Chapter 5

13 Emberleaf 1466

Today's the day. His Lordship, no I cannot call him that any longer, Lorias will be performing his ritual again tonight. What is he?

Caer stood and walked away from his journal. He knelt by the fireplace at the far corner of the room. The flames grew at his approach, eager for his presence.

~} You have come to speak with us once again, young master?{~

Caer rolled his eyes. He was just now finally getting used to the strangeness of fire-speak, and of fire's apparent reverence for him. "What do you know about Lorias?" he asked. The flames darkened and hissed loudly in anger. The flames snapped and crackled fiercely for a few minutes before resuming their normal brightness.

~}We can impart you with nothing more than this: the Lord of Ice and Snow is an abomination.{~

"But is he human?" Caer prodded.

~}Of course not! He is the Lord of Ice and Snow, the last of the Old Ones.{~ The flames sputtered darkly: ~} and he betrayed us all…{~

Caer leant closer to the flames. "Betrayed you? What did he do?" he asked, but then he realized the one question the flames always left unanswered. "Who are you?" he asked.

~}We wondered when you would ask us that, young master. We are, were, the Fire Demon Khaeras- the Greatest of the Seven.{~

Caer raised an eyebrow in sarcastic disbelief. "Sure you are," he said, "So, Khaeras, aren't you supposed to be dead? In her stories, Mother always said that you were slain. If you were dead, you can't be here, in this fireplace, talking to me." Caer snickered at the thought that the fire in front of him was some sort of remnant of an Old One, a being of pure elemental energy. The fire died down. Caer peered closer, what was going on. ~}If you can't believe me….{~ the flames murmured ~}Then I'll Make You Believe!{~

The flames roared with new life, a mighty conflagration that threatened to consume the curious onlooker. Caer gasped as he felt the roaring blaze surrounding him, merging with every part of his being. Caer roared in pain and everything faded into blackness. All that remained was the voice.

~}Now you shall see it all. You shall see the War that Time forgot, and the warrior who would have been your ruler, were it not for the Usurper.{~

~~~()()()~~~

I can feel the raw power flowing through my veins as I bathe in the lava flow, exalting in the pure destructive force. I close my eyes breathe deeply of the sulfur-infused air, and know; know that in this place, my power is absolute. Fire bows to my will, the power to create and to destroy lies within my hand; for I am Khaeras, the Fire Demon- Greatest of the Seven. "Who would dare to stand against me?" I whisper. I stand and let the lava roll off of me and back into the flow. After slipping on my armor- a light padded vest, Fire Wyrm skin pants and an ensorcelled fang necklace- I walked to my tower.

After a few moments of scaling the smooth obsidian slope of my mountain, I stopped. I felt a distinctive chill in the air. Why of all people did He have to show up here? "What is your purpose here, Lorias?" I asked, turning to face the cold-hearted creep. He was standing there in his dark leggings and his trademark long white jacket with his hair tied back. He looked very grave.

"I bring you dire news, Khaeras." He said. Dire news? What could be direr than him manhandling Suhira again? Seriously, this guy is a first class jerk and rapist. I was the only one around to help Maeria recover from his 'attentions', and fire and water don't mix very well y'know. Then, no more than a few weeks later, he starts the old wandering hands trick with Suhira. I swear, if this jerk is laying a hand on the Moon's Daughter again, I'll…

"You remember the Amaranthine, do you not?" he whispered. How could I not? The Amaranthine was the most magically rich forest in the world, and the largest wellspring to have ever existed. When we discovered the Amaranthine, we all swore never to lay a hand on it. Too much power in the hands of any one of us would be disastrous, downright apocalyptical.

"Of course I do; what about it?"

"The others have broken the trust."

I gasped, they did what? Lorias continued: "The rest of them- Eredas, Arrias, Sahaeras, Maeria and Suhira, have all gone to seize the Amaranth." By now, Lorias had walked up behind me, a little too close for comfort. I felt his cold breath in my ear as he whispered, "they plan to use that power, to destroy you, the greatest of the seven." I growled. How dare they! Lorias backed up and started to walk away. I called out to him. He stopped and turned a quizzical gaze towards me.

"And what about you" I asked him, "What will you be doing?"

Lorias laughed darkly. "What do you think I'll be doing? I'll sit back and watch the world burn." That was the last I saw of Lorias the arrogant prick.

~} But I was a fool to have believed Lorias the Deceiver. I allowed my pride and my emotions get in the way of reason. Now we'll move forward two hundred years, to the day that we met Him. Two Hundred Years, after Knojrom's Gate, the gate of memory was shut, and time's river ceased to flow.{~

