Horizons

Commander Roghallach's boots drummed heavily over the wooden docks of Meir Valan. He hadn't so much as even waited for the return of the royal family to Haven before he set out to meet his king and queen back home. The commander had been silent for the duration of his trip on a trading vessel. The eirian had barely waited for the ship to be properly moored before he had stomped down the plank to the dock. It was warmer in Meir Valan than it had been in Haven, the rain the other city had earlier had made it to Meir Valan where it seemed to stall out and make it humid and sticky. The sky was a dull grey, the ground was slick with rain and it pooled in areas of grass as readily as it did on uneven roads that spidered out from the warehouses and led towards the capital. Roghallach still had a ways to travel, unlike Haven's docks that jutted out from the side of the city-island Meir Valan's were situated on a river bank near the capital city. The river was a fair distance from the city so unless Roghallach wanted to be walking up until the time the sun set he was going to have to hire transportation of some form.

Thunder rumbled overhead, there had been no flash of lightning preceding it so Roghallach wasn't worried about getting caught in a downpour. Not all of the traffic beyond the rows of warehouses on the wide avenues was bound for Meir Valan, there were also those destined for Hawk Ridge just to the northwest of Meir Valan. From Roghallach's current vantage point the two cities looked like one as they slowly climbed up the rise that was backed against the river vale, the very river Roghallach had just stepped away from. Due to the geography of the region the two cities had to share the same dock as the rock wall that dropped off on the eastern side of both wouldn't allow easy travel to and from the river at those points.
The fiery haired elf frowned as his eyes scanned the travelers once he had cleared the triple row of warehouse buildings. There weren't too many leading animals that could be used as mounts and even less were hitched to carts. The rain had considerably slowed the trade routes apparently. No one wanted to get stuck in the mud and Roghallach could clearly see the evidence of carts and even animals that had been mired in the sludge beside the road.

"Ye be an army man?"
It was a seadog that had spoken. Roghallach warily eyed the scruffy canine creature. Seadogs were always grinning it seemed and it was rarely a good thing. Most were pirates, a profession they readily accepted. Some claimed the title of 'privateer' but it didn't fool Roghallach one bit. A pirate by any other name was still a cur set adrift in the waters and skies of Skylands. The one Roghallach was watching happened to be dressed more like a tourist than a sea farer. He wore flip flops, khaki shorts and a rich green polo that showed a triangular patch of the coarse fur on his chest. It wasn't at all how a seadog normally dressed and only drew him bewildered and suspicious stares. The seadog's oversized teeth were displayed in a wide grin; it reminded Roghallach a lot of Ghost Roaster really. But unlike the seadog Ghost Roaster showed compassion behind his ghoulish grin.
"Ye is, ain't cha?" the seadog squinted. His wolfish face split into a crooked grin. "Traveling alone? Ain't seen any others liken ye this way."

Roghallach's fingers drummed on the hilt of his sword, it was luckily strapped to the side the seadog was standing on. The commander flashed him a dark look as he moved ahead. Aside from speaking like every other seadog Roghallach had ever come across the fellow hadn't said or done anything to indicate if he was there to stir up trouble but either way Roghallach didn't have the time to deal with him. He wanted to get back to the palace and go over the plans Captain Avon had no doubt made to keep the city safe in the event Kaos or Asmodeus returned. He needed to make sure Steward Dai was going to be set up to look after affairs for the day the king and queen would be away. As much as Roghallach wanted to be there to see Seraphina get married he had the safety of Meir Valan to look after. Of course Kaos would have to be stirring in the area at the same time.

