Welcome all my readers and new readers to Chapter Seven.  Things have been so hectic lately, but here I am again continuing on my saga.   It's been so great to know that there are people out there that enjoy my style of writing.  Thanks to all that have contributed to the creative process.  Thanks also to all that have provided criticism on my story.  Without your help, I don't think that I would have ever continued writing.  THANK YOU!!

            Now with that out of the way, it's the perfect time to insert the ever present disclaimer:  I do NOT in any way own Escaflowne, it's characters, themes, plots, etc.  I do wish that I were the lucky bastard who came up with the idea. 

            Oh well, enough with the stalling and on with the show!

Chapter Seven: Awakenings

 ~Outside Astoria's Royal Palace~

            Dorser and Nigel crept along the side of the castle.  The palace's watch fires burned brightly at every turret and intersection, making it difficult to remain out of sight from the many guards littered along the walls.  Upon discovering that fact, Nigel suggested they enter from the side of the palace facing the forest.  It had occurred to them that they could possibly teleport inside the palace gates, but because Nigel had never been within the castle walls, the danger of appearing somewhere unexpected like the king and queen's chamber was not an option. 

            "You'd think they'd have a secret entrance some where." Nigel grumbled.

            Dorser grunted in response.  He eyed the current guards standing above them, "They haven't spotted us yet.  They'll move from that spot in about a minute.  Then we can climb the wall and make our way inside."

            Nigel nodded and waited while Dorser gauged the appropriate moment to invade the silent palace.  Dorser placed the spiked set of gloves onto his hands and motioned for Nigel to do the same.  The guard above them began to turn, "Now."

            The two men scaled the wall quickly and silently.  Upon reaching the top of the wall, they were careful not to draw attention to themselves.  Turning the opposite direction of the guard, Nigel and Dorser slipped into the sidewall of the castle.

            Dorser led the way through the staircase.  Knowing that they could not disable anyone permanently without alerting their enemies, Nigel would have to employ a sleep spell, while he erased their minds of the memory.

            Once they had reached the courtyard, they raced across its expanse and quickly entered the main palace, placing the two guards at the entrance under a deep sleep.

            "We're in." Nigel whispered.

~Allen's room~

            Allen paced his implicitly neat room.  He hadn't been able to fall asleep and now was becoming restless. Allen thought back to everything that had happened the last couple of days.  It seemed that everyone else was taking all the changes in stride.  Why the hell couldn't he?

            "Shit!" Allen stubbed his toe on the chair near his desk.  Sitting down and bringing his foot into the moonlight streaming from his window, Allen examined his injury.

            "Just my luck." Allen rubbed his foot and turned to look out his window.  His room was directly across the palace grounds from Hitomi's current location.

            That was another thought that he couldn't seem to get off his mind.  "Hitomi."  He whispered to himself.

            Ever since her return, his feelings for her came back in full force.  Even though Van had discussed with him his intentions for Hitomi, Allen couldn't make himself step aside.  He had tried many times to find a moment alone to talk to Hitomi, but he always found Hitomi accompanied by someone, from Van to Selena.

            Allen sighed.  If only he could speak to Hitomi privately, he would be able to sort out what was going on in his mind.

~Flashback~

            "Onii-chan?" Selena looked up at Allen, "Daijobu?"

            Allen nodded.  He stared out at the quiet practice field.  Selena had somehow found him.  It was late and his first instinct was to scold her for being out and not in bed.  Then he remembered his earlier conversation with Merle and just stood silent.

            Selena stared at her brother.  She had been expecting to be scolded for not being in bed.  Curious as to what was going on in his head, Selena prodded, "Onii-chan?"

            "What can I do for you, Selena?"

            "What are you doing up so late?  And out here of all places?"

            Allen, without turning his head, stared out to Hitomi's window.  "Nothing.  Just thinking."

            "Ahhhh, I see." Selena knew Allen was thinking about Hitomi.  A lot of things were explained after dinner.  Now that Hitomi's sister, Myami, was found all they had to do was wait for Hitomi to awaken.  Selena knew that her brother was battling his emotions.  With Van as a good friend, it was hard to have him as a rival for someone's heart.  "Do you love her?"

