Title: Fight for Freedom

Plot: After the events in Way of the warrior, will the group be able to get back their team mate?

Warning: M

Disclaimer: I only own Cas. Kairi, Jezebelle, and Zephyr belong to friends. The rest belongs to Vince McMahon.

Chapter 1: Funeral Pyre (Kairi)

As soon as we heard Evan scream, we know something is wrong. As swiftly as we can we run to where we heard the scream coming from, Jezebelle leading the way. What we see appalls us. Darakian men lay dead in the clearing, seemingly slashed with a blade or bashed in the head with something but in the center of the clearing lays…

"Evan!" Zephyr shouts, rushing to the side of his friend. Evan looks so peaceful. His brown eyes are glazed over and I can see a spot of blood on the back of his tunic. He was shot in the back with an arrow. He takes Evan's lifeless body into his arms, sobbing.

I put a hand on Zephyr's shoulder, "Zeph….he's gone…" I whisper sadly.

"No! No he can't be gone!" Zephyr cries. He buries his face into Evan's chest. Sobs are racking his body and all I can do is stand there and watch. There's nothing I can do. He's too deep in mourning.

"He is though," Rey comforts as I let go of Zephyr's shoulder. He crouches next to him, his eyes a mixture of light blue and dark red, making them a light purplish color. "And he went how he wanted to go, as a brave warrior trying to prove to you that he was strong and great."

"But I knew he was," Zephyr replies through his tears, "I knew he was a brave warrior."

"He died protecting Cas…" Rey sooths, "…he wanted to make sure that the prophecy was fulfilled."

Zephyr flings his arms around Rey, "But he didn't have to die! He was so young! Too young for death! Too young to get himself into this mess."

"Shh, it's alright. Everything will be alright," Rey says rubbing Zephyr's back. Suddenly I realize why Zephyr is taking this so hard. Evan wasn't just a friend.

"You loved him didn't you Zeph?" I ask softly.

Zephyr looks up at me, a mixture of shame and fear in his eyes. "Yes…" he mutters.

"And you never told him, did you?"

"No," he replies. "I couldn't. In my country it's the ultimate offense for two men to love. He would have shunned me."
"He wouldn't of," John softly assures.

"Oh? And how do you know?" Zephyr asks. He's stopped sobbing, though tears still rush down his face.

"Because he loved you," John answers, "I saw it in his eyes when he looked at you or when you touched his hand. It was the kind of love that two people are never certain of until one of them is gone."

"Can I give him a proper Birlorian burial?" Zephyr asks.

I nod, "What do you need us to do?"

Zephyr lets out a wavering sigh, "Rey, Kairi, build a funeral pyre. John, could you help me put him on it when they build it?"

Rey and I start gathering wood and build a large pyre. John and Zephyr gently place Evan on the pyre. Zephyr nods at me and I light it. I let a few tears pour down my face. He was a good man. I look over at Zephyr who is again sobbing. I feel so sorry for him. To have a person you love so deeply and so much and to lose him…it's awful. I've never been in love and I can't stand how much I hurt right now. I hate to think about how much he's hurting right now.

Zephyr speaks up, "Could…could you give me a few minutes?"

I nod as we walk away. I see Zephyr kneel and he's letting himself sob. I see him mouth something, speaking partially to himself and partially to Evan's soul. "We have to find Casarea," I tell Rey.

"Aye," John nods, "Any clue what the Darakians would want with her?"

"A few. Maybe they plan on interrogating her about us. Or…" Jezebelle's voice trails off.

"Or what?" I ask.

"Or worse. It's there's a rumor in my home nation…."

"What would that rumor be?" Rey asks.

"Lord Randall is looking for an heir…" Jezebelle replies.

I gasp, "And you think…"
"That he wants Cas? What better than to have an heir who is the descendent of an enemy who is as strong as a warrior of legend?" Jezebelle asks.

I shudder. He wants an heir and Cas is gone. It could either be a horrible conincedence or she could have been chosen. Zephyr joins back with us, holding Evan's lute. "We're going to find the other items and we're going to make sure that we kill Lord Randall." His face is cold and there is a strong wind blowing. "We continue on to Tideus. Then we go to Beake." In a few minutes he has gone from childish and playful to cold and serious.

"Where is Beake?"
"It's located in Birlor," Zephyr replies, "It's home of the council of musimagi. Since Evan has passed they will want his lute." He starts to walk away and we follow, but leave enough room between us so that Zephyr can think.

"What about finding Casarea?" I ask.

"We get the weapons and other items first. We'll rescue her. I won't lose another member of this team to those Darakian bastards." Zephyr replies.

I nod and we follow Zephyr. The wind has died down now and it's raining. How appropriate. Each rain drop helps to extinguish the fire like it was extinguishing Evan's life itself. I wrap my travelling cloak around my shoulders and keep my head down.

"Kairi…we'll find her." Rey assures me.

"I know we will Rey. I just…Evan's death has made me think about a lot of things. I mean, Zpehyr and Evan could have had a perfect life together. And that village was ruined. Men, women, and children all dead. How many more must die before we have a victory?"
Rey licks his lips in hesitation, "Kairi…I'm not sure. What I'm sure of is that Evan's death was not the last. For every good case, lives must be put on the line. We don't forget these lives. With every death we keep on going until we have won."

I nod, "Touching Rey. What have you seen that you're not telling us?"
He shakes his head, "As much as I want to, I cannot tell you. The future is suppose to happen and we cannot alter it. If I was to tell you what happens in the future then you would want to change it. It's better to keep it to myself."

My soul goes cold. I don't like it when Rey is cryptive, "Rey…you don't think…you can't…."

"I cannot tell you. So please, do not ask," he replies.

I fall silent. Whatever the future holds I can tell it isn't good. Sadly I pull the hood of my cloak up over my head. We walk for what seems like hours before we see the city on the horizon. Even in the rain it seems to glimmer. "That must be Tideus," Zephyr says, coming to a halt.

"Aye, 'tis beautiful." John nods.

"So do we have a plan?" Jezebelle asks.

"Find an inn and rest. Then we warn whoever runs the town of the slaughter of Neirid. Then we find out all we can about the sais the belonged to the warrior of legend," Zephyr orders.

"And if that doesn't work?"

There is a silence that seems to chill all of our souls. Finally Zephyr replies, "Pray to whatever god you believe in and hope that it does."