Disclaimer: I do NOT own Diablo or any of it's components. If I did I'd be working on some other cool and amazing game. All I own is my own characters and their personalities.

I'm really sorry about the delay. To make up a little I've put in a few more pages as an extra treat (It's almost twice the length it usually is). Although everyone will hate the ending of this chapter, (hehe, especially one of my best friends) but I hope you enjoy the rest of it.

Here you have Act 6 - The training begins

"They're around her somewhere." Cane stretched out just a little bit higher and reached the top shelf. A second later he was covered in scrolls. "Found them."

Amiko laughed and then both Connor and Cane joined in. When they stopped, Cane unfolded one of the scrolls he had picked up on a nearby table.

"This is the old world."

"The old world?"

"Before your ancestor." He pointed out a few places on the map. "Here you see the Monastery. Here's Lut Gholein and over here we have Kurast. Although back then fair Kurast had been almost completely razed. Only the dockside was left." He paused a while, moving his fingers over the map, searching. "Here we have it. Harrogath, our last stronghold in the battle against Baal."

"One of the three Prime Evils?"

"Yes. The last one. Or so they thought back then. Who knew then that there would come another one? Who knew we would have to call for another hero to save us?" He sighed sadly and moved the map to have space on the table for the other map. "This is the map of the new world. It's about ten years old but I think it still serves our purpose well."

Connor smiled. "Ten years? I wouldn't want to go orienteering with that map."

"Orienteering?"

"It's a sport in our world. You run around with a map and compass in the woods, collecting controls. It's quite relaxing."

"Compass?"

Connor sighed loudly. "It's a little device that helps us determine where north and south is. How do you do that without a compass?"

Canes eyes lit up. "We use the stars at night and the sun is also very helpful at days. Certain flowers only grow north of the village and others to the south. And then there are…"

"Okay. I get it."

Cane frowned and turned to the map, silently whispering insults to Connor. Amiko, who stood next to Cane, could hear every word and put one hand over her mouth to hide the laughter coming out. Unfortunately Connor saw this.

"What?"

Amiko hawked and answered calmly. "You asked him to answer and he did answer."

"Yeah, I did. But he didn't have to go trough this whole world's history of ways. He could have said, 'and some other way's'. He didn't have to tell me all of them."

"Excuse me but, I'm still here you know." Cane hadn't even lifted his eyes from the map. "And I do have ears."

This time Amikos attempt to smother her laugh were a complete failure. She laughed and laughed. And for each second Connor's face turned even redder.

"THAT'S ENOUGH! What are you even laughing about! There's nothing to laugh about!"

"Nothing," Amiko answered quickly. "Just something Cane said."

"Let's move on with the map," said Cane in order to break up the forthcoming quarrel. He pointed at some familiar cities. "Here we see the Monastery. It's in the middle of the great city Alidoran now. When the rouges moved back to the Monastery their population grew rapidly, and they had to build settlements all a round the Monastery. Slowly a big city grew out of it and about three hundred years ago the rouges finally had brought up the courage to found new cities and villages. Like ours. It's around here somewhere." He searched the map. "Ah. Here."

"Termandile?"

"Named after the son of the then high priest."

"On the request of the high priest?"

"No! That would seem awfully boastful and besides, he was actually on his deathbed. The first ones that settled here had been rescued form death by the high priest, and they felt they wanted to repay him for his kindness and wisdom. They had been falsely accused for all kinds of things." He smiled. "Anyway. Here's Alidoran and Termandile. Over here we have Lut Gholein. It's a bit larger."

That was of course an understatement. The city had grown at least to four times its size. At least what you could see from comparing the two maps.

"And here we have Kurast, Kurast dockside and Travincal. Well Travincal is the center of Kurast. It's actually not more then a district, but it's more known that any of the other cause there are mostly temples and priest homes there." Again he went searching in the mountains. "Here's Harrogath. It really hasn't changed much. I guess that's just the way the inhabitants want it to be. They don't want to change and no one will force them." He folded up the maps. "That concludes our lesson in the world geography. Now you have to meet up with Antara at his home for battle training. I'll show you were he lives."

