Pronunciations:

Terithian Undren terr-ITH-ee-an OON-dren

Edias UH-die-ass

Eruinian yur-OON-ee-an

Arindrewel AIR-in-drew-ehl

Valakarie vahl-uh-KAR-ee

N`eagora(s) nee-uh-GOR-uh (s)

Araveras UH-rav-er-az

Kristina watched the clock anxiously. 2:55. The bell would ring in five minutes, which meant only five more minutes of mind-dulling American History left.

Though it really didn't matter, as she had nothing to do after school. She had finished her homework already (because she didn't want to do it at home, but then again, who would?) and her best friend, Alison, had a date with some guy whom she said was her soul mate. But that's just how preps are.

Kristina was debating with herself whether that relationship would last one week or two. Alison never kept a boyfriend long. Heck, the longest relationship she'd ever had had lasted a little less than a month. But we're not here to talk about Alison's love life; we're here to talk about Kristina.

She checked the clock again. 2:56. This was taking way too long. She stared into space, and probably would have stayed that way until the end of class, if Mr. Williams hadn't noticed the lack of attention he was receiving from her.

"Miss Aubrey, would you please tell the class what the atomic weight of Hydrogen is?"

Kristina froze. Uh-oh, science question. Was he allowed to do that? After all, this IS American History.

"Miss Aubrey, we're waiting."

"Umm, yeah. The atomic weight of Hydrogen .water, of course." Kristina felt her face burn a bright shade of crimson, and silently cursed.

"Pay attention, Miss Aubrey. It will save you the embarrassment." Yada, yada. Shut it, overly confident teacher. Kristina overcame the urge to glare. That was all she could do to the teacher, and at that if she did she'd be sent to the principal's office. Kris glanced down at her paper.

Blank. Oops.

Then the bell rang, and Kristina yelped. She sat a few feet underneath the accursed thing. And because of that, every day she checked the clock repeatedly, so she'd know when to cover her ears. She sighed. Time sure flies when you're being embarrassed.

Kristina put the blank piece of paper back into her backpack, hoping she wouldn't need those notes later. She left the room, walked down the hall and out the front door. She walked down the steps and onto the grass towards a table that she hung out at daily, usually to do homework. If you haven't guessed yet, Kristina can be a bit ditsy.

"Hey! Wait up!" Alison called from the sea of students behind Kris.

"I thought you had a date." Kristina said teasingly, turning to face her best friend.

"Yeah, I do. But he has to talk to his teacher about .um, I forget. But it was important. So I have some time to kill. Anything new with you?"

"Naa, same old same old. What's this new boyfriend of yours look like, anyway?"

" there he is!.oh, no, wait, not him. Oh, that's hi--, no." Allison pointed out various lookalike boys in the crowd. "Oh, there he is! Sweetie, over here!" Alison flailed her arms around wildly. A tall, tanned, platinum blond boy wearing a black T-shirt and dark blue jeans walked over to them.

"Hey, babe." Alison giggled like a schoolgirl, as she always did when her boyfriend-for-the-week arrived.

"Kris, this is my boyfriend, Jack. Jack, this is my best friend, Kristina." Kris waved slightly. "Hey," said Jack.

"Well, we have to be on our way," said Alison brightly, still giggling uncontrollably as they walked off. Kristina rolled her eyes and started to walk off campus.

As she was walking away from the front entrance, a voice called her name. Kris turned, wondering who it could be, and saw a strange looking guy walking briskly towards her.

He was wearing black Osirises, black Dickies, a black pull over sweater, a pair of thin, black, metallic sunglasses and a black beanie with the word "loser" embroidered across the top. The beanie covered about half his head, and he had stuffed his hair into it, which made him look utterly ridiculous. Poser, Kristina thought.

"Kristina Michelle Aubrey?" asked the poser. Kris thought for a second, and then decided to wait until they were off school property to talk to him. Though she wasn't exactly the most popular person at Monroe High, she refused to be seen talking to a poser.

Thankfully, he got the message and didn't say anything until then. Once they were off campus, he spoke up again. "Kristina Michelle Aubrey."

"Yeah?" Kris then realized something very important: he knew her name. Her FULL name. Not even Alison knew Kris' middle name. She nearly smacked herself on the forehead. She gave a look of pure shock She had trusted a complete stranger who somehow knew her name.. It had only then dawned on her he seemed about ten years older than any of the seniors attending Monroe High.

