Teresa

Okay, who re-wrote the description? Colin? Was that you....? Alright, I had a good laugh, but aren't we giving Joe a bit of a hard time? Joe, seriously, we wouldn't give you a hard time unless we felt comfortable with you and knew you wouldn't take it seriously. At least, I wouldn't.... I can't speak for the rest.... C U all soon!

T

(Colin) Continuing the Apocalypse

It wasn’t a bad dungeon, as dungeons went. Shackled to the wall, Ulic found that the floor was pleasantly warm, in sharp contrast to the wall, which felt like it was driving a billion icy needles into his ribs. Not that it really mattered, anyway. There were a dozen other places on his body which hurt far more. His left eye was swollen shut, he was bleeding from at least six small wounds, and the only reason he was still in an upright position was the shackles themselves. His wrists felt unbearably stiff. But at least there was light, and the place was blessedly free of noise, which is more than could be said for most other dungeons.

Ulic was also reasonably certain that he was going insane, because he found himself both surprised and not surprised to see his old teacher suddenly appear in the flickering torchlight, barely four feet away.

Jaden…

Ulic was unsure he could meet his old teacher’s gaze without flinching.

“Well?” the old man finally said. “Aren’t you going to say something?”

“I believe the appropriate phrase would be, ‘How the mighty have fallen.’”

“Doubtful,” Jaden replied. He scratched his beard absentmindedly.

“Why?”

“You were never particularly mighty.”

Ulic was about to snap out a retort, but he found himself unable to. He was…tired.

There was silence for a time.

“Ironic, isn’t it?” Ulic said. He coughed. “I mean…I’m in prison now. Again. We…met in a prison, remember? In Serpentis…”

“Of course. How could I forget?”

“And now…” Ulic coughed again. This time something vile came up. He spat it into the shadows, not bothering to identify it. “And now, I’m going to die.”

Jaden cocked his head in that manner which suggested he was examining something with deep interest. “Oh really? What makes you so sure?”

“For the love of God, Jaden!” Cough. “Not even I’m sure about how many of the Praetorian Guard I killed. And as for breaking into the treasury…letting an enemy of the Order escape…I’ll be lucky if my head’s the first part of my body they’re going to cut off.”

“Oh, they won’t do that.”

Ulic looked up at Jaden. “Wha…?”

“The preferred method of execution is the death by cremation, if I recall correctly.”

“Oh.” A shuddering sigh. “I have accomplished…nothing.”

“Are you truly without hope?”

“‘Those born in sorrow shall die in sorrow’, as the old proverb goes.”

“How maudlin.”

“Perhaps. Nevertheless, it’s still how I…feel.”

Silence.

“You know,” Ulic said conversationally. “You could really drive a man to drink.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“Why? Why!?” Ulic’s voice took on an edge. “You really tick me off, Jaden! You preach about how good and just it is to perform these great deeds in the name of honour…and when the time comes to act, you step away and let others handle the situation, instead of doing it yourself.”

“If that’s true, then I’m still glad I didn’t end up like you.”

“I was serving no one with inaction.”

“Then what were you hoping to accomplish by charging out there and making a royal screw-up of things?”

“I did not intend to—”

Jaden shook his head disapprovingly. “Ruin yourself with your actions if you must, but when you ruin others…has it not ever occurred to you to step back and let events sort themselves out?”

“If I did that, then—”

“—yes, things would have turned ugly. But now, things have turned uglier still thanks to you.”

Ulic hissed. “You do not know—”

“Indeed. I do not know. And neither do you.”

Ulic would have strangled Jaden then, but for the shackles holding him in place. Then, he realized…why should he blame for Jaden for being right?

You ain’t got nobody to blame but yourself, buddy.

It was then the booted footsteps came. The heavy iron door to the cell swung ponderously open.

The fearsome visage of one of the famed Praetorian guards was standing in the doorway. Dressed in green armour, from head to toe, head covered in the swept back helmet, carrying a force pike…

It was amazing that Ulic brought down as many as he did.

“Have you come for more answers?” he asked weakly. “There is…little more left to give…”

Strange. His voice hadn't quite sounded so hoarse when he was talking with Jaden...

