After hours of riding, the carriage finally came to a stop. "Here we are, my dear," Bowen said in a sinister way. "Our home."

Ella just looked at him blankly. "You mean, this "secret estate" is barely a day's journey from the palace? That's not that secret, with or without fairy magic."

Sir Bowen just kept smiling. "It did seem like a scant few hours, did it not? In reality, we were traveling for five days. The fairy magic extends to the length of the journey. To confuse the random traveler, you understand. Now get out."

Ella obeyed, wanting to just hit him and run. But that wouldn't do. She wouldn't get very far before he'd catch up. She'd have to wait for the most opportune time to make her escape.

The carriage had stopped in front of a seemingly empty field. Ella asked, "So, if no one else can get in here, how do you manage?"

Bowen didn't answer, to involved with his task. He was walking around with his head bowed, seemingly searching for something in the grass. Finally he stopped. "Ah hah! Here it is!" he exclaimed triumphantly. "It" was a tiny silver ring lying haphazardly in the grass. He looked up. "I haven't been here in a while. I forgot the exact location." Bowen pulled the little ring.

A black door appeared in the middle of the field. Bowen looked at Ella, who watched with mild interest. "Enter."

She did so. In the empty field, there was no a castle, looming dangerously over the figures. It was black, with endless towers and turrets, black flags waving ominously in the wind.

Bowen looked evilly joyous. "Welcome home, Ella."



Char searched the last room at Sir Bowen's manor in Torlia personally. It was empty of life. Bowen had not taken Ella here. Why would he? It was the most painfully obvious choice. They must be someplace far away, someplace hard to find. It didn't matter. He'd continue his search.

Char gathered all the knights outside. He was about to tell them to get ready to leave right away to search elsewhere, when he heard a small voice.

",fwthchor evtoogh brzzay eerth ymmadboech evtoogh brazzaY!"

Char turned around, and a smile briefly lit his face. "!zulpH" he exclaimed. Then he saw the other figure. "And zhatapH! What brings you here?"

zhatapH bowed her head. "We heard Ella's kidnapping. We wished to help."

Char nodded. "Thank you. But, how could you help?" Then he remembered that the gnome could see the future. "Did you see something? Do you know where Ella is?"

"Yes and no," the gnome replied in Kyrrian. "I did see something, but sadly, not where Ella is. I saw you. You on your quest. You will not find Ella until you have searched everywhere; Gnome Caverns, Fairyland, the elves' forest, the giants' farms, Ayorthia- each of these places holds a piece of the key to Ella. Once you have done so, you will be able to find her. I'm sorry I don't know more."

With that, zulpH and zhatapH left, leaving Char to mull over her strange prophecy.