Yes, it's so ridiculously late my time that people on the east coast are probably having breakfast. Whatever. I'm throwing my sleeping schedule out the window until Febuary. XD

Breeze Winder: Thanks for the review!

Kairocksrainbow: What? Lol, no... You need to type the Captcha code in the box below it. :) Heres a song this week from Skyward Sword, because I've had it on the brain recently: Fi's Gratitude. It's not very exciting, but it's peaceful. Thanks for the review!

Secession

Merv jolted out of her disturbing dream in the middle of the night, gasping. She had been holding her breath.

Forcing herself to be quiet, she sat up and inhaled deeply. She let it out and did it again, calming her racing heart. Hands shaking, she reached out for Jay and touched his chest to ground herself. He remained asleep.

Eventually Merv let him go and wiggled out from under their shared blanket. She needed a drink. She grabbed a cup from beside the pool and filled it in the tiny, trickling waterfall, her whole body still shaking. Even after she emptied the cup, her limbs could not shake the tremor.

For some inexplicable reason, Merv began to cry. She set the cup on the floor and sat back on her knees, fighting the tears that pricked her eyes.

I'm so ungrateful, she thought, wiping her cheeks with her sleeve. She had John and Besai. It was everything she'd ever dared hoped for. And yet she was crying? Why? She had no right to cry. Especially since there was nothing to cry about! They were safe. Kai was alive. Overlord would leave them alone for a while, since they were holding Nephilim captive.

Ah. So that was it. Merv pulled her hair back, taking a deep breath. She sniffled. The silence lasted for for several moments before it was broken by the source of her distress.

"You always were weak," Nephilim whispered in the Dark Tongue to her right.

Merv turned her head. When she squinted, she could barely make out the girl's form in the darkness: the moon was a mere sliver in the sky outside, and the fire had long since been reduced to embers.

"You should be asleep," Merv said in the same language, wiping her eyes again.

"Does it look like I'd ever be able to sleep? My hands are tingling because the ropes are so tight. And my wrist hurts. Don't you guys have some pain medicine I could use?"

I'm sure Cole does, child. But he doesn't want to give something so precious to you. Knowing that someone was watching her made it easier to stop crying. Merv dried her eyes for the last time and picked up the cup. "Are you thirsty?" she asked, fighting to keep her voice steady.

A pause. Nephilim shifted. "Yes."

Merv filled the cup and went to the girl's side, holding the cup to Nephilim's lips.

Nephilim butted the cup with her forehead. Cold water splashed on Merv's lap, and she gasped as the cup clattered loudly to the floor. A few sleeping forms on the floor shifted, but remained asleep. Hopefully.

"You would not dare treat me this way if I was untied," Nephilim hissed.

Merv hastily wrung the water from her dress, blood pounding in her ears. Of course Nephilim would do something like that. She should have seen it coming.

"You're so weak," Nephilim said again, shaking her head. "A cup of water spills, and you panic like a child. It's just water."

Merv had nothing to say. She looked away, filled with shame as she shivered. Nephilim was right, of course. It was just water. Pixal had crossed that river during the dog attack just fine. So had Jay. Who had been the one scared witless? Who had been the coward? Merv.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Merv asked finally, voice filled with emotion. "I do not understand."

Nephilim's gray eyes narrowed in the dark. "Me being tied up has you very bold," she said. "I could have my father punish you for asking that question."

"But your father is not here!" Merv snapped, frustration overcoming her shame. She clenched her hands on her wet lap, wishing she could reach out and strike Nephilim across the cheek, tell her how much she despised that brat. Or pull her into an embrace and ask her where things went wrong. What had Merv done to turn this beautiful girl into such a monster?

"Please… Just answer the question, Neph. Why do you hate me?"

Nephilim bared her teeth, face contorted with rage. "Because you gave birth to me."

The shame returned. Merv averted her eyes. Took a deep breath. She grabbed the cup from the floor and filled it again. "Drink," she said. "Please, Neph. You must be very thirsty."

Nephilim shook her head, refusing the cup. "Maybe I want to die," she whispered bitterly. "Maybe I will kill myself before that stupid stone soldier over there has a chance."