            Allen turned to Selena and raised a brow, "Now what do you mean by that?"

            "I think you know exactly what I mean."  Selena crossed her arms across her chest.

            "I don't know."  Allen turned away to stare out into the distance.

            Selena frowned at the obvious dismissal her brother was issuing.  She hoped that he would figure things out soon.  The last thing Selena wanted was for him to get hurt.  And if he decided to pursue Hitomi, he would be hurt.  Deciding to ignore his attitude, Selena linked her arm with his and began to drag him to his room, "Come on.  It's late and we're both tired."

            Allen grumbled something incoherent, but otherwise let himself be led away.

~End Flashback~

            Allen smiled at the memory.  He knew that Selena was sound asleep across the hall.  He resisted the urge to check on her one last time before he slept.  Slipping into his bed, Allen settled into a fitful sleep, where in his dreams the woman standing near him wasn't Hitomi.

~Hitomi's room~

            Myami awoke uncomfortable and cranky on the small settee.  She had had disturbing dreams about Gaea and the Mystic Moon.  Sitting up, Myami stretched and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.  Her internal clock told her that it was only three in the morning, but for her it was as good a time as any to wake up.  Myami walked up to Hitomi's bedside and checked on her sibling.  A smile touched her lips as she gazed upon Hitomi.  She tucked in Hitomi a bit and kissed her forehead.  Then without making too much noise, Myami strapped her sword to her belt and left the room. 

            Myami walked across the hallway to Van's door.  She didn't know what made her do it, but she peeked in on the young man.  Myami couldn't help but feel protective towards Van.  She guessed that it was because he was in love with her sister and the thought of having another younger brother appealed to her.  Quickly checking on Van, Myami contented herself that at least one of them was getting a restful sleep.

            They were all exhausted, considering the late dinner, the even later talk and the antics that had caught up to them earlier.  Shutting the door, Myami hummed a pleasant melody to herself and nodded a silent hello to the guards along her way to the library.  Dryden, as he wanted to be called, had told her about his collection of books from all around Gaea.  It had intrigued her immensely.  She was and still was an avid reader.

            Myami thought about all that had happened.  It still amazed her that she had found Hitomi, and so fast.  Although she was elated that she had found Hitomi, she couldn't help but have a feeling of foreboding tucked in her mind.  It was almost as if things were too easy.

            Shaking her head clear of her thoughts, Myami turned to face the huge library doors.  Myami smiled in anticipation.  She opened the door and was greeted by the sight of another late night reader.  Closing the doors behind her, Myami waved, "Oh, hello."

~Ocean of Indemnity~

            The small island that had arisen earlier stood peacefully alone.  Nothing surrounded it for miles.  The island, in and of itself, was beautiful.  Palm trees and small, lush, freed brush was scattered all around the island.  Exotic flowers, each with its own distinctive design and color, scented the air with various fragrances. 

            If anyone were to take notice of the tiny isle, they would surely be drawn to its appealing shores.  The drawback of the island was it was barren of life.  Only the plants graced its sands.  In the middle of the isle a cave lay open and waiting.  Within its depths, secrets of the ages were held.

~Back in the Palace Library~

            "Still up I see," Dryden waved Myami over to sit across from him at the desk.

            Myami smiled, "Couldn't sleep." Myami sat down and read the title of the book that Dryden was holding up, "The Findings of Intellectuals.  Very heavy reading for such a late hour."

            "Actually, I was more interested on what the book had to offer on the Legend of Ages."

            Myami's interest was peaked, "Really?  Anything that would be useful?"

            Dryden shook his head in disappointment, "Not yet, at least.  It would have been more helpful if Hitomi or you could explain more about the prophecies."

            "I wish I knew too.  There's just so much cloudiness in my mind.  I find as I stay longer with Hitomi more memories are revealed to me, but prophecies aren't memories."

            "Yes, prophecies are visions of a possible future."

            Myami nodded, "Indeed they are that.  And in order to change that possible future there needs to be people with a strong will and heart to overcome them."

            "I agree," Dryden put the book down and looked Myami straight in the eye, "Are you one of those people?"

