Swanheart

Chapter Eleven

The Fall Of Urdgard

Lost in thought, Alannah sat on the bed in the guest quarters, which King Mandylor had given to them.

Cerulia was stretched out on her lap. Though the wolf's eyes were closed and she seemed poised, her ears were up and listening closely to every sound.

The princess' fingertips traveled restlessly over the white fur, while her thoughts circled around the revelations of the meeting with the Elven King. "What a day," she mumbled under her breath.

Even though it was warm and nice outside, Alannah felt cold. All the things that had been said, especially those that concerned herself and Leigh, had shocked her to the core. Her eyes turned to the other bed, which was still unmade. The sword and shield leaned against it. On the small footstool close by, lay Leigh's green cloak, the one she had been given when she had been proclaimed a knight of Chitaan.

Alannah gently pushed Cerulia off her lap and went over to the stool. She took the cloak, marveling at the fine texture of the fabric. Wrapping herself into it, she closed her eyes and imagined it were Leigh's arms around her, holding her safe and warm. "My brave, little knight, what are we to do now? What dangers will we have to face? We have to find a way to make things right in this world again."

"You will," a soft voice announced.

Alannah's eyes flew open and as she looked up, she found herself face to face with Loreen.

The healer tried to give her a smile, but it was a weak one and her eyes shone with a profound sadness, like the princess had only seen it on two occasions before. The first time had been on the funeral of Alannah's mother. As Shonara and Marnoc had been laid to rest in the temple had been the second time.

"My Princess, I truly am sorry. I know that you are mad at me and I'm probably the last person that you want to see at the moment or even talk to, but please, may I have a word with you?"

Alannah nodded, patting the mattress beside her. "I'm not mad at you," she told the Half-Elf. "I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed, but I know from experience that you always have a good reason for everything you do. You said that Father asked you not to say anything, so it isn't your fault. You are very loyal and I know that you would never do anything that would bring harm to another, especially the people that you love."

Loreen lowered her frame to the bed and wrapped an arm around the princess' shoulders, drawing her in for a hug. "Thank you." Her gratitude was genuine and she felt very relieved that the princess wasn't angry at her. "I hope that Leigh thinks so too," she added.

"I'm sure she does."

"We just wanted to protect you two with all our might. Do you remember Scotia, the old seer that lived in Shircon and people took their new born babies to her to have a look at them?"

Alannah nodded. "Yes, she passed away shortly after Leigh was born. Why? Was she the one, who foretold Leigh's fate?"

"Leigh was the last baby she saw. She made many a prophecy and everybody thought it was just the crazy ramblings of an ancient crone. Scotia also had many friends among the Elves and that's why most humans despised her. Your father knew different and he respected her and her wisdom. Marnoc and Shonara went there after Leigh was born. As they returned with word from Scotia, I was the only other person, who was told about this and your father swore us all to secrecy."

"I always wondered why Shonara and Marnoc would take Leigh everywhere with them, even to battlefields," Alannah said. "Now, I understand. They wanted to protect her and after they fell, Father and you did that."

"Yes," Loreen nodded. "We had to make sure that evil was not going to find her. It almost did, but thankfully the Elves interfered."

"You mean the black riders that were chasing Father and Leigh after that battle where Marnoc and Shonara had died? But, how did they know about Leigh?"

"That I do not know. I'm just grateful that Mandylor and his men had an eye on Zaylan and Leigh."

Alannah wrinkled her forehead. "And how did the Elves know where to be at the right time?"

Loreen smiled. "Oh, the Elves have their ways, especially King Mandylor Starwhisperer. Believe me, not even I understand how he knew, but he did."

"Maybe they knew from Scotia? You said that she had friends among them," Alannah remarked.

"Yes, that could be."

"Did they ever find out who the dark soldiers belonged to that chased Father and Leigh?"

The healer shook her head. "They suddenly had vanished without a trace, a fact that concerned King Mandylor deeply. The years passed without incident and Leigh grew up and became a knight. We were always holding on to a tiny shred of hope that Scotia might have been wrong, but…" Loreen trailed off. "I really am sorry that we kept you and Leigh in the dark for so long."

Alannah reached over and squeezed the healer's hand. "It's alright. Thank you for telling me now. It helped to understand some things better."

"You are welcome, my Princess."

They sat like that for a while in silence.

Cerulia, who had fallen asleep, was softly snoring on the other bed.

Alannah watched Loreen's face closely and saw that there seemed to be more that was burdening the healer's heart. "What else do you need to talk about?"

