Review Response: A Very Mad Pool Lady: heh heh...no, not bored, I'm just spicing things up a little. (Don't worry too much about the dog...) Mango Sam: Hmm...Don't count on it being a vision thingy...

OoOoOo Back in our world oOoOoO

Tom glanced up from his newspaper. He could have sworn that he had heard Phi calling him. Sighing, he shook his head and rubbed his forehead. He hadn't gotten a good night's sleep since Alex and Phi left and was practically living on coffee. He had used his vacation days to get out of work saying that he had to deal with family matters. His boss had been fine with it, but nearly a week had passed and Tom was getting extremely worried.

They didn't talk with him nearly as often as he would have liked, and for some reason he was unable to contact them; they had to be the ones who connected with him. He hated being in the dark. Wishing for the billionth time that he was there with them and feeling absolutely useless he closed his paper and stood up, walking over to the kitchen to get another cup of coffee. He was sure it wasn't a very healthy way to live, but he refused to go back to his normal routine until they came back. After all, it couldn't take more than a few days, right?

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Alex led the way as they moved out into the woods that surrounded the clearing. Devic frowned, not liking the feeling that was filling the back of his mind, like a dark shadow. He stopped walking for a moment and turned, glancing over his shoulder. Alex looked at him curiously, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing...I just have a bad feeling about this, that is all."

Alex frowned, "From your Gift?"

"No, from my instincts...I sense nothing with my Gift...But the air is too still, it is too quiet."

"I'll bet you that means Trycos is here..."

Devic nodded slowly and began to walk forward again, "He should not be too difficult to find..."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because he is the type of man who would come looking for his hunters..."

Alex glanced back at Devic and slowed down so that he was walking at an even pace with the knight, "Do you think he would really let us find him?"

"I think that he would go out of his way to do so..."

"But why?"

Devic sighed, his brow furrowed, "Because I have been chasing after Trycos for so many years, I know how he tends to operate...He enjoys torturing his captives; destroying them slowly and painfully instead of killing them in one blow. He could you know, kill us right know. Instead he does whatever he can to make us miserable; it is almost as if he feeds off other people's misery, although I am sure he just enjoys it. Giving us one last glance at him before he flees would consume us in self-hatred because we were not able to kill Trycos when we had the chance. That is why, when we do find him, we must kill him quickly, so that he is not able to play his tricks on us."

Alex nodded, "All right. I won't argue with that plan..." He was silent for a moment, then turned to Devic again, "Has that happened to you before?"

"Has what happened to me?"

"Has Trycos ever shown himself to you, then escaped right before you were able to kill him?"

Devic scowled and his eyes became cloudy as if he were lost in memories, "Many times, each time more painful than the last. But Trycos has taunted me one time too many, today I am ready, and he shall not escape."

Alex nodded again, not wanting to make eye contact with Devic as his mind raged with images from his past and as the young man reveled in the thought of finally being able to slay Trycos. Alex turned his head to stare straight ahead. Such obsessions weren't healthy...Alex sighed, then surprised himself by wondering why Devic hadn't gone insane yet. Alex quickly shot a glance over at Devic, who still seemed to be absorbed in his own world, and then turned back to staring forward.

Suddenly, there was a strange noise from overhead. Alex started, startling Devic out of his inward contemplation, and both men drew their swords and stared upwards. The noise came again, sounding like it was coming from the skeletal treetops. Alex swallowed; it sounded like wind rushing through the branches, creating a low whistling sound. Devic exhaled and lowered his own sword. Just the wind...

"Are you so sure it was just the wind?"

Alex and Devic jumped and whipped around at the sound of Trycos's voice, expecting to find him standing right in front of them. But nothing was there. Devic scowled, and stood back to back with Alex, their weapons brandished towards the looming tree trunks, "Trycos? Show yourself!"

The voice laughed, "Please, I am a lunatic, not blind ...I will not come down until you lower your weapons...." Devic glanced back at Alex and cautiously they relaxed their grip on their swords. "Very good..."

Alex frowned, his eyes burning, "Will you come down now?"

"I do not like that tone of voice, young Alexander. Why, you sound as if you were upset about something?"

Alex's face flushed with anger, "Ya, I'm upset about something! You let them die, you bastard! You let Will and Phi die!"

"So?"

Alex froze, aghast. How could he just say "so"? It wasn't human...Devic took over for him, "So it is only fair that in exchange, you give us your own life! Now come out here and face the consequences of your actions!"

"Now why would I want to do a thing like that?"

"I am sure you could think of a few reasons..."

There was a long pause of silence, and then a voice appeared from right behind them, "I suppose I could."

Alex and Devic whirled around and found Trycos leaning up against the gray trunk of a tree, a nonchalant expression on his face. He smiled wickedly at their expressions, then added, "For one, if I kill Alex, that would leave his children to be orphans, and if I killed you Devic, it would indeed remove a minor thorn from my side."

Alex stared at the mage, raging, his jaws clenched, "You know just what to say to really piss people off don't you?"

"It is one of my many talents..."

Devic nodded towards Alex not to focus too hard on his thoughts so that Trycos couldn't easily read his mind. Alex noticed the sign and, almost simotaniously, they charged at Trycos, their swords raised like lances.

