Notes: I got a few questions from friends about the Yuke doctor's name. 'Seamhen' is pronounced, 'Shah-min'. Sorry for any confusion, and for the long wait before I got this out. I've been having some computer trouble lately, but it's been resolved finally. Yay!! And a shout-out to Matt; you've already noticed 'Burniver'...Sorry! Just a good name!!

And a huge thanks to 'Aznboy714', 'Lee Jun-Fan', 'and SwordofBlackRoses' for your kind reviews!! You're wonderful!!

Recommended Listening: 'Holding On' by VNV Nation

Chapter Two: A Night Like This

START.

"Kaj!"

Drey caught up with him outside. Kaj looked over his shoulder as the other boy ran up to him; and he tried to smile. He had a feeling that it wasn't as convincing as he had wanted it to be. "Hey," he answered, a little quieter than usual. The wind had picked up, and he had to smooth his hair back out of his face or risk being unable to see the buildings around him.

Yeah, you really have to watch out for those houses.

They like to sneak up on you.

"Kaj," Drey began, but Kaj already knew what he was going to say. "I'm so sor...." He didn't get a chance to finish as Kaj clamped a hand over Drey's mouth.

"Don't!" Kaj almost whispered, his voice raw, and Drey fell into a surprised silence. In four years, Drey had only once seen him so openly shaken. It was the first day they met; Drey had woken up on a bed in the clinic, and Kaj was sitting by his side. He looked like he was going to cry then. It had scared Drey four years ago, and now was no different. Kaj pulled back after a moment, not bothering to shake the strands of hair from his eyes this time as he turned away. "It's not your fault," he continued, and his voice was more or less steady again. "So, just don't worry about it."

Drey's mouth twisted down in a scowl. "You can't really," he said after a minute, his arms akimbo in defiance, "ask that of me, you know? I thought that after four years, our friendship meant more than that. Geez, I mean, look at you! You're all messed up because of this, and you expect me –not- to worry about it? You're a real idiot sometimes!"

Obviously.

What have I been telling you?

Kaj turned back to Drey then, and his eyes looked strangely tried. Sort of worn out. "I am, aren't I?" he responded, a dull scorn spiking his words that made Drey regret what he had said. "A real idiot." His shoulders lifted and fell dejectedly, and he shook his head. His mouth opened again, but nothing came out, and he shut it quickly, his teeth clicking together with a sharp sound.

'Stop it!' Drey wanted to shout. 'Killing yourself for her won't help anyone! Her least of all....' Instead he shook his head violently. "I didn't mean it; you're not an idiot. And besides," he paused for an instant, just a second of hesitation. "I was the one who kept you out of Burniver all morning. Away from Ciel."

Well, at least Kaj stopped moping.

His face hardened, and the self-hatred seemed to almost drain from his eyes, replaced with nothing, and Drey was suddenly afraid that Kaj would strike him. He nearly took a step back, but that would have defeated the whole point of saying that he was to blame. So he stood where he was, determined to force Kaj to give up responsibility. 'Hit me, then,' he thought. 'If it'll make you feel better.'

But Kaj didn't even raise a hand. He just stared down at Drey for a long while, silent. Then he spoke, and a strange sort of vehemence was in his words. "I told you it wasn't your fault. Why won't you listen to me?" 'Like you used to.'

Ah, but to him, 'like you used to' is different than it is to you.

Drey couldn't find anything to say to that. So he settled for nodding his head slowly, his eyes on his feet.

Kaj sighed. That wasn't what he wanted. Why couldn't he make others understand what he meant? It was frustrating. He stepped forward and set his hand on Drey's shoulder like he had done to Aya Noh just recently. He hoped that it wouldn't cause Drey to dissolve into tears as well. Then he tipped his head to one side, considering. "I'm not mad at you, you do realize that?" he said finally, quiet again. It was strange, but Drey often seemed to need reassurance that others weren't angry with him, and his self-esteem could trickle down to less than nothing in an instant. Unsettling. Kaj had learned after the first breakdown that he needed to be careful. "I wasn't angry this morning, and I'm not angry now, okay?"

Now what was so hard about saying that earlier?

Silence again, and Kaj began to worry if he had done something wrong. Then Drey looked up at him, a smile plastered across his face. "I know," he answered, cheerfully. Like just moments ago he -hadn't- been half-afraid that Kaj was going to hit him. Like just an hour ago, he -hadn't- been worried that Kaj was angry with him. "Deep down, you're a real softie at heart."

