A/N: I'm here updating again! Imagine that. I actually had a good flow for this chapter. I have tests I need to study for till thanksgiving though so there may not be another update for a while unless I am just struck down with inspiration.

Chapter 21: Beast and the Body

Damien looked like he had simply crumbled to the ground. His legs were not even unfolded from their cross-legged position. His eyes were still open. For one soul-shattering moment she thought him dead.

She fell to him with tears pouring and loud cries. She scooped as much of his upper body to her as she could. She pressed her face to his temple sobbing. She clutched him tighter and tighter, nearly clawing his shoulders in grief as if that would wake him or shake him back to life.

"He's not dead, Lana," Zain said, softly interrupting.

"You," Lana's voice was dark and it was obvious she wasn't listening. "You knew this all was going to happen. You knew. You knew and did nothing!"

Zain flinched. Accusations were one of those things that had never stopped hurting. Probably because he agreed. What was the point of knowing if he could do nothing? Even if it were within his power for that instant there had been nothing he could do. He had sensed all of this too late to do any good. Useless.

"He's not dead, Lana," He repeated. He couldn't look at her, the guilty pain in his chest aching from her blow as much as the pain on her face.

It was at that moment the hand at Damien's neck felt movement. He swallowed twice. Lana's breath stopped, hoping to feel even the barest movement, to hear the smallest sound from her brother.

"Damien! Oh, gods, Damien," I would know if he were dead, she thought in her head, I would know. The words to ask Damien the whos, hows and whys almost left her lips before she realized where to aim them. "Zain, what's going on? Who did this to him?"

He was leaning against the weight-bearing beam closest to him with one hand laid over both eyes. "I do not See everything Lana. It is not a very omniscient power." A taught moment passed before he pulled away from the beam bolt erect. "We need to leave now. Let's find Vincent and leave."

Damien was coughing now. Weakly his throat spasmed and his chest compressed. His throat was still moving. She leaned in close.

"…je." She caught the last part of a sound.

"Lana, let's go, we need to go." Zain's urgent voice interrupted her concentration.

"Zain, please wait," Having her brother practically dead just moments before made her impatient.

"R-R-," Damien struggled and it hurt Lana to see it. But it seemed like whatever it was would be wearing off, it didn't look permanent. "Rije."

Lana's head snapped up and a momentary, sharp pang of guilt stabbed her. Where was Rije? It was kind of Damien to remember her at a time like this.

"Zain," Lana called. "We have to find Rije."

Suddenly, Damien thrashed—as much as was possible in his condition—one leg kicking and both hands spasming, choked sounds.

"Damien?"

His crystal blue eyes were wide and crazed. It was terrifying to see her normally stoic brother in this way. Even as close as they were, being there for each other in the worst of times, she still knew him and knew how much this spoke for their situation. One hand reached up and gripped the front of her shirt, pulling her down. His voice was guttural when he spoke.

"We leave," Strength was returning to him, slowly. "Vincent."

"We'll find Vincent," Lana was nodding now. "We will. Can you ride?"

"I," Damien sighed. "Be fine."

"Let me help you," Lana tried to take a hold of his upper arm but he released her shirt.

"No, saddle…horses," His voice was breathy but he was getting his message across now. His eyes moved to the other man in the stables. "Zain, help."

Despite understanding the reasoning Lana didn't like it, she wasn't ready to separate from him just yet. Instead she pressed her face to the side of his head for moments before releasing him to tend the horses. She saddled Flash and Sky quickly but she hesitated on Moonbeam. Should she bet on them finding Vincent and bring Moonbeam with them? What if he came back here first only to find that his horse was gone?

What would he expect them to do? He knows I'd take them, Lana thought desperately, but what if to find us he needs Moonbeam? What if we take him and that leaves Vincent in a bad position?

Sometimes, every now and again, questions like these get answered. Yet, the gods or the Fates or what-have-you, often answer them in their way of choosing and that in turn does not often coincide with the preferences of man.

This was one of those times.

Lana started at the sound of the stable doors opening. First to enter were inky shadows crawling along the walls, fast like a hand passing in front of a candle yet darker and more solid. There was something unnatural about them, dark menacing and while she did not feel they were, they felt demonic.

She darted a glance to Damien and Zain. Damien was using Zain as a stabilizer but being a bigger man he was also using the wall for support. They were frozen, too.

The door opened wider and a hand came in first, then a dark-haired head then suddenly Lana knew her brother. All of her instincts melted in one desensitizing wash of relief. "Vincent! We—"

Her smile fell when finally the stance with which Vincent had entered the stable was pieced together in her mind. His hands were raised above his head, palms open in the surrender position. His eyes were wide and he moved slowly, taking careful steps.

"Vincent?" Her voice didn't carry this time, the air gone from her lungs. The blood left her face in expectant horror and drained into her limbs making her feel like she should fall. "What?"

The shadows that had crept in before him crowded them now, as if they would close in and close off the world around them. Moonbeam stamped and whinnied. Then Lana felt it. She sensed the oppressive magic that filled the room. Her own gift rose in her breast as if spurred by some unknown hand to the challenge.

Vincent collapsed to his knees as if pushed and the person standing behind him was revealed. Rije's face was blank as always. Her hair, thanks to Lana, was clean but limp and lifeless, as she always seemed to be. Her black eyes focused solely on Lana, "Is this good, Master?"

Emereth's nerves were on end. Princess Nozomi had landed on Karucian shores naught but the previous night.

While they had been informed of her earlier arrival, it did not help matters much. Yes, everything had been prepared already but some things such as balls and an elegant welcoming reception could not be thrust upon the nobles of Karucia on such short notice.

They had compromised to send out formal announcements to every family that had already been on the list for the pre-planned balls and feasts but each would be happening exactly when they had been originally planned for.

This had left time, however. This was time that, as Arra had felt the need to explain to him, he could use to get to know Princess Nozomi.

"I'll be honest with you," She had confessed then. "I never had to experience this for myself. Any time I had with your father we were alone."

From his standpoint, her face had turned uncharacteristically red. "I didn't mean that in the way it sounded. I just mean that having time to truly get to know each other will be good for you. I've never had to get to know someone with chaperone's or..or…" If possible she might have become redder. "Blast it, I'm sorry I'm no help. Your father might have been the one for this more than I."

Emereth simply stood in front of the mirror, judging himself in all the finery that adorned his frame. He tugged at one cuff wishing his brothers and sister were here.

Lana would have simply been positive and supporting. Vincent would have joked and kept his mind from focusing on the wrong things. Damien would have been a soothing support, telling him to calm down in a voice that seemed like it truly knew the meaning of the phrase.

He had never realized how much he depended on them. He supposed in his mind he had seen them as almost everyone else did, a triad of their own and somehow apart from everyone else. But he realized that was not completely true. They were his siblings too, and he loved them very much.

He squeezed his eyes shut.

Tonight would be a very intimate dinner, just his parents, him, Princess Nozomi and her people from the Yamani Isles. It was a very unconventional thing to do for a princess who had just arrived. A part of him was scared she would take it as a bad sign. What kind of person was she? Would she appreciate that his family liked to make time for each other in the way of intimate dinners such as this or would she simply take it as an offense to her standing?

"It would be a glorious way to begin all this," He sullenly mused aloud as he rubbed at the hem around his neck. "For her to simply take all of this as an insult."

Lunch was to be held in a small, yet elegant room. Liam found Emereth outside the room using one hand to lean against the wall, looking to the ground. The king placed one hand on his son's shoulder

Emereth jerked upright and away from the wall. "I-I'm sorry."

Liam smiled kindly, "There's nothing to be sorry for. Are you okay?"

Emereth straightened himself out but once he started smoothing his clothes he couldn't seem to stop. "Ah, yes, I just needed a few moments to, ah…"

Liam placed two large steadying hands on his shoulders, half lifting him to a more dignified position and half weighing down the jitters. "Breathe. You have already met her."

"No," He interrupted, quietly since a servant walked past them at that moment to enter the room. "I saw her, I greeted her, but this…"

She had been taller than he expected. She had been soft-spoken but that could have been attributed to the taxing trip. She hadn't met his eyes but he had expected something of that sort from the Yamani culture. She…she..he had nearly nothing to go on.

"You are a good person. You are my son and I know that. You will make a good companion and—"

"And I know that I'm not such a horrible person," Emereth interrupted again. "But what if she…"

He sent his father a glance only to look away quickly. He felt guilty for thinking it. This was something he would have preferred to tell a friend but anyone who he would tell was busy not to mention he was busy with all of this. Vincent would have been a nice confidante for this fear. But his father?

"What if she isn't a good companion? You can't change someone's personality. I just don't think…" The young crown prince sighed.

"Don't go judging her before you've spoken. My brother married a Yamani princess and I overheard many things. It'll be difficult especially since their culture is so different from ours but at the very least don't judge her before you know her." Liam smiled again. "She's no doubt just as scared as you are, probably more since she's traveled miles from her home."

"I know, I know," He took a deep steadying breath. "I guess we better get in there."

Their lunch seemed to drag despite how quickly the food was brought out. It began with formal apologies for such an informal reception. They were taken well since they understood but for some reason it just made Emereth a bit embarrassed.

As time wore on he found himself feeling more and more pressure to create a somewhat substantial conversation with her. There were small chatterings and questions here and there but it seemed lacking. Finally he turned to her, "Are your rooms to your liking?"

She blinked up at him slowly. He was still getting used to the Yamani stone face. "Oh, yes. I have a wonderful view. I think, also, I can almost see a garden."

"I'm sure you mean my mother's gardens," Emereth felt a small sense of relief that the conversation had had a chance to continue.

She gave a small nod. "Back home I was quite fond of the gardens there."

"These are my mother's private gardens, she tends to them directly herself," He sent a glance towards his mother who nodded a small consent. "We could walk them later if you would like."

"I would like that very much," He tried to meet her eyes but she averted them quickly and covered her face with a fan.

Her skin looked very soft, he couldn't help but notice. Her thick black hair was shiny and…

"How about your trip here?" Liam interrupted kindly and Emereth realized he had been staring. "Nothing too bad I hope?"

"Most of the trip here was not too bad," Her eyes darted down then back up. "There was one odd thing."

"Oh?" Liam looked genuinely interested. "Feel free to share, I'm sure we would love to hear."

Again, her eyes made a movement, speaking more than her face would and Emereth tried to take note. "We were attacked as we were traveling through one of the islands."

She paused and her eyes stared thoughtfully out. "It was really quite confusing, they weren't people really…and we were saved by a young woman with a white sword."

A clang of utensils being dropped sounded from across the table. Arra coughed, and Emereth noticed the shocked look on her face. "Oh, a white sword you say? Do you see many of those in the Yamani islands?"

Emereth knew when his mother was being odd. Now was one of those times. He gave her a suspicious look that went pointedly unnoticed by her.

"No, this sword was completely white from hilt to blade. I've never seen anything like it," A small movement of her pale brown eyes. Emereth desperately wished he could read those alluring eyes. "I got only her name."

"You met her?" Emereth asked.

"I thanked her and asked for her name. It sounded foreign," Nozomi looked down, eyes flickered for a moment. Embarrassment? "I'm sorry, you do not care about things like this."

"No!" Arra pulled in the reigns on her outburst. Emereth gave her another odd look. "I apologize, I'm actually quite interested. What was her name?"

"Lana," The name dropped and the room froze. Arra seemed to be the center of the silence, the source for some reason. As if somehow her silence was more intense, overpowering the others in a wash.

Liam was the first to recover. "How interesting."

Arra was spurred but Emereth could tell even when she spoke her thoughts were elsewhere. "Emereth, you said you wanted to see my gardens? They look lovely this time of day and it seems we have been done with our meal for some time."

"Oh, of course," He stood and held his hand out to Princess Nozomi.

As soon as they left, Arra collapsed back into her chair. "Lana, Liam. She's in the Yamani Islands."

"Arra, there's no way to know it was her," He stopped at the intensity of those crystal blue eyes turning on him.

