Chapter Two: The Past Unravels the Present

A new day had begun and the cycle of morning happenings commenced once again. Raven wiped his eyes lazily as the sun kissed him gently and tore him from unconsciousness. He threw off the covers that pinned him to his bed and slipped out from under them. The late night that he had with his friends was taking a toll on him, but he had to put on a façade to prevent his father from becoming suspicious. He trudged to his closet, threw open the large wooden doors, and revealed the numerous pieces of clothing he could choose to wear for the day, but he pushed it all to the side and withdrew the clothes he was accustomed to. It was a simple green and brown tunic with belts over the front that covered a black shirt, a pair of beige pants, a brown leather cape, and simple brown leather boots and gloves; attire of the peasantry in Kauri Town. With his clothing on, he waltzed out of the castle eager to meet his friends.

The air was thick and warm, almost palpable. Raven sighed and fanned himself with his hands as he walked the long and lonely courtyard that was now desolate as opposed to the festivities of the day before. The silence was piercing, but it was quickly disrupted by the clang of armor as soldiers paced the grounds. Desperate to escape the confines of the castle walls, he ducked into the thick gardens that lined them and waited for the guards to pass. There were only three at the time. They talked casually, laughing and joking with each other as Raven had done with his friends the night before. He smiled empathetically and resumed his escape once they had gotten further away from him.

Outside the castle walls, life resumed. The sounds of living things were carried on the breeze and graced Raven's ears. He stretched out and accepted life's embrace then continued on his path into town. The heat of the day was no longer an issue, thwarted by the sheer joy the prince had when he was with those he loved and respected. The feelings were mutual. Villagers that passed him stopped in their tracks and smiled or bowed. Occasionally, young women of his age, influenced by the groups of girls they associated with, would kiss his hand in a flirtatious attempt for attention and he would humor them by bowing as a knight would his lady. As he drew farther away from the castle, his mood gradually bettered and his smile became more glorious and charming. He approached the town square and looked about quickly. Under the shade of a tree were Hirayu, Athemae, and Rhydah. They sat on the bench and talked casually: Hirayu and Athemae playing hand games and finger wrestling while Rhydah looked on affectionately. The prince approached and the two stood and welcomed him warmly.

"Rhydah doesn't like playing with us, did you know that, Raven?" Athemae smirked, "He thinks that our games are childish."

Raven sighed jokingly, "I don't even play your games Athemae. Do you think he's that far from the truth?"

The knight pouted and smiled at the same time, "Aww, that's too bad. Hirayu and I were having fun, you'll have to miss it."

Hirayu teased as she drew away from Athemae, "It's always your games that make us late for class, now come!"

She stormed ahead of the prince, his knight, and the monk and made her way into the side alleys that branched out from the town square. It took only a few moments for her to vanish into the darkness of the ominous alleys, but the three boys followed the same path and caught up to her as she reached the door of the Kauri Town School of War Strategy. Rolling her eyes, she strode into the small building and took her place at the single table that rest in the center of the room. The three other boys followed her only seconds after and they quickly took their seats: Raven across from Hirayu, Athemae to the right of her, and Rhydah to the left of Raven.

As they waited, the four peered around the room that they had known all too well. The brown wooden walls smelled of aged oak and incense that burned smelled sweet like nectar. Thick leather bound books lined bookshelves that sat snuggly against the walls and whatever books could not be placed in a shelf were strewn over the numerous empty desks. Papers lay in every location, some in between the books on the shelves and tables and ink wells and quills sat atop different books and tables. It was no traditional school. The unkempt appearance of the room combined with the two distinct smells gave the school a unique feeling of both casual conversation as well as intense learning.

Only a few moments had passed when another person arrived at the school. She was an old woman. Her hair, the silver of a dulled weapon, was indicative of the years she had experienced. Her eyes, a pallid blue, were sharp and perceptive despite their overuse. Her hands, rough and cracked, were the signs of heavy labor and she tied all her features together with a dark purple scarf that rest over her head like a hood.

"Lady Ilana." The three students said as they stood to greet her.

"Children, sit." She said without a hint of affection, "We'll begin immediately. It's good to see that you are all early today."

