned against the brick wall. He sat idly on the curb for several more minutes before a pair of officers approached him, hands on their holstered pistols.

"Hello, young man," The older officer said. A scar ran down the left side of his face. "Nice day, huh?"

"Yeah, it is." Demos wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Do you or this young lady happen own this van?"

"No, sir."

"If either of you don't own it, then why are you loitering around it?"

"They're planning to steal it!" The younger officer yelled before
Demos could answer. "We better call for back up!" He grabbed his radio and fumbled with his holster.

"No! Stop, rookie!" The seasoned man pulled the rookie to the front of the van. "This is not a back up situation. How do you know they're going to steal it? They never-"

At that moment Hoffman walked out of the store with the same black bag, a cup of steaming coffee, and a yellow plastic bag that read 'THANK YOU.'

"Is there a problem officers?" He said.

"Only my partner here. Do you know these two?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. They're my nephew, Anton, and the girl is his sister, Morgen. I'm taking them on a tour of Turlok as their graduation present from me. I happened to have forgotten some novels at home, so I stopped in here while I purchased some, they insisted on waiting in the van. Whilst searching for a good read, I happened to find the most beautiful girl I've seen in quite a while. The uncle in me wanted to continue on with my mission, but the gentleman in me wanted to buy the lady some coffee and chat. The gentleman won the battle, and so I began a friendly conversation. I lost track of time, and here we are now."

"I see," The veteran officer contemplated Hoffman's story. He seemed to buy it. "I'm terribly sorry for any trouble that I or my partner may have caused you and your relatives. Have a nice day, sir."

When the officers turned the corner, Demos began breathing again. Without a word, Hoffman jumped back in the driver's seat and cranked up the van. Demos hopped back in and closed the door behind him.

"Hey, Hoffman," Demos said. "Thanks for getting us out of that."

"Oh, it's no problem. That entire story is true, minus the part about us being related and the graduation present, of course."

* * *​

The Turlok Department of Defense Headquarters was the symbol of Turlok's physical might. Conveniently placed in the center of Calus, the Department included anything and everything having to do with national security and the military. The front steps of the eight story, black building led up to an all glass foyer. A banner of Turlok military propaganda hung between marble pillars outside.

The inside of the foyer was completely empty aside from a blonde woman at a desk that was decked with papers, a holoscreen, computer, and security camera feeds, and a lone guard standing in front of a long marble hallway. Security cameras were at every corner. Portraits of important military individuals and paintings of famous battles from various war decorated the stone walls.

Hoffman had told Demos and Ebony to stay in the van until he signaled for them, but to wear masks when he did and leave the Saiken. he stood in the center of the lobby for several minutes, focusing on his watch. Neither the guard nor the woman paid him any attention. After some time, Hoffman approached the guard.

The guard wore the standard military police uniform; black cargo pants, combat boots, and a black beret. Pinned to his chest was a badge that read 'R. Siegel.' He stood at a perfect parade rest. He had fiery hair with beady, black eyes. Even as Hoffman stood face to face with him, the guard didn't move a muscle.

"Afternoon, Roth," Hoffman spoke brightly. "Just came by to update some research. "

"Sorry, Mr. Hoffman," The guard Roth said in a deep, gravelly voice, and held his hand up. "I can't let you pass. It has come to my attention that you were released yesterday."

Hoffman stared at Roth for several moments. He could see his face turning redder than the guard's hair. His eyes twitched as he inhaled as if he were going to say something. But what happened next wasn't verbal.

Faster than he thought the he could move, Hoffman pulled a pistol out from his coat and aimed it straight at the guard's forehead. Roth didn't flinch, but calmly reached for his own pistol. The woman at the desk pressed a button next to her computer. Whatever was supposed to happen when she pressed the button never happened because she swore and pressed it several more times.

"Roth, I don't want to shoot you. But I will, if I have to. So hand your gun to me. Cooperate and nobody will get hurt," Roth handed his pistol to Demos. "Good," Hoffman turned his head to the woman. "You'd better come with us, NOW!"

Before Roth could move, Hoffman stuck his hed outside and whistled. Masks on, Demos and Ebony rushed into the building. Roth casually turned around and began marching down the corridor. Demos glanced at the desk and saw the holoscreen had an error message and the camera feeds were fuzzy with static. Hoffman lowered his gun to the small of Roth's back. The woman stood between Demos and Ebony; Demos could see both women hands were shaking. They stopped at four elevators and entered the first one that opened. Roth pushed a button for Basement Level 3, the doors closed, and they began their descent deep into the cold earth.

The ride in the elevator was longer than it should've been. But it gave Demos enough time to think about what Hoffman was doing, and how. What did Hoffman do in the bookstore other than speak to an attractive woman and buy books? He must've done something that messed up the building's security systems. No normal human could think of such a well planned crime in a few hours. But there's no such thing as normal, is there?

They reached the third sublevel with a ding. A cool, mechanized voice said "Basement Level 3: Military Courts, Foreign Affairs, and Saiken Research Department." Every hundred feet or so, a door that led into a courtroom would appear on either side. Demos could hear some courts in session. In one particular room, he heard a man screaming about Turlok's Army at the borders of Slavikaine, only to be interrupted with a simple "General Aanst..."