"I am Terithian Undren, Time Warden of Silver Sity." What has this guy been smoking?

"Suuurre. And I'm a princess." Kristina said in a sarcastic tone, rolling her eyes.

"That is what I have come to tell you, Miss Aubrey." And just how much of it did he smoke?

"Okay. Go down the street and to the left. There are some men waiting for you with a niiice white jacket with your name on it." Kris started walking away again.

"This is extremely crucial," Terithian called, still following her, "And I can assure you that I am not in need of mental attention."

"Oh, really? Can you prove it? And if so, how?" Terithian paused for a moment, hesitant on doing the only thing that would convince the girl. He made his decision, and said:

"I shall take you to Silver Sity."

"Whoa, back up. First of all, I'm not going anywhere with you. Secondly, this 'silver city' thing doesn't exist. And you are clearly a psychopath, so just leave me alone." Kris walked away a little quicker this time.

"Don't you every wonder, Miss Aubrey, who killed your parents and why?"

Kris hadn't walked far enough away not to hear this. She turned, where Terithian had been following her silently, and socked him in the face.

Or, at least, tried to sock him in the face. He caught her deftly by the wrist and pushed her away a little too hard, sending her sprawling to the sidewalk. Pain shot up her back; by the time her eyes opened, nothing was the same.

A silver sheen, blurred the world around her, contorting the familiar shapes into grotesque waving forms. Next thing Kris knew, all around her melted together in a shapeless swirl of color, which flowed away to become an albino, rushing blur. Everything was shaking, but Kris stayed glued in her position as though she had suddenly been frozen in place.

Then things started to take shape again. At first only the color returned, marbled together like stirred paint. Then shapes and distances became decipherable as, slowly, a scene formed before Kris. She was sitting on a tall grassy hill overlooking a huge plain, over which was stretched a beautiful, glittering silver structure, which (from that particular distance) only seemed like so many enormous bars of the precious metal.

"Wha?" Kristina's most intelligent thought at the moment had slipped out. Terithian offered her a hand up, which she took subconsciously. A few minutes later, Kris recovered from her awe-struck spell and drowned Terithian in questions.

"Where are we? Why did we come here? What did you do, how did you do it, and WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED?!" Terithian was getting a headache (as anyone else put through such torture would), but was more than happy to answer his princess' questions. Princess. He was certain of it, just as the oracle said he'd be. Although this wasn't quite what he'd expected.

After her sudden barrage of questions, Kris seemed to have lost the power of speech. They meandered down the hill, Terithian having to repeatedly tell Kris that she wasn't in a dream, she wasn't going crazy and she wasn't in a coma. Then she needed to be convinced that that was the truth.

By the time Terithian had convinced her (at least to a point where she was willing to move) they had walked down the hill and reached the big, silver thing.

Or at least, the wall of the big silver thing.

The wall itself looked to be fifty feet tall, towering over man and girl. Huge white bricks made up the structure, which stretched for miles, unbroken, on either side; so long she couldn't make out any corners.

Visible quite far away behind the wall, tall silver towers stretched their spires to the sky, glinting enough in the sun to make someone go blind. From closer up, they seemed to be skyscrapers, made entirely out of silver.

"Welcome," Terithian said, "to the Silver Sity."

The solemnity of his tone was lost upon Kris, who piped up again, reading an inscription etched on the great wall.

"Silver sight-ee. Whoever built this needs a grammar lesson." Again, she wasn't exactly the coolest person that attended Monroe High.

"It is pronounced city, not 'sight-ee'. It is written in the olden tongue, so the man who wrote it is not in need of a grammar lesson. That was the proper grammar at the time, and the man a scholar. Now, if you don't mind, we will soon be entering your city."

Kristina gave him a look that said 'what are you talking about, you crack addict?'

Terithian sighed. "When I said 'that is what I came to tell you', what did you think I meant? Now listen carefully. As the eldest and only daughter of the queen, you are the heir to the throne of the Silver Sity, and our very way of life can be completely altered depending entirely on your decision. I need to know now: will you accept the responsibility of being our princess or won't you?"

"Ummm." Is no really an option? Kris thought. She wasn't ready to be a princess, but refusing was completely out of the question, if in fact he and his city were in any real danger. Unless. "Altered in a good way if I refuse?"

He gave a look of despair.

"No." Ahh, well. It was worth a shot. Kris still hesitated to accept. It was a terrible idea, but something he had said earlier had come back to her, and she had to ask.