"Battle training?" said both Amiko and Connor at the same time.

"Well you need some basics in fighting. Where putting our hopes in you and you will have to fight and even kill."

Amiko felt a little dizzy for a while. "Kill?"

"Come now. We don't have forever. We have to be of in a week. We can only begin your training. We have to continue along the road. But you will need some basics so that you at least can take care of your self when we set of. Let's go."

Amiko and Connor just followed silently.

Amiko looked quietly at the sword that had just been placed in her hands. She grasped the sword-hilt and swung it a few times, with no grace whatsoever. It felt kind of heavy after some time, so she dropped the tip of the sword to the ground and used the sword almost like a walking stick.

"Amiko! Do not use it like that!" Antara looked at her with astrict look in his eyes.

"Sorry. It's heavy."

"It's heavy?"

"Yes."

Antara sighed and Connor smiled.

"Have you ever touched a sword before?"

"No," answered Amiko.

"How 'bout you, Connor? Any experience? At all?"

To answer this Connor swung it a few times, with far more grace then Amiko had just a few minutes ago. Antara nodded approvingly.

"My father made me take lessons in fencing. He said that I would thank him one day. It's almost as he knew what would happen. But I think what he really meant was that the lessons actually taught me several other things. Like patience and balance.

"But somewhere on the road you most have lost that patience," said Antara and gave Connor an ice-cold glance. Connor stared back at him.

"What are you talking about, Antara?" Amiko asked.

"Why don't you ask your friend?" He turned and picked up his own sword.

"Connor?"

"There's nothing to talk about." His eyes were still fixed on Antara and they radiated anger.

"What's the matter with the two of you?"

Antara only grunted as an answer and Connor whispered a low "nothing". They cast occasionally glances at each other, as to determine if the other were to attack.

"You act like two rivaling animals. What happen when I was unconscious?"

Still no answer from either one of them. It was almost as they ignored her.

"Okay, since you seem to know how to handle a sword, why don't why have a duel?"

"Sure, why not."

"Guys. Is that wise?"

"Amiko stay out of this!"

"Out of what?"

"Stand somewhere else. You're in the way."

"I will not move until you tell me…"

"MOVE!" Connor pushed her aside and charged right on Antara, and the fight was on. Connor pressed Antara backwards a few steppes and was then forced backwards himself.

"Stop this!"

Amikos words fell on deaf ears. The fight continued. Connor raised the sword high and slashed it into Antaras left shoulder. Antara cried out in pain and swung his sword low and hit Connor in the right shinbone, making Connor loose his balance and stumble backwards. But he recovered fast and attacked again.

Amiko stood up and plead them to stop. She forced herself to move in between the two.

"Awaken."

"STOP!" Amiko closed her eyes, from which there were now flowing tears. "Please stop. Please."

She waited for one of them to push her aside, but when it didn't happen she opened her eyes. She looked at Antara, who were closest to her. He had stopped in the middle of a step and hanged in the air. His pose was unnatural for a person standing still, mostly because he was eight inches over the ground. Then she turned to Connor just to see him in a similar pose. Then she heard a voice.

"Oh, my."

She turned to see a woman standing a few meters away. The woman looked surprised and at the same time proud.

"Oh, my," she said again and moved closer. "I always knew you'd be strong, but…" She walked past Amiko and studied the two duelists, who looked more like statues in the present condition. "Truly powerful." Then she turned to Amiko again and smiled. "But what else to expect from you? My beautiful daughter. You find your way home at last and look at you."

"Daughter? Is this…? No, it can't be. Mother?"

"Oh, my. I'm sorry. Of course you don't remember me. It's me, your mother. Let me be the first one to congratulate you on your first spell. Although I'm intrigued over how you managed it, with out any magic words or anything. You truly must be the one sent to help us. You must be the one how has been promised."

