Okay... next chapter. Oh, and if you haven't guessed from the flashbacks from previous chapters, I've expanded Wazn's palace (The name of which I couldn't spell on my own to save my life.) Simple 'cuz if it were a real place it would be bigger. And yes, I cheat here too. So, now that I've got that down...

Disclaimer: Have I ever owned Baten Kaitos or it's characters or locations? No. Do I currently own it? No. Will I ever own it? Probably not.

Chapter XVI: Blizzard Winds

As Allyr began to slowly fade back into consciousness, she became aware that she felt very cold, but she could not figure out why.

"Allyr,"

Allyr stirred slightly, trying to recognize the voice that was calling out to her.

"Allyr, wake up."

She opened her eyes. "Kalas?" she said, sitting up, "Where are you?"

"Right here," he said simply, "Are you okay?"

"…Yeah," said Allyr. Falling unconscious is getting really, really old, she thought somewhat bitterly. She felt like she had hit her head on something hard, with a slight throbbing pain on the back of her skull, but at least she was alive. And no one was trying to kill her. That was good. She started to look around, and with a jolt, realized where she and Kalas now were.

Allyr had been lying in a small alley between two buildings. Both the buildings, and the ground on which Allyr had been lying on were made of a bright blue ice. It was snowing a little, and the snowflakes fell down to earth lazily, as if they had all the time in the world, which, as snowflakes generally do not have to worry about rush hour and tight schedules, is probably true. Kalas and Allyr were in Cursa, the capital of Wazn.

Allyr stood up somewhat shakily. "Looks like The Six did something helpful," she commented to no one in particular, "We're right where we're supposed to be."

"But we don't know how much time has elapsed since the airship crashed," pointed out Kalas, whom Allyr noted no longer had any visible shape as he had back in the nexus, spectral or otherwise, "We could have been gone for days or weeks."

Allyr sighed, her breath forming a faint white mist as it left her mouth, "You got a point," she admitted, "Let's just check around, and hope no one decided to look too close and figure out that I'm not from around here."

Allyr quickly searched her pockets, and with a sigh of relief, pulled out a deck of Magnus. Melodia had given it to her when she had left Mira. Allyr was immensely grateful that it had not been lost when the Noon Star crashed. She quickly rifled through it, until she found a particular Magnus. Melodia had given Allyr a quick lesson on invoking Magnus before she had left, and she prayed silently that she remembered it. With a flash of light the Magnus was invoked. Allyr grinned, pleased with herself. "So you've figured it out," said Kalas, his voice suggesting a grin.

The Magnus had been containing a dark red cloak, which now Allyr threw around her shoulders to keep her warm, and to hide her modern clothing, which she still wore. "Yeah, I got it down," said Allyr, momentarily struggling with the little brass clip at her neck, "So, let's get going."

She walked out of the alley at a brisk pace silently praying that no one would notice her. She had her hood up to conceal her face, which she also hoped would make her less noticeable, rather than more suspicious. As soon as she stepped out from between the buildings, she noticed that there were fewer people out on the street than there had been when she had last been to Cursa. Not only that, but they seemed anxious, and judging from the looks on their faces as they passed, they wanted to get off of the streets as fast as possible. They were probably acting this because Morjidza now had control of the island, and was probably not as kind to the people as Xelha had been.

Allyr walked through the city in the direction of the palace, which loomed over the city like a giant monolith of ice. Somewhere Allyr had to find a window she could climb into. She knew that if she ran right in through the front door she would be caught easily and quickly. She had to sneak in. She walked around the perimeter of the palace desperately searching for a window she could climb into.

Eventually, she found a second-story window that looked promising. It was in the back of the palace, where few people were. Allyr saw no one in the window, or heard any voices, which was a good sign. Admittedly, actually climbing the slippery, icy, vertical wall to the window was going to be a problem.

"I'll catch you if you fall," said Kalas as Allyr looked up at the distant window.

"Shut up," she said shortly, rifling through her Magnus deck. Taking out a pair of daggers, Allyr took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Then she trust one knife into the icy wall. She took the other and thrust it right above the first. Eventually, she began to make her way up, by periodically thrusting another knife into the ice, and using the old ones, which she left thrust into the wall, as footholds. After a long, unsteady journey, she got close enough to the window to touch the edge. She quickly scrabbled over the edge before her makeshift hand and footholds gave way. Admittedly, two lines of knives sticking out of the wall of the palace would be a bit of a giveaway, but she hoped no one would find them soon. As Allyr fell gratefully into the room, she started to relax. At least one part of her plan had not blow up in her face.

