Review Response:
Mango Sam: So many questions! It would take so much writing to answer them all, so I think I'll just let you find out as you read...I figure it's more fun that way anyway...
Skadi: Thanks! I tried hard to resist the urge to create more bloodshed (no, not really...I was kinda tired of killing people off, it was getting repetitive :) ).
Jadestar123: Well, I never exactly said he was a bad guy, now did I? You made that assumption on your own (and I always enjoy having a gray character instead of having things be black and white.)

OoO A few moments earlier from where we left off OoO

Devic (y) and Luke had been traveling through the intimidating forest for a while before they heard the sound of distant voices drifting through the barren woods. Devic felt Luke shivered and felt goosebumps spread across his arms as his little brother scooted closer, grabbing his hand tightly. Devic gazed around nervously; it looked as if they were in a tree graveyard, everything looked dead. An icy mist floated listlessly among the trunks and chilled both boys to the bone, and not just because of its low temperature.

Luke began to speak softly, his first words coming out as a whimper, "Devic, where's Mom and Dad?"

Devic cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice from shaking as he spoke, "I dunno, but we should keep walkin' down this path..."

The voices were growing louder and louder and they walked further and further into the woods, and finally Devic was able to identify one of them, "Hey! That's Dad! That's Dad talking!" Luke relaxed his grip on Devic's fingers a little and stumbled along beside his older brother as he quickened their pace, "Come on, he can't be too much further away!"

Luke hesitated, letting his heels drag in the dry dirt, "But what if he gets mad 'cause we left?"

Devic frowned then rolled his eyes, "He won't! Besides, why shouldn't we be down here? I mean it can't be that dangerous..."

Luke cast his gaze downwards but picked up his feet and jogged alongside Devic. Devic was about to stop and declare themselves lost when a soft light became visible through the tree trunks: daylight. Devic ran forward and crouched behind a bush, yanking Luke down next to him and peered through the underbrush into a strange looking clearing. There was a large, flat, white building in the center of the large space, surrounded by a wall of trees and brush. He couldn't see anyone, but it sounded like the noises were coming from the opposite side of the building. The voices were loud now, very close, and he was just beginning to comprehend what was being said. Luke of course was still unable to understand Tortallan, "What're they saying?"

"I don't hear Dad's voice anymore, but it sounds like that other guy, um...Devic, and someone else are talking about assassins or something..."

Luke squeezed Devic's hand, "Do you think there are assassins here? What if they're after Mom and Dad?"

"Shh! I'm trying to listen!" Devic wiggled his head into the leaves so that he was closer to where the sound was coming from and scowled as he felt Luke tugging on the elastic of his pants, "What do you want!"

"Um...Devic..." His voice was quaking with fear.

"What?!" Devic pulled his head out of the bush annoyed, "I'm trying to listen, so stop interrupt—" His voice froze in his throat mid-sentence and his eyes grew wide. Emerging from a door that had suddenly appeared in the building was an enormous black dog, fire seeming to billow from its eyes. It sniffed the air, a seemingly permanent growl frozen on its face, and took another cautious step into the open. He heard Luke start to whimper and quickly clapped his hand over the six-year olds mouth to silence him, his heart stopping as the dog turned its massive head in their direction, gazing directly at them with its horrific burning eyes. He actually stopped breathing for the seemingly endless moments as the beast stared at them, only daring to take a gulp of fresh air after its gaze had been broken.

The two watched as silently as they could, as the huge dog stepped completely out into the open, sniffed the air again and then the ground, as if it was searching for something, paced the threshold of the doorway, then caught a whiff of something. Slowly, it crouched down and began to stalk around the corner of the building, the hair on its back standing on edge. Devic bit his lip. That thing was headed for where the voices were coming from! Maybe even where his Dad was! He felt his pulse quicken but remained frozen where he was, his feet cemented to the ground. The beast's face was still burned into his vision and he suddenly felt like his legs were made of jello. He decided that he would run to help his father as soon as he was able to get his body to cooperate.