See?

Should've said it earlier; he wouldn't have been so anxious.

But Kaj wasn't so sure. Drey's eyes shone suspiciously, and his voice lacked a certain energy that it usually had. All in an instant, he felt a sudden stab of hurt slice through him; hurt that Drey still, for some reason or another, wouldn't talk to him about what was bothering him. On an impulse, he said, "You trust me, right?" And then wished he hadn't said anything at all. 'You trust me, right?' It just sounded so...weak. As if he was as desperate for proof that he wasn't a complete bastard as Drey had been. But Drey was still a child, still innocent (relatively), still naïve (well, that depends). Drey was allowed to be unsure from time to time. 'Me on the other hand....'

Yes, of course.

It's always about –you- isn't it.

"Of course I trust you," came the answer, and this time there was no hesitation. A pout scrunched up his face and Drey glowered at Kaj. "Unless of course you've got some deep dark secret that you've been keeping from me over the years." But the accusation was light-hearted, with no malice whatsoever behind the words.

Which is exactly why Kaj froze up.

And that, in retrospect, was probably the worst possible thing to do in a situation like that. At least Kaj had always been quick wit h his tongue and he moved right along, not quite meeting Drey's eyes and instead focusing on the blue piece of cloth slipping down over one of his ears. Not the most prudent course of action to take by a long shot, but you have to take what you can get, or give, or something like that. "Do you want to stay at my house? We still have an extra bed available...." The same question he had asked every day for the past four years.

Good save.

Slip back into the old routine.

But can't you be a little more creative for once?

How about: You're not spending another night in the squalid hellhole that Clavatian hotel owner calls a room. Now pack your bags, 'cause you're staying with me whether you like it or not.

If Drey had noticed Kaj's (pathetic) attempt at a diversion, he didn't say anything about it. He just shook his head, still grinning. "No, I'm okay. Besides..." His voice lowered a little, and he leaned forward, almost conspiratorially. "I don't really think your mom would like it very much if I lived with you guys."

'My mother...? What has she been saying?' "I don't care whether she likes it or not," Kaj said suddenly, with more force than was strictly necessary. In fact, he hadn't meant to say anything like that at all. He frowned and tried to reconcile his outburst with something a bit more subdued. "I mean; I'm sure she doesn't really care either way, so, that's not a problem..." He trailed off, and then shrugged, giving up the idea of salvaging any of his last few lines.

Drey stared at him again, obviously thinking. Kaj could practically see the thoughts wandering around in his eyes. Then Drey smiled, in a near consoling way. "You're angry at them," he said finally, after a long moment.

How does he do that?

Kaj rested one hand on his hip and looked somewhere off to the side, his way of conceding that Drey was right. And Drey, in his wisdom, didn't ask why. He probably already knew; Kaj wouldn't be surprised. The kid was surprisingly perceptive for someone his age.

"You know," Drey said suddenly, his voice soft and if Kaj listened hard enough he could hear the emptiness there that almost killed him. "You know, you should really try to get along with them, your parents I mean." As if he might not have been clear enough at first. "I'm not saying you're –not- trying, of course!" he continued quickly, waving his hands frantically. "It's just...." And his voice was back down again, quieter this time. ".... They're important, I guess. So you shouldn't get angry at them so easily or, take them for granted or anything...."

And at that, words failed. Kaj just looked down at Drey, completely at a loss for what to say. He found himself wondering when speech had become so wholly inadequate. Then, abruptly, Drey was all smiles again.

"Ah, sorry," Drey continued, resting one hand on the back of his head sheepishly. "I don't know when to quit." Kaj was still trying to work out something to say so Drey kept speaking, lively as always. "But anyway, I was thinking that you're probably gonna wanna spend time with Ciel, so you don't have to train with me tomorrow. It's not that important, and what's a few days off anyway?" He shrugged as if to emphasize that it wasn't a big deal, an Kaj didn't believe him for a second. An exasperated sigh slipped past Kaj's lips. His day was already bad enough as it was without him having to deal with Drey's erratic behavior.

So Kaj just shook his head resolutely. "No, it obviously is important, otherwise neither of us would have stuck with it for this long already, and a few days off can make a big difference in the body's ability to remember movements. Lessons will continue tomorrow morning as usual." He raised one slim eyebrow when Drey tried half-heartedly to break in and easily overrode over the younger boy's objections. "I will have plenty of time to be with Ciel. A few hours a day will not make a difference."

'And I'll need the distraction....'

"If you're sure it's okay," Drey conceded, but unsurprisingly, he didn't sound too disappointed, even though he was obviously trying. "Then, I guess that I'll head back to the inn; May will probably have some chores for me to work on." May was the wife of the owner of the inn where Drey was staying, and one of the three Clavats in Burniver. She also shared responsibility with her husband for the building, and had worked out with Drey that to pay for his room he would help out around the inn when necessary. Which, in general, was a very good deal. But Kaj still didn't think that Drey should have to live alone like that at his age. Even if rooms surrounded him with other people, it just wasn't right.

"Okay," Kaj responded automatically, then wanted to kick himself for it. Even to his own ears it sounded like he couldn't care less where Drey was going.

See?

If you had asked differently earlier, at least you would have gotten a laugh.

Then Drey was turning away, waving back at Kaj over his shoulder. "Okay," Kaj said again, his own arm rising subconsciously to wave back.

Drey turned to look at Kaj but continued to walk, now backwards, and he finally retied his bandana about his head. "I'll see you tomorrow!" he yelled to Kaj, then spun back and began to jog.

"Okay." A part of him whispered that he had to come up with something different soon, or he'd really seem past it. After a few moments, Kaj decided to continue on; he still had to speak with the town elder anyway, send him to Seamhen so that he could learn of this problem that was engulfing his town. And for an moment, sparks of anger flared up in him, -irrational- anger, but anger all the same. Of all people, why did –his- sister have to go through this? How horribly, pathetically, cliché that such a young girl had been made the harbinger of this village. And then the crystal was in front of him, thrusting up towards the hidden sky as if it had grown from the earth itself, a strangely disconcerting reminder that the world around them was a deadly place, and all that held it back was this stone.

'It's sure doing a hell of a job, isn't it?'

Is that...bitterness?

Without that crystal, so many more would be dead.

Kaj's steps carried him forward to the base of the gem and he almost drew back his hand to strike at it; perhaps it would make him feel better. Perhaps it would appease that furious part of him that wanted nothing more than to destroy whatever was responsible for making the first crack in his world. Instead he slumped forward, his arms reaching out instinctively to support him against the glowing crystal, and he felt warmth seep into his fingers, as if he had laid them against living skin. His head felt like it was spinning, and he had to screw his eyes shut against wave after wave of dizziness that were trying to pull him down. What had happened to his life! He was a good person, as were Dah Rin, and Maekyl, Ciel, Aya Noh and Drey.... None of them deserved any of this. The world had gone mad, surely that must be it. The world had gone mad, and now the innocent must suffer because of it.

And then it was all too much, and Kaj's knees buckled. He slid to the ground, turning to lean his back against the smooth side of the crystal; he tilted his head back and closed his eyes, a sudden sense of exhaustion sweeping through him. Dimly, he could feel the steady pulse of the crystal behind him pervading his mind as the natural magic of the gem swirled in consistent, lazy movements; so reminiscent of a heartbeat. And when sleep finally came upon him, Kaj's mind was thankfully empty, and he gave in to slumber's gentle nagging without hesitation.

BREAK.

Evening was already beginning to slip its long shadows over Burniver by the time that Kaj finally opened his eyes. Covering a yawn with one hand, he blinked a few times to clear his vision of the gentle blurring that always developed after sleeping, and then he pushed himself to his feet. He reached his arms over his head, stretching his body taut with an almost feline grace, before absently brushing his hands over his clothes to dislodge whatever dirt may still have clung to him. He ran his fingers through his hair, combing out the few knots before they could become painful. He looked up at the shadowy sky and wondered if Drey would be having dinner with he and his family again tonight. Perhaps they could help Ciel with her alchemy work; Seamhen's lessons were notoriously complicated.

Kaj blinked once more.

It was only after his chest began to burn that he realized he had been holding his breath.

'Idiot.'

Then he was running, stumbling over his own feet in his hurry to reach the town elder's home. How long had it been since he had fallen asleep? Several hours? More? Sliding precariously to a stop in front of a trim, white gate, he didn't waste time trying to work open the latch (which, in his half-conscious state, would have been much more trouble than it was worth), deciding instead to grip the top of the fence and leap over. He rushed up to the door, then, and began rapping on the painted wood. After a minute or so, muffled cries of "Alright, alright, I'm coming already!" made themselves heard, and then a tall Selkie pulled the door open, a look of irritation almost disappearing from his face. "Oh, it's you, Kaj! How are you?"

For an instant, Kaj caught himself staring. He didn't think he was ever going to get used to this man being the new town elder. Teryl Loh was barely twice Kaj's own age; the title 'town elder' didn't even seem to fit anymore!

Curbing his thoughts before they went too completely off target, he focused on his message. "Seamhen wishes to speak with you," he said quietly, keeping his voice steady. His jaw was held tight; Kaj wasn't sure he could quite trust himself not to blurt out what was on his mind.

Teryl Loh frowned slightly, just a small turn down at the corners of his lips. "Ah, but my family and I have just sat down for dinner...." Then his smile returned suddenly, and his eyes lit up with an idea. "I know! Why don't you join us for something to eat, first. What do you think?"

In that moment, Kaj wanted so much to hate the man in front of him. How could he think about food when Ciel lay sick and this town, his town, was in danger! It would be so easy for Kaj to believe that Teryl Loh was just trying to curry favor with him and others.

Yes, it –would- be so easy to believe that, but you know it's not true.

Honestly, he's so much like Drey, wearing his emotions on his sleeve for all the world to see....

But that doesn't matter; what are you waiting for!

"No, it's important. You must speak with Seamhen immediately." Kaj's voice was still quiet, but he bit off each word with a fierce intensity that made Teryl Loh frown again and look closer at him. "Listen, you must come! I have already wasted so much time...." Kaj looked over the town elder's shoulder, glancing apprehensively at the woman that had drawn near, his eyes worried.

At that, the cheerfulness seemed to visibly drain from Teryl Loh's face, starting with his eyes, and finally making its way down until even his smile faded. Then he turned halfway from Kaj to his wife who stood a few meters from them, her hands nervously linked together. "Ira," Teryl Loh said softly, and Kaj could hear the determination in his voice. "I'm going to speak with Dr. Seamhen; I'm sorry to interrupt dinner."

The woman shook her head gently as if to say an apology wasn't necessary. "You must do what you must do; you have responsibilities to hold up to." A comforting smile. "We will wait."

"Thank you."

Teryl Loh bowed his head and backed up the few steps needed to pass the doorway. He looked to Kaj again as he shut the door behind him. "Alright," he said finally, glancing across the large open ground, past the faintly glistening crystal, to the clinic. "I suppose that it must be very important, if Dr. Seamhen would call me to him." His voice lowered, he almost seemed to be talking to himself. He began to walk forward then, and Kaj kept up at his side.

"You are the town elder, the leader now," Kaj replied. There was bitterness in his words. "Matters like this are –supposed- to come to you."

Teryl Loh stared over at Kaj for a long while but said nothing, and the two passed the rest of the way to the clinic in silence. Seamhen was waiting for them at the door, and Kaj suddenly felt uncomfortable as he wondered how long the Yuke had been waiting. But as Seamhen led Teryl Loh up the stairs into the clinic, he glanced down at Kaj and his posture seemed to soften; he could have been smiling. "Go home and rest, Kaj," he said, quietly, and Kaj had a strange feeling that only he could hear it. "Tonight will be a hard night." And with that, the doctor and the town elder disappeared into the building and the door closed behind them.

For several moments, Kaj stared at the silent hospital before him, and then he turned and went home.

BREAK.

Nothing seemed right as Kaj walked into the house he shared with his parents and younger sister. It was as if every aspect of his life that had been so normal was now just a little bit off. It almost made his skin crawl. But he toed off his sandals inside the front door like always, determined not to let it get to him. Even when he made his way into the kitchen and saw no dinner, just his parents sitting at the table, opposite each other, staring at their hands, he kept a straight face. Even when he wanted to join them, he only bowed slightly (as if they could see him). "Good evening," he said quietly. Not that he really meant it. Not that he really expected much of a reaction. It was just that he said it every evening. So of course he didn't expect his mother to bolt up from her seat and wrap her arms around his neck, her body racking with muffled sobs. His father just lifted his head, staring at Kaj as if he had never seen him before.

