In Sapphire of the Fairies: Five Collapse Children have been gathered by Garth and Kalina, who were discovered to be Alex and Jenneva Tork. Two of the Collapse Children are the Children of the Ancient Prophecy, but their identity is not yet clear. Calling themselves the Alcea Rangers, the group has managed to restore the Sapphire of the Fairies to the Sword of Heavens. Clear skies have replaced the Darkness over the area once known as Cordonia, but with the sunshine comes the pinpointing of their location to the forces of evil. General Gregor had been released from prison and he now labors to build an army in preparation of the Heir's return to Tagaret. Niki has met with Dalgar, who professes to be her real father. While acknowledging that he is a high-level Black Devil, Dalgar sows the seeds of doubt in Niki's mind.

With the Unicorns' Opal restored to the Sword of Heavens, the Collapse Children are off to search for the Diamond of Edona. Fredrik and Niki have left the group and decided to stay in Tagaret. Arik, Tedi, and the mysterious Tanya are still accompanied by Alex and Jenneva, but the Heir to the Alcean throne has finally accepted his place in the struggle to defeat Sarac.

In Abuud: the One-Eyed God Arik and Tedi are separated from the Rangers. They are joined by another Collapse Child, Wylan, as they seek to secure a statue of Abuud to redeem for the Diamond of Edona. Niki is also separated and teams up with the mysterious Master Khatama where she is taught a form of magic that deals with animals. Tedi's mother is discovered to be alive, but Master Khatama collapses mysteriously when the Diamond of Edona is set into the Sword of Heavens.

In Dwarven Ruby Wylan and Bin-lu join up with the Rangers. Tedi misses his rendezvous with the Rangers and ends up with the gypsies. Queen Marta enters Tagaret and takes tenuous control of the city, while the Rangers journey to the mysterious Castle of Man.

Chapter 1: Under the Full Moon

They stared upward as the Darkness rolled away, and the inky black sky spread out above them. The full moon hung directly overhead and illuminated the plateau with a ghostly pale light. Suddenly, a scream rent the still night air. The scream echoed off the sides of the mountains. The rejoicing dwarves fell silent, and the Rangers looked at one another with questioning glances.

"That sounded like Niki," declared Tanya.

Jenneva nodded as she gazed up at the full moon hanging over the Southern Mountains. "I agree," she stated softly, "but where is she?"

"At the base of the mountain," answered Alex as he pointed below. "If I am not mistaken, that appears to be the wagon of Master Khatama."

Arik sheathed the Sword of Heavens and picked up the small glass bead that had popped out of it. "I am going down to see what the problem is," the Prince of Alcea declared.

"Me too," Bin-lu quickly added.

"We should all go," offered Wylan. "Arik should never be left alone."

"Wise words," nodded Alex. "Arik, send Prince Midge on ahead while we descend."

Arik nodded to the fairy prince, and Prince Midge darted into the night air. The Rangers gathered at the edge of the plateau while Alex looked for a path down the side of the mountain. Darok, the dwarven prince, walked next to Alex and pointed to a trail.

"That is the best way down," Darok declared. "A party of dwarves will accompany you. There may be some goblins in the area that were not sufficiently feared by the awesome display of the Sword of Heavens."

"Lead the way then," nodded Alex, "but tread carefully. We must not lead Arik into a trap."

"The Garala will not be harmed in dwarven territory," insisted Darok. "Our lives are pledged to him and his safety."

Prince Darok and four dwarves led the way down the mountain trail. The Alcea Rangers followed, and another twenty dwarves fell in behind them. Darok pointed to potential problem areas of the trail as he moved swiftly down the trail. A few minutes after they started their descent, Prince Midge landed on Arik's shoulder. The party halted.

"It was Niki who screamed," reported Prince Midge. "Fredrik is also there. Master Khatama appears to be in trouble. He collapsed when the Darkness fled. That is why Niki screamed."

Alex nodded at Prince Midge's report and turned to Darok. "Still we must be cautious," Alex said. "Let us continue down."

Prince Darok nodded and resumed their downward journey. Within minutes, the group entered the campsite of Master Khatama. Niki looked up in fear as the dwarves entered, but she relaxed when she saw the Rangers.

"He collapsed," Niki sobbed. "We all woke up when the lightning pierced the Darkness. I don't know what is wrong with him."

Jenneva and Tanya hurried to Niki's side and hovered over Master Khatama.

"It is the same as it was in Barouk," Jenneva frowned. "He is suffering from some type of magical shock."

"That is too much of a coincidence," declared Tanya. "He collapsed when the Diamond of Edona was inserted into the Sword of Heavens, and now he does the same when the Dwarven Ruby is inserted. There must be a connection."

"I agree," Jenneva nodded. "Niki, can you prepare some hot water for Master Khatama?"

"Certainly," nodded Niki as she rose.

"Do you remember the healing spell I used on Master Khatama the last time?" Jenneva asked Tanya after Niki had left.

"Yes," answered Tanya. "Why?"

"Use it," instructed Jenneva. "I want to probe Master Khatama's mind before he awakens, but I do not wish to delay the healing process."

"You know he frowns on such things," cautioned Tanya.

"I know," nodded Jenneva, "but I must learn what is causing him to collapse. Start healing him."

Tanya nodded and started the healing spells to eradicate the magical shock. Jenneva placed her hands on Master Khatama's head and closed her eyes. A deep frown covered her face as her mind linked with Master Khatama's. For several minutes, Jenneva remained motionless as Tanya continued chanting the healing spells. Suddenly, Boris groaned and opened his eyes. Jenneva's eyes popped open at the same time. Her gaze locked with Master Khatama's eyes, and her hands fell away from the old magician's head.

"What type of manners do you possess?" scowled Boris. "Did your master not teach you anything?"

"I am sorry," apologized Jenneva. "My master did teach me better than that, but I fear for your health. How are you feeling?"

Boris grumbled and sat up. He gazed around the campsite at the assemblage of dwarves and humans. He shook his head slowly. Niki ran over and wrapped her arms around Boris. He looked strangely at the young redheaded girl, but he said nothing.

"You are better," smiled Niki. "I knew it was nothing. I am boiling some water. Would you care for some tea?"

"I prefer coffee," frowned Boris.

Niki nodded gleefully and scampered off. Tanya rose sadly and walked to the fire. She sat down on a log and stared into the flames. Jenneva rose and sat next to Tanya.

"What did you see in Master Khatama's mind?" whispered Tanya.

"Darkness," frowned Jenneva. "Nothing but darkness with a small hole in the middle."

"What does it mean?" questioned Tanya.

"I wish I knew," Jenneva shook her head. "I should have been able to share his thoughts, but I doubt that what I saw was of his creation. I need to try it again."

"No," warned Tanya. "Do not be foolish. You know that he would never allow it. He considers it a rude invasion of one's mind. To attempt it against his will would be extremely dangerous."

Boris gazed up at the sky and suddenly smiled. He looked around the campsite again and his eyes rested on Arik. He rose to his feet and approached the Alcean prince.

"You have restored the Dwarven Ruby," stated Boris. "You have three more gems to gather. You are over half-way to your goal."

"That appears to be true," nodded Arik. "We are concerned with your health, Master Khatama. Is there anything we can do for you?"

"Do not worry about me," smiled Boris. "I am of no importance. It is the Emerald of the Elves that you must worry about."

"Is that the next gem then?" questioned Arik.

"It is," nodded Boris as he gazed skyward again. "The Sword of Heavens will guide you. Look at that moon. Have you ever seen anything so wondrous?"

"It is beautiful," smiled Arik. "I look forward to everyone being able to gaze upon it."