“Who were you talking to?” the guard said without preamble.

“Huh?”

“Don’t. Who were you talking to?”

Ulic looked and saw that Jaden was…gone.

“Myself,” he said. “I was talking to…myself.”

“You were talking to…yourself?” The Praetorian said, unbelieving.

“Do you see anyone else here?”

Ulic couldn’t see his eyes, but he was fairly certain that the Praetorian was glaring at him.

When he comes to unshackle me, I can punch him in the throat…no armour there…then, using his body as a shield, I can use his weapon to take out any other guards nearby, hoof it to the stable, grab a horse, and flee this forsaken little hole…

“What are you thinking about?” The guard asked suspiciously.

“A daring escape plan.”

“You’re not going to put it into action?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Too tired…”

Ulic slumped and promptly fell unconscious.

The Preacher, leader of the Order, watched as two guards dragged the limp form of the prisoner into the throne room. His clothes were little more than rags, and there was more black and blue than any other color visible on his skin.

It was difficult to believe that such a pathetic thing had taken out more than twenty of the Praetorian Guard.

The Preacher stood up from his seat, his black and red robes presenting a fearsome image.

“Wake him.”

One of the guards seized the prisoner by the collar and backhanded him across the face. Not a pleasant thing, considering the fact that the guard was wearing studded gloves.

Ulic came to consciousness slowly. When he was fully aware, the guard stepped away, and returned with his companion to the entrance.

Though wavering slightly, Ulic didn’t seem inclined to fall. His eyes focused on The Preacher.

“What do you want?” he asked sharply.

Much defiance in this one. “You are brave to so eagerly march up to our gates," The Preacher began. "Brave…and foolish. What were you trying to do?”

“I was testing to see how many of your Praetorian Guard it would take to bring me down. Wasn’t it obvious?”

Defiance, indeed…

“Perhaps. Your purposes in coming are, at this point, irrelevant...even after all you have done. The fact that you were so easily able to take out that many of my elite guard is the sole reason you are still alive. How is it that you learned to fight so…effectively?”

“I see no reason to tell you.”

“No?” The Preacher drew a weapon from the folds of his robe. It was a projectile weapon of positively ancient make, from before even pre-Blackening times.

Ulic found strength from reserves he didn’t know he had and laughed. "That's a rather impressive weapon. do you use it to compensate for shortcomings in other areas?"

"You walk a dangerous line, prisoner," the Preacher warned.

“You think I fear death, Preacher? I’ve walked the razor’s edge. I knew that, sooner or later, my end would come. And you know what? Putting a bullet in me…doesn’t sound so bad right now.”

“You risk more than you know,” The Preacher countered. “As I’m sure you're aware, we have very effective…information gatherers. If, by the time this meeting is over, you are still alive, I swear to you that you will not be executed. You’ll be put back in your cell, and my interrogators will continue to try and crack You—day, after day, after day. Two things can happen in that event: your mind is destroyed, and your body is left to waste away. Life as a vegetable is hardly life at all, small one. If the body goes, then the mind is obviously moot.”

The Preacher’s eyes narrowed. “Therefore, I will be generous with you this time only: tell me what I wish to know, or rest assured that the treatment of my interrogators will make you beg for the death that has long hounded you.”

Ulic snorted.

“There are fates worse than death, Preacher…and I’ve been through them all. Pain and I…are not strangers. You know…nothing of suffering.”

“Perhaps. But my interrogators can be very inventive.”

“So I’m told, but”—a cough—“my choice still stands.”

The Preacher nodded, almost imperceptibly. Fool. “I see. Very well, prisoner—you’ve chosen your fate. Stupid though you may be, I cannot help but admire your gall. I see now that interrogating you further…would be a waste of time. A pity, really.”

The gunshot echoed off the throne room’s walls.

(Emily) Chapter one!

*Gasp* It's finally done... Go read the prologue first, if you haven't already.

