Kashya found Izual in a courtyard that held a magnificent fountain. He was tossing small stones in when she reached him. She laid a clawed hand on his shoulder causing him to jump slightly.

"Kashya! I didn't realize you were there," he said holding a hand to his chest. When she did not come back with a witty reply, he asked, "What's happened?"

"Tal Rasha would like to see you in his chambers at once."

Izual moaned. "I've been going up and down those steps all week."

"He asked me to find you and Janos and tell you to meet him there." Kashya looked sad as she glazed down at the floor. "He would not ask me to get you if it were not of importance."

"No, but if were truly important, he would have come himself. What has happened?"

Finally she looked up. "Izual, Tal Rasha is confused. He has been jumping to conclusions without thinking it through. Thankfully he is showing some discretion by asking you and Janos to a privet consul and not telling everyone that He has left us." She stopped as she saw what affect these words had on Izual; his face became pale and his eyes almost seemed to glaze over. "Wait, Izual… We don't know for sure.."

"He has left us? For how long? Why?!" His voice became high and shrill at the thought that his God had left them - him - forever.

"Tal Rasha has some theories. Go up to his rooms while I get Janos. Can you do that?"

Izual nodded and made his way to Tal Rasha's chamber. As he walked, he slowly started to calm down. What would make Him leave them? They had done only what He had told them, hadn't they?

He asked himself these questions as he made his way to Tal Rasha's quarters. Izual was so intent on what he was thinking of, that he did not realize that he had already reached the door until he nearly walked into it.

Tal Rasha opened the door before Izual could knock. "Come in, Izual. We need to discuss some thing of some importance."

The Elder was obviously shaken by something; if he had not been, he may have noticed Izual's lack of… anything.

"Have a seat."

Izual sat in the chair Tal Rasha indicated.

"I will wait until Janos arrives. He should hear this too."

JANOS MADE HIS way up the stairs and knocked on the door, which opened so quickly he knew that Tal Rasha had been waiting to open it.

He looked around and found Izual; the poor boy looked numb, almost as if everything that had ever mattered had been stripped away from him.

Janos turned to Tal Rasha and said courteously, "Tal Rasha. It is a pleasure to see you again." He took a seat when Tal Rasha motioned to a chair. "What do you wish to speak to us about? Kashya said it was of some urgency."

Tal Rasha did not look at him. "I fear that we are now alone."

"What do you mean?" Janos understood quite well what Tal Rasha meant, but he wanted it conformed.

Now he did look at Janos. "He has left. The curse that the Hylden has bestowed upon us has made us undying. Immorality, Janos. They have cursed us and now He has left. Forever."

"This can't be happening…"

Tal Rasha and Janos looked at Izual. He seemed to be coming out of the shock that had held him for the conversation thus far.

The Elder gave him a glare. "Why not?! Does it not make sense? He has left us! Has that not passed through to you yet?!"

"Tal Rasha!"

"No, Janos! Just stay there! Just listen to me." He stopped and sighed. "They should know. I should tell them." Before Janos could move from his seat, Tal Rasha had flung open the windows and called out, "He has left us! We have been cast from the Wheel! There is no death! No life! We are alone!"

This announcement had devastating effects; Ancients screamed and some just fell to their knees to weep. Others took their lives right there.

When Tal Rasha turned to face the room again, Izual's were vacant; the meaning of the words had finally sunk in and had started to leech away at his sanity.

Janos, on the other hand, was looking at him in disbelief. "What have you done?!"

"I have told them the truth. Nothing more, nothing less."

"We can not afford to have everyone go mad! We still have a war to win. Vorador will have the sword finished soon. A week, maybe two. Please just hold yourself together until then." Janos stood to face him. "This war can go either way right now, and if you do not pull yourself together, we lose. Do you really want that? To forfeit to the Hylden? Do that and there will be death!"

Tal Rasha leaned in and hissed, "There is no death, Janos. None." Then his eyes flashed as if he had just realized something. "He lied."

"What? Who?"

"Baal…" And with that, Tal Rasha turned and fled down the stairs, heading towards the black smith's shop.