"No one ever comes through Mogall anymore. People know better." The voice shot out again, seeming to come from every tree in the forest.

"Show yourself!" Dargon shouted, not making a move.

"So, the Lord Dargon speaks. I suppose the leader of the Knights of Luna deserves some respect." The voice echoed. "Not to mention the leader of the Paladins. Or his squire, Isaac. . . or the Knight Garet, the assassin Darkfire, or the mage Ivan. . . or the two Imilians, Sheba and Mia."

"So you know who we are. How about showing yourself to us?!"

"In due time." The voice replied. "First, you answer me why you trek through MY forest."

"We are on our way back to Vale to get our new orders from King Picard himself. If you have a problem with that, you may take it up with us and our entire army." Dargon replied.

"A bit of a temper we have, huh, Dargon?" The voice jeered. "Perhaps I should talk to Felix. He has always been more. . . reasonable than you. Although I must admit. . . I expected you to be more. . . laid back than this."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Dargon shouted into the trees.

"Dargon, relax, please." Felix motioned. "Now's not the time to lose your temper."

"I don't see where he's out of line." Garet shrugged.

"I doubt it's wise in our situation to start a fight with a shadow when we're surrounded by a pack of wolves, Garet." Sheba told him. "Excuse me," She said, looking up to the trees. "But, is there anything else you'd like to ask us?" A chuckle resounded from the trees around them.

"Ah, Sheba of Imil. Always trying to be the objective one. It suits you, young one. Yes, there is more I'd like to ask you, but. . . considering Lord Dargon is nearly foaming at the mouth to see what I look like. . ." The voice trailed off. "You will follow my wolves. They will show you the way; and put your weapons away. You will not need them." There was an eerie silence for a moment before the crew murmured in acknowledgement and did as told. The wolves stopped growling and glared once more at the intruders, and they each strode off to the group's left. They followed, keeping some distance behind the wolves, but not so much that they would lose them in the brush. The path was rugged enough to warrant watching one's step, but it had been beaten by the path of animals for quite awhile. It took quite some time of wandering through the twisted roots of the ancient trees to their destination, but when they reached it, it was remarkably obvious. In a small clearing, stood a massive redwood tree, big as imagination could allow. It teemed with the life of the forest around it and seemed to be the center of it all. The wolves that had led them there all walked over to the roots of the massive tree and laid between them.

"Now what?" Garet asked in a hushed voice, directing his question to Ivan.

"I introduce myself." The voice boomed once more. It seemed to come from the gigantic tree in front of them.

"What the?" Garet stammered. The others were stricken to silence at the sight. The redwood tree in front of them actually opened a set of eyes and revealed a gigantic mouth to them. A whole face seemed to form into the trunk of the tree in mere seconds.

"My name," the tree said, "is Tret. I am the guardian of this forest and the lands around it."

"I've heard of things like this." Ivan said. "When we were in Kolima I heard rumors of a tree named Laurel in the Kolima Forest that was supposed to be just like this."

"It is no rumor." The tree stated. "Laurel is the guardian of the Kolima Forest. Now, although I have all the time in the world, I am aware you are in a bit of a rush. Tell me then, what do you know of the Elemental Stars, Felix and Dargon?"

"We know nothing you don't know we know, I'm sure." Felix said. "We are searching the whereabouts of the only remaining Star."

The wind that rustled through Tret's leaves much resembled a sigh. "The Mercury Star, no less. The other three lie in the hands of the powerful and dangerous Saturos. One of them is thanks to miss Darkfire there."

"Yeah, well. . ." Jenna muttered, not wanting to remember doing Saturos's dirty work.

"It is of no matter, Darkfire." Tret replied. "Or perhaps you should prefer the name you were born with, Jenna."

"Tret, if you'll forgive me for interjecting, I'd like to ask a question." Isaac said.

"The answer to your question is yes. Saturos could very well cause the destruction of Angara if he gets the last Star. You see. . . with that last Elemental Star, he will be able to control all four elements, and even the stars in the sky will not be beyond his evil reach. Naturally, it is imperative that this does not happen." Isaac's face paled. . . the tree had read his mind. "And yes, Ivan. I do know where the last Star is." Ivan nodded, not surprised that he didn't have to say anything.

"Well, where IS it?" Garet asked, genuinely curious. Tret's expression shifted some, appearing slightly amused at the Mars Adept's inquisitive nature.

"You know what to do." Tret's voice rang out.

"Of course." Another voice sounded, from the highest branches of Tret himself. The party below looked at each other in confusion and each shrugged almost at the same time. When they turned back to face the tree, a man about Felix's height was standing between two of the resting wolves. The man wore robes of earth tones that concealed most of his body, but there were only three things about the man that really made him unusual. The sword at his side was a large curved scimitar; totally a different design than the straight edge swords seen in common use around Angara. The next was the staff he held in one of his hands. The staff was the height of a man and was made of a shiny silver and was carved with designs of nature. At the staff's head, it split off into four prongs which centered around a single blue orb. The final thing that set this man apart from normal was his flowing blue hair and ice blue eyes.