"Yer headin' to Meir Valan?" Again it was the seadog's voice.
The rumble that accompanied him made Roghallach stop and turn back around. The commander did a poor job of hiding his surprise at seeing the seadog sitting on a bench in a cart laden with crates and barrels. The animal that pulled it was a thick limbed and stocky horse creature that bore six legs. Roghallach knew what a rock strider was but wasn't all that familiar with them. The animal's brown and grey hide was full of hard angles and flat planes that really did make it look more like a roughly carved statue than a living creature. The commander hadn't seen the cart or the strider when he surveyed the area, where had they come from?
The seadog squinted again; it gave his face a dangerous look. "I knows ye don't be trustin' me, elf. I done passed the patrols there at the dock sows ye can be belivin' that I's clean. Open me cargo if it so be pleasin' ye. I's askin' again, yer headin' to Meir Valan?" he openly eyed the embossed image of a Capricorn on the commander's vambraces, the crest of Meir Valan and indicator that the elf served the king. "Climb aboard. The rain's sure ta start up again." Thunder punctuated his statement and the seadog cocked his head to the side in an unspoken, 'you see?' question.

The seadog looked ridiculous in his tourist attire. But Roghallach accepted the offer and climbed up the boards to the bench and took a seat next to the seadog. The canine creature was squat and short compared to the tall and lithe elf but he was twice as wide with heavy shoulders and a thick neck. What an odd pair they made, made even stranger by the fact the seadog appeared to be the one taking the lead.
"So," the canine brute said with his eyes straight ahead, "What be the business of one such as yerself leavin' without any sort of accompaniment. Lookin' sneaky sez I."
Roghallach wrapped his fingers around his blade and drew it enough for the cold steel to catch the seadog's eye.
"Aye! What a foul mood ye be in!" he snapped. "Is a bloke not bein' able to spark up a wee bit o' conversation now?" All he got from Roghallach was an icy stare. The seadog straightened up with a grunt and slapped the reins against the rock strider's tough hide.

The cart began to steadily drift towards the edge of the road and the muddy expanse next to it in an effort to pass the slower foot traffic on the paved road.
"If you leave the road and mire your cart in the muck beside it I will not help you pull it free."
"Oh so he does have a voice!" the seadog exclaimed. He grinned at Roghallach and led the rock strider right into the mud. "She won't get stuck."
The commander fell silent again, as soon as the cart stuck fast to the sludge he would make good on his promise to leave.

The gates to Meir Valan stood open; the guards posted there had begun to change shifts and were more concentrated due to it. People moved in and out with only quick stops to ensure they carried nothing illegal. The faces were mixed, eirian just as numerous as the various Skylanders and merchants from nearly every walk of life.
The seadog's cart hadn't gotten stuck in the mud. It looked like it might but the seadog merely hopped out, pulled out boards he had strapped to the underside of the cart and wedged them under the wheels while the powerful draft animal easily pulled the cart out. Roghallach was impressed but chose not to voice it. Instead he reminded the seadog that while he had passed dock security he still needed to pass that of the gate.
"Considering who it be I were traveling with I had expected to slide through," the canine creature growled. He warily eyed the guard that approached and saluted who he now knew to be Commander Roghallach.
The eirian shrugged in a helpless sort of way, "I abide by the rules laid out by my forefathers. I would be a poor commander indeed if I went against them." He walked through the gates without a hitch and ignored the sour grumbling from the seadog. If the canine was telling the truth about his cargo being legit then what did he have to worry about?

The shadows were growing long, there were maybe two hours of sun left. Roghallach had made better time than if he had walked but still he felt he could have arrived sooner. The city was bustling with activity like normal and moods were high. The threat he had heard of hadn't yet touched the people of Meir Valan. That was good and comforting, but how long would it last? Roghallach let his thoughts wander as he approached the stable near the city gates. This stable was full of only birds assigned to guards with a few extra on hand for use by persons such as Roghallach to travel quickly to and from the palace. He checked with the attendant to find one such bird and settled on an ostrich rather than orniteryx; the ostrich would be faster and better tempered than a war bird.

His ride through the city was uneventful, just the way Roghallach had wanted it. In no time he was dismounting and leading the borrowed mount towards the attendant at the palace to handle.
"The king and queen are expecting you," the young elf woman said. "Find the Overseer when you enter the palace and he can take you to them. They are nearly ready to depart for Haven."
"So soon?" Roghallach was genuinely surprised; he would have thought they would depart early in the morning.
The attendant shrugged slender shoulders, "I guess so. I cannot help you with the why or how. I only know what I was told in the event you arrived."
Roghallach nodded and looked up the spires of the palace; he supposed the king and queen would wish to arrive early if only to spend time with their daughter before the ceremony. The commander would send Avon in his stead, his son Meilyr was in Haven anyway so he had a better reason that Roghallach to be involved.

