Essa's Fear and Sarata' plight part 3

Carata could keep in contact as he had when he saw Stargazer while they slept he would arrive there. Only a few of his people knew of this power he had. He would appear in solid form there with his travellers. He would have to appear in the tent with the people who knew of his power to do this. If the others found out, they would not expect for him to simply vanish from sight like a leaf in a hurricane. There would be questions that would be a bound if he was seen. From what he knew, about the men who journeyed there were unable to be met like this. There had to be something that was there, something that stopped all forms of magic those they wielded? His ancestors were unable to join them on this trek. When the kingdom of Essa had come hurt to be able to journey deep within the desert. They had a huge number of provisions with which to live as they would journey there. Food and water was scant.

They did not desire to go there, but Carata told them of what he knew about this matter. They knew that they simply had to go there to get this done. The desert was vast and treacherous. These they knew and understood about this matter. It was best if you journey there by night; it also was the only way to tell which direction they were going in was by sextant?

“Why are we going there?” Mez asked, he was all for someone going there, all but him. He knew how dangerous it was while going further into the clutches of the desert.

“Why do you think we are going there? For the fun of it!” Kya answered him, she looked at the vast train of men that they had with them. She almost decided to go back and get more supplies; the water was most precious more precious than anything they would find there. Thinking that they would return in time to save this other kingdom by going there did not make any sense to her, as it would take far longer than twenty eight days to get there. At least she knew that Carata could visit them each night. When he would return to his kingdom, true he could not carry anything with him from there. Although he would be able to return to Sarata with the Knowledge that they could glean from there.

From what they understood, it could be where the dark ones originated from, was where they were going. Carata told them, that an eon or so ago the kingdom of Essa, one and the same as the one that had sent another band of crusader here to do as they bid the last time. They were unaware of what they had done, if it was they would have done this with the aid of Sarata’s own kingdom. Thus they might be both to blame for this matter having occurred.

The sand was as white as bone bleached by the sun, through which they must go. There were no settlements here, their kingdom had plentiful water, but where the sand was it was scarce, the heat of the sun bore down upon all who dared to journey there. Mez knew about three hands full of communities as far as four days ride through the desert. They could have tried the coast line, but there was even less information about the travellers who journeyed deep within the desert an eon ago. Where they were going it was going to be long and hard. They would do it. The party numbered in the hundreds.

` “I tell you, we have to move!” Teevara warned, he knew, that the kingdom might be under siege in a short time. He realized that their queen had been slain by who he suspected him to be that killed her was Mayora. But he never did this before until now. He never did anything like this. Declare war? Yes, he did this!
Allow the ruler to live to see his kingdom being conquered by him.

“What do you mean; we should be able to repulse any enemy that has ever knocked upon our gates! Is that not right?” woman declaring what she knew, she felt that they might have been better off if they had made the members of the army see why they had to keep Siteast from the throne, he would not take to kindly that Ashad had been killed, by someone. That might have wanted him to be on the throne. Maybe this was why she had been killed by Mayora. He did not see as to why she was to die. They felt that the foe was responsible for her death, because he was changed through their actions into this being.

“This is not open to discussion! No one ever killed our ruler while within our gates either, but this one did!” another male bellowed, he needed them to understand what Teevara was telling them was indeed the answer that they were feeling with? There was anther thing, they could do. They could not afford to talk to the spirit of either Ashad or Serta. Their forms were corrupted by it.

“If we let Siteast take control, what will become of our people?” Teevara looked
about trying to defend their thoughts, they had to get the members of the army to listen to them. not the fool, that had determined that Ashad had not left the kingdom. She remained here, but not alive. They did not tell him this, just that she was not going to listen to anyone or response to the questions that would be posed to her.

“This Mayora and his army will soon be upon us! If we do not!” Stargazer warned, she did not wish to see what Mayora army could do. If he could do this, with only he himself and his daemon. Heaven help us! When his whole army arrives. From what she had been able to gather the attack would involve lycanthropes. Perhaps even dark ones as well. She was afraid of the potential outcome.
“
"Yes, let us be out of here! Now!”

“Those who have joined us on this journey, have a better chance in winning than those who now hide behind our walls! Do you not understand this?” Teevara warned, he was afraid, that those who had come here would not listen. There were some people he could not possibly save, because of their own daftness or stupidity like Maja. Whose only concern was food or women to satisfy him?

“Yes, will not Carata be able to aid us!” Pja stated as he knew the fact Knowing No way in which he could help them with this matter. They also pursued them so “If we are still alive! Yes!”

"Will he not come looking for us?”

“Yes, that is the plan!”

“Suppose, the others do not wish to join us on this trek! We are going to need the army to help us! The only ones who join us are going to be whoever is not willing or will listen to Siteast’s plan. The guards would not listen to us, without the express permission of Ashad own will!”

They will be going to the swamp to find out what had happened to those who dared to fight Mayora and his forces that are represented here. Since, no one returned they still are there. This force is held by a spell that had been cast to protect the others of the region who are thee. The forces that are there. Someone has a lot of power to do this, I can tell you!”

“Any idea as to how far we have to go?”

“Not a clue, it must be a long ways from here. Considering how long it took for this figure we take to be Mayora had waited to reach us. That would possibly be years, not days to reach it.”

“I know!”

“So, how do you propose to get there, even on horseback it will take a great deal of time to get there!”

“I think, we are going to have to talk to a cleric in the next kingdom and see if they can help us get there. They might be afraid of us! Especially when we tell them what we are proposing to do! They would be very much afraid of us!”

The party looked at the people who were willing to aid them in getting inside the castle that the mages lived within. They seemed assured that this would not happen, until they met Pja and his friends. They seemed to think that they would be able to get in for some reason or other. What they desired, Keva and his party did not understand why he was there.

The forces seemed ill at ease, they were nervous upon meeting them. There was no feeling that made them any more at ease with them. They looked upon them with a great deal of mistrust. Whatever they had it was not good news. However these people did not seem to be versed in any form of magic, that they knew. They were simply soldiers, not of any breed or caste other then living in this realm. They did not have any markings that would suggest that they were this. The forces that were there, seemed more than a little forceful. The power that these people had, defied them through their entirety.

Seeing the castle of Sarata, their blood ran cold chilled in their very heart and arteries. What they saw made them worried about whatever was with in its chamber. The gargoyles looked almost life like. But that could not be. They were made of stone, stone does not breathe or feel anything. You can carve stone it does not bleed. You can break stone.

Yet they could not feel anything other than what they were seeing there. What power it exerted made them worry about it. Pja seemed to think, that the gargoyles were alive. This did not make Keva feel more at ease with him.

Keva felt, that they would find someone that they would need here. Who would be able to do more than what they knew. This person had been in Essa, before Keva was even born. He would be willing to return. However Keva did not know anything about anything else, that would happen in the kingdom of Essa. He did not know that Kakalest would have died before his return.

He knew, what he had been told to do. That was to see the rulers of the west, talk with them to learn of what they knew of this person who carried with him/her the five headed staff. Who Kakalest feared was one in the same as the other warlord, who brought his army to a kingdom twenty eight days after handing the owner a compact that would suggest that he would take over their kingdom on the twenty eighth day.