"This is Alex." Tret announced. "He has kept watch over all of you for quite some time now."

"What?! He's been following us?! Why didn't I catch any sort of sight of him?" Garet asked, surprised that anything could've tracked them without his knowledge. Alex waved his finger curtly before he replied.

"There is more than one way to be observed, sir Garet." Alex stated. "It is not always done by vision." The Mercury Adept waved a finger.

"Tret?" Felix asked.

"Alex is in possession of the final Star; it sits in the head of the staff he carries." Tret's voice said. "It has remained here under my protection for many ages now. However, I fear that in this dangerous time, not even my power would be able to stand up to Saturos and his legions of undead."

"Undead legions?" Felix questioned. "Does that mean he's responsible for the attacks on Vault and others places?"

"Yes." Alex said, leaning against Tret's trunk. "However, he is not your typical mad villain my dear Paladin." The druid waved his finger again. "No. He is remarkably different. While it is unclear what his motives are for the Stars, it is obvious he intends to use them for foul means. What sets him apart from others is that he is an absolutely cunning and intelligent foe and he rarely makes mistakes. Darkfire there being alive is one of those rarities."

"It's Jenna!" She exclaimed. "I'm Jenna! Not Darkfire!" Garet raised an eyebrow. This was not unlike the Jenna he once knew. . . highly outspoken and stubborn. . . she was beginning to return to her old self slowly, but it would still be a long transition. This was a big step, however.

"I meant no offense, lady Jenna." Alex stated. "Accept my apologies. As well, Saturos is responsible. . ." He paused. A voice rang out in his head. . .

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

"Alex! Do not bring that fact up." Tret's voice boomed silently in Alex's mind.

"What? Why? Don't you think the two Imilians deserve to know what Saturos has done to them?" His thoughts shot back.

"They deserve to know, but not now." Tret replied.

"Why not?"

"Because. . . think about it, Alex. Those two girls have lived a nightmare for most of their lives because of Saturos. The fight ahead of them is very dangerous even with a clear mind. If their minds were clouded with rage, they will have no chance of survival. Alex, would you not want to seek revenge on the ones who killed your family if put in their place? This is why they cannot know yet."

"I sense there's another reason you're not telling me, Tret. . ."

"You already know the other. I'm concerned about Felix's young squire. He does not yet know of his relationship with the healer. If Isaac was to learn the fact of Saturos being responsible for the deeds against Sheba and Mia, it jeopardizes everything. Isaac would then be driven to recklessness, Felix would likely discover him, and that would cause a huge division in the group. With this division, their power will be divided as well and they will never be able to stop Saturos."

"The squire is treading in dangerous waters by falling in love with that girl."

"He is aware of it." Tret replied. "He intends to withdraw from the Paladin Corps once they return to Vale."

"You can't be serious." Alex's mind replied. "The kid is willing to throw everything he's worked hard on for that woman?"

"I guess you don't understand love then, Alex."

"I guess I don't." Alex grunted. "And I'm GLAD I don't." Alex heard Tret give a chuckle in his head. "What?"

"Nothing. However, there is the matter of Isaac withdrawing from the Corps. If he does that, he creates the same division just as though Felix found out himself. This cannot be allowed yet. Alex. . . you are going with them on their journey and you will see to it that Felix does not find out and you will see to it that Isaac does not resign yet."

"So you're making me the middle man. Do you know how dangerous this is, Tret?!"

"Not so much dangerous as it will be difficult." Tret replied. "I fear Felix may already suspect something, but I cannot be sure."

"Even you can't be sure?!" Alex asked in disbelief. "If you can't figure out, how can I?!"

"Use everything you've learned while you've stayed in this forest with me. Your intuition can serve you well, Alex. Trust it." Alex sighed. "Do you understand clearly?"

"Crystal." Alex replied.

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

". . .for the deaths of several people in caravans running treasures from one place to another." Alex finished after having his split-second conversation with Tret within the depths of his mind.

"Not surprising." Ivan said. "I figured he was behind those lootings as soon as we heard he was behind the plot for the Elemental Stars."

"Your intuition serves you well, young mage." Tret said. "I suppose your deductive nature also comes from being a Jupiter Adept."

"And he was likely looting the caravans in hopes of nabbing the Mercury Star. But wait. . . aren't some metals or jewels used to create undead warriors?" Sheba asked. "I once remember reading something somewhere about a man who used gems to summon undead mages."

"Ah, another smart one." Tret said. "Yes, some gems are used in older summoning spells, but I cannot know for sure if Saturos uses the spoils he takes for that purpose or not." "Sheba, where exactly did you read that?" Mia asked. "I never had any books like that."

"You didn't, but the widow five houses away did. I read it while I was looking after her after she fell and sprained her ankle."

"Widow Lenth was always an odd one." Mia sighed.

"Nonetheless. . ." Alex cut in. "It is crucial that we find a safe place to keep this last Star."

"We shall take it to Vale. There's no better place to keep it." Dargon stated. "We have two entire armies stationed there to defend it, one of Knights, and one of Paladins."

