Isha :The Beginning

(Whole Story, have not separated into chapters...yet.)

  The modern world and one world lost in between can cause an indestructible storm when they discover that each exists, and love has no boundaries when it is lost amongst innocence or darkness alone.  A naive young girl who eagerly awaits a bedtime ritual has no idea that she is the one, the one to save them all.

“Nan?”a soft voice called out from the darkness.

“Yes child, what is it dear?”

“Tell me about Mom again.” 

“Oh dear sweet Isha, it’s late my love, rest your eyes dear and try to rest that busy mind of yours.”

“Grandma, I’m scared, I feel so cold” The young girl persisted. 

 If she knew anything, anything in this world, it was how to get people to do what she wanted, especially her Grandma.  Isha placed a big soft spot in her Grandma’s heart.  With those big soft brown eyes looking up at her, it was a wonder the young girl wasn’t running an empire by now.

“Oh please Grandma” she begged, her voice cracking softly as if she were about to break into a fit of tears.

“Tell me Grandma, why did Mom leave us?”

It was enough to break a cold heart.  Fortunately her Grandma’s heart was big enough to hold a thousand lives, and a mind imaginative enough to ease a young girl’s soul.

“Okay, alright Isha.  You are such a persistent creature.  Remember to always carry this stubbornness with you, wherever life will take you, however long and hard a journey it may be, keep that spirit of yours.”

“ I promise Nan, always.”

   Her Grandmother always had a way with words.  She almost talked sometimes like it may be the last sentence she might speak, Isha was always a bit undone by this.  She loved her Grandmother “to the ends of earth and back” she would say.  From the time Isha was five her Grandmother had raised her.  Now, eight years later, Isha was her Grandma’s life, and to Isha her Grandma was as well.  Isha’s father was unknown to her, and to her Grandmother as well.  

     

 

     Her mother never spoke of her father, and if asked by Isha’s Grandma, the subject was quickly diverted down a different path. 

 She was never to speak of him.  It was a strange thing not to know a little piece of him, for Isha’s sake, even if he seemed like a deserter. Every time the subject was approached, it was pushed away like a bad spirit, and her mother would start to shake and tremble, for even the thought of him seemed to haunt her.  It was as though he would appear if she whispered his name, as though he would hear her from another world away, and that his return would surely cause a turbulence of destruction. Her grandmother left the subject of Isha’s father untouched, she thought some things, and some truths were better left unknown. She knew all too well about truths that seemed too out of this world to be believed, and she kept her promise to the young girl’s Mother that she would not tell Isha everything.  Stories told of her mother over the years were embellished. Some stories are better fed with a little fiction, and the young girl needed a shimmer of hope, a sparkle of a dream to lift her spirits high.

“Nan?  Are you going to tell it or not?” Isha broke her Grandmother out of a distant silence.

“Oh, oh yes Isha.  Sorry about that, must have been in a different world right then.  Okay, okay here we go again” 

Isha smiled a big warm smile, her eyes widening.  

“Where should I begin this time?” 

Twirling a strand of her long dark wavy hair in one hand, thinking hard but never long, it never took her long to decide.

“Tell me of the night Mama left, tell me what you saw, and tell me what you really saw Grandma.”  Isha persisted with an adult like maturity.

 Her Grandmother was unnerved by her question. What she really saw?  What did Isha mean by this, she couldn’t know.  How could she know? Could the child handle the truth?  Would she even believe it?  

“What do you mean darling?”

Isha’s brown eyes glimmered with a desperate attempt for her Grandmother give her the facts.  “Please Nan, tell me what you really saw, I will believe you, I promise I will” the girl pleaded as if she would die if she couldn’t hear the truth.

“I heard you one night when you were dreaming Nan.” Isha confessed.

“ You were screaming her name, you sounded scared, and...”  

Her Grandmother interrupted her. 

 “What do you mean Isha?  I don’t remember having a nightmare like this.”

“Well, you did and I want to know the truth Nan, I need you to tell me about my Mom!”  The girl pleaded furiously, the tears were welling up now.

If there was anything her grandma couldn’t take, it was upsetting Isha.  She couldn’t take it, she knew what she had to do.  She had to tell the young girl the truth, the time had come for her to learn what really happened to her Mother, even if it would be too unbelievable for the young girl’s mind to digest.

   

From the moment her Grandma uttered the truth of the night Isha’s Mother left, was the moment the storm came back, the storm that had clouded their oceanfront home many years prior.  The storm that had changed a little girls future many years ago was going to change it again, life as she knew it would never be the same again.

“It was late, just past midnight.  Your Mother had just settled you in beside her.  You were having frequent nightmares the week prior, it was almost as if you sensed what was to come that fateful night.   That summer was beautiful, your mother was beautiful, always beautiful.  The night was unlike most summer nights off the Pacific Ocean.  A storm was brewing in the distance, it came upon us so fast.   After you fell fast asleep in your mother’s bed, the lighting and thunder began, followed by a very heavy flood of rain. Then we heard him howling.   I never mentioned this to you before, your mother had a lovely dog.  His name was Aegis, which means ‘to protect’ and he was a great protector. Do you remember him Isha? “

“I’m not sure? I think so, but not that well. What did he look like?” the young girl searched her memory for his face.

“He was big.  He looked like a wolf, an arctic wolf.  I’m sure he wasn’t all wolf though, too tame with us, not wild like a wolf.  He was covered in white shaggy fur and his eyes were pale blue, he was a beautiful creature.  He almost seemed human at times, like he was listening in on our conversations.  He loved you faithfully and would lie by your bedside until you were fast asleep, he would never leave you until you were settled.  Then, it would seem like he would be doing a security check of the whole house.  He would sniff around the whole house from top to bottom, poke open closets with his long nose. When he was finished poking around the house, and after he had checked on you one more time, he would sit outside on the porch all night and stare out intensely at the Ocean as if he was expecting something or someone to appear.

Isha was now sitting up in her bed, hugging her knees with her chin resting and looking at her Grandma with her curious brown eyes.  She was thinking of this dog that used to be hers, wondering where he was now, and wishing he was with her now.  Apart from drawing and martial arts, animals were one of her greatest loves.  She would spend hours drawing animals and making up stories about them, and they were just as drawn to Isha as she was to them.  

“Nan, what happened to Aegis?” 

“Well, he disappeared the same night your mother did.”  She paused for a moment in thought.  “I like to think that Aegis is with your Mother, protecting her and keeping her safe.”  Her grandmother’s eyes welled up a little, taking a deep breath she pushed away her tears.

“ Miss Isha aren’t you the least bit tired?”  

“ No Nan.  I am waiting to hear the rest of what really happened, you’re going to tell me right?”  Isha implored her Grandma to carry on with the story.

Her Grandma hesitated for a moment.  “Of course I will.  You lay that pretty little head of yours down now, and I will tell you what you need to know” she tucked the little girl tight under her blankets and lovingly brushed some stray hairs away from her face.  For a moment she looked at Isha, and thought that from this night on part of the little girls innocence was about to be lost, she would never be the same.  She hesitated again, took one last look at her precious granddaughter and told her the truth that was about to change her world forever. 

     

   Isha twirled the soft pendant between her fingers nervously while her Grandma began to tell her about that fateful night.  The pendant was one of the few gifts from her Mother that she could keep close to her and somehow it comforted her like only a Mother’s touch would have.  It was white with blue flecks outlining the circular shape, and it had a Celtic triple spiral in blue upon the center.  On the back was an engraving that said "Isha, you are life.  Always keep this close to you."  A celtic style A decorated the inscription below and she had always done just as the inscription said.  She kept that pendant close to her, always.

   “ There was a storm that night.  Similar to the rain and wind tonight, and your Mother had seemed to feel uneasy the whole day.  As if she sensed what was going to happen.”  Her grandma got up to close the curtain over Isha’s window.  She thought she might have to turn on the heat, the chill  in the air gave her goosebumps.

   “Your Mother said goodnight to you and had come down to have her ritual tea with me.” Lightning lit up the night sky outside now and a crash of thunder sang in the distance.

   “We finished our tea and we were both very tired from a long day of playing along the beach, we said our goodnights and went to bed.”  Her grandma said hugging the blanket around her neck a little tighter now.

   “I can’t remember the exact time Isha, must have been two or three in the morning, all I know is what I heard.  There was an awful screaming and it sounded like it was coming from outside.  I heard Aegis growling at the bottom of the staircase beside the front door. Then the strangest thing happened.”

Her Grandma paused uncomfortably, as if she was reliving that exact moment.

“ What happened Nan?” the child was holding the pendant tight now.

“ Well, the door opened by itself very calmly, not what you would think with the way the wind was blowing that night.  I went to get your Mother from her room and when I turned on her light she wasn’t there.”  Her Grandma winced a little, and the girl could see the sadness within her eyes.                

“ Nan? You okay?” she asked, lovingly stroking her Grandma’s arm.

“ Yes, Isha I’m okay.  The moment I saw she wasn’t there, I think I just knew things were horribly wrong.  I didn’t want to believe it I guess, believe that anything awful could ever happen to her.  I panicked, and ran from room to room looking for her.  There was no sign of her, so I closed your door and ran downstairs and searched the whole place.  My heart was pounding, I didn’t want to believe she could be gone.  I noticed Aegis had disappeared too, and then I heard it again.”  The wind screamed at Isha’s window and the rain tapped heavily on the glass now.

“Heard what Nan?” Isha was sitting up now.  Her heart was pounding too.

“ That awful screaming again.  It was piercing, I had to cover my ears it was so painful to hear.  I ran outside and searched the yard from what I could see through the darkness.  I decided to go back and get the flashlight we kept on the window ledge by the front door.  I quickly turned it on and ran down the path toward the beach, toward the awful sound.  I was yelling the whole time for Cerdwin, and begging for her to give me a sign of herself.”  Her grandma was startled by the window rattling, it was shaking from the sudden stormy weather outside.  She felt a bit unnerved by this sudden storm. 

“Then I saw her in the distance, about a hundred feet down the beach, standing alone in the freezing rain. I ran up to her but the sand on the beach was starting to pelt me from the winds and I couldn’t see much from all my squinting.  Through my obstructed vision it looked like some sort of sand storm was picking up around your Mother , and I realized then that the screaming I heard wasn’t human, it was the sound of that unnatural wind.  I tried to get to her and was fighting the strong currents of air, I could hear her trying to fight off whatever was taking her away.  Then something hit me, and so hard it knocked me unconscious.”  She was about to go on with the story when she heard the sound of glass breaking.  She jumped up and looked around, and could feel the wind and rain coming into the girls room with a viciousness.  

“ Nan! I’m scared!”  Isha cried out.  The girl sprang from her bed away from the window, gripping onto her Grandma tight.

Her Grandma didn’t know what to do at first, she was stunned and spooked by the eery familiarity with the storm tonight.  

“ Come on, let’s go Isha.” She took Isha’s hand in hers. “We’ll go downstairs, I’ll put a fire on and we’ll settle in on the couch for a while okay?”  They hurried out of the girl’s room and closed the door tight behind them.

   The fire felt warm on Isha’s cold face.  She felt better now.  Her Grandma always had a way of calming her, and she smiled a little thinking of this.

“Nan? Could we have some hot chocolate?” 

“That sounds like a wonderful idea, marshmallows?” 

“Yes, please.”

She sat close to the fire, waiting for her Grandma to make her hot chocolate. She looked at a picture of her Mother and her as a baby sitting in a large glass frame, it caught her eye and she pulled it off of the old wooden table in front of the couch.  Her Mother had beautiful red hair, Isha thought she looked like a princess.  Her hazel eyes were big, soft and lovingly looking at her.  She noticed the pendant she was now wearing was on her, even as a baby she had worn this.  They had the same heart shaped face and cupids bow lips.  The only difference was their colouring.  Her Mother’s skin was much lighter, which gave life to her eyes and beautiful hair.  Isha’s skin was slightly darker and it complimented her long dark hair and dark almond shaped eyes.  She was a young Cerdwin, and besides their genetic similarity there seemed to be a part of her she felt had always been missing.  She always felt like an unfinished puzzle, and it wouldn’t be complete until she found the missing pieces.  She knew she had to find her Father one day, and that this puzzle of her young life wouldn’t be complete until she found him.  

“Isha?” Her grandmother startled her out of a deep trance.  “There you go my dear” her grandmother said as she gave her the mug filled with hot chocolate.  

“Thanks Nan” she held the mug up to her trying to shake off the chill she felt.

Her Grandmother and her sat for a few minutes in silence, listening to the storm and feeling safe and warm huddled on the sofa.  The wind sounded like a song, screaming high then low into hardly any sound at all.

“Okay, I’m ready.” Isha voiced through sips of her hot drink.

“Ready?” her Grandmother questioned, her mind distracted by the increasing sounds of the storm outside.

“The rest of the story Nan. You saw her on the beach, then what happened?” the girl said trying to guide her Grandmother’s attention from the window to her. 

“Just a minute Isha. Do you hear that?” she hushed the girl with the gesture of her open hand.  

At first it sounded like rain tapping the window pane, but the more Isha and her Grandmother listened they realized it wasn’t rain at all.  Her Grandmother sat up from the couch and walked over to the large living room window to get a closer look.  It was dark outside but not dark enough that she couldn’t see what was pelting the window from outside.  

“Sand?” her Grandmother said quietly to herself in disbelief.  How strange she thought.

“What Nan? What did you say?” the young girl now rising up from her nest on the couch.

“Oh, Isha don’t stand too close to the window please.  Go sit now sweetheart.” Her Grandmother instructed while guiding her away from the window.

“Nan, what did you say?” she thought her Grandmother could be a little too protective sometimes, and what did she see she thought to herself with much persistence.

As Isha was being guided back to the couch away from an invisible threat another strange sound came from outside.  It started as a crackling sound like a fire made just at the end of extinction.  Then it grew louder like the sound a tree makes as it is about to fall.

“What’s that noise Nan?” the girl said anxiously turning around to look at her Grandmother.

As she turned to her Grandmother they both saw that one of the window panes was cracking and watched in slow motion as it spread through all three panes.

Her Grandmother yanked on the young girl hard and pushed her away from the window.

“Get back!” she yelled.  

Isha hid behind the couch and covered her head from the noise of the wind and sand invading the living room. Glass shot in from the window breaking, knocking her grandma to the floor hard.

“Nan!” she screamed.  “Nan!” the girl cried in disbelief as she crawled over to her Grandmother’s motionless body on the floor.  

  The young girl cried loudly, sobbing as she held her Grandmother’s head in her small arms.  

“Nan! Nan wake up, please wake up!” she screamed as she rocked back and forth pleading desperately.

She stroked her Grandmother’s head and bent down to kiss her face as tears streamed down the young girls face.

“Nan.” she whispered choking back her tears, her voice cracking.  “You’re going to be all right Nan, I’m going to get help okay?” the young girl said as if her Grandmother could hear her words.

Isha put her arms under her Grandmother and struggled as she tried to drag her body to a safer place.  She cried as she strained her small body, grappling with more than double her own body weight.  Finally, she managed to find a safe place for her Grandmother behind the couch.  She gently placed a few warm and heavy wool blankets she found in the closet over her Grandmother’s body.  

“I’ll be back for you Nan, I promise. I won’t let you die Nan, not ever” 

 

   Isha stumbled to her feet, her legs felt weak and shaky from the shock of what was happening.  She took a deep breath and tried to shake off her bad nerves so she could carry on.   With a panicked determination she changed into some warm clothes.  She pulled the black hooded sweatshirt and matching stretch pants on quickly, and pulled on her heavy wool coat. It was cold outside, the wind blew down hard and heavy as she ran out the front door.  Sand pelted her soft cheeks and stung her big brown eyes causing her to close them tight.  She covered her head with the red hood attached to her coat pulling it over her eyes, shielding the rain and sand that claimed to harm her.  All that was left for her to see were her feet laced up in her black boots and the familiar path that lead to the beach.  The only way to get around to the neighboring house was from the beach, Isha was scared and cold to walk it alone but it was the only way to get help.  A gust of wind nearly knocked her off her feet, she stumbled to regain her balance and tread on toward the beach.  The wind was moving so fast around the young girl, it was screaming at her and the pitch was so piercing it hurt her ears.  She had never heard anything like it before and as she tried to cover her ears the hood on her coat blew off.  Isha half closed her eyes,  bracing her ears for the deafening sounds of the wind she removed her hands from them so she could feel for the fence ahead. She reached out but couldn’t feel anything there.  Had it blown off? she thought. 

Something pushed her from behind, when she turned around to try to see what it was she was pushed again, this time landing on her hands and knees.  Isha felt the hard wet sand underneath her and knew she must have fallen from the force of the winds.  Her hair was dripping wet and she stood up wiping the sand off of her face.  She started to run toward the neighboring house when she was hit again, knocking her onto her back this time.  She sat up and spat out the sand she had swallowed, feeling dizzy she climbed slowly back to her feet, and her blurred vision caught the image of something moving toward her in the distance.  Coughing on the sand scratching her throat she tried to scream for help but all that came out was a harsh whisper.

“Help me.” she squealed, her voice rough with the wet grains. 

Sobbing and dropping to her knees in defeat she cried again.

“Please help me, please God don’t let me die!” she screamed into the black sky.

The figure moved closer now, and as it came into view it was obvious it wasn’t of human form.  It was fast, and ran hard.  Isha could hear it panting, like a dog she thought.  As it came closer the shape of this animal shifted and melded into what appeared to be a large man running now, and  very close.  His hair whipped about his face, his large hands swung down to reach for her as he tossed her shivering body over his shoulder along as he ran.  

“Stop! Help me!” The young girl screamed while pounding on this large man who said nothing. Fear gripped her and she found it difficult to breath.

“My grandma is hurt, put me down, put me down!” Isha was gasping in between terrified breaths, and her arms were pounding hard on this strange man’s back.

He was running faster than humanly possible thought Isha, and it almost seemed like he was running from something with fear driving his speed. Then he suddenly stopped, he stood still now, breathing heavy and Isha wondered why.  She turned to face him, he looked at her with no expression.  His eyes glowed and she saw her reflection in his sad angry eyes.  He turned and looked down at something hesitating for a moment.  What was he looking at? Thought the young girl.  She turned to try to get a glimpse, and suddenly realized the reason for his hesitation.  Isha tried to squirm out of the mans hold on her when she saw he was standing on top of what they called Dead mans cliff.  

“No, please no.  What are you doing?” she cried helplessly.

He turned to her and smiled.

The fear in his eyes returned as he was distracted by something behind them.  

“We must go!” he spoke quietly. 

Holding onto her tight he jumped over the cliff into what Isha thought would surely be her death.  She closed her eyes and prayed to God it was all just an awful dream that she was going to wake up from.  

   

   She felt as though her stomach had suddenly jumped up into her throat and she started screaming like mad.  She could hear her own screams echoing up to the top of Deadmans Cliff as she thought she was surely being pulled down to her demise.  The strange man held on to her tighter now and was yelling to her.

 “It’s okay girl, just close your eyes it will be over soon!”

   Isha closed her eyes tight, praying her Nan would be safe and that this strange dream would soon be over, it was too real she thought.  As she looked down into the canyon for what she thought would be her last sight, she saw something strange and beautiful.  A swirling of bright white light was enveloping the canyon’s base like an otherworldly storm.  She blinked her eyes for a moment in disbelief, but it was still there and growing closer.

The closer they approached the brighter the light shone, pain seared her eyes and she had to close them now.

   “Here we go!  Hang on tight little one!” the man yelled as pressed Isha’s head down into his shoulder.

   She felt weightless for a moment and everything was very quiet, was she floating in some non existence?  She didn’t dare open her eyes.  Then it felt like they were being spit out like a sour substance.  The wind was knocked out of her as they landed on a cold hard terrain.  Tears surfaced and dripped over the little girl’s pale cheeks as she tried to catch her breath.  She looked beside her and gasping for breath beside her was this strange man.  He grunted and groaned as he climbed to his feet wiping his wet hair back off his face so he could get a better look at where they landed.  

   He sniffed like an animal and scanned the area making sure they were safe from any sort of harm.  It was hard to see in the darkness but Isha could make out that they were surrounded by trees, and the dirt was wet like it had just rained.  

   “Where am I?” she asked.  “Who are you?  Where am I?!” she was screaming at him now.

  “Quiet girl, shhh...they'll hear you.” the man said sternly, his voice strained to be quiet.

   “I want to know where I am.” she paused and started shaking uncontrollably. 

   “I will tell you soon.” he whispered.  “For now, we must be very silent.  If they hear us, it will be very dangerous for you.”  he held her close trying to warm her up as they walked.  

As they walked through this strange dense forest, Isha thought to herself it was unlike any forest she had been to.  The trees were massive and seemed to whisper to each other as they walked by.  She heard bubbling and gurgling sounds coming from a swamp as they passed by. She could feel a heat wave washing off it, it felt good and Isha leaned toward it but the man pulled her away quickly.  

“You don’t want to get too close to that.” he whispered a warning.

They came to a stop suddenly and Isha heard a crunching sound coming from under her boot.

“ You should close your eyes now, and promise me you won’t open them okay?” he took her hand firmly.

“Okay.” she trusted he meant her no harm, it was good to feel protected.

The ground under her felt different. What were they walking on? she thought.  She couldn’t have imagined what it might be, and he told her to keep her eyes closed but the curiosity was getting the better of her.  She opened her eyes and looked down in horror.

“No!” the young girl screamed in disbelief.

The man turned to her, picked her up and ran across this field of what looked to Isha like human bones.  She was crying loudly and the man was trying desperately to hush her from being heard by the fear of the unseen threats around them.  

“Please girl, be quiet, I told you not to look, you must be quiet” he looked around to see if anyone was there.  There was a crackling noise off in the distance like a branch being broken.  

“Here we go!” the man said aloud as he threw the little girl over his shoulder and ran with a fierce intention.

  She could hear panting and it wasn’t coming from him, it was coming from behind them.  The earth pounded and the sounds of panting could be heard along with the vision of strange eyes following them.  They were glowing red and she heard growling, a deep dark growling.  

“ What are they?” she cried in the horror.  She rubbed her eyes over and over trying to wake herself from this nightmare. The Man looked behind them, his eyes widening.  

“Hold on tight girl! We’re going to go a little faster now!” and then he picked up his speed to an inhuman pace.  Isha looked back as they drew away faster and faster from the horrifying creatures that were now just a distant threat.  The forest was rushing by, her dark hair whipping her face from the winds of their flurry and all the while she was praying that this was all just a horrible dream.

What were those ungodly creatures, and what did they want?  Who did they want?  she thought.

They stopped at where the forest met a clearing of green hills, a canvas of  massive mountains hung in the distance and she took in the beauty of it for just a moment.  The man placed her down to rest on a soft spot in the grass.  He was breathing heavy and looked down at the young girl.  He smirked a little.

 “Not the best time to be wandering around Dybuuk’s forest, consider yourself lucky girl.”  A tremor travelled through the man’s body and he winced.  He looked over at her again and the color of his eyes flickered from brown to red and back again.  He rubbed his head in his large hands, as if he was trying to wipe away a foreign object that was paining him.  Isha was shaking and tried to steady the sudden onset of panic. She put her head between her knees to ward off the waves of nausea and dizziness that were washing over her. Dreams don’t make you sick, she thought.

“What is happening!?” she was sobbing and screaming mad at the same time.  She was trying to catch her breath between sobs.

“Oh please God, let me wake up, I want to wake up please!”  She screamed steadily into the sky.

“I don’t understand!” she cried “ I don’t understand!” she pounded her delicate fists into the ground and was now on her knees feeling quite small and helpless.   

First her Father left, then her Mother and now she was being taken from her Nan. Nan was the only person who cared for her and she may be dead. She felt all alone, and the young girl was really terrified for the first time in her life.  

Isha opened her eyes and looked up through her teary eyed vision and saw that he was still standing there. She was still stuck in this nightmare, why couldn’t she wake up? she wondered.

He was looking down at her with kind and comforting eyes.  He was very tall, and his olive coloured skin complimented his deep brown eyes.  A smile crept up to the corner of his mouth as he looked down at her.  

     The Man was surprised by her strength,  amused at her young courage and thought she reminded him of her Mother.  A young Cerdwin he thought, and he knew for certain it would now be even harder to protect her, maybe even impossible.  He extended his large strong hand to her, and she looked up at him with an unwillingness in her eyes to return his gesture. 

“ You haven’t answered my questions yet.” she stated firmly.

He knelt down to her level. 

“ All in good time girl, all in time.” his large hand coming toward her face to wipe away a stray tear off her chin.

“Now, come girl, we still have a long journey ahead of us.” he looked toward the mountains through the dismal fog that never seemed to leave this land.  She was shivering from the cool air, and the Man commanded her hand to his, pulling her close to him as they walked into the open space of green.  

“We will find a place to sleep for the night, I know just the spot.” his hand was warm his touch injected a rush of warmth all over her small frame closing the door on the cold she had been soaked in.  She was starting to warm up, and they walked in silence for a while.  Isha noticed how unnatural the silence was around them and wondered why she couldn’t hear any of those familiar nighttime sounds.  She concentrated hard and looked all around her as they hiked up a path between a small canyon.  Not even an owl or coyote, the chirping of cricket noises were vacant, and it all felt curiously strange. 

“It is strange, I know” the man agreed as if he was listening in on her thoughts.  

“Are we still on Earth?” she wondered aloud.

The man laughed and looked at her, he laughed even harder again.

He looked endearingly at her and the thought of her question made him smile brightly.  

“Yes, young Isha, we are still on Earth.” He paused thoughtfully “Just another space of Earth I suppose.”  

Isha stopped suddenly to think about his answer.

“What’s wrong girl?” she let go of his hand and looked off in the distance.

“Do you see something?”  

“How do you know my name?” she asked quietly.

He was silent and didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t a secret and she was going to find out the truth eventually. However, now was not the time for the whole truth.

“It’s always wise to know the name of someone I’ve been waiting a long time to meet.” he was staring intently at her now.  

Waiting for?  Why was this strange man waiting for me? she was confused.  She didn’t want to know the answer, not yet. She was still hoping this was all an illusion.

  Isha changed the subject. “Where are we going to sleep?“ she reached for his warm hand as they started down the path again. Her feet were starting to tire, but she pushed on.

“We are going to see an old friend, it will be warm and safe for the night.” he suddenly stopped, pulling her back hard.

 They came to a large hole in the path and it was too far for them to jump down, or across to the other side.  

  The man paused, only one way he thought, looking up to the sky and then down to Isha.

“ You were wondering how we would get across?” the man smirked, as though this pleased him.

“ Yes?” she was starting to get annoyed by the amusement he seemed to have with her distress.

“Get on.” he motioned for her to climb on to his back.  

He bent down to her level, she grabbed for his muscular shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck.  The man started taking a few steps backwards which puzzled Isha.  

“I thought we were going forward?” her body tensed up.  “What are you doing?” and then she realized what he had in mind.  By the time her fear had taken her over he was already running at a breakneck pace toward the hole.  

“What are you doing!? Are you crazy? Put me down!” she was screaming and choking on gusts of wind.  He laughed heartily, and his body felt as though it was burning up.

“You worry too much girl!  You’re safe with me, now hold on tight!“ he pushed off with his powerful legs and shot up in the air to what must have been a hundred feet high.  She closed her eyes tight for a second when he spread his body out.

“I’m going to fall!“ she screeched at him.

The man turned his head around to glance at her, his eyes flickered red, frightening her a little.   

“I told you, I’ve got you and I won’t let anything bad happen to you!” he was yelling now as they soared over the deep hole in the ground below.

“Hang on tight, we’re going down!”  

She gripped him to death and half closed her eyes as they came swiftly down onto the broken path.  She was surprised at how smooth the landing felt and he stopped to catch his breath as he put her down gently.  He shook off the same tremors that invaded his body before, and rubbed his head fiercely as he turned to face the young girl.

“It takes a lot out of me” he panted.

“ I don’t understand.” and she meant it.  How could she?  She didn’t even know where she was.  She knew that he had saved her for reasons beyond her knowledge, and she could see he was protecting her from something more terrible than she could imagine.  

She looked ahead of them and saw another patch of forest that spread out before the mountains, and wondered what threats waited for them there.

“ I know, you can’t possibly understand, but I will tell you soon.” he said anxiously running his hand through his thick brown hair.

“Okay.” she said as she looked around him at the forest again.  “Do we have to go through that?” 

He could see the fear that was present in her dark brown eyes.

“Yes, we do.” he replied, taking her hand and holding it tight.  “It’s not like the other one.” referring to Dybuk’s forest.

“This one you’ll find is much more delightful” and she wondered what he meant by “delightful.”  She hoped that he meant it wasn’t filled with seething blood thirsty creatures that wanted her dead.  She shuddered at the thought.

“What is Dybuk’s forest?” and he could see her shaking slightly as she asked.  He put his arm around her small shoulder and rubbed his hand thoughtfully in her hair.

“It is an evil place Isha, not a place for any human to go wandering.” his face was serious now.  “Not unless you want your soul to be taken, unwillingly of course.”

Her pace quickened and she was outstepping her large companion now.

He pulled her back a little and let out a chuckle.

“It’s okay, they can’t touch you now.” he reassured her.  “It’s forbidden that any creature that exists there never crosses the forest’s edge.  And if they try, they will only be committing suicide”

He waited for her reply thoughtfully.  

“How will they be committing suicide?” she felt his hand on her head again and this comforted her while they walked down the path.

“They disappear into thin air, and never come to life again.  They are only allowed to exist in that dark place.” he held her hand firmly.

“Let’s go girl, I must rest and you as well” he picked her up and his pace increased, moving quickly toward the unknown.  

   After what seemed like forever to Isha, they finally reached where the clearing met up with the trees of this mysterious forest.  ‘Delightful’ was the description the man had given her, and she hoped it wasn’t far from the truth.  

“ Why couldn’t we have just run really fast here?...  you know, like you did in that scary forest?”  she asked, the question just coming to her now.

  He thought she was an inquisitive young girl, and would find out just how curious she was as time went on.

“ I have to conserve my energy.” He paused thinking of what to say.  

“ In case I need my strength for something more important.”  He turned to her, his eyes smiling.  “Like saving you.”

Somehow she felt embarrassed and this annoyed her, she very much hated being made fun of.  She wasn’t sure if he was laughing at her and finding amusement in her troubles.  The truth was all she wanted, and she thought she deserved some honesty, after all, she was starting to accept that this was definitely not a dream.  

He could see the hint of red in Isha’s cheeks and the glint of anger in her eyes.  No need to tease her, and probably now wasn’t the best of time for light jokes, he considered.  He knew she needed to hear the truth, but not the whole story just yet.  They needed to find a safe place to talk, and it wouldn’t be long until they would arrive there.  This was a place that was home to the only two people he trusted more than life itself.

She looked up at him with the massive tree tops hovering over them.  The sky was black and the night so clear, she thought if she reached her hand up she could surely touch one of those bright beautiful stars.  The starry sky made her think of her Nan, she hoped and prayed that she was okay.

“This is the only place where you can see the stars.” he said as he admired the dazzling sky.  “This place is one of the only remnants of what used to be.” his brown eyes grew a bit darker as he said this. Isha couldn’t help feel sad by his confession, but her thoughts kept bringing her back to the condition of her Nan.   

“Do you know if my Nan is alright? Is she hurt?” she asked.  He could see her young eyes fill with worry.  He desperately wanted to ease her worry, but he didn’t know for sure if her Nan was okay.  He wouldn’t know until his faithful friend returned with news.  His most trusted companion was a shapeshifter like himself and a fearless protector, and he knew that there was no one else that was most suited to keep her Grandmother safe.

“Of course Isha, she’ll be fine.  I’m sure of it.” the hesitation in his voice didn’t help silence her worry.

“How do you know she’ll be fine?  I mean, how can you possibly...” He cut her off.

“Because when I came for you I brought a good friend, a good protector.  He is with her now and will take good care of her.  He is one of my most trusted companions Isha and he’ll report back to me soon”

“But, she hit her head really hard...there...there was a lot of blood” she was panicking now, he could hear the weak pitch in her speech.

“He was given a great power to protect...and to heal.”  he paused as he bent down to her level. “If your Nan is hurt, I can’t think of a better person to be there to help her.”  He stood up and took her hand again. “She will be fine, don’t you worry.”  he started moving toward the forest easily.  Isha wasn’t budging, she stood still as a statue.  

He looked back at her pleading with his eyes and rubbing his head with his free hand.

“Come on girl, don’t be difficult, we must hurry.”  he said tugging on her small hand.

She looked back at the shapes of the dark landscape in the night.  It was farther back than she thought they had travelled from, and she couldn’t make out the awful forest they had escaped from.  She turned around to face the man and took a deep breath like she was taking her very first breath ever.  She gave in and let him guide her into the atmosphere of this new and hopefully delightful forest.

   The man was guiding her carefully through an unbeaten path into the woods.  The grass was up to her waist, she brushed it aside with her free hand.  He looked down at her, she realized how large he was and how small she felt next to him accompanied by the massive trees that lurked above them.  He gave her hand a squeeze acknowledging her insecurities, she felt at ease by his side and wondered if he could know what she was thinking.

“Look Isha.”  he said pointing excitedly toward the treetops.

She looked up and as she did she stopped instantly at the sight that was above her.

It looked like the stars had come down to play.  Floating above her were bright golden lights, and as they drifted nearer she could see that these stars had little fiery wings attached to them. 

The man smiled whimsically and was admiring her astonishment.

“Pretty amazing aren’t they?”  he said quietly.

“What are they?” she moved close to the man as one came very close to her.

“Asparaes” he looked up again and was showered by what looked like a sprinkle of gold glitter.  He sneezed and let out a boisterous laugh.  

“We call them “sky dancers.” he shook some of the gold glitter out of his hair.  “They only come out at night, or at least you can only see them at night, they are mischievous little creatures.”  he laughed again.  “During really important times in your life, and if you are lucky enough they have powers to bless you with good fortune.”  He stood still admiring their grace and beauty.

“They are very pretty.” she stared in disbelief and she couldn’t help but be happy as she watched them dance above her in midair.

She stood very still as they came close to her.  Dancing and zipping around her like honey bees attracted to a sweet treat.  

“What are they doing?” she asked nervously.  

“This must be an important moment in your life.”  I think they are blessing you, be very still okay?”  her grip on his hand became a little tighter now and he was surprised at how strong she was for her size.

There was a golden glow around the young girl while the tiny dancers raced around her with such velocity that she couldn’t see them, and then as fast as it began, it was over. A small explosion above her head startled them, and with it produced a bright circular white light.  She couldn’t look away now and it shot toward her small body knocking her to the ground.  

“Isha?!” he was tapping her lightly against her soft cheek.  “Isha, wake up.”  her eyes opened, and for a minute she forgot where she was.  Remembering the last vision she saw was a bright light above her and the feeling of her body being washed with an indescribable warmth delighted her senses.

He helped her off the soft grass below her brushing off patches of grass and dirt off her pants carefully.

“What happened?” she asked as her legs steadied into a solid stance again.

“You were blessed by the Asparaes. They must know who you are.”  he said the last part quietly to himself not realizing she could hear him.

“What do you mean, they must know me?”  she tugged on his arm stirring him out of his daze. “What do you mean?”  she asked again, louder this time.

“Oh..well...” he paused not knowing exactly what to say.  “I guess I didn’t really believe, and realize just how special you are to this place.”  he turned to look her straight in her big brown eyes.  

“This is going to be tougher than I first thought, we have to hurry. Let’s go now, no more questions.  I will tell you soon enough Isha.”  he took her hand and pulled her into a fast walk.  

   What did he mean they must know her?  And why was she so special to this mysterious place?  She wanted to know everything now but for some reason she trusted that this man knew what he was doing.

“Could you please slow down a little?” she panted as she was being dragged through this unsuppressed path.  “My legs aren’t as long as yours...” and just before she could finish her sentence he scooped her up and placed her on his broad shoulders. 

“Oh, this is really high up” she held on to his hair pulling it and her hands slipped down across his eyes.

“I.. I can’t see girl, what’s wrong?  Don’t like heights?”  he stopped walking now.  

She had her eyes closed tight and wasn’t sure what felt worse, not knowing how far down the ground was or having a clearer picture with her eyes open.  Prying her eyes open against some unforeseen force she noticed how high up she was and quickened her grip around his head again.  He was amused by her fear.  

“Don’t tell me you are afraid of heights Isha? You aren’t up that high!”  He thought to himself that she had better get over her fear for the heights that were to come were a decade higher than his shoulders.

“Please, can I just ride on your back? Or maybe I could just walk again?”  she grimaced and was turning a woozy shade of green now.  

“Okay.” he slid her down to his back and she grabbed him around his large muscular shoulders.  “We will have to find a way for you to get over your fear Isha, or at least control it a little.” he was moving at a quick pace now through the thick brush.

“What do you mean?  What fear?” she was serious and looked to see that the trees were spreading out to reveal patches of the most beautiful flowers she’d ever seen.

He laughed hard.  “Your fear of heights silly girl!”. 

“I guess so.  I just don’t know why it bothers me so much.” her answer did not please her.  Isha didn’t like to be afraid of anything and it wasn’t until she realized how she felt before she first stood at the edge of Deadman’s cliff.  Her stomach felt funny, she felt dizzy, her hands shook and were clammy.  Nan knew instantly, and pulled her away from the edge before she had teetered over to her death.  

“ Oh dear Isha, I see we’ve found some fear in you after all.” her Nan had said breathlessly.

He was listening to her speak and to her thoughts.  He could see the mental picture of her Nan and thought how lucky the young girl was to have had her Nan there for all those years her parents were not.  

“Not to worry girl, you’ll conquer that fear one day.” he eased her mind as he ran on this winding path, and the vivid colors of the flowers were now just a blur passing them by.  His pace was steady for a few minutes and then he slowed down to conserve his energy.  The trees were magnificent, so tall they appeared to reach infinite heights, and she thought they were much bigger than the ones in her world.  In the spaces between the tree tops where the brilliant night sky shone through she noticed shadows of eagles or hawks swooping about.  

“Are those eagles up there?” she wondered if they had the same nocturnal creatures as they did in her world.

Stopping to look up he remarked.

“No, those are hawks Isha.”  he took in the beauty of the sky here, wishing the allurement of this sky would spread throughout the whole land.  

“You have the same animals as we do?” she asked, readjusting herself on his back and he wrapped a large hand around her leg pushing her up.

“Of course we do, it’s kind of like your world, but better.”  he paused trying to think of how to explain it so she would understand.  

“It’s a healthier world, and where in your world you can’t see things beyond the imagination, you can really see it here.”  he wasn’t sure she would grasp this.

“I don’t really understand, how is your world healthier?” she had a lot of questions and at the moment he couldn’t give her the deserved focus.

“I’ll explain more later, and you will see for yourself soon enough.  We are almost here.”  the man stopped and slid her down gently off his back continuing to walk toward a wall of thick lush trees.

He stopped and was running his fingers through the green fur of the trees.  It appeared he was searching for something between the small space that separated each one and he disappeared for a second underneath one of the large branches.  

She anxiously waited for him to come back out, she couldn’t see or hear him anymore and was starting to feel a little uneasy.  She was biting her nails now and pacing back and forth, she stopped trying to compose herself.

She heard a large cracking noise coming from the place at which he had entered and turned abruptly to face whatever threat came after her.  She readied herself into a fighting stance.

“What are you doing?”  it was him breaking through the wall of branches.  He laughed when he saw her ready to fight.  “Ha ha... Oh Isha, you are a fighter.  he rubbed her head.  “No need to fight here, this is a safe place remember?”  he put his hand on her back and was guiding her now toward the large opening he had created through the trees.

“I didn’t know where you had gone, you didn’t come back right away” she muttered defensively.  

“I know, I know.  I was just surprised to see you ready to take on whatever you thought was coming to attack you.”  he mimicked her fighter stance and growled slightly.  He was mocking her again and this was really making her angry.

“Stop it!”  she yelled at him and squirmed away from him.  

He could see she was genuinely upset by his teasing.  The man bent down on one knee toward her.  “ I am so sorry if I offended you my dear.” and bowed gracefully. “ It won’t happen again.  It’s just that I’m a bit of a joker, you’ll have to excuse my behavior.”  the man waited for her to accept his apology before standing.  

“Okay, I’m sorry too.”  she frowned.

“What could you possibly be sorry for girl?” he was surprised at her response as he jumped to his feet.

“For not kicking you.”  Isha smirked.  

The large man wondered if anyone could be prettier than her, her beautiful features distracted him for a moment.  He stored this memory in his mind and hoped it was the first of many to come.

“Good one.” he chuckled.  “I didn’t think you had it in you, go ahead then, kick me.”  he opened his stance awaiting punishment.

“I’m not going to kick you.” the cool breeze seeped through her hair and onto the back of her neck causing her to shiver.  She still expected she was going to wake up from this strange and vivid dream.  

“Why not?  Go ahead, you’ll feel better”  he challenged her.

She readied herself and spun around in the air her one leg whipping around her ready to take out whatever came in it’s path.  He felt a little breeze blow by his arm, missing it by half a centimeter.  

“Whoa!! that was close.  You are a lethal weapon girl!”  he smirked a little giving life to one of his dimples.  Isha was surprised by the new sense of strength and balance she felt taking over her muscles.  She stood there for a moment, enjoying the rush of heat that poured into her small frame.

“You okay?” he asked.  Isha nodded a yes, but she wasn’t exactly sure if she was okay.

  The two turned away from the momentary distraction of her thoughts walking toward the gap in the trees and came to a curtain of branches covered in a blanket of green.

Grabbing her hand firmly he pushed the branches to the side with his free hand.  He let her through first and she crouched a little distancing herself from any of the brush while he followed closely behind.

“Here we are Isha.”

It was so pretty, she thought.  Through the wall of trees ahead of them, and at the end of a path was a rustic looking house.  The path was lined with bright white lights that appeared to float freely.  The grass was unkempt looking and looked as though it had been sprinkled with beautiful coloured wildflowers.  Isha thought it reminded her of a picture from one of her old books at home.  She was half expecting this was one of her fairytales come to life or it was just a reflection of that memory in this vivid dream.

 She ran her fingers through the wisps of soft grass as she walked along the beaten path, and admired the quaint beauty of this place.  The little lights seemed to flicker and dance as she stepped by them.  The sky was a grey colour, and the little house brought life to the otherwise dismal haze that covered this land.  This place was magical she thought.  She felt overwhelmed, it was a strange feeling all at once and it rushed over her making her head spin.  

Visions of a woman’s face crept into her mind, she was running and looking down to meet with Isha’s eyes.  Was it her that was cradled in her arms tight?  The woman was beautiful.  Her auburn hair was swinging wildly around her, she heard screams in the distance and a man yelling. “Hurry, we’re almost there my love!“ she could feel the woman’s heart beating against her body.  She looked down at her with tears in her eyes. “It’s going to be okay little one.  We’ll be safe now”  she couldn’t make out the man as he grabbed onto this woman tight.  He kissed her with conviction and pressed his face against hers.  “You must go... please, I couldn’t bear it if you were gone... now go!” he yelled at her, and this startled Isha.  

The woman started to cry, speaking through fits of tears.  “I can’t!... please I can’t go!”  he turned around with his back to her.  He grabbed his head, he was angry now.  

“Go! he’s coming... do you want her to die?!!” he was looking down at Isha, or was it her?  She couldn’t make out his face, it was starting to get blurry.

“Now!  Cer...”  everything went black, and then it was eerily quiet. Maybe it was just a dream, and she was waking up now.

“Is she okay?” a small voice called out from a distance.

She could feel something cool and soft underneath her.  She wondered if she was home now and was waking up from this strange dream.  Her hands reached out for someone, for anyone.  

“Nan?” she whispered.   Her body felt light all at once, as if she was floating through the air.  Her eyes opened slowly, looking up she saw the same dismal sky, the same floating lights, and the same strange man as before.  

“What happened?”  she asked, acutely aware of how much her head hurt and she rubbed it softly.

“You went blind for a moment, and fell hitting your head on that rock back there.” he motioned toward a soft stone poking out from the path behind them.

“Oh?” she was puzzled.  “I think I dreamt of my Mom, she was running from something, she was so scared” his pace slowed immediately just before they reached the front steps.  

