A new day arose and we reached the shores of the magnificent Hybern. The air is lighter than Prythian and the city is lively with its innumerable domes, little brick huts and many sellers cackling for customers. The palace of Hybern stands out of all the other structures of the city with its overpowering dome among the land. I am led to take a cart and the driver helps me up along with my supply. I sit and I seem alert of my surroundings. Power is everything, I think to myself. Power is the source of strength. Love is weakness. This is the truth of the world, no matter how unfortunate that may sound.

The king's minister of foreign supplies and trade was sitting on his velvet throne with delivery women standing in line with their supplies. The lady was delivering her apples while I entered the Court. "Here's 50 kilos of apples, sir." The lady with her sacks of apples offers to the minister in a soft voice. The minister doesn't open his mouth and keeps his head held high while throwing her money into her lap. A few women later and after an hour of standing with my heavy sacks, I come forward.

"Here's 48 kilos of wheat, sir." I say as I curtesy and bow my head in front of him.

"What happened to the 2 kilos remaining Amna? Gone with the wind like your hair?" He said to me, critiquing my untamed bush specifically.

I said, "Sir, you are aware of the loss of our wheat crops due to the war. We tried our best but this was the last bundle and we're offering this to you."

The minister is quiet for a second and gives me a hard look with those piercing blue eyes.

"You know we are strict with our supplies, but I'll let you go this time. Here's 48 coins. You only receive what you give." He said.

"Oh thank you for your kindness sire!"

I get to my feet and kiss his.

He seems to be satisfied by all the butt kissing I'm doing and says, "Now go on, I don't have time to waste with you."

I leave the room and ask the guard, "Uhhh, excuse me, where's the lavatory? You see, I have a disease, if I don't go to the restroom on time, I might bleed on the whole palace."

He gives me a hard look as if he's figuring out whether I'm telling the truth. "Go up a flight of stairs and to your right." He leans forward and whispers, "Now, young lady, if I see you loitering around the palace trying to steal gold or jewels, you know the consequences. Just go to the restroom and leave."

"Of course sir, I mean, why would I do that. I am from a family of honest people." I reply with a slight fluttering in my voice.

"What's in your bag?" He asks, trying to reach for my satchel.

Oh Cauldron. I relax and open my satchel to his searching eyes. He sees the box as I quickly put my intent on it. He sees a mini water skin that I transferred into it. The Suriel's heart is inside my panties. It feels so uncomfortable with that throbbing thing hugging my privates. The guard gives a bottom to top look at me once again and gestures me to go.

I take the stairs up and I wait for the guard to leave. As soon as he's out of sight, I hurry 3 flights down. This is where the Cauldron resides. I can feel the darkness gushing out of it as I come near its presence. I hide near the corners, save for my petite figure. I take the heart out of the box and whisper into it, "Now, how do I get in safely?" As I stroke the throbbing object into my hand. It whispers back while I place my ear to near it.

"Close your eyes and use the spell to shift into a roach that I will implant it in your brain. The heavy stones won't be able to detect a roach's presence"

I put my satchel in a dark corner and I keep the Suriel's heart in it. My work with him is done. I become the roach and everything seems enormously huge. My legs are more dangly than usual. But yes, this is the moment to crawl like a pest. But the next few moments with make everyone else crawl the same way. I reach for the stone and get on the wall. I look for a hole to go through. There's one a bit higher but I am determined to reach. Holding on the cold hard stone below my dangly legs, I am making my way up to the wall slowly and steadily.

Oh gods. I find myself back to the dark, slippery floor and had to start climbing again. Half way there and this time,

"But the place was cleaned two days ago Martha! I cleaned it! With my own hands!"

I look to see the familiar faces my history textbook had, long time ago. Those two witches and their corse voices.

"Well, it doesn't look clean to me! Why is there a roach here then!"

The other one points her wrinkly, bones fingers at me. She takes her broom and thuds me down taking me away. Hyberians don't believe in killing animals unless they're to be eaten, not even insects. My eyes catch a little hole in a corner of the Court. Roaches eyes are the strongest. I open my wings to fly for the first time. The witches stand aback with gasps. Silly witches. Scared of a little roach. I get into the hole as fast as I can before their broom catches me. They have confused faces and their sounds fade away as they leave. Once the court is clear, I fly back to the hard, cold stone and finally get in the hole the third time.