"Mother?" Amiko looked at the woman one more time until it became dark before her eyes and she collapsed.

"I understand her completely. She hasn't seen me. Ever. I disappeared just after she was born. I was needed here."

Amiko opened her eyes and looked to were the voice was coming from. Some steppes away from her bed stood the woman, who had called herself her mother, and next to her a man.

"But is it really her? I mean, she doesn't seem to have a strong mind. It seems like she collapse all too easy. Can we really put our hopes in that girl?" The man seemed restless.

"Of course we can."

"But…"

"How would you feel if you just had been brought to a new world and then meet your mother, whom you never met before. Give her time."

The woman turned her face toward Amiko and smiled.

"You're awake."

Amiko sat up and looked around. This wasn't the temple, or any other building in the village.

"Where are we?"

"This is where I live. It's a paladin fortress and it's somewhere in the mountains. Where I can not exactly tell you."

"In the mountains? But they're days away from the village. How…?"

"We didn't walk here. We teleported. There's a teleport in the temple in the village."

"Teleport? From the temple?" Amiko felt her head spin.

"I understand that it might be much to take in so fast, but we don't have time. The demon forces are growing rapidly and we need to set our plan in motion."

"Demons? What plan?"

"My dear child. I'm so sorry." The woman who had called herself Amikos mother moved up to the bed and gently put her hands on each side of Amikos face. "My dear, dear child."

Amiko roughly pushed away the woman's hands. "You call yourself my mother. My mother disappeared when I was just born and she is dead to me. You can say whatever you want but you're not my mother."

The woman looked at Amiko. She was hurt by Amikos words, you could tell from the look in her eyes.

"I don't know you. If you really are… No. You're not my mother." Amiko felt like her whole world had been crushed into smithereens. "Why did you leave? Why did you let him die? It's all your fault!"

"Amiko. Please listen. I didn't want to leave you. Why would a mother ever want that? But I was summoned here, because of this new enemy. And I wanted to take you with me, but your father forbid me. He too hated me, because I had to go away."

"Who do you think you're fooling? I'm not a five year old child. Take your lies to someone else."

"Amiko, I'm not lying. I longed for the day you would come here. The day when you would come home."

"This isn't my home. My home is in L.A. With my adoptive father.The only one who ever cared for me, helped me after my real father died."

"Amiko."

"Stop this! I don't hear it! You're not my mother!"

"Amiko, please."

"No! I don't want to hear it. I…"

"Amiko, I'm sorry. But it wasn't my idea. And if I could have chosen, I would have stayed. And I…"

"Please. Stop with the excuses. I don't want to hear them. Just leave me."

"Amiko, I'm sorry."

The man who until now had almost disappeared in the background stepped forward.

"Isola. I think we better go."

" But, I…"

"Just go! I don't want you here."

A tear fell down from Isolas eye and she had obviously been hurt by what Amiko had said. But little did Amiko care and she watched as her mother opened the door and stepped outside and the man after her. She could hear them talking outside.

"Give her some time Isola. You said it yourself."

"I love her. I just wish I'd been there."

Then they walked away and the steps faded out. Now she was all alone. She buried her face in her hands and cried. Somehow there seemed to be lot's of them left.

"She needs more time."

"We don't have that time, Isola."

"But Matala, if she doesn't…"

"Isola, you said yourself that she was strong. She needs to prove that. I don't like it either that we have to rush this but we have to. Time is running out."

Isola looked closely on Matala. She could see that Matala had been telling the truth. She wasn't pleased with rushing things, but time wasn't on their side.

"She has to start her training."

"But how can there be time for her to finish?"

"There isn't. We will have to send someone with her on the journey. She will have to finish her training on the road. But even after anyone of us here in the temple has taught her everything, her training will still be incomplete."

"What do you mean?"

Isola looked confused at Matala.

