The rumors are changed again today. I'm embarrassed to understand now why Noriko was wanting to understand my happiness the other day. I was too happy and let all of the villagers know of my strength. She was kind to not scold me outright, but she probably should have.

Now, I'm the strong and gallant knight of low station who eloped with the princess, and Doros is the stablehand that helped us. Once I get over the embarrassment, fear, and worry about what I did, I'm then embarrassed for another reason.

I happen to really like this rumor of all of the ones they've discussed, thought about, and eventually rejected as they see more and more of us. I'm bouncing between being sad that I may have made it so we'll have to leave soon and the little thrills of delight that run through me.

Noriko is my princess, the one who I protect and will never leave the side of. If that day I turned the rumors to her being that, then I'm glad they can finally see what I am for her. If the rumors stay at this level, then I'll be content. ...But it's me I'm not sure should continue to be so free. I wouldn't want to bring evil on this peaceful place because of showing too many people things that could bring Rachef or others here looking for us.

I wonder how she's doing now? I practice looking at her. I've gotten very light, so that I see her without her noticing, although for a long time she was too focused on her work to notice. She's walking down the road, laughing at a thought in her head. I can't help but smile.

"Hey, Izark. Are you practicing, too?" she asks me.

"Hey. That's the fastest you've known I was looking at you." I respond.

Noriko shakes her head. "No. I was looking first. I'm headed your way."

"Ah, that's why I thought of you. I'll wait for you." I'm glad she was practicing properly.

"Okay." To continue practicing, she comments, "I'm just about done with my field,"

"I'm done here as well. That means I can go with you in the morning." Because I'm very fast and she's slow, she's working the next to last field. The farmer and his wife are in the last field. Evan has been threshing constantly now that most of the grain is dry enough. The harvest being that close to complete also means it's likely time for us to go.

Noriko perks up. "That would be wonderful." Her happiness at seeing me makes me give her a kiss when she arrives. When she reaches for me, I take her hand in mine, happy to have her with me on our walk home. Even if we do leave soon, it will be together. I'm content to do what needs to be done as long as it's that.

Noriko was looking into the air and now she says, "Oh, that's wonderful news! I'm amazed they could find out. Thank you so much."

I glance at the empty air, then look at Noriko. "Is it Irktule?"

"What?" She stares at me in shock. "Yes, it is, but I thought you could see him."

I shake my head. "When we first came, but not any more. He's been fading and for the last little while I haven't been able to at all."

Noriko frowns, then is looking at Irktule again, listening to what I can't hear. It's a long conversation, so I keep Noriko's feet moving while holding her hand. I walk slowly. We don't need to be in a hurry and what Irktule says seems to be serious, given her expression. I think even he's now agreeing it's time to go. That's enough clues. I'll begin preparing.

Noriko finally nods and says, "I understand, Irktule. I'll let Izark know and we'll talk about it." She turns to me. "He says the evil outside this village has been increasing and it's taking all his and the spirits of the White Mist Forest's power to keep it protected. He's thinking they'll have to shrink the barrier to being just over us, or the houses when we're in them.

"He's also worried about the gossip going around. People are too curious about us, so if anyone comes looking for us they'll be suspicious right away." She shakes her head. "I really would have thought we'd been here long enough for it to die down. Do they really have nothing else to do? Are we the only farmers and helpers working this harvest?"

Irktule does agree with me, and without anyone to fight against the evil, I'm not surprised it's only increasing outside of this place. I wish I could give the whole world this kind of peace we've had this past month.

Noriko's last questions show that she really has only lived in the cities. "There is work, but there isn't much else. We are the newest entertainment. It could go on for years, even if we settled here."

She shakes her head again, not believing it. "In the city, we barely talk to our next door neighbor and everyone tries hard to keep lives private, although some go out of their way to be friendly."

I raise an eyebrow. "No different from cities here."

Noriko sighs. "No, not really, I suppose. I'm just a city girl, I guess, although between the older women the neighborhood gossip was not unknown. But to make it up they way they do..." I can't help but silently laugh at her again. To so freely admit that she's a city girl. She sticks out her tongue at me, but it only makes me laugh more.

I do wonder that she isn't throwing a tantrum. Most of the city girls would, if they were the focus of so much gossip. "It doesn't bother you, though, what they say?"

She doesn't care. "Unless they ask and we tell, it will all be guesses anyway. As long as it isn't unkind or hurtful, no, it doesn't bother me. Not really. It's not like we have a better answer for them if they did ask."

I can't look at her. The embarrassment rises in me again and I don't want to give it away, or she'll tease me. "True. Have you heard the most recent one?"

Noriko lets go of my hand, but it's to step ahead of me and turn to walk backwards, so she can watch me. She's holding the lunch bag in both hands, and looks so much the trysting lady that I'm very hard pressed to not give in to my embarrassment.

My hand tightens down slightly on the halter of the ox pulling the wagon of the final harvest from my field. "No?" I smile shyly, my delight leaking out but mixing with my embarrassment. "They've decided you're a princess and I'm a knight too low in station and we've eloped. Doros is the stablehand that helped us."

She blinks at me, taking that in. "Well, that almost isn't too far off, actually, although I'm not a princess." I'm glad she approves. She brightens up and my hand clenches down tighter so that the ox complains and I have to purposely relax. "Do you know what I used to help me at the beginning?"

I shake my head, wanting to know more about Noriko. I've missed being able to talk about things like this. "One of the creatures of lore in our world are [fairies]. They can use magic and fly, are thin and otherworldly, beautiful and close to nature, but are very different from humans in how they think.

"When I woke up on the golden bed under the tree it felt to me like I had been transported into a fairy world and had arrived in the bed of the Fairy Queen." Noriko turns around again and skips back to take my hand in hers. She's into her storytelling now, her more relaxed form of teaching.

"In our stories, when the heroine is in trouble, the knight always shows up to rescue her just at the right time. I was so surprised to have you show up just in time. You became the storybook knight right away, but because you are so thin and gorgeous, you already fit being a fairy, too. So you were the fairy knight who came and saved the Fairy Queen and then stole her for yourself." She looks up at me, her eyes sparkling with humor. I'm delighted by this story, to be honest, for all I didn't have good intentions at the time. That's a bit of a conflict inside me.

"Later," her face sobers a little, "when you were taking me to Aunt Gaya's, you looked at me with the demon's eyes and I realized I hadn't understood. Maybe I was the Fairy Queen, or maybe something else, but you were a [dragon] and I was a treasure you'd stolen and were trying to keep safe for yourself." I'm surprised she recognized me and our situation even before she learned what I was, but then she does look for clues and fit them into answers early.

Returning to the present, Noriko says solemnly. "I still prefer to think of you as a [dragon] rather than a demon. Demons are only evil and exist to torment humans. You aren't like that. In my world, a [dragon] is a mythical powerful creature that has wings and flies, breathes fire, and in some stories they can use magic.

"They're solitary and fearsome. They love treasure, hoarding it in caves that they protect, and often sleep in for centuries upon their treasure of gold, gems, and other things they've stolen. In some of the stories, they demand a young woman, usually a princess, in order to not destroy the land. She lives with the dragon, or it eats her depending on the story, and takes care of it and its treasures, and is one of those treasures."

I'm a bit horrified by the "eat" part. Dragons weren't sounding too bad until then. The rest of it sounds pretty close - at least the solitary, fearsome, and princess parts. I need my princess treasure in order to not destroy the land, too.

"When you looked at me that day, I became not just the Fairy Queen, but the most rare treasure of this planet. You'd come to the Seas of Trees and taken me before anyone else could. You were taking me to a place I would be safe until you found a proper cave to hide me away in. It was important that I only be obedient."