“What did you just say?”  he looked intently at her.

“She was running.  I think she was holding me. I’m not sure, it’s all so strange.”  he was quiet, so she carried on with her story. “There was a man with her.  He seemed to love her very much but they couldn’t be together, he told her to go so her baby and her would survive.”  she stopped and let out a long sigh.

The man was anxious now.  Did she have the same gift her Mother possessed?  She would know too much soon, and this made him worry.  He knew he better tell her the truth before it was too late.

“Isha, I’m afraid you’ve hit your head harder than I thought.” he winced slightly and she noticed his discomfort.

A young boy came running down the stairs.  He looked no more than ten or eleven she thought.  

“Randall!” he yelled as he threw his arms around the man’s waist.  “Randall you made it!” he was looking up at the man with fear and joy in his bright blue eyes.  The man rubbed the boy’s head lovingly and smiled down at him.

“Easy boy, you’ve got the grip of a mighty serpent!” he laughed while pulling himself free of the boy’s arms.  

“Mom thought you’d be back, but when they found out you had gone to rescue her I thought you wouldn’t return.” he wrapped his arms tight to him again. “I’m so glad you are safe Randal.l” the man pulled the boy back suddenly gripping his arms tight.

“What do you mean they found out? Who do you mean Cedric?” the boy squirmed out of his grip and rubbed his right arm.

“Ouch Randall.  You don’t have to hold on so hard.” his face wincing while he rubbed his arm.  

“ Sorry boy, I guess I don’t know my own strength sometimes. “ he calmed down a bit and reached out to place his large hand on the boy’s shoulder.   “ Who are they Cedric?” he didn’t take his eyes from the boy now, searching his blue eyes.

“I think they were Caius’ men.  I... “ the man interrupted him while rubbing his face in frustration.  

“Are you certain Cedric?  You are sure that these men were working for Caius?” he bared into the boy with his dark eyes and Isha noticed the red glint she saw before.  

“Yes Randall, I’m sure.”  the boy shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself as though he were cold.  

She took her eyes from the boy and looked over at Randall who was furiously rubbing his jaw.  He seemed pained and frustrated by the news this boy brought to him.

“Randall?” she searched for his eyes while now he anxiously stroked his dark hair back.  He didn’t answer her.  

“Randall? This is your name isn’t it?” her voice growing louder and more impatient.  He broke out of his frustrated state and looked over at the young girl.

“I want to know” she paused waiting for him to answer, but he was silent and just stared at her.

She walked over to him and tugged on his large hand hard.  Hard enough to shake him out of his trance and bring forth the fear he was feeling.

“What are you doing girl?!” he spat his words at her.

She pushed him, and he moved back slightly.  He thought she was pretty strong for a small girl.  She pounded her fists up toward his muscular chest and screamed at him.  

“I want to know!  I want to know what is happening!  You promised me!” her legs gave out beneath her and she fell to the ground.  Isha wiped her wet face smearing dirt from her hands across her cheeks.  “I’m tired, I am so tired, I just want to wake up!  Wake me up!”  she screamed at him now, her dark brown eyes desperately pleading with him.  

“Please tell me why I’m here Randall! Tell me how I can end this nightmare.” she stopped crying and took a deep breath.  

He reached down and scooped her up like she weighed nothing and walked toward the quaint house that stood before them.  

“Randall, is that you?!” a soft voice swept out through the half open door.  A blonde woman peeked out from around the gap of the half open door, and as she the door swung wide open Isha her beauty took hold of the young girl. She was mesmerized by her angelic features, her long blonde hair was braided and poured over one of her shoulders.  Her blue eyes twinkled happily as she welcomed them in through the door nudging Cedric along ahead of them.  She scanned her blue eyes over Randall and Isha saying nothing for a moment, her delicate features appeared to be working in a deep thought.  She reached her long slender hands onto the girl and smiled warmly.

“You must be tired Isha?”  it was more a statement than a question.  She looked at Randall now, her eyes were the most magnificent blue Isha had ever seen.

Isha didn’t know what to say so the man answered for her.

“Yes,I think she is Alethea.” he was looking down at the girl now, who was rubbing her eyes.  Isha was suddenly aware of just how tired she was and was struggling to keep her eyes open.  

“She’s out cold.”  Alethea said and stroked Isha’s dark hair away from her face.  “How beautiful, like her Mothe,r and of course her Father.”  she was smiled at Randall.  

“Didn’t take you long to affect her Alethea.  Why so soon?”  he walked into the house now, still carrying the young girl who had fallen fast asleep.

She motioned for him to follow her to a small room in the back and he followed slowly looking at the large fire place burning a bright fire.  

“I couldn’t wait Randall.  We don’t have much time, and she will need to rest.”  she pulled back the heavy blanket and he placed the girl on the small soft bed.  

The woman examined her before covering her up.  She removed the girl’s black boots while Randall took her damp red wool coat off.  

“Here.” the woman extended her hand. “ Give me that, I’ll hang it by the fire to dry.”  she sat for a moment and stared at Isha.  She took one of the girl’s hands and stroked her face for a moment. 

“So fragile and beautiful.” she smiled. “She has no idea how powerful she will become.”  her eyes caught Randall’s.  Alethea rose from the bed, her full mouth clenched with worry.  “Come Randall, I have a lot to tell you.”  she stroked the back of his arm while she passed by him.  

Randall turned back and took in the sight of this innocent girl, her pouty mouth fell open from exhaustion.  He thought that this was going to be the last good sleep this young girl would have in a long time.  Her world was going to change forever, and he was already mourning for the innocence of her youth that was going to be lost.  It was tempting to take her back to the home she knew, and away from the challenges she would soon face.  He knew though that wherever he would have tried to hide her that eventually they would find her, and destroy their only hope for survival.  He hesitated once more before he turned to leave, and took one more look at the untouched young beauty that lay sleeping peacefully.   

   A whisper of a voice startled him. 

“Hard to believe she is yours?”  the woman grabbed his hand and gave him an endearing look.  “You will have plenty of time to be in awe of her Randall.”  pulling on his hand slightly, Alethea motioned for them to leave.

“Come my friend, time is running out”  

He rubbed his eyes, washing off all his anxieties and turned to follow her.  She led him to one of the large green sofas angled near the fireplace and  she disappeared for moment into the kitchen.  

Sitting felt good he thought, he suddenly realized how tired he was and was soon drifting asleep with the warmth of the fire washing over his face.  He was startled suddenly by a little hand on his shoulder, and it made him stiffen up instinctively ready to fight.  Looking around he saw that the source was the boy Cedric.

“Oh Ced,  sorry boy, you startled me a little.” he said feeling slightly silly for overreacting.  “I thought you would be fast asleep by now.”   the boy stood there in his pajamas with a sheepish grin impressed upon his face.  

“I forgot to say goodnight to you Randall.”  he wrapped his lithe arms halfway around Randall’s large waist.

He noticed how strong the young boy had become for his size.  Cedric was as strong as a lion however he had the misfortune of being genetically placed in a very slim frame.  Randall tousled the boy’s dirty blonde hair and knelt down to face him.

“Goodnight Ced.”  squeezing both his arms at his side in a little hug.  “Get on to bed now before your Mom catches you out here.” he lips curling up at one side in a half grin.  

Cedric had always been a good boy and never gave his Mother trouble over the years.  He had grown up into a little man over the last year after his Father died.  Cedric idolized his Father as most young boys do and saw his father die, as most children should not be a witness to.  He instinctively took over a parental role in his Mother’s life when she lost all control and disconnected herself from life.

Randall admired Cedric for being brave enough to take control and to keep his Mother alive for the last year.  He assumed the boy had inherited his Mother’s magic, his Father’s strength and that this helped him carry on.  However, Randall feared that one day Cedric would outgrow his good faith in people and that a vengeful rage would take over the young boy’s spirit.  He only hoped that he could be there to guide him away from the war he was subconsciously pursuing.  

He was just a little boy Randall thought, as he watched the young boy taking to climbing the stairs two at a time.  He stopped and turned around to look at Randall.  His bright blue eyes sparkling with an adolescent curiosity.

“Randall?”  the boy questioned.

“Yes Ced, what is it?” he had no idea what he was going to ask and this bothered him a little being that he could read just about anyone’s mind, of course except people like Ced and Alethea.

The boy paused and fidgeted with the sleeves on his shirt a little.

“When will it be over?” Randall knew what he meant by this.

“I’m not sure Cedric.”  he climbed up the stairs toward the boy.

“I mean, when will it finally be over?  Will he have to die?” 

Randall picked Cedric up, he was heavier than he looked he thought.  He gave his back a little rub and carried him toward his room.

“Cedric, please don’t worry about all these things.  I will make sure nothing ever happens to you or your Mother.  Now, you try and rest.”  he laid the boy down on his bed and covered him up.  

Randall looked around the room that was laden with his Father’s belongings.  His clothes, his sword and letters he had written to Cedric while away fighting for his people.  Cedric held a silver medallion in his hand that was attached to a leather string.  He rubbed it between his fingers, it looked worn and tattered.  Randall recognized the symbol of a dragon with a half moon and sun behind it.  The sign of Randall’s army and the sign of a new world and it’s only chance at destroying the plague of Caius.

Randall kissed the boy lightly on his forehead and tucked him in tight under his covers.  Cedric held the medallion tight in his small hands and turned to lay on his side.  Randall walked toward the door to leave and just before he stepped out in to the hall, a little voice spoke from under the covers.

“I hope he dies.”  speaking it only once, Randall waited to hear if he said any more.  He listened thoughtfully and when the boy didn’t speak again he walked away.  There was nothing he could have said to ease Cedric’s worries or change his mind, he would talk to the boy later.

Randall walked down the hallway that was blanketed by old cedar from floor to ceiling.  He took in the musky smell of the rustic house and remembered fondly of building it with his old friend.  Thomas was a loyal and devoted friend with a fierce passion for his family.  Randall remembered thinking how powerful Thomas was when they were just boys.  He had a gift with the sword and his fighting skills were beyond capable of a boy at his age.  When Thomas was only ten he was taken by the Min Army with no protest from his family, they were honored.  The Min’s were almost a fable to most who spoke of them, and it was a question whether they even existed.  They could soar through the air at top speeds, had lethal limbs that outstretched and could kill with the contact of one kick or punch.  It wasn’t just their martial artistry they were known for, but a mix of heavy swords, bows, arrows and their powerful lithe bodies that were feared silently by their enemies.  

 Thomas came to say goodbye to Randall and told him he was invited to be trained by the Min’s.  He remembered his little friend walking away by himself into the field out of their small village.  The sun was rising and shining so brightly he had to shield his eyes to gain sight of his friend.  He could only make out the outline of Thomas’ slight frame, his small sword hanging down to one side, and then that’s when he saw them.  There must have been about a hundred or more of them standing still and silent in the distance.  Their leader Ronin stood by Thomas placing his hand on his shoulder nudging him to go with them.  With a small wave goodbye from his young friend’s hand, it was over.  They had disappeared as quickly as they had come, and he somehow knew it would be a long time before he ever saw his good friend again.  

Randall longed for his friend over the years, missing his humour and playful company.  He had always wondered if had seen him from time to time while playing in the forest, with his invisible army.  After the years Randall soon became to know that he was no ordinary boy either.  His friend didn’t know his secret, and he had always wondered if Thomas would except him as he was, whenever he was to see him again.

The years went by aging Randall from a ten year old boy to a young man of seventeen.  He had thought about the encounter between the two of them that could have ended in both their deaths, and how a very young Alethea had saved them both.  His memory played vividly as he stood in the hallway and was transfixed back to a time that was free of the plague that was now poisoning their lands.

      Randall raced through the field at top speed into his private playground behind the village.  He breathed in the damp and sweet forest air that wrapped all his senses up delightfully.  It didn’t take him long to shift now, he had a lot of practice over the years.  His animal senses took over, making his blood boil, and his skin hot to an abnormal degree for any human or animal to possess.  He felt like he was being squeezed through a tight hole and the pressure was unbearable, as it always was at first.  The pressure released on his lungs and he was able to breathe now, letting out heavy breaths and gasping for oxygen.   He shot out into the air, and bounded down the forest path with the trees all a blur on either side of him.  The wind rushing into his black fur felt intoxicating as he ran hard with his massive paws pushing him forward.  He came to a clearing with a small pond and his thirst called out to him.  Lapping up the cool clean water he stopped to look at himself for a moment in the reflection.  His large dark eyes flickered back at him and he startled himself for a moment at the size of his long sharp canine teeth.  He was no ordinary wolf, too large and too stocky in his body.  His legs were long and built with protruding muscles.  He was a shape shifter.  Like his great grandfather and his father, Randall also possessed this unique ability.  It was legend that those who possessed this unusual gift had mutated genes.  The very first shifters had been exposed to a toxin that accidentally seeped into the village water.

  While most of the villagers died an almost instant death, there were few that survived only suffering a mild fever and amnesia.  Their bodies only strengthened over the course of their illness and they found that they possessed abilities that were not humanly possible.  Shifting always happened when their ‘inner’ animal had been discovered, created from their energies and traces of their personality.  The survivors left their village and bonded together swearing to never reveal their secret for fear of being destroyed by those who did not understand.  It was said that a shifter was only able to discover his or her abilities at a time of great stress, or during pre-adolescence when hormones and cellular change happened in the body.  Randall discovered his gift just before his 13th birthday when his Father had the ‘talk’ with him.  Not knowing whether his young son would be passed on the ‘shifter’ gene he knew he still had to warn his boy of what may come. Randall suffered unlike his grandfather and father through his ‘change’.  He experienced unthinkable pain and a fever that would have killed most.  He felt his body building, his muscles lengthening and his tendons strengthening, which would eventually help him reach unbelievable speeds.  His young body had changed in one night, and his life as a young innocent boy was over as he knew it.           

  Feeling quenched he turned to leave and was shocked to see a large man standing behind him.  He paused to have a closer look at the man whose stance was threatening a fight.  His blonde hair was cropped close to his scalp, and his piercing blue eyes were burning into him.  He wondered why he hadn’t heard or smelled the man coming, this was unusual, given the very keen senses he had.  The man stood quite still, his white shirt clinging tight to the muscles protruding through, and his gleaming sword hung down easily at his side.  He didn’t say anything aloud or subconsciously and Randall wondered how he could not read his mind as he had done with so many others.  Randall turned to face the man growling a low warning, startling the young warrior slightly and he shifted back to get a better look at the unearthly creature that stood baring his teeth at him.  The man took in a deep breath clasping his hands together simultaneously, and he breathed out as he yelled “Aye!” jumping high into the air.  

His speed made him virtually invisible to Randall, he soared toward him with his sword ready to plunge deep into Randall’s large neck.  Randall shifted slightly and batted his large paw at the man who flew by him, saving himself from what could have been his death.  The man spun around like an acrobat flipping in the air and grappling Randall around his thick neck.  He twisted his arm around the large wolf throwing him to the ground  violently.  Randall growled loud and slipped himself out of the mans grip, swiping his massive paw at the man and knocking him to the ground.  Stunned, the man shook his head as Randall stood over him bearing his large teeth, his saliva dripping onto the ground beside him.  

Just then a high voice pleaded from behind them distracting them from their death match.  

“Stop it! Please don’t!” a young woman came out from behind one of the bushes.  Her long blonde hair flowed freely to her waist and she pleaded for them to stop, her blue eyes dancing between the two.  She fearlessly approached the two fighters, placing her hands on them both.

“You need to stop.” she commanded, and that’s just what they did, they stopped.

  They hadn’t realized it then that Alethea had a power of her own, and it had been more than just her delicate beauty that had persuaded them to stop their fight.  She knew even before they did that Randall and the  young warrior used to be best friends.  Alethea not only could read their minds at the present but knew in less than one minute about their past.  The most important weapon she had was her ability to know her enemies greatest fear and manipulate them through their own mind with visual trickery.  To most she seemed to be a witch, however to those who were close to her she was known as a goddess of love, beauty, and persuasion of the highest kind.  With one touch she could captivate and destroy the mightiest of men.  

“Don’t you remember each other?” she let her hold on them go, freeing them of their temporary paralysis.  Unfamiliar in his wolf form it was obvious that Thomas did not recognize his old friend. Thomas squinted at the massive dark wolf creature that still hovered over him, while Randall looked the warrior up and down trying to identify anything that was familiar.  

The young goddess drew closer to them reaching out her long slender arm toward this blonde man that lay on the forest floor.

“Stand up.” she motioned with her hand, and he did as she commanded.

“You need to change.” she demanded to Randall.  

Randall knew what she had meant and wondered why he hadn’t thought of it earlier.  How could this warrior know who he was in his animal form, if in fact they really did know each other at all.

Randall’s body shuddered and his lungs emptied with a low growl.  Thomas looked at Alethea, his eyes widening as Randall’s animal form convulsed into a large young man.  Randall’s brown hair hung slightly past the nape of his neck and sweat dripped down his defined chest.  Thomas was impressed and intimidated by the mans physique, looking up at him trying desperately to recognize him.  Randall brushed his unkempt hair away from his large brown eyes and walked closer to Thomas to get a better look.  His eyes scanned down the man’s face searching for anything that would trigger his memory and make it clear to him who he was.  

He suddenly stopped, at a scar that poked out from his white shirt, and that stretched beyond the blonde warrior’s right collar bone.  No other scar could have been this significant and the only person to have owned this type of mark had been his old friend Thomas.  

“How did you get this scar?”  he pointed to the large arrow shaped mark.  

Thomas looked down at it and touched it thoughtfully.  

“Why? What does this matter?”  

They both looked up at each other, as if in sync they remembered who they had been to each other, and the length of how long it had been since they both had seen one another flooded them with emotion.

“Randall?! Thomas?!” they both yelled out nearly at the same time.

They leapt toward each other, hugging each other tight.    

“It’s you, it’s really you my brother.” Randall touched Thomas’ scar.  

Thomas looked down at Randall’s liberal hand pulling it away from his scar.  

“Who else would bear this scar?”  Thomas smirked. “Well, unless you’ve miscarried a few more of those arrows since we’ve seen each other last?”  Thomas laughed hard giving his friend a playful punch on the side of his arm.  

“We have much to divulge to one another Thomas.  Come my friend, let us celebrate.”  

   Randall, Thomas and their new friend Alethea walked back to the small settlement where their friendship had been rooted.

The two mused over each others lives, telling stories of their lives past and present, vowing never to part ways again.  Thomas told Randall of his time training with the Mins and was now a substantial player in an intangible army.  Randall opened up to his friend about his discovery of his exceptional abilities, and how he was struggling to refine them.  The two forged a deeper friendship than when they were boys and never lost touch again.  Thomas went back to train with the Min Army, and in between the intensive training forged a deep love with Alethea.   There had been an instant allurement between the two, and it was beyond comparable to any love Randall had ever seen.  He was envious of  of their love for each other and was hopeful that one day he would be blessed with such good fortune. 

   Randall stood, transfixed in this recollection, conscious of where he was,  and these memories were bittersweet as he stood now in Thomas’ house.    He sighed deeply and whispered to those too far away to hear. “I will take care of them Thomas, as I promised.”  

His silent vow to his late friend was interrupted by a soft voice coming from down the stairs.  Randall turned from the top of the wooden staircase to see Alethea looking up at him, sensing the anxiety within her and quickly shook himself loose from his journey back in time.  

“Randall, where have you been?”  she asked, she had no idea where his mind had wandered.  

The brawny man tread lightly down the stairs, being careful not to wake the sleeping children.  While he walked past Alethea he whispered to her.

“I was with Thomas.”  his eyes were glassy and he rubbed his scruffy face.

Alethea was quite aware that grown men, especially men like Randall, did not like to show emotions.  Such emotions as crying were considered weak, and Randall couldn’t be seen as delicate, not even by his best of friends.  Alethea knew better than to push the subject, and left Randall to regain his composure before she followed him.  

“Well?”  Randall spoke brashly from his seat by the fireplace. “ What is it then Alethea? “  he wondered what was so important she had to rush both children to sleep.

  

   She reluctantly glided in to the room and crouched down to her knees in front of Randall.  The beauty of her face glowed by the light of the fire and Randall was transfixed by the perfection of her face.  Her blue eyes were filling up with tears and she put her hands in Randall’s.  She started sobbing uncontrollably trying to say something to him, however the tears and shakiness in her voice only made her words difficult to understand.

He didn’t know what to do or say for that matter.  

“What is wrong my friend?” he let go of her hands placing his powerful hands on either side of her face.  Lifting her head up to meet his gaze he noticed how she trembled.

“What is wrong?.” he paused to look into her eyes intently now.  He couldn’t read her mind, as he could with others.  Truth was the only thing he could ask of her, and Alethea had always been good with giving him the truth.

“Tell me, why are you so afraid?”  he hadn’t a clue as to what she was going to say.

“He’s taken her Randall.  He’s taken her! “ she was hysterical now, and searched for forgiveness in Randall’s dark eyes.  “He, his men found her , I think I know how they did it Randall, but it doesn’t matter now, she’s gone!.”  she was whispering now, but it was frantic and she was still crying in spurts.  “ Randall, what will they do?  What is he going to do to her?”  she wept on the floor now as Randall watched her with a stone face.  He was in shock, disbelieving what his beautiful friend told him, and he sat still for just a moment before rising.  

“How do you know for sure it was her Alethea?”  he knelt down quietly gritting his words through his teeth.  

“I went to check on her Randall.  I wanted to see my friend, to make sure she was alright.  You know she had just nearly escaped him, she was where I thought she would be safest.”  she rubbed her face with her sleeve drying her face.  “I’m so sorry Randall.  I think it’s my fault they found her.  If I hadn’t gone to visit her, I wouldn’t have been followed and she would not have been taken again.”

He felt compassion for her in his state of angst and comforted her with his words.  

“It’s not your fault, it’s not your responsibility Alethea, it was mine.  I promised I would protect her, to always protect her.”  he paced back and forth breathing heavy.  

“What does he want?” Alethea stood up moving to the couch, she was too weak to stand at this moment.  

“What he has always wanted my friend, her.”  Randall stopped pacing.

“He won’t ever let the past go will he? He is going to make her suffer until the day she dies.”  Alethea was horrified as she thought of her dear friend, alone and in the hands of the most hated man their world had ever seen.

“She shouldn’t have to pay for wanting to be with the person she truly loves Alethea.  He forced her into marriage not expecting that he couldn’t easily crush her spirit.”  he paused in thought.  “That’s what upsets him the most, that she cannot be broken like an obedient pony of his. “  he knelt down suddenly in front of Alethea.  

“He should never underestimate the courage and power of love.  A love so divine, it can outwit even the most powerful sorcery.  Even his Alethea” he was speaking crazy now, maniacal thought Alethea.  

“Randall?  What are you saying?”  she grabbed onto his face trying to get him to get his focus back.  

“I’m not crazy my friend.” he chuckled softly.  “He will never win.  If I know anything, I know this. “ his gestures were slow now, and he sat beside her.  

“ I will find her, or she will find me.  I made a promise to her, and I am intent on keeping it.  Now we must make big plans and seek out our allies, we need all the help we can get.”  he gripped her knee and gave it a friendly squeeze.

“Randall?”  she exchanged his friendly gesture and held on to his forearm.

“Yes?”

“What about your daughter?. She will be overrun with all this knowledge.  “

She sensed the hesitation in his movement as he stood up slowly turning his back to her.  His pause was discouraging, and she feared for the young girls safety more than anything now.

“You will tell her Randall?” more of a question than a command.

Randall turned to face her now, sitting back down taking a deep and much needed breath.

“When she awakes, I will tell her then.  Until then, we must try to rest.”

He looked exhausted, it had been a long day and night, he needed to regenerate his power for the challenges that soon awaited all of them.  Alethea stood and hesitated before moving toward her slumber.  

“It’s going to be alright, right Randall?” she fidgeted insecurely.  

“It will be alright. It has to be.” he said firmly.

She smiled back at him hesitantly while she glided toward the staircase.  Stopping for thought she turned and quietly whispered.  “Thank you my dear friend, and good night”.

He smiled at her and lay his head down on the soft pillows.  His eyes taking their time to close, his worried thoughts kept him from breezing into an abysmal sleep.  

   She peered in through the small opening between the door and frame, sighing sweetly as she looked in at her boy sleeping.  She thought to herself how quickly he was growing and that soon he would be a young man.  This past year had been hard on the two of them, especially Alethea, and the boy had taken care of her as if he was already a man.  She admired her young son for his courage and vowed that she would never leave him emotionally again.  

  Alethea unbraided her long blonde strands, resting nicely on her bed, and she stroked the gold band around her wrist thoughtfully.  The designs were elaborate carvings of where she was rooted from.  It had been passed down from her Mother, her Grandmother, and her Great-grandmother before.  Enchantress’ conceive their gifts at a very young age, some as early as babies.  Alethea was always told by her Mother how special she was and it was never a secret to her that one day she would be able to perform great magic.  She was told by her Mother that the ancients only passed on this gift to those they knew would use it for honorable purposes.  Their gods knew at what time in an Enchantress’ life it would be bestowed upon them.  It was said that it could only be given at a time when it was most required, usually a time of great urgency in their life.  Some witches  were very powerful, able to change a persons thoughts before their vision actually came to them.  Others such as Alethea had to feed off of great vulnerability, or had only to touch them to lift the very thoughts and dreams from their minds.  The greatest weapon these enchantress’ had was their intuition for mapping out and destroying their enemies psyche.  Any negative emotion could be placed into the oppositions thoughts driving them to insanity within a minute or two.  Stories of such people derived a long time ago, and it was said that their powers had descended from a serpent god.  They were thought of as “charmers”, like the great snake Naja who would paralyze its prey with magic.  Alethea disliked the thought of being related to snakes and relied on this story as sheer myth. 

Their divination wasn’t always used to destroy, it was also used to heal.  Sometimes, though this is just legend, it was told that such magic was used to bring back the dead.  But again, Alethea believed that this was also just a mere fable. 

Alethea noted the inscription on the snake shaped clasp, “clavis aurea”, which when translated meant “golden key”.  She was always curious what the meaning behind it was, and when she would ask her elders about what it meant, they would only say one thing. 

“ Only you must know what this means Alethea, and you will find its true meaning when you need it most”  

If there ever was a time when she needed it, it was now.  By some miracle this answer would come to her and she hoped it would be to help save her dear friend Cerdwin.  She wrapped herself up in the heavy quilt searching for a comfortable position, and when her restlessness settled she fell fast asleep.

   

     He was running for his life on the well beaten path,  and his fear was giving new agility to the speed he was gaining.  He could hear the rapid tracking of the great beasts behind him and the intake of oxygen to his lungs increased.  He was astounded that these stallions were able to keep up with his electric pace, sorcery must be affecting the great four legged animals.  He couldn’t see behind him enough to identify who drove the stallions after him, but he was sure it had been the very man who sought him for the critical task at which he had failed to deliver.  Punishment was the only reason those beasts were now stalking him, and he was afraid now for the very first time in his life.  Once bewitched, there would be no breaking their will to find him.  Even if he was to outrun them time and time again, he knew they would go for an eternity to finish their task.  The riders too would think of nothing else but him, eat sleep and track him until they caught their prey.  He was as sure as dead if they did, their leader did not take well to failure, especially failure of this particular kind.  

Bouncing off of a large tree trunk, he grappled the upper branches and swung himself up like a wild animal.  He thought he could lose them there, but just as he thought he was safe he looked down to see one of the men climbing the trunk just as sprightly as he had.  His total annihilation was sure to follow if he delayed much longer.  Carrying his lithe frame upward he reached the crown of the massive tree, and shot himself like a sphere into the sky.  His whole body contracted, and all at once erupted into a large feathery creature.  The wild aviator glanced back at his would be assailant shrieking, and bore into him with his yellow eyes. 

 “Until next time.”  the shape shifter gloated silently.  He could almost hear himself laughing with the pleasure of slipping away from this most acclaimed army, and if the great falcon could smile he would have. 

    “I’m sorry.”  the girl spoke, awakening the disheveled man on the couch.  “Randall? That’s your name right?” she paused taking in her surroundings cautiously.  The rain sounded heavy as it pounded against the small window on the front door. 

   “ I wasn’t dreaming then? This is all real?” she fumbled with the sleeves on her black shirt.  Randall sat up scratching the scruff on his face, and messing with his hair nervously.  He had to tell her, she was awake and looking at him with those beautiful brown eyes, pleading with him.  Hurting her was the last thing he ever wanted to do and this isn’t how he dreamed of entering her life.  He sat on the sofa, wondering how he could distract her from his muddled speech and wished there were someone more delicate who would deliver the truth to her.  He stood up yawing, stretching out to hopefully gain more time to think of something intelligible to say.  She watched him, curiously looking up at his broad shoulders and down to his colossal legs.  Isha examined him closely, trying to find something that she wasn’t sure that she was looking for.  He had long lithe legs, and his arms dangled like two capable weapons made for dismantling challenges that were either good or bad.  He grunted quietly as if to push off the last stretch from his renewing slumber.

“Are you hungry?” he asked as he walked toward what Isha only assumed could be the kitchen.  She followed him cautiously as if a great beast was going to jump out at her.  Randall turned to her, in touch with her feelings of unease, and placed his hand behind her back pushing her gently along with him.

“Come on Isha, it’s okay there aren’t any monsters in here.” he smiled sideways causing a large dimple to sink into his right cheek.                        “ Now, what shall I make you for breakfast Isha?”  they were both surprised by a female voice laughing heartily behind them.

“Oh come on Randall.  You’re not actually going to make this lovely girl think you can cook are you?”  Alethea walked in slowly, her grace captivating Isha as it did the night before.  Alethea turned and gave the young girl a wink and cunning smile behind Randall’s back.

“I’m not that hungry.”  Isha said as she peered out the kitchen window at the pouring rain.  Randall and Alethea stopped what they were doing and looked mindfully at the young girl.

“You must eat something Isha.” the blonde goddess insisted.

“When are you going to tell me what’s going on?  You just can’t keep me here captive and pretend like everything is normal.”  trying to contain her frustration.  “I want to know.”  she looked down at her dirty black boots. “Where am I?  Who are you people?” her hands were all balled up into fists of frustration.

Alethea regarded Randall and the girl in one stare speaking softly. 

“Randall will tell you now.  Randall and I will tell you Isha.  Come sit here.”  she gestured toward a small circular table placed perfectly beside a capacious window.  The rain beat loudly on the glass, the sound flooding their conversation. What she didn’t know, was that this story was going to alter not only her life, but life as she knew it.

   Randall tried to speak, but it only sounded like garbled up nonsense.  Alethea stopped him placing her hand on his, giving him a discerning look she took over.  

“Isha, what Randall is trying to say here is that you are special.”  she took the young girl’s hand in hers and squeezed it warmly.  “I don’t mean special in a simple sense.  I mean you are special in a magic sort of way.”  Isha’s face scrunched up unable to fathom what she meant.  

“Okay, here it is.” Randall’s impatience took over.  

“This world you see, this world that I have brought you to, this is your world Isha.  This is where you were born.”  he paused graciously to give Isha a moment to digest his words.  Isha still looked confused.

“Alright then, here it goes.  I am your Father Isha.” the girl’s eyes intensified on him and her body shifted away in disbelief. 

“I am your Father Isha.  Your mother and I...”

“What do you mean?  What?”  she interrupted him, her voice was shaking through her rapid uneven breaths.

Randall stood up now, pacing slowly and searching for some thoughtful way to tell her more.

“I’m so sorry you had to find out this way Isha, but when I found out he knew of you, and was going to try to get his hands on you, I had to..” he stopped and knelt in front of her suddenly.

“Get me?  Who?  What do you mean?”  she was feeling even more confused, if that was possible.              

“There is a very bad man Isha.  His name is Caius.” Alethea stated calmly taking notice of Cedric leaning against the archway in the kitchen.  She smiled pleasantly at her son, and pressed on with the facts.

“ He has wanted your Mother’s love for a long time.  He forced your Mother into marrying him, he is a very powerful man.  Cerdwin detests him, the only man she will ever give her love to is your Father Isha, and this displeases him immensely.”  Cedric sat down on the floor with his back resting on the arch continuing his silence respectfully.

“  She escaped Caius, running away with Randall and hid from him for a long time.  But he found her, and all of us, just after you were born in fact.  Your Mother and your Nan left this world for the one you have known as your home.”  she paused to catch her thought.

“But why did we have to leave, and why couldn’t my Father have come too?”  she a look at Randall, feeling odd about calling him her Father.

“Your Father stayed to lead him off course.  To keep Caius’ trackers thinking that you all got away.  He has been running for a long time.”  she was looking at Randall with empathy for how hard it had been for him.

“Your Mother couldn’t stay away though, returning one night to try to find Randall.  She found only me and my family, and I had told her she must return quickly. Caius’ men had just been in the area and would smell her tracks, so she fled back to you thinking she had gotten away without any evidence of this new world she now lived in.”  she sighed and stroked Isha’s face softly.  

  “What she didn’t know was that one of his trackers saw her moving between this world and the other, they had discovered her secret.  It was only a matter of time before they had found her forcing her back into the world she loved and the man she hated.”

“ What happened?”  Isha inquired.

“  They found her, bringing her back to his prison, and away from the people she loved the most.”  Alethea stood and kneeled down endearingly in front of the young girl.  She held the child’s hands noting their coolness, and she held them tight trying to warm her tenderly.  

“I know this is a lot to take in Isha.  Your mother will be alright, but we have to act fast.  He knows you exist and just how special you are.  This is why he seeks to destroy the very thing that can eradicate him from our world.”  Isha’s face was scrunching up again.

“You will find your specialness Isha, either when you need it most, or because you will find it in yourself to do so. “ she looked over at Cedric and then to Randall following her gaze back to the girl.  “I hope you find it soon” she gave Isha’s hands one more squeeze before letting go to stand up.

“Randall, get the supplies together.  They will be here soon.  I will pack us some food for along the way.”  she fumbled with some fruits and breads preparing them and packing them into a large paper bag.  Isha sat still observing her surroundings attentively, and noting the unkempt grass outside.  There were wildflowers and strange but beautiful weeds flourishing the yard.  The colours were unbelievably vivid underneath the blanket of rain.  It was a simple cottage stripped bare from fancy appliances and the latest technology.  She felt as though she had been transported back to a time before television or even automobiles existed.  The scents and sights were very organic, saturating every one of her senses overwhelmingly.  She breathed in, feeling a strange binding tightness around her ribcage, and was immediately surrounded by darkness.  

She could see, feel and hear the thunder of great stallions galloping over a mossy field, and visually she was standing there as they blasted past her.  Large figures dressed in black cloaks dug their heels deep into their horses wildly, driving them faster and harder.  She couldn’t make out their faces from the large black hoods they wore,  and through her clouded vision she made out a symbol etched into the riders stocky black boots.  Focusing hard she made out an unfinished circle, like a large letter C with what looked like a sword or dagger plunging into the gap.  She wondered what it meant while she stood there in a trance, her feet sinking deeper into the soft grass.  A white fog rushed in toward her, causing her vision to be inaccessible to the scene that was playing out before her.  She felt herself falling backwards into a void of unknown parallels.  Her body started jerking from its deprivation for oxygen, and she felt the odd tightness climbing on to her chest again. 

    It was pitch black, she blinked rapidly to try and gain any kind of light.  She opened her eyes to pure white that was incredibly blinding and she squinted to see a blonde boy staring down at her with his twinkling blue eyes.  

“She’s okay Mom, she’s awake now.”  she noticed the small freckles that played over his nose, and how big and white his teeth were.  She moved gingerly and realized she was on the cold stone floor with the goddess cradling her head from behind.

“Oh good, I was worried Isha.” she hugged her head tightly stroking her hair as if she were a small injured pet.  

“What happened?” she sat up rubbing the side of her head that felt hot.  She looked at her hand and saw scant amounts of blood, knowing she hit her head somehow.  

“You’re okay, I put some of Mom’s salve on it.  Stopped the bleeding right away.” Ced chirped proudly.  

“You must have blacked out from the sudden stress of everything Isha.  It sounded as though you were having trouble breathing.  You fell off your chair hitting the ground really hard.  Your body was shaking and you were speaking incoherently.”  Alethea rose to her feet helping Isha up along the way.

Alethea walked her to the large plush couch and went to get a bandage to dress Isha’s head wound with.  

“That’s odd.”  Cedric commented reaching his hand toward her head.

“What?” Isha questioned moving back from his hand a little.

“Your head. It’s gone.” he was puzzled and stood silently scratching his head.

“What’s gone?”  she brushed her fingers along her right temple.  It wasn’t hot and sticky anymore, and the moderate sized gash that had cut into her right eyebrow to her hairline felt completely gone.  Her skin felt as smooth as it did before her plumet to the hard floor.

“Gone.  Like it never happened.”  his chirping was starting to annoy her now.  

“That’s impossible!” she exclaimed standing up abruptly.  “Do you have any mirrors?”  

“Yes of course we do.  Come on, follow me then!”  he grabbed onto her hand and pulled her after him.  His pull was strong for his slight frame, and it suprised Isha how mighty he was for his size.  

“Ouch!” grabbing his hand that held onto hers and pulling it free.  He let go at once. 

“Sorry, did I hurt you?” his question was sincere.  “You okay?” he stopped and reached to rub her hand a little.

“Yes, I am fine.” shrugging off her embarrassment, pulling her hand away from his touch.  

“ I guess Mom was right.” he turned halfway to go find Isha a mirror.

“Right about what?” she wondered as they walked toward the bedroom where she had slept the night before.

“Just about me getting stronger.  I have to be careful, sometimes I can break things.”  he smiled letting Isha enter the room before him, she admired his politeness and smiled back at him.  Isha searched for a mirror spinning herself around, and she was becoming quite impatient that finding a simple item had become so difficult.  

  Cedric walked toward a small closet in the corner draped with velvet curtains.  He turned and motioned for her to come to him, and she obeyed like a well trained house pet.  They both pulled apart the curtain together revealing a surprisingly large closet.  There was a tiny window casting the grey weather outside into the little room.  

 “Is this all your stuff?” she looked around at all the clothing and odd items that packed the small space.

“No, they were my Dad’s”  he said quietly.  

“Where is he now?”  she asked, and immediately sensed his apprehension.  

“He died.”  

Isha wished she could’ve taken back her question, and felt incredibly stupid at this moment.  

“I’m so sorry Cedric.” she couldn’t look at him.

“It’s okay Isha.  My mom wanted to keep everything.” he said touching a dresser in the corner.  “She thinks she’ll keep him alive somehow, by keeping all his stuff.  Like if she got rid of his stuff, she would forget him or something.”  he smirked a little.  “Sounds crazy, I know?”

“Not at all.” she put her hand on his shoulder affectionately.

“He died just over a year ago.  It’s been really tough on my Mom.  She’s okay now though.” he sighed shrugging off any emotions that would weaken him.

He walked toward the corner where the light from the window was shining the strongest, and uncovered a tall standing mirror.  Cedric brushed the dust off generously with his sleeve messing the nice white shirt he was wearing.  

“Here it is.”  he said backing away.  

She lifted a brown strand of her hair away from her forehead and tilted her head to try and gain sight of her invisible wound.  Isha dropped her hands to her sides in shock turning to face the boy.   She looked back toward the mirror again rechecking the validity of her reflection, and pulling her hair from side to side.

“That’s impossible.  I felt it.  I saw the blood only moments ago.”  she said looking at her head again. 

“I told you.” he said smiling rightfully, and chuckling a little.

“You think this is funny?” she was folding her arms in front of her chest trying to contain her irritability.  

“No.  I don’t think it’s funny.” he paused just for a second. “I think it’s wonderful.” he was trying to stop himself from smiling.  Isha started pacing back and forth upon the large closet floor.  She was rubbing her head and face trying to rid the frustration that was creeping in.  She stopped abruptly turning to face this amused boy.

“Wonderful?” she asked, and he shook his head indicating a yes.  “Wonderful?!!” her voice getting louder now.  “You think it’s wonderful?  You’re crazy!” she pushed by him storming into the bedroom.

“Hey.” he followed her.  “Isha, what’s wrong?”  

Her anger slowed a little and she turned back to him.  He could see the tears welling up, clouding her soft brown eyes.  

“What’s so wonderful about all of this?” her voice cracked threatening a flood of tears.  

“I’m sorry Isha, forgive me for saying this, but I think it is wonderful.  I’ve never seen anything like it.” he turned around to see his Mother standing soundless in the doorway, and he wondered how long she had been acute to their conversation.  

She stepped in gracefully toward Isha, moving her unkempt hair away from her forehead.  

“He’s right Isha. Your capabilities of healing appear to be very fast.  Much more advanced than your Father.”  she stepped back from the girl inspecting her from top to bottom, and this silent scan was making Isha uncomfortable.

“What is it?”  she demanded.

“It’s strange.  I can’t seem to read you as easily, like I did last night.”  

“Last night?” Isha was trying to remember what was so significant about last night.  The only thing she could elicit was that her meeting with Alethea was very brief due to her sudden tiredness.

“Never mind, you’ll find out soon enough.  Come on, we must get out of here.”  she gathered up some blankets nearby and motioned the two of them out of the room.

“They’ll be here soon won’t they?” Isha said.

“Do you know something Isha?” Alethea wondered if the young girl had inherited both her Mother and Father’s special traits.  “I don’t know.  I just, well when I fell in here I saw something.  I think it was probably just a dream though.” startling them from their conversation, Randall bounded down the stairs with two large backpacks and started packing the supplies from the kitchen.

 Alethea rushed over to Randall assisting him with the bags.           

“What do you remember Isha?  What did you see exactly?” her voice sounded desperately curious.  

“Uh, well it was kind of foggy.  But, I saw large horses with tall dark figures riding them.  I couldn’t see their faces, and they were running really fast through a field or something.”  Alethea looked up from the flurry of packing at the young girl.  

“There was a symbol on their boots.  It looked like it had been carved in.”  Alethea looked at Randall both exchanging knowing looks.

“Do you remember what this symbol looked like?”  she motioned for Cedric to continue packing the blankets and miscellaneous items in the bags.

“Yes. It looked like an unfinished circle with a dagger or sword sticking in through the space between.”  a loud clutter came from where Cedric was, and he was staring at his Mother looking a bit spooked.  

“It’s okay.”  she said to him, glancing back at Isha.  

Randall finished packing the one large knapsack placing the smaller one over Alethea’s slim shoulders, and throwing the heavy one onto his broad back.  He walked over to Isha passing her one of Cedric’s wool sweaters.  

“This will be easier to move quickly in.” he said comparing it to her heavy coat.  

“Thanks.” she pulled it on easily over her head.  It was remarkably soft for wool and had a large hood and pocket in front to keep her vital parts warm.  Isha and the boy stepped out onto the porch as Alethea took one last look around.  It was as though she were saying goodbye to her precious home forever.  Randall took a medium sized dagger from his bag and handed it to Alethea.

“Just in case.” looking pensively at her.

“Right, just in case.” she said placing it in a protective case and sticking it in her bag.  

“Let’s go, we have a lot of ground to cover.”  Randall tenderly nudged Isha in front of him toward the path that would guide them over the foothills and into the mountainous terrain.  Cedric skipped ahead of everyone until he was just a speck of his dark green sweater in the distance.  They passed small cottages along the way through the quiet village and Isha wondered whether anyone existed here.  

“Does anyone live here?  It’s so quiet.”  she said listening to the creaking of a small swing being pushed from the cool wind.

“ Not here.  Not anymore.” Randall said despondently.

“Most who didn’t agree with Caius’ leadership were destroyed.”  Alethea said stepping back to walk alongside the young girl.  

“What about you and Randall?” she asked hesitating to say Randall’s name, not ready to call him Father yet.  

“I don’t support Caius’ governing.  I pretended to for your Mother’s sake and for my son Cedric.  My Thomas was taken from me, and I won’t lose my son.”  she put her arm around Isha’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze.

“Are we going to die?”  Isha asked quietly noticing Cedric standing on top of the foothill patiently waiting for them.  

“No my girl.  We have what we need now.” she gave the girl a curious look as if she was supposed to know what this meant.  