The very end of hall had a black door with a gilded sign that read:

SAIKEN RESEARCH DEPT.
HEADED BY
DR. SALAMO HOFFMAN

Beneath the scratched out letters of Hoffman's name, various curses in a foreign language, that appeared to be Canisraf, were scribbled. Beside the doorknob was a DNA scanner and input pad. Hoffman typed in a code and placed his naked eye before the scanner. A quick flash as his retina was scanned, and the door clicked open.

"Hmm," Hoffman chuckled. "I thought that I would've been taken out of the system by now."

The Saiken Research Department wasn't as magnificent as Demos had imagined. He always pictured a large group of old people in lab coats dissecting a deceased Saiken. What he saw, instead, was a small group of people in their thirties dressed casually, sitting at desks, throwing paper airplanes and hypotheses at each other. Some were buried in books and binders trying to make sense of what was known about the Saiken. None paied any attention to Offman's empty desk or the missing Brace. When the door opened, all of them looked up. Their eyes all widened at the same time as they rose to their feet and rushed to Hoffman. The resulting cacophony told that Hoffman was extremely popular with these people.

They all fell silent has an older gentleman strode across the room, arms behind his back, his large chin in the air. He was mostly bald except for a tuft of brown at the base of his skull. A thin mustache curled around his upper lip. Whatever he was wearing must've been the apex of fashion in Canisraf back when the war was beginning; a hideous array of colors wrapped around poofs and lace at all his joints. This man had to be Didier Mauviette.

"Get out of my lab," He growled in a posh tone. "'Offman. You don't deserve to even come wizzin a 'undred meters of zis building."

"As soon as I reclaim my research, you self-conceited prick," Before Hoffman did anything, though, he struck Roth Siegel and the woman from the desk across their temples. As they collapsed, unconscious, Hoffman swiftly walked over to the Canisraf and did the same before Mauviette could react.. "By the way, if any of you wish to rejoin me, I hear Rejyr is very nice this time of year." The research team shuddered excitedly at the mention of this.

Without another word, Hoffman began piling all the research into Demos' and Ebony's arms. After several minutes of loading files onto his computer and stacking folders and binders, Hoffman made for the door. Demos and Ebony quickly followed suit.

* * *​

They were at the doors of the lobby when the alarms went off. "Attention. Attention. Zis is Professor Didier Mauviette. Terrorists led by Salamo 'Offman 'ave infiltrated ze building. Protect all 'igh importance personnel at all costs, including our guest. Suspects are considered armed and 'ighly dangerous. Use lezal force." As the announcement ended and began to repeat, a dozen floor panels opened up and revealed automated machine guns. The guns scanned the lobby before locking onto the three trespassers.

"RUN!" Hoffman shouted.

They sprinted out the doors and down the marble steps as the machine guns opened fire. Glass shattered into billions of lethal pieces as countless metal slugs flew past them. Most bullets exploded in the pillars or the buildings across the street, others kept going down the open road. Demos and Ebony tumbled into the van, throwing all the research into the back. Hoffman fumbled with his keys as incendiary rounds burst on the van's metal plating, never penetrating, Ebony screamed from behind her mask/

When the van finally roared to life, Hoffman floored it and turned the corner as the police arrived. Hoffman never pulled over until they well beyond a mile outside the city. When they finally did stop at a crossroad, they were silent for a long time. The only sounds were passing traffic and their constant pants.

"Well, that sure was interesting," Hoffman said, slapping the steering wheel and Demos and Ebony removed their cowls.. "Everybody's okay?" Demos nodded, Ebony gave a shaky thumbs up. "Good. Well, I guess this is where we part, for the time being of course."

Demos and Ebony stepped out of the van and shouldered their bags, the Saiken at their feet. Hoffman waved good-bye and began driving westward. As the van disappeared over a hill, Demos realized that he and Ebony were a day's walk away from Rimthwei. Scooping Lustream up in his arms, he began walking northward. Meteorus flapped onto Ebony's shoulders and coiled around her body as she followed.

 

[Dread Advocate]

CONTEMPTA

2 MILES SOUTH OF RIMTHWEI, TURLOK, 2014 HOURS, 6/28/08 A.U.

How could he go on like this? His best friend was dead, and he abandoned his only other friend. He was going to hit her, Thais, his last remaining friend, the woman who had taken care of Demos when he couldn't. He couldn't figure out how he would confront Thais if he ever saw her again. Would she ever forgive him for being such an ass?

Galen couldn't recall a time when he was ever that angry. Even Obelix had never made him that angry. When he found Hoffman's home in Eigles, he was still full of so much rage, even though it had been a week since he stormed off from Thais. He grumbled to Hoffman briefly about the cave, then left, just as furious as when he arrived.

Back in the cave by Lake Kallestei, when he couldn't think things could get worse, a cool voice echoed in his mind. She, at least the voice sounded like a she, kept saying that everything will be fine, that they are all in the Composer's hands. Galen thought he was going mad until Demos woke back up and asked who the Composer is. The voice never returned to his head until he prepared to strike Thais.

"STOP!" She shouted in his mind. "Anger solves nothing! Put your fist down now!" And he did so.

And now, here he was, brooding in the forest two miles out of Rimthwei, ten yards from the road. He'd been sitting here for a day now. Anger and guilt prevented him from entering the city. Even through the treetops, the light pollution Hate Central produced penetrated. The weird thing was that he couldn't hear what the media always made the city out to be: a warzone. It was said that gunfire could be heard for miles outside the city, but Galen couldn't hear any. Even the animals were silent, as if they expected thunder and didn't hear it, but dare not cry lest it come back. It was the kind of eerie silence one would hear in a cemetery

Galen scratched his chin, noting that he needed to shave. He looked down at a sleeping Lavole. What was the point of it? This lizard-thing has only breathed fire like a dragon from legends. What use would that provide in a church? And why was Galen even following the Grand Masters' orders? He couldn't answer any of these questions.

Crunching gravel pierced the silence, stirring Lavole from its sleep. Galen looked at the road. Nothing. But the crunching sound kept approaching. Darkness then enveloped Galen, like someone had blown out a single candle in a dark room. He looked around wildly and saw where Lavole's flames had been were fading cinders. Its black pits reflected some of the light through the trees, the reflections aimed south. He heard its tongue licking the air.

A silhouette formed out of the shadows and kept creeping closer. It stopped at the small trail Galen had followed to the spot he was sitting at. The person looked around, long hair whipping around. Even though the city lit up the road, he still couldn't see the person's face. It was when they spoke did he realize who it was.

"Who's there?"

It was Thais. He hesitated. What was he going to do? Obviously, joy swarmed his chest, but there was guilt that the joy couldn't overtake. He dared not move, still afraid of what Thais would do to him for abandoning her.

She just stood there for a long time, long enough that Galen lost track of time. However long it was, it was just enough time for him to work up enough courage to speak. But before the words even formed in his throat, she turned and walked towards Rimthwei. He caugh the briefest glimpse of Slirnic following her.

When her footsteps faded off, warm light returned; Lavole's flames had reignited. But what did it matter? The last thing Galen remembered before slumber was a seemingly endless stream of tears.

* * *​

The humidity was the first thing he noticed when he stepped out of the private jet. It was always the first thing he noticed in Rejyr. Nothing had changed. The war had ended barely a month ago, the world was forever changed, except Rejyr. The resort city was always the same. Even during the war, Rejyr felt like there was no war, no strife, no worries in the world, like the only thing worth living for was to waste away at the beach or go bankrupt at one of the countless casinos.

The air conditioning inside the busy terminal was relief from the stifling heat outside, but no remedy for the humidity or sand. The sand was everywhere, indoors and out. No matter where he went, there were three things he couldn't escape in Rejyr: humidity, sand, and blinding lights.

There they were: the rest of his family, or at least the rest on his father's side. His father's parents, and aunt and uncle were gathered at the base of a column. Galen was on good terms with most of his family, especially his grandparents. As the current owener of Kokinos Enterprises (a very successful experimental weapons manufacturer dating back to the early days of the Chain Wars), his grandfather, Polemistis, bought out an entire floor of the Regia Hotel, and named it the Kokinos Suite. His great aunt Contempta, on the other hand, nobody seemed to get along with. She abused her brother's wealth, and was spiteful and nosy, always gossiping about anything and everything. Her name fit her well. Unfortunately for the family, she was there at the terminal, arms crossed, casting hideous glares at the financially less fortunate and commoners, a glass of expensive wine in her hand. The looks of agony were clearly painted on the family's faces, even her
own husband.

"Good evening, Mother, Father," Galen's father, Asynkratito, said as he embraced his parents. "We're so happy to see you."

"Likewise, Tito," Galen's grandfather grinned. "Galen, m'boy! You just keep getting bigger every year!" The old man walked over to Galen, hugging him and slipping one hundred credits into Galen's hands. "Have you been taking care of you father? You know he needs all the help he can get."

"You bet, Grandpa!" Galen grinned ear to ear. Both laughed at the elder's joke.

After a few more greetings and a bit more spoiling of Galen by his grandparents, Contempta walked over. Behind her were a dozen busboys, one of which carried a tray with three more full glasses of wine, another five completely dry except for a single drop of red at the bottom of each.

"Yes, yes. Welcome back, and all that other fuddy duddy riff raff," She held out her right hand, adorned with an assortment of copious rings. Tito and Galen's mother, Louloudi, kissed one of the rings each. Galen just stared at her like she was crazy. "Are you blind, boy?" With the gentle urging of his father, Galen kissed a ring like his parents. "That's more like it.

"Now, now, what do you think you are doing, dragging your belongings around like common folk..." Her obvious distaste for "common folk" was expressed when she squinted her eyes as she said it. She snapped her fingers and the busboys all grabbed something that belonged to Tito, Lou-Lou, and Galen.

Outside the terminal were two limos. Their bags were tossed into one, while they crawled into the other. The short ride to the hotel was mainly filled with Contempta's gossiping and gloating. When the limo stopped outside the Regia, everyone sighed, relieved that they wouldn't have to listen to her incessant boasting until dinner.

A mob of bellhops grabbed the luggage and took off to the Kokinos Suite. The suite, although perhaps too fancy for Galen's taste, was always one of Galen's favorite parts during these vacations. He always had a room to himself and received room service free of charge.

He scrambled onto the soft queen sized bed, hoping to catch a nap before dinner. As he shut his eyes, his mother entered the room, informing him that dinner was ready.

"But we just got rid of Aunt Contempta," He groaned. "I don't want to deal with her anymore."

"I know, sweetie," Louloudi said calmly. "None of us do."

"Why can't Grandpa and Grandma just kick her out?"

"I don't know..."

The dining room of the Kokinos Suite was a grand, red room. A fifty foot long mahogany table stretched across the room. Upon its surface were plates, trays, and bowls full of various foods cooked, grilled, baked, and broiled by the finest chefs in Turlok. Despite the size of the table, majority of the family sat at the end closest to the door, the end furthest from Contempta. The old woman sat on the end of the table, sipping her wine, upon a throne-like chair. She had overdressed for a simple dinner: a black silk dress one would expect to be worn at an awards ceremony of high esteem, and arm length kid gloves stretched as far as they would go.

"So, tell me Tito," Polemistis said after several minutes of silence. "How has the war's end affected you and your family?"

"Not that much, Father. Prices still have yet to come down, but I feel it's still a little too early to tell. How about the company? Is the Army still testing any of your products?"

"It hasn't affected us too much. Some of the more rambunctious individuals in the Army expressed disappointment at not getting to test any of the new weapons on Cantolese soldiers, as sick as that is. But, yes, they are still testing."

"How long do you think this peace will last? I think, and hope for that matter, that it will last to the end of my days and beyond. And those people who proposed the peace, the ones who started that "Church of Saiken" when the war ended, I think they're mad geniuses, mad more so than geniuses."

"Agreed, about both," He then lifted his glass of water. "And a toast to the peaceful end of a long and bloody war, may it last an eternity."

"Hear, hear." Everyone else at that end of the table followed the elder's example and sipped their water. When they had put down their glasses, Contempta pompously marched over and sat down on Galen's left.

"What is this now? Toasting without me? Tut tut. Now that won't do. What were you toasting?" She said with a posh tone.

"The end of the war." Her brother sneered.

"Bah! See how long your peace lasts! We humans were bred for war. When the war does return, Tito will go back and keep fighting for Turlok, the superior country."

"Contempta!" Everyone looked to see who had spoken. It was Louloudi. "That's enough. I won't let you talk like that about my husband in front of my son."

Contempta's eyes narrowed as she glared at Galen's mother. "Who do you think you are to order me around, common trash! Tito, dear, whatever happened to that girl you were with before you met this harlot? What was her name, Trixy?"

"Trita." Tito said gloomily.

"That's her! She was such a lady, and very pretty, too. What happened between you two?"

"Let's not go there, please."

"Oh, I see. You did your thing and left. Pity, I liked her very much."

"Enough!" Tito rose and stormed out of the dining room. His wife quickly followed.

"Gracious, look at the time. I think it's time for bed for young ones," Polemistis said, looking at Galen. "Off to bed, Galen. Come on."

Galen rose and followed his grandfather to his room. Before he left the room, he heard Contempta say, "Maybe that will tear them apart..." As they passed his parents' room, he heard his father sobbing and his mother's muffled voice trying to calm him down.

His grandfather placed him on the bed and pulled the covers over him. Just like Galen's own father, his grandfather checked if everything was okay. After being sure, he switched off the lights and began to close the door.

"Grandpa?"

"Yes, Galen."

"What did Aunt Contempta mean by 'did your thing and left' when she was talking to Dad?"

The question stumped Polemistis. How was he to respond to something like that? The boy would inevitably know someday, but was it his place to tell him? He said the only thing he could think of.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you. Ask your father when you get the chance."

"Okay. Good night, Grandpa."

"Good night, Galen." And he shut the door, leaving Galen in darkness.

Galen understood what Contempta had said, but not what she meant. He never did ask his father.

* * *​

More crunching gravel. That was what Galen noted first when he woke up. He looked down the road, and saw something. It looked like two people and a dog. One person he didn't recognize, but he could tell that this person was a girl. There was something like a snake wrapped around her body. The other person, he couldn't recognize either, that is, until the pair got closer.

It was Demos.

 

[Dread Advocate]

THE CURCH OF SAIKEN

2 MILES SOUTH OF RIMTHWEI, TURLOK, 1032 HOURS, 6/29/08 A.U.

This was impossible. Wonderful, but impossible. Surely this was a dream. He slapped himself several times just to be sure. What he saw before him was for real, or was it? There was only one way to be sure.

He stepped out into the open and stood there for a long time. The two approaching the city gasped. The girl began to slowly move her hands to her back. The guy squinted his eyes and closely examined the intruder. The girl finally began to bring her hands from behind, quickly this time, and aimed a gun at the stranger's head. The guy forced her to lower the gun. He began to slowly walk towards the intruder. When there was less than three feet between the two, he rushed and wrapped his arms around the other.

"I," He inhaled, trying to hold back tears. "I thought you were dead."

"Same here, Demos," Galen didn't try to stop the tears as he returned the embrace. "I thought I was never going to see you again. How did you get separated from us?"

"I don't know. One minute you were right in front of me, then I was hanging upside down, and the next minute, I'm breaking into the Department of Defense with Ebony and Hoffman." Demos said quickly.

"Whoa, slow down. You did what? Who's Ebony?"

"I am." The girl said, turning the gun's safety on.

"Nice to meet you."

"Galen, where's Thais? Don't tell me you were separated, too." Demos asked.

"No, we weren't. Well, not until we were out of the cave."

"Tell me everything." Galen slowly regaled his ventures since exiting the cave, including seeing Thais the night before. Demos never interrupted, but clearly showed frustration when Galen spoke of him abandoning Thais.

"We'd better go to the Cathedral. I'll fill you in on what's happened to me and Ebony."

They began to walk towards Rimthwei. Galen thought he had it bad before Demos told his tale, but after realizing everything that had happened to him, Galen felt like his ventures for the past month were nothing but a simple hike. But Demos' mishaps weren't what troubled Galen the most, though he was concerned. It was confronting Thais at last that worried him.

* * *​

When he had finished speaking to Galen, his friend continued walking, eyes down, as if he were deep in thought. Demos noticed how Ebony was trailing behind. She seemed troubled. He stopped walking, Galen continuing, and waited for Ebony to reach him.

"What's wrong?" He asked when she did catch up.

"Hmm?" She too seemed deep in thought. "Oh, nothing. I just don't know what to make of this guy. He seems like a real hothead."

"He's been my best friend since we started school. There's nothing to worry about," Demos assured her. "But he can be a little... irrational. That's how he got most of those scars, and how the two of us got into so much trouble back home."

"Are you sure he's your best friend?"

"Of course."

"Then why haven't talk about him as much as you talked about Thais?"

Ebony's last statement forced Demos to stop. He didn't know why. He thought long and hard on that subject. She was right, of course, Demos almost never talked about Galen; he talked about Thais more. While he was still struggling for an answer, Galen stopped walking at the top of a hill.

"There it is," He said monotonously. "Hate Central."

Not unlike Calus, the city had skyscrapers most of the city, in fact, was skyscrapers. Unlike the capital, Rimthwei sat on a large, rocky island off the coast of the country. Because the center was supposedly impossible to build on, the entire city was built around the center piece of land.

At the base of the hill, spanning across a quarter mile strait, was the Rimthwei Bridge. It's two towers rose up and joined themselves with the city's skyline. Even from this distance, the web of suspension cables that kept the bridge's deck from collapsing into the water below could be seen. Without a second word, Galen continued to the bridge.

Demos was having trouble staying calm. After all the struggles he'd been through for the past month, all his close calls to death, never did he think he would make it to the last place on the planet he thought he'd be. But he couldn't really say he'd made it yet; there was still a mile in the way. That last mile passed by quickly.

The bridge from a distance was quite imposing, up close it was marvelous. How the dangers of the city never destroyed bridge Demos couldn't fathom. As they walked over the bridge, power seemed to surge from the granite and through their veins. One tower down. They were halfway across. Before they knew it, they were through the second tower's arch. They were officially in Rimthwei.

There was no way that this city was Rimthwei. There were many people on the streets, but none of them were shooting or stabbing each other. Men in suits and women in formal skirts walked down the sidewalk carrying briefcases as if they were heading to work. It had been nine years since any news program did a report about Rimthwei, back when the war ended and the Grand Masters began the Church. In that report, the city was a violence-ridden hell, but not anymore. Now, it was almost normal.

A small group a people, no more than six, took notice of the strangers walking down the street, all of them clearly weathered. They stared at these travelers for several seconds before noticing the creatures with them. They surrounded the newcomers, stopping them in their tracks. They stood in silence before as one they turned and began marching towards the center of the city.

Big and green. Those were the first two words Demos thought when they reached the center. It was a vast park in what was supposed to be hell on earth. As they followed the group through the park, Demos noticed how Lustream was darting on and off the path, rolling in the grass as it went. But Lustream wasn't the only one acting strange, for a Saiken anyways. Meteorus was coiling around every other tree, then flapping to another, all the while making joyful hisses. Lavole somehow extinguished its flames and joined Lustream in its hyper spell.

They came to a stop. At the end of the park, several hundred yards from where they stood, was the Cathedral. A neo-gothic structure of what looked like pearl. A massive stained-glass rose window hung above a pair of giant wooden doors. Between flying buttresses were regular windows. At the back of the building rose a bell tower.

Demos couldn't hold it in any longer. He sprinted off towards the Cathedral. Ebony glanced at Galen and took off after Demos. Galen began to slowly walk. Thais was somewhere over there. He was still afraid to see her again. But something in him escaped, and he began to run after Demos and Ebony. Several seconds into his sprint, Demos saw someone at the steps of the Cathedral. More excitement filled him when he saw who it was.

* * *​

She looked up. Three people were running towards the Cathedral, and by extension, her. She braced herself, not wanting to fight. One of them, the one at the front, was yelling something. The closer they got, the clearer the message became. It sounded like her name. "Thais!" The person shouted. But that voice...

No. It was impossible. And yet, here he was, alive and well, running towards her. Before she knew it, Demos had nearly knocked her over in a choking embrace. Neither of them said a thing for a long time. They just stood there, hugging, in front of the Cathedral.

Another person approached them, a girl. She was short and had black hair. But before this girl could say a thing, someone else came from behind her. It was Galen. Anger surged through her. She let go of Demos and stomped over to Galen. He saw her coming, stopped, widened his eyes, but did nothing else as her hand came swiping across his face twice. His face slowly reddened, but where her hands met his flesh was turning red faster. Without a word, she turned around and walked away.

"Thais," Demos said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "This is Ebony. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for her."

"I've heard quite a bit about you." The girl said, holding out her hand. But rather that shake her hand, Thais gripped her in a hug.

"Thank you." Thais whispered in Ebony's ear, low enough that Demos couldn't hear.

The group all stopped at the base of the steps. The pearly building was more impressive up close that from a distance. The rose window featured a stained glass septegram. On the arch around the wooden doors was a single word seemingly carved into the arch:

BENEDICAT

Upon the doors themselves was a perfectly symmetrical septegram with a circle. Other than that one carving, the door was perfectly smooth and unblemished.

As one, they all took a deep breath and began to ascend the steps. Before the first step was taken, Lustream, Lavole, and Meteorus returned, lined up next to Slirnic, and followed their partners into the Cathedral. When they had reached the top, the doors opened with a mighty groan.

The interior was completely empty. There were a few columns supporting the pale roof and an altar at the back with doors on either side. Behind the altar was the choir, with a single door in the middle. There were no chairs, no pews, no soft cushions. It was all just reflective floor. As they walked towards the altar, their steps made no sound, maintaining the serene silence. In the very center was another septegram on the polished floor.

As soon as they stopped, the side doors and the door in the choir opened. Out of the left hand door came Anastasius, what silver hair he had almost blended in with the walls. His goatee was tucked into the belt of his azure robes. Gaia emerged out of the door on the right, wearing royal purple robes. And from the central door came a man clad in emerald robes whom none of them knew. He was extremely tall, with black hair that was parted down the middle. His most astonishing feature were his eyes: they were silver like Meteorus' pits.

"Welcome," He said, his voice deep and booming, intimidating yet soothing. "Welcome, young ones. I am Bastiaan. You should already be acquainted with Anastasius. You," He pointed a massive finger to Thais. "Have already met Gaia.

"Please, sit down," He said as he waved a hand, forming four chairs out of thin air. "All four of you were summoned here whether you know it or not, and surely you have questions. Our first task is to answer you."

"Why were we summoned?" Galen asked. "Why us? What makes us so special out of the millions of people on Laesché?"

"The Composer," Anastasius said. "He chose you for reasons unknown to even us. Whatever the reasons are, they will be revealed to you when the time comes."

"Who is the Composer?" Thais spoke up.

"He is."

"He is what?"

"He just is. There is no possible way to explain and understand Him. He is past, present, future. He is your Creator. He is."

"What are the Saiken for?" Demos said. "And the Braces, for that matter?"

"The Saiken are the physical manifestations of beings greater than humans, but lesser than the Composer," Gaia explained. "The Braces are how the Saiken came to this world. Each Brace was sung by the Composer, and is a vessel for but a fraction His awesome powers for humans to use."

"And these powers are how the Saiken did those things they did in the cave?"

"Yes. It is their faith in the Composer that allows them to perform such acts."

"But they're just animals? How can they know of a greater power?"

"They are far from animals. Listen."

Demos listened, but heard nothing, not even his own breathing or traffic outside. Then he heard something. It was like a faint whisper inside his mind.

"I take it that we may now reveal ourselves, Masters?" The same voice Demos heard at Lake Kallestei and when he and Ebony found Meteorus' Brace echoed in his mind. He looked at the Grand Masters, who were looking down at the Saiken and nodded in unison. "Finally... Demos, I've been waiting a very long time to say this. You know me as Lustream, but you may also call me Hydruvius."

Demos looked down at Lustream. Shock filled him. This little otter-like creature was the source of the voice that made him think he was going insane. But then more voices came.

"I'm Florioscorn, or Slirnic."

"I go by either Lavole or Pyraela."

"And I am known as Albrorius." The only Saiken remaining was Meteorus.

"These Saiken weren't selected by the Composer to Bond with you," Anastasius said. "They volunteered. Though they know not the dangers that lie before you, but will never leave your side. They were guided by the Composer to bring you here. Without them, you three would still be in Soranthel, and you, Ebony, would still be in the cottage in the Aei Mountains."

"Can we use these powers too?" Galen asked.

"Yes," Bastiaan said. "Not quite to the extent of the Saiken, or Anastasius the day he saved you from that wretched boy. But yes, you can."

"Will you teach us?" Ebony said.

"In time. But first you must have faith in the Composer, for through faith, you can do anything. And I do believe it is time for you to experience the Composer. If you will please stand up."

They stood up and formed a circle, backs to each other. The Saiken each stood before their partner, three feet away exactly.

"Remain calm and focused..." Anastasius whispered.

"Open your heart and your mind..." Gaia continued.

"And embrace creation!" Bastiaan's voice boomed through the Cathedral.

The Saikens' eyes glowed a light shade blue. Demos stared straight at Lustream, or did it prefer to be called Hydruvius? He'd ask it later, he thought to himself. As he stared into its eyes, he felt a warmth take over him, starting in his chest and rapidly spreading to his extremities. His vision went white. He looked around and saw nothing but white. A tingle sensation began to fill him. The warmth left and changed to freezing cold, then to scalding hot, and back to lukewarm. Something brushed against his mind. It was gentle, calming.

"Who are you?" Demos whispered in his mind.

No response. He asked again.

"I am," A loud voice rumbled through his head. It sent vibrations all the way down to his toes. Fear filled Demos. "I am the Composer. I am. Are you afraid, Demos Colonomos?"

Demos didn't answer. He wasn't just afraid, he was terrified.

"Do not be afraid. I painted you into existence, I sung life into you, I chose you for great things... and I love you."

And then it was over. He was back in the Cathedral, standing in front of Lustream, behind his friends. He was covered in sweat, and were those tears? His heart pumped like it had never pumped before.

"I need to sit down." He said as he returned to the chairs. There was no way a human could comprehend such awesome power. It was terrifying, yet wonderful at the same time. But was it real? How did he know it wasn't some sort of hallucination caused by the inhalation of some kind of gas or fumes? Demos decided that he would play along, but be very skeptical of this stuff.

Galen and the girls stood where they were and excitedly shared their experience with the Composer. Lustream walked over to Demos and crawled into his lap.

"Which name do you prefer to go by?" He asked. "And when I don't refer to you by name, do I say he, she or it?"

"All of us, that is, all Saiken, prefer to be called by our names given to us by the Composer; the names we told you earlier. The name you've been calling me and the others for the past month are the names we gave to each other before we knew our real names. But, only the Composer knows our real name until we are Bonded. After you and I were Bonded, I learned that my real name was Hydruvius," Hydruvius calmly replied. "And I'm a male. So are Florioscorn and Albrorius. Pyraela is female."

The Grand Masters then walked over to the group and waited for Galen, Ebony, and Thais to calm down.

"Congratulations. You have all taken your first step into becoming a believer." Bastiaan said.

"Over the next few days, weeks, months, years, however long it takes, you will learn more about the Composer, the Saiken, and how to better yourselves and others." Anastasius continued.

"You will have a house fairly close to the Cathedral. The Saiken will guide you to it. We will see you tomorrow at noon." Gaia concluded.

* * *​

Hydruvius, Pyraela, Florioscorn, and Albrorius guided them to a two story house with an overlook two blocks away from the Cathedral. Upon its front door was the same seven-pointed star they saw on the Catherdral doors and floor. A mailbox next to the door had their names etched on it. The interior was very plain with white walls and hardwood floors. The kitchen had a four-person table, an oven, and the cabinets and refrigerator were stuffed with food and drink. The sitting room had two sofas and a television. Upstairs had two bedrooms, each with two beds and a bathroom, what looked like a playroom that the Saiken invaded as soon as the door opened, and the door to the overlook. They sat on the overlook in silence until nightfall.

As he climbed into his new bed, Demos kept trying to make sense of all this. It was impossible, and yet it was all before him. He didn't know what to believe. He'd have to just listen to the Grand Masters' teachings and hope for the best.

Until then, he was finally reunited with his friends.

 

[Dread Advocate]

INSPECTION

RIMTHWEI, TURLOK, 1412 HOURS, 9/20/10 A.U.

Two long years. That's how long they'd been in Rimthwei. It didn't feel like two years; more like twenty. But it was two. Two years with no absolutely no contact with their parents. Two years of strenuous lessons on how to use powers through faith. And for Demos, two years of doubt.

As his friends grew in their faith in the Composer, he noticed physical changes in their Saiken partners. Florioscorn's tusks and three horns had almost doubled in length. A new pair of horns were beginning to sprout upon his brow. The plant-thing on his back pulsated less often and was growing a myriad of tree saplings. A set of spines were growing down Pyraela's back, the oldest ones ablaze with a candle flame. Albrorius had grown stubby legs. Fangs formed in his beak. All of them had doubled in size. But Hydrivius was the same as he was the day he and Demos were Bonded; not exactly, perhaps a few inches taller.

Demos assumed Hydruvius' lack of growth was because of his, Demos', brief brushes with the Composer. Once every other month or so, he would encounter the same voice he had encountered the first day in the Cathedral. Despite all these experiences with the Composer, he still doubted whether it was real or not. The Grand Masters and his friends knew that he was doubting. When they all found out, his friends tried to force him to believe, but the Grand Masters warned that trying to force one to believe in the Composer only makes them shut their minds and that they should let Demos believe in his own time.

Struggles aside, good had come out of the two years in Rimthwei. Thais and Galen had finally come to terms, forgiven and forgotten, and now talk as if there was never any friction between them. As a part of their lessons, the Grand Masters will often send the Saikenites and their partners throughout Rimthwei and witness to others. On a monthly average, the Church will add one or two people to the roster. Some time after these people join the Chruch, a Brace will fall to the earth and the human and Saiken are Bonded.

Just a few days ago, two things happened. The first was Demos and Thais overheard a piece of a conversation between Galen and Ebony in the early hours of the morning. All they heard was Galen saying, "-night out on the town in a few days?" followed by Ebony giggling and replying, "Yes, but not a word to the others."

The other was they received a letter from Hoffman. The letter stated that he and his team were safely set up in Rejyr and that he was coming to Rimthwei to check on the Saiken. The letter ended with Hoffman planning to be at the Cathedral by 1400 hours on 20 Gelunsis.

It was twelve past Hoffman's set time and he still hadn't shown up. Demos, Thais, and Galen remembered how late he was for his meeting with them back in Soranthel, when they were Bonded with Hydruvius, Florioscorn, and Pyraela respectively. Prepared for the worst, they began to sit down. Before any of them made contact with the polished floors of the Cathedral, the grand doors opened, Hoffman casually walking through them, a bag strapped around his shoulders. He looked almost the same as when he brought Demos and Ebony to Calus, rough and sickly. But he shaved off his mustache, and cut off most of his hair, a bad comb over covering a large bald spot. And something about the air around him seemed more cheerful.

"Good afternoon, sorry I'm late," He said gleefully. "It's been quite a while time. Now, where are they?" Just as he said it, the Saiken traipsed in from the park. "Oh! Wonderful! Let's get down to business." He pulled out a clipboard, several measuring instruments, and a bag of potato chips.

"Resettling in Rejyr has been a lot easier than I thought it'd be," He said as he began to inspect Florioscorn. "It's unbearably hot and humid, though. Have any of you been there?"

"I used to take annual vacation there to visit my grandparents," Galen said. "My grandfather owned Kokinos Enterprises."

"The weapons manufacturer? Impressive. Anyways, despite the heat and humidity, life there is extremely easy. The government isn't hounding me like I expected, but they haven't recanted the search warrant for my arrest; they still think I'm a terrorist. But luckily, they haven't placed an ID on you two." He pointed to Demos and Ebony as he moved onto Pyraela.

Hoffman continued taking measurements and notes, briefly mentioned that he was resettled in a slum several blocks away from the Regia Hotel, then continued in silence. When he approached Hydruvius, his face became a mask of disappointment. He measured Hydruvius' height, then packed up his instruments.

"Well then, it was a pleasure to see you all again," He said. "But I must return to Rejyr."

"What about the other Saiken?" Galen said.

"There are more?" His eyebrows went up in excitement.

"About thirty more. But you'll-"

"Take me to them!"

"As I was saying, you'll have to wait until tonight's service. Almost all of our fellow members come for services every other evening and every Prodies morning."

"Sure," Hoffman groaned. "Just don't try to convert me to your psychotic practices."

"It's your choice to believe or not," Thais said. "We'll encourage you to at least listen, but we won't force you."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," The Saikenites began to disperse. "Oh, Demos, could I have a word?" Demos hastily walked over to the older man. "Do you have any idea why Lustream has barely grown while Slirnic, Lavole, and Meteorus have doubled in size and basically changed into new creatures?"

"Only a theory." Demos said.

"Let's hear it, then."

"I think the reason Hydruvius-"

"Hy-what?"

"Hydruvius. That's Lustream's real name."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"He told me."

"And how did it manage that."

"He and I have some sort of telepathic connection. We all do; us and all the Saiken."

"I see, and did he do a little dance and sing afterwards?" Hoffman sneered. "Sorry. Go on."

"Well, I think Hydruvius hasn't grown as much because I'm not so sure in my faith, whereas Galen and the girls are confident in their faith."

"Please don't tell me the Grand Masters have you caught up in their insane ways. I thought you were a sensible man, Demos. I thought you could see through their madness and see nothing but a bunch of close-minded idiots! There's no logical reasoning that belief in a greater power, that doesn't even exist, can have a physical affect on an animal."

"No, they don't. I'm not sure about this entire gig. I like the sound of it; life after death and all that stuff. But I... I just don't know."

Hoffman just stood there, scratched his chin with on hand, and fiddling with his bifocals with the other.. It seemed like he was thinking about what Demos said. Before he could continue, he glanced behind Demos and walked towards whatever drew his attention. When Demos looked, Hoffman was conversing with Bastiaan and Anastasius.

Demos left the Cathedral for the house, never unclenching his fists.

* * *​

This wasn't the first time he had skipped evening services. He did so every now and then. He just sat in the sitting room, doing nothing, not even watching TV. Why was he so angry? What did Hoffman do to make him feel like this? But then he remembered: Hoffman insulted Hydruvius, his friends, and the Grand Masters. Besides, ever since he met the man, there was something he didn't like. He didn't know what, but there was something very irritable about Hoffman.

A few hours later, the others walked in the house. The Saiken stayed outside in the park, wandering around like they did every now and then. Hydruvius once said that the park was and still is hallowed ground, and that by merely stepping into the park, they gain sustenance from the Composer. While Galen and Ebony began to cook dinner, Thais sat down next to Demos and turned the TV on.

"We missed you tonight," She said as she flipped through channels. "Anastasius delivered a wonderful message on finding your purpose."

"Great." Demos grunted.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Demos, I've known you long enough to know when there's something wrong with you," She turned her head to look him in the eyes. "Please, tell me what's wrong."

He just sat there, staring at the screen, doing his best to ignore her.

"Did any of us do something to upset you? Or does it involve Hoffman?" Demos mumbled something unintelligible. "What?"

"I said Hoffman insulted you, them," He pointed at Galen and Ebony. "The Grand Masters, and everyone else having to do with the Church."

"So? It's his choice if he doesn't want to believe. It'd be nice if he would open up, but we won't force it upon him. Same way with you-"

"But I do believe, I'm just not so sure about how real it is!" Demos shouted, then jumped up and stomped up to the room he shared with Galen.

An hour later, Demos heard the others coming up the stairs. Galen opened the door and stepped in. The girls continued on to the overlook. After the door to overlook was closed, Galen walked over to Demos' bed, put a plate on his nightstand, then sat down in his own bed.

"You okay, man?" He asked quietly.

"Drop it," Demos snapped. "Now."

"Alright. But I'm here if you need me." Galen said as he got up and walked out towards the overhang. Demos never touched his dinner.

Demos was half asleep by the time everyone else was coming in for bed. He put his head up in the dark as Galen opened the door. But he wasn't alone. Demos couldn't tell who Galen was with.

"Shall we go on a walk tomorrow night then?" Galen whispered.

"Sure." The other whispered. Demos took a few seconds to figure out who it was, but realized that Galen was talking to Ebony. Then he heard a noise, like kissing. "Good night." Ebony whispered as she left the room.

Galen struggled to turn on the lamp on his nightstand. When he finally did, Demos saw through squinted eyes Galen grinning. When he was finally in his bed, he turned the lamp off. Galen's snores almost immediately followed.