"She has her ancestor's blood. The blood of a necromancer. No one here posses any skill in that way. It's forbidden. We took a great chance in merging our powers with the druids, but with necromancers… They fight with death and curses."

"I know. But what should we do about that side of her powers?"

"It is true that we can't let her go untrained in any area. The more she has knowledge of, the more powerful she will become."

"But where can we find a necromancer that is not on the enemy side?"

"I don't know Isola. I don't know."

The room was quite and peaceful. The white walls gave an impression of purity and calmness. The room was sparsely furnished. The bed she was laying on, a small table by the side of the table, a somewhat larger opposite the bed and by it a chair.

A window opened up the room and let in light. Amiko could tell that it was somewhere around noon. She wondered how long she had been there. But mostly she wondered what had happened with Connor and Antara. Where they still out there on the training grounds? And why had they turned into... statues?

She heard a soft knock on the door and a few seconds later a small man looked in. His hair was all white and cut just a few inches below the shoulders. The wrinkles on his face told her that he was a man the smiled very often. And she must have been right, because he smiled at her. A warm and gentle smile.

"You must be Amiko, Isolas daughter." He moved into the room.

"No, I'm…"

"Yes, yes. I see it. That same look in the eyes, that voice." He moved closer and studied her very closely. His eyes searching every inch of her face and his hair falling down from his shoulders, onto Amikos face, tickling her.

"Look, I…"

"Oh, pardon me." He backed away a few steppes and bowed. "My name is Gethoc. I was the one who trained your mother and I have been asked to train you."

"Train me? What do you…?"

"She told me what happened. Your mother, that is. Pretty remarkable for such a young girl. And the first spell and no training. Very, very strange." He gazed into nothing for a while. "Well, we don't have time to sit around here. We have to go back to the village. The others are waiting. Where leaving tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? But we weren't suppose to leave until a week. Why…?"

"The demons are gathering. We have to get the villagers to safety within the city walls of Alidoran. It will take as almost a week to get there with all the people, carts and children. No telling what they might come up with. Mischievous little things." He paused and looked straight at her. "Well. Get ready! We have no time to sit around and daydream."

"But you talked about…"

"We'll take your training on the road."

"But… what training? Antara is already teaching me and…"

"Bah! His teachings are clumsy and could use a lot of polishing. He knows the way of a warrior, but not the way of a paladin. You have to be taught spells and elegance." He looks at her once more. "Didn't I tell you to get ready?"

"Well yes, but…"

"Then move it!"

Amiko sat with her face buried in her hands. Her stomach threatened to turn inside out and her head felt like it had been danged against the wall.

"Hey girl, if you're gonna be of any help to us, you at least have to get through the teleport without throwing up."

Amiko looked up at Gethoc and silently cursed him. "You could've at least warned me. It was even worse then the roller coaster."

"Roller coaster?"

"A big thing built out of steel and with wagons that go up and down, designed to make people scream and throw up."

"Why would people use this roller coaster?"

"Because they think its fun."

"People in your world have a strange way of having fun. Now come on, everyone's waiting."

And he was right. Everyone was there. Connor, Antara and his daughter, Cane, Esteria and the rest of the town elders.

"Amiko," Connor let out with a smile on his face. But he seemed stiff and the smile seemed forced.

"You're okay."

She turned to Antara, who had just spoken. He too seemed to be trying to push her away, but at the same time he didn't. "What's happening?"

"When we… woke up and found you gone we got a little worried." Antara looked troubled. "We thought that something had happened. And then…" Antara began.

"… then we heard that your mother just been by and…" Connor continued.

"And now you're here. We need to get moving." Antara turned away and walked out. His daughter ran after him.

In a way Amiko felt like he tried to walk out on her completely. And she hated it. She didn't want him to leave. She turned and looked at Connor. He turned his face away and murmured silently. "I go and help him prepare." And then he walked out to.

"What's happening? Why are you leaving me alone?"

Esteria walked up to Amiko and embraced the younger woman. "Poor child. Don't worry. No one is leaving you."