She can't face me, but she does squeeze my hand more tightly. "That's why I would say I was yours. I was your treasure and I understood that. I was protecting your treasure for you." She blushes slightly. "I guess I still do."

I stop us all from walking. That has just explained so much, and most of all why she changed to be the servant. She was being the princess treasure who had to obey the dragon and stay with it.

Her eyes look fearlessly into mine. "But that was before I understood what we really are to this place. It doesn't seem much different to me, just different names. It's not hard for me to understand or accept, although on occasion it is hard for me to understand it as reality instead of a story.

"Here, in this place, I stopped talking to you or seeing because that isn't 'normal', it's part of the story. It's easy to live life normally here where there are no monsters and it's just people living life. Even though I know everything that's happened has been real." She lifts my hand and puts it to her cheek, and lightly rubs her cheek on it. "This is, and has been, far too real to be a story." Even as she says that, she must have the touch that lets her know she is walking in a real world.

How much is she still walking in the storybook world? How difficult is it for her to accept this is real? So many things have happened that she didn't want to have happen. It would be so much easier for her to never really live in this world, to some day be able to turn her back on it, return home, and remember it as only a dream.

I'm suddenly thrown back into where I was when I was testing her to begin with, and the "dragon" in me wants to know where she really stands once again. "Noriko, does it not bother you to be a treasure the world wants? To have been stolen by the dragon? To be the sacrificial princess?" I'm almost holding my breath, hoping she can pass this test, and daring her to make me eat her at the same time.

She tips her head. "I'm not sure I want the whole world looking for me, and certainly not the evil men, but I've been protected from them by you. Isn't that the safest and best place to be?"

She puts on her teasing smile. I'm not amused by the topic, but I listen carefully to learn. "In our time we've romanticized dragons. Many girls would go and live with them, or even be them if they existed, although originally they were evil and more often ate the princess than kept her. You are one of the modern dragons, that any girl would want to be treasured by. Somehow, I got the good fortune to be that one. ...Though it hasn't been easy," she adds the last drolly.

I'm not sure I believe her, that I would be a "modern" dragon, but I know that she sees the good in me more than I do, so from her eyes it may be true. "And, you are more often in knight form, not dragon form. Any princess loves a dashing, handsome knight that comes to their rescue and protects them, when he's also kind and humble." She smiles a kind smile. "It's easy to love you, Izark. I have no desire to be anywhere else."

But...does she understand the terrible nature of the dragon? That even if it wants her as a treasure, it could still eat her at any time? "Noriko, I nearly lost myself in Selina, Guzena - my human mind and reasoning. If I became the dragon that would eat you, would you still feel the same?"

Hahh, Noriko sighs a sad sigh. She softly puts a hand on my cheek and her brown eyes search mine earnestly. "Izark. Your dragon knows me, knows I'm its treasure. It may even treasure me more than you do, given the severely scolding look it gave me when I tried to run away.

"You won't eat me, unless I'm very disobedient and don't properly protect myself to stay its treasure like I should. I'm very careful. I don't want to be eaten." Is this why she apologizes to me for not protecting herself, for not being able to do things that are outside her abilities? She's trying to appease the dragon?

She pulls me to her and kisses my lips. "I am Izark's. I won't go anywhere." She's doing it again, even. Then she pauses and bites her lower lip lightly. "Except when I'm stolen. I tried very hard last time to not be stolen, but because of Tazasheena I couldn't prevent it. But I did do my best to escape and come back to you."

I wrap my arms around her gently and lay my head gently on hers. She doesn't have to appease me. It makes me sad for her to take on more than she should. That time was a difficult time. I already know there was nothing she could do more than she did. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you then. I'm glad you escaped, but I was afraid to have you come to me. I wanted you to stay free. Where I was wasn't that."

Noriko shakes her head. "No. My place is always next to Izark, wherever Izark is. Then you know and don't have to be worried or afraid. It's part of my responsibility to take care of you, too, Izark. To make sure you're safe and protected, also. What I can do is very small in comparison to what you can do, but I know that even my small efforts have helped you. That is what I want to do." I'm quiet, my heart hurting, trying to understand.