"Neph…" Merv extended her hand to touch Nephilim's hair.

"No!" Nephilim snapped her teeth, forcing Merv to shy away. Fortunately, the girl was tethered to the table and could not gain ground on her attack. "Leave me alone."

Merv relented, standing on wet and unsteady legs, and went back to Jay. She covered herself up to her nose with the blanket, pressed herself as close to Jay's warm body as she could, and let her tears spill forth again.

She did not sleep again that night.

With scattered strands of Nephilim's hair clenched in his fist, Overlord passed the guards at the entrance to his fortress. Kai was dead, yes. Probably. But Nephilim had been captured before she could kill the rest of them. And that frustrated him greatly.

Why can't I get rid of them? He let out a deep-throated roar, slamming his hand into the wall. No matter what he did, or how he did it, they always came back. Each and every one of them. Except Kai, I hope…

Bah. There was no way to even confirm that Kai was dead. He'd heard Besai crying from a distance, but that was it. She could have been crying for any number of reasons.

Though, Overlord knew Besai. He knew better than anyone how she thought. And, more importantly, why she thought the way she did. For her to cry the way she had tonight, something terrible much have happened. Something like Kai's death.

But again Overlord reminded himself that there was no way to know for sure. He had no body. I will use Sunseeker later today and examine the site. The thought of Nephilim captured by the Dark Knight made him anxious. If she's even a captive. What if they killed her?

No. He could not accept that as a possibility. Overlord had asked for his Lord to bring her back from the dead once. There was no guarantee that He would do it again.

Curses! Overlord slammed his fist into the wall again as he stormed down the hall, startling a slave that was busy tending to the lanterns. His fist bled, and he healed it with a quick wave of power from his diamond Gem.

He shouldn't have let that foolish girl Yuki distract him like that. How bold she had been, seducing him so that she could swipe his keys and free that Nindroid, Hrymerv, and John.

It was her fault. Not entirely, but she had certainly compounded his problem.

Overlord smiled.

Finally. Someone to punish.

A sharp pain forced Kai from dreamless sleep. Dreamless, he lamented drowsily, squeezing his eyes shut against light from the rising sun that streamed through the cave's entrance. The one time I don't have a nightmare, and pain from an Una-cursed headache wakes me up.

It wasn't a steady headache, either. If that was the case he could have, with a little effort, ignored it. But instead it throbbed in time with his heartbeat, forcing him to pay it heed. Boom. Boom. BOOM.

After a minute he dared to peek at his surroundings again. Still the dim light cut his eyes. White-hot pain streaked through his skull, giving more energy to the poundings. Boomboomboom. He moaned softly and closed his eyes again, too weak to try rolling away from the light. The best he could do was lift himself slightly from his pillow. He dropped it again quickly, his head berating him for his attempt.

That's not a pillow, he realized, reaching up with a hand. His fingers touched cool skin, and his heart rate accelerated, which only made his migraine pound harder and faster. He was on the cot in Cole's cave, head resting on someone's arm. When he found the arm's hand and felt it- the slender fingers, the soft, cool texture of the palm- he relaxed a little. Besai. He could feel her now, as he shifted his body a little. She slept with her body pressed to his: her face in his hair, her chest to his back. Her other arm slung over his torso.

Safe. He was safe. The thought should have brought him some peace. Instead it reminded him that, not too long ago, he had not been safe.

He had been dead.

A cold shiver crawled up his spine, raising the hairs on the back of his neck. The pain of his headache receded in the wake of his growing terror.

He wasn't sure what he'd expected of the afterlife. He'd always tried to honor the First King with his decisions- or, at least, he thought he had. The Priests taught that those who followed and honored Him would be honored in the next life, living in eternal bliss.

It also taught that those who had dishonored Him would be cast into the Retired God's fallen kingdom.

Kai must have dishonored the First King quite a lot before he died.

I would surrender to the Overlord before I let myself go back there again, Kai thought, trembling. What did I do wrong? Why wasn't I good enough for the First King?

The answer to that was easy, he decided. The First King was a perfect God. Kai was a filthy, finite mortal who made too many mistakes- who was too impure- to even dream of earning a place in His kingdom.