"Will you travel with us to retrieve the Emerald of the Elves?" asked Alex. "Your company would be most agreeable to us."

Boris turned and looked at Alex with a puzzled expression. Slowly he shook his head.

"I think not," Boris said hesitantly. "I am sure that our paths go in different directions."

"Where are you heading then?" asked Bin-lu as he jumped up on a log and balanced himself.

Boris smiled at the young Lanoirian and laughed.

"You have a strange collection of followers, Prince Arik," chuckled Boris. Suddenly the old merchant turned serious. "Do not let down your guard now," he warned. "The closer you get to fulfilling the Ancient Prophecy, the easier it will be for Sarac to find you. Be ever vigilant in the days ahead. The Dark One weaves many plans for your destruction. You must not let him prevail."

Arik opened his mouth to respond, but halted as the eastern sky was suddenly illuminated with flaming projectiles. Before anyone could react, a dozen fireballs slammed into the group assembled around Master Khatama's wagon. Three dwarves that had been standing guard near the edge of the clearing were struck first. Their flaming bodies were tossed to the ground as the fireballs struck. One fireball struck the log that Bin-lu was balancing on. He leaped into the air, his feet ablaze and his arms stretched out before him. Another fireball slammed into Bin-lu's hands as the young Lanoirian fell to the ground screaming. Arik flew backwards as two fireballs hurtled into his chest. The rest of the streaming projectiles soared through the campsite without hitting anyone, although they had clearly been aimed at the Prince of Alcea.

Alex immediately drew his sword and moved to stand in front of Arik's body as he gazed up at a small plateau. He saw over a dozen dark shapes sitting on their horses preparing to throw more fireballs. Scores of Dark Riders were heading down from the plateau in two streams.

"Sarac's Ravens," shouted Alex.

"I have the shields," yelled Fredrik as he swiftly erected a magical barrier over the group.

"Trembling Ground," added Jenneva as she jumped to her feet and swiftly cast a spell.

The ground beneath her feet began to rumble as it started to undulate. The ground rippled into a wave that began to flow towards the attackers. The wave grew in intensity as it moved away from the Rangers.

"Wind," Tanya said softly as she stepped next to Jenneva and cast her spell.

The branches of the trees began to shake as Tanya gathered the air about her. Small pebbles rose off of the ground and were suspended in the air. Tanya released the air and sent it hurtling towards Sarac's Ravens. It sped over Jenneva's ground swell.

Niki scowled as she looked at Arik's body on the ground. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she gazed at the dark forms on the distance ledge. She reached out to the collective minds of the horses that the attackers were riding. She ordered them to flee.

Master Khatama moved swiftly to the rear of the campsite. When he was behind the Rangers and the dwarves, his hands shot skyward. He closed his eyes tightly as brilliant flashes of light streaked skyward from his hands. The light was so intense that the whole mountainside glowed as if the sun illuminated it.

Prince Darok ordered his dwarves to attack as he bent down and smothered the flames engulfing Bin-lu's boots. All of that happened as the second set of fireballs was being sent towards the campsite. Fredrik shuddered as the flaming projectiles slammed into his shield.

The brilliant light sent skyward by Master Khatama blinded the attackers only seconds before Tanya's wind tore into them. The horses panicked as the wind and the light struck. The animals heeded Niki's command and tried to turn around. When Jenneva's wave hit, horses and riders went flying.

Confusion and terror gripped the Black Devils and the Dark Riders. Fearful horses surged back up the trails and away from the campsite. Some Dark Riders were thrown from their mounts, while others blindly clung on to the stampeding horses. The dwarves raced across the open land and pounced upon the Dark Riders who had been left behind. In seconds, it was all over.

"Keep the shield in place, Fredrik," commanded Boris as his brilliant display of light faded away. "Let's tend to the wounded before Sarac's minions decide to return."

"My people will need no tending," Prince Darok reported sadly as he knelt next to the bodies of the three dwarves who had been struck down. "They are dead."

Alex knelt next to Arik. What was left of the prince's tunic was charred beyond use. Alex felt for a pulse, and Arik groaned. Alex extended his hand and Arik grasped it and pulled himself into a sitting position.

"That is a mighty fine breastplate that you have," Alex grinned.

"I agree," nodded Arik, "but I have to stop testing it. How did they manage to find us?"

"The clearing of the sky," Alex pointed to the moon. "They must have figured out that we would be near Dorgun. All they had to do was wait for the big event. We must plan on them being around each time you activate the Sword of Heavens."

"Bin-lu does not look good," interrupted Wylan. "The fires are out, but his hands and feet are all burned. He is unconscious."

Jenneva knelt next to Bin-lu and cringed as she saw the extent of the burns. "He will not have the use of his hands or feet in the future," she reported. "He is badly burned."

Tanya gasped as she knelt next to Jenneva. Boris walked over and squatted next to Bin-lu. He gently picked up one of Bin-lu's hands and examined it. Frowning, he lowered the burned hand to Bin-lu's chest. Boris rose and paced the campsite for several minutes as the dwarves started trickling back into the campsite.

"Fourteen of the attackers are dead," reported one of the dwarves. "Some of our dwarves are still pursuing the others. We may get some more of them."

"Bring your men back in," Alex said to Prince Darok. "The attackers have magicians among them. When the Black Devils regain their sight, your men will be killed."

Darok nodded and issued orders to round up the dwarves. Boris stopped pacing and approached the dwarven prince.

"Can akatids be found around here?" Boris asked.

"Unfortunately," nodded Prince Darok. "We lose several men a year to them. They are the most poisonous spiders known. Why do you ask?"

Boris ignored the question and walked to the back of his wagon. He rummaged through his goods and found four small tins. He emptied the contents of the tins and then resealed the empty containers. He walked back to Prince Darok and handed the four tins to the dwarf.

"Find four akatids," ordered Boris. "Place one in each tin and return the tins here. I think they are what Bin-lu needs to recover."

Prince Darok looked skeptically at the old man. He glanced towards Arik, and slowly nodded his head when Arik indicated that he thought it was a good idea. The dwarven prince handed the four tins to his men and instructed them to capture the deadly spiders. Boris returned to Bin-lu. Jenneva and Tanya were attempting to heal the Lanoirian, but their faces indicated their lack of confidence in their spells.

"There is no need to continue with that," declared Boris. "You cannot replace burned flesh with a healing spell. At least not with any spells that you know."

"Do you know of a spell that can do it?" asked Tanya.

"There is an old elven spell that may work," posed Master Khatama. "I am not well versed in it, though."

"There are elves nearby," offered Jenneva. "I do not know their location, but the dwarves do. They are the elves of Sorelderal."

"They should have the knowledge," brightened Boris. "The Sorelderal elves were quite knowledgeable of magic. When the akatids are secured, we shall have Bin-lu taken to them. Jenneva, follow me."

Boris turned and walked into the forest. Jenneva followed with a puzzled expression. When she caught up to Master Khatama, he was standing in a small clearing. He sat down on a log and patted it to indicate that Jenneva should sit next to him.

"What puzzles you?" Boris asked.

"Many things puzzle me, Master," admitted Jenneva. "Your memory comes and goes like the waves of the sea. It troubles me because I cannot understand it. The last time we met, you could not remember who I was. Just now you addressed me by name. What is happening to you?"

"I do not know," sighed Boris. "What did you see when you probed my mind?"

"Darkness," answered Jenneva. "Darkness with a small hole in it. I do not understand that either."

"Do it again," commanded Master Khatama.

Jenneva's jaw dropped as she stared at her old master. He smiled kindly at her and nodded. Jenneva slowly placed her hands on Master Khatama's head and closed her eyes.