"But why are they acting so cold? Why won't they talk to me or look at me?"

"They are afraid," said Cain and entered the conversation. "You froze them into statues on the fields. They may have been still but their minds weren't and they remember everything. I can imagine it being awfully frightening not being able to move and all."

"But I…" Amiko felt more tears coming. "When will they stop coming?"

"We know, dear child. You did not mean for it to happen. You did not know. It is not your fault." Esteria stroke her hand gently through Amiko's hair.

"Then why are they blaming me?" Amiko fought an impossible war against the tears.

"They just do not know. But they will."

Gethoc loudly cleared his throat. "I'm sorry interrupt, but he wasn't exactly telling a lie when he said we need to get going. The enemy is advancing fast and if you want the townsfolk to be safe we have to move now."

"I know. But it isn't easy to just leave. This is our home." Esteria wasn't just talking about herself and her son. She was talking for everyone in the village.

"Hopefully most of it will still remain after the coming war," Gethoc said to assure Esteria, but deep down he had a feeling that it wouldn't be like that.

"What are you doing?" Antara stared at Connor.

"Helping out," Connor replied calmly.

"Why?"

"Don't think that I forgive you or anything, but I too would like to be long from her when the enemy comes and it will go faster if we are two."

Antara looked at Connor and sighed. "He sure is stubborn."

The whole village was in chaos until midnight. As soon as the sun rose the next day, the whole village marched out the gates. In the lead was Antara with a group of warriors and after them Esteria, Amiko, Cane and Connor. Then all the villagers. And last a few men watching their backs.

They traveled until nightfall. Then they made camp for the night. Antara was worried, because they hadn't gotten very far and they would have to move faster in order to outrun the enemy. But that was impossible since most of the villagers had to walk. And they couldn't walk at night too; the children would never be able to make that.

In the middle of all his worries he came to think of the incident two days ago. What had really happened? He remembered beginning their training and then… He remembered being stuck for hour, feeling chained. He had wanted to scream but he hadn't been able to. All his muscles had frozen and he wasn't able to move. Amikos face flashed by in his mind. Who, and what, was she? Why had she..?

His thoughts was distracted when one of the rear-guards walked up to him.

"Antara. I think we have a small problem."

"How small?"

"Well, actually it's kind of a big problem."

Antara began to get angry. "Then speak up!"

"We have a large group of demons on our tail."

"How large?"

"I think it's about one hundred."

"How far?"

"I would say two, three hours. Four at most."

Antara cursed.

"If I didn't know better I would say that it's hellspawn's."

"But they live in the mountains. Not down here."

"I know, but they act like them and look like them."

"Did you see any overseers?"

The man hesitated. "Four."

Antara cursed again. "We have to pack up and start moving. It can't be helped." He rose to his feats and issued the order to wake up everyone and get ready. Also anything that could be left behind should be so. The cart's where emptied of unnecessary things and instead people were sitting in them. Children first, then the old, and if there was any space left, anyone who could fit.

In the middle of the chaos, Amiko came up to Antara and asked what was going on.

"We have some demons on our tail. We have to keep moving until we reach Alidoran. We can stop anywhere. Not even to rest." He cursed.

"But they won't be able to do that. They need to rest."

"I know, but we have no choice. Or maybe you want to stay here and let them kill you?"

"I'm not saying that, but are we just going to run?"

At this Antara snapped. "Of course! What? Did you expect me to hold back the enemy with the few men I got? Or maybe you thought that we would actually win?" He stared at her, but avoided her eyes.

"But will it matter?"

"What do you mean?"

"Will our escape matter? Will we get away, or…?" She tried to look him in the eyes, but he turned away. "Will it work?"

"No."

Amiko stared into his back. She just couldn't believe what he just had said. "Then why are we…? Why…?" She couldn't even finish the sentence. She turned and walked away.

When Antara no longer could hear her footsteps, he broke down.

"Consider it your first training."