There had to be a reason that he would think this. Keva could not really blame him for thinking this. He knew, that this individual was far away from being anywhere near Essa. Of this he knew was a certainty. However he could not think he was going to return home earlier enough to supply him with the information he sought in time for them to be able to mount any attack large enough to stop him at the present time.

He did not know as to what he should expect to do. The only thing he could think of was to do as Kakalest advised him to do. Whatever he was to do, had been of the utmost importance to his king. He would not be able to refuse him at the moment.

Mebva looked at the huge structure, she grew afraid. She knew, her Lord might not approve of her being there. She would have to talk with him, when she had time to do this. She had to be not moving, able to concentrate on her Lord and ask him to be willing to see her.

Aja looked at it, she was afraid of anything to do with Mages. Seeing this castle only lead to reinforce her fear of it and them. She half expected to see the gargoyle leap for the walls and attack us. Before we even got to the gates of this monster of a castle. She was not sure, that they should be anywhere near here.

Aja felt that there was something not quite right about any of this. They could not shake the feeling that they were in trouble. They had this feeling that None of this was quite right. Trouble was that she could not get Keva or Teba to listen to her concerns. She was after all simply a soldier in this army. There was Nothing that she could do about this matter.

Several of the of her people that she was with were also having nightmares while they were aboard the ship, when they arrived on dry land these fears intensified. They felt that they were being watched by something that was malevolent in nature. It made them nervous. Whatever it was it was not a threat until it acted.

She tried to get the Keva to listen, but he was doing as his lady wished and that was why they were here. End of argument. She was a part of this army and that was that. How did she expect for them to go home. Really!

Did she see another ship at this cove before it had left? If so, why did she not get aboard it? Well? She did not have an answer to this question that was poise, before her. She did not have any argument. Other than that the captain told them, that he would not have dared to bring them anywhere closer. The owners of this kingdom would not have looked favourably upon them bringing us there.

If they were to really grow upset than the people of both realms could be without any supplies from the other realm. He did not know how or if the ruler would accept them with open arms or not.

They were afraid, but Pja seemed at ease with them bringing them there. What did Keva think he was doing by bringing them here. None of this made any sense. They had heard of faint rumours about a figure that was walking the earth and in twenty eight days another kingdom fell. From what they were able to understand about this matter was that there had been mention of another person who had done the same a great deal of time ago.

He was not anywhere near their kingdom when they first heard these rumours. No one saw his army until the twenty eighth day, very much like the other, these rumours had been brought to their eyes by the people of the other kingdom about Essa. On their journey here, they had heard Nothing in regards to their realm here.

They had not encountered an one other than these people who joined them in their ride here. None of them possessed any magic, that they h ad seen. They seemed at ease with these clerics and their party. A few of them inquired as to what they were doing when they were praying to their Lords and Ladies.

From what they were able to lean even mages did likewise to whoever gave them their powers. Only their masters did other things to them, to have them gain their powers from them. On the occasion the mages paid a great deal more to their master’s than the clerics.

Pja was amazed by what the party members did to pray and what was needed at the end of their prayer. He even saw who they prayed to. not the case with the mages, their masters made them pay some times with their every lives.

The clerics looked refreshed upon seeing their Lord or Lady. The males saw their lady and their females saw the lord, who they were answerable to. These lords and Ladies looked very beautiful and rich. The mages did not describe who they were summoning to have them aid them. No one saw who this was, until the mages died by their masters wishes to have them gain whatever they sought from them.

Some of the clerics thought, that the gargoyles were about to release themselves from where they stood, however that could not be . After all they were made of stone. These clerics who thought this also believed that they had been watched by them. That defied common sense, they were not alive. Were they? The gargoyles looked so life like, that the clerics were swearing this was what was happening there.

The gargoyles maw had beaks and large reptilian wings two arms, scales and a ridge of scales were upon their backs. Talloned feet, huge tail.

The fear that they could not shake No matter how they were to look at them. The gargoyles made their blood running cold as ice. Teba tried to get the clerics to move out. Heading towards the huge gates that were made of iron, that was where dropped to keep whatever lay within the kingdom of Sarata. Teba urged them forward to the gates that were there.

Pja was ahead of our party, with Keva riding with him, to be able to enter the kingdom. Keva felt that they might need the aid of Pja to allow them through the gates of this kingdom. He had the surprising that they would need his aid to get there.

Pja looked as though he as suspecting, that they should have No trouble getting inside the gates of Sarata. He would look over the party nervously, he was not truly certain that this would happen to them. That they would be able to enter the kingdom without too much trouble.

Pja looked at the ramparts searching for the guards at the gate. He would have to draw their attention, if they had not seen them yet. He would do this. For them. He smiled earnestly, slapped his horse with his reins to cause the hoarse to ride forward abit. He saw a face under the helm that he recognized it was Ballet. He looked nervously at them. The n he saw Pja, he raised his hand and smiled easily at him.

C H A P T E R 1

The guards who were stationed at the door could not hear a blessed thing. not a blessed sound had emerged from the room, where they stayed station at. The door was a good six inches thick of hard wood.

Yleast felt an icy chill tear down his back that was to the door. He reeled about. Hammered the door with his body mass to gain access to the room where his ruler slept. The door held. Three of the other guards there than choose to join him in opening the door.

Carata no doubt dropped the oak limb in place to keep the door closed. He did not wish to be disturbed. He was still trying to get his head around the point where his love had been slain in Essa, how he told her not to go. The people of Essa would no doubt feel that they should not have trusted her.

The reason they wanted inside so bad was that Carata screamed in his chamber, Yleast thought ‘He had to open it! In a hurry he had to get in there. Carata needed him... Who knew what was happening there. I have to get inside. That was all that mattered right now. So, much for his hoping to surprise the person in here he would have the upper hand, but No! Thank you door! For being so accommodating!’

As he pressed upon the sealed door. It still did not move. He got the other guards to rush the door. That scream was all that they needed for their blood to run cold as ice on a glacier. Maybe they could barrel their way in. “Carata needs their help. He would have it. Come on open!” They tore the door opens with their bare hands. The door sped back to crash against the wall. Making a bone jarring sound. He leapt inside

Carata awoke, bathed in a bath of sweat, his eyes leapt open. He was in his bed chamber; the door to his room was ripped open. In strode four guards whose job was to protect their king from becoming prey. Their eyes danced about the room seeking what had caused the king to scream so. They looked worried about something; Carata did not as to what they feared. They did not look at ease, He knew he had dreamt something, but what he did not know. The guards did not lower their weapons. Their eyes danced from place to place as if trying to assess what their ruler had seen.

Just as suddenly as his own awakening and their arrival with his bed chamber, there came another figure at the door peering inside to see what had happened there. Carata saw her; he was unable to place the face for an instance. The face looked familiar, so familiar. Why did it look so familiar? There had to be a reason for this…

The familiar it that he was feeling was one that could not be broken.

A delicate strand of her hair that fell from the middle of her forehead into her eyes she blinked trying to remove it from her vision as it was. Her face looked ashen. He saw her through the opening her body was pressed close to the door looking as though she had been put on the rack. She shifted about e saw her shoulder which was concealed in a French ruffle. To show the sweet summitry of her delicate neck this was exposed by the plunging neckline of the fabric. The look on her face was concern she held in her hand a skull with a candle attached to it. Looking rather startled, her eyes were wide open; her mouth was closed with a Knowing look upon her face.

