Atem's Worries

by PrincessSierraofAres

Atem's sister Amisi has unexpectedly returned from her atered battle against Trojan badly beaten and on deaths doorstep. The tumor in her throat is causing her grief until her mother is invited by Atem to move into the empty room to better care for Amisi's tumor causing angst about whether or not she should have it removed.

***Author's note: Amisi and Amisi are one in the same person as Amisi adopted the name Amisi to hide her identity****

Six weeks after Amisi had left to go fight Titan, she had only gotten as far as Freeze when Virgil's wife Virginia and their crew arrived and altered the flow of time altering the outcome of the battle ensuring in their puritan minds the sanctity and purity of all girls involved in the battle.

With the outcome of the battle changed, Amisi's teleportation magic kicked in sending her back to Egypt ultimately leaving her leaning on the guard tower for support where a guard familiar with Amisi found her.

Court Yard

Amisi pops out of a wormhole close to the ground, slides down the edge of the wall inside the gates and thinks to herself: There's no way for me to get to the palace on my own. As it is, I'm loosing too much blood, energy and strength. I can't continue on my own, I'm way too weak. As it is I can barely keep awake! (Feels as a wave of severe pain crashed down over her and passes out falling forward)

Guard notices Amisi and rushes over to her saying: Your Highness, are you alright?! Your Highness? (Gently shakes Amisi saying) Can you hear me? (Picks up her wrist with her Ba gauge on it and sees it was down low almost out then notices Amisi was bleeding and says to another guard who was walking by) YOU THERE! Go get Lord Seto! Tell him Amisi is back and is not responding to anything! (Feels blood pouring from her side and says) RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN! Her highness's life depends on your speed! (Removes Amisi's locket from her neck and says) Take this! They will want proof her highness has returned.

Guard 2 takes the locket from the first guard who remained with Amisi and runs at full speed to the palace and throws open the throne room door saying: Her highness is back

Mahad: What?! No! It is far too soon for her to be back! How can you be certain it is her highness?

Guard 2 holds up the right side of the puzzle shaped locket saying: This was removed from her neck for proof.

Atem sees the locket, quickly rises to his feet and takes several steps forward saying: Bring that to me! (Reaches under his cape, pulls out his half, pairs it with Amisi's half and says) My sister Amisi's half of our shared locket! I gave that to her before she left!

Guard 2 takes the locket to Atem and gives it to him then backs away and kneels respectfully

Atem takes the locket from the guard saying: Where is my sister?!

Guard 1 brings in Amisi saying: My Pharaoh, your sister is not responding to anything we have done.

Seto hurridly tucks the Millenium Rod into his belt and says: Give Amisi to me before something happens that cannot be reversed!

Guard 1 lays Amisi in the arms of Seto who had quickly made his way to him and removed Amisi's limp body saying: What do we do about the trail of blood from the guard tower here?

Atem: Close all gates, send everyone else home. The palace is now closed! No business, no travellers, no one comes in! My sister needs our full attention.

Seto: Have the servants immediately scrub the floors and stairs to remove any trace of Amisi's blood while I rush her to her room to allow Isis to carefully remove any and all blood-soaked articles of clothing!

Guards: Yes Lord Seto! (Rushes out the door shutting it behind them to go about ordering the outer doors closed and proclamations sent out that the palace was closed for a family emergency then ordered a massive scale deep clean by order of the Pharaoh)

Mahad hurries over to Seto and picks up Amisi's arm feeling for the magic pulse and says: Her magic has turned off yet I still feel a weak heartbeat. Where is this blood coming from? (Moves Amisi's cloak and drops it saying) We have to hurry, she is hurt badly and bleeding from her side. (Notices her Ba Gauge and says) Hope and pray she does not cross over! Her Ba is very low almost out.

Seto feels as the front of his shirt became wet and says: That is not the only spot she is bleeding from! The front of her dress is soaked with blood as is the side closest to me! (Begins to feel Amisi's body start to shiver and says) She is getting colder from the loss of blood, hold on Amisi. You leave this world and I will come and drag you back kicking and screaming. It is not your time to go! (Spots a lone servant and says) You there! Get me the oldest, cleanest, warmest, thickest blanket you can find!

Servant disappears for a few minutes then returns with an old blanket from Amisi's closet saying: This is as old, clean, thick and warm as I could find in her highnesses closet of fabric.

Mahad blocks the servant's view of Amisi and takes the blanket saying: Many thanks, now be gone! The palace is closed for business. Before you leave, find the other Officers and tell them it is an emergency! (Turns and carefully wraps Amisi's cold body in the blanket and says) We need to get her to her own room and out of view of the servants before we cause a mass panic. (Hears Shimon, Akhenaden and the other officers rushing in)

Shimon sees the condition of Amisi saying: Oh fair sweet girl, what has happened to you?

Akhenaden sees the blood staining the blanket and says: Her blood is soaking through the blanket, we need to stop the bleeding before it is too late for her highness! (Reaches out and brushes her bangs away from her eyes and sees the bruises saying) So many bruises, how did you survive the trip back in this condition?!

Shadda notices the trail of dried blood leading out the door and says: How much blood does she have in that body of hers?! The puddle is huge! Is she alive?

Mahad: Her magic has turned off but she has a weak pulse meaning a weak heartbeat.

Isis sees an unconscious Amisi in Seto's arms saying: Amisi no!

Kalim: No, our Princess! What are you doing back so soon?!

Isis touches Amisi's head and is greeted by a flash of Amisi's memory saying: Someone has warped the flow of time and changed the outcome of her battle! She got as far as Trojan and that is when the unknown intruders to the battlefield stopped then reversed time changing the outcome of the battle. She never met Titan, her battle has been changed. Her grandfather will not like this one bit, no one is to have access to the sacred battlefield and no one is to alter the outcome of the battle! (Feels how cold Amisi was and says) Amisi is losing blood fast along with body heat. We must get her to her room and start patching up her wounds as best as we can.

A guard opens door saying: Excuse me, Amisi left her satchel and sword outside and there are important things inside the satchel that she does not want to be lost.

Mana takes Amisi's satchel and sword from the guard and says: I'll give these to Master Mahad, you have to leave! The Palace is closed until further notice! (Closes the door behind the guard and slips Amisi's satchel over her shoulder and hurries to Mahad's side calling) Master Mahad!

Mahad turns and saying: Mana! What is it?

Mana holds up Amisi's battle satchel and sword saying: The Guard gave me Amisi's Battle Satchel it has everything in it including Teddy's Jewel Case and her sword.

Mahad: Bring them with you, do NOT allow any of those items out of your sight or out of your possession. Teddy's Jewellery cannot be replaced! He will need it if and when he is freed from where ever he is being held captive. Do NOT lose that sword! It belongs to her father, you lose that kindly have fun explaining to her grandfather where you lost it.

Seto begins heading towards the exit that leads to the sleeping area of the palace until he was outside Amisi's room and waited as Isis opened her door saying: Someone must place extra sheets down on her bedding to prevent blood from soiling them!

Isis hurries into Amisi's room and over to her fabric closet to pull out old blankets that she spread over Amisi's bedding saying: Come Seto, place her here and I will tend to her battle clothes as best as I can. (Watches as Seto hurried towards Amisi's bedside,laid her down on the old bedding carefully as she said) Now out with you! I will do what I can to preserve her outfit! Go get cleaned up before her blood stains your clothes! Wash yourself thoroughly to elminate any remnants of Amisi's blood! Change your clothes and toss them into the fire pit to avoid questioning from the laundresses! (Watches as Seto left Amisi's bedside and bedroom closing the door behind him as she said to an unconscious Amisi) Now let's see how badly we're injured. Mana you can unpack Amisi's satchel and put her sword up above her bed where it belongs. (Watches as Mana began to unpack Amisi's battle satchel and catches a glimpse of a framed picture and says) Someone's got a beau somewhere, did he survive this half of the battle? Carefully lay that Sword on the hooks Mana, it is irreplaceable! Put Teddy's Jewellery Case in Amisi's top night stand drawer on the right,that way if anyone is looking for it, they can find it easily, put her jewllery in it's box in the left hand night stand that way Amisi can find it and be careful of that picture or when she wakes up again, she will send you to meet your ancestors for breaking it. Now it is time for you to leave Mana, I have to tend to Amisi's injuries and see how bad they are. (Watches as Mana finished unpacking Amisi's Satchel then left and turns her attention to Amisi then slowly begins to unwrap the blanket from around Amisi carefully revealing the extent of her injuries were far worse than the blood soaked clothes had let on they were causing her to go to the door and open it with a look of horror on her face)

Seto fresh from changing his clothes turns and sees the look of horror on Isis's face saying: I know that look, it has to be bad. How bad is it?!

Isis: Her left side is sliced open wide, she has multiple slice wounds all along her body but none as bad as her left side and abdomen. This is beyond what any of us can handle, there is no choice, someone has to call in one or more of her uncles to tend to these wounds.

Atem heaves a sigh and says: Let me do it. I'm the only one who knows how to use the mirror in my sister's bedroom to call her family. (Heads into Amisi's bedroom, closes the door behind him, heads over to her bed to see how badly she was injured and says) Hold on for me Amisi! I'll call your family to help. (Heads to the mirror and lays his hand flat on the smooth glass surface watching as it recognized his hand print then is greeted by Tobias as he shakily says) S-Sierra's come back

Tobias: She can't be back! It's way too soon! Don't tell me someone's interfered in her battle and changed the outcome! Where is she?

Atem moves out of Tobias's way for him to see and says: She's hurt badly

Tobias sees how badly his niece was hurt and says: Keep her still, don't move her and try to stem the bleeding. I'll go find Archer and Traveller! Keep your end open, I'll keep this one open so they have a quick and fast way to get to Amisi's side.

Atem leaves the mirror and heads to Amisi's bedside where he grabbed her desk chair and pulled it over to her bed,sat down,picked up her hand,brushed her bangs out of her bruised face saying: Don't you think of leaving this realm Amisi! Stay with me! (Lets go of Amisi's hand and picks up a thick cloth and presses it against her left side to try and stem the bleeding until someone came to do a better job)

Twenty Minutes Later

Archer jumps through the mirror into Amisi's bedroom with Traveller and their help behind him saying: I knew something was off! Someone with time warping abilities has changed the outcome of a battle that has nothing to do with them! By altering the course of the battle, they distracted Amisi and she got hurt by Trojan badly! She had two more goons to get through before she hit Titan and that battle alone would've triggered the crystalline healing ice to start forming where ever she drops, but since she never got to her final battle, the ice never had a chance to start building. Go on outside an wait, we'll take care of stitching her up. (Watches as Atem stood up, laid Amisi's limp hand down,headed towards her door,opened it and stepped outside, closing it behind him and instantly begins issuing orders to the team that had followed him and Traveller through the mirror while Atem left the room)

Two Hours Later Amisi's Bedroom Door Opens

Traveller comes out wiping his clean hands on a towel saying: Amisi's all stitched and patched up. For now, Archer and I'll stay the night to ensure her body takes to her blood that she had set aside incase of an emergency. If she makes it through the night with her body accepting her own blood to ensure she doesn't have any complications, we'll be lucky. Though she may develope a high grade fever during her healing process. For tonight, go on to bed and try to get some rest and let me take the first long shift of ensuring Amisi will make it.

