The Trees

[Woo]

Sam weaved in and out of the crowd, following the instructions given by the giggling woman's voice. At one point he heard an urgent, whispered "Duck!" from her, and no sooner had he done so than a large fish was hurtled past his head. Other than that, the gate swiftly came into view and the walk there was swift. Sam might have looked natural, like he belonged there, where it not for the perplexed look on his face and the way he kept glancing over his shoulders.

"Who are you?" He muttered quietly. "And where are you?"

"Oh, don't mind that! You'll find out in time, I'm sure of that much." She purred; you could hear her smile in her voice. "Now, just walk in through the gate, and you'll find your friends!" Her feigned exasperation was somewhere between endearing and irritating.

Sam continued through the gate, unchallenged, into a square so lavish and vast that the far wall was nothing but a white blur. Just inside the gate, a small collection of figures stood remonstrating loudly. A few of them wore the robes of the court mage acolytes; two men in guard uniform held another, far shorter, figure by the shoulders; a tower watchman stood howling desperately, gesturing to the final figure who was pointing to the guards prisoner and then to himself. Sam set towards them at a jog, swiftly recognizing Henry and Jaggery, and not wanting to be left behind when they saw the King.

"Run, Sam (Name? Thingyblade.) You shall all have to hurry along! It will not do to keep the Royal Family waiting..." she giggled lightly, before falling silent. Sam wasn't sure if she had left him, or if she was just laying low to watch...

"Henry! Jaggery! I thought I'd lost you!"

[Relym]

(Bladesong, I believe)

"By the Gods, lad, you gave us a scare." Jaggery tried to sound angry, but he smiled despite himself. "Where in the world did you get off to?"

"I don't know. The crowd swept me away, I suppose." Sam said. "So uh... how did we get in here, anyway?" He wheeled around, examining the gates from the interior. He thought they looked much more beautiful from this perspective.

"Well, I used Ulysses's- oh, that's the guard that thought we were faking the dragon heart," Henry added at Sam's confused stare. "I used his device to communicate with someone on the inside. We're waiting for someone to come and search our memories." Sam gulped.

"Why not just scan your memories? Wouldn't it be a waste of time to examine all three?" Sam tried to keep his voice level, but it broke.

"Royal policy, apparently." Henry answered, one eyebrow raised. "You got something worth hiding?"


"No, no, of course not." Sam spat hastily. "How far do you think they'll go back? Certainly no father than when we all met."

"We'll just have to find out, won't we?" Jaggery said, also sounding skeptical. "Oh, you've got something on your shoulder, let me get that." He offered brushing at Sam's tunic.

"Gah! Ahhhh! Ugly brute!" The helpful feminine voice shouted and faded into silence.

"That's a big fly," Henry voiced, watching the insect bumble away.

"Whoah, wait!" Sam cried, and caught the bug out of the air with both hands. "You... you've been giving me directions." It wasn't a question. A small wiggling seemed to be coming from within his fingers, and he held them up to his ear.

"...do a good job? Didn't I help you find your friends? Don't squish me, please!"

[Woo]

(I did not see the fly thing coming! )

"You're a FLY?! I've been taking directions from a fly all this time!?!" Sam sputtered, his eyes wide in amazement as he stared at the large bluebottle that trembled in his palm.

"But I got you here! Please, don't squash me!" Her faint little voice pleaded desperately. Her wings trembled as she edged backwards.

"No, don't worry... I won't squish you. You can do what you like." Smiled Sam. The fly seemed to relax at that.

"Right!" Ulysses interjected. "It isn't usual practice to have weird little people from the street strut about and barge their way in before Royalty... And I don't think its safe to have you all in at once!" He glared at each of them in turn, clearly unhappy at having to deal with them at all. He pointed to Henry. "You there! Pail, was it? You're first!" He snapped.

"Erm, Quail. Henry Quail, sir." Henry corrected, stepping forward.

"Whatever! We'll find out soon enough." he scowled. "Shouldn't take long... If you're telling the truth, not hiding anything, then you'll be sorted in no time." He waved Henry over to a small group of the palace Acolytes, being overseen by a senior Magi; they where waiting silently.