It's hopeless, Kai thought, tightening his jaw against a fresh onslaught of tears. Has anyone been perfect enough to gain His favor? The Priests, maybe. The First King's descendants. But the rest of us…

Nya.

Despite the pain he knew it would cause, Kai's eyes flew open. Nya was dead.

She was there, in that realm of eternal torment.

Kai must have done something- made some sort of noise, or maybe he'd jerked his body when he came to that horrid realization- because Besai shifted then, bringing her free hand up to touch Kai's hair. She couldn't see the alarm on his face, thankfully, with his back turned to her.

There…there has to be some way to bring her back! he thought, eyes darting to and fro in their sockets. His breathing came fast, his throat dry and swollen. His headache returned in full force. Boomboomboomboom!

I was brought back, so there has to be a way! I have to get her out of there!

"It's okay," Besai murmured, drawing him closer. "You're safe."

I'm not safe, he thought, resisting her pull. I've only delayed the inevitable. It's only a matter of time before I go back again. Forever. He tried to imagine forever. One year stacked atop another. A lifetime. Two lifetimes, ten, ten thousand. On from there to infinity.

An eternity of unending torture, a thousand times worse than anything Overlord had ever done to him.

It was too much. The headache, his thirst, his fear, and now nausea bubbled in his stomach, reminding him of how he'd died, two gaping, bleeding holes in his gut.

He wept, covering his face shamefully with his shaking hands. Besai tried to console him. She sat up, taking her arm from under him. She stroked his hair, speaking in smooth, hushed tones. It only served to deepen his despair: Besai would be there too, one day. Their baby would be there. Every day Overlord sent other poor, helpless slaves there.

I'm sorry! he screamed in his mind as the tears rolled sideways across his face. He curled around himself, feeling a sudden urge to vomit. I'm sorry! I'm not good enough. None of us are. Please…please, please, please… Please, spare us.

His prayers felt empty, like he was speaking to a passing wind. He could imagine the First King looking down on him, shaking his head sadly at his pitiful subject. The whole world could crash and burn, and he wouldn't care. He never will.

"Kai," Besai whispered, hands now rubbing his back. "Do you want to talk?"

Kai ignored her, fearing that if he spoke, he would tell her everything. And he couldn't do that. The truth would break her spirit.

It's hopeless, he thought, shutting out the world as he tried- and failed- to compose himself. I'm not good enough. It's hopeless.

The cave was quiet as everyone went about their morning work. Merv made breakfast: a hash with canned white meat and some old potatoes. Nephilim- securely bound and gagged this time- sat silent in the shadows, staring daggers at them. Besai lay on the cot, watching everyone blearily; she said her body was very sore. Probably from the fight last night. Kai sat on the floor at her head, knees drawn to his chin. He had not said a word all morning, and avoided making eye contact with anyone- even Besai. Especially Besai.

Sage was attempting to make a new outfit for Chedva. Pixal paced the table, frowning as she kept in contact with Suki. Occasionally she would offer short words of advice to Sage about the proper way to cut the fabric, or how to stitch the seams evenly.

"I wouldn't have guessed you knew how to sew," Jay said, smiling as he held a milk-soaked rag to Momo's greedy gums.

"No?" Pixal cast a piercing glare in Jay's direction as she passed, running a hand through her hair. She was anxious about something. "My mother was an avid sewer. She made most of her own dresses." There was a sharp bitterness to her tone.

"You…must miss her a lot," Cole remarked. He sat on the floor, playing with Chedva.

Pixal turned her icy gaze to him momentarily before pulling out her knife and fiddling with it. Jay watched her patiently.

"I don't understand," she said after a few more rotations around the table.

"Don't understand what?" Jay asked.

"Wu!" Pixal exclaimed, tossing her knife. It lodged into a crate across the room. She turned from it, looking between Jay and Cole. "Wu's hut is deserted. It looks like no one's been there since before that storm a week ago."

"That long?" Merv spoke, a biting edge in her voice. "Why didn't you check on him sooner?"

When Pixal turned to Merv, her eyes were soft, hurt by Merv's relentless distrust. "Because I was keeping Suki's eyes on Cole and the others," she answered. "I couldn't afford to let them out of my sight."