Atem heaves a loaded sigh of relief and says: So much blood was coming from her wounds, I had begun to think the gods had come for her.

Traveller snickers saying: Have you forgotten who Amisi is? Amisi is the granddaughter of a god and one that has a very volitile temper, she has not only Guardian Dragon Angel magic in her, but her mother's Fairy magic, her father's gardening and genie magic and some unknown magic that is starting to meld all the magic in her body together. Don't forget what my father, Sierra's grandfather told you. Teddy's the father of both Sierra and Axel, my father won't let anything happen to his first granddaughter. He would rather kill the first person who tries to hurt her than let any harm befall her. This is why Sierra left for the battle against Titan, to find out where he took her father and my oldest brother. My father is still on the throne as Teddy decided to pass on the crown so it's still up for whoever wants it.

Atem heaves a tired yawn and says: I guess I had forgotten your father is a god.

Traveller: Your gods don't want her on their side either just yet, they know it's not her time. If your father had it his way he'd stand at the gates, wait for her to show up, turn her around and shove her right back to where she came from simply saying 'nice to see you too now good bye, not now, see you later at another time.' As for now, you should go on to bed and get some sleep before you fall asleep on your feet, Archer and I will stay the night to ensure Amisi makes it through the night.

Atem heaves another exhausted yawn and heads down the hall towards his room silently praying: Gods of both Marsis and Egypt, hear our prayers! Help Amisi make it through the night, keep the Gods of death away from her bedside. Help her begin down the road of healing, don't let her stray no matter how weary her spirit is. Keep her path safe,true,well lit and straight. Bring her light back to us! (Opens his bedroom door, walks in and shuts it behind him wearily heading towards his bed where he flopped face first into his pillow instantly falling asleep)

That day Atem shut down the palace, no business,no visitors, nothing until he was one hundred percent certain his sister wasn't on the verge of leaving the mortal world for the next due to the severity of her wounds and the amount of blood she lost on the floor of the throne room.

As the night progressed to morning, Amisi's body accepted her own stored blood to spare her own life, only to bring more concerns in the form of an alarmingly high fever that has set in. Despite the fever, Traveller woke Amisi every six hours to give her medication to ward off pain from the ever growing tumor in her throat.

Due to obligations back home, both Traveller and Archer left Atem to stay by their sister's side during her fight back to health giving him instructions on how to treat Amisi's high grade fever,how to change the dressings on the open wounds without causing any further damage and most importantly, how to accurately dose oout Amisi's throat medication and to ensure he woke her every four to six hours to give her four table spoons of the thick syrup.

Never wanting to waiver from her side, Atem had been there continuously wiping her hot forehead and face with a thick cloth frequently submerged in a pail of cold water kept cold with huge ice cubes all the while gently tending to the wounds on her side,arms, abdomen and back that were still open left from her long hard fought battle as he changed the dressings to prevent infection from setting in and making things worse than they already were all the while remembering to wake Amisi every four to six hours to give her the four table spoons of the thick tumor coating syrup.

At the height of Amisi's fever, after ensuring she got her four table spoons of the thick tumor coating syrup,Atem had fallen into a restless sleep and while the two slept, a familiar strong yet gentle spirit hand laid itself across Amisi's cheeks and forehead followed by an all too familiar voice telling her to fight harder to defeat the fever, yet at the same time, voicing concern that her fever was too high causing her extreme discomfort and how they wished they could take on the mantle of sickness for her but knowing it was Amisi's mantle to bear until the fever broke on its own and commended her on her hard-fought battle.

Just as quickly as the presence appeared, it moved from Amisi's bedside to the chair where Atem slept spreading a warm blanket over his back to keep him warm against the cool air coming in through the open window then vanished, safe in the knowledge Amisi would get better and the fever would break in due time.

Each day that Atem sat by his best friend- no Amisi was more than his best friend, she was his adopted younger sister, though she came from a whole other planet and way of life, Amisi had easily and seamlessly adapted to his culture and way of life-he ensured her curtains were kept closed,the noise level down and made absolute certain she drank plenty of water, kept up with taking her tumor coating syrup every six hours on the dot,but most of all he ensured she was never alone while sick and healing, taking turns with Seto who sat beside Amisi while he slept uncomfortably in her oversized reading chair.

Every day that Atem sat beside Amisi, wiping her hot, flushed face, Amisi's temperature slowly dropped two degrees until at last, she slept more comfortably than at the fever's peak.

When not working to bring down her fever, Atem carefully changed the dressing on Amisi's open wounds to prevent infection and when his eyes threatened to close, Seto took over and when his eyes threaten to close the other Priests stepped in and did the dressing changes and when they could no longer keep awake, Amisi's family stepped in to do the dressing changes to prevent infection from setting in and administered pain killers via injections to keep the pain at bay while she slept.

While healers gathered outside Amisi's bedroom door trying to get in and see the ill and injured Princess, Shimon and Akhenaden continued to refuse to allow them in to see her on the Pharaoh's orders to keep Amisi's room quiet and peaceful so she could rest, slowly get over her illness and allow her injuries to heal.

As time passed, the Healers started demanding that they have access to the ill and injured Princess causing Shimon to call in one of Amisi's uncles to drive home the fact that Amisi was not to be bothered for anything and when Atem said no, he meant no to everything, then left a Dragon outside her bedroom window to ensure no healer could get in and stayed on the outside.

Exhausted from being awake for four nights straight tending to the wounds whose bandages needed frequent changing and refusing to go to sleep, Atem had fallen asleep slumped over in his chair stretched uncomfortably with his upper body on the bed,his head on Amisi's stomach,his lower body still in the chair and his right hand tightly grasping her left hand, while Seto had long retired to the bed on the far side of Amisi's room to get some rest to ward off a headache that was starting to make thinking clearly and focusing on properly cleaning and redressing Amisi's wounds next to impossible and sleep was the only option to ward it off.

By dawn the next day, Amisi's Amethyst colored eyes were starting to struggle to open, bit by bit her Amethyst colored eyes slowly adjusted to the long forgotten light of dawn.

Amisi slowly opens her eyes, feels an unusual weight on top of her and turns her head to see Atem soundly sleeping in the most uncomfortable position and thinks: Poor boy, has he been here the whole time? (Notices fresh bandages on her wounds and Seto curled up in the spare bed and the table spoon still coated with remnants of her tumor medicine and thinks) He's been remembering to give me that nasty syrup for the tumor all the while tending to my wounds on his own while Seto's catching up on his missed sleep. Poor boy,he has no interest in fielding questions he doesn't want to answer as to how I got these wounds. Not many would understand what I went through except for those whose lives and memories I've restored. (Winces as a wave of pain shot through her ribs thinking) Oh wow, been awhile since I could feel pain rip through. How much blood did I lose? I feel a bit light headed, not to mention the pain that's coursing through me from various spots. (Feels a damp cloth on her head and thinks) A cool damp cloth, must've been for the fever that developed and just now broke. It sure felt nice to have something cool to quench the firestorm I was walking through. Should I let him know I'm awake or should I just let him sleep on? He looks so sweet when he's asleep! No, I had better let him know I woke up. (Tightens her grip on Atem's hand until his eyes started to force themselves open)

Atem feels Amisi's once limp hand squeezing his right hand,quickly awakens,shrugs off the blanket switching from the chair to the spot beside her saying: Amisi! You're awake! It's been too long since you've been awake! How are you feeling?!

Amisi faintly replies: Still tired and weak. Don't get too close, you don't want what I have. Matter of fact I don't want it but I'm stuck with it until it runs it's course. It'd be nice if the pain I'm now starting to feel, would also leave.

Atem removes the damp cloth from under Amisi's blond bangs, dropping it into the pail of ice water on the floor then moves her bangs out of her eyes and says: In due time, in due time. There's no rushing your healing, some wounds are still open and prone to infection. The one on your right side is still open and oozing, the one across your abdomen is still healing and oozing blood from time to time. Let's see if it's stopped bleeding. (Lowers Amisi's blankets then partially unbuttons her nightshirt to check the wound's dressing as he unraveled it carefully lowering the wrapping until he hit the bandages that he had taped to her abdomen and says) Oh no, they might need to be changed again. I'm going to get the doctor to come check you over and assess whether or not these need changing again. I can't see straight right now, so another fresher set of eyes will do a better job of seeing what I'm unable to. But first (reaches over to table beside his chair,picks up the bottle and spoon,removes the cap from the bottle and pours out an even table spoon of the tumor coating medication saying) It's been four hours since your last dose, here's spoonfull number one! (watches as his sister took her first spoonful then repeated it three more times saying) Six hours from now you'll get four more spoonfulls of this stuff. For now, I'll go see if Archer's arrived. (Sets the syrup and spoon aside,picks up the note book from the table and jots down the date and time of the current dose then gets up off the bed and heads for the door opening it and stepping out to go find Archer who had arrived the previous night saying) Amisi just woke up a few minutes ago. I'm worried though,some of her wounds are healed except for the ones on her back, abdomen, arm and left leg. I'm certain the padding on her abdomen needs changing but I'm so tired, I wouldn't be able to keep my hands steady. Oh and here (Hands Archer the note book saying) anyone who gave Amisi her medication wrote down the time and how many hours there were between each dose.

Archer takes the notebook and flips through skimming down the lines of dates and times saying: I don't have Teddy's mastery of medicine and potions, I have no idea what to do next until he returns. He's the one that made the syrup you're giving Sierra four times a day. Either that or I'll have to bring Cassidy through and let her figure out what to do for her daughter. (Sees the look on Atem's face and says with a sigh) Let me guess, you've never met ether my brother or sister in law? I was afraid of this. I'll see what I can do about bringing Cassidy here for you to meet. You'll love her. Trojan's a bastard and a hard one to bring down. I'm surprised he didn't kill Amisi and her team right there and then. If there are some wounds that are still open and bleeding, we just have to be patient with her healing process. If at the end of three weeks the last of the big wounds haven't healed and closed up, she'll have to return home to the Crystalline Healing Chamber to speed up the healing of the wounds. I'll check that dressing and see if it needs changing.

Atem heaves a tired sigh all the while fighting his exhaustion saying: There's still so much I don't know about Amisi, it's hard to know what to do to help her start on the road to getting healthy again. I'll keep changing her bandages and checking her wounds as the days go by and ensure the ones that are still left open don't become infected. At least I don't have to worry about removing stitches as they dissolved on their own.

