"Grand Princess Prodea!" shouted the Duke standing up as she went in front of them finding a seat across the table where they all are." What is the meaning of this? We have been waiting for hours! Do you treat all your guests this way?"

"Oh Duke, I'm so sorry about all of this," she apologized with sympathetic eyes – an unusual thing for her, Zeba noted, "It has been very, very hectic these past few days and we don't mean to…"

"Sorry?" interrupted the Duke laughing, "Forgive my bluntness Grand Princess but I think your sorries wouldn't grant an inkling of comfort from me and from my men especially after the loss we just suffered. You have a.s.sured us safe travels here only for us to find that just hours ago my three galleons filled with soldiers and machines were lost at sea by your fiendish sea serpent! Duke Rumilo is in that vessel! He's a highly respected member of the Council of Leonus. What would you suggest I tell the Emperor about this rather dreadful mishap? Would I tell him you're sorry? Would that make my Emperor sigh in relief?"

Prodea stood up looking down bowing as if taking responsibility. This concerned both Karr and Zeba, surprising them both. They wouldn't know that they would live to see Prodea being humble, much so taking the blame. "I am deeply sorry for this unfortunate tragedy that befell both our Kingdoms," she implored with her convincing sad eyes, "I will see to it personally. I a.s.sure you that this will not happen ever again. I can only hope that this will not affect our relations."

The duke silently grunted as he took his seat and saw Prodea turning his back to exit the room.

After a few seconds of silence, the nearest and oldest Knight at his back coughed up a question, "Your Grace, what shall we do now?"

"We wait," said the Duke with glaring nostrils as if tensed, "Prodea will do her part as she always does."

The Knight posed further as he went near him removing his helm to reveal his sad but serious face. He has a puffy look filled with bushy but perfectly trimmed circular beard all having a tint of white accentuating his old age." Can we trust her, my lord? She seems to be hiding something."

"Yes. I know her too well, Sir Echon. She is stubborn and full of pride, but I trust my life to her if worst comes to shove. If she said she'll handle this personally then you can bet even your life that she'll clean this up perfectly without fail."

"Do you need to send your scouts my lord," entered the youngest knight at his left as he sat on the edge of the table. "We can survey the problem…"

"NO!" he shouted terrified, "You do not take matters in your own hands here, Sir Julius. Not in these lands. I know that you're hiding the a.s.sa.s.sination squad in your regiment masking them as scouts. If you can do these things freely in our country, you most certainly can't do that here."

"I respectfully deny that sir, I do not handle an a.s.sa.s.sination squad," smiled Julius playing with his dagger, "And besides, we've been a.s.sessing the natives. Their physique is untrained so we can a.s.sume they're weak. If ever there was an a.s.sa.s.sination squad at all, they can wipe them all out without having a single trouble."

The Duke just scoffed at his statements." That's where you're wrong. They are deceptively strong. If I was to wager in a battle to the death between you and some commoner here, I would bet against you any time. I would even bet my daughters against you, that's how sure I am. That's how strong they are, so I suggest you keep things to yourself and just enjoy the time here instead of this nonsense."

"I'm just saying…"

"Enough Julius!" shouted Echon with serious eyes, "Stop embarra.s.sing yourself. You are here to protect the princesses not to voice out your opinion. Remember your oath to the flag. Just follow your orders!"

"Yes, Father," he replied irritated jumping out of the edge of the table returning his dagger to his sides.

-------ooO0Ooo-------

"Grand Princess," whispered Zeba, "Are you alright?"

Prodea stopped from his brisk walking infuriated. "NO! I'm not ALRIGHT! Do you think I'm alright!? What kind of a question is that!? Are you mocking me!?"

Zeba was frightened with his fiery eyes putting up her usual frightful rants. She just shook her head in agreement looking agreeable.

Her Amplifyers started to glow but she managed to calm down subduing its intensified lighting and returned on her pace.

"If it's not with those wretched people meddling in my plans I've been done with the preparations by now! First, it's Artemus, next is his demented offsprings, then the Elves and now Bakunawa!"