Without another word, the four took their seats and drew leather bound books with blank pages from their desks. They flipped frantically through the pages until they found one that was not strewn with letters.

Lady Ilana drew her own book which was noticeably thicker than the teenagers' and opened it to a marked page.

Without another word in question, she began reading her text and the teenagers responded by rapidly taking notes. She did not stop and give them time to catch up to her. Each of her classes was a test of will power. Four years had gone by since they had taken their first lesson. Initially, there were thirteen students, but, one by one, they dropped out of the Lady's course. Only the four teenagers were left and though they often struggled to keep their mark, each managed to get by and last as long as they did. After an hour of merciless dissertations, the Lady stopped and closed her book. She looked at the four students and smiled; it was the first time she had done so in many years.

"You four," she began, "have put up with me for so many years. I don't understand. When the others gave up and walked away, you kept going. Why? What did you have to learn from this course? Strategy by trade is not a common thing and the pay for such work is minimal."

The three present looked at each other in confusion, but each came to their own conclusions within a few seconds.

Athemae stood up first, "I wanted to prove to everyone that I could do something if I put my mind to it, and I have. I'm proud. I may not be able to put any of this to practical use, but I know that I've conquered something that has been an obstacle in my life and that's enough."

Once Athemae took his seat, Raven stood, "It's almost time…for me to take the throne and I need more experience. This is one way for me to gain that experience. I have to lead my people and I want to lead them well."

Rhydah stood up shortly after Raven seated himself, "I just wanted to get smarter. Know a little more about the world, Ma'am. That's all."

He sat down, but Hirayu hesitated to get up after. Lady Ilana eyed her for a second and the girl stood and spoke in a tone that was straightforward but perplexing, "I have realized…that the skills I have learned here will be of use shortly."

She sat down afterward and Lady Ilana continued, "You have all grown up a lot since I first laid eyes on you. You four, of the entire class, have become successful young adults because you took on a challenge beyond your years and you stayed on course though it was difficult. There are many more ways in which you must mature. It may not make sense now, but I hope you all become aware of what it takes to mature."

Rhydah looked at her puzzled, "Lady Ilana, why do you talk so?"

She fingered at her joints to soothe the violent pain of arthritis, "I have grown far too old to continue teaching new students. Today will be my last course, but I must find a new teacher or else the school will have to close."

Raven looked at her, "You wish that one of us continue your legacy?"

"Of sorts, yes, but before any of you become eligible you must mature more. That is why I want you to know what it means to mature. You must open your mind to foreign ideas or things that are beyond your comfort zone. Go and learn, not for me, but because you will grow. Class dismissed."

The four students picked up their books and set the quills back in silence then proceeded to the door and exited.

The sun was directly over them when the class finished. Hirayu fingered her books and left to go home without another word to the others. The three boys glanced at each other briefly and made their way to the village square where they could relax.

Rhydah seated himself on the same bench they had been at before class and put his clasped hands on his book, "What's wrong with her. Is anyone aware?"

"She said something about needing her knowledge soon," Athemae wondered aloud, "do you think she's planning to go to war? Help Feanor fight her enemy?"

Raven swayed his head, "She wouldn't do anything like that. She, of all people, is the most opinionated, especially on the topic of this war. She isn't going to join sides and, if anything, she would have joined the side of Lune. You know how she feels about an oversized army attacking a smaller one."

They all nodded in agreement, but Rhydah quickly broke the silence, "I believe that unspeakable events are going to unfold before us very soon. Nothing in the world could get her to worry like she is now. She must have known this for some time, maybe even as far back to the time when we first joined the school."

Raven crossed his arms, "I'll pay her a visit before the day ends. I pray that she'd have gotten over whatever it is she's worrying about."

Athemae swayed his head, "No, I don't think you should go. She knows you're stressed out about the Coming of Age ceremony so I don't think she's going to mention anything to you. It'd be much better if Rhydah or I go."

Nodding, Rhydah replied, "Yes, it's true, but today, I can't be the one to go. I have to tend to the priest. He's gotten slightly ill and he requested that I take care of him."

"Ok, well now that we have that set, I think I shall take my leave." Athemae stood up and teased, "Don't think about all this too much, you'll give yourself a headache, Raven."