Part One

Chapter One:
Truths and Lies

Scourge woke suddenly, a cold sweat dripping down his forehead. He squeezed his eyes shut again, but forced himself to sit up. Memories of his dream flooded back to him, the horrible glimpses of the past…

“Stop it…” he murmured to himself, struggling to push the nightmare out of his mind, not wanting to think about it. But it was useless to try and stop the dream’s events replaying over and over in his head. The village completely engulfed in fire, the soldiers searching for the few survivors only to kill them, and of course the lifeless bodies everywhere, people he had known for years… It was all sickeningly vivid in his head.

I already lived the horror once, why must my dreams torment me with the memories, even after all of these years…?

But there was something different this time, which had not happened in the other dreams before. A young girl, probably around seven or eight, (which was his own age at the time that the dream occurred) stood nearby, watching the village burn with wide eyes full of terror. Her eyes were truly the only thing he could remember about her appearance, but he could remember every detail of them. They showed wisdom far beyond her age and a terrible sorrow as she watched the fire, as if she was losing her home as well. But she was obviously part of the Saridan Empire, the very people that had caused the chaos and destruction, the black cloak she wore gave it away. All the Saridan wore the very same cloaks when they were burning villages or other attacks that didn’t necessarily require armor. He would had recognized her if she were from the village anyway. She seemed rather out of place, as he couldn’t see any reason the Saridan would bring such a young girl to see something that horrible first-hand. Then again, the Saridan are terrible people, Scourge reminded himself as a wave of hatred flared up. He shook his head, struggling to remember the missing pieces of the dream…

…The memory came back suddenly, and exceeding the vividness of the other parts of the nightmare. It almost felt as if he were dreaming it again, but everything seemed so real it was almost like living it…

…The smoke burned my eyes and lungs, forcing me to cough and gasp for fresh air. Someone tugged at my arm, pulling me away from the thick smoke, and more importantly the fire blazing nearby, destroying the only home I’ve known. I’m not sure how, but I know it’s my older sister, Kai, leading me away, though I don’t see her face. I wanted to go look for my parents, even though I had been a safe distance away from the village when the fire started. Kai hadn’t seen me slip away, but it was fortunate that she found me in time. I realized after a moment that we had to get away before the Saridan soldiers found us, or we would be killed as my parents surely were by now. My little brother Ian, along with my friends Barek and Caden are with us now, running to the forest to escape. As we run I see the girl, staring at the fire with fear and sorrow, as if she is losing something precious as well. I stop running for a moment, wondering why she was here. I look into her deep blue eyes for a moment, and for a minute I see through her eyes, as if I were her. I can feel how horrified she is, filled with the same hatred of the Saridan I feel now. Not being able to watch anymore, she runs into the forest, I feel her wonder why the Saridan were doing this. Why, why must they do this when it’s so pointless? I can’t hear anymore of her thoughts, I’m back in my own reality again. My sister is pulling on my arm again, telling me we have to hurry, and I realize once more that we too have to run…

…But is it real? Another memory or only a dream...?

“Scourge?”

His eyes blinked open again, semi-startled by the voice. His mind felt blurry, suddenly thrust back into reality.

“Zala…” mumbled Scourge, glancing up at the Elf. He could barely see her in the inky darkness. “Is something wrong?”

“Y-yeah. I’m sorry to disturb you so late, but I have a feeling that there’s someone here again. Maybe it’s nothing but… Should I go see…?”

“Yes. But not alone, take the normal night patrol with you and… Barek. It could be Saridan spies again.”

“Alright,” said Zala with a short nod, turning to leave.

“Zala?”

She turned back to him.

“What is it?”

“If there is someone… Make sure Barek brings them back alive this time. I would simply go myself to make sure but I think I might be coming down with something.”

It wasn’t a complete lie, he felt rather nauseous from his dream still, but decided it would be best not to bring that up. He didn’t want to explain about the nightmare yet.

“Of course…” whispered Zala, nodding again slightly. She left without another word.

Scourge sighed, deeply hoping it wasn’t more spies. They would have to kill them if they were and if the Saridan were getting suspicious about all of their spies mysteriously disappearing around these parts... No, he didn’t want to think about that. They wouldn’t stand a chance if the Saridan attacked them now. We don’t have nearly enough people yet… We have to fight them eventually, that’s the whole point of this but please… Not yet.