(Damn, I have the uneasy feeling it could take forever to get S'kendra back! XD Unless Relym has a magic plan here. )

[Relym]

For a brief moment, it looked like they were going to pass through the enormous front doors of the palace. The sixty-foot enchanted oak portal loomed over them for a few moments before Ulysses steered them to the right, and around the side of the castle. The lawns were beautiful, and appeared to be pampered with more care than any of the servants scurrying across them. "Don't walk on the grass, peasants." Ulysses ordered without turning to look at any of them. "Those servants have enchanted work boots that prevent them from ruining it." Henry followed the feet of the nearest servant, and sure enough, the grass did not bend beneath them.

"Impressive." Henry admitted, "Demeaning, but impressive." Soon, the procession halted. Ulysses seemed to have stopped for no reason. He pulled a key from his pocket, jabbed it straight into the ground, and then took a few steps back. Sam, Jaggery, and Henry all exchanged bewildered looks before facing forward again, eager to see what would happen. There were another few seconds of tense silence, and then a cylinder began to rise from the ground with a rumble. It was just wide enough to hold two or three normally-sized people. "Wow." Henry gaped.

"Alright, then. Who's first?" Ulysses looked between the three of them, waiting for one of them to step forward.

"I'll go," Jaggery offered and followed Ulysses into the... whatever it was. Ulysses opened a door using a handle that appeared on the side of it with the use of another key, and the inside was a plain metallic tube. After the door shut after them, the whole thing sunk back into the ground and Sam and Henry were left to stand awkwardly.

"Now I wish I had gone. I'm dying from the curiosity." Henry chuckled, and leaned against the palace wall. He yelped and jumped forward, rubbing his shoulder. "Blast it! Everything is electrified in this place!" Sam, who was about to pick a flower, stopped and stood upright again.

"Alright then, you can go next," Sam said. "I am not looking forward to going in there."

"Why not?" Henry asked gently. He was hoping to get an explanation.

"I'm uh... claustrophobic." Sam fabricated quickly.

"Right, right. I wonder how long it takes to search someone's memory properly." Henry mused. He could remember when Thanatos had tried to invade his mind in the snowy woods just a few days prior, and shuddered. He hoped that the magicians here were a bit more tactful.

[Woo]

Henry and Sam, assuming a long wait, began to get themselves settled on the grass. They chatted quietly for a moment or two, before hearing a faint and highly muffed commotion. Raised voices were just barely escaping the sealed chamber below, though no words made it to the surface. Suddenly the cylinder rose from the ground in front of them. Ulysses emerged with a face like thunder, flanked by two hooded acolytes in loose, hanging robes of the Royal colours.

"Why didn't you tell us about the wizards?" he growled. "Where are they?"

Henry was shocked by this sudden change in personality. "I... I thought it wouldn't matter, given they can't enter the city-" He tried to explain.

"CAN'T ENTER THE CITY!?! They can't use magic within the city, but do you really think they would not try to find a way to enter? The only one who can't enter is Darien! The others come and go as they please! You could well have caused a small scale disaster!" The little man was practically screeching now, causing both Henry and Sam to almost visibly shrink. "Where are they?!? And where is the girl?" He hissed the last sentance, turning bright red in his attempts to restrain himself.

Henry and Sam glanced at one another. Had he not gone that far back in Jaggery's memories? Surly he must know S'kendra  had died! Ulysses looked from one perplexed face to the other, seething with fury brought on by panic. What would the mistress do when she found out about this? If these fools where smart enough to survive Thanatos and Zentara for so long, they must be smart enough to know what kind of creature they kept company with! He was preparing to launch into another full-scale rant, when a peculiar, yet destinct voice rang out across the courtyard.

"Ulysses! Stand down! I believe the mistress is waiting for her guests?" A purring smugness seemed to drip from the masculine voice; Henry and Sam glanced around for its source, only to spot a large tiger approach, being closely followed by a decrepit looking old wizard. Surly, this ancient looking man couldn't have mustered such an authoritative tone?

