A/N: I have removed the poll, with the results of only four people actually responding. I want to thank Lothaw, Badgerwolf, Sarra, and Cirono for taking the time to answer, I really appreciate it, and with the responses that I did get, I got a little bit of insight of what people like in my stories. So again thank you to those who did answer my questions.

Enjoy!



Chapter Eighty-Two: "This Ends Today!"

An hour later, twenty miles from the castle on the other side of Magan in Magan's one and only park…

"Caline knows the labyrinths better than I do," Ridikar told everyone, "so I think we ought to bring her back with us."

"I agree," Kekron told him. "If it hadn't been for her knowing her way around the labyrinths below the castle and beyond, we wouldn't have accomplished this much."

Ridikar replied, "Caline and I used to play in the labyrinths around here when we were much younger, but Caline began coming back to them more often after Father had began to train me with his men. It's been a few years since I've really been in the labyrinths, but Caline kept coming back to them to play in and to hide from Father's rages. Father hated the labyrinths, and he was claustrophobic, hating dark, enclosed places, so they were a safe place for Caline to hide and stay in when he was in a bad mood."

Caline paled; she was glad that her brother was showing such confidence in her, especially after all he had put her through before, but she was not sure that she wanted to go back to the royal castle and face Balair and Dodoria and the other evil beings.

Caline was quiet and reflective and somber; Ridikar had told her thirty minutes ago about their father's death, and Caline had accepted the news very calmly. She felt like she should be crying; most little girls would cry if their fathers died, but she could not bring herself to shed a tear. All of her life before her forced marriage to Alberm, she had tried desperately to obtain her father's love and affection, but she had received none. Scoldings, beatings, and cruel snubs had all that he had ever given her, and what love Caline had for him had died the day that Amitar had beaten her for running away from home to get out of marrying Alberm. To her guilt and amazement, she felt only relief that he would not hurt her anymore mixed with anxiety over her future fate now that Ridikar and her grandfather, King Kitchator would be in charge of her.

She was now sitting on a log underneath a shady tree that resembled a willow tree with a snow-white trunk and pale pink leaves. Tayla was sitting next to her, patting her back.

"Are you okay?" Tayla asked her for the third time.

Caline said softly, "I-I believe so. I have tried for the last half an hour to cry, but I can't do it; the tears won't come. I know that I should be mourning Father, but I can't. Is it terrible that I can't cry for him?"

"No, I don't think so," Tayla told her honestly. In her private opinion, Amitar wasn't really worth mourning for, but she wisely kept that thought to herself, at least with Ridikar and Caline. Tayla was not too surprised that Caline would accept the news of Amitar's death far more composedly than Ridikar had. Nevertheless, she stayed with her in case Caline should need her.

"I wish I had one happy memory about Father, but I don't," Caline said hoarsely. "I always knew that he never really wanted me, that I was nothing but a nuisance to him, a burden. I've sometimes wondered if he was right."

"He wasn't right!" Tayla insisted sharply, so sharply, that Caline drew back away from her, startled. Tayla immediately regretted raising her voice, and she softened her clear, dulcet tone. "I didn't mean to shout, Caline, I am sorry, but Amitar was nothing but a bastardi prickien who wasn't even worthy of someone like you-"

"Tayla, I heard that," Gracina said reproachfully from two feet away. "It is not nice to malign the dead, especially if it's in front of a relative." She came over to Tayla and Caline then, and she sat down next to Caline and gathered her close. She patted the other side of the log next to her, beckoning Tayla to sit on the other side, which Tayla did.

"Sorry, Gracina, Caline," Tayla said quickly. "But I don't think much of Amitar, even though I know that it's not nice to say so."