OoO Continuing from the end of the last chapter OoO

Devic (o) turned to Alex as the hound slunk closer, "Alex, you do realize that we will never be able to defeat it in battle?"

Alex blinked and lowered his sword slightly, "Ya, so what do you suggest we do?"

Devic sighed, "Well, going against my instincts and using my common sense, I would suggest the best thing to do would be to run..."

"Seriously?"

"Of course. We lead it back to its room by having it chase after us."

Alex raised his eyebrows, nearly ignoring the beast as it drew closer, "Well I hope you're a fast runner..."

"I am pretty decent, and you?"

"Mmm...I'm not bad, although I haven't actually practiced running since college..."

Devic nodded, "Good enough..." He turned his attention back towards their opponent, who was nearly thirty meters away. He kept his eyes on the dog this time and spoke quickly and clearly, "We shall run around the sides of the building. The columns that line the steps will create a sort of hallway with the walls of the complex taking away space that the beast could use to build up speed. Look for a door as well; that thing had to come outside from somewhere and since our own door sealed up we need to find a new one. Now, on my mark begin to sprint up and alongside the building on your right...Ready...go!"

Alex jumped into a sprinter position and began to run as fast as he could, Devic keeping his pace beside him. In between breaths he heard Devic say, "Pace yourself! Do not use up all of your energy now, or else you will not have any to spare later!"

Alex gritted his teeth; there was no way he was going to slow down.

Right before they reached the top of the stairs they heard a roar and both glanced over their shoulders just in time to see, and feel, the hound leap after them, bounding along, its feet causing the earth to shake as they pounded the ground.

As the two rounded the corner, Alex nearly slipped on the smooth marble. He flailed his arms wildly, trying to keep his balance, just barely avoiding tumbling back down the stairs and being easy prey for the dog. Devic grabbed his wrist and tugged him along until he was able to regain his concentration.

The building was rectangular in shape and they were running along one of the two short sides. As they approached the next corner they felt the dog almost literally breathing down their necks and Devic motioned for them to keep on the right hand side of the walkway, making a wide turn as they whipped around the corner. The hound however was unable to make the turn and smashed head on into a marble column, sending it crashing down on top of his head. Devic glanced at Alex and signaled for him to keep running and Alex nodded. That column was just going to give them a little space, and the beast would be able to follow them now no matter where they ran.

Alex quickly scanned their new wall; no sign of a door. They had nearly reached the end of the stretch when they heard the sound of cracking stone and the deep howl of the hound as it broke free from the fallen column and began to chase after them again.

He heard Devic give out a small cry as they skidded around the corner and found themselves facing another empty wall. Alex felt his heart freeze up, if there was no door here and this was the third side they had explored...he was almost positive the door wouldn't be on the fourth side because that wall had been in view when they were talking to the old man...but maybe...

Suddenly he heard a shout coming from the woods, "Dad! There's a door right around the next corner! Hurry!"

Alex stopped in his tracks and whipped his head around to stare at the bushes from where the sound had come from, "Devic? What the hell do you think you're doing down here?"

"Dad! RUN!"

Alex glanced over his shoulder and caught sight of the beast hurdling towards them and he began to run again. He had to keep the monster distracted so it wouldn't go after his boys! What if-? He shook his head; he didn't want to think what could happen now if he and Devic weren't able to defeat the beast.

They rounded their fourth corner and were suddenly faced with a gaping hole in the wall where the dog must have emerged. The two men leapt into the opening and began to dash through the corridors. The daylight faded quickly as they hurried farther in and they were almost running in pitch darkness when the beast bounded into the building, lighting up the walls with a fiery red glow.

Devic and Alex ran with a new burst of speed but they had to slow down as they reached the first fork in the road. Alex faced Devic, "Which way? Left or right?"

Devic glanced down both hallways then smiled sadly, "Let us take the left path..."

Alex nodded, remembering, "...Because everyone always goes right..." With that, they both turned and rushed down the next hallway, letting instinct guide them as they sprinted deeper into the maze of walls and rooms, looking for the one in which they had found their loved ones bloodied and dying a lifetime ago.