"How do you know?" Loreen asked, surprised.

"I've known you a long time. I can see it on your face. It's the same with Leigh. I can see right through her."

Placing a hand softly against Alannah's cheek, the healer replied, "It's your compassion and your big heart that enables you to do that. I think there are no other organs in your body. Your heart is filling out your whole rib cage. You are a very wonderful person and you will make a great leader one day."

"Thank you. Now, please tell me what else do you need to talk about?"

The other woman sighed, before replying, "I came here to ask something of you and I'm sure you are not going to like it."

"What is it?"

"I want you to stay here with the Elves while Leigh goes to retrieve the weapon."

The princess leapt off the bed. "No way! I will not let her walk into danger all alone," Alannah announced strongly. The thought that her best friend would have to face whatever was coming all on her own made her heart lurch painfully in her chest.

"She won't be alone. Loredane will accompany her," the Half-Elf explained. She had known that Alannah would argue with her on this matter.

"What do you expect of me? Just sit here and twiddle my thumbs, hoping that she'll make it back alright? I can't do that Loreen. I know that she is supposed to be the Deliverer of Peace and I want to help her, especially after what you just told me."

Loreen rose and placed her hands on the young woman's shoulders to calm her. "My Princess, I know that and you will help. You will fight and stand by her, only in a different way than how you thought."

Alannah frowned. "What does that mean?"

"King Mandylor wishes to teach you a different kind of magic. Good magic, healing magic, the magic of the Elves and nature. He can't teach you all, but enough that it will aid in our cause."

They were interrupted before Alannah could respond. Leigh entered the room. "Hey, I've been looking all over for you two. The Elven scouts just returned. Zaylan and the others are here, hopefully with news from Kentaara."

The princess and the Half-Elf followed the knight once more to the gardens of King Mandylor's house to wait for Zaylan, Ranya and Terrulli.

*****

The soldiers had gathered once again in the Grand Hall to listen to another of the masked sorcerer's speeches.

Burak stood right next to him, barely paying attention to what was said. His thoughts circled mostly around the Prince of Ashkyhra and the High Sorceress of Pavan, who were imprisoned in the dungeons.

Tyrel's face was haunting him ever since the first time the boy had pleaded and begged to be left behind the torch. At first, he saw it only at night when he was trying to sleep. Meanwhile, it would pop up in his mind during the day, sometimes also in rather inconvenient moments. He knew that the dark wizard was still desperately wishing to extract information from the boy, but the whereabouts of Ashkyhra's gemstone was still unrevealed, Tyrel's resistance was still too strong and his will could not be broken. Since the last attempt had left the boy weak and on the brink of dying from the mind torture, the dark wizard had refrained to have him summoned. Burak was relieved, because that meant Tyrel would get some rest to regain his strength.

It also kept the Commander safe from the wrath of the High Sorceress that shared a cell with the boy. He had to admit that he liked her feistiness and her strong spirit. How her eyes had glowed with such a bright, inner fire when she had talked to him so bravely and at the same time tried to steal the keys. She would never give in to the dark wizards demands. He wondered about the plans that the masked sorcerer might have in store for Tanith and about the reasons he kept her alive

Burak's eyes traveled over the soldiers, who listened to their master in rapt fascination. He had been like that not so long ago. When had things begun to change? When did the doubts start rising? The masked sorcerer paid him good money to lead the army into battle but for some reason that didn't hold any appeal to him anymore.

He had felt uncomfortable in the wizard's presence from the beginning, but then Burak thought he was just intimidated by the dark powers the other man oozed. His unease had grown with the creation of the Shadow Warriors and the conquering of Pavan's Sacred Golems. Just how much more power was the masked sorcerer thriving for? He held two pieces of Asram's Stone of Creation in his possession and by now he had conquered three of Yuron's magical countries, but he did not claim the spoils. That was something that Burak didn't understand. Why conquer a country and then leave it to its fate? The land was mostly destroyed, people that didn't want to join the dark wizard were killed, but the masked sorcerer never proclaimed himself the ruler of the conquered country. It didn't make any sense. He also didn't like that his master never told him much about his plans. He revealed only as much as was necessary to conquer the next country.