~~~()()()~~~

I stepped back and grinned. For miles around me, everything was ablaze. There seemed to be no end to the mighty conflagration I had begun. Flaming whip tight in my hand, I searched for my foe. Sahaeras, the Shadow Lord was near. "Come out, come out wherever you are," I said, eying the slowly growing shadowy mist. I twirled my whip around my fingers. He won't evade me for much longer. "I'm over here", I heard him whisper. Before I could even see him, the tip of my whip was flying towards him, setting the air around it alight. He chuckled as the whip passed through him and he dissipated into nothingness. He had escaped again. I growled. I was tired of his infuriating games. In anger I spun towards the nearest tree that still stood. I thrust my open fist towards it and watched as it erupted in a burst of black flame. I turned to walk down the scorched path I came from, but I stopped. Something was following me. I twitched my nose, breathing in the foreign scent that drifted on the burnt air. I growled; I smell a wolf.

I turned around and I saw him. Walking towards me was a man, tall in stature, broad of shoulder, and lean in frame. His hair was as white as snow and eyes as blue as the sky over the plains. He was adorned with a breastplate and shoulder plates of brilliant silver. His curar and his boots were plated with thick steel. In his hand, he held a massive blade- easily 6 hands in length and weighing at least fifty stone. Yet he carried it like it had no weight at all, and he moved like the heavy armor was fine silk. "You are Khaeras, are you not?" he said in a rich baritone. I tightened my grip on the whip; this guy had come looking for me specifically. He probably isn't here to play games.

"Who are you?" I asked him.

He stopped and looked at me. I mean, looked at me, as if he could see all of me, strengths and weaknesses. "I am Khayer," he said. He grinned slightly, "and I don't suppose you're willing to stop this nonsense just like that?"

Nonsense? What is this nonsense he's talking about? "What are you talking about?"

He leveled his sword at me. Uggh, that thing is a monster. "You, Khaeras the Fire Demon have been convicted by the Highlord of the crime, Apocalypticus. It is my duty as the Wolf Lord to mete out justice. You have the choice to surrender and cease your actions, or face destruction." I stared at him, shocked. Lorias, you filthy backstabbing bilge-rat, you lied to me, didn't you? I growled, angry as heck. I never should've trusted him. I knew he was not to be trusted, I knew. And I had broken one of our oldest laws because of him. I took in the scorched landscape around me, the deep pools of molten rock, and the blistering wind. I had done this; I who had the power to reshape the world had done this. I who swore to maintain this world, to protect it, created such beautiful destruction. That is Apocalypticus, the crime of oath-breakers.

I tensed, ready to fight this Khayer. Then I felt it, felt him. Energy rolled off of him in waves, threatening to topple me. I knew what I had to do then. I couldn't beat him, but I at least wanted to try.

I nodded at him. "Alright, I'll go peacefully but first," I look back up at him and give him my fiercest glare, "I want to fight you, to test my strength against your own." I spread my feet apart, waiting. Khayer chuckled, clearly amused by my request.

"Alright then," he said while twirling the blade with one hand before leveling it back towards my head, "Let us fight, and then you shall receive your judgment."

I hissed. I'm going to wipe that smirk off his face. But before I could even move to strike, I had to dive to the side to avoid a vertical blade of fire that struck where I had just stood. I lashed my whip out at his feet, planning to drag him to the hard earth. The whip wrapped around his ankle and I yanked hard. Khayer came crashing down. I stood up and smirked at him. Surely with all that armor, he wouldn't be able to easily stand up again. I walked over to him and stepped on his gut. I raised my arm up and prepared to strike him, watching his eyes for the reflection of the flames that now encircled my entire fist. Thinking that I had bested the man, I asked him: "Do you yield?"

The startled look I saw on his face slowly turned to a satisfied smirk. "Heck no," he said, and suddenly I found my self embedded in the nearest tree, all the stars in the sky were dancing around my head. I should've realized it wouldn't have been that easy. I'll have to get just a little more serious. Burning the tree I was in seemed like a good start. I fell lightly to the ground and stood still, watching this 'Wolf Lord' for his next move. In a flash we met at the center of the field, cold steel pressing hard against condensed earth and flame. We never took our eyes off the other. He moved, I moved; he thrust, I dodged; I sliced, he parried. Hours passed and neither of us seemed to notice it, all that mattered was the fight, the pounding of our hearts, and the scent of fresh blood as our wounds massed in great number.