About fifteen minutes later, the two men were still looking for the room, gasping for breath, their lungs starving for air. Alex's muscles screamed at him to stop and collapse onto the ground but his mind kept his body going. The dog was once against right on their heels and it was taking every amount of their energy trying to avoid getting their backs lacerated by the hell hound's claws. The hallways echoed with the sound of their gasping breaths and the sound of their feet pounding on the ground, trying to put space between them and the homicidal monster behind them.

Alex nearly tripped on his own feet as he recognized a doorframe approaching quickly on the left side of the hall. When they were about to pass it he tackled Devic, hurdling them both into the room. Devic shook his head to clear it after tumbling a few more meters and scrambled to his feet, grabbing Alex's wrist and hauling him to his feet. Alex glanced around as his vision cleared, his back smarting from the tumble he just took onto the hard stone that tiled the floor.

This was definitely the right place. Alex swallowed as he spotted two red-brown stain on the rocks, the spots where Phi and Will had been attacked just hours ago. The room still stank of the smell of blood and death and Alex resisted the urge to cover his nose, focusing instead on the pile of rubble that stood in the front of the room where the beast's statue must have once stood. Devic had spotted it too and was already hurrying towards it when the dog dove into the room after them, drool dripping from its jowls.

Alex and Devic hurried behind the remains of the sculpture and stood, shoulder-to-shoulder, watching breathlessly as the hound stalked towards them, an almost triumphant gleam in its eyes. This was it! As the beast rested a paw on the remains of the statue to get closer to its elusive prey, it seemed to hesitate and glanced down at the pile of stone almost curiously. Devic recognized the hesitation and tried to redirect its attention back onto them, "Hey pup! Come on, I know you want to eat us! You must after we stuck you with our and get us!" The dog snarled, barring its razor sharp teeth and took a tentative step closer. "What a good, stupid dog you are! I bet you would not dare take another step..." A third paw stepped onto the debris.

Alex couldn't take it any longer. He pulled out his sword and swiped at the hound. The monster avoided the blade, then lunged forward to bite Alex's neck, but as it lunged it's fourth paw landed onto the pile.

The dog froze mid-strike and let out a blood-curdling screech as a bright light flashed from the base of the rubble. Alex and Devic whirled around and pressed up against the wall as the light was followed by an explosion of wind and a crack of thunder, knocking the air out of them and almost lifted their feet off of the ground, the thunder momentarily deafening them.

They fell to the ground as the wind came to a sudden stop, landing ungracefully onto the stone. When Alex opened his eyes he found himself staring straight up at the frozen gray features of the beast. He panicked for half a second before realizing that they had done it; the hound was once again trapped in the rock. Comprehension swept over him and he heaved a huge sigh, leaning his head back against the base of the sculpture and closed his eyes, suddenly exhausted. He felt a movement beside him and felt Devic sit up and figured that he was staring up at the statue for everything was silent for a moment; the sudden still after all the havoc almost sickening.

Still, both of them jumped as a voice echoed through the room, "I must say I am amazed and eternally grateful for you both. You have a completed a task which I deemed impossible for you." Alex opened his eyes and sat up and the old man walked up slowly to them, leaning heavily on his walking stick, "I am very impressed..."

Devic nodded slowly, "Thank you...But now we must take our leave..."

The knight was about to stand up when the old man began to speak again, "Be still for a moment longer...It is now my obligation to give you a gift for your trouble..."

Alex narrowed his eyes curiously, "What sort of gift?"

"The best I can think to give you both...Go outside and see..."

Alex gave Devic a look before clamoring to his feet. This time as they walked through the labyrinth they took their time, each tired beyond physical and mental limits, their hands stuck deep into their pockets, both pairs of eyes staring straight ahead. Although the victory called for a celebration, neither felt much in the mood for cheers, handshakes, or even a few good-natured words...That is until they made it outside.

For a moment, the dull sunlight of the clearing blinded him, but Alex's eyes quickly adjusted as he surveyed the area stoically. There wasn't any sign of any sort of reward. Suddenly he heard a voice calling his name from the forest. Thinking that it was one of his sons he nodded towards Devic and hurried off in the direction the sound came from, somewhere behind the trees that surrounded the space. But it was neither Devic nor Luke who awaited him.

