HEART OF THE SWORD By: Alithiel

Disclaimer: Hello All! Sorry it's taken so long, but Arlyssa absconded with my laptop, and the last time my dad caught me typing fics on the 'public computer' he tried to ground me.thank goodness it was during the school year and I had an excuse! Anyway thanks to Teefa 85, Rena Chan and whoever reviewed that didn't sign (I'll call you Blank for now!). So, read and review! Thanks!

Happy early Halloween!

Alithiel

Chapter 4: The Winds of Change

The snow fell thickly around the five Swordian Masters, though the pine branches overhead collected most of the chilly whiteness. The cold bit into their bones like icy knives. Rutee was used to it, because she had carried Atwight for years, and Garr was used to it since this was his own country. He grinned to himself, even as he turned the collar of his fur cloak up a little more.

He didn't want to tell Stahn, Philia, and Sariless that this was a Phandarian summer.

Better they didn't know anyway.

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Sariless struggled through the deep snow. Even though the Swordian Masters had been provided fur capes to keep them warm on their journey to Frostheim, it was never quite warm enough for her. Being from Calvalese, where it was eighty degrees in the winter made her incredibly sensitive to the cold. She shivered convulsively, trying to warm herself as she walked.

"Damn, Garr, how can you live in a country this cold?!"

"Quite easily, Sariless."

"I'm surprised you haven't grown fur." Stahn muttered under his breath.

"I don't think it's cold." Rutee declared proudly.

Sariless rolled her eyes. "Amazing how the girl with the least clothes isn't cold."

"What did you say?!?!" Rutee hollered at the top of her lungs.

There was a screech as a flock of white birds took flight. An avalanche of frozen snow fell from one of the tall pines.

.And landed right on Rutee, completely burying her to her neck.

Sariless exploded into gleeful laughter at the woman's expression, one part shock and one part fury, as she tried to thrash herself out of the pile. Stahn and Garr rushed to dig her out.

"Get me the Hell out of HERE!!" Rutee spluttered angrily.

Sariless laughed harder, and even Philia couldn't suppress a giggle.

Within moments, Stahn and Garr had her out. Shivering and blue-lipped she stomped over to Sariless. She stopped laughing, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.

"Oh, my goddess.that was.so funny.your.expression!" She started to laugh anew.

Rutee clenched her fist, but before she could give into her urge to slug her, Sariless smiled.

"Sorry I laughed at you."

Rutee was shocked into silence.

"An.apology?"

"Yep!" Sariless grinned wider, looking at the others out of the corner of her eye. They looked at them approvingly. "We'd better go.It's still a bit to Frostheim."

The four companions began to walk again, leaving a very confused Rutee behind.

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They got to Frostheim on a chilly morning two days later. The main port of Phandaria, it had suffered greatly in the death of their former king, Sark, and when Belcrant had blown a chunk of their country to dust. But since the coronation of their new king, Garr, things were looking up for the city. The icy waters of Frostheim Harbor glittered like diamonds in the pale sunlight that filtered through low clouds, the ships on the surface looking like little toys. The group stopped a bit outside the main road into town. Sariless took her glove off to allow Chaltier to speak.

"Chaltier, can you feel Igtenos here?"

~Yes, I can.but he is very faint. He is weak.~

"Yes, I understand that, but where?" Garr asked. His impatience and fear seeped into his voice. Stahn looked to his friend, felt sad. He could hear in his voice the same thing that Stahn had felt in his heart every day. The pain and sorrow of lost companions, ones thought gone until Sariless and Chaltier had arrived and changed everything. He laid a comforting hand on his friends' shoulder. Philia spoke.

"Please, Chaltier, concentrate."

Sariless' hand began to glow brightly violet as Chaltier sent his essence roaming the city. In a moment, the glow vanished.

~The harbor.~

Garr took off running.

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Gulls wheeled high above the harbor. Chaltier's violet glow shimmered on the thin crust of snow on the stone wharf as he sent his seeking again.

~It is difficult for earth to seek air.but I think he is in possession of the peddler on the end of the first pier. You must hurry.he grows faint.~

Garr gritted his teeth. "You all stay here."

Garr dashed down toward the pier, then slowed.

"Must calm down."

Feigning disinterest, fighting the adrenaline pumping through his veins, Garr strolled down the pier, looking at the sky. The peddler was a dirty sort, calling out his meager wares to the people hustling along the pier. Thin hanks of hair scraggled over his dull eyes. His filthy blanket was spread with pots. Garr had seen better pots in the trash heap, he observed as he got closer. The peddler smiled, revealing rotted teeth.

"Morning sir." He said, grinning wider.

"Why, good day."

"Care for a pot sir? No finer in all of Phandaria."

Garr nearly choked on that. "My wife said she needed a new one." He kneeled down near the carpet, feigning interest in the shoddy earthenware. A flash of green caught his eye, and he whipped his head around to get a look at it. There, near the hand of the peddler, lay a large emerald, set in a strange silvery oblong that made it look like a green eye.

He faked amazement. His heart pounded in his chest.

"What a magnificent gem! Might I be permitted to buy it from you?"

The peddler's friendly expression was wiped clean, replaced by a look of cold anger.

"That is not for sale."

Garr's heart fell. Then a though occurred to him. Sariless had said that when she touched Chaltier, it had immediately attached to her hand. He had a plan.

"Well, then.can I just hold it for a moment? I would like to. I promise not to run off with it. I would just like to tell my children about the wonderful gem I held."

"Well. alright." He conceded reluctantly, handing him the cool gem.

As Garr held it, soothing warmth flowed up his arm.

"Igtenos." He whispered.

And the world dropped from underneath him.

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When he was aware of himself, he was standing in a grove of trees. A strong wind buffeted the trees, sending leaves flying around him in a spinning vortex. Despite the stormy wind, strong sunlight slanted through the trees.

"Garr."

He turned at the sound of his name, to face a man. He was his age, tall, dressed in emerald green robes of fine make. Long brown hair was braided down his back. But that was not what brought him short.

He had the greenest eyes he had ever seen.

"You're Igtenos."

The man nodded. "Yes I am.it is good to see you again, Garr."

Garr smiled. "It is good to see you for the first time, old friend."

Igtenos held his hand out. "Ready?"

Garr took his hand.

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Stahn heard a scream from the end of the pier. He and the others ran to the end to see Garr crouched in the damp, clutching his right arm. Stahn, Philia, and Rutee watched in amazement as long tendrils of greenish silver wrapped around Garr's arm, burrowing into his skin. The green eye gem shone on the back of his hand, and his body was enveloped in green light. In a flash it was gone.

Garr crouched panting on the stones, sweat cooling rapidly.

"Garr, are you alright?" Philia asked anxiously.

He just smiled and showed her his arm. Igtenos shone on his wrist like a green gauntlet.

"Two down, three to go."

The he fainted.

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Alithiel~ Yay! There it is, sorry it took so long! I'll be faster, I promise.on case you were curious, I got the gauntlet idea from Witchblade.

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Love you all!