And with that, the knight took off and disappeared into the crowd of people.

- - -

The sun was setting when Athemae stepped outside to see Hirayu. The velvety red of the sky tinted the landscape a golden orange. Athemae smiled and started in Hirayu's direction. There weren't many villagers on the street that day, which was surprisingly unusual, but the peacefulness not often seen in villages like Kauri was refreshing. He walked with liveliness in his steps and almost appeared to bounce across the ground. A final up hill climb was all that stood in his way from reaching Hirayu's home. He walked up the final hill and peered out from the top. Hirayu's home, the weapon's shop, was rested between two identical houses. The path was not paved like the one he was standing on since her store was officially in the rural part of the village. Across from her store was an unusual tree that bent over the path. From a distance, it looked like an arch. Athemae could almost picture Hirayu sitting under it, drawing people as they passed by her store. She was an unusual woman. He trekked down hill and quickly made his way to her front door and into her house.

"Hirayu!" He called from downstairs, "Hirayu, it's me, Athemae."

There were soft footsteps that grew only slightly louder as they came down the stairs. Athemae jumped into his conversation only to find Iliad come down. The red haired boy gazed around the room slightly worried and Athemae looked back puzzled.

He looked at the knight momentarily, "Athemae, Hira didn't come home yet."

Athemae looked at the door expecting her to walk in and say hello with a smile, "What do you mean?"

"She didn't come home all day, well at least I didn't see her. I came downstairs at around two and there was food on the table and her special book was gone, but ever since then she hasn't come back."

"Special book?"

"Hira said that her special book can do magic, but she wasn't allowed to let certain people get a hold of it. I think it's some kind of magic tome, I read it once when she wasn't around but the language isn't anything I've seen before. Is something wrong with her?"

Athemae looked at the young boy and grinned while putting his hands on the child's shoulders. Though Iliad was around ten, he still needed the support, "It's ok, Hira's just a little stressed out is all. She's probably just out to get some fresh air. I'll go look for her and come back to check up on you, ok? Lock up when I leave and make sure no one gets in."

The knight peered around the room checking to see if the store had any weapons that Iliad could use; there were none.

He sighed and pulled out a short blade he had belted to his thigh, "Take this, ok?"

"Why?"

"Use it as a last resort, you understand what I mean right?"

"Yes, Athemae!" Iliad smiled, "I'll practice a little in here until you get back."

Athemae nodded and turned to leave, but just as he reached for the doorknob, Iliad spoke again, "Don't worry about her so much, Athemae. I understand it's unusual, but I think she'll be alright."

He smiled, "Yes…I'm sure."

But inside, he felt that she couldn't and he left without another word. The metal clang of the lock reassured him and Iliad's soft footsteps became inaudible as he made his way upstairs. The knight continued on as evening became night. In place of the sun, the moon joined him on his quest and it rose high by the time he was sure that she wasn't in Kauri Town. He sighed and made his way to the cliffs to see if she were there, but to his disappointment she was not present. In exhaustion, he collapsed onto the stone seat that he had sat on yesterday and rest his head on the table in front of him.

"This was just painful." He sighed, "Where could she be?"

But there was no point in asking questions that couldn't be answered so he went back to accompany Iliad through the night.

- - -

"What were you thinking?!" He screamed at her.

"Athemae, if I've already told you, I had work that needed to be done."

"You left Iliad alone and didn't even give us any notice!"

"Well, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you I was going away for a while. I didn't know I had to report all my actions to knights these days?"

The heated conversation between the knight and the lady continued for five more minutes and it would have gone on had Raven not intervened. He physically stepped between the two verbal combatants, but it simply was not enough. Athemae lunged forward to get a clear view of Hirayu, and Hirayu pushed Raven aside to glare the knight in the eyes. Rhydah stood to the side and watched innocently, but when Raven called for his assistance, he stepped in and pushed Athemae back while Raven lifted Hirayu off her feet and carried her away, kicking and screaming.

Athemae calmed down, crossed his arms, and pouted, "I honestly thought she was dead. She's never done anything like this before, I was worried. After all, I was the one that had to visit her that day. If I hadn't have done anything I wouldn't be a good friend."

