Emily, Navin and Karen stood with Max in the elevator as it rose up the wall toward the academy, looking out at the buildings now so far below that they looked like dollhouses. Max stood in the center of the car, smiling to himself as he watched the others look out at the urban panorama stretching before them in every direction. "This is quite a view!" Karen remarked.

"The best in the city, ma'am," Max said. "Your daughter is being given the opportunity of a lifetime, Mrs. Hayes, one that very few Stonekeepers are ever given."

Karen looked at him. "Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is this 'chance' that Emily's being given?"

"If she is, in fact, who the Council has been looking for, then she just might help us save the world." He gave Emily a look she couldn't interpret before the elevator stopped and the door opened. Max led them out into a spacious room with a high arched ceiling and made an encompassing motion with his arms. "This is the Grand Hall of the Academy, where the most powerful Stonekeepers in history held court. And now we'll have the opportunity to join their ranks."

Emily only half-listened to him as she walked up to a large set of double doors directly across from the elevator. The frame was made of white marble, and at the top was an immaculate carving depicting something she didn't recognize fully, but it looked like the face of a Stonekeeper without features. The doors themselves looked to be made of black metal with brass handles and covered in images resembling ivy branches that twisted into Celtic knots. "Max," she said, "is this the Guardian Council's chamber?"

"Yes."

"How do I get inside? I need to talk with them."

Max shook his head. "I'm sorry, Emily. That's not how things are done here."

Emily stomped her foot in urgent frustration. "We don't have time for this, Max!"

"You can't simply bother them unannounced."

"Unannounced!?" Emily spluttered. "I'm all I've been hearing about ever since we came to this infernal place! Besides that, we need to tell them about the Elf King before it's too late!"

To her surprise, Max chuckled. "And you don't think they know already? The Guardian Council knows all."

"Is that a fact? Do they know of the homeless farmers and starving people who are made to suffer daily for the elves' amusement? Are they aware of those who are imprisoned and tortured just because they're victims of a curse that turns them into the likenesses of animals? When was the last time their feet were physically on the ground anyway?"

"Insulting the Council will get you nowhere," he warned her.

"Oh, they'll get more than insults if they don't talk to me yesterday!"

"You'll have your audience with them," Max assured her, "but you must be patient." He turned and started to walk away. "Now follow me. I'll show you to your living quarters."

True to his word, a few minutes later saw them standing inside a lavish living area. "Oh my!" Karen was amazed. This was far beyond anything she'd been expecting. "There must be some mistake! This place is just so…fancy."

Max chuckled. "I assure you, Mrs. Hayes, this is no mistake. Your daughter is held in very high esteem here in Cielis."

"If that's the case," Navin interjected, "then why don't they just see her? Apart from liberating the world, what makes them so busy that they can't see her on something as urgent as this?"

"Liberating the world," Max said simply. "You have no idea at all what a responsibility that is."

"I have some idea," Navin scoffed. "And it strikes me as strange, if not suspicious, that they wouldn't want every bit of information they could get their hands on. Right now, it seems to me that the Elf King knows more about you than you know about him."

"That's preposterous! Stonekeepers know everything."

"Isn't the Elf King one? From what I've heard, he can talk to anyone directly without ever leaving his palace. I don't know what it's called here, but where we come from it's known as telecommunication—the ability to both see and hear the one you're talking to over great distances. Isn't it possible the guy slipped a mole into this place? He could be getting blueprints on your defenses and location right now!"

"Don't be stupid. The Council has kept this city safe since my grandfather was my age."

"Ample time for the bad guys to figure out a way to locate it, don't you think? They could have bribed or tortured one of your patrols into giving them your whereabouts!"

"Now that taking credibility too far!"

"Does it really stretch your imagination that much?"

"Enough!" Karen stepped between them before their verbal battle became physical. "Navin, I understand your suspicions, but we don't have the luxury of being choosy right now. We'll just have to trust that these people know what they're doing and leave the rest to them."

"Wise advice," Max agreed, and looked at Navin, who gave him a suspicious look right back.

Navin went out to join his sister on the balcony just outside. "I don't like this place, Em," he told her.

"So I gathered from your argument." She sighed. "I don't like it either, Navin, but what choice do we have? Where else can we go? These people are supposed to be the only ones who can help us."