With a fearsome scream, all of the vases from the hallway began exploding as all the water contained within it turned into thorns scratching all the of the hallway's marbled walls and carpeted floors creating an incredibly disturbing screeching noises that led to the destruction of the perfectly a.s.sembled hallway to her quarters. Zeba began flinching in fright as the moving ma.s.s of water in a figure of a three-inched nail came circling around her scratching their way to destroy the floor but this didn't affect Karr at all. He didn't even cringe and just bowed his head to avoid the fast-moving splinters that has been moving all around, calm and unaffected as he is.

"Why do they have to fight my plan!!!" shouted Prodea. "Karr!"

"Yes, your highness."

"Grab thirty Medical Casters and camp to the northwest near Bakunawa's Shrine after which, meet me here tomorrow to accompany me to Bakunawa."

"Understood." With that reply he immediately vanished as if he's perfected the Great Dash creating a huge crack on the floor in the process of his jump. Zeba felt she's been cheated leaving her alone with Prodea. He would've continued thinking how lucky Karr got out quickly as he can, but the ranting Grand Princess yelled yet again disrupting her thoughts.

"Zeba!"

"Y-yes, your highness…" she replied flinching.

"Clean this up! I do not want to see this mess in the morning!"

"Yes y-your highness…"

"And clear your plans tonight after dinner. You'll be helping me all night to fuse a new Amplifyer. Tomorrow will be a very, very busy day!"

-------ooO0Ooo-------

"There you are!"

Kayzar was surprised with the sudden voice behind him and in a split second he threw a pin aiming precisely to the neck of the mysterious shadow on top of the tree kneeling on its wide branch.

"Hey," complained the soft voice of the woman after instantaneously flicking the fine needle away with her finger covered in black leather gloves, "is this how you greet your sister?"

"Ate-Liv!" Kayzar laughed shouting as he fixed himself waiting for his sister, unsheathing his daggers and locking the poisonous pins he managed to activate." I haven't seen you in years!"

She landed off from the tree looking as if a feather touching the earth, landing on the ground gently without so much as an effort on her part, lacking no signs of disturbance among the vegetation that is scattered almost everywhere. "Impressive as ever!" he immediately shouted seeing the feat.

"Why thank you," she replied picking the s.h.i.+ny silvery needle on the ground, walking near him now emerging to grant the sun's invitation to partake its bright radiance. "I believe this is the present I gave you last year and seeing just how you can throw this away without flinching clearly offends me."

She has a small pair of kind smiling eyes with its noticeable rare violet hue grabbing anyone's attention with its beauty and brilliance beyond compare. Her prized smooth straight hair is black and long reaching her hips with bangs that cut to level her eyes which are amazingly steady as the wind blows the other strands on her back to sway. Her usual long loose black leather trench coat is intimidating but is considered to be awe-inspiring to Kayzar thinking on how many weapons it could conceal – which his sister usually does fill with poisonous weapons and daggers. She is six years older than him but her flawless face tells otherwise making her look like she's right in their age.

"We'll I know you won't be. You're the one teaching me how to throw it, remember?"

"True. But it's a shame seeing you waste one of Dal'Gur's fine unbreakable pins."

"W-wait… what!? That's a Dal'Gur?" Kayzar shouted on top of his lungs in deep regret and shock thinking about the other pins he threw away and didn't bother to get back.

"What do you expect!? It's your birthday! It's the by-product of your weird customs of expensive gift givings which is practically almost impossible to deliver. I've paid Dal'Gur a hefty sum just to make you a set."

"B-but you didn't say that!"

"I did. Well, granted It's a twenty set in a wooden case inside a cheap wool pouch which is delivered by mail, but in my defense, I spent a lot of money on that and I didn't have the time to get an expensive box and ribbon. I'm sorry, your highness, I didn't give you a card too. Sheesh… Why d'ya have to be so picky! I thought you have a keen eye on these sorts of things."

Kayzar just grumbled in irritation as he remembers he only has eight of them left including the pin his sister returned back to him. The other pins are at the training grounds all sleeping with the rest of the other poisoned pins at the training grounds when they battled Narra's disciples. This thought just gave him another worrisome job of getting back the pins he lost there but that, he thinks, could wait considering that the pins might be buried now on the ground.

"Your skills have been improving tremendously," Liv continued smiling, shaking his head changing the topic. "What do they feed you in the Palace?"

Kayzar laughed as he invited her out to see the thundering cloud ahead of them.

