"What is it you wanted to talk to us about, Garet?" Felix asked, puzzled as to why the Knight would delay their departure to Vale. The Mars Adept actually roused them awake this morning and gathered them in Mia's house.

"Yes, please tell, Garet." Isaac yawned.

"Well, you all might want to sit down for this." Garet said.

"We ARE sitting down." Ivan replied. Garet quickly looked around and now noticed everyone had been seated for quite some time. Garet's face blushed lightly in embarrassment and he took a breath.

"Last night, something new developed in this situation. Some new details have been reported in by a brand new source."

"What?" Dargon asked.

"Um, please wait a moment." Garet said, leaving the house for a few seconds. The others just glanced around at each other, curious as to the meaning of the oafish Adept's call to meeting. A few minutes later, he returned. "Okay, I'd like you to meet someone." Jenna walked into the room cautiously, as if she was walking over broken glass and needles. The eyes of the strangers seemed to pierce through her, especially the eyes of Felix, Isaac, and a smaller boy with blond hair and purple eyes. She swallowed hard, still wearing black, but her sword was conveniently hidden by Garet.

Felix studied the newcomer intensely. She had the look of an assassin for sure. What she was doing in Imil was beyond him. He studied the looks of the others. Ivan seemed to be getting the same feeling as himself, while Isaac seemed a little more pensive. Garet, of course, was looking relaxed about the person, but seemed to be more tense about the reaction from the others as he was preparing to speak. He quickly looked at Mia and Sheba, who had no idea what was going on, and then he glanced at Dargon, who was intrigued by the whole matter.

"This young woman has a lot of information on some of the recent goings- on."

"How did you find this person, Garet?" Dargon inquired, folding his hands.

"Well, this is where you must just let me speak in full without questioning or exclaiming to what I say." Garet stated. "All right, I'm sure you remember leaving last night. Shortly thereafter, Isaac and I went to bed, and I wanted to find some extra sheets for my bed. When I came out to ask Isaac if he knew where they were, I saw a figure in the house with a sword."

"That was me." Jenna admitted. "You see, I'll cut to the chase. After that, Garet here chased me down and nabbed me."

"So is this some kind of exchange?!" Felix asked.

"No. Everyone, I'd like you to meet Jenna, who is better known to the public as Darkfire. I know her personally from the Northern Mountains."

"Then what's she doing here?" Dargon asked, eyes narrowing.

Isaac's eyes widened in amazement. Was this the girl his best friend has spoken of just the previous night? He studied the newcomer carefully; as Garet had said the day before, she was striking in appearance. Her manner was definitely different than Mia's; one could sense that immediately. Isaac became intrigued immediately. What was she doing here indeed was the question. And why did she want to kill him?

"All right. Jump to no conclusions, friends, for she has openly given me the truth. While she was supposed to kill Isaac, after I foiled her attempts, we were jumped by her employer's army of undead." Garet explained.

"Undead?!" Dargon exclaimed.

"Yes, but they were different than the ones we encountered in Vault. These skeletons appeared to be imbued with Psynergy some how. And even more troubling news is the appearance of a terrible foe."

"What might that be?" Ivan asked, pensively.

"The Angelslayer skeleton."

"Are you trying to sound like a fool, Garet, or are you just bloody lying to protect this girl from your past?!" Dargon snapped.

"Sir, please understand, I'm telling you this because Jenna is willing to tell us who her employer is and is willing to help us stop him."

"And how do we know it isn't a trap?" Felix asked, calmer than before.

"We'll have to trust her." Sheba said.

"Trust?! An assassin? Are you daft, miss Sheba?" Dargon asked, trying to not sound harsh. "She could be a skilled liar too!"

"Lord Dargon, please refrain from your outbursts like that." Ivan stated, calmly. "There's little reason to get bent out of shape yet, and there's even less of an excuse to yell at Sheba, who had nothing to do with this whole incident. Besides. . . I have a way of checking to see if miss Jenna's sayings are true." He said, rising calmly and approaching the Mars Adept. "Please hold still and open your mind. You'll make this easier for me if you're not resisting." The young Jupiter Adept carefully laid a hand on Jenna's shoulder, and rings of soft purple light wrapped around Ivan. Within, he began his search, and it didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. He could see it all very clearly now; she had lost her family in the mountains, she had decided to be an assassin, and she had indeed promised Garet she would help bring down her employer. Her mind didn't lie, but rather revealed every part of her inner essence. Jenna was truly a good person at heart, but all of her sorrows had changed her into a different person on the surface. However, even through all of the angst and torment this Mars Adept had gone through, she was still trustworthy, and he could tell her intentions were pure and genuine.

"What are you doing, Ivan?" Mia's voice questioned lightly.

"She's speaking the truth." Ivan stated, withdrawing his hand and opening his violet eyes. "We can trust her."

"What did you. . . do to me?" Jenna asked.

"That was a little trick known as Mind Read." Ivan replied, with a half smile. "The mind doesn't lie, miss Jenna. I'm glad that we can really trust you." Jenna and Garet's expressions both visibly lightened. "She has no further intent to do you harm, Isaac." He said.