A teenage girl sat on a rugged, crumbled boulder in the middle of a clearing. She stared absently up at the sky, her mind wandering as her jet-black hair streamed behind her, which also revealed her pointed ears, obviously classifying her as an Elf. She appeared to be somewhere around sixteen, and was quite short for Elven standards. She wore a plain black cloak, which covered the rest of her attire, and a bow was strapped on her shoulder, along with a quiver full of brightly colored arrows.

It was a nice morning; it would have been warm if not for the steady breeze. She did not mind however, as the wind seemed to whisper to her as she watched the sun rise across the horizon. The first birds had awakened, starting their daily chirping from the limbs of the trees above.

“Scarlet?”

Upon hearing her name, the girl stood abruptly, automatically reaching for her bow. She spotted a figure in the darkness. Well more accurately, part of the darkness.

“You’re back soon.” She said muttered coldly. “I thought you were leaving me alone now.” She relaxed the hand she had on her bow, knowing she wasn’t going to need it.

“Yes, well, I thought you might want to know that there are others close by.”

The shadow figure tilted her head slightly.

“I know you’re happy to be back, but you really should pay more attention. Or you will be seeing a lot more of me, and under less pleasant circumstances.” Her voice darkened as she spoke, almost making it sound like a threat.

“I can take care of myself,” snapped Scarlet, stiffening.

“I know that,” retorted the shadow, “I did train you after all. Just giving you a heads up.”

The shadow was gone, just as quickly and silently as she had came.

Scarlet sighed. Why did these things always have to happen to her? She silently grabbed an arrow and readied it. Who else would even be out here at this time of morning? The thought of being followed crossed her mind for a moment, making her nervous. She had been quite careful to cover her tracks, but it was still possible. Scarlet took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Panicking would do nothing in a situation such as this. Why was she panicked anyway? She had been in enough situations similar to this. However, ‘this’ seemed different somehow. Scarlet couldn’t even begin to be able to place why, or how for that matter. Maybe it was nothing… She was quite sure she was just being paranoid.

She could now sense at least four or five people nearby, rather close, actually. She was surprised she had not noticed them before, since they all had magical auras, probably other Elves.

“Too late to get out of here…” she muttered to herself with a hint of annoyance. If only she had been paying more attention… Scarlet sat back down on the boulder, laying her bow on her lap. She waited for several minutes, staying completely quite, and sitting painfully still.

Eventually the forests shadows stirred once more, revealing five figures, all clearly Elves. One of the two female Elves had paler skin then the rest, slightly tinted blue-green. A wood Elf, realized Scarlet, surprised. Wood Elves were quite rare in the particular area they were in, and most stayed well hidden. A couple of the Elves wielded finely carved bows, though most of them had swords with bright red blades. One of the Elves took a step forward; he seemed to be the leader of their group.

“Who are you? What’s your business here…?” he asked coldly, glaring at Scarlet.

“I could have asked you the same thing.” said Scarlet, staring at him evenly. She wasn’t planning to answer many of his questions, at least not truthfully.

“Answer me...” he hissed raising his bow. Scarlet only grinned.

“You will find threatening me won’t prove very useful.”

“Oh? Well perhaps we should just kill you now then, and save ourselves the trouble of trying to questioning you.”

“That’s still threatening. Anyway, what right do you have to question me?” she challenged, “This is neutral territory if you haven’t noticed. I’m not going to go pillage any of your villages or anything like that.”

“Maybe so, but that’s really the least of our worries…” murmured the wood Elf. Scarlet wondered what that meant. But she brushed her curiosity aside, turning her attention back to the lead Elf, who was speaking again.

“We may not have any right to question you, I would explain out position but it would include mentioning things that we’re not supposed to tell an outsider… But would it really hurt to tell us your name and where you’re from…?” This answer furthered her curiosity.

“…My name is Silvia.” lied Scarlet, as it was safest to for now; she didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks at the moment, “and I’m not from anywhere around here, I doubt you would have heard of it. Either way, I probably won’t mention it.”

“Are you from somewhere in Lakaoridia then?” one of the male Elves spoke up, referring to the territory in which most wood Elves lived in. It wasn’t well known by most regular Elves.

“No.” replied Scarlet rather shortly, hoping they would drop the subject. “Anyway I don’t suppose any of you would be interested in telling me your names…?”