"Here check this out. Lemme' show you somethin'"

Kayzar extended his arms straight opening his palms, putting them in front leveling his face while standing straight as an arrow as his Amplifyers glow. Then a floating blue sapphire orb, the size of a fist emerged from his bag and radiated its intense blue hue in activation. Liv went closer in awe, befuddled with his two Amplifyers.

"How'd you get…"

"Shh…" interrupted Kayzar, "I'm just getting ready."

He pressed his palms together and the dark cloud forming straight ahead began to come closer, crackling its bright thunders inside.

Liv pulled her favorite black foot-long dagger on her back, made of pure metal from the blade to the hilt, and threw it on the ground. "Yit'ard, Kayzar! We have to run! The Caster's Cloud is on to us!"

Liv was about to pull him when he suddenly moved his hands and fling the long dagger away almost fifty feet burying it on one of the trees there. He looked at her snickering as if mocking her sister, "Really? Of all the pranks that we put you on when we were little you didn't even flinched but now, you're afraid of the Kulog Pa.s.s's Caster Cloud?"

"Kayzar," she nervously said b.u.mping him, grabbing his shoulders almost shaking, "whatever it is you're planning, I'm not liking it."

"Just stay close to me. I got this under control."

The huddled dark cloud stops as it managed to stay on top of them, grumbling as if it's ready to unleash its full fury.

"Are you ready?" Kayzar shouted out loud beating the roaring tempest that's been swirling all around them. "Here it comes!"

He drops both his hands down and clenched his fists. The emerging blue sphere's light intensified to neon blue and then the wrath of the Caster's Cloud began to strike the ground in a frenzy creating a deafening uproar all around. Liv screamed and screamed in fear as she pulled his body, hugging him tight. The noise that the thunderbolts created masked away her crazy bellows. Kayzar didn't seem to notice her because of this as he direct his attention appreciating the marvelous array of the spectacular bursts of lightning all around them. A smokescreen engulfed them in a matter of seconds as they both smell the burning earth left behind by the rampaging cloud. She stopped screaming and found the amazing display of light mixing hues with the mist creating inspiring flowing rainbows all around and came to appreciate it together with him.

He released his clenched fists and then the cloud's angry rumble started to stop. It turned white as it retreats to where it is earlier and then returned to black once more only to grumble its fury somewhere far.

Liv punched Kayzar on his right arm moving him two steps back.

"Ouch!" he shouted with his left hand tending the painful area, rubbing it with his palms.

"DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT TO ME 6AGAIN!!!" she screeched as she abruptly fixed her hair and her bangs which stubbornly stands up as it reluctantly fights to return down to their proper place that is originally perfectly combed.

"Geez, I told you not to punch me! This is my good arm! And you know it's gonna leave a sore mark tomorrow!"

"Well that'll be a reminder not to mess with me," she grunted angry but whispered, "but then again, it is interesting."

"What's that? What did you say?"

"Shut up I said it's interesting! But don't you ever try to do that again in front of me!"

"Okay okay! Relax!" shouted Kayzar flinching as Liv taunted again to punch him.

"Hey look," she exclaimed suddenly happy stepping backwards after the smoke subsided reading her name. "It wrote something on the floor!"

"Check it out and see for yourself!" Kayzar smiled pointing at the nearest tree.

Liv dashed on and, in a matter of seconds, she arrived at the top reading the etched earth saying: LIV WENT CRYING LIKE A BABY FOR SOME SILLY LIGHTNING.

A sudden punch on his left arm surprised him as he was thrown to a couple of steps sideways shouting. "HEY! That's not fair! I'll tell on you when we reach the north!" He was amazed to see Liv's speed almost spontaneously traversing from the tree to him in a split second.

"Well she won't believe you anyway." She said as she zoomed to grab her long dagger and carved the ground to bury the statement. "Don't ever tell a soul about this or I will cut you!"

"Yeah, Yeah, sure. So, why are you here anyway? Mom sent you?"

She stood up ignoring him in a bit almost finis.h.i.+ng burying the statement on the ground. She pulled a black cloth and started wiping her blade and then she placed the dagger in its sheath at her back. She noticed her name being still evident and, like a kid having her tantrums, she kicked the ground tossing the soil around in her efforts to fully conceal any evidence of the statement linking her and her fears.