Cedric looked down at them as they treaded up the small incline while he sat quietly with his chin resting on his knees.  Isha looked ahead as they reached the peak of the hill gasping in amazement at the beautiful canvas that played out before them.  

“Pretty amazing isn’t it.” Cedric smirked proudly as if he had created it, and Isha nodded in agreement.  Spread out before them was a colossal length of crystal blue water that seemed boundless.  Snow peaked Mountains and indigo colored caverns bordered the calm glassy water, giving some hope that there was an end to the mirage enchanting her eyes.

“Come, let’s go.” Randall plucked the young boy from his seat on the ground as he jogged by, running with him down the steep hillside.

The boy laughed heartily while trying to twist free from the large Man’s grip on him.  His laugh was light and she could see that this sound brought joy to his Mother.  

“Alethea?” the young girl spoke to her, breaking her out of her momentary silence.    

“Yes. Isha, what is it?” taking her hand as they walked down the steep path.

“If he has my Mom, why does he care about finding me?  Isn’t she all he wants anyway?”  Alethea stepped beside the girl now, and stopped to give the answer she so desperately needed.  

“ You don’t realize just how special you are, do you Isha?” the young girl shrugged her shoulders.  She was completely unaware of what Alethea meant as special.

“You don’t see it yet, but you will soon Isha.”  she held the girls hands in hers thoughtfully.  “He didn’t know that you existed, and nothing in this world frightens him more.” she let go of her hand, motioning to Isha that they keep walking down the steep decline.

“Caius has never met anything or anyone that could destroy him.  This is why he seeks you.  He is curious to know how such an innocent young girl like yourself could hold so much power, and be unaware of it.”

   Isha never thought of herself as being gifted with any kind of power, it all sounded like superhero nonsense to her. 

“ If I have such powers, as you say, then why can’t I use them?”  

“This I am not sure of Isha.  All I know is when ‘gifted ones’ find their power, it’s usually when they need it most.”  she stopped suddenly and looked out toward the still water mindfully. “I suppose you never needed your gifts in that other world.  You were well taken care of there.  It was safe for you.”

  Isha thought of her Nan as Alethea explained herself, and wondered again if her Nan was safe.  She sighed deeply while running her worried hands through her hair.  Alethea took note of the girls anxiety expressing a comforting look toward her. 

“It will be okay Isha.”  Isha gave the beautiful woman a little smile acknowledging her empathy.

  

    The young shape-shifter flew most of the previous night, making sure to lose his trackers trail by a great distance.  He had found comfort in a well hidden cavern ,reviving himself with a much needed sleep.  The caverns of Intramuros were a healing place and its name meant within these walls.  No one ever really knew what lived in the walls of Intramuros, and no one that actually needed the caverns great healing powers ever questioned the magic that the great walls possessed.  The young man would come here from time to time, seeking solace and refuge.  He was all alone in this world, there wasn’t anyone like him, or so he thought.  He would come to seek out answers to his past and to heal his lonely heart.  Priding himself as somewhat of a recluse, he took pleasure in the notion that no one knew he existed.  He had flown over the great lands of Iraytia soaking in all that this continent was made up of over his young years.  There probably wasn’t a soul living on the great lands of Iraytia that knew it so well.  Chayton was free from the confinements of living in a group, and he loved the feeling of his solitude.  This solitary life suited him well, free from judgement and free from the chance that his heart would be broken again.  If there was one memory that would never leave him, it would be the night his parents left him.  Leaving him to become an orphan at the tender young age of seven and taking his younger sister with them, making the feeling of rejection much more intense.  His parents disowned him when they realized Chayton beheld powers beyond their comprehension.  They fled the village hoping no one would ever trace the young boy back to them.  Witches were highly depreciated, and this is what they thought he was.  They would be sought out and eradicated by Iraytia's most unforgiving ruler and this had left them with difficult choice, it would be a decision they would come to regret forever. Chayton was a survivor, finding food and shelter where most his age would not.  He had been a clever young boy, always staying out of sight from his elders, and always surviving by his wits alone.  

Chayton now seventeen, should have been living the normal life of any boy his age, but the boy didn't know exactly what normal was.  At times his heart would cry out for the comfort of companionship seeded by the memories of the warm embrace by his Mother.  It was then he would rehabilitate himself into the enlightenment of Intramuros, begging to make him forget the memories that weakened him.  Sometimes weaknesses can make you stronger, or so he would tell himself, but sometimes they can make you a victim, magnetizing evil your way. 

This is when Caius found him.  He had heard of this great wanderer from the countless spies he had that were scattered throughout the lands of Iraytia. He knew then that the boy would be perfect for his most important task.  The stories told about Chayton were unknown to him, he had no idea of his acclaim, and that he was an inspiring legend amidst the common people of Iraytia.  When Caius heard these stories he was impressed by the strength and longevity of the young boy’s will.  He admired Chayton and wanted him to be part of his legion of followers.  The tracking of the boy had been futile, or so Caius thought.  Night after night, and day after endless day they hunted for any sign of the boy.  Chayton was always one step ahead of them, watching them from above while perched upon the hearty cedars.  He studied their every move, he scanned their faces and stored them in his keen mind, wondering what the infamous Caius stalked him so desperately for.  Eventually he tired from the chase, not physically or mentally, but the curiosity of the game won him over and he turned up one night in Caius’ bedroom.

He was sleeping so soundly, as Chayton sat proudly unannounced, watching this legend in his most vulnerable state, would love to be right where he sat at this moment.  He stalked slowly over to the man’s bed silently, and stood hovering over him listening to the sound of his rhythmic breathing.  He wondered what made this man so special, so powerful, and he closed in on him to get a better look.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”  the man whispered methodically while confidently staring up at the boy.  Chayton jumped back, his powerful legs catapulting him against the stone wall.  He said nothing, showing no sign of fear of the great legend that was Caius.  

Caius sat up pulling himself to the edge of the bed, and rubbing the dark scruff upon his chin.  

“I’m glad you came Chayton. I have been wanting to talk to you for some time now.” he paused for a minute as he slid on a pair of pants and stood up.  Chayton was surprised at  Caius’ lengthy stature, he didn’t appear this tall when he was laying down.  Caius looked beyond six feet tall, his limbs were evenly filled out with modest muscles, and his black hair fell over his thick neck down to the tops of his very broad shoulders.  His dark green eyes were mesmerizing and terrified Chayton, as if he was staring into the eyes of a beastly jungle cat.  

“I’m curious.  What brought you to me Chayton?  Why did you decide to come to me?  You could have kept on running.”  he smirked as if he already knew the answer.

Chayton leaned against the window seat, and had thought it would be so easy to transform and slip away.  He feared he had made a horrible mistake giving in to his curiosity, however something was keeping him here, some invisible force holding him here against his will.  

“Well?” Caius persisted.  He moved over to the young shapeshifter carefully never letting his eyes leave his.  Chayton had never been afraid, in all his life, he had never felt a chill of fear as cold as this.  He stood his ground, faking courage and never looking down for one second.

“I have come to see what it is you want from me.  I am curious. That is all.”  Caius stopped and paced slowly back and forth in front of Chayton.

“I see.  Is that all?  Well, I am glad you did Chayton.”  he was smiling at the young boy now letting out a tense laugh.

“It is my honour to meet such a legend.” he bowed slightly in front of Chayton and held out his hand respectfully, or so the boy had thought.

His overt politeness and charm had been hard to accept, but the boy wasn’t going to risk his life for bad manners.  He extended his hand feeling the strong grip and firm shake from the man who had ruined so many peoples lives.  Swallowing his pride hard, he followed Caius as he was led into a small room behind the bedroom.  

“You like to watch?”  the sorcerer asked.  Chayton didn’t understand the meaning behind his question.

“ I’m sorry. I’m not sure what it is you mean by watch?.”  he looked around the room observing the belongings draped in dusty sheets.   Caius brushed off a web of dust from one of the heavy drapes.

“ What I mean, young Chayton, is that you are a watcher.  You are like a god flying over the lands, knowing every inch of this world and the people that inhabit it. “  he paused as he removed the heavy drape that blanketed the canvas underneath it.  

  “I suppose I know the land well.  But, I do not so much as care for the people that live their lives on it.  I prefer to be alone.”  

  Caius picked up the large rectangular canvas and wiped it off carefully, he studied it with a solemn face and turned it around to show Chayton.

“Have you ever seen such beauty?”  he waited intently for the young mans answer.

Chayton immediately recognized the beauty he referred to.  She used to belong to Caius, and for a time he had watched her.

“She is your wife right?”  he said quietly.

Caius looked to him for a moment, his eyes widening.  He looked back to the portrait of Cerdwin while trying to stifle his raging emotion for her.  

“My wife? MY wife?!!”  he said while throwing the canvas sideways at the wall.  

“I’m sorry. She is still your wife right?  I mean, I know she is gone but she still is your wife.”  he said trying to calm him down.  

“Right, she is.  But, she is gone and I cannot find her.  I’ve exhausted my men in search of her, and this is what brings me to you Chayton.  You are my last chance.”   he turned away in a moment of  weakness, trying to compose himself.  The young shapeshifter wondered if this drive to find Cerdwin was for the loss of his love , or to merely punish the young beauty for finally escaping him.  

“You must help me find her. You must.” he had his head in his hands now and Chayton felt Caius’ misery.  He was torn between escaping out the powerful man’s window or helping him find his love. If that love belonged to him at all.  Where he stood at that moment, he didn’t feel he had a choice.  

   Chayton helped Caius track the young beauty. They travelled through the forest of Dybuuk , then to the Awglo forest that hid the small village where Cerdwin and her new family lived.  They planned an ambush the next day while hiding their small army in a small enclave behind a large fall of water.  Chayton wondered why this great sorcerer, with all his power, could not just cast his powers over the small village and take the young beauty back against her will. He wondered for some time, but did not ever think of posing this question to Caius for fear of losing his life.  

   The night was long, Chayton's thoughts were exhausting him, and the forest had felt uneasy somehow, as though they were being watched. 

   It was early morning, before the breaking dawn that Chayton had been awoken by Caius' men.  They filed out, one by one from the small cave they had took rest in the night before and stalked quietly toward the hidden village.  This was his last chance to evade the unknown damage this army was to pay the innocent villagers that still lay deep in their dreams. Chayton imagined the sequence of tragedies to come and imagined how he could escape Caius before it all became too real. 

“I know what your thinking boy.” Caius whispered into his ear, startling him out of his mental abscond.  

Caius was shifting by the young warrior’s side, grabbing the back of his arm with a bone breaking fierceness.  He never looked Chayton in his eye once, but the tone of his voice and grip was warning enough.  

“I wouldn’t recommend it if I were you.” his expression was cold and as he let go of the boy’s arm he tightened his grip ever so slightly making Chayton wince with the pain of it.  Caius glided forward and joined his men who were crouching near the bushes that gave access to the village beyond.  Chayton rubbed his arm trying to alleviate the pain and quickly stopped as he noted Caius’ pleasure in his discomfort.  

“What’s wrong boy?” he smirked as he slapped the his aching arm hard.  “Sorry Chayton, sometimes I just don’t have control over my own strength.”  he laughed it off, trying to make light of it.  

“That’s okay.” Chayton rubbed his arm slightly while biting away the unbelievable pain again.  

Caius turned around, whispering into his ear. 

“It’s frightening to possess a strength such as mine.  It’s surprising that anyone would even dare anger me.  Don’t you think?”  

Chayton didn’t dare say a word.  His arm was distracting him with the constant throb of Caius‘ venom.  He nodded his head slightly in agreement out of respect and a fear of being stung again by Caius‘ grip.  

The army had not waited long before pouncing on the unsuspecting village.  Chayton would never forget the screams of the helpless villagers that got in the way of Caius‘ clan of savages. With all the damage to the village and lives lost, Caius never found what he was looking for.  Cerdwin had not been found, there wasn’t a trace of her. Not a friend or family member could be brought forth and when they went to find Alethea’s house, it was empty, as though the people in it had evaporated into nothing.  They had stood for a long time, silent from the shock of it, waiting for their great leader to move.  One of Caius‘ soldiers ran towards them, his words spilling out through gasps of his heavy breath. 

“She is gone. I saw her. She had a baby Caius.” he struggled to breath until he delivered his words again. “She just disappeared. Jumped straight off the cliff Caius‘, there was a bright light and then it was gone. No bodies, they just disappeared.” the soldier said in disbelief.

  Caius‘ silence had been most frightening to his men and were wondering in their terrified stance what was to happen next.

Caius‘ stillness was not lengthy and the break of it was not mighty but rather calm for this easily angered man.  He turned to Chayton, pacing toward the young warrior with a dogged determination. 

Grabbing the young man by his black shirt he shook him violently until the shape-shifters powerful body was limp and fell to the ground.  Caius‘ men thought at once this young man must be dead, and thought they were going to be victims of Caius‘ destruction next. He turned to his men, looking at each of them with a silent warning. 

 “He’s not dead.” he spat out his words viciously.  “I am only showing him what I am capable of.” his words were short between his angry breaths.  “I am giving him motivation, a determination for the next task I have for him.”  he waited, standing over the boy, watching him as Chatyon gasped for air.  

Feeling as though his lungs had collapsed, he struggled to breathe and when he finally could take breaths of air in with a proper rhythm he felt his body being dragged upright onto his feet.  Caius had a grip on him again and let go when he regained his balance.  

“You will do something for me.” he couldn’t answer as he still struggled to breath. “You will go back to the other world, you will find them, and bring the two back to me.”  

Chayton breathed a bit easier as he struggled to speak.  

“What do you want with the baby?” he wondered what had possessed him to risk his life by asking him this question.  Caius placed his hand on the strong shoulder of the young warrior, looking him dead in the eye.  

“If the legends are true then this baby must not be allowed to exist, I must kill the infant before it’s too late.”

   They glided placidly over the indigo colours of the water, and Isha hung her hand over the wooden boat while dragging her fingertips in the cool calm liquid.  She quickly pulled her hand back when she noticed a rather large fish surfacing for her hand.  It knocked the side of the canoe with its large colorful tail and dipped down until she could no longer see it.  

   “Not to worry Isha.  They’re no harm, just playful.”  Alethea said trying to ease the young girl’s sudden scare.  

   “Playful?”  Alethea laughed nervously as their vessel veered toward a narrow channel.  

  “Just about when the sun should be rising, these wonderful creatures come up to play.  You’ll see soon enough.”  Isha noted the tall black caverns that stood on either side of the small channel of water they travelled on.  She never saw such black rocks in all her life and she thought they looked like the polished gems she used to get from her Nan.  The caverns were laced with large waterfalls that poured into the channel, and she could make out small openings part way up.  

   “Are those caves?” she pointed up to them while asking Alethea.  

“Yes Isha.  They are called the Caverns Of Intramuros.  They are healing caves.”  

“Healing caves?  What does that mean?” she shivered slightly, the sun was no where in sight and a thick fog crept over them as the heavy rain ceased to a light sprinkle.  

“It’s where those who are sick go to get better, or so the legend says.  It only works for those who really need it.”  Isha pulled the damp green wooly hood over her head trying to keep warm, and wondered what Alethea meant by those who really need it.  Doesn’t everyone who is sick really need to get better? 

“Well, if you are really sick, doesn’t that mean you really need the help?”  she pulled the long sleeves over her cool hands wondering how it could get so cold all at once.  

“In theory, yes. However, legend says that the walls of Intramuros can read your past, see who you are, who you really are.  If you are pure and made of good spirit then you will be healed.”

   That made sense she thought, those who really need it should be helped, and she imagined how nice it would be to have such a thing in her world.  

As they came around a bend in the channel she could see that the fog was lifting slightly, revealing the most beautiful picture Isha had ever seen.   

   “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Alethea remarked. “I wish you could see it as it should be.”   

The two vessels stopped to admire the divine illustration that played out through the patches of the hazy air.  Alethea took advantage of Randall’s pause and paddled up beside them knocking the edge of their boat with theirs.

“Mom, be careful.” Cedric whined.  

“Just a gentle nudge to remind you boys that we are still here.  Can you two not wait for us women?”  Isha smiled slyly at Cedric.

“Okay, okay.  We’ll slow down a little, but I’m afraid we need to find somewhere to camp tonight before it gets too dark to travel.  The daylight never lasts long here anymore.”  Randall evened his pace so the two vessels glided side by side, and they travelled most of the day along the calm water until the darkness suggested they find a place to settle for the night.   

“Where do you suggest we camp my friend?” Alethea asked. 

“Over there.” Randall pointed toward a small beach that sat in a cove just past the caverns.  

“You don’t want to take cover?” 

“We’ll be fine Alethea.” he assured her.  

“Amazing aren’t they?” Cedric remarked to Isha, who was staring intently at the little globes of light that lit up the water as the night crept in.  

“Yes, really pretty.” Isha’s mouth had fallen open, slightly in awe and closed it quickly before anyone took notice.  

   They paddled their vessels briskly toward the small mound of sand, and made camp there for the night.  Randall unpacked a few blankets and littered them around a small fire he was working on.  Isha tucked herself deep into the wool blanket Randall gave her and hovered over her the warm tea that Alethea had brewed for them.  

“Look Isha!” Cedric jumped up suddenly, guiding her eyes toward the water.  

“What is it?” Isha asked while watching what looked like a hundred flickering lights swimming and jumping in the water.  The abundance of their colours were mesmerizing and Isha stood up to try and get a better look.  

“Don’t do that.” Cedric warned.  “They’ll stop if they see you.” he motioned to Isha to sit back down.  The girl listened and sat down very quietly.

“What are they?”  she whispered to Alethea.

“Remember the fish you saw earlier?  The one you thought was going to bite your hand off?” Isha shook her head knowingly, remembering the large fish that had made her pull her hand up from the side of their boat earlier. 

She was speechless as she watched what could only be described as an underwater firework display.  Isha sipped her tea enjoying this aquatic entertainment, but it still did not completely ease the anxiety over the uncertainty of what was to come.  

They huddled around the fire after enjoying the spectacle of underwater lights, each of them feeling warm from the tea and tired from a very long day.  Isha stayed awake under her woolen blanket as long as her eyes would let her, and then she quickly drifted off into a kaleidoscope of intense dreams.  

   She was running down a dark narrow path.  Her legs felt strong and she was moving very fast.  She held her arms out at her sides, guarding her body and face from the outstretched branches threatening to whip her as she sped past.  Her breath was easy and she felt light as she ran at top speeds, dodging and jumping around obstacles of the rough earth that got in her way. Her movements were agile and she felt inhuman as her pace quickened with the fear of what was in pursuit of her.  Her heart pounded, and she panicked as she grabbed at her chest, feeling as though her heart was surely going to break through her skin.  The fog became more dense as she tried to discern what pursued her, she squinted and leaned forward slightly looking hard through the thick cloud covering the wooded path.  Then it was quiet.  She looked around her frighteningly aware of the sudden silence.  She watched intently as the fog started to lift slowly in front of her.  Her hand pushed forward to wave the wisps of fog away from her, and just as she did a cold dark hand clawed at her wrist causing her to scream.  

  Isha was woken by her loud cry for help, and reached out for anything to hold on to.  She was shuddering as she wiped the sweat off that trickled down her neck. Sitting up she shook off the wool blanket in an attempt to cool off, she was hot and she felt a little sick to her stomach.  

  “You okay?” she heard a soft voice speaking from behind her.  She attempted to answer but the sudden heat wave that overtook her body was making her feel ill.  She was afraid if she tried to speak that she would be sick all over.

“Isha?” the voice was closer and she felt a light hand on her shoulder stroking back her disheveled hair.

Isha couldn’t fight the nausea any longer, she jumped up and ran near the waters edge keeling over on to her knees.  She was retching as her body spasmed violently with this sudden disgorge.  Her eyes watered as she struggled to find her breath in between her retching, and she prayed it would be over soon.  

Alethea had been standing behind her the whole time, she had heard her soft footsteps and voice of concern during this sudden sickness. 

“Come on, let’s wash you off. I know just the place.  You are feeling a little better now, right?” Isha stood cautiously to her feet.  She did feel better, just a little cold and dirty.  

“Yes, I do. Just a little shaky, but I’ll be okay.” her words were slow and easy for fear that if she spoke any faster the nausea would return with a vengeance.  

Alethea wrapped the wool blanket around Isha’s shaking shoulders while  gently guiding Isha toward a small wooded area.  They walked down a small path into a wall of tall trees that prevented them from going any further.  Alethea pushed through a small parting between the two trees that stood before them, and she motioned for Isha to follow her steps.  Pushing their way through the thick brush of branches they finally arrived in a small clearing.  Isha felt very tired not able to take in the natural beauty of this quaint hideaway.  Ahead of her was a bright green pool of water that was being filled by a delicate water fall that spilled through a small sheet of rock behind it.  The small pool filled the air with steam making it hard to see the ground beneath them.  Alethea guided Isha confidently toward the water, and as she did Isha pulled back reluctantly.  

“What is it Isha?” she turned to face the young girl looking at her lovingly.  She pulled a long dark strand from Isha’s face tucking it softly behind her ear. Her soft brown eyes were caught in a net of thoughts, both present and past.  She tried to make sense of all the strange happenings, but gave up attempting to finish this mysterious puzzle of her life.  Her eyes found Alethea’s warm smile and took her hand as they both walked toward the brink of the green pool.

“Come on, it’s safe.” Alethea said as she stripped down and sank into the water with ease.   Isha being a bit self-conscious didn’t wash off until Alethea was finished and gave her the privacy she wanted.  

It felt good to have all the sticky sweat washed off of her and she felt more alert than ever as they both walked back to the camp.  

“Thank you.” Isha shook her hair out a bit with her hand and looked up at Alethea.  

“You’re welcome Isha, I’m glad you feel better now.”  they closed in on the camp slowly and could see from their sights that the camp had been packed up.  Randall and Cedric were sitting on a sheet of rock next to where the small boats had been docked on the beach the night before.  

“Are you okay now Isha?” she stopped and turned to face the girl.

“I’m okay, I’m fine. It was just a silly dream that’s all.” she was slightly irritated by Alethea’s interest in her as she walked slowly past her.  

“Sometimes dreams tell us things Isha.” she was speaking louder now and her pace quickened to keep up with the girl.  “Sometimes, if you really listen to them, you will find answers.”

“I don’t care. I told you I’m fine, okay?”  Alethea sensed her irritation backing off a little.  

“Okay.” she touched Isha’s arm trying to use her power of mind manipulation on the young girl, and as she did she was thrown ten feet back onto the ground by an intangible force.  She hit the ground with such an impact that it knocked the wind from her causing her screams of pain to be silent. She forced herself up on her hands and knees while her breath found her lungs.  She looked up to see her son by her side, rubbing her back and looking worried.  

“What happened Mom?”  he knelt down by her side helping her steady herself.  

Alethea glanced over at Isha, who was sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees.  Randall knelt beside her trying to comfort her as she tried desperately to hide her tear stained face under her arms.  

“It was, it was her.” she said with little doubt.  “It was her, I can’t believe it Ced.” her speech faltering slightly.  

“Did you see Ced?” the boy stroked his Mom’s arm trying to brush away her shakiness.  

“See what Mom?” 

“You didn’t see what happened?”  She looked straight at the girl with an almost idyllic stare.  

“What Mom? What is it?.”

Alethea looked back to her son and smiled fondly at him.  She took his face in her hands lovingly and kissed him lightly on his cheek.  Before pulling away she whispered something to him.

“She is much stronger than she even knows. She is going to save us Ced, that is, if she doesn’t kill us first.” she smiled slyly at the young boy who looked puzzled. Cedric helped his Mom up while trying to make sense of what she had just said to him. 

As though his Mom knew what he was thinking, she turned to him holding his hand firmly.  “It will all make sense to you soon Ced, just be careful with her for now.

Randall eased the young girl into the back of the boat and covered her shaking shoulders.  Alethea and him exchanged knowing glances, they both knew now that the girl was stronger than they thought she was.  Isha wouldn’t look at Alethea, she kept her head hidden in the wool blanket, and would duck it quickly back in if there was any threat of eye contact with her.  When Isha allowed herself to come out of her wool cave, she took in the beauty of this world.  The calming effect of the dark blue waters, and the connection she felt between the indigo caverns and lush forests was remarkable.  She forgot for a while about her troubles as the visual art of this land massaged away her pains.  They travelled all day along the water, passing by the caverns, and then beaching themselves along the shoreline of a heavy forest.  The grey sky burned into late afternoon as they started off along a dark path toward the woods.  

“You know Isha, you are a part of this world, this world is what gave you life.”  Randall paused as he glanced down at the angry young girl.  “What I mean to say, is that you aren’t a stranger here.  You belong here Isha.” Randall was interrupted by Isha’s booming voice.

“I don’t belong here! I don’t know where I am! I don’t know who I am!” her sudden temper was draining her lungs, making it hard to breathe.

“Easy now Isha. I was only trying to make you feel better.” Randall interjected. 

“I don’t. I don’t feel better. I don’t, I don’t know who I am.” she collapsed on the ground falling onto her back.  Randall bent down as Alethea and Cedric  hurried over to them.  

“Who am I? What am I?! I don’t feel right!” she stopped suddenly and in a quiet voice she asked. “Am I going to be okay?”  Randall  picked her up, placing her on her feet, trying very hard to brush off Isha’s doubts with his steady words.

“Isha. I promise that you will be alright.” he looked around at his companions. “We promise.  Now, come on girl, we have no time to waste.”  Randall picked his daughter up and would carry her until she was steady enough to walk on her own two feet again.  She felt safe with him, all wrapped up tight in his generous arms, and he had an unearthly warmness to him that made her break into a small sweat.  She gave into her weakness, letting her head rest on Randall’s broad shoulders.  This gesture did not go unnoticed by the strong shapeshifter, and it made him realize that this was what he had missed most about being a Father.  He wrapped his arms a little tighter around her enjoying this transient connection.

   The forest they hiked through was open, letting the last breaths of the day in between the tall thin trees.  Isha was now on foot just in front of her Father and keeping up a steady pace with her allies.  Not knowing where they were and where they were going was becoming as familiar to her now as any activity of daily living.  She was feeling more comfortable with the idea that she may never wake from this strange dream and wondered if the fog would ever lift from her senses. Aside from the heaviness that surfaced in her body, and the painful muscle contractions she experienced from time to time, the voices were the most disturbing to her sense of well being.  The consistent garbled whispers made her head throb, and after a while she noticed this only seemed to happen when the others weren’t around.         She glided along the forest path and watched as the last bit of grey light of the day slipped away into the dusk.  Randall stopped at once, catching hold of Isha’s hand as he motioned to the Mother and son to slacken thier pace.  He flagged a point off in the distance and as he did he shielded Isha behind him. 

“What is it Randall?” Alethea questioned. 

Randall flew down the path jumping into the great black canine body that possessed him.  He collided in mid air with a creature that seemed to mirror his own image.  The two wolves growled and snapped fiercely, as if they were trying to dominate each other.  Randall tackled the very large brown creature to the ground, and clenched his jaws tight around its neck.  Defenseless, the broad tawny animal gave up the fight and slowly fixed its massive paws to a stand.  Randall’s body convulsed as the black color of his body vibrated and blurred into his human form.  As Randall transformed, so did his assailant that now stood before him breathing heavy while rubbing his wounded neck.  He stood a good five inches above Randall and his body was generously decorated with scars.  Randall pushed away a few sweat stained strands of his dark hair from his face, and looking into the hazel eyes of his assailant.   

“My brother.” the man held his hand out.  “It has been too long, too long.” he looked over at the three standing motionless in the distance.  “This is her?” he said beholding the young girl in his sight.  “This is the one that they speak of?” he said in awe.  

“Her name is Isha.” he paused as he waved them to come forward.  

“Her name is Isha?” 

“Yes. Isha, my daughter.” he said emphasizing daughter.  

Isha stood silently beside her Father fidgeting with her hands while she looked at the ground.  

“Isha, this is” he was interrupted by her small voice.

“Alexander?” she said, slightly hesitating.   

Randall and this strange new man illustrated a silent astonishment, both turning to each other exchanging questionable looks.

“How did you know?” the man asked. 

“Yes, how did you know Isha?” Randall questioned, examining the possibility that the power of intuition had connected with her.  

“Well, is this your name?” she asked coldly.

“Yes, yes, but you can call me Alex.”  his hand shivered slightly as he extended it toward her.  She looked at this sinewy man’s hand, wondering what was feeding this sudden tremor to his previous arrogance.  Was it her  foresight regarding his name? Or was it that he could see the fire that was burning to come out of her?

She held her steady hand toward him slowly, and was hesitant that he would try and read her as Alethea had carelessly done before.  Isha was afraid of herself, and the damage she would create if this man were to be indelicate with the simple gesture of a handshake.  Isha pulled her hand away swiftly only offering a smile.  

“ I don’t have control of myself lately.” she looked down abashedly at her feet.  

“I respect that Isha.”  he looked to Randall and the rest while motioning them forward with his ample arms.  “ Well, don’t just stand there.  Come on, let’s get all of you safe and warm for the night!” 

Isha wondered for a moment while walking beside Randall, was this to be her fate?  Was she going to be cursed with the same disease her Father was sick with? Was she going to turn into some sort of wretched creature? The very thought of it was making her sick, she held her stomach fiercely, and looked up questionably at Randall.  

“I don’t know Isha, I just don’t know.”  he answered her worries, not reading her thoughts, but reading the anxiety that her face wore.  He looked empathetically into her big brown eyes.  He wanted to have all the answers for her, but he didn’t, no one did.  

“Think of me as your guide.  I will guide you, and I will protect you.  I owe you this much, I helped bring you into this world.” he sighed as he looked at the wreath of tree branches above them.  

She didn’t utter a reply, she only entwined her hand into his and squeezed it hard.  Isha knew she could trust this man that called himself her Father, he didn’t want anything more from her than to keep her safe and this was what she needed most right now.

   The dense forest disappeared into a large sheath of rock that seemed almost endless.  Turning around, they followed their guide to a bush that sat near the bend of the clearing.  He combed away the thick vines that copiously layered a giant tree.  Alex turned what appeared to be a large knot in the colossal tree trunk.  He spun it in his fist like a combination on a lock, causing the centre of the trunk to rupture and reveal an opening.  The light that shone through the centre was as subtle as the dusk evading them now. 

“What?” he chuckled at their mistrust.  “Come on, it’s perfectly safe.” he took Alethea’s arm and with it the boy’s too.  Randall and Isha watched as the outlines of their bodies walked through the timber.  Randall knew it was safe, but was graciously waiting for Isha to breathe a little easier.  She held out for his hand while fixated on the gaping hole, and wondered with a less hesitant curiosity that had questioned her before.  

Was this all a strange dream? And if it was, when was reality finally going to wake her from it?

   It was pitch black where he was, casting a temporary blindness to his vision, but he could still see them.  He saw them racing their black horses toward his new hiding place, his mind focusing on the exact distance they were from trying to abduct him again.  He would not be his prisoner again, even if it meant he would have to take his own life, he would.  They were close and if he wanted to keep his freedom he would have to fly now.  Climbing out of the small hollow in the great wall of rock, and as he brushed the dust from his clothes he saw them coming for him from below.  There were more of them this time, thirty or more at least, and he realized that Caius‘ pursuit of him was not going to end.  The night blew cold air down the nape of his neck making him shiver, he wrapped his arms around himself trying to throw some heat around this sudden chill.  Okay, here we go again, he thought to himself as he jumped off the edge bursting into a blanket of feathers.  A gradient of shrieks woke Caius‘ men from their trance-like pursuit, causing the great beasts to halt nearly casting the men off.  Chayton screamed at them through his sharp mouth, his great wings flapping exceedingly proud as he sped off into the blackness.  The air was fresh as it rushed through his dark ruffled feathers and he thought of the bold move he had made that blatantly disregarded Caius‘ wishes. 

   Caius‘ men took him to the gateway into the other world, practically throwing him at it.  He didn’t fight back, his body had been beaten into the ground, he was weak and didn’t have the mental strength to counter Caius’ plan.  He was saturated with the salt of his own sweat from running here, and his body burned as he perspired into the cuts that marked his flesh.  

“Get up!” one of Caius’ men yelled as he was kicked the stomach.  “Get up boy!” 

His breath left him and he reached out into the air trying to get it back.  

“What?” the man knelt down toward Chayton’s mouth.  “Loss for words now boy?” he looked up at the rest of the army, roaring with laughter. 

Chayton gasped as his lungs finally found their natural rhythm again, and he bellowed as he tried to stand, as the pain was unbearable.  

“No.” he said to the man in between spitting the bloody saliva from his mouth.

“I’m sorry?” the man questioned. “No, what?.”

Chayton heaved as his speech slipped out in between the spasms of pain.                    “No, I...I...have no loss...for words.”

The man was preparing to foster another brutality for the boy’s speech when his strike was blocked by one of his comrades.  

“What are you doing?” he asked, trying to shake his arm free of the rather considerable sized man’s grip.  

“Are you forgetting what we are doing here my brother?”  he torqued the man’s hand, in his resistance the man winced slightly from the pain of it.  

“Now, you wouldn’t want Caius to find out you killed the boy and destroyed the only hope he has, would you?”  

“Okay, okay.” the man resigned now and put up a fight no longer.

“That’s it.  I wouldn’t think you would put all your brother’s lives at risk because you cannot control your temper.”  he stepped back looking at Chayton.  

The man stole his composure back and shook his humiliation off hard while  hooking his meaty hand under Chayton’s arm.  His grip tightened like a vice while he whispered to the boy.  

“You know what to do.  If you choose failure, you choose death.”  

He drove the boy square in the back with his foot thrusting him off the cliff and into the strange porthole toward the longevity of his future as he knew it.  

   “What’s the matter love?  Not hungry?” his question slithered around her mind, creeping to the nape of her neck making her shudder.  His very presence induced nausea into the pits of her stomach and she wretched at even the slightest whisper of his voice.  

“You make me sick, how can I eat?” her full mouth curled slightly from the pleasure she felt in saying this.  A veil of red curls fell across her face as he  grabbed her by the back of the neck pulling her head back angrily.  

“This will all be over soon my dear.  I will find her, and when I do, I will make you watch as I destroy your mistake.” he shook her as he spat his words out and threw her to the cold hard ground of the dark room.

She looked up at him, wiping the blood from the small abrasion on her cheek.  Her eyes were wide and the hazel in them darkened as her stare burned into him unrelentingly.  

“You have no idea what she’s capable of.”  she laughed wickedly flying up from the ground to land firmly on her feet. “She has no idea what she’s capable of!” she screamed at him.  “You want to mess with uncertainty Caius?” she threatened.

“You forget who I am my love.” He sneered sarcastically as he left her in this cold room to remain a prisoner of his hate once more.

   His hand remained on the latch for just a few moments after shutting it tight, his dark hair gravitating down with the descent of his head. Loving her made him weak, and just for a second he was a reasonable man, it was a shame that he had no one to reason with but himself.  He bit down on the recognition of his loneliness and struggled to find the surface of his strength.  

“Caius?” a soft voice whispered from the other side of the door.  “Caius, you don’t have to do this, you don’t have to be like him, you can change the past.  You can release yourself from this evil.”  

He tore himself quickly from the pull of her persuasion, her powers were so severe one would never know if they were in control of their own thoughts.  This was her power, and once she had control, she was capable of inflicting insanity into the mind, making even the most powerful man destroy himself.  

   He knew she meant it, he knew she sincerely meant he could change, that he could be different than his Father, and he could change the fate he had bestowed on himself years ago.  He had a choice to make, and he could not go back and change all the errors he and his predecessor’s made.  Love didn’t exist to him anymore, he could not fail, and to Caius, protecting his reputation was more important.  He abruptly woke up from the weakness that was trying to seep into his senses, and stepped clearly away from the door.

“Cerdwin, you will not win here.  As soon as you realize this my love, the more pleasant your life here will be.”  he pushed his hand forward and a heavy wave rippled and crept into the cracks of the door silently.  

“This isn’t about winning.” the young woman’s voice was cut off as the ripple crept out toward her taking the shape of a liquid hand.  Her defensive magic was heeded by the grip of death that the hand had on her throat.  She was being lifted up off her feet while it drained the air from her lungs rapidly.  On the other side of the door where Caius stood, his broad hand clenched and shook around an invisible object, mimicking the liquid that wrapped the young woman in death.  Just when she thought that her life was going to give up to this bitter man, she was dropped hard upon the frigid floor that beat the breath back into her.  Her body convulsed while her lungs desperately searched for the air that had been taken from her only moments ago.  She had no more words for him, she yielded to the tears that welled up in the curves of her eyes and let them flood into her hands as she knelt down on the ground.

   “You will not try to persuade me again. That was my final warning Cerdwin.” the pleasure he took in her pain and submissiveness found a way to the corners of his mouth causing him to smile.  He was finished with her, for now, and walked away with a bitterness in his step.  Caius had a job to do, and he wouldn’t be fully satisfied until he had crushed the life out of the mistakes she had exposed his life to.  

   The young girl turned to see the opening in the great tree trunk disappear like water on a sponge, and she looked up at her Dad in amazement.  She thought she shouldn’t be surprised to see such a sight, after all the things that had played out before her lately were just as astonishing.  

“Well, what are you waiting for?” the strange new man yelled up at them from the arduous path.  

When her sights returned ahead of her she noted they were teetering on the edge of a steep rocky path.  Her hand caught the clasp of Randall’s protective hold, and her legs wobbled unsteadily on a few loose stones beneath her.  His grip on her was warm, and she could feel through his callused hands the protectiveness he felt for her.  She hugged his hand with both of hers and moved along the path readily now.  The edgy path snaked alongside the cliff and led them to a luminous blanket of prodigious trees.  They were so incredibly large she couldn’t see where the peaks of them penetrated the sky.  

“Beautiful aren’t they?” Alexander spoke into the young girls gaze.

“Amazing.” she said as she walked up to one of the colossal giants.  Her hand touching its massive base, she weaved her fingers in between the intertwining wood.  

“In your world, they believe these magnificent beasts house no souls.” Alexander’s smirk carried onto Randall’s face knowingly.  

He took the hand of the young girl and placed it on the trees woody base placing his over top.

“Vivus-a-um” Alexander whispered.

Isha tried removing her hand from the flash of heat that shot into her hand but the large Man held it there tight.  

“Let me go!” it was growing hotter and she was afraid she was going to be burned.

“Trust me.” the man whispered to her. “Now say it with me. Vivus-a-um, vivus-a-um.” he chanted quietly to her. “Say it.” he commanded this time.

Isha repeated the word quietly while looking at her hand for any blistering from the intense heat she was sure was burning her.

“That’s it, that’s it!” Alexander was becoming more excited by the minute, his hold on Isha’s hand grew tighter.

“I’m scared.” Isha’s body shook uncontrollably and was baited toward the great trunk with a heavy force. Her face pressed up against the weaves of wood felt hot against her face and her screams were silenced quickly by an abundant amount of visions that played out before her.  

Randall had leapt forward to protect his young daughter from the inevitable force of nature that took hold of her, and Alexander held his friend back in a hold of reassurance.  

“She is safe Randall, you know this.” he pushed as Randall heaved toward his daughter in a half hearted attempt to protect her.  

He looked at his friend and sighed heavily as he watched his daughter fight against the foretelling of the great spirited tree.  Just as suddenly as her small frame was forced against the timber’s base, the strength of her will gave up for the telling of her future that was about to play out before her.  Her body eased and molded into the majestic wood glowing a warm orange, her soul blazing from its mystic speech. 

Randall reached out to her once more giving up his inclination as a father to protect his child.  

“You know the gods mean no harm my brother.” Alexander said with a firm breath. He  placed his meaty hand on Randall’s chest, not holding him back, but rather in recognition of Randall’s fear for his only child.  “I understand your fear. Me out of anyone Randall understands you fear the loss of your only child.” Alexander hesitated catching his breath from past sorrow. 

Randall saw the grief in Alexander’s eyes that bit him hard and would never let him go.  He gave in, letting his friend finish the words that were prematurely cut down by a distant and too painful memory.

“She needs to see Randall, she needs to know.” he paused to catch his breath from the emotional adrenaline he was enduring. “She needs as many weapons to help fight for us, as many as possible, including the mental ones.” 

Randall had no words, his nod in approval and a warm hand on his friends shoulder gestured his accordance with the situation.

She breathed in the cold air and it almost at once grabbed onto her heart threatening to disconnect the patterns of its flow.  She ran from the cold, her bare feet carrying her fast down an icy path.  It felt callous on her bare feet, and she felt as though she would harden into ice immediately if she were to stop running.  Her veins rushed warm with blood, and she felt her arteries pulsating, a beat so strong she was sure they’d burst her skin open if her heart were to accelerate anymore.  She wasn’t sure where she was running to or away from, and her feet had a life of their own, moving with a cause she did not know of.  She tried to take view of her surroundings while she bounded like an impossibly fast animal, but her visions were only blurred by the speed in which she traveled.  The only thing clear enough to focus on were her arms and hands which she held out in front of her for better inspection.  The sleeves that hung down appeared ripped against her blackened arms, her hands were bloodied and dirty. Her long dark hair felt wet with sweat and it whipped against her face as she turned to look back at who was after her.  Her pace quickened to a speed that made her eyes burn from the force of air being pushed onto her.  She came to a clearing in the path but halted as her feet touched the edge of a cliff nearly losing her balance and falling down to an icy grave.  Her heavy breaths filled the silence in her ears and she paused for a moment watching the shapes her hot breath made against the cold air.  Her hand moved toward her face wiping at it, sweeping a wet and sticky substance off.  She looked close at her hands to see that it was blood, more blood.  Where was all this blood coming from?  Her lungs exploded spontaneously and forced her to scream in this vision she was being given.  A cry so piercing, it enveloped anguish and fear in those that surrounded the girl, and sent a feverish chill into their hearts.

The shrill echoes of her screams ended and the girl looked down at her bloodied bare feet while the tears of her loss found her eyes.  

She looked down the cliffside at the dark jagged ice that was surely a thousand feet or more below her.  Her toes gripped the snowy lip of the cliff as she paused for a moment, hesitant with this impulsive plan.  

Isha, still trapped in a hypnotic state, shuddered and shook with the consciousness of what was about to happen in this lucid dream.  

“No!” she cried out. “No, don’t do it! Please don’t do it!!” her eyes looking at images no one else could see.

Her vision brought her back to the edge of the cliff, she felt the cold air whip against her face drying the tears that were washing off her bloodied cheeks.  She moved back to gain a good distance, and she ran toward the edge extending her arms on either side of her body giving herself imaginary wings.  Her once pounding heart was calm now, she closed her eyes and she felt a peaceful wave bathe her fears. 

Momentum found her young body and pushed it into the air , floating only for a moment as the fleeting gravity then pulled her hard toward the ground.

   The girl’s body slumped to the ground in a heap of sorrow.  She wept for the loss of her future from the evident vision that had been delivered to her through this force of nature.  Randall ran to his daughter’s limp body that dressed the mossy ground and kneeled down at her side as he placed his face next to hers.  

“Isha.” the broad whisper of his voice entered her ear. “Isha, come back.”

Her eyes flickered and opened only slightly as she looked up into the canopy of trees.  She tried blinking away the fog that clouded her vision and wondered how she could still be alive after falling from such an immense height. 

“Isha.” the voice called to her again, this time louder.  She could feel something stroking the side of her left cheek.  Was she still bleeding? she wondered.  Her will met with her muscles and brought her hand up to her face, she was startled to feel another hand grip her own.  She turned her face to catch sight of who was holding her hand tight.  

“Isha?” the voice became clearer along with it’s owners face.  

“Randall?” her raspy voice questioned.  

“Yes, yes.” the man replied blissfully.  His smile was big, she observed how white and perfect his teeth were.  His dark eyes were searching hers as if he had just discovered a hidden treasure. Isha sat up slowly while Randall braced her back with his massive arms.  She shook the last of the fog from her senses and looked around to see the others standing a few feet in the distance.  Isha pulled herself up to her feet, realizing that she was still alive and not in pieces at the bottom of a cold hard pit.  

Alexander approached the disarrayed young girl, placing his broad hand on her shoulder.  

“Isha, what did you see?” she shook his hand off her shoulder and pushed by him.  “Isha, what happened? What did you see girl?” Alexander’s voice grew impatient.