Rhydah stroked his hair and laughed, "Ah, you worry overmuch! I admit, it was not your fault, but you two shouldn't be fighting like this either. Keep in mind, Hirayu is also not at fault either. She doesn't have to share the personal details if she feels that it is not necessary."

Raven listened to Athemae intently and then looked back at Hirayu who had one leg over the other and her hands crossed in the same manner Athemae did, "What about you? Where did you go last night?"

"I have nothing to say. Where I go is my business alone."

"For all I know, you could be a Lune army spy and then I'd have to surrender you to the guards so you might as well tell me now."

"I had to run a little errand. There was something I needed to deal with."

"Be more discrete and tell me the details?"

"I said I had to run an errand. I had to make sure I did something outside of town, ok? I was just outside the village walls. There are some ruins over by the mountains near Kauri Town. I was over there, happy? No more questions, I will not answer to any of them anyway."

Raven shrugged, "What purpose do you have at the ruins?"

"None of your business, Raven. Stop your pestering."

"You might as well tell me, or else I'll go down there myself and see."

She sighed in disgust, "You men are all the same. I hid some of my more expensive weaponry over there, ok? My shop's so full; I can't fit anything else inside. I had to make sure everything I kept there was still present."

Raven laughed, "If that was all, you could have just told us that."

"I don't feel that every bit of my personal life should be revealed. If I'm not mistaken you have your secrets too." She smiled.

"That is true, so I'll leave it at that." He shrugged again.

The cliffs were kissed by the sun that morning. The loving warm air sailed over the group as they sat at their stone table. Everything was vibrant that morning despite the ominous conversation that had just taken place.

Rhydah took in the fresh morning air, "It almost smells like the coast today."

"The water from the lake; the wind is probably carrying it." Hirayu stated simply, "Look, if this is all over, I have to run the shop today. I'll take my leave."

The young lady stood up and walked down the hills of the cliff and made her way back to her store. The three boys stayed behind and waited until she was out of sight.

Athemae turned his body to face the Rhydah and Raven, "She's hiding something."

"I know. I can tell. If it really were something as simple as extra weaponry, she'd be pretty nonchalant about it, but this must have been something serious."

"Something's happening with her. I'm worried about her." Rhydah's voice quivered.

Raven thought for a moment, "I'm going to go to the ruins, whatever happened back there should still be there."

"You basically assured her that you wouldn't be going there anyway! That'd be a complete violation of her trust." Athemae argued.

"This is something that could be life threatening. I'm not going to let her face it on her own! If it is something big, don't you think we should have her back?"

Raven's knight nodded.

"Well," Rhydah spoke up, "if we're going to do this, we have to leave now while Hirayu's away. If we go later tonight, she might actually show up and she'd be furious with us."

They all agreed and left immediately. The cliffs were cleared out yet again and the breeze, desperate for company, blew over the tables trying to reach for something human to touch.

- - -

The forests outside of Kauri Town were notoriously thick and provided a natural barrier against soldiers. The darkness of the forest floor was unnerving, but the three boys pressed onward and tried to find the ruins Hirayu spoke of. The sunlight was completely blocked out by the canopy and only creatures with the best eyesight could survive on the ground. Raven knew that as long as they were blinded by the darkness, they were easy targets for whatever may have lived in the forest. For a moment, Raven spotted a light in the distance, but he was certain his mind was playing with him. As they drew closer to what he thought was an opening, the forest lightened and a few shafts of sunlight reached them for the first time. They stepped out from the darkness and squinted at the surprising intensity of the little sunlight present, but after adapting to the sudden change, they saw things clearly once again. A stone structure that resembled a small castle stood in the center of the clearing. Rays of light that managed to squeeze past the canopy bathed the structure in golden light, but also cast eerie shadows on the building. Moss and ivy grew from every crevice of the castle.

They boys approached and anxiety grew stronger in their chests. Rhydah cringed and grabbed a hold of Raven who escorted him in with a brave face.

Athemae stayed outside to keep guard against anything that might stumble across their path. He drew his blade and guaranteed Raven that things would be safe outside. The prince nodded and took the monk into the ruin.