"Hey, who are you? What are you doing here?"

Or maybe it had.

Allyr looked up at a man who had apparently been sleeping in one corner of the room until Allyr had literally dropped in. He was wearing what looked like a uniform of some sort: A black tunic over a white long sleeved shirt and black trousers. He was holding a crossbow, a loaded crossbow.

The world seemed to completely freeze for a second, as Allyr stared up at the deadly bolt stilling in the crossbow, ready to be fired at any minute. Then the world seemed to explode in a rush of movement. The man fired the crossbow, just as Allyr rolled to one side. The black bolt whistled above Allyr and embedded itself into the ice of the far wall. As Allyr stood up she grabbed the first Magnus she could grab, and simultaneously invoking it, and throwing it at her attacker. The bottle of rice wine materialized partway through the air, and collided solidly with the man's face, shattering at it did so, spraying clear, alcoholic liquid everywhere.

The man yelped and dropped the crossbow, and began to claw at his face, trying to get the wine and glass out of his eyes. The next card Allyr grabbed materialized into a long sword. With a quick thrust it was all over. The man's body slumped to the ground, and Allyr stood panting, realizing that from now on she had to be on her guard, and stay on her guard.

"That was too close…" said Kalas, looking down at the dead body.

"Tell me about it," said Allyr, kneeling down by the body, realizing that now she was in a kill or be killed situation. She was not bothered by death, she had seen plenty of it in her years as Kalas's Guardian, and she was willing to do anything to save her friends.

Provided they were still alive.

"Right," said Allyr to herself as she began to unbutton the man's tunic, "Just keep it up, and we'll all get out of this alive and in one piece…"

Xelha did not know for how long she sat in the cell since Morjidza had captured her. It had felt like a thousand years, at any rate. She sat in her cell, gagged, and her feet and hands tied up. She could see Corellia sitting in the cell opposite hers, but the queen of Anuenue was also bound and gagged, making communication impossible.

It had felt like years to Xelha, sitting in that icy, cold cell. She was scared, more than she wanted to admit to herself. She did not know if her friends and husband were okay, or even alive. She did not know what had become of her homeland or her people. The only time she saw anyone else, other than the silent Corellia was the occasional guard, clearly one of Morjidza's followers, come by to feed the prisoners. It had been bleak to say the least.

So Xelha was surprised when two men, once more wearing the black uniforms marking them as Morjidza's followers, came to her cell, unlocked the door and walked in.

The first of the two said to the other, "Yep, she's the one."

The second man grinned at Xelha, taking out a knife, "You're a very special little girl, you know that?" he said tauntingly as he cut the ropes at her feet and helped her stand up. Corellia watched all of this in anxious silence.

"Morjidza wants to see you," said the first man, as the second led Xelha out of her cell, "Ain't that special?" continued the first, clearly enjoying himself, "I'm sure the pair of you are going to have a nice little chat in a minute."

Xelha was not sure if she would have preferred to have just stayed in her cell.

Approximately five minutes later, Allyr was walking down the halls of the palace in the uniform the man she had killed had worn. She was hoping that, as long as she had it on, no one would look twice and notice the hole in the tunic where Allyr's sword had torn it. In fact, her safety now rested on the inattention of others. Now she was beginning to think that maybe delaying this whole thing for a day might have been the better idea, rather than to hit the ground running.

"Don't worry," said Kalas reassuringly to Allyr as he sensed her anxiety and discomfort, "You look fine. A bit stressed, and kind of pale… but fine! And you want to turn right here." He added quickly.

Allyr stopped and asked simply, "Why?"

If Kalas could smile, he would have. "Because that's where the dungeons are."

Allyr blinked. "This place has dungeons?"

"Sure," said Kalas, "Just because you didn't see them the other times you were here doesn't mean they don't exist. Xelha gave me a grand tour after we married, just so I didn't get lost. And besides, that's where we'll find the others…" He trailed off, not wanting to add 'if they're alive' at the end of his sentence.

Without another word, Allyr began to walk quickly (She walked, because running would have attracted the attention of those she passed.) down the halls, directed by Kalas. After what felt like years, she reached a pair of heavy double doors, made of the blue ice of which the whole building had been constructed. The heavy doors opened surprisingly easy, the hinges moving easily and quietly as if they had just recently been oiled. Allyr walked in to what she always pictured a dungeon to look like, if it were made entirely of ice.