“Yes!” Carata declared, reaching for a glass with which to fill his maw and go back to sleep. Knocked the glass aside, it burst upon its arrival upon the stone floor, the vessel from which the fluid had come rocked with a sense of escape to join its companion on the floor? Carata touched this vessel gingerly. Looking across from where he rested seeing his hand there. He did not wish for the guards to get the wrong idea about what was going on. Here. There was No reason for them to showing this much concern.

When he closed his eyes, he saw the battle. He did not recognize anyone there, but felt him must know someone there. The faces looked familiar, just how he could not say, but he knew them. They were familiar at least those wearing the garb of the Sarata’s kingdom. There was another army there they seemed to have been united in this battle. The foe he did not recognize, nor could he place them nothing about them seemed in any way familiar to him.

The third party wore cloaks of white as absent of colour white is. These cloaks appeared to be form fitting. They were almost the same size as the people from these other kingdom, one Carata recognized as the people of his own kingdom and the other party looked to be similar to the guards who arrived in Stargazers bedchamber when he had come a calling. Their surcoat looked like one on a few of the people wearing full armour breast plate and shield. These people were well versed in combat. They did not make any noticeable mistakes as his own people did.

“Are you alright?” Tevba asked as she advanced into the chamber, where he slept. Looking about to see what is amiss. He saw the swell of her breasts through the sheer red texture she wore. The floral sleeves continued to her index fingers and wrist. It was cinched at the waist and just beneath the breasts had black lace trim where the panty for this was, was also red with lace where the legs came through.

The room looked as it always had even when she and Serta joined Carata there. It was as if Serta was still alive, if one was to look about this chamber. Nothing was out of place. It was like it had been frozen in place. Nothing so much as moved from where she had last seen it to be. Carata looked frightened his eyes dance about the chamber never resting for too long on anything. That was until they arrived on the window, whose curtain was buffeted by the wind that was outside. They stayed right there, unmoving. He drew up his right arm and hand pointing at the window.

The guards looked concerned; Tevba never did anything like this before. What had gotten into her to be doing this, her sister only dead a few days and she was now already within the bed chamber with her sister’s husband. not even a full day away from it having had happened. She was not commonly, by any stretch of the imagination, but what would happen if the town’s folk caught wind of this. There would be No stopping them from raising their concerns, the guards knew enough to keep their maws closed come morning, but what of his valet could they be sure he would not speak of this matter to anyone. So, they prayed Nothing would be said. The valet did not disclose the other visitations that Carata had with her or both of them.

They did not know as to what had occurred on those occasions. He had sent for Jau to slip inside the bed chamber before the valet arrived. On this occasion it had not been him who arranged for her to be here, she was here on her own. Perhaps his scream had awakened her too.

“I am fine! Just fine!” Carata declared as she advanced to where he was in the bed with its canopy down, he could barely see her or anyone else in the chamber presently. He knew from the outline of the four men, that they were his guards.

He saw Mebva’s silhouette through the canopy, all he knew absolutely was that it was a female who was there, the abundance of her bosom and hips was the largest portion of the shadow that he saw? He suspected he recognized her before from somewhere within the kingdom, but where he could not fathom. This was until she spoke that voice was a dead giveaway. There was only one person who spoke like that it was Serta’s sister Tevba. She was not one to stop what she was doing until she knew she could go back from whence she came?

The guards looked worried! Nay! Concerned was perhaps a better way to describe this. Two of they approached her as she was almost at the canopy. One of the guards drew his sword, put it onto her throat. Maybe that would stop her.

'It could? It should have?

She simply reached up to Knock the sword’s edge from her throat; she did not regard the guard as much of a threat. Mece struggled to maintain his grasp on the sword that she had batted away from her. He did not look too pleased with what she had done to his sword and him. Mece was not a strong man; his power lay in strategical attacks. To protect Carata from whoever dreamt to harm him. Tevba had to hold him, to brush away whatever had caused him to feel this fear. Tevba did not know as to what had happened here, but she would make it right. She had to too allow Serta to sleep undisturbed in the valley of the dead. She had to do this for Carata and her sister’s memory if that was what she was. They both had awakened in the same place at the same time.

Spun to see what the guards would do, now.

They would not be pleased, but she would have her way with Carata. Mece did not know what she wished and neither did them. However from the looks of this it was not good whatever she desired. Perhaps she also was a mage or member of a clerical order somewhere. She might desire him to be dead, rather than alive. If they had to stop her, than someone might wind up dead.

Mece whose sword she removed from her throat, dropped the sword, and lunged at her. She drove a foot into his groin as she twisted to get as far from the other guards as she could. The guard she presently was engaged to topple to his knees.

As she turned, drove her opposing foot into his back. He was driven to the floor. He did not have time enough to release his pole arm and let it go to the floor and catch himself before him was there. He crashed heavily into the floor.

The other two guards drew up their weapons with which to defend themselves from her.

She toppled to the ground as did he. Arriving on her hands rolling over so as that her front was before the other two guards. Making motions with her hands to protect herself from their weapons and they themselves. She did not know as to what had happened here, but knew something had scared Carata. She did not know of anything that would do this. She knew her sister had been slain in Essa.

She suspected the daemon that killed her sister would come here to continue on. That was if the demon could get here from there. There had to be some restraint to keep the demon from going this far from its summoner. That there was No way in which he could send it here. If it was here. So, was its summoner of that she knew would have to be, so! Where was he nearby! How nearby she did not know, perhaps he was at an inn or tavern to cast this spell would cost more than anyone she knew could muster.

Na advanced towards her; he knew she was Carata’s friend she no doubt wanted not to harm him. The look on her face suggested, ‘that something was amiss. Just what he did not know, Nor did he wish to discuss it with her when she calmed down. Na reached out to grab her and bring her to awaken from this. Whatever it was that she was suffering from was a mystery to all. She saw the sword in his opposing hand.

“Stop it, before she kills us all!” Carata warned, he knew she could possibly do this to them without some thought as to what much as thought about it. The woman was versed in combat from a young age. She and her sister had been brought here, by a caravan. The driver turned them over at the gate, he had been glad to be rid of them both. There was something about her and Serta that unnerved him, just what it was he would not say.

“You do not recognize me! Carata look at me! Look!” Tevba suggested, nay begged, pleaded with him to see who she was. There was No way, he would not recognize her, there had to be some strong magic here to cause him to do this. Tears ran down her cheeks as she advanced towards him and the bed in which he slept.

Carata heard a voice. A voice. He knew this voice. From where he could not place it. The voice sounded so familiar. It might have been Serta`s own, but she was dead. It was that familiar to him. Almost exactly the same sound, but why did he hear this voice. So, clearly now. Why he did not neither knows nor could he place it.

The guard looked at her forgetting that Carata was there, and that they were in his bed chamber, the curtain had been drawn closed, and he could make out the stiletto with the light as it played across her form,

She did not believe that she would pose a threat to him. He knew her, almost as intimately as Serta. She and Serta had awakened in the same set of ruins.

Where they were bones and buried portions of humans in the white chalk, to their back stood huge walls of heavy stone, it looked to have been a castle long ago. Whose they did not know, the people of the caravan with which took them here, if they knew they were not telling. They seemed almost frightened by the ruins. Where these two girls were found.