Khayer raised his head-cleaver over his head and swiftly brought it down. But I was no longer there, and he was no longer standing there. I dashed in during the instant that his arms were raised and jabbed my fist into his side. "Devour all, Flames of Hell," I whispered softly as my fist found a hole in his armor. Black flames burst from my hand and crashed into his side with such force that he was thrown backwards and onto his back once more.

I strolled calmly, yet cautiously, over to his smoldering form. It seemed hard to believe that after all this, he could still be alive—but I wouldn't have been surprised if he was either. This explains why I was not surprised in the least when he somersaulted backwards and pressed his hands into the earth. I wasn't surprised both when he started pulling upwards and a giant slab of rock, with me on it, was pulled up from the ground. But I was surprised when he tossed the rock slab and myself into the air. We, the rock and I, floated for what seemed like minutes before he was before me again, sword held out as if to swing. He swung the sword and a great torrent of white fire rushed towards me, and I knew nothing more.

I awakened to my reflection in the cold steel of Khayer's sword, planted in the ground beside my head. I felt him standing beside me, now kneeling beside my head. "I have chosen to be merciful," he said softly, "I shall take from you nine-tenths of your power. What is left of your consciousness and your power will remain." I struggled to blink, confused. If that was mercy, what was he intending to do. "Erase all evidence of your existence from Erde," he responded. Did I say that aloud?

"Farewell Lord Khaeras, the greatest of the Seven." He stood, and pulled the sword from the ground. He walked away, and I screamed. I was being torn apart.

And then I felt nothing, nothing at all. I tried to move, but nothing happened. I tried to breathe, but could not. I couldn't see, I couldn't hear, I couldn't feel. But then everything was warm, and I was everywhere. I could see everything. I had become Fire, I was within Erde.

~}I watched and waited as centuries passed. I saw Khayer defeat every last one of us, but they were all completely sealed away in his sword, all but myself…and Lorias. I saw a man and his family- his wife, son, and young daughter- fleeing from the forest. The man created some kind of rift in the barrier that surrounded the region and shoved his family through. His wife tried to pull him along with her, but he refused. The rift sealed behind them. As soon as the rift sealed, he crumpled to the ground. He didn't rise again for a very long time. When Eredas perished, the man rose up again.

After he and Khayer reopened Knojrom's Gate, the Gate of Memory, time began to flow again. Khayer summoned a Dire Wolf and rode it off into the sunrise. As soon as he had left, the man—the Lord of Foxes I knew him now to be—whispered a soft farewell before collapsing once again. This time, I knew he would not get up again.

And I have been silent for sixteen years, 'til now. And now, I do believe your young lady is trying to wake you. So, Wake Up.{~

~~~()()()~~~

Keia shook Caer worriedly. He wasn't waking up. "Wake up," she shouted in his ear, "wake up you idiot." Caer still wasn't stirring. She shouted in anger and slapped him on the face. Caer's eyes flashed open and his hand reflexively reached up to the red mark left behind by the slap. He frowned. "Hey, what was that for?"

"That was for worrying me," she said, "you weren't moving, weren't waking up, hardly even breathing. You scared me." She bent over and wrapped her arms around him. "And this is for being all right," she whispered in his ear, before swiftly pulling away, a light blush reddening her pale cheeks. She whispered an apology and stood to leave.

"Wait," Caer said. She stopped. "Yes?" she replied and turned towards him. "Why are you in here?" She looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean, why are you in the servants' quarter—in my room?" Keia suddenly found her feet much more interesting then Caer, so much so that she started shuffling them around, trying to see them at different angled. "I missed seeing you at dinner and was wondering where you were."

"I see" he said calmly as he rose from the floor. And that doesn't completely answer my question, why would a noble visit a servant in the servant's quarters? Caer distractedly dusted soot and ashes from his leggings. He turned and faced Keia. "As you see, I am just fine. But now I must resume my work." Caer walked over to the desk and put away his unfinished journal.

Keia frowned. "What is wrong with you?" she asked, "why have you been acting so strange the past few weeks. You've been kind one moment, and then cold and distant the next." She stared at him, hurt mixing with concern in her gaze. Caer absentmindedly rubbed his bandaged arm. "You want to know what is wrong with me?" he whispered softly, "Meet me by the Tapestry of Despair in one hour. Then, you shall know everything." Caer muttered and 'excuse me' before brushing his way past Keia and out the door. If she was not to busy watching him depart, Keia would've noticed the red stain on the sleeve of her gown, nor the fact that the red stain was slowly burning a hole in her sleeve.