Burak's conscience raised its little voice that had gotten louder and louder over the passing of days. Images flitted through his mind of past battles and then again Tyrel's face, a truly innocent boy, who had never done anything to harm another, only to be exchanged for the face of Tanith and the scenes of destruction each battle left behind. For the first time, Burak plainly saw all the suffering that they had caused with their attacks. The innocent victims, the crying survivors, the brave ones who dared oppose, only to be killed, he saw it all. It was wrong. What the masked sorcerer did was wrong. He couldn't be the Chosen of the Spirits or the Deliverer of Peace, who would unite Yuron. This was not the right way to deliver peace to Yuron. Tanith's words had left a mark and it had cut through the dark veil that had shielded his mind from the truth. Now, he found that he could see so much clearer, awakening from a dark dream that had been smothering him. It was time to make a decision, for the sake of his soul and that of all others.

Loud cheering and the rattling of metal as the soldiers banged their swords against their shields brought Burak out of his thoughts and back to the present. The speech was over and they would soon set out to conquer Urdgard.

A gloved hand fell on his shoulder and Burak was forced around to look at the demonic mask.

"Commander? Have you been daydreaming?" the dark wizard inquired, his voice low and dangerous.

A strange cold seeped from the hand into his body, spreading to every part. The doubts and thoughts fled Burak's mind to be replaced with the darkness that had taken up residence before. "No, my Lord," he answered dutifully.

"Good, we have no time for dreams yet. Urdgard is waiting for us. We will be victorious, Commander."

"Yes, my Lord, we will."

"Nobody can stop us."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Now go and join our men in the portal room." The masked sorcerer took his hand off Burak's shoulder, satisfied that the mind-controlling spell was once more strongly established.

"Be careful," the voice hissed. "Soon, he will be of no use to you. He might betray you if you cannot keep him under control. I told you before."

"I know," the dark wizard muttered, watching Burak leave. "He is strong-willed like his parents. Something happened that reached his heart despite the spell."

"Get rid of him!"

"I will, eventually."

*****

Zaylan turned around to look at Ranya as he heard the High Sorceress gasp.

Firetail had just landed in a clearing and the Elven scouts had come out of their hiding places to greet them and to lead them to Ilumera.

"Lady Ranya? What is wrong?" the dragon asked, concerned as well.

The dark-haired woman's face had paled and wide-eyed she stumbled backward.

Firetail quickly reached out with an assisting claw to keep her from falling. "Lady Ranya? Is it a vision? What do you see?"

"Oh no," Ranya moaned in despair her eyes rolling back in their sockets until only the white was visible. "No… no… no…" Her eyelids fluttered and she began to tremble, clutching at the dragon's claw with shaking fingers.

Zaylan knew what was happening, he had seen it before. He pulled her into his arms, whispering soothingly into her ear. "It's alright, don't fight it. It'll be over quicker that way."

She sagged in his arms, letting go of Firetail's claw.

He slowly lowered them both to the ground.

Terrulli and the dragon looked on, deeply worried.

"If you can, share it with me," Zaylan said, attempting to guide the sorceress' hands to his temples to relief her of some of the burden, but he couldn't move her tense arms.

Even if she had tried, Ranya was unable to shield her mind from the images that suddenly bombarded her. The quaking of her body increased and one hand came up to clutch at her chest. She felt as if an unseen fist had been thrust into her rib cage, squeezing her heart painfully like a vise. Ranya whimpered, voicing her distress.

Zaylan pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the cold sweat off her face that had beaded on her forehead. He held on to her tightly while the heavy tremors shook her frame. "It's alright Ranya, don't cramp up," he said, hoping that his gentle voice would ground her and eventually help her to find her way back to reality.

Terrulli knew from experience what the woman was going through, remembering her own powerful vision that had revealed the fate of Ashkyhra. It felt to the young girl as if ages had passed since the day she had broken down in the gardens of Chitaan's castle and linked her mind with Alannah's.

About a minute passed until the flood of images ceased and the High Sorceress became still in Zaylan's embrace.

"Zaylan, oh by Sastar, Zaylan. It's horrible!" she cried. "I can't stay here! I have to leave immediately! Firetail, we have to go!" Ranya exclaimed once she had regained her senses. Tears had welled up in her eyes, blurring her view.

The King of Chitaan cupped her face tenderly, looking deeply into her eyes. "What's going on?" he asked. "What did you see?" He used the handkerchief to dab the tears away, which had spilled over.

"Urdgard," she croaked, her voice breaking. "Urdgard… my people…"

"What about Urdgard?"

"It was all destroyed… so many fallen… so many dead… the sacred gemstone taken… and I was too late… too late to help… too late to save…"

"Do you think it was a real vision?" he inquired.

Ranya attempted to stand up. "I haven't had such a bad premonition in a long time. I'd rather not take any chances questioning the images."