"I'm searching for Yosh. He went missing last month so I've been scouring the eastern parts of the Lakas Mountain range in hopes of finding him. So far, I've searched everywhere but haven't found him yet. So maybe he's on the other side due west."

"He's the best hunter I know," He replied sitting down to rest looking at his arm for possible injuries smiling, "Good luck tracing his steps. I can't even find him when we're playing hide and seek. Even better than you considering I always find you first almost immediately before Karus which is kind of pathetic for a Daomagar."

Liv squinted looking at him which he noted.

"Hey? I don't want to offend you and all but you're hiding skills are really just embarra.s.sing."

Liv snickered as she went near him, "I would've made fun of your comment there but, because of your skills in hiding yourself too well, I'll just let it pa.s.s."

"What? The great and oh powerful Liv found it hard to find me too?"

"Shush and keep it to yourself, it's not that important."

Kayzar just smiled asking, "So, what do you want from me then?"

"I'm here to offer you my promise."

"REALLY!!!" shouted Kayzar standing up in excitement.

"Geez, come on! Don't be such a crazy monkey all shouting. Keep it down or you'll burst my sensitive ears off."

"When do we start!?"

"Not now… Goodness Kayzar what's wrong with you." Liv replied with creased eyebrows almost surprised, "When did you turn like Karus? I thought you're the serious one?"

Kayzar pouted and crossed his arms. "Well are you trying to trick me again!? You said that last time! And the last time before that! You're really getting older promising me that."

"Well, clearly you haven't had the proper attire for our little debacle and you do not have rations needed for five days," she explained almost looking disgusted as she point to his dirty travel gear covered in mud, "Clearly you're not ready today." She pulled an envelope out of her long trench coat on her left inside pocket and threw it to him then turned around to walk away.

"Wait? You're leaving? We barely talked to catch up!"

"I got important things to do," she shouted still walking away without turning her head. "Meet you up tomorrow."

"What's this?" he shouted beating her before das.h.i.+ng.

"That's the itinerary to the rendezvous point. All things are explained there and please do not be late." And with that cryptic message she disappeared blowing Kayzar's mind out, still amazed on how she can magically disappear in the bright sun without any trace of any disturbance to her surroundings, not even to the gra.s.s she's stepping. He got extremely excited though, seeing she's going to teach him how to complete the ultimate dash, her secret Shadow Step.

-------ooO0Ooo-------

"Master Yiv," greeted the two shadows kneeling to a bow to greet Liv as she entered a dark forest a quarter of a mile south of Kayzar.

She walked near them with glaring murderous eyes, the eyes of a person devoid of a soul. The two just bowed low in fear with the muscular man breaking their silence with his deep voice.

"We're sorry Master! Kayzar slipped pas' us 'an we can't do nutin' 'bout it!"

"Yes!" seconded the tensed girl at his right side with almost a screeching voice immediately returning her deep tone as soon as she noticed it. "I-I don't know what he did. It seems too impossible too; quite puzzling even for me but Kayzar has perfected the Dash together with his brother Karus. And – and…"

"And what?" Liv asked with her cold disturbing voice with her violet eyes now turning blood red. "You haven't? DO YOU MEAN TO IMPLY THAT I DIDN'T TEACH YOU ENOUGH TO REACH YOUR FULL POTENTIALS? THAT I DIDN'T TEACH YOU TO DASH TOO?"

"We're sorry Master," saved the muscular man, "Ye've 'tot us well."

"Then Auric, since you have been rather talkative today, would you be so kind as to tell Argentis how much time I needed to find Kayzar on my own."

"T-two minutes Master Yiv," replied the bulky shadow almost immediately.

"Yes, two… slow… minutes…" said Yiv now pulling her long pitch-black dagger, "And how much time did Argentis finished her task?"

Argentis threw her right fist in the air fast while still bowing with her head on the ground. "I am sorry Master, please cut my good hand for being incompetent, it took me a day and didn't even find and secured my target."

"Open your hands," commanded Yiv with her frightful voice which Argentis obeyed instantaneously without hesitation.

As soon as she opened it, Yiv pushed her dagger straight into the back of her palm without much effort. Blood dripped down from the ground but Argentis didn't even move nor flinched.