            Myami understood what he was asking but in all honesty she couldn't answer him, "I don't know."

            Dryden smiled, "Then we will not rest until the knowledge has been revealed."

            "I like you, Dryden.  Intelligent and advantageous." Myami complimented the king, "It is a rare combination.  Millerna-sama is a lucky woman."

            "I'd have to say the same for you.  And thank you, although there are many times I feel as if I don't deserve her."

            "That's why you make yourself worthy every day."

            Dryden grinned and stood, "why don't I show you around my library and we can search for the answers together."

            Myami agreed and joined the monarch.  Dryden showed Myami the vast expanse of the library.  All over the walls, shelves of books made their home.  Ladders of all sizes were attached to the shelves to give the reader easy access to any volume.  Myami was awed by the amount of knowledge housed by the king.

            The books ranged in variety from adventure to philosophy, how to books to fairy tales.  Myami was impressed.  She ran her fingers lovingly over the volumes upon volumes as Dryden took her on the tour.  Finally they had reached the last part of the library, the part that housed Dryden's personal collection, "And these are my favorites."

            Myami perused the books, "Mostly legends, lore, and myths."

            "I believe that all truth and all life must have stemmed from legend.  Without legend, history would just be a bland page of details and facts." Dryden explained.

            Myami picked up a book about the Ryujinbito, "Well lets get started." Myami began heading back towards the desk.

            "Interesting pick," Dryden commented on the volume Myami held in her hand, "May I ask why?"

            Myami didn't want to reveal the exact reason because then she would have to explain about herself, but she decided a half-truth would do.  "In Gaea, the Ryujinbito are considered the ancestors of the planet correct?" Myami waited until Dryden had nodded, "What better place to start than with the beginning."

            "I see.  That is sound logic." Dryden wasn't sure but he could almost feel as if there were more to the explanation, "Why don't you go back and I'll just grab another volume to look at as well."

            Myami nodded and let Dryden wonder.  On her way back to her seat, Myami glanced outside the window.  Two figures quickly raced across the lawn towards the sidewall of the castle.  "Odd," Myami thought to herself.  Going to the window, Myami searched the courtyard.  What she had seen was no longer there.  Chalking it up to lack of sleep, Myami shrugged, "Must be my imagination."  And with that Myami went to read her book.

~Outside the palace walls~

            "The spells are in place." Nigel commented as the duo made their way back to the inn.  "Tomorrow around two in the morning the locks and the guards should all go into 'sleep mode'."

            "Good.  Then we can just grab the sister an leave." Dorser continued, "And the barrier spells?"

            "In place.  Along with some diversion spells if they're needed," Nigel chuckled.

            Once they were far enough away from the castle, Nigel and Dorser began to walk normally the rest of the way to the inn.  While they had been in the castle, they had made several stops, creating the necessary spells to complete their plan.  Dorser had led them through the palace, leaving a trail of sleeping guards along the way.  The two of them had stopped by the sister's room just as Myami had left it.  Dorser had watched in fascination as Myami had sauntered away from the room.

            Nigel had had to shake Dorser to get his attention and they had proceeded to set up the sister's room with a various amount of spells.  They had been careful to keep the spells low grade enough that no one could possibly detect that they had been instated, unless they were actually searching for them.  As they had left the room, Nigel had noticed Dorser taking a slip of material from one of the bags on a chair in the side of the room.  Dorser had tucked the small article into his pocket but not before Nigel saw him breath in deeply the scent of the item.

            Finally exiting the chamber, Dorser had signaled that they were finished for the time being and they quickly exited the way that they had come.

            Now back at the inn, Nigel lay in his bed.  The sun was going to come up soon and the two men had a long night ahead of them.  Nigel had seen the look in Dorser's eyes when he had seen Myami and he knew that Dorser still wanted the woman.  Sure she was beautiful, but why want the wench if she didn't agree with his ideals.  Nigel shook his head.  He was one to talk.  He usually based his choices on looks anyway, and if Dorser wanted Myami, so be it.

            Nigel yawned.  Opting to think about things later he rolled over onto his stomach and settled into sleep.