Randall’s arm shot out impeding Alexander’s chase on the young girl and shot him a hard stare.  

“Alex, that’s enough.” he said sharply.  

Alexander respectfully resisted his desiring knowledge regarding the girl’s visions, for now.  Isha’s steps were rapidly leading her away from the group, her energy seemed to give off an irritable steam.  

“Should I walk with her?” Randall asked Alethea as they travelled behind Isha’s fleeting footsteps.

“Keep your distance my friend, give her some time.  She has seen a lot, I know this.” 

“You have seen what she has then?” he questioned his intuitive friend.

“No, I cannot read her anymore.  But, I know she needs time.” she said while thinking how scared young Isha must feel right now.  

   

   Chayton felt an incredible fire hit his back and he lost his breath as he was kicked into a dizzying journey toward a strange new world.  He only had to bring back the girl and felt confident he could accomplish this task.  He just wanted to get it over with, and go back to the contentment of his solitude.  His body was hurling now toward an unimaginable light that burned his vision causing him to close his eyes from the pain.  The air screeched into his ears from the speed of which he was being pushed through the porthole.  His back hit the ground first, ceasing the air exchange from his lungs he gripped his chest hard hoping he would find his respirations again.  He gasped, and his body turned to its side heaving onto the hard sand.  He rolled onto his back again taking comfort with the cold wet sand underneath his hot and beaten body.  It felt good, and he just wanted to enjoy the therapy of it for a minute or two.  

Why was he here? he thought.  Oh yes, the girl. He remembered where he was told to go find her.  It shouldn’t be too far from here, he thought as he looked around him.  The winds on this beach were incredibly forceful and almost knocked Chayton down as his feet found the ground.  

Was it the connection of the porthole that caused this electric storm? Chayton thought he must get this job done, the porthole wouldn’t stay open for too long.  HIs stride sped up along the smooth sands of the beach.  He gained speed and his feet began to lift bringing his body into the air.  His body shot up swiftly and with a flash he burst into a lean body of feathers, shifting into his other half once more.  

His wings cut through the thick clouds as he competed with the high winds for speed.  Descending toward the shelter that housed the young girl his fowl eyes caught sight of an animal creeping up the shoreline, a potential threat? he wondered.  He circled patiently assessing the animal for any possible interferences it would have with his task.  Chayton fixed his eyes sharply on the large meaty paws and sharp jaw of this mammal as it bounded down the beach with a fevered pace.  Chayton tried to illustrate what this animal was after or possibly running from ,but his vision was distracted by movement from the girls house.  He relaxed the tone his wings held and drifted further down to get a better look.  He circled in the dark stormy sky to see a small body dressed in a red coat that was stumbling from the angry winds.  It ran out onto the dark wet sands of the ocean front faltering again.  It was the girl, her long dark hair and dark eyes looked up at the sky. He could see her eyes catch the shape of the wild black beast tearing up the edge of the beach, and he felt a sudden urgency to protect her. His body tensed up, pulling his wings tight to his side he shot his body like a bolt of light toward the beach below.  The girl ran as fast as her lithe legs would take her from the great beast that was now a few feet behind.  He neared the surface of the beach breaking into his human form, he hurdled after the black beast ahead of him.  Suddenly his field of sight was blinded by a brilliant explosion of white light in front of him, and his legs slowed pace a bit.  The animal was no longer ahead of him, he turned to look around him, but no black beast anywhere.  When his focus was regained and his vision returned to the chase of the girl, he couldn’t believe his eyes.  

His breath quickened as the shock of it took over his body.  There are more he thought to himself? I am not the only one?  The thought of there being more of his kind struck him with fear and contentment all at once.  

The man was considerably built, his muscles were lean and cut through his body as if they had been sketched onto him.  He turned his head back to get a glimpse of who was pursuing him, his dark eyes glaring at Chayton.  Chayton caught a chill in his spine as the Mans eyes flickered from a dark brown to red and back again.  The girl was pounding her delicate but mighty fists onto the steel back of this mysterious shape shifter, she cried out as he picked up unbelievable speeds.  Chayton’s fear of losing this task caught the heels of his feet as he pushed harder to gain a closer distance on them.  The great beast of a Man stopped abruptly, pausing he looked back at Chayton once more before his body and the girls vanished.  

His quick feet suddenly halted as his body wavered over the edge of a steep cliff.  His heart’s rapid beats echoed between the tall sharp stones, and his fear of what was to come exhausted the will to complete the task that had been forced upon him.  

He sat at the edge for a moment, the fierce winds calming slightly, he was alone again and he hadn’t much time to think about what had just happened.  So, he jumped.

    The pack crept over the surface of the forest path toward their place of rest for the night.  Isha was ahead of the group, exercising muscles from her limber legs that had not been born yet.  

“She doesn’t know where she’s going.” Cedric chirped in concern.  

“Maybe she does boy, but she just does not realize it yet?” Alexander said with a sly smile.

“Hmmm, true.” Cedric spoke as his feet pulled at the soil under him to catch up to the young girl.  

“Ced”. his Mother’s voice warning him to be careful with Isha’s delicate state.

“It’s okay Mom.” Cedric said quietly as he breezed past the group toward the heavy hearted young Isha. 

Isha felt Cedric before he chased after her.  This strange feeling she was in  touch with from the start of this journey was gripping her stomach, heart and mind with a stench now.  You could call it intuition, but for a young girl she knew no such labels to what she was feeling.  The surface of her senses had been peeled away, like fresh wounds her intuition invited a world of hosts in to be played with.  Her sight of the young boy came into her mind a few minutes before he had even thought to approach her.  His uneven breath whispered into her ears, as he drove his feet firm into the ground to run after.  She stopped all at once, causing him to bump into her and giving his unsteady gait an unexpected standstill.  

 “Oh, sorry Isha.  I was trying to catch up to you.” his breath evening out a little, he brushed off the girl’s shoulder as if he hurt her somehow.

 “I know you were.” she said with satisfaction and she turned to continue up the labored path. 

Cedric caught the breeze of her sarcasm and hurried after her once again.

“Isha?” Cedric spoke inquisitively.  Isha had a feeling of what he was going to say next, however she was still uncertain of the voices and visions so she let him speak.

“Yes Cedric, what is it?” her face turned away from his now.  Cedric examined the angles of her jawline and the curves of her angry mouth.  Her soft nose flared inhaling the damp wooded air while her dark moody eyes looked forward into a future she thought was meek. 

“I was just wondering if you were...” he was nervous and his dry throat choked his speech in half.  

“If I was what?” the girl was losing a fight with her patience and with the boy.  Her mouth opened letting loose a exasperated sigh.

“What Cedric? What is it?”  the boy interrupted her irritation with him and spoke softly to her.  He touched her hand lovingly.

“If you were okay. That’s all. I was just hoping you were okay Isha”. 

 She had been right, her intuition spoke the truth and she felt comforted by her new friends concern.  Her hand gave his a tight squeeze in an appreciative gesture of his thoughtfulness, and the two walked hand in hand, in the silence of the dusk toward their resting place for the night.

     

   The aviator flew with ambition toward a safe place to settle his tired body for the night.  His wings gave up the height of his flight, sinking down to bring the vision of the grounds to a clearer view.  A group of drifters took heed traveling along a narrow path toward the thick woodlands ahead of them.  His keen vision focused in on the head of the pack and how the shape of her body struck an eerie familiarity.  Her face was hard to distinguish, hidden from the boy who walked hand in hand beside her, but her hair and the clothes she wore were recognizable to him somehow.  He eased the stretch in his wings, descending to gain a better perspective of his curiosity.  

     Isha arrested her stride causing the group to stumble to a standstill behind her.  

“What is it?” Cedric asked the girl who looked slightly catatonic. “Isha?” the boy persisted.

“Shh, shh Cedric.” the girl spoke sternly with her hands as if she was trying hard to listen to something. “Did you hear that?” 

“What is it you hear Isha?” Randall spoke from behind as he drifted slowly toward where his daughter stood.

“Horrible. A loud cracking noise, then screeching, the most horrible screeching.” 

Randall came up from behind placing his hand on the girl’s shoulder, reassuring her anxieties with the security only a Father’s touch held.  

“Awful.” the young girl whispered.

She brought her dark eyes up to the skies almost immediately with the clearing of her forethought.  She focused in on the large aviator that circled the group and she saw that the creature was focused solely on her.  Chayton recognized her immediately as she looked up at him, those eyes, that dark hair, it was her! It was the girl. 

Isha’s eyes widened and flickered from brown to red, to red then brown again.  Her hands balled up into fists as her jaw clenched down hard, causing her breath to be heavy and loud as she took in large amounts of air through her nose.  She screamed so loud the group had to cover their ears for fear of damage from the high pitch.

“No!” she screamed up at the great falcon “No!! Watch out! Get out of the way!”. She threw her arms around trying to get Chayton’s attention. 

A loud crack exploded off in the distance behind them causing the concentration of the current events to distract them for an instant.  

Loud screeches filled the heavens of the sky and when the group looked up again, the large falcon was found to be falling at a great speed toward the unyielding ground below.

“No!” the girl yelled again. 

Her feet tore the surface of the ground she was standing on apart as she sped toward the falling Falcon.  Randall tried to pull at the girl in an effort to stop her as he knew that not far behind that shot was sure to be an army belonging to Caius.  The girl was gone fifty feet before Randall’s arm reached out to try and pull her back, the speed she owned was unbelievable.  Her shape bore no shape, she was a blur in the distance as the others that followed her were trying desperately to catch up. 

Chayton’s right wing was immobile, his left wing hustled all attempts at flight but it was no use and he was sure he was going to plunge to his death.  If he shifted his shape his fate would be no different, even in his human form the ground would certainly have the same mercy on him.

Isha was sure the skin from her face and hands were peeling off as she ran toward the young Falcon’s plummet.  It felt as though she were on fire and she tried to look down at her hands but the focus on saving this animal was too much to take her eyes away from.  Her body had its own mind right now and she wasn’t aware how her legs moved at this hypersonic speed or why the instinct to save this bird was so important.  It was beyond her control, it was beyond her will to try and understand why defending this falcon from its fall would be essential to her own fate in the future.

Chayton gave up trying to climb into any sort of flight with his left wing and gained even more speed as his body spun toward the dark ground below.  The young girl’s boots pulled harder at the ground, her arms pumping faster, her heart racing with her electric pace.  She was nearly fifty feet away from the falcon and the bird was closing in rapidly toward the sheet of rock below.

Randall fiercely tried to keep up with his daughter’s impossible speed, his feet tore at the ground mimicking hers as it tore pieces off with each pull.  Just when he thought he was gaining closure on her, she gained more momentum and shot ahead leaving him in a path of dust.  His body slowed as his attention was diverted by the small group off in the distance behind them. He couldn’t make the details of their faces out, but was sure the pack belonged to Caius.

“We have to move fast Randall.” Alethea panted out behind him.  “They’re coming for the falcon, and they will surely take us.” she breathed her words in and out as she ran frantically to keep up.  

Randall fixed himself on catching up with his daughter, he had to get them all out of there and wasn’t about to be stalled by the rescue of a bird.  His legs tightened as he pulled himself down and sprung up into the air toward the young girl.  He came down hard, he pawed at the ground and his claws hooked onto the cracks in the surface pulling him closer to the pace of his young daughter.  Isha felt the tremor in the ground as Randall shifted his shape causing her pace to quicken toward Chayton.  Her lithe body crouched down as her arms swung behind creating a momentum that forced her to fly into the sky above her and toward the wounded bird. She pulled her arms in front of her now, reaching out for the falcon as she neared him, and she cloaked her arms around his body.  Randall burned up the ground beneath him as he desperately tried to meet with the young girls fall.  The ground stole the young girls breath from her lungs as it pounded her back.  The aviator was pulled out of Isha’s arms, shooting up and then down on to the ground with punishment.  Blood trickled from under the young girl’s head and spread out falling into the crevices of the stone.  She was still, her chest did not rise or fall and her open eyes were as fixed as the stones she lay upon.  Randall ran over to his daughter’s broken body, his knees hugging the ground beside her, and his hands trembled not knowing how to fix her battered frame.  A fire engulfed the falcon that was spread out beside Isha causing the group and Randall to step back from the shock of it.  Emerging from the flames was a young man, he limped slightly and fell a few feet away from the group grabbing nervously onto the arrow that was protruding from his arm.  He knelt down, his right arm grasping the arrows shaft and screeched in agony as he tore the weapon out of him.  

He hooked onto his wound with his right hand, the group watched as steam crept out the sides of his hand and into the air.  The young mans face tensed and his jaw illustrated a clenching of teeth behind the surface of his skin.  He purged the grip his hand took to his left arm lifting the fog of steam from the wound that had just recently threatened his existence.  The wound disappeared, and Randall was stoned from movement by the shock of the recent play of events. He was silent with the knowledge that this young shapeshifter had been the very Man that he had saved his daughter from.  Chayton shuffled his dirty feet along the cold ground while he surveyed his once wounded arm again.  He was bare of clothes, except for the torn black pants that dressed his lower half.  His tan skin was powdered with the ash from the flames that had given birth to his human form, and he brushed off the dust in an attempt to reserve some vanity.  His attention to himself was distracted by an angry voice below him.

“You! You’re the one that tried to kidnap my daughter!” Randall jumped toward the young Man in a fury.  Alexander impeded Randalls attack, standing between the young Man and the immense frame of Randall to avoid further injury.

“Remove yourself Alex.” Randall growled.

“Randall, you see the shadow of that group behind us? Do you really want to risk our lives for this?” he said boldly toward the young disheveled Chayton behind him.  “You can do what you want with him, but now we must hurry.”  

The group looked anxiously back at the dark cloud that was approaching them quickly.  Randall eased the tension in his broad shoulders and bent down to the young girl that lay motionless on the ground.  His colossal arms slid underneath her body as he gently lifted Isha’s limp body up and over his shoulder.  

“Well boy, do you want to die, or run with us? Your choice.” Alex said without hesitation. 

Chayton was confused, too much had happened too fast. His mind was having difficulty adjusting to what had just happened to his body, now he was the target of a rage from a Man he wasn’t sure he knew.  

The group was disappearing along the edge of the thick brush and as he looked back toward the army of men approaching, he knew his choice was an easy one.  Chayton drifted at the heels of the group and as his foggy head cleared away the clouds of confusion his eyes once again focused in on the young girl before him.  

   The young woman sat on the hard cold stone floor with her bony back leaning against the equally hard and cold stone wall.  She was numb from the bitter air, at least it didn’t hurt anymore she thought to herself.  There was a small bed with large down filled blankets accompanied by a matching pillow.  Generous servings of food were delivered to her room three to four times daily and basins filled with hot water to wash with. These offerings of comfort didn’t interest her, even while her belly ached, her eyes were blackened from disturbed and uncomfortable nights sleeping on the hard floor, she was not interested.  She was stubborn, she was determined to feel like a prisoner because that was what she was and she refused to let Caius think she was the least bit comfortable in his presence.  She sat there against the cold wall wondering what had happened to her daughter, her husband and the good friend that had helped keep her safe.  The young woman’s exhaustion took over her causing sleep to take lead of her consciousness, her eyes closed and her head hit the peaks of her knees.  Just as she floated into the gates of her slumber a loud bang brought her conscious state back to reality. She rubbed her eyes and her hands pulled at the ledge on the wall behind her bringing her to her feet.  She rubbed her eyes once more, attempting to clear the last bit of slumber she felt fogging up her vision.  

   “The Lord wants you to attend dinner tonight.” the large Man stood before her.

   “Well tell him I would rather eat with the rats than eat anything with him.” she staggered from her weakened state before him.

The large Man was dressed in appropriate Caius attire.  His black uniform addressed the dark and lifeless soul that illustrated the monster that kept her here.  She knew she could take this Man down with her powers of persuasion, but she was weak and she knew that the very thing she was being offered was what she needed to regain her strength again.  

The Man laughed in the relish of his task. “This is easier than it was rumored to be.” She had no words for him, would he just shut up already and take her, she thought.  

He sauntered toward her and grabbed the point of her chin.  His breath was sour and it made her nauseous.  Her head turned away from this revolting Man’s hold on her as she choked down the vomit that threatened to climb up from her stomach.

“They were right about you.” the man whispered heavily into her ear. “You’re a stunning piece of work.” he drew back and stared lustfully into the young woman’s eyes pulling his manhood against her body. “If Caius wasn’t my Lord, I’d have you for myself right now.” he hooked his meaty hand under her slender arm and clamped onto her tight dragging her out of the small prison.  She tried shaking the force of his grip off but his vice of a hand grew stronger with each attempt to break free from this disgusting man.  

“I will remember you.” Cerdwin said as she offered him a taste of her power.  His stride eased up as his eyes met hers, and his grip on her arm eased as he stopped suddenly.  He felt her lurking in through the branches of his consciousness, trying to manipulate his forethought with her subtle dance of hypnotics.  Although she was too weak to carry on running through the cortex of his brain, she had manipulated the sheath of it enough to carry on enough persuasion to her advantage.  

He wavered on his feet causing him to stumble away from her, and he held his head for a moment trying to shake her free from his mind.  For a moment his vision was blurred and when he rubbed away the cloudiness he saw her standing against the wall trying to hold her weak self up. 

“Come now, let’s go, we have to get you ready.” he grumbled to her as he tried to regain some control.  

Cerdwin’s small hands pushed against the wall she now leaned on giving her the momentum required to get her walking again.  The man ahead of her still rubbed his head from the disorientation that still washed over him, and she shuffled behind him looking very satisfied at what she had just done.  

“How are you feeling?” her words more of a jeer than a concern.

“Witch! What did you do to me?” he was experiencing arrested bouts of dizziness accompanied by waves of nausea. 

“You’re going to help me.” she paused, wiping the beads of sweat from her forehead. “Not now, but soon, very soon you’re going to help me get out of this damned place.” her breath was short and raspy from the lack of food and liquids.  

“You’re insane. Your time is coming to an end witch, and I’ll be dancing when they bury you.” his face puckered into deep dark lines as he smiled cynically. 

She already knew of her proposed murder. She had seen it long before Caius had come to drag her away to him again.  Her visions brought her the story that Caius was writing, the nightmare he wished her and her family to be characters in.  What he didn’t realize, is that not all stories are destined to be written by him and not all of her visions were accurate.  The story was subject to change, as they were combined with the thoughts and desires of the people involved, giving room for movement toward a pleasant or disastrous ending.

“We’ll see.” she said wittingly toward the ill stricken Man.  He was now bent over giving aid to the sickness that was now feuding with his gut.  The Man wretched and his body heaved with the uncontainable contractions that took over his throat, causing his last meal to entertain the ground below him. The Man played these actions out again and again until the very last thing that he expelled was his very own bile.  He wiped at his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt while he staggered to his feet, and he took a moment to gather what was left of his self-respect.  Cerdwin stood back staring at the Man with a satisfied smile, she thought of throwing a sarcastic remark or two his way, but this recent show he had put on was more than adequate to invite a bit of humor into her head for now.  

The Man regained his strength from the dissipation of the pain and nausea that had a meeting with him.  He pulled the young woman roughly into his side causing her to lose balance slightly, and with his readjustment to keep her steady his vice of a grip induced a pain that did not go unnoticed by the large Man.  He smiled wickedly at the thought that he injected discomfort into her body and it was in this moment that he felt secure with his task again.  What he didn’t realize is that the beauty he now took in his grip could do more damage to him than just a bout of nausea and stomach pains.  She was just giving him a taste, and she would give him much more when her strength gave her the justice she deserved.

     The room was wet with darkness, the corrupt man sat and waited for his men to deliver him his entertainment for the night.  His patience was just about to walk out the door when he heard the heavy footsteps laced with uncompliant cries. His patience stopped at the doorway and made its way back to him bringing him to his feet.  He glided easily toward the doorway glancing back toward the table lit with candles that were set exquisitely.  He adjusted his wardrobe and arranged the dark tresses on his head, as if he was getting fixed for a first date.  The footfalls grew more audible now, and there was no more defiant moaning from the woman.  Caius stepped through the doorway turning to meet his most important guest, and his dark  green eyes widened while transfixed on the brilliant image of this young woman.  His servants had done a stellar job preparing her for tonights celebration, he was mesmerized by the brightness of her and under the recent circumstances of her confinement was surprised by her resilience.  Love trickled upon the corners of his mouth and painted deep feelings over the regard he presently had for her.  His smile did not hide his affections and for this moment he was weak with a worship for her.  Her hazel eyes were dressed with a violet paint bringing the specs of green and brown to life like a kaleidoscope.  Her cheeks were pinched with a rose hue and her full lips were kissed lightly with a fleshy gloss giving Caius the urge to taste them.  A black dress wove around the young woman’s curves falling down to her knees to meet with black leather boots and her red hair cascaded over the tips of her soft pale shoulders.  Her delicate image appealed to the callous man, he wanted to take care of the damage he had inflicted on her and just for a moment he had a heart.  A gold bracelet hugged the woman’s wrist and he looked up to see a gold necklace around her slender neck.  He caught her wrist as his guard handed her off to him like a piece of luggage, and his hand felt rough on her soft skin.  She twisted her arm unleashing his hold, and he did not protest her distaste of his touch.

He laughed at her intolerance for him and walked over to the large table that was washed with candles. He pulled out a chair gesturing that she sit now, and he waited patiently as her feet found their way over to him.  

“Come, sit with me Cerdwin.” he stood back giving her enough personal space to feel comfortable to sit with him under the circumstances.

She sat slowly as if it pained her physically to do so, and she stared hard at the callous Man growing tired of his momentary politeness.  He helped push her chair closer to the table as if he was really a true gentleman, and when he was finished playing this noble role he found his own seat not far from hers.   She sat with an uneasy silence while looking down at the velvet tablecloth and noticing all the white candles that lit the large wooden table.  Large silver trays filled with food dressed the table, the aroma and sight of it induced Cerdwins appetite to come crawling back to the pit of her stomach.  She placed a hand over her abdomen to muffle the sounds and ease the pain from not eating for days.  Caius took her plate and colored the whiteness of it with all the dressings of food from each silver tray, then placed it in front of her leaving to serve himself.   

“Go on, eat Cerdwin. All those days of stubbornness, you must be starving.” he said, giving her an empathetic look.  He motioned with his eyes toward her plate. “No talking, just eat. I promise, I won’t bother you. Enjoy this food.” he told her as he thought Enjoy it my dear, because it will surely be your last.  He smiled slyly at her and they both started painting their stomachs with all the vibrant food that colored the plates.  

Cerdwin could feel her strength coming back with every bite, and she knew if her stomach could hold onto it she would have enough vigor to escape this hell she was trapped in.  

   “We will travel over this ridge and into the caves below. There is a tunnel that leads into the forest.” Alex said in between his shortness of breath from running.  “We must hurry, going through the tunnels after dark will be too dangerous.” he said as the group walked quickly down the steep rocks.

   “Too dangerous? Why?  What about Isha?” Randall looked down at his lifeless daughter.  

   “She’s going to be okay Randall.” reassured Alethea.  

Although the girl appeared to be without life, it still lived within her.  

“We’ll be at the tunnels very soon, and trust me, Caius’ Army won’t dare enter, we’ll take care of Isha there.”  

Randall’s friend was starting to worry him.  What was so daunting about these caves and tunnels?  

Rain started to fall heavy on the small group making their descent down the narrow rock ribbed path that felt slick beneath their feet, and  Alex stood at the base of the trail aiding the rest of the group along the slick surface.  Running through a small amount of brush, they came to an opening in the smooth black rock face before them. Alex motioned to the group to enter first. 

“Go on!” he yelled as a large arrow was thrust against the hard rock.  The group, under fire by the army behind them moved quickly into the liberal entrance.

“Come on! What are you waiting for Alex?” Randall said from inside the passage as another arrow pounded the wall just inches from Alex’s face.

“You first my friend. I have something to take care of first.” he smirked.

“Now! Come now! What have you got to take care of my friend? Let’s go!” Randall pulled at the steady Man’s shoulder.

“Get going! Trust me.” Alex crouched beside the sheath of rock.

“Go! get your girl safe inside. I will be there soon.” he whispered.

Randall hesitated for a second, and moved quickly with his daughter deeper into the darkness toward the rest of the group.  

Razor sharp arrows splintered into pieces as they hit the hard face of the smooth rock, and Alex smirked as he waited for just the right moment to pounce.  He wanted to send a message to Caius, and he wanted just a small vengeance for all his loss.  Silence broke through the sound of all the shooting arrows as Alex braced his body for change.  The sound of a branch splintering off from a bush set the chemistry of change alive in his large body and he bounded into his beast-like form.  His teeth tore into the flesh of Caius’ men one by one,  and he ripped them apart barely leaving them enough time to scream from the pain of his attacks.  Alex stood over one last man on the ground who was covering his face with his hands and begging for his life from the large black canine.  Alex’s hot breath and saliva stained the young man’s throat as he threatened to end his existence.  The young man shook uncontrollably with fear and tears found their way to his eyes. 

“Please.” the young man stuttered through frightful breaths. “Please...” his voice shook with terror.  

Alex released the grip his teeth had on the young soldier’s throat, he was just a boy, too young to be fighting and surely too young to die.  Shifting into his human form he stood over the young man and extended a hand.  He wasn’t planning on killing him anyway, as he needed someone to send a message to Caius.  He would let the young man think he had given him some mercy to spare his soul.  Pulling the young soldier up hard on to his feet he thrust him close to his body hard, and whispered in his ear.  

“You tell your Lord, I will come for him.” he paused staring cold into the young man’s eyes. Alex’s face was stained with the blood from the other men and this sight was only adding to the soldiers fear of him.

“You tell your Lord, I should not be the one he fears the most.” he grabbed the young mans face and shoved his ear closer to his mouth.

“You tell him.” his voice was louder now. “You tell him that it is the young girl he should fear the most. You tell him!” he yelled, almost deafening the young man.  The soldiers body shook hard with the shock of the attack and Alex let go of his grip on the young man causing him to falter to the ground.  

The shapeshifter turned back as he walked away from the young man, looking at him intensely.  

“I will find you, and I will kill you if this message does not get delivered.” 

The young man believed him and fought with all his strength to pull his shaky limbs up off the ground. He stumbled up the rocky path toward the horses, and he hurtled his meager frame upon a tall black stallion while his lungs worked hard to maintain a steady rhythm again. His throat stung from the influx of cold air entering his open mouth and he nearly choked from the dryness caused by all his heavy breathing.  He clutched his throat in an effort to aid his discomfort and was met with an increase of pain from the base of his neck.  The stallion galloped, its black mane whipped the young man’s hand that gripped its reigns. While he tried to steady his body upon the great horse he examined the blood stained hand he drew away from his throat where the shapeshifter had placed his serrated teeth.  He shivered a little from the thought that this day could have been his last.  The stallion pumped its neck, its hind legs thrust hard against the compact soil gaining more speed and almost throwing the young man off in all its exertion. The young man regained his balance seizing the reigns with both hands now, navigating his way back to Lord Caius’ kingdom with a message that was sure to deliver more to him than the promise of his life.

 

     Alex lumbered into the opening of the rock face, Randall noted the look of achievement trickling from his face and did not want to begin to imagine the carnage his friend had left behind.  He gestured toward his friends face, then with his own hand wiped his mouth indicating he should do the same.   Cedric noted the silent conversation the two grown Men were having. 

“You have blood on your face.” the young warrior piped casually. 

Randall choked back his astonishment regarding Cedric’s quiet reaction to the sanguine fluid staining Alex’s mouth and shot the boy a look of meek bewilderment.  The great beast of a man shrugged off the attention of his attack and carried himself forward into the dark cavern.  

   “Enough of this time wasting, we must make up our lost footing.  This isn’t a place for loitering.” 

   Randall took note of his friends unease as he repositioned his daughter’s limp body in his capacious arms, and he carried forth taking a guarded position at the rear of the group.  The cave was narrow and the lack of earth’s life was unsettling him, as if at any moment something horrific would break the unnatural silence.  The further they roved into the cavern, the tighter the passageway became forcing Randall to place his daughter over his shoulder as to make the twisting and turning of the path easier to manipulate.  The young girl moaned slightly as he eased her over his shoulder and this sudden sign of life lessened the bind of worry he had for his daughter.  Randall could breathe just a little easier now, and he clutched onto the young girl lovingly.  

   “Everything will be good my girl.” he whispered to her.  Her hands moved searching for the bends of his neck, and she held on tight with her slender hands signifying she heard him.

   The group halted abruptly, causing Randall to run into the boy ahead of him and almost knocking him to the ground.  He steadied the young boy and brushed the impending bruise to his back from the blow of his body to his.  The boy was okay and gestured this to Randall as they all stood very mute, awaiting the safe word from their pack leader Alex. Silence was fractured by what sounded like drops of water weeping onto the stony surfaces of the cavern, and the group searched the blackness for its source.  The end of the compressed passageway opened up making way for the group to regain the physical space that was much needed, and they stretched out their limbs shaking off the stiff nervousness that had a vice on their muscles.  The open chamber felt a few degrees warmer than the chilled air that had hugged them throughout the black passageway, and a soft light gave an image to their anxious faces.  The group searched Alex’s face for any sign to move forward, but were only met with a continued gesture of silence from him as he held his hand up to his mouth.  He indicated to all of them with his hand and facial expression that it was not yet safe to be either verbally or physical visible.  The young girl slumped over the shoulder of Randall moved her legs in an effort to meet the ground, and she moaned as her efforts were halted by the large Man’s tightened grip on her.  His hand curved around finding her mouth as she made more of an effort to break free, and her speech was muffled by the hand that was now trying to silence her tone.  The steady trickling of water was interrupted by a short splash followed by a swooshing sound, and then all was silent again.  The young girl twisted herself free from her Father’s heavy hold on her, sliding to the ground easily and shaking free from the sleep that had inhabited her limbs.  Randall rubbed the twinge of pain shooting up his arms inflicted by the hard work it had been to keep the girl from escaping his grip. She was strong, stronger than he thought, maybe stronger than him and definitely more powerful than she ever knew.  The thought of her naivety of her own power frightened him, and the worries he had for his daughter’s fate only intensified.  

     Alex searched the dimly lit space for the source of the sudden noise and for the source of what sounded like water.  He sniffed out the southwest corner of room and knelt down to the ground to get a better glimpse of his investigation.  As he neared the dirt laden floor he saw something, something familiar, but it took a moment for this data to be taken from his vision to his brain and then compute it in the blur of the dim light.  It was a toe, and as he looked it was not just one, there were ten. Feet, two feet, and as he searched the feet he found his way to the legs,  then finding his way all the way up to the two black eyes staring down into his. Round beads of sweat quickly took form on his temples from the fear of this visual conception and from the fear that the breaths he took might be his last.   

     The young girl moved forward without hesitation, toward the obscure figure that stood motionless between the stone walls, curiosity had a hold on her and her stoic expression illustrated no fear. Frozen in fear,  Randall lost an arms reach hold on pulling his daughter back from any danger and as he took a step forward Alex motioned an abrupt stop sign with his hand.  Randall was not reluctant in trusting his friends request, stopping steady in place and hoped his friend knew what he was doing.  The dark figure spoke loudly in a native language, his voice was heavy and was accentuated with sharp shrills and clicks only a tribal tongue could produce.  The tone of his voice sounded heated, his voice was inflicted with a higher pitch and it sounded threatening to the small group.  Alex  glimpsed up at the colossal native quickly, and was met with his dark eyes again.  He yelled, throwing what was surely verbal daggers at Alex as he slipped his long hand around the beastly shapeshifter’s throat.

The young girl came closer, she placed her soft hand on Alex’s shoulder and stood very still as she looked up into the natives black eyes.  Alethea, not being able to contain the foresight of the impending threat to Isha’s life, cried out in warning.  

“Isha! Step back!” her voice shook, causing the native to lose focus on the young girl for a mere second.

Alex’s throat felt crowded with the dark flesh that gripped it,  and he coughed trying to loosen his airway from the constriction he felt.  The native’s hand held tight to Alex’s throat, his knuckles white from the grapple he had on the victim of his powerful hold.  Alex wavered as a horrible wheezing and crackling sound reverberated from the pit of his throat. His hand tried to pull the large black hand off his throat, his lips were a deep blue and his eyes rolled to the back of his head revealing the whites of his eyes.  Alex’s feet lost touch with the brown earth beneath as the native extended his long muscular arm up into the air, dangling the shapeshifter in the air. 

The young girl watched in disgust at the dark Man’s pleasure in Alex’s pain, her new instincts took over and influenced her next move toward the native.  Her small hand found its way toward the native, she placed it calmly on his massive leg and he followed his focus toward the young girl who looked up at him stone faced.  The young girl’s mind walked into his and his body shook as he tried to pull free from this unwelcome entrance.  Alex fell to the ground gasping as the vice was finally free from his throat, and the cavern air entered his lungs allowing him to breathe again. 

 

   It was hot, the girl felt beads of sweat drip down the middle of her back and she wiped her wet forehead off as she ran down a steep dirt path.  The land was barren, littered with few trees and unbearably hot.  She looked down at her dirty black feet, and as she did she recognized they were not her own, too black to belong to her.  She felt a desperate need to run fast, a need to get to an unknown place, and if she didn’t get there soon something terrible would happen.  The heart inside her was beating hard as the blood in her veins ran fast to keep up with the rhythm of it.  She was soaking wet with the water running out of her pores, her mouth felt dry from the anxiety and fiery air entering her airways.  She found herself outside of a small cave, the opening was dark and she could not see in but the fear of what was waiting for her inside kept her outside in the dry heat in hesitation. The cool cave air washed over her body and she stood inside the mouth of the cave for just a minute, taking deep breaths she let the cold liquid air rush in and over her.  She stretched out her arms letting her hands see for her in the blackness of this cave, and she felt stone cold walls on either side of her.  It wasn’t long before the narrow tunnel became more visible to her eyes and it opened up to a wide breezeway with what appeared to be small rooms branching out.  She paused in the breezeway, her feet gripping the cool dirt beneath her, unsure of which way to go.  Her body turned and found the room she intuitively knew to go in to.  Her feet held on to the dirt hard as she crept toward the room, and her small black hand held the stone frame of the entrance giving her balance to lean in a little.  She moved forward slightly to get a better look, and her feet now felt something wet beneath them.  She wiped the wet caked dirt off her small black feet and tried to brush the dirt that was now stuck to her hands off.  Strange, she thought dirt was brown not red, and as she examined her hands more closely her focus was drawn to the ground again.  A pool of this red liquid was painted on the ground and over the base of the entrance.  As her sight digested the awareness of what was happening, her body fast forwarded into the memory of what had happened to this native long ago.  She ran into this cavern room and saw the devastation that had been part of this native’s story many years ago.  A man and a woman lay lifeless, side by side, hands together and red slashes across their throats.  She felt heavy and despair knocked her black knees to the cool ground.  She grabbed at the dirty wet cavern floor as this vision blurred into a child’s screams for help.  Isha’s body trembled as she tried to break free from this brutal distant past, and she awoke on her knees as she had left that native boy in the past.  Her hands a vice full of dirt and her face wet with the desperate tears this native bestowed to his parents deaths long ago.  Her dark brown eyes searched up toward the large native Man’s face, and when his dark eyes met hers he said one name, in English. 

 “Caius.”

     Her teeth cut in to the meaty flesh and all her gracefulness left her now as her empty stomach impatiently waited to be fed.  She painted her face with the juices of the cuisine that was placed before her, carelessly driving every little bit of this nourishment into her mouth.  She looked up at him between bites being wary of his place, like an alpha wolf she growled at him with her stares to back.  He sat still, patiently waiting for her to finish her feeding.  At least she would die with a good meal in her he thought, and this made his mouth curl up at the corners.  He snickered as he caught sight of her wiping her food saturated hands off on her flawless dress.  She was aware of the humour he found in her helplessness and this irritated her.  She rose from the table and calmly walked over to him placing her hands on his dress jacket.  She smirked down at him while taking the collar of his jacket and wiping her food stained face off on it.  Her hand found the curve of his broad jaw and she held it firmly. 

“I want to thank you for this beautiful meal my Lord, I will truly always treasure this moment.” she said as every word she spoke exuded a sarcastic tone.  

He let her enjoy this moment but only for an instant before his hand met her throat constricting the ability of her lungs to welcome the air she was meant to breathe.  He stood slowly tidying up the meal his face wore with one hand while still keeping his opposite hand bound to Cerdwin’s neck.  

“Now you see, that is just impolite my dear.  I feed you this royal spread and you mock me my love?”  his perforating tone echoed through her struggle.

The cold stone wall pounded her back with an angry cold fist and her feet left the floor as Caius mounted her body to the wall like a trophy.  Her arms were heavy as she tried to reach for his and she knew if only they found their way to the touch a limb she would have a chance.  

His hard laughter stole the air in this room as he recognized her attempts for his body and he released the grip he had on her airway.  

Caius shook his head at the beauty that now straddled the cold stone floor with her hands and knees.  Tears and spit dressed her face as her breath tried to find its normal rhythm again.  Wiping off the saliva from her chin she looked up at this repulsive Man and thought of nothing but death for him.  

“Oh, I’m not going to kill you yet my dear.” he smiled darkly as he paced back and forth in front of her.  He knelt down close to her and whispered in her ear. “Your family will watch you die my love, and I will enjoy every moment of it.”  He flipped his dark hair from his face with one hand, and he wiped his food stained jacket off while Cerdwin found her way to her feet again.  She leaned toward a soft chair that sat by a glowing hearthside and looked into the burning embers as she thought of her precious family.  Her delicate hands brushed her fiery red hair from her face as she turned to glare at him.  She spoke to him, her voice cool and blunt.

“You have no idea what trouble you’re calling forth. No idea.”

   The native ushered the group along the curves and branches of the dark cavern.  The intimidation of death had disappeared and they felt safe trailing on the heels of their new guide.  The cool ground felt warmer and the dampness in the air evaporated as they neared the mouth of the tunnel.  The group soaked up the warm breeze that played across their cool faces as they stepped out onto a sheet of granite.  The rocky sheet cascaded fifty feet or so onto a canvas of sand, and followed was a small forest beside a free flowing river.  The native spoke with his hands to the group, motioning them with a gesture to follow him and eased their hesitation with a warm smile.  The warmth of the sand could be felt through the soles of their shoes, and as they closed in toward the trail of trees a booming sound filled the dusk air.  Vibrations danced through their bodies as they traversed deeper into the woods and the sound was now dressed with a symphony of voices.  The native turned to look back upon the questionable faces of the group, his eyes danced with amusement and laughter rained from his mouth.  Song bathed his native tongue while he motioned reassuringly with his hands and body language that everything was alright.  Dance lingered in the native’s long legs as he carried on leading the group toward the mysterious intonation ahead, and they couldn’t help but find a bit of trust in this Man’s spirit.  A combustion of light grew larger as the resonation of drums now shook the forest ground beneath them.  Cedric reached for Alethea’s hand in an attempt to comfort his present fear.  Her eyes reached for the momentary fear her young son felt, easing his worries with the hug of her hand and the alleviation in her warm eyes.  The pace slowed as the group neared the edge of what appeared to be a small village, dressed with modest houses made from the beams of trees and moss. Randall, Chayton, and Alex all looked to each other in a silent nod to be ready for any impending threats.  Isha turned to her father, looking up and searching for any reassurance in the large Man’s eyes.  His broad hand found its way to the young girl’s head, stroking a few dark strands lovingly behind her ear as he whispered something to her.

“I’m here Isha. Everything will be ok.”

The large native sensed Isha’s confusion with all her recent reckonings and reached for her small hand to hold.  Clutching her small hand between his massive palm, his long fingers wrapped around hers in a protective motion.  He pulled her gently toward him while his other hand met the outside of their clasp, reassuring her of her safety.  Randall trailed close behind as the young girl looked back at him between hurried footsteps.  The tribal drums drew the group to the edge of the village, and the heart of the fire led their eyes to find shapes and silhouettes of bodies moving to the beats.  Isha was mesmerized by the passion in the tribes dancing and the emotion that filled the night air with their song.  The large dark native gave Isha a generous smile, he was proud of his little discovery and relieved that the “chosen one” was now in their presence.  Women, Men, and children all danced, throwing their voices out into the atmosphere in a melodic tune.  A wave of heat hit the group as they stood at the edge of this party, the fire was at least ten feet high and the steam from the active bodies poured out into the night air.  A small child held on to his Mother’s hand, his large dark eyes met with Isha’s and he tugged hard on his Mother’s arm while pointing in the groups direction.  Her sight found the group of strangers, then lingered to her brother holding on to Isha’s hand.  Confusion swam around in the dark brown of her eyes, but then realization and knowing came diving in to her senses as she recognized the young girl’s identity.  Screaming broke the melody of the drums and jubilant singing, as the woman tried to turn the large groups attention toward the strange new faces that looked upon them.  The volume of their singing died down, and the dark faces were sketched with a silent expression of disbelief.  The woman walked slowly toward her brother, her knees kissed the ground as she fell face down toward Isha, sobbing and speaking emotional words in her native language.  Isha stepped closer to her native friend, feeling uncomfortable from all these sudden expectations of her.  She still did not understand the magnitude of all her power, and the young girl was still concussed with all the discoveries that were beyond her wildest imagination.  Her anxiousness gripped the large native’s hand tight and she pressed her soft cheek to his arm shying away from this strange womans attention on her.  Freeing himself from Isha’s bind to him he knelt down on the soft warm sand facing her, placing his large hands in her own he spoke gently in his native diction.  His soft voice was hushed as the strange dialect danced slowly between the space of her listening and perception.  The colours of his language began to change from aberrant to a more natural shade and his words started to paint a sharper image upon her hearing now.  His tribal prose evolved into english and as she looked around at her kin, she recognized from the perplexed expressions that she was the only one who understood what he was saying.

   “You have nothing to fear little one. We have been waiting for you for a long time. Your strength is in here child.” he extended his large finger as he pressed it lightly on her chest.  Isha looked down at his large dark finger trying to sketch out the meaning of all this in her mind.  What did he mean? she thought, and as if he knew what she was asking he answered her.

“Your heart my child, your heart is where all your power lives.”

She looked down again bringing her adolescent hand up toward the place of all her power, and she felt around for any sign of aptitude.  Her eyes accessed the rest of her aggregation as she looked for any deliverance of comprehending this new truth.  Traveling from face to face, they all looked as confounded as her, except for Alethea.  Her face was dressed with a soft abating smile and her head shook in an unwavering understanding.  The native woman, now standing extended her inviting hand and motioned the pack to join their celebration.  Offerings of food and a warm place to sleep for the night were awarded to them for their long and burdensome expedition.  The fulfillment of the native cuisine nourished their bodies and the warmth of their berths for the night rocked them off to a deep suspension of unconsciousness.  

   The rider disengaged his legs from the stallions back, collecting the reigns together with one hand he dismounted himself from the powerful mammal, leading himself and the great horse slowly toward the cimmerian fortress.  His legs travelled up the steep uneven path toward his Masters domain and he looked back down as the large stallion cried out to him concernedly.  Tremors of fear flooded the muscles in his legs as he refrained from climbing toward his certainty of death.  Thinking he could run now, escape from this hell, and take off on his great black stallion without the threat of death was just a dream.  His footing tempted him as he positioned himself for the way down, and the way out of being this Man’s prisoner.  The stallion whined with encouragement at the sight of his riders motives to break away from the condemned captivity they had been living in.  

“Leaving so soon?” a dark voice shattered the young riders momentary contemplation.  The young man fought off the tremors growing in his legs again as he turned to face his corrupt ruler.  The stallion wailed in disapproval as his riders footing turned and took a few steps toward the loathsome man.  He stopped to regain his balance from the assault of convulsions on his legs, and placed his cool hand upon the pain that was still hot upon his neck.  

“No my lord, I...I..just checking back on the horse that’s all.” his hand shook as he drew it back, glimpsing at the fresh blood that still oozed from his recent wound.

Caius descended toward the young rider taking notice of the large gash that adorned his throat.  Care lingered in his eyes for a moment as he touched the bloody wounds that punctured his soldier, and he wiped the trickle of fresh blood away as he drew his hand back.  