The inside was similar to the outside. Golden shafts of light passed through the cracks of the castle walls and illuminated the many features of the structure. The greenery seen on the outside of the castle was inside it too. Even the same breed of tree grew inside the castle, one broke through the castle roof and joined the other trees on the canopy. Fire flies floated dreamily in the air and gave the castle its own night sky. Rhydah glanced around in awe at the surprising beauty, but Raven began working immediately. He ran to the center of the castle where most of the collapsed roof was concentrated. He moved the rubble that lay atop one another in layers until he could see the floor once more. Once it was all clear, he moved back to take a view of what he had uncovered. It was an altar situated on top of a circular rise with steps leading to it. Rhydah was intrigued by the discovery and he walked toward the alter analyzing everything.

"This wasn't a castle." He stated, "It was a church. But I don't understand. How could there have been a church here and no one noticed it."

Raven swayed his head, "I think it must have been here during a war in history. It must have been destroyed along with the surrounding area and people just forgot about it, I suppose."

"Which war, do you know? If we can guess at time period, maybe we can glean some information into Hirayu's dilemma."

Raven thought for a moment, "Kauri was involved in four wars in the entire history of Arrendol: The Ilya-Valor Conflict, the Tauronne Rebellion, the Terrelia Altus War, and the Thousand Years' War. The first three wars never got this close to Kauri and the only war that ever got this close to Kauri Town was the war that destroyed the entire country, the Thousand Years' War."

Rhydah looked at him questioningly, "That couldn't be correct. The Thousand Years' War happened when the humans first came to Arrendol. That was over three thousand years ago!"

Raven rubbed his arms like he had suddenly caught a cold breeze, "It's the only war, Rhydah. It has to be correct."

The monk looked at the prince, "So you're saying that Hirayu's dilemma might have something to do with a war that happened three thousand years ago?"

"Maybe, and maybe not, we need to find more information on this castle before we jump to any conclusions."

Nodding passively, Rhydah followed Raven deeper into the ruins while Athemae continued guard. The knight leaned against the stone walls of the castle. Nothing had happened yet, but he couldn't leave his post. Fear welled up in his heart, but he couldn't understand why.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, but he couldn't relax. He kept hearing his name being whispered to him from the thick of the forest. He shivered and looked around nervously and then began pacing when he couldn't calm himself. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a dark figure, but when he turned around to engage it in combat, it was gone.

"Athemae, stop this. You're scaring yourself. There's no point in doing this. There's nothing here."

The knight took a staggered breath and closed his eyes again. He leaned against the stone castle wall and calmed his nerves. The anxiety slowly melted away and he opened his eyes. The same figure stood in front of him. Shocking blue eyes and golden blond hair with pale skin clothed and hooded by a black cloak. The man's eyes stared at the child with sadistic malice.

Reacting as he was trained to, Athemae lunged at the stranger, sword at hand. He slashed away at the figure, but the man deflected each of his skillful blows with the flick of his wrist. Athemae delivered a strong blow over his head, but the deflection was so great and he lost control of the blade. It was sent flying. Instinctively, he moved his hand to his thigh to draw his knife only to find that it was missing. He had never taken it back from Iliad. The knight was unarmed and took the blows he received without retaliating. The man threw his arm back and forth delivering successive and powerful blows to the knight without even touching his skin. The figure drew his hand back for another powerful attack and thrust his fist forward. Athemae was thrown against the castle wall and hit his head against the stone. As he fell to the floor, a blood trail followed. The knight struggled, the blow would not end his life, but he had difficulty regaining his grasp on the world.

"You're…" he coughed, "some kind of dark druid."

The man let out an ominous laugh and put on a sadistic smile. He threw his hand forward and made a fist like he was holding something. His arm shook with the power he used for his imaginary grasp. Just as his hand curled up, Athemae started coughing violently. The knight grasped his throat and tried to pick himself off the ground to get away, but he felt lightheaded. The man laughed again and lifted his fist high into the air. Athemae, too, was picked off of the ground. He kicked and struggled to break loose of the invisible grip the druid had on him, but it wouldn't work. He stopped struggling and tried conserving his strength to keep him awake long enough.