"It's okay, Tayla, he wasn't that great a father, although Ridikar told me he was a fine warrior," Caline said quietly, as she cast her turquoise eyes, the color of Astorian blood, on the ruined city of Magan. The buildings were demolished, with only half of them still standing, and the street that ran in front of the Magan Park was cracked, with the blacktop pieces of the pavement scattered about like a black puzzle with sharp jigsaw pieces. There was very little left of downtown Magan, the tall, majestic skyscrapers, which had resembled giant steel guards had all crumbled into a pile of blackened ash and debris, with fires still burning below the rubble. The few firefighters still living were rushing to and fro, dressed in shiny, plastic blue suits and hard hats, as they tried to put out the fires from their dark blue fire trucks, the three fire trucks that they had still intact. Some of the Calmagian men that Caline and Kekron and Steak had helped to escape had joined the firefighters in putting out the flames, some even using buckets carrying stream water. Some of the adult Astorians, men and women, were also helping to bring water to put out the flames of the dying technology beauty once known as the city of Magan.

Caline and Tayla and Gracina watched the plumes of the smoke coming from the once burning buildings slowly fade away. Both girls looked at Gracina, who was holding them both close with her slender arms blackened with dirt and smoke; Gracina had been helping earlier with putting the fires out, and she was tired.

"How are you doing, Caline?" Gracina asked kindly.

"I am okay, really, thank you for asking," Caline said softly. Her blue eyes suddenly widened when she noticed a rose bush nearby three feet away, still intact, with lovely blue roses, the color of Caline's aqua eyes and the blood of the Astorians. Caline then remembered something, something that her mother had told her many years ago about the blue Calmagian musk roses, a half-remembered secret that she only now had begun to remember. She had not remembered this secret in years, for it had died along with her beloved mother.

When Caline had been about three or four, her mother had used the oily rose petals to drip healing liquid onto a cut that Caline had obtained when she had ran her finger into a sharp nail. Caline now suddenly remembered that the cut had healed instantly after a couple of drops of rose oil had been applied. She knew that her mother, Shydine, a loving woman who cared for her youngest child when no one else would, believed in the healing power of the musk roses, something that very few Calmagians had taken seriously. Calmagians had stopped believing and putting their faith in herbal cures years ago, having complete confidence in the manufactured medicines that the major pharmaceutical companies of Calmag produced for them. The companies had refused to even research or spend the time and money to use the musk roses because they could not patent the natural medicine exclusively for themselves. But Caline and her mother had always believed, even though very few of their family members did. Caline abruptly left Tayla and Gracina, and she rushed over to the roses. The musk roses had no thorns unlike Earth roses, and she was able to pluck three of them off of the bush easily. She brought the mystical flowers back over to Tayla and Gracina and handed them each a rose.

Gracina smiled, "How sweet! Thank you, dear!"

"Thank you, Caline, it smells nice," Tayla told her warmly.

"They're not just for show," Caline told them. "Mother showed me a secret about these roses when I was small, a secret that no one would take seriously. The oils on the petals are supposed to instantly heal wounds; the only catch is that only a few drops of oil can be obtained from each rose petal, so it takes a rose or two per person for his or her wounds to be completely healed. It was just now that I remembered, for Mother had used one of them to treat a cut that I had, just a few weeks before, before, she died." Caline's voice shook on the last word, but she managed to remain calm.

Tayla looked thoughtfully at the rose, removing a petal, and then she rubbed the petal onto her exposed, broken shoulder. She gasped aloud with shock when the shoulder healed itself within seconds of the strange treatment.

"My shoulder feels much better!" she exclaimed in amazement and delight.

Gracina tentatively rubbed a torn rose petal onto a cut hand, and the cuts on her slender, graceful hand vanished almost immediately, leaving nothing left but smooth, peaches-and-cream skin.

"Sweet Orchida!" she gasped, and then she and Tayla carefully tore rose petals from the flowers and began to rub them all over their bodies, where the oils began to heal cuts and gashes and then mend the broken bones. Tayla dabbed a petal onto her jaw, and she was happier that her jawbone had now completely healed. Gracina cried out happily when a few drops of oil fixed a sprained wrist that had been troubling her earlier.

Caline used her rose to heal her own wounds, and while the two Astorian princesses were tending to their injuries, Caline scurried over to a brooding Raakon with a blue rose. She felt sorry for him because he could not be with Natala, and she wanted to help him cheer up and heal.