"No, that one goes over here in this case. Yes, I want all of her fine dresses kept separate from the riding dresses. Honestly, you would think that would be common knowledge. You do not keep your eggs in the wood pile, do you?" Queen Delyth Reve huffed and folded her arms across her chest as she supervised the packing of Seraphina's rooms. Her expression softened when her husband stepped into the room.
"Delyth," he said gently, "Would you not have Seraphina come for her things herself?"
The queen shook her head, "No, Hayden. I mean yes I would rather prefer it that way but tomorrow is the last day she will have with Kaelin before his Portal Master pulls him from Skylands. I want her to enjoy her time with him and if that means I do not get to spend more time with my daughter after her wedding then so be it. There will be other times in which we can spend time together."
"Our first child is moving on," Hayden said as he sat down in a plush chair. He folded his hands in his lap and looked up at his still standing wife. "It will be different around here without her." The king smiled bitterly then leaned back into the black velvet chair. "We have not had our children with us in quite some time thanks to the Skylander curse."

"Can you imagine how it must be for parents of the younger Skylanders? What about the parents who are Skylanders themselves? Our children are grown and can take care of themselves. How horrible the others must feel about what they are missing with their younger offspring." Delyth crouched down and took Hayden's hands in her own. "How long before we can become grandparents? Even if the curse of the Copies is broken what about banishment? Will that affect the future for everyone?"
Hayden's soft blue eyes met Delyth's honeyed ones before a smile lit up his face, "My dear, you focus so on the negative. Our daughter is marrying on the morrow. We are about to gain a son, where is that beautiful smile of yours?" Hayden freed one of his hands from where she had them clasped in hers and ran the backs of his fingers gently down her cheek before he cupped it and brushed the pad of his thumb over Delyth's lips. After a few soft sweeps she finally smiled at him and closed her eyes to nuzzle into his hand.
"I am sorry. I should be enjoying this, and I am excited. It is just not how I envisioned it would be. But it is a happy day nonetheless."

Hayden watched Delyth pull away and stand before he rose out of the chair. "Have you packed my love? I have not seen you in our rooms since Magee brought the news."
"Yes," Delyth nodded and turned back to watch the dismantling of Seraphina's rooms. Curios were being packed away, her prized books were coming off the shelves in her study and every item that breathed her name and tastes was slowly tucked into a straw stuffed crate. "I am already packed. Are you, my husband? You are terrible about packing."
Delyth's tone said it all; she already knew the answer and was asking only as a means to remind Hayden that she knew him well. "I was hoping to have your opinion on a few items, actually," he said in a voice unbefitting of a king with its embarrassed undertones.
"Amara," Delyth called out. The wine haired lady in waiting stepped out of the study and curtsied before the queen. "Oversee the packing. Do not let them mix up the items in the crates. Each room has its own."
Amara bowed her head deeply, "Of course. I will make sure everything remains ordered."

Commander Roghallach's boots clicked together before he dipped into a bow in front of the royal couple as they departed Seraphina's room.
Hayden Reve's expression was a mixture between excitement and confusion. "Commander! You have returned. Have things reached a conclusion with the Skylander you had taken under your wing?"
"They have and forgive my bluntness but why did you not call upon me as soon as you learned that Asmodeus had escaped?"
"Walk with us, please," the king held a hand out. "You have not mentioned the news concerning the Amber Clan in the west. Have you not heard yet?"
Roghallach nearly missed a step, "The Amber Clan? No, I have heard nothing. What would gargoyles have to do with us?" Roghallach was barely silent for the span of a breath before the answer came to him. "Never mind," the eirian scowled.