"Thank you master," she whispered as Yiv pulled the dagger out.

"You two have become soft being stuck on the Palace's kitchen. You can consider this your warning." She feigned the blade spilling the remaining blood on the gra.s.s on her sides and pointed it fast on Argentis' head. "Lose my brother again and your head will roll."

"Yes master," she noted immediately pulling a bandage on her back and wrapped her b.l.o.o.d.y hands around it to stop the bleeding with much dexterity. She did this while still bowing to the ground, awaiting further instructions.

"You are dismissed." As soon as Yiv uttered the last word Argentis began to dissipate turning to fine gold dust as if a strong wind blew her body to disappear much like the desert breeze blowing the sands off a desert dune.

Yiv looked down on Auric who's still bowing low to the ground. "And you!"

"I'm deeply sorry for my incompetence Master. It has 'bin twelve hours an' um unable to locate Karus."

"I will not punish you this time. He is of no importance to me at the moment, someone is already watching him. I saw him a couple of miles west from here. I can feel it's as if an unknown energy is emanating from him like a hex. I do not want you near him. You might accidentally be spotted, and we don't need to kill people more than we already had. You know how fate turns to be very unpredictable."

"Yes, Master. 'Tenk you, Master."

"Team with Argentis instead and do not lose your new target this time."

"Yes, Master."

"This is a very rare circ.u.mstance Auric and you know me better than anyone. Next time you fail me I'll be snipping another finger off your toes."

"Understood, Master. It won't 'appen again."

"Dismissed."

"M-mastuh," panted Auric almost afraid, "may I hav' permishun' 'te speak?"

"Yes," she replied still angry.

"Why'd ya' pick 'im instead of Karus. Karus is more adept 'n handlin' weapons 'dan he is."

"You will soon find out," she stated as she returned her dagger to its sheath, "Now get out of here before I change my mind."

His body began to turn dark silver, like metal, suddenly being absorbed by the earth in a split second until he burrows down without even moving like water seeping through the ground till he disappears entirely.

-------ooO0Ooo-------

"Alrighty!" shouted Karus stopping near the city gates catching his breath hiding his tired shaking body.

"Whoah!" shouted Lime with much excitement as she disembarks on Karus' back almost jumping. "That was soooooooo brilliant! It's a really really really great treat!!! IT'S AMAZING!" She moved fixing her wrinkled clothes and her tangled hair and continued. "I can't explain it! It's like feeling the rush with the angry wind blowing your whole body as if… as if…" she stopped looking at Karus standing on a slouch with his hands on his knees still puffing. "I-I'm sorry. are you alright?"

Karus stood up beaming his charming smile. "Yep, just feeling as if I swallowed a bug or something on the way. I-It's nothing."

He nodded a few times trying hard to mask what he feels as she goes on and on about how amazing the trip was even after they arrived an hour and a half longer than what he had promised. He finds it hard to believe it took them that long even if they took numerous detours along the way – like circling on certain areas where Nagozulian sentries have been stationed. When he was training with Dal'Gur, he had been strapped with a metal gear on his back, much heavier than she is, and made him dash for a thousand miles non-stop. He knows he mastered the Great Dash because every time he stops to catch his breath, or slows down, or break a bone or two, Dal'Gur gets angry and makes him do the entire thing again. He finds it hard to believe that his body stoops down to a disappointing level after being injured on that fateful day at the tree just outside the city gates. That means he has to work hard again to retain the form needed by the Thousand Blade Dash. It's as if something happened in between his humiliating fall and his alleged death but this thought escaped him as Lime opened another topic.

"Hey! That's weird! Do you hear that?"

"What is?" he asked as if he's listening to her without fail.

"No trumpets!" she shrugged feeling happy about herself. "I must be lucky today!"

"Yep," he agrees looking at the city, "so far, so good, I think. Maybe something happened."

"Maybe…" she thought looking at the city still feeling lucky about her situation and then she abruptly turned to Karus. "I need to ask you something…" she whispered blus.h.i.+ng, "I know it's inappropriate especially for a princess such as my stature, but I was really really wondering. I mean it's nothing, just my head spinning trying to figure out things that I don't quite understand. And don't get me wrong, I know this is uncomfortable and feel free to just shake your head when you don't really have the need to answer… or explain… or…"

Karus smiled and nodded trying to wait for her question which she noted so she jumped on right to her point.