“Ah, sorry, it seems I have completely forgotten my manners…” murmured the lead Elf, “My name is Barek and this is Zala,”-he turned to the wood Elf- “Remlin,”-the Elf that had asked Scarlet about Lakaoridia- “Mara and finally, Deren.”-the last two Elves, that had not yet spoken. Scarlet’s gaze lingered on Mara for a moment, for her eyes were an odd shade of violet.

“Were you born in one of the Empires?” asked Deren, his eyes narrowing.

“…Yes. But I have never considered myself part of either Empire.” Scarlet shrugged, though she had a nagging feeling that she would regret answering this question truthfully in the end.

“Oh? Well which Empire were you born in?”

“You didn’t notice Daren? She’s wearing a Saridan cloak.” said Mara before Scarlet could speak a word, grinning with malice.

Barek nodded, his eyes darkening.

Crap! Not good…They’ll never believe anything I say now…

“I’m not from the Saridan Empire, I stole a cloak from them so I could blend in so I could escape from them, if you must know, and I’m only still wearing it because it’s cold.” growled Scarlet defiantly. It was close enough to the truth anyway. Barek merely laughed.

“You really think we would believe that lame excuse?” he shook his head in an almost mocking manner. “If you come with us now, I may let you talk to our leader before deciding to kill you…”

Leader?! Who are these people? wondered Scarlet, though that probably wasn’t the most urgent situation right now.

“And you really believe I’m going to come with people threatening to kill me?” hissed Scarlet, standing now, ready to run or fight at any moment. “I’m not an incompetent fool… But I would rather die fighting you then willingly walk into my death…”

“Have it your way then.” growled Barek, “But you will still die either way.”

“Barek, don’t. Scourge said not to kill anyone.” said Zala nervously, almost seeming afraid of him.

“…Fine.” Barek muttered after a long moment. He glanced up at Scarlet. “Apparently you’re wanted alive now. Better?”

“Not really. None of that meant you won’t kill me later.”

“We won’t unless you’re loyal to the Saridan Empire.” pointed out Zala.

“Which she obviously is!” snapped Barek, making Zala flinch backwards.

Scarlet stared at the ground for a moment, clenching her teeth together tightly.

“I told you I’m not part of the Saridan Empire!” she seethed. “Is that too difficult for a blockhead like you to comprehend?”

“Watch your tongue girl.” said Barek severely, and with a swift motion drew his bowstring back and sent an arrow flying towards Scarlet. She quickly leaped out of its way, gathering her magic. With a sharp hand movement Scarlet conjured a strong gust of wind that blew dirt around the other Elves. Hopefully it would distract them long enough for her to get a safe distance away.

Scarlet ran into the forest, wincing as her ankle pounded painfully against the ground, which slowed her pace considerably. My ankle isn’t going to hold up very long... what now!?

A sudden pain shot down her back, causing her to fall forward onto her knees. An arrow. She pulled it out from in between her ribs. It hurt her to even breathe, but she stood anyway, knowing she had to get away. Pain blinded her momentarily, from both her ankle and newly acquired injury, and she fell back to her knees, gasping for breath. It was useless to run now; she didn’t have a chance to get away, not that she had much of one in the first place. It can’t end like this… she thought desperately, before completely blacking out.

Scarlet woke in a dim, underground cave, lighted only by a few oil lanterns placed on the walls.

Well, I’m not dead yet...

She was lying on a cot, not quite remembering what had happened yet, only a few blurry moments here and there. As she sat up, renewed pain shot down her back, though she clenched her teeth and tried to ignore it. The memories flooded back to her as she glanced around the room.

This isn’t good… If they figure out who I am…If someone recognizes me…I’m as good as dead. Not that they would keep me alive anyway.

Scarlet’s thoughts came gradually; her mind was still partially fuzzed. She glanced around the room some more, trying to figure out what to do. There were a few more cots spread out in the small cave, and there was an entrance to another underground passage. Zala sat in a wooden chair across from her, though it took Scarlet a moment to notice her.

“You’re awake.” she said quietly.

“Obviously,” snorted Scarlet, looking away.