Trycos scowled and jumped out of the way, "Why you bothersome little boys...Didn't anyone ever tell you it is not safe to play with sharp objects?" He dodged out of the way a second time as Devic swung his blade at the mage's head, missing by just inches. Trycos smiled teasingly, "Is that all you have got? How disappointing..."

All of a sudden, Alex came up along his right side and thrust his sword's tip at Trycos's chest. Trycos reeled backwards, annoyance clearly written on his face, "Alexander, you need to calm down..."

Alex ran towards the mage again but suddenly the ground under his feet fell away and he disappeared into a hole that had suddenly appeared in the forest floor. Alex let out a cry as he fell down into it and Devic ran over to the edge of the pit, "Alex! Are you all right?"

There was a soft moan from down below and Devic saw Alex struggle to his feet, "Ya, I'm okay...Devic! Look out behind you!"

Trycos had come up behind the knight and Devic had just enough time to dive out of the way before Trycos shoved him into the hole in the ground.

Alex swore under his breath, trying to find a way to get out, listening anxiously to the sound of Devic and Trycos fight. The pit was about ten feet deep and the walls were practically smooth. He glanced down at his sword; maybe he could carve out some handholds. Experimentally, he lifted his sword and swung it with all his might at the side of the hole. The sword merely bounced off, vibrating in Alex's hands as he set it down to examine the wall. There wasn't even a chip in the dirt where the blade had hit it. Scowling, Alex ran his hand over the dirt; it was a hard as metal. He sighed, and leaned his back up against the side of the pit. Maybe Devic would be able to handle Trycos all by himself...maybe... Suddenly he caught sight of a vine hanging about two feet down into the hole. If he could grab onto it, he might be able to get himself out.

Alex picked up his sword and sheathed it, then jumped for the vine. He was about half a foot too short. Frowning, Alex tried again. This time, he made it a little closer, but still not close enough. He heard the sound of metal crashing on metal; Trycos must have pulled out a sword. Now Devic was really going to need his help.

Alex glanced around hurriedly; he needed to find a way to get more height when he jumped...Maybe if he had a running start...Alex turned and stepped over to the opposite side of the pit. Taking a deep breath, he began to sprint towards the other side and then took a bounding leap. He let out a small cry of triumph as his fingers wrapped around the small vine and he reached out with his other hand, grasping to grab hold of the plant.

When he managed to get a firm grip he began to haul himself up until he was able to clamor up and over the rim of the pit. He crawled onto normal ground on his hands and knees and glanced up just in time to see Trycos standing over Devic. Devic's eyes were narrowed in hatred and he was holding his arm to his chest as if it were wounded as he sat on the ground, his back up against a tree and Trycos's sword hovering above his body.

Trycos's back was facing Alex, so Alex drew his blade and, praying that he would catch Trycos off guard, drove his blade into the mage's back.

Devic's eyes widened as the tip of a sword thrust itself out of Trycos's middle and quickly scrambled to his feet, using the distraction to his advantage, and hurried over to stand by Alex. Trycos slowly looked downward at the blade that was still lodged through his stomach, lifted his head back up, and turned to face them. He sighed, "It is a shame...All that work for nothing..."

Alex narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean?" He was looking surprisingly calm for a man who had just been run through with a sword...

Trycos shook his head, "Silly boy..." He tilted his chin up and grinned mockingly, "Next time, you will have to do better..."

Devic was about to reply when he let out a growl of rage. Trycos had disappeared! As Alex's sword clattered to the ground, Devic whipped around in a rage, "That...that...Agh! I will kill him!"

Alex looked cautiously around and hastened to pick up his sword, expecting another attack, "What just happened?"

"That coward Trycos! That gods damned bloody coward!" Devic threw his dagger to the ground in anger.

Alex was still glancing over his shoulder, "Wait, I ran him through with my sword...He should be dead...Where'd he go?"

Devic picked up his dagger grudgingly and began to stalk back towards where the clearing was, "He left...Got away...My guess is that when he sensed you running towards him with your sword he replaced himself with an image and ran away..."

Alex clenched his fists, "Damn...Now what do we do?"

Devic rubbed his forehead, "You take the kids and get back to the Capital to find Numair...I will continue my search..."

"Your search?"

"For Trycos..."

Alex cast his gaze downwards and scuffed his feet, then a thought came to him, "What about the old man?"

Devic's head shoot up, "Gods, I completely forgot about him! The dog was his, was it not? If Trycos cannot be the one who pays for Phi and Will's deaths, should not that man be the one who pays?"

"I suppose so...But how are we going to find him?"

As they passed back into the clearing from the dead forest, Devic glanced back up at the gray stone building and his eyes narrowed, "I do not think finding him will be much of a problem..."

"Why's that?"

"Because he is sitting right over there..." Devic pointed towards the building and Alex followed his eyes. There on the marble steps leading up to the building was the old man; sitting hunched over with his walking stick laying on the stairs next to him.

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AN: Hey, sorry to give you all some bad news but I have...important business to take care of and I will be gone for the next two weeks...I repeat (just in case you didn't look at my authors note) I WILL NOT BE HERE FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. I promise though that I will continue my story promptly after my return...In the meantime, I once again apologize, and perhaps you can make up your own endings and send them to me in your reviews...I mean I already have one planned out, but perhaps if you are bored you can read other people's endings, and then when I come back read mine...(Whew...That's a long author's note...)