I'm back. Did you like the last chapter? If so, great! If not, GIVE ME REVIEWS. Thank you! P.S. I just realized that Keith had a crush on Lenori. Oh well! Doesn't really matter, cause she's dead. No offense. Ah, I'll just stop talking.

Let's get started.

Chapter 2: The Wildcat's Claw

Abeke ran and ran and ran. And ran some more. And a little more. She couldn't stop, even if the thing she wanted to do was to stop and rest her heavy limbs and aching bones. More so though, she wanted to run back and save Conner. If only she had been a little bit faster, she could have saved Lenori and Olvan. Sadre, that dirty, low-life, vile SON OF A- This part has been cut out due to excessive rage at Sadre. She could hear the monsters and Many shuffling behind her. She couldn't be captured. She had to succeed, for it was Xanthe's last wish. But there was nothing but trees and leaves. She couldn't outrun the tireless enemy forever.

Abeke decided to hide somewhere. She was a bit ahead because the Many where slow. She climbed a tree and hid in the thick branches. Not a moment too soon. The Many burst into the clearing, followed by several snaky monsters. They hissed and looked around, but apparently they couldn't find her. So they moved on. Abeke breathed a sigh of relief. Big mistake. A snake tail accidentally thumped against the tree, making the branches sway. Abeke yelped. The Many looked up. And started attacking the tree, because they couldn't climb. Abeke held desperately onto the branches, but it was in vain. Abeke fell out of the tree.

Abeke instinctively tucked herself into a ball, and threw her weight forward. When she hit the ground, she rolled and ended up standing up...right in the middle of a bunch of monsters and Many. They moaned and wailed and attacked. Abeke shot arrows and kicked butt until her bow was disarmed. A Giant Alligator clamped its jaws around her leg. Abeke wailed in pain. A Many slammed its fists in her face, leaving her nose bloody and her face bruised. A snake slashed its tail across her feet, and she slammed onto the ground. She was defenseless. She had failed.

Sadre growled. "Where are the bond tokens?!"

Princess Xanthe scowled back at him. "Whatever you want from me, you won't get it."

Sadre yelled in frustration. "TELL ME!"

Xanthe kept her cool. "No."

Losing patience Sadre backhanded Xanthe and left the room. Conner rushed over to her.

"You okay?'

She groaned and sat up. "I'll be fine."

Back to Sadre, the commander was reporting on Abeke. "It seems she escaped to find someone to find the bond tokens."

Sadre thought about this. "If she succeeds in getting someone to find them, if he succeeds, he will come to the palace to free the princess. And we can take the Gifts from him!"

He laughed. This was almost too easy! Then again, it depended on if the hero could find the bond tokens. In the meanwhile, he heard rumors about the Tunnels.

"Send more Many to the Tunnels."

The commander paled. "But my lord, none of the scouts you sent before has-"

"I know. Shut up and do as I say."

The commander swallowed. "Yes sir."

Sadre thought aloud. "The hero would probably travel into the Tunnels in search of the Heart of the Land as well." He looked at the commander. "Dispatch the Moblins."

He blinked. "The Moblins? You sure?"

"Yes. No go."

The commander left, and Sadre laughed. Even if the hero managed to get the weapons, he would never come out alive.

Abeke closed her eyes, ready for the end. The snake raised his tail above, ready to strike.

Then all Erdas broke loose.

A young man, who Abeke couldn't define his features very well, streaked down from above, as if coming from the air itself. He landed and blasted the Many with white lightning, successfully barbecuing them. He then unlatched a weapon from his back, a sharp sword, and cut the snakes, which disintegrated, like monsters do. Abeke couldn't believe the speed and skill of the sword. It flashed around and destroyed enemies. Snakes shot poison. The Many whaled on him. Giant Alligators snapped at the boy. The sword slashed and sliced. Nothing touched him. The snake sparred with the boy, until he cut the barb off and stabbed it in the chest. After a few minutes, the young man stopped, surrounded in dust. He glanced at Abeke.

"You alright?" he asked.

Abeke was about to say yes, until a flare of pain went up her legs. "No." She admitted. She saw the boy's sword. It looked familiar. Almost like..like...

"Is that the Wildcat's Claw?" She asked, astonished. "Is that real?"

The boy glanced at his sword. "Yes, that seems to be its name. And yes, it's real."

Abeke tried to sit up, only for the pain to come back, stronger than ever.

"Don't move. We need to get you to the medics." He picked her up and carried her to Erdas know where.

Abeke must have fainted, because when she opened her eyes, she was lying in a comfortable bed, with several people dressed as medics (probably because they were medics), and they were all tending to her face or legs.