Seeing that Athemae was unable to fight back, the druid drew the knight close to him and whispered in his ear. Athemae cringed at his voice, but couldn't do anything to get away. The world grew hazy as he slipped slowly into unconsciousness and his eyelids closed, but before everything went dark he saw his friends emerge from behind the castle wall.

Raven and Rhydah looked up at Athemae who floated in the air lifelessly. He drew his blade and charged toward the druid in an attempt to pierce his flesh. The druid merely parried the blow, but Raven had served as a distraction and the hold on Athemae was released. The knight plummeted to the ground as Rhydah skidded beneath him, caught him, and collapsed under the sudden increase in weight. The druid, blatantly outnumbered smiled maniacally and vanished before their eyes.

"Raven!" Rhydah called out in despair, "He's bleeding!"

The prince dashed across the stony ground and kneeled next to his friend.

Rhydah cried out with his eyes beginning to tear up, "Will be he ok?"

Raven hoisted the knight over his shoulder, "We need to move quickly! Up, we must leave now or else he could get worse!"

Rhydah nodded and followed Raven into the thick of the forest. The way back was more difficult than the way in. The two conscious boys thoughts were only focused on the man in black and the unconscious knight was only dead weight in his condition. It took two hours longer to get back into Kauri Town and by the time they had arrived at the village gates the sun was already setting. Raven hesitated to think what Hirayu would do if she found out about their venture, but he hurried Athemae to the inn and had him treated. Rhydah, too, stayed behind and waited until the knight regained consciousness.

The prince and the monk stayed in the same room and attended to their wounded friend's comfort, but the day grew late and they soon lost themselves in sleep. Rhydah curled up on the second bed in the room and Raven slept, slumped, on the only chair in the room.

It was deep into the night when Athemae came about. His eyes flickered momentarily and then shut again, but an instance later he threw himself forward.

"The book!" He cried. "He needs the book."

Raven and Rhydah were torn out of slumber by Athemae's cry and the two darted to his friend. The knight's statement puzzled him.

"What?" Raven said bluntly.

"Nal needs the book."

"Who is Nal? What book, Athemae? Try to make some sense!" The prince's voice grew rougher as he tried to digest the situation.

Athemae's eyes closed again and muttered under his breath, "Disagae."

He seemed in a daze, almost like he was thinking nostalgically of 'Disagae'.

"Disagae?" Rhydah asked confounded.

The prince and the monk eyed each other and looked back at Athemae.

The knight looked at the two, drained of all energy, "The book will be found soon. Disagae calls for her true owner."

"How do you know?" Raven interrogated.

"The druid told me so."

And with his final words, Athemae lay back on the bed and resumed sleep.

Rhydah looked at the prince, "Things will happen, Raven. This is a sign. Something will happen in the future and we are losing time to find out what. I don't have a pleasant feeling of what lies ahead for all of us, but I know this; we are all involved, all four of us."

"I know." The prince stood and left for the door, "I'm going to find out everything I can. We have to be ready for whatever is coming at us. Rhydah, try to pay a visit to Hirayu when you have the time and watch her actions closely. I have a feeling that she knows something we don't and you have to find out what she's hiding."

The monk nodded, but did not leave. He was going to stay with Athemae through the night.

The air outside was frigid and Raven shivered under the stars. He dashed through the deserted village and made his way back to the castle. The lights on the inside were glowing against the darkness of the sky and he smiled as he imagined the warmth. Traveling the same path as he had taken to exit, Raven ducked behind the bushes and trees of the royal gardens and made his way silently. Guards dashed back and forth between posts and the clang of their armor echoed between the castle walls. Raven's absence had stirred up a frenzy in the castle, but he was accustomed to the drama and proceeded. There were guards stationed at major entrances to the castle, but, despite the obstruction, Raven managed to get his way into the castle. To the very back of the immense building was a passage that he had constructed on his own. It lay behind the trees and bushes that sat against the castle walls and remained hidden to everyone. Once he arrived, the prince scavenged the ground and groped for something. Cool metal touched his hands and he clasped them about the metal and tugged, revealing a passageway underground. Lithely, he slipped into the man made hole and closed the door behind him and then proceeded to his room.

