Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or this world that they are in and I am making no money out of this. I just want to write a sequel to a really good book that I wish had one.

Chapter 20

After much convincing, they had agreed to try Elenor's plan. They had gotten her father to use his mind speech to bridge her mind and that of one of the other Healers examining Lavan's coma so she could focus her gift.

She sat down, focusing on the connection that pinpointed the area of Lavan's mind where his coma was originating from. She closed her eyes, concentrating on her gift, hoping this would work.

The plan was to send her in to the coma and see if she could break if from the inside.

As she focused, she could feel the coma and she... well she didn't know what she did, but the best way to describe it was it felt like she was forcing her way through a thick wall of wet clay. The suddenly she felt like she was falling, and her vision turned black.

When Elenor's vision returned to her she was immediately confused. The room was empty, as if no one had ever been there.

Standing up, she discovered that her muscles were surprisingly stiff. Blinking rapidly, she took stock of her surroundings. At first, she felt a rising panic, thinking that her eyes had been damaged from a backlash of some kind.

Almost immediately, her panic faded. Whilst the world appeared to have lost most of it's colour, when she looked at her hands, they still had their full colour. It was quite a contrast to the rest of the world.

Not knowing what else to do, she began to wander the collegia , hoping to find someone else. As she neared the grounds, a thought struck her. What if this is Lan's coma, what if I'm inside it right now?

It would certainly explain why the world seemed to be drained of colour. Everything was pointing to it, it would also explain the lack of people.

She reached the exit and as she stepped outside, the ground began to quake and she could hear voices screaming in alarm she ran in that direction in case there were injured before she remembered, she was in Lavan's coma and the people were probably not real.

So she when tin their direction, hoping to find a clue as to Lan's whereabouts. She was in sight of the companions field stable entrance when she saw an alarming sight.

Karsites. At least twenty of them were guarding the entrance. She had to find Lan and get him out. Quietly, so as not to draw too much attention, she clambered over the fence and into Companions Field thinking that if they were guarding that entrance, than maybe Lavan was in there.

After about ten minutes after she entered the forest, the heard the faint sounds of battle. As she ran in the direction the sounds were coming from, they were getting louder, more tangible. Then all of a sudden, she was in what appeared to be a small clearing, and what she saw there made her freeze in her tracks.

As Lavan rushed through the woods in, what he hoped was the direction of the stables, he was forced to stop in his tracks. Karsites! Five of them, blocking his path.

They all had their weapons drawn. Lan hesitated before charging forward. He summoned the dragon and a jet of fire leapt forth from underneath one of them, frying him before he deflected a blow from another with his sword. He let the fire die down as he concentrated on the others.

He killed one with a stab from his blade and knocked another out. That was three down. He turned towards the other two who were eyeing him warily having just witnessed him take out three of their comrades.

Finally they charged him, splitting into two teams, hoping to surprise him by attacking from two sides at once. He blocked a blow from the Karsite on his left and ducked under a blow from the one on his right, using the Karsites momentary imbalance to knock him down with a kick to the knee.

He then killed the last one with a quick slash of his blade and spun, quickly knocking out the last one with a pommel to the jaw. After regaining his breath, He stood and sheathed my oddly bloodless sword. He was about to start running towards the stables only to freeze.

There. Standing not even ten meters away, was-

"Elenor"!

It certainly looked like her, though it could be the coma. But she was in full colour, instead of the washed out bleakness of the rest of the world.

"Lan"!

She surprised him with the fierceness of her hug, almost toppling him over. Releasing him from the hug, she stepped back.

"We thought you had died! Six months Lan! Six months!"

"Six months? It hasn't been that long for me, time must be passing differently hear." Lavan said. "Also, why are you here?" He said gesturing around him.

"I'm here to get you out, we figured the problem was mental seeing as the medicine they gave you had no effect."

"Well it did have an effect, it's destroying this place, and if I we don't get out of here soon, I'm pretty sure we'll be destroyed as well."