The huge tiger slunk forwards at a leisurely pace, wound its way once around the bizarre column that Ulysses and the acolytes, who both bowed solemnly, still stood in, and they sat, looking rather regal while waiting for the old wizard to catch up. The tiger glanced at Henry and Sam, before pulling what can best be described as a charming smile, and uttering "Greetings" to the two perplexed young men.


(Hope I'm not spoiling anything!)

[Snowman]

Name: Causaldeir
Age: 29
Class: Medium
Weapon: Walking stick
Alignment: Evil (for now, perhaps..)


A figure loomed upon the tallest mountain peak overlooking the Royal City. Initially Causaldeir had been instructed to guard the farthest North passes to the city, but had migrated so close as a feeling dwelled inside him about the end of his overlords grasp on the land. He stood in a circle of carefully placed Phorus Runes and knelt down gingerly, clutching his walking stick to avoid tumbling over from his weak knees. It was only Causaldeir's age that argued his appearance and demeanor. His skin was wrinkled and tattered, as an old man's may be after living much war. He limped around as well, helplessly drained of the youth he once had.

The long sleeves of his dark robe danced in the wind as Causaldeir held his arms straight out in front of him and uttered a strange language into the harsh mountain air. The voice wavered yet seemed to carry for miles into the sky. A force grabbed hold of Causaldeir and strangled him. He dropped to his stomach and gagged for breath. The skin on his face was horrifically stretched and mutilated, until the grasp of his overlord disappeared and his skin receded back into the wrinkles he lived inside. The message sent to him was now burned into his mind, the orders that were now inflicted upon Causaldeir. He grasped his walking stick with feeble hands and strained to lift himself to his feet, then hastily collected the Runes into a knapsack.

He swirled his walking stick in the air nonsensically, uttering dire words under his breath. His long brown hair flowed in a crude manner to this ritual, and as the hex was completed Causaldeir placed his walking stick back on the ground and leaned all his weight upon the stick from exhaustion. Black creatures flew from the Dimnro Forests to where Causaldeir stood, a large swarm of them. These were ravens, and soon the cloud of ravens had reached him and flew circles above the man. Through the hex, he spoke to them and issued a command for the ravens to fly into the Royal City, and investigate this growing perception he had. All he needed was information, and the spies he instructed to soar into the city would suffice.

[Relym]

"Uh... I'm Henry," said Henry politely, offering his hand to the old wizard. "Henry Quail." The old wizard did not react. Henry lowered his hand awkwardly.

"Don't mind him, he's completely blind and deaf." Came the same silky voice. It seemed to ooze from the air itself and drip soporifically into the minds of any listeners. "Ah, Samuel, it's a pleasure to see you again. It's good to see that you're functioning properly." The tiger turned its head towards Sam, who jumped at the mention of his name. It was now apparent who was speaking.

"My apologies, but I'm afraid we've never met before." He managed to speak clearly despite the rush of confusion that was still swirling within his mind. He pondered the meaning of "functioning properly." He absentmindedly stroked his neck, just below the jaw.

"I didn't think you would remember, but it's disappointing nonetheless." The tiger then turned to Henry. "Now, hand over the Vita Potios, if you please. Oh, come now, you don't think a source of magic that strong would go undetected directly above the Magician's Department of the royal palace." The beast added at Henry's appalled stare.

Reluctantly, Henry extracted the fur pouch from his bag, from that the skin, and from that, the smoky, glowing orange sphere. "This is quite impressive." The old magician, much like a puppet, reached stiffly out and retrieved the orb. Then, the frail torso bent at the waist, leaving the last traces of S'kendra directly in front of the tiger's fierce eyes. "I didn't think anyone outside of the castle knew about magic this complex. That excludes Darien, of course, but isn't he always an exception?" There was a dry, fake laugh, and then the speech continued. "It seems as though your friend, whose remains lie miles back on your trail, may still have some hope for revival. Come with me, Mr. Quail." The tiger and his lifeless escort walked into the cylindrical vehicle, and Henry followed.

Sam looked quite alone and confused as the doors to the lift slid shut, and then Henry felt as though his insides melted. He let out a little yelp, and then felt embarrassed as no one else seemed to feel the same sensation. After what seemed like much too long, they stopped descending, and the door retracted once again. "Stay next to me, Mr. Quail," the tiger advised as they exited into a short hallway. "It's easy to get lost."

Henry discovered just how correct he was when they passed through another door that opened without touch, and the room beyond came into view. Hundreds of people were walking briskly through aisles and aisles of shelves, all piled high with scrolls and parchment. Everyone seemed to be wearing a similar dark-green set of robes. During his examination of the room, Henry almost lost track of his guide, and had to jog to regain pace.

***

Sam lay on his back in the grass, despite Ulysses's rantings. They didn't have the same effect once they had been used a certain amount of times. As he examined the clouds drifting by slowly, he noticed a strange juxtaposition in his vision. A speck of black among the sea of white. At first, Sam thought nothing of it, and closed his eyes. He basked in the warmth, until the warmth was gone. He opened his eyes, made uneasy by the change in atmosphere. The sky was gray now, as though rain were budding. The small black speck had become a larger black shape, now unmistakably a bird. The wind began to blow, but the raven continued to circle, unimpeded by the quickening breeze.

The black bird was only around a hundred feet above the castle now, sometimes drifting out of sight behind a tower, but mainly soaring directly over the heads of Sam, Ulysses, and the acolytes, whose robes were rippling. Then, just like that, the bird changed direction, gliding away. With it, the storm faded as well. "You all saw that, right?" Sam asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes, yes I did." Ulysses said, also staring with consternation at the abruptly blue sky. Some of the acolytes even nodded. "That bird wasn't searching for food."

[Woo]

The hulking tiger moved through the expansive vaults of the Royal Magician's Department with a preternatural ease and grace. Henry was reminded of those early days spent in the icy forests, trying to keep up with S'kendra and her relentless pace as she glided past brook and bough. There was something else he felt he ought to remember... but what? It escaped him for now, and so he pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind.

Glancing around, he tried to take in some of the weird sights and goings-on surrounding him. Experiments of every nature where being undertaken, alchemical ingredients where stored everywhere, and each mage seemed to have their own workspace. Some where meticulously neat, others cluttered and confused messes. Jogging past in an effort to keep up with the sleek tiger, Henry found himself wishing he could spend some time exploring this bizarre place.

Suddenly, the deep rumble of the tiger's voice filled Henry's thoughts. "Tell me, boy. What do you know of the girl whom you intend on recovering? I am curious. What distinguishes her?" The tone of the question made Henry a little uncomfortable, as did the fact the tiger had slowed its pace to let him walk alongside it.

"I don't know if there is that much to tell..." Henry responded a little awkwardly. "She once told me she was an orphan, she grew up in a small hamlet. Later she left, and became a thief." He shrugged slightly. What more would the tiger want to know? "Surly you can ask her, once you revive her."

The tiger chuckled, a deep, throaty kind of laugh. "What kind of petty thief knows this level of magic? Most of the mage's here couldn't produce a Vita Potios if you gave them a lifetime in which to do so! No, magic like this is in the blood as much as it is learned. And rare is the blood that carries it..."

The patronizing tones of the beast had Henry somewhat annoyed, and his suggestions where a little unsettling. But before any more could be said, they appeared to have arrived at their destination. A group of hooded and robed individuals stood in a semi-circle to greet them, each as somber as the next. The musty air in the vast underground chamber seemed clearer here, the air lighter. Not a long way off stood a small, modest stone fountain that oozed a trickle of water down a smooth rock and into a deep trough.


(with the memory thing, not sure if you remember, but I was refering back to S'kendras tiger tattoo that was mentioned way way back. thought it could maybe have something to do with... something? who knows. I'm clutching at straws here.)

[Snowman]

The raven's had flooded the entire city and perched everywhere from the lower market to the palace of the king. Causaldeir invaded their senses and scouted the city for information. His eyes pinched shut and his mind fled through every one of his drudges, until he peered through a raven sitting above a courtyard beyond the gates of the palace, where a peculiar character caught his eye, laying on the grass. His heart stung, and Causaldeir knew he needed to follow this person to find the source.

Surely the ravens would become a heavy suspicion in the city. "Beil'on vo Koren," he uttered, releasing many of the fledglings from his grasp. A few ravens remained however, and were assigned to follow the one in the courtyard, so his location would always be known to Causaldeir.

He opened his eyes and sighed, realizing he hadn't conclusive evidence to act upon, and would need to investigate the palace himself. Causaldeir retrieved a vial of goat's blood from his knapsack and sipped the blood, wretching as he swallowed the viscous and sour liquid. His left hand trembled as he held it out in front of him, palm facing the ground, and his body lifted from the snowy peak and hovered only an arms length from the ground. With this weak spell, Causaldeir descended down the mountain and toward the city.

[Relym]

"Oh, no." Sam groaned. He had spotted the raven again, drifting casually above him and the others in the courtyard. "Ulysses--That's your name, right?--It's back. The bird. Lower than ever."

"You. Kill it." Ulysses said lazily to the nearest acolyte. Sam recognized for the first time that Ulysses was not a magician. The addressed acolyte raised his hand towards the bird, but nothing happened. The acolyte, frowning slightly, jabbed his hand a few times upwards, forming different symbols with his fingers. "Foolish boy. You do it, then." Ulysses pointed to another acolyte.

This one, too, attempted many different kinds of spells, but to no avail. The bird continued to circle silently above them. "It must be invincible!" Ulysses exclaimed. "By the gods, this is monumental! We must capture it! We must show it to the royal magicians! Quick, try turning these rocks into a net, and-" An arrow pierced the raven through the heart, and it fell pathetically.

Sam lowered his bow, grinning.

***

Henry was forced to resume a jog once again, the tiger no longer in need of Henry's input. They glided through a small marble-laden lobby, and through a large black door. Just by passing through it, Henry could tell that there were thousands upon thousands of enchantments on that door, and that he was probably one of very few ever to pass it.

The interior of the room was circular, also made entirely from marble. It was about thirty meters in diameter, and pillars supported the painted ceiling at regular intervals. Portrayed above them was an incredibly detailed picture of the city from the view of a mountain a mile or so away. Hanging from the center of the painting, through, right where the palace would be, was an intricate metal chandelier much representing a tomato plant. It branched outward in many angles, all downwards, and large mist-filled spheres seemed to be blooming all over it.

"This, Mr. Quail, is the royal family tree." Henry walked as close as he dared to the delicate looking structure. The glass spheres seemed to be attached to rounded semicircular bases. Henry stood up straight as he realized what the spheres looked like.

"Are these Vita Potios?" Henry asked.

"No, but you're not far off. You'll notice that all of the spheres are a dull gray. These are Alio Potios. They merely hold the identity of the person in question. They were originally Vita Potios, but then old rulers were being revived, squabbles for the throne became complicated, and eventually we decided that preserving the life force of a power-holder wouldn't do." The enormous cat traipsed around the structure as she explained.

"Oh." Henry had nothing to say to this. He was too busy examining the strange device. "What happens when you run out of space?"

"We don't. The ceiling rises as more royalty is appointed." The tiger said casually. Henry was impressed. A he finally made a full circle around it, he noticed that there was one base that was empty.

"Is this empty one for the current King?" Henry inquired. There were many, many questions still swirling in his mind, but words only found this one. "This empty one here, that is?"

"Actually, no. When this current King dies, a new branch will grow and a highly-qualified wizard will attach his Alio Potios, so that researchers can come and access the information. Posterity, you see. That one is exactly what we're here for." Henry, who had been given back the Vita Potios by the lifeless wizard controlled by the tiger at the entrance to the chambers, clenched it nervously in his hand.

"So what do you plan to do with her? S'kendra, I mean." Henry asked, watching as the swirling orange smoke suddenly changed directions. "Can you bring her back?"

[Tobias116]

Thanatos noted a small bird sitting at a small window in his family home, staring at him. Thanatos was sitting on a chair, slightly tilted, his feet on a table and a large tome in his lap.

He shut it with a bang, the sound echoing through the house. Zentara also noted the bird. Thanatos put his tilting chair down, the wood hitting the floor gently.