"Tell me what you see," instructed Boris.

"The darkness lingers," reported Jenneva, "but the hole is larger now. Inside the hole, I see your cave. I see myself as a young girl. You are thinking of the time we first met," Jenneva smiled. "You do remember."

"Sometimes," sighed Boris. "Other times I do not."

Jenneva frowned and removed her hands from Master Khatama's head. She opened her eyes and smiled at Boris.

"What can I do to help you?" Jenneva asked.

"You have seen what I cannot," replied Boris. "What does this darkness look like that surrounds my memories? Is it a solid black? Does it have form or shape?"

"It looks like a dark cloud," shrugged Jenneva. "As if you were gazing skyward from someplace still under the Darkness."

"Interesting," mused Boris. "A cloud that blocks my memories as the Darkness blocks out the sun and the stars."

"So you can not see this cloud?" asked Jenneva.

"Not in my mind," Boris shook his head. "It is as if the size of the hole in that cloud is what changes my ability to remember."

"I heard that your memory improved greatly on the way to Tagaret," posed Jenneva. "Then it turned around at some point. When did you start forgetting things again?"

"Sometimes it is hard for me to realize when my memory is getting worse," admitted Boris. "It was sometime after crossing the Southern Mountains. I am pretty sure of that because of the strange stares that I get from the people around me when I do forget something."

"And how bad was your memory earlier tonight?" inquired Jenneva.

"Bad I am afraid," frowned Boris. "I was not even sure where we were traveling to. Niki was guiding our path."

"And piercing the Darkness has reversed the situation," mused Jenneva. "The Diamond of Edona cleared the skies almost to the Southern Mountains."

"So you are saying that my memory is affected by the Darkness that Sarac created?" asked Boris. "I can see why you are proposing that, but I have lived under this Darkness since the Collapse. My memory loss has never been this severe before."

"I do not have an answer for that," shrugged Jenneva, "but I do think there is a correlation between your memory and the Darkness. It is the only thing that makes sense."

"I have to agree with you," Boris finally conceded. "At least we now have a path to pursue in my quest to make sense of it all. We shall have to dwell upon it for a while. Maybe we can find out how the Darkness affects my memory, and why it does."

"I am eager to find the source of the problem," smiled Jenneva. "Tanya could help, too. She is a very smart lass."

"Yes, she is," smiled Boris. "There is something that you must know about her."

Jenneva wrapped her arms around Boris and hugged him tightly. "We already know," grinned Jenneva. "Oscar figured it out when you mentioned Ora and Beka. I cannot thank you enough for taking care of our daughter. Nor I could I ever think of anyone else that I would rather have had raise her. Thank you."

"I am glad that I found her," smiled Boris. "I am sorry it took me so long to get you reunited with her. She is a very special person."

"All that matters is that you kept her safe from harm," replied Jenneva. "You have brought much joy into my life, Egam."

"It has been a long time since anyone called me Egam," grinned Boris. "Like yourself, I found it safer to appear dead to my enemies."

"Then you should continue to do so," suggested Jenneva. "There are still times when your anonymity can benefit us. At least you can keep Niki safe from Sarac. I do not think that he is sure that she is his descendent yet"

"Nor am I," responded Master Khatama.

"Oh?" questioned Jenneva. "What causes you doubts? She has Aurora's cloak."

"She does at that," nodded Master Khatama. "Still, the type of magic she possesses is rare. It is not the type of magic that Aurora had. I find it hard to believe that Niki is the one we seek."

"Then we have more work to do," frowned Jenneva. "There is still one Child running loose somewhere. There are only three gems left to restore the Sword of Heavens. We do not have much time to find her."

"Or him," corrected Master Khatama. "I will attempt to do that while you guide Arik on his quest for the gems. You have assembled a rather unique group of followers."

"They are unique," Jenneva nodded. "It is hard to keep track of them and keep them alive. We have lost Tedi and now it appears that Bin-lu will not be going with us."

"Tedi is not far away," Boris stated as he rose and faced south.

"You are tracking him?" questioned Jenneva. "I should have known. The spell on the cloak and the necklace, that was you?"

"It was," nodded Boris. "Tedi now carries a staff with a tracking spell on it. And I think Bin-lu may survive his difficulties if the dwarves can find those akatids."

"What do you plan to do with the akatids?" inquired Jenneva. "How can poisonous spiders restore the use of his hands and feet? Surely the poison would kill him."

"The elves have a spell for restoring burnt flesh," explained Master Khatama. "They must get him soon if it is to work, though. They will not poison the lad. They will extract the venom sacks, and then make a poultice of the akatid shells. I do not remember the spell enough to perform it, but I am sure that the elves of Sorelderal will know what to do."

Suddenly, shouting from the campsite drifted into the forest. Master Khatama and Jenneva rose quickly and ran back to the campsite. Boris halted as he came into the clearing. Niki sat on the ground with the four tins in front of her. The tins were open and the akatid spiders were on Bin-lu.

"No!" shouted Master Khatama. "Put them back into the tins."

"That is exactly what I am doing," frowned Niki as she instructed the spiders to return to the tins. "You don't have to get upset. I already took care of the problem."

"She let the akatids bite the lad," cried Prince Darok. "The bite from just one is enough to kill him for sure. They bit each of his hands and feet. I tried to stop her."

"Dwarves don't understand magic," pouted Niki.

"They do understand akatids, though," frowned Master Khatama as he raced to the wagon.

Boris pulled a blanket out of the wagon and tossed it to Price Darok.

"Wrap the lad in that blanket and hurry him to the Sorelderal elves," instructed Master Khatama. "Explain that he was bitten and that they need to save him before they restore his flesh. Hurry."

Niki frowned as she replaced the lids on the four tins. Master Khatama bent down and scooped up the tins and handed them to Prince Darok.

"The elves will need the akatids as well," added Master Khatama. "Tell them to spare no effort to save the lad. Tell them that the Mage will visit them shortly to review their progress."

Prince Darok shouted instructions and his men bundled Bin-lu in the blanket. Four dwarves grabbed the corners of the blanket and the four tins and raced into the forest.

"They weren't supposed to bite him?" Niki asked timidly.

"No," sighed Master Khatama. "Your thoughts were well meant, Niki, but in this case, you guessed wrong."

Niki started crying, and Tanya wrapped her arm around Niki.

"The elves will save him," soothed Tanya with more conviction than she felt. "It is amazing how the spiders obeyed you. How do you do that?"

Niki threw off Tanya's arm and ran into the woods to cry.

"Let her be," suggested Master Khatama. "She needs to understand the consequences of acting without thinking things through. She will survive."

"I hope the same can be said for Bin-lu," frowned Wylan. "I would like to go to this elf village and be with Bin-lu. Is that acceptable?"

"I think that would be good," Alex said softly. "Can you have someone guide him, Prince Darok?"

The dwarf prince nodded and motioned for a dwarf to guide Wylan to the elf village.

Chapter 2: The Hidden Glade

Arik walked over to the campfire and stared at the flames as he fingered the glass bead in his pocket. His thoughts dwelt upon Bin-lu and he almost missed the feather-light touch of Prince Midge as the fairy settled onto his shoulder.

"They are several leagues away," reported the fairy prince. "They appear to be very disorganized."

"At least for now," frowned Arik. "I think we can be sure that they will attempt to kill me again."

"They may think that they have already succeeded," interjected Alex as he stepped softly next to Arik. "They may not know about the Breastplate of Alcea."

"It won't take them long to figure it out," retorted Jenneva. "If Arik were to die, Sarac would be released from his prison. In fact, any action that causes the fulfilling of the Ancient Prophecy in our favor to fail will free him."