"I understand." Zaylan helped her back to her feet and into the saddle on the dragon's back. "Here, I want you to take this with you so that you can tell us what's happening and in case you might need reinforcements." He reached into his robes and pulled out the enchanted scroll that had been used to exchange messages with his daughter.

Grateful, she took it and stored it in one of the saddle bags. "Thank you. Take care of you, my friends." There was so much more she wanted to say but the right words were evading her. With a desperate look at Zaylan, she said once more, "Take care. Please." The final word was added in a whisper, but he heard her clearly.

"You too, have a safe journey."

"Thanks. I hope the Elves will be able to help us."

"Never lose hope," Zaylan admonished and Ranya graced him with a weak smile.

"I hope that nothing bad has happened in Urdgard," Terrulli chimed in, shaking Ranya's hand in farewell.

"We will see each other again soon," the High Sorceress of Urdgard promised and tightened the straps, which would keep her in the saddle. "Tell Leigh and Alannah to be careful too. Okay?"

Zaylan nodded. "I will."

"Hurry now, Firetail, our country needs us."

"Your wish is my command, Lady Ranya," the dragon replied, spreading her wings and snorting some smoke out of her nostrils.

With a final wave at the girl and the man that she left behind, Firetail's body rose from the ground, steadily climbing higher. Soon, they had left the forest far below them and soared through the air in direction of Urdgard.

The dragon flew as fast as she could. Her wings beat tirelessly, even though the massive beast still felt the long journey from Kentaara to Ilumera in her bones. She did not complain. Firetail just sailed past the dark sky, bridging the distance between them and Urdgard with each passing second.

Ranya sat in the saddle, her posture stiff and tense. Concern radiated off her body in such strong waves that Firetail could feel it physically.

"I hope we won't be too late," the High Sorceress said, her gaze searching the sky for the star constellations that would aid in guiding them home. "How could I have been so careless? I should have taken the jewel with me," she reprimanded herself.

"Don't you think it will be well protected at the temple in Urdgard?" the dragon wanted to know.

"Unfortunately, no," Ranya replied. "You were there with us. You saw what happened to Kentaara. The masked sorcerer used Pavan's stone to do that. Who knows what powers he will have now, after retrieving the gem from Kentaara?"

"It is bad that you can't determine the time frame of your vision."

Ranya sighed heavily. "I know. It could be days, it could be months, it could be years or just mere seconds till it comes to pass. The images were so strong and clear that I just know it was a true premonition."

"Maybe we have enough time to prepare for a battle," Firetail said and a growl rumbled deep in her throat. "We will not let him have the gemstone of Urdgard without a fight."

*****

"Father! Terrulli! It's so good to see you," Alannah exclaimed, wrapping first her father and then the Animorph into an embrace. Looking around with searching eyes, she asked, "Where is Ranya?"

"She returned to Urdgard," Zaylan answered, giving Leigh and Loreen a hug in greeting too.

"Why? What's going on?" Alannah wanted to know.

"We had just arrived here when Ranya had a very bad premonition of Urdgard being attacked. It urged her to go back immediately." Then he turned to the Elven King. "I apologize for the inconvenience of our late arrival, King Mandylor."

"Think nothing of it. It is no problem," the Elf replied, smiling. "Though, it is a pity that I will not get to know Ranya, High Sorceress of Urdgard. I had been looking forward to meet her after all the great things I heard of her. Now, let us sit down and share a meal. You must be hungry after your long journey."

"Starved actually," Terrulli admitted, taking a seat at the table.

Everybody else sat down too and a light meal, consisting of fresh bread, fruits, cheese and cold meat was served.

After the plates had been removed away, they settled more comfortably in their chairs.

"King Zaylan, Wolfheart, Swanheart and Loreen have informed me of what happened until now. I have to admit, I am deeply concerned for the welfare of Yuron. What news do you bring? What have you seen in Kentaara?"

"The same that happened to my country," Terrulli spoke instead. "It has fallen and is destroyed."

"What about the sacred gemstone that holds the powers of Harkon, Spirit of stone? Do you know of Krymm's fate?"

Zaylan cleared his throat. "When we arrived at the mountains, where Krymm used to have his dwelling, we found a site of complete destruction. The mountain fortress and the caves had collapsed and everywhere was blackened stone and debris. The few survivors that we encountered were in shock and traumatized, only mere shells of a human body. Women cried over the fallen bodies of their husbands and children. Other men just sat on the ground, rocking, staring ahead, unseeingly. A few wailed their heartache to the high heavens, searching for guidance of their silent Spirit, that didn't give an answer. They were barely able to tell us what happened." Zaylan paused, collecting his thoughts.