"Good. I believe your words are true, Ivan." Isaac said, smiling. He rose and walked over to Jenna. "It is an honor to meet you, Jenna. Garet has told me a lot about you." He said. Felix reclined back a little more. Ivan was definitely right; all of Felix's experiences with Jupiter Adepts allowed him to come to the conclusion that he was right.

"If you can accept the words of a Jupiter Adept, Isaac, so shall I." Felix said, rising. "It truly is a good sign that you are not willing to let your emotions get in the way of your judgment, friend." He said, resting a hand on Isaac's shoulder.

"I believe Ivan." Sheba said quietly. "I believe, because I'm a Jupiter Adept too. Her mind isn't lying."

"If you believe her, Sheba, I believe her." Mia replied.

"Then it's unanimous." Dargon sighed in resignation. "I apologize for my behavior, miss Jenna, and to you too, Garet." He said, rising from his seat. "Well, Jenna, what can you tell us about your former employer?"

Jenna smiled cautiously, and then she began: "You may want to sit down. This may take awhile."

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

Agatio peered over the rocky ridge that he had picked to camp out on. He and Karst had been waiting for about an hour, and they had brought four skeleton warriors with them. The undead warriors were not much for conversation, as their singular minds did only as they were ordered. The powerful sword fighter was forced then to make conversation with Karst, Menardi's younger sister.

Karst was every bit as sarcastic as her older sibling, but she had always seemed to be a better comrade. Karst wasn't any more violent with her victims than Menardi, but that really was not saying much at all. She had always enjoyed picking on Agatio's intelligence, and she especially enjoyed sneaking up on him. Agatio was more than openly frustrated with these incidents, but he let them slide considering who he was dealing with.

Karst, on the other hand, thought of Agatio as much more than a brainless buffoon. She well understood he was a warrior of an unparalleled caliber and was not to be taken lightly, but she also knew that he had the intelligence of a jar of salt. However, wisdom is different than intelligence, and she believed that the bigger Mars Adept was at the very least somewhat wise. Despite Agatio's obvious flaw in the brains department, Karst actually trusted him more than her older sister. They had known each other since their childhood years, and Agatio was basically her older brother.

"So, what do you think is on that caravan?" Agatio asked.

"Saturos seems to think valuables and magic items, but he obviously doesn't think they're important enough to go after himself."

"So the Mercury Star probably isn't there."

"Probably not, but anything's a possibility." She sighed. "On the plus side, my older sister isn't around. She really gets my dander up sometimes."

"At least you and Menardi seem to get along most of the time." Agatio replied. "Outwardly, at least."

"Well, you're smarter than I've taken you for." She said, peering over the ridge. Her careful eye caught the sight of movement in the distance and she squinted to try to make it out. "The caravan is coming, and it looks like they're going to be stopping at that lake down there just as we predicted." She said, pointing down to a small lake from the ridge above. The region was similar to a plain and a wasteland meeting, but the lake oasis added some green color into the rocky outcroppings of the area.

"How long until they arrive?"

"Within a few minutes. Be patient." Agatio noticeably shifted in annoyance and impatience. He was obviously excited at the prospect of fighting new enemies, although he really didn't expect much of a challenge from his new opponents. He glanced at the still-standing skeleton warriors and glared. He didn't need their help, but Karst had insisted on bringing them along, and she was usually more right than wrong.

"What do you plan do with these?" He asked, pointing at the four skeletons.

"They're here as decoys and to haul the treasure back."

"How much can those skinny little things carry?" Agatio asked, sarcastically.

"More than you think. These skeletons are special; the latest 'breed' created by me. I laced their bones with steel and made them more powerful and durable. These kinds can take about triple the abuse of their marrow counterparts.

"Which still isn't a lot." Agatio scoffed.

"Not to you, at least. Most men will have trouble hacking down a creature fused with steel. It's like hitting a sword blade every time you strike these things."

"We'll see how they fare." He replied. "Does Saturos know about these?"

"No." Karst smiled. "These four are the only in existence, and you can't normally tell the difference between them and normal skeletons. I know they're different because I personally crafted them."

"Well, I'll take your word for it." Agatio sighed, still eagerly awaiting the caravan. His wait was not long. A mere ten minutes passed and the caravan began prepping to stop for the night as the sun began dipping below the horizon. His deep crimson eyes picked up the movements of people scurrying about below trying to set up camps, cook, and get fresh water from the lake. The scene made Agatio thirst for a fight even more, seeing several of the men armed with swords, rapiers, maces, and flails. "This had better be worth all this waiting around."

"It will be, in one way or another." Karst said, smiling. They sat silent for several more moments before the female Mars Adept finally rose. "It's time."

"Finally." Agatio whined, standing up. He drew his massive bastard sword with a single-minded intent as he, Karst, and the four skeletons crept down the hill to the sleeping caravan. It looked like all the sentries were asleep, making them extremely easy targets. His sword glistened lightly in the moonlight, unlike the swords of his companion skeletons, which looked thoroughly rusted. When they reached the caravan itself, Agatio turned to Karst. "Shall we start this party?" He whispered. Karst gave a quick and curt nod. Agatio smiled wickedly as his free palm began to glow with Mars' fire. He took aim at a group of sleeping sentries and let loose a Flare Storm, causing them to cry out in pain in the instant the inferno engulfed them, and then they silenced as the storm itself passed. Other guards, alerted by the screaming of their fellows, leapt to their feet and drew their weapons. Agatio gave a smile. Himself and his force were outnumbered roughly seven to one, but he knew that he and Karst alone could handle this paltry force.