~~~()()()~~~

Maerin hummed softly to herself as she dipped another shirt into the warm-water filled bucket. Today had been a good day, she thought to herself as she finished the last of the laundry. Her boys were busy with their work and her Highness hadn't caused any new mishaps that she had to clean up. All in all, it had been a very nice day. Maerin stood and hung the last shirt on the line. She spun around, startled, as she felt a hard pressure on her shoulder. She felt a soft prick at her neck, and she knew nothing more.

~~~()()()~~~

Caer leant against to the cold stone and tapped his foot impatiently against the floor. She was late. He strode over to the window to the right of the tapestry. They were already lighting the fires, time was running out. Click. Click. Click. Caer spun around, legs apart, knees bent, ready to fight.

"What do you want," Keia asked him as he relaxed and the torchlight illuminated her face. Caer nodded to the window. "I wanted to show you this." Keia stepped over to the window, her shoes clicking at every crevasse in the stone floor. "What's so special about this?" she asked him, "the view isn't that spectacular. All I see is the rest of the city and a few flickering lights in the distance, back by the ice fields."

"Those lights are torches. Torches from the true Northreach," Caer whispered to her.

She turned to face him, a look of puzzlement on her face. 'What do you mean 'true' Northreach? This is all there is- everything enclosed behind the outer walls is Northreach. Those lights are outside the walls; that is not Northreach." Caer walked back over to the tapestry. "You see this tapestry," he said to her, "it is the most revolting thing a person could ever weave, is it not?" Keia nodded, not quite understanding his point. "Only someone who knew true despair could weave such a thing; and who knew that this tapestry hid Northreach's biggest secret." Caer swept the tapestry aside to reveal the gaping maw of a doorway. He stepped partially through. He turned back to Keia. "Well, are you coming?"

Keia grabbed one of the torches from the wall and followed Caer into the blackness.

"Careful now," Caer said softly, and Keia noticed that she was on a flight of stairs. She reached out to feel the wall to her right, but her hand passed through empty air. She gasped, suddenly disoriented. "Where's the wall," she asked, panic entering her voice. Caer's smirk was invisible in the darkness. "Strike the torch against the wall." Keia did so, with a force fueled by fear. The wood sparked and curiously burst into a soft flame. She held the lit torch in her right hand and looked over the edge of the stairs, down into the darkness far below. Caer reached back and grasped her empty hand. "Come on, you'll be fine," he said as he led her down into the abyss.

"Wait," Caer whispered after they had climbed down what seemed to be a million steps. Keia stopped and whispered, "What is it?"

"It's the torches, they're almost all dim." Caer said, worriedly.

"What's so important about the torches?"

Caer turned back to face the confused princess. "Lorias will begin his ritual when all the torches have gone out." He looked back towards the lower city, just now barely visible. He looked back at Keia, still looking confused; confused, with eyes glazed over like a blind-woman's. "You can't see it can you?" he whispered softly. "See what?" she asked, I see you, I see these stairs, but everything else is black."

Caer looked at her. "So you can't see that we're now below the upper city, and you can't see the faint outlines of the buildings that lie below us?"

Keia shook her head slowly, looking at him as if he'd suddenly decreased in intelligence. "Red. There is nothing but us; nothing but us and more stairs. Now you tell me what's really going on or I'm going to bed." It was then that Caer noticed the odd glowing coming from Keia's neck, an odd glow from a necklace that he had never seen adorning her neck before. It was a slender gold chain, with a small glowing cat's eye agate at the base of her throat. Although Caer had not seen much magic before, he knew magic was involved. Cat's eyes did not glow and should not be glowing around the neck of a seemingly blind girl who was not actually blind. "Where'd you get that necklace?" Caer cautiously asked. Keia looked down and held a hand to the small stone. "Do you like it? My betrothed gave it to me." She smiled happily. Caer stared in shock, Keia hated Loki, and here she was acting like she was flattered and actually liked the guy. Something was seriously wrong here. "May I see it?" he asked while reaching for it. As suddenly as her behavior changed the first time, her eyes hardened and she slapped his hand away. "How dare you" she said to him angrily, "you're merely a servant. You are forbidden from laying a hand on my person." She huffed to herself and fled up the staircase. Caer raised his eyebrow. Whatever was going on, he knew that Loki and by association, Lorias, were involved. He turned back to look at the city again. He gasped and ran swiftly up the stairs after Keia's retreating form. Time had just about run out.

Only two torches remained lit.