"That does not mean that they will know," argued Fredrik. "They would have to report to Sarac about their progress to learn if the Dark One is free or not. From what I know of the Black Devils, none of them are too anxious to report to Sarac. I think they will attempt to recover Arik's body before reporting in."

"You know your enemy well," nodded Master Khatama. "It is Sarac's weakness that he instills fear in his own followers. Arik should leave here before they come back."

"I agree," interjected Jenneva. "Let's find out where the Sword of Heavens will take us and then depart."

"There are two problems with that," frowned Alex. "We dare not allow the unicorn's to fly with the Black Devils so close. That means that we must ride to wherever we are going."

"Good point," nodded Tanya. "What is the other problem?"

"Bin-lu may be too wounded to ride," continued Alex, "even if we did have horses for him and Wylan, which we don't"

"Bin-lu and Wylan can travel with me," offered Master Khatama. "It is more important that Arik be away from here before Sarac's Ravens return."

Everyone nodded in agreement and Arik took the glass bead from his pocket. As the Rangers gathered around the campfire, Arik tossed the glass bead into the fire. A large column of white smoke rose towering over the fire. The smoke swirled as it rose and then blossomed out into a sphere. A hazy image of lush green foliage filled the sphere. As the image increased in sharpness, the details of a verdant glade came into focus.

The trees and bushes had a brighter green hue than Arik had ever seen. The grass was lush, and a beautiful spring-fed pond sparkled next to a large gazebo. Through the trees, Arik could see a distant waterfall plunging off of a raised plateau. A beautiful female elf sat alone in the gazebo, her long pale hair reminded Arik of the soft light of the moon across a sandy stretch of pristine beach.

Musical voices came from an area outside the vision, and the elven woman rose to her feet. She walked to the steps of the gazebo and halted. Between her breasts, a large green emerald hung from a gold chain around her neck. A questioning frown grew across her smooth and narrow face, as she appeared to look right through Arik. Suddenly, other elves walked into the vision. Arik counted six of them besides the beautiful woman.

"What concerns the council this day?" asked the female elf in a lyrical voice.

"Several of us have felt a disturbance," reported a member of the council, "a magical disturbance. We fear it may involve the Emerald of the Elves."

"I felt it also," nodded the woman in the gazebo. "I would not be concerned about it. While it was a great disturbance, it was a disturbance of healing. Why does this cause you to fear for the Emerald of the Elves?"

"It is something that we must always be concerned about, Queen Lyander," replied the council member. "We know that the Ancient Prophecy is being resolved. The Emerald of the Elves will be required to fulfill it. I fear that the Children will be coming for it soon."

"Let them come," Queen Lyander said defiantly. "They will not find our glade. The Emerald of the Elves will not leave my person until our prophecy has been fulfilled. The Children of the Ancient Prophecy will have to wait."

"We know that three of the gems have already been restored to the Sword of Heavens," interjected another council member. "This disturbance is probably the fourth. We should make plans to prevent the Children of the Ancient Prophecy from getting near you."

"We have already done so," smiled the elven queen. "You reside in the finest glade in all the world, and yet you worry about these humans. It is not possible for them to find their way here. Let it trouble you no more."

"But things are moving so swiftly," frowned a council member. "Valon has not yet been born, and yet time is running out for these humans. I fear they will resort to force and trickery to obtain that which is ours."

"Let them resort to what they must," insisted the queen. "Nothing they can do will alter our people's commitment to the Emerald of the Elves. First they must find us, and then they must destroy us all. I do not think there is any band of humans up to that challenge. Not even the Dark One's minions have a clue as to where we hide. You fret too easily."

"But..." protested a council member,

"But nothing," Queen Lyander declared sternly. "It is our task to safeguard the Emerald of the Elves. Perhaps a recitation of the Elven Prophecy is in order to remind my councilors of the only means that can force it from my neck."

The councilors nodded solemnly as they joined the queen in reciting the Elven Prophecy.

The Emerald green--the Emerald bright
The elven people shall not die
Saves us all from eternal night
Beneath the Dark One's inky sky

The vision winked out of existence, and the white smoke dissipated in the wind. The Rangers stood staring at the empty air over the campfire for several minutes before anyone spoke.

"So they know we are coming," sighed Alex. "This presents a new challenge for us."

"What a beautiful grove that was," chirped Prince Midge. "I have not seen anything so green since before the Collapse. Do you think it is in one of the areas where we cleared away the Darkness?"

"Not necessarily," answered Jenneva. "I think it is a magical garden. It is obvious that the queen and her council are all magicians. Fairly adept ones at that, if they felt the disturbance of the Sword of Heavens."

Arik held the Sword of Heavens out before himself and turned slowly in a circle. He halted facing north.

"It is a fair distance away," Arik reported. "Perhaps twice the distance between here and Barouk."

"Around central Targa then," posed Alex. "We have a long ride ahead of us. We should get some rest before we leave. Is there someplace that the dwarves can put us up for some sleep?"

"You shall have fine accommodations," grinned Prince Darok. "The dwarves will keep constant vigilance while you rest. That will give me time to find one of those foul beasts you ride on."

"Are you sure you wish to go with us?" asked Arik. "It really is not necessary."

"Bah," scowled the dwarven prince. "Of course it is necessary. We will never let the Garala out of our sight now that we have found you. I should bring a hundred men with me to protect you."

"I think just yourself will be fine," smiled Alex. "There may come a time that your Garala will require an army, but this is not it."

"I will rest with you," announced Master Khatama. "When you leave I will check on Bin-lu and Wylan."

"Where will you go?" questioned Tanya.

"I think we will head south to find Tedi," answered Boris. "He has been lost for too long."

"How does your tracking spell work over such great distances?" asked Jenneva. "And how is it that nobody else can use it?"

"You must know the key," smiled Master Khatama. "It is fairly simple really. I associate something fairly common with each item that I wish to track. For Niki's cloak I used banana bread."

"Banana bread?" giggled Jenneva. "How? Why?"

"Picture a freshly baked banana bread in your mind, Jenneva," instructed Master Khatama. "Now execute a tracking spell."

Jenneva nodded and immediately turned to face the woods where Niki had gone off to be alone.

"Amazing," commented Jenneva. "Not only the direction is known, but the distance is clear as well. That is most ingenious, Boris."

"And simple," chuckled Boris. "For Tedi's necklace, I used crab cakes."

"And his staff?" inquired Jenneva.

"Fresh blueberry pie," grinned Master Khatama. "It has always been one of my favorites."

Jenneva conjured up an image of blueberry pie in her mind and cast a tracking spell. She faced south and smiled broadly.

"I shall have to remember your fondness for blueberry pie," laughed Jenneva. "Do you always think of food?"

"Food is something that I have not forgotten," frowned Boris. "It was a wise choice in hindsight."

"They are no longer pursuing us," advised Klarg. "I was afraid that I would be blinded for life. What happened back there?"

"What happened," scowled Calastano, "is that they have more than one mage with them. Not even Jenneva could affect all of those spells at the same time. We have underestimated our enemy once again."

"What are you talking about?" retorted Hagik. "We eliminated the Prince of Alcea. That was our mission. Who cares about anything else?"

"Have we eliminated him?" posed Calastano.

"I saw him hit at least twice," insisted Hagik. "Nobody could survive that."

"Perhaps," mused Calastano. "Still, I would not be in a rush to report our victory to the Dark One. I want to see Arik's body before I stick my neck out any further. How many men did we lose, Klarg?"