"To be fair we only received word a short time ago ourselves," Delyth quickly added to smooth Roghallach's growing frustration. "The Archmage nearly missed the message as it came via enchanted quill."
The commander walked alongside the royal couple down the hall that led to their chambers and made faces as his thoughts raced and spun out of control. "Would I be right to assume the Amber Clan is missing psionics following an attack by the forces in service to Kaos?"
Hayden patted Delyth's hand when she placed it on his arm and looked at Roghallach out of the corner of his eye. "You are right and it was a very covert operation. There were only a handful of them and they took the guise of Skylanders. They captured two psionic children and some of the adults that followed them through the portal were psionic as well. No one knows yet if those adults are in custody or lost in the Between."

"And the wedding is still going to happen tomorrow?"
"Commander!" Delyth gasped. She leaned out past her husband to better see Roghallach on his other side. "Seraphina has waited two years for this! We have no other information on the situation so what can we do but prepare ourselves and live life while we wait?"
"And if the Darksiders see your absence as a weakness to exploit?"
Hayden bristled, "You know as well as I do, Commander, that they are going to strike other gargoyle clans first to gather more psionics to utilize. The clans are moving to the nearest cities and there are no clans in Garda to draw any attention to Meir Valan or the rest of my kingdom. We can better mobilize against the threat once they play their hand. All that has happened so far is the dealing of the cards."
"I dislike the card game analogies my love," Delyth mumbled, "If only this were as harmless as a card game."
"I will watch Meir Valan in your absence; I have been away from my duties for too long. I do not like the fact you insist on traveling but I know I cannot talk you out of it." The commander's jaw was firm and clenched as he looked straight ahead. When the king and queen reached their personal quarters he gave them a bow in parting and continued to stride down the hall with all the air of an angry bear.

The king's brow furrowed and his expression turned sour. "Leave him be," Delyth said softly. "If it were not because this was the wedding of our daughter you too would refuse to leave the city for anything and would stick yourself right in the middle of business better suited for the commander."
Hayden straightened his posture and nodded, "I am afraid however that our presence will be short lived. Roghallach does have a point in regards to leaving the city without its rulers for long."
Delyth bowed her head and hid her distraught look by turning into the door as she opened it. Hayden was right however, they simply didn't have the time to enjoy the wedding like they should be able to. She felt rotten with the knowledge that she would see her daughter married then would leave before she was able to celebrate with her. Perhaps the celebration could be held at a more comfortable time. Haven itself was a point of interest for the Darksiders; the wedding alone was a glaringly obvious weak spot. Delyth found her mood jumped between glee and regret in the blink of an eye when she thought about how much less the wedding would be because of the times.

The metal plates of the wall allowed sound to echo easily. The room sounded so empty and noises in it were so loud to the ears of the captive gargoyles.
Ankti shivered again, she wasn't cold but the terror that turned her blood to ice made her think she was. Nahuel stood before her; the black feline based gargoyle was completely at ease as he ran clawed fingers through the tawny mane of hair he possessed. His back faced Ankti as he spoke to the drow warlock Ankti had just made him loyal to. She knew what she had done was wrong and all she could think about was how much her teacher would scold and punish her for breaking the code of honor among the Clans of Light. Not to mention her mother, surely she didn't actually want Ankti to do those horrible things? Ankti knew pain made people say things they didn't always mean. And then her father and big brother, would she ever see them again?

The soft cream colored girl sobbed quietly to herself. She didn't have the energy left for anything more than hot tears that flowed over her pained face freely.
Asmodeus's gaze flickered past Nahuel towards Ankti then back to the softly groaning mass that was the girl's mother. "I need to test Ankti's work, Nahuel. You understand don't you?"
"What would you ask of me?" the youth asked. His voice had just barely started to deepen and still sounded uneven at times when he spoke. His expression said he was at ease and that he completely trusted Asmodeus.
"Kill the wretch," he pointed towards Ankti's mother. He heard the girl gasp and suppressed a smirk. Right on cue Ankti began to protest and threaten to undo what she had done to Nahuel. "Nahuel, if the child does make mental contact with you I want you to turn on her and bend her mind to my will. If she continues to fight me I won't hesitate to make her more compliant."
"Why not do so now? Ankti is willful, the fact that her parents are the Alphas make her think she's untouchable."