"Why do you need me to? Aren't you supposed to do that if, say, I'm not ready or something?" Kris held her breath, expecting something horrible to happen. That sounded kinda evil, even to someone raised in an orphanage where swearwords were the first ones you learned. Terithian's eyes were downcast, thinking she was refusing.

"Yes," he said. Kris bit her lip, wishing she could take it back, even though she had only meant it as a question. "Not all my duties revolve around ruling the city," he added softly. "But you don't understand. Silver Sity was attacked many years ago by a man of pure evil. He overthrew your mother- "

"Whoa, hold up! Overthrew my mother? What are you talking about? She died giving birth!"

"No, she didn't. And even if she did, you weren't being born at the time. So Merrina was indeed alive and well. Now, back to what I- "

"Who's Merrina?" Terithian glared at her from behind the sunglasses. He had his limits, and Kris wasn't helping him keep his

"She is your Mother, Queen Silver. And-"

"Queen what now?"

"Queen Silver. Your mother's maiden name and the name of the founders and rulers of Silver Sity for generations. Stop interrupting me."

Mercifully, Kris shut her mouth. "As I was saying, the dark lord overthrew your mother and ordered her killed. She escaped Silver Sity and fled to Earth, where she-presumably-met your father. You are the first person to be born with both the blood of Earthlings and the blood of Eruinians. You shall be a very distinguished queen indeed."

Kristina, who had sat down expecting a long story, sprung up from her seat in the grass, startled by the word queen.

"WHA!?! You said princess, not queen! That's WAY too much, Teserthin! And what the heck is a yur-rune-ee-an, anyway?""

"My name is Terithian. The word is Eruinian, the name of the peoples of this world. And how could that be too much?"

You could imagine an anime style vein pulsing in Kris' forehead. How could that be too much? Try running 40 miles in half a minute.

"Well, at least you got rid of that 'dark king' thing, right?" Terithian bit his tongue. She was going to be ecstatic when he told her.

", actually, we haven't."

"WHAT!?!"

Terithian held his ears. A yell that hurt a human's ears would nearly deafen him.

"Please calm down, Princess Kristina! You act as if you were in danger-"

"What are you talking about?? I AM in danger! If I'm really a princess-the princess, then I could be a target!" She sounded more than just a bit paranoid.

Terithian . "You have seen too many action films, princess. You are not a target; he doesn't even know you are here!"

"You don't know that for sure," she pouted.

"Yes, actually, I do know that for sure. He didn't know I left. Even if he did, he couldn't possibly know why."

"Does this 'dark emperor' dude have a name?"

"Yes, King Edias. He comes from a distant land to the South, the city of Corenth."

"That's nice, but I didn't ask for his life story. So, do you work for him or something?" Kris asked suddenly, glaring at him suspiciously and backing away slowly.

"No, of course not."

"Oh, okay then." Kris looked at the wall, and then realized something. "Why are we just standing here? Are we going in or what?" Terithian glanced at her.

"No, we are waiting," he said casually, as if she would automatically know what he meant. Kristina waited, looking at him expectantly, as if to say "What exactly are we waiting for?" She continued to wait, still expecting him to simply tell her why they were waiting. Ten minutes later, she realized he wasn't going to tell her, and finally just asked.

"Just who or what are we waiting for?" His gaze was absent and didn't leave the grass as he answered.

"The Children of Flame," he said, without a thought to his words, which only confused Kris.

"The what?" Kris replied in a harsh tone, irritated that she was (in her opinion) being ignored. Terithian snapped out of his trance. "Pardon?"

Kristina heaved an irritated sigh. "What are the kids of fire?" Terithian's brow furrowed; she had confused him. Then he understood what she meant.

"The Children of the Flame, you mean. They are a tribe that has been protecting the Silver dynasty for generations. Up until King Edias overthrew your mother, a Flame Child would be bonded with a Silver at birth. From then on, they would be paired for life."

Kristina seemed only a little less confused. "Sooo.A 'Flame Child' is a member of the Silver family's. best friend? Or lover? That's way too young to be even thinking about-"

"Of course not! They are, as you say, bodyguards."

Kris raised an eyebrow. "As I say? What do you call them?"

"We call them sentinels."

Kristina rolled her eyes. "Dude, it's the same thing."

Terithian leaned against the wall and looked to the darkening violet sky. Evening was drawing near. Kris started to pace on the grass, looking bored. "Just how long will they take? Or, how long do they usually take?"