Cole was silent as he played with Chedva. The little girl sat on the floor with her chubby legs outstretched, giggling as Cole held her hands to keep her from topping over. Her eyes are turning green, Jay noted. They used to be gray. That's a little unusual…

Momo, satisfied at last, turned his fuzzy face away from the rag and grunted. Jay licked his finger and turned the pup onto his back, rubbing his belly. Jay swore Momo was smiling smugly as he received this kingly treatment. Don't get too used to it, buddy

"So now what will we do?" Sage asked, looking up from her sewing.

Pixal shrugged. "We have Nephilim, so we're safe here. For now." She looked at each face in the room in turn. "But forget about what we'll do. What are you going to do? Cole? Jay? Kai? You need to make a decision."

Jay looked down. He knew what she meant. Would they go back to Ninjago, or fight the Overlord? How would they go about either option?

"Doesn't the prophecy say we need Zane to defeat Overlord?" he asked. "So maybe we should go back for him, then fight the Overlord. Somehow."

"Lloyd," Pixal said quietly. "You needed Lloyd, too. But he's dead. So what does that say about the prophecy?"

"That we're screwed," Cole replied helpfully.

Pixal retrieved her knife and continued playing with it as she paced. Flipping it in the air, catching it by the blade. Poking her chin with its sharp tip. "We don't need to come to a decision right away," she decided at last. "It will probably take a few days for Overlord to be bold enough to start tracking us again. Let's adjourn this discussion, come back to it in a few hours to talk about it further."

Cole nodded his agreement. Chedva, bored of their current game, whined. Cole scooped her up and rubbed noses. She smiled again. She was becoming a lot more active lately, Jay thought. And a lot more demanding.

Jay cleaned Momo up with a dry corner of his rag, then set the pup on his lap. It curled up and exhaled, satisfied and asleep in seconds. Momo still hadn't opened his eyes. Any day now, though. The pup was getting stronger every day. If only he'd open his eyes: then he'd be able to start walking. The thought of Momo toddling around on his little furry legs made Jay smile.

"It's ready," Merv said timidly, breaking the peaceful silence. She scooped out three bowls and set them on the table. Cole clearly hadn't ever expected to have a company of this size crash in his cave, because three was all he had. They had to take turns eating.

"Why do you have three bowls?" Jay asked. "I mean, I get that you had to eat, and you probably had Sage over here often. But why a third?"

Cole stiffened. His eyes narrowed. "A spare, obviously," he said.

He was lying. Jay didn't press further, though, sensing that he's struck a chord.

"It was for Vara," Sage cut in quietly. She did not look up from her sewing. "We ate together here sometimes."

Awkwardly, Jay looked down. Way to go, Jay. You still can't do anything right.

Merv offered Jay a bowl, but he shook his head, gesturing to Sage. The women needed to eat first. And besides, Jay didn't feel very hungry anymore.

Understanding what he meant, Merv slid the bowl to Sage, who took it gratefully. Then Merv took the last two and sat on the floor next to Kai. She offered a spoonful of the potatoes to Besai, who groaned and propped herself up on one elbow to eat.

"So…what do we do now?"

All eyes jumped to Kai. His voice sounded as broken and lost as his eyes looked.

"Well…" began a voice at the cave's entrance. "You could just follow me."

Jay turned, a hand on Stormstrider. What he saw took his voice from him for several pounding heartbeats.

A man wearing an eyepatch stood inside the cave, smiling impishly back at Jay, arms crossed casually over his broad chest. "Jay," he said. "It's been a while."

Jay finally found his voice. "Ronin!" He rose from his seat, laughing, as everyone else stared. "How did you get here? And how did you find us?"

"I got here on a ship, of course. And Wu's bird led me to you." Ronin laughed with Jay, wrapping the taller man in a warm hug. "Hey, brother. Missed you."

Pixal finally swallowed down her surprise. "Brother?"

"Technically no," Ronin said, his single amber eye glittering. "But we grew up together."

"And…why are we just now hearing about this?" Cole asked dryly.

Jay shrugged. "I would've introduced you back in Cyrus' keep, but he was away on business, apparently." He shot Ronin a look.