“Tell me, are you what remains of my Men?” the young soldier’s eyes cautiously addressed Caius’.

“Yes Father, I am.”

His hand took the shape of what was sure to be an impending threat against the side of his adolescent face, and the young man braced himself for his punishment.  His eyes shut tight feeling the slight breeze lull into a firm but loving clutch upon his jawline, and he opened his eyes to discover a brief gesture of love from his Father.

“Good, that is very good Adrian.” Caius uttered while clenching the boys face with his capacious hands.  

This momentary gesture of love disappointed Adrian, for a moment he felt as a son should feel in his Father’s hands and all these years of the bitterness that he had been raised in vanished, just for that moment.  It shouldn’t have felt uncomfortable, but this slight show of caring was unfamiliar and didn’t sit still with Adrian.  He tried brushing it off, reminding himself of the plans he had been producing, and for as many years as he could remember hating his Father he couldn’t throw it all away over a few moments of tenderness. 

“Come boy, I want to show you something.” 

“Yes Father.” reluctantly chasing Caius’ heavy trail of footsteps up the rocky pathway.  Adrian turned one last time to look at his horse and sent him a silent message of discontent with his hazel eyes.  The stallions mane whipped as the great horse shook his head from the inability to save his rider from possibly losing his life. He tore at the bound on his reigns and with one sharp jerk from the massive brawn of his neck the stallion broke free.  His powerful hooves dug into the ground as he bellied a cry for his young rider to extricate himself from the dark prison.  Caius turned to see what was hassling his son from carrying after his lead into the caliginous doorway.  The dark man sneered at the stallions loyalty for his son and his repugnance for this bond was carried out in the bass of his voice.

“Do you value his life my son?” his grip tightened on Adrians shoulder.  Adrian’s head swayed with his answer. “Yes...yes of course.” he answered desperately.

“Then let him go Adrian.” his vice tightening on his son’s shoulder producing an all too familiar pain his Father was famous for.

“Ok Father, please just leave Abatos alone, please!” he begged as his heart poured out and dressed his face with tears of desperation for his best friend’s life. Caius turned to look at the great black stallion, wiping a smear of amusement off his mouth with his rigid hand and smoothing the mess of dark hair from his steely forehead.  He whispered a cool breeze into Adrian’s ear that sent a sharp chill down his spine. 

“You have my word son, I will let him go.” he guided the boy by the pressure of his hand toward the dusky entryway of the gloomy fortress. Adrian’s eyes found the grooves of stone that painted the steep case of stairs, and he hung his head down from the shame of turning his back on the courage that pleaded with him to be free.  He fought the tears back from the sound of Abatos’ cries for him and he lost his balance slightly from an edge of rock that found the lip of his boot nearly sending him to the ground.  Caius steadied his son by the back of his neck while thrusting him forth into the open doorway and crashing it shut behind them.  

“Well, go on now.” his Father ushered toward a staircase.  At the bottom of the staircase stood a large statue of a man, without expression and without any resonance of humanity.  His father had few recruits that he would allow within the walls of this hell he called home, their loyalty had been earned over the years and the scars that decorated their bodies proved it.  

“Stamon.” Adrian said, acknowledging the giant Man as he painfully took to the steps.  

“Welcome home Adrian.” Stamon replied without hesitation. 

Caius leered at Stamon, disapproving of the sincerity in the words for his son, and he gave Adrian a forceful push up the stairs with his command. 

“Go on now Adrian, I will see you upstairs.” the deep baritones of his voice echoing within the cold stone walls.

Caius stroked thoughtfully at his jaw, his fingers moving up and down, his eyes moving with the placement of words that he was going to utter to his loyal servant.  He knew Stamon always had a soft spot for his son, and that this task would just be another to prove how loyal he really was.  Stamon had brought the great stallion home for Adrian when he was just a boy, he had taught Adrian how to take care and train the stallion.  Stamon knew that the boy needed a friend and the colt was the gift of hope the boy needed.  Caius’ eyes lit up as the demand that was to be carried out left his tight lips.  

“Kill the stallion.” 

“My Lord?” Stamon’s voice questioned with disbelief. 

“Look, I can see you have a cushion for my son’s heart, and I appreciate this.” he hesitated, taking a deep breath and gripping Stamon’s shoulder with his hand.  “The boy needs to learn this lesson.”

“What is the lesson exactly?” Stamon was puzzled, the boy always did as his Father asked. “I’m confused my Lord, Adrian has always been faithful to your word.”

Caius roared with laughter, shaking Stamon’s stance off balance a little and gripping his shoulder so tight it invited a stabbing pain in.

“Loyal in actions does not equal loyalty in his heart.” he let go of Stamon as he brushed off any expression of grief on his face that he felt about his son’s hatred for him.  Caius‘ footing took to the staircase, he turned as he climbed slowly and spoke once more to his dutiful soldier.

“I expect that animal gone by the time the sun rises tomorrow.  Don’t disappoint me Stamon.” his words threatened, and then he was gone.

   Stamon slowly made his way outside, his body moving in a slow motion toward the stallion that still waited for his rider.  The devotion this horse had for Adrian was impenetrable, and the man was touched by the bond between the two.  Stamon’s thoughts searched for a way to save the stallion from his demise and by the time he reached the great black animal he was no closer to finding an answer.  His hands found the reigns that hung from the stallions neck and he wrapped them around his fingers as he led the horse out of this dark dominion.  Familiar with the soldier as a colt, the stallion had enormous trust for Stamon and followed his lead through the gates of this condemned place.  The soldier stopped and adjusted the leather saddle upon the stallion asking for permission to climb on to the great horse.  The great black horse stood still, his gentle silence was enough of a sign for Stamon to position himself for the ride.  The man’s thoughts found an answer, and all at once he slammed his heels into the stallion’s body, thrusting him into a gallop toward the destination that would unshackle the great horse’s fate of death.  

   

   Her feet were bare as she looked down to distinguish where this dream was taking her.  The ground felt so cold against her wet dirt caked feet and as she bent down to wipe them off she observed the filth that clothed her hands as well.  Why was she so dirty? Where were her boots?  As she wiped the cake of grime from her feet it started to turn from a dark brown to a crimson red.  Red dirt? She brought the palms of her hands up toward her sight to get a clearer look and her eyes caught the same crimson red that stained her forearms.  Blood? she questioned.  But how?  she wondered.  Her bare feet moved cautiously on the patches of dirt that found way through the ice and snow.  She could smell the smoke of a fire in the air and when she looked at the scape that she was surrounded with, her breath ceased from the shock of it.  Lifeless bodies spread for miles on this barren and icy land, the same crimson red painted around them and trails of smoke barreled out from a dying forest.  Panic hit the girl hard in the gut and her lungs collapsed into a rapid uneven rhythm.  Her feet moved fast, slipping over patches of ice and snow as she bounded to keep steady on the cold dirt path.  She ran toward the burning forest, away from what she did not know, and she cried out for the dead as she passed by their frozen bodies.  Her bare foot hit the edge of a cold hard stone, delivering her hard to the snowy ground.  She pulled her face from the white floor and observed a large black hand attached to a lifeless black body that lay only five feet from her.  Her hands gripped the snowy ground and her body trembled as she crawled toward the body to get a closer look.  It was him, and it was the only sight she recognized in this lucid nightmare.  It was the large native.  Was he dead? She placed her cold bloody hands on his cheeks and moved his face slightly.  He was cold, his massive muscles were rigid and he was covered in blood.  He did not respond to her attempts to wake him.  Her eyes filled with the grief of this loss, she cried out and wiped her tears away with her dirty hands.  Where am I? What has happened? she looked around for any sign of life.  Nothing moved, all she could see was death and all she could smell was the smoke of this slaughter.  She closed the natives eyes, and she said a prayer for him before she started off toward the burning woods.  Her dark hair whipped behind her as her body hurtled through the trail of the blaze of fire that surrounded her.  The ground burned at her feet as she dodged bullets of embers that fell from the burning trees, and her body felt inhuman now as she shot through a wall of flames that had her trapped.  The ground cooled off, and she bounded like an animal away from what, she did not know.  She looked down at her blackened limbs from the spit of the fire she had run through, and she picked up speed as she felt the impending threat chasing her.  She knew what she had to do, and she had no fear of the plan beyond her.  It was the same dream.  The same foretelling she had when amongst the magical trees.  This part of the dream she remembered, only the feeling of it was different now, she wasn’t afraid as she had been before.  The dream had taken her further back this time, but this part she knew, and although she couldn’t quite understand it, she felt at ease with it this time.  Her dark hair blew behind her as she stood at the edge of the same icy cliff, and her body wavered as her feet grasped at the lip of the rocky face establishing her balance.  She felt free as her body launched up into the sky, floating peacefully for just a moment in the hazy air.  

Gravity found her, and the girl was pulled hard toward the icy rocks that waited to take her life below.  The ground shifted and blurred into a light so bright it blinded her vision of her impending death.  An invisible force smacked hard against her body sending her up in to an incandescent tunnel and she surely thought this was the death of her.  She was shielding her burning eyes from the light that shone above her, trying to find some picture to the story that was being told.  

“Isha” a voice called out from above her. Her hands shielding the light to get a better look. 

“Isha” it called out again. The light disappeared and the face now came in to focus.  It was her Dad. Randall hovered over the young girl smiling.  

“Isha, you’re okay. It was just a dream.” he tucked her in tightly and she drifted again back into a deep sleep.  

   “Her premonitions are getting stronger.” Alethea said as she sat up wrapping the woolen blankets around her shoulders.  

Randall returned her statement with an agreeable nod as he finished firming up the young girls blankets around her.  

“This must all be too much for her. I’m afraid for her Randall, but mostly I’m afraid of all the unleashed power she has yet to discover.” Althea shivered from the chill in the air, it seemed to be getting colder as they neared their destination.  

Randall poked around at the fire, stoking any bit of life left in it.  His heavy breath could be seen in the cool night air.  His kind didn’t falter in the cold as the others did, he was always warm, sometimes too warm.  

His eyes met hers with a weary look, he looked tired. “I am afraid my friend. For the first time in my life, I am truly terrified.” he poked at the fire trying to escape any sensitivity that played out upon his face.  

“What is it you are afraid of?” Alethea questioned as she covered up her boy from the cold air with more blankets.  Randall stood facing the growing flames, his eyes glazed over and his presence temporarily taken to another place. 

“Randall?” the goddess stood up, wrapping the wool around her tighter as she walked over to her friend.  She put her arm around the Man who was distant in thought. He looked over at her, his eyes an ocean of troubles.

“What is it my dear friend?” she asked as she stroked his chin affectionately. “What are you afraid of?”

“I am afraid, that just when they have found their way back in to my life, that I will lose them both.” he took her hand from his face picking up another piece of wood and tossing it into the fire.

“You won’t my friend.” she said trying to reassure him. 

“But what if I do? I should send her back, back to that strange land where she’ll be safe.  I can still try to save Cerdwin, but my Isha, I fear the power she has will destroy us all and heself.”  he sat down bringing his knees up to rest his elbows on.  His head sank, looking at the dark sand beneath him and he poked around at the cold ground carelessly with his fingers.

“I wouldn’t let that happen Randall.  We, this group, would never let any harm come to her.”  she said as she knelt beside him.  Her long blonde hair tucked under the lump of blankets, and her light blue eyes colored with sincerity.  

“How do you know? How do you know, when we don’t realize what the girl is capable of?” he rubbed his eyes hard from the harsh possibilities that could visit them.

“She has a good heart, that is how I know.” she grasped his warm hand stealing some heat from her friend. 

“A good heart doesn’t always override uncontrollable emotions.” the conviction left his lips and he stared into the flames losing his mind to the fears of the future.

     

   The young man looked around at the cold grey walls admiring nothing, how could he? There was never any life of colour that surrounded his upbringing in this home.  He never knew his mother, never a story, no connection was ever given to the young man that she even existed.  He was conditioned throughout his young life that he lived to serve one purpose, to be his father’s heir if he should ever fall to a fate of death one day.  

   The two were very different however, and there was something that lived in the young man that his father never possessed, a heart.  A heart that beat with something his father would never know, love.  Growing up in darkness, hate and loneliness would defeat the spirit of most souls, but not this young man.  Even though he tried to hide his good spirit, his father recognized that his son was nothing like him and punished him by fixing him to impose death on the innocent.  

His hazel eyes scanned the room while he waited for his father to dictate another punishment to him for this recent failure.  He found his reflection in a long mirror that was bound to the stone wall and fixed himself up a bit.  Stepping closer he wiped the old blood that was fixed to his neck from the wound given to him from the shifter.  Why didn’t he just finish the job? It would have been a gift to be dead he thought.  His black hair looked a bit windblown from the hurried ride he had.  He brushed back a few strands of hair away from his brow but gave up part way through, who cares he thought, and why was he making himself look presentable for him? He messed his hair up out of this frustration, and he laughed a bit as he caught his tousled reflection.  

“Something funny?” a deep voice questioned, startling the young man from his thoughts.

“Not really, just the state of me Father.” he replied as he wiped the grin from his full mouth.  

“You need to sit down, I have something to share and I fear you will not be left standing after I tell you.”  he pointed to the large leather couch.

“Okay, as you wish.” the young man sat fixed on his father.  What could he possibly shock him with?, his life here was shock enough he thought to himself. The young man sat, unimpressed waiting for this story that was supposed to drop him on the floor.

Caius paced the cold slated floor, attempting to wipe the worry that he wore so clearly on his face. Adrian looked at his Father pacing like an animal, he never saw such an anxiety cloak this dark man and this was starting to worry Adrian.

“What is it?” Adrian asked impatiently.

Caius’ pace broke into a standstill, his hands shook as he attempted once more to remove the bits of bad nerves by stroking his black hair off his face.  

“Your Mother is here.” his tone was cold and he was no longer shaking, quite the opposite, he was very calm.

“You’re joking. This is just another one of your sick jokes. Right?” Adrian sat still, his breath stopped a little from his Father’s words.  

“I’m afraid I’m not Adrian.” he spoke coldly, his mouth turning up a little at the corners, as if this sudden blast to his son’s heart made him happy.

“But how? Where? Where is she?” Adrian stood up now, shaking with disbelief.  He stood over his Father, who was now sitting rather comfortably on the couch.  “Where is she?!” his angry breath shot out of his lungs as he screamed at Caius.

The dark man laughed softly at his sons attempt to be tough. He stood up facing his son, placing his hand on his sons shoulder, his dark green eyes met with the fierce glare of his son. The force of his hand on Adrian’s shoulder convinced the young man he should sit down, and so he obeyed.

“Well, perhaps I will tell you Adrian. But one must be polite. Now why don’t you ask me again, but I would suggest a more polite tone this time?” Caius swallowed the pleasure he took in having so much power, even with his own son.

 Angry tears filled up the hazel eyes of the young man, turning them a bright green, and he sobbed holding his head down in shame from this momentary break of strength.  He quieted his emotions as he wiped the wetness away from his eyes and whispered a reply.

“Please, I want to know where she is.” he asked as his head still hung low, avoiding his Fathers eyes.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite hear you.” the man teased unmercifully.

“Father, please tell me where my Mother is.” Adrian said as he swallowed his pride once more.

“I didn’t hear you.” Caius shook his head at the young man.

Adrian raised his head to look at this pathetic man who he called his Father. “Father could you please tell me where my Mother is?” he looked pleadingly at this dark man.

“Much better Adrian. It’s always polite to keep eye contact and say please. Well done.  Yes I will tell you where she is.  Even better, I will show you right now.”

Adrian felt a bit nauseous from this answer, he cupped his head in his hands and tried to massage the sudden dizziness away.

“Everything okay son?” Caius’ eyes wore a smile. He perversely enjoyed his sons struggle with this news.

Adrian managed to drive the nausea away, he picked himself up and walked over to a large pitcher of water that sat on a small window table.  The pitcher shook from his unhinged nerves, and he drank half of it down to wet the dryness that tore through his mouth.  

Wiping the spill of water from his face he walked toward his Father again and stood staring rightly at him, speaking through his clenched angry mouth.  “Okay, I’m ready. Show me where she is Father.” 

   The fever from the fire felt good against her face, her present fears were lost in this brief moment of comfort from the warmth facade of this room.  She shook this clouded thought from her mind, straightened herself up and stood now thinking of how she was going to free herself from Caius.  Her eyes scanned the walls of the room, that was clearly decorated to fool any visitor into thinking that Caius actually had room in his heart for any kind of comfort.  Colourful paintings hung from the walls, flowers sat in vases, and abstract art that projected a bright feeling to the beholder.  What a deceptive man, she thought.  Candles flickered around the room, illuminating window frames and small corner tables.  The room smelled of vanilla spice and the plush navy colored couches added even more contentment to this otherwise cold room.  A small silver picture frame caught her sight, it was blurry from the distance she stood, so her curiosity drew her close enough to get a good look.  Her mouth fell open, her lungs collapsed suddenly as a trail of what felt like was to be her last breath exited her lips.  She picked up the frame and examined the woman in this photo, it was her and she pressed her shaky hand over her full mouth trying to keep the emotions in.  

Her hand shook violently as her fingers ran over this image of her, and her eyes filled with tears that told a story that surely not many knew.  The image portrayed a young Cerdwin, a young glowing mother to be.  Her belly was quite large, her hands holding her ripe tummy and her youthful face displaying no emotion of the joy an expectant Mother should have.  Her hands felt the image for this story of past once more before she put it down and wiped away the tears from her pale face.  

A generous bang startled her from the story that painted the corner of this room and she turned around to the presence of her captor.  Caius stood a few feet from the jaw of the door of this room, staring with a questionable look in his dark green eyes.  His head tilted slightly in wonder, and he walked closer to Cerdwin, noting the picture frame that now lay face down on this corner table.  He picked the frame up and fixed it in the place it had lived before, and he smirked a little from the weak state that took over Cerdwin.  

She walked away before his reaching hand could give her any illusion of sympathy, she knew he had something to do with that horrific night.  

“Do you remember that night?” he whispered in an instigating tone as he passed by her.  His hand took to a large metal instrument and he stoked the fire with it.  She turned from him again, walking over to a corner window, trying to distance herself from him.  

“I asked you a question.” the volume of his voice increasing. 

“I don’t like your questions.” she faced him, angry tears fell from her eyes and her voice shook.  She was growing very impatient from being compliant with this mans threats.

“Well, I remember. Shall I tell you a story?” he placed the large metal instrument back in its holder and walked over to a large brandy flask taking a drink.  

“I’m not interested in your stories, you sick pathetic man.” she spit her words out and rolled her eyes up and down him in disgust.  

“Careful...” he sung maniacally at her. “Careful what you say my love.” he laughed, took another drink and paused to laugh a bit more.

“Okay, so here’s the story.” he walked over to the corner sofa closest to her and settled in nicely with his drink.  

“There was a young pregnant woman. She was beautiful, and even more  with an expectant belly.  She hated the man who gave her this gift of life, but in some sense she loved him. She thought it might have been the only thing that would have added some love to the otherwise dark world she was surrounded with.” he cradled the flask of brandy in his hand, taking note that she was listening. This amused him, so he carried on talking.

“The man was happy, he was to have a potential heir to his otherwise sole kingdom.  He knew that this woman loved this baby more than her life, more than him and equally loved a man who she could not be with, a man he hated for the very love that stole her from his presence.  So he fixed a plan, a plan that would steal any love or light from this young womans life.  He didn’t think she deserved any joy, he thought she needed to be punished for not returning the love and devotion he gave to her.” he stopped for a moment setting the flask on the table in front of him and he sat back crossing his legs and stretching his arms out on either side of him.  “What do you know of love? Ha!” she laughed at him.

He returned her insult with a smile and carried on with his story.

“His plan, was to steal her hope for any kind of love that filled her otherwise dark days with this man.  He wanted her focus, her love, her devotion to be with him and no one else.” he paused taking a profound breath and exhaled his next words with an unnatural contentment.

“He took her baby.  The night she gave birth to their son, she was told something went terribly wrong and that the infant had stopped breathing.”

“You!...” she turned to face him and the threat of his very life swam in her hazel eyes. 

“Wait, wait I’m not finished. Don’t be rude now, wait until I’ve finished the story.” his broad hand held up to halt her movement and his words trailed with a bit of laughter.  Cerdwin stopped, her body tense and her mind focused on one thing, killing this man with her bare hands.

“He took their son to a safe place, just a step or two away from their home.  The man saw his son every single day, while this poor broken woman suffered the loss of her only hope and flicker for a bright spot in her life.  Quite tragic, don’t you think?”  

“What?” her body and weakness took to her knees forcing them to the cold hard floor. “What?!” she said in a fit of rage and despair.  “What are you saying? What are you saying to me?!” she yelled, trying to gain control over the weeping that entered her speech. Caius sat, quite satisfied with her current state, and leaned forward toward her inferior position in front of him.  

“He is alive my love, always has been.” her hands pulled away as he reached for them.

“Don’t!” she pulled her arm across her face, wiping away the wetness. 

“I don’t believe you, you’re a liar!  You sick, sick man.” composing herself, she stood up and took back the strength that had left her momentarily.  “You’re wasting my time.  No, you’re wasting your time, ha!” she reached for his flask of brandy and took a hearty swig, wiping her mouth of relishing her next set of words.  “If I were you, and thank god I’m not.  I would be getting very worried for my life, and devising some sort of an escape plan.  Not a plan for battle though.  Battles are for those with a fighting chance.” taking another shot from his flask she drained it, and small rivers of it’s juice dripped down the corners of her red mouth.  “You don’t have a chance, you should run now Caius. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” smiling, she wiped the sticky beverage off her chin.  

“Adrian!” he yelled toward the door.  “Adrian, time to come in my boy!” he yelled again, ignoring her incessant threats to his life.  He was not concerned about a little girl. 

Cerdwin’s sight caught the vision of a young man, he was slight in build, with dark hair and as he neared she noted the fine features of his face.  His eyes were hazel, and his lips were the same cupid bow shape as hers.  Her fingers ran over her mouth as her brain subconsciously examined any genetic similarities with her.  

“Adrian, this is your Mother.” he stood up now, reveling in this heartbreaking story that he created.  “Your Mother doesn’t believe me however. We need some proof I suppose.” he thought for a moment, and remembered the small brown birthmark that was tattooed on the boy’s right arm.  

“Your birthmark.  You remember Cerdwin? Oh, I know you do.  Show it to her, come on let’s see.”  he walked over to the stunned young man who was still focused on this woman that was said to be his Mother.  Caius pulled the right sleeve up on Adrian’s black coat, and there it was, the brown mark that marked her son 17 years ago. An audible exit of surprise shot out of her lungs, her hand muffled the volume of it and she walked over to the young man.  Her delicate hands traced this mark, examining its authenticity, it was definitely real.  She examined Adrian as if she was seeing her baby boy again for the first time all those years ago, and her bewilderment powered her senses while she took in the sight of this young man that stood before her.  He was tall like his father, and as she looked him over she realized there was something quite different in him.  As she touched him she read his past, his present and all his emotions. She saw that he was so unlike his father, and she was so proud of his courage.  How difficult it must have been for him to be raised by a man that was so incapable knowing what love is, and she wondered how he held on to his hopes over the years.

“My son.” she cried and she stroked his face. “My god, my son.” her voice quivered. “How could you?! Why?” she yelled at Caius and felt for her son’s face again. “My beautiful boy.  All the years we’ve lost. Our presence from one another, stolen.” she weeped for the thought of all those years the boy had needed his mother.  “Oh my god, my boy. “ her hands found his waist and she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight.

Adrian returned the embrace, stroking his mother’s hair and hugging her head close to his chest.  This was the moment they should have had all those years ago, that transcendental time between mother and son.  The moments that bound a mother and son child together, moments of bonding, and all that time had been stolen by the evil man that stood there smiling perversely at this tragedy he had created.

Adrian had waited years to feel that kind of love, he was in awe of how good it felt to be embraced by his Mother.  She pulled away from the young man, his hazel eyes were bright green pools now and she reached up to him wiping away the wetness from them.  This occasion deserved to be paid much attention to, however she knew the focus needed to be redirected to her plan of escaping this void in hell.  She would give her son the attention he deserved soon, but for now she feared that this news was given to her to create distraction and invite weakness into her plan to flee this place.  Her hands felt for the soft young skin of her son’s hands, she pressed her fingers firmly into them and tried sending him a message only he could hear.  Adrian felt his Mother’s warmth as she held on to his hands, and the heat from them was almost unbearable.  He was tempted to pull away from the heat, it was burning but not so much that it was damaging and his fears left him as he experienced something unusual.  A soft female voice entered his mind, and spoke to him, he was sure he was going crazy.  

“Adrian, can you hear me? You aren’t going crazy.” the female voice assured him lovingly as she read his thoughts.  “It’s me, Cerdwin. Just nod if you can hear me. In time you will be able to find all of your gifts too, I know you have them.” 

Adrian nodded. 

“We are going to escape, tonight. I have a plan, I can’t tell you now but you have to trust me okay?” “Don’t say anything, don’t nod anymore, don’t give that man any reason to think I’m up to something. I will find a way to get a message to you. For now, we must be careful.”

The young man smiled, not only did he have his Mother, he would have someone to leave this dark place with.  He had hope, and this was enough to propel his own plan of leaving into action. He had a partner now, he had his Mother, his dream was now possible. 

     

   He watched the two friends, as they sat by a faltering fire and wondered how it is he came upon this group. He thought what a strange group this was, that they were bound by some sort of odd fate.  Much more of a recluse, he felt strangely comforted by this clan of strangers and wondered why he was placed in their paths.  He never had much of a family, he had never known what this kind of bond was like, and he had never really cared to know.  A rustling sound broke him out of this deep thought, the young girl was restless as she slept and her Father moved to her rewrapping the rumpled blankets around her.  His dark brown eyes peered between the flicker of flames at this girl that now lay peacefully in her sleep.  The long eyelashes that dressed her closed eyes cast a slight shadow on her soft pale cheeks.  Her full rosy mouth was parted slightly and just the slight white of her teeth were visible. A strand of her dark hair crept over the side of her face slightly and her hand lay beneath the mess of it all.  He thought how striking her features were and felt an indescribable connection to her somehow.  Chayton looked away from her, this feeling was unsettling, he didn’t know how to puzzle out what he felt for her and he disliked this lack of control.  It wasn’t just a sense of protectiveness for her, it was something else, something foreign to the young man.  He felt bound to her, or as if he had met her in another time, or another village before.  He pushed back his mid length black hair and turned over clinging to the cloud of drowsiness that invited him back to sleep.  His almond shaped eyes stuttered as they fought off the last aversion to sleeps invite and his eyes opened into a vivid dream.  

He stood, staring at his own reflection in a damp and fogged mirror.  His hand reached out wiping away the insistent dampness from the glass and he took a towel to his short wet black hair.  His features were strong, but a softness also adorned his face.  His dark skin complimented the sleek muscles that clothed his young body.  He was never a vain young man, never stopping to admire himself, and he was ignorantly unaware of his own beauty.  He moved out of this small shower room, and walked down a narrow hall, with just a towel covering his lower half.  There were young people walking up and down the hallway, young men and women carrying bags. Some laughing, some doing the same as himself.  Young women stopped to stare at him, some called his name in great admiration and he was oddly out of touch with this kind of attention.  He felt awkwardly uncomfortable, but he responded to all with a look or a smile in return. He found a room at the end of this hall, must be his he thought watching himself in this dream.  Two small beds parted the humble room in half, he pulled a drawer open on a small wooden dresser and started getting dressed.  The last sleeve of his white shirt was just about on when he heard a soft knock at the door to this room. 

“Aaron?” a soft female voice called to him. Aaron? he thought, must be him.  He drew the long sleeve of his shirt over his hand and made his way over to answer the door.  

A young woman stood before him, her long dark hair fell over the bright blue and pink plaid shirt she wore.  Her shirt was unbuttoned enough to reveal her delicate collarbone and the necklace that spilled over it. “The pendant!” he exclaimed to himself as he observed this dream.  

“Aaron?” the young woman said, her bright smile persuading to take him from his distraction.  “You ok?” she questioned, her dark brown eyes searching his own for any sign of presence.  

He felt her touch his hand, it felt warm and he felt hot from the lingering of her fingers on his skin.  “Come on.” her hand squeezed his. “Let’s go, we’ll be late. You know Professor Rainey hates it when we are late, and you know I hate it when he embarrasses us.” her laugh was intoxicating, he couldn’t take his eyes from her.  He followed her like a lost animal, her fast pace blew a gust of wind through her dark hair and the sweetest smell of her travelled into his senses.  It was her! But she was much older now, a young woman, a beautiful young woman. What was he doing there? Why was he pretending to be someone named Aaron? What strange world were they in? She turned back as he trailed at her heels, her dark hair falling over her face slightly as she turned back to him. She laughed again. “Come on Aaron, why so slow? Don’t let a girl beat you.” she joked and her full rosy lips curled up at each corner. He was taken in by her, under the spell of her magnetism and he followed her like it was the only purpose he had.  They travelled down a large spiral staircase, her shabby leather boots banging loudly all the way down. So loud for a woman who appeared to be so delicate, and he laughed a little at this image of her.  

“What’s so funny?” her question echoed from in front of him. “Oh let me guess, my thunder of a walk, right?” she said peering at him as she tried to keep focus on the stairs under her. Her hands took to the large wooden door in front of them and she pushed it open to reveal a bright world he did not recognize.  The sky was blue, the sun shone, the sounds of happy chatter and the songs from birds melted together in a harmonious symphony.  This wasn’t his world, this wasn’t the sullen and heavy world he knew to be his own.  He was dreaming, he knew this, but he took it all in as if it were real.  Taking a deep breath he inhaled the fresh clean air and his lungs held onto the innocence of this new world for a few moments.  He let go, it was heaven he thought, she was an angel he was sure of this, and he fought the arousal of consciousness that was now threatening to awaken him into reality.  He didn’t want to leave this world, this dream, and the unexplained enchantment he had for this young woman.

“Come on Aaron!” she piped at him a few yards away on the paved pathway.  His eyes squinted as the sight of her was lingering between clear and blurry. A familiar voice called out to him from behind, and he felt a tugging at his shoulder. 

“Chayton.” the voice spoke. 

His eyes shifted to the origin of this voice, and the sights of this dream, this new world became a smudge of blues and greens. He was desperately trying to hold onto to the fantasy of this unconscious story, and as he tried to fit the young woman in his sights again it all became a sheet of black.  

“Chayton” the voice spoke again. He felt his shoulder being nudged gingerly.

His eyes roused, pulling the lids of them open.  He found his focus again and his vision cleared to see the young Isha leaning over him. His shoulder felt hot, he felt for the source of this sudden heat and found her warm hand pressed to it. 

“Your hand is hot.” his voice illustrated a slight discomfort.  His hand lingered a little on hers as he delivered it back to her. “Wow it’s hot! My shoulder is burning.” he winced as he tended to it with his hand.  

“Sorry, did I do that?” she hung over him, her dark eyes wavering innocently.  She leaned over to touch his shoulder again, her dark hair falling in his face. He pushed her away, what the hell was she doing? he thought.

“What are you doing? there was a mild anger in the tone of his voice, causing Alethea and Randall to wake up. 

Her dark brown eyes delivered an apologetic look to Chayton. 

“I’m sorry.” she whispered as she stroked the pendant that dressed her neck. Her eyes examined the colours in it, her fingers traced the design of it and she looked inquisitively at the young man. 

“Was that me?” she asked. Randall and Alethea now limbered toward them. Chayton was confused. What did she mean?

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re asking Isha.” he sat up, looking at the two bodies that were now listening in.

“Was that me? The girl in your dream?” her question disturbed him. She could see his dream? Could she see the way he had felt for her? If that was in fact her, he thought.

“I don’t know what your talking about.” he pushed her questions away. “I don’t recall having a dream.” his back felt for the ground again and he turned it from the group. “Now, let me sleep. I need to sleep.” he said, and he turned his back to the group.

“Come on love. Come back to sleep.” Alethea took the young girls hand and coerced her out of this sudden fixation with the young man.  

“I saw him dream. It was me, I know it was.” she looked up at the beautiful woman and smiled rightly.

“Okay, okay Isha. Let’s get you tucked back in. You need your strength young one.” she pulled the covers up, mindful of this curious discovery, but for the moment she wasn’t going to entertain it.

Chayton lifted the blankets hiding the the restless rhythm of his breathing, this girl scared him but in some way she captivated his interest.  He knew she had gifts, that she was the chosen one, but he wondered how far his role in all of this would be played out.  Was that dream, just a dream? he thought.

“Be careful boy.” Randall growled from above him, startling Chayton out of his thoughts.  He turned over in his bed on the ground and found the large Man hovering over him.

“What are you talking about? Chayton questioned.

“You were the one who tried to steal her that night, I know. You work for Caius?” Randall kneeled to the ground beside the young man.

“Yes.” Chayton answered as he sat up respectively and faced the powerful Man. “Yes, but I don’t anymore. I am very sorry Randall, for my part in all this. I hope I can redeem myself here.” Chayton spoke sincerely.

“I understand. I understand that you had no other choice. This is why I haven’t killed you. Not yet. Keep proving your loyalty Chayton, and we will have no problem.”  Randall smiled confidently as he pushed himself up and walked away.

Chayton wrestled with the sudden tension in his body, and lay for a moment thinking of the part he had played for Caius, and how he had nearly brought the girl to her death by bringing her to the dark man.  He would make it up to her, and he would prove his loyalty to her Father.  Drowsiness dripped into the corners of his mind as his analyzations took to different paths from this new unearthing, and he ceased fighting the heaviness that took to his eyelids letting sleep take over.  

   “What do you think that was about?” Randall asked his friend, his eyes fixated on the young man.  

“I’m not sure, but I’m sure it is something only the two of them will sort out one day.” Alethea smiled wittingly at her friend, her eyes a pool of precognition. She slid her lithe body under the wool blankets and nuzzled in beside her sleeping son, resting an arm beneath her head.

“What is it old friend?” Randall asked as he tried stoking to life the demise of the fire. “What is it that you’re not telling me?” there was a hint of demand in his deep voice.  She propped her head up on her hand now, smirking at the impatience of her friend, and finding a bit of joy in teasing him for it.

“Oh, you enjoy this don’t you?” he laughed quietly, and shook his head at her. “Just tell me, please. You’ve had a good laugh at my bullheaded impatience, carry on now.” his deep voice carrying a serious tone to it now.

“Okay, okay. You’re no fun.” she choked her laughter down.

“I’m sorry my friend. I enjoy a good laugh too, but fun is something we have no time for.” he leaned against the soft back of a blanket that rested against a large wooden stump. 

“It wasn’t much.” her hands stroking the blonde hair of her young son.

“What wasn’t much?” he asked.

“Well, it was his dream, and I can’t be sure that it isn’t anything more than a dream.” she said quietly admiring her handsome young son.

“Ok, well what was it about? Why all the fuss from Isha?” he persisted. 

“They were together Randall. I’m not sure how, I was only able to see just a fraction of his dream.” she answered as she lay her head down and rested an arm around her son.  A chill caught hold of her bare skin, she turned over pulling the warm wool blanket around her and cuddled closer to Cedric. 

“Ok my friend, goodnight.” Randall smiled knowingly at Althea’s silent communication that she was done talking for the night.  The small fire kept him company as he looked over the small group in a burning wonderment.  His brown eyes reflected the ignited thoughts of what was to become of them all, and his lids became heavy with the anticipation of all the possibilities. Drowsiness took him to the ground, he curled his large arm beneath him and rested his somnolent head upon it.  Randall had one thought before sleep took him for the night, an answer to keep life beating in the ones he loved. He knew what he had to do, this plan he had to keep to himself and a sense of ease crept over him as sleep blanketed him for the night.

   Caius opened the door to the room that occupied this current reunion of mother and son.  A large man, dressed in black marched in, following Caius’ commanding footsteps. 

“It’s time.” he nodded at the man, who returned his command with a cognizant look. 

“Yes my lord.” the man answered, as his large hand grasped Cerdwin by her arm.

“Time for what?!” Adrian’s grip tightened on his mother’s hand. “Time for what father!?” the young man pulled his mother close. 

Caius held his hand up to his soldier in a motion to stop, and he released his hold on Cerdwin at once. 

“Time...” he paused, placing his heavy hand on Adrian’s shoulder. “To put it lightly, it’s time for your mother to go now.” he answered, and motioned with his other hand for his soldier to take Cerdwin away.  

“What?! Where?” disbelief knocking the wind out of him, he staggered after them trying to regain the balance in his body and his lungs.  

“Where are you taking her!?” he cried out at them.  He caught hold of the soldiers free arm and pulled angrily at him. His rage was hot, his grip was tight and the large man fell down to his knees howling in anguish.  Thoughts of killing this man burned an image in Adrian’s mind bringing a pleasing smile and a glint of red to his hazel eyes.  Steam crept from the curves of the young man’s hand that was fixed tightly to the arm of the paralyzed soldier.  A great weight thundered across the young man’s chest, his body was shot across the room forcing him against the hard wall, and pounded the supernatural power out of him.  He slid down the wall, blood trickled from the back of his head and flowed around his neck.  Cerdwin rushed over to her son who sat in a beaten heap and wiped the sticky crimson liquid from his head. 

“You okay?” she asked, whispering in his ear, her hands trembling.  He shook his head, and she ran her shaky fingers through his bloodied dark hair. “Find me tonight Adrian. We’re getting out of here tonight.” she said, sending a silent message.  He heard her and returned this message with his own. “I will. I will find you.” 

“Well, my son seems to have found his magic.” Caius sneered as he trotted over to them.  

Adrian’s hazel eyes turned an angry green as they peered up over the sweaty dark strands of hair that were stuck to his forehead.  His lungs burned as the rhythm of breath increased with an impatient temperament.  Caius knelt down beside the two, his unconcerned demeanor illustrating his total lack of compassion.  

“The one thing you should know about power my son, is controlling it.” he spoke brusquely.  “I wouldn’t want you to lose control. You have control, right son?” he asked and leaned in closer, intimidating his son for an answer.  Adrian sunk back into the cold wall, letting go of the rage he felt for his father for a chance at keeping the two of them alive.

“Yes, I have control.” he answered obediently, and he chocked on the hate he felt for this man.  

“Good boy.” Caius beamed arrogantly.  

Cerdwin winced in disgust at this man’s pitiful love of himself, her fingers embracing her son’s wrist in a cognizant manner, and she stood up ready to be imprisoned again.  

“Well, let’s go then.” impatience was clinging to the edges of her words.  

Caius nodded silently at her, reaching to take her, as if she was an unwilling participant in his capture.  Cerdwin avoided his hold on her as they walked toward the door and the soldier who was now on his feet.

“Don’t touch me.” her disgust for him was transparent. “I’m an obedient prisoner, there is no reason for you to lead me like an animal.” she said, and turned back one last time to her son, giving him a bit of encouragement with her smile. Adrian admired his mother’s beauty, her smile was infectious and he smiled in return. 

“Let’s go!” Caius ordered to the soldier who was nurturing the burn on his arm. “Pathetic.” he spat this insult at the great servant of his. The large warrior turned back to look at Adrian, his eyes full of menace, and he growled at the young man as he trailed behind his master.  

Adrian sat still, trying to digest the recent events, trying desperately to sort out in his mind what was real and what was not. Was she real? This woman, this beautiful loving woman, was she really his mother?  She must be, the connection between them, it was unreal, unexplainable.  Why was his father punishing her? The silent speech of his mind carried on and on. Questions and doubts, it was driving him crazy. His head ached, and he put his hands on his temples trying to subdue the heavy pulses.  He stopped the stir of thoughts mixing in his head, and brought his attention to the present time.  Sharp pains dug into his back where his ribcage covered his lungs, and he eased himself onto his feet leaning against the hard wall for a moment. The pounding in his head increased as the flow of blood regained a natural balance, and he rubbed at the wound on the back of his head.  He couldn’t find it, his fingers searched for the gash, he felt all around but it wasn’t there.  His feet moved slowly, carrying the unbalance he felt in his body toward a large mirror in the room.  He stepped in to get a better look and noticed that the slash on his neck that he had received from the shapeshifter had disappeared.  His fingers trailed the skin of his neck feeling for any sign or scar from that battle, but there was nothing, it was perfectly smooth. His fingers were dry as they ran through the back of his head, searching for any sign of blood, nothing again. He admired his reflection, he looked good and he felt different, he felt stronger somehow.  The black coat he wore felt tight, it looked too small he thought as he scanned the image of himself in the mirror.  Straining his arms, he struggled to pull the suffocation he now felt from his coat off of him.  Small beads of sweat dressed the edges of his black hair, and he let go of this current frustration as he threw his jacket to the ground in an exasperated victory.  Perspiration ran down the sides of his face, his white shirt stuck to him slightly and veins bulged from his ripped arms.  His reflection was unrecognizable, he looked down and back up at himself in the mirror, the image matched he thought.  His pants now fit, he looked down and marveled at the muscles his legs illustrated through the black material.  He slicked back his damp black hair, admiring the large muscle that flexed in his bent arm and the white shirt that now clung to his brawny chest.  He felt incredible, stronger, and this accelerated change that coursed through his veins gave him the confidence he needed to remove himself from this condemned place. The young man appreciated his strapping image once more in the mirror before meandering back to his room for what was to be his last night in this dreaded place. 

   Cold air whipped through the rider’s hair as he rode toward the sanctuary for the black stallion, and he felt at ease knowing he had done some good in all his years being loyal to evil.  The nights were dark here, so black it was blinding, but Stamon knew the land by the feel of its terrain.  A small glow of light shone in the distance and the shapes of the land portrayed his destination to him.  The hour long ride didn’t seem to take the breath out of the great mammal’s lungs, the stamina was unending in the stallion, he could run for a lifetime Stamon thought. The aura of the light ahead increased with size as they neared, and Stamon pulled hard at Abatos’ reigns forcing him to stop. A snort shot from the stallion’s nose, he shook his head and his black mane whipped Stamon’s arms with a dissatisfied nature from the sudden stop. The stallion dug his hoof into the rocky soil, digging at it impatiently, and shifted his weight as he lifted his legs wanting to move on. 

“Easy my friend.” Stamon warned, patting the meaty neck of the horse.  Stamon lifted his leg, holding the reigns with one hand he dismounted himself from this great stallion.  The black’s ears twitched as Stamon whistled a short signal, he pushed at the man’s shoulder with his head displaying his disapproval.  

“It’s okay Abatos.” he said stroking the stallions mane, trying to calm him down.  He repeated the signal again and again until it the same signal was echoed back to him.  They heard footsteps close by, and more than one body judging from the sounds.  The stallion whinied loud, and he pulled at the reigns hard causing Stamon’s hands to burn from his desperate attempt to hold him back.  

“Settle down.” he spoke firmly. 

“Well, well, what have we got here Stamon?” a small dark haired man spoke from the darkness. Dressed all in white, he was accompanied by three men of similar ethnicity and attire.  Leather belts wrapped their waistlines and long swords fit into a sheath that buckled onto the leather strapping.  

“Hello Ronin.” Stamon bowed his head respectfully toward the lithe dark haired man. Abatos pulled at his reigns nervously as the men approached them. The stallion reared his front legs, pawing at the air fiercely in a last attempt of warning these men not to advance any more.  

Ronin turned to his men, holding his hands up in a motion for them to stop their advance, and he made his way closer to the two alone. 

“Easy, easy you beautiful animal.” Ronin’s tone was quietly reassuring and the stallion’s unease settled slightly. The small warrior held his hand up as he stood face to face with Abatos, and his hand felt the hot breath of the great mammal as he inched it closer now.  Abatos shot out one more uncompliant snort before he allowed this strangers hand the courtesy of touch.  Ronin eased his hand methodically over Abatos‘ head, feeling the strong curves of the stallions herculean neck and massaged his silky mane thoughtfully.  He whispered foreign words to the stallion, that which Stamon did not understand and he repeated his unrecognizable words once more.  

“What did you say old friend?” Stamon asked inquisitively.

“That he is safe now.” he stroked Abatos lovingly. “He is very special Stamon.” he spoke as he held the stallions head in his hands and marveled  at the sight of him.  

“Yes he is very special. Ronin, he belongs to Adrian, son of Caius.” 

“Oh?” surprised, he pulled away from the stallion. 

“My orders were to destroy the stallion.” he eased the tension on Abatos‘ reigns a bit and patted the stallion as he spoke. 

“You have disobeyed your orders. Stamon, you risk your life for this stallion, why?” Ronin looked admiringly at his friend.

“The young man, his son.” Stamon looked away, he was uncomfortable with anyone admiring his deeds. After all the horrible orders he had carried out over the years for Caius, he didn’t deserve any tributes. 

“This makes you uncomfortable, I know.” Ronin moved his gaze to find Stamon’s eyes. “This young man, he is like a son to you?” 

“Yes” he answered, avoiding any meeting with his friends eyes and fidgeting with the stallion’s saddle.

“Well, that is wonderful. He is lucky to have you Stamon.” 

Stamon bit back the emotions that were flaring inside him and he offered the stallion’s reigns to his good friend.  

“We will take good care of him. He is safe with the Min Army, you can trust he will be well hidden Stamon.” Ronin promised, and he patted his friend on the arm in a reassuring gesture.

“Thank you Ronin. I must go now.” he turned and walked away from the emotions that were threatening to surface.  

“Wait!” Ronin yelled at Stamon. “My friend!” he laughed a little. “You can’t walk all that way you crazy fool. I will give you one of our horses my friend.” He turned to his soldiers, giving them a speechless request the men blew a hard whistle into the darkness behind them.  Stamon waited as a large brown mare was led by a small boy who was dressed in the same white uniform as the rest of them.  Abatos whined momentarily as the mare passed by and made her way toward her new rider.  

“Thank you my friend.” Stamon mounted the strong mare turning back to Ronin one last time. “I”ll find a way to return her to you.” he dug his heels into the horse commanding her into an instantaneous gallop.

He watched his friend run off until he evaporated into the cool black air, he prayed for his friend as he thought of what may be waiting to intimidate his life when he returned.  

   The small boy looked up at Ronin, and held out his hand in the hopes of leading the large black stallion back into their camp. The boy’s eagerness found a smile in the great leaders’ heart, he gave up his lead placing the heavy leather straps in the small hands of the stubborn boy.  

“Be careful my son.” he leaned in and whispered to him. “He’s just about as hard headed as you Eran.”  The boy cringed in a disapproving look at his father’s joke and laughter. 

“I can handle him, I’m sure of it.” his voice singing in an overly confident manner for a boy his age.  He was small for his age, which didn’t aid him in trying to prove he was just as capable as any young soldier his age. Working hard, and training harder was a part of the young Min Army’s daily schedule. Eran had to work a little bit harder than the rest to stand out, and to prove to himself more than anyone that he was going to be just as brilliant, if not better.  Being the son of their leader didn’t help, having to live up to the glory of all the years his father served diligently was almost impossible to live up to.  The young soldiers were allowed to train from the day their powers were unleashed in them. Some were discovered in villages, unrelated to the Min Clan, and were taken away from their families to train, and for most it was an honor to be chosen.  Some were children of the legendary leaders and mentors, and if their capabilities were impressive, they were chosen.  

   Eran held on to the stallions reigns as the group walked back to their camp, his father could see the wheels in the boys mind turning with each thought. 

“What is it? What is going on in that curious mind of yours Eran?” he prodded, as he walked a little closer to him.  

“Father it will be one more year when I can finally fight for real, when I’m 13.” the boy’s speech paused as he appeared to be thinking carefully for the next set of words. Ronin waited patiently, watching his son and knowing instinctively what the boy was going to say next. 

“Yes?” he questioned, trying to initiate his son’s thoughts into words.

“Father there is going to be a war very soon, I feel it.” his dark eyes widened assuredly at his father. 

“How do you know this my son? Have you seen something I have not?” the boy’s words sent shivers up Ronin’s back, causing him to pull his jacket around him a little tighter. The boy had dreams and he had intuitions, not always clear, but there had always been some truth in the subconscious messages that had been delivered. 

“The man who came to you with this stallion. I’ve dreamt of him. He always appears just before the fire starts in my dreams.” he said certainly. 

“My son, it was probably just a dream, leave it alone.” Ronin said, trying to lead this discussion away from the terrifying possibilities of war. 

“I saw him father. That evil man you and the elders speak of, I saw Caius in my dreams.”  Eran stubbornly carried on this conversation. 

Ronin gave in, his lungs collapsing in a heavy sigh and heeded their journey to the camp temporarily.  He motioned to his men to carry on toward camp, not wanting them to hear the premonitions of war his son spat on about.  

“So, you saw him. What did he look like?” this would be the testimonial to his son’s vision, if he described him accurately, these visions, these forethoughts of war would be a real threat he would have to take seriously.  

“He is very tall, dark hair that has some length to it, long enough that it goes past his neck. His eyes are dark green and in my dream he looks at a picture of a woman.” his thoughts searching for the image of the woman.

“What does she look like?” Ronin said, thinking of this woman and knowing it couldn’t be anyone other than Cerdwin.

“She has red hair, and it’s very long and wavy. Her eyes look brown, but like a lighter brown, not dark. She’s very pretty, and in my dream he admires this about her. But he’s angry, and he smashes the picture on the ground and it breaks the glass.” he throws his hand down telling the story of his dream with a bit of sign language.  

“Then what did you see?” Ronin asked, his feet moving back and forth restlessly waiting for his son to tell him the rest of this dream.

“He was in a large room, there were a few large chairs up on a pedestal and lots of seating beneath, facing the large chairs.” he couldn’t think of the proper name.

“Like a throne.?” his father interrupted him, confirming the boys thoughts.

“It was more like a church. He was standing over the woman in that picture. She was on the ground, and she wasn’t moving. She may have been dead, I’m not sure. Then the most awful high pitched scream entered the room and when I turned to see where it was coming from, I couldn’t see, it was all blurry.” Eran paused and rubbed his face, his father could see the worry that sat heavy on him.

“It’s ok son.” he wrapped his hands around his son’s shoulders lovingly. “You don’t need to say anymore.” 

“No, it’s not finished yet.” the boy continued. “That is when the fire began. Loud explosions shot through the room, the man picked up the woman and ran out before the whole room came crashing down.  There was fire everywhere, the smoke started to fade and that’s when I saw her.” the night air was cool and the boy’s breath was hot, making shapes in the black air around them.

“The woman?” Ronin leaned in close to the stallion trying to steal some heat for himself. 

“No, a girl. But, I just saw the back of her, she ran from the room very fast. Her hair was dark, very long, and she was missing her shoes.” he petted the stallion and leaned in a little closer to the warm mammal too.

“Okay, but why do you think that this is a war? What makes you think that this will not be anything more than just a routine punishment from this evil Man, or maybe just a dream?” his voice hardened, he had to make sure it was just a dream and not a premonition.  He could never really be sure of his son’s premonitions until it was too late.

“Well, I wasn’t sure until I saw that man, your friend.” his dark eyes pleading with his father not to be such a skeptic.  “In this dream, that’s how it starts. With his appearance. Bringing this stallion to us, and me bringing him the brown mare.” Eran spoke, and he gazed into the blackness as he thought about the particular part of this dream, and how it was just brought to life.  

“Father, you have to trust me. This is all going to start very soon.”

“Alright my son, I believe you.” he patted his son’s arm, he really did believe him. “We must prepare then, we must head back to camp now my son.” he ordered, and he yanked on the stallions reigns firmly as they accelerated themselves toward the camp ahead.

   A shrill scream cut through the chilled night air causing the group to jolt concernedly from their sleep. Randall bounced to his feet as he listened and looked around them anxiously for the source of this abhorrent sound. His rapid breath was evident as the steam poured out of his hot mouth into the cold night air, and he stalked around the group in a protective manner scanning the darkness for any sign of danger.  There was nothing, and it was suddenly disturbingly quiet.  Chayton and Alex paced alongside Randall attempting to scope the silence out for anything unusual.  Another scream painted the air, it sounded like a woman from within the village. They all stood, frozen in their uncertainty and looking hard for any picture that this panic was drawing in the blackness. Then they heard the scream again, the sound of it was getting louder and it was accompanied with the hurried pounding of footsteps on the ground ahead of them.  A dark native woman ran through the cool dark blanket of air screaming, she drew in fists of cool air and fought the terror that now gripped her lungs. The ground found a home with her weak body as she fell onto it, and she scratched at the cool dirt as she pulled herself up on to her knees.  She looked up at the group as she clawed at the cool earth with her bloodied hands, and spoke one word the group understood.

“Run.” her voice wheezed hysterically trying to gain some volume. 

Randall pushed in closer to the woman hoping she would speak again. 

“Run!!!” the woman wailed as she her body dropped flat against the ground. She didn’t move, and her body flopped as Randall turned her over to get a better look. 

“Look there! What’s that?!” Cedric pointed to small orange glow in the distance that was growing. 

“We have to go. We have to go now.” Randall spoke in a calm methodical manner, his eyes not leaving the village in the distance. 

The group pulled their remaining clothes on, and gathered up any loose belongings. A massive explosion of light filled the black night driving the group into a hastened state. Randall looked on helplessly at the burning village, knowing there was nothing he could do, with all that fire there could be no survivors he thought. 

“Over there!” Cedric pointed out a shape in the distance.

There was more than one shape, there were many, some positioned on horses and some on foot. Randall had only one thought, they had been tracked by Caius’ men, they had to get out now if they would have any chance of saving Cerdwin.  

“They know we’re here. We must leave now.” Randall said as he gathered up his belongings, hurrying them from their temporary camp.  

The group picked up their pace, panic heaving at the heels of Randall’s lead.  They made their escape onto a barely visible trail that opened up into a forest heavy with large trees and hoped the silence in their tracks didn’t break to give any signs that they had been there.  Isha admired the beauty in the woods as she ran in and out of the path that seemed to pull her subconscious senses in unwillingly.  Her dark hair whipped across her face as she turned to find the voices that were whispering to her. Trees seemed to lean in to her, catching them swaying from the corners of her eyes as she searched for the source of these hypnotic voices. 

“Isha.” they sang their lyrics softly. “Isha, you must hurry Isha.” they pleaded with her. “Isha, you must go tonight. Hurry Isha, hurry.” their message melted into one as the sound of the voices drifted off.  Her pace slowed as she searched madly for more voices, and some clarification of this message. 

Go where? she wondered. Go home? Isha ran with this question and analyzed it liberally as her legs effortlessly moved with Randall’s lead.  Randall turned to look back, searching for any physical sign that they were being followed and the reassurance that they were still safe washed over him favorably.  He turned back again looking at his daughter, her head in a cloud of thoughts as she ran behind him, and he wondered what thoughts had caught her in a web of distractions.  This new world, the sudden change, this incomprehensible curve away from the path of normalcy she once knew, it must all be too heavy for her to carry.  He was afraid for his daughter, not having the time to adjust to the knowledge of her powers, and not having the capabilities of recognizing how to handle all of it.  He felt very uneasy, unsure of how strong her powers were, and he knew that he had to save her before she destroyed them, or more importantly herself.  He knew what he had to do, he had to send her home. 

“Where are you taking us Randall?!” Alethea yelled from behind them. 

“We are going to the place Caius calls home.” his words flowed out of him easily. All this running didn’t affect the need for his lungs to take in extra oxygen like Alethea and Cedric’s did.  At this pace, he could run forever, and most shape shifters had this unlimited endurance.  

“What?! Randall we’re not ready, this is insane!” her disapproval of his plan carried on in the tone of her voice.  

“We have no choice. If we don’t keep moving, his men will eventually catch up with us.” he paused, slowing his pace out of courtesy for his tired friends.  Alethea moved to the front of the group, walking alongside Randall and recovered the natural rhythm her lungs were pleading for.  

“We’re not ready Randall.” she leaned in closer to him, wrapping her arm around his. “She’s not ready.” she whispered.  

“It’s not a matter of how ready she is. This is about saving Cerdwin now, not about saving our land anymore. It’s about keeping Isha safe, keeping us all safe. he leaned into her, attempting to nudge some confidence into his friend.  

“I trust you, I do Randall.” her head rested against him as they walked down the foggy path. “I’m just so afraid. I’m just so afraid that this might be the end of us.” she shook a little, and hugged his arm a little tighter. 

“I won’t let anything happen to you, or the rest. You know what he wants, and I will sacrifice myself before that happens.” he looked around and marveled at the beauty of the forest. Even in the despair of all this madness, the natural allurement of this land was still very present.  

“Randall, no.” she knew what he was referring to, his own life. “I won’t let you, we won’t let you.” she said disapprovingly. 

“Well, let’s just move on from this then, shall we?” he closed her off, shutting the door on anymore conversation about it.  “Okay, let’s pick up the pace.” his heels pushed into the hard path as he commanded the group to run again.  

She shook her head at her friend, his stubborn actions frustrated her as she took to his lead and walked into a steady jog once more.  

“Mom!” the boy yelled from the back of pack.

Alethea turned to see Cedric had stopped suddenly, his head turned back toward the trail behind them searching the darkness for something, and she ran over to him pulling at his arm forcefully to keep moving. 

“Ced, let’s go!” she ordered pulling at him again, and he shook her off stubbornly. 

“No wait, quiet Mom, just wait.” he hushed her tone with his soft voice and directed her eyes toward the trail behind them. “Listen, can’t you hear that?” The group stopped, searching the darkness and trying to hear what had the boys attention. Isha was the first to feel it, the ground pulsed beneath her feet, a pounding could be felt under their soles and then they heard them.  

“We have to go!” Randall pulled at the group, pushing them all forward in front of him and rushing them from this present danger.  

Randall turned back as they ran steadily, Caius’ men closed quickly on the distant space they once had.  His hand gripped Alethea’s slender arm hard as he pulled her in to him forcefully. 

“Go hide, there’s no time. Take them, and find someplace to hide now!” Alethea ran off the trail dragging Cedric and Isha with her into the maze of trees searching for some sort of safeguard.

Randall’s feet took to the trail again, the other two following him and keeping up with the steady rhythm of his feet.  Chayton was the first to change, he was to keep watch above them, and to signal for any imminent danger to the three that hid.  

“Keep them safe boy.” Randall delivered these words as Chayton ran ahead, his legs took off in a breakneck speed lifting him from the trail beneath him.  The heat was always the last thing to be felt before the body shifted, the burning was unbearable, and Chayton’s human screams from this pain turned into the high pitched screech of the falcon he shifted into.

The two friends watched as the young man turned from his human form to the massive winged creature, and turned to face one another as the falcon flew up above the trees. 

“You know what to do.” Alex reciprocated Randall’s words with a knowing nod of his head. 

Alex tore at the ground below so forcefully he fractured the soil from the speed his legs propelled him into running.  Caius’ small army halted at once from the sight of this blur of a man running toward them. 

“Stop!.” the soldier at the front commanded to his men. He held his hand up, trying to focus on the unrecognizable shape gliding fast toward them. 

“Go!” his deep voice bellowed as he ordered his men to attack Alex. 

 A fever was growing inside his gut, sweat dripped down the ripped muscles of his back, and his vision of the pack of men that rode toward him blurred slightly.  The heat grew rapidly, the pain tore through all his senses and his vision went black. His eyes changed from human to his keen wolf eyes, and his large canine footing shredded the soil as he pounced toward the army of men.  

He took out their leader first, knocking him hard off his horse with one push of his massive paws. The man fought to get the air back into his lungs that had been pounded out of him from the excessive blow the ground gave him. He struggled with removing his masked helmet, desperately trying to find some air.  He took his helmet off, picking himself up off the brush of woods he had been thrown into and catering to his bruised ribs with one hand. 

The group of soldiers were being knocked off one by one, red eyes leapt through the dark sheet of air toward them before they had a chance to fire off their arrow guns. Small thick arrows shot through the air puncturing trees from the soldiers delayed defensive reactions, and the large stallions that had carried them ran off from the core of this attack.  Standing together in the blackness, the trail barely visible, Caius’ army readied their weapons and searched for their assailant.  It was unnervingly quiet as the men huddled together, each one having a sight around them.

“Look!” the soldier at the back of the trail pointed to a large set of red eyes that moved slowly toward them. 

“Look! Over here! Another one!” the soldier at the front of trail yelled in a panic pointing with his weapon at the other set of red eyes moving toward them. 

Their leader dragged his wounded body toward the men, aiming his weapon toward the large canine that stood at the front of the trail and praying his last arrow would make contact with the beast.  

Randall heard the shot, but it was too late. The pain burned through his left side, and he limped off the trail yelping loudly from the piercing sting of it.  His body morphed back into its human form, and he sat behind a large tree as he pulled the thick metal arrow out of his left ribcage.  Blood oozed out of the small hole, he pressed his hand over it and brought it up to his face analyzing the sticky red fluid.  His keen animal senses caught scent of the metallic smell from the blood and the shock of it set in. Nausea gripped his stomach, his head felt light, and a cool sweat flashed over him.  He lay his head on the cool ground, bringing his knees up and holding the hole in his side.  

The group of three heard the cry from Randall and recognized the wounded tone in his yelp. 

“Wait here. I’m just going to have a look. Don’t move from this spot.” she gave her orders to Isha and Cedric as she walked toward the trail.  Alethea couldn’t see a thing, it was too dark and could only make out the shape of the men that were standing together down the trail a bit.  She searched for any sign of Randall or Alex as she crouched down staying out of the sights of the army, and then headed back to their hiding spot.

“Sorry mom, I couldn’t stop her.” Cedric stood alone. Alethea turned around scanning the forest and trail, Isha was nowhere in sight. 

“Where did she go Ced? Oh my god, which way Ced?” her speech was interlaced with the panic she now felt. 

“Don’t know Mom. I was watching you. I turned to where she had been standing, and she was gone.” his blue eyes wide with bewilderment. His Mom was pacing anxiously.  

“Mom?” the boy followed her panicked movements, trying to get her to gain some sort of fleeting focus on him. 

“Mom!” the tone of his adolescent voice increased slightly, attempting to smack the frenzy out of her and bring her focus back.

Her slender hands brushed the arc of her brow, her blue eyes darkened as her tension increased and she reached for the boy as she looked into the black forest. 

“It’ll be ok Ced.” she said gripping his shoulder. 

“Mom, she probably went to find Randall. That’s what I would do.” her hand left his shoulder and she leaned down to face him, breaking free from her temporary emotional melt down.

“Brilliant Ced. Of course she has. Good thing you have some common sense boy.” she smiled apologetically and leered over at the trail searching for any impending threat. 

“Let’s go.” she whispered to her son. “Follow me, and no noise ok?” Cedric nodded amicably at his Mother’s request. 

The two treaded lightly toward the fringe of the trail, and crouched down low when they saw the group of Caius’ men standing together just fifty feet from their position.  Alethea brought her fingers to her full lips, signing to the boy to keep quiet, and the two waited in silence for a safe moment to cross the trail. 

“Dad?” a small voice crept out of the dim misty air, and awakened Randall from the cloud of shock he had been floating in. 

“Isha, I..I told you to hide.” he fought for speech in between trying to find some air for his lungs. 

“But you’re hurt.” she knelt down and searched for the wound that was threatening to take his life. She pried his large fingers from the wound he was trying to hide and she examined the hole in his left side.  

“Let me have a look.” she lifted his shirt up, and he winced from the pain as she stretched her hand over the bleeding gash. “It’s deep. Your lung has been damaged.” her hand felt hot on his skin, he moved her hand away and pulled his shirt down again.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be ok Isha. I heal fast, this one will take a day or so, but I’ll be ok.” 

“I know you will.” she smiled and stood up looking for some sign that the rest of their companions were nearby. 

“Alex, where is he Dad?” Isha asked regarding her Uncle’s absence.  

Randall reached for the rough surface of the tree he sat against and strained away from the affliction that was burning in his side.  His knees steadied his body and his feet found the soft cool soil of the forest floor one at a time.  

“I’m not sure Isha.” his body hugged the tree for a bit of balance as he stood up, and he wiped the remaining perspiration from his face.  He was starting to feel better, the nausea had subsided and the pain wasn’t debilitating his movements anymore.  

“Let’s go, follow me girl and keep very quiet.” he walked slowly and slightly hunched down at the boundary of the trail, and the young girl followed mimicking his movements from behind.  

Kneeling at the edge of the trail behind a light sweep of bushes, just enough to cover their stooped position, they spotted Cedric and Alethea from the other side of the trail.  

“How are we going to get their attention? They’re too far down.” Isha asked her Dad who was busy scanning Caius’ men and searching for any sign of Alex.  

“We can’t move down, there isn’t anywhere we can hide ourselves.” Isha persisted with her questions anxiously waiting for Randall to respond. 

Randall spotted a flash of red eyes approximately twenty feet behind Caius’ men, it was him, it was his brother.  

“He’s there. Right behind the men.” he pointed out Alex’s location to Isha. 

“Where? I can’t see.” she focused intensely at the area Randall was calling her attention to, but all her eyes found was the fog of black this night presented.  

“He’s there. Keeping watch. We’re going to be okay Isha.” he smiled confidently at his daughter.

“Dad, look.” her whispered tone increased with somewhat of a warning. 

The two caught Alethea and Cedric in their sights, they were moving up on to the trail in an attempt to cross over to the side they knelt upon.  

Randall’s eyes shifted back and forth from the threat of Caius‘ men to the safety of his friends. He planted his feet firmly on the soft soil of the brush they hid behind, readying himself to shield his friends from a possible attack.  The wound in his side branded him with a sharp hot pain, reminding him that he still just had half his power. Until he was fully healed he would only have half his strength, and some wounds took longer to mend than others. 

“You okay?” the young girl’s voice was dressed with worry.  

Randall felt for his wound, pressing his hand to try and aid his affliction.  He nodded reassuringly at her anxious dark eyes and looked toward his friends again.

Alethea’s feet moved fast across the trail to find safe ground on the other side and was horrified to see that her son had not followed her all of the way.  Her blue eyes widened with fear to find that the boy was standing tall in the middle of the trail and staring straight into the pack of Caius’ men.  

“There!” one of the men could be heard yelling from down the trail. Alethea made a run for her son, her breath picked up speed as the panic of it all hit her lungs hard.  Cedric tore himself away from his panic stricken Mother, escaping her grasp and pushed his small body into a run toward Caius’ men. His eyes narrowed with anger, these were the men responsible for taking his father away from him and his mighty courage persisted within him to destroy them all.  The shape shifter from above screeched a warning that resounded within the tall lush trees around them.

“Randall! Where are you?!!” Alethea searched the trail with her desperate screams. 

“Here, I’m right here.” Randall dragged his damaged body down the trail passing by her. 

“Oh god! No!” she pulled him back for a moment, looking at the half dressed bloodied man. “You’re hurt Randall.” she said in a disbelieving tone. 

“It’s okay.” he pulled his hand from hers and hurried away after Cedric.

“Oh no.” she whispered to herself. “No it’s not ok, it’s not.” anxiety injected  a frozen state in her and she stood still in the shock of it all.  She knew that Randall was too hurt to have his full power and her heart battered the walls of her chest with the notion that he was in danger along with her son.

Alex ripped at the ground with his paws as his black body ran toward the men, his carnal body accelerating with each pull at the ground.  Deep menacing growls exited from the base of his lungs and he bared his long sharp canine teeth as he prepared to attack.  Cedric’s feet pounded the trail as he ran hard toward the pack, a large man at the front of the small army drew his arm back at the base of an arrow and aimed it toward the two obscure figures running toward them.  The man was knocked off balance as Alex threw his beast like body into the air and struck a few of his men down.  The canine ripped at the men’s flesh painting the ground red with his assaults, and the men’s screams were short as the canine finished them off quickly.  Fear triggered the arrow that the man held on to and he released it toward the nearest body that ran for them.  The lethal weapon was locked on its target and the sight of it wasn’t visible until it was too late. The razor tip melted into the chest of its young victim’s skin inflicting a pain that was so powerful it forced the young boy’s body to flip over and over again until he lay face down on the ground.  

Alethea’s breath was knocked out of her, silencing the screams that she was desperately trying to let out as she ran over to her injured boy.  The ground pulled her down hard at her son’s side and she turned the boy over on his back exposing the arrow that dug into his collarbone. Her hands shook violently as she lifted his shirt to examine the damage to her young son.  Alethea pushed Randall’s arms away with her bloodied hands as he attempted to lift Cedric off the ground, and she pulled him down hard close to her.  

“Take care of them.” she growled in between gasps of her panicked breath.  

Randall moved quickly down the trail toward the soldiers that remained unscathed by Alex’s attacks.  He wasn’t able to shift and was risking his own life by relying on the strength of his human body.  

Isha picked herself up from Cedric’s contused body and started to stalk her father’s movements down the trail. Alethea fastened her hand around the young girl’s ankle trying to close the door on her attempts to follow Randall.

“You’re going to stay right here Isha.” the woman stated, using her powers of persuasion and holding Isha’s dark eyes steady with her gaze.  

“No, I’m not.” she retorted and the girl slid herself easily from Alethea’s clutch. 

A sense of astonishment hit the blonde goddess hard, the girl was gaining new gifts and her powers were increasing at a steady rate. She could no longer use her ability to charm Isha into doing what she wanted. The capabilities Alethea had to persuade Isha were useless and this sudden epiphany sent a dreadful shiver through her nerves.  

The large soldier’s arm shook as he pulled the arrow back hard and directed it at the broad figure walking steadily toward him.  Alex projected his black body toward another soldier, his jaw opened to expose a mouthful of ammunition to this next victim.  The focus of his next kill broke from the screams of his young niece, and his feral body burned as he hit the callous ground sliding off the path.  The soldier released the tension on the arrow, giving it full power to be projected toward his enemy and it blasted through the crisp air with ferocity.  

Heat raced through the young girls veins bringing a beat to her heart she had never felt before, and a heightened perception entered the fibers of her nerves.  Her optic senses entered an illustration of  of delay in the movements around her.  She could see the arrow push through the air toward her father, the method of its movement was slow before her and the intricate details of its design was clear to her eyes.  Isha felt her feet move before they left the ground, the cool air whipped around her body alluding to the fact that she was moving very fast.  Her feet halted before she had time to think about it and her body wavered forward then back from the speed at which she was traveling.  Isha stood still in between the soldier and her father, studying the object that threatened to cause more trauma to him.  Blood pulsed through the muscles in her arm, waves of heat rushed into her fingers as they took flight toward the shaft of the arrow.  Isha could feel the burn from the torque of the arrow’s sudden termination within her hand. It should have hurt she thought but all she could feel was the heat.

A slight cool breeze played with her dark hair as her accelerated movements turned her sights to the paralyzed picture of dismay that bathed the two men on either side of her.  The air whined in her ear as she whipped her head around to focus on their attacker and looked back at her father once more.  She felt her arm bend back with the arrow in her hand, her movements were so fast it felt as if someone else was delivering them for her.  The arrow was redirected and pierced the soldiers abdomen before the young girl’s arm stopped at her side.  The air was still with shock, not a natural sound of the forest around them could be heard.  

“Isha!” Randall yelled a warning at his daughter. 

The piercing screams of bullets rang through the girls ears before she saw the hard round fragments of lead making waves in the air toward her.  Heat rose into her head, she could feel the blood rushing through the arteries to  her brain.  Her eyes closed while she took in mouthfuls of the cool night air and let the divination within her brew.  Everything felt so clear to her now, a feeling of immortality rushed through her body, there was nothing she couldn’t do she thought.  Her breath exited her lungs and froze the moisture in the air, causing the bullets to fall to the ground from the frigid temperature. The girl inhaled another mouthful of the frozen air that now surrounded them, and the red in her eyes flickered as she blew her icy breath toward the stunned soldiers. Isha was locked in a rage of her powers, and with each breath she took in the more the night air became an arctic state around them. Snow fell from the sky, leaves fell off their branches and all the lush colours of the forest disappeared into a blanket of white.  Randall felt the cold for the first time, he pulled his arms around his body trying to fight off the shivers that were creeping in.  

“Isha!” his voice shook in a desperate effort to break his daughter free from her irrepressible powers.  He feared for life, she was too young to have any control over the limits her powers could take her.  

These diabolical gifts took time to harness, for some it took a lifetime to perfect their gifts safely.  The young girl turned to her father, her brown eyes bright with flecks of red and her rosy lips curled up at each corner revealing a soft smile. Her dark hair whipped at her face as she turned her attention back on Caius’ men, and her uncanny senses addressed the danger coming at her before the man had even loaded his weapon.  The image of him readying his arrow played in her mind seconds before he acted it out.  Anger carried her feet toward Caius’ men, and her adolescent body felt stronger and larger than it appeared to be.  She walked confidently at the men, the nature of her movements were casual and those around her were frozen in a state of disbelief.  Her hand easily found the shaft of the arrow that had it’s radar set on her and she brought it up to the cool breath that exited her mouth.  The black boots she wore made footprints in the snow covered trail as her pace toward the men remained at a dedicated pace. Isha poured her icy breath over the arrow causing ice to clothe it’s entirety and her red eyes found the heartbeat of her target.  Her pace quickened and the frenzy of her speed shattered the frozen ground beneath her.  Isha bounded toward the men, heat built up in her legs, and she gained an inconceivable speed as she wrenched her body sideways into the air.  The iced arrow entered the man’s chest bringing him to his knees from the agony of it.  Coldness spread across the man like a web, wrapping him in a layer of ice and draining the life from him in an instant.  

The earth around them trembled as the girl’s feet found solid ground again and the petrified man shattered into pieces from the blow of her foot to his body.  Before the men around her could ambush her, she covered them with the freezing temperatures that lived within her lungs.  The colour drained from their faces, expressions of shock froze in place and their bodies shattered as they hit the unyielding ground. The snow fell heavy on the lifeless bodies that sunk in the white powder that covered the ground, and the group hovered around her gripped by a silent dismay.  Alex shivered as his animal form found the hairless body of his human form again and Chayton dove down onto the snow packed forest floor.  

“Isha?” her father prodded gently, trying not to spook the young girl into inducing any more damage. 

“I’m ok Randall.” Isha answered him confidently. “I feel so hot.” she panted as she knelt down to wash a bit of snow on the back of her sweaty neck and across her hot face.  She knelt down for a minute trying to catch her breath and sat for a moment, letting the cold wet powder bring her back to her human senses.

“This isn’t real.” she looked up at her father who was standing by her. “I’m going to wake up, and this will all be a dream, right?” her dark eyes watered and pleaded wistfully with Randall.

“I wish it was Isha, if it makes you unhappy, I truly wish it was.” he sighed heavily and reached his hand out for her.  

“Cedric?!” she exclaimed, remembering the young boy who had been hurt. She took her father’s hand and jumped to her feet running toward the blonde haired boy who sat up by his Mother’s side.  

“He’s okay Isha. Just a surface wound luckily.” Alethea stroked the girl’s arm, appreciating Isha’s concern for her son. 

Isha searched for the core of the boy’s wound as if she disbelieved his Mother’s words that the boy was free from harm.  Her fingers entered the hole in his bloodied shirt and a picture of Cedric’s anatomy was drawn out before her.  

“You’re right.” Isha agreed as she pressed firmly on Cedric’s wound. 

“Ouch!” the boy yelped.

“What are you doing?” Alethea seized the girls arm trying to pull it free from her son. 

“It’s ok. Trust me. I think I can help.” Isha’s eyes closed, focusing on the map of veins and arteries within the boy’s body.  Alethea relaxed a little as Cedric quieted down, and she watched the girl intently for any signs of a threat to her son.  Isha’s fingertips dripped with heat into the boy’s body increasing his body’s blood flow to the heart of his wound. Isha could see microscopic fibers of skin and nerves being welded back together from the scalding temperature that flowed from her hand.  Muscle layers melted into the surface of the boy’s wound and Isha could see that Cedric’s skin appeared as if it had never been penetrated.  

“There.” she said, and withdrew her warm hand from Cedric’s body.  

Alethea pulled her son’s shirt up to reveal a bare unharmed body, not a sign that the boy had ever been injured and this drew a startled sigh from the woman. 

“How do you do it?” Alethea asked, her eyes wide as she marveled at the young girl’s increasing powers.

“I’m not sure, but it doesn’t feel like me doing it. I don’t understand, I don’t feel like I am controlling whatever is inside of me.” Isha breathed deeply, searching for a calm breath.  She felt scared, she was confused, this adventure was unreal, and the calamity of it was clouding up any control she had left.  She kept thinking of her Nan, was she safe? She must be so worried about her and would she ever see her again? Home called to her, she was so desperate to return to a world that was normal, where she felt comfortable, and she wanted things to be as they used to be.  A normal girl, living a normal existence in a world that was real to her. She pleaded with her senses to awaken her from the delusion of this world and bring her back home.  

“You’ll be back there soon. We’ll make certain of it.” Alethea pulled at Isha’s arm gently breaking her free from her thoughts. Alethea wasn’t able to read her thoughts, but she knew the girl must be thinking of home and she empathized with her.

“I hope so.” she rubbed her rosy cheeks and redirected her focus again on her young friend.  “You okay?” she leaned in and stroked his hair affectionately.  Cedric nodded, he was still speechless and in awe of the dynamic girl that knelt in front of him.  

“We better get moving.” Alex piped out an impatient order to the group. “There are probably more men not far behind.” he leaned down and pulled Alethea and Cedric to their feet.  

“Wait!” Isha cried. “What about you?” she questioned as she turned her focus on her father. Isha turned to her face her Father and placed her hand over the large gash in his side.  Within moments it was gone, and Randall could move his arms around freely without any stabbings of pain.  

“Thank you.” he whispered squeezing her tight. 

“You made it snow!” Chayton laughed as he passed them by and looked around at the white icing that decorated the wilderness around them.  “Amazing.” he smiled at her and the dimples that sunk into his cheeks caused a fluttering inside her belly. Her face felt a little warmer, and she pushed the sudden shyness she felt in front of this young man away.  The group mastered their footing on the slippery ground beneath them, continuing on toward their destination.  The night sky was clear through the patches of trees, the clouds that had covered the black sky before were gone and a light speckling of stars shone above them.  

“Wow.” Randall delighted in the beauty he had not seen in a long time. “Look.” his finger guided the group toward the deep navy blue colour of the sky. The snow that had fell had let go of its rain on them, and their smiling faces were illuminated with beams of natural light that flowed from the bright moon above. 

“You’ve never seen the moon before?” Isha remarked, it was a beautiful thing but she didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. 

“Not for many years, and not like this.” Randall walked slowly and continued staring at the night sky.  “It has been quite dismal since his reign. Until you came, everything has been a prison of darkness.” he beamed as he marveled at the bright star.  

The group stopped behind Alex at the neck of a steep incline, a break in the trees bestowed a much clearer picture of what they had been gazing at.  There must have been a billion tiny specks of light in the sky gleaming down on them, and the ball of light in the sky was a moon they had never laid their eyes on before.  Their eyes watered a little from the strength of light that emanated from this new and breathtaking atmosphere.  

“I think we are close.” Alex said, wiping the wet from his dark eyes.  

Ice crept through the snow packed forest floor, playing with the soles of their shoes and causing them to slide while they ascended toward the peak of the bluff. Randall caught Isha’s arm in his, pulling her small frame easily from falling down to the snow laden floor and propelling her body in front of his.  The group stood in silence at the height of this mound of snow, the sights of this barren land in front of them brought their speech to a momentary lull.  

“There it is.” Chayton spoke cooly. 

The land was flat as far as their eyes could see, snow covered the landscape in front of them, and a large black fortress sat approximately two kilometers from where they stood. The group of companions exchanged glances powdered with the apprehension that was now very apparent.  

“What are you all waiting for?” the young girl piped. “Let’s go!” she yelled back at them, her feet sliding a little while she ran down the steady slope. 

They ambled after her, attempting to stop the girls dangerous spontaneity toward Caius’ domain. 

“Isha!” Randall caught up to his daughter making fresh tracks in the newly fallen snow. He tied his heavy grip around her arm, arresting her rash movements from advancing any farther.  “Isha we have to be careful. We have to plan wisely, or we’ll all be wiped out.” she tried pulling away from him, her eyes focusing on the dark building her mother was a prison in. 

“Isha.” Randall persisted sternly. “Isha. This man is a powerful man. We must travel with care.” he felt her ease up, the muscles in her arm relaxed and her eyes looked at him with acceptance now. “Okay?” he said, making sure she understood and wasn’t going to flee the second he let her go. 

“Yes.” her frustration was felt in the heavy breaths of air exhaled.  

“We will travel there.” Alex pointed in the direction of the forests border.

“It stops about one hundred feet or so before the castle gates.  We’ll travel alongside the border, it will be dark enough to hide us. Until then we’ll have to figure out a way to get across without being seen.” 

The group dug through the heavy snow that lay across the flat lands, and migrated toward the perimeter of the forest.  

“I’m afraid my friend.” Alethea spoke softly to Randall while she looked down at the white powder washing against her black boots. The pools of blue in her eyes swam toward his seeking comfort. The man was heavy in thought, his dark eyes turned black from the focus he had on the fortress that lay ahead. “I hope you know what you’re doing Randall.” her impatience with his silence anxiously creeped into her speech.  

“I do.” he answered.

   Cerdwin stood by a small window that was carved out in the corner of the small gloomy room she was placed in.  The bright snow outside lit up her hazel eyes, the magic of the stars shining in the clear sky ignited a life in her that had been dormant for years.  The fascination she felt from watching the snow light up the blackness of this land was suddenly broke by a familiar voice. 

“What is giving you so much pleasure?” Caius asked impatiently, and he marched over to where she stood. 

“You haven’t seen it?” she moved from the small window looking rather surprised. Caius’ dark eyes squinted from the brilliant white radiance of the snow covered grounds.  The illuminated night sky sparkled and reflected the distress that was now very present in this man’s eyes.  He looked at Cerdwin, conveying the confusion he felt, and he stroked the stunned look on his face away with his hand. 

“They’re here. Time to start worrying.” she jeered.  “She’s much more powerful than I predicted.” she laughed quietly at the ignorance of this loathsome man.  

“You think this is funny do you?” his words boiled with anger and the monster in him swung around smacking the back of his open hand across her cheek.  

The cold stone wall hit her head hard from the force of his fury, blood sprayed across the granite and dripped from both sides of her face.  Dizziness had a hold on her for a second or two before she shook it off, and she wiped the blood from the corner of her full mouth.  The pain pulsated from the lacerations that coloured her cheek, and she swallowed the temptation to tend to the blood that oozed down her face.  She was not about to give Caius any satisfaction that he had knocked the fire out of her.  

“Stupid man.” she said as she spat on the floor in front of him. 

“If I were you, I would keep quiet.” he moved close to her and hooked his hard fingers under her chin. “I’m going to go now.” he held her jaw tight fighting with her resistance to pull away. 

“I’m going to go. Enjoy your last moments within the walls of this room my dear.” he let the pleasure of these words marinate in him for a moment. “When I return, I will bring those you love dearly to watch you die.” he pressed hard on her jaw as he released his grip, and walked with a deliberate casualness toward the door.  

“Take your chance while you can Caius. Be smart, run now.” her words were somber and emotionless while she watched the man fade away through the thick door.  The lock closed hard and she shivered a little from the trail of cold air the man stirred up with his exit. Cerdwin leaned against the wall, staring out the window and admiring the resurrection of beauty on their land that had been there for many years.  In the distant forest she saw something, there was movement and her hazel eyes narrowed as she tried to focus on what had captured her attention. A small group ambled alongside the edge of where the forest met with the sheet of white land. 

It had to be them she thought, she focused hard and her sights found the shadowy body of what had to be her girl. Cerdwin paced the stone floor with an elated nervousness, her scattered thoughts attempted to organize a plan of escape from this prison.  She stopped at the window again, she looked out to find them but they were gone, and her heart fluttered with the unsettling notion that it was all an illusion.  

“No.” she said aloud, she knew what she saw, it was real and she continued thinking of a plan while pacing the small space of this dark room.  

   The caliginous man walked with a vengeance that bit at the back of his heels like a pack of wild dogs.  Two very large armed men were casted alongside the long dim hallway, and their hateful lord spat a short order while the rage in his footsteps burned by them.

“Watch her!” 

They moved like machines, standing on opposite sides outside her room,and their faces were hidden with black masked armor.  Legends have said that some of these men were not human, but created by their master to better populate his army.  Few have been destroyed, as those who are brave enough to get close were met with an instant demise.  Those who have seen the battles fought on the lands of Iraytia, have told stories of being witness to the death of these inhuman souls.  They have said that the only way to destroy one is to remove the mask covering their faces and behead the creatures instantaneously.  For if one waited too long before breaking their necks, the dark soul that they were made up with would creep into the hearts of human men and freeze their blood instantly causing death. 

Caius turned his sights back to make certain his slaves obeyed his order, his lips curled at the corners and he primped his stride with his pompous attitude. His fiery mood pushed through the heavy cedar door, the strength of his frustration pounding the iron handle against the wall and breaking it off.  He scanned the room quickly, an empty bed, no sign that Stamon had returned yet.  Where could he be? It shouldn’t take this long to destroy a horse. Caius stood in Stamon’s room for a second and let his annoyance brew before stomping off to find him.  His eyes found the broken handle on the floor before tripping over it, and when he bent down to pick it up a pair of boots entered his view.  He shoved the iron handle across the cool stone floor out of his way and he examined the man’s clothes as he rose up to meet a pair of dark brown eyes focusing on him.

“Stamon, you’re just getting back now?” Caius said in a disbelieving tone. 

“Yes my lord.” he wiped off his damp clothes. “I had to wash the blood off.   “It took a while.” Stamon retorted rather convincingly.  

“Right.” Caius acknowledged as his eyes assessed the man’s clothes thoroughly. 

“Very good Stamon. Not a speck of blood anywhere. Remarkable.” Caius stated with an infliction of doubt in his voice. 

“Well, we must go, and now. Much to plan my friend.” Caius spoke fast and ordered the man to follow him immediately.  Stamon obeyed, dragging his tense body behind the rushed footsteps of his lord and wondered if the young Aidan was left unpunished.  His pace slowed as they passed by Aidan’s room and Stamon examined the light that flickered from out of the cracks in the closed door.  He must be alright he thought, and he drew his worried mind from the heavy wooden door to see that Caius was watching him closely.

“You needn’t worry Stamon, he has been left unscathed. Well, sort of.” he pushed the large soldier hard on his back, and forced him to keep moving.  

“What do you mean, sort of?” Stamon asked as the two men walked side by side. 

“I introduced him to his Mother tonight.” his words tasted sweet, and the pleasure he took in this drew a cocky smile to his face.  

“Oh.” Stamon recognized the morbid pleasure Caius took in the tragedy of it all, and thought the boy must have been devastated to find out his mother has been alive all these years.  

“It also appears that the young man has finally reached the age of maturity.” Caius shot Stamon a sharp look as if the soldier knew what he was talking about.

“Age of maturity? I’m sorry my lord, I don’t understand.” Stamon’s mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of the young man, wanting to find a way to save them both from a fate of death.

“His powers have come to him.  Just as mine did at his age.  I must say, I was quite impressed, but also a bit saddened.” the two men walked at a rapid pace through the twists and turns of the dark castle.

“I’m not sure I understand, why would this sadden you?” Stamon was not ready for the answer, he was sure that what this maniacal lord was going to say would not please him.

“My son hates me. This is no secret Stamon.” he paused his speech as they turned the corner and walked into a large room in the basement that was full of weaponry.  “I just can’t have an heir, capable of such an immense power, a power that is stronger than my own at that age.  I cannot have an heir that would be willing to destroy me.” he stroked the edge of a large sword as he spoke.

“You would kill your own son?” Stamon panicked, and he fidgeted anxiously beside Caius. “But why? You can’t. He’s your son.” he pleaded with the callous man.

“I have no choice.” his statement lacked any real emotion. “We must plan Stamon, there will soon be an attack on our home.” he spoke as he hung the large and rather sharp looking sword back on the wall.  

“Have you not noticed the change in the weather? The clear image of the sky?” Caius‘ words were cutting, as if the man had no clue what was happening outside.  

“Of course I have.” he said swallowing his sarcastic tone. “I have not seen such a sight in many years.” Stamon spoke honestly.