Archer: If you can,just stay with her when she's awake during the day and if not, stay with her at night. Ensure she starts to eat and drinks to stay hydrated. If she dozes off, ensure she stays covered up. But most of all, ensure she keeps up with her tumor coating medication! If she misses one dose, that tumor will blossom and make her life a living hell. Just be vigilant, her fever may come and go and if it does (pulls out a crystalline comlink from his satchel and says) this is how you get in touch with me if the fever decides to evolve into a magic fever. That's when you should really start to worry, magic crystalline fevers are dangerous and Amisi would have to return back home to the Crystalline Healing Chamber to balance out the unbalanced magic. Mind you that Amisi has an underlying hidden magic in her that no one knows about. Don't forget what was in our skies when Amisi and her brother were born. Keep her room dark as her head will still be splitting with a headache and any glimmer of light will make her head hurt worse than it already does. Her battles are far from over, she has yet to face Freeze and that will determine where History goes from there. Like I said, do NOT forget her tumor coating syrup four times a day every four to six hours or she will end up coughing all night long and get no rest.

Atem takes the crystalline comlink and remembers the special once in a lifetime constellation saying: The Dragon Angel Guardian Constellation! Does that mean, Amisi has Dragon Angel Guardian Magic in her that hasn't surfaced yet? What do I do if she won't eat? I haven't forgotten to give it to her yet and I won't forget.

Mahad approaches and stands beside Archer saying: No one knows just yet, her full magic has yet to be unleashed. Not even I know what her true magical abilities are just yet. Right now they're just starting to come to the surface, her final battle against Freeze will be the trial that brings out all of her magical abilities. She and her team have to do this themselves. None of us can go with them as we would all surely be killed, Titan wants Amisi alone and her clansmen will take out his guards one by one until it's just Amisi alone. For now let her be, Amisi will eat when she gets hungry. No sense in forcing her to eat if her stomach has no interest in food. It will only serve to make her sicker than she is. Notice when Seto goes in with her meals he doesn't force her to eat if she's not hungry, he just sets it aside and lets her sleep knowing she'll eat when she wakes up. When it's close to meal time, he goes and sees if she's awake and if she is, he asks her if she is hungry, if not then he doesn't bring her anything but a fresh jug of water and a nice cool damp cloth. Note I said DAMP, not soaking wet, not dripping wet, damp. Amisi sweats enough from her fever, she does not need to be shocked awake by a freezing cold soaking wet cloth on her head. As for her wounds, continue doing what you are doing, Amisi will not allow anyone else but those closest to her to change her dressings and bandages.

Archer laughs saying: I apologize, it's just that my father trusts no one but those closest to him to treat him. As far as he's concerned, healers are quacks whose main source of healing is beads in hollowed out coconuts tied to a filthy walking stick from which they shake dirt and coconut fibres onto the open wound,layer it with rotten leaves, whatever garden variety bug they can get their hands on and use dirty rags soaked in filthy, stagnant water over which they stood and chanted for three hours to 'purify it'. It doesn't matter, dirty water is dirty water. If you can't see the bottom of the bucket and the contents smell funny, use your bloody head and throw it out, rinse out the bucket with soap and hot water,scrub it then empty it out,rinse the soap out then fill it back up with clean, clear water. Just be patient. Amisi will be back to her old self as soon as this bug is done and her wounds have all healed. In the meantime do NOT get close to her face unless you fancy spending time in bed feeling like you have been run over by a herd of Camels.

Atem: NO! No thank you! Amisi's already warned me not to get too close to her face. I've been checking her bandages and giving her four table spoons of that syrup every six hours on a daily basis. It's as I have said, there are now only three that are still healing. Though I'm beyond exhausted, I dare not try to check her bandages incase I do something wrong and am unable to see due to exhaustion.

Archer: I'll go in and see how she's feeling. (Opens the door to Amisi's Royal Bed Chamber and shuts it behind him and walks over to the bed and sits down saying) How're you feeling since you woke up?

Amisi: I'm still a bit groggy, tired, weak and my throat, back, ribs, abdomen, and arm are all killing me! I guess I've had the entire court in an uproar when I came back in a bloody mess. Anyone not familiar with what had happened was sent away and the palace was deemed off-limits to the public.

Archer opens his black bag and pulls out his stethoscope and lowers the blankets around Amisi's chest and opens her still partially opened nightshirt saying: Now hush and let me listen to your breathing. (Listens carefully to Amisi's breathing then says) You're wheezing, your chest is clogged up, I was hoping to find out that your bronchial tubes were clear but it sounds like they're clogged up with gunk. (Removes his stethoscope and puts it back in his bag and pulls out his light and tongue depressor and says) Now open and let me see your throat (Shines his light down Amisi's throat and says) Uh-huh no wonder you're coughing! Your throat is red, raw and it's infected! The tumor's acting up again. I'll have to put you on strong antibiotics to clear up the infection before it becomes worse. Now all I want you to do is take these, three times a day and rest! I don't need you getting worse! In two weeks time, I'll come back and draw more blood and compare it to the blood I'm going to take before I leave. Before I forget, Anthony is on his way to see you. Father couldn't get away from Palace Business right away and he'll be coming later on in the day or perhaps maybe even tomorrow. (Reaches inside his medic bag and pulls out a tourniquet and wraps it around Amisi's arm tightly then pulls out a needle and syringe and sterile wipe and wipes down her arm then feels the vein and pricks her arm pushing the needle into the vein and begins to draw blood stopping at ten viles then removes the needle pressing a cotton ball against the small hole and wraps a long strip of cloth around her arm tying it tightly saying) I know ten viles is a lot of blood but the more blood I have of yours, the better the chance of finding out what effect this virus will have on your new magic. (Looks up at the sound of the door opening and says) It looks like Anthony's here to see you, so I'll be on my merry way. Just rest and take the medication the way I've written it down, but with Atem here, I doubt he'll allow you to skip taking it. So I'll start you off right now with the first eight pills every four hours three times a day for three weeks. Here (Hands Amisi the first eight pills and a glass of cool fresh water and says) take these now then in four hours, AFTER EATING, I want you to take the next eight pills, they're strong so when you start to catch yourself dozing off, don't fight it! Let the sleep take over, the more you rest, the better chance these antibiotics have of fighting the infection and forcing it to clear up. (Stands up, leans down to check the bandages and says) No, these don't need changing just yet and according to the note book, you don't need any syrup for another six hours. (Rewraps the wrappings over the bandages then buttons up Amisi's nightshirt, pulls up her blankets to cover her ribs and abdomen then gathers up all his belongings and quickly leaves the room to allow his brother his time with their niece)

Anthony quickly walks over to the bed and slides down beside Amisi saying: I have been worried SICK about you! How're you feeling?!

Amisi: At the moment, I'm exhausted and just had my dressings checked. I'm having a hard time keeping awake. I know I should eat but, honestly? I'm not the least bit hungry yet. I'm doubtful I can even get anything down since I have an infected sore throat. Archer started me on a routine of strong antibiotics to clear the infection up. He gave me eight pills to take before he left. Eight pills every four hours for three weeks.

Anthony heaves a sigh and says: At least you're on the road to recovery

Amisi: Slowly starting the journey to recovery.

Anthony: Slow and steady wins the race. Don't rush yourself! Just take your time getting better.

Amisi drops her voice and says: Did they find the last two captives?

Anthony: No, Sleet has them hidden away where we are unable to find them.

Amisi: I know, you miss him don't you?

Anthony: More than anyone will ever know or realize. Teddy has no defensive magic in him, he only has floral and wish granting magic which is why our gardens have been lacking, Teddy's not there to ensure they're growing properly and to do the massive amounts of weeding necessary for the plants to grow big, strong, healthy and have an abundance of food to harvest. It's hard to believe he's been gone ten and a half years, plucked right out of our garden where he was planting the fall crops so they'd be ready for Harvesting on Harvest Day. Without Teddy there, there's not going to BE another Harvest which means nothing to tide us through the long winter until spring.

Amisi heaves a sigh and says: There'll be other Harvests with plenty of food to get through the seasons. Go behind the house to the back yard, go over the little foot bridge that's over the brooke to the glen, there you'll find father's hidden vegetable,fruit,berry and grain storage, it's a massive field with ever growing supplies of everything. Did you really think he'd leave everyone in the lurch?

Anthony heaves a relieved sigh saying: Thank goodness that there'll be other Harvests with plenty of food to get through the seasons. No one, not even me, realized he had a hidden garden behind the house with an abundance of never ending food! That'll be the first order of my business when I go back to the village, is to tell those who have little to no food to go to your house and go around back with their baskets to get the necessary food they'll need. The cows and goats will provide their milk, pigs that were fat enough have been slaughtered by Corbin out in the country away from little eyes and sent back, there's enough wool that was spun into yarn by your mother before she came here to last mothers until early summer and enough unspun wool to use for stuffing blankets, there's plenty of Chicken Eggs to go around, so that's everything everyone will need to get through the upcoming winter months without worry! Oh no, if they put floral inhibiting gloves on him, Teddy will get sick! I hope they haven't forced floral inhibiting gloves on him and locked him somewhere dark! Even worse, if they find out he has wish granting magic, they'll wear him out wishing for things they don't need. He'll have no choice but to obey their every command, it's how his wish magic works. They each get three wishes a day but if they've found his amulet, it's unlimited wishes nonstop to the point they'll exhaust him.

Amisi: In the top drawer of my right hand night table, you'll find father's Genie Amulet, necklace,earrings and bracelets, they were given to me by the search party as they followed the trail they were found hidden in a hollow tree trunk in their original case covered in leaves,twigs and moss. He must've removed them before he was taken further into the forest and hidden them.

Anthony opens the top drawer of Amisi's night stand,reaches into the drawer and carefully removes the boxed jewellery saying with a relived sigh: Oh thank the stars he had the presence of mind to remove and hide them where his captors wouldn't be able to find them! So that means he's down to his floral magic.

Amisi: Look under his Genie Jewellery and you'll find his Floral Crystal, he took that off as well to protect himself.

Anthony gently lifts up the cushioned tray to find a flower shaped crystal in it's spot and says: Then he's of no use to Titan, he has no magic in him at all. All of our magic is amplified through our crystals, if Teddy doesn't have his Crystal on him, then his magic is down to basic abilities of curing sick plants. What could they possibly want with him now?!