A deadly silence ruled. Even the wind had stopped to rustle the leaves of the lime trees that surrounded them.

"Eventually we got some information from one of Krymm's servants. He told us that Krymm had received the invitation letter for the meeting with the High Council in Shircon, but had decided that he would not partake in it. Soon after, the masked sorcerer and his army had appeared in Kentaara out of nowhere, destroying, killing, taking prisoners. A troop of Shadow Warriors accompanied him. The servant said he remembered a staff in the wizard's hand, which was covered by glowing runes and had a golden jewel attached to its top. The ground was shaken by strong earthquakes, which erupted every time the staff's end hit it. He also told us that tall creatures, made out of sand grains, were there, fighting for the masked sorcerer."

"The Golems of Pavan?" Leigh asked.

Zaylan nodded, his face bearing a sad expression. "I'm afraid so."

The knight exhaled sharply, ground her teeth in frustration and curled one hand to a fist, smacking it against her thigh. "Damn it!"

"What about High Sorcerer Krymm?" Mandylor inquired.

"We don't know. Nobody knows what happened after the masked sorcerer entered his chambers. Like I said, everything is destroyed. It will take weeks to alone clear all the debris away, even with the use of magic. My guess is that Krymm was either abducted like High Sorceress Tanith, or he is dead. The jewel from Kentaara though is definitely in the hands of our enemy."

"Great, even more power for him and our chances to be able to defeat him dwindle further," Leigh remarked. "And nobody saw where they came from?"

Zaylan shook his head. "We at least didn't encounter anybody, who could have told us."

"But there must be a way to explain that," Leigh insisted. She had been wrecking her brain about that. "They cannot just appear out of thin air, even with dark magic. What about a portal of some kind or a secret passage to get in and a spy, who told the dark wizard?"

"We had a secret passage in the castle of Ashkyhra," Terrulli chimed in, remembering. "My mother made me go through there to escape. The attackers were definitely not using that when they appeared. They were just suddenly there."

"We need to find out how they do it to prevent further attacks and stop him before he approaches. Otherwise, we can only react and he has all the advantages on his side," Leigh said thoughtfully. "That's the reason why nobody can stop him. He takes them all by surprise with his sudden appearance, robbing them of the chance to prepare. Ranya has more knowledge, she can prepare better in case he decides to really attack Urdgard."

"Nirios and Samira know it too and reinforcements are on their way. Day by day the armies of the non-magical countries grow and come to support us against this threat. We also know that the masked sorcerer is after the pieces of Asram's stone, so they will be guarded and protected like never before," Zaylan pointed out.

"But, there is still the matter of the Shadow Warriors," Mandylor said. "Swanheart has offered to go and retrieve the weapon from Paquin."

Shocked by the use of the unusual name the Elf used, Zaylan looked first at Alannah and then at the knight. "No, Leigh, you can't…"

She just gave him a weak smile. "I have been told what fate has in store for me."

He ran a hand over his face and sighed. "I'm sorry. I should have told you both sooner, but…"

"It's alright."

"No, it is not!" Zaylan exclaimed, jumping off his seat. "I have sworn to protect you with all my might."

"I know, my King. I also know that you would never allow any harm to befall us."

"Not if I can prevent it."

"At the moment, our land is in grave danger and I will do whatever I can to restore peace, because I want to keep the ones I love safe too. If that means that I have to go on a quest, then I will," Leigh replied strongly.

Zaylan sat back down, his shoulders slumped, defeated. "I know."

*****

Calmly and peacefully, Urdgard lay under a pitch black sky, which was dotted by countless, sparkling stars. The night was cold and quiet, revealing nothing out of the ordinary. The people of the desert country were fast asleep in their houses, safe in the tunnel system under the sands. Or though, they thought.

Feylon and a few other guards were standing on the wall, watching the border. From time to time, he unfastened the golden telescope from his belt and looked through it, hoping to catch a sign of High Sorceress Ranya and the fire-breathing dragon. So many days had passed and they still had not heard from her or when she would return.

A dull tremor shook the sand and wall under him. It wasn't much, but Feylon felt it vibrate through his body, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Looking around watchful, he saw that the other guards were still in their positions, undisturbed by whatever had happened.

Feylon shook his head slightly, grinning to himself. "I must be tired."