A puzzled Raakon accepted the rose with a quiet thanks, and Caline whispered to him it was for luck. He was even more puzzled then when Caline told him to tear off a few petals and squeeze them onto his wounds. Before Raakon could inquire as to why, Caline swiftly left.








The discussion among the young men about her continued…

"…Well then maybe Amitar being such a bastard monkey wasn't such a bad thing after all," Rojal stated.

"Rojal!" Gorna scolded. "Such language!" she said sharply, as she briefly walked past the young men in search of Shalila.

"He was Ridikar's father, Rojal," Arlon said reprovingly.

Rojal gave an exasperated sigh. "C'mon, Uncle Arlon, you know I was telling the truth. He didn't deserve to have someone like Caline for a daughter. Look at what she's done for us so far; she and Kekron here helped to get almost all of our people out to safety, plus many of the Calmagians. Ridikar, I apologize, if I offended you just now, but you have to agree that you father wasn't exactly what Great-Nama would call a saint."

"What is a saint?" Ridikar asked, puzzled.

"Someone who is either a heavenly person or a holy or godly person," Riccan piped up. "Great-Nama told me that before when I brought her a cup of tea and her writing tablet. She said, 'Thank you, Riccan, you are an absolute saint', and then I asked what it was. That's how I know what a saint is."

"Well, I wouldn't call Father heavenly or holy, although he did seem to be above everyone except for Grandfather," Ridikar responded. "Anyone, Rojal is right; without Caline and Kekron, many of these people probably would still be hostages right now, including my brothers. I am thankful that my older sisters, Rosyn and Meyline, are on the other side of Calmag right now, where no fighting has occurred yet. Julien has just returned from battling himself, and it seems from what his commander has told me, my brother has done well. He may be only fourteen, but he's getting as good a fighter as Father was. Naykiar thankfully made it out with the other Calmagians. He is thirteen, and he sure was mad because he wasn't considered old enough to fight at the time, but he was never much of a warrior anyway. I'll be back shortly." And with that, Ridikar left the young men to find his brother, Julien.

"Caline was very brave," Kekron spoke up. "When I first met the shy little thing, I never knew that she had it in her to do what she did. She easily led all of the hostages that we could take through the labyrinths to the outside in the Magan woods. Steak and I would have got lost in the labyrinths, if it wasn't for her. Most of the credit would go to her, I say." He looked over at Caline, who was now placidly sitting with his aunts, Tayla and Gracina, and he smiled wistfully.

Rojal looked over at Caline with him. Gracina had procured a new dress for Caline earlier from the ruins of a clothing shop, and Caline was now dressed in a pale lavender dress that had a scoop neckline with puffed sleeves that reached down to her slim ankles. Gracina had washed both Caline's and Tayla's faces earlier the best that she could, and she had managed to find a simple fighting gi for Tayla that was light blue with short sleeves and a white obi out of the same clothing shop. Both older boys, Rojal and Kekron, couldn't keep their eyes off of Caline; Tayla was lovely too, but she was their youngest aunt and therefore not a prospect, so their full attention was on Caline, who at that time most people would have considered prettier than Tayla because of her fair looks and large, appealing cobalt-blue eyes and lovely, cornsilk-like hair.

"Too bad she's not older," Rojal said thoughtfully, after a few moments. "If she was about fourteen or fifteen, I might have tried to pursue her. She is a pretty little thing."

"I fancy her myself," Kekron admitted. "But she is only eleven, and even though she's already been married once, it wouldn't be right, I don't think, to try to court her at this time, or even right after this war ends, assuming any of us are still alive."

"She's still a child," Rojal observed. "But children do grow up, and who knows? If she gets to go home to Astoria with us, then maybe in a few years, well…"

"She'll be eligible for courting?" Kekron finished. "About fourteen years of age or so, assuming that she would even want another husband or beau?"