"Hey. A man's gotta take care of his family."

"All right!" Pixal snapped, slamming her hands down on the table. Sage jumped in surprise. "Sit down, everyone. I can't think in this chaos." She gestured to Jay and Ronin. "You guys can explain yourselves- in detail. You got here on a ship? Is it still here?"

"Yes, and no," Ronin answered. He removed his wide-brimmed hat and brushed some invisible bits of dust from it. "But that's all I can tell you right now. I'll be able to explain myself better when we get to where we're going."

"Which is…where?" Pixal asked.

"To Prince Wu," Ronin said. "He's hiding in the cliffs. Anyways, there's a storm coming, and we need to hurry if we're gonna make it there before it hits."

Jay glanced at Pixal. "Wu's not at his hut because he moved to the cliffs?"

"Yep."

"And why are you here, instead of in the North?"

Ronin shrugged. " 'Cause I have business here. So, Pixal. The way I see it, you're kinda in charge of this party. So what do you say? Will you let me lead you guys to Wu?"

Pixal hesitated but a moment. "Yes," she said. "We need to speak with him."

"And he needs to speak to you." Ronin paused, looking directly at Kai. "To all of you."

"And Nephilim?" Cole asked. "What will we do with her?"

"Bring her, of course!" Ronin peeked outside. "You have ten minutes. Gather-"

Pixal elbowed his side. "I give the orders here," she said. Then, to Jay: "Fifteen minutes. Eat something and pack your bags. We're leaving. Any objections?"

When none came forth, Pixal nodded and went to work. Ronin sat on the floor and fiddled with a knife as the others finished their breakfast.

Well then… a voice spoke in Jay's mind. He yelped, then relaxed when he realized it was Kai.

I always forget you can use Moonsong to speak into our minds, Kai. Don't scare me like that!

Kai stood with his hands in his pockets. Eyes bloodshot and faraway, hair a mess. Ronin, he said. There's an interesting character. I don't like him.

He's my friend, Kai, Jay said. He's an orphan, like me. Cyrus took him in after his dad- a Western soldier- was killed, like, almost twenty years ago. He was always like a big brother to me. He still is. I trust him with my life. And hey, why don't you use this power more often? It's so cool!

Kai shrugged, saying nothing, and severed the connection.

Zane stood by Kaytake's casket, waiting for Driniah to finish her parting prayers. These prayers were traditionally spoken after the body was buried. But since the Priests were waiting outside, Driniah was forced to do them now. Before the body was taken away.

Kaytake looked at peace. Driniah's hand rested on his brow as she murmured her tearful prayers. His body had been frozen, slowing the decay, though there were still some obvious, repugnant signs of death. His sallow skin hung loosely around his dead bones, making him look a hundred years older than he was. A stark contrast to his wife's pale, trembling, and very much alive hand that smoothed his dark chestnut hair, stroked his cheek, then touched his embroidered tunic above the place where he had been stabbed.

The exit wound is in his chest, Duskweaver said, confirming what Zane had heard.

Straight through the heart, by his own sword, Zane thought. What drove him to do such a thing? He had so much left to live for…

"My…lady," a servant said, stepping into the room. "Forgive me. The Lord Rector is impatient. He demands that you bring the casket out immediately."

Zane gestured for the servant to leave, scowling, though he knew it was no fault of the servant.

Who did these Priests think they were? Depriving a woman- a noblewoman, no less!- of the basic right to bury her husband. How would I react if they did this to Father? Thinking of his father felt akin to sending a sword through his own chest. His father had the plague. How many days did he have left? Two? Three? Zane determined to go to his father as soon as possible- he would start traveling within the hour, if he could. My worst fear has come true. And at the worst possible time.

Finally, Driniah took a deep breath. She stroked Kaytake's forehead with her thumb one last time. Tears streamed silently down her cheeks as she removed her hand. "He's so cold," she murmured. "So cold…"

Reverently, Zane replaced the lid on the wooden casket, then motioned for a pair of servants standing in the back of the room to take the body. They did, lifting it from its low platform, and left the room. Driniah and Zane followed, walking in solemn silence through the halls until they reached the front entrance, where two of those pine and cinnamon candles had been lit.