She parted the canopy. With her stiletto of a dagger, it use was to get up real close slip it through the mail the figure wore.

Carata screamed once more, the same exact scream, it was not a word or a syllable. A gut wrenching scream, it would no doubt likely be heard a good ways off. Maybe that was what he was trying for.

The canopy fell to conceal both of them from the light of the torch that one of the four guards held in his hands.

The other guards followed his lead. Racing inside the room. If they were trying to get there, unnoticed that they failed miserably. Feet crashing, slamming upon the hard marble floor. They raced to the bed, weapons drawn. They saw the shadows of Tevba and Carata in beneath the canopy. They forgot about Tevba being there. One axe whizzed over her head and neck. It flew so fast; she felt the air that had rest upon her head neck and back shift and move as though it was the water in a tidal bore? The axe continued in its killing arc to tear through one of the bed posts. The post shifted quite a few inches to fall from where it stood so, many years ago.

Another figure leapt upon the bed, tearing the canopy loose, where it always been; when Carata would go to sleep. Hurling Tevba off of Carata from the bed. She tumbled out of the bed like glass of port being dropped from a good height.

Collided with the hard rug covering the floor about the bed. The guard moved like a billiard ball in a game with Tevba being the cue ball. She continued to carry the blow further. Trying to avoiding her being injured, she brought her shin upwards and bent her knees almost upon her chest.

The guard landed on his chest across her shins, sending him into flight. He nailed two of the other guards with his body as he fell.

The guard entered the room first knew that there should be two people in the room. One who had just entered the bedchamber having finished parting the canopy and joining him? on the bed. That was what he saw when he entered the room. He stood there as if glued to the spot as the other three raced to the bed. To save Carata.

She sprang to her feet, she looked about.

Carata screamed,’ “Just, what do you think you are doing? Can you explain yourselves and it had better be good? “

” Well?”

“We thought you were in danger!’ The guard stand by the open door was suggested as he looked about.

This was when the axe was in flight.

He looked at the floor before him, he saw a woman lying upon the ground, facing his guards with their weapons drawn, this woman had red hair page boy straight and long. Her forehead was shallow. With wide eyebrows, blue eye lids and long red lashes upon them. Brown eyes, thin nose, a square jaw, dimples and thin lips. A swell of her bosom, and the flat torso, and long shapely legs. He saw her face. Why was that face so, familiar there had to be a reason, but why How some he knew this face, from where; Where had he seen it! Where he asked himself. He begged his memory to open up and allow him to know where he knew her from. Her face he recognized it. His mind flashed a picture of her and Serta together with him. In this very chamber nude and doing things that brought a smile to his face. Friend, if this was who she was. then she was a friend. She would not dare to harm him. Would she. Know! Remembering, who she was and what he saw when he first saw her and Serta. They had come from out of the desert. They plied whatever they could to get to this region of the land, just what they had done, they would not say. The garments they had with them were fine silks and stain. They looked to be very learned and perhaps their parents were with wealth beyond imaginings. This amulet was very intricately carved with emeralds and jade upon it, it was a broach. The amulet had come from somewhere to the west of here. The amulet had stones in the middle that was half a foot in circumference, there were arcane markings covering every centimetre of it. The stone in the middle looked to be an emerald with some hint of red about the edges. `

When Serta had had it lifted from her chest, the stone was changing in colour to be a red as the deepest night is dark, and a fluid spilled from the once green stone to now a red stone. The fluid looks as if it was blood, just before congealing. She passed out. Three days later she awoke.

Tevba did not fare so well, she slept for three weeks, when the tome was removed from her. Tevba brought with her a huge tome. It was three hands wide. Thick as half a hand it was written in a script that No one could read. This Carata learned by having a master thief remove the book from her. She slept with the tome as if her very life depended upon her having this book. Once she fell asleep by means of a spell being caste upon her, she released the tome from her arm and clinched hand.

When the thief died, the book fell open. Upon his hands falling upon the book, he died with a dagger to his groin. The dagger was his own. His fingers were wrapped as tightly as a baby’s lips to his or her mothers breast the pommel of his dagger as it stood upright there. They buried like that with the dagger still there. She did not do this, until she was asleep.

Carata was consumed by his curiosity to find out what he could about this book. Each time he looked upon it the characters and word changed shape and or their meanings. He was unable you read any of it. He tried to remove a page from the tome. The page felt as though it was a hundred stones instead of a singular page in weight. Talked the woman to whom gave him his powers too. To bring him the best scribe in the world. He slept for days afterwards; the scribe could not read the text. It was written in a script that No one could read. Perhaps she could, the scribe hinted at this. He did not say in so, many words this, but he hinted at it. The tome fell upon the ground from the thief’s hands to arrive before a scribe of the high council who could read various languages, but None of which was this tome’s tongue. The young scribe grew old just by gazing upon the open pages of it. He looked twenty years older than when the tome did not fall upon the ground, where he was able to look upon its pages. He did not know that this had happened to him. Until he walked over to a mirror and looked upon it and saw himself as an aged man.

The tome was something that she would not allow anyone to see, other than the front of it. Of this Carata was thankful for. She was unable to speak, until four years of living with the kingdom. The caravan was glad to be rid of them both.

Tevba scared him so; there was No way anyone could touch Serta without Tevba beening with in eye shot. Unless you were willing to fight until your death to be near Serta; Tevba did not draw up a weapon; you died by your weapon. It was as if you desired to die, if you were out of sight of Tevba if you touched Serta. It had taken Carata many a year to be able to take Serta with him on his own. `

“What is wrong? Perhaps I can help?” Tevba asked in a very sincere manner, as she got closer still to him. Her eyes danced from the guards to him. She did not know, what Carata was seeing with his eyes and what his mind saw, could be two very different things of this she could rest assured of was that she herself did not know.

Carata did not know as to what had happened in his dream. Dream? If one was to dare suggest such a thing as that being dream. Nightmare was perhaps a better name for it. Why was he so afraid, what had he seen when he closed his eyes he did not know the answer to that question. Looking about seeing nothing was out of place, well there was something. No five some ones, her and the guards within his bed chamber. He did not remember them, when he had closed his eyes, but they were here! Why he did not know. They looked worried; perhaps they wanted to slay him and he stopped them and her.

The garb they wore was that of his guards, whose bodices was cut almost to her waist line, her breast had jumped free of it when she fell to the floor.

“Mind you, was the window closed, when I went to sleep? If it was then why was it open? now, which would have opened it on me? Well, No one! If there was only you here, than that would have to have been me who did this! If this true! It would be me! Who was to blame for this? ``He stated as he looked at them trying to quell his fear that tore a huge gaping hole in his conscious guards who were in his bed chamber and Tevba.

The curtain in the window shifted delicately as if it was possibly open. The guards did not know if it had been closed before, but Carata was telling them this, so it must have been. Carata does not make mistakes such as this. So, who opened it! For whom did he open it? There was No way anyone other than he could have opened it. He was the only person in this chamber since Serta died. They did not feel right about being told that she had died. It was from his mouth that they knew this to be a fact. He certainly would not lie to them. They were sworn to serve him with their very lives; if they must.

