Hey! I'm so glad that you're enjoying this! Sorry this is taking so long, but I'm not going to have much time to type this up as I have a TON of school work to do and THREE exams to study for!! So I'm afraid that it's going to be awhile before the next chapter will be ready to be uploaded, sorry!!

Thanks for reviewing!!

To the nameless reviewer; Ok, I changed her age just for you!!

To BubblyOne; Alright, I promise that Altra and Karal will be key characters in the story, especially Altra! ^_^

To Missy: I know I SUCK at insults!! I'll work on it though, promise!!

To Rosethorn: Aw... you're so sweet!! I'll have to read your stories sometime, it's only fair!! ^_*

Anywho... on with the story!!

Warning: This chapter contains rape and torture!! Consider yourself warned!

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Altra and Karal also headed to their room to pack for the journey. Altra had originally been planning to go alone, but Karal had instantly caught on to him and had convinced him to let him come along.

"I still wish that you'd tell me exactly why you want to go." Karal grumbled as he opened the door to the set of rooms he and Altra shared.

"I mean, I know that you're a mage and all but I'm sure that Firesong, Darkwind and Elspeth can handle anything that this dark mage can do!" He added as he hunted around the bottom of his wardrobe for his travel bags.

:It's not the mage. I'm sorry Karal but I can not tell you why it is vital for me to go.: Altra said sadly.

"Sunlords orders?" Karal asked. Altra did not answer but Karal could tell by the way that the cats mind felt that he was right. He also knew that when it concerned the Sunlord, it was pointless to get Altra to talk.

:I wish that you wouldn't insist on coming.: Altra whispered into Karals mind.

"I know, but I want to come. Besides, I could be useful! This victim that we're supposed to be rescuing probably wont understand our language and we both know that I'm the best at mime. I'm also a Channel as you well know, maybe that will come in handy."

:I'm surprised that you can even THINK that after what happened the last time you Channeled energy!:

Karal shuddered as he remembered that horrible time that had saved the world, but had cost him his vision. He hadn't ever Channeled since then and, he admitted to himself, he still didn't want to. :Not ever!: He thought, keeping that thought carefully sheilded from Altra.

"I'm surprised too, but if it's necessary then..." He shrugged, leaving the sentence unfinished.

:I understand. Now you had best start packing and go to bed, if we're to be up on time and feeling rested.:

"Yes, oh master of the sun. Ruler of all things, mage of all mages and wisest of the wise. Right away oh Lover of garbage and all that smells... OW! Hey what was that for??" Karal demanded as he rubbed the area where Altra had bit him.

:That will do.: Altra said.

"Humph, see if I ever compliment you again! Stupid cat." Karal grumbled.

:Bigot:

"Tail chaser!"

:Nerd.:

"Mouse breath."

:Actually I had chicken for dinner, idiot.:

"Fish guts for brains!"

:No... however I did have fish for breakfast, bookworm.:

"Pussy!"

:OK, that's it! Now you're getting personal! This means war!:

Karal had expected Altra to jump on him and had braced himself for the tumble. However, that wasn't what Altra had in mind. Instead of merely knocking Karal over, he closed his eyes, leaving Karal totally blind.

"Ok Altra, this is NOT funny! Let me see!" Karal said.

:Nope! Not until you apologize!: A very amused Altra replied.

"Ok ok, I'm sorry! Now will you let me see? Please?" Karal begged.

:Hmm... I'll think about it.: Altra teased.

"Altra!!" Karal said sharply.

:Oh alright already! I was only teasing! You know that I would never leave you with out a set of 'eyes': Altra said, opening his eyes again.

"You were going to when you left for Sorrows tomorrow." Karal pointed out.

:Was not!! Another Firecat would have been sent to help you!: Altra objected.

"Oh... well, that's different then. Let's start packing ok? Are you going to inform the Queen of our travel plans?"

:Yes, I'll take care of it when you go to sleep. Now pack boy!: Altra demanded, giving Karal a playful shove towards his chest.

"Yes oh merciful one." Karal started.

:Pack!:

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The next morning everyone met at the edge of Companions field. No one seemed surprised to see Karal and Altra there, however they all were shocked to see a very nauseated looking Keisha standing there with three ill looking Dyheli.

"Gryphons." Keisha told them with a slight smile.

Firesong simply nodded and walked up to one of the dyheli. He didn't say anything out loud but everyone could tell by the way he was walking that he was deep in conversation with the stag via mindspeech.

Karal stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Thank you for coming, with you this journey will be much faster." He said formally.

He turned around and looked at the others.

"Everyone ready?" He asked.

Everyone nodded their agreement.

"Then let's go."

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Clara woke quickly, shaken by the strange dream that she had just had. :That was so weird. I was running from the school, but why?: she thought as she tried to remember, only to find that she couldn't. :I remember that I was preparing to leave the house and then... nothing. Why was I running away?: She laughed at herself for trying to make sense of a dream and tried to get up, only to discover that she couldn't move. :What the...?: She thought. :Why can't I move?: She didn't have to wait long to get her answer.