"There are fifteen unaccounted for," replied the Dark Rider. "It could have been a lot worse. All of the men were blinded, and some of them lost their mounts."

"The horses were blinded as well," nodded Calastano. "It was a very effective defense."

"You sound like you admire them," spat Hagik. "You had best reserve your praise for the forces of Sarac."

"Do not lecture me on my thoughts," warned Calastano. "I know well where my loyalties lie, but I prefer a rational approach to analyzing events. What the Rangers did to repel our attack was brilliant. Even more so because I am sure that they did not plan it beforehand. They reacted with instincts that were honed during battle. We must keep that in mind the next time we are forced to engage them."

"There will be no next time," Hagik shook his head. "Arik is dead."

Klarg turned as one of his Dark Riders approached. "What is it?" he asked.

"Another of our men has returned from the battle," reported the Dark Rider. "He was thrown from his horse during the attack and hid when the dwarves pursued us."

"So we only lost fourteen then," mused Klarg.

"Yes," nodded the Dark Rider, "but what he saw may affect our plans."

"Report," Klarg ordered crisply.

"Arik rose after the attack," declared the Dark Rider. "He appeared to be unscathed by the assault."

"Preposterous," snarled Hagik. "He could not have survived at all, never mind unscathed."

"Is there anything else?" asked Klarg.

The Dark Rider shook his head, and Klarg dismissed him. "I think the Price of Alcea is living a charmed life," frowned Klarg. "We will have to attack again."

"You believe this report?" Hagik asked incredulously.

"My men have no need to lie," glared Klarg. "Whatever the reason behind Arik's escape from the attack, there is no doubt that he survived. Perhaps we should try to kill him by more mundane means the next time."

"That makes sense," nodded Calastano. "Perhaps one of the Rangers maintains a magical shield around him at all times. I cannot think of any other way for him to have survived."

"But the shield did not go up until the second set of fireballs was already streaming towards them," protested Hagik.

"That shield covered the entire campsite," explained Calastano. "That does not preclude a smaller shield being constantly maintained around Arik. Whatever the reason for our failure, I tend to agree with Klarg. The next attempt on Arik's life should be a physical assault. A magical shield will not save him then."

"Then we should regroup and attack while we know where they are," decided Hagik.

"You want to initiate an attack while he is surrounded by thousands of dwarves?" questioned Klarg. "We were very fortunate to get away with so few losses tonight. Losing all of our men will not get us closer to succeeding in our quest."

"I agree," frowned Calastano. "The dwarves will not be leaving with Arik when he goes. The hard part will be making sure that he does not escape entirely."

"If he escapes this time," warned Hagik, "Sarac's patience will be wearing thin. Are you really prepared to suffer that?"

"Given the choice between Sarac's anger and certain death," responded Calastano, "I will suffer the Dark One's wrath for a short time. In the end, all that matters is our eventual success, and I feel confident that we will be successful."

Konic Clava paced the floor of the Council Chamber in the Royal Palace of Tagaret. He stopped once more in front of the large wall map and frowned in frustration.

"You are going to wear the floor out with your pacing, Konic," admonished Oscar Dalek.

"I can't help it," shrugged Konic. "It seems like everything is happening at once. We cannot continue to fortify Tagaret and still aid Mya and Tor at the same time. We just don't have that number of men at our disposal."

"Then it is a matter of priorities," suggested General Gregor. "Obviously, Tagaret has to be our first priority, but aiding Mya and Tor may actually help save Tagaret. I agree that we cannot do both at the same time."

"How are our preparations proceeding here in Tagaret?" asked Queen Marta.

"They are progressing as well as can be expected," answered Oscar. "That is assuming that we have time to complete them before one of the attacking armies arrives on our doorstep. Do we have any idea if Azmet's or Sarac's armies will get here first?"

"I suspect that Azmet will be first," responded General Gregor, "although I have no specific intelligence that says so. Our latest reports indicate that Azmet has solidified his command in Klandon. He could dally there for months or he could decide to leave for Mya in the morning."

"What of Sarac's army at Tor?" asked Alan Markel.

"There has been no further attacks at Tor," answered General Gregor. "What bothers me is the movement of Dark Riders from Toresh. They have abandoned Sordoa and appear to be moving towards Tor. They do not appear to be in any hurry, though."

"Do you think Azmet is working with Sarac?" questioned Konic.

"I have nothing that would indicate that," declared General Gregor. "There can be little doubt that Sarac knows of Azmet's movements, though. He manages to keep well informed about such things."

"Then I think you are correct about the order of things," nodded Konic. "He will let Azmet's army take the brunt of the losses and only attack if Azmet fails. Sarac does not care to occupy Tagaret, after all. He only seeks to prevent Arik from assuming the throne."

"That is how I read it," nodded General Gregor.

"So we should offer assistance to Mya then?" asked Queen Marta.

"Mya is not a city that is easily defended," frowned General Gregor. "It sits on both sides of the Boulder River and only has a single wall. The keep will only shield a small force of men, and if Azmet decides to disease the city, it will all be over quickly."

"So you are saying that it is a lost cause?" questioned Alan.

"Not at all," General Gregor shook his head. "I am saying that the best we can do at Mya is to buy time for the fortifications here to be completed. We cannot hope to halt Azmet before he reaches Tagaret."

"What of all the women and children in Mya?" asked Queen Marta. "Surely we cannot let them stay there?"

"No," replied General Gregor. "They must be evacuated immediately. The question is where to send them. We could bring them downstream to Tagaret. They would be a great help in getting this city ready to defend, but they will also strain our supplies in time of a siege. The other option is to head them towards Southland. That city should be safe from conflict until the Lanoirians approach from the south."

"And what of the defenders of Mya?" inquired Konic. "If they are merely meant to delay Azmet, then do they go to Southland with their families or come here to defend Tagaret?"

"Neither," stated General Gregor. "When they have delayed as long as possible, they will leave to the north and head back towards Klandon. I am assuming that Azmet will not leave too many men in Klandon to defend it. King Altaro's men should be able to retake Klandon without much trouble."

"Won't that be leaving them rather exposed if Azmet decides to follow them rather than march onward to Tagaret?" asked Alan.

"I hope that is what Azmet does," General Gregor smiled thinly. "The Army of the West will be approaching Klandon by that time. King Altaro can join forces with them and engage Azmet in the open field. The Black Death will not be such a potent weapon under those circumstances."

"The timing will be critical," interjected Konic. "How will King Altaro know how long to delay at Mya before leaving?"

"Baron Timor of Southland has been keeping King Altaro posted on the progress of the Army of the West," replied General Gregor. "There are timing problems, though. It is possible that King Altaro may not be able to hold Mya long enough to wait for the Army of the West."

"Or Azmet may decide to march on Tagaret anyway," added Oscar.

"That too," nodded General Gregor. "If that happens, then the Army of the West will have to hurry to save us."

"How will we know what is happening?" asked Queen Marta. "How will we remain informed?"

"Sergeant Trank is setting up a line of Red Swords between here and Mya," responded the general. "Messages will be relayed daily or more frequently as needed. When that is set up, we will institute one for Tor as well. Communications is going to be essential for our survival."

"Can we use the fairies?" questioned Oscar. "They would be much quicker and less prone to detection."

"Plus the Red Swords are needed here to train the Targa army," added Konic.

"Will they obey you?" General Gregor asked Oscar.

"I am not sure," admitted Oscar, "but we have only need to ask them to find out. Konic and I are the fathers of the Bringer. That should be worth something to the fairies."

"I think that would be wonderful," smiled the general. "It would free hundreds of Red Swords to help out here in Tagaret."

"What about our defenses here?" asked Queen Marta.