He swinged (Swung?) his feet down on the floor and stood up, gently stepping towards the window. "A raven." Zentara said, his red eyes fixated on the black little bird. Thanatos sniffed the air. "Magic." he stated. Thanatos eyes widened as he realized they were being spied on.

"Damn bird." he said with anger. He put his finger on the window, pointing to the bird's head. Thanatos said a quick incantation. The bird was knocked by a small blast of vibrations but the window was unharmed from the attack. Thanatos opened the window hastily and jumped out, following the bird. He quickly found it in a bush and grabbed it with both hands. "Now let's see what you're hiding, birdie." he said maniacally.

Zentara had walked up to the window and was observing him with his red eyes.

Thanatos started chanting, after a couple of seconds his eyes turned all black as he searched the bird's memory. Seeing things from the bird's perspective was alot different than normal.
Time is alot different for instance. And eyesight is another factor, but Thanatos wasn't after whatever trivial information the bird had collected, he was after who sent it.

He came to a point where he felt that a magical presence had intruded in the bird. He did not know the signature of the caster. Thanatos retreated from the bird's mind and together with it the blackness seemingly consuming his eyes. "What did you find out?" Zentara inquired. "Nothing." Thanatos said with some disappointment. *Crack*. Thanatos threw the bird with it's wringed neck on the ground.

"We're taking a stroll." Thanatos said.

[CriDFU]

Name: Calet
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Weapon: Gear pistol
Alignment: Good

Bio: Inspired by Roland of Gilead from Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series, Calet is a member of the "Honour Guard", one of the very first warriors to specialize in revolutionary firearm. Only Honour Guards have access to these highly effective weapons. The Honour Guard's job is to protect the Royal Family, serving above all others in city guard; they take orders only from the Family themselves. The Guard has no rankings, each serving at the same level right from their passing of age.

Calet became an apprentice of the Guard at the age of Thirteen after his father recommended him to the family. The boy was given a pistol and was asked to shoot a pigeon they would release from a cage; impressing the witnesses when he hit the bird in the heart. (While some say it was luck; others say he was a prodigy.) He was trained by the way of the gun for the next eleven years. Taught respect for human life and the honour of the warrior. It was he who personally delivered the killing shot to the general of an invading army when he was 21.

Calet is quiet, concentrated, and determined. He has a sort of attractive quality to him; his teachings of philosophy and respect giving him a sort of charm. Which is a very convenient quality seeing as his talents and above average skill put him frequently in the position of escorts, chaperoning those who can not defend themselves.

(I'll get him into the story if I can see a good place to introduce him.)

[Woo]

"Humph, what an impertinent question. Is that you doubting our skills, or our willingness to revive her?" the tiger snorted down in haughty tones from a high bough in the Royal Family Tree. Surly, Henry thought, someone must have some complaints about this! This huge, rude, bossy tiger hurling itself about on something so important! But Henry held his tongue.

"What do you plan to do with her, and can you bring her back?" He repeated steadily.

The tiger practically grinned as it pushed its face in closer to Henry's. "Strong headed, aren't we? I see why your friends hold so much faith in you. Even the girl, trusting you with her life." he whispered in purring tones. He clearly enjoyed teasing Henry. "Well, of course we can revive her. If she did a good enough job on that Vita Potios you hold in your clammy little hands. And what we do with her after depends very much on who she turns out to be, doesn't it? She's either a powerful rogue mage who must be destroyed, or... Well." The tiger said no more, but casually brushed the single empty stalk on the Family Tree with one massive claw.

Henry was too startled by the implications of these last sentences to think up a retort, and so the tiger turned from him with a smug smile of satisfaction. "The revival will take place here, in the presence of our past ruling sovereign! You have twenty minuets while the head magicians are gathered and prepared. Use this time to decide if it is worth the risks. Rogue mage or missing child, you could still lose her either way, when the truth is outed."

With that, the beast slunk out through the huge marble doors, leaving Henry alone to gaze at the little orb of swirling, orange smoke resting in his hands.

~Elsewhere~

"You FOOL! You killed the invincible bird!" Ulysses screeched, flapping about manically. One of the Acolytes had morphed a few pebbles into a stick and was crouched down, limply poking the distinctly lifeless bird in the way expected of any young adult.