It's not just that she's the dragon's treasure, just like it's not just her arms that heal me or my arms heal her. There are things we must do for each other no one else can do, so that we both can stay safe and keep this planet safe. Every time she followed through on that responsibility to take care of me by being back by my side, to see my fears and worries were calmed, she brought me back from becoming Destruction. It's for this reason I need her by my side, not just want her to be a companion.

Softly I relent, "It's true, that when you came, and because of you, I was able to see that light for just that moment, just long enough to protect us both. Thank you for that small effort that saved us both." I kiss her ear, so grateful for that courage and firm commitment to be by my side, even at that terrible time. "Although I don't think that was small - to escape from the house and make it that far to me."

She nods. "I was helped, by Doros, by Irktule and the spirits, and I often wonder if by that force of good that has been helping us all along. I couldn't have done all of that without help. My original plan was to hope to survive the jump from the window and go steal a horse. That would have been the best I could have done on my own. You would have already been in the darkness a long time by the time I reached you."

I pull back to look at her, surprised and worried at what she would have done. "You would have still come?"

"Of course." She gives me a surprised look. "I would even have still leaped into the darkness to get to you, if that's where you were."

I pull her tightly to me to get her to stop saying such dangerous things. "Gods, Noriko. That is so frightening."

"No," She counters me calmly. "That's where we were already headed. I didn't know you were going to grow wings of light when I jumped." I lose strength and want to whimper in fear. "I'm sorry, Izark," she says contritely. "I jumped without thinking again."

I nod emphatically, wishing she could unlearn it. Yes, she did. Why does she do it? "Did you jump the first time on purpose, too?" What changed when we fell from the cliff and she was so overwhelmed with terror to someone who could jump without thought? I keep her close to me, needing her protected in my arms until I can understand.

She laughs. "No. That was honest petrification and I have no idea how it happened. One moment I was balanced, the next I wasn't. When you pulled on me, you made me turn out even more and there was nothing to be done. I am sorry, though. I didn't mean to do it...though...I wonder if whatever has been helping us did it on purpose. I've always wondered how we just happened to run into a clothing merchant first thing when that was what we needed to keep me protected right then in this new world."

I nod. "I've wondered it also. We fell right where we needed to be to help him." I release her, but continue to hold her shoulders to consider her. It's possible she doesn't know, and it's possible that we both needed her to learn that courage so that she could come to save me as I was falling to oblivion. "We need to move on again. Tomorrow let's find Doros and let him know. I'll talk to the farmer to let him know it will be soon."

She nods. "Okay, Izark." I don't want to have to take her back out into the life of fugitives in hiding, sleeping wherever on the ground we can find, but I'm grateful that Noriko is willing to trust me and go without question.

If only I did have a cave hidden away somewhere that I could take her to and hide us in. It would make life simpler and less worrisome. However, it wouldn't end the search for us. Some day soon I'll turn around and face that which chases after us and put it in its proper place so we can breathe easy again.

-o-o-o-

Noriko and I are at the general shop. Doros' chimos had two babies and he wants to take them with us. Noriko is talking to Hanna, the daughter of the woman who runs the general shop about getting a makeshift travel basket. I'm talking to Roki about if there's any work in the area available for a wandering swordsman. He's the salesman for the shop, who takes produce into town to sell it, buys things the community needs, and brings them back here to sell to the farmers. Thus, he's heard many things from here to town, and in town.

"Do you know anyone who's hiring? We need swords and horses, but we haven't much money."

"You can easily find a job outside the village," Roki says a tad gloomily. "We're about to go to war against a neighboring country. The government is hiring experienced swordsmen as mercenaries." I'm not interested in being anywhere near a government sponsored activity. I want to get away from Rachef's clutches, not give him clues I'm still here. "I heard you lifted a four hundred pound cow. I'm sure you'll have no trouble getting hired on as a mercenary for a nice price."