"There is only one milk-white blade I know of and it belongs here," She was breathing hard. "I noticed it was gone. And I know Lana took it."

"White blade? What are you talking about?"

"My father told me the story of King Vincent the First," Arra began.

"Yes, yes. You told me that story when we were coming up with names for the triplets," Liam said, quite confused.

"Well, I might have left something out," Arra stopped unsure if it was bad that she'd kept this to herself or not, especially after their conversation concerning the secrets about the triplets that she'd withheld. "The very same sword that Vincent the First held and used was here, within our walls. I checked not too long ago and it's gone."

Liam sat back in his chair with dawning realization on his face. "So they're in the Yamani Isles."

"It would seem so," Arra sighed.

"You said they were blocked off from you?" Liam began. "Aunt Alanna used to tell me the gods sometimes meddle, is there any chance….?"

Arra squeezed her eyes shut. "I would like to believe that but I feel in my bones that it's not so."

Lana's brain could not piece together the words. Vincent's head snapped up to look at her, joining Damien's confused gaze. Slowly her head began to shake, "What are you talking about Rije"

"Master, have I done well? I did exactly what you told me to," Her eyes never wavered from Lana.

"Lana, what is she talking about?" Vincent sounded uncomfortable, unsure.

"I don't know!" She half-pleaded with him to believe her. "I don't know what she's talking about."

"Its not you is it? It's the other you," Rije said, emotionless as ever.

"Rije if you're doing something, make it stop now," Lana's heart was beating hard and fast. What was this?

Rije cocked her head to the side. "Just as you said. You said I wasn't to stop no matter what, even if you begged. I'm sorry, none of you can leave."

The shadows crowded in further. One swooped and took hold of Vincent, choking him. More fell on Zain and Damien in a swarm. She felt the thin, hard grasp of one of them take hold.

"What is this?" She shouted. She fought against it but as soon as one fell away two more took its place.

"Master, I would never hurt you," Rije's monotonous voice somehow traveled through the swarms. "You are the only one who understands."

It was then Lana realized something. This was her magic, this darkness. It was why she could permeate it. How does this help me? She grasped desperately for something.

"You have the ability," The voice whispered seductively. "To end this."

Lana couldn't concentrate long enough to formulate a response. Vincent was struggling, failing to the numbers but still moving, still alive. Damien was still half-immobile. She couldn't even see him.

"She's the source." The voice continued to edge around her mind, wrapping and weaving suggestions. "Stop looking to cure the symptoms when you know how to go straight to the source."

"What are you talking about!" Lana shouted as she kicked at one of the skeletal shadows. There was a crack and the creature collapsed but as soon as it fell to the ground it seemed to build itself up again.

"Lend it to me. Lend me you're Gift and this time I will show you exactly how much power you have," The voice, Uncle, said in a voice that was less a whisper than her own thoughts. She could feel her Gift already being tugged. "Help your brothers."

Finally, Lana relinquished control.

Uncle took hold of her Gift like a trained professional, wielding it as skillfully as a knight with a sword. Murmurs of spells she had never heard crept around the edges of her mind and fear rose into her breast. The shadows around her let go.

This time, instead of taking control apart from her body completely separate from her, Uncle weaved into her mind and made her pull from her Gift. She sent it out towards Rije and felt the smaller girl's Gift. She touched the black core of Rije's Gift with her own and didn't understand it. Uncle forced her to twist the peridot Gift as he had once before and Rije fell to the ground screaming while the shadows simply vanished.

Lana fell to the ground shaking in fear for she now realized two things.

One, her Gift could reach into other Gifts and now she knew exactly how to do it.

Two, Uncle was not a small insane part of herself but something separate living inside her.

A/N: Alright! This chapter was a lot longer than I was expecting but that's hardly a bad thing. This was the beginning of a major shift in the story! Yay! Okay, I hope all that read enjoyed it and also very much have the urge to REVIEW. I promise they really do make me write. Please, please, please review!

Oh! The title is from a song written by my friend's band member.

One more thing, if you'd notice I changed the genre from "general" to "adventure/tragedy" you've been warned!