Can you guys friggin' believe it has been a year since I started this fic? Which means it has been a year since I played Dark Dawn? Which means THEY STILL HAVEN'T SAID ANYTHING ABOUT A SEQUEL? Or if they have, oh crap where the mess have I been?

Which is a very logical answer to which I will provide the answer to:
I hate college. I hate college. I hate college. This semester just suuuuuucked. I changed my major so I am kind of have to start clean but, it's not all that bad. At least I'll be doing something more interesting than listen to people complain about their day. But it is over now and hopefully this summer I can restart this fic.

Sorry for the lateness.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the people who you don't recognize from GS.

Chapter 20: Imil

Alex was waiting for Clovis and Silver at the docks. He stood alone while the wind whipped through his hair, making it a ruffled mess. A simple dagger was clenched in his hand waiting for the moment Silver stepped back onto the deck. When she did, he would strike her down. But it was simply too painful. They have been through so much together. From the moment he dragged himself out of the rocks of Mt. Aleph, Silver had been by him. They struggled together and eventually fell for each other. Life was blissful with her. Even though she was a Dark Adept, she had a warmth within her. Every time they were together, it was like the world stood still. Even after he met Veriti and sired a child with her, he still truly and deeply loved Silver.

The shadows slowly converged to the center of the dock where Clovis began to step out into the light. Alex clenched the dagger harder and tried to push the thoughts out of his head. This was it. This was the moment Silver breathed her last breath. But something was terribly wrong. Instead of Silver appearing next to Clovis, she was hanging limp in his arms. Alex dropped the dagger, letting it clatter softly on the dock. He rushed to her side and brushed her wispy white hair out of her face. She was pale and cold to the touch. She was breathing heavily and her forehead was beaded with sweat.

"What happened?" Alex questioned. Clovis went on to tell what happened. Alex listened intently while he delicately tried his best to heal Silver. Nothing seemed to be working. Once Clovis had finished his tale, the two sat in silence with only the propellers above them making noise. Alex brushed his hand against Silvers' cheek. How could he kill her now? Silver took a rasping breath and her eyes fluttered open. Bright blue eyes pierced into Alex and he continued to caress her cheek. She continue to gaze at Alex till she managed to whisper something. Her voice was weak and it was difficult to hear but, Alex was sure of what he heard.

"Help me…" She struggled to get out. She locked her gaze with Alex before she lost consciousness once again.

xoxo

Snow. A lot of snow. It was everywhere. On the ground, in the trees, falling from the sky, the snow was just everywhere. And now the ship was being covered in snow. After the brief confrontation between Matthew and Silver, the group had run aground. The good news, there was snow so they knew they were in the northern territories. The bad news, they had absolutely no idea where they exactly were. It didn't help that they were worn out. They barely got any sleep, Matthew was injured severely, and Echo was still unconscious. Karis tended to Matthew while Tyrell and Eoleo looked at the damage.

"It's not looking good guys!" Eoleo hollered. Tyrell peered around the corner of the bow of the ship and say a giant gash in the side of the hull.

"Oh man… She's not going anywhere for a while." Tyrell mumbled in defeat. Eoleo ran his fingers across the gash. It wasn't a long gash, just about a couple of yards wide. But the depth was will do the ship in. The gash was a clean cut through and some sea water had already found it way inside. The moment the ship was back at sea, it would sink. They would have to search for Imil by foot.

"Which way do we go first?" Sveta called out. She hated the cold and was already shivering. Reif studied the area trying to remember how to reach Imil. The best was he could think of what to look for the light of Mercury on the horizon. He scanned for a bright blue light and spotted it just passed the ship.

"We go that way. Mercury Lighthouse is near Imil. That's our best bet." He said. Kraden was next to him nodding in agreement. Karis was still trying to heal Matthew but, the cut was deep it was difficult with her lack of experience. Eventually, Nowell stepped in a healed the injury with ease. Karis rolled her eyes and joined Amiti who was clenching his broken ribs.

"We need to rest first," Nowell began. "We have two people injured. Matthew has lost a lot of blood and is in no condition to travel far. Amiti is in too much pain and we have an unconscious girl." She pointed out staring down at Echo who was wrapped in many blankets. She wasn't looking to good either. Echo was extremely pale, almost the same color as the snow. She was breathing heavily with some raspy breaths here and there. Her forehead was beaded with sweat and she was starting to tremble.

"There's no time…" Matthew said. He stood up slowly trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his neck and head. "We need to get to Imil. We can't delay any longer. If mom found anything, she should be in Imil. I'll carry Echo." He said stepping forward and scooping Echo into his arms. She was extremely light and he felt like he wasn't carrying anything. Sveta stared as Matthew walked past her without taking a glance at her. She brushed some of the falling snow off of her shoulders and slowly dredged behind Matthew glaring at the unconscious Echo on his back. Reif and Kraden followed her with Karis helping Amiti along while Himi helped out here and there. Nowell walked behind them with Tyrell and Eoleo bringing up the rear. Eoleo didn't want to leave his ship but, he wouldn't survive long out here. He wasn't exactly dressed for the weather.