He felt fear as it tore through his wards of complacency. The deviless that gave him his spells assured him, that nothing would happen to him. When he looked at his chest he saw the shape of a huge hand of white as snow flesh on it. There had been hair there; it was gone as the sun was at the deepest point in the night,
Walking over to the window, he looked and saw a bloody hand print onto the ledge. This print was still fresh blood, when he touched it his hand grew red from it. The hand prints palm was clearly visible the other fingers of this print were upon the wall of the outside.

“So, I did have someone inside with me! But who?” Carata peered outside to see if he could find someone fleeing from the street far below. Looking fearful out the window, as if trying to find who had done this to him? It was not a joke that they would play on him.

The guards looked startled. They had heard Nothing, until that thunderous scream. There was no evidence. Well, now, there was. That bloody palm print on the window ledge. How it came to be there, they did not know. Hey had put eyes one the tower from across the alley, there were four or five guards there watch Carata’s room from there. Why had they not made an utter sound to have alerted them, but! No! Why? Were they that silent? Surely they must have seen something. That would have told them that he was under attack. By whom they did not know.

The guards surveyed the room, trying to find what Carata claimed had been there with him. Nothing was out of place that they could see.

One of them walked over to peer at the hand print and the ground below. No one had heard a sound until Carata had screamed and they had come inside the chamber from the door. “Alert the other guards, have them scour the ground, there was No way anyone would be invisible to all!” `

The guard stated trying to reassure Carata and himself as well; no doubt. He knew of no one, who could elude themselves of all of Sarata’s devices in finding the person or persons responsible, for this having happened. There was no way, this could have happened.

Tevba looked about trying to find something anything that looked out of place. There had to be reason that this was done. Who had come here? In the dead of night, here! There must be someone who knew this fact that Carata slept here and would still be here tonight. A few of the high council tried to suggest that it might be best, if he was to sleep somewhere else, but where! Who would have known he would be there, but whom! She did not know, but she would find out of this you could rest assured of.

The guards looked about, trying to come up with some answer that would offer some clarity to those who would ask them, how this could have happened there must be an answer. These they knew, but could not come up with the answer even they hat themselves could believe. Whoever this was that gained access was most brazened; they could not think. That they would get away with such a thing as this. How could they think this!

Tevba looked afraid, now. She felt a chill; she felt that the being whose hand print was here was not here for him, but her. She looked about the room seeking an answer that they all sought.

The guards below ran in every direction in search of this figure that had left Carata’s bed chamber. They would not fail Carata. They could not fail. For they might wind up drawn and quartered by Carata’s punishment for having allowed that to have happened someone must have seen it happen. They just had to find who had!

They had guards posted to look into his room’s windows across the way. They should have sounded an alarm that this had happened. Why did they not do this? There had to be an explanation for this. If there was they would find it!

Meeza looked across the ledge to the tower, where stood the guards who were there to keep Carata safe from a distance, since they now knew of Serta death. Perhaps the killer desired them dead as well. It was silent. He saw shadows moving there, he looked at the tower. He could not see exactly what he was seeing, he felt a chill creep across his back. He saw four things. If that was what he would call them? They if they lived they were undead than still being here posing a threat. These things were larger than a human by far. These things that could not have been the guards! Could they? He doubted it. Tails were also to the window below. Huge wings rose from their backs where the shoulders should have been. . Something about these four shadowy beings that were there had something hanging over the ramparts and upon the tower. These things were huge. Even the gargoyles that were alive within the walls of this castle were puny by the looks of these shadows that were there.

`Why had they not alarmed them of this having occurred here? There had to be an explanation for this! Why?” Meeza asked No one, but everyone.

Meeza saw movement that should have been where they were. Watching their ruler`s bed chamber at the moment it seemed something was going on over there that grabbed their attention. Make it five somethings. They were winged whatever they were. That was busy occupying their attention. Something was happening over there that did not look good.

Meeza walked out onto the terse still looking over at the tower, he screamed, ``we are under attack! On the roof top!” Hoping his voice would be heard as it should have been since it was silent and also the dead of night. A cloudless night, he saw people moving on the other walls. They whirled about to see who had made that Noise. What could they possibly worry about? The gates were shut.
The gargoyles would alert them if anyone had made an entrance that they did not desire. To alert the guards, who were upon the towers, and those on the walls? Whatever was going on seemed as though they were organized he knew. How they did not know of the answer to the query! Why had the guards been attacked? The answer to this query should have been within his Knowledge from the moment he saw whatever it was! Why had the gargoyles not taken to the air? To protect their castle from the attack of this monster.

At the moment something was attacking them. They did not know what they were looking at. However the guards across the way were busy with something or two or three of this something. Whatever they were they were winged, Monstrosities in size. They filled the balcony with their wings; elongated necks were on these beings.

The heads looked to be like a snake’s own, their tongues had leapt out of their mass to wrap about the guard’s heads, one had wrapped about a guard’s neck. An instant later the head departed from the body like a stone from a catapult.
Meeza stepped backwards from the window pointing at what he saw, and did not like. He was afraid. He never was afraid, but he was now. His hands had emptied themselves, Thanks to his fingers trembled with the fear he was feeling. His skin turned chalk white. Trembling, crashing into the floor like a bag of wheat.

Weeping as he said, “We need help! In a big way! Look at that?”

They looked absolutely shocked; when they looked across at the opposing tower where the guards had been posted to watch over Carata. They saw what Meeza saw after looking that way for a time. They saw the headless guard fall to from the tower over the rampart.

Ka hurled his dual edged pike across the gap. He intended to slay the monster who slayed Meece. It was his head that leapt from his body to fall into the alley. The spear edge of the pike struck the monster. In the back just before either side of its high ridges. It was swallow there. Maybe he had hurt it. Enough to kill it. It was an absolute monster inside.

It turned. Looking almost amused by this having happened to it, it looked as if None of this made sense to it. It could not be stopped. not by mortal men or others. It was hell spawn. Its master was someone everyone should fear. It smiled. At something that had hit it from behind, in the window of the room that they were to protect the being that had been sent there also by their master. .

Ka’s pike jutted out from its long heavily scaled back. Looking as if it was miniature pike something that a child might play with instead of a military pike used by the guards here as it upon the monster’s back. Whatever it was looked to be blood as it was a fluid that spilled from the delicate gash in its back as it splashed and spilled across its scales and ridges of scales to fall upon the ground far below.

Black fluid perhaps it was ink poured from this hole in it. The fluid seemed without end or beginning. Oozing from the gaping hole. Smoke blossomed where it touched down. Light coated the alley that it arrived within. Nothing was missed. Animal erupted into gore that filled the sky like lightning does in a huge maelstrom. Blinding light burst like a glass figurine being thrown from a high window. Filling the area with its horrendous light. Heat from a thousand suns was cold in comparison to it. Wood turned to the driest of kindling before it. It opened its mouth to voice its displeasure in receiving this gift from Ka.

Ka had hoped it would not be pleased, but it also did not look as if it appreciated its response to his doing this to it. It looked at him. Maybe not seeing him or so he prayed. Flinging one of its huge scaly arms his way.