“You don’t have to be rude.”

“Oh, so after being attacked, threatened and nearly killed I’m supposed to be nice?”

“We wouldn’t have had to hurt you if you would have just came with us…” pointed out Zala. Scarlet shrugged.

“As I said, I’m not going to willingly go somewhere with people threatening to kill me. I don’t know about you, but that’s perfectly reasonable in my mind, even if I did end up here anyway…”

“I suppose so. So uh, how do you feel? That wound Barek gave you was pretty bad…”

“I’m fine.” said Scarlet, not going into detail, but silently noted that it was Barek that hit her with the arrow. “But, would you mind telling me where we are…?”

“We’re in the Rebel army’s hideout.” Zala shrugged helplessly. “I’m not supposed to tell you any more then that.”

“Rebel… army?” Scarlet murmured, mostly to herself. It was true that there were a few villages scattered around the neutral territories, people who wished not to belong to either Empire. But an army was quite unheard of. Their probably against the Saridan Empire, from what they were saying before, realized Scarlet, I shouldn’t stick around any longer then I have to…

“How long have I been here for?” asked Scarlet, trying to fight off the sudden urge to sleep.

“Just a few hours, actually... It’s still pretty early though. Do you want to sleep some more?” she asked, sensing her tiredness.

“Yeah, I think so.” said Scarlet, already starting to drift off. Why am I so tired…?

Zala nodded, leaving wordlessly. She seems kind of shy, noted Scarlet sleepily.

She leaned back down on her cot, letting her mind wander freely until she drifted into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

(Emily) Prologue of my book.

Prologue of the book I'm working on. I'm personally very happy with it so far. The first chapter is nearly done as well, I shall post it when it's finshed and editedededed =D

---

EndNight:

The Last Prophecy

Prologue

A hawk flew soundlessly through the night sky, over an immense forest. It was late, and the moon was high in the sky, brightly glowing. It was nearly full and seemed especially beautiful on this particular night.

It may be late…

But it was finally time…

We’re almost there now Wolf…

She sent the telepathic thought to her nervous companion on the ground.

…Is there anyone following us?

I don’t think so, Hawk. But we should still hurry.

I know. This may be the last chance we have before the Guardians meet…

Hawk flapped her wings again, lifting her higher into the sky to catch a new air current. She filled her lungs with the crisp night air, absently worrying about what news her old friend would bring. Probably nothing too pleasant, not after everything the prophecy had stated…

A few moments later a small cottage came into her view, exactly what she had been looking for.

I see it. I’m going to land… Wait for me Wolf.

Hawk started her descent, watching the ground for her companion. It took her a minute to spot the cloaked figure through the thick foliage of the forest. She shifted into her human form as she gracefully landed beside him, and she too wore a hooded cloak now, in this form. They walked in complete silence for awhile, both knowing the potential importance of this journey.

“It’s strange without Tiger…” whispered Hawk softly, after awhile.

“Yes… But her death will be avenged my friend.” replied Wolf, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. His face grew somber as well, remembering his old friend.

“But at what price?” Hawk shook her head. She looked up, catching a glimpse of the moon through the tree branches. Oddly enough, most of the leaves covering the branches were dead or already fallen off, though it was nearly mid-spring. One of the leaves blew into Hawk’s auburn hair and she absently pushed it out of the way.

“You know as well as I do that he must be killed anyway, for the safety of both the Cross-worlds and Elan’mer…”

“Yes, but how many lives will it take to do it? But still, if it’s not done the entire universe could be at risk, if he really has found a way to take the Cross-worlds...” Hawk sighed. “Nevermind about that for now, we’re here.”

A cottage stood in the center of a clearing, vines covering most of its exterior. The windows were lit up; someone was obviously up even at this strange hour.

“He must have known I was coming.” said Hawk, glancing at Wolf. “Are you coming or staying here?”

“I’ll stay back and keep watch. Don’t take too long…”

“I won’t.” promised Hawk, starting across the clearing towards the cottage. She glanced over her shoulder at Wolf, not being able to shake the feeling she was being watched, followed. No… it’s only paranoia, she told herself, though her uneasy feeling remained.

