"What the?!" Garet exclaimed. He quickly drew his sword and prepared to strike.

"That bastard!" Jenna exclaimed. Saturos had double-crossed her. No doubt about it now. The skeleton magi they were facing were part of Saturos' personal legion; she had seen them herself before, many a time. She scowled as she drew her sword from its sheath. "Garet. Be careful of these things! They're some of my former employer's most dangerous of troops!"

"Huh?!" Garet replied. "Troops?! You worked for some kind of mad sorcerer or something?"

"You could put it that way." Jenna replied. "Right now, make sure you don't let those things hit you. Their Psynergy is incredibly powerful." Garet nodded and inched forward. Three of each of the skeletons had one color glowing from its eyes and hands. Three had a yellow light, three had a blue light, three had a red color, and three had a purple color. "Garet, watch out for the blue ones. They're Mercury aligned."

"Great." Garet grumbled. The blue ones would have to be the first ones to go. Not only could they use ice, they could likely heal the others. Glancing at the other magi, Garet unleashed a powerful Eruption upon the golden and purple skeletons, distracting the others quickly. Jenna, seeing the opening, quickly dashed forward and using her obsidian tipped katana, proceeded to liberate the heads from the bodies of the Mars aligned foes. Garet then attacked the distracted Mercury skeletons and did the same to them.

"That was too easy." Garet stated.

"Way too easy." Jenna mumbled. This should've been much harder; it's like the magi were decoys for something. Then she felt the ground rumble intensely, almost like the pounding of footsteps. "We have to go. . . now!" She said, grabbing Garet by the wrist and charging back into the woods.

"What's that?"

"I hope it's not what I think it is. Quickly, climb the tree!" She said, pushing him up it as she spoke. Garet did as he was told and he hid in the branches beside her. They peered out together from the leaves into the clearing they had just left, in time to see a massive skeleton, easily four times the size of a man, stepping into the clearing. The skeleton wore breast plate over its ribcage and wore links of rusted chain mail over the rest of its body. In its bony hands was a massive and brutal looking two handed sword, the blade rusty and serrated. Upon its massive skull adorned a full helm, revealing only two glowing red eyes. The massive undead warrior stomped into the clearing, its bones cracking and clicking. It looked around carefully in the clearing, its red eyes studying everything, before it finally returned from where it came.

"What was that thing?" Garet asked.

"Apparently the magi were supposed to be a diversion and not supposed to put up much of a fight." Jenna stated, look of concern on her face. "You just saw the grandfather of all skeletons, Garet. The undead summon to end all undead summons; that was the feared Angelslayer skeleton." Garet's head quickly snapped to face Jenna.

"No way. That was the skeleton of the warrior that nearly destroyed all of the angels who followed the light?"

"Not his actual skeleton, Garet, but his warrior's spirit was twisted and corrupted and placed into that shell body to be used as a weapon. There's no single mortal alive capable with dealing with that creature. . . my former employer was truly trying to make sure I never made it back."

"How come it didn't find us?"

"Luckily, even it has a weakness. It's not the smartest creature in the world, Garet. Even you could outwit that thing." Jenna said, somewhat sourly.

"Thanks a load. I haven't seen you for over two years and you greet me by trying to kill me and my best friend and then insulting me. I'm glad to see you too, Jenna." Garet replied, sarcastically and fairly harshly.

"Look, I didn't know it was you and I didn't know that Isaac was someone you knew!" Jenna said, climbing out of the tree with Garet close on her heels. The assassin began walking off into the woods alone, but the Mars Adept knight caught back up with her.

"Wait." He said, calmly.

"Why should I?" Jenna said, keeping her pace quick even through the woods. Her keen senses picked up the sounds of a babbling brook up ahead, and she still could hear Garet's feet shuffling behind her.

"Jenna, look. . . I didn't mean what I said."