"I always thought we were on our own," Navin said.

"You may not believe me," Max said from the door, "but I can understand your hesitation. And I want to assure you that everything we've done has been for your benefit." Emily and Navin turned to face him. "Your friends were merely taken aside to let you focus. They're quite safe and being treated as guests."

"If that's true," Navin challenged, "then tell us why you collared Trellis and had him and Luger taken somewhere else. For that matter, why haven't we heard from the captain and Leon? Something fishy's going on here, I can smell it."

Max sighed and shook his head. "You don't trust me. I understand that, too. I've been secretive of some things and I assure you—"

"I don't want assurances," Navin snapped. "I want to see that our friends are okay."

"I'd let you if I could, but—"

"If you could? Who or what is stopping you?"

Rather than give Navin an answer, Max continued, "Tomorrow will be your first day in the academy. The Council is very excited to see how you perform in the tests."

Emily shook her head. "I didn't come here to join them, Max; I came here to ask them for help."

Max looked a bit miffed. "You need to start taking this opportunity more seriously, Emily. These tests will determine who among us are the strongest Stone-keepers. And only the strongest earn the right to lead our army against the Elf King. It's your duty to help us however you can." He turned and headed toward the door. "Now make sure you get plenty of rest tonight. You're going to need it."

He bade Karen goodbye and wished her a good evening as he left. "Good night, Max," she said, and he closed the door. After a rather long moment of awkward silence, she looked at Emily. "He seems nice."

"On the outside," Navin said gruffly. "We have to get out of here and find the others."

Emily took hold of the doorhandle and pulled, but the door didn't open. "It's locked."

"Can't you just blast through it with your necklace?" Navin asked.

She shook her head. "No. Ever since we entered the academy grounds, the stone's power has felt so weak. Something here is affecting it, but I don't know what or why."

"At least we're being treated nicely," Karen said, attempting to lift the apprehension.

It didn't work. "Mom, I'm getting a bad tingly feeling about this place. Can't you feel the vibes? We should go."

"Navin's right, Mom," Emily agreed. "Something's not right here."

But Karen wasn't one to be easily swayed. "You should at least try to apply yourself here and not be so quick to judge. Defeating this Elf King fellow is the only way we're going to get home, right? These people seem like they could be very powerful allies and you can certainly use their help."

Emily gave her a hard look. "Mom, you remember that old saying, 'Ignorance is bliss'? Well, in this case, I think ignorance means death. Can't you see that there's something wrong with this place?"

"Don't look at me that way," Karen said. "I'm not blind, Emily. As you grow up, you're going to find that almost everywhere you go has 'something wrong' with it. That's just the way life is. You just have to be willing to follow their system and do what you can to make things right. So long as you do that, things should work themselves out." Her expression softened and she smiled. "And you might even help those around you on the way."

Emily sighed, sounding as defeated as she felt. "Considering our situation, I don't think I have much of a choice, Mom."

Karen smiled at her. "Come here, sweetheart." She held out an arm to her, then one to her son. "We'll be fine," she told them. "So long as we stay together."

Enzo, Rico and Leon walked down the street. It had been two hours since they'd entered the city and for some strange reason had encountered next to no citizens. The few they had encountered had either been sitting just outside doors on benches or hanging out of windows and quickly disappeared when they approached. "Well, this is disappointing," Enzo said, looking around. "This place is like a ghost town. Was it always like this, Chief?"

Leon shook his head. "No. It's strangely quiet now. This used to be one of the busiest streets."

They walked on for a minute longer before Enzo said, "Let's find something to eat. I'm famished." None of them knew that they were being followed. They came up to a small establishment that was barely more lively than the street. "This place looks open," Enzo observed. They went inside, where the only two customers sat at a table in the corner. "A bit run-down, but it'll have to do." The customers, both men and unaffected by the curse that plagued the land below, looked at them with expression they couldn't name. "A friendly crowd."

They approached the shopkeeper, who stood behind the front desk. "We're closed," he said bluntly.

The three newcomers looked at each other in confusion, then back at him. "But your sign says you're open," Enzo said.

"Well, I said we're closed," the shopkeeper persisted.