They walked for what seemed a long time. Open plains began to turn into dense trees where the snow was thinner but, still difficult to walk in. Matthew was beginning to feel the weight of Echo with each step. The pain was growing more and more but, the light of Mercury was growing slowly. They were still far off and the sun was beginning to set. He remembered his father telling him stories of Imil nights. It was bitter cold where no mortal man could survive. Either they find shelter for the night or magically find a way to teleport there. He was about to mention the plan when he heard a rustling in the woods. Everyone heard it. They began to scan the area drawing their weapons.

Reif called out it was by him. Then Tyrell and Eoleo said it was by them. Karis and Himi called out and soon, five giant bears emerged out of the trees. They were at least eight feet tall weighing roughly around three hundred pounds. Each one had a pair of vicious claws that could shred through anything quickly. Matthew holding Echo, tried to grab his sword too but it was impossible. He couldn't fight and leave Echo alone. Amiti was trying his best to help fight but, his injuries seemed being getting worse. He quickly took in his surroundings and noticed everyone was weary from the night before and today's travel. They were no match for the bears. Even though there were only five, he knew there were more out in the woods waiting to strike. Monsters can be smart too. He had walked his friends into a trap. Nowell had been right. They should have rested before going on.

The first bear attacked Reif who was trying to defend Kraden. Nowell had joined them but, the bear was overpowering them. Reif was more of a healer than a fighter and Nowell was the same. Then the others joined in. Karis was taking one all on her own, defending Amiti who was ready to strike with a powerful attack when the moment was right. Tyrell and Eoleo were behind Matthew fighting off their own. They were keeping up with it yet, Tyrell was growing weary quickly which was unusual.

Himi and Sveta had teamed up as well fighting their own bear. Sveta had changed into her feral form and the bear was no match. That left one bear for Matthew and he knew without a doubt in his mind that he was no match. Echo was cradled in his arms, getting worse by the second. Even he was getting tired. Nowell was right about the loss of blood. His head was pounding and occasionally his vision blurred. But he had to try.

He managed to get Echo onto his back so he could hold his sword at the ready. Then the bear lunged. With a quick swipe of its giant claw, Matthew's sword spun out of his hand and two giant gashes ran down from his elbow to wrist. Blood began to trickle down his sleeve and now he really felt lighted headed. This was the end for him. He was going to die here in front of his friends. Suddenly the bear erupted into flames. The dying screams echoed throughout the woods. Matthew crashed to the ground and Echo rolled next to him. He spotted Karis and saw a clash of lightning strike down the two bears that Karis and Reif had been fending off. Matthew closed his eyes and listened to pure silence. The bears were gone and footsteps crunching in the snow came closer to them.

"MATTHEW!" A voice called from afar. The footsteps came closer till he felt warmth seep into his injured arm. He managed to pull himself up only to see his mother beside him. She looked exactly as he always remembered. Warm brown eyes, auburn hair, and just warmth that never seem to cease. She pulled him upright and brought him into a tight hug. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Ivan had joined them reuniting with Karis and the others.

"When all seems at a loss and you are about to die, your mother will always come to save you right Matthew?" Ivan joked. Matthew couldn't help but make a shaky laugh. He was close to death and his mom made it just in time. Just like always.

"What happened to you? We expected you to be in Imil already but, when we arrived two days ago there was no sign of you. We have been searching the woods every day for you." Jenna said. They all started saying the story and Jenna yelled for silence. "One at a time please. We'll start with Karis."

Karis began the tale and eventually everyone chimed in. Once the tale was finished, Jenna stared down at Echo. She glanced up at Ivan and they quickly exchanged thoughts. "You don't think…" Ivan muttered. Jenna only nodded. The children looked confused while Kraden stood silently.

"I think it would be best to continue this in Imil. I am sure Mia will be happy to see everyone safe." He piped in. Jenna nodded and raised her hand. A bright fireball came forth from her palm sailing high into the sky before exploding into thousands of different colors.

"A signal to Piers and Mia that we found you. Piers has been sailing around hoping you would turn up." Ivan explained. Eoleo volunteered to carry Echo since Matthew was no longer able to. Soon they were making their way up the snow path towards Imil.

xoxo

They had reached Imil by nightfall. The light of Mercury shined brightly in the night sky casting an eerie blue glow in the sky. Many houses in Imil were lit up with candlelight and fireplaces. Standing at the gate entrance was a slender woman standing no taller than five foot four. She had deep blue robes wrapped around her and her shoulder length hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. She held a lantern in her left hand while her right clenched a loose shawl around her shoulders. She spotted shadows in the distance and held the lantern up.