"Petalia has mentioned that Caline never wanted to marry again," Rojal said quietly. "But she's only eleven still, and that's much too young to decide that you don't want a man ever."

"She's scared of that sort of thing now," Kekron pointed out. "She doesn't mind if Uncle Lektron or Dirkan touch her because she doesn't view them as threats, but as father figures, but she doesn't seem to like the idea of a male being interested in her. I don't think that she trusts men in that capacity anymore, and I don't blame her. Father has told me that most females who have been sexually assaulted like her are uncomfortable with romantic love or sex."

"Poor thing," Rojal said, a bit sadly. "I feel sorry for her. I'm glad that she's rid of Alberm. I would have liked to blast him myself, but that Rybanese warrior called Jaden beat me to it."

Kekron looked at his normally selfish cousin, stunned. In all the years that Kekron had known the bratty, arrogant Rojal, he had rarely ever seen or heard Rojal show or express sympathy or caring for another person besides himself other than Dedron and perhaps his mother, Gorna. Rojal had changed a lot since the war had begun; Kekron had noticed that Rojal had grown up a lot and had become more humane. Most of the time before, Kekron couldn't have borne to be around Rojal for too long. Rojal had been self-absorbed and opportunistic, caring for little except to become stronger than Tayla and train to become a fine warrior and the next ruler of Astoria. Rojal was still overly confident at times, even if he had lost to Vegeta and his bunch before, and a bit arrogant still, but he didn't seem to be so bad now as he was before. If Kekron had lived on planet Earth, he would have thought that Rojal was becoming more human.

Other than losing to Vegeta and Journa earlier, Rojal had definitely proven himself to be a fine, powerful warrior who would possibly someday obtain his Awakening. He had killed most of the Upper Low-Levels himself and many Saibamen, and he had helped Dirkan earlier to defeat the Saiyan called Raditz. He had done himself and his family proud, and Kekron truly had to give him credit. Rojal was much smarter these days as well; he was no longer content to have his mother coddle him, and he had become a man.

"You've changed, Rojal," Kekron told him.

"Huh?" Rojal asked puzzled.

"I've never heard you express concern for someone else before."

"Um…right…" Rojal said, uncomfortable with Kekron pointing out the changes in him. He and Kekron had never been really close, and he was uneasy with Kekron seeing into his soul so well. He wasn't ready yet to fully see and accept the new, more mature, manly person that he had now become. He quickly changed the subject back to Caline, whom he now considered to be a safer-and much more interesting-topic.

"Well, at least Caline should be safe now, and she can definitely come home with us, surely King Kitchator couldn't find reason to object," Rojal pointed out.

"She does have a family, and I doubt that she would want to leave Ridikar behind," Kekron told him. Then he saw a short, stocky, muscular, barrel-chested young man with a black mustache and hair on top talking with Julien and Ridikar twenty feet away from Caline, Tayla and Gracina. He looked smarmy and slick, despite his burly appearance, and he had bad skin that was rough and bumpy and hairy. He was dressed in a faded, tattered gray army uniform and worn brown boots. A hawk-like nose was his most remarkable feature, and it was sharp and pointed.

"That guy over there looks like a humanoid hawk!" Rojal cracked, as he watched the strange man.

Kekron permitted himself a small smile, but then the small smile faded to a deep frown.
"Rojal, that's Filcor Sedemeyer. My Kami! I just remembered that Amitar had promised Caline to him."

"What???" Rojal exclaimed. "He's too old for her and uglier than an Oozaru!"

Kekron briefly told his crown prince cousin what Caline had told him about Filcor, and Rojal's frown now matched Kekron's. "He sounds like a carbon copy of Alberm, despite the difference in looks. And has anyone broken Caline's engagement to him yet?"

"Caline has said that she doesn't want to marry him, but her opinion doesn't matter in Calmagian law."

"Can't Ridikar release her from that engagement? He's in charge of her now, isn't he, now that Amitar has passed on?"

"Yes, but I don't know if Ridikar has released her."