Another quake came, stronger than the one before, rippling the sand. With the next tremor, an explosion could be heard. Feylon and the other guards lost their balance. A few fell and scrambled as quickly as they could back to their feet.

More explosions followed.

"What's going on?" one asked, slightly hysteric. "Is this an earthquake?"

"No," replied another one. "We don't get earthquakes here."

"Whatever it is, it sure feels like an earthquake!"

"Argh, shut up, you fool!"

Unfolding his telescope once more, Feylon scanned his surroundings. Disbelieving, he stopped at the door to the pyramid, Sastar's temple, and froze. "Good gracious…"

"What? What is it?"

The porphyry pyramid's door had been blasted away and the opening was pouring forth countless creatures. Black-armored soldiers swarmed out, followed by the giant golems that made the ground shake with every step they took.

Another guard took the telescope off his hands to have a look himself. "Blow the horn," he croaked to a throat that had suddenly gone dry.

Nobody moved. They were all too shocked by what they saw.

"Shadow Warriors," one gasped.

Eerie, the see-through, bodiless souls of fallen warriors, which had been raised from death by dark magic, floated through the opening of the temple, gleaming faintly blue. And then he came. The epitome of the worst nightmare one could think of. The masked sorcerer stepped out, raising his ebony staff.

"BLOW THE HORN!" the guard now yelled, giving the telescope back to Feylon. "WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!" That were the last word he ever spoke. An arrow came whizzing through the darkness, piercing his throat.

Feylon ran, dodging arrows and crossbow bolts until he had reached the massive, curved horn that once had adorned a dragon's head. Its white, smooth surface was covered with embedded rubies around the golden mouthpiece. Raising the horn high, he blew into it with all his might, alerting the citizens of Urdgard to the danger at hand.

*****

When Alannah was roused from sleep it was in the middle of the night. A scraping noise had awakened her and she looked around. Blinking the final traces of sleep from her eyes, she was surprised to find the room bathed in candle light. She also discovered the source of the noise.

Leigh was sitting on the rug in front of her bed. Holding the sword of her father in her lap, she stroked a whet stone across the blade, sharpening it. Her green eyes stared unseeingly ahead and her hands did the necessary movements automatically.

Alannah could see that she was deep in thought, analyzing again. The way the knight's lips were pressed so tightly together told her as much as the worry lines on her forehead. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Alannah asked softly, sitting up.

The stone stopped and Leigh looked up. "I'm sorry. I just can't go to sleep. My overactive brain won't let me, you know?"

Alannah quirked a small smile. "I do know."

"Did I wake you? I'm sorry," the knight said and rose, returning the sword to its scabbard and storing the whet stone in the saddlebags that lay in a corner of the room.

The princess just waved it off. "It's alright. I had a hard time going to sleep and I was dreaming weird stuff anyway."

"Nightmares? Visions?" Leigh inquired with a compassionate look.

"No on both accounts. Thankfully, I haven't been bothered by things like that," Alannah replied.

"Good. I'm really glad to hear that."

"Just some weird stuff."

Silence fell, which was only interrupted by the occasional quiet growl that erupted from Cerulia's throat.

"Her dreamscape seems to be quite active tonight," Leigh remarked, grinning.

"She is probably chasing all kinds of animals through the forest," the princess responded with a fond glance at the white wolf.

When her eyes found Leigh's again the knight felt her heart skip a beat. So often, she had seen these brown orbs, but in the gently flickering candlelight, they appeared even more beautiful to her than ever before. There was such warmth and love in their depths as they regarded her that she felt her throat go dry and she had to swallow hard.

"Leigh…"

"Alannah…"

They chuckled because they had said each other's name at the same time.

"Please, Alannah, you go first," Leigh said, smiling.

"Are you sure that you want to do it?"

The knight had a notion of what the other woman was talking about, but she wanted to be sure. "What do you mean?"

"Do you really want to go out on this quest?" With bated breath, the princess waited for her answer. Deep down, she was hoping that Leigh would think it through once more and not go, but she knew the chances for that were smaller than nothing.

"I don't think there is another choice. If we want to have even a slight chance on defeating the masked sorcerer then we need that weapon, which is able to destroy Shadow Warriors."

"I knew you were going to say that."

Leigh's eyebrows rose at the somewhat snappy tone. "If I didn't know it better, I'd say you're pouting." Her joke wasn't rewarded with the desired snicker she had hoped for. Realizing that something was really laying heavy on the other woman's mind, she inquired, "What's going on, Alannah?"