"Mia! We've found them!" Jenna called out. Mia ran forward meeting them halfway. Reif and Nowell stepped ahead of everyone to be the first to greet Mia.

"Mom!" They both cried out as they embraced their mother. Mia placed the lantern in the snow and met her children's embrace.

"Nowell. Reif. Both of you are safe. Thank you Wise One." She muttered. After the brief exchange, Mia picked the lantern back up and led the group back to the inn.

"Piers arrived a few minutes ago. He is warming up by the fire." She said as she opened the door to the inn. They were met with instant warmth and their aching bodies began to relax. The stepped through a small hallway that led to an open area filled with tables and chairs. Off towards the back were two fireplaces lit up with bright fires. Plush couches and chairs were scattered around the area. A stair case led up to the top floor and underneath the stairs was a hallway that most likely led to the kitchen area and the inn keeper room. A girl with bright blue hair and simple robes sat at a small desk by the stair. She paid no attention to the large group walking in, she just kept reading her book.

Piers was nestled in a corner warming his hands by the fire. Everyone joined up and started warming up by the fire. Mia instructed Eoleo to take Echo upstairs to the first bedroom and told Amiti to sit close to the fire. She first inspected everyone else, healing the injuries they had sustained. She finally reached Amiti and delicately lifted his shirt. His side was completely bruised and swollen and just gruesome looking. She carefully placed her hand on his ribs. Her hand was ice cold and it chilled Amiti to the bone, literally. The pain was ceasing as the chill ran throughout his body. Mia closed her eyes and began to whisper and incantation.

Instantly the bruising faded and the swelling went down. It became easier to breath. He was able to take sharp breaths without sudden pain and turn side to side with ease. "Much better now Amiti." She said with a warm smile. Amiti locked gazes and noticed something. She had the exact same eyes as Alex. He caught a lump in his throat. He nodded slowly in thanks. He had completely forgotten that Mia was Alex's cousin. So that meant Reif and Nowell were his family was well. He still had a family. Even after his mother and uncle had passed on, they were still here. That thought brought a smile to his face.

"So what now?" Piers asked.

"We rest first. It has been a long and tiring day. Also, Mia still has Echo to attend to." Jenna said. "We can talk in the morning. Everyone is exhausted and probably are not thinking straight. Rest and fresh minds will help us all." She concluded.

"While we all get settled in, I am going to check on Echo. Jenna, can you help me?" Mia said walking over to the stairs. Jenna nodded and heading upstairs with Jenna.

They stepped into Echo's room where she was tucked neatly into the bed. It was dark within and Mia walked over to the desk and turned the lantern on. A soft light filled the room and Mia quietly went to work. The placed the tips of her fingers gently on Echo's forehead and began chanting. A soft glow emitted from her fingertips and Mia concentrated. After a moment, Mia opened her eyes and pulled away.

"Physically, there is nothing wrong with her. She is in a deep sleep. It's like her mind has locked itself away. Whatever is happening, I cannot help her." She stated.

Jenna, whom had been leaning against the wall, stepped forward and pulled a chair by Echo's bedside. "That's not what you wanted to talk to me about Mia." Jenna glared at Mia. Mia kept her focus on Echo still she took a deep breath and looked up at Jenna.

"You are right. Amiti is Alex's child. I didn't believe you when you told me but, now I see it for myself." Mia tugged at her ponytail, a nervous habit she adopted when Nowell was young. "But I don't know what I can do for the boy. Alex has betrayed me and our clan. What could I possibly tell him?"

Jenna sighed and fell back on her chair. She rubbed her face in weariness and pushed her bangs out of her face. Her hair was getting longer and she didn't mind it. She missed the long hair. She tucked the loose strands behind her ear and leaned back forward.

"Tell him the truth. If he wishes to hear it that is. You don't have to force him to hear about the deeds his father did." She said.

Mia nodded in agreement. "Oh Alex, what have you done now…" She muttered.

xoxo

He pulled the covers over and gently tucked them under the mattress. He had managed to sneak her back into her room but, how long would it take before the High Empyror realizes she was still alive. He couldn't bring himself to kill, not just yet anyway. She seemed so helpless, so fragile. He must have looked like that when she had first met him. But what could he possibly do? If His Majesty ordered the death of someone, it was to be carried out. Maybe he could convince Silver was not a threat. But how? Alex had a lot of work ahead of him. He glanced over his shoulder to the sleeping Silver. She was now trembling and more sweat was breaking out. He leaned down and gave her a gently peck on the forehead and delicately rubbed his thumb across her forehead.

"I will protect you."

I just love those two. Except now, things are kind of shifting in my head and I like where it is going. It contains *BEEP* and *BEEP* Sorry. This is a spoiler free zone. I can't let you know what is happening in my head.

With Love,

Lullaby