Celena hated doctors. The way they walked, the way they spoke, the way they constantly patronized their patients. Psychologists were the worst. And now, here she was sitting (not laying, she would not lay down near a doctor) on a psychologist's couch, Alan nearby.

"I am Doctor Jakor." He was middle aged, bald, broad shouldered. "I have been told of your... unique situation. Your brother tells me that you woke some nights ago screaming."

Celena nodded.

"Why?"

She sighed. "I saw a young man floating over me."

"Do you know this young man."

"Sort of. His name is Migel."

"How do you know him?"

"I don't know."

"I see," he said knowingly, scratching down something on his notepad. She crossed her arms over her stomach and dug her fingernails into her flesh to stop herself. To stop herself from what? Killing him? Alan was just as infuriating as the doctor, but with better intentions. She only wished that both of them would stop looking at her as if she had a fatal disease.

"Is he from your past, or Dilandau's past?"

"Dilandau's," she said through clenched teeth.

"Is something wrong?"

Oh nothing. She thought angrily. I really like being treated like a five year old..

"Nothing," she said aloud.

"What do you know about this young man who appeared to you? What did he look like?"

"He was tall. He looked about my age. Brown hair. His eyes," she paused, "His eyes are gray, I think. He said his name was Migel. I think he's dead."

Alan placed his hand on her arm. "Migel?" he asked. She nodded. He looked away slowly and took a deep breath.

"What is the matter?" asked the doctor.

"That name. Migel. It was the name of one of the Dragon Slayers that Dilandau led."

The image of his face flashed in her mind again, so crystal clear is stung. She bit her lip fiercely and dug her nails further into her arms. The last thing she needed was to make a scene in front of the shrink.

"Very interesting." Dr. Jakor said.

"He didn't die with the rest of them." Celena whispered.

"No," said Alan, "He died in Freid I believe."

Blind rage filled her suddenly, stronger than that toward the doctor or her brother. She stood abruptly and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her and leaning against it. She wanted to scream. Why?

Alan was trying to open the door, but she clutched at the knob with all of her strength. Another face appeared in her mind, but this one strange and half hidden. The wide, green eyes glowed, the skin was gray with black stripes.

Anger.

So much anger.

Finally, she was distracted from the rage by footsteps coming down the hall. Light, quick and feminine. She knew it was Milerna before she saw her.

"Where is Alan?" she said. Her tone of voice seemed slightly worried.

Celena released the door knob and stepped away, letting Alan join them in the hall. Before he could say anything to Celena, Milerna spoke.

"Alan! Van and Dryden are here. They want to talk to you about something. Dryden says it's very important." She grabbed Alan's arm and dragged him down the hallway. "You too, Celena," she called over her shoulder.

***

"You're probably all wondering why I showed up." Dryden paced back and forth in front of the five old friends with a worn volume in his grasp. "And you're probably wondering why I've been so secretive about it. I wanted you all here. This concerns all of us."

"How?" asked Alan, impatience obvious in his voice. Celena elbowed him gently. They both knew how little the two men liked each other.

"This," said Dryden, holding up the book, "Is one of the record books retrieved from the Floating fortress after Dornkirk was defeated."

"The one that no one's decoded?" asked Van.

"Yes. Until a few nights ago."

"You know what it says?" Celena leaned forward in anticipation. Dryden smiled at her.

"Merely a stroke of genius. What I found is the reason I've brought you all together. Celena, if I'm not mistaken, you've been having trouble connected to your past lately, haven't you? Maybe trouble sleeping?"

"That is a family matter," Alan said, indignantly.

Celena elbowed her brother again, this time, less gently, "Yes, Dryden, I have." Alan gave her a stern look, but she disregarded it.

"I have as well," Van said, quietly.

"I'm not surprised. Both of you have reason to have little sleep. A reason that's been amplified of late."

"I don't follow," said Alan.

"Celena," he turned to her and took a step in her direction, "In this book, there is a full description of what experiments were done to you as a child, as well as the guinea pigs before you. All of the prior experiments died, except one. He was locked up in a cave south of here. That cave is very near the Mountain of the Damned. You probably all know that this place is where warriors who died before their time go to spend eternity, but what you don't know is that Dornkirk built a second Fate Alteration machine under that mountain."