Amisi: He's also a master Pharmacologist,Herbologist,Botonist AND Chemist. Titan could use any of those skills to force father to make him anything he wanted. Not to mention he's a Master Potionist just like mother is. I don't know, unless they have a garden or teammate that needs healing. Don't worry, they'll find father and bring him home, if not Tad and Dorian will find where they're keeping Teddy hidden and bring him home. Listen to me, get Mahad to make Atem get some sleep! I'll be fine! There are two spare beds for him to use to sleep on when I'm sleeping. There's no need for him to stay awake all night and all day when I'm sleeping. I also don't need him wiping my head, the air at night now is perfectly cool and for the love of my sanity please get him to stop asking how I feel. I feel rotten and will feel rotten until this cold leaves and my wounds have healed. I have energy at times I can sit up and eat on my own. (Starts dozing off until she'd fallen asleep)

Anthony notices his niece had fallen asleep, stands up, pulls her covers back up around her throat, leaves her bedside, walks to her door, opens it and exits her bedroom closing the door behind her saying: Sierra's fallen asleep again. Do NOT allow anyone to wake her, just let her sleep. As for you, Atem! There are two extra beds in Amisi's room, USE ONE AT NIGHT! Amisi would like to be able to breathe easier, she has a hard enough time trying to draw in oxygen with her chest being congested, she doesn't need your head on her stomach while the rest of you is sitting in a chair. Nor does her fever require a cold cloth anymore, the cool night air coming in her windows is keeping her cool enough.

Atem sheepishly looks away saying: I guess I fell asleep in an awkward position after the last bandage and dressing change and after giving Amisi her dose of medication.

Guard comes down the hall with Axel and Cassidy trailing behind saying: Excuse me, this boy and his mother were lost. (Turns and leaves Axel and Cassidy with the others)

Anthony: Oh Axel! I'm sorry I lost you four halls back didn't I? Cassidy, I'm so sorry!

Cassidy: It's alright, you were in a hurry, besides it gave me a chance to see the gardens and what I can do for them.

Mahad: Oh holy gods of Egypt you're...

Mana jumps on Axel saying: You're cute!

Axel: Forget it! I have no interest in you, I've been committed to someone else for the last three years and he has a temper to match his hair color. Mother?

Cassid sets her satchel on the floor and pulls Mana off her son saying: Little lady, my son isn't interested in you the least little bit. Be nicer to his highness and it'll reward you ten fold.

Mana: You look like Amisi are you-

Axel: Mirror image? Yes, I'm her identical twin brother, now will you please get off of me?

Mana: Don't tell me you're

Cassidy: Their mother little lady and what I say goes for both my children. Especially Sierra! If you think I'm a hard nut to crack, wait until their father returns. He's a walnut and that's a very hard nut to crack. He won't tolerate you jumping on Axel or jumping on Sierra's bed when she's sick.

Mahad: Mana meet Amisi and Axel's mother Cassidy.

Mana: I had no idea you were that Prince! No one told me Amisi had a twin! All the good looking boys are either taken,not interested,married,dead, off the market or gay...life's not fair.

Cassidy: If life was fair dear girl, my daughter's battle wouldn't have been changed the way it was. She'd have finished it ages ago and be asleep right now in warm healing water surrounded by healing crystalline ice and their father would be back home where he belongs.

Shimon: I had heard she had a twin, but never in my wildest dreams had I ever thought I'd meet you! You look just like your blessed grandfather.

Cassidy: The only time someone calls my father in law blessed is if someone somewhere thinks he's dead.

Shaddah: Is he not dead?

Axel: I should hope not! He'll be here either later today or tomorrow. He was very much alive when we left although a bit peeved at himself for not remembering where he put a specific helpful map

Seto: Would it not be in the very last place he had it?

Axel: He's been in more places than he cares to remember during the day and afternoon.

Isis: Why?

Archer: It's a game he plays: Keep away from the Royal Steward Cedric and his never-ending schedule of activities (Hears a door open and says) And that would be our father coming down the hall.

Guard comes down the hall with Ares trailing behind saying: His Majesty King Ares has arrived to see Amisi. (Turns and leaves Ares with his two sons,grandson and daughter in law)

Axel: So I see you managed to ditch Cedric did you?

Ares: Yes thank the stars. All the servants have him on a wild goose chase right now looking for me. If he found me, I'd never have time to come see Sierra. Other than that, His Majesty King Micha's on his way and I want nothing to do with his idiocy. He's enough to give a person a massive migraine not to mention his table manners are atrocious and he is extremely inconsiderate when it comes to staying out of places that are off-limits to guests, yet somehow some way he seems to think that our house is his house therefore he can go where he wants. (Sees Cassidy and says) My dear, are you staying here with Sierra?

Cassidy: Yes, it'll be better if I'm here with her rather than being back home in an empty cottage with memories of Teddy to cause me grief. The Villagers will take care of the cottage for me while I'm away, nothing will happen.

Isis approaches Cassidy saying: I will show you your room, just follow me.

Cassidy picks up her satchel and follows Isis down the hall to the empty room

Isis opens the door saying: This was set aside for both you and your husband to use to be close to Sierra.

Cassidy steps into the room and says: Plenty of sunshine for my plants to grow, more than they'd get back home. More room here than in my workshop back at home for me to work on potions. (Notices a huge table and says) Oh wow, a much bigger table than back home! It's perfect for me!

Isis: I hope so! Sierra set it up ages ago for you. That is why it is decorated in this manner and painted in the colors you see.

Cassidy takes a closer look around and says: She copied the master bedroom back home on a much bigger scale. For now, all I need to do is unpack then see my daughter and check the tumor's growth. Has she been getting her medication on time?

Isis: Yes, every four to six hours four times a day every day. The Pharaoh ensures it happens without fail. If you wish to unpack and rest, Sierra would probably be asleep after your father in law and son leave.

Cassidy: Right right, the syrup is potent and strong enough to put her to sleep for a good long while. It would be nice to sleep in a bed for a change instead of hiding and sleeping on leaves and twigs. A bath would be even grander.

Isis: There is a cord right by the sliding door on the far wall you pull to bring servants, tell them you want bath water and they will bring it to you and fill up your tub so you can bathe. For now, since we were told in advance you would be here with Axel, the tub is full of nice hot water and things needed to get clean are arranged on a stool for you with towels to dry off with and a wash cloth. (Turns and leaves saying) Enjoy your bath and have a good sleep, I know Sierra will be.

Meanwhile out in the Hall

Ares turns to Archer and says: How is she?

Anthony: Sierra fell asleep before I left, so I just covered her back up and let her sleep.

Archer: I've taken blood to run tests on to ensure she's not harboring the Crystalline Fever Infection.

Ares: Is that her room then?

Archer: Yes that's her bedroom

Ares remembers Teddy's Jewels and says: Do either of you have Teddy's Genie Jewellery or his crystal?

Anthony reaches into his satchel and pulls out the Case and says: I have it, Sierra gave it to me before she fell back asleep. Everything is inside, searchers found it hidden in a hollowed tree trunk covered in leaves,twigs and moss guarded by his pet racoon.

Ares heaves a sigh of relief saying: All this time I have been worried sick about Teddy's wish magic being abused, I'm so relieved he managed to take everything off and hide it. (Moves the hinged top drawer and reveals Teddy's Floral Crystal and says) He took this off too? Then he's down to his basic abilities to heal sick plants. I'll leave this in the care of Sierra, that way if he does manage to get free and ends up here, he'll have his jewellery and crystal to put back on. Has she been taking her medication on time every day?

Atem: Yes, four table spoons every four to six hours on the dot every day even when she was delirious with fever, I woke her every six hours to give her the four table spoons. Wait, there are GENIES in your family?! Is Amisi one?

Ares: Every third generation has Genie Magic in them with Teddy being the first one, Brutis being the next, then Neil and every third child up to Axel here and I have no idea what Sierrra will turn out to be. She's a blind bag of magic, we don't know what magic will surface or if it will all mix together to make new stronger more powerful magic to get her through her upcoming fight with Titan. All I can do is train her to use her magic wisely without being like most of her relations on her grandmother's side of the family who use their magic for ridiculous things like hiding their magic. Makes you wonder why they don't use their heads and NOT use their magic for everything. I mean you do NOT need to use magic to walk your dog,wash your dishes,have a bath or cook. But Arianna's relations use their magic for literally everything in life and wonder why they're so tired and drained all the time. Did she get her medication on time?

Archer: Yes, she got it just before Atem came out to tell me she'd awakened and that was oh wow, four hours ago! It's time for the lunch hour dose already!

Ares turns and heads towards Sierra's bedroom door, opens it, steps inside shutting the doors behind him and heads over to Amisi's bedside where he sat down,opened the right hand night stand's drawer,sat Teddy's Jewel case inside then closed it and reached up brushing her bangs out of her eyes saying: Hey sleepy head, how're we feeling?

Sierra manages to wake up saying: Terrible.

Ares picks up Sierra's hands and gently pulls her towards him until she was right up against him as he held her saying: Just woke up after a long sleep and still weak. Most of your wounds have healed except for the worst ones.

Sierra: I feel like going right back to sleep again.

Ares: No, I want you to try and eat. You need to start getting your strength built back up again and eating is what will bring your strength back up. Just a few bites of something so you don't go hungry. (Looks around his granddaughter's room and notices a food trolly with fresh food on it and a time card,lays Amisi back against her pillows, stands up, walks over to the food trolly, picks up the time card and reads the time saying) This was just brought in by Seto a few hours ago, seems like he wants you to eat as well. Let's see what's under the dome that's making it warm. (Lifts the lid and says) Ahh, a nice warm bowl of your favorite stew, a freshly made biscuit, some juice and lots of water oh and the medication Archer has you on. (Removes the breaks from the wheels of the trolly and pushes it over to Sierra's bedside saying) C'mon and I'll help you sit up against your pillows. (Pulls Sierra into a sitting position and piles the pillows behind her back until she was sitting up against the pillows,turns to the food trolly where he picked up the lap tray that he sat over Sierra's lap then removed the lid, picks up the ladle to stir the stew then picks up a bowl and ladles a hefty serving, replaces the lid on the pot, picks up a spoon and heads over to Amisi's bedside where he placed the bowl on the tray, then went back and picked up her medicine, water and juice glasses that he placed on the tray saying) C'mon I'll feed you your stew since even the smallest amount of food will seem heavy to you. But first! (Picks up the small bottle along with the table spoon,flips the lid of the medicine bottle and pours out a table spoon full of the syrupy medicine saying) It's high time for your next dose of medication! Open for me now.

Sierra opens her mouth and takes the spoonful of medication until it was gone doing it three more times then says: No it's alright, I can manage it myself. Just not that big a bowl, that's just too big for me right now. Is Axel here too?

Ares walks over to Sierra's door and grabs his grandson's wrist pulling him inside and closes the door saying: Your sister wants to see you. Just don't get too close to her face, she's still sick.

Axel follows his grandfather over to his sister's bedside and says in a relieved voice: I have been worried sick about you. I couldn't get an update on your condition.