"Kekron," Rojal began seriously. "Caline is only eleven, and I've been thinking. If there was a way to get her to come home with us, and then one or both of us could obtain her trust and affection, then maybe she would be willing to be courted when she gets a little older. You seem to like her, from what I can tell, and so do I. She's too young right now, but in a few years, she'll be eligible by our standards to be courted and pursued. If we can get her to like one of us…" A slow smile spread over Rojal's face, as he continued, "By the time she was fourteen or fifteen or so, she might be willing to let one of us pursue her."

"Isn't that a bit sneaky?" Kekron asked him. "I'd feel as if we'd be using her."

"She could refuse us, if she wanted, I'm just saying, Kekron, just thinking of the future. At least she'd know that not all men are like Alberm or Amitar or this Filcor. I know that if she ever got to trust us or like us, only one of us would be able to have her."

"That could cause problems, us eventually competing for the same girl," Kekron pointed out.

"We'll deal with that when it comes. For now we have to get her out of her engagement to that awful Filcor, even if it means threatening Ridikar to do it. I don't care if he and Tayla are making up; he's not forcing his sister into another bad marriage. And we would check out other girls as well, since only one of us could have Caline-" Rojal would have continued, if not for Filcor's shouting voice from the distance:

"Your father promised her to me, Prince Ridikar! If you were a man of honor, you would insist that she still marry me!"

"She doesn't want to marry you, Filcor, and I am not going to force her to. I understand that you did a lot for my father when he was alive, and I will see that you are rewarded for it, but I cannot make Caline marry you, if she does not wish to do so. If Caline wishes to marry again, it will be of her own choice this time. I am sorry, Filcor, but I am breaking the engagement agreement."

"I'll go to your grandfather!" Filcor threatened.

"Do so then," Ridikar told Filcor calmly. "But if Caline doesn't want to be your bride, then she won't be. End of story, sorry."

"This isn't over, Prince Ridikar, you don't rule Calmag yet! Your grandfather is still a hostage, for he did not make it out with the others, but when I help to rescue him, he will surely agree to honor the betrothal agreement that your father made with me before he died."

"You don't scare me, Filcor," Ridikar told him coolly. "Remember that I will rule over you one day, and much sooner since my father has died. My word takes place of his word now. Accept it and find someone else."

"Don't pull rank on me, Prince!" Filcor growled. "When we rescue King Kitchator, I will see that he helps me! He at least is a man of honor, and he will let me have Caline! I will have her yet! And with that, Filcor turned on his heel and left.

Fourteen-year-old Julien frowned, his scowl resembling the dark scowl that used to rest so easily on Amitar's face. Despite his hefty weight (he was about half of Alberm's size), Julien's looks were handsome, a masculine version of Caline's fair looks, and while he and Ridikar were close, and Julien greatly envied his older brother's birthright to Calmag's throne. Julien also embraced their father's values and ideals much more tightly than even Ridikar himself had.

"Ridikar, Father did promise Caline to Sedemeyer, and I believe that he would want his wishes honored," Julien pointed out to his brother. "Caline's wishes mean nothing; you know that. She's just a girl, but a Calmagian princess, and Sedemeyer is a fine match for her-"

"Caline doesn't want to marry him, Julien. She's released from the engagement to Filcor, and that's the end of it. Filcor will live, not that it matters much to me whether he does or not," Ridikar told him sternly. Julien just stared at him, stunned, but he was forced to reluctantly acquiesce. As their father's word had once been law in their immediate family, so now was Ridikar's. Julien grudgingly gave in; he shared their father's attitude about Caline and females in general, but Ridikar was in charge now.

"What's come over you, Ridikar? You've changed. You're behaving now as if Caline is as important as we are," Julien said, whining a little. Whenever Julien whined, the whining would grate on Ridikar's nerves as it did now. Ridikar then allowed himself to smile, for he remembered that Caline had long ago nicknamed Julien "Whinien", and she had dubbed him that whenever Julien had not been within earshot.