They stared at him. "All we want is some food and we're gone," Leon said.

"Then find it somewhere else. We're closed here."

"Oh, I get it." Enzo grabbed the shopkeeper by his collar and growled, "You mean this place is close to us, right!?"

"Enzo!" Leon grabbed the cat and started pulling him away before he could start throwing punches.

"I didn't want your rotten food, anyway!" Enzo shouted, shaking his fist. "It smells horrible in here! We'd probably get sick!"

Leon pulled him outside, where Enzo slammed the door shut. "The food actually smelled pretty good," Rico said mournfully.

Enzo sighed and put his hands on his rumbling stomach. "I can't believe I was naive enough to believe life could be better here."

"It's not you, Enzo," Leon told him, "it's this place. Something's not right here; it's not like these people to behave this way."

Enzo sighed again. "Get over it, Redbeard. So long as we look different, things aren't going to change."

"Sir?" a young voice called from behind them. "Excuse me, sir?" They turned to see a young girl. She was dressed in filthy clothes with ragged cuffs and had dirty blonde hair. "You're not a ghost," she said almost wonderingly.

Enzo guffawed at the absurdity of it. "A ghost! Is this a joke?"

The girl smiled slightly. "You're looking for a place to eat," she told them. "Please, come with me. And your friends, too." She turned and started to go, Leon started to follow her.

"Where you going, Chief?" Enzo asked.

"Something's wrong with this place," the fox told him. "This girl may be able to give us some answers."

"And maybe some food?" Rico asked hopefully. Enzo humphed, knowing he was outnumbered by popular vote.

"This way," the girl called. "In here!" She disappeared through a door.

Leon, who was only a few yards behind, shouted, "Wait! I need to talk to you!" She'd left the door cracked, and he peeked inside. "Hello?" Nothing. The others caught up with him and they went inside. "Hello?" he called again, still with no response.

"Another empty hole-in-the-wall," Enzo groused. "Looks like business is slow in this city."

Suddenly a door at the far end of the room opened and the girl reappeared, dragging in a woman with her by the wrists. "See, Mom? I brought you some customers!" She sounded rather proud of this.

The three stared at her for a moment—Enzo with his scowl, Leon with his passive frown, while Rico grinned nervously. "Hello, ma'am," Leon greeted respectfully.

The woman nodded slightly. "Hello." She didn't look particularly happy or excited about her new customers. If anything, she looked worried. But what about?

Before they could begin to wonder, the girl said, "Just take a seat anywhere. My mom makes the best yukmo pies!"

"Yes…" The woman put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" They went behind the door.

"Mom," the girl pleaded, "it's okay. They're safe."

"We're not welcome here, either," Enzo said quietly.

"I'm so hungry I could eat two whole yukmos," Rico whined.

Just before the door swung closed, it creaked open again. This time, a man came out with the girl. "What did I tell you about bringing in strangers?" he admonished.

"But Dad," the girl pleaded, "they're not like the others. You can tell."

"If we could just bother you for a bit of food," Enzo told him, "we'll be out of here before you know it."

"Out of here is exactly where you need to be, for your own safety," the man said. "This town is cursed. If you stay here, they'll find and kill you like the others."

"What?" Leon asked, completely lost. "Who will kill us? The Elf King?"

The man shook his head. "No. The Guardian Council." There was a concerted gasp of astonishment from the three newcomers. "I'm sorry, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Norman, and this is my wife, Arell, and our daughter, Alyson."

"Good to meet you, sir." The fox nodded and shook the man's hand. "But the Council?" Leon couldn't believe this. "They're the ones who sent me on this mission."

"How long ago?" Norman asked. "The Council's no longer what it was."

The front door clicked. "The door is locked," Arell said.

"But Dad, the Council isn't real," Aly said. "They're ghosts, just like the ones that haunt the city."

"Whoa, hold up," Enzo interrupted. "Not real? And what are these ghosts you keep going on about?"

The girl turned to him. "A few years ago, I saw some people I recognized, but they acted like complete strangers." She shivered. "They took over the city in a matter of days."

"And what makes you believe they're ghosts?" Leon asked.

"Like I said, I recognized them. But these people, they're supposed to be dead."

"Aly, that's enough," Norman said. "Remember what we talked about?"