"Well well, you're finally awake I see." A strange masculine voice said.

Clara tried to speak but realized that she couldn't. She knew that she was completely defenseless, totally at the voices mercy.

"I see that my voice is unfamiliar to you. Don't you recognize my voice?"

Clara realized that she had heard that voice somewhere before, but no matter how hard she concentrated she couldn't remember who it belonged to.

"Still don't know who I am?" The voice taunted.

"Here, maybe this will help you remember." The voices said as a strange light formed in the air. A masculine figure stepped into the light and as Clara looked at him she suddenly knew that what she had awoken from was no dream. She also remembered what had happened to make her run from the school. She stared, terrified at Mr. B's grinning face.

"Ah good, I see you've remembered! I still don't know what you did at the school, but the amount of power I collected from that classroom was more than adequate to meet my needs! I would have let you go but the way you left was quite rude, and I fell down the stairs in my haste to catch you. So you see I couldn't let you go free, I had to teach you a lesson ! That is after all what teachers are for, yes?" He said, grinning madly.

He walked closer to the terrified girl. Before Clara knew what was happening he had untied her and taken the rag out of her mouth. She looked up at him, trying not to let her fear show as she tried to figure what he was going to do next.

"And now my white haired, strange eyed beauty." He said, smiling cruelly. "We play."

Clara only had a brief moment to comprehend what he was planning to do, then the first blow came.

Clara's head snapped back as she felt his fist connect with her jaw. His second blow knocked the wind out of her as it connected with her stomach. Blow after blow connected with Clara's body, each one leaving painful bruises. Clara had never had such a hard beating in her life, even her fathers had been nothing compared to this! If Clara thought that the beating hurt, it was paradise compared to the pain she felt when he took her. Again and again he entered her, slamming her head against the stone floor every time she tried to fight. When he had finally satisfied his sexual hunger, he took a long vine that he had found quite by accident, growing in a change circle. He placed the vine on the girls stomach. The vine quickly wrapped itself around the girl and constricted itself, piercing her battered body with its thorns. The girl screamed in agony and started to struggle.

"I wouldn't try to fight it if I were you. The more you move the tighter it will get." He said cruelly.

The last thing Clara heard before she lost consciousness was his laughter, echoing off the walls.

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Talia was clinging on to Rolans mane, leaning as close as she could to his nect to cut back his wind resistance when it hit her. She was so surprised that she had no time to stop herself from falling off Rolans back. He wasn't running his fastest but it was still more than quick enough for falling to be fatal. As Talia hit the ground she only felt pain for a brief second before blackness took her.

Rolan squealed in agony as he and the others stopped. Keisha was the first to dismount and reach the dying Talia. She knelt by the womans side and went into her healing trance, everyone else stayed silent, not wanting to distract her. :Oh, this is not good! I have no where near enough energy to heal THIS! Still I have to try.: Keisha thought as she saw how much damage had been done. She sent ray after ray of emerald green healing energy, healing muscles and tissues. But there was too much damage done and she didn't have the strength to heal it all. :Oh no, I'm going to lose her! I haven't had to heal injuries this bad since I healed Steelmind up North! Even then, I was only able to do it with help from... a Companion.: Just as she thought this, another voice spoke into her mind. :Keisha, Healer, use my strength.: Rolan said and added his strength to Keisha's. Keisha welcomed the blast of power Rolan sent her and with renewed energy healed Talia faster that she had ever been able to heal before. Suddenly there was nothing left to heal and Rolan cut off the flow of strength. Keisha swayed with exhaustion but with more help from Rolan recovered quickly. Only to see that while Talia's body was healed, her heart wasn't beating and the woman wasn't breathing.

"Bloody HELL!" Kero swore as she quickly bent down next to Talia. She placed both her hands on the center of Talia's chest and started pushing down in time with her own heart beat. Everyone watched anxiously as she continued to do this, praying for Talia to live. After what felt to the observers to be an eternity Talia's body jerked upward as Kero supported the woman who was gasping for breath. The Humans all cheered, Aya and Vree flew up into the sky and performed an aerial dance to show their joy, while the companions and dyheli dropped all their dignity and started bucking for joy. Karal had to suffer through several minutes of disorientation, as Altra started running around in tiny circles is his excitement.

High above them they thought they heard a gryphons victory cry, but they ignored it in favor of questioning the now fully recovered Talia.

"What happened?" Everyone asked as one.

"I... I don't know." Talia replied shakily.

"I was riding when suddenly I felt terror as I have never felt since..." She left the sentenced unfinished as she looked towards the area where the hand print was burned into her skin.

"I was so surprised that I had no time to stop myself from falling, that's all I remember." She finished.

"Are you ok now?" Kero asked.

Talia nodded.

"Alright then. Talia, lets get you strapped into that saddle, I don't want to risk you falling again." Alberich said gently.

"Right." Talia agreed.

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Well, that's it for now!! You know the drill, REVIEW!

As I said before if anyone has a favorite character you want in on this, just let me know and I will work it in! Don't worry about the time line!! I am always open to suggestions!!

Thanx for reading!!