The princess lowered her gaze to the bed covers and started to fiddle with a corner of the blanket. "I just… I just am worried about you," she finally confessed in a small voice. "I don't want to be stuck here with the Elves, while you are out there facing Ossyr only knows what kind of dangers. I want to come with you. I want to help you. King Mandylor said that we are in this together. It doesn't make sense that we have to part."

Leigh lowered her frame to the edge of Alannah's bed. Reaching out one hand, she lifted the princess' chin to make her look at her. "I need you to be safe and at the moment there is no safer place than Ilumera. And there is so much that you can learn from King Mandylor and his people. You were so excited when we came here that you would get to meet the Elves. Use the chance that's offered to you."

Alannah took hold of the hand on her chin. "What good will come of knowledge and being safe, if I were to lose you?" she whispered desperately. "I need you to be safe just as well. I couldn't bear losing you."

Leigh drew her distraught friend into her arms, combing one hand through the long, silvery hair. "You are not going to lose me, not ever. Besides, I'm not going alone. Loredane will be with me and he is one of the Elves' greatest warriors."

Barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Alannah complained, "That's what Loreen said too. He'll only accompany you to the grotto. From there on you'll be on your own, and nobody can tell how Paquin, Lord of the Mermen, is going to react to your presence. What if he attacks you without letting you explain why you entered his realm?"

"Well, I just have to be my charming self to keep him from doing that. Maybe I should wear my armor. You say I look adorable in it. That might just be what it takes to charm him out of his fishtail and trident and give in to whatever I want," Leigh joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Alannah poked her side, making her jump. "Be serious," she demanded.

"I don't know what's going to happen. I have been thinking about all kinds of scenarios all afternoon and evening." She paused briefly before adding, "I promise you this though, I will be careful and I will not take any unnecessary chances."

"I trust you and I believe you," the princess stated, not taking her eyes off the knight's. "You have never ever lied to me and you never broke a promise."

"And I never will," Leigh vowed.

"I know." Alannah was still staring into the green eyes, searching their depths and finding only the genuine truth of the knight's promise. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"Take Cerulia with you. I would feel better if I knew that she's with you, looking out for you too."

Leigh sighed, attempting to decline. "Alannah…"

Placing an index finger on the other woman's lips, the princess silenced her. "Please. I'll be okay here. You said it yourself. Ilumera is the safest place right now."

She took Alannah's hand and placed it over her heart. "If I have to venture far out on the sea, I would have to leave her behind at the grotto. I don't want to endanger Cerulia."

"That is fine. She'll wait for you at the shore."

Seeing, that the princess would not let it rest before she gave in, Leigh decided to stop arguing and agreed. "Okay, I'll take her along."

"Thank you." Then Alannah rose and extinguished the candles.

Leigh was about to climb into her own bed, when two arms reached out to wrap around her, holding her back from leaving. "Don't go away," Alannah begged quietly. "I need you to hold me tonight."

Turning on her right side to face the window, Alannah waited for Leigh to settle behind her. Soon after, Leigh's right arm slid under her neck, while the other wrapped around her waist. The princess took hold of the right hand, placed it over her heart and closed her eyes, concentrating solely on the warm feeling that seeped from the palm into her chest. "You won't go alone. I'll be with you with my heart and mind the whole time."

"I know and the same goes for me," Leigh answered, feeling Alannah's heartbeat steadily against her palm and her own adjusted to the same rhythm. She scooted closer, until her front was tightly pressed against Alannah's back, spooning her. Suddenly drowsy, Leigh whispered, "Goodnight, my precious princess."

Alannah yawned one last time and replied, "Goodnight, my brave, little knight."

It didn't take long for sleep to carry them off to the dreamscape.

*****

Anxiously, Ranya stared ahead. They had just crossed the borders to Urdgard. The sun was coming up and she could see columns of smoke rising from several places and the wall where the guards used to stand and watch was a pile of debris. "Hurry Firetail, oh by Sastar, hurry!"

"Lady Ranya… the temple… why can't I see the pyramid?"

"It's destroyed. We are too late," the High Sorceress answered and her breathing hitched. "Firetail, we are too late."

"NOOOOO!" the dragon roared, flapping her wings strongly to increase the speed once more. They landed in front of the once awe-inspiring porphyry pyramid, which had been turned into a blackened, burnt out ruin.

Dazed, Ranya loosened the straps which kept her bound to the saddle and slid from the dragon's back. She knew without a doubt that she did not need to look for the gemstone. The destruction told her all. Tears of anger burnt in her eyes. "He was here, he took the stone and I was too late to prevent it."