"I don't care." Jenna stated, moving forward still. "Why are you following me, Garet? I have things I need to do." She stated as she stepped into another clearing around the creek. It moved at a quick pace and the sound of the water would normally be relaxing. The moonlight basked down upon the short grassy terrain surrounding the creek's clear and cold waters.

"Please. . . answer me this, if nothing else." Garet sighed, stopping in the middle of the clearing.

"Fine. What?"

"Jenna. . . why did you leave the mountains for this line of work? What made you do this?" He asked, his voice deeply concerned; not demanding in the least. In fact, he sounded so concerned that he almost sounded hurt to the assassin's ears. Jenna halted her walk there, on the bank of the creek. She stared down into the running water, remembering the reason why she had decided to pursue this career. Garet slowly approached her, and she chose not to stir. He finally reached her side, and he looked down at her. Her eyes were now filled with the same sorrow he had seen years before; it pained him deeply to see her like this again. She looked up at him with somewhat pleading eyes; she didn't want to say it. "I'm sorry, Jenna; but you must tell me. I can do nothing for you unless you tell me." Her eyes wavered as she began to speak.

"Three months before you came the last time I saw you there was a massive storm that hit the mountains. My whole family was hiking up on the mountains when the storm hit and trapped us in the high passes. Mudslides gave us no end fear while we were up on the peaks. There were seven of us up on the mountain when the storm began. My aunt and uncle were swept away in the first mudslide and were buried alive under tons of unmovable sludge." She paused and her voice faltered. "The five remaining of us; my cousin, my mother, my father, my brother, and myself took refuge in a cave. However, we hadn't counted on the cavern's passageways. The storm poured down so much rain that eventually a massive flood blasted through the cavern, taking the lives of my mother and my cousin. My father, myself, and my brother were then left to stand once more on the open mountain terrain and endure the rain. It was horrible, Garet. The rain thrashed at your skin, chilling you to the bone and making you feel all the more miserable; it didn't help to lose so many close to you so quickly either." Her tone was faltering more and more, and tears were visibly welling up in her eyes. "And then on the seventh day of our personal hell, a massive boulder fell from the cliff itself. We tried to escape it, but my father and cousin died when the boulder finally caught them as it careened down the mountain. The rain still poured hard over the cliffs, and yet somehow I managed to escape the holocaust my family did not. After the boulder, I fell to my knees and wept. And as if to spite me, the rain finally cleared and the sun finally shone again. It was as if the heavens were laughing at my misfortune and wanted nothing more than for me to suffer. I made it home two days later, exhausted, dirty, and half dead from thirst and starvation. No one of the village wished to speak of the incident to anyone, and they offered but silent condolences to me; which was fine. Then you came to visit months later and you discovered me in that condition; after you left, I returned to my solemn state until one day my life was saved from a bear by a random unemployed assassin who gave his life in the process. Another death because of me was racked up. . . and in respect of the off-duty assassin who saved me I took up his sword and followed in his footsteps. After everything I've gone through, it seemed to heal the wounds; letting out all of this emotion on them. I'll be honest, the money has never been my real motivation."

"You're real motivation has been to escape." Garet replied. "But you should know that you can never outrun the past, Jenna." He rested a hand lightly on her shoulder.

"I lost everyone who had ever really cared for me in that storm." Jenna sighed.

"That's not true." Garet replied. "I care about you. I've always cared about you."

"You don't understand, Garet."

"I do too. Isaac lost both of his parents to a couple of cheap punks who refused to pay an honest and cheap price for some weapons. He felt terrible for awhile, and I helped him get through it. Let me help you get through your loss." Jenna looked into Garet's crimson eyes; into the warrior she once knew so well.

"Garet. . ." She said.

"I'm sorry I was never there for you before. I am now. Please, Jenna; I want to help you."

"It can't be helped now. Nothing will bring back my family or the brave soul who saved my life."

"But your future can be helped." He said, placing a hand gently onto her left shoulder. "You're not alone, and you don't have to be."