The castle interior was more hectic than the façade. Maids and servants dashed back and forth frantically searching for the prince. From his hidden location, he peered up the main steps. A beautiful woman with violet hair stood at the top of the main staircase. Her dress was silky and a deep blue and her shawl was a white lace with gold lining. Her hair was adorned with pearls and jewels that were strung about her gorgeous curls. She was the Queen of Kauri; Raven's mother. She descended the steps slowly and the panic eased. The servants stopped, gazed at her beauty, and bowed reverently. She arrived at the bottom of the flight and turned around to see her attendants.

"Do not fret, all of you. My son is responsible and I know he will return. Do not worry yourself. If his mother has faith in him, then you should have that faith too." She spoke not another word and walked away into a corridor.

The royal servants looked at each other unsteadily, but returned to their posts leaving the main staircase empty. Raven soon emerged and rushed upstairs and into the library.

Incense burned inside the giant hall called the library. Giant shelves stocked with massive volumes of various texts loomed dangerously over Raven's head. He looked up at the wooden structures reverently and then dashed into the maze of shelves. Fiction, official Kauri documents, biographies, autobiographies; Raven recalled the contents of each shelf until he found the one he was looking for, Arrendol history. The prince slowed to a walk and brushed by the shelf, touching the giant volumes of history books until he came across The History of the Thousand Years' War. It was an extremely aged book. The brown leather binding was dusty and torn and the golden adornments were worn out and chipped. He pulled it out and blew the dust off of the text and it made a thick cloud in the air which caused him to cough violently, fanning the cloud away from his face with his free hand. Taking a seat at a nearby table, the prince opened the book and began reading the torn, matured pages. It detailed the history of the world of Arrendol during the war thoroughly, but he was looking for certain pieces of information. For hours, the prince flipped frantically through pages, relearning everything taught on the Thousand Years' War, but he finally came across what he wanted to know.

Taking a deep breath before reading, he put his finger to the words that detailed the history of Church of Saint Croh. He rubbed his eyes as they searched through the text, but once his eyes reached the key words he began reading once more.

"The Church of Croh, located just south of Kauri Town, was originally called the Official Church of Kauri until the Thousand Years' War. Croh, the wielder of the Blessed Saint Diadre, more commonly known as The Sword of Eternal Flame, led the North Army to victory against the southern rebels and in memory of him the people of Kauri renamed the local sanctuary. Close to the end of the war, the Church was destroyed, but the significance lay in the fact that the Blessed Saint Disagae, The Book of Eternal Damnation, was kept inside the temple prior to the great war. The church was never rebuilt since the housing of the five Blessed Saints has been changed."

Raven looked around shiftily and then closed the book. He placed it back on the shelves and quickly made his way out of the library and up the main stairs to the third floor of the castle where his sleeping quarters lay. Guards patrolled the area regularly and they lit torches to help them see through the night. Raven peered around the corners of the building to see if the glow of the warm fire was drawing closer or getting farther away. When it was safe, he scurried across the hard wood floors and finally made it into his room. The lights had been lit, probably after he had left the castle. He sat down and sighed. Everything he just read was mere history, but it all seemed so complicated at the same time.

He looked at the moon and thought to himself, "So Disagae is actually a Blessed Saint; a magic tome with the affinity darkness. That man Athemae fought…he spoke of Disagae. It's coming back."

Laying his clothing on the bed, he walked to the window and looked at the full moon that floated across the sky, "If that's the case, then the tome needed to be removed from the temple that housed it for the past thousands of years. That shrine…Lady Ilana talked about it once in her lectures. The Acolyte's Shrine, that place housed the Blessed Saints after the Thousand Year's War. If Disagae went missing, someone would have noticed. Someone had to have sent word, unless someone higher up is concealing the misdeed."

The prince paced, "The shrine is located in Feanor. Anything that may have happened to the shrine falls under the responsibility of King Raymond. If he knows the tome is missing and hasn't given word then he must be in league with some higher power."

He looked around his excessively large room awkwardly and walked to the closet to put his garments away. Withdrawing his nightgown, he dressed himself and sat on his bed debating what his next move should be. As he lay down to sleep, his mind was set on a journey to the Acolyte's Shrine. He planned to leave for Feanor with Athemae and Rhydah in tow as soon as the ceremony was over.