"I can't just keep the truth bottled up, Dad," Aly said. "My parents are scared because they know we're always being watched. But I don't care."

"Alyson!"

"You're not ghosts, and you're not from here. So you must be here to help us, right?"

Leon hesitated, the hope in her voice making his words lodge in his throat as he tried to answer. "I—"

"Look, kid," Enzo said. "The truth is that we came here looking for help, not the other way around. I'm sorry."

Suddenly, someone rapped hard several times on the front door. "It's the guard," Norman said.

"Is there someplace for us to hide?" Leon asked.

The man sighed. "No."

"Dad! We have to help them!"

"There's no use hiding them here. The guard would find them quickly." Then a thought struck him. "They can escape through the kitchen." He knelt down and looked his daughter straight in the eye. "Now look. The guard is going to try and take us, too. So I want you to go with your friends."

"What about you and Mom?" Alyson asked.

"We'll be fine," he assured her, taking her into his arms. "We'll stay here and distract them." He looked at Leon pleadingly. "Please take care of Aly. She's everything to us." He took them all in. "Aly's instincts have rarely been wrong. So I hope she's right and you manage to help us all."

"I'll protect her however I can. You have my word. As for helping this place, I'll see what I can do."

"Let's go!" Aly said, leading them into the kitchen and pointing at the tiny window. "This way. Hurry!"

Leon jumped out and landed on the alley ten feet below with all the lightness of a cat. "I'm right behind you, Redbeard," Enzo said. He started to pull himself out, but his rotund frame lodged in the narrow space. Rico got under him and began to lift, grunting with effort as he tried to push his brother's girth out. In the end, it took both him and Aly to get him through the window. He popped loose and fell onto Leon with his full weight, and he heard the breath leave the fox's lungs in a great whoosh. "Nice catch, Chief," he said. "You okay?"

"Aside from a possible concussion and breathlessness," Leon wheezed, "I'll be fine."

Behind them, they heard Rico and Aly grunt as they hit the paved stone. "We'll be safer taking the backstreets," Aly said. The three took off, and after a worried glance back at her home, she followed them.

Norman and Arell stood staring at the door that shook and bowed with every rock-hard bang. This had only happened a few times since the Council had disappeared and the city had become a ghostly quiet place. The guard had always come to take someone away on the grounds that they had done something against the Council, and though everyone knew better than to believe such claims, nobody was about to say anything against them for fear that they would be hauled off next.

Normal, fearful sweat rolling down his brow in marbles, approached the door and slid the small viewport back. He saw an elderly man with gray hair cut flat on top and a well-kept gray beard. The man's icy-blue eyes stared back at him from under a frowning brow and Norman felt a chill run up his spine. "Cole?" In answer, the man he thought was Cole leaned back and kicked the door in before he could react. He landed on his back with a grunt and felt pain in his left eye. "I knew Cole Duncan for most of my life," he said, astonishment and anger equally evident in his tone. "He helped my mother raise me after my father died. He was a good friend and died a proud soldier." He glared back at the thing that looked like his friend. "I don't know who or what you are, but you're not Officer Cole Duncan."

"Silence," the man who looked like Cole commanded. "You're under arrest for conspiring against the Council." He motioned with his arm and two officers of the City Guard came forward and hefted Norman and Arell to their feet.

"Let us go!" Arell demanded. "You know as well as we do that this city is nothing like it was!"

Behind them, Duncan's eyes glowed white. "They know, sir," he said.

"Buy me more time, Duncan," a voice answered. "I need more time."

Leon, Enzo and Rico ran through the city, following Aly wherever she went. She led them through a labyrinth of twisting alleys and streets that would have tied them in a dozen knots after the first few turns, getting them through every intersection and around every corner with a confidence they could only admire. Leon marveled at her knowledge of the city's layout since things had gone downhill, and made a mental note to mention her to the Alledian Resistance fighters down on the ground. Her experience in urban navigation would be an invaluable asset to their command infrastructure.

But for now… "Aly, before we go any farther, I need you to show us the way to the prison."

She looked back at him like he'd completely lost his mind. "Are you nuts? The prison's what you're trying to avoid! Why do you want to go there?"

"Because," Leon told her, "we're going to need some help from our friends."