It was a single long hallway, with rows of cells on either side of the hallway. The bars were all made of ice, as were the shackles piled in some corners. Forgetting caution, fueled by the hope that she would see her friends again, Allyr bolted down the hall, glancing into each cell, looking for a face she recognized. Halfway down the hall she finally skidded to a halt, happiness flooding her as she finally saw someone she knew.

"Gibari!" she shouted, walking up to the cell bars, "It's so good to see you!"

The big fisherman looked up, but even with the gag he wore, it was clear that he was surprised to see Allyr. It suddenly dawned on Allyr that Gibari would not have the faintest inkling as to who she was. He had never seen her with a body; to him she had always been just a voice. A problem she had not forseen. "Wait a minute," she said, pulling out a battle Magnus (A flaming sword to make the coming job easier.) from a pouch at her waist, "I'll get you out then I promise I'll explain everything."

After about a minute of whacking with a sword that she had invoked from the Magnus, the cell's lock broke, the ice shards falling to the frozen floor. Allyr threw open the door, still holding the sword, she cut at Gibari's bindings and untied the gag from around his mouth.

"Who are you?" he said as soon as the gag was out of his mouth, "You look like one of them."

"Oh, you probably mean this," said Allyr, indicating the stolen uniform, "I stole this. And just as soon as I free everyone else, I'll explain everything. That way I don't have to repeat myself a thousand times." She stood up and walked to the cell opposite Gibari's. Inside was king Ladekahn, his right arm hanging at a bizarre angle; someone had not even bothered to tie it up. It looked broken.

Another hacking of the lock, more ties cut, another gag removed, and Allyr tore a sleeve off her stolen uniform to make a makeshift splint for the king's injured arm. The king let her do this all in silence. He was either curious or so confused he was beyond arguing. "Can you stand your Majesty?" asked Allyr as she finished the splint.

"Yes, I can," said Ladekahn, standing up, looking grateful for the splint, if a bit wary of Allyr.

Allyr continued this cycle, breaking locks, untying gags, and cutting ropes. Until she eventually had everyone freed. She counted as they all stood in the hall, apparently waiting for an explanation from her. They all looked awful. Most looked almost starved, and some looked ill. Allyr shook her head to dislodge the morbid thoughts from her mind. Just stick to the present, and take it one step at a time. Let's see… there were all the rules of the five islands: Ladekahn, Rodolfo, Corellia, Calbren (Though he looked rather ill). There were also the four witches, Glamys, Catranne, Kodelle, and Barnette. Then there were her friends: Gibari, Lyude (Who judging from the gold circlet he now wore, was probably now the emperor of Alfard. Go figure.), Savyna, Mizuti (Who even mask less looked impassive.). So minus Kalas, who was now playing the role of Annoying Voice In Allyr's Head, that meant… someone was missing.

"Where's Xelha?" said Allyr, dread beginning to grip her, like a pair of giant talons digging into her back.

"You still haven't given us an explanation," said Rodolfo ungratefully, "Just who are you?"

"Xelha was taken out of her cell by two men about fifteen minutes ago," said Corellia, drowning out Rodolfo. Then pointing added, "They went of in that direction."

Allyr paled, and Kalas began to silently panic. "Okay," started Allyr, deciding to summarize things quickly, "I don't have a lot of time. I'm Allyr, Kalas's old Guardian Spirit, and I'm going to get you out of here." Allyr walked down the hall, and finding a particular, unlocked cell, walked in, "I heard about a secret passage of sorts for the Ice Queens of Wazn that should be used if the palace ever fell to an enemy," she explained, as the others gathered behind her, and she began to run her hands over the smooth wall of the cell, "It's supposed to stay a secret within the royal family, but right now secrecy isn't what we should worry about. I found out how to open it, I just have to find it now… Here!"

Under her palm, the crest of Wazn glowed momentarily, before a section of the wall vanished, leading down to a dark hall leading downward, deeper into the ground. What a secret passage should look like. "Just get going," said Allyr anxiously, "And take this," she added, taking out a Magnus.

This whole escape plan had been Melodia's idea. Kalas had told Melodia and Allyr about an exit that Xelha had shown him, to use in face of emergencies. No palace was complete without a secrete passage. But, to the people of Wazn, as protecting their queen, and therefore the Ocean, was the most important task in the world it stood to reason that there would be a way for the Ice Queen to flee if ever an emergency occurred. (A fat lot of good that did what Morjidza decided to take over the world, Thought Allyr when she heard about this.)