"I'd agree with you, Dargon. . . but of Saturos found out the Star was in Vale, he'd stop at nothing to get it. He'd try to destroy our capital. And it would probably put Picard in unnecessary danger." Felix cautioned.

"Where else could we hide it? He'd find it eventually no matter where we put it." Dargon shrugged.

"I suppose you are right, my friend." Felix sighed. "Picard did send us to find and retrieve it if possible."

"Excellent." Tret said. "You will set off to Vale tomorrow. There is much more I wish to discuss with you."

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

Karst looked into her own visage, complete with the crown she had stolen during the raid on the caravan. She scoffed at it. What on earth was she thinking when she picked it up? It was tacky to begin with, and all it did was ruin her looks. She immediately removed the offending helm from her head and tossed it onto a nearby chair. Perhaps she could sell it for something a little more fitting. The scepter, though. . . now that was a nice item. She decided to hold on to it and perhaps mount it over her bed as a trophy of her success. It would be a nice addition to her room; which was pretty desolate of anything that looked valuable in any sort of way. Menardi had always found a way to snag whatever nice looking valuables Karst recovered before she could claim them. Karst scoffed in resentment. It's not that she wanted everything for herself, but she wanted something now and then. Odds were, she was going to have to hide the scepter so she could mount it later. Once it was mounted, if Menardi did decide to pilfer it, she'd have a better chance of recovering it. She grumbled to herself. Menardi always got away with things; whether it was when they were kids or even now. All because she was favored by Saturos; and what he said, went. That's what happened when one was so much more powerful than the rest. Karst found it oddly comforting that Agatio was in the same boat as she was when it came to matters like this. That aside, she tucked the scepter under the pillow of her bed, figuring it'd be safe there. She quickly exited her room and began wandering the halls of Saturos' dark and dank castle. The castle had hardly any decoration, usually the only thing adoring walls were torch rings that were more often than not empty. She paused as she nearly ran into another figure as she rounded a corner.

"Karst! Watch where you're going!" Menardi exclaimed at her.

"You turned the corner after I did! Don't try to push the blame on me." She retorted.

"You? Arguing with me? I'm surprised you have the spine." Menardi taunted. "Because if I wanted to, I could have you killed at any time, dear sister." Some seriously sinister sarcasm found its way into Menardi's voice; however, it didn't daunt her younger sister.

"Please, Menardi." Karst scoffed. "As much leverage as you think you have around here, not even you could get Saturos to do that. And who's going to get their hands dirty? You? Bah. You couldn't kill me if I had both hands cut off at the elbow."

"That too can be arranged."

"I'm sure." Karst returned, more sarcasm in her voice than was really needed.

"Saturos wasn't happy to hear how you didn't find the Star in the caravan. At this point, he probably would cut your arms off." Karst laughed heartily at her sister's arrogance.

"Menardi, you are such a fool. Even Saturos knew that the Star probably wasn't on that caravan but he sent us anyway just for the off chance it would be. He told me himself." Karst was actually winning the argument; something she commonly did whenever the two fought; which as of late was becoming steadily more frequent.

"Your inefficiency is starting to perturb him as well."

"Oh, well. . . if you're so much more efficient, why don't you use your powers and mystically conjure up the Mercury Star? You certainly waste enough time with those summoning spells of yours." The younger retorted. "Last time I checked, the last great summon you came up with was. . . nothing!" She laughed bitterly. Menardi wasn't great at all when it came to creating new types of summons, but once she learned how to summon a creature, she was the one who could create them with the greatest of ease; then again, why bring a point up that would only hurt you in the end?

"And I suppose you're that much better, my dear sister?" Menardi asked. "You couldn't throw a fire Psynergy spell to save your life."

"Want to test that theory out?" Karst asked, hands pulsing with a fiery glow. "I promise I won't disappoint!"

"Hold it!" Another voice rang out. A massive figure emerged from the shadows nearby and stepped between Karst and Menardi. "I don't think Saturos would appreciate any bloodstains in his abode; none of either of yours, anyway." Agatio stated.

"Oh, come to the rescue whenever my little sister gets in over her head, as usual. You're as weak as she as, Agatio." Menardi sneered, walking away. Agatio glared at her departure.

"You didn't counter?" Karst questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Unlike you."

"There's not a point to wasting my time on her." Agatio said. "I may not be the smartest of all of us, but I know when there's no point to something. Besides. . . she wouldn't be an entertaining fight." Karst made no reply. "So much for you two getting along, huh? How long has this been going on, Karst?"

"Long enough."

"Quite." Agatio responded. He knew then; the two sisters had never really gotten along, but they chose not to broadcast it to the world. A wise move, lest someone try to wrest any power from them. "I just got word from Saturos; we're going to be raiding another caravan tonight. And he wants you to make more of those skeletons."

"He found out about them?! You didn't tell him, did you?!"

"No. Apparently he knew from the beginning. He was pleased to hear of their effectiveness. He's given an order for a couple hundred of them right away; he wants you to start summoning first thing in the morning." He answered.

"Apparently he has an auxiliary plan. And just as likely is that he plans to execute it soon. Very well. I'll get prepared and get our raiding party back together. We leave in an hour."