A medic saw that she awoke. "Well, your face was bruised a bit. Your legs were scarred. But nothing not healable, and nothing serious."

Abeke sighed in relief. She had worried that she might be scarred for life. Then she frowned.

"Who was the guy that saved me?" She asked.

The medic turned to look at her. "Oh, that's Alton. Son of the village chief."

Abeke frowned. The boy wielded the Wildcat's Claw, one of the bond tokens. Maybe he could be the one...but she had to make sure first. She stood up.

"Where am I?" She asked.

"You are in Okaihee. You where brought here a few hours ago. Where did you come from?" The medic answered.

"I come from Phos Astos. It was attacked by Sadre and I escaped."

Cue the gasps. Some medics dropped scalpels (surgeons? Eesh).

Abeke continued. "May I speak with the Chief? I have something to discuss."

The lead medic nodded. "Follow me."

She leaded Abeke to a large house, bigger than the others. She opened the door, and Abeke stepped inside. The house was a plain, two story house, with grey walls and a wooden floor. Abeke turned a corner and went into a room. Inside was a bearded man, and the young boy with black hair and green eyes that saved Abeke. She walked to the front and bowed to them.

"Chief."

The Chief scowled. "Who are you, what are you here for?"

Abeke smile faded. "I am Abeke. I am from Phos Astos. Sadre invaded."

Abeke told the two about the invasion, the deaths, and the Princess's wish.

"I need someone to find the bond tokens and defeat Sadre."

"What does this have to do with us?" The Chief asked.

Abeke pointed to Alton's sword. "You're son holds the Wildcat's Claw. Where did you find it?"

Alton spoke up. "In a volcano. Apparently the Claw had been powering it."

Abeke nodded. "Makes sense. The Wildcat's Claw can be set ablaze according to some myths. I believe that you, Alton, are the hero chosen for the journey."

Alton frowned. "I would be honored to save the princess and defeat Sadre, but where do we start? Do you have any idea where the other tokens are?"

Chief Keyton stayed silent. Abeke looked at him. "Do you know something, Chief?"

Alton frowned. "Father?"

Keyton stood. "I think I heard a rumor before. Go to the library. Go to the library."

Abeke was confused, but Alton's face contorted into complete seriousness. "Yes, father."

Alton frowned at Abeke. "What you said...was it all true?"

Abeke looked surprised. "Why yes. Of course."

Alton sighed. "It's hard to believe...King Olvan and Queen Lenori are dead."

"Yes. They were great rulers."

They walked in silence.

"What's the library?" Abeke asked.

"You'll see."

They walked out of town, and after a few minutes, they came to a cliffside. Alton felt the cliff for a few moments, then brushed away some dust. A small crevice in the wall was revealed. Alton took up the Claw, and inserted it into the crevice; the keyhole. Abeke gasped, and Alton smiled with a bit of pride. He turned the sword, and the wall slid open.

Abeke gasped again. Looming in front of them was a great cavern, with stalactites on the ceiling. A few dozen rows of bookshelves were piled around the room, but most of the cavern was a tangled mess of platforms, and below them was lava.

Abeke looked at Alton in awe. "This was the volcano?"

Alton nodded.

Abeke followed up with, "Did you-"

"No."

"Oh."

After a moment of silence, Alton spoke.

"If there are any information about the gifts, then it can only be here."

Abeke nodded. "Let's split up. We'll be faster that way."

Alton took off to a nearby shelf. Nothing. Another shelf. Nothing. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another-oh!

The scroll was labeled: The Creation of Earth. Alton opened the scroll up and began to read.

Hmm. It seemed that the Heart of the Land was cast deep beneath the Earth. How would he find it then? And he couldn't find the Dragon's Eye, which was at the bottom of the ocean. And the scroll barely said anything about Stormspeaker. How were they going to find it then?

"Alton! I think I found something!" Abeke's voice cut through.

Alton found her. Abeke pointed to her scroll. "It says here that there is a maze of underground mazes called the tunnels. It is said that there was something valuable in there, and many have gone in and never come back."

Alton thought about his scroll. Then he told it to Abeke. "The Heart of the Land was buried underground. Do you think...?"

Abeke rolled up the scroll and put it back. "Let's get back to your dad."

Keyton wasn't surprised when they returned. "Well? Did you find anything?"

Alton nodded. "One scroll hinted that the Heart of the Land could be inside the...underground mazes."

Keyton's eyes went wide. He stood. "No. You will not go into the Tunnels. I forbid it."