"They should be here any minute."

Kris sat down. She highly doubted that. And for once, she was right. An hour and 20 minutes went by, and still there wasn't another sign of life anywhere. There were no birds singing or small woodland creatures making noises in the brush. Nothing but the grass, a few trees and a shrub. A turquoise shrub.

"Terithian, what's with the bush?"

"What do you mean? It is a simple hedge plant."

Kris glared at him, thinking he was only messing with her mind. "It's . There's no such thing as a bluish bush."

"On Earth, maybe. This is a very common thing here. Were you told nothing of your mother's origin?" she glared at him, tempted to try and bash his skull in.

"My parents are dead. They died before I can remember. I don't know much about either of them." Kris said slowly.

"Then perhaps it is time you should learn." Terithian sighed and removed his beanie. Kris looked over at him and gaped.

His straight shoulder-length hair was silvery-white with a sort of light grayish sheen rippling over it, and had a translucent look. His ears were large and looked Elvin, but triple pointed, like three leaves overlapping each other with the sharp tips pointed northeast. Terithian noticed Kris's stare as if he had been expecting it and glanced her way. "It is impolite to stare."

Kris shut her mouth, but didn't turn her gaze away, only continued to stare, wide-eyed, amazed and mystified. Terithian glanced at her. "Yes?"

Kris opened her mouth to say something, paused, closed it, and opened it once more, this time to speak. Try as she might, nothing came out but one meaningless sound, a cross between "I" and "Uhhh". Terithian's attempts to make sense of it all failed, and he found himself confused yet again.

Kris rediscovered her voice, and had nothing to say, but needed to ask somehow about his appearance. She tried one of her mind's suggestions. " do you look like that?"

Terithian's attention snapped back to his princess, processing what she had said, which once again managed to confuse him. "Pardon?"

Kris winced. She tried rephrasing the statement. "Why are you elf-like, except with clear hair?"

He had a rough image of what she wanted to know. "All Eruinians have ears with three points, it increases hearing capabilities. Also, they are born with slightly transparent hair," he paused. "Did you just call me an elf? Aren't they smaller in stature?"

"Ummm, I guess I you mean short, then just say short." She giggled. "And not the Middle Earthian Elves. Like, say, the prince of Mirkwood." A dreamy look came into her eyes and she stared off into the distance with a light sigh.

Terithian rolled his eyes. He had stayed on Earth long enough to know what she meant. An actor most of the girls on earth adored had played that particular character. Kris caught the action and looked at the field. "What?"

He didn't answer. He wasn't even paying any attention to her at the moment. Instead, Terithian was greeting a group of people who had slipped into their presence with as much noise as the wind that whispered in the grass- actually, speaking to one of them who stood in front, apparently a leader.

It was a tall woman whose slightly transparent, shockingly florescent yellow hair fell back over her neck to be cut short in a zigzag pattern at the shoulders. A tan, extra-long shirt fell to her mid-thighs, the sleeves cut with the repeating shape of what seemed to be breaking waves. A black leather belt of noticeable size encircled her waist, clasped in place by a silver, seven-pointed star. Her pants, a deep blue with silver strips running down the length of the legs, were tucked neatly into black boots banded with steel at the rims and steel-capped at the toe.

The strangest article of clothing that was worn by the stranger was shaped as a long glove without fingers. Net like, it started at the elbow and went down the hand, appearing to be made of fine silver threads which crisscrossed each other in diamond shapes. At each crossing point, a prism- cut, tiny, clear jewel was threaded onto the string, making a glittering armguard that looked to be more decorative than functional.

Looking closer, Kris noticed a cockatiel -sized bird sitting on the woman's shoulder. It was bright saffron, just as her hair, with the legs and beak a slightly lighter shade. This sort of made it blend in; but its eyes were glittering obsidian black, easily distinguishable. In fact, it resembled nothing so much as an unordinary large, . After this realization it didn't take her long to find the rest of the hummingbirds, a rainbow entourage that hovered around or sat on the shoulders of the rest of the woman's company, who numbered about eleven.

Kris finally had the sense to get up and try to ask Terithian what was going on. 'They must be the fire kids he was talking about,' she thought. Kris walked over next to Terithian, and realized two things: they weren't speaking English, and Terithian was the only one speaking.

The woman only made hand gestures that Terithian seemed to fully understand. It was a beautiful language, soothing, not unlike a lullaby to a baby. Kris was nearly hypnotized again.