"Caline is as important as we are. I was wrong to treat her badly and snub her like I did, and so were you, Father, and Naykiar. It's time we started changing the way that we view females, Jules, that females are not inferior to us, and that they can be just as strong and brave as males are. Tayla taught me that, and I owe those lessons from her. When this war is over, I am going to do whatever I can to regain her love and change the way Calmagian men view women."

"You mean you're changing because of Tayla, that Astorian slut who jilted you just because you wanted to have a little fun with her?" Julien sneered. "My, my, Ridikar, I never thought that a female would make you become so soft. I heard Prince Dedron Chloe refer to her as a lapdog earlier, and he's right, for she's nothing but a bitc-"

With one sharp blow to his face, Julien was knocked into a mud puddle by Ridikar, who hissed, "Don't you ever insult her again, do you understand me? I still intend to make her my love, and you will treat her with utmost respect, as befitting a princess. You will also treat Caline with kindness and respect as well starting now, and if you or Naykiar mistreat either Caline or Tayla in any way, you will be banished and stripped of your titles, do you understand me, Julien? I will tell Naykiar of this as well."

Julien spat out tawny blood, the color of honey, from his mouth, for Ridikar had hit him in his mouth. He quickly jumped out of the mud puddle, his handsome velvet-like red suit soaked and muddy. A tree twig dangled from a gold lock.

"Bastard brother!" he snarled. "How dare you treat me this way? I used to look up to you, Ridi, I really did, and so did Naykiar, but not anymore! I won't follow a brother who's now developed a red willow switch for his spine in the place of the steel rod that was once there! You're becoming soft, weak, Ridikar, and if Father were alive, he'd be ashamed! And to hit me, your own brother, the sibling most loyal to you! And you are dishonorable because you refuse to respect Father's wishes concerning us. Father promised Caline to Sedemeyer before he died, and Sedemeyer has done much for our family, fought for our family and provided many goods and services to us! You are ungrateful; Caline as a prize to Sedemeyer is not an unreasonable request! Where's your sense of honor, Ridikar? Has it been tainted or weakened by our whiny baby sister, a daughter that Father never wanted, a daughter that Father had wanted Mother to abort, or is it Tayla, that Astorian wench that fights and acts and speaks just like a man?
What has become of you, brother, that you would allow two wretched, worthless females to influence you so? It doesn't matter if they are princesses; they are still females! And because of them, you want to change us forever, along with the Calmagian way of life! I am ashamed to call you my brother, and I hope and pray that you have a son soon, so that maybe he can be trained to become a real man, not like the whipped weakling that his father has now become-"

Ridikar was about to land another blow on Julien, but before he could so, Caline and Tayla came up besides him. They had originally left to gather more roses to heal everyone's wounds, but Caline and Tayla had heard all of Julien's insults, and Caline had enough.

Caline said quietly, steadily, "Julien, that will be enough. Ridikar is our guardian now and our future king. He is charge now, and you will show him respect." The jaws of Ridikar, Tayla, and Julien dropped down to the tops of their chests, for they had never heard Caline speak in such a commanding tone before. Tayla recovered much faster than the two Calmagian princes, and her shock changed into pride, admiration--and a new respect for Caline. She watched in sisterly pride and love, as the tiny Calmagian princess, once a meek and timid little child bride, show off her new self, a self that would slowly grow into a confident, bold, brave young woman.

Julien was the next to recover. "How dare you order me about, you impertinent little wench? Father was right; the Astorian females are a bad influence on you! Where in the hell did you learn to talk back to your betters like that-?"

"You are not my better," Caline told him coolly. "And you owe Ridikar an apology. You also owe Tayla an apology for insulting her, as she is my friend, Ridikar's intended, and an important guest of our grandparents. And you owe me an apology, for insulting me and trying to force me back into an engagement that I don't wish to be in. I don't expect you to apologize to me, but you will at least apologize to Tayla and Ridikar. Your disrespect towards him and females will stop. This ends today."