"You are allowed to mourn, Kaj," he said gently.

Kaj's eyes narrowed. "I have not given up hope, -father-. There is no reason for me to mourn."

"Ah."

A few minutes later, "Your mother and I are considering moving out of Burniver."

".... What?"

His father stood then, taking a step forward as he lifted his arms in a helpless gesture. "I hate to think of leaving our home and our friends, but if this place is no longer safe.... What else can we do?" When Kaj did nothing but stare blankly at him, he continued. "If.... If Ciel pulls out of this we plan on leaving as soon as she is well enough to travel. I doubt it will be a permanent move, though. If whatever is going wrong here is fixed, then we'll move back. Kaj, please, at least listen...."

But Kaj was already shaking his head and backing out of his mother's arms. Anger surged through him again, and he glared furiously at his parents. "You would even –think- of abandoning our home over something you don't understand?" His mouth curled in distaste. "You say that you hate the thought of leaving your friends, then did you decide to bring them with us as well?"

"Ah, there will barely be room in the wagon for ourselves and our things...."

"So you would leave them here?!" Kaj cried, and his mother flinched. "In a place that you yourself believe is no longer safe? What about Drey; would you condemn him to suffer as well?"

"You would have us suffer along with them!" his mother said finally, her voice shrill and pained. Her eyes were shut tight and her hands had curled into fists. "We have very few choices here."

Kaj didn't answer; he only looked from one parent to the other, his scowl deepening. "Cowards," he spat, and walked out of the house, stepping into his sandals as he passed out of the doorway. For the second time that day he found himself ignoring his mother and father calling after him. On a whim, or perhaps a hope, he paused outside of the house, and waited. When after a moment, neither came out after him, he sighed. A safe way to release frustrations. And he walked away.

Where are you going?

Without stopping, Kaj shrugged. Where was he going? Ah, but it didn't really matter. Perhaps he should find Dah Rin; after all, he was sure that Maekyl was probably having a difficult time with her sister. Where would Dah Rin be, then? Most likely at the clinic. 'I don't want to be there right now,' he thought and decided against seeking out his friend. Who else was there? Drey, of course, but what would Kaj say to him? Hey, as if you couldn't already tell, I've fought with my parents again, right after you asked me not to, so I'm here to...talk? Do nothing? Train? Drey probably would jump at the chance for more training, but Kaj was worried that he might end up taking out his angers on the boy and actually hurt him. That would be the perfect ending to this hellish day, wouldn't it? 'My sister's going to die (don't think that!!), my parents are mad at me, and now I've hurt the one person who seems to still care about my well-being in spite of how rude I've been today. Absolutely beautiful.' He almost laughed aloud at the absurdity of his own thoughts, and as he reached the other end of the village, he simply turned and began following the path that would take him completely around Burniver.

So basically, you have nowhere to go.

That sounds about right.

Burniver was by no means a big place; if one kept a good pace, one could walk completely around the village in no more than twenty minutes. Kaj had almost come full-circle when he saw someone sitting against a tree a little ways ahead of him. As he drew nearer, he recognized Dah Rin, one knee drawn up against his chest and his arms wrapped loosely around the leg. The blond was chewing on a few strands of his hair. Continuing to walk forward, Kaj drew up to his friend's side and paused, waiting for Dah Rin to look up at him, the light threads slipping from his mouth as he nodded.

"Hey."

Kaj nodded back. "Hey," he returned, and sat down, leaning against the tree next to Dah Rin. "So, why aren't you at the clinic with Maekyl?"

There was almost nothing, just a slight tightening of Dah Rin's shoulders and a quiet intake of breath, but Kaj had taught himself to look for things like that, and he remained silent, allowing Dah Rin to speak on his own. "Ah...I didn't really think that she would want me there," came the reply.

Like hell I'm going to believe that.

Right?

Kaj sighed. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. But it wasn't his place to pry into another's business. "Okay."

More silence. The wind was persistent as it pulled at Kaj's hair, and he suddenly thought he knew one of the reasons that Dah Rin kept his own hair back. A low rumble rolled through the air; a storm was on its way.

Then, "Kaj?"

"Hmm?"

"You went there, to the clinic," Dah Rin said softly. When Kaj agreed, he continued. "Do you know what happened?"

