The climb to the armoury was easy. The task he'd set himself was easy. Everything was easy. Too easy. But that wouldn't deter him. If everything was easy than finding her would be easy. Saving her would be easy. Loving her would be easy. And his life would be better.

Merrily Caleb tossed barrel after barrel of explosive powder, black dust; the Meridian equivalent of gun powder, and minor weapons such as daggers and knuckle blades out of the window with a grin. A bow and a quiver; stocked with arrows, were slung over his shoulders, catching the torchlight on the polished wood. They were hand crafted by his father, Julian and Aketon and meant a great deal to him. To find them in the palace armoury was despicable. It meant that Phobos stole their own weapons to use against them. It was pathetic. Humiliating to think that any time they lost to the Prince's army, they lost to the power of their own blades being used against them. And Caleb hated it.

He remembered everything he and his father had done the best of such memories being learning archery with him, one of the last things they did together. When he was a child, he had taken a great liking to archery and so, the two fathers; Julian and Aketon had crafted bows and arrows to suit him and the other children of the rebellion, giving them to any child who could use them. Aldarn had a matching bow and quiver though it was mostly unused as he had never favoured it over swords and spears as much as Caleb did. Aldarn, as a child and even now, mostly did things because Caleb did them. He saw Caleb as a better fighter than himself, someone to look up to and aspire to be, so he had a habit of copying the leader's tendencies much to the older boy's irritance and amusement.

Caleb ran his finger along the edge of the bow in fondness. They were simpler times. Back before his father had been taken in battle; killed. Back when everything was peaceful, even under the Tyrant's reign. Back when the rebellion wasn't such a threat to him and he didn't feel the need to fight back; so no one had suffered as much as they did now. Caleb sometimes thought it was their fault that the people of Meridian suffered. Because the rebellion, though it was for the same good of the people; trying to give them a ruler fit for the throne who would care, the rebellion had taken it too far. They had awakened the true beast in the Tyrant and made him show mercy to none; imprisoning and killing all who opposed him. Shaking his head to free himself of such thoughts, a grin slipping back into place, the rebel continued his work. Shoving another barrel out of the window he revelled in self-pride and vanity. Even though he was humble in most ways, he too loved the feel of a large ego as many of the other rebels did. It didn't hurt to have one, only to lose or injure it. He had accomplished quite a lot, barrel wise anyway, in the few minutes he was in the armoury. No one had noticed the barrels falling out the window and the guard of the armoury was slouched over in the corner; having been knocked unconscious before he had the chance to notice anything, something else that made Caleb grin. There wasn't a chance of being discovered yet and Caleb knew the next rotation of guard shifts wasn't for several hours thanks to Vathek's in-tell. So he was perfectly safe.

"Caleb!" he heard as his head snapped up. Hissed or yelled he didn't know, all he knew was that it was loud, too loud. He glanced around and found no one else was there; his instincts were calm and so he would be too until they were otherwise, but whoever it was yelling at him obviously knew where he was and wouldn't stop until he responded. "Caleb!" Emerald green eyes hardened and he peered out the window to see Aldarn. The idiot, he fumed as steam shot out of his ears. Was he trying to get the guards' attention or Caleb's? "Stop! That's enough!" The boy said in which Caleb replied with a curt nod, resisting the urge to shoot him with his bow and arrow, or throw an experimental bucket of lit explosive powder at the guy. He could enforce the rules of silence during the raids when they were at camp and he had more time to beat them into the boy. Examining the scene outside again, Caleb found himself glowing with a new sense of pride. Aldarn had done something, other than trying to blow his cover, and freed the rebels successfully and quietly. Quite the accomplishment considering Caleb led almost all of the missions and had never left him in charge before. Maybe this would give the brunette more free time if he had Aldarn to lead missions. Maybe he'd actually get some proper hard-earned sleep and be at his best for the next battle.

His eyes flitted over the group again as he observed their tactics. Every rebel for themselves it seemed. A large chain of new allies, rebels and the Elders were fishing barrels out of the mote, dragging them back to the banks before picking a few up for themselves and walking into the sewer. No one helped another person, instead focusing on their own barrels and dragging them away to the sewerage system. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. He hopefully wouldn't have to return too soon. He could do without the horrid smell of the sewer in his sinuses for a while. Caleb looked at Aldarn, raising a finger and mouthing 'one more' to which he received a glare but a mouthed 'fine' that probably would've been snapped had he been speaking face to face with the boy elsewhere. But he deserved to be irritated and annoyed and frustrated and hell, he deserved to be irked! Caleb could've been caught because of Aldarn. And now the boy deserved any feeling of irritance that came to him. He angrily shoved the barrel out the window and waved at them, gesturing to the sewers with his hands. He was saying 'Go', another thing that would irritate the Elder's son. Flashing a wink at them all he disappeared into the armoury once more, heading towards the back door. Now that that was done, he could find the girl; his red-headed Angel.