"I'll do no such thing," Julien snapped, his face twisted into an ugly scowl. "And you will shut your mouth, you little wench, or I will shut it for you!" And with that, Julien raised his hand at Caline, preparing to slap her, but before he could hit his sister, Tayla caught his flying wrist in her small hand.

"You will not hurt her," Tayla told him evenly. "I suggest that you take her advice, only you should add that apology to her as well."

"Oh, really," Julien jeered. "An Astorian whore is going to order me about; you're twice as worst as Caline. I bet Caline learned to become the cheeky wench that she is now from you. Father told me that you would make an unsuitable wife for Ridikar, and he was right. If you and Ridikar marry after all, I will never honor you as my Queen, I'll tell you that right now!"

"Ridikar and I are not marrying anytime soon; I am only twelve," Tayla told him steadily, still holding his wrist. "And you may do as you like, outside of insulting or harming Caline or Ridikar, and if you say anything cruel or do anything to hurt them, you will deal with me personally. Is that clear?"

"Clear?" Julien asked. "I'll show you clear, you little bitc-" And as he was about to finish, he used his other hand to strike out at Tayla, but before he could, Tayla kneed him in his groin. In two seconds, Julien was on his chubby knees, and he tried to paralyze Tayla, but she laughed at him when his attack didn't work.

"What the hell-"

"Sorry, Julien, but I overcame that a long time ago. Nice try though," Tayla told him, still laughing, as she neatly shoved him back into the mud puddle. Ridikar and Caline couldn't help but laugh along with her, when Julien's face emerged from the puddle, a dark olive-brown shade.

"Nice mud pack!" Tayla joked. "I've heard from my Aunt Hazel that mud is good for the skin; maybe it will help you!"

Julien growled, as he climbed out of the mud puddle and sulkily stomped away. Princess Tayla Chloe would not see or hear the end of this!







On the other side of Magan Park…

"Has anyone seen Raakon?" Bajal asked his family members.

"Not since lunch," Lektron said, as he burped loudly, making Bajal laugh. When he noticed Gracina's disapproving look out of the corner of his eye, he then said meekly, "Excuse me."

Most of the adult Astorians were now standing at the other side of the Magan Park, overlooking a street of once-beautiful homes that were now reduced to rubble. The Astorians had eaten a few snacks for "lunch" (taken from a wrecked snack shop), for sustenance. Raakon had not eaten a bite; he seemed to be too deeply disturbed about his wife, who had not escaped with the others. He had been seen scribbling a note in the Astorian language (he was too upset to worry about writing in the Standard language where everyone else could read it). He had mumbled something to Cletos about needing to "use the trees" (a polite Astorian euphemism for using the bathroom), and no one had seen him since.

"I know where Uncle Raakon went!" a sweet, childlike voice sang. Tila ran up to her father, waving a note, the same note that Raakon had been writing earlier.

"Where, Ti?" Lektron asked worriedly.

"He went to save Aunt Natala! He decided that he couldn't wait any longer!" Tila exclaimed excitedly. "That's what this note says!" Like many small children, Tila liked to be the first to deliver an exciting piece of news, no matter how shocking or worrisome the information was.

"WHAT????!!!!!!" the Clan of Chloe and their friends shouted.

"Tila, read the note out loud," Gracina ordered quickly. "In Standard."

Tila read in her sweet, high-toned voice, translating it easily into Standard, so that everyone could understand the words:


"Dear Everyone,

I am sorry, that I am leaving ahead of everyone, but I can wait no longer. I've sensed that Natala is in great danger, and I am not going to let anyone hurt her or violate her. The moment that Kekron had told me what Balair tried to do to my wife earlier, I knew then that I had to leave. I know that it's going to upset everyone that I am going off on my own, but Natala needs me now. I have entered the labyrinths, and I am going to finish off Balair once and for all. He isn't going to live to hurt my wife or any other female again. His reign of terror and his life ends the moment I lay eyes on his ugly Sistrai face again.

I won't let him hurt Natala. I won't let him hurt anyone else.

This ends today.

Farewell for now, and wish me luck. If something happens to me, please look after my wife and children, and my wife will be alive for you to look after because I won't allow it to be otherwise.

Again, this ends today.

Gooden boden fro noy. (Goodbye for now.)

Raakon"

"Has Raakon lost his mind?" Lektron exclaimed, horrified. "He had a hard enough time defeating Balair last time all of those years ago!"

"And Balair's become so much stronger," Shalila added worriedly. "What in Orchida's name is he thinking? It is not like Balair is by himself!"

"If I had caught him earlier, I would have throttled him!" Dirkan raged. "I understand that Natala did not make it out, but Raakon is in way over his head. He's usually the most levelheaded one among us; what has come over him?"

"Love," Gracina said softly. "He is foolish going by himself, but I don't blame him. Natala means more to him than life itself. I think we ought to follow him right after."

"He's the smoking gun, as they say on Earth," Shalila said firmly. "Well, we've wasted enough time. The time to act is now. As Raakon said in his letter, this ends today. Tila, go find Caline and tell her we need her help again; she'll have to come back into the labyrinths with us to lead the way."

"Yes, Great-Nama!" Tila cried, and she scampered off.

"Isn't that risky, Nama?" Gracina asked worriedly.

"I agree," Bajal told Shalila. "Caline cannot fight."

"It is not just the warriors that win a battle or a war, Gracina and Bajal," Shalila told them, still firmly. "It is also those like Caline who risk their lives helping others, even though they have no chance of fighting, even if they know that they may die. Caline's knowledge of the labyrinths saved the lives of hundreds, and she was brave enough to risk her own life to see that so many people were able to escape. We don't know the labyrinths, as well as she does, and we need her."

Five minutes later, a breathless Tila had returned, and she panted, "Caline says to go to that manhole over in the middle of the street. There's another way to the labyrinths there. She will lead us back to the castle. She says that she has presents for all the fighters going! Wait, I want to come too!"

"You're not going, Tila; you will remain here where it's safe," Gracina ordered her sternly.

"But I could help, and Caline's going!" Tila protested.

"Tila, you heard your mother, you will remain here, and so will Tayka and Nikon," Lektron reiterated his wife's orders firmly. "It is too dangerous for young children."

Riccan, who had followed Tila back to the adults, exclaimed excitedly, "We're going to fight again? All right!"

"Be careful, Riccan," Lektron ordered him. "You stay near the adults and do what you are told."

"Yes, Pappa."

Shalila saw Caline, Tayla, and Ridikar approach the manhole that Caline had said for the Astorians to go to. She was puzzled to see the three young people holding huge bouquets of blue Calmagian roses, but she would figure that incident out later. She ordered the others to follow her to the manhole, and she said firmly, "Everyone follow me once we get down there, no I mean follow Caline. This will end today."

No one hesitated or argued, as fighters, Calmagian and Astorian alike began to follow Shalila and her family to the manhole.






Deep in the labyrinths beneath the edge of the Magan woods, just before the Calmagian royal castle…

Raakon Chloe's face was grimy, but determined. All he could think about was Natala, and what Balair could be doing to her at this moment.

"I'm coming, Natala, my love, don't you worry!" Raakon said resolutely. He said also to an absent Balair, "Balair, if you so much as touch one strand of hair on my wife's head, I will make your death extremely painful! I am known as a jenteel warrien, but like all Astorians, I show no mercy towards those who hurt the people that I love! When I am done with you, Balair, you'll wish that I had killed you long ago in the Battle of Chloe!"

And turning his thoughts back on Natala, a weary, but determined Raakon navigated the labyrinths using the map that Kekron had quickly sketched out for him. (Kekron had known all along what his father was going to do, but Raakon had instructed him to tell no one until they saw the note. Raakon's oldest son fully supported his father's actions.)

"Again, I am coming, Natala, hold on!" Raakon declared, as he easily and gracefully found his way through the corridors quickly, thanks to his son's map. He was now fully healed thanks to that strange blue rose that Caline had given him a few minutes before he left.