"I've been living in shadows and darkness for over a year now, Garet. I am alone; no one truly cares whether I live or die; I haven't known love since my family was killed. I am not the same Jenna you once knew."

"Jenna." Garet's tone hardened a little. "You're not talking sense and you're obviously not listening to me. What do I have to do to get you to listen to the words I speak?"

"Say something that has meaning to me." She replied, dejectedly not expecting a reply.

"Very well then." He sighed, and paused for a moment before he continued: "Jenna, I love you." He said, from his heart. Jenna noticeably jumped when she heard the words.

"Y-you do?" She gasped. This was unexpected for her; while Garet had always been a friend of hers, she had never really given the thought that he would be in love with her.

"I meant to tell you last summer, but you weren't there." Garet replied. "You mean very much to me, Jenna, and it pains me greatly to see you like this. And now I know finally what's wrong; all I want to do is to help you."

"Garet, I. . ." She said. "had no idea. . ."

"Funny, usually it's men who don't understand women." Garet joked lightly. Jenna smiled a little; this was definitely the Garet she once knew so well. She hugged him warmly after pulling away from his arm.

"Thank you, Garet. You really are the best. . . it's kind of ironic; my mother always told me she'd like to see you and me get married. It was really embarrassing. . . but, I don't think she was too far off." She said, coyly through her still strong emotion; she had learned well how to control these years ago.

"Do you mean? . . ."

"Maybe, Garet." She smiled to him. "Now then, I believe you wanted to know a few things about my employer. I think we should go back and discuss this matter with Lord Felix and Lord Dargon first thing in the morning."

"What am I supposed to tell them about you?!"

"We'll tell the truth. I'll say I was hired to kill Isaac and that you stopped me and just everything played out from there. Luckily, I'm sure Lord Felix is a reasonable man as well as Isaac."

"Isaac's the most level-headed man I know aside from Felix." He replied.

"Good." She said, still hugging Garet. They remained silent for awhile before Jenna spoke once more. "Garet, I love you too. I will be honest; when I did let any emotion from the past in, I really did miss you."

"See? I just have that effect on people. I'm unforgettable!" He said, smiling with a big grin. Jenna slugged him with medium strength in his shoulder. "Ow! Hey, I'm just playing." He smiled.

"So am I." Jenna replied. "I can hit you again if you want me to."

"I'll pass on that, thanks." He smiled. "Come on. Let's go back to Imil. I'm sure Isaac is awake and he's probably already woken everyone up."

********************

"I don't believe it." Garet said, dumbfounded. "He's still asleep, even after all that racket we made." He sighed as he watched his friend still sleeping soundly.

"Perhaps this means we won't have to tell him I tried to kill him."

"No, I just talked to him about you before you arrived. It'd look really odd that you just happened to show up. Besides, he's my best friend, and I can't keep this kind of thing from him. We just won't say how close you were to actually killing him." Garet smiled. "Besides, it's better if we tell the truth because whoever your employer is could be a direct threat to the peace."

"Yeah, you're right. . . what do we do until morning?"

"We can go out and look at the stars." Garet said. Jenna smiled and they went outside together.

********************

"How much longer must I wait?" Agatio grumbled while pacing in his chamber.

"Until your younger brother hands out the order." A voice replied to him. Agatio focused his eyes on the female Mars Adept sitting in a chair in one of the corners of his room. He immediately recognized the woman as Karst, Menardi's younger sister.

"Karst! How many times have I told you to knock before sneaking into my room?!"

"Well, you can't sneak in if you knock first." Karst replied coyly. "Besides, it's fun to get your dander up. It makes a vein protrude from your forehead whenever you get openly frustrated." She smiled cynically. "Besides, I'm having too much fun watching you beat what little brains you have out pacing around here with nothing but the duel with Picard in mind. Why are you so adamant about slaying him, Agatio?"