Gibari took the Magnus Allyr gave him. "It's a tracking device," she explained, "Given courtesy of some buddies in Alfard. The tunnel here ends outside the boundaries of the city, right where the Ice Cliffs begin. Just wait out there and an airship should pick you up, provided you have that Magnus with you." Admittedly, she had no idea whether the rescue would actually arrive, but at least if she smuggled her friends out of the palace than they stood half a chance, even if they were unarmed. Admittedly, if the rescue that Melodia had promised never showed up, they would not stand a chance in the Ice Cliffs, to either freeze to death as Kalas had, or to be killed by one of the monsters roaming the Cliffs.

Gibari, and all the others for that matter, looked skeptical, very skeptical. "Let's put it this way," said Allyr, "Would you rather be sitting in your cells with no hope of escape?"

"But what about Xelha?" piped up Mizuti, "And Kalas not be here! The Great Mizuti won't leave without Mizuti's friends!"

Allyr suddenly felt very uncomfortable, as if the whole world had suddenly turned to look at here when she did not want anyone to look. She began to feel slightly envious of Kalas; at least he had the advantage of being completely invisible.

"Mizuti," said Allyr, trying to hide her rising panic, and hoping that she would be able to lie convincingly, "I'll get Xelha, and find Kalas, but right now all of you need to get out of here!"

"Allyr promise Kalas and Xelha come back?" asked Mizuti, giving Allyr a look of absolute trust, "Safe and sound?"

"I promise," said Allyr without hesitation, "I'll bring them both back. And they'll both be just fine."

"Then the Great Mizuti has no doubt!" she said cheerfully, "If Allyr says they be coming back safe and sound, that Kalas and Xelha have nothing to worry about!" She immediately bolted for the dark hole in the wall, "What be everyone waiting for?" said Mizuti. She, along with Allyr, shepherded the others into the dark tunnel. As soon as Allyr could no longer see any of her friends down in the tunnel, Allyr bolted off in the direction Corellia had indicated, very aware that she had just made a promise that she would not be able to keep.

Xelha had struggled against her captors every inch of the way, hindering their progress as they went. The first captor held onto Xelha's right arm, the second her left. Their patience was thin as a leaf.

"You little bitch!" snarled one, as Xelha dug her heels into the floor once more, and began to writhe like a snake in her captors' arms, "Stop struggling," hissed the first captor, "Or we'll-"

"We can't hurt her!" protested the second captor, "If we hurt her Morjidza will be furious!"

"Shut up!" growled the first at his companion, "Now if you put your back into it, we could actually make some godsdamned progress!"

"Hey!" shouted a third voice from somewhere behind Xelha, "Need a hand?"

Xelha turned her head to see another one of Morjidza's many minions. It was a woman, just a year or so older than Xelha herself. She had long brown hair down to her waist and bright brown eyes. She smiled at the other two nameless thugs, and asked pleasantly, "Is she giving you problems?"

"Yes," muttered the second, "Morjidza himself wants to see her, but we can't get her anywhere!"

"Mm…" said the third, "That is a problem. Let me help you."

The newcomer pulled out a Magnus, and with a flash of light became a sword. "Hey, what are you doing?" asked the second, sounding scared, "We're not supposed to kill her."

"I won't kill Xelha," said the third. She slew the second captor with a quick thrust of her sword.

The first looked at the third with wide frightened eyes, as the newcomer pulled her sword out of the second man's corpse, "What are you-"

The third raised her sword so the point was only an inch from the first captor's neck, "Let her go," said the third, very slowly, "Right now. I don't want to have to kill more people than I have to." He did as he was told. Xelha collapsed to the ground, trying to figure out if she was saved or about to be condemned to a worse fate. "Xelha," said the newcomer, not taker her eyes of off the first captor. "Are you okay?"

Xelha's muffled voice came through, sounding a bit like a confirmation, "Ah damn," said the newcomer, "I forgot about the gag." She lowered her sword. The first captor bolted down the hall, shouted at the top of his lungs.

Silver white light surrounded the newcomer's body, and she raised the sword, which now along with her right hand began to glow with a dark light. "I am Darkness, hear my Voice!" she shouted. The running man suddenly found himself to be sinking in several feet of dark mud, as little lights danced above his head. He screamed in terror, just as the newcomer finished her spell with a shout of "DEMONS OF DARKNESS!" With a bolt of lighting striking the man as he stood in the mud and a flash of light, both the man and the strange mud hole vanished. The newcomer sank to her knees, panting for breath, sweat dripping down her face, apparently completely exhausted.