"I..."

Wait! You're not supposed to tell anyone!

Kaj glanced to his side at Dah Rin, at the way the older boy seemed to curl in on himself, strangely vulnerable. 'I don't have the right to keep this from him.' "Yeah, I do." Keeping his eyes fixed on the swaying branches above his head, he repeated what he knew, and his tone was calm. He purposely left out the part about his little sister most likely never being able to recover. It would probably become public knowledge before too long anyway.

When Kaj trailed off with, "And he's speaking with the town elder right now..." Dah Rin stared at him, eyes wide, and gave a low whistle. "Miasma inside Burniver? But what about the crystal?"

"I don't know," Kaj replied, his shoulders rising and falling slowly as he shrugged. "Perhaps the last caravan didn't bring back enough myrrh to completely replenish it, or maybe something happened to the myrrh itself; it could have been deluded or something like that."

"But if that's what it is...what happens if the crystal continues to fade? Burniver would be swallowed by the miasma, and the people here...." Dah Rin stopped then, unable to voice his concerns. A worried frown tugged at his brow, and he began to absentmindedly chew at his hair again.

"We'd either have to leave and find a new place to live, or stay and die where we are." Straight to the point, as always. Kaj shook his head. "If the crystal dies, so do our homes."

"If the crystal dies..." Dah Rin echoed, still grimacing, his pale grey eyes narrowed in sudden thought. Then abruptly, he leapt to his feet, nearly cracking his head on a low-hanging branch in his haste. "That could be...!" He turned quickly to face Kaj as the younger boy got to his feet, confusion sliding across Kaj's features. "Kaj, go talk to Seamhen again; find out everything you can about this problem. He probably has some theories. And if you see Maekyl still at the clinic, just ask her to come by my house. Can you do that?" Kaj nodded hesitantly, and Dah Rin continued. "Thank you, and after that, you have to find time to stop over as well. It's...it could be very important."

Important?

Sounds like he has a plan.

Kaj nodded again, more firmly this time. "Alright," he agreed. It's not like he really even had anything else to do tonight. "I'll be over soon, then." With a small wave of his hand, he turned back to the worn path.

"Kaj, wait!" Dah Rin called after him suddenly. Kaj stopped and looked back.

"Yes?"

"Um, you never mentioned, how Ciel is..."

Kaj didn't answer at first; he just stared at Dah Rin, his eyes almost blank. Then, "She is not expected to recover." Don't show that it hurts. Don't show that it's breaking you apart.

If Kaj's cold voice surprised Dah Rin at all, he didn't show it; instead he reached out and gripped the younger boy's shoulder. His face was sad; not pitying, Kaj could've lashed out at pity. "If you need anything," he said strongly, though his words were quiet. "All you need is to ask, okay? Know that."

If it had been the time, Kaj would've smiled. "Thanks," he answered, and then pulled away, walking back to the clinic.

BREAK.

Perhaps he should just have never returned to the clinic. Perhaps he should just have walked home instead. Perhaps he should just have apologized to his parents and joined them in mourning for the nearly dead. Instead he allowed his feet to carry him to the doorsteps of the small white building, allowed them to carry him forward in search of the Yuke, even when he had no true idea of what he was looking for. All the same, he inevitably found himself at a door with the number seven painted above it, and he reached out, pushing the door open and continuing in.

This isn't what you're supposed to be doing.

You're –supposed- to find Seamhen.

Must you defy –everyone-?

And then Kaj was staring down at his sister, his eyes empty. He didn't move when Seamhen came in after him and shut the door quietly. Maybe he hadn't heard right away. After a moment, though, he sat down heavily in a chair at the bedside and rested his chin in his hand, the elbow propped up on his knee. "I'm back, aren't I," Kaj said resignedly. His shoulders were slumped. "I don't even know why. I was supposed to find you, and I ended up here again." His head fell back, and his eyes slid over to where the doctor stood near the wall. "How did it go?"

Seamhen shrugged, just barely. Readjusting his helmet, he answered, "As well as could be expected, given the news that I had to drop at his feet." A pause. "At first he would not believe that miasma was actually finding its way into this place, so I...I showed him the two people that had been affected by it so far."

Kaj's hand dropped suddenly, moving out to grasp at Ciel's limp fingers possessively. "You showed him evidence," he said bluntly.

