Neal snuck Roald back to his room, and Kel took Alanna to hers. IT was extremely late. They had spent the first hour in Kel's room, talking to Roald and Alanna, recounting their capture. Now it was near midnight, and they were headed for bed.

Neal gave Roald the bed, and decided to'sleep' on the floor with some blankets. He waited for at least an hour for Roald to fall asleep. He sensed that Roald MUST'VE fallen asleep by now, so he discreetly crawled out of the blankets, pulled on his soft shoes, and grabbed his sword.

" Where're you going Neal?" Roald asked quietly, coming up behind him in the dark.

" No where important, go back to sleep Roald."

Roald sighed. He" Tell me." He commanded, silently using his royal authority to get an answer out of him, although he hated doing it.

" I'm going to look for the others. Stay here." He told him, and quiely slipped out of the room. Neal knew that Roald followed him at a safe distance. He padded down the hallways, sly as a fox in a henhouse.


Neal glanced behind himself every corridor or two. After the first 8 or nine hallways, the shadow that was Roald, who ducked behind a column everytime he had turned around, had disappeared. * It's just as well.* Neal thought, shaking his head. He headed for the door where they had found Roald and Alanna.

Finally he reached it. He sighed. well, Here we go. He felt in his pocket for the thick, sealed, parchment letters. Reassured that they were indeed there, he pushed open the door.

Conjuring a ball of dark emerald fire in his hand, he trudged down the corridor, and into the chamber where the had made their fuschia drawings in air. Neal grinned in spite of himself. he could at least count on that memory.

With a critical eye, he examined the stone walls of the cavern. Every crack; every crevice was examined carefully. A shadowy corner drew his attention away from the crude etchings that vaguely resembled the Tortallan seal. He decided that Roald and Alanna had to have had SOMETHING to do with the drawings. He faced the corner, and peered into the darkness. He could make out the shape of a door- barely.

Inspecting it briefly, he pulled it open, and wasn't even past the threshold when he spotted the others, and they spotted him. They all struggled against their bonds. NEal ran and Cut Cleon free.

" Finally." A voice growled from the corner. " You took your time getting here Nealan."

" Who..?"

" Who am I?" The voice cackled, sending a chill down his spine. " You'll find out in due course." A beam of red/gold fire shot towards him.

Neal stood paralyzed on the spot. He couldn't move. His eyes just got big. Cleon watched and saw the blast was aimed not to hurt, but to kill Neal.


"NO!" He yelled, and jumped in front of Neal just as the beam was about to intercept its target...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kel sat up in bed gasping for breath. She quietly rose, and walked into the next room, quietly crying.

" Roald...Are they...?" She asked quietly, not wanting an answer.


" Shhh. Its ok Kel." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, trying to comfort her. " It'll all be Ok."