“She must be very special.” the dark man said while stroking a silver dagger and admiring his reflection in it. Stamon looked at him with questions in his eyes, he didn’t have any idea where the man’s thoughts were at this present time.

“To lift my spell off these lands, that is a kind of magic that makes me slightly uncomfortable Stamon.” his voice grew a little louder, the tone of his voice emphasizing ‘uncomfortable’.  

“I see sir.” he answered quietly, choking back the elation he felt for Isha’s existence.  He looked away from Caius, trying to hide the pleasure he felt with this angry Man’s possible demise.  

“Well, come on then.” he snapped his order as he sauntered toward a large dark door that decorated the rear of this room. 

“Sir?” Stamon’s footsteps were hesitant to follow as he knew what lay behind the heavy black door. 

“I wasn’t giving you an option Stamon.” the dark man’s voice stomped hard on Stamon’s already shaken nerves. 

“But sir. What do you need them for?” his feet and legs felt heavy as they carried him toward Caius. “She’s just a girl my lord.” he laughed nervously.

“Sir, you can’t honestly think you need a whole army for just one girl?” his laughter addressed the ridiculousness of Caius‘ plan.

Caius was silent as he stroked his face, and paused in thought before speaking again. He placed his strong hand on Stamon causing a cutting pain to radiate through his shoulder and down his arm. 

“But that’s just it my good friend, she’s not just a girl.” he snarled at the soldier giving volume to the word ‘just’. Stamon shook off the numbing pain as this dark man he called his lord withdrew his grip. 

“Right sir, okay.” he piped obediently while he attempted to rub off the feeling that he had shards of glass stuck in his arm. 

Stamon’s heart picked up an uncomfortable pace as Caius turned the heavy lock and pushed the large door open.  A rush of cold air shot from out of the blackness and sent an inhuman chill through Stamon’s body.  His limbs shivered as he fought back the terror of what was waiting for them in blackness below.  

“Something wrong?” Caius teased as he took note of the nervous image of this large man. 

“No sir.” he lied. “Just a little cold.” he crept behind Caius into the blackness as his lord fumbled with a heavy black handle on the wall.  A heavy vibration of electricity could be heard throughout the room as lights that had been dormant for years came to life.  Down the heavy stone staircase and into the center of the massive crypt stood what appeared to be a moderate shell of motionless men dressed in black armor.  The further down the men crept into this crypt, the cooler the air felt. Stamon hugged himself, trying to keep what heat was left in him alive.  The unease he felt could now be seen in the fog his hot breath made with the cold air.  

“Sir, are you certain this is necessary?” he blew warm air into his cool hands trying to warm them. “I mean, they haven’t been used in a very long time sir. Are you sure it’s safe?” he followed Caius as he walked over to another heavy black handle on the wall.  Caius lifted it up and a set of lights appeared over this army of black metal.  “Sir are you sure? We have plenty of soldiers already sir.” the large man pleaded through his heavy breath.  

“I’m sure Stamon.” he retorted as he pulled open a large safe that was nestled in the wall of grey stone.  There it was, the evil that had begun this empire, and the dark power behind this man.  Hard to believe, thought Stamon, that one book could be responsible for taking over an entire continent.  All those years ago it had been unearthed from Dybuk’s forest, and all the sins of its power had seeped in to this one Man. A flashback of when the book was first discovered played back in Stamon’s mind.  Caius was a different person then, he had been a decent young man, easily lead astray, but he had a good heart.

“Caius!” a young Stamon yelled as he ran after his friend into the dark woods. “Wait! Caius, you’ll be sorry!” he found his friend kneeling on the muddy ground, his hands were digging madly at the wet soil in front of him. 

“It’s here, this is the spot the old woman told me to look.” he laughed madly, and the smile that he exhibited would be the last true smile that would lift his heart again.  “She said, behind a cluster of trees, at the base of a large black sheet of rock would lie the book that would change my life forever.” he was covered in dirt, but he didn’t care and he continued digging like a wild dog.  

“Caius, that woman is a witch, she practices black magic, the devil’s magic.” he leaned in, and his hand paced his face with anxiousness. “God Caius! Stop it! You have no idea what you’re getting yourself in to. Can’t you just leave it alone, she doesn’t love you. There are many more to love my friend.” his words trampled the young man’s focus for a moment and he looked up helplessly at Stamon.

“But she is the only one I want to love. I can’t live without her Stamon. This is something I have to do.” he paused and delivered these words to his friend with an unspoken look to feel some empathy for him.

“I understand this, however I am positive this is not the way to go. I cannot support you in this quest. I must go, you are on your own my friend.”  his feet moved away with his speech and he turned one last time to search Caius’ eyes for any bit of sanity.  “Be wise my friend. This magic, it is not your friend.” he left, never looking back and the heaviness of his decision grew with each footstep away from his good friend.

The second Caius laid his hands upon the book was the very moment he changed. It had been legend that the young man read a spell from the pages of the dark book in hopes of gaining love from Cerdwin.  

The spell was said to have not been real, the words left the young man’s mouth as a great evil exited from the pages and into Caius’ soul.  The possession had been powerful, leaving no memory in the young man’s head of how good his heart once was.  It played with him, giving him false hopes of the love of a woman he so desperately wanted, bestowing him a power beyond his control and a fortress to replace the feeling that he somehow had lost himself.  He destroyed villages, took over army’s, built fear and anguish throughout Iraytia with his book of black magic.  He found Stamon, stealing him away from his family to stand with him through his reign. Stamon stood by Caius loyally, he had no choice, his family’s life was under a threat of death by the young man he used to call a friend.  

“Strange what love can do. It can either make or break your soul. I know you don’t remember yourself Caius’, but I do.” he had said to his friend when this possessed man had threatened his family’s life.  

“What are you trying to say? Hmm?” he pressed his finger hard into Stamon’s chest.

“It’s not too late.” he removed Caius’ finger, firmly pushing it down. “I still see you Caius.  We can fix this.” he searched the man’s eyes for any recognition of hope.

“Ha!” Caius spat. “Fix what?” he leered at Stamon. “I feel great! Better than ever my friend. I don’t need fixing. Now, let’s go! We’ve got work to do.” 

Stamon took one last look at his village, knowing that this was going to be the last time he would probably ever see this land as it was now.  It was all going to change, but what he feared most was not being able to keep his hope alive alongside such a dark possessed man.  Hope was all he needed to survive, and for some strange reason he felt that keeping hope close to him was the only thing that would save them all.

The book sank in to Caius’ hands easily, and it made a loud noise as the weight of it pounded the slate counter beside the safe.  A light dust came to life from the breeze the pages created as it was opened, and Stamon crept back from the wicked pages that were being spread apart.  

“It’s just a book Stamon.” Caius’ laughed as he watched the large man keep his fear close and the large book farther away from him. 

“I respect my fear, I don’t have a good feeling about this Caius.” he said, creating even more of a distance from the text on the crimson pages.  

“Suit yourself.” the dark man said, and he turned back to the pages of his precious book.

 “Ah, here it is.” the scanning of the pages stopped and his finger held his sights on the spell he had to read aloud.  

The temperature in the room decreased even more, the walls cracked and webs of ice spilled on the walls of the large dungeon.  Stamon found the bottom of the staircase, inching himself up slowly as Caius read the untranslatable spell. Stamon shivered uncontrollably from the bitter air that blew through the room, he stood still and watched in shock as the black suits of armor raised their heads and held their heavy swords into a readied position. He lost his balance, scrambling to climb backward up the stairs quickly he fell hard against the stone steps.  Caius’ voice grew louder, shouting the foreign language at the army of metal as he paced back and forth in front of them. Stamon picked himself up off the stone steps underneath him, he shook off the chills that weakened his legs and took one last breath of courage to help carry him out of this hell.  

He stopped at the door, turning to watch his old friend take command of the inhuman shells of armor in front of him.  The army of metal turned to face Caius, and a sense of panic pushed the large soldiers hand on the handle of the door opening a way for his attempt at freedom.  Caius was blind to Stamon’s escape, continuing to allow his mouth to spill forth this witchcraft in the hopes that this would destroy the girl and all of her kin.  

   Apprehension gripped the small group as they stood nestled close to one another upon the distal border of the forest.  A hundred feet of open land separated them from the fortress walls. It was short enough for maybe one person to make it across without being seen, but too long for a few people to go unnoticed.  

“We’ll have to go in two’s, less of a risk.” Alex instructed and looked at Randall in a notion that he would be his partner.

“Yes, good idea.” Randall agreed. If something were to happen, he thought, then at least the others still had a chance and would still have their lives.

“Okay Isha?” Randall’s dark brown eyes bore into the deep brown pools of his daughter’s eyes, confirming this plan. 

“Yes, okay.” her gaze locked with his. “I promise.” she uttered, thinking the opposite.

“There must be another way. It’s too risky Randall.” Alethea anxiously held her son a little tighter. “It doesn’t matter if we travel across in pairs Randall. Look at it! We’ll be easy targets against the bright white of the snow.” her words were sharp and full of warning.

“Trust me my friend.” he took her face in his strong hands. “It is the only way.” the warmth in the way he held her conveyed the awareness he felt that this was the safest path for them to take.

“Okay.” she calmed down. “I trust you.” he always had a way of erasing any anxieties from within her.

“Alright, let’s go. There isn’t much time.” Alex motioned to Chayton to come close to him. He leaned in and whispered to the young man. “ If we don’t make it across, you take them somewhere safe.” he looked into the young shapeshifter’s eyes sealing this deal with the seriousness that manifested in his gaze.  

Chayton nodded silently in agreement, and watched as the two brothers set their pace across the sheet of white land. 

   The soldier pulled his massive body out of the frigid room, running fast toward the cell that imprisoned Cerdwin.  Adrenaline ran hot through his veins, giving him the extra speed and strength he needed.  He stopped abruptly when he saw the two soldiers that had been housed outside of the cell were now lying motionless on the ground.  

“Hey!” he yelled as he crept cautiously toward them. He prodded one with his heavy boot, no movement. Bending down he gripped one of the soldiers by his shoulders and turned him over on his back. Blood seeped from his mouth, and as Stamon examined him more he noticed that the man was still breathing. The man chocked as the warm crimson liquid flooded in the back of his throat and blood spattered up and over his face. 

“Who did this to you?” Stamon leaned in closer to the man. The soldier coughed and his words were incomprehensible against the blood that built up in his mouth.  Before the soldier took his last breath his hand motioned toward a large photo that hung on the wall just above them.  Stamon looked at the image in disbelief, it was a picture of a young Adrian. Impossible that the boy could cause this kind of damage, he thought to himself.  Stamon lifted his body that was now heavy with worry, his hand found the cedar that made up the door to Cerdwin’s cell and discovered it had been left open.  Doubt preoccupied his mind for a moment before he shook off the shock and turned to walk quickly from this mess.

“Stamon!” Adrian yelled, sending a jolt of panic into Stamon’s stride causing him back away slightly.  He looked different, the slim Adrian he knew had now transformed into a taller and strapping young man. 

 “What are you doing Stamon? We’ve got to go now! They’re here Stamon.” he exclaimed through heavy breaths.  Stamon looked again at the state of the two soldiers that lay in their unfortunate demise on the stone floor and turned back to Adrian. 

“I know. Bit of a mess. I had no choice Stamon. I had to save her.” he looked back at the red haired beauty walking toward them. He pulled at Stamon’s arm, motioning him to hurry. “Come, let’s go.” his words exited in between his hurried footsteps as they walked fast toward the exit of the gloomy citadel. 

“What do you mean they’re here?” Stamon asked Adrian as he slid the heavy lead bold from the door. The night air felt cool as it washed over their skin, and they all stopped for a moment to admire the bright stars that were shining down on them from the clear indigo sky. 

“I mean, the others.  But more specifically the girl.” Adrian ran down the stairs leading the group toward the gates of the loathsome district.  He pressed his fingers to his mouth in an effort to keep the two quiet and pointed toward an aggregation of soldiers thirty feet away. 

“Quick, this way.” he whispered to them anxiously. 

They tread fast on a small trail that took them along the perimeter at the base of the fortress.  Adrian leapt down into a large dry trench that tunneled for a hundred feet, and steered them toward the open land behind the dark village.  Large steel bars prevented the three from achieving their escape, they didn’t think it was going to be this easy and dismay moved the expression on their faces as they all looked at one another. 

“Now what?” Cerdwin exhaled a panicked breath. 

“We’ll have to find another way. I have an idea.” Stamon announced. Cerdwin followed the large man as he attempted to lead the two of them toward another passage out of this hell.  Cerdwin was the first to cover her ears from the deafening shrill of steel being ground down, the air felt hot suddenly and the two spun around to find the source of the painful noise. Steam poured out from between the young man’s fingers, sweat gathered at the edge of his hairline and dripped down onto his flushed face.  Adrian picked at the steel bars and tossed them on the ground until there was enough space for the three of them to climb through. He carried his muscled body through the fractured bars and looked back at the others while he wiped the sweat from his face. 

“Well? Come on you two, no wasting time.” he said smugly, quite pleased with what he had just done. 

Astounded with the young man’s birth of strength, Cerdwin and Stamon exchanged silent words of their awe with him. Stamon escorted his red haired companion out of the tunnel first and followed protectively behind her. 

“He must get it from you.” he spoke softly from behind her. 

“What do you mean?” she inquired while watching her handsome son’s legs move at a quick pace in front of them. 

“His father’s power, it’s not all his. You knew this right?” he stated, nearly knocking the woman over as her body halted on the trail suddenly.  

“ What do you mean Stamon?” silence caught the tip of the man’s tongue for a moment, holding his speech back from answering Cerdwin. 

“Stamon? Answer me.” she demanded.  The volume of her voice took Adrian’s focus from his hurried stride and he turned back to attend to the sudden wrench in his plan.  

“Everything okay?” Adrian interjected as he looked to Cerdwin and back to Stamon prodding them with the displeasure he felt with this current interruption.  Intensity sat stubbornly in the hazel eyes of the woman, she stared at the large soldier awaiting her answer impatiently.  

“Well?” she crossed her arms. “Don’t make me get the answers myself Stamon.” she said, warning him with the touch of her hand on his brawny arm.  Stamon pulled away, knowing what the red haired beauty was capable of with just one touch. 

“There is a book!” he shouted. Adrian hushed the mass in the large man’s voice, as he looked nervously around them, scanning the area for any of Caius’ men. “There is a book. He found it years ago Cerdwin, after you chose to be with Randall.” he paused, searching their environment for any sign of danger. “We should probably keep moving.” his legs moved and he ushered the two along with him. 

“ What kind of book?” Cerdwin turned her ear back to Stamon, listening intently to what he had to say.

“A very evil book. Black magic. A book that should have never been unearthed all those years ago.” she turned to look at him, her hazel eyes looked despairingly at Stamon. 

“You’ve been his prisoner all these years, haven’t you?” she asked even though she already knew the answer.

“He threatened my family. He was also my friend. I felt a service to protect him and of course to prevent harm from coming to my family.” he said as he looked up to the sky wondering if they were still alive, if his wife had remarried and his children had grown up with another father.  

“I’m so sorry.” she stopped and reached for the large man’s hand. “I feel like this is all my fault.” her hands lovingly squeezed his hands. 

“Cerdwin, this is an evil that has no one’s name attached to it. Not even Caius. This darkness, it searches out the vulnerable. It is the work of the darkest place, the blackest of magic.” he squeezed her hands assuringly. 

“Where do you think it came from? Who do you think created it?” she searched his eyes for an answer she knew he didn’t have.

“ The only thing we need to know is how to destroy it, so it does not cast the same spell on another vulnerable soul.  It seems to amplify the power one already possesses.  Caius has been a host to this evil for years.” 

They continued moving again down the trail following Adrian’s gesture to keep carrying on. He pointed to a snowy cliff that held a few men that were guarding the back of the stone fortress. 

“How did he find it?” Cerdwin asked. 

“He said an old witch told him about it, and that it would be the answer to getting your love.” he answered, and the three of them stood still keeping a close eye on the guards that were carefully watching the fortress.  

“We must move quickly. Over there.” Adrian directed the two into a brush of trees that lined the boundary of the fortress walls. Their feet were heavy as they heaved their way through the pack of untouched snow that covered the small forest.  The sound of a snapping branch choked back the steady cadence of their trek through the camouflage of trees. Their eyes investigated the surroundings for any indication of life, the snow lighting up the otherwise confined and dark thicket of timber.  A low growl peaked their attention to a large stone that sat twenty feet away from where their feet were buried in the snow.  The growl grew louder, kicking fear into Cerdwin and knocking her back into the white powder that painted the ground.  Stamon thrust his arms in front of his chest, attempting to defend himself from the massive black wolf that had now knocked him to the ground.  Red eyes bore into the look of terror that controlled the soldiers expression, saliva frothed at the corners of the canine’s mouth and a low growl exhibited the razor sharp edges of it’s teeth.  Cerdwin pulled her body up into a seated position on the snowy ground, her clothes were wet and stuck to her back causing her to shiver. She struggled with the quicksand of snow as she attempted to stand up, and she wiped the red strands of wet hair that disrupted her vision.  

“Randall?” her voice trembled.”Randall?” her voice grew louder. “Randall!” she shouted, her feet trudging fast through the deep snow toward the black beast. 

“Cerdwin, no!” Adrian warned the determined woman. 

The wolf pushed hard on Stamon’s chest as it leapt off frenziedly and bounded back into the forest. 

“It was him.” her eyes churned with the sudden revelation and she followed the trail of his paw prints on the icy trail.  

“How do you know for certain? Don’t be foolish Cerdwin, wait!” Stamon caught up with the stubborn woman and placed himself in a protective position in front of her.

“Trust me, she knows.” a deep voice cut through the cool air behind them. 

Adrian spun around fast, spreading his strong arms defensively in front of him and the other two. 

“Randall!” Cerdwin ducked under Adrian’s arm and leapt into the cumbrous embrace of the tall man that stood before them. 

“It’s okay my love.” Randall spoke lovingly to her, wiping away the tears from her eyes. “She’s here, and she’s beautiful.” his dark eyes glistened with this emotional reunion. The two men stepped away, giving Cerdwin and Stamon some privacy. 

“She’s okay?” she wrapped her arms around his chest, pressing her head against the warmth that radiated from him. She had missed him so much. 

“She is perfect.” his hands stroked her soft hair and hugged the nape of her slender neck. 

“I hate to interrupt, but we really must keep moving.” the large soldier voiced to the two lovers. 

“He’s right.” Randall embraced her once more, and kissed her full mouth passionately before they head off on the narrow trail.

“My brother is here. He is looking out for the others just over there.” Randall directed their eyes to the mouth of the trail. 

“He is bringing forth the undead. We must not be hasty with our time.” Stamon interjected anxiously. 

“The book of Abaddon?” Randall asked, hesitating to utter the name Abaddon.  

Stamon’s eyes opened wide with surprise. “You know of this?” he asked, keeping up a steady pace on the winding path.  

“It has only been a legend, passed on to us from our ancestors.” he answered, exchanging a knowing glance with Cerdwin.

 “It isn’t myth, is it my friend?” Randall asked, keeping pace from behind. 

“I”m afraid it is very real.” he searched for Randall’s eyes. “Legend also says, a young girl will save us and that she may be the only one to destroy the demonic book.” an uncomfortable silence interrupted the conversation between the two men. Stamon’s lead on the group halted, and the aperture of the trail was just ten feet from where they were now poised.

“Really?” Randall replied reluctantly to the strong armed soldiers statement.

“You wouldn’t happen to know of this legend as well?” he bit back hard on his derisive tone. “A young girl, not born of this world. A  girl will enter this world and an uncontrollable power will be bestowed upon her. An offspring of a shapeshifter and a fire haired goddess with the power to cripple a man with just one touch.” he searched their expression for a reply. “Or, so the legend says.” he wiped the arrogant look from his face and waited patiently for a response.

“Yes, legend says.” Stamon held Cerdwin’s hand tight. “We cannot know for certain. She is just an innocent young girl who has been thrust into an immense pool of shock. She possesses incredible powers, but it is a dangerously new and untamed amount of power.” he paused as he caught a glimpse of his brother pacing back and forth by a shrub of trees.

“Dangerous?” Stamon inquired eagerly.

“Yes. She is unaware of how strong she is, and without an educated harness on her power, she is quite capable of harming people she loves or worse, herself.” his words trailed off quietly as the terror in this thought took a hold of him.  

“Do not let unnecessary worries cloud your mind my love. She will be okay, I will make certain of this.” the fire haired beauty caressed Randall’s face and searched his dark eyes with her tender gaze.  Randall pulled her close to him, kissing her softly on the her forehead and thinking how good it felt to have her close again.  

“There!” Adrian’s voice resounded from the mouth of the trail awakening the rest of the group from their quiet discussion. Standing at the end of the trail, they searched the snow covered land for what the young man was making a fuss over. “There. Right there.” he pointed to the center of the sheet of white powder. “Someone is walking toward the castle. One of yours I suspect?” Adrian glanced back at Randall. 

Randall squinted his eyes trying to focus on who it could be, and just as he was assessing the body another one came into view. 

“It’s Isha. My god! what is she doing?” he leapt forward in an effort to run for her but was held back by the two men. “Let go!” he pushed his shoulder hard from Adrian’s strong grip. 

“Wait!” Adrian gripped the shapeshifter hard causing an intense heatwave of pain to radiate through him. The strength of the young man took Randall by surprise. “If you run out there, you’re sure to kill us all. We must hurry, up there!” he pointed toward the castle entrance which was not far from where they all stood. “Trust me, they will not harm her. He wants her alive.” Adrian’s reassurance sounded a bit frantic, they were running out of time and he anxiously tried explaining his plan. “We must not waste time. They will not see us coming, and we will be there to save your daughter from being caught.” his eyes looked at the man with a persistent impatience, trying to prod him along with the silent plea his body language wore.

“Well? What are we waiting for then young man. Lead the way!” his hand pushed Adrian’s back hard, commanding the young man to start moving toward their destination. 

   Caius stood arrogantly on the cold stones that made up the steep staircase, and looked proudly upon the formation of ghost like soldiers he had roused.  They stood motionless, awaiting their orders from their master and would not move until the words that had been written to drive them were spoken.  Caius shut the door to the dark basement, a blast of frigid air shot through the cracks and blew by the side of his face making him shiver slightly.  He paused for a moment, rubbing some heat onto the back of his chilled neck with his warm hand.  Sanity had a brief talk with him as he stood there, his body leaning against the hard wooden door, and his hand still attempting to dispose his body of the bitter cold he felt.  A voice called out to him, it was his own and the words seeped in through the cracks of the possessed walls that imprisoned him for years. 

“What are you doing Caius?! You must stop.” the voice was his, and it was pleading with him. He lifted his hand from his neck, pounding the door hard with a fist, he pushed himself away and shook his head as he walked toward Cerdwin’s room.  

“Caius!” the voice shouted, startling the man into a standstill. His green eyes were wide, his hair whipped about his face as he looked around him. Nothing could be seen, and he brushed the thought that he was going crazy off as he continued walking toward Cerdwin’s room.  

“I’m still here.” the voice sang. “You’re not going crazy Caius. ha ha.”  the voice laughed in a mocking tone. “I’m afraid it’s too late for that Caius, you went crazy a long time ago.” 

The more the sound of his own voice spoke to him, the faster he strode toward the room which held Cerdwin. 

“You can’t run from me. I am you.” the tone was serious now and sent a shard of pain through the dark man’s head.  

Caius’s hands held onto his head that was surely going to explode from the  painful grip it was now in. He stood in front of Cerdwin’s room, his eyes to the floor as he tried to cower away from the constricting wrench of agony he was feeling.  He saw the deceased soldiers sprawled on the floor beneath him, but he was too distracted by this incessant voice to care. 

“Stop it!” he shouted aloud. “What do you want from me?” his eyes watered with the intense pressure he felt, and waves of nausea caused his body to heave forward onto the hard floor.  The grey stones didn’t welcome him kindly as his body hit the floor, and he pulled himself up looking around the empty room.  The vacancy of this room did not resonate with him immediately, he was too overcome with the current state of his mental wellness.  He wiped the pain induced tears from his face, painting his cheeks lightly with the blood from the acute injuries on his hands. 

She was gone! He panicked, pulling himself from the floor standing still for a moment digesting the blow of this discovery.

“You really didn’t think you could hold her prisoner forever did you?” the voice rang through, it’s tone laden with a quiet sarcasm. 

Caius ran from the room nearly tripping over the dead men, and his feet carried him up a narrow staircase to the second floor toward his son’s room. Sweat danced upon his brow and slid down the sides of his face. He felt sick with heat, his stomach swam with sickness and his anger caused the power he had been possessed with to percolate.  

“Ha ha ha, he’s gone too! You insolent soul!” the voice continued mocking the enraged man. 

Caius exploded with rage as he was presented with another vacant room, and he howled in disbelief. “No!!!” his cry tore through the empty hall causing pictures to fall from the walls and the windows to shatter.  His adrenaline carried him down the stairs in a hurried pace, and he pushed opened a large door that led to a balcony that lived at the front of the castle.  The cold air rushed into his lungs creating a mist to form on his full mouth, and he searched the land before him for any sign of the two escapees.  Two dark bodies moved toward his fortress, across the blinding white of the snow it was apparent that one was significantly smaller than the other.  He leaned on the snow covered wall of the balcony trying to gain a better perspective of them.  His hands abandoned the snowy rail from the frigidness he felt from it, he brushed the cool water from his hands off on his pants and continued peering out into the crisp night air at the two ambling bodies.  

“If you stop now, you might have a chance to save yourself Caius.” warned the voice. 

“Too much has been done, I can’t go back.” he answered himself, his eyes frozen with the memories of his misdoings.  He rubbed his face hard, furiously attempting to abolish the empathy that was slowly creeping in to his heart.  His vision abandoned the two bodies scuttling toward his home, and took flight toward the immortal soldiers that stood in the dim basement awaiting their orders.  

“You’ll be sorry.” his own voice sung to him. Bile crept up the back of his throat and the sour taste of it caused him to gag. The entity of his old self within his dark conscience wasn’t sitting well, he felt a rush of dizziness as the good was combating the bad in him.  

“Silence!” he yelled to this invisible soul that was attacking him. He held onto the railing at the bottom of the stairs, his body wavered in a threat to toss him to the ground.  He recovered his balance and walked very carefully toward the basement door.  He caught sight of a large glass pitcher of water that sat on a small table along the perimeter of the hallway, and his thirst was suddenly very apparent.  Bringing the pitcher up to his face he lifted it to his lips and let the cool liquid wash down his throat. It felt good for a minute, until an intolerable pain entered his stomach causing him to drop the glass pitcher on the ground.  It felt as though he had swallowed a shard of glass, he glanced at the glass fragments of the pitcher on the ground as his body was hurled against the wall from the agony in his belly.  Green liquid spilled out of his mouth, his stomach involuntarily threw up the water he had just gulped down.  Waiting only a minute for the nausea to pass, he ignored the sickness that pounded his gut and moved on again to the dingy room.  Standing outside the large wooden door, his guts spilled on to the floor one last time, and he wiped the remnants of his insides that hung from his face off on the side of his coat.  

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you Caius.” his own voice spoke as his hand took hold of the iron handle on the door.  He stood still for a moment giving thought to this warning, but it escaped him quickly as the creaking sound of the door brought his attention back to his original plan. 

They would be here soon. he thought. Time to wake them up. A dark smile lifted one corner of his mouth, his eyes met with his own as he looked back on the good man he was once before.  He shut the door tight to the basement, closing off the part of him that was now gone forever. 

He made his choice. 

   The cool wind picked up speed as the young girl travelled faster across the powdery white surface of the barren land. Her companion trod at her heels keeping up with her increasing speed. Her dark hair whipped behind her and a familiar scent flowed into the senses of the comely young man. His pace slowed a little as he scanned his memory for the familiarity of this bouquet, and his steady tread behind the young girl froze with the memory of it.  It was the dream he had of what he thought was sure to be her, the premonition he had of the not so distant future, and the intoxicating smell that had danced close to his heart.  Chayton locked his sights on the dark haired girl ahead of him, she had stopped and her eyes were intently analyzing his sudden halt. They had words with each others eyes, a short exchange that they perceived one another’s thoughts, and the young man smiled at her as he moved forward. 

“We need to turn back Isha. I have a duty to protect you.” Chayton rushed up beside the determined girl. His dark eyes were warm, and pleaded with Isha to listen to him. 

“We’re almost there. It’s too late now, besides I have nothing to lose.” her dark eyes were emotionless.

“You may have nothing to lose, but you are not the only one here.” he searched her eyes for any change in her stubborn thoughts.  “I don’t believe you have nothing to lose, and I know you don’t believe this either.” She looked up at him for a moment through the focus she had on the fortress ahead and then ignored him once again.  The gates were blanketed by a dozen or so dark men, their faces hidden with the steely black cages of their helmets as they stood motionlessly awaiting them.  

Chayton’s eyes moved from the stubborn girl and back to what was surely  going to be the death of them. His desperate gaze skated back and forth as they closed in on the assemblage.  He knew he could run from them if he wanted, he could transform himself in an instant and take them both from the threat to their lives. However, he somehow felt that the girl would not go so easily with him, and he left the plan of this right where it should stay, in his thoughts.  A single soldier marched casually to where she stood, her dark hair blew wildly across her face and she swept it from her face tucking the black locks behind her ear.  

“Come now.” the faceless soldier ordered from behind his heavy mask. He held out his arm unthreateningly, making way for Isha to walk ahead of him.  Her dark eyes found the unsettled look that washed over Chayton’s face, and she reassured him with the confident stare she projected toward him.  The clank of metal could be heard through the ushering of their young prisoner as half of the soldiers marched through the gate, while the other half remained outside the gate in their guarded stance.  Chayton stood there, silent with the loss of her and the insecurity he had with his decision not to flee. 

A few minutes passed before the ground vibrated slightly, distracting him from the feeling that he had made a cowardly choice, and he turned around to locate the source of the tremors he felt.  The two beasts raced by him at unearthly speeds, and the black colour of their fur was just a blur to his vision as they pounded by him. The screaming pierced the quietude of the night air as the beasts tore through the metal clad soldiers, steadily focusing on their deaths with a determined ferocity.  

Christ, where the hell did they come from? Chayton thought to himself, his feet felt as though they were fixed in cement, the shock of this sudden attack impeding his movement.  

“Come on boy!” a gentle voice yelled to him and he searched the distance around him to find the source of the voice.  A young woman ran by him, red hair streamed behind her and her hazel eyes met with his sights as she looked back to him. “It’s time to go!” she panted, and carried on running toward the gates that were now littered with the lifeless bodies of Caius’ soldiers.  The steady pace of their feet ran and jumped over the bodies on the ground, pushing their way past the tall steely gates with a fierceness.  Alethea pulled her son toward her, holding his hand tight they made their way toward the wreckage that lay beneath the tall gates. Cedric pulled his hand from his Mother, he looked annoyed by her attempt to help him. 

“Mom, I’m fine.” he said rather sternly. “I can take care of myself.” he blasted to her as he ran off with a fervent speed. 

Alethea’s body paused for a second with the thought that her young boy was pulling away from her. She knew he wanted to be the man his father once was, a strong and brave man.  

“Come on Mom!” Cedric yelled back to her, his blonde hair blowing wildly onto the sides of his face. 

The blonde beauty picked her feet from the white powder that pressed into the soles of her boots and followed her son into the mouth of the small village that traced the dark castle.  

   The young girl was led up a stone staircase, one soldier in front and one behind, closely watching her from fleeing their guard at any attempt of escape.  Her dark brown eyes peered around through the cracks between the soldiers bodies, carefully assessing the surroundings.  Isha stopped walking, her feet steady like cement on the sheet of granite underneath her.  A soldier from behind ushered her firmly to keep moving, but Isha’s body was stubbornly impossible to maneuver.  

“Let’s go girl. Move!” the large man ordered from behind her, pushing her harder this time. 

Isha moved her shoulder in sync with the large man’s motion causing him to fall forward and lose his balance slightly. Her eyes looked up into his, she smiled righteously and her slender hand shot up grabbing his meaty wrist hard.  

“What are you doing? Let go!” he spat at her. 

She twisted his wrist back in an unnatural position until he couldn’t move away from the pain. Her dark hair fell across her face leaving one eye exposed, a look of satisfaction floated in her gaze. She wrenched his wrist hard while cutting down viciously with her other hand on his elbow causing him to fall to his knees on the floor beside her. A snapping sound could be heard along with the large man’s cries of agony, and he fell to he ground hanging on to the threads of tendons that barely held his arm together.  

A large hand pulled at her hair, dragging her backward and away from the crippled soldier writhing on the floor.  The wall hit her back with a cold fist and she regained her focus now on the heavy soldier hovering over her. 

“Stop!” another soldier ran toward the one leaning over her. “You know he wants her alive.” he shoved him away from where she sat.  

A wave of heat suddenly intensified within her, the voices above her were muffled and her impatience with this situation began to feed the anger that was brewing within her. He was surely going to destroy the girl, but he bit back on the heightened defenses that boiled to the surface of his reflexes and he carefully pulled Isha to her feet beside him.  

“What’s the matter with her?” he asked. Her lungs wheezed as they fought to catch up with the acceleration of her breathing, her face flushed with a crimson colour and the flecks in her brown eyes bloomed with the same hue.  

“You okay girl?” the stocky man questioned her, leaning in close and placing his hand on her shoulder carefully. 

The beating of her heart pounded hard inside her head, it was deafening and the heat that scratched painfully within her was causing a panic to her senses. 

“No, I’m not!” she screamed with a decibel that pierced through the soldiers nerves like a hot blade. An animalistic intensity blazed in her eyes as she looked up at the soldier closest to her. The smell of burned flesh emanated in the air as she pressed her hot hand on to his bare hand, and he struggled hard to pull away from her scalding grip. She pulled hard on the soldiers arm dislocating the joint that held it together, causing his knees to embrace the hard ground and as he howled in agony. 

“Please, stop!” the unharmed soldier begged. 

The red in her eyes flickered intensely as her attention was caught by the pleading man’s cries, her breath quickened from the fight against controlling the unbridled powers that took over her.  Her hands thrust out in front of her, pushing the wounded man with such a force that his lungs ceased to breath as he hit the stone wall and slid down lifelessly. Isha’s mad eyes shifted to the last man standing, the rush of blood deafening the sounds around her, and she tore at her head from the torture of it. The man’s voice was muffled, his lips moved but her head could not translate his speech. Her feet awoke from the numbness she felt, carrying her away from the mess she had just created, and she tore through the dark hallway searching for a way out of this hellish dream.  

“Wait!” the soldier called after her, but his loyalty stopped him from chasing her as he tended to his wounded comrades that lay on the granite floor.

The fear in the young girl chased her to the end of hall, and she panicked looking all around her for an escape from hurting anyone else. A narrow door dressed the wall to the right of her, and she pulled at the latch revealing a downward staircase.  Sweat dripped down the nape of her neck, she pulled her dark hair to the side trying to cool the heat that radiated from her head. Her breathing calmed a little as the rush of blood inside her settled down to a pace that was more the speed of a human.  It was dark inside the descent of this narrow staircase, her hands felt for the sides of the walls as she stepped carefully down toward an unknown destination.  The sound of her breath cut through the silence that floated through the black air of this threshold, and the fear in her was evident from the audible tremors that lived in her lungs.  Isha’s careful pace down the tight corridor of steps stopped suddenly as her foot hit something hard. Her hands felt through the darkness, her fingers reading the wood underneath her touch to be a door.  Isha felt her way to the metal shape that latched the door closed, and she pushed down slowly trying to quietly open it.  Another long hallway presented itself to Isha, small lights decorated the walls lighting up an otherwise dim foyer and the young girl assessed every inch of the passageway for danger before stepping in to it.  Isha examined the old paintings that hung on the walls while she walked with a deliberate quietness along the cool hallway.  Attention was called to her deep brown eyes by a picture that was nestled in between two lit candles upon a small wooden table.  The image that sat within the silver frame was of her mother, and she stood there frozen with the thought of who this red haired beauty was within this photograph. 

 Was this the man that was so feared by many? It certainly was not the man she had come to know recently.  They looked happy, and the image of this pleasant memory was unsettling, she was confused.  

Isha was abruptly brought back to the present with the sound of a door creaking open down the hall, and the rapid pace of her lungs hit once more.  There he stood, the dark man, the one that they all feared was now standing just fifty feet from where she stood. The two shared a moment of silent recognition before they neared closer to each other, walking an easy and careful pace as they looked one another over. Isha stopped first, the red in her eyes still present in the flecks of the deep brown colour of them.  Caius noted the girl’s familiar eyes, they were her father’s, and he knew the crimson that shimmered in them all too well. She had her father’s colouring, but the girl was her Mother, the features on her face stung his soul and for a moment his thoughts distracted him. 

She could have been his he thought, and his heart ached for the love of a woman who was so clearly in love with the man he could never be. He walked closer to her, looking at the young girl that stood in front of him, her breath was heavy and she glowed from the sweat that ran down the sides of her face.  He reached his hand out to her, and she didn’t look afraid as he wiped the damp strand of hair from her cheek.

“How sad.” his words weren’t careless, and he looked affectionately at her.

“How sad, that such a young girl has to grow up so fast.” 

Isha’s small hand gripped Caius’ wrist, pushing his away from her, her hand lingering a little on his. The powerful man feeling the burning heat coming from her palm, and felt the slightest bit of fear by what she could possibly do to him. 

“You can stop this Isha. You can stop this. You can be brave and save your family.” he knelt down to her level, as if this was going to make her feel like an equal to him. Her breathing intensified, she felt angry inside and the more she tried to control the rage the faster she breathed.  

She tried to calm herself, her hand found his arm, moving her hand onto his shoulder she leaned toward him whispering something into his ear.

“I want you to leave. Leave this place. Leave my family alone.” her breath felt hot and pierced the inside of his ear. 

“Never!” he bellowed and laughed at the absurdity of the young girl telling him what to do. His laughter dragged on as he pushed himself off the floor onto his feet and stood hovering over Isha. He stroked the scruff on his face as he contemplated his next move, she had no idea what she was dealing with, but then again he had no idea who he was dealing with. 

“Well, I gave you a choice.” he said as he looked back at the cellar door he climbed up from. “Let’s begin!” he walked hurriedly toward the door, yanking it open rather madly and yelling something in a foreign sounding language. A heavy pounding thundered from the room, it was in sync and the sound of metal was clashing along with it.  Caius turned to look back at her, his laughter sounded like that of a small child discovering a new toy and he spat a happy warning in her direction.

“Think now it’s best to run my girl!” he moved back from the door in a hurry, out of the way of an army of massive metal bodies that flew out of their sleepy prison.  

Isha didn’t move, her feet felt heavy and stuck to the stone floor as if they were cemented down. She watched as the mad man organized his inhuman army of metal in front of her, they moved obediently and in accordance with the foreign commands he shouted out to them.  Isha stood very still in a deep thought, recalling the picture of her Mother and this Man in that frame, he seemed so normal then. 

What could drive a man to the depths of the craziness that was so apparent in him now?, she wondered. She felt sorry for him, and she wished there was something she could do for him. She feared he was too far gone to be rescued from a possession that was created by his own fear of a lost love. 

She was just a young girl, she did not own the power to persuade a man that was so far away from normal to be saved.  A loud bang brought her back from her thoughts, an intense vibration shook her stature nearly causing her to lose her balance.  The army was now facing her, a cool blast of air crept over her causing her to shiver slightly.  Their masked faces seemed to be staring down at her, these soulless bodies seemed to be sending her a message without a voice.  Caius shouted another command at the large metal bodies that stood in perfect formation, his words were incomprehensible as his voice projected the foreign language. One last bellow from this dark and manic looking man instilled motion within the metal bodies as they marched forward. Isha’s head pounded with the sound of her own blood rushing, her heart felt as though it was going to tear through her chest and the heat she had felt earlier was starting to burn inside her again.  She was a prisoner to her own power, the protective instinct that lived inside her was turning on without the control of her own will. She was not afraid of the evil that marched toward her, she was terrified of herself, and she screamed trying to get a handle on the fire inside.  Caius watched her cautiously, her body shook with an uncontrollable violence, then all at once she was very still, and she looked up at the man with a calmness in her brown eyes. 

“Isha?” Caius called out to her as he walked alongside the army. “Isha? You better run girl.” he warned as they moved closer to her. 

The man was growing more insecure with what was to be the totality of this situation, she was not running and they were nearly ten feet away from where she stood now.

“Run?” a questionable look washed over her expression. “NEVER!” 

Her screams shattered the glass frames that hung from the wall, the metal that dressed the army rattled hard nearly knocking them to the ground.  Caius held his hand up, and the army stopped marching after he shouted another untranslatable order at them. A cold silence blew through the hall and paused between them for a minute as they glared at one another. 

Isha held her head, the fever inside her body was growing, the intensity of it was numbing her senses and the noises around her were indistinct.  The dark man’s lips moved, she could see that he was yelling something at her, but nothing, only the sound of her own blood rushing filled her ears.  The heat burned painfully, she couldn’t stand to be in her own skin, and she fell to the ground from the animal that was being born within her. 

“No!” she screamed, fighting against the inevitable change.  She sat back on the cold floor, holding her head in her hands and weeping for her old life. Caius stopped for a moment, holding back his dark intentions, he stood for a moment letting the young girl have some time to try and accept her fate.  

“Isha! My girl!” a female voice cried out from behind the girl. The red haired beauty ran fearlessly to her daughter, kneeling by her side. “It’s ok love.” her arms cradled Isha, and then the girl threw herself deeper into her mother’s arms. It had been a long time since she felt her mother’s touch, a feeling no child should be without and she embraced the loss for the few minutes they had been given. Isha peered up to see her mother’s beautiful face, expecting this all to be a dream, she looked around to see the faces of her friends standing behind them.

“Where is Randall?” she asked her mother worriedly. 

“He’s on his way. Don’t you worry.” she stroked Isha’s hair lovingly. 

A loud screech of metal knocked them from their tender reunion, bringing them back to the pungent reality and awakening the girl back to her arduous destiny. 

“I hate to break up this touching reunion.” Caius spat sarcastically. “But I have some trash, that needs to be taken care of.” the annoyance in his tone lingered in the way he scratched at his face.  “Well? Shall we?” he faced the metal formation, and with the raise of an arm the army marched on.  Cerdwin couldn’t hold on to her daughter, she let her go quickly as the heat of her skin nearly burned her. The anger in the young girl took her prisoner, throwing her fist to the hard floor with a such a force that it was sure to break her bones. Isha looked down at her clenched fist, the cool floor felt good against her skin, she felt no pain from the impact and she smiled up at Caius as if she knew what she was doing.  Again, the girl threw her fist to the ground, the floor rumbled beneath them and a small crackling sound diverted the group’s attention to the floor they stood on. A thick crack in the floor snaked from under the girl’s fist, winding its way toward the dark man and his army. The air was thick with danger, the disastrous silence froze the group in a fear of what was to come next. Her fist pounded the ground once more, this time causing many cracks to slither across the stone floor and shake the balance from the bodies that tried like mad to not fall. The metal army wavered back and forth, the clatter of their armor intensified with every rumble of the ground. Caius grasped for the handle on a door frantically trying to save himself from falling through the sheet of granite that was now crumbling from under his imperishable army. Time seemed to lapse slightly, everything seemed to be in slow motion, the girl sensed every sound and every image around her.  She was acutely aware of where everyone was, from what they were saying, to how they were feeling, and this unnatural instinct painted the receptors of her senses immediately.  She could see her Mother reaching out to her before she felt her arms sweep her up and pull her away to safety.  Isha watched the soldiers disappear through the floor, and the dark man pull himself to safety, carefully plotting his feet after them.  His heart pounded, she felt his nerves heighten and she could sense the fear that was now dancing wildly in his stomach.  Her limbs whirled around, a small winding staircase met with her feet as her Mom put her down, and nudged her hard. 

“Can you walk?!” Cerdwin yelled in a panic to her daughter. Isha nodded, her Mother’s heart felt rapid, the images within her Mother’s mind were transferred to her with just a touch. Images of what was not yet to come, the mind of a worried Mother was visible to the young girl.  

