The smell of Felic's shirt led Deka in a path straight through Xinzer. With Rigel, they rushed through the crowded streets until the two came to a silent, desolate area with another one of those golden arches: another city gate. Both halted and looked beyond the glittering golden arch.

"He left Xinzer," Deka pointed out.

"Now what?"

"Defenders aren't supposed to leave the city."

"Deka, I can't find those charts by myself! You're tracking that rat down like a hound, right? By scent? I can't do that, Deka!"

Deka's slim silver figure moved closer to the gate. There was something strange about the way he moved. Rigel knew he had seen it before, but he couldn't remember where. It was an assembly of graceful movements filled with meaning and purpose. Deka eventually stopped in front of the Xinzer border, glowing with flashes of yellow from the afternoon sun and the golden gate. His shadowy eyes looked out to the open green fields of swaying grass beyond him. Then he looked down to the soot-covered gold of the street below him.

"I haven’t left Xinzer in five years."

Rigel simply stared at the silver man, standing still with sparks of yellow moving over his smooth armor like millions of yellow fish swimming morosely in a silver sea.

"I was never meant to supposed to leave again. It was a punishment. One I deserved. But I'll break that promise to keep another one. I also promised to serve anyone who hires me. I am yours until sunset. Do you understand?"

Rigel smiled and nodded. "Oh thank you, Deka."

The boy and his armored guard then set off beyond the gate and beyond the golden city. Even though Deka showed no emotion during the whole trip, Rigel could tell he was happy to walk on lush green grass and to feel natural winds not warded off by city walls. For the first time, Rigel thought Deka was happy, and he was.

The grass did not last for too long however. Gradually, the soft green ground below turned into a terrain of jagged rocks and rough grains of sand. They had somehow found a desert. A desert that few knew of and fewer had visited.

"Where are we?" asked Rigel, seeing the change.

"I haven't a clue," Deka replied helplessly.

Deka abruptly dropped to his knees, his armor rasping against the sand. His silver finger pointed to something embedded in the ground.

"Footprints," said Deka.

"Looks like you've led us correctly."

They continued on, becoming aware of a shadow in the distance. It was a structure of some sort, abnormal in shape and shaded by the afternoon sun. It appeared to be made of jagged shadows, raising high at some points and falling low at others. Rigel felt a certain strangeness overcome him as he grew ever closer to the structure. He felt with every step, he was losing control of his body. Some other consciousness was taking over, trying to get him into that structure. Rigel didn't want to alarm Deka though, so he remained silent.

When they had gotten close enough, Rigel and Deka both saw that it wasn't a structure. It was structures. About a dozen stone houses stood, damaged and torn apart in the middle of the desert sand. Blackened rubble and debris were scattered amongst them. Rigel walked up to one of the yellow-brown stone houses in his half-consciousness and observed it.

"Ruins," said Deka. "Looks like it was burned down."

"What was it though."

"Probably a small religious town judging by the runes."

Rigel then noticed what he was talking about. Etched into the yellow-brown stone of the houses were little symbols. All over the ravaged structures, these little runes were engraved. They looked very similar to the runes that the Church used to bless and protect objects and people. Rigel vaguely recalled a time when Ivan had shown him their meanings. These were different, however.

"These aren't Church runes," pointed out Rigel.

Deka walked up beside him to inspect the writing more carefully. "Hm, you're right."

That other consciousness was taking hold of Rigel again. He watched as his hand raised itself slowly from his side. Rigel looked at his palm, confused and worried. What is inside me? What does it want? he asked himself. His hand then continued to move until it his palm came in contact with the stone of the house in front of him. At contact, a strange sensation occurred within him. He felt as if the runes were crawling up him arm and into his skull. "Deka-" he began, but it was too late. Rigels vision went blank. His hearing went dull. His feeling faded. All he was left with was thought and a strange presence in his mind. He was trapped. He was trapped in his mind.

Come to me! Come to me!

No! No! Who are you? What do you want?

I am your deepest memory! Trust me! Embrace me! Stop resisting!

No! Get out! Leave my... leave my mind!

Wait! Talk to me!

No! No!

Rigel, she needs to sing!

Friend? She?

Let her sing!

What? Leave my mind!

She must sing to the stars!

I don't understand!

Rigel... stop...

I hate this!

Stop!

No!

Rigel...

Rigel's senses slowly came back to him. Opening his eyes, he found himself resting on the sandy ground under a starry night sky. He looked around. Deka was nowhere in sight. Slowly, he raised himself and got his bearings.

"Ugh... Deka? Deka, where are you?"

He looked up to the sky once again to gaze at the dark sky. Night? Rigel's eyes widened. Night! Deka only agreed to stay with him till sunset. Had he left? Rigel's head sank. Raising it again, he headed into the heart of the ruins to find a place to rest.