Nearly. If she didn't actually want to know what was going on, she would have slipped into fantasy world once more.

Terithian at last was silent.

"Kristina," he started, "this is Arindrewel. She was meant to be the Child of Flame to protect the next child of the Silver bloodline, however you were hidden on Earth and no one knew of your existence." Kris looked at him for a second, then asked with a slight nod towards the hovering, buzzing cloud, "What's with the birds?"

"These are the Valakarie; every dweller within the kingdom of Silver Sity has or receives one sometime in their life. I suppose you see them as mere humming birds, but they are much more. From them we draw our power." Kris narrowed her eyes, trying to decide whether he was serious or not. "What power?" She asked.

"The power we use with our N`eagoras." Kristina gave him a look, as if she was being tested on something completely alien and unheard of. Without so much as a single glance towards her, he explained.

"Each one is different. For some, it is a unique weapon; no one is similar to another. For some, it can be something as simple as a staff or necklace. Just as the Valakarie, each Silver Sitizen has one. They are symbiotic; to use one, you must have the other. What your Valakarie and N`eagora are and do depends on you and your family's element."

Kris might have understood if Terithian had not mentioned the family elements. She was about to ask what a family element was, but was distracted when Arindrewel signaled something by tangling her hands together a few odd forms, which Terithian responded to with a nod and said,

"Arindrewel is right. We must get to shelter as soon as possible, for night has already fallen, and danger draws near with the ending of the light."

"Is she mute or something?" Kris asked. "What's with the sign language?"

"She does not speak. She lives by a code of conduct. It is against her training to converse." Kris nodded slightly. She didn't understand, but it didn't do any harm to pretend she did. "So where are we going?"

"Through the Woods of Silver, where the Children of Flame have a secret fort. We are to stay there for the night. Tomorrow we will go to find your Valakar." Kris nodded slowly, taking a guess at what he meant.

"How far is it to Silver wood?" She asked.

"Only a little ways. And it is the Woods of Silver, not 'Silver wood'." Kris glanced behind her. The Children of Flame were silently trailing them back to the fort.

Pretty soon they walked into a vast forest, filled with trees of all shapes, sizes and colors. Towering sparkly grey trees resembling pines; short reddish-pink ones with huge glossy leaves; a vivid neon green one that looped around itself in a roller coaster-like pattern. "Wow," Kris whispered in amazement. And then she had to stop and stare.

The object of her attention was a huge tree with a thick trunk made entirely of silver. It shone dimly in the starlight with a pearly, smooth luster. Terithian sensed her shock; where she was from, the trees were made of wood and were different colors only when the season changed. It was a very dull place indeed.

"Yes, Miss Aubrey, that is how the sity was built; silver grows as trees, no mining or ridiculous treasure hunts."

"Oh."

The rest of the journey to the fort took about 3 hours and was completed in silence. When they finally arrived, Terithian seemed to disappear (or at least leave the room without being noticed) and Arindrewel led Kris to her room. "Thanks," she muttered, glancing at her newfound bodyguard, when something caught her attention

It was Arindrewel's eyes. The white was the same as a human's; but inside that, where the colored iris should've been, there was a ring of black. Inside the black ring, the color scheme reversed, the eye color was shown, a pale green. And, in the center of that, a tiny lightning bolt symbol the color of an afternoon sun was seemingly reflected in the bodyguard's eyes.

"Whoa," Kris whispered, dumbfounded.

Arindrewel crossed her arms, expecting the princess to simply sit on her bed and wait until dinner, and took this moment to examine her charge. How odd, thought the sentry.

Kris had shimmering blue streaks in her brown hair, a trait half inherited from her mother. She was wearing a blue t-shirt sporting the phrase 'C'mon, think. Yeah, I know it's hard for you.' and baggy black pants trimmed in red. Many unnecessary, functionless zippers hung from the sides of these, making Arindrewel wonder just what odd person designed the fashions on earth. Not that she ever followed the fashions anyway, as her code demanded she dress in specific garments.

A glittering object at Arindrewel's belt caught Kris' eye. It looked only to be a customized dagger, slightly curved and decorated with four smaller blades on either side of the main one. The hilt was bound in black leather, polished and slightly worn into a finger-shape; each blade and point winked keenly in the reflection from the candles lighting the room. Kris scrutinized it until Arindrewel left the room and shut the door.