"I'm not interested in any sort of vengeance; I live for the fight, and I believe Picard shall give me the best sword fight I've ever had."

"Is that all you're interested in, Agatio? The thrill of the moment, the challenge in a fight, and the hunt for the prey?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"But I do. You're driven to be the best fighter in the world and you will take down any who stand in your way. Your philosophy is a common one; even your brother has the same beliefs, although not the same means of going about it."

"My brother." Agatio scoffed. "He's still nothing with a sword."

"To you he's not. It's because you exhibit so much knowledge of the sword that he knows nothing. In comparison to many, Saturos is excellent with a sword. You just are simply better than he is." Agatio turned away with this comment. "You are frustrated that he is in charge, I see. Think of it this way: he may be the brains behind everything, but without you, nothing really gets done. Think about it. You lead his skeletal army, you train his minions, you protect him, and you make sure everything's in running order. Although he may not show it, he does respect you. He may not necessarily like you, but he does respect you. Now, get your head out of your behind. There is a caravan that will be travelling through the area in a short time. You and your army should go and raid it."

"For what?"

"What else? Gold, jewels. . . anything that's shiny, Agatio." She smirked. "And I think I'll join you out there today. I'm up for a little excitement before Saturos' plan finally goes into action. With luck, we'll find the Mercury Star among the lot of treasure that caravan might be hiding."

"I hope the soldiers they have are at least a challenge this time. The last caravan we wiped out was pathetic." He said, slipping his Dragon Scale armor over his head. "I could've beaten them all with my fists."

"Glad to hear you finally got your head back in the game, Agatio. I'll meet you at the gate in ten minutes. Make haste." She turned as she reached the doorway. "This will be very fun."

******************************

Picard sat on his throne, a scroll of parchment in his hand, reading the latest message received from the city of Tolbi. Several of their caravans had gone missing over the past few weeks, and it was a growing concern to him. These disappearances were obviously not accidental, as only select caravans, notably the ones carrying precious gems or rare artifacts were the ones being targeted. Picard turned to Iodem, and began to speak.

"Iodem, when did you receive this message?"

"About twenty minutes ago, milord. I didn't deliver it right away because you were busy with the representative of Kolima."

"He was reporting the theft of the Jupiter Star from their vaults. This is bad news indeed, Iodem. If the person who stole it knew its potential, we would all be in serious trouble." He sighed. "I know not for sure where two of the other three stars are, and I've already sent a team to locate whether the Venus Star is still in place."

"Where are the other two? The Mars and the Mercury Stars?"

"I know not where they both are, Iodem. However, I have heard rumors that the Mars Star was at one point in the town of Lalivero, and I've heard from legend that the Mercury Star was passed down through the mysterious clans that reside in the Kolima Forest."

"Should we dispatch teams to look for them there?"

"No." Picard stated. "If we have the Venus Star in our possession, that's all we really need. The powers of the stars cannot be activated unless all four are used together. Iodem, I want you to keep this quiet from everyone. You and I are really the only ones in the castle who know about the Stars' power. If that were to get out, there could be chaos."

"Of course, my lord."

"Now then, what word has there been from Felix? Has he found Isaac yet?"

"No word from Lord Felix or Lord Dargon, sir. Dargon departed a few days ago saying something about the town of Imil."

"That's out in the boondocks, isn't it?" Picard questioned, raising a blue eyebrow. "What would he be doing out there?"

"Perhaps that's where Isaac disappeared to."

"Probably. Considering it would take them several days to get there we shouldn't expect them back for a week to a week and a half." Picard rose and prepared to leave the throne room. "Now if you'll excuse me, Iodem. . . I have another meeting to attend to. Please keep things in order while I'm away."

"Anything else you want me to do?"

"No. Just keep things under control." Picard walked leisurely out of the throne room and walked through the main hall. He abruptly stopped next to a door. "Felix, you better get back soon. I think we will be going through some real endeavor. . . I have a really bad feeling about this. . ."