Author's note: Wow, I'm starting to finally get around to the point, or rather to the part where things begin tolink to the Falinor scene. Things get a little darker here on in as the fic goes intoit's climax.

I've been having some problems submiting chapters,all the paragraphs get merged or broken up in places I don't want. Also I'm not getting to read all of the reviews, there are times that the site will let me look at them and times it will not. The only reason I know some of you are reviewing is because of the e-mail alert I have set up. Oh and the tabs are refusing to work, as well as the center option, which is going to lead to some problems in the next few chapters... Can anyone suggest to me how to fix any of these problems? I'm getting to my wits end here.

Lady Serefina: Thanks...

FairyV: Same here... I have no idea what's going on.

MoonCanon: lol thanks...

Chapter 27

The Locket

With the last of the snows came the strangest visitors to Hima Rumswell had ever seen. Rumswell was a pudgy man of short stature, his hair, what little remained was graying, and flapped quite a bit when the wind kicked up. He was known by the people of Hima for his good humor, and a burning zeal for sunsets, and spicy food. Hima was heaven to him, for it had wonderful sunsets and a excellent chief who loved to set people's tongues a flame with red peppers. He had lived here for years, his ritual, would be to eat a spicy dinner, then run to Hima's summit with his hands filled with paints and canvas. Rattling in his thousand and one pouches were various pieces of chalk, charcoal, and other accessories that were nessicary for his trade. It was a noisy climb, and all the citizens or regulars of Hima knew what that sound meant, and normally made a break for it. So it was to his surprise that when he rounded the last turn to see three people and one very strange dog sitting side by side admiring the sunset. He considered approaching, considered saying something, but froze as he took them in.

He could not make out their faces, could only see their backs, they were bathed in the crimson light of the dying sun, the four of them were little more then ghostly profiles. Hints of red light gave a whispering glimpses of their features. The boys eyes were soft gentle, filled with awe at the sight before him. The man who wrapped his arms around the boy so protectively, was well muscled. The allowed his eyes to leave the beauty of Hima, to regard his boy for just one instance with fierce pride, then went back to watching the sunset. His soul mate, no other words could describe her, was leaning into the man. Her tunic, whatever pale color it must have been was grey in the dying light, highlighted with red. She had one arm slung over the man's shoulders, and she too turned from the beauty of nature to smile at the man, and playfully ruffle his hair. Getting no response she did the same thing to the massive dog. The strange bat wing ears wagged, the wolfish tail swished once, but the dog paid no farther heed, seemed as entranced with the light as the rest of them. Rumswell stopped breathing, considered them all, then began to quietly set up his canvas stand and put a piece of parchment. he then began a series of rough sketches, of charcoal drawings, and it was only when the light dimmed that he came back to himself.

"God Ruian, is it always so beautiful here?" The woman's voice was soft, gentle. Just as Rumswell had expected.

"Sometimes." The man's voice was just as soft. It was deep, powerful, almost regal, but jaded. There was just a faint hint of boredom in that voice, a whisper that such a sight had been seen before... Or perhaps that such a sight when seen again would never mean as much as the first time. Stupid man, if that's how he took everything in his world he was a fool. Rumswell humphed quietly, and was surprised to see the man's hand drift to the sword on his belt. "We do not seem to be alone."

"Daddy, pretty sunset!" "Yes, I guess it was."

"Grouch!"

"Lloyd, that's not nice... But it is true. Daddy is a grouch."

"Anna!"

"Yes dear?"

"Our guest..."The man called Ruianrattled his sword meaningfully.

"None of that is needed young man!"

Rumswell padded out from his place behind a boulder. He rattled the whole way up to them, and the man with the sword and the strange wing like cloak regarded him, measured him, then dismissed him all in a second. Rumswell decided to ignore the man, he studied the woman. She was, as he expected, a picture of beauty. Her form was slender, but powerful, her eyes dark with just a touch of mystery to them. Her heart shaped face was open, where the man whom she had called dear was as closed and guarded as it could get.

"Mi' lady." He bowed, or rather tried, and she laughed.

"Well Master Artisan, I was wondering when you'd show up. You have quite a reputation in these parts."

"Thank you my dear... It is a good one I hope?"

She laughed at that, then cocked her head to the side. "May I ask why you are covered with charcoal sir Artisan?"

"I uhh did a few sketches, the sunset was rather beautiful and all so I..." He smiled a child's smile, the joy of his work shone in his eyes. "I hope you don't mind being subjects for my work, its not right and all to do it without your permission, so I guess I should ask now."

"Even though you have already done several pieces, at least I presume that looking at you." The man's dark eyes flickered with amusement.

"Humph, well better late then never."

"Better never late." The man growled, a wind picked up, flared the cloak behind him like a pair of sinister wings. The effect did nothing to soften those stern eyes.

"Grouch!" The brown haired boy called from his mother's arms. The woman laughed, rolled her eyes, then gently scolded her boy. The weird dog creature barked, and wagged it's tail.