Abeke gasped. "Of course. The Tunnels! I should have known."

Alton frowned. "What's so bad about the Tunnels?"

"Far worse than you can imagine. The Tunnels are filled with dangers and monsters. I went there once. Almost died every few meters. I barely escaped with my life. Others...aren't as lucky."

"I have to do this. No matter how dangerous this is, I have to save Princess Xanthe. It is my duty." Alton said, shaking his head.

Abeke looked at him in worry. "Alton, the Tunnels are very dangerous. Nobody has ever come from it alive." Except your dad.

Alton was determined. "Then i'll be the fir-, er, second person come from it."

Keyton sighed. "If you really are this stubborn, then go. Don't die."

"I won't dad. Though where are the Tunnels?"

Abeke spoke up. "Old legends told of a secret underground entrance in Caylif. We should start there."

Alton nodded. "That's not too far away. Let's go."

"Goodbye, dad."

"Goodbye, Alton.

"Are you sure about this?" Abeke asked. "You don't have to do this."

"I'm sure. It is my duty to help people."

"Alright."

After a few moments of silence, Alton asked. "Where exactly is the entrance? Caylif is a big city. Where do we start?"

Abeke frowned. "Well, I'm not sure. Maybe we could start in-"

"Wait. Do you hear that?"

Abeke listened intently. "I don't hear anythi-"

Then she heard it. A rustle. A hiss. Immediately, the two had their weapons raised. But as much as their training had prepared them, nothing was compared to the hundreds of monsters that came. A huge group of Many wailed and attacked. Alton swept his sword in front of him and skewered half a dozen of them. Abeke fired four arrows at once, each impaling the neck of a Giant Alligator. A snake tried to impale Alton with its barb, but he rolled out of the way and sliced its head off. Yet for every monster destroyed, five more took its place.

"There's too many of them!" Abeke yelled.

"That's never stopped me before!" Alton jumped over the monsters' heads and slammed his fist into a snake's head. White tendrils of lightning streaked out and zapped several Giant Alligators and Many. He stood triumphantly for a minute, but a snake's barb made him fall on his face. His face did not appreciate that.

"Alton!" Abeke swept her foot under her and tripped five Many. Then she used her bow and vaulted over the heads of Giant Alligators. She punched a wolf-human in the face and reached Alton.

A snake hissed, laughing. "We have orders to capture you. You wield the Wildcat's Claw, and that is what we want. Give it to us, and we will leave in peace.

"Don't. Alton!" Abeke yelled.

"Don't worry. I won't. I'm prepared to go down fighting."

Abeke shook her head. "No. You have to go to the tunnels and save Princess Xanthe! Find the Heart of the Land! You must stop Sadre!"

"What about you?"

Abeke smiled. "The fate of the world is more important than a person like me. Save the world. Got to Caylif. Find the Tunnels."

Alton looked confused. "But where in Caylif?"

"Go! No time! Now! Please!"

Alton reluctantly pushed a Many off him, and bolted toward Caylif.

"STOP HIM!" A Giant Alligator shouted.

"Not so fast!" Abeke threw herself at the enemy, holding them off for Alton. "Go!"

Alton ran as fast as he could, wishing he could do something, wishing he wasn't so helpless.

Alton wandered toward Caylif, having lost the Many. Where would I find a secret entrance? He had no idea. All he knew was that it was somewhere in Caylif. He sighed. What now? He wandered to the edge of Caylif, in a small grassy field.

Move a little to the left.

Alton's head snapped up. He looked around, but saw nothing. He must be hallucinating. Alton shook his head.

You're not hallucinating. Move a little to the left.

Alton looked around again, but he still didn't see anything. So he moved a little to the left. And a trapdoor opened. Alton frowned. What's that noise? Then he looked down. And fell. He hit the floor with a thump. Groaning, he stood with his sword in his hand. In front of him was a maze of rock corridors, twisting, splitting into different corridors.

"Well, I guess these are the Tunnels."

A Many threw Abeke onto the ground in front of Sadre, where she gave him a withering glare. Sadre looked down at her.

"We captured her, but the Chosen One escaped with the Wildcat's Claw."

Sadre shouted in fury and smashed a vase.

The Many looked down at Abeke. "Should we kill her, my liege?"

Sadre stopped, and thought for a moment. "No. We still need the other two. If we keep her, they will most definitely launch a rescue mission. Then we got all four."

The Many nodded, and lead Abeke away.

Sadre growled. "Patience. The tokens will come to me."

So who do you think the 'other two' are? Like it? No? Oh well. Ianoliano, out.