            Next door in Dorser's room, Dorser held up the handkerchief that he had stolen from Myami's sister's room.  He had carefully searched the bags that were assembled on the chairs and had finally found the bag that belonged to Myami.  He knew that bag was Myami's because of the fragrance coming up from within its satchel.  Dorser would never forget the scent of jasmine and wind that had been Myami's trademark.

            There had been many a time he had enjoyed holding her and inhaling her fragrance.  She had always filled all his senses.  She had overwhelmed him and surrounded him.  She had been everything to him, until she had decided to betray him and his desires for a future of power.

            Dorser lay silently preparing himself for the night ahead.  He would get back at Myami and he would make sure that she knew that it was him delivering all the blows.

~Tardus' room~

            Tardus had heard Myami leave Hitomi's room about an hour ago.  Her footsteps had not yet returned, so Tardus lay awake, waiting up for her.

            Tardus thought back on the events of the day and sighed.  So many changes to adjust to and so many people to trust.  Their circle of friends had just expanded.  Sure, they had friends back at the Haven, but no one as close as Ryley, Pristelle, and Yil.  Now there was going to be a whole other group joining theirs.  One that would need the same kind of attention the their own group needed, thus making them just more than friends.

            He didn't know how he felt about that, just yet.  It was just a lot to take in.  Myami seemed to be taking it all in stride.  She had certainly hit things off with the young Fanelian king.  Myami had told Tardus that Van was in love with Hitomi, and that she was making sure that he was good enough.  Tardus had had to smile at that remark.  Myami had always been the older sister to all of them and here she was taking another under her wing.  If the others weren't careful Myami would have all of them under her care.  Not that that would be a bad thing.  Tardus smiled to himself.

            He let his thoughts wander and they soon came to examine the mystery of Merle, the only other cat woman that had caught his interest.  Tardus had fallen for another of his kind a long time ago and she had broken his heart.  From then on he had had a small crush on Myami.  Sure he had seen other women and other species, but he couldn't seem to fill the void in his life.  Tardus would never let anyone else know, except Myami, that deep down he was a hopeless romantic.  He wanted the fairy tale that he used to read about once Myami had taught him to read.

            The story of the prince and princess and the happily ever after had been his favorite.  So many tales of the dashing prince or knight, saving or finding the princess or maiden had been his passion.  Myami had instilled in him the want to learn more and for that he was eternally grateful.

            Smiling at the memory, Tardus once again thought about Merle.  She certainly was a beautiful cat woman.  Lithe and alluring, Merle had captivated him from the start.   Tardus had to admit, he had always been a sucker for a pretty face, and he found that he wanted to find out more about Merle.  There was something about Merle that warranted further investigation.

            Tardus debated with himself whether or not he should tell Myami about his crush on Merle.  She would find out sooner or later and he knew how much Myami hated being kept in the dark about things.  Finally deciding to inform Myami about his interest in Merle in the morning, Tardus settled into waiting for Myami's footsteps.

~Merle's room~

            Merle sat at her window seat, unable to sleep.  With the things that were occurring, she couldn't slow down her thoughts enough to give her peace to rest.  She had already checked on Van and Hitomi.  Both were sleeping peacefully.  She had been surprised that Myami wasn't in Hitomi's room.  She assumed that Myami went back to sleep in her bed next door.

            The group of people that Myami called friends was interesting.  They each had a different power and asset.  Myami, the leader of them all, exuded authority.  She certainly commanded respect and loyalty, and Merle could see why she was a good person.  From what she had observed so far, Myami was kind, fair, and strong, not to mention utterly beautiful, just like Hitomi.  Myami reminded her of a mix between, Van, Dryden, Allen and Hitomi.  There was Yil, quiet and mysterious yet fiercely loyal to Myami.  Then Pristelle, petite, sweet, and a white witch.  Ryley was the exuberant one.  Ostentatious and deeply in love with Pristelle.

            Then there was Tardus.  Tardus was an interesting fellow.  She had been around her kind before and she had never felt so attracted as she did with him.  Certainly handsome, he was Myami's right hand man.  Merle could tell that their relationship was similar to the one that she shared with Van.  Myami and Tardus had a connection and that connection had helped them through many things.