"You're outnumbered Ruian, you must be a grouch if everyone says you are."

"That is no great revelation Anna." The brown eyes seemed coated in ice.

"Well good Sir, it seems as if my drawings have offended you for some reason." Rumswell shrugged. "You haven't even looked at them and you are already offended, this is why I left PalmaCosta... I'll tell you what sir, I have a little rule I make with all people when I put them in my drawings. Before I do a finished piece I always ask them if they want me to do it. All I have here are concept sketches."

"If you are asking weather or not we want our pictures put in some gallery, the answer is no."

"But.." The woman sighed, considered. "You have a point Ruian, I'm sorry sir, but we don't want our images shown in your show."

"But..."

"You can use the sunset though, after all we aren't in that, just don't put us in it."

Rumswell was in a dilemma. He had liked those scenes, wanted to add to them. The crude sketches he had done, he knew they would be breathtaking if only he could add some color, pick a proper frame... One look into those icy brown eyes told him his life would be at an end if he pursued that trail of thought too far. They had looked so well together, it was one of those very few things outside nature that looked right. That rightness made him itch to put it in some other form, to hold it always... He wanted it, just a sliver, all for himself... But then maybe it wasn't meant to be his, maybe it was theirs.

That gave him an idea.

"I'll tell you what, how 'bout a deal?"

"No deals." The man growled, he began to walk off.

"I wont put it in a show or anything, not like there are any here... You can have it, I have a locket, some random trinket I picked up, I could put a small picture in their for you."

"Ruian, I like the idea..."

"What is the other half of the deal, do not trust someone when they offer something so freely Anna, they normally try to swindle you."

"That was uncalled for Sir! As a mater of fact I want to be paid for my efforts, a hundred up front and a hundred on delivery!"

"Your daft man, I could..." The woman named Anna stepped on the stern man's foot.

"Do you have any samples of your older works, so we don't go into this blindly? I'd like to know the skill of someone before I purchase their wares."

"Of course... Are you resting at the Echos Inn? I have a room just for me there all the time. I'm a permanent resident and all, and I have a small little place where I store old work. Would that be significant proof for you?"

The man seemed to hesitate, the woman gave him a pleading look. It was funny to watch as the ice melted from those eyes, to see them warm, then finally submit. There were no words to it, no argument, just a softening of the man's expression. When he looked like that he didn't seem all that terrorfying anymore, he looked human. Grudgingly the man in black nodded his head, his son whooped, and the woman named Anna grinned.

Rumswell all but skipped back down the hill, whistling a little nonsense tune. Anna chuckled, and pried him with questions the whole way down. Happy to talk to his work with someone who actually wanted to hear his opinions Rumswell chatted with the woman the whole walk down. The man in black considered them both, shook his head, then took up the rear. His hand never leaving the sword on his belt.

xxx xxx xxx xxx

"Not bad..." The man in black- no his name was Ruian, Ruian Synst- commented. There was for once no scorn in his eyes. Rumswell had been so happy to have guests, half the folk here thought he was daft and all.. It was so nice to have company, company that wasn't here out of pity and liked what he did. The people of Hima were just not interested in what he did. They saw the sunset everyday and grew bored with it. After living here for twenty years Rumswell never had grown tired of it.

"You show a good grasp of proportion, shadowing, and several other advanced properties of artistic realism in your work."

"I.. don't think I understood that."

"I see, so your husbands the artistic one in the family? I wouldn't have guessed." "You presume all swordsmen to be fools?" The tone was deadly, liquid malice.

"Phh no! My cousin went into that line of work, it's just the majority of swordsmen these days seem to be little more then bullies with little or no regard for the lives of others."

"Hmm a hazard of the profession I guess."

"So do you want me to do it, or not?" The couple looked at each other, talked without talking. To most it was unsettling, but to Rumswell he knew a little of what was going on. He never had anyone like that personally, but it seemed as if he found more words in his paintings then he ever did in any normal conversation. After a span of time, after that moment where they looked at each other they turned to him as one.

"It is a deal." Ruian actually smiled.

"And money very well spent." Anna smiled warmly.

"Now we-" They bothsaid simutaniously,then they looked at each other and laughed

Ruian waved at his wife and she took up thethread of conversation. "Wehave a few questions, and a few ideas on what we are looking for. We want a family portrait, something that has all of us in it... but we need it soon, we wont be here for more then a week."