Asmodeus's eyes widened, Ankti's parents led the clan she had been taken from? Then he had a bargaining chip that would make that clan weakened to his influence already. "I want the girl to see what I will do to her if she even thinks of turning on me," Asmodeus said. He didn't care for the life of her mother; her death could only heighten his advantage and make Ankti's position look that much more fragile. "You are a hunter, correct?"
Nahuel nodded, his stiff hair bounced and swayed with the action. "I have been on a few hunts but I have prepared the animal more often."
"Nahuel!" Ankti squealed. She wanted to unravel the web of compulsion she had woven over his mind but Nahuel was a stronger psionic. The only reason she was even able to overpower him to begin with was the drug Asmodeus had given him. Now he could swat her intrusions away like a fly. "Don't do it, please!" she begged and choked on nearly every word. Her sobs took on a strangled tone as she pleaded with the other gargoyle. The worst part was how he stare at her blankly as if he didn't understand her cries.

"Give her a smile," Asmodeus said softly. He folded his hands behind his back, his rich blue skin looked very dark in the dim light and the white runic glyphs on his chest only seemed to glow in what light there was. "Smiles are soothing," the goliath warlock said with a twisted grin. "Let her know her mother is in good hands. You have prepared a carcass before, maybe it's time little Ankti learn how to do it herself. Show her how with her mother."
"No! No!" Ankti screamed. Long ago she had stopped fighting her bonds but now her struggle was renewed. The skin around her ankles and wrists had been rubbed raw and the rope had begun to soak up blood from the open wounds but still Ankti squirmed and thrashed. "Momma, momma wake up!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs. She reached out with her mind to her mother like she had with Nahuel but she tried only to rouse her mother rather than force her into action.

Her mother's thoughts swirled around uncontrollably and Ankti saw so many memories dating back to the time her mother was a child on through her training to become Alpha and her eventual rise to the position. She saw her father court her mother, her mother accepted and then she saw herself and her brother.
So many memories, Ankti had allowed herself to become lost in the comforting scenes. As a psionic she could experience everything her mother remembered about certain situations right down to how things felt, smelled and tasted. It was a sanctuary from the world that awaited her outside of her mother's fond memories.

That sanctuary was shattered by the first howl of pain from her mother. White-hot fires of agony seized Ankti and forced her to withdraw from her mother's mind when pain replaced the warmth she had sought to cocoon herself in.
"Stop it!" Ankti begged. She managed to make the chair hop forward with her jerk. She tried it again and moved forward yet again. The chair creaked and clapped harshly against the floor as she tried to hobble forward. "You're hurting her!" Ankti bellowed hoarsely over her mother's delirious shrieks. Ankti's face felt so hot, even the tears that spilled from her eyes felt like molten streams against her skin as she watched Nahuel cut her mother open from breast bone down to her groin with a knife Asmodeus had given him. Ankti couldn't tear her eyes away from the horrible scene; as much as it hurt her and made her light headed she couldn't turn her eyes away from the gore.

Nahuel's black hands glistened with crimson and the brown spots that dotted his ebony skin made the red seem that much brighter when it touched them. The young gargoyle grunted when tougher skin or bones snagged the knife and made him work it free before he could keep cutting. The dying Alpha before him had been cut out of her clothing and writhed weakly completely naked before him. Nahuel hissed at her thrashing wings and stepped over her hips to slice through the tendons on her back that allowed the limbs to function. Her wings were rendered useless but with a sadistic grin Nahuel took the wing that wasn't pressed against the floor and twisted it as he pulled. Bone snapped and flesh split as he ripped the wing first out of the socket then removed it from her body.
"You won't be needing that anymore," Nahuel growled into the chocolate female's ear when he grabbed her by the ear and pulled her head off the metal floor. The adult's eyes rolled wildly and her eyelids fluttered. She was barely aware; pain was all she could seem to focus on. Nahuel pushed her head back down to the floor hard enough for it to bounce once before it stilled there and her nostrils flared as she drew each breath.