            Merle had listened avidly to the origins of their new friends.  She had found everything she had heard intriguing.  They were trustworthy and loyal.  Having them on their side would benefit everyone greatly.

            Merle had to admit that she was attracted to Tardus.  He was the first man to do so since she had given up on Van.  Merle smiled to herself.  She was looking forward to working side by side with the cat man.  Maybe, if she played her cards right, she would be able to find a love just as great as Van's and Hitomi's, maybe even greater.

            With those thoughts in mind, Merle left the window seat and curled up in bed.  She knew it was late and if she didn't at least get some sleep, she wouldn't be able to continue on tomorrow, and tomorrow was an important day.

~Hallway outside of the bedrooms~

            Yil had seen the two figures enter the castle a while ago and had kept his distance as he had followed them throughout the large palace.  It seemed as if there was trouble brewing for their new royal friends.  He had used his skills to detect the many spells that had been placed. 

He knew that the two figures he had seen were the ones that had tried to hurt Hitomi.  Try as he might, he could not make out the faces of the assailants, so quietly he followed and he watched.

            The last place he had seen them enter was Hitomi's room.  Immediately Yil was on alert.  If Myami was in there the two men would have a force to reckon with.  When nothing happened after a couple of minutes and the men had exited the room, Yil assumed Myami had finally gone to bed in the room next door.  Yil stuck to the shadows and watched as the duo left the castle quickly.

            He had already checked on Hitomi and had found similar spells placed within the room.  Yil, himself, could not disable the spells that were placed.  That was not his forte, his specialty being dark attack magic.

            Yil cursed his luck at not being able to confront the intruders.  It would have caused too much commotion and ruined the element of surprise when the would be attackers returned to complete their plan.  So Yil, taking in the situation, decided it would be best to inform the others instead of disturb the assailants, although he still was a bit disappointed that he couldn't cause any bodily harm at the moment.

            He silently made his way to Myami's door and knocked.  Yil knew the way Myami's mind worked and lately it had been working over time; She would be awake.

            "Myami?" Yil knocked again as he whispered out her name.

            Myami looked up from the book she had been holding when she heard her name.  Ahead of her, Yil was knocking lightly on her bedroom door.  Wondering what was going on, Myami's guard immediately went up.  Yil would only disturb her if there was trouble.  "What?" Myami whispered loudly from her standpoint.

            Surprised, Yil turned to face her, "What are you doing out here and not in your room?"

            "Sorry to disappoint, DAD," Myami sarcastically added as she made her way to stand in front of Yil.  Then pointing to the book in her hands, "Just paid a visit to the local library.  Trouble?"

            Yil nodded and was about to explain when Tardus came strolling out of his room, "I thought I heard voices.  I was waiting for you to come back Myami from wherever it was you went to earlier so I could come talk to you."

            "Yil says there's trouble." Myami opened the door to her room and ushered the men inside. 

            Tardus' easy demeanor fell at the mention of danger and he quickly followed Myami and Yil inside the room.  "What kind of trouble?" Tardus began as he sat down on the chair by the desk. 

            "People were here.  I was up, getting familiar with my surroundings, when I came upon whispers in the lower levels of the castle.  I followed the whispers.  Strangely enough, I was able to pass because the guards were asleep." Yil explained as he paced the room.

            Tardus scoffed, "What kind of men are put on guard, only to fall asleep and leave their posts unprotected?"

            "I don't think Dryden, nor Allen, the captain of the guard, would put untrustworthy men on the night shift, let alone any shift," Myami thought out loud, "Dryden and Allen strike me both as intelligent men and as men of integrity."

            "I agree." Yil offered. "You'll see the reason soon."

            "Continue," Tardus asked.

            Yil nodded and began pacing once again, replaying the night's events in his mind, "I saw two figures, suspiciously moving around the royal vault area.  When we were taken on a tour of the palace, I remember them saying that the vault held the treasures of Astoria.  That's when I saw one of the figures casting some sort of spell." Yil thought a moment, "My first instinct was to attack and protect, but something told me to observe instead.  The two shadows were not yet done.  It was only the beginning.  The made their way throughout the castle, leaving any guard they came upon in a deep sleep."