The Lord Rector of the Sheshin Temple waited by the door, standing tall in his stiff black and green uniform. Some might find his bald head, long nose, and yellowish eyes comforting and warm. But they reminded Zane of a snake. The venomous kind.

"My condolences," the Lord Rector said, his manner austere. "May the First King be with you." He made a motion, and the servants carried the casket out the door, toward the waiting entourage of at least a half-dozen lower Priests and several carriages.

Driniah grasped Zane's arm for support, her body rigid as she fought to keep her legs from collapsing beneath her.

Zane clenched his hands at his sides. How dare they? How dare the King do this? Yes, Garmadon claimed that Kaytake had poisoned him, but Zane didn't believe a word of it. Kaytake would never deliberately harm their ruler. No, something else was going on. First Kaytake, now my father. Garmadon is taking the opportunity to seize ultimate power. That can't be a coincidence.

Before Zane knew what he was doing, he held up a hand and barked, "Stop!"

The Lord Rector turned to Zane, his snakelike eyes narrowed.

Zane swallowed, praying for courage. He stepped forward, leaving a bewildered Driniah behind. He looked directly into the eyes of his servants, hoping he looked more authoritative than he felt. "Bring it back inside."

"My lord," the Lord Rector hissed. "You know they cannot do that."

"No?" Zane continued forward, thoughts surging almost incoherently through his mind, until he stood toe-to-toe with the Priest. "Last I checked, I was the lord of this mansion." His arm swept out in a broad gesture. "You have no more authority here than one of the Middle Guards. And you certainly don't have any authority over my servants." He nodded to the servants carrying the casket. "Bring it back inside."

Surprisingly, the servants did not hesitate to obey. They seemed as eager to take Kaytake's body from these Priests' clutches as Zane was. They respected Kaytake. Which somehow made Zane more suspicious of the Priests.

"You cannot do that," the Lord Rector said again, face reddening with rage. His six other Priests gathered behind him, hands on their swords.

"I can," Zane said cooly, his confidence returning. "And I did. Leave us."

"My Lord Rector," a lower-ranked Priest ventured. "Perhaps we should leave. We can get a warrant from our King and return-"

The Lord Rector screamed, swinging his sword at Zane's head.

Zane swatted the flat side of the sword with his left hand. With his right he grabbed the Priest's throat, squeezing hard. Still the Lord Rector struggled, so Zane took it a step further and lifted the shorter man off the ground. The Lord Rector's eyes bulged. Crying out, the other Priests moved to rescue their superior.

"Not another step," Zane growled, raising the Lord Rector higher. His boots kicked frantically, suspended several inches above the ground. "Should we see if the First King really is on your side, you pompous bastard?" he hissed. "I'm not afraid to send you to him. Are you ready to face your maker?"

"You…wouldn't…dare…" the Lord Rector croaked. "I…I am a…representative of-"

"Of what?" Zane sneered. "Of King Garmadon?" He cast the Lord Rector to the ground. "He's not my king. Not anymore."

"Zane," Driniah whispered nervously, standing by his side. "What are you doing?"

Zane turned to her, his jaw clenched. What am I doing? he wondered, looking down at the wheezing Priest. "I'm being a rebellious child, I suppose," he said, picking up the Lord Rector's fallen sword. "Priest, you can tell your king that I'm done rolling over for him. If, under Garmadon's rule, we are denied rights as basic as burying our own dead, then I want no part of it."

"You're…" The Lord Rector struggled to his feet with the help of two Priests. "You're not serious."

Oh, yes he was serious. Garmadon had overstepped too many boundaries since his poisoning. Sending Guards to other Realms without a warrant, manipulating justice, and now the suspicious deaths, almost-deaths, and disappearances of nearly every noble in the country…

"Why are you still here, snake?" Zane pointed down the drive, to the front gate. "Leave the South. Abandon your temple here. If I see your uniforms again, my men will kill you on sight. Have I made myself clear?"

Red bruises began to darken the Lord Rector's neck. He scowled, then motioned to his men. They pulled back into their carriages and, without another word, drove from the keep. Zane stared after them until the final carriage disappeared around the bend, lost to the leafless trees.