Hawk took a deep breath as she approached the front door of the cottage, hoping nothing would go somehow wrong... Before she could knock the door burst open, revealing a man appearing to be somewhere in his late 40’s, his clothes ruffled like he had dressed hurriedly.

“Hawk… So you really are here. I was starting to think you wouldn’t come, it’s been so long, I thought maybe something-”

“I’m fine Gareth.” she interrupted, “We don’t have much time though…” She checked over her shoulder one last time, just to be sure.

“Yes… yes, of course… Here, come in.” he said, opening the door wider and stepping out of the way. Hawk walked wordlessly into the sparsely furnished cottage.

“Have you had any more visions?” she asked, glancing around. Neither of them bothered to take a seat.

“Not many, unfortunately… They come less and less frequently as time goes on. I’ve only had two of importance. I saw you coming obviously, that was the first, and the other one…” Gareth’s voice softened. “There’s some good news and some bad. The good news is that two of the Guardians will meet at the full moon.”

“It’s about time… they should be ready by now.” murmured Hawk. “What’s the bad news…?”

“The bad news is that one of them might die. In fact, the other Guardian might kill him or her. I never saw the Guardian that got killed in the vision, but it could be any of them…”

“That… can’t happen! Can we do anything about it…?”

“Maybe. I need your help though.”

“Of course… What do I have to do?”

“You must go to the place where Tiger started the army against the Saridan Empire. The Rebel army… You know where that is, yes?”

“I believe so. Wolf knows anyhow…”

“Alright… The Guardian that Tiger was looking after is leader of the army now, but he obviously won’t trust any of the other Guardians since their all Saridanians,” continued Gareth.

“So, go find him, tell him I was a friend of Tiger’s and to trust the traveler that comes on the full moon…?” said Hawk uncertainly.

“Something like that. Also, I believe she was going by the name Misty there... and it might be best not to mention your own name. Also if it’s Sarina’s daughter…”

“She’ll recognize me in an instant, I know. I’ll leave before anyone comes.” Hawk sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead. This was going to get complicated. “If this is so difficult with prophecies, what are we suppose to do after this, if it is truly the last one we have…?”

“I don’t know Hawk… Something must change, I don’t know what but… something will. But that’s the Guardians work; we can do nothing but make sure they meet and hope they don’t get killed.”

There was silence for a minute, both dreading the uncertain future of their world.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do after this whole ordeal, there’s no need for an Oracle if there’s no prophecies, and if my visions are disappearing as well…” said Gareth, shaking his head.

“Actually, I have evidence that Xenophon is messing with the Source to try and find the last stones, it could be interfering with your visions…”

“You… You’ve been to the Cross-worlds then. Hawk, you know it’s to dangerous to-”

“Gareth, it doesn’t matter… I … don’t have much time left. The agreement…” her voice faltered.

“…Hawk… how much time do you have, exactly?” asked Gareth anxiously. Hawk said nothing for a moment, hesitating to tell him.

“I have a year left.”

Gareth squeezed eyes shut for a moment, repeating her answer.

“A year…”

He re-opened his eyes, looking up at Hawk.

“Do you think it will be enough?”

“I honestly don’t know…” she answered, staring down at her feet. “If I die… rather, when I die, as it’s enviable… please just make sure Xenophon doesn’t fulfill his plans.”

“…Of course.” whispered Gareth solemnly. “I know as well as you do what would happen if he succeeds.”

Hawk nodded slightly.

“I should leave then, if that is all. Wolf is waiting…”

“Yes... Right,” murmured Gareth, watching her turn to leave.

“…Take care for now, Hawk. No matter what your future is…”

She nodded, glancing at him sadly before she silently slipped out of the door again. Wolf was waiting outside already, gazing up at the sky.

“I was going to come get you if you took much longer,” he growled. Hawk shrugged.

“We had much to speak about. Come on, we’d better leave quickly, before we’re found.”

They headed back into the forest; the first bit of sunlight illuminating their way.

“The greatest danger yet, as the prophecy stated… we will face it soon.” sighed Wolf, turning to his friend. “We could lose everything in this reckless battle for power.”

“Yes... But there is hope yet Wolf,” whispered Hawk, “There is hope yet…”