Amiko pulled the reins in order to make the horse stop. "Are you serious? Am I to go up against an army of demons on my own?" Amiko looked at Gethoc in shock.

"Of course not. That would be stupid." Gethoc smiled. "I'll fight by your side, as will Cane. Luckily he has a little more training in his skills, than you have in yours."

"Three against an army? I don't think that's enough. It's something Connor would come up with."

"Actually it was he who suggested that we would try to hold the enemy back."

"I should have known. But three against…"

"Connor will stay to. But we only have to hold them back until the villagers reach the city. Then they will tell the high priestess about our situation and they will send out there troops."

Amiko looked ahead at the moving group of people. "It probably is our last chance."

"Of course Antara and all his men will stay and fight to," said Gethoc and as he said, Antara and his men stopped after he finished talking to his mother. Than he told everyone to sit of and go over their equipment. A few steppes away from them stood Connor and Cane, deeply engaged in a conversation.

Beside her Gethoc cleared his throat. "Let sit of." He got of the horse and let it run of a little bit. Amiko did the same. When she had done that he handed her three small stones with some carvings in it. "Here."

"What are these?"

"They are called runes. Just these ones are called Ort, Thul and Dol. They will change the way your weapon acts. The Ort rune will send out small shocks into the enemy, sometimes causing their heart to stop. The Thul rune will send out a freezing attack. So even if you just get in a flesh wound, the cold might spread and slowly freeze their blood and slowly kill them. The Dol rune will send in a wave of fear, often to the extent that they will flee. Usually the effect wears of in a few minutes, but sometimes it lasts longer than that."

"How do they work?"

"First I will need to teach you to create heat. It's quite simple. Give me your hand."

Amiko reached out her right hand and Gethoc gently place his hands around it. After only a few seconds Amiko could feel that his hands was getting warmer, and eventually she had to pull her hand back, since the heat got so intense.

"Simple imagine the heat and lead it to your hands. But watch carefully so that you don't set yourself on fire. We will work on fire later." He reached out his hand and Amiko took it between her own to hands. "Now think of the heat. Lead it to your hands."

Strangely one of her childhood memories came up in here mind. She was seven years old and it was winter. She and her father had been visiting her grandmother up in Canada. She had been outside the day before. She had been playing in the snow, along the river and without noticing she had ventured out on the ice. Her father had looked through the window just in time to see her break trough the ice. He had run out and dragged her out of the water. But the next day she had an extremely high fever. Amiko could faintly remember the fever. How she had felt like she was burning.

Amiko was drawn back to the present by Gethocs voice. "Good. Now try to increase the heat."

"How?" Amiko felt her memory slip away and with it the heat that had spread over her body. "How?"

"Hmm. Okay, whatever you thought about first, think of it again."

Amiko once again recalled her memory.

"Good. Now guide all the heat to your hands."

"How?"

"Just let it flow through your blood, but don't release it once you have it your hands."

Amiko closed her eyes and turned inwards again, and felt the blood flow through her. Her heart beat faster. She opened her eyes slowly, still feeling her blood flow.

Gethoc pulled back his hand and let out a small cry of pain. "Good. We'll work on polishing later." Then he pulled out his own sword and handed it, with the hilt first, to Amiko. "Look here." He pointed at the runes on his own sword. "Here you see two Tal runes. They make my blade poisonous. If they don't die by the sword they die from the poison in a few seconds. The one in the middle is an Eth rune. It magically makes my sword even sharper, making it possible for me to hack through my enemy's armor."

Amiko studied the runes closer, tried to memorize them. Then she looked at the ones he had given her just a few moments ago. Memorized them.

"Now, place your runes on your sword hilt and hold them in place with your hands. Then heat up and merge them into the sword."

Amiko did as she was told. She placed the runes, and brought forward the memory of her fever once more. Her heart beat increased and she felt her blood flow trough her body. It was almost as if she could feel every part of her body and it made her feel like she really was in control. She guided the heat to her hands. As the heat increased she could feel the runes merging in to the hilt. She let go of the heat and opened her eyes.