"Do you realize what you just did?" Driniah asked quietly.

Oh, Hosts… Zane lifted a hand to his brow, sighing deeply. "Yes. Yes, I do."

"And…you intend to go through with this?" Driniah grabbed his arm. "Zane, Garmadon will not tolerate this. He will send Guards to seize the South again. There will be blood. What if our men don't want to secede? Will you force them to fight for you?"

"Yes!" Zane sighed. "I…don't know. This is all very sudden. First King preserve us. I've always been impulsive, but this…"

"You've outdone yourself," Driniah agreed.

Zane turned, and they walked back indoors. Once the doors were shut- like the final tolling of a bell- he took Driniah's arm and looked into her eyes gravely. "This was unfair of me," he said. "I'll let you choose. Do you want to stay and help me fight, or go to the Middle? Garmadon will let you live safely under his jurisdiction, I'm sure. But here…"

"I won't be safe," Driniah agreed. She sighed, tearstained face pinched with thought. "I don't trust Garmadon. I'm not safe, no matter where I go. So…let me be unsafe with the only man left in the world that I trust." She closed her eyes, bowing her head in submission. "I surrender to you," she said. "My Lord Zane. My land and its resources are yours."

Zane dipped his head. For some reason her consent gave him the confidence he needed to move forward with his budding plan. "Thank you," he said, then nodded to a guard. "Find General Peran and send him to my study," he ordered. Then, quietly to himself when the guard had left, "I have a war to avoid."

It took all of those fifteen minutes for everyone to finish eating and gathering supplies. Pixal admitted she wasn't sure what they would need- was it worth it to pack blankets or food, or would Wu have everything they need? Ronin said they should bring their own supplies.

"It's not like we can travel fast anyways," Jay said, looking at Besai, Sage, and his own prosthetic. "Just pack what you think we'll need. I don't want to rely on Wu too much."

"If he's even there," Kai muttered.

"Kai…" Besai reached out stiffly and touched his shoulder. "Please trust Jay. He likes Ronin." She was still confined to the cot; the last time she'd felt this sore was probably the day after giving birth to Atgas. That silly child. Born breech, and with a huge head.

With a soft sigh Kai nodded, taking her hand. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked.

If anything Besai felt worse. But she nodded anyways. To dispel the doubtful look Kai gave her, she heavily rose to a sitting position, using Kai's grip on her hand as an anchor.

"What happened?" Kai asked, brows knitting. For once he seemed to show no interest in hiding his emotions.

Besai shook her head. "I don't know."

"Well, when did this start? This morning?"

"Yes. When you woke me up." Besai shut her eyes tightly against the screaming pain of her every muscle. From her head to her feet, everything hurt.

That didn't stop her from trying to stand though. And she did, tightly gripping Kai's shoulder, breathing heavily.

"You should lay back down," Merv said from across the cave, where she was helping Jay load a sack with jars of food.

"No," Besai insisted, taking her first shaky step. "Eet ees muscle pain. Eef…" She took a deep breath. "If I keep moving, I will start to feel better."

Merv did not argue with her. She still kept an eye on her little sister, though, as she continued stuffing the sack.

Through the pain Besai managed a soft smile. Words could not describe her love for her sister. Merv was always looking out for her. Subtly, though: Overlord frowned upon friendships among his slaves, so Besai and Merv had, as they grew older, been forced to limit their contact so Overlord would not become aware of their bond. He'd already exploited Besai's children; she could not bear the thought of him taking advantage of their sisterly bond as well.

Kai stood, wrapping his arm around Besai's waist. Grimacing, Besai draped her arm over his shoulders. Her knees felt so weak she feared they would bend backwards if she wasn't careful with how she balanced her weight.

"Let's go to the table," Kai said. "You can sit there until we're ready to go."

Besai fought the pain and took one step after another, cursing her frailty. "I…cannot think of anything that would have caused this," she admitted as Kai helped her into a chair. "I ran from the cave last night and fought Nephilim, but…" She shook her head.

"Yeah, that probably didn't do it," Jay agreed. "It's at least not the whole problem. Anemia?"

"That could be part of it too," Pixal said. "But does anemia cause muscle fatigue like this? Besides. If anyone's anemic here, it would be Kai. He lost so much blood last-" She cut herself off, clearing her throat.