"Lady Ranya…"

Raising a hand, she interrupted the dragon. "No, Firetail. There is no excuse. I should have taken the stone with me."

"But when we left we didn't know what was going on and that the dark wizard was after the pieces of Asram's Stone."

The dragon was right but Ranya didn't want to hear it. She was so mad at herself. Helplessly, she stood there, taking it all in, and the ache in her heart grew to be unbearable. Gazing around, she was reminded of Kentaara. Urdgard was sharing its fate now. Everything was destroyed. Dark smoke came from the entrances of the tunnel system. Wounded people cried out from physical and emotional pain. Others knelt on the hot sand, praying to Sastar.

For some reason, Ranya felt herself being pulled towards the ruins of the temple. The part of it that was still standing, had been turned into a place where nurses took care of the wounded, trying to help as best as they could.

On a stone slab, she recognized the broken body of Rohan, her fatherly friend and caretaker of Firetail. She walked slowly over to him, tears blurring her vision.

The nurses that saw her bowed, before turning back to their work.

Ranya reached the stone slab and knelt next to it. Reaching out with a trembling hand, she brushed her fingertips through his gray, curly hair.

His eyes opened at the touch. "Lady Ranya," he whispered and a small smile appeared on his face, which was covered in bruises and deep scratches. "I knew you'd come…"

"Shhh, don't talk," she ordered gently. "You need to save your strength."

"It's too late for that. I have seen the light of the Different World. It is so beautiful."

"No, Rohan. You can't leave me. Who will take care of Firetail? Who will make sure that I don't work too much?"

He tried to grab her hand but he was too weak. "I'll stay then."

"You better do that. Now rest, I'll come back later to talk with you. I need to find out what happened."

With the second attempt, he managed to take hold of her hand. "It was the masked sorcerer, just as the prophecy foretold. I couldn't fight him. I'm so sorry. I'm just a useless old man."

"No, you are a very brave man." The High Sorceress stroked his forehead and mumbled a few words under her breath.

Rohan's eyes closed and he fell into a deep, restful sleep.

"High Sorceress, I beg your pardon," somebody said behind her,

She turned around and looked into the face of a young man. His dented armor was that of a guard and he had a bandage wrapped around his head. It covered a still bleeding gash, inflicted by the sword of an enemy. "My name is Feylon. I am… I was one of the guards, who stood watch on the wall when they attacked us."

"Tell me what happened."

"They took us by surprise. All of a sudden the ground shook and we thought it might be an earthquake. Then explosions followed and the next thing we knew the door of the temple had been blasted to shreds. The masked sorcerer and his troops marched in, burning and murdering. They also took people away, mostly the young ones." Feylon said it all with a faraway look in his eyes. He was reliving it all again.

"Was he accompanied by Shadow Warriors?"

He nodded. "Yes and the Golems of Pavan. The masked sorcerer… he… he was torturing Rohan to get through the defense mechanisms that kept the gemstone safe. He held on for as long as he could. I used the diversion to get a few hundred people through the tunnels. They are safe because the invaders didn't search the whole tunnel system. They were mostly just interested in the stone. Once they had it, they left."

Ranya grabbed the young man's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "I am proud of you and your bravery. You have saved many people and you have also saved our country from falling completely. The dark wizard may have the stone, but we will get it back. We have been attacked but we have not been conquered. I fear though they might return. Did you see how they left?"

"I did. Please, come with me."

Ranya followed Feylon to the back of the destroyed temple, lifting her robes to keep from stumbling over the debris that covered the floor. He led her to a side room that was still intact. A huge wooden rectangular frame stood in the middle of it.

The High Sorceress frowned. "What was this room used for? I don't think I have ever been in it before. Did the priests know about this?"

"Actually, this room was hidden behind a wall and was never entered before, since it didn't have a door," Feylon explained.

Ranya walked to the wooden frame, inspecting the runes on it. Her forehead wrinkled even further. "What is that?"

The young guard shrugged his shoulders. "I had hoped that you would know. It must be some kind of magical portal."

"What? Why do you think that?" she asked surprised.

"Because this is what they used to disappear. The masked sorcerer stroked his hands over the frame, chanting in a language completely unknown to me, erecting an energy field. They just marched through it and vanished."

Ranya wiped a hand across her face, exhaling sharply. "So, that's the key. That's how they got into each country undetected and caught everyone by surprise."

*****

Continued...