Portions of the wall burst flew like leaves in a huge maelstrom hammering all who stood. Blocks bounced and shook about the inside of the chamber. Crushing everything they came in contact with. Bodies were everywhere! One nail and finger touched Ka smothered him completely. The nail and its cuticle were as large as Ka was. Ka flew spread eagled through the chamber. Smashing whatever lay in his path. Crashing into the fireplace. Being set ablaze in its hearth. Bones snapped like dry leaves with an elephant’s foot falling upon it. They disintegrated. Dust and bodily fluid were all that remained. Everywhere coating everything in the room.

Dead bodies, whose blood, organs, teeth, and parts were scattered everywhere the eye could see to like a hundred thousand arrows are shooting with intent of covering every centimetre with an arrow. Nothing was untouched by its aftermath in the bed chamber.

The guards had to protect Carata that was where their lives depended upon this. Too occur. They now lay as puddles on the floor. Their bones litter whatever the blood had not touched down upon.

“You may now leave!” She declared, as she tried to get them to move, at the present moment was, was lying beside the bed. She did not know of the deaths of the guards. She saw the stones crash and break whatever they had come in contact with.

Carata had been driven out of bed like a nail beneath a hammer. Carata shook his head as though trying to clear it. He slowly turned about half expecting to see his head bounce and roll across the marble floor. When it did not, he looked at this woman, whose voice he recognized. He could place a name to it. He thought it might have been Serta’s but he knew he had been told she had been slain. This he knew, by the woman who suggested this to him handed him her signet that he also wore. There were only two in existence.

He looked upon the bed where he had lain until. This woman woke him and drove him from his bed. Looking upon the bed and walls seeing red blood No doubt flowing and trickling down the stone walls, it made them nervous. The bed he saw blood, body parts and bones that littered the bed like leaves falling in a maelstrom. They were everywhere.

`There had to be a reason this had happened and why? What was the answer? She did not know of her sister’s death until this moment. She had inkling that this was in fact what had happened upon her arrival to Essa. She felt that this was not a good thing!” She even voiced her concern when Carata told Serta that she was going to be going to Essa to speak their ruler, about what was the threat to them!

Tevba strained her ears, but heard Nothing. She peeked out to look over the bed to see what was there. Why were the guards so, silent? She saw Nothing. She saw the shadows across the way. The window and its ramparts were No more.

“We have to go!” Tevba declared grasping Carata`s hand in hers.

“We cannot go!” Carata stated his words dripped with vast concern for his guards. Someone had slain Serta, but who they did not know. There was one name that was tossed about the name of Mayora, but that was impossible. He should have died long ago. When did he kill a ruler? Never! Unless he did now. That was impossible.

“We must I tell you! We do not have time for this! I tell you!” Tevba warned. Carata with tears running down his cheeks leaving trails like a creek bed, and looked at her, “Will you protect me?”

“Yes!” Tevba declared, what she had to fear the entity that had been there had left of this she was certain. She did not see it lurking below. She felt in No way assured by the death of guards that anyone else knew of their plight. She knew that they both had to leave this room. What could she does about their deaths?

She also was unable to find what ever made the hand print on the window and its ledge. She did not know as to what he had just faced. It was gone? Gone? Just like that! They had to have scared it away.

Many mortals made it run. To have it or them to arrive here and have this kind of power defied her senses, but she knew it was so. She saw Ka die. Before her very eyes, she saw him die as he was consumed with the flames of the fireplace. Seeing the stones crumbled mass there, and chunks of others thrown throughout the chamber. She could make out two others there, who were presently engaged in slaying the other guards posted there.

She closed her eyes to see the pages upon that tome. To make out the words that was there, her power came from Knowing the book; it took something out of her to do this. It was not as strong as it had been for others who looked upon the book? She did not really know as to where she and Serta had come from; when she awoke she was in a valley surrounded by walls a great castle stood there.

She lay upon a tome, whose cover was etched in an arcane design that she also saw when she looked at the blonde woman who lay holding this foot long broach in her hands. About they were skeletons, of whose gender they were she did not know. They rose like unclaimed driftwood in a lake or river. The water of this lake was sand, the bones rose haphazardly out of it. A few still held their arms with which to defend themselves, what she had to fear from this being, if they had scared away? There was No threat that she could see from whatever it was. Was there? She smiled mirthlessly. Rubbed her hands together to grind the dirt she had found there in the chamber.

“You will protect me, from this?” Carata stated as if it was but a fact that she could protect him from whatever it was that had been there, in his bed chamber. Where he was found? It had gotten into bed with him. He felt afraid. None of this made any sense. He understood why she was here now. He did not know what had happened to the guards in his bed chamber. He knew that they would not be able to help him at the present moment as from the looks of things they were dead. As dead as dead could be. The guards could not have been looking too hard for him to take someone or thing to his bed chamber.

“Did you see what it was?” Tevba asked, truly not understanding who he could be so secure that she could save him. Someone or something killed Serta. Tevba did not look afraid, she looked as if he was reliant upon her he would be safe. From whatever it was that they were up against.

“What? What was it? `` Carata inquired, looking at the garb, bodily fluid that was
everywhere where the eye could see it was there and whose body parts litter the room. He looked back at her a mite confused, faces vacant of thought, that she had dared to bring up to him. Did this it was simply walk past them into the bed chamber! No! There was No way in which she not has foreclosed on. There was No way it could have happened.

His eyes could not come up with an explanation for this. Something took down that wall. Killed everyone, but him and her; with such efficiency that they were absolutely amazed by its power in doing so. How could anything be that powerful it defied description? Was she part of the problem or was she the solution. He did not know, but he wished he would find out before he was also killed by whatever killed the guards or her being responsible for this. He did not wish to put it passed her.

Something made it inside the bed chamber, but how? She did not know, nor could she fathom something as smart as this. She felt a chill slither over her as if the chill was a huge snake. Its movement was sluggishly slow. Reeling about her, surrounding her with its body and length, it now began to close in around her. She expected to hear her bones snap like dried kindling.

She did not like this feeling. However she could ill afford to allow the guards here, to be inside the bed chamber, when she and he got there. She suggested, “Go! I can protect you from whatever was within the bed chamber? now, go!”

She flinched as though having been bitten by something. Just what she did not know! Her hand was what she pulled away from where it rested. On the small table where the candle and rested. Until Carata knocked the candle aside to arrive on the floor. He brought up his hand and forearm to look at whatever had touched his wrist. He saw Nothing wrong! What could there be wrong! He expected to see two holes in his lower wrist, but finding none. H felt he was safe. Nothing was there. Whatever attacked him left No sign. Perhaps he imagined it. Yes, that was it he imagined it. With his eyes open. Yet he saw Nothing? Nothing that was there was upon the table.

“We have to go! Now!” Tevba declared as she did not see whatever had come in contact with or her. She also felt what he had felt. Something was in here with them both. She felt a great deal of power here. It was consuming whatever was here.

She sped to where Serta had left the metal circle that she had worn when the caravan arrived And drew them up. The caravan’s people seemed nervous about their being there with them. They felt as if something pursued them.

Carata looked at her as if she had sprouted horns, while she too knew, Where Serta had kept her stuff from that journey to here. “You said we have to get out of here!”

Eerie laugh filled the chamber; it seemed to come from all over the chamber. There was No place, where it originated from. The blood drained from their bodies by whatever this was. It was evil beyond belief.