~~~()()()~~~

Maerin opened her eyes and screamed. She tugged hard at the chains that bound her hands behind her and the chains that bound her legs. As lucidity slowly set in, Maerin was aware of excruciating pain. She looked down and saw blood pooling at the bottom of an iron post. An iron post, she realized, that ran right through her. "Silence, please." A cold voice whispered softly from behind her. She tried to see who spoke, but was unable to turn her head.

Lorias stepped out slowly from around the post, eyes glowing a shocking ice-blue. He slowly circled her, watched her. "It is time" he whispered in a voice that chilled the air. Maerin felt the chains grow taut. Oh no, oh no, oh no, she thought. She screeched as the chains pulled her up along the post. She could feel them; feel the teeth from a thousand tiny jaws ripping at her insides, trying to tear her apart from within.

Lorias smiled as her blood oozed down the post and into the spiral depression in the floor. "Scream your little heart out wench, sing to me the sweet symphony of blood and pain," he called out to her. He began to circle her again. "Raise your voice in exultation, revel in your weakness and the power of the blood within you." He began chanting, his voice low and strangely seductive, ancient words rolled off his tongue like a river of silk.

Something, in that instant, broke within Maerin. She screamed louder than before, though out of ecstasy rather than pain. Power, limitless power flooded her veins. She was overcome, overwhelmed by the sheer force that was coursing through her. So great was this feeling that she failed to notice that her feet once more gently touched the ground, slightly submerged in a pool of glowing cerulean blood. "That's it, my dear." Lorias whispered softly, "this is your symphony, listen to the power singing in your blood. Now, sing to me." Maerin's voice grew louder and louder as she screamed her way into silence, feeling Lorias' icy fingers tracing their way down her back. Lorias plunged his fingers into her chest and withdrew her softly beating cerulean heart. Maerin's body slid down the post, no longer bound by chains and crashed to the ground, shattering into a million tiny icy shards. Lorias bit into the soft organ, sinking elongated canines into the flesh and sucked. As he drew forth the precious life-energy gathered into the heart, Lorias' aged face softened, wrinkled skin grew smooth, muscles strengthened and renewed. He tossed away the shriveled husk and the cerulean blood faded back to crimson. Lorias held a hand to his face, feeling for his mark. He cursed under his breath. The open crescent wound left by the accursed sword so long ago still fed his life-energy to the empty air.

"Mom."

Lorias turned swiftly when he heard the hushed whisper of shock. He saw no one.

~~~()()()~~~

Caer ran down the twisting corridors, blinded by tears, trusting his feet to carry him home. The moment he reached his room he began digging around under his bed. Moments later, he withdrew the prize he sought, a large leather bag with a strap on the side. In a frenzied rush he began shoving all of his personal belongings into the bag.

~}Going somewhere are we?{~ asked an inquisitive voice from the fireplace. Caer put his bag down and knelt beside the flames. "He killed her," he said chokingly, "He killed my Mom"

~}And now you're leaving.{~

"Yes."

~}Because you saw him{~

"Yes."

~} What about the girl?{~

Caer paused. She would kill him if he left without at least saying goodbye. Perhaps kill him just for trying to leave. "I'll go see her before I leave."

~}Good. Now, I want you to—

"Hey Freak."

Caer turned his head. It was Arran. Caer silently cursed; perfect, just perfect.

"Yes your Highness?" he responded, his voice oozing with sarcasm. Arran stepped back, shock briefly flashing across his face. "What was that, Freak? Trying to cast a spell?"

Caer raised an eyebrow. Cast a spell, seriously? He had no stone to cast with, how could he? He was a servant, servants are forbidden from wielding the stones of the mage-gift. Apparently, silence was not the proper response, as Caer's face was reintroduced to Arran's fist.

Caer struggled to pull himself up off of the floor as he was met with the furious pounding of Arran's fists. A fist to the face resulted in a furious crack. Caer could tell his nose was broken and hoped that Arran would stop now that he had first blood. Arran did stop for a time. He leaned close to Caer's ear and whispered, "I know you saw father tonight. I know you saw his ritual." Arran wrapped his large hand around Caer's neck. "I am sure he'll be pleased if I showed him your body."

Sudden rage burned through Caer and every muscle in his body contracted spasmodically. The last thing he saw before the blackness took him was a look of fear in Arran's eyes.