The room was quiet for a very long time. Celena was the first brave enough to break it.

"What does that have to do with the... guinea pig you mentioned?"

Dryden smiled, "He was unendingly loyal to Dornkirk and Dornkirk in turn seems to have trusted him. It is said in this book that on the event of Dornkirk's death, the cell that the boy was in would be opened. The cave that the cell is in is part of the Mountain of the Damned. If I had to guess, that's the one who will activate the machine."

Migel's face flashed in Celena's mind again, this time it said something.

Come to me. Find me.

"We have to go there," she said.

Alan furrowed his brow and shook his head. "Van, Dryden and I will go. You will stay here. Milerna and Eris will look after you."

Come to me

"No, Alan! I have to come."

"The Mountain of the Damned is dangerous," said Van.

"More so if Dryden's information is correct." Alan took hold of her arm. "This is for your safety."

She jerked her arm free of his grasp, "I can defend myself, Alan Schezar," she hissed in a voice very much unlike her own.

Alan's eyes widened and he drifted back slowly.

"I think she's right," Dryden said, a hint of humor in his voice. "Either way, before we go running off into the sunset we need to rest for the remainder of the day, then get things ready tomorrow. That way, we'll be off for the mountain by tomorrow evening."

"Agreed," said Van, standing with Merle attached to his arm.

Alan nodded and stood as well. "If Milerna and Queen Eris don't mind, I think it would be best if we stayed in the castle. For safety."

Milerna smiled brightly at Alan, then gave a nervous look towards Dryden. "Yes, that would be wonderful. I'd be glad to have all of you stay in Austeria again."

Alan gave Celena a hand up and as they walked out of their home he whispered in her ear. "We'll talk about this in private."

She knew that he wouldn't want her coming along, but she really didn't care. Migel was waiting there for her. If she ever wanted to sleep again, she would go to him.

***

Caleb watched Kiteal working on the huge machine. Its pulsating hum burned into his brain. He wished it would stop for just a few seconds so that there would be silence. But there never was.

Kiteal didn't talk much to Caleb, but he seemed to talk to himself or the machine almost constantly. It was beginning to irritate Caleb as much as the unending humming.

"You have told me why I'm here." Caleb said. At least a conversation would break the monotony.

Kiteal looked sideways at him and continued working. "To help me."

"I know. But help you what?"

Kiteal shrugged, "Father knows. I must find out."

"Father." Caleb paused. "You mean that machine?"

The odd man smiled strangely. "In a way."

Caleb sighed irritably and sunk back against the wall in a half sitting, half laying position.

"You don't make any sense."

"I do. You don't understand."

"Then explain it to me."

Kiteal's hands dropped to his sides and he turned to Caleb. "Does everyone from the Mystic Moon ask so many questions?"

Caleb shrugged, "In a situation like this, I think anyone vaguely human would."

Kiteal laughed unnecessarily loudly and walked over to Caleb, sitting across from him.

"You are the chosen one. You will help me fulfill my father's wishes. He left me to finish what he started."

"What did he start?"

"A new way of life. A peaceful existence."

Caleb knit his brows together. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would have such a good motive. He's not even a *guy*.

Kiteal smiled warmly and reached out to touch Caleb's face, but he jerked back, hitting his head against the wall. Kiteal sighed.

"I understand that you have reservations, but I assure you that I would not go to all of this trouble to do something bad. This world is constantly on the brink of war. Deep down, everyone hates everyone else. That will always lead to war eventually. With the help of my father's machine, I can make sure that no one will ever harm anyone else ever."

Caleb rubbed the back of his head where it was sore. Kiteal smiled again.

"You control fate," Kiteal said, "If you think something bad will happen, it will. You thought something bad would happen if I touched your face, so you caused something bad to happen." He reached forward again. This time, Caleb allowed him to make contact. "You see?"

The boy from the mystic moon nodded slowly.

He may be weird, he thought, but his touch feels good. At least this way, I won't be alone.