Author's note: Hi ya guys and girls, I am sorry about the slow updating but I have finally finished Chapter 4 and have begun work on Chapter 5, hopefully it will be as good I hope. I look forward to hearing from you at any time, I also encourage any other people to review my work as well.

Oh, and PS, you though I forgot about Ryushi and Calica? Did you? Well look out for them in the next chapter….

Disclaimer: I own none of the Broken Sky characters and/or ideas used by Chris Wooding in the creation of Broken Sky.

Chapter 4

When he had seen what had happened to Kia, Jedda leaped out of his chair and in an instant drawn his scimitar, laying it at Whist's throat. Peliqua also seeing the injured Kia leaped out of her chair but instead of attacking either of the two newcomers she helped Li'ain carry Kia to a bed where she could be laid down to sleep. Kia was drifting in and out of consciousness, though not fully becoming unconscious, she felt weak as if she had drained her spirit stones to exhaustion as her twin had many times before he mastered his stones. She was unable to make out faces, her only true recollection was the face of Whist appearing as she was lifted into the house. After a while of being moved she felt herself being laid down on a soft surface. She tried to say something but the people who had helped her there whispered for her to rest and sleep. She was in no mood to argue…

After being laid on the bed Kia fell into a sleep, she couldn't resist its pull so she gave in and let her worries fade away, she didn't dream or if she did she didn't remember it. But then there was something, a light, a light that seemed to fill her whole mind. She tried to block the light out, but the light filled her whole vision, then there was nothing again, the light was gone, crushed by a new darkness, then she heard it. It was a deep voice, guttural in its tone and its manner was dark, like that of a deadly prophesy.

we are the regulators. we are the equalisers. we maintain the balance between the two worlds that were separated in the great Sundering millennia ago. we see all futures, all possibilities.

In her mind she saw a figure, shrouded in shadow but she could see the outline of the figure, it was large and broad shouldered, covered in furs, then it spoke again.

but we are not the only ones with this gift, there are others, others who would disrupt this balance, who would keep the two worlds separated by fear. it is they who took Macaan parents from him, and in doing so caused the last darkness, and it is they who will bring the next darkness, they have acted quickly, we have nothing in place to stop this from happening

The figure faded and in its place came a view of a darkened sky, polluted by rising chimneys billowing huge clouds of ash and soot, at their foot were slaves, slaves who toiled endlessly keeping the fires of the chimney's going. The vision gave her a closer look at the slaves, they were all black, not from the ash, but their skin was ashen coloured, they were Kirans. Then a dominion man came along, he wore a fur coat, form the coat he took a whip, his stones powered and the whip cracked over the Kirans sending them to their knees.

Kia looked on, the mass of people oblivious to her presence, 'No!' she cried in her mind 'We cant allow this to happen, not now, we've worked so hard to achieve peace already…' her mind reeled form the images she saw before her, she turned her head aside to try and forget the images, but all she got were fresh scenes of horror. 'No!' she cried again, 'No no no!' she frantically tried to stop the images; she kept turning away, closing her eyes, only to find she couldn't. Then she saw her, she also had a face of anguish displayed, but she wasn't being tortured she was watching the rest of the Kirans being tortured, she turned away from the terrible scenes and their eyes met, in an instant they new what was happening, they were being given a vision, a vision of something terrible, something horrible that was coming, and coming soon, they, Kia and the mystery stranger were the only ones who felt they could stop it. Suddenly the vision stopped and the figure appeared once more.

we are the regulators. we are the equalisers. but this time we cannot keep the balance, this time it will be up to you, and you alone to maintain that balance.

The figure stepped out of the shadow; its face revealed she felt herself trembling, in a combination of fear and awe. Because stood before her was not just one but all the Deliverers, and they were all looking at her.

"Yargh!" She woke up, the people around her suddenly aware of her. "Whoa… what was that…?" She looked around at the people in the room, she saw Elani, Gerdi, Jedda and the woman who had helped her out before she passed out. It was Jedda who spoke first.

"You're awake, thank Mauni that you're ok, you were in a feverish state, we were wondering what might have happened to you…" Jedda spoke quickly and softly.

"It's ok Jedda, it's ok. Well maybe it isn't ok… but that's not the point right now.." she looked at him, his eyes showing his concern for his love. But she broke their gaze and looked at the new comer, "You.. I should remember you; there is something about you…" Kia's brow furrowed in thought, "now I remember! You're Aurin…"

"Li'ain, its Li'ain. It has been a while since we have seen each other Kia." Replied Li'ain, Jedda wearing his surprised look, he had never been able to get his head round the fact he had had a former tyrant as a guest of his tribe.

"Yes of course, you were with Jedda and his tribe when you rescued me from the mines" Kia said with a shudder at the memory of the time she spent at the mine. Kia swung her legs over the side of the bed and took a look at the damage that had been caused when she had fallen over. There was a scab there now, she could thank Li'ain for that, but she could still feel the numb pain of the gouge that the wood had caused.

"I've sent for a healer, he should be here soon, mean while I suggest you rest, your body has been sapped of its energy trying to cope with your wound." Jedda said in a caring voice. Kia looked at him and began to say that she didn't need rest when, mid-sentence she yawned.

"Hmm," she said, "maybe I do need some rest." She smiled, pulled her legs back under the covers of the bed and lay her head back on the pillow, she was soon asleep and breathing gently. Jedda looked on at the sleeping form of Kia, and then got up form his chair.

"We best leave her to rest until the healer gets here," he said "meanwhile why don't we continue with the party, after all it is still your birthday Elani…" Jedda looked at the young adult that stood before him, and was reminded vaguely of Kia at that age.

"Birthday?" said Li'ain, "Well then, if it's your birthday, there should be fireworks don't you think?" gesturing to her back, where a slight green glow now resided. Smiling Elani let people file passed her and back into the main living area where Peliqua and Hochi were waiting after sorting out a healer for Kia. Peliqua smiled as Elani and the others came in, but looked puzzled when they went straight for the door leading outside.

"Elani, where are you lot off to now?" she asked. Elani turned and smiled at her, "We're going to see some fireworks" she said grinning.