"So… I have been here for a month and noticed that all of you people smell sweet with different variants of scents of flowers or fruits – if it is a fruit. It's really remarkable that you always stay fresh like you for instance. No offense but I have seen you train for hours and hours and running like that for miles would really cover you with sweat making you…"

"Ah!" interrupted Karus laughing, "Yes, well, see it's really a good question."

"Whew, I thought you wouldn't understand!" she sighed with smiling eyes, "I was trying hard to get to my point without offending your people."

"Don't worry I'm not offended. In fact, I'm surprised that you noticed since we Daomagarians don't have any scent at all. You see, we are created by Bathala to be great hunters – stealthy, impenetrable and strong. So, we are born emanating no scent at all. Although what you smell is this special Nagozulian soap that is a product of genius." Karus rummaged something in his travel gear and pulled a yellow bar of soap with a milky tone. "They have developed a kind of soap that removes their scent entirely. They have expanded this product and made it very popular among travelers in the earlier days when the beasts have been attacking their people.

"It's also useful three thousand years ago when the Nagozulians are at war with us Daomagarians. Well as I have explained, we don't need this because we are born without scent making us lethal hunters especially at night and we also have heightened smell to sniff them even when it is pitch black so they have developed this to even the odds. It's safe now, don't worry, but we still use it for hygienic purposes, so they have added different scents and created a necessity out of this product. They have reason to believe that it kills the small little critters that moves in your body that you can't see with your eyes which I think is responsible to the smell. Don't know what that's called but the Great Dal'Gur found them with his weird magnifying lenses."

Lime turned a confusing face but still with her convinced smile. Karus was surprised being that talkative. He just remembered to keep it short in the future, trying hard not to ramble that much when he's with her.

"I don't want to get specific on the science of that stuff because even I do not know those complicated things," he finally said stopping in his weird long talk and gave her the bar of the yellow soap he's been holding. "That's my personal scent, use it I have plenty. There are variants of soaps to choose from at the Palace that's just my special bar made with the scent coming out of the ParApplemango fruit which is my favorite. What you do is you use this in the shower every morning. It can last up to two days after which the effects will wear off."

"This is so handy and really remarkable!" she said inspecting the bar of soap that is hard but smooth thinking that the thing is created with magic.

"Well if you manage to run out of that just go to the requisitions officer named Calen on the east side of the Palace and tell him I sent you. He will lead you to a room full of different variants of soaps, toiletries and all you will need to be primed and proper in the Palace. Mind you, they are super rare and expensive. For royalty only. So, don't spring by often lest you will be noticed by the seers and be reported, you know how meddlesome they are."

"How come you have access to that?" she asked almost confused since he's a Daomagar without any lineage.

Karus laughed to cover himself as he immediately slapped his forehead on his mind. He asked himself repet.i.tively on why he ever tries to impress her and was drawn to a clueless answer. He has to be careful next time before any of his statements compromise his cover. "Well, I'm friends with the---uh, the sons of the Grand Prince Artemus. Don't you worry I will reimburse anything you spend, after all I'm the one getting the ingredients for them."

"Gee thanks!" Lime went close and gives him a quick kiss on his left cheek. "I will cherish this gift and stah it. I will requisition the soap from the officer named Calen instead."

And she hurriedly scurried off leaving Karus surprised, staying embarra.s.singly standing like a statue on a stupor with his mouth half-open still with his wide grin, forgetting about his fatigued body, his shaking knees, and even his fury blaming his inept loose tongue when he's with her.

-------ooO0Ooo-------

Two faint knocks on a wooden door disrupted Artemus as he muddles through the stacks of reports. He is at his office in the Northern Encampment looking as though he spent the night there with multiple mountains of papers that are neatly lined up one after another as evidence.

"Ah! Father," he exclaimed joyously as he saw Narra peeking thinking he could catch a minute of break or two from his visit. His father-in-law gloomy entered breaking the spurt of happiness he's feeling turning it into worry. Narra gently locked the door into a shut and silently walked to find a chair in front of him on the other side of his desk with eyes that has been s.n.a.t.c.hed with its brilliance. "Is something wrong?" he asked hesitantly with concern in his tone as he stopped what he was doing.

