As they neared the palace, a wall guard yelled out to them, "Halt! None may enter without permission from king-"

"Open up, idiot! Who do i look like, a vulture?" Kayco yelled back before he had time to finish his sentence. He took a better look at her.

"Oh, its you, Kayco! Most welcome! I didn't recognize you for your small guard." Kayco wasn't in the mood to chat.

"Open the gate!" the gate began slowly opening. "Hurry up! I dont have all day!" she was running out of patience. The gate opened faster. She walked her horse in, followed by Chris and the guard. As the last of the guard passed the gate, she turned and said. "We meet at first dawn! We dont have all day! Get some good rest! DISMISSED!" the guard broke up. Chris trotted up to her. "What did you do with that Neeka character?" Kayco ignored him.

Kayco walked into her room and set down her packs. She took a deep breath. At last! Peace and quiet! Just then, there was a knock at her door. Great! Who now? She went over and opened it. It was Chris. "Oh, its you"

"Something wrong?" he asked, slipping in and closing the door.

"oh, everything is wrong. I dont trust Jothen, for one. Neeka has caused one too many problems, also. I'm worried that our invade won't go good tomorrow. I'm tired of-" she didnt get to finish, Chris kissed her full on the lips. "Kayco, Kayco, Kayco. Settle down. It's all right. Everything will be just fine. Trust me. Now, let's get some sleep, shall we?" he gave her another kiss and started to undress. Kayco turned and dug in her saddlebags for her sleepwear.

Seera was thrown into a dark room. She awoke with a smack on the head. She tried to move, but found that she was still bound. A guard came over and un-bound her and un-gagged her. She tried to lash out, but he was too quick. "Oh no you dont, missy! We got our orders!" he threw her against the wall. She moaned before blacking out.

Neeka arrived at the ship and was locked inside the cabin. "Oh, this is great" he thought " Seera is probably being beat up right about now because my stupid plan didn't work, and I'm here and can't help her! "Neeka sat down at the desk and pondered about Seera and what she is most likely going through "Well..." thought Neeka "Seera is a smart girl and always seems to get out of every situation...maybe this is good, her being captured. Maybe she can get a hold of the plans of Kayco and Chris and stop them before they plan to cause havoc on whatever they are planning...maybe this is good...maybe..."

Neeka sat and thought for that was all he could do.

Seera awoke only to find a guard hovering over her.

"Well look what we got here boys," said the guard to the other guards.

"Seems like someone's ready for another beating"

The guard cracked his knuckles and swiftly reached down and grabbed Seera by the collar of her shirt and lifted her into the air.

"You look flushed, maybe we should put some color back into you" sneered the guard and proceeded to punch her.

Twelve punches in a row. Seera's lip started to bleed, the other guards got up from the table and dropped their daggers, and knives to the ground covered in hay and started to help him. Seera was in soo much pain and didnt know how to fight back. They had taken all of her will and strength out of her. They continued to beat her, punch after punch, slap after slap. A shout came from the door and they dropped Seera hard to the ground. It felt like every bone in her body was bruise and broken.

"Santre, Capelli, Domera... where did you go?" called Chris

The guards stopped.

"Chris is calling...let us go to her." said one of the guards. "Itera, you stay and watch her. Lets GO!"

They all turned and left the room. The one guard left turned and sat at the table. He hummed quietly to himself as if nothing he was doing to Seera was wrong.

"You are the most despicable whelp i have ever had the joy to beat." he laughed

Seera couldnt take it, first they take Neeka away, Kayco and Chris are about to do something wrong and dangerous to people, and they beat her and now insult her. She couldnt take it she had to do something and if not she probably would never get the chance to ever again. She looked around the room, looking for some weapon to help her, for she was far too weak to even hit someone. Something shinny hit her eye, a dagger in the hay, close to her. She had to get it. She started to crawl over to the hay and the guard saw her move.

"Ready for another beating are you? You stupid women."

He got up from the table and walked over to her

"Your first one not enough?"

Seera began to crawl faster, as fast as her limp body could take her. She almost reached it and then the guard reached her first.

"Your soo dumb, maybe this beating will help you realize it...if not you'll need some more."

He started to hit and kick her, but the stupid one was him...for he kicked her right into the hay and she put her hand onto the dagger and slid it close to her and he continued to kick her and then bend down to pick her up and slammed her against the wall,

"Ready to go to sleep?" he sneered

Seera coughed up blood and said "NO you are." and stuck the dagger into his stomach and he slumped to the ground. Seera slid down the wall and knew she had to get out of the room.