I ignore the reference to the gossip, that isn't this time. "I don't want to have anything to do with war. I want to work for a private party."

Roki is suddenly in my face, keenly interested. "You don't deny lifting the cow? I thought it was just another rumor, but maybe it's true."

I'm saved from having to answer him by Noriko calling out Irktule's name in surprise and Hanna grabbing at Noriko's arm while gasping in fright. "What is that? Is that a ghost?"

"What is it, Irktule?" Noriko asks. I'm ignoring Roki, worried. Irktule doesn't show up when there are other people around.

"A two-hundred gold reward!?" Hanna says in shock after both girls have listened for a bit. I'm surprised she can see and hear Irktule like Noriko can. She's cold and impersonal in her interactions, although she seems very intelligent and far more practical than her mother who believes every rumor in the city - all at once, I'm convinced.

"What are you talking about?" Roki asks, very confused.

"Irktule is a tree spirit," I explain on the side to Roki.

"Ooooh," says Hanna's mother, "I wish I could see him."

Noriko freezes, then at the exact same time both she and Hanna say, "They're coming for us!" Huh? They do it again. "We can't get them involved." What? The girls stare at each other for a moment, very surprised.

"Oh - my - gosh!" the shopkeep is suddenly very excited. She claps her hands together and I back off a bit. "They really are a princess and a gallant knight who've eloped and are on the run!" Hanna immediately scolds her mother.

I turn to Roki, still confused. "Are you hiding from something?"

"Are you?" he asks back.

Noriko is also confused. "Irktule, can you tell me who the men are after?" She receives a brief answer then looks at me. "He doesn't know who they're after, Kizak."

I look at Roki and we silently agree. We can't leave this alone. Roki crouches down behind the counter. I head for the tool section and snatch up a hoe. "Stay inside and lock the door," Roki instructs and he and I head for the door. The ladies nod. We close it behind us and I can hear the latch being thrown.

We turn around to find three men just getting off their horses outside the store. "Hey, hey. Why're you closing so early?"

"I'm sorry," Roki says. "We have to close for the day. If you need something right now I can go inside and get it for you."

The shortest, rotund man in front is unimpressed. "I think you know why we're here. I'll tell you what. You go get those two women and bring them out."

"They're my customers, not yours," Roki says calmly.

"I thought there was only one guy with these women," the most burly of the men says.

"There is. It's the guy with the curly hair," the head man says.

"Who's the other guy then?" the thinnest of them asks.

"I'm the traveling warrior he's about to hire," I answer for them now that we know who they're here after. I turn to Roki. "I'm not going to charge a lot. Just give us the stuff we already picked out of the shop." That will save the coin we earned farming for a sword when we get to town.

Roki's been a merchant too long. "Is a hero really so money-hungry? I was actually thinking of asking for your help, but I'm shocked to learn that a knight would charge for his services!" Or he believes in the rumors too much, not that I'm likely going to dissuade him from that one.

"You're the one with the tight purse. Besides I'm not a knight. I'm a traveling warrior. I have to work for a living," I dicker back.

The burly man laughs a hearty laugh at us, dickering in front of them like old wives instead of posturing like men. "This is great! A traveling warrior with a hoe? That's very novel. Well, I'm glad you're here, young man. I thought I was going to be bored with this fight. For some reason I've been growing stronger and stronger over the last month. This will be a fun fight."

"Me, too," the thin one agrees as they both stretch out, doing their own sort of posturing.

"Let's do this!" the leader says and the two others are headed for us.

"Fifty percent off," Roki says, skipping the rest of the dickering. I think with me protecting three of them it should be a better discount, but we don't have time and I want the agreement sealed before I start fighting, so I agree. Then the stocky man has engaged me.

