"Well, I do have a question." Glitch started, "Do you know who is really behind all this?"
"Not a clue, yet." Teagan answered, "Someone is pulling the strings, making the Longcoats go another round."
"Another round of what?" Cain asked, but looked to DG as the younger princess started to laugh.
"Teagan, they don't have a lot of idea of Other Side sayings. Technology and expressions aren't that current here." DG explained as she tried to stop laughing.
"Oh, sorry. I mean Cain that whoever is behind all this has somehow convinced the Longcoats to keep fighting… Whatever your previous encounter, go another round means that you'll do the same thing." Teagan tried.
"That makes sense." Jeb nodded, "Next question, "What is that dust that DG keeps seeing in her dreams?"
Teagan went completely quite and looked down at the table. She could hear how impatient Cain was being, but she took a few breaths before bringing her head back up. That obviously was a bad thing to do since now everyone seemed on edge and it was the Queen who spoke first.
"Child, is this dust really that bad?" She asked, looking to her husband.
"If it is what I think it may be, then yes, but it's a gas. This gas eats and I mean that literally it eats organic beings. Plants, animals, even possibly people and it's a horrid way to die. Once it's settles and becomes dust then it's relatively harmless. That's why I'm not sure who may be behind this." Teagan replied.
"So you have ideas? How and who?" Cain jumped in.
"His name was Karanavir, a man who had pneumonia for years of his life in his thirties and ended up in a locked up, germ free room. After years of isolation he was given a clean bill of health, so everyone thought. He was a brilliant man and kept up his studies while in isolation, but it messed with his mind. Karanavir ended up what we call a neat and clean freak." Teagan started, "Someone that is obsessed with keeping everything tidy, clean, sanitized. He blamed the world for everything and in a feat of genius… and madness… came up with this gas to kill off living organics."
"I can see where he thought it was a good idea." Az replied, letting Teagan take a break, "That way, where he was would make him feel safe."
"But there's more, isn't there?" Glitch asked.
"The easiest way I can put this is Karanavir was a teacher and had apprentices. He was teaching them how to make the gas and something went wrong and it was believed that they all had died. That's why I'm not sure who is behind this." Teagan replied.
"So what about my dreams, then? Of the Tower and that it seems active?" Azkadellia asked, "The souls and the Witch's power?"
"From what the Mystic Man tells me, whoever is behind this is trying to resurrect the witch. To make some pact and the Longcoats… are test subjects. He won't show me what they're doing, but tells me that whoever is behind all this needs a vessel for the witch. The souls trapped are used to feed the witch… The sooner we stop this, the sooner your world will be safe." Teagan finished.
Everyone stayed quiet for what seemed forever to Teagan. Questions ran through her mind; did they believe her, were they going to just take off or do something against her?
Finally it was Cain who made the first move, "Like Teagan said earlier, we need to prepare for the Longcoats and this war."
"No, we here will deal with the Longcoats. Cyin and Egmond said they would return as soon as they could." Ahamo jumped in, "You need to figure out a plan to stop whoever is behind this. That way, we will be ready with an attack and defense."
"Yes, I think your father and I could handle things around here." The Queen added, "Though I think we need to get to planning."
The group watched as the Queen and Ahamo left, leaving an uncomfortable silence. Teagan waited until the Ahamo and Lavender were out of earshot before digging a map and pen from her pocket. Cain watched as she made a few marks and what seemed to be calculating ideas. He was the only one watching her as the others talked quietly to one another. Teagan finally looked up and noticed Cain's eyes on her. She glanced back down to her map before getting up and walked down to Cain.
"Where is the Witch's Tower?" She asked, placing the map and pen in front of him.
"In all your visions and dreams, you still don't know where it is?" Cain asked though he looked at the map.
"No, just directions. I guess so I didn't rush or do something to get myself in trouble." Teagan shrugged.
"Well, the Tower's here and you have the Longcoat camp here?" Cain asked, "That's at least twenty miles southeast… so what's your plan?"
"If we're careful the we can get the better of them. Most of the Longcoats and recruits are there." Teagan supplied, "That gives us a lot of time plus the army the royal family is growing here."
"That's sound great, but what about our army?" Jeb asked, "Won't they notice and come to stop us?"
"That's the idea. The tribes and your parents will, if nothing else, distract the Longcoats." Teagan reasoned, "Again, giving us time, but not a lot."
"Alright then." Azkadellia said, "Let's get ready to go. As you say DG, the sooner the better."