            "So that explains the guards," Tardus interrupted.

            "Correct.  The palace is almost all covered with spells.  Now, you know, I cannot disable spells, but my ability to cast spells, let me detect their magic.  All the spells are low enough, that they themselves are hard to detect, but upon further inspection their potency is extremely high.  I can't tell what they do, but I'm sure once we inform Pristelle she'll be able to set everything straight."

            "What else happened?" Myami knew there was more to it.

            Yil sat down and leaned over with his hands folded into each other, "Their last stop was Hitomi's room."

            "What!" Myami stood and positioned herself in front of Yil, "Did you stop them?  Why didn't you come get me?  Is she safe?" With her last question, Myami had already started going to Hitomi's room.

            Tardus stopped Myami and pulled her to sit down in her previous seat, "Yil has more to explain.  I'm sure that if something happened to Hitomi, we would already be in there and not in here."

            Once Myami had nodded her acceptance, Yil started, "I figured you were in there watching over her, so when they entered I expected a fight and I was ready to assist you.  When nothing happened for a couple of minutes, I expected the worst."  Yil looked up at his two friends, "They came out, quietly as they had entered and proceeded to leave the castle.  My first concern was for Hitomi.  I was thinking that since nothing had happened to the intruders you had fallen asleep in your room.  I checked on your sister and found the same spells enacted in her room as the rest of the palace.  She is safe however, still resting."

            "And the intruders?" Tardus inquired.

            "Gone.  That's when I was knocking on Myami's door, and that's when you found Myami and I in the hallway."

            "They're coming back aren't they," Myami's mind began processing all the information, "They're setting the groundwork for their plan."

            "Exactly," Yil stood and turned to stare out the window, "That's why I didn't do anything.  It's just too easy to catch them now."

            "Catching them now wouldn't lead us to what they want to do later." Tardus deduced.

            Myami had begun planning.  There was so much to do before their "guests" were going to arrive.  Taking command of the situation, Myami looked to Tardus, "Wake up Pristelle and Ryley, then meet Yil and I in the library.  Dryden is awake in there, researching the problem that they were told of in Hitomi's visions."

            Tardus nodded and left the room to complete his task.  Myami turned to Yil, "When I was in the library, I saw two shadows running across the courtyard when I looked out the window.  At first I thought it was my lack of sleep, but after what you saw tonight…"

            "I know," Yil walked over to Myami and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Go check on Hitomi and bring her into this room.  They didn't do anything in here.  I'll meet you and the others in the library."

            Myami nodded and watched as Yil left.  Myami took a deep breath and went to check on her sister.

~Back in the Library~

            "I see." Dryden sat back in his chair and closed his eyes.  He had just been informed of what had occurred by Tardus, and he had to admit he wasn't at all surprised.  "And the others?"

            "The only room that was tampered with was Hitomi's room." Tardus stood as he reported to the king.

            "Pristelle?"

            "Yes, your highness." Pristelle stood from her seat and approached his desk.

            "Dryden, please." Dryden was surprised with the calm he was presenting, "Will you and Ryley please make a sweep of the castle and disable the spells."

            Pristelle nodded and just as she and Ryley were about to leave, Dryden stopped them, "Pristelle, on second thought, don't disable the spells near the vault and Hitomi's room.  Just those through out the rest of the castle."  Ryley and Pristelle nodded and left the library just as Yil joined them.

            "Are they going to disable the spells?" Yil asked as he walked to stand next to Tardus.

            Dryden nodded, "Myami?"

            "Settling Hitomi into her room." Yil replied.

            Tardus moved to stand by the window, the sun just beginning to crest the horizon, "It's a good idea to let the spells stay in the vault and Hitomi's room.  Without any spells, they would surely suspect something."

            "I agree," Dryden began, "The idea of my home being invaded…"

            "I understand," Myami said as she entered the room. "Hitomi is safe in my room.  She's still unconscious, but recovering steadily.  Where are Pristelle and Ryley?"

            "Out disabling the spells, all but the vault area and Hitomi's room." Yil explained.