"Damn…" panted the newcomer, "Everyone… within a hundred feet… will have heard that…" She turned to Xelha, who backed away in fear. "Don't… worry," said the newcomer, picking up her sword, which she had dropped. Xelha eyed the weapon like a deer regarding a hunter's gun. "I'm… here to… help you." Panted the newcomer, hoping that she sounded reassuring, "I know you… don't recognize me but… I'm Allyr. Kalas's old… Guardian."

Xelha's yellow eyes widened as if in realization, and sat still while Allyr cut the ropes at her wrists and untied the gag. "Are you okay?" asked Allyr.

"Y… yes," said Xelha, still clearly shocked, "But… how did you use that Spell when you don't have a Guardian? And, you're not bound to Kalas anymore, so… How?"

"I was a Guardian, so I can use my old powers," lied Allyr quickly. In truth, she had never even tried to use her old powers before Kalas had reentered her life, "But you need to hurry," she added, "Morjidza or one of his grunts will find us soon, and you need to get out of here."

"How?" asked Xelha, "We're deep inside the palace."

"You remember that old escape tunnel in the dungeons?" asked Allyr, "Go through that, the others and a rescue should be waiting for you there."

"But what about you?" asked Xelha.

"Just go!" said Allyr as she heard footsteps approaching, "You need to leave now! I'll hold them off and follow when I can get away. Understood?"

Xelha nodded and stood up. She looked back at the ex-Spirit, worry in her eyes, "Just GO NOW!" shouted Allyr, "How can I forgive myself if you die? I was your Guardian once remember? You're still my charge, and right now I'll telling you to RUN!" Xelha ran, not looking back to see how Allyr was.

Allyr turned back in the direction of the approaching footsteps. She looked down at the sword she was holding, one which she had randomly grabbed when she had freed Xelha. It was a long sword, with only a few scratches on the shiny steel blade. It had a beautiful crescent-shaped cross hilt. "Well," she said looking up, "Now's as good as any time to die."

"Don't talk like that," said Kalas, now that Xelha was far out of earshot,"We're going to get out of this."

"Thanks for your support," said Allyr, "Though something tells me I'm not going to be on that airship with the others when they escape."

Finally, the ones making the footsteps rounded the corner and ran into the icy hall in which Allyr now stood. It was three of Mojridza's grunts, each with a loaded crossbow, and the man himself. Morjidza looked at Allyr, though surprised that the woman from his dreams had materialized inside his palace, hid his shock, and covered it with a wicked grin. He and his grunts stopped about ten feet from where Allyr stood. Allyr felt Kalas's hate burn suddenly like a sudden fire. "So," Morjidza started, his voice level and cool, giving Allyr an appraising look, "You're the one who's been giving me all that trouble lately. I had expected you to look more threatening in person."

"Shut up!" snapped Allyr, sounding more confident and brave than she felt, "Don't you dare come any closer!"

"You were once Kalas's Guardian, were you not?" continued Morjidza, ignoring the barely concealed threat, "It's been hard to get that particular piece of information, but I'm sure now I can put it to good use." He smiled at her, "I'd hate to break it to you, but your friend is dead. His bones are collecting frost somewhere in the Ice Cliffs. I'm sure you wish to join your beloved charge." He stepped toward Allyr.

"Stay away!" shouted Allyr venomously, sounding tougher than she really felt. All she knew about swordplay came from watching Kalas all those years, and what support the little voice in her head (i.e. Kalas) could give. That, and a lot of luck brought her this far, but if Kalas could not kill Mojirdza, it was unlikely she would all alone. It did not help that she was shaken from her three kills, it had been so easy it frightened her. Morjidza stopped when Allyr shouted at him, but his minions raised their crossbows, ready to fire their bolts at her if Allyr attempted to harm their master, "Don't you dare come any nearer!" Allyr continued, "Or I'll burn you to a crisp!"

Morjidza held up a hand to steady his men. He was not afraid of Allyr. Besides, he had been promised victory by a being that could tell only truths. What did he have to fear from this girl that could barely use the sword she held so awkwardly?

He raised his other hand, light playing around his fingers like fire licking at a burning log, "You can, and I imagine you will," said Morjidza, smiling, "I imagine you would do a lot to protect your friends. But you can't do that without a Guardian, now can you?"

After that, Allyr and Kalas remembered nothing.

Seeing as there's no way I'll avoid a beating/bludgeoning/attack/mauling/assult or some other kind of attack or injury for this chapter's cliffhanger by an angry mob/first person to get thier hands on something pointy, I'll be reading all of your reviews from the bomb shelter. So, yeah, please review. And so, off to safety I go... (-Runs off to bomb shelter-)