"Give it up, lady! You could never hope to beat us! We're the best of the best!" One of the guards yelled at Karst, whose scythe was resting on her shoulder. She made no reply, but rather stood back and pretended as though she didn't hear a word. "You! Give up! We will fight you if need be!" Karst made no response. "Fine! Men, attack!" An evil smile crossed her lips, and she forwarded her scythe. Instead, she decided to let her powers do her talking. The ground beneath the four threatening guards and let loose a Volcano blast. The four guards were instantly incinerated and the Mars Adept did nothing but laugh in the irony of events transpired.

The skeletons were having a mighty fine time as well, they each seemed to laugh in their screeching undead voice. This horrendous laughter froze the hearts of the unfortunate guards and made them easy prey for the horrors.

Agatio scowled as he dispatched another guard with his sword. He was going through these guards as though they were mere sheep without a Shepard. This was no challenge at all. The large Mars Adept, as unbelievable as it sounds, actually felt sympathy for the men he was defeating. As much as he liked to fight, it was the glory of the fight rather than the kill that mattered to him. He had easily dispatched his seven and had moved to pick up Karst's extra three.

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

It wasn't long before all forty men were all off the same coil as the Mars Adepts. Agatio and Karst hadn't even taken a scratch and their skeletons fared almost as well. The remaining men and women in the caravan that had no weapons were kept in check by the three skeletons as Agatio and Karst decided to check their plunder. The two Adepts rummaged around in chest after chest.

"Junk." Agatio muttered. "This one is just books, and not even spell books."

"Well, I found something." Karst said. Agatio turned around to face his compatriot, who was now wearing a golden crown studded with rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, a large golden amulet with an enormous amethyst, and carrying a scepter matching the crown in her left hand. "What do you think? Fitting?"

"Indeed." Agatio joked heavily. Karst looked remarkably funny with the baubles studding her appearance. This was very much like Karst; she enjoyed playing around with valuables. As much as she had no use for them, she always did enjoy such things.

"Too extravagant?"

"No."

"You're lying!" She said, blasting him with a Flare Wall while cackling evilly. Agatio shrugged off the spell and sighed.

"I really wish you'd stop doing that. I mean, it's not like it hurts, but. . . you could hurt someone else. . . never mind. All the more reason to do it then."

"Damn right." Karst smiled, diving back into the chest of baubles she had found before.

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

It was early in the morning when the cold morning breeze tasseled Dargon's hair as he stood outside Mia's house. This was the morning when they would finally start back to Vale, a trek that would likely take them almost three weeks. Imil was so far out of the way, it was small wonder why it was so tiny and didn't have a Luna Knight on post. Dargon noted this to himself and made plans to try to get someone to fill the position. Of course, who would want a seemingly dead-end job protecting a city that's in the middle of nowhere? His thoughts then turned to his travelling companions. Felix was already standing next to him, and Isaac was beside him, leaving Ivan, Garet, and the girls inside still preparing.

"How many bags are those girls going to take?" Dargon asked, rhetorically.

"I'm not sure." Felix replied. "Based on their attitudes, I'd say not a lot, but they're being extraordinarily careful of what they do bring."

"And Ivan and Garet?" Isaac asked.

"Ivan's a mage, and he does whatever he feels like doing, and Garet. . . well, he's Garet." His master answered.

"Well, I'm the one and only originator!" Garet said, strutting out of the house with his pack and his sword. "I mean, no one can beat the Garet." He smiled.

"No one." Isaac laughed, while rolling his eyes.

"Except maybe me." Ivan retorted, appearing from seemingly nowhere. "I mean, one good Spark Plasma would have him extra crispy in a mere seconds."

"I don't think one Spark Plasma would stop me." Garet smirked.

"Believe me Garet, it could very easily. I got nailed by a barrage of it and believe me, it's not fun. It's like your skin had become completely electrified and you couldn't move." Isaac said. "The pain is excruciating."

"Isaac's right, Garet." Felix said. "Spark Plasma is a very dangerous spell and is to be used only with the utmost of caution. It is much like our Mother Gaia attack."

"Or your Eruption, Garet." Dargon pointed out.

"You've made your point, I won't pick a fight with Ivan here." He sighed. The Mars Adept tapped his foot impatiently and awaited the arrival of the girls from inside. His wait was not long. Mia and Sheba soon emerged with their staves and packs, Mia still in her robes and Sheba in a more travel outfit. Jenna was the last to emerge from the house, and she was still wearing her black assassin clothes, but without the mask.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Jenna asked.

"Let us go." Sheba stated. "I do wish so much to see Vale in person."

"As do I." Mia added. Felix laughed.

"Certainly. Onward to home, Knights and Paladins, onward to home!"