"The pipe has been laid to bring fresh water into the city," reported Konic. "Its source is well hidden and far enough away from the city that any diseased bodies dumped into the river will not affect it."

"The river has been edged with smooth lumber as well," added Alan. "Every dock and every bridge has been shielded from nooks that might capture the floating bodies. If they do try to disease the city via the river, the bodies will float out to sea."

"We also are nearing completion on a new dock on the seacoast. It will be far away from the mouth of the river," interjected Oscar. "We will be able to load four ships simultaneously."

"Those docks are for evacuation?" asked the queen.

"They could be," nodded Oscar, "but we can also use them to get our troops up or down the coast when the city is under siege. If we need to get cavalry out to flank the enemy, we will now have a way to do it."

"We also have almost completed a fourth wall," declared General Gregor. "It is not much of a wall right now, but it will stop their catapults from getting too close to the outer wall. There are no buildings behind it, so Azmet can hurl diseased bodies over it if he wants to."

"I saw that from the palace window," nodded the queen. "I wondered about the reason for it. It is not much of a wall. Can the army hold it against Azmet's forces?"

"It will grow higher as time allows," shrugged General Gregor. "I wanted the baseline of it completed first. The higher we can make it, the longer we can hold it. That is why we need King Altaro to delay Azmet at Mya. Every day he can hold out, we can add another level of rock to that wall."

"It sounds like we are moving in the right direction," declared the queen. "What do we tell our emissary from Tor?"

"I would suggest the truth," answered Konic. "Tell them exactly what our situation is. If we can defeat Azmet, we will be free to send troops to aid in the defense of Tor."

"We may be able to do that now," suggested Oscar. "Our garrison at Tice is fairly isolated. Would it not make more sense to send them to Tor now?"

"It might indeed," nodded General Gregor. "The purpose of the garrison at Tice was to allow us to get behind Sarac's forces when they attacked Tagaret. As it stands now, our men would not be able to get through the pass at Tor. We could ship them down here to help defend Tagaret, but they will not be needed for Azmet's army. It is Sarac's forces that we will need them for."

"I will suggest that to Lieutenant Montbalm then," stated Queen Marta. "I suppose we have the ships available to get the men at Tice down the coast to some point below the Boulder Mountains?"

"We do," affirmed Oscar. "We can transport them to Casper or Miram."

"Excellent," smiled Queen Marta. "What about Sarac's people within our walls here? Have we been able to identify them all?"

"No," frowned Oscar. "Zack Nolan has discovered a nest of them running a bakery in the city. He believes that they are hording a fair amount of gold that was stolen from our treasury."

"Why have we not seized the gold already?" asked the queen.

"We have been waiting to see if they would lead us to any other minions of Sarac," Oscar answered. "They have attempted to leave the city several times, but each time they feared having the gold discovered. I assume that they have no contacts left in the city. Should I have them arrested?"

"We are wasting resources watching them if they are not going to lead us to anyone," sighed Queen Marta. "Are they all that we have found? Surely, Sarac has more people in Tagaret than that."

"That is my feeling as well," frowned Oscar. "It will be hard for us to find them until they make a move. I will order their arrest and seizure of the gold. Perhaps that will flush some others out so that we can see them."

"Be careful," advised General Gregor. "Cornered rats have a tendency to get downright nasty."

"Better we find out about them now," declared Queen Marta. "We surely cannot afford to have them in the city when Sarac attacks."

Chapter 3: Nine Stars

The Lanoirian officer sat calmly upon his horse as he watched the early morning traffic on the streets of Ongchi. Eight mounted Lanoirian soldiers waited patiently behind him. None of them spoke as the city began to waken, and the citizens scurried about on their morning chores. Almost an hour passed before the officer's eyes detected a prisoner wagon approaching. He smiled thinly to himself and tossed his long black braid over his shoulder.

"That is our wagon," the officer said softly. "Be alert."

The soldiers silently nodded. As the wagon passed, the officer led his men out of the side street where they had been waiting. Four soldiers moved to each side of the wagon as it rode towards the Imperial Palace. The officer followed behind the wagon and observed the prisoners. The two Lanoirian soldiers driving the wagon gave puzzled glances to their new escorts, but they did not speak.

Moments later, the wagon halted at the gates to the Imperial Palace. The gate guards looked quizzically at the heavily escorted wagon. A gate officer stepped away from the gate and addressed the driver of the wagon.

"What do you have?" asked the gate officer as he gazed at the soldiers escorting the wagon.

"Deserters," replied the driver of the wagon. "Deserters and one who has shamed the Emperor."

The gate officer nodded knowingly and gave the signal to open the gates. He moved away from the wagon and watched it pass through the gates with its escort. He stiffened somewhat as he spotted the mounted officer following the wagon. The three gold stars on the mounted officer's lapel indicated a supreme rank. The gate officer saluted smartly, as the mounted officer nodded and followed the wagon onto the grounds of the Imperial Palace.

The supreme mounted officer smiled grimly as he heard the gates closing behind him. The wagon moved at a leisurely pace as it passed through the plaza before the Imperial Palace and rounded the corner of the immense building. It came to a halt alongside a large door. As the two soldiers on the seat of the wagon jumped down and walked to the rear of the wagon, the supreme officer dismounted and tied his reins to a pole alongside the building. The eight soldiers accompanying him followed his example.

The door to the building opened, and a score of Lanoirian soldiers flowed through it to gather at the rear of the wagon. The supreme officer swiftly mounted the steps and led his men through the door of the Imperial Palace. He hesitated only briefly to let his black eyes adjust to the dimly lit room before leading his men towards the center of the palace.

The Imperial Palace was awash with Lanoirian soldiers. Those who passed the detail led by the supreme officer, nodded deferentially or avoided his gaze as they passed by. The supreme officer headed directly to the throne room, although he knew that Emperor Hanchi would not be there. Outside the large doors to the throne stood a well-dressed noble. The supreme officer walked directly up to him and halted before him.

"I must speak with Emperor Hanchi immediately," declared the supreme officer.

The noble turned and gazed curiously into the eyes of the supreme officer, as if seeking recognition and failing to find it.

"That is not possible at this time," the noble stated flatly. "You must wait."

"Waiting is not an option," scowled the supreme officer. "The information I carry is vital and timely. Take me to him."

"Impossible," the noble retorted defiantly. "The emperor is not to be disturbed at this time of the morning. What is so vital?"

"What is vital is for the emperor's ears only," snapped the supreme officer. "It cannot wait for the sun to pierce his garden."

The noble's ears perked up at the mention of the garden. Not many were privy to the fact that the emperor refused to leave his daily meditation until the sun shone directly into his personal garden. Still, it was risky to incur the wrath of the emperor for disturbing him.

"Tell me of the nature of this vital information," demanded the noble. "I will not disturb his meditation without good cause."

"There is a crisis in Sordoa," the supreme officer stated after a long hesitation. "I dare not divulge more, but you can tell the emperor that the nine stars have risen over Sordoa. He will understand the urgency of speaking with me."

The noble frowned, but eventually nodded. "Very well," he said, "follow me."

The noble opened the doors to the throne room and led the small band of Lanoirian soldiers through it. People stared at the small procession, but nobody challenged the noble and the soldiers. At the far end of the throne room, the noble opened another door that led into a long corridor. The corridor turned sharply at the end and flowed into a large foyer with a single door on one wall. Four Lanoirian soldiers were stationed outside the door.

"You will wait here," the noble ordered loudly enough for the guards to hear.