There had to be a way in which they would remain safe. Tevba was over where Serta had kept the things that she had gained through their journey here. Tevba tore the lid open; in a frenzied fashion she did this. Things were being thrown haphazardly into the air as she continued her feverish search of the box; she knew when she would find it. She knew Serta put it here. Somewhere here, but where.

She saw a glint as the torches light of its shimmering surface as the light played across it. it was there. She smiled triumphantly. As she reached down to draw it out. She looked at Carata and said, “I believe we are safe! As safe as can be!” Carata did not wish to disagree with this, but it was circle covered in precious gems and electrum facets. That was all it was. Serta was just as protective of this as Tevba was of the tome.

That had come from where they had been found they were in their possessions there. The facets had Arcane glyphs etched into them. The object he was unable to learn anything about. They would not be relieved of it. Whatever it was there was a great deal of power connected to it. One of the people he showed this to warned him, that this was from Jeteatsac. The person would not reveal anything else about it, if it was a community or kingdom he did not know. Most people, who heard this word, would just turn and flee. Whatever this was it was not good in anyway or shape. He was afraid of this object that Tevba now held in her hands as if they would be saved by his. Whatever you wanted to call it.

“Yes! That I did!” Tevba declared as her eyes were still looking within the box. “It has to be here! Where? It has to be within the box, we can not go without the circle! It must be in our possession! For us to remain safe!”

“Let us go!” Carata wailed. Looking At Tevba as if his very life depended upon her doing this. He knew something was still in here with them. The floor was slippery and uneven thanks to the bones that littered the floor. They had to be care full not to trip and fall. There was a silence so deep and forbidding that it held them tightly in its frothing maw, the only thing they knew was that it was something that did not desire them to make it out of the chamber, Alive.

Something moved! Fast! That something was fast.

Carata was driven off of his feet. He flew into the wall. With bone jarring impact he arrived upon the floor. The impact was as loud as the loudest thunderclap. The air had been driven. Torn from his open maw. He shivered. Fought. Thrashed about like a fish on a line. His head swam. His eyes were glazed over and would not move, from where they rested.

He might be dead. I still have to take him out of here.

Tevba felt a chill struggle to hold her in its clutches, struggling to drag and pull her soul out of the deepest recess of fear. She kicked most assuredly as violently with all her might to break free. Kicking with her soles of her feet and tore through the surface with her talented fingernails mauled and clawed her upwards. She had to reach the surface. She felt the egress of fear slip and slide into her all of her orifices of her Nose and mouth. She grits her teeth, fought as though a daemon was upon her soul.

She struggled! Fought! Yearned to be released from this fear that held her so tightly. Her eyelids slipped ever so slowly open. She was not drowning in a pool or sea of fear. Barely made out Carata as he tumbled to the floor in a heap. She felt the dampness in the air. She could not afford to close eyes. If she was too she would be engulfed in fear that surrounded her like typhoon pounding her banks. She saw the glint of precious stone from the circle Serta carried into Sarata. She had to reach it with her hands.

She reached in. Objects closed about her hand as if it had been immersed in quicksand. She knew this was the air that was charged with the magic power than encompassed whatever was there.

The thing that moved without being seen collided with her again. It felt as if it was desperate to stop her. Why was it afraid? Tevba did not know for sure. She knew that the object that her sister if that was what she truly was carried it her from that place was something that would protect them from this invisible being. Her id not knows, but she prayed she would find it there, that were Serta put all of her belongings from that journey to here.

Tevba fell, up ending the box. As the box spilled its contents all over the floor and over Tevba, it was now lighter. One of her fingers touched something that felt round and cold as ice and as hard as gem stone is rough.

Suddenly to her eyes the chamber turned purple. The remaining walls were a soft purple almost as if they were blue a delicate sky blue, however this was at night. The night sky was purple so deep black looked white in comparison. One bed post still remained standing it was shaped like a spiral. The canopy had fallen upon the bed, and floor. Deeper purple fluid dripped off of the canopy to seep into the mattress, the scent was putrid. Organs and body parts hung here and there as if they were, but confetti.

This was when Tevba saw the being that moved with such remarkable speed. It was a woman. Knew of no woman who could move as fast and as efficiently as she did.

The woman looked familiar. So, familiar. That she could not phantom a guess as to who it was. Slowly her eyes began to take Notice of this feature or that. The way her hair fell. Looked like someone, but whom? Her Eyes were similar in shape and the corona looked like. But it could not be. The cut of her chin, The delicate slope that the nose had. The full lips looked remarkably like. Her shoulders, the fullness of her breasts, the waist, the pelvis, her legs. It could only be the one and only Serta, but Carata suggested, “She was dead. By a daemons hand or so said, a cleric of Essa’s kingdom!”

Stargazer allowed Carata to walk in her shoes to see, what she had seen. But this Serta was with blue skin. Carata told her, she had died in Essa. Then why was she seeing Serta dead people do not show up. Walking around in bed chambers. Why was she blue? She looked as if she had just stepped out of the tub with which she had been bathing in. Her body was having a rich cascade with water that ran across her full frame. With exception she was blue. One of her hands was red blood that dripped from her fingertips to her bare wrist.

A blue mist covered very centimetre of her. Tevba saw that and that was the last she saw of her. The circle slipped from her fingers, darkness encompassed Tevba.

She looked at Tevba. One of her black eyebrows lifted as if to suggest that she was thinking of something to say. She licked her red hand drawing off some of the blood that had been there. Spreading her legs to put one of her hands upon her hip as she suggested and smiling evilly. “So, you can see me!”

“Yes, I can see you!” Tevba stated as she looked about trying to find something that she could use against this blue person. She did not see anything that held her here. So, she was not summoned. She was here, by her own wishes. Tevba touched the object that she held between her breasts, by using one hand to hold it there. She looked about, about she knew she the bitch could see she and Tevba were able to see her. She had to find something to cause this bitch to Back off but what could she find to use. A body was jutting from the upright bed post with its spiral post rising up from his chest, the chest plate was where his head should have been. When she looked more closely at him.

She saw a scabbard and a pommel jutting from it. She had to get to that pommel. Fluid oozed off of it, and the scabbard, purple droplets were still falling from the belt that held the scabbard to its previous owner. He would No longer need it.

Unless he would rise from the dead, however having this having happened to him, she did not see that it was going too likely in any way. Tevba knew the powers of Carata he could do this, but it would expend a great deal of power from him to accomplish this. She doubted that he could do it to so ruin a body as that. “Then why are you still here?” the bitch asked, smiling reaching out to touch Tevba with her unbloodied covered hand.

Tearing the pommel and its remainder a huge double edge sword out of the scabbard. Its large blade moved to intercept the bitch’s hand. The blade cleaved a finger from her hand at the first joint. Tevba smiled triumphantly, beat her she thought, she did not look to see what else was coming her way. The finger had vanished. After it arrived on the floor.

The being’s hand slapped Mebva’s legs out from under her. Tevba goes head over heels. Bouncing like a die being thrown in a game of craps. A blue mist covered very centimetre of her; when the mist dissipated the bitch was gone from sight. Tevba saw that and that was the last she saw of her.

The sword was released, and the metal circle slipped from her fingers, darkness encompassed Tevba. She was unable to stay awake; the whole room spun and whirled out of control. She felt sick to her stomach. Every inch of her sang a song of pain, thanks to the flight plan the bitch set up for her to fly.