"That's right. Not too much stuff though, maybe you and I should pack something together?" DG asked as she and Azkadellia got up from their seats.
"You both realize that we're going back to the Tower… to fight?" Glitch asked, stunned at the Princesses.
"Yes, but we figure one change of clothing and fill the rest with explosives." DG said, her voice oozing with sarcasm.
"They're right, Zipperhead." Cain added, "Bring what you think you may need, but the few packs the better."
"Raw and I can share one. We won't have a lot so we can put provisions in ours." Glitch sighed.
"Dad, you and I can put firepower in ours." Jeb smiled, following Glitch and Raw out.
Teagan stifled her laugh, but got up to leave. Cain stopped her, putting a hand on her shoulder. They waited until everyone was up the stairs before Cain turned to her. Teagan looked at him and swore about a thousand emotions flashed across his face at once.
"What?" Teagan asked, which Cain placed as teenager attitude.
"Look, I have no idea what your life's been like. Just what I was told by you and what we saw, but I want one thing clear." Cain stated, waiting for Teagan.
"And what would that be?" She asked, looking at the hand still on her shoulder.
"Anything and I mean anything pops into that head, you let someone know. Whether be it some idea or your visions or dreams." Cain said, "I won't have anything hidden from me, especially when I am trying to save my world, again."
Teagan smiled, but nodded, "I swear to you Cain, that I will come to you guys. I mean, like you said, this is your world. If this person gets the job done, who knows what will happen to the Other Side." Teagan promised, "I just have my knapsack, but there isn't much room."
"I'd figured anything really important, like the map, could go in there. Deal?" Cain asked, taking his hand off her shoulder and placing it in front of her.
"It's a deal, Cain." Teagan took the hand and gave it one hard shake, "But tell me… how are we going to get there? I didn't see any cars outside of Central City."
"We'll discuss that later, once we're ready to head out. Go get your stuff and meet down by the front doors." Cain replied, leading her from the dinning room and to the staircase, "See you in a bit."
Teagan nodded and ran off, heading towards the guest room she had been in. Cain slowly ascended the stairs, not in any rush nor would his old bones let him. He huffed at the top and nearly fell backwards when DG jumped from behind a corner. She quickly grabbed one of his failing arms and pulled him away from the edge.
"Sorry." DG apologized, but still had a smile on her face, "Keeping the troops in order are we?"
"Just making sure she doesn't bolt like before and to let us know if anything happens." Cain said walking passed her, "I'm not taking any chances."
"You mean because we don't know who's behind all this?" DG asked, running to catch up with him.
"Exactly and Teagan is the only link to this that we have." Cain nodded, reaching his room, "Now, go get ready and meet down at the front door. We leave in one hour."
"You sure that is enough time for Azkadellia?" DG laughed, walking down the hall to her room, "See ya!"
Cain shook his head as a low rumble escaped his chest. He walked into his room and shut the door, looking around. He probably wouldn't take anything more than an extra shirt. Mostly, he wanted to take guns and ammo for those guns. Cain counted in his head how many were going: DG, Az, Raw, Glitch, Jeb, Teagan, and himself so that made seven.
Seven people would be trying to cross the O.Z. and back to the Tower. That meant they would have to be extra careful and make sure they group kept together. Anyone to slow or straying away could mean getting caught. That discipline would be saved until they got closer to the tower.
Sighing, Cain wondered around his room. Collecting and throwing things onto his bed before he narrowed his choices down and it wasn't long before Jeb entered with a small pack. The younger man walked over to his father and the two filled the pack with three guns, plenty of ammo and one shirt per man.
Nodding to one another, the Cain men set out from the room to meet the others waiting downstairs. To no surprise, Cain noticed how the princesses weren't there. Luckily, they weren't far behind and the little troop headed out from the palace.
The suns were midway up in the sky and Cain wanted to cover as much ground as they could. The Tower was at least four days away at the pace they head to go. He knew where they could get some horses and they could ride until they got close to the Tower.
Cain and Jeb stayed in front as Glitch and Raw hung out near the rear, keeping the girls in the middle and in the least amount of danger. To his surprise, Cain noticed how little the girls were talking, but that may have been due to all the whining Glitch was doing.
Cain was too focused and the others to distracted enough to see a shadowed figure off the path. The shadow kept far enough back so that no one would see or hear as they walked in line with the group. The shadow smiled, knowing it was only a matter of time until their master's gift would be delievered.