"Great."

Amiko smiled, and then she felt like she was about to faint. For a few second it went black before her eyes and she stumbled. When she finally could see again, she was sitting in the grass.

"Tired?"

"No. It's just… It feels like…"

"Like you carried something heavy? Like you're kind of exhausted?"

"Yeah."

"Don't worry. It has to do with your mana."

"Mana?"

"Well that's what we call our 'magical power'. You can only use spells if you got mana. Some people have it, others don't. Some have more than others."

"How do you measure it?"

"There isn't anyway to measure it, other than in how long you can use your spells and how many spells you can do. When you used almost all of your mana, you will feel tired. If you use up all, you will faint. Along with your training, your mana will increase. Right know, when you're untrained, it's not that high. Another thing you need to know, though I think you might have guessed it, is that spells take different amount of mana. Stronger spells take more and weaker less. Some spells, like auras, takes a larger amount of mana over a long time."

Amiko listened and tried to remember everything.

"Now we can start on some simple spells. I think we will start with some auras. They always come in handy." Gethoc started picking up several items from one of his bags.

In the meantime Amiko looked at her sword. It didn't seem different in any way; accept for the runes, now heavily imbedded in the hilt.

"Get over here," called Gethoc and waved with his hand.

Amiko came closer and looked at the items that he had pulled out of his bags. There were some books, a small shield, rings and an amulet. And something that looked like an amulet, but without the chain.

"Here we have books with all the basic spells. This is what I will teach you." He handed her the books. "You'll take care of them from now, until you're finished with your training. Read them whenever you have time." He picked up one of the rings and held it in front of Amiko's face. "In the beginning you will have to wear some of these rings and amulets." He gave her the rings and the amulet. "You'd better put them on right away. They will control your power, so that you won't let out to much and create chaos. There are rings that will increase your power and give you other special abilities, but in the beginning you will have to wear these so that you won't hurt anyone of your friends."

Amiko put the rings on. Two on her left hand and three on her right. Then she put on the amulet. But as soon as they were on, she could feel as if someone had put chains around her, captured her. They were heavier then she had first thought.

"Seem heavy?"

Amiko nodded.

"Don't worry. Once you learn to control your powers we will remove them, one at a time. Hopefully we will have enough time to train so that we can remove one before the demons catch up with us. Let's start."

"More of these wretched demons," she thought and hid behind a bush. "What are they doing here? They were even worse than the humans who had passed a few hours ago. Didn't they know this was my place. MY PLACE!" She ran quietly to the temple ruin. There she pick up a knife and headed back out again. She staked out the demon army and as soon as one got to far from the group, she attacked swiftly and then she returned into the shadow. "I'll kill them all. All of them. I don't care if it will take weeks."

The wait was almost unbearable. Knowing they were coming. Connor was on the verge of going insane. It seemed like there was nothing to do but wait. Amiko was training and so was Cane. And Antara was discussing some tactics with his men. Not that he would like to talk to him anyway. But it was getting rater boring being all alone.

Once again he picked up his sword and swung it around a few times, then put it back in its sheath. He sat down. "At least it's a beautiful day," he said to himself, and allowed himself to look around. It was warm, since the sun was up, and there were hardly any clouds. "I wonder what kind of weather they have in L.A.?"

They had made camp just on the outskirts of a forest. Connor looked into the forest. The trees grew sparsely and you could look deep in to it. Connor looked another way, since the forest wasn't all that interesting. But as he turned he realized that none of the landscaping was. He let out a long sigh. "If something doesn't happen soon, I'll die of boredom."

Once again he glanced swiftly at the forest, but something was different. He couldn't tell what, but it seemed changed. Then suddenly he saw movement inside of the forest. A single creature moving discretely. He got up quickly and walked calmly toward Antara. As he walked he tried not to look too often toward the forest. The creature had stopped, spying on the camp. Connor tried to increase his speed without attracting too much attention. It felt like an eternity before he got to the group of people.