            "So what's the plan?" Myami looked to Dryden.

            Dryden stood and began to pace behind the desk.  Unsure of where to begin, Dryden knew that they had to inform the others before they would be able to come to an actual decision about what to do.  "I'll go wake up my wife.  I suggest you give morning calls to Allen, Selena, Merle and Van.  We all need to be here to discuss this."

            Myami nodded and motioned for Yil and Tardus to join her.  Myami turned sympathetic eyes to Dryden, "I'm sorry."

            Dryden held his hand up, "No need for apologies.  We are friends."

            With that they all left the library and began to prepare.

~Kirok's Lair~

            "Is that all you have to report?" Kirok had his back turned to the screen where Dorser's face dominated.

            Dorser had his eyes turned down in a submissive gesture.  He knew Kirok's anger had been picked at and he sought to diffuse the situation, "Our plan has been put into action.  We will have the first part of the missing pages, plus the sister by tomorrow morning."

            "The plans here are almost complete.  My sources have informed me that the isle of the immortal has arisen in the ocean of indemnity.  The first phases of the Awakening that have been foretold in the prophecies are coming to fruition."

            Dorser waited as Kirok finally turned to him, "What do you wish of us, Master?"

            "Continue on with your plan." Kirok clasped his hands behind his back and flashed a cutting smile, "Don't hesitate to kill anyone in your way.  Even Myami.  Just make sure that nothing happens to that stone she wears.  I want that too.  Oh, and one more thing, I'm sending your guymelefs and a contingent to back you up tonight."  Kirok watched as Dorser bowed in acceptance, then he closed the connection. 

Effectively dismissing his two men from his mind, Kirok returned to his position by the window.  With the Graveler complete, enough guymelefs to ensure his victory, and his two most trusted followers retrieving the final elements that he needed, Kirok felt his era was about to begin.  Soon all would come to fear his name.

~Myami's room~

            Myami sat quietly with Van next to Hitomi's sleeping form.  Pristelle had already checked on the young woman and had declared that her recovery was coming along smoothly.  As they sat there, Allen, Tardus, Yil, and Ryley were preparing the troops for battle.  They had wanted to be ready for anything that was going to occur. 

            Merle, Selena, Millerna, and Pristelle were busy as well.  Together they had double-checked the castle for spells and then proceeded to get the necessary goods together for their journey.  It had been decided that the women, including Millerna would leave that afternoon.  Although Myami didn't agree with that tactic, she would go wherever Hitomi went.  It was to be announced tomorrow that the queen's birthday celebration would be postponed.  Dryden, Van and the other men would remain to defend the castle.  Once things had been secured, they would follow and meet the women at the gypsy camp. 

            Myami had already sent word to the queen of the gypsies.  No one questioned her relationship with the woman, but Myami could tell that explanations would be asked for later, right now was just not the best time.  Myami turned her eyes to Van.  She felt the gloominess surrounding the man.  Myami knew that Van had wanted to accompany Hitomi but he also wanted to help his friends defend the palace.  Myami had made the decision for him, stating that she would keep her sister safe for his arrival.

            "Myami?" Van said, not taking his eyes off of Hitomi's face.

            "Hai."

            Van took Hitomi's hand in his and knelt by the bed, "These gypsies, will they help us like you say?"

            "Hai."

            "I know I don't have to ask but…"

            "I know.  And I will take care of her.  For both of our sakes."

            "Can I have some time alone with her?"

            In answer Myami placed a hand on his head, then leaned down to kiss her sibling's forehead.  Quietly she left the room, letting the two would be lovers enjoy their calm before the storm.

~End Chapter Seven~

            That concludes another installment of my story.  I hope that everyone that has read it has enjoyed it thus far.  Please I can't stress enough the value of reviewing, that is what keeps me going.  SO PLEASE REVIEW!!! 

            Another thing I want to mention is my thanks to everyone's patience.  The story, as I see it, is progressing nicely and I certainly couldn't done it without my faithful readers.  I guess that's it for now, but stay tuned for Chapter Eight: The Light at the End of the Tunnel.

            Thanks again, Jayli.