"No problem." Rumswell smiled. "Here let me first show you the locket I have in mind, we can work out from there."

xxx xxx xxx xxx

Kratos rolled the locked in his hands, it was plain, circular. No ornamentation had been scrawled on the side, and at a glance it appeared to be little more then a talisman. The hinges were hidden, secret, and only by touch could you find the nick and open it. It was so finely made the Seraphim had thought it to be a product of magi-technology, but it wasn't there was no mana in it, it was just a very well made human trinket. His hands absently slid to the nick, applied a bit of pressure, and it slid open slowly. He considered the picture. Lloyd was perched on his shoulders, Anna had one arm wrapped around his side, and one hand playfully scritching Noishe's head. The protozoan sat, eyes closed in bliss, his tail frozen in mid wag, a smile somehow curling that canine face. Lloyd was smiling, perched on his Father's shoulders, he was leaning into his Daddy's head, his eyes filled with curiosity and happiness. Kratos himself was smiling a small guarded smile. His smile was more then made up for Anna's own wide smile and Lloyd somewhat goofy grin. It was day, the sky behind them pure blue, no cloud in the sky. Kratos frowned at the somewhat unrealistic background, but recalling the man's other pictures that had the sky as a centerpiece had to admit that he should have expected it. And that little bit of sur-realism wasn't all that bad, it only made the Aurion's stand out more.

Anna had trusted it to him, wanted him to wear it. When he first put it on, he thought he would go crazy with the constant rubbing of the chain to his skin. It set an unpleasant tingling across his neck, but time had lessened the effect. His seraphim nerves relaxed, grew accustomed to the chain and pendant. He had found comfort in it, when he had to leave them for spans of time to say hunt, or any other reason really, he found comfort in the pendent. In that he owed Rumswell a great deal.

Xxx xxx xxx xxx

"Is this the residence of Mr. Rumswell?"

The woman behind the counter shivered, shook, and said nothing. He sighed, rubbed at his temples. There was a snicker behind him, he turned and his guard wisely shut up.

"Miss. I do not have time to play games, you will either tell me, or you will die. Which will it be? I would customarily prefer the latter, you understand, but I need to talk to this man. Perhaps we can arrange it on the way out hmm... Now, where is he?"

Still no response, save a muttered prayer.

"Annoying little she-beast. Fine, I tried to be civil." He snapped his fingers and a knife materialized in his hand. "Please try not to scream too much child, but feel free to scream just a little bit. I like to know that I'm doing my work right, and that what I'm doing hurts you a great deal."

The woman whimpered, tried to run. She shuddered, her body would not obey her, and the black clad guard looked away as his master clucked at the girl. As he whispered oh so softly, like a child telling a secret, exactly what he was going to do to her. The guard closed his eyes, but could not shut out the sounds. he could not close his ears as the woman tried to scream with his numb lips, tried to thrash with a numb body. Finally the soft hisses of pain and animal pleasure died down, fell into a silence that was punctured with the snap of electricity crawling the length of an enchanted steel blade.

"I have what we need, come along." The guard opened his eyes, what had once been a comely woman wasn't even human anymore. It was just a mess of wounds and scorched skin that looked out at the world with terrorfied eyes that would never again blink. The aging man chuckled, snapped his fingers, and the knife disappeared from his blood soaked hands. He then casually threw a key ring over his shoulder, the guard snatched it before it hit the floor. Whistling a tune the aging man clad in rich black pants, a silver and blue vest, and black undershirt, skipped up the stairs. He left bloodied foot prints behind him, his shirt front was stained red, his hands dripped it, not that he cared. He was in such good spirits, anyone would have thought him a bit tipsy. He wasn't though, killing just put him in a good mode.

"Ahh here we are! Shall we knock?" The guard said nothing, knew better then to speak. "Ah well, no point in it is there? I'm very certain Mr. Rumswell would appreciate a surprise anyways, keeps the elderly on their toes or so I'm told."

Crimson coated hands snatched the key ring from the guards hands. They were inserted in the lock, and there was a click. The elder human male on the other side of the door looked startled, then horrified. He stood, trembled from head to toe, and looked ready to bolt. The guard stood in front of the door, a whip in his hands, and the human froze.

"Good day to you Sir, are you a Mr. Rumswell?"

"Y...Yes..."

"Very good man, very good." The elder man smiled, and clapped his bloodied hands together in joy. "I have been looking for you, you have a little something I want... A picture you might have done recently, I'd love to look at it! But please, let's not all be business, have you have your evening meal? I have not, and I would like to eat, tend to me man, and we will talk shop over a bite or two."

Rumswell shivered, he was scared to death of this slender man with his steel grey slits that served as eyes. He then nodded stiffly, his mind a blur of speculation and worry. He went to the stove while the strange man, who had just barged into his rooms, brightly suggested what he should make. No, the strange man didn't suggest it, he made it a command. While the food was simmering Rumswell went to the small chest that held his most recent works, he pulled it to him, pressed it to his body to keep it hidden. Of course the steel eyes man saw it, he must have saw everything... But if he did he said nothing, only sipped at the tea Rumswell had made and admired the paintings that hung from the walls of the little studio. When he seemed most distracted Rumswell opened the chest, then dumped it's contents into the fire, at that soft sound the man turned, his civil facade shattered. He snarled, leapt to his feet, out of nowhere he drew a dagger then advanced on the artisan.

"You shouldn't have done that." The man's tone was gentle, a whisper of scolding in his voice. "You just destroyed what proof I needed, the concrete proof that would have helped me ascend to greater power. But don't worry, whoever you think you're protecting will get caught, right after I deal with you."