"Antara, we are being watched," he said calmly and quietly. "There's something in the woods and I don't think it's a friend dropping in for coffee."

Antara fought the temptation to look over to the woods. Then he looked calmly at Connor. "How many did you see?"

"Just one, but there might be more."

"Spies?" one of the men asked. It was the same one that had brought the bad news of the army in the first place. "But the demons never send out spies."

"I know, Nevtan. They have indeed grown smarter." Antara cursed and thought about their situation. "If he gets back to the army, they will attack in minutes. We have to kill it. But if we fail, it will run and alarm the army. We really only have one chance. Nevtan, you're the master shoot here. You think you could hit him with one of you arrows."

"If I know where he is and if he's not to far away. But he might be alarmed the moment I picked up the bow. And if there are others…"

"Yes you're right. I guess we just have to watch our 'watcher'. I want you to be ready, Nevtan. If he makes one suspicious movement, shoot."

"Yes, Antara."

"And everyone else watch Nevtan. When the shoot goes of, be ready for an attack."

"Yes."

Antara turned his attention to Connor again. "Thanks."

"Hey, no problem. My life depends on you, as much as your's depend on me."

"Guess you're right." He put his hand over his eyes and sighed.Then he removed the hand and looked intensivly at Connor. "By the way, what's coffee?"

"Concentrate!"

Amiko felt the sweat run down her back.

"Don't let your thoughts wander of."

Amiko turned inwards and suddenly she could only hear Gethoc's voice like a small whisper. Instead she heard another voice.

"…the warm feeling…your love…friendship…embrace the love…share it…"

"Concentrate! Let it flow through your entire body. Look for the scars, heal them."

"…don't be afraid…"

"Your doing fine. Now come back."

"…I love you…daughter…I'm so sorry…"

The voice disappeared and Amiko returned to Gethoc.

"You seemed far away."

"I think I heard my mother."

"Typical Isola. But the fact that you could hear here means that you have forgiven her."

"No, I haven't… I… I only heard some parts."

"Well, maybe you haven't completely forgiven her, but you're well on your way. Anyway, you were doing fine, but for now you will have to stand still to be able to use prayer. As your training progress you will be able to move with auras still active. Now, let's meditate and regain our strength."

They sat down and Amiko shook of all thoughts. Her breathing slowed down. But she had only just begun, when she heard a voice: "Amiko. Gethoc." She opened her eyes and saw Connor standing a few meters away.

"Yes?"

"We got some trouble."

Gethoc got up. "If you haven't noticed that until now, boy, you surely are blind."

"No, what I mean is… what I came here to say was that we are being watched. The enemy has sent out spies. At least one."

"Well what's so dangerous about that?"

"We don't know if there are more, so we can't shoot it. But if it get's away it will alarm the enemy and we will be crushed. Antara put one of the men on watching the spy, and when he fires his first arrow everyone have to get ready for a fight."

"Lovely. Well I guess we will have to start with some offensive spells then, Amiko. I think a firestorm can be useful."

Nevtan slowly moved toward the forest, overlooking the landscape as if he wasn't aware of the enemy. But in the corner of his eyes he could see the demon and it was looking at him. It seemed to determine whether Nevtan knew of its presence or not. Nevtan stopped, stretched and yawned loudly. Then he turned his back to the wood. After a few seconds he turned halfway, spotted the demon and looked away. He sat down and placed his bow in front of him. When he did so, the demon slowly began to move backwards, returning to its own camp. Nevtan quickly picked up his bow and shoot. The arrow made a sharp whistle as it flew through the air. It found its target and went straight trough the demons neck. The only sound that was heard after that was the small thump when the demon hit the ground.

A sigh of relief escaped Nevtan's mouth. But the feeling of relief suddenly past, as he heard another whistle and the next moment he was lying down and the pain made him pass out.

End of Act 6

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