"I showed him reality. He needed to realize that normal people were being hurt because of this. Surely you understand how serious this situation is?"

"...I do." This time it was Kaj who stopped for a minute. Then, "What's happening, Seamhen? How could this...?" 'I don't even know what I'm asking.'

"It's so strange," the Yuke answered softly. "The crystal is failing. Five months since the last caravan returned, and it bears the fatigue of at least a year without replenishment. That should not be happening." Kaj could hear the confusion in his tone. "The only choice of action at the moment seems to be to gather another batch of myrrh and hope that it was an isolated incident, perhaps an innocent mistake on the part of last year's group."

"So you suggest another caravan."

"I don't know what else to think. Teryl Loh will call a town meeting tomorrow to inform everyone of what has been going on, and to discuss possibilities..." Seamhen trailed off as a hushed whimper came from the bed. Ciel's brow had drawn together in a frown and her mouth had fallen open slightly. Kaj shifted forward off the chair and to his knees in an instant, leaning closer to his sister.

"Ciel!" he said anxiously, holding the girl's hand carefully between both of his.

"A...ah...." The broken sounds seemed to echo in the small room. Ciel's eyes began to open once and then fell shut again. "Kaj...?" she said weakly, her words rasping from her throat. Her eyes opened again, more fully this time. But she was staring emptily at the ceiling above her. She blinked a few times, and her eyes started to swivel frantically from side to side. Searching.

"Kaj, where are you? I can't see you...everything is so dark..."

Kaj had frozen where he kneeled, his hands still clutching at Ciel's fingers. "I'm here," he answered quietly. But his own eyes were wide in shock as Ciel turned towards him, no sign of recognition appearing on her face. "Right here."

"But, I can't see you! Where!" Ciel's other arm lifted, trembling, and she reached over towards Kaj's voice, her palm outstretched. Then her body convulsed, and both of her arms snapped down to clench in the sheets; her teeth bit into her lower lip only to be forced open as a bout of coughing tore through her.

Seamhen began to walk towards the bed, his steps rushed and tense. Kaj backed away from his sister, stumbling to his feet as he struggled to keep his breathing steady. "She was talking," he cried. "And then...What's happening to her! Why can't she see?!"

There was no answer; the Yuke simply held his hands over Ciel's form, concentrating. A green whorl began to glow around his feet, and then it slid beneath the bed, spiraling up around the girl. Almost instantly, Ciel's violent coughing slowed, and then ceased altogether, and she collapsed back against the bed, silent again. Before Kaj could speak, Seamhen stepped back and shook his head, glancing over at the boy. "I can do nothing but ease her suffering this little bit. I...nothing more. And there will no doubt be more victims, all beyond my help. First children and the elderly, and then even the healthy adults."

"Stop it."

"It is the truth."

"You don't know that! Not for sure!"

"It is the truth as it will be within weeks, then. Is it any more acceptable now?"

Kaj's head jerked up suddenly, a strange determination flashing in his eyes. "It will not be that way." And he walked forward briskly, about to push past Seamhen when the Yuke put a feathery hand on his shoulder. Kaj paused, tense; he could pull away if he so wanted. "You would tell my parents of my decision?" he asked, still looking at the door in front of him.

Seamhen shook his head slowly. "No," he replied without hesitation. "I would warn you to be cautious. All is not as it should be. You must realize this."

A simple nod was Kaj's answer. Then, "Thank you for all that you have done for her. I know that she...but please..."

"I will continue to do all that I can, do not doubt that."

"I never did."

And then Kaj was gone, walking into the hallway, and then out through the main doors towards Dah Rin's house.

He now had something to ask of him.

END.

Ah, I'm sorry if it doesn't seem to be going anywhere...it is, but it's just turning out to take a lot longer to get there than I had originally planned. I had at first had the events of last chapter, this chapter, and some of the next one ideally going to be written into only one chapter, but it turned out too long, so I decided to cut it into two. And it's still so long! I feel horrible; I've seriously been trying to keep things concise, but it doesn't seem to be working. I think my muses want me to make the characters as solid as possible. I don't know if I'm pulling it off, but I hope so.

But anyway, there's the second chapter. Problems, praise, suggestions, I'll take it all. Please leave a review, you writers all know how good they feel! And hugs to those who have already reviewed me; you're wonderful! Ja!