Sierra faintly replies: I'm fine, still a few wounds that haven't healed yet. Lost some blood and developed a high-grade fever.

Axel: Who the hell interfered in your battle?! The battle grounds are off limits to anyone who is not a guardian involved in that battle!

Sierra: Virgil and his lackeys got involved and altered the course of the battle, I wasn't supposed to return for a good six months,but with Virginia's time altering abilities; she changed the timeline and outcome of the battle between me and Trojan. I have no idea what she thought she was accomplishing by changing the outcome of the battle that would've freed Trojan's mind and brought back his true identity,memories and abilities. After that it would've been me against Titan for everything, but she changed the outcome of the battle between me and Trojan.

Ares: Wait did you just say VIRGINIA was involved in this? Wears plum purple from head to toe? So far over her weight limit she waddles?

Sierra: That's her

Ares: Oh good grief, what was that tea toatller doing there? This battle doesn't concern her!

Sierra: Well she paused and diverted that time line so that the outcome was different.

Ares: WHO approved the diversion of the time line? Wait don't tell me, Virgil approved it.

Sierra: No, Mildred.

Ares chokes on his biscuit saying: THAT PRUDE?! (Takes a swig of his water to wash down the biscuit saying) What was she doing there?

Sierra: Preserving the purity of all girls involved in the battle so that we could lead 'normal' lives.

Ares: I'm sorry, but a good chunk of your team was born under battle stars and have battle magic in them! It does no one any good to interfere with the battles or to alter the time line

Sierra: Tell that to Annie,Alieen,Amelia,Alyson,Alice,Alicia,Amanda and Athena.

Ares: Annie,Aileen,Alyson,Alice,Alicia,Amanda,Athena,Mildred,Virginia,Virgil and whom ever else was there had no business interfereing with what was going on! At least you fared better than most who have gone up against Breaker and Gearshift. Most were quickly encased in healing ice that put them into an eternal sleep to heal their bodies. Your team is the only team that survived to face Trojan, most other teams were killed by Breaker before they could free the captives.

Sierra: I counted at least twenty-three teams still in various stages of eternal healing. A good chunk of them left behind siblings, wives, children and lovers who will never see them again until the healing ice melts in about ten thousand years.

Axel smells stew then hears his stomach growl and notices a big bowl of stew on Sierra's tray saying: If you're not going to eat that bowl of stew, can I have it? I haven't eaten since five this morning and I'm starving!

Sierra: Be my guest. I don't have much of an appetite and that bowl is too much for me to eat. There's a smaller stew bowl on the tray that you can fill up and give me, that will suffice me until my stomach is ready for more food.

Axel walks over to the food trolley and finds a small cherry blossom printed bowl, picks it up,then removes the lid to the pot,lifts the ladle to stir the stew then brings up a heaping ladle full of stew and pours it into the bowl,replaces the ladle in the pot and puts the lid back on then takes the small bowl over to his sister placing it on her tray saying: Here we go, one small bowl of stew.

Sierra lifts her spoon and begins eating the stew in her bowl until she'd finished two small bowl fulls

Axel looks at his sister's empty tray saying: I Thought you didn't have much of an appetite? You've had two small bowls of stew, a biscuit, a glass of juice and water to take your pills with.

Sierra: That's all I have the stomach for. Any more and it will just come back up the way it went down.

Axel: Well at least Seto will be a happy camper knowing you've eaten something. Between the three of us, the stew's all gone. How's that medication Archer has you on working?

Sierra yawns saying: It's starting to make me sleepy again.

Axel: By the way, where's that brother of mine?

Sierra: Atem?

Axel: Yeah, where is he?

Sierra: Throne room, where else? He's not interested in ending up in bed sick and he's been here four nights straight. If he doesn't return to the throne room, all hell will break loose and people will start to worry that he's dead. One Personal Appearance will let the people know he's still alive. Other than that, he's still worried that some wounds haven't healed yet.

Ares: He has to give you time to recover. You've been sick for fifteen days with a high-grade fever, your magic shut off to protect you and those around you from getting hurt and your strength will come back as will your appetite. The more you try to eat and the more you keep up taking what Archer has given you, the quicker this bug will be eradicated and the sooner your energy, strength and stamina will return then after your energy, strength and stamina have returned your magic will turn back on again. It takes time, upwards of two to three weeks. The more sleep you get, the better you'll feel and the quicker things will go back to normal. The same applies to your wounds, keep the dressings close to the wounds fresh and clean and infection won't have a chance to set in.

Sierra: That's what Shimon and Mahad told him, patience is a virtue. The more rest I get the quicker I'll be back on my feet, though I'll still wear down quicker until I fully regain my energy.

Ares: The best place for you until you regain your strength, energy and stamina is right here in bed heeding Archer's advice to take it easy. He's monitoring you in case you develop a crystalline infection. Now that's the last thing we need, that infection requires weeks and months of intense Crystalline Therapy to irradicate. We'll know in a few days whether or not you're harboring the Crystalline Fever Infection. In the meantime, Axel are you staying or coming home?

Axel: I'd best go back home before Cookie and Comet destroy something else.

Sierra: How old are the little monsters?

Axel: Four months old.

Sierra: They're still babies in exploration mode, they don't know any better.

Axel: Well if I don't get back home soon, they'll find something in the playroom to destroy. The other day they destroyed that god awful pillow that made Damien sneeze every time he was around it. One big tug of war between the two of them and it ripped down the center to reveal it was stuffed with feathers.

Sierra: Isn't Damien allergic to feathers? Your comforter was stuffed with feathers as were your pillows and mattress!

Axel: Yeah pretty much anything to do with goose down makes him itchy and sneezy so we had to go and sell everything that had goose down in it and then go out and buy furniture, pillows and comforters that didn't have goose down in it. Now that we've gotten rid of everything with goose down in it, he sleeps easier at night without waking up the next day splotchy and spotty itching like crazy-oh no wait! grandmother! Grandmother sent us each new winter coats filled with goose down after we told her Damien's allergic to goose down!

Ares: Do you still have those winter jackets? I'll give them to someone else who can handle being around goose down. No need to send Damien into an allergic reaction he can't get out of.

Axel: No, we already sold them at the open air market last weekend. What is with that hyper girl bouncing around like a Kangaroo?

Sierra: Hyper Girl? (Racks her groggy mind and matches name to face and says) Oh oh! Mana! Brown hair? Green Eyes? Staff in hand? Chases after Atem? Is always reprimanded by Mahad?

Axel: That's her. Tell me she's harmless.

Sierra: Harmless as a Hamster. It's everyone here's first time meeting you, they weren't too sure YOU survived YOUR ordeal as a child. I BARELY survived mine, but with time and patience from everyone around, I got over the shock and horror and grew like a weed. I was actually encouraged to daydream as much as I could as it was part of my studies. The more I let my mind wander the quicker I learned how to do things. Repetition doesn't do anyone any good. If I am unable to learn things by trial and error, how was I supposed to learn anything? Chef back home wouldn't allow me five feet in the kitchen but here I think I nearly killed someone with my first attempt at cooking, but no one said 'that is it! Get out of my kitchen and do not darken the doorway again.' It was 'Alright that was terrible, let's try it again this time not so much salt, lemon and herbs! We'll get it right.' The fourth try at amending the recipe came out perfect. (Starts feeling tired and says) I guess it's time for me to go back to sleep, Archer's medication is kicking in rapidly. You don't want what I have.

Axel: I already had what you have only worse. You got the tail end, I caught the entire body. Three weeks of my stomach bouncing around like jumping beans was enough for me. Half the time I felt like I was on fire, even though I was cold to the touch, other times I felt like I was sitting on an iceberg even though I was boiling hot to the touch. It was as if someone was playing with my internal thermostat and wouldn't leave it alone. Then came the vomiting whenever I sat up to go to the washroom, that was fun beyond words. Then came the chills, the headaches, the entire BODY ACHES. It felt like someone was pulling me apart bit by bit, then after I was all better, DAMIEN caught it and I had to look after him while he was sick. Now he's over it and is back home cleaning house to get rid of any and all leftover feathers before he has a full blown allergy attack. For the life of me, I don't understand why people keep giving us things with feathers in them when there's a notice on the door that Damien cannot be around feathers due to his allergy! I have to get back home before Comet and Cookie destroy every last toy in their toybox again. I've already replaced six or seven toy boxes worth of toys.

Sierra: You're not letting them out nearly enough to run off all that energy. They're four months old and have way too much energy from what you're telling me. They need to go on walks lasting longer than a twenty-minute walk through the marketplace. Take them out to the woods to the meadow and let them run around all day long, I promise if you do that, then you'll see a world of difference when it comes time for bedtime. They'll be so worn out that they won't cause any problems at night, they're growing dogs that need to be worn out. What kind of dogs are Comet and Cookie?

Axel: I think they're retrievers.

Sierra: There's your problem! They're HUNTING dogs! They're more suited to an active lifestyle not sitting around the house doing nothing waiting for you and Damien to come home.

Axel: Oh no, those aren't not our dogs, they belong to the hunter up the hill. He's coming down to pick them up tonight. Those two monsters are Daisy and Tuplip. My two monsters Cookie and Comet are Shih Tzu's, they might be small, but hell you should see the mess they leave behind when they're on a tornado rampage through the house. Thus far, four pillows have fallen victim to their tug of war. I left a nice neat clean house and come home to a disaster zone. Apparently, they figured out how to unlock their doggy door on the bottom of the playroom door and zoomed through the house. On the hottest day of the summer, while Damien and I were grocery shopping at the market, some lady walked by our backyard, seen the door to the playroom was open and shut it out of 'courtesy' not bothering to read the notice on the door that says 'Do Not Shut! Doors Are Difficult To Open From Outside Once Shut!' So on that stifling hot day, my two dogs were locked inside their playroom trying to get out to their water bowl under the fountain until my neighbor got talking to this lady who shut the door and asked her 'you do realize that those sliding doors have a nasty habit of sticking right? That's what the part on the sign that says Doors Are Difficult To Open From Outside Once Shut! means. They stick and those doors are left open so the two pups can get out, get fresh air, get to their water bowl under the water fountain and run around their own yard. Now I have to go in through the house, open the playroom door and re-open the sliding glass doors so those dogs can get out for fresh air and water! Next time you're passing by Axel and Damien's house, leave the doors alone! They're open for a reason. If you have no business at their house, keep going!' (Ensures no one else is around, then says) They still haven't been found! I don't know where else to send the crew! We can't keep lying to their wives and families, the longer we stall the quicker they'll figure out we still haven't found their husbands, fathers, lovers, and brothers.