Isha nodded and ran with her Mother down the stairs, escaping from the quake she had just created.  The heat of the young girl burned through Cerdwin’s clothes, the pain of it was almost unbearable, but she would rather wear the pain than let go of her. The door at the base of the stair case swung open, it was her father, and the three of them ran around him just barely avoiding the floor above that was now falling down hard.  Randall gripped Chayton’s arm as he flew by him, yanking him back toward him hastily. “What happened?!” he yelled through the deafening noise of the crashing stony structures.  

Chayton looked at Isha, then back at Randall. 

“It was her.” Chayton’s voice was barely audible through the velocity of the destruction. Randall looked over at Cerdwin, who was huddled with the girl by another exit, waiting nervously for the two to catch up to them.  

“Where is Caius!?” the red haired maiden yelled at them.  He was nowhere to be seen, amongst all the dust and rubble of stone it was hard to see anything, let alone any bodies.  Randall picked up his speed as he walked toward them, he couldn’t hear Cerdwin, she looked panicked and in some sort of discomfort as she pulled the sleeves up on her arms. Isha appeared to be lost in thought, she stood a couple of feet from her Mother and the sweat on her was profuse.  

It was happening, Randall knew the change all too well, the fevers and the intensity of all the senses.  Cerdwin yelled something at him again, her lips moved and her voice broke through the noise this time allowing him to hear her.  

“Where is Caius?!” she yelled to him again. Randall looked around, Chayton shifted his keen sights around them as well, but nothing, not a sign of him anywhere. Isha shrieked, her voice piercing through the haze of dust, her head whipped around to face her Mother. 

“No!!” she screamed. 

It was too late, a large dark arm reached out from the dark shadow of the exit, wrapping around Cerdwin’s waist and quickly pulling her away into the blackness.  The snapshot of this came to the girl’s psyche a little too late, but it didn’t stop her from chasing after her Mother, and she screamed after her into the dark stairwell fiercely.  The young girl sped down the dark stairwell, her feet hit the last step hard, her breathing was rapid and she looked around her fast trying to find any sign of her Mom in the dim cool hallway. There was nothing, just the bitter dark that addressed her sights, and she crept quietly down the hallway keeping her senses tuned in to any sounds or movement.  The others walked behind her searching the black passageway as they stalked after Caius and Cerdwin.  Small lights sat in little nooks along the walls allowing them some sight to aid their feet in finding solid ground.  They passed over a heap of broken stone from under a large hole in the ceiling where the army of metal soldiers fell through.  

“Where did they go?” Chayton asked as the three of them stepped over the fragments of rock and dust.  Just then a voice fired from the very end of the hall, screaming in an incomprehensible language, a blasting sound filled the air and the rattled expressions of the three found one another in the dark.  Randall saw it first, his legs sprang to life, projecting his body in front of the young girl and howling as he dropped to the ground hard.  Chayton jumped at Isha, pushing her to the ground hard as another blast screeched by them.  The girl crawled over to her Father who lay very still on the floor, he pulled at a large shaft that sank deep in his chest.  The sound of his flesh being mashed as he twisted the weapon from him made her sick, the smell of his blood entered her acute senses and she covered her mouth as she choked back on the bile churning in her stomach.  All the colour left her face, she felt cold, her head felt light and her body was heavy with the shock of her Father’s wound.  She felt what he felt, she could sense his heart slowing, she gasped for air as he tried to manage his breaths around the intense pain he felt.  

“We have to get out of here!” Chayton yelled at them. “You have to get out of here.” he held Isha’s arm and shook her sternly, waking her out of the shock.  “I’ll take care of him, now go!” he yelled, pulling her from her panic. “Go that way!.” he pointed to an open door just a few feet away. A pounding of metal roared from down the hall, they could see the army now, coming at them with a destructive focus.  “Go! go!” he pushed her. Another arrow whipped by her, almost plunging into the side of her neck, she crouched as she walked toward the open door and slipped away just in time. Her hands felt for the sides of the dark corridor while she carefully placed her feet on the stairs that descended beneath her, and the light from the adjacent room crept in through the cracks of the door at the end of the staircase.  The air around her was thick with an eery silence, and she methodically pulled the half open door toward her trying to contain the creaking that split from the old wooden panels.  The orange tones of light washed over her face as she entered the massive cathedral.  At least that’s what it appeared to be, with it’s cluster of wooden pews and plethora of crosses everywhere.  Isha entered in from the back of the cathedral, and as her heightened senses quickly ingested the ambience of the room she could smell the bitterness of blood.  Her head shifted from side to side as she approached the commencement of the pews, searching for any sign of the life her psyche was picking up on.  She felt it before her eyes drew the image before her, the rush of blood again, her heart pounded and the sharp pain clawed at her insides.  She saw her mother’s body, sprawled out lifelessly on a red carpet under a tall stained glass window, and then she focused in at the front of the cathedral at a body that lay very still. The image of the body zoomed in along with the rush of blood that filled her head, terror pounded her gut and knocked the air from her lungs. She grasped at her chest, the young girl wheezed as she fought to restart the natural rhythm of her respiratory tract again. The picture of this situation flashed in and out with a blackness, as if someone was flicking a switch. Voices whispered incomprehensible things inside her head, and the blood now rushed from her head to fill the fibers of her muscles.  She felt powerful, but somehow powerless all at once and the air filled her lungs once more with a blow so hard it knocked her to the ground.  Isha’s dark hair hung down grazing her hands that now clenched the red carpet beneath her, and the red flecks in her eyes glistened as she looked up at the man that was hovering over her mother.  The man she was now going to destroy.

     Chayton wrenched the heavy sword from the metal demon, his hands burned from the force at which he used to slide the heavy iron above his head and across the neck of the inhuman trooper.  The steel helmet exploded into a black powder and the body disappeared into the frigid air.  A very large black man appeared with Stamos and Adrian, the native and his two allies approached the two that were just barely fighting off the malicious hardware. 

“I see help is on the way.  What took you so long lads?” Randall piped between attempts to crush the body of metal that challenged to finish him off. The thick sharp edge of his weapon screamed through the neck of his challenger colouring the dim air with another explosion of the mysterious black powder. 

“What took us so long?” Stamos sneered, giving Randall an unimpressed look, this wasn’t a time to attempt humour.  

A thick metal shaft twisted through the air, its sharp head spun in the direction of Adrian. 

“Look out boy!” Stamos warned as he watched the spear fly by him toward the young Man. The young man did not waver, he stood very still, and his hand gripped the shaft of the metal missile saving him from meeting an early demise.  His hand burned from the friction his palm felt meeting the speed of the iron shaft, and he switched hands as he fanned the heat off with the cool air that blew through the corridor.  His hazel eyes turned a deep green from the anger that started to boil inside of him, the body of metal reached into the black air withdrawing another massive arrow and readied his arm for another attempt to finish the young man off.  Adrian shifted the weapon he held to his dominant hand and fired the cylinder at the savage that threatened his existence again.  The men watched in admiration as the soulless soldier erupted into a pile of nothingness, black specks of dust covered the floor where this enemy had been standing, and the young man wore a look of pleasure with what he had just done.  He was so fast his movements could not be seen and he felt amazing with all the power he had now, but he was also terrified.  Terrified he would one day turn into the man he hated and feared, his father. 

“Well, that should do it.” Randall smiled boldly as he regarded that they had just erased the last body of metal from its inhuman existence.  He pressed his black stained hand against the hard ground and stood for a moment trying to brush the dark dust from his hands. He looked down at the wound that dressed his shirt, and lifted it up over his muscled stomach to see just a smear of blood.  His hand ran over the area the arrow had entered, the gash had closed up, but the pain still ached reminding him of the recent injury.  

“Do you hear that?” Stamon interjected the acute silence, and walked through the pile of metal toward a window at the end of the hall.  His hand fingered the black curtain that covered the glass revealing another rampage of soldiers pounding toward the fortress.  

“God help us.” Stamon’s mouth fell open in shock. “It’s time for us to go.” he turned to his allies. The men ran down the spiral staircase that Isha had eloped through, finding themselves at the bottom with a door that would not open.  Randall wrenched on the iron handle hard, twisting and pulling, but the door would not give in to his physical demands.  

“There is another exit down here.” Stamon felt for the passageway in the pitch black, his hands glided up, down and across the cool stoney wall.  “It’s a tunnel, I know it’s here.” nervous tones lingered in his voice, the rhythmic sounds of soldiers above them now pulsated through the structure of the fortress.  

“Hurry!” Adrian yelled, his panicked hands searching for the hatchway.  

“Found it!” Stamon piped excitedly.  A heavy creaking noise interrupted the edgy emotion that was present in this small dark space. “Of course, behind the stairwell, how could I forget?” the large soldier breathed a sigh of relief as he escorted the men ahead of him.  “It’s a bit tight at first. Don’t worry, it opens up soon. Won’t be long before we’re on our feet again.” Stamon encouraged the group of men in front of him as they crawled on their hands and knees, the walls around them grazing their bodies as they slithered through this strange tunnel.  

“You didn’t know about this passageway my boy?” Stamon asked Adrian who reached for the wall as he balanced himself from his crouched position to standing upright in a more dignified space. The men followed Adrian’s upright posture and moved quickly through a more visible space, that was lit up by the glow of lights hanging in small nooks along the walls.  

“No, I didn’t know of this tunnel. Strange, in all my years here I didn’t.” Adrian wasn’t surprised though, being raised in such a falsehood, he was sure there were many things he was not aware of.

   Isha crawled on her hands and knees toward the wooden pew, her vision blurred by the tears that were filling the small spaces in her eyes that spilled on to her face as she tore herself up from the floor.  The pounding in her head started again, the bass of her heart pounded in and out of her ears, but this time the pain was not present.  The young girl in her was not there, she felt nothing, only the desire to kill and he was her target.  Power blew into her lithe muscles carrying her body toward a very large man with no fear or hesitation that she could possibly be destroyed.  Caius pushed his hand out as if he was moving an imaginary wall, the translucent air around them moved visibly in waves, like a mirage caused by an intense heat.  The wave of heat blew at Isha, the wall of fire moved intently toward the girl, tossing her hard on her back and spilling the breath from her lungs.  The flames surrounded her, smoke blew across her vision as she sprang through the burning walls and landed on her feet returning to focus on the evil man in front of her.  He had her mother in his arms, and he turned to see that she had not faltered in the blast of flames he had projected toward her.  The look of shock and amazement invaded his expression, he had underestimated the stamina this young girl had been built with.  He held on to her mother with one hand as he steadied the force from his free arm and pushed at the air in front of him once more.  This time the free air in between them exploded with flames that lit the ceiling on fire, immediately causing the architecture above to fall apart.  Isha jumped back from the massive plank of cedar that fell from above nearly crushing her beneath its burning frame. Her boots were gone, she looked around madly for them in all the smoke, they must have blown off her from the tremor of the explosion. She saw Caius run through a door at the front of the cathedral, escaping from his own destruction, and the young girl stood for a moment in the room that was now falling apart around her.  An imminent instinct woke her from the weakness of her human emotions, taking her back into the intense focus of her immortal being. Her legs burned as she bounded toward the large cedar doors that covered the very back of this ungodly place.  Her hands felt hot as she peeled the metal latch right off the door and fired it at the wall beside her.  She got a glimpse of her arms, the sleeves that had once covered them were now burned off and a black ash coloured her bare skin. The remaining material from her sleeves hung in shreds from the elbows, and she shrugged this distraction off while stripping the other half of the bolt from the doors and tossing the heavy iron away like a sheet of paper.  

Her back burned from the power within her, that began as a spark and was now a steady flame.  The air tight door popped from the negative pressure of the room, she held on to the wide edge of its frame as it swung open hard attempting not to be tossed down the granite staircase that sat below.  A ball of flames launched into the open air behind her, she turned to see it coming for her and she neglected her hold on the door falling hard on the sharp edges of the steps below.  Isha shielded injury from her face as she tumbled fast down the staircase, the soft landing of mossy grass was welcoming to the cuts that were now a palette of red on her body.  Her eyes opened to a pair of large black boots that stood in the wisps of grass in front of her, and she looked up to find the silhouette of a man leaning over her.  His hands carefully found the undamaged parts of her, and she felt herself being gently lifted off of the ground.  The night was not as dark as it had been when she entered the fortress, the dawn was rapidly approaching its entrance, and she could make out the colours that this man was made up of.  He wasn’t a large man in comparison to the others, he was a man of modest proportions and his sharp features stood out against his tan skin.  He appeared to be wearing a uniform, a large leather belt that held a large sword broke up the continuity of white clothing that clung to his body.  The sound of a horse snorting directed Isha’s attention to the group of similarly dressed men that sat upon the most beautiful horses she had ever seen.  A young boy stood fixed to the side of a black stallion, and the most endearing smile she ever envisioned was portrayed on his face. 

“I’m Ronin.” the gentle man said placing his hand to his chest. “This is my Army.” his arm opened up toward the soldiers that sat calmly awaiting their orders.  “We are here to help you Isha.” the caring tones that were present in his voice lingered with her name a little longer.  “We must not waste any time, we must hide you somewhere. It is your parents wish that no harm come to you.” he motioned that she should come with him, he walked back toward the young boy that stood next to the shimmer of the black horse that was beside him.  

“It’s ok.” the young boy spoke to Isha. “Put your foot here, I’ll help you on.” his politeness gave her a warm feeling and he held the reigns tight as the stallion snorted again making Isha feel a bit uneasy.  She felt a small hand push firmly on the back of her leg, even though she didn’t need the help she accepted the gesture.  The girl could have easily powered herself up and onto the stallion’s back with the ceaseless strength she had, but she chose to let the boy think he was helping her. 

 “Thank you.” the glint of appreciation shone from her eyes and into the dark brown pools of his fixation on her.  The girl from his dreams was now in front of her, the awe of her real presence and knowing his visions had been accurate gave him such a happiness he had never felt.  

“Take her North, toward the open field over there and through the forest.” Ronin pointed toward a peak that washed into a valley of green behind the fortress.  The curves of the frost covered trail that carved through the field entered into a lush forest beyond, and would carry them Northbound to safer grounds.  

“Move!” he smacked the stallion hard on its back with his open hand, instigating the black horse to rear up tall on his hind legs nearly tossing Isha and Eran off.  A thunderous roar tore their attention toward the front of the fortress.  A profuse amount of men dressed in black armour barreled around the curves of the fortress walls and fired thick steel arrows at the meek looking army of white.   

“Father!” the young boy’s voice screamed with distress.  

“Go! go!” the Min Army leader commanded his son.  

“No, I won’t!” the stallion’s hooves danced up, down and around the trepidation of this precipice of war. The vision of the black armoured man firing an arrow entered Isha’s mind before it happened, she saw him pull hard back on the bow as she searched the chaos around her for him.  The speed of its shaft shot through the air causing an angry tone around it, and she threw herself off the excited stallion pushing Ronin to the ground.  The ground quaked beneath them, the heavy feet of the soldiers that ran for them and the pounding from the hooves of horses shook them to their feet again. The young girl stood staring at a long metal shaft and the edge of its sharp knife glistened, catching the attention of Ronin’s eye.  Her dark brown eyes looked up at the Min leader, the red flecks in her eyes washed out the brown tones from the hatred for the evil men that threatened to take more lives. The tone of muscles along Isha’s right arm tightened as she hurled the solid shaft of steel through the air.  The movements that possessed her were frighteningly fast, the Min leader and his son hardly had a chance to turn their heads toward the direction of her target before he faced death on the cold unforgiving ground below.  The attack was put on pause for a moment as the realization of the power this young girl possessed cleared up any thoughts that she was going to be easy prey.  A loud bellow of a voice blasted through the air, commanding the squad of men to keep moving forward with their attacks.  Ronin lifted the young girl up onto the stallion’s back, and smacked the animals hind hard pedaling the great beast into an escape from this war.  

The stallion was fast, weaving in between the panicked shuffle of the other horses, and Isha held on tight to the young boy who had a firm grip on the reigns.  Their fast pace whipped a cool wind around them tossing her black hair wildly around her.  She let go of the boy with one hand to brush the dark strands from impeding her vision, and with one stroke she lost her balance from her place upon the great black horse.  She ceased to breath for a moment as the ground stole the air from her with its heavy hit, and the stomping of hooves around her instigated the girl to find her footing fast.  Eran searched the disarray around him for any sign of the young girl, the air was thick with weaponry and the war between the two clans distracted the boy’s keen senses.  

“Hey!” Isha screamed at the boy as his eyes rummaged through the mess for her. Her bare feet burned from the ice cold ground as she ran after him. “Hey! Over here!” she yelled again through the thunderous sounds of horses and heavy footed men.  Eran pulled hard on the stallion’s reigns forcing the animal to stop as he turned to finally find her eyes fixed helplessly on him.  He commanded the stallion to move toward her with the thrust of his heels into the great animal, and just as he did the young boy was forced to the ground from an arrow that plunged into his side.  Isha gasped for air to make her lungs work, her feet felt numb and heavy as she tried desperately to get to him before it was too late.  His body lay motionlessly on the frost laden ground, the stallion prodded the young rider with its nose and pawed the ground beside him.  She ran hard through her shallow exasperated breaths, she was almost there.  She started to feel hot inside again and her movements quickened as the heat inside her grew.  Rage tore at the lining of her heart, the innocent girl wasn’t there anymore, and she smiled at the thought of destroying the evil that inhabited this place. Isha stood beside the boy for a moment watching him, assessing the wound to the side of his small chest and wondered what she could do for him.  An inner instinct pulled her bruised knees to the ground alongside him, her hands felt warm and she could hear the rushing of blood pulsating through her veins.  

“You’re burning me!” Eran shrieked from the touch of Isha’s hands on the large gash to his side. 

“It’s ok.” she whispered to him, and she pressed hard around the steel shaft that had entered his chest wall. “Trust me Eran.” she said reassuringly as her hands pulled on the shaft dislodging the foreign object from his body.  Eran screamed from the pain that ripped at his chest and from the intense heat that felt like fire on his skin.  Isha pressed her hot hands again on the boy, his body writhed on the ground as he tried to move away from the pain until finally she pulled her hands away.  She smiled down at him, her eyes danced with the pleasure she took in having this power to heal, and she stood up with an extended arm toward the boy. Isha’s focus was interrupted by the thrust of an arm around her waist that forced her up and onto the black stallion hard.  She turned to see that the boy’s father had thrown her onto the great horse, his dark eyes were intense as he spoke to her.  

“You must go, and never return.” his words jabbed at her hard. “Go!” he pushed hard on the stallion’s back. “Go!”  

The Min Leader lifted his son up to his feet. “ Find a safe place, and do not come out until the earth has quieted.” he pushed hard on his son’s back. “Go, now!” 

“What about her?” he asked as he stroked the heat from the side of his chest away.  

“ She will be fine. Now go!” he pushed his son away again, and ran off into the battle of this ignorant war.  

Eran watched helplessly as his Father ran off, leaving him with no other choice but to be a man, to be a brave young soldier.  The boy ran fast over the hill, down into the deep valley below and toward the lush forest.  He looked for the girl as he ran for cover but couldn’t find her in the cold barren land before him, and was puzzled that she could disappear from all the madness that surrounded them.  He kept looking for any sign of her as he ran away from the war, his small feet moved quickly over the hardened soil underneath him as he danced around the jagged rocks that poked through.  Eran stopped alongside a thick cedar that stood tall along the border of where the forest met with the open lands, and he turned around to have one last look back at his family.  

She watched the boy fade into the forest from her hiding spot behind a large wall of granite.  The stallion had run back around the fortress walls to find its way back to his master, and Isha did not move until she knew the boy was safe. He was gone, this momentary friend disappeared into the tall pines and she prayed for his family to be returned to him unharmed.  The cool light winds pressure started increasing with a stormy force, and the girl shivered slightly as she felt the temperature dip drastically on the back of her neck.  Her attention was lifted toward the grey sky above her, the indigo sky disappeared and was now met with a cloud laden dawn sky.   

Flakes of white powder started to fill the air around her, the wind blew hard at her face whipping the pellets of ice at her causing her cheeks to turn red from the icy pelts.  

How could the weather change so drastically and so suddenly?, she wondered.  The brown flecks of colour in her eyes turned to red as her vision caught the shadow of a man standing on a cliffside above the fighting men. It was him, she recognized him at once as she noticed he still held on to her Mother’s lifeless body.  The snow blew hard, the air was thick with it and it started to blind the images around her.  She ran in the direction of where he was standing, her feet slipped on the icy ground threatening to pull her down but she held her balance steadily through the fierce wind that attempted to keep her back.  The quiet whisper of voices rushed through her head, the pain that once filled her head wasn’t there anymore. She felt light and the voices repeated the same sentence to her, calming the anxiety that had gripped her through this journey. 

“Keep going Isha, you’re almost there. Keep going.”  The snow bit at her bare skin as her body gained speed toward the shadow of this evil man that crept in and out of the blinding gusts of the sudden storm.  The thunderous sounds of the war going on around her started to quiet down from the demise of men that were sprawled in and around the curves of the ice bound ground.  Their fractured bodies painted the white canvas, and she watched the ground closely as she ran so she would not fall over any of the bloodied bodies.  Her keen senses tuned into a few soldiers still left fighting beyond her in the valley below, and she could see her allies dressed in white galloping toward a wall of men dressed in black.  Her feet slowed a little as her focus shifted toward them, their incredible martial art techniques distracted her from her original destination for the moment.  It was a magic she had never witnessed, it was beautiful. Their graceful and deadly movements instilled an awe inspiring motivation in the girl to move faster toward the dark man that had stolen her family.  The currents of icy air pierced her bare skin attempting to toss her from side to side, but Isha had too much strength and it seemed the angrier she got, the more intense the power inside her grew.  She felt solid in this turbulent condition of the storm became. The heat that burned through her blood insulated her skin from the frigid temperature that pounded at her as she ran.  Isha found the callous man’s green eyes through the obstruction of sharp white powder that his magic hurled around her, and he sneered at the young girl’s dauntless attempts to get to him.  

Isha stopped for a moment, catching her breath as she held herself up against the mighty wind that attempted to knock her off her feet.  Her drenched clothes clung to her limber frame, and she brushed back the dark wet strands of hair that clung to her face.  She saw him do it before it happened, her mind found his premeditated crime and she screamed for her Mother, but it was too late.  His arms dropped before she could save her from the fatal fall, Caius laughed as he watched Isha’s expression after tossing her Mother’s body down the steep rocky decline of the cliff.  A pleasing look moved across the deep green flecks of his eyes as he looked on at the distraught young girl.  The shadow of his body disappeared from the top of the cliff as he walked away from all the responsibility of his menacing actions.  Isha’s head pounded, her heart felt as if it was going to tear right through her chest and she fell on top of her Mother’s cold body in a convulsion of tears.  

“Mom!” she screamed, her small fists pounding the breathless body of Cerdwin. “Mom!! Wake up!!” Isha stuttered through fits of tears. 

“Isha!” a voice called out through the blizzard that still blew around them.  “Isha! Where are you?” it was closer now, and she turned to see a few bodies ambling toward her over the cold murderous land.  

A warm hand felt for her arm, it was her father and he pulled her into his arms away from the tragedy at hand.  Her head sank into his muscular neck, and she went from feeling like nothing could destroy her to a helpless victim.  Her fingers pressed hard into the padding of flesh of her father’s neck, she tangled her arms around him hard as if she could not get a tight enough grip.  

“Is she dead?” her voice stuttered through her rain of tears. “I don’t want to look, is she dead?” she hugged him harder. 

“No Isha.” he lied, and he bit through the pain of knowing she was gone. “She’ll be fine.” he grimaced a little from the hold his young girl had on him. His neck burned from the heat that was pouring out of her skin, he gently peeled her small arms off his neck placing them at her sides and looked at her endearingly. “You must go my dear Isha.” his brown eyes sat heavy on the tears that wanted to surface. “You must run, through the forest.” he pointed toward the green timbers that were strewn ahead of the deep valley below.  

“No, no!” Isha shook her head. “I won’t.” she looked down at her Mother’s frozen body and back at her Father. “I can’t, I can’t leave you, I can’t leave her.” her voice shook from the currents of her angst. “I’ve just found you both.” the stream of tears washed through her soot stained face. 

“Through the forest.” he pointed again and shut the door on giving in to his daughter’s pleas. “Follow the trail, there is only one. You will come to a cliff, and when the time is right you must jump, you must let go of your fears.” he could see she was taken aback by his directions. 

“Jump?” her thoughts searched for the reason why he would want her to throw herself to a sure death.  “But why?” she asked him.  Randall stroked his daughter’s forehead, smiling at her pretty face and choking on the sadness that this might be the last time he may see her.  

“Do you trust me sweetheart?” he held her eyes with his affectionate gaze. Isha nodded her head with a yes. “This is the way we came to be here, and this is the way you have to leave.” he could see she understood by the recognition she had with his words in her eyes.  “You must go now.” he said as he pushed her high into the air and on to the black stallion that was waiting for her in the midst of all the destruction.  

“But...” it was too fast she thought, she cried out in a desperate plea to stay. “Please! I want to stay! Father!” her voice carried through the air and back to him as the stallion galloped away.  She pulled hard on the reigns before the great animal neared the lip of the valley, she could see explosions of fire blasting into a flurry of smoke in the valley below.  The bodies below had decreased, and few were still fighting through the haze of ashes that filled the hollow land.

“I will find you.” Randall spoke quietly, tears filled the large man’s dark eyes as he watched his daughter disappear.  The stallion tore the hold she had on its reigns, ignoring her commands the brawny black animal pulled forward and climbed down the steep decline.  Isha watched her group from far away, their small shadowy bodies trailed down the discrepant hillside toward the battle that still brewed below.

  She held on tight to the stallion’s black mane, her body shifting drastically from side to side from the steep rocky bluff.  She couldn’t go, she thought. How could she leave them? They were her family. Isha let go of the stallion’s mane and with the next shift of it’s body she let herself go, slipping off the smooth black body she fell to the ground.  The stallion snorted at her in a disapproving tone, and she pushed away the animals nose that prodded her to get on it’s back again.  

“No, I must go. They are family. You understand, I know you do.” the stallion shook its large head and stood at ease beside her.  Isha ran her hands along the stallion’s neck appreciatively and climbed carefully down the frost bitten earth.  She looked back at the stallion, his eyes fixed on her through the wisps of its black mane that was being tossed about by the cool wind.  She looked around her, the snow was not blowing any more and she wondered in all this haze when it had stopped. The young girl shook off the sudden perception of the change in weather and turned to look at the stallion one last time before she carried on. “Thank you” she whispered, and then her bare feet pushed on the cold earth below carrying her swiftly down to the smoke filled valley below.

     “What are we doing here Mom?” the young boy asked the blonde haired goddess. Alethea raced around the dark cellar, her hands weaving madly in and out of cupboards searching for something.  “What are you looking for Mom?” the boy followed his Mom’s erratic movements. 

“It has to be here somewhere.” she paused for a moment, her slender hand running through her golden wisps of hair. 

“Mom! We have to go! Stop it!” the boy pulled on Alethea’s arm causing the serpent shaped clasp to fall off.  Cedric bent down to pick it up, and as he did his eyes met with the pages of a large book.  “They need our help Mom, come on we must go.” he dragged the large book out from under a small table and stood up placing it on the thick wooden shelf in front of them.  

“You’re brilliant Ced.” her blue eyes lit up when she saw what she had been searching for. “Brilliant.” she patted his soft blonde crop of hair proudly.  

“It’s just a book Mom.” the impatience he had with her at the moment addressed the inflection in his voice. “Mom, we have to go!” he tugged hard on her sleeve.  

“Okay, we can go.” she said as she tucked the heavy book under her arm and followed him up the stone stairs.  

“What is it?” Cedric prodded her through the hurried shuffle of their feet.  

“This Ced...” she paused looking nervously down at the dense book.  “This is the cause of all this evil.” she held on to it tight as if it would fly out of her arms suddenly.  She whispered something in to the boy’s ear as if someone was listening and she did not want them to hear. 

“We must destroy it.” she moved away from his ear as they walked down the broken and icy stairs outside.  Cedric stopped at once, trying to find the meaning in his Mother’s words. 

“The book?” he looked perplexed. 

“Shhh...” she bent down and whispered to him once more. “If this book is not destroyed, it’s evil will one day threaten to destroy all of humanity.” 

“But how?” he asked. 

Alethea bent down and whispered to her son again. “It must be burned along with the very person who awakened the destructive force within it.” 

“Caius?” the boy looked up at his Mother who clutched the book away from the two of them, as if it could hear them speak.  

“Yes.” 

      Caius found himself in the midst of the battle that was burning out, his feet found the frost bitten land easily as he stepped over the dead and dying bodies of soldiers with no regard for their lives.  His calloused smoke stained hands lingered with the tragedy he just bestowed on the young girl and her Father.  He watched the white ground that was spattered with the crimson color of blood move beneath him as he examined the black soot that stained his hands.  The fortress burned behind him and he turned to ingest the glory of this disintegration.  A large black man came running toward him out of the foggy air, the anger coloured his native face unmistakably and the efforts in his breath sung through the heavy air.  Caius laughed at the athlete that tore at the earth below to get to him, he didn’t have anything to lose, and Caius admired that because he didn’t either.  Just as the natives feet glided into his space he was forced into the air by Caius’ rough hand, and the native was held there to choke for a few seconds before his massive body was tossed to the ground like human trash.  Caius searched the filmy air around him for any sign of life, where there was once life there was now death and a sudden nauseousness twisted his gut.  He howled from the pain that plunged into his back forcing his knees to plow the icy ground below and causing blood to spill from his mouth onto his blackened hands.  He was being attacked, he felt for the wound to his back, and he brought his hand around to see it was covered with the red substance that spilled from his lips.  A thunderous assault pounded his ribcage, tossing him up in the air and forcing his body brutally down onto the ice.  He lay staring up at the changing dawn sky through the wafts of smoke that still remained in the atmosphere, and his lungs screamed for the breath that had been stolen by the merciless ground.  

“Stop!” a girl’s voice called out from the smog. 

Caius lifted his battered head up trying to see where the girl stood.  His assailants crept out of their canine shells and into their human forms, all but two, who stood from a safe distance watching his every move.  His son, his right hand man, both standing there glaring at his mutilated body, and the traitors in them were visible in the way their eyes danced with daggers for him.

Isha ran madly toward her Father, her feet slipped over the bitter earth bringing her unforgivingly down on her knees.  Her stomach kissed the cold and as she brought herself up to her knees again she saw him. The bloodied body of her native friend lay frozen and lifeless on the ground.  She cried for him as she stood up to face her Father, and she looked once more at the gentle warrior that had risked his life to help her.    

“I told you to go.” his hot hand pressed lightly on her shoulder.

“Stop, stop all this killing.” her speech struggled through the tremors of tears.  She wiped her tears away and left smudges of black soot behind on her cheeks.  

“He must be punished for his crimes Isha.” his hate for the Man was masked by the love in his voice for his daughter.  

“But, leave him. Leave him here. He will be punished by all those who he has hurt.” she walked over to the beaten body of Caius, he didn’t look so powerful now and the shock of losing so much blood caused him to shake violently.  

“Isha, no!” Randall put his arm protectively in front of her as she reached down to touch the dark lord.  

Caius stole the young girls good faith as a darkness in him curled the corner of his lips, he could feel the unnatural power coarse through his veins once more. His wounds were healing unbeknownst to the group that stood hovering over him.  His fingers traced Isha’s bare ankle, he wrenched on her leg hard causing her to fall to the cold earth beside him.  

Randall threatened to pounce but was stopped by the fear that his attack would end the life of his young daughter, and Caius’ hushed the beast within her father bringing his bloody fingers to a halt in front of him.  His bloody hand stained the young girl’s neck, and he whispered something into her ear as he held her to the frozen earth with one hand.  

“This is not your day to die, but one day.  One day I will find you Isha...” he squeezed the breath from her windpipe nearly crushing it and she pounded her small fists into the ground causing the earth below to shift.      

The sudden quake startled Caius to loosen the hold he had on Isha’s neck and she was quickly pulled away from any danger by a young man she did not recognize. His arms were strong as they held on to the fight in her to get away, she pounded him hard on his back trying to get him to let go and she cried out hard as the vision of her Father grew smaller in the distance.  

“Let me go!.” she pushed her hands hard on his chest and leaned back to get a look at his face.  He turned to face her as he ran, his hazel eyes glowed with an amber familiarity.  

His strong arms lifted her to the ground before his feet stopped moving at the edge of the forest, and he bent down slightly to say something to her.

“Go now.” he prodded her kindly. 

“I...I don’t want to.” she protested. 

“You must. If you want to save us. If you want to save yourself, you must. Now, go.” he placed his hand softly on her back and nudged her toward the tall trees.

“Who are you?” she asked him, her feet bare feet moving slowly along the trail.

“Your brother.” he paused before saying it again. “I am your brother Isha.” and he smiled with the pleasure he took in knowing he had a little sister.  “Now go.” he watched her walk away from him, hand in hand with the confusion of his confession to her.  The wind blew hard, clearing up the blinding smoke around them and revealed the flames that snaked around the stumps of trees in the forest that surrounded her.  

“Go! Run Isha!” Adrian scared his young sister into a steady pace, and she stumbled over the roots in the ground as she took off into the woods.  Branches alit with flames fell from the burning trees and into the path of the steady pace her legs took to.  The premonition that preceded this time flashed into her mind as if she now moved in a dreamlike state, and she glanced down at her bloodied arms that now pumped fiercely at her sides.  Maybe this was all just a dream, she thought. The trail, and her movements mimicking the same illusion that had been played in her mind so vividly before.  The fog of her psyche brought her back to the cloudless vision of the present, her feet tore over the obstacles of burning branches on the path with such a speed that the forest was just a blur of colours around her.  A hot rush of blood washed through her powerful body, her head pounded with the echo of her accelerated heartbeat, but this time she felt no pain.  A calmness invited her in as her sights caught the end of the trail, and she caressed the bittersweet sensation that she had reached the demise of this strange dream.  She looked down at her bare feet, her toes curled over the icy lip of the cliff, her dark hair whipped madly around her face as she stared out at the snow covered peaks of mountains far away.  

“It‘s okay Isha.” A female voice said to her. Isha’s head jerked around to find the voice that stood with her, her balance wavered nearly tossing her off the cliff.  No one was there, she shook the bad nerves off and took a deep breath before creeping to the edge again.  

Randall stood over the dirty blood stained man, his lips curving over the whites of his teeth in a broad smile.  Caius looked up at him through his bright green eyes, his body shook, not from the fear of his impending death but with the loss of so much blood.  The shifter was joined by two men, two men he thought were his allies and his disgust with their deceit washed through the tone in his voice.

“You’ve both just written your tickets to death.” his words were shaky and breathless. 

“How does it feel Caius?” Randall waited a second for the answer and then carried on as he knelt down to the injured man.  “How does it feel to know you are going to die, and there is nothing you can do about it?” Randall shoved his hand into the bloody wound that ripped through Caius’ ribcage. Caius winced, playing along with the enormous pain he should be feeling, he felt his body getting stronger and they had no idea.

Randall placed his warm hands on either side of the callous man’s head, preparing to snap his neck. “Hope hell treats you rightly Caius.”

“No!” a woman’s voice ran shrieking through the viscous air. “Randall! No!” she yelled again. Randall turned around, his hands still fixed on the cold man’s head, it was Alethea and she stood there trying to spit out her next set of words through her fits of breath.

“Randall, don’t.” she panted, her hands clutching a moderate sized book. 

“He can’t be killed Randall.” she looked at the pale man that had his head locked in a vice of Randall’s hands. 

“What are you talking about Alethea?” Randall blasted, he was annoyed by this interruption. 

“She has to do it.” her voice shook and her blue eyes glazed with the distress she felt. “Isha.” she paused, choking back her tears. “Randall, Isha has to be the one.” she opened the dark book and read an excerpt from one of its pages. 

“A young girl, the one with dark features, the one who has been birthed from a powerful love, the one who lives in a parallel world unlike the lands of Iraytia, she will be the one who will have the power to put this magic to rest.”  her lips shook as she read it aloud.  

“But it is the book then? The book, not him.” Randall twisted hard in either direction on Caius’ head. 

“No! No Randall, I haven’t finished.” Alethea searched for the next passage, her finger traced the pages frantically. “Here! Listen to this.”

“The one who possesses the power from this text cannot falter unless destroyed by the girl, “the chosen one.” her blue eyes lifted from the pages.

It’s just a book Alethea.  It is trickery, that is all.” his look of agitation was increasing.

“This is not a trick. This evil is real. Isn’t it Stamon?” she walked closer to Randall. “Don’t be reckless!” 

Randall looked up at Stamon, remembering the story he told him that regarded this text. He’d heard of this book, but he was so close to snapping Caius’ neck that he didn’t want to believe it to be the truth. He wanted to believe he had a chance to end this man’s life for good.  

“What are we going to do then?” Randall asked, looking rather helpless as he let go of grip on Caius’ head.

“Keep him from leaving, and her from coming back.” she said solemnly. “That is the only answer I have.” she said, tucking the large book under her arm. 

“He must be kept a prisoner. The farther the book lives from him, the weaker he will become. This is our only option.  I will take it far from here, and bury it where no one will ever find it.” Stamon said as reached his hands out, and Alethea reluctantly gave the large dark binding up.

“You must be careful Stamon. Evil has a way of charming its way into your soul.” she warned him.

“Yes, I know.” he responded, his words sounding heavy as he started walking away. 

“Wait! Where are you off to?” Randall spat his words out anxiously toward the large soldier.

“Doing my duty my friend.” he yelled back. “You have a prisoner to lock up, you best hurry!” he climbed up on a large brown horse, placing the book in a saddlebag and riding off, disappearing into the patches of smoke.

“Well, we’ve got some work to do.” Randall stated while pulling Caius’ weak body from off of the ground. 

The power that was growing in Caius’ body stopped, and steadied out as if he now had the strength of a mere human.  The injuries to his body stopped healing at an inhuman pace, but the magic in him was still very much present.  With the book traveling farther away it would take much time for the evil in him to recover, but one day it would and he smiled wickedly at the thought of this group’s ignorance.  

“Even in your own tragedy, you still smile?” Randall pushed Caius hard up the steep incline toward the fortress causing him to falter a little.

Caius turned back, staring at Randall with his piercing green eyes. 

“How does it feel Randall?” his words were dry of feeling.

Randall pushed him harder. “Move!” a fire started to burn in his voice for this pathetic man.  Caius spoke again, this time he kept his face forward and his feet moving.

“How does it feel, to know, that one day I will have one more chance to destroy the only family you have left?”. 

   “It’s okay Isha. I’ll be with you. You’ll be alright.” Isha ran her fingers over the pendant around her neck, and she stroked it as if the metal it was made of gave her an added strength.  

“Go my child. My beautiful daughter, it is time to let go.” the voice sounded like her Mother’s, and the calm tone of her voice aided Isha to end the dream that had stolen her conscious mind.  It was after all just a dream, she said to herself, and her blackened arms raised up in the air as the wind whipped hard at her torn sleeves. The young girl’s feet torqued the cold ground as she took off with lightning speed toward the cliff.

Here we go!, she said to herself. She kicked back any wafts of fear that tried to creep in and she jumped.  Her legs gathered all her power in the small frame that housed her muscles, and the young girl sprang into the dawn sky like a firework.  The brilliant colours of the early morning sky bathed all her senses while her body traveled up, and as her speed peaked so did the calmness that held her nerves together.  The fearless emotion that had lived in her from the feeling that she was invincible smacked her hard into reality as she started to fall.  The young girl fell fast toward the valley of jagged rocks awaiting to plunge her small body back to the humbleness of a mortal human life. She held her body tight, her arms at her sides and turning her body in another direction she faced death head on.  Isha’s eyes burned from the intensity of the wind that carved into her face, she fought to keep them open but the natural defenses of her body won against the struggle and they shut tight.  

“Please wake me up. Please.” she pleaded to a higher power in the force of darkness that covered her sight.  

The air shook around her falling body, she surely thought she had hit the ground as a sonic-like boom threw her from side to side, but with the thoughts that still spoke to her she knew she must somehow be alive.  

   The air felt warm as it tickled her bare skin, the breeze was gentle now and she opened her eyes to a light so bright it nearly caused her eyelids to shut again.  Inflections of indescribable colours slid by her on every side of this white vortex, and she was sure by all this beauty that this was the entrance to a heaven she could never have imagined.  

“Isha?” the voice spoke, her heart felt as though it was going to explode from her chest. A force gripped her body, causing her rocketing body to jerk forward and then back again. “Isha!” the voice grew louder, and her heart pounded painfully inside her.  The young girl turned over from the agony she felt, and now glided through the white sheen of the tunnel on her back.  

“Wake up Isha! Wake up!” the heat in her chest intensified. Increasing the pressure within her blood vessels, and projected a heartbeat so hard it threw her up and onto her back with a force that caused her lungs to cease their natural rhythm.

The white light that had her in its embrace now let her go into the arms of a very still darkness, and she was sure as the very breath that was taken from her that death finally owned her.  

“Sweetheart.”  a familiar voice stroked the cheek of the young girl who surely thought she was bereft of life. 

Please, this is all just a dream, let me wake, please let me wake up. 

“Wake up Isha, wake up!” the voice screamed with a much clearer tone, and she could feel the blasts of air on her face from the enunciation of words. Her eyes opened to shades of colour and back to darkness with the deep baritones of her heartbeat. Her eyelids flickered with the attempt to wipe away the unfocused shapes and colours above her.  She felt the graze of a hand drift lightly across her forehead, her eyes focusing hard on the movement of what appeared to be a human form beside her.  

“Nan?” she said, questioning the clear focus that her eyes now had on the woman that hovered above her.  “Is that you Nan?” she asked through the fogginess that still gripped the edge of her eyesight.  

“Yes, it’s me.” her Nan leaned in to her a little closer.

“It is you!” the young girl nearly strangled her Nan with the mighty relief she felt in seeing her again. “It was just a dream, wasn’t it Nan?!” she exclaimed with the sureness in this moment. 

Her Nan pulled away from Isha’s hold on her, her fingers tracing the bare arms of the girl and holding them in front of her to see. The torn sleeves, the black and crimson stained arms shocked Isha’s blood back into a heavy race through her vessels, and she gasped for air from the realization that it was not just a dream.  

A healed gash carved across her Nan’s forehead, her eyes assessed the room she was in was her own, and her hands traced the heavy wood that was now boarded across the window that had been shattered by the harsh winds before.  

“Oh Isha. I’m afraid it was not just a dream.” she said, trying to ease the girls anguish.  

“You’ve known all along.” a defeated tone painted her voice. “What am I? Who am I !?” she jumped up from her bed nailing her feet to the floor.  She felt betrayed, an anger burned inside her from the truth that had been kept from her all these years. She could have had more time with her parents, all that time stolen away just to protect her, and now what was it all for? she wondered as she stood pacing with her tempered breaths.  

“It’s going to be okay now Isha, it’s all over.” her Nan held the young girl’s hand squeezing it comfortingly. “You’re safe now.” her caring eyes looking brightly up at her. “You’re home and everything is going to be alright.” she tried reassuring her.

“But she is dead! How can you say that? She is dead!” Isha’s weak knees fell on the hard wooden floor of her bedroom, surrendering to the fits of tears that now gripped her fiercely. Her Nan rushed to her, hugging the young girl tight as she knelt with beside her. 

“It’s going to be alright Isha. It is going to be alright.” she said soothingly as she stroked her dark hair back, trying to aid the young girls incredible pain.

     The sound of an animal whined behind her, distracting her from the arduous bite of this reality and she turned to see a large white dog sitting at the threshold of her room.  It was the dog her Nan had described to her, her protector, and he sat patiently waiting for the girl to succumb to the certainty of her life.  

“This is real?” she hoped one last time that she would awaken into the normalcy her life once had.

”Yes, very real Isha.” her Nan answered nodding her head, and Isha’s sights focused on the obedient white dog again, and then shifted back to her Nan with just one more question.

“What will happen now?” 

  

 

       

  

  

     

 

Author's Note

(Still needs a bit of editing. Positive feedback would be great) Thx!