Kris examined her surroundings. It was a small room, with only a bed, a full-length mirror, a lit candle to make up for the lack of electricity and a closet. She went to the closet, expecting it to be empty, and was surprised to find it filled with extravagant dresses, a diamond tiara, and a jewelry box. Kris quickly shut the closet, thinking she might get in trouble for opening it.

Terithian walked into the room.

"I need to speak with you," he said, suddenly seeming like a father figure. "." Kris leaned against the closet door. "What are you wearing?" she asked, noticing the change in outfit. Now he was dressed in loose, dark blue pants, short brown leather boots, a dark blue top with baggy sleeves and a tight chest, and a heavy, deep blue flowing cape. He was carrying a large, black, metal staff-like item with a sand-filled double orb at the top. Almost like an hourglass.

"It is traditional dress of mind. There are things here that are beyond your comprehension. Yet our future depends on you. There is a lot of responsibility in this task. Are you sure you are ready for it?"

"'s wrong with your eyes? Arindrewel's were like that too except hers was a bright yellow lightning bolt and-"

"Calm down, Miss Aubrey! This is another trait shared by all with the blood of the sity."

"But why's there a sand timer in your eyes? Why couldn't I see that before? What does that mean? And if it's blood of the sity, why don't I have them?"

"My family have been Time Wardens of the sity for generations. You don't have them because you share the blood of both Earth and Eruinia. It reflects personality and family. Depending on your future tasks, you will develop them. Your mother's were silver stars, representing peace, royalty, and a caring soul."

"Why silver stars? Why a lightning bolt? And what about those things you were talking about earlier?"

"The seven-pointed silver star is a symbol of the sity. All who bear an object in that form are known to work with or are a member of the royal family. Arindrewel has certain powers with lightning, as has her family before her. It is in her blood tracing back to when Silver Sity was founded. But I am avoiding the topic. You asked of the N`eagoras, what is it that you sought to learn?"

"Umm.I noticed I kind of have a life set up for me here, , I was ." She didn't really want to ask, but she did want to know.

"I understand. You wish to know of the one meant for you." His words were forever interrupted as Arindrewel entered the room. She made a few small hand gestures, to which Terithian nodded. "It is time for dinner." He said, getting up and walking to the doorway. "This way."

He walked down the hall, Arindrewel waiting on Kristina, who soon followed down the short, straight, narrow hallway with a curious look at Arindrewel. They soon reached a fairly sizable rectangular table, where the rest of the clan was seated.

To the far right of the room came a soft drone, where the Valakarie were pecking at, and apparently feeding on, a large blue chunk of what appeared to be crystal. Kris would've stopped for a moment to stare, but everyone else was apparently waiting on her, so it seemed best to ask later. Kris sat down between Terithian and Arindrewel, which was the second seat to the left.

On the table there were four bronze platters, each with a matching, dome- shaped cover, and a few pitchers of the same material. After a moment the covers were lifted from the platters, revealing mountains of various foods. The steaming body of a bird lay on one platter, much larger than any chicken, yet smaller than a swine. On the second platter were large slices of red-skinned fruit with lavender flesh, which put forth a sweet scent. A small bowl filled with a fluffy, green, cream-like substance lay on the third platter, and a deep pile of flat, orange pastries were placed on the other.

It seemed the Children of the Flame had outdone themselves in making a bizarre set of choices as far as food went.

Arindrewel filled Kris' plate and drinking goblet for her. The bodyguard put just about everything on her charges' plate and filled her glass with araverias, a sweet, common peach-tinged drink.

At first Kris simply stared at it apprehensively, as if her bodyguard had just handed her a plate full of poison. Then she glanced around, just to make sure there was nothing else to eat, and took a bite of the dragon fruit. Despite its sweet aroma, Kris found that it was actually tart; next she tried the caris (the fore mentioned pastry), which held similar surprises. And before she realized it, her plate was empty.

At the end of the meal, one of the younger Flame Children, who had less jewels of a deep shade of purple adorning her arms, stayed behind and cleared the table. Arindrewel signaled Terithian and Kris, to which Terithian replied with yet another nod, (it was getting rather annoying) and said to Kris, "Arindrewel wishes you pleasant dreams and a good night." He made everything sound so formal.

"Um, okay. Same to you." She paused. "Where's my room again?" Terithian hid an amused grin behind his hand and led her back down the hallway.

"Good night," he said as he shut the door. Kris blew out the candle, practically fell on the bed and was quickly in a deep slumber.