Sierra heaves a tired sigh and says: We fought Sleet's Second In Command in the farthest most Northern regions, the only place far, remote and dark enough for Sleet to keep the strongest guardians hidden away for so long is his underground cavern. It's not on any map that a mortal can access as only a few Guardians have ever been there. It should be in the library in the very back room under lock and key. I've seen it twice, that's how my crew came to find Sleet in the first place, he had most of his captives with him on a sixteen-year journey to where ever he was taking them and I can tell you it isn't anywhere familiar to them as most of them looked terrified and exhausted beyond belief, as though they've been walking without rest. By the time my team and I got to the spot they were last seen after we defeated Searchlight, they were gone without a trace. What magic we did have left, defeating Sleet's boss, Searchlight, took it out of us. He took every last ounce of our magic again to defeat him. Searchlight's gotten stronger since the last time we battled him. (Winces as the pain from her still healing wounds and tumor ripped through her and says) Ooh still sore and I felt that wave of pain this time around.

Axel: Just how long can you keep your wounds hidden from him? Just about everyone else knows how bad you're hurt except Atem! How much longer until he figures out why you're still weak as a newborn kitten? How much longer can you hide that tumor on your vocal cords from him? He's bound to figure out what that syrup is for.

Sierra gives her brother a sharp look and says: How dumb do you think he is?

Ares: Axel, Atem knows all about Amisi's still healing wounds,about her tumor,what the syrup does,how much to give her and how often to give her. I told him ages ago not to get involved in the hunt for the missing guardians, Sleet and her two strongest captives that have been missing since they were twelve and fourteen. By now ten years later they'd be twenty-two and thirty-four, not to mention the two that have been missing since they were in their twenties for ten years. They'd be in their thirties wondering if their loved ones are still alive and looking for them. Archer's told him about the syrup and I told him about the tumor in her throat on her vocal cords, he's well versed in giving Sierra her medicine on time.

Sierra: Just who do you think has been taking care of my wounds since I returned? Certainly not those simpleton's that call themselves Healers! He gave specific orders no healer was to step foot in here, it's been Atem and Seto tag teaming taking care of my wounds while everyone else kept those simpletons away from here so I could rest,regain strength and magic and let my wounds heal in peace. The last time they dared open the door, they were greeted by Backlash and Tracker who scared the living supreme daylights out of them. Both Atem and Seto were too exhausted to do the dressing change required early on when my wounds were bleeding constantly so Backlash came with Tracker, Demios and Phobos who did the dressing changes while he and Tracker stood guard with Tracker outside and Backlash on the inside. Tracker was gone to the washroom while Backlash stayed here inside the door sitting in one of my oversized chairs he put a few feet inside the doors to be more comfortable. When they opened the door he scared the life out of the simpletons, sending them screaming out of the palace, they haven't been back since until today when they tried again.

Axel snickers saying: They don't want to give up do they? The Healers back home were like that when I was sick and again when Damien got sick. They got even worse when Felicity woke up with a stuffy nose due to one of the house keepers placing a jug of Marigolds in her room

Sierra: Isn't Felicity allergic to Marigold pollen?

Axel: Felicity's allergic to any pollen producing flower or plant, that's why Curtis keeps the garden outside free of pollen producing plants and flowers so Felicity won't have an allergic reaction every time the wind blows.

Sierra suddenly remembers something her unit leader had overlooked and says: Father has floral magic in him much like every other generation male and female, which means

Axel: No map required to find him!

Sierra: I brought that fact up so many times before but I was shouted down, everyone wanted to do things the 'proper' way and go North-East instead of going East! Plants don't survive in fridgid cold temperatures! Floral Guardians can't survive year round freezing temperatures! There's no way Breaker would've taken father's group up North!

Axel: No, no way! He'd have taken and scattered them in three directions: East,South and West! If they have Fauna magic in them, they'd have been sent to the East and West while all FLORAL Guardians would be taken down south where it's warm!

Sierra winces as another wave of pain shot through her ribs and says: Several floral magic users and myself tried to get Rocket to listen to us but he was having none of it, Breaker wouldn't split up a large group, he'd keep them together making it 'easier' to conrol them.

Axel: No, a large group of over a thousand captives with various types of magic would be harder if not more difficult to control. It would be easier to split them up, half going North, half going East,half to the South and the last group going with him to the West, it makes more sense!

Ares: How often did anyone in charge consult weather,elemental or plant magic users?

Sierra: Never, it was 'we're going north by north by north! It's the only way Breaker would go.' What is he directionally impaired to the point he can't tell East,South or West only North? Is he stupid enough to keep a group of over a hundred different magic users together? No, he'd break the group up into four groups, icy magic users to the farthest Northern Point, everyone else North East, North West,North South, various fauna magic users to the east and west and flora magic users to the various points in the south. Whenever someone made the suggestion that perhaps the group was broken up, they were reprimanded and left behind on KD and CCU.

Ares: KD? CCU?

Axel: Kitchen Duty and Camp Clean Up. Basically remedial chores no one wants, especially latrine duty, that's the worst. Guys whip it out and go where ever they are, doesn't matter if they're fifteen feet away from fresh produce, they just undo their pants, pull it out and go and heaven forbid if the other urge strikes, then it gets messy. More than once Chad and the kitchen crew have had to move produce and other foods and drinks because someone decided the pit next to the vegetable bin was perfect for the new latrine on Rocket's orders. Some days, if they were too engrossed in what Rocket was planning, they went to the bathroom under the table in the mess tent which made eating in there impossible and unsanitary but Rocket doesn't care. In his words 'There is no sense in moving the food tent because of a slight smell in the air.

Sierra: Slight smell? No one else other than Rocket's lackies want to eat in the original Mess Tent because of that stench. You walk in and you're immediately hit with the stench of feces and urine, so Comet moved the food table out of that tent and into a whole new building and Rocket went through the roof. 'Who gave you permission to constuct a new food tent? What made you go behind my back and make a new food prep tent? You put everything right back where it originally was! I don't want to hear excuses, I want this put back where it came from!' Then one day, the Health Inspector came by and shut down the original mess tent, slapping a big old red sign on all the openings for violation of the Health Code. Again Rocket went through the roof, "who are YOU to tell ME a Brigadier General that my men can't eat in that tent?! What do you mean it smells of Urine and Fecal matter?! what do you mean we have to move the eating tent?! why should we have to move the latrine 600 yards away from the cooking tent?! Why can't we use the washroom under the table?! You're giving ME a thousand gold coin fine?! For Multiple Health Colde Violations?! Oh by the King's Orders?! Well of COURSE we'll rearrange camp!' As soon as the Health Inspector leaves,down come the red flags and nothing gets moved,everything stays exactly as it was when the Health Inspector showed up.

Ares: Excuse me? Rocket? A Brigadier General? Since when? He's not even in charge of the unit that follows him. That's the unit Breakshaft was put in charge of, Rocket usurped control while Breakshaft was rounding up supplies and food for the trip. While Breakshaft was in the Supply Store, Rocket took off with the troops that were loyal to his way of thinking, while those loyal to Breakshaft stayed and waited. Well that's going to stop! It's not necessary to use the washroom where everyone else is eating. It's not only unsanitary but down right disgusting and childish! The Red Notices are put up for a reason and it's not to wait for the Health Inspector to leave to take them down.

Axel: That won't matter to Rocket, he'll still allow his guys to go where ever they are sitting. In his words it 'Convienient and Easier for the men to do their business where ever they maybe that way no one has to wait for whom ever is gone to the washroom to return. It doesn't interrupt the meeting and no one misses out on what's being said during the meeting. It's my call and my business as to where my men use the washroom.'

Ares: No, this is not going to continue. I'll go out into the field and freaking well dig a brand new latrine fifty feet from the Mess Tent closer to the showering facilities. (Notices a horrified look on both Axel and Amisi's faces and says with a groan) Don't tell me, no showering facilities have been set up?

Sierra: This is Rocket we're talking about. When camp was set up, it was set up in a hurry one big tent split down the middle, guys on the left girls on the right. Eating arrangements are the exact same way, girls at the front guys at the back. We're not privy to Rocket's gatherings because we're the inferior sex only good for making, carrying, delivering and raising babies. In his eyes, women belong at home with a baby in the belly,kids on the floor and enough laundry to keep them occupied until the big brave strong muscular men return home with the long lost captives like triumphant Neanderthals bringing home the big wooly mammoth they caught on the hunt. Believe me, when a female tries to point out that Rocket's compass is labled wrong we get 'Why are you still here? Why haven't you packed up and gone back home like you were told to? You're contaminating the environment and making it very difficult to focus! Now pack up and go back home and let the men folk do the hard work.'

Ares: Really now? Educated women are a threat to the men's ability to focus are they?

Axel: Apparently so. If a woman stands up and says 'Hey North is up, South is Down, East is right and West is left' one of his goons that has never stepped foot in a school house stands up and says 'No it's not! North is down, South is up, East is left and West is Right! My parents taught me that much and they've never been to school either. Neither have either sets of grandparents or great grandparents. Matter of fact no one in my family has ever set foot in a school. We lived too far away to attend any type of edumacational instutiary facility'

Ares: edumacational instutiary facility? What in the name of everything is a edumacational instutiary facility?

Axel: School going back hundreds of years on both sides of the family, no one has ever gone to school because they lived too far away from any school house. So whenever a new school house opened up, it was always on the opposite side of town even further away because the School House Planning Committee assumed that there wouldn't be enough kids in the countryside to fill the seats from first grade to eighth grade so they put more school houses further towards town where there were already three or six storey brick school buildings in use and oop there we go another small itty bitty wooden school house that will cease operations at the end of the school year or at the end of the winter term for the Holidays. Now if instead of demolishing the building, they took and moved it out to the countryside where there are families with kids, then they'd be in use but no one wants to go out to 'hickville' and teach 'savages' who don't speak 'English' or 'bathe'

Ares: Really now? Corrin lives out in the Country and all his kids speak English,have running hot and cold water and have baths every night and they eat four meals a day to keep up their energy. There's at least seven or eight other households in his area so his younger girls aren't isolated and there's plenty of room for a huge brick and mortar school to be built without disturbing the countryside.

Axel: The School Planning Committee won't put a school way out there! According to them it's too 'wild and dangerous'.

Sierra: Really now? Wild and Dangerous yet Backlash lives out in the country with his kids. It's mostly farms out there. Next time you go visit him, remember to tell him his neighborhood is Wild,Dangerous and full of Savages.

Ares: Oh yes he'll be thrilled to realize his neighbors: the VanWhams and Dorials are Savages. I'm sure those two families will be thrilled to know the local School Building Association thinks they can't read,write,tell what direction North,South,East and West are nor do they bathe. Last I seen, their kids are remarkably clean,literate,directionally well versed,friendly and well fed for Savages.