He knows what he's doing, but he isn't as fast or as strong as he needs to be. I defend his sword blows a few times, then slam the flat of the hoe into his face, sending him back where he started from. I check on Roki and he's also beaten back the thin man.

"You guys aren't bad, but don't underestimate us," the leader says calmly. "We've barely begun."

The burly man pushes up and puts his hand to his mouth. "You knocked out my teeth!" I've made him angry.

"You were fast, but not fast enough," the thin man says to Roki. He begins to limber up again, but this time his limbs are looking like cloth. Like the bones are gone, or at least gone soft. It's hard to watch, and it will be harder to predict coming attacks. I silently wish Roki good luck, then watch as my opponent pushes off the ground to come at me.

I wasn't expecting the speed and he reaches me almost before I can get my hoe up. His blows come at me fast and furious. It's a good thing I can also do speed attacks and defense. I'm able to keep up with him. The third man passes us and heads for the door now that we're good and distracted. I decide it's time to get this done and watch for my opening.

I'm able to get the man's sword flung up over his head on one of my defenses and faster than he's been moving until now, I get a great blow in under his arms and into his chest, knocking him back a long ways.

I zip over to Roki's battle and intercept the thin man's sword. Roki immediately steps back to let me take over. The man's arms have even elongated and I'm feeling like I'm fighting the woman with the cloth sleeves again, except it isn't that bad a fight. By the time I have him flying backwards as well, Roki has hauled the third man back from the door to the shop - which is now hanging broken by the hinges - and he is also rolling to join his companions.

The man is immediately up. He draws in a great breath, and I run and block his wind with a wind energy shield, then send his wind back at him. I learned my lesson from Nada's man quite well enough, thank you. Plus I got a whiff of the scent of this man's poison breath when he broke down the door with it. We don't want to breathe that.

The breath blown back slams into the short man who sent it and he is blown back as well, since my wind is greater than his. He cries out, then rolls on the ground in pain. "My eyes! My eyes hurt, and my nose, too!" Well, it's okay to get a taste of your own poison every once in a while, I believe.

Through the tears running down his face as they try to clean his eyes, he sees his companions just beginning to rise from the ground where I sent them. "What? They knocked you out? I can't believe those two little men are beating the soldiers of the Grey Bird tribe!"

What? They can't be. Can they? Gaya is honorable and Banadam tries hard, but these are the first Grey Birds I've met who've been willing to fight on the side of evil.

He's still trying to get his men up and fighting again. "We are not merely soldiers of the Grey Bird tribe; we are also martial arts masters! We are never beaten!" I beg to differ, but they don't know who they're facing.

The burly man pushes up. "He's right. I haven't used all my strength yet. I'm going to summon all my power..." He begins to physically transform, and I get worried. That's a bad thing in my book and he may want to reconsider. At least I wish he would. Up on his feet now, he is bulking up so that his back is large and his arms are now covered in stubby spikes. "Ha ha ha! Look at me!"

His thin flexible friend is also now pushing up, looking pleased, and like he's going to do the same, when the first one starts to gasp, then cry out in pain and concern. He's still growing and changing and it's looking painful. I wince in sympathy. "S-somebody, make this stop," he pleads. "My body is...," he can only breathe in pain, and then he screams. "Aaaggh! Help me!"

This is bad. He doesn't know what he's done. "Izark. Is it like when you transformed? Can he reverse it? Can you calm the adrenaline rush? The more he's afraid of the transformation, the more he'll transform."

Right. Keimos wanted his changes and knew how to control them. This man doesn't, so it may only be driven by his emotions. If the fear can be calmed he might be able to reverse it. I try any number of things, then think hard about what Gaya taught me. Maybe something can help him from his own tribe's teachings. "If you're from the Grey Bird tribe, then you should remember the teachings of your founder. 'All paths eventually return to their origin'. 'Those who choose the martial path must first master the power of gentleness'."