She pulled out the dagger and got up slowly and crawled out of the room, and knew she had to get out of wherever she was, and fast. She had to find Neeka.

Chris ran around looking for Santre, Capelli, and Domera. "Santre, Capelli, Domera, where the heck are you all?" Three guards came running up. When the say him, they stopped and fell down to their faces. The biggest one, Santre, said, "We were watching the prisoner Seera, my lord." Chris sighed and said, "Get up, all of you, you fools. Who's watching her now? And were are your daggers and swords?" As they rose to their feet, capelli said, "We left Itera with her." Chris spun at this. "ITERA? The new guy? This prisoner isn't just any old prison! She knows of our plans AND is Kayco's mortal enemy! Domera, you and Capelli go back! Santre, you stay with me. GO GO GO!" Domera and Capelli bowed and hurried off. Chris turned around and said, "Santre, follow me, today we attack the city. Get the guard armored and mounted. Put just enough for a personal escort in full amour and weapon. The rest have them in street amour and in concealed weapons and hide them among the villagers." at this point, they reached the battle room. Chris walked in, Santre followed. Kayco was bent over a map and talking to the leader of the Pirate Storm legion. she was saying, "Take your ships and put five here, here, here, here, and here, dont attack until you see the signal." Chris walked around to her and put his hand on her back. She looked around and saw Santre. "Good! Very good! Santre, come here." Santre went forward. He had never seen Kayco before, but had heard that she was pretty and ugly at the same time. They were right. Kayco pointed to a point on the map. "Take the forest guard and post twenty here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. Make sure they have three quivers full of arrows each man." Santre looked to see more closely where she had pointed. They were surrounding the palace! And she was very well prepared for almost everything! "Santre, i want seven legions of mounted knights. Put one here, one here, here, here, here, here, and here. Hide them in the trees. They are to be in full battle amour and with our best weapons. We can't fail. We dont have a second chance. I want all twenty of our catapults surrounding the palace. Make sure they have a clear shot of the palace but they ARE NOT TO BE SEEN! Do you understand?" Santre shook his head. Kayco nodded, "GO! We leave in 24 hours. We attack in 34. Go!" Santre bowed and left. Kayco turned back to the pirate's commander. "Anything else you need?" she asked.

"No, my lady."

"Then go! You heard what I said, we leave with our escort in 24 hours, and attack in about 34. Dismissed." She turned back to her map. The pirate leader bowed and left. Chris, who had been standing next to Kayco the whole time, put his hand on her back and said, "Rest, sweetie. I'll take care of the rest." he kissed her.

Seera slumped through the corridors, not knowing where she was going, and not knowing where she could end up. Her hands were bloody and her head was cut, every part of her body ached and wanted to shut down, but the will and determination inside of her said no, and so she continued until she couldn't walk anymore. Suddenly she heard a guard talking to himself as he walked down a corridor, and Seera slipped into a dent in the wall.

"They have to be kidding themselves! There is no way they can pull through with this!"

Seera saw him and recognized him as one of the men beating her up. Oh what a surprise he will get when he returns to the room only to see the guard on the floor, maybe dead.

"...mean, why! This is dangerous!" the man continued and walked down the opposite corridor and was gone.

Seera moved out of the wall, and continued to walk slowly down the hall.

Where am I going? she thought. Oh, someone help me! she continued

Suddenly a man came out of a room, not seeing Seera

"Erin, this way. We still have to get the rest of the armor."

Another man walked out of the room and walked with the man down the hall. They both hadn't spotted Seera.

Oh no! Seera thought, They are planning the attack! I need to stop them!

She started to follow the men, slowly and silently. Finally, she found the exit, and there were guards everywhere...

Oh no! What to do, what to do... Seera thought

"Hey! Erin, i forgot, we put them out back!" yelled the man she was following.

"Oh right! I told you!" said Erin.

They left the front and Seera slipped into a room so they wouldnt see her. When they passed, she slipped back out the room and followed, again slowly and silently. After about 10 minutes of pain staking agony, they reached the back. There were no guards and the men got their stuff. She slipped into a room again not to be seen, and after they passed, she left out the back. She walked out into the field, in the back, and knew she had to find Neeka. But, where? She searched her mind and thought hard...Oh! A thought came to her.

What about the Ship!

yes the ship, she decided to go there and try to find him.

Now all she had to do was find the harbor.