Axel: Your younger grandkids have to be up at three in the morning to have breakfast and head out the door for a three hour walk to the nearest school house. They have to be at the school house school yard by at least six thirty seven Spring,Summer and Fall, in winter they're up at two a.m. just to be able to get to school for seven because of the snow. If they're a minute late, the door to the school house is locked by the Class Monitor and they don't get in and they have to wait until after the first recess of the day to go inside and explain why they were late getting to school in the first place. It could be that the class monitor didn't do a thorough enough head count and miscounted the number of students present while doing attendance. It has happened and the teacher has had to redo the attendance by actually calling out names and delaying the start of class to allow time for the students who were still climbing through snow drifts time to get into the school house,hang up their coats,warm up and be seated. It seems every year there's a new Class Monitor that's in an all fired hurry to take attendance and marks whom ever they don't like as being absent whether or not they really are absent. It's not like they care, they'll call their name, not wait for an answer and say 'oh so Sara and Joey are absent today since I didn't hear them answer to their names.'

Ares: What's wrong with them going to the brand new school house over the foot bridge and up the path?

Axel: They were told that they don't 'qualify' to go there. The recruiter told them that because their front doors face the main road, they belonged at the school further in town.

Ares: What main road? I've been to Backlash's place, there is no main road out the front door. It's mostly just woods because of how far in the Thicket the houses are located. So whatever 'road' they see, is just a path leading into town, it's the same path I use to visit your brother and it leads directly into the market place,that's why the families allow their youngest kids to go to the market place and back home with a list of things to pick up from the Market for that week or months shopping. It's a straight shot out the front door, up the path to the market place and right back home again, takes no more than an hour at most because the market place is usually crowded on Tuesdays,Thursdays, Saturdays and sometimes on Sundays depending on the weather. (Notices Sierra had fallen asleep and says to Axel) Right now we need to allow Sierra the opportunity to continue her healing as she's fallen asleep. For now we need to bring everyone back from the frozen north and ship them East,West and down South. As for me, I have a few skulls to go crack. I'm bringing Rocket and his goons back home permanetly before they botch this rescue effort by screwing things up beyond repair. (Stands up,turns around, carefully removes the extra pillows from behind Sierra's head gently laying her back against the thickest pillow then tucks her blankets up around her and quietly ushers Axel towards the door saying) We kept her up long enough to get viable information, for now her medication's kicked in and she needs the rest to let the wounds heal and to fight her fever. The doors are opened at all times just incase those nitwit Healers try to gain access to Amisi, someone can come through and tell them to get lost, so you can come and see her when ever you want. For now, we'd best go back home before your mother comes looking for me and Damien for you. You know how upset he'll get if you're not home when he gets there and you know he'll come looking for you.

Axel heaves a sigh and says: Yeah I know Damien pretty well by now. I should, we've been committed for almost three years now. (Hears a knock on Amisi's door then hears it open and sees Damien entering saying) What're you doing here?

Damien heaves a sigh of relief saying: Oh thank the stars I found ya! I 'ave been worried sick! I came 'ome and no one was there! No note tellin me where ya'd gone, just two hungry pups I 'ad to feed,let out and bring back in before I came lookin fer ya! I 'ad no idea where ya'd gotten off to and I seen the doors were open so I just walked through hopin to find ya! (Notices Sierra and says) I canna believe she's alive! Trojan's a bastard and a master swordsman! 'Ow'd she survive?!

Ares: She barely survived. Seirra came back cut up something bad and developed a high grade fever that just broke. She has a long road back. She has one last battle ahead of her

Damien heaves a sigh and says: Aye she does, against Trojan's boss Titan. If she thought this battle was a tough one, this next one is goin to be a nightmare. If Sierra's successful in defeating Titan, the Crystalline Healing Ice will encapsulate her until her wounds and body have healed. (Suddenly remembers the phone call from Stoker and says) Stoker called Sierra's line.

Axel: Oh no, she was supposed to help him out with the upcoming new recruits. With the way Sierra's feeling, there's no way for her to travel! She's way too sick and her magic is unreliable.

Damien: Not to mention that she's injured and still healing.

Axel: Give me Sierra's com link and I'll send the message she's sick and her magic is too unreliable for her to travel.

Damien reaches into his side pouch and pulls out Amisi's comlink and hands it to Axel saying: Good thing I brought it with me.

Axel takes his sister's comlink,turns it on and opens the messaging app and types out a message saying: Sierra's sick. Too dangerous for her to travel between worlds. (Hits the send button and waits for an answer which came quickly and says) Sierra won't have to worry about going back for traing for a good long while, he's going to find a replacement while Amisi's recovering. Oh and watch out for Mana,she'll jump you if you're not careful.

Damien: Uhh yeah we already met, she jumped on me the moment I came through the doors. Said something about me smelling like ya.

Axel: Of course you smell like me, we sleep together in the same bed and yeah we were intimate before we went to work this afternoon.

Damien: Aye we were. It's best we leave Amisi alone to sleep and get back 'ome before our little four legged terrorizors destroy the house. (Takes Axel's hand saying) C'mon before she jumps either one o' us again! The doors yer grandfather went through are still open so let's go! (Leaves Sierra's bedside and exits through the time doors Axel's grandfather opened for them and heads back home leaving Sierra to sleep)

Several Months Later

Teddy pops through a worm hole close to the ground landing on his knees and thinks as he looks around: Where-Where am I? Nothing seems familiar to me in any way shape or form! How did I get to where ever here is? (Sits down then slips his legs through his still bound wrists until they were infront of him and thinks) Damned, these knots are tight and Titan sealed off any viable way of getting these off. (Tries once more to summon his Jewel case,closes his eyes and silently calls out) Jewels of the genie, crystal of the gardener appear in my hands as a blade at my command! Appear! (Opens his eyes to see his hands were empty and thinks) Dammit! Where is my jewel case that it is not appearing at my command?! (Recognizes the vines around his wrists and thinks)Oh no! These are magic nullifying vines! No wonder my jewel case is unable to hear my calls! These vines are nullifying my magic! They're not allowing the chant to be heard by the gems on the jewel case!

Guard recognizes Teddy from Sierra's pictures and says: Your Majesty? You've been gone for so long!

Teddy heaves a sigh and holds up his still tightly bound wrists saying: Would you mind getting these off of me please? My wrists are starting to hurt something fierce.

Guard pulls out his knife saying as he approached Teddy: Of course your Majesty! (Slices through the tough vines that tightly encircled Teddy's wrists saying) There you go.

Teddy rubs his wrists and says: Thank you! Mind telling me where I am? I am a little confused, I thought that worm hole would take me back to my home, not where ever I currently am. (Stands up and stretches until his joints cracked as he says) Oh much better, I have not been able to stretch like that in ages.

Guard: You're in Egypt on Earth.

Teddy massages his temples and says with a sigh: That is what I get for trying to get back home with my wrists still tied together. I have one other magic in me that Campion knew nothing of and that is teleportation magic, but it requires the use of both my hands and he had as you seen, tied my wrists behind my back then to a loose brick in the wall he shoved back into place to keep me from going anywhere. Ohh do I ever have a headache.

Guard notices a photo had fallen out of Teddy's vest pocket,picks it up and says: This little girl..it's Amisi!

Teddy confused says: I am sorry, who? I know no one by the name Amisi. That's my little girl, Sierra. It was taken ten and a half years ago when my son and daughter were barely six years old, it was the last time I seen either of them or my wife.

Guard turns the photo around pointing at Sierra as a child saying: This girl is known here as Amisi, sister to the Pharaoh Atem.

Teddy: Now I am REALLY confused! What is my daughter doing here? She should be back home with her mother and brother!

Guard: Your father brought her here back when Pharaoh Aknamkanon was on the throne! He raised Sierra as his own daughter and gave her the name Amisi Dawn to protect her from Titan, until he figured out Amisi Dawn was Sierra the child he tried to kill and Zaim was Axel the boy he almost killed. Sierra was raised here in Pharaoh Aknamkon's Court and is now in the court of Pharaoh Atem. I can announce you at the Palace if you would like.

Teddy: Anything to get out of this infernal heat.

Guard: Follow me to the palace then and I'll announce you there.

Both the Guard and Teddy head towards the Pharoah's Palace where the guard stopped at the doors

Guard: Wait here your majesty.

Teddy: I have no where to go. By the way, I'm not King Theodore! I never took my father's crown. I'm Prince Theodore or just Teddy.

Guard slips inside and says: Teddy just arrived and wants to see his daughter Sierra.

Atem: Let him in. Amisi's still not strong enough to be out of bed yet. I'll take care of him.

Guard opens the door wider and says: Come on in, the Pharaoh will take you to Sierra.

Teddy walks in to the throne room

Atem comes down from the throne saying: Teddy, I've been waiting for you to arrive.

Teddy looks around and says: Sierra's not here?

Atem: Sadly no, she's in her room resting right now. I'll take you to her. Follow me to her bedroom.

As both Teddy and Atem head towards Sierra's room, Atem answered as many of Teddy's questions as he could until they both arrived at Sierra's room

Atem: Just wait here while I go see if she's awake. (Opens the door and slips in heading over to Amisi's bed quietly saying) Amisi, somone's here to see you.

Amisi opens her tired eyes,sits up and says in a faint and tired voice: Me? Who? (Feels another coughing fit come on and begins coughing until it stopped and she laid back saying) I wasn't expecting anyone, especially when I'm this sick. (Falls back asleep exhausted from the combination of coughing so hard and her fever)

Atem: Oh you'll want to see this person. (Goes and opens the door saying) Go on in, she's fallen back asleep. (Steps out into the hall closing the door and heads back to the throne room)

Teddy enters into Sierra's room,immediately heads towards her bedside where he sat beside her on the bed,brushes her bangs away from her eyes,lays his hand across her forehead and says: Sierra?! Oh Sierra you're sick with a fever!

Sierra recognizes the hand and voice and thinks: Could it be father or another one of this fever's tricks again? (Manages to open her eyes to find her father sitting beside her)

Teddy notices his daughter had opened her eyes and says: Sierra?

Sierra faintly: Father? (Tries to sit up saying) Or another one of this fever's tricks?

Teddy gently pushes Sierra back against her pillows saying: Young lady, you lay back down right now! Where's my jewellery?

Sierra faintly: In the top drawer of the right hand night stand in it's case.

Teddy leans forward and opens the top drawer of the right hand night stand where he found his Jewellery case that he opened,lifted out the tray with his Genie Jewellery on it and takes his crystal out fastening it to his shirt front and allows his magic to come back to life before slipping his Genie Amulet over his head saying: You're very sick! I heard that barking cough of yours! If only I had some of my medicinal herbs with me, I could help you get rid of it! I have been worried SICK about my jewellery! I had no idea who had it! Normally when I call for the case, it appears in my hands as a blade. How did you get it Sierra?

Sierra faintly: Cortland gave it to me, saying he found it in a hollowed out tree trunk hidden under leaves guarded by Bandit in the forest.