For some reason, the master's teachings seem to do the trick and the transformation does reverse. We all sigh in relief. That was really terrible to watch and listen to. Even his companions are happy to have him back whole again. Their fighting spirit has left them, having to watch that horrible transformation.

Hanna, her mother, and Noriko step out around the corner of the house. "Amazing! Are you a clan leader, Kizak?" Roki slaps a hand on my shoulder.

"No. I had no idea what I was talking about. I was just making it up as I went along." I shift my body to shake Roki's hand off my shoulder, causing him to slip on the step as he's about to step down them. He manages to keep to his feet. Yes, he's also well trained in the martial arts.

"Years ago, a member of your tribe taught those words to me. You said you belonged to the tribe so I thought maybe they would help," I tell the three bounty hunters.

The man who was transformed nods. "I was trapped in a frightening dark place. When I heard those words, they calmed me. I had no idea the founder's words would do that."

"Who told you those words?" Roki asks me.

"A woman named Gaya il Pisca."

Roki rubs his chin. "Gaya...that name sounds familiar...I think Banadam mentioned her."

Noriko stiffens in surprise. "You know Banadam, Roki?"

He and the two ladies turn to stare at her in surprise. "You know Banadam, Geena?" Hanna asks.

"You know Banadam, too, Hanna?" Noriko asks, surprised again.

"Wait," I raise a hand. "Just who are you three?"

The bounty hunters answer for us. "They are the wife and daughter of the former Grand Duke Jeida de Gilenee. He," they point to Roki, "was the commander of the royal guards. We'll leave you in peace. It's horrible that we tried to profit from harming the one who helped our clan." They turn and mount their horses and ride off as we all stand stunned.

Noriko turns to Hanna. "No way. No [freakin'] way." Hanna nods, both embarrassed and not really wanting to admit it. Hanna's mother grabs both girls and drags them over to us men.

Now Roki is staring at me. "You know of us?" I nod. Roki blinks, then gets a look of possible enlightenment. "Wait...the way you fought...it's got to be! You're the awesome fighter that freed the Grand Duke and his sons from Nada's prison!" He's excitedly pointing at me, with too much force to him. I back up a step. Roki is a bit overwhelming when excited, it turns out.

Noriko nods. "We went with them into the White Mist woods to get to Guzena. That's where we met Irktule. He is the spirit of the morning mist tree. We helped him destroy the monster and the demon that plagued the forest, so he's been helping us."

"You've seen my husband?" his wife's eyes tear up.

Noriko says kindly, "Last I knew, they were safely with Gaya, Banadam, and a few others who are strong warriors, plus two seers. They should still be safe."

"Thank you for helping him escape, Kizak," Hanna says soberly to me. "We were very worried about them." Her brow creases, "But, we never expected they would put a bounty on our heads, too. That's troublesome."

Irktule appears again. "Ohh...he's so pretty!" I glance at Hanna's mother, then look at Irktule.

Even I can see him and hear him again. That's not good. "They opened the barrier and let evil spirits through. I've had to compress the shield to just around you. They also carried evil seeds inside their guts. After Izark said the words to help him, the seeds left all three men."

"Irktule, can you tell me any more about these evil seed?" I ask immediately.

"They are each about the size of a cherry, and they look like dark pits to me. The evil spirits are like small living shadows that hover, particularly around people who choose evil and darkness."

"I've seen it," Noriko says with a shudder. "When I was calling for you, Kizak. The bad men who were chasing me had them over their heads and it frightened me." I reach for her and tuck her under one arm to comfort her now for that scare then. She holds onto my jacket, just as glad to be there at the memory.

"Many people are carrying them now, some a few, some many. These had many, and large ones. Just before that man began to transform, many more entered his body." Irktule finishes his report.

"Will you come to our house?" Hanna offers.

Noriko and I look at each other. "Izark. This is like last time. The force of good has put us in a place to help this same family. I don't know why. Irktule has even been protecting them without knowing it, because he was protecting us."

I accept Hanna's offer. "We would be glad to."