The guards made no move to challenge the noble as he opened the door and strode into a large open-air garden in the center of the Imperial Palace. The eight guards stationed in the emperor's garden immediately stiffened and watched the noble closely. Emperor Hanchi knelt on a small rug before a statue. The emperor did not appear to notice that the noble had entered his sanctuary. The noble marched towards the emperor and halted several paces away so as not to alarm the guards.

"My apologies, Emperor," the noble said softly. "A supreme officer has arrived and demanded an audience. He says that he carries information from Sordoa that is vital and for your ears only. He said to mention that the nine stars have risen over Sordoa. Shall I send him away?"

Emperor Hanchi's face clouded over in confusion. "The nine stars?" the emperor echoed softly. "Over Sordoa? Are you sure that was his message?"

"That is what he said to me," the noble nodded to the emperor's back. "I made sure to memorize it correctly."

"Very well," the emperor decided after a short delay, "send him in."

The noble nodded to the back of the kneeling emperor and moved swiftly to the door. He exited the garden and closed the door.

"He will see you," declared the noble. "Your men will remain out here."

The supreme officer smiled to himself and nodded as he stepped forward and opened the door. He entered the garden and halted as his eyes scanned the enclosure. Eight pairs of eyes stared at him suspiciously. The supreme officer focused on the back of the kneeling emperor and started to walk forward. Two of the guards immediately moved to intercept him.

"You will leave your weapons here," demanded one of the guards. "We will check to make sure that you obey."

The supreme officer nodded submissively as he removed his sheath and handed it to one of the guards. He bent and removed a knife from his boot and handed it over as well. The other guard stepped forward and frisked the supreme officer. He nodded to the first guard.

"You may approach the emperor," stated the guard. "Keep your distance."

The supreme officer walked forward slowly. He halted several paces away from the back of the emperor. The emperor rose slowly and turned to face the supreme officer.

"Nine stars over Sordoa?" questioned the emperor. "I do not understand. The nine stars are to represent the nine domains of the empire. How can they all be over Sordoa?"

"That is why I needed to see you immediately," replied the supreme officer. "It should not be possible for the nine stars to appear over Sordoa, but it has happened."

The emperor looked curiously at the supreme officer. He could not place the man's face and there were not that many supreme officers in the Lanoirian army. What puzzled Emperor Hanchi the most was this officer's knowledge of the nine stars tale. It was a tale he had discovered years ago in the temple of Thun in Marchek. He had stolen the book from the temple and had kept it safely hidden ever since.

"How is it that you know of the tale of the nine stars?" Emperor Hanchi asked suspiciously.

The supreme officer felt drops of perspiration dampen his brow, but he resisted the temptation to look at the eight guards in the room.

"It was related to me by a priest of Thun," the supreme officer said after a moment of hesitation. "Am I wrong to be concerned for your safety?"

"My safety?" questioned the emperor. "The tale of the nine stars deals with the expanding empire of Lanoir. What does the nine stars have to do with my safety?"

The guards tensed at the mention of the emperor's safety, and the supreme officer tried to appear relaxed.

"It is about the expansion of the empire," the supreme officer nodded, "but it also tells of a false emperor. As you are the rightful emperor of Lanoir, I became alarmed that someone might seek to harm you and take your place."

The emperor relaxed somewhat and nodded as he recalled the old tale. Suddenly, the sounds of a commotion outside the door caught everyone's attention. The supreme officer watched as the emperor's bodyguards stiffened and turned towards the door. The sound of the commotion outside the door ended abruptly. The guards inched closer to the door, their hands going to the hilts of their swords.

Suddenly, the supreme officer's hand rose and pointed at the emperor. An icy projectile formed at his fingertips and flew towards the emperor. Even as the freeze ball was on its way, the supreme officer dashed towards the emperor. The sound of movement alerted the bodyguards, and they turned to face the imminent threat to the emperor. The freeze ball slammed into Emperor Hanchi. The emperor turned an icy blue as he instantly froze. The supreme officer sped behind the statuesque emperor and removed a strand of wire from his long braid of black hair. He looped the wire over the head of the emperor and tightened it slightly around Hanchi's neck. The bodyguards started running towards the emperor.

"Stop," commanded the supreme officer. "Lower your weapons or the emperor dies."

"You will not leave this palace alive," threatened one of the guards.

"I have no intention of leaving," snickered the supreme officer.

The door to the garden burst open, and eight soldiers swiftly entered. They quickly spread out as the bodyguards turned to face the new threat. The eight soldiers acted swiftly. Their hands rose and sent freeze balls flying into each of the bodyguards. Four of the soldiers retreated through the door and dragged the four bodies of the sentries into the garden. They closed the door.

"What took you so long?" asked the supreme officer. "Has anyone been alerted?"

"We had to wait for the noble to leave," answered one of the soldiers. "Nobody will be the wiser unless the four sentries are missed."

"They won't be missed if we act swiftly," declared the supreme officer as he gazed upward at the sky. "The sun will arrive shortly, and we can leave the garden. Later they will be reported as deserters. Kill them all now, but cause no blood to stain the ground. Find an appropriate place in the garden for the bodies and bury them."

"What was the thing about the nine stars?" asked one of the soldiers. "I did not understand that."

"It was just a story I read many years ago," smirked the supreme officer. "I read it when Mordac had us all out collecting books. I had a feeling that it was a story that would not escape the notice of someone as aggressive as Hanchi. I find it amusing that the story of his expanding empire was also the story of his death."

The supreme officer cast a spell that enveloped Hanchi and himself. He then proceeded to smother the emperor. With a wave of his hand, the icy statue of the dead emperor fell limp. Within seconds the supreme officer's body was transformed into an identical twin of Emperor Hanchi. The emperor's new twin caught the body before it fell and began to disrobe it.

"Should we be assuming the identities of the bodyguards, Dalgar?" asked one of the soldiers.

"Do not call me Dalgar," scowled the new emperor. "One slip and we shall all die. I am Emperor Hanchi now. Remember that."

"Sorry," apologized the soldier.

"Yes," sighed Emperor Hanchi as he dressed in the emperor's clothes. "Use Reflecting Pool to assume their identities. Let's be quick about this."

Dalgar smiled inwardly as he took the necklace from around the dead emperor's neck and fastened it to his own. He waited patiently as his Black Devils assumed the identities of the dead bodyguards and disposed of the bodies. They finished burying the last one just as the sun's rays began streaming into the garden.

"Remember what you were briefed about," warned Emperor Hanchi. "We only get once chance at this."

His bodyguards nodded, and the emperor started walking towards the door. Four of the bodyguards hurried before the emperor and slid into the foyer outside. The other four followed Hanchi closely. They left the foyer and followed the corridor to the throne room. Hanchi seated himself on the throne while his bodyguards spread out around him. The noble swiftly approached and halted several paces away. The noble bowed.

"What is it, Za-chan?" asked the emperor.

"I was wondering about the soldiers who visited you," the noble stated nervously. "I did not see them leave. Was I correct in bringing them to you?"

"Do not concern yourself with them," replied the emperor. "We have much more important matters to discuss. Order my officers to assemble. The time for war is upon us now."

"But we have not crushed the rebels yet," Za-chan protested meekly.

"They no longer matter," asserted Emperor Hanchi. "Our army marches to conquer Sordoa. Make the preparations."

Za-chan bowed and moved swiftly out of the room. Emperor Hanchi signaled for one of his bodyguards, and the man came closer.

"Send a message to Zorn," instructed the emperor. "Code it as you have been instructed. Tell him to come to Ongchi immediately. I have need of his services."

Adan smiled as he saw Tedi and Natia returning from the woods. He spied the picnic basket that Tedi was carrying and could not help feeling happy for his younger sister. As they got closer, he noticed the concern etched into Tedi's face. He rose to meet them.