Teddy: What forest Sierra?! Think hard! It's important! I know you're tired, I need you to help me fill in the blanks! What forest?! There are four forests back home! Which one?!

Sierra racks her tired brain again to recall what Cortland had said and says: The forest on the western edge of town. The one with the little foot bridge over the brooke going towards your hidden garden.

Teddy: The forest on the western edge of town? The one with the little foot bridge over the brooke going towards my hidden garden?(Stops and goes over everything that had happened and says) Oh right, that forest. (Sits in Sierra's oversized chair, puts his head in his hands and closes his eyes as everything came rushing back to him then says) I did hide my Jewel case in a hollowed out tree trunk under leaves and moss guarded by Bandit and Berry. I had completely forgotten what I had done. Everything happened to me so fast, I must have blocked that memory out. (Notices something above Sierra's head and says) Sierra, how-did-you-get-that-blade?

Sierra slowly awakens and says: Blade?

Teddy: Yes, the one above your head. How did you get it? It belongs in my hands. Not that I'd ever use it, as I don't have battle magic flowing through my blood.

Sierra: Grandfather gave it to me before I left to face Titan. (Falls back asleep)

Teddy says to Sierra: Where is your mother in all of this? (Hears the door open and looks up to see his wife entering and says) Cassidy?!

Cassidy nearly drops the tray in her hands and says: Teddy?!

Teddy stands up and walks towards his wife until he had her in his arms saying: I've been worried sick about you for the last ten and a half years!

Cassidy sets the tray on the table then wraps her arms around Teddy saying: I had long thought they killed you! I couldn't bear to stay in our home so I packed a few of my posessions and came here to look after Sierra when she became sick with another fever that refuses to break. No one knows what type of fever she has or why it refuses to break, but her battle was cut short and she never did face Titan. She was teleported back here badly hurt and bleeding to the point she passed out, this is round two of the fever that set in after her body accepted her stored blood.

Teddy lets go of Cassidy and goes back to his sleeping daughter's bedside, lays his hand across her forehead and says: Poor thing. There's nothing I can do to help her. I have no medicinal herbs to make any of my remedies! This one has to break on it's own, just like the last one did. Wait, where's our son?

Cassidy: Living with your parents. I wouldn't dream of sending Axel to live with mine, not when my sister's best friend Amanda, tried to forcefully marry his lover. I have a garden full of your medicinal herbs growing outside in the palace garden. Tell me what herbs and roots you need and how much and I'll go get them out of the garden for you!

Teddy: You will have to catch me up on what's happened since I've been gone. (Reaches into his left vest pocket and pulls out his notebook,opens it to the middle and says) I'm going to need everything on this list along with lots of water.

Cassidy takes her husband's note book from his hands,grabs a spare basket from under Sierra table and says: Happily my love. For now, I was about to give our daughter her lunch. Nothing much, just some stew,some berries in cream,cold water, juice,buscuits,and some pudding and the medication your brother left for her to take. (Heads towards the door saying) I will go and get everything you need from the garden, try to get Sierra to eat something. (Heads out of Sierra's bedroom door to head towards the entrance to the garden where she began harvesting all the plants,herbs and roots on Teddy's list then headed back towards her daughter's room)

Teddy picks up the tray from the table,takes it over to Sierra's beside where he sat it on the folding tray holder,sets it down and says to Sierra as he gently shook her awake saying: C'mon Sierra, I want you to sit up and eat, as does your mother!(Picks up her hands,gently pulls Sierra towards him until she was propped against his chest,then reaches over and sets up her pillows so she could sit up then lays her back against the pillows saying as he sat the tray over her lap) C'mon eat your lunch, the more food your body has to use as fuel to fight whatever you have, the sooner you will be back on your feet again!

Sierra feels her chest constrict again as another coughing fit took over causing her to begin to cough uncontrollably

Teddy swiftly moves the food loaded tray off his daughter's lap back to the tray holder and smacks his daughter's back saying: What have you caught that is doing this to you? It couldn't be what you were born with is getting worse could it? I thought I had it's growth undercontrol! (Hears Cassidy come back in saying) Has Sierra been taking that medication I made constantly?

Cassidy heaves a sigh saying: Every day since you've been gone. Haven't even put a dent in that jar, four table spoons every four to six hours ever since Archer found that tumor on the back of her throat. Axel won't let her forget it neither will Archer or Traveller.

Teddy helps Sierra lay back then wraps his hands around his daughter's throat and gently presses on one spot saying with a resigned sigh: Her tumor's gotten bigger and harder, no wonder Sierra's having a hard time getting rid of these coughing spells. The bigger and harder it gets, the harder it is for Sierra to breathe.

Cassidy: Then the time has finally come for that surgery to happen?

Teddy heaves a resigned sigh saying: We'll wait and see how the new batch of medication I'm about to make, takes to the tumor. I may have to increase the strength of it and make it stronger to avoid that surgery at all costs.

Cassidy,slides her arms around Teddy's neck, lays her head on his head and catches a whiff of something awful saying: First thing's first! YOU STINK!

Teddy catches a whiff of his stink and says: Whew! Don't exactly smell like a fragrant bouquet of flowers now do I? It's not like Titan allowed me to stop somewhere and have a hot bath as we were rarely above ground where we could be seen. I spent nine of out ten years locked in a dark, magic nullifying reinforced bunker three hundred feet underground (Hears his stomach growl and says) Got anymore of what Sierra's got for her lunch?

Cassidy: Plenty in the kitchen for after you've had a bath! As for you, come with me and I'll show you where I'm staying. (Grabs her husband's hand,pulls him out of Sierra's bedroom closing the door behind her,pulls him down the hall,stopping at her door that she opened, steps inside with Teddy and closes the door saying) This is where I've been staying. The bath is over there behind that sliding wall, I'll just have someone bring some hot water for your bath. (Grabs the cord and pulls it to summon some servants who knocked on her door as she opened the door saying) Lots of hot,warm and cool water for Teddy's bath if you please Cheyenne, he needs one badly.

Cheyenne: Of course Cassie we can smell him down the hall. (Steps aside to allow the water boys in saying) Fill that tub up with all the hot water you have, then leave plenty of clean water behind both hot and cold for Teddy to finish his bath with.

Tommy: Yes Cheyenne! Follow me to the tub. (Walks in carrying two buckets of hot water and heads directly to where the bathtub was located and bucket full by bucket full filled it with hot water followed by a bucket of cold water then says to the freshly robed Teddy) Try it out and see if it needs more cold water

Teddy walks over to the tub and sticks his hand in the water saying: Nope, it's perfect! Just leave plenty for me to rinse off with after.

Tommy moves and allows the other water boys to place spare buckets of water down saying: Here is your spare clean water for after. Enjoy your bath,phew you need it! Didn't think Titan allowed anyone to bathe at anytime. The four of us were among the early lucky ones that got away and back home.

Teddy: I wasn't with Titan the whole time, once he got the driftI didn't have any worthwhile magic in me, he pawned me off to a guy named Campion who wouldn't let me out of his sight no matter where we went.

Tommy snickers saying: Campion's an idiot and easily distracted by a low cut dress front. Parade a woman with ample clevage infront of him and he's off to the races.

Teddy: Exactly how I got away, Campion was seated at the back of the local Tavern with me as far out of eyesight as possible but stupidly close to the back door when the local Bar Wench with the biggest bust plausible waited on him. That was the last time I saw Campion and the time I made my move with the help of the Bar Tender

Tommy: Well I best let you have your bath. (turns and leaves the room with the other water boys)

Cassidy gathers up everything Teddy needed for his bath including fresh clothes and gives it to him saying: Here, everything you need to get clean again. I'll be down the hall trying to get our daughter to eat. (Slides the door to the tub room closed then heads across her room to the door,opens it and heads down the hall to Sierra's room to try and get her to eat some stew)

Teddy slowly begins to peel off all his flithy dirt caked clothes and boots then stepped into the tub carefully sitting down into the welcoming hot water and begins lathering soap onto a cloth

Meanwhile in Sierra's room

Cassidy opens the door,slips in shutting it behind her and heads directly to the cupboard where she pulls down a table spoon and a small bottle whose cork she removed,walked over to Sierra's bedside and gently shook her awake saying: Sierra, it's medicine time again. It's been four hours since your last dose and your father wants you to continue with this stuff until he's made the newer stonger medication and mixed it with this stuff.

Sierra slowly awakens and waits while her mother poured her medication into the table spoon

Cassidy finishes pouring the first spoonfull of medication and says: Open wide as here's your first spoonfull of medicine.

Sierra leans forward a bit,opens her mouth wide,puts the spoon in her mouth swallowing the thick liquid until it was gone then takes the spoon out of her mouth and gives it back to her mother to refill.

Cassidy takes the table spoon from Sierra's hand and refills it three more times then sets the small bottle and spoon aside,picks up the water jug,fills Sierra's glass with water and says while waving her hand around the glass until the water turned pink: Here's the next half of your medication. This stuff is potent and will hurt your throat, but it's aimed at the tumor. (Hands Sierra the glass saying) Drain it completley!

Sierra sits up,takes the glass from her mother's hand,lifts it to her mouth and drains the entire glass handing it back to her mother

Cassidy takes the glass from Sierra's hand,sets it on the night table,refills the glass with straight water then opens the bottle of pills shaking out eight then picks the glass back up handing it to Sierra saying: This is it, then you are to lay back down and go straight to sleep

Sierra holds out her hand allowing her mother to put Archer's pills into her hand then takes the glass of water from her mother's hand,pops all eight pills into her mouth,drains the entire glass of water handing it back to her mother and lays back down allowing Cassidy to pull her covers right up to her throat and falls right back asleep for the night.

Cassidy straightens out Sierra's blankets then sets the medicine,spoon and glass on the night stand beside her bed and leaves her bedside heading over to the window where she pulled the upper partial curtains closed leaving the lower curtains open for the air, blows out the candles around the room darkening it then turns and leaves Sierra's dark room,opening the door then slipping out closing it behind her heading down the hall to her own room to find Teddy hard at work making another thicker more powerful elixer to calm Sierra's throbbing Tumor and allow her to catch her breath easier and says: Now there's the Teddy I married. How do you feel after your bath?

Teddy: Lighter like a few tonnes lighter, my headache's gone oh and I found my glasses so I can see clearer now. (Rummages through his set up and says) Now where did I put-

Cassidy picks up the pink Posey and plucks all the petals off then hands them to Teddy saying: The pink Posey?

Teddy: YES! The Pink Posey! Just what I was looking for! The last floral ingredient (Takes the Pink Posey petals from his wife's hand saying) Thank you dear, just put them in the bowl and mix them together while I mix the herbs together to form the paste that will be added to that mixture.

Cassidy takes over mixing the liquid in the mixing bowl while Teddy mixed the herbs and roots together to form a thick paste using the pestlel