At this he saw her face visibly pale.

"You we're on the right track with it being a mental problem, I'm not quite sure what the solution is, but I know it's in the stables."

"Lan, it's going to be difficult to get in, there are at least twenty or more guards at the doors to Companions Field alone. We can't just fight through!"

"If we use the element of surprise, I could probable scatter them long enough for us to get in, then it's only a matter of keeping them out."

Elenor looked like she was thinking for a moment before finally relenting. "Ok, we'll give it a try." After that they both started running of towards the palace, collegia and the stables.

As Lavan peeked out of the bush he and Elenor were hiding in, he saw that she had not in-fact been exaggerating when she said twenty or more.

A small part of him had hoped she was but he knew it would have just been too good to be true. After a few mor seconds of observing, he tapped Elenor's shoulder, silently telling her to get ready.

Then, he focused anger and the dragon inside him roared forth, hungry to burn. It was a matter of seconds before Bardic Collegium was aflame. They heard the panicked shouts, and watched as he guards ran to go and help out out the flame.

He let go of his anger and the dragon receded. Calming it down before it broke free and unleashed chaos. Whilst the Karsites were distracted, he and Elenor used the distraction to leap over the fence and dart inside the stables, where they promptly when around, barring the doors.

Outside they heard shouting and banging on the door, as Lavan ran to where Kalira's stable used to be. And there it was, Kalira's tack, including her bridle. He reached forward and grabbed it, expecting to awake from the coma... but nothing happened.

Outside, the banging grew louder and he saw splinters start to fly from the door. This was the key, he just didn't know how to use it. He'd better figure it out quickly. He turned to Elenor who was standing behind him, watching the doors nervously.

"Elenor, you have to go, I've got the key, I'll be fine." Just then, a massive hole appeared in the door. Elenor turned to him and nodded, an expression of forced calm over her face, she closed her eyes and then seemed to fade into nothingness, just as the door blew off of it's hinges.

Time seemed to slow down as he heard a pounding in his head as the dragon roared to life once again and he summoned a massive wall of fire, surrounding himself.

He gaped in shock as there, standing before him, was the shimmering transparent image of a blue eyed horse. A blue eyed horse he'd recognise anywhere.

"Kalira?"

:Yes Lan:. He heard in his mind, just like old times. :You really thought that was the last you were going t see me? We must be quick, you have what you need, you are so close to the answer. Just remember that you need to continue:.

"What-"

:I must say goodbye for now, but we will meet again someday, until then:.

And just like that she faded, and time returned to it's normal speed and the roar of flames filled his ears. Continue with what? He thought, continue burning the building? No that wasn't it. Continue with his life.

And just like that, realisation dawned on him. This place, it's set in a time when she was alive. I've been clinging to the past to much and if I don't stop I will be consumed. I need to continue, move on with my life and live it.

But did he want to? Just then, a large log landed on the flames, creating a breech in is wall of fire, it was now or never. Yes he wanted to, he wanted to see his family and friends again. I'm ready, he though as he set down the bridle.

Instantly he felt a gentle warmth surround him as everything grew blindingly bright and he got the sensation that he was rising, rising up into the air.

After Elenor had left she found herself sitting in her chair, back in coma room eight. Judging by the position of the sun, she guessed it was sometime in the evening. Time really is slower in there. She thought as she turned to address the hopeful people in the room.

"He should be awake soon, he is in some kind of recreation of Haven in there. But time moves slower in there so it could be a while, a couple of minutes maybe."

And so they waited, for what felt like an agonising period of time, until they began to loose hope. And as the Healers began to pack up and leave for the night, they heard a groan and they watched as Lavan Firestorm's eyes opened.

End

A/N: And that's it, the story is finished. I had originally planned to do books 2 and 3, but I am currently undecided as to wether or not I'm going to do book 3. If I do decide to do book 3 I'm only going to start uploading when I the story is nearly complete.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone.