Disclaimer: *Sigh* why do I always have to put this in? I don't own Lyra and Will.I wish I did.well.here you go! Hehehe, I'm listening to the Final Fantasy's music.oops, that's probably not a good thing, last time I did that while writing a fic, I got two worst enemies madly in love with each other.Hey, I got the video of The Lord of the Rings today! I've been watching it all day, and now my Dad thinks I'm a fanatic of TLOTR.hehehe.maybe he's not wrong.anyway, I don't see what all this has to do with me not owning Will and Lyra, but what the hell! Everyone who reads my fics can tell that I'm totally insane, so you already know that! Oh, by the way, I'm writing this at 25 to 11, so it may not be very good.

Nekaros

Chapter Three: More clues fall into place.

Lyra looked around wildly. Coming towards her, with all the easy arrogance that only the Mind-benders could have, was one man, cloaked and hooded, as normal with Mind-benders.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked her. Suspicion was in his voice. "You're not one of the pupils in this school, are you?"

Lyra snorted to herself. Easy to fool this idiot she thought to Pantalaimon.

"No, of course not! I was actually in the school, but I was sending a message to the head teacher from one of her friends in the Covered Market- paid me a shilling, she did- but I en't in that school. As if they would have someone like me. Besides, I don't want to go to a school! I seen what they do there.."

It had been easy for Lyra to fake the look of an ignorant and stupid peasant. She had almost lost her Jordan accent, being with girls who spoke very precise English, but it hadn't totally forsaken her, and she could use it when she needed.

"Oh, I see." Said the soldier. "Do you remember what the head teacher's friend was called and looked like?"

Lyra made her face pucker up into a frown, as if trying to remember, a good little girl, doing her best to help the soldiers. "Um..I dunno her name, she had blonde hair..I think..and her daemon was a parrot.yeah, with green feathers. We didn't like her daemon, we didn't. That parrot, he kept on making fun of my Pan."

The soldier nodded distractedly. Then he said, "Alright then. If you see that woman with the parrot daemon again, then tell one of us, alright?"

Lyra nodded. "Yeah, we will! We hate her!"

"Alright then. You don't come back here anymore, alright? This school's going to be torn down."

Lyra faked a look of dumb innocence. "Why's it gonna be torn down, Mister?"

The soldier sniggered, and tapped his nose, looking very important-or so he thought. "That doesn't concern you. Now, run off and play."

"Yes, mister." Lyra turned round, trying not to walk too fast. Then, chancing a look over her shoulder, saw the soldier walking away, broke into a run, and skidded into an Alleyway.

"What now?" asked Pantalaimon, looking out at the people outside the alley.

"Dunno. Pan, why d'you think they did that to the school?"

"Well, you know them. When they get an idea that such-and-such a place harbors heretics then they go and demolish it."

"Hmm..I dunno what we ought to do now..the Altheometer'll know!" she swung the bag down off her shoulder, and drew out the Alethometer.

"But Lyra, we still don't know how to red it properly-"

"Hush.."

But suddenly, their heads jerked up, and they jumped to their feet. Two people were whispering at the other side of the Alley, and Lyra thought she had heard the name Will Parry among their muttered conversation. Carefully and delicately, she inched her way across to where the two people were speaking softly in the shadows.

"Well, Master sent this girl, Auriel, to find him. Master seems to think that the boy knows where this Ezekiater is."

"He sent a GIRL?"

"Yes. I do not know why he did so. Not even the ones at the very top know that. Apparently, she was from this world, the only world where conscious beings have the ability to see their daemons. Other than that, there is no reason at all why Master has chosen this girl to find Will Parry. It remains a mystery."

"Yes. It would have been much more logical just to send one of us."

"Unless.."

"What? What is it that you know that I don't?"

"This is just hearsay, just gossip, but it is rumored that this girl has somehow got the powers of angels, AND of humans.."

"What? Impossible!"

"Not wholly so, my friend, not wholly so.."

"Well?"

"Well..no, the old Authority had them all put to death. It is impossible."

A few meters away, Lyra was watching wide-eyed, and listening to all she could.

~*~

Will raised his head fully, his gaze fixed on the girl. "Yes. Yes, I am. Who're you?"

The girl gasped in relief. "Oh, I'm so glad I found you, Will! You know, I was running out of time, he said I had to find you by Saturday, or else! I'm Auriel by the way, Auriel Rempiant, and this is my daemon Faernell."

She said all of this such a rush, as though she was impatient to get the words out.

"'He said?'" said Will. "Who told you to find me, and how did you get here? I mean, all the windows have been closed by the angels.."

"Well, yeah. I was told to find you by an Angel, a big black one, with massive black wings! I dunno who he is, he just told me to bring you to the place where a window used to be, opening into Ci'gazze, wherever that is, and whatever that means! He..he told me that if I didn't find you then I would have to stay in this world for the rest of my life! I think.I think that angel is...evil.."



AN: Wow! My longest chapter so far! And now it's *checks her watch* 25 past 12, (PM!) so I'm going to bed! Please forgive me for the short chapters, and I also apologize for not updating regally! Sorrrrry! THANKYOU to everyone who reviewed! Also thanx to everyone who is also reviewing my HP fic, Die for You! I haven't been updating that also..*sob* I'm so sorry! Anyway:

A big THANKYOU to Erin, thanx also for reviewing Die for You! I trie to make the accent right.

And also to Princess Leonide, Well met, my long-lost friend! Here is another chapter! Um, I'm not sure where the rest went.it just floated away out the window.aw, don't mind me, I'm only crazy...

Thanx to 'me' I'm glad you liked it!

And *drum roll pliz* THANKYOU to my faithfull best friend Mary, who always reviews!