"Juni has been captured," he sighed as he held his head in despair.

Artemus turned like stone having heard the news, contemplating on what to say. He pulled back to his chair with mystified eyes looking down moving fast with worry, thinking on how unexpectedly swift the predictions are unfolding as it is.

"Juni has been captured," he repeated, "and I do not know if he is dead. He probably is considering the prophecy, but I couldn't verify since I have to maintain my cover."

Artemus weakly leaned forward as he shove away the neatly organized stacks of paper and murmured, "What happened?"

"All I found out at the scene are his burnt house and the cinders flying out of his books as the remaining fire ate away the remaining beams that once supported his house. I have salvaged some of his remaining personal a.s.sets and sent it to your house before coming here."

"Who did it?" whispered Artemus with his eyes filled with remorse.

"By what I can gather I would say it is the work of Prodea. She literally went on personally at his house and extracted him. Her cleaning team did a great job concealing the streets where the battle took place. Any ordinary eye could have interpreted the scene as some accidental fire in his residence, but they cannot deceive my trained eye. I know a battle when I see one and I'm sure it is her who fought him." He stopped for a moment in thoughts as if trying hard to find the words and then rolled on, "I know it because I feel a faint trace of a very powerful summoning window being written just outside Juni's front door. There are traces of Dark Magicks at play." He leaned closer and whispered, "also, I have carved the earth and find it coal black and with a foul smell. Only one creature comes to mind when I see the earth that defiled…"

"The Black Death…" said Artemus with wide eyes turning his eye away from Narra breathing deep thinking, "Bathala help us. What have you done Prodea?"

"I know you asked Juni to destroy that dark fiend years ago," he pursued on leaning back. "I was with you when we captured that vile monster. Lost ten good Daomagars in the process and I thought he had done it considering."

Artemus just sat back again having trouble to fight the acc.u.mulation of tears in his eyes pa.s.sing a minute or two in silence till Narra sighed.

"Don't beat yourself up," he consoled with his head down, "We know it's bound to happen, and you can't do anything about it. Still," he coughed snickering but with empty eyes, "It's glad to know that that stubborn old dog stirred up a good fight before he let her drag him down to the Palace."

"H-he…" Artemus finally spoke with breaking voice, "he's my friend. I can abandon my trivial task here, but I didn't. I didn't do anything…"

"No," forced Narra, "You would be there yourself had you known! If this is the prediction at play, it is moving incredibly fast and there's nothing you can do to predict the exact time that he'll be visited by Prodea. Stop blaming yourself and focus on the silver lining here!"

Artemus stopped for a second or two and then concluded confused. "No. There is nothing good coming out of this father."

"Yes! There is!"

"No! There isn't!" he insisted now with a stressed voice, "He's dead! He died in the hand of Prodea! If one thing is good here, it's that Prodea has just shown us her true colors and that the Prophecy is happening as foretold."

"YES! But he didn't get captured outside the city gates!?"

Artemus stood up and went to the window on his left with worried eyes. "Regardless of the facts, he still gets caught and Prodea gets a hold of him at the Palace to torture. It is still in effect..."

"Yes! Precisely…"

"You don't understand father!" he interrupted frustrated, as he ran to pull away all the papers on his desk, stas.h.i.+ng them away, keeping himself busy by writing something in a special brown parchment he pulled in a secret hollow room hidden below his desk, "It happened! It happened regardless of the miniscule details! He died! And soon I will die! It's alright if I die but my family will die one by one! I cannot let this happen in vain! I need to plan for what Bathala prepared for us while I'm still breathing. We must be ready for what we must do in order to abide his will and save these lands, carrying his wishes beyond our original capacity! If we are going to die, we're going to take them all with us. We must die preserving Nagozul. We must succeed in saving Nagozul at all costs."

Narra stood up and pulled him to snap out from his nervous hysteria. "Stop it! We can prevent everything! Nothing is written on stone, son! This is one of Bathala's sign! Something extraordinary happened that's why I didn't get there in time! Something that isn't relayed in the prophecy! Our paths have been moved and the fates have been changed!"

Artemus's eyes turned confused all of a sudden awaiting Narra's report.