During the awkward silence that followed Pixal's thoughtless interjection, Cole sighed quietly, popping the lid from a bottle of wine. Sage frowned, but made no move to stop him. Instead she busied herself by retrieving Cole's violin from a crate. She carefully packed it into the sack filled with sheets.

Besai felt Kai's hand in her hair. With Pixal's words ringing in her ears, she fought back tears. She had come so close to losing Kai. She did not wish the pain she'd felt last night on anyone. Anyone except maybe the Overlord, who had harmed Kai in the first place.

But he's also the one who brought us together.

Inevitably, this train of thought led Besai to wonder how Kai had been resurrected. He had died. But somehow he had also come back. Because of Jay's prayer?

It seemed silly to wonder about it. Kai was back, and that was what mattered. But still…thinking about Kai's resurrection stirred something inside of her. A hunger for knowledge. She had to know who had healed him! Maybe that same power could bring back Alyx, if it wasn't too late. Besai decided to speak to Jay about it at the earliest opportunity.

"Are we ready to head out?" Ronin asked. He peeked into the sacks Pixal had set near the exit, checking their contents. He nodded. "Good. Good, good. Ah…" He spun in a circle on his heel, glancing at everybody in turn. He paused at Besai, mouth open a crack. He licked his teeth. "Did you know you're pregnant?"

Cole choked, pulling the wine bottle from his lips.

"What makes you think that?" Kai said, much too quickly.

"So you did know." Ronin shrugged. "I just…noticed something was bothering her, so I had her scanned." He popped a hand from his pocket, revealing a thumbnail-sized white orb. "Don't worry, it says you'll heal from whatever you did to your muscles in a couple days. But it also says that you have an extra heart in there. And an extra head. And an extra…everything else."

"What-" Cole coughed again, approaching Ronin. "Okay. We can take care of specifics on the road. But I have a few questions that can't wait."

"Shoot," Ronin said.

Cole pointed at the orb. "Where did you get that, and what is it?"

Ronin straightened and blinked, arching his uncovered eyebrow. "I thought you would know. It's a Gem."

Cole seemed dissatisfied by this, but he let it be and turned his pointing finger to Kai. "The baby's yours?"

Kai glanced at Besai. "I…uh, hope so?"

"Yes!" Besai flushed, looking away.

"And Besai's pain has nothing to do with the baby?" Cole asked.

"No," Ronin answered, pocketing the Gem. "It has to do with too much- way too much- physical activity. I don't even want to know what she did yesterday to cause that. Here. I can fix at least a part of that for you…"

He waved his hand, and a white light appeared in his palm. Ignoring his surprised audience, Ronin guided the light to Besai with two fingers, and it seeped under her skin. She gasped.

"What are you doing!" Kai cried out, swatting Besai's clothes as though that would dispel the light.

"It's all right, Kai." Ronin pocketed the Gem. "I just healed her."

"How-"

"Kai." Besai exhaled, smiling in her relief. "It's all right. I don't hurt as much." She stood carefully, Kai stunned into silence. She still hurt, but it was much more manageable now. "Thank you, Ronin."

"Glad to be of service." Ronin winked again. "Now then. Grab Nephilim, and let's get moving. Time's a'wasting."

Well then! This chapter was a wild ride. Let's recap. Uh...Nephilim is Merv's daughter, Yuki and Senzo are in deep trouble, the South is seceding, and we have Ronin! Did I miss anything?

No? Phew. Well, tell me what you all think of Ronin! Like him? Love him? Meh him? :) Gosh darn it, I'm in love with him. You'll love him too, once we start digging into his backstory. He's pretty different from all my other characters so far.

Mervvvv! Kira asked me how old she and Neph were, so I realized you guys may not have ever heard Merv's age. She's 26. Nephilim is 14. She was conceived a few months after Overlord took the Western island. (It's sad. It's just...so sad. My poor characters.)

Phewww. It's like, really late. I'd better hit the hay. Thank you all so much for your reviews! I really appreciate that the numbers have jumped back up to more than like, three a week again. (::) Cookies all around! Have a great week!