"You're going to kill her!" Ankti screamed so shrilly it was nearly intelligible. "Momma!" Ankti choked out again.
"That's the point!" Nahuel snapped back. He stepped over the prone gargoyle's hip again and cut across her chest, just under the gargoyle's breasts before he began to peel back the skin from muscle and bone.
"Ankti," her mother's gargled call sounded, "Close your eyes baby." The chocolate colored female closed her own, the bitter taste of bile and blood was thick in her mouth and the world seemed to grow colder and darker. She felt every cut of the knife, every roll of her skin away from the wounds the enslaved Nahuel forced. She forgave him and prayed for his release, he would be forever haunted for what he was doing and it wasn't his fault.

Ankti used her psionic's to wrench the knife out of Nahuel's hands. She didn't dare touch him with her ability but she could try and stop him. Her mother coughed, thick streams of blood had begun to drip out of her mouth and she turned sad eyes onto her daughter.
"Close y-your eyesss," Ankti's mother rasped. Her lids fluttered shut again just before Nahuel rammed his clawed fingers into the soft skin under her chin and against her throat. She gave one last wet wheeze of breath before she fell silent.
Ankti's sobs stopped suddenly and she clenched her jaw tight enough for her teeth to squeal in protest. Her breathing was rapid and shallow as her eyes became wired open and burned with the sting associated with a lack of blinking. She just couldn't blink, what if what she saw when her eyes were closed was worse?
Nahuel moved away from the corpse and retrieved the knife before he resumed cutting. He completely unnerved Ankti when he began to talk to her like a hunter did an apprentice. The way he referred to her mother as just another animal to feed the clan burned pain and loathing into Ankti's heart.

At some point Asmodeus had stepped into the shadows of the room. With the eerie silence he re-emerged and watched Nahuel explain everything he did to the dead gargoyle. Ankti tried not to hear when he detailed why certain things had to be done certain ways. One by one the corpse's organs were removed and set to the side, Nahuel was very careful not to puncture anything in the gut because it could spoil the meat he told Ankti. Asmodeus was satisfied and knew Nahuel was completely loyal to him. It was time to bend the will of the other two gargoyles and use them to reinforce the hold Asmodeus had. Before long he would be ready to present Kaos with a psionic or two. Yes, just two; Asmodeus would keep some for himself. Once Nahuel had finished preparing the Alpha female's corpse he would have the youth put a block on Ankti's psionics if possible. He didn't need her to get brave and undo what he had accomplished.

In Haven Krystal had sat through countless explanations of what was happening and what made some of the Skylanders in the room so different. It was a lot to take in and keep straight. The Portal Master kept backing up through topics t get clarification on certain points. It was a slow process.
"Explain it to me one more time, please?" Krystal sighed. She knew the others must be sick of her questions but what was she supposed to do? She had barely gotten the chance to talk to Seraphina and ask about some of her more unique skills that Windy had mentioned when a Voodoodling arrived looking serious and somber; a normal expression for his kind really. She didn't feel the shock that the Cores did over learning a gargoyle clan was attacked and she definitely didn't understand the outrage from those closest to Seraphina.
"Show her, Sera," Anicetus growled. "Show her what Kaos could do with a psionic." The Ignitorling waved his hand in a general manner before he folded his arms over the breastplate of his armor.
"The best way to demonstrate is to use my psionics on her, I do not think I can affect a Portal Master," Seraphina bit her lip as she looked to Krystal.
It was Kaelin that voiced her other concern, "It is disrespectful to overrule her will anyway."
"How many times and different ways have we tried to explain it to her?" Eloryn asked. The Flashwingling had stretched out on the floor next to where Galvin sat. The Sunburnling looked from Eloryn up to Seraphina; he agreed with Eloryn but also understood the gravity of the situation.

"If it'll help me understand, just do it. It won't hurt me, right?" Krystal asked nervously.
"No, of course not. But it goes against my code of honor," the Hexling began to wring her hands. She gave a weak smile to Kaelin when the Riderling pressed his front to her back and wrapped his arms around her midsection. "I am going to make some suggestions to you, Krystal. Depending on how strong they are you might find them easier to ignore. Once I find the right leverage to get around your defenses the exercise will be over and hopefully you will see what we mean."
Spyro cleared his throat to draw attention to himself. "As soon as we have finished we need to get you back to your Skylanders Krystal. If Kaelin and Seraphina allow it I would like to take a few of your Skylanders with us when we go to investigate the gargoyles."
"You want to take my," Krystal began in shock; "on a mission?" she finished her fragmented statement with wide eyed disbelief.
"That won't be a problem, will it?" Spyro looked from Krystal to Seraphina and Kaelin.
Kaelin shook his head, "No, I rather like the idea. We can discuss who all will be going once I have seen everyone." The Riderling leaned over Seraphina's shoulder to kiss her on the cheek. "Please, go ahead with what you were going to do."