"I think you'll find that defeats the very nature of something being invincible!" Sam retorted, bending to speak to Ulysses in a manner Sam had designed especially to infuriate smaller men.

"Sire, he's right, sire." said the acolyte without the stick, who had been prodding the dead raven with his foot. "I was always taught sire, begging your pardon that is, that when somethin's invincible, you ain't able to kill it, sire."

"How dare you question me!" Ulysses stormed, thoroughly flustered at being corrected by someone of lower station than himself.

"Perhaps you're both right?" Suggested the acolyte with the stick, who was trying to strike a happy medium. "Perhaps this raven was invincible... to magic?" The lad smiled up at the other three men stood around him, not quite grasping the implications of what he just said.

"Damn it all..." Muttered Ulysses. "I shall have to inform the guards right away."

[Relym]

Henry was conflicted. S'kendra certainly didn't seem like a rogue magician. She had trusted Henry and risked her life more than once in order to preserve his. She had been his first companion since he departed from his beloved hometown in search of answers, and she had remained beside him, despite obstacles that would deter any knight. Then again, she never explained what she was doing the morning they met.

He tried holding the sphere up to the hemisphere-blossom that would hold the missing link, and the size seemed to be perfect. Curiosity tugged at his wrist. One little twist and so many questions could be answered simultaneously. Sure, consequences would arise, but it was so easy!

Clunk. Henry hardly realized he had done it. The orange ball seemed to lock itself onto the port and vibrated lightly. "Uh-oh." He tried to pull it back out, but it was stuck fast. The smoke began to swirl faster, becoming a miniature hurricane within the glass. "Come on, now," Henry grunted, placing one foot against a nearby branch for leverage, he steeled his grip on it and tugged. He slipped and went sliding across the slick marble floor. The Vita Potios was glowing now, and Henry's gut seemed to be leaking out into the air. He scrambled to his feet hastily and tried pulling out S'kendra's soul will little hope. It grew white-hot, and it was released with a yelp.

"What have you done, foolish boy?" The slippery, soothing voice of the tiger was now a snarling shout, and Henry jumped. The speaker had just entered the room apparently sensing the magical power. "Why did you do this?" He did not look at Henry, but instead glided over to the branch with S'kendra on it, which was shaking violently.

"I... I don't know!" Henry backed up against the wall, panicking.

***

"Why did you do this?" Zentara cried, throwing both of his hands towards the dead raven. "Memories or not, it still could have led us to it's master!"

"I'm not in need of any assistance in the hunt, demon." Thanatos was surlier than usual. "The bird had strict orders. Anyone who can control beasts with such precision should be easily sensed." The last word faltered a bit, and Thanatos stood bolt-upright. His eyes widened, and he immediately began walking very fast.

"Whoah, whoah. What did you feel?" Zentara said, jogging to match Thanatos's speedy stride. "You didn't sense him already, surely."

"Shut up and follow me." Thanatos had felt something, that's for sure. Much more than a petty beastiomancer, however. He walked yet faster with this newfound sensation.

[Snowman]

Causaldeir limped into the the Royal City, hood pulled over his head, eyes facing the stone of the streets. Through the ravens that were slain, he knew he had drawn too much attention and now attempted to pass unnoticed through the marketplace. Pets and city creatures whimpered and stirred uneasily as Causaldeir passed by. He slithered into their thoughts, the rats and dogs and chickens and even small children with weak minds, envisioning the past events the creatures had witnessed. Soon he found Samuel in their thoughts, accompanied by others he hadn't before seen. They must still be in the palace of the King. I'll find them there, certainly, he thought. Causaldeir attempted to walk with haste, but was hindered by his decrepit affliction. He even began wheezing from such a mediocre physical pace.

As he drew nearer to the palace, Causaldeir ceased invading the minds of the creatures as he felt it would draw the attention of the guards, who were so readily trained to detect spells. And he also had a feeling that he was now being watched. His eyes remained down and he limped on with his walking stick. Perhaps my elderly appearance will deter anyone from assuming me a threat, he thought, as Causaldeir hadn't shown himself in public after he was afflicted with such a curse.