~~~()()()~~~

The woman stood and walked slowly around the young man. She eyed him carefully. She stopped in front of him. She stared deep into his blood-red eyes. "You are finally ready," she whispered. The man smiled a strange predatory grin. He growled and clenched his clawed hands. It was time to fight, time to kill.

~~~()()()~~~

Caer awakened to a body at his feet and blood covered hands. Caer's eyes widened with fright as he started breathing heavily. The body belonged to Arran, once was Arran. Now all it was a shredded and mangled chunk of flesh, covered with deep lacerations and bite marks, and a gaping hole in a chest that once held a heart. "I did this?" Caer whispered to himself, "how…"

~} It matters not, {~ Khaeras' voice called from within the fireplace. ~}You must hurry now, before anyone notices him missing{~

"But…"

~}Go!{~

Caer hastily tossed his bag over his shoulder and strapped his swords to his sides. "Goodb—"

~}GO!{~

Caer ran from the room, leaving the door wide open as Khaeras' flames slithered from the fireplace and began lapping at Arran's flesh. He didn't care that everyone he passed stopped their work to stare at him, he didn't notice anyone trying to chase him either, so focused he was on his task. He stopped hesitantly at the door to Ember's chambers. Ember had been promoted to the role of Chief Steward only a few weeks earlier and was quickly moved into his new apartments. Suspiciously quick, Caer had thought, but now he cared neither why his brother was promoted nor whether or not he was here. He pulled a small scrap of parchment from his pack and scrawled a quick note: Ember, Mom's dead, Lorias killed her. I saw him, now I have to escape. I'll miss you. ~Caer.

Caer tacked the note to the door and sped off in the direction of Keia's chambers.

Reaching Keia's door, Caer hesitated. What if she was the same as before? Would she even care if he was leaving? Drawing up whatever courage he had remaining, Caer knocked on the door. Slowly, the door creaked open. Keia poked her head out. "Red?" she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to say goodbye," he said, quietly observing that she wasn't wearing the necklace anymore.

"Goodbye?" she said, dumbfounded. She pulled the door open the rest of the way. "If you're leaving, then I'm coming with you." Caer stared blankly. "I haven't even said why I'm leaving or where I'm going yet."

"Doesn't matter," Keia responded, "either way, I'm going with you." Caer slammed his fist on the wall. Only then did Keia notice the wet blood still on Caer's hand. "Why do you have bl—"

"Because I killed the Lord's son, I killed Arran with my bare hands," he said gravely before muttering sarcastically, "'tis a pity I wasn't conscious when I did it…" He looked up at Keia's face, "and that is why I cannot let you come with me. You must stay here." She began stuttering, trying to protest. "That you are my friend no longer matters, the road I must travel upon is one that you cannot tread. It is because you are my friend that I ask you to stay here. You are safer here then anywhere else at this time." Caer stepped back a bit. "This is goodbye." Suddenly he was surrounded by a warm pair of arms, and soft warmth pressed against his cheek. Keia stood there, simply holding him before she backed away. "Don't say goodbye," she whispered, "just say 'see you later' or 'I'll be back' or something." Caer smiled softly and wiped a salty tear from her face. Keia blushed at the sudden contact.

"Alright then," he whispered to her, "I will return here again someday, return to you someday." He looked straight into her eyes and said, "I'll be sure to be there on your wedding day." With that, there was a renewed bout of hugging and crying from Keia, before she finally realized that time was truly of the essence. She pulled away, and then kissed him on the cheek before whispering, "Goodbye" and walking back into her room slowly.

"One more thing, "Caer said as she walked back inside, "don't wear that necklace again, there's something strange about it." Keia nodded and softly shut the door. Caer started walking away when he heard the tolling of a bell and the accompanying shout "Murder! Murder in the Citadel! The Prince is dead! The Prince is dead!" Caer was already running.

~~~()()()~~~

Caer sped down the spiraling staircase below the Tapestry of Despair, leaping over multiple steps at a time. He was heading to the only place he knew that could get him out of Northreach alive; The Great River. Running down the center of the Lower City was the only road out of the Lower City, and the only way to traverse it was by raft. Caer ran past the few people still up and working at this hour of the night, ran past the golems with the white eyes who stood watch over the city, and straight to a small raft that was hidden beneath one of the bridges. Caer pulled the raft out, careful to conceal the place it had been hidden. Gently, Caer slid the raft into the water. He clambered onto the raft which was slowly drifting away on the current. He looked up towards the long line of torches spiraling down the stairs. The Imperial Guard was coming. Caer pushed himself away from the shore and paddled frantically at the water. Within minutes, the raft, buffeted by the fast moving water, sailed through the narrow passage that led outside.

Caer was free, for now.