Carefully Seraphina stepped out of Kaelin's embrace and met Krystal's eyes. "Are you ready?" she asked. The uncertainty in her voice was strange to hear.
The Portal Master looked around the room; did everyone have to stare at her? At least Prior Elanniah and Prince Ceron had departed after the Voodoodling Niall had delivered the news. "Yeah, I'm ready."
"You might get the feeling you are not quite alone," Seraphina said softly.
"But I'm not," Krystal blinked. She looked around the room at the gathered Skylanders. The Portal Master rubbed a hand over the back of her head when she felt the tickle there and looked back to Seraphina. "So what am I looking for?"
"I guess I should not have been surprised," Seraphina murmured, "It makes sense I could make mental contact using your holographic image as a conduit. It is sort of like my bond with my own Portal Master. It is disconcerting," Seraphina turned back to Kaelin. He looked thoughtful and nodded slowly.

"What?" Krystal asked. She felt very nervous suddenly, she couldn't feel a thing and didn't understand what they were talking about. "Why do most of you look worried while the others are just as lost as me?"
"The psionics that were taken can be used against the Portal Masters as well as the Skylanders," Anicetus hissed. The Ignitorling's flames burned blood red then deepened to a nearly black color. "If they can take one Portal Master out then it will be just as effective as corrupting every Skylander that Portal Master has."
Krystal's heart missed a beat and she held her breath. "How do you know they can do this?"
"Because I can," Seraphina replied. She shook her head, "Forgive me. But I want to make this quick so we can get into the Amber Clan for information."
"I still don't under-hey!" Krystal gasped when she suddenly spun around on one foot and slapped her arms down by her sides. She hadn't done it but yet it had happened. When she tried to turn back around she found her right arm rose and pointed back behind her. The Portal Master's eyes were wide and her chest rose and fell quickly in the panic she felt setting in. "What the fudge is happening!?" Krystal squeaked when she began to hop in a little circle against her will. "Please stop!" Krystal pleaded. It wasn't right; it was like Krystal had lost control of herself.

"I am sorry," Seraphina said as she bowed her head. "But do you understand now? The enemy will do more than rob you of control of your body; they will take your mind as well. Will you promise to stay out of Skylands when things reach a boiling point?"
Krystal shivered involuntarily when she felt Seraphina's presence leave her mind. She hadn't even realized the Hexling was there until she made herself known. "I, I can't promise anything. If I can help I want to."
"Foolish," Eloryn scowled. The Flashwingling snorted and rearranged her crystal wings.
"No different than you," Niall replied with a raised brow. "But you can help from outside of Skylands too."
Krystal shook her head and set her jaw firmly. "I want to be here."
"Eon always put himself in danger, it's part of being a Portal Master," Spyro said before any of the others could reply to Krystal. "We can argue this point later. Rider, Hex, Cynder and Double Trouble are all still out in the city. We need to find them and inform them of this."

"I will stay here," Anicetus offered. "I will await their return. Send for me if you have need," the Ignitorling said.
"I want to sit this one out too," Meilyr said sheepishly. "My track record with gargoyles is not all that… promising," The Fizzling said with an embarrassed grin.
Murmurs of similar subjects rippled through the room, in the end it was only Seraphina, Kaelin, Spyro and Flameslinger that decided to go with Krystal to the docks. Sprocket had wanted to catch up with Ghost Roaster as did Drobot and Trigger Happy.
The rest of the Tour residents wanted time to unwind for a while and Eloryn had even decided she was going to go back to Meir Valan for a while; Krystal opened the portal for her and Galvin along with Teranika and Rafer when they decided to join her. Niall requested to set out for Hawk Ridge to ensure his own home was doing well with the news and preparations of the inevitable return of Kaos. Crevan had considered returning himself but decided it would be harder to get back if too many had gone separate ways so he stayed in Haven.
Pop Fizz was more or less attached to his two copies and always wanted to be around at least one of them. It seriously had Meilyr pondering introducing him to their potions game. Stealth set out to look for Rider, Hex, Cynder and Double Trouble in her spare time. The group had separated but knew nightfall would bring them back together.

