A/N: Here's a short chapter, the next one will be longer and much more action-packed! Meanwhile, enjoy (:

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

::Ax::

Loren's sudden deliriousness was highly worrying. I badly wanted to join Prince Jake and Marco on their attempt to source David out, or even attempt to search for clues as to where Tobias and Rachel could be hidden, but I could not possibly leave Loren alone in Cassie's barn. This was compounded by the fact that Loren was also my sister-in-law, of course.

I hummed to her as I kept her against the hay bale. She was now getting increasingly tired from calling out to Tobias and had no energy to struggle against me.

Not being part of the mission was making me think a lot. My previous theory of the kithi maral – the unexpected incident occurring to a change in the timeline – was partially correct given that David's involvement during the time when Prince Jake and the others were at the construction site. However, David's appearance during Loren's and Tobias's near-accident seemed rather out of place. The theory also did not explain the personality differences.

Then Loren had mentioned the man in her dreams. The one who said he was tired of playing games. Now that I had theorised that this was all a game in which our consciousness had been transplanted into pre-moulded avatars, it was actually possible that the Ellimist could be involved, as Cassie had assumed. But it really was impossible that the Ellimist would have struck a deal with David. Also, the Ketran were not known to play games in this manner – in other words, using avatars.

The Ketran. I leant back against the hay bale as I thought about the stories my ancestors told. They were once the most intelligent species in the galaxy, but were ruined by that very aspect. The Ellimist was the only known creature of that species to have survived, and my ancestors said it was for the better. The Ketran had played with too many lives in the universe (for their games always wiped out one species at a time) and they could not have been allowed control for much longer.

The Capasins sought to end that control. Ironically, the annihilation of that species had only resulted in the intensification of power in the Ellimist as he traversed the universe in search of purpose. It really did not seem like the Ellimist to be seeking purpose in this one human boy who wanted things to be different.

The only other being we knew of who could have struck a deal with David would be Crayak. Crayak had once created an alternate reality where my human friends were assuming different personas. But they had no inkling of the present reality when they were assuming the personas of a slave-owner or a youth party general. Also, allowing David this much room to play with seemed very uncharacteristic of Crayak.

In short, I was sure that whoever allowed David to play this game was a novice.

There were no known Ketran survivors from the genocide apart from the Ellimist, nor are there sightings of another of Crayak's kind. Whoever this gamemaster was, he was slowly, but surely losing control of the game. He had surrendered power to David, making him the master of this plan – and thus, only David could end this game.

The question was, what did David want with this game? Only then would we be able to find a way to convince him to end it. If Prince Jake and Marco could not find the reason from David, then I had to find it from the gamemaster.

I turned to Loren and shook her. "Loren, can you hear me?"

Loren's eyes opened, but they were unfocused.

"Loren, I need you to tell me what else the old man told you in your dreams. Can you remember?"

"Tobias..."

I propped her up against a chair and shook her again. "Loren, please. Calm down and think."

It took a while. I hummed the Andalite lullaby again and slowly, she began to relax. Her mouth moved a little, but no words came out. Finally, her limbs slackened and her breathing stabilised. Once she looked like she had calmed down, I shook her lightly again.

This time, when she opened her eyes, they were focused.

"Loren, what else do you remember about the old man? It is very important."

She cringed and held fingers to her forehead. I knew her head must be hurting and wished that I had some magical ability to clear what must be a very convoluted mind.

"I can't..." Loren whispered, closing her eyes. "He didn't want me to stay..."

"Take your time," I said. But I didn't mean it. I wanted her to think as fast as she could.

She gripped the chair. Suddenly, impatience got the better of me.

"Tobias's life is at stake here," I said.

"I know that!" Loren suddenly snapped. "One loved one lost is enough for me; of course, I'm worried! Why do you think I'm clambering to go after him?" Then she tilted her head back. "But my head freakin' hurts! Do you think it's so damn easy?"

Once again, I was impressed by her. Many human women tend to go into hysterics when pressurised. Loren not only tried her best to break out of her delirium, but was also trying her best to deal with the pain of her head and heart. I wish I had gotten to know her in better circumstances.

Although the very fact that she had met my brother had already been part of the sequence of events that had triggered off this mess.

"Where's Cassie?" whispered Loren, still holding her head in her hands.

"Melissa is here," I said. "She is calling David."

"I'd wring that boy's neck if I ever see him."

"Rest, Loren," I said, finally. "I don't want to pressure you anymore, your face is very pale and it distresses me. Get some strength back..." I thought for a while. "And we can kick some ass."

Loren chuckled wearily. "You have been spending a long time on Earth."

"The television, encyclopaedia and Marco are very good influences."

"Uh-huh," said Loren, with a sigh. "I would highly doubt that."

"Did you know that the cow has four stomachs? Their digestive system is extremely fascinating and involves a complicated transfer of materials between those organs."

Loren smiled again. "I did know they have many. They chew and regurgitate some of their food too."

I stared at her. "You have read the encyclopaedia too?"

"Nah, it's just one of those things that you happen to know."

There was a silence, and I closed my eyes.

Loren put a hand on my arm, and my eyes flew open. "You've grown into a fine adult, Aximili. Your brother would have been proud."

I could feel heat inside me, where my stomach was. I wasn't sure why I was feeling hot when the emotion was pride, but I took her hand. "Thank you, Loren. My brother would have been proud of you too."

"I miss him."

"So do I."

There was another pause.

"Ax?"

"Yes?"

"I..." Her back straightened. "I think I remember something."

My body went rigid.

"Some... where."