The bitch turned to Carata; she smiled as if she took a great deal of pleasure in doing this.

Carata saw, what could not be! He was told that she was dead. Yet he saw her here. Alive as alive could be. Stargazer had been mistaken. That was it! Yes, she was mistaken. That was the only explanation that made sense. Stargazer was mistaken. He knew, No supernatural being could kill her. Serta had at one point cared for him to try and kill her. With whatever force he could arrange. He could kill someone and reincarnate them. If he so desired. Only if he brought them back within a heartbeat of leaving. There was No daemon that could kill her.

She was indestructible. This he knew, to be a fact. Whenever he chose altered her in the field of magic she was always one step ahead of him. It was almost as if she could read his mind. But he knew that was impossible. There she was. He could feel her upon his flesh. Touching him. He yearned to be in her arms. then why did he See her now, she moved softly as if she was a whisper among the trees. She reached out to draw him to her. How could he refuses her, his mistress had been wrong. She had been able to do this.

So, it was possible that she still was alive. How could she have gotten here did not cross his threshold of consciousness at the moment he was so glad to see her. None of this would have made any sense to him presently. She was here! That was all that mattered. He would protect her from whatever obstacles she might face. She had returned to the land of the living. He would have her in his arms. That was all that mattered,

”Because I am going to stop you! Is Why!” Tevba declared, she knew she was not truly hearing Serta’s voice. She was dead. This she believed was true. She did not hear the voice with her ears, but her mind instead. It was never this way. Tevba knew Serta better than anyone else. and from what she had been able to
gather whatever this was. It was not what it appeared to be.

“Foolish mortal! Do you know who I am?” this was followed by a gale of laughter. Tevba did not see anything funny or hear of anything that stuck her that way.

“I think I would know this? If it was important!” Tevba suggested, she knew what she now faced could kill her in a great deal less than a heartbeat. She did not know as to who it was or why it was here. The being approached her; she closed her arm about the metal circle her sister had carried with her from the castle. She drove its edge into her hand. Blood fell.

The demigod screamed “No!”

The door to the chamber was opened.

The demigod vanished from sight. Tevba could not feel it anywhere here. It left. She drew Carata up in her arms.

The other guards closed ranks about him as he looked at his wrist, to see Nothing. That was what was there! Nothing? The other guards looked determined; to make sure that there was No funny business going on here, how could Tevba have Known to could here at this time? They had not heard him scream by the time, she was here. They were inside the room.

They did not know where she had come from! Why she was in this close proximity for them to comprehend her as she was? She did not look too pleased with what had been happening or what had happened.

Carata look stunned, there had to be something to get them to realize what they were doing? There had to be an explanation for this. They did not look pleased about this! He was afraid of what he thought, he had seen. He could not shake the feeling that something was happening here. He felt, the fear that he could not dismiss. He could not remember what he had seen in the dream if it was a dream. It could not be real. He ran a hand over his body to try and find anything that could disprove what he had seen was not a dream. He found nothing.

Tevba felt a trickle of water slip down the inside of her leg as she peeked over to see the guard who was holding up his hand with which to see his wrist, where he had felt something touch down upon it. Yet his wrist looked as if Nothing had ever touched it.

Tevba looked away when the guards choose to look somewhere else, other than at the guard who was afraid of being here? They could not feel or see or hear the threat that had been issued by someone. Just, who he did not know! How could he? How?

She reached out to take Carata’s hand to lead him back to his abandoned bed. For her to join him as she had yearned for while her sister lived, now that she died, she could have him. She wished to b there with him. Well not all the time, there was a time, when she first woke. That Serta and her had joined Carata in his bed.

There was a bucket of water, with a cloth in it. That she knew he used to wash himself before going to bed. With his man servant this had been done to him, as he wished. The water was chilled to be ice cold. To the beds right was a fireplace, whose embers were nearly dead. There was a stoker there, beside the fireplace, with a screen of cast iron to serve as it.

In the middle of the fire place was a rack, with which one could heat food or water.

She put the blanket back onto Carata to keep him warm. She slipped over to the fires near dead embers. She shifted the ashes until the heat returned to them. The heat was not menace, but she had No need for it to be. Instead, it was warm. Warm enough to heat the water in the bucket, With which she would wash him. Her eyes flitted from his form on the bed, and the window through which whatever it was that had left that palm print in the frame of the window escaped. Where she did not know? If the guards had not believed as she did. The figure went to the ground, and ran from there to wherever he stayed.

She washed him in the water. It was warm, not hot enough scald any flesh. He slipped a hand up her gown to fondle one of her breasts. When she looked at his hand. Smiled and pondered, “What was this being that had been with his bed chamber? It did not move as a dead being would. Too fast, whatever it was, why was it here? What did it know? Where had it Come from?”

She drew him up in her arms. They slipped into bed. When she looked into his eyes and saw abject fear. Had swallowed him whole. She of knew of magic, but what magic was this. She recalled reading something, within the tome about a being such as this. The being might have been summoned. Without a ward to keep it in. The mage who had cast this spell should be dead.

The tome mentioned such a being that could have been this! It the tome did not reveal too much of the stuff, it had frightened her when she looked the being, she grew afraid. She never felt the cold like this. The chamber felt not a little less fearful Carata had allowed her to remain with him in this chamber. Serta had told him, that even she feared Tevba. It had something to do with a tome that she had acquired from whence they came. Carata knew she could not cast a spell to save her life. Fear was what he felt when he was with her. This fear cleared his head at times.

She was unable to be harmed by magic in whatever form it was. That was why he chooses to allow her to sleep with him this night. The woman looked coolly professional when she had set about to complete her task that was set before them.

She felt as though she had seen the likes of it before from where she had come from her nightmares there after it appeared with in them. The being was as cold as a hue wind maelstrom would be in winter. She did not know as to what to do. She slipped her hand to touch the dagger that lay in her hands reach.

Even she was afraid of this monster that had torn apart the nerves of Carata whose eyes were huge. He looked chilled to bone and even beyond that, from seeing this figure, she did not know, if he saw it. Prior to their arrival here. He was frightened by what he saw. He did not know the source of this.

Back to Keva ,on his conclusion in getting to Carata the first mages kingdom that he arrived at. He was afraid of what they would desire from him. The cost was enormous, that he was feeling weighed heavily on his mind. What he was doing, could get him killed.

He prayed that they would be well received, he was afraid of what his king desired from him to gain from Sarata and its kingdom. He did not know as to who he was to see. He had to gain converts and patrons to his Lady and lord, also to find out what Kakalest sought in the west. He knew not what he was proposing to do here.

His king pressed upon him, this quest, he could not have dreamed to dare to disregard his asking. The cost of this action could have cost him and his family’s very lives if he told him what he thought of doing this for him. The ploy was to gain
converts, and patrons to his lady.

The detail about this being also was another matter that he was to pursue. He did not know as to what he would find there. He felt an an urgency to this matter that he could not shake. He knew what Kakalest was thinking. But not the why.

Keva could not shake the feeling that they were there before. Whatever he saw here, it felt as though he had seen it again, wherever he was. It looked familiar to him, just how he did not know the answer to the question.