Once again the royal carriage had been put to use. It carried an array of passengers along with the king and his future queen. Flameslinger fit right in with the elves but Spyro and the holographic image of Krystal stood out glaringly so.
"Are you being serious in your wish to remain active here in the Skylands?" Flameslinger sat next to Kaelin and Seraphina in a covered carriage as it trundled from the palace back to the docks. On the seat opposite him sat Krystal and Spyro. The Portal Master was the focal point for everyone currently; the sounds of the city outside the carriage didn't draw attention from anyone but Krystal.
Krystal didn't answer Flameslinger right away; she didn't even hear his inquiry at first. It wasn't until Spyro asked her if she was alright did the elf's question finally register with her. She turned away from the window and it's near sunset picture of the city and looked to the others she shared the carriage with. "Yeah, I'm serious. I mean yeah I can help from back on Earth but if I'm here I can open portals better and get information faster."

"But Krystal, if an enemy psionic gets to you and drives you out of Skylands along with your Skylanders there will be no way to help you. I do not think we can reach you to set things right while we are here and you are on Earth. Even if it were possible while we were in our figures back on Earth how would we find you? Kaelin and I both have a wide range on our psionics but if we do not know where to begin it is little help."
"It's not like I'll be in Skylands all the time. I think I'm gonna stay on my island most of the time. I can't do much more than make portals. But that's enough, right?"
"You are to be staying on your island," Flameslinger nodded. He smirked at Spyro's surprised look, "I would tell my Portal Master the same. They are to be thankful of for sure but they do not have the magic that Eon did to be protecting of themselves. It is better this way and even I am to be seeing it."

The Portal master sat back in her seat, her holographic image seemed to clip the carriage at times and parts of her simply vanished into the seat before they remerged with the jostling of the carriage. "I'm going to open a portal for you guys then leave for the day. My parents are probably worried; I've been in Skylands all day. Man I bet I'm going to have to pee so bad," she murmured to herself. At least Krystal knew where they were going, before they had left the palace Niall had given them the magical coordinates for the Amber Clan that Kaelin had been able to translate into what Krystal needed to make a portal to a new location.
Seraphina made a face at the way the human had expressed herself but held her tongue when she caught Kaelin's amused smirk and shake of his head. "Make sure you have gathered your Skylanders now so that they are ready before we arrive. You can depart sooner that way."
"Are you going to be able to get back?" Krystal asked.
"You can check in on us later and bring us back home if needed," Kaelin answered.

Windy felt amazing, her long walk and the hard work before it had revitalized her in a way she would have never expected. It was a surprise to the others Skylanders she met upon exit of the portal when she hopped out grinning and humming to herself.
"Well someone's spirits are looking up," Scorch said with an arched brow.
"I needed that, thanks for letting me be guys. You're real biffers you know," the Whirlwindling grinned at them.
"Don't do it again, Windy," Sprint sighed. The Stealthling stepped around Polo and Steek to approach her. "Let us know next time you're getting stressed. We thought you were gonna do something stupid."
"I just might be forced to use my vines on you," Camo grinned. He didn't say if they would be normal vines or his firecracker vines. It was a safe bet though that he would use the latter vines.
"Did Krystal say why she brought us back?" Mystic questioned Windy. Her group hadn't been informed by their Portal Master but perhaps Windy had been, she was Krystal's favorite after all.
"Nope but look," the hybrid tilted her head towards the road that led to Haven and the carriage that was drawn by leafy green forest steeds. "I bet you five dollars she's in that thing, and so's the king," Windy beamed. She just knew she was right, why else would they have arrived just in time to see it approach?