"How was the picnic?" the gypsy leader asked.

"It was pleasant," smiled Natia. "Tedi was teaching me how to use a bow."

Adan gazed at Tedi and waited for his response. Tedi stared at the ground lost in thought.

"What is bothering you, Tedi?" prompted Adan. "Did my little sister beat you at throwing knives?"

Tedi shook his head and smiled at Adan. "We did not play with knives today," he replied.

"Well something is bothering you," stated Adan. "Can you trust me enough to share it?"

"Several things are bothering me," admitted Tedi. "Have you noticed the northern sky this morning?"

Adan shrugged and looked at the towering peaks of the Southern Mountains. "It is a fine sky," responded Adan. "I see nothing wrong with it."

"Exactly," nodded Tedi. "We should be able to see the edge of the Darkness over the mountains as we have for the past weeks, but the sky over the mountains is no different than the sky overhead."

"Meaning?" asked Adan with confusion on his face.

"Meaning the Sword of Heavens has received the Dwarven Ruby," explained Tedi. "The Darkness has been banished to our north."

"Maybe we were just seeing clouds hanging over the mountains before," suggested Natia.

"No," Tedi shook his head. "Even as far south as Lori I could see the edge of the Darkness over the mountains. Being this close to the mountains, there can be no mistake. Yesterday the Darkness was there."

"So the Darkness has fled to the north," shrugged Adan. "That is a good thing, no?"

"I guess it is," sighed Tedi.

Worry crept into Natia's face as she said, "You are planning on leaving the gypsies, aren't you?"

"Arik must be in the mountains," nodded Tedi. "If I don't meet up with him now, I may never find him again. I must rejoin him."

"Then I must pack my belongings," Natia said sadly as she turned and headed for her wagon.

"There is more, isn't there?" Adan asked after Natia had left.

"Yes," nodded Tedi. "There are goblin tracks in the forest not far from here. They are not fresh, but they are numerous. In fact, there were hundreds of them, if not thousands. Your people are in danger being this far north. You should move southward."

"And take Natia with us?" questioned Adan.

"I can probably get through the goblins alone," sighed Tedi, "but I cannot risk taking Natia with me."

"Do you love my sister?" inquired Adan.

"You know that I do," replied Tedi. "How can you ask such a thing?"

"I needed to hear it from your own lips," smiled Adan. "If you love her, you should take her with you."

"I have fought goblins before," Tedi shook his head. "They are evil, vile creatures. I could not stand the thought of them capturing her. She will be safer with the gypsies."

"Perhaps," mused Adan, "but she will be miserable. Worse, she will follow after you as soon as you have left. If you seek to protect her, then you must take her with you. Otherwise, she will have to face the goblins alone."

"That means that I have to stay with the gypsies to protect her," argued Tedi. "I cannot do that. Surely, you can convince her to stay with you."

"Hardly," chuckled Adan. "You are welcome to try to convince her yourself, but we both know your chances of success."

"You are leaving me in an impossible situation," frowned Tedi. "I cannot stay, and I cannot go."

"Maybe there is another solution," suggested Adan.

"Another solution?" echoed Tedi. "I do not understand."

"Perhaps it is time for the gypsies to leave Lanoir," smiled Adan. "The Lanoirian soldiers have grown wise to our methods of stealing their horses. We have not managed to gain any sizeable amount in over a week."

"You already have two thousand of their horses," laughed Tedi. "What would you do with more of them?"

"Sell them," grinned the gypsy king. "I doubt we would be successful selling them back to the Lanoirians, so moving north to Sordoa makes a lot of sense to me. I think the armies up there would be willing to buy them."

"You are willing to move all of your people north just to allow me to meet up with Arik?" questioned Tedi.

"You and my sister," corrected Adan. "Once we move through the goblins, the two of you will be free to seek out your friends."

"We cannot move two thousand horses and all of these wagons quietly," stated Tedi. "The goblins will surely notice us. What happens when the goblins attack the tribes?"

"Then we shall teach the goblins that gypsies are not to be trifled with," grinned Adan. "They will learn that lesson the hard way."

Arik reached into his pack and withdrew the envelope from King Devon. He handed it to King Tring.

"I was asked to deliver this message to the dwarves," declared Arik. "It is from King Devon of Tor. He gave it to me in the Castle of Man."

King Tring accepted the envelope and broke the seal. He removed a sheet of paper and stared at it for several long moments before speaking.

"This is something that I must share with the dwarves of Lanto," declared the dwarf king. "It seems the humans of the Castle of Man have apologized for their ancient treatment of dwarves. Perhaps you do herald in a new era for all people, Garala. This is something that I had never expected to see. Even though the atrocities at the Castle of Man are newly known to us, those old scrolls had caused quite a bit of resentment towards humans since they were read."

"Many bad things have occurred in the past among all of the races," interjected Jenneva. "Most of them were due to misunderstandings caused by passing through Junctions. I think our visit to the Castle of Man has made the humans at Tor look at things differently."

"The Garala's visit here has caused us to look at things differently as well," offered Queen Trana. "We always thought the Garala would be a dwarf. I think we should accept the apology in the spirit it was given."

"Let it be so then," agreed King Tring. "We have gathered many weapons for the use of the humans at Southland. They are mostly swords, as we understand that humans do not handle axes well. Our people are currently busy making more swords and armor. How are we to deliver the wagons? Will the humans at Southland accept the presence of dwarves bearing gifts?"

"Show the banner of Garala, and they will welcome you as brothers," offered Tanya.

"We can also make your allegiance known to them," added Alex. "The weapons and armor that you supply will help them greatly."

"We will be proud to make up banners for the Garala," smiled Queen Trana. "Are you leaving now? Is there anything you need for your journey?"

"We have all that we need," assured Arik. "We will be leaving as soon as the sun sets."

"It is close to that time now," declared Boris. "I will travel with you to the mine entrance and then head off to check on Bin-lu."

"Will you also find Tedi?" asked Tanya. "I am worried about him."

"We will find Tedi," nodded Master Khatama. "We shall bring him north with us."

"Are you sure that is wise?" asked Jenneva. "I mean about you traveling north. The clear skies will not last all of the way to Southland. I think you should avoid being under the Darkness."

"The Darkness begins around Dubar," chirped Prince Midge. "I checked on it while you slept."

"Traveling north would be one way to test your theory, Jenneva," stated Master Khatama. "Whatever is causing my problem, I must deal with it. I cannot do that by avoiding it."

"You also cannot deal with it if you forget what the problem is," frowned Tanya. "Please be careful, Uncle Boris."

"So I shall," smiled Master Khatama.

"I will take care of Master Khatama," offered Niki. "He will be alright with me along."

"Are you prepared to go, Prince Darok?" interrupted Alex.

"I am ready," assured the dwarf prince. "I even managed to procure a horse to ride, although that will be one of the more unpleasant tasks required for the journey."

"You will grow to like it," chuckled Arik. "Riding may well save you a pair of boots."

"I trust my legs well enough to get me where I need to go," retorted Prince Darok, "and boots I know how I repair. Still, I am ready for a grand adventure."

"Good," smiled Alex. "Let us begin this adventure then. Prince Darok, lead us out of the mine. I would like to use the dark of night before the moon rises to move away from the mountains. I suspect that Sarac's Ravens will be waiting for us."

"Then we shall create a diversion for them," grinned Prince Darok. "I will send a party out before us. While Sarac's people track dwarves, we shall slip away into the night."

Alex smiled, and Prince Darok led the way out of the throne room. He called a dwarf over and issued instructions for a war party to exit the mine and head east.