A figure stepped out from behind a tree, "Alex!" He froze where he was, the voice resonating in his mind, and his eyes grew wide as the apparition became solid and hurried towards him. It was Phi!

Alex grabbed Phi and pulled her up against his chest, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, "You're alive! Thank God! I didn't know what I — what I would do without you..."

She wearily rested her chin on his shoulder, nestling up closer to him, "I never thought that I would get to hold you again..." Tears began to prick her eyes and she wrapped her arms around his neck, "I was scared to leave. I didn't want to die."

He sniffed, tears of relief flowing freely down his face, "I was scared too...It's alright, Phi, you're safe now. I won't ever let you go." Phi squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back the threatening deluge of salty tears and buried her face in his jacket. He gazed down at her, "What happened? How did you...?"

"I don't know...I remember watching Trycos disappear into the woods, and the next thing I knew I had died...At least, I thought I had died until I heard a strange voice calling me to come back, and I ran towards it, because I wanted to come back. The next thing I knew, I opened my eyes and I was nearly blinded by the light, but all of my wounds had healed, and I called your name..."

Alex paused and stared at her thoughtfully, his hand resting on her cheek, "The old man...he did this..."

"What do you mean, why would he—?"

Alex smiled wearily, "It's a long story...I'm just happy you're back..." He let out a breath and held her tightly for a few moments before a sound coming from around the corner attracted their attention and they turned to investigate.

Devic (y) ran up from behind a decrepit tree, dragging Luke behind him, "Mom! You're alright! Where have you been?"

Phi bit her lip and pulled away from Alex to kneel down next to Devic, "Umm...I'm not quite sure. But it's okay now..." She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and smiled wearily at her son, "Are you and Luke alright?"

He nodded solemnly, "Ya...But we wanna go home now..."

Luke hurried up to his mom and without saying a word clamored up into her arms and wrapped his arms around her neck, giving her a tight hug, pressing his face up against her chest. Phi smiled gently and held the small child close, then reached out and gathered Devic up in one arm and he threw his arms around her shoulders. She felt Luke quiver for a moment before realizing that he was crying. She gazed down at him lovingly and she heard him murmur, "I missed you" into her sweater.

Alex watched them with a soft look in his eyes, his cheeks flushed, and wiped the tears away from his own eyes. Suddenly, the sound of laughing filled the woods and the sound of someone approaching. Alex's head snapped up, alert for a possible attack, but he smiled as he caught sight of Devic (o) tromping through the dead forest, a familiar face walking along side the knight.

Phi nearly leapt to her feet, Luke still curled up in her arm and threw her free arm around the newcomer's neck, "Oh my God! Will!"

Will laughed, his eyes sparkling behind his curly brown hair, "Phiona! You must tell me everything that has happened! The last thing I remember was that great beast leaping upon me, then a voice, and then my cousin's face peering down at me! For a moment I thought that he was the beast and the whole thing was a hoax, but I am told that something different has happened here..."

Phi's smiled widened, "I'm not quite sure what happened either! I suppose we'll have to pry it out of one of these two!" She motioned towards Devic (o) and Alex who just stared at each other, a mixture of happiness and exhaustion written clearly in their gaze.

Devic grinned dryly and Alex turned towards Phi, "Maybe some other time..."

Devic nodded, "For now, Alex and I should be allowed to enjoy the company of those who were so recently departed without such the burden of recalling such a tale..."

Will smiled and shook his head, "I may never understand you Devic, but it is truly good to be back..." His smiled faded a bit, "I would have missed you terribly..."

"And you would have been missed just as terribly dear cousin." Devic wrapped an arm around Will's shoulder and rustled his hair, and then, to lighten the mood, added, "Besides, I would never have heard the end of it from that mother of yours William!"

Will grinned doggishly, "No, I do not suppose you would have..." He gazed around at the group and his face fell, "I just thought of something...How are you going to get home now?"