"Karus died! And then he returned to life once again!"

"WHAT?!" he shouted irritated. "And you didn't tell this to me sooner!?"

"Karus died for three days and then returned to us again!" he repeated almost jumping as he moved away pacing the floor with his eccentric display of excitement while seriously explaining his point. "His Amplifyers has been reacting to his elemental essence and he was. .h.i.t by the Sleep of Death! n.o.body gets away from the Sleep of Death! No one in Nagozul has fought death and won with Fire as a base element except him! Yit'ard! No one in Nagozul has been able to revive themselves since the great King Liwanag three thousand years ago! He is indeed blessed!"

"How did that happen?" Artemus mumbled searching from any answer thinking out loud, "No reactions have been observed by Juni when we fused the Emerald. He said the transformation will not be until next year."

"Yes! But you see that!? Because of that, because of Karus' sudden emergency, I was not able to reach Juni in time for me to force him outside the City Gates where I would supposedly battle some Elemental and be considered an Outlaw! The fates have changed the moment Karus' situation changed it! Meaning the prophecy is just a guide that may or may not happen!"

"No father," he opposed standing up, "It's still happening. Karus has been blessed by Bathala and will not die until his purpose is achieved. Your actions leading for you not being an Outlaw are insignificant to the events that will transpire in the future. All will still unfold in his divine plan! What I need is to prepare us so that when our time comes, we'll be well equipped to handle the situation and win this war against Prodea and his cohorts."

Narra smiled sitting in his chair which made Artemus to cool down to and sit on his too.

"Don't tell me to quit convincing you because I really won't." Narra joked seeing Artemus' serious eyes, "I really won't. One of these days I will personally show you that this prophecy of yours is not a rule but a suggestion. One of these days you will see that I was right. I will make you believe this. I'll stake my life on this, you'll see."

Artemus finally smiled. "That'll be the day. So far all my calculated decisions are in place and are in order."

"Alright, alright. I know you are stubborn as a water buffalo. But I know you will succeed in saving your family from this unfortunate fate you're tangled in, regardless of what you believe in."

Artemus just snickered as he returned on writing on his special paper with a circular red seal on the bottom with an omega symbol inside.

"So," continued Narra, "does this mean you'll pay a visit to Bakunawa now?"

"Yes," he replied while writing, "in fact, I'll be visiting him at first light tomorrow."

"That'll be hard considering your special activity tonight with Reus."

"Yes, we have rounded up twenty Firestarters and some Molders some hundred miles northwest from here near the mountain range hills."

"That far? That's bordering the seas?"

"Yes. It is very far."

"You know it's a trap, right? They are ready to attack avoiding the risk of reinforcement on your end. A rebel combination of Firestarters and Molders are extremely terrifying. It usually ends up a disaster if not handled carefully."

"Reus keeps on being too gullible in accepting their terms of surrender meeting them in conspicuously dangerous locations. I will have to observe as he falls into a trap and be able to rescue him on time, along with the fifty soldiers I have commissioned to be under him."

"You're going to watch? I thought you're going to handle this personally?"

"Well he'll be the next King after I die, right? Might as well teach him a lesson or two in being cheated in a negotiation."

"D'you remember how you handled your first negotiation with a rebel group before?"

"Yes," he smirked as he signed and stamped the letter he's been writing.

"And do you know how well it turned out?"

"We have to cover a ravine the rebels have created in the Desert of Daomagar for a month after I insulted them somehow."

"And you do realize this is Reus we're talking about?"

"Lighten up father!" he laughed shaking his head as he folded the letter and dressed it in a blue envelope sealing it with red wax still with an omega symbol as the insignia. "For all we know, he might turn the tables and be able to catch them without causing too much a commotion far much better than what I did."

"You want me to come with you? Just in case."

Artemus reached and gave him the envelope with smiling eyes, "No, father that's not necessary. I have a more important task I need you to run for me."

Narra stood up as soon as he grabbed the letter and gradually returned his wrinkled cheery face to a frown, "To Dal'Gur, huh?"

"Please?" he pleaded with a wide grin.

"Okay, okay! But just so you know, I hate delivering things to that Old Geezer. He doesn't really want to be found and searching every inch of the Lakas Mountain Range is a really troublesome ordeal."