****Rebel Fire****

To say that Lionel was right about something once was okay. It was a healthy change from saying he was wrong and the mission was a disaster because of it. But to say he was right about two different things during the same day; was a miracle. And miracles did not happen often. And a miracle was what the rebellion needed. And this one, Caleb was glad had chosen to favour him on this day. Sneaking through the unknown territory of the castle was much easier when the directions were simple and exact. And correct helped too but Caleb had learned to expect they were wrong so he didn't mind...much.

The doorway from the armoury opened into a hallway, the middle of one. To the right was a dead end and to the left, was another wooden door that entered into a larger hallway that Lionel had said was called a corridor. Caleb didn't really understand the difference or if there was one. One word was as good as the next. But he'd been told by the scout, who was the male version of a gossip Queen, that a hallway was narrower than a corridor; thinner and that a corridor was larger than a hallway, wider; broader. So Caleb had agreed to use the 'correct terminology' and call it a corridor, if only to shut the scout up.

The corridor was a pale and dull grey colour, but its walls were adorned in beautiful imageries. Tapestries, entailing the wars; some old against the kingdom's enemies and some new against the rebels and Phobos' enemies. Landscape paintings that showed the world with three suns, bright and burning as they changed through the course of the day, finally descending at roughly seven in the late evenings so the moon could take their place in shining on the faces of Meridian's people and their homes. Family portraits, showing the generations and generations of dead heroes, Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses, all who had been in Meridian's royal family. Flaming torches that shone light across the dull paint, illuminating the walk ways for castle servants and residents. And burgundy curtained windows, though closed now, when they were open, they showed the somewhat beautiful villages, the hills and the single burning sun that shone brighter than the three combined as it screamed; "I'm still here!". It was a sign for the rebellion to stand up and say to Phobos that they were still here. But the imageries, the curtain colours and the constant reminder of the rebellion that shone through the windows, they made up for the colour of the walls, making it suiting. Almost perfect, Caleb mused. Following the corridor, Caleb was not pleased to find it branched off into two different hallways. Evidently Lionel's directions had to leave out this part, because of course, the rebel scout still had a mind like a sieve and a brain of liquid gold; the colour of his hair. Key word; liquid. Meaning not solid; meaning it wasn't all there. He wasn't all there. Meaning Caleb's time was wasted searching for the right rooms in both hallways thanks to the scout's lack of attention to the finer details in his directions. Caleb needed to find the bed chambers fast, and it had taken too long.

Down the hallway on the right were several drawing rooms, a study, a library, an empty plans' room and the doors to a grand staircase. All the doors had, of course, been locked, meaning Caleb had wasted even more time picking the locks and then searching them for information. Even if they weren't the right rooms and even if he technically was on his own mission and his own time, it didn't hurt to aid the rebellion. Besides, if he just happened to find something unbelievably useful in his search for his newly nicknamed; Angel, then it wouldn't hurt to bring it home to the rebellion. That way, they might actually believe it was what he'd been doing in the palace all along. Not looking for a girl who had his attention the second he saw her standing in the middle of a messed up mockery of an oasis.

In the other hallway, where he now stood, were...the bed chambers! Thankfully, Caleb had quelled his anger. Meaning that perhaps Lionel would just get a firm talking to instead of a slap upside the head and a lecture. The first two rooms were empty and unlocked as Caleb had discovered all the rooms in this hallway were, and he now waited outside the third room; listening. He had heard no sounds from within and it was dark enough outside to assume that anyone inside would be asleep. But he was hesitant to go in. Amazingly, he had yet to be caught and if this person, if there was a person, inside was awake then he was sure to be captured. Even he doubted that it was capable for a well-classed rebel such as himself to last this long, and he wanted to continue doing the impossible. His hands rested on the doorknob, ready to open it, as he drew in a heavy breath. Here goes nothing.

Just as he leaned down on the handle and the door creaked open, an axe buried itself into the door beside his head. "Holy shit," he swore, turning around to see a large bulky guard, his skin the same colour as the walls, grinning at him under mounds of scars and armour. "Hello there, traitor," his grim voice smirked, full of self-praise. Caleb saw the quick flick of the man's hand as it brought a heavy sword down on him. Reacting quickly, he yanked his own sword out of its sheathe and raised it to block the approaching sword. The clang of metal against metal; steel against steel, echoed through the hallway as Caleb inspected the blade. The craftsman ship was familiar. A little too familiar for it to have been a sword he'd met in battle before...Meaning it was one of the rebellion's. He ground his teeth together as his eyebrows furrowed and he growled. The guard looked at him in shock, as if he had never heard such a sound, and quite honestly, neither had Caleb. But he took the guard's distracted attention as his open and landed a kick to his chest, knocking him out the window behind him. A short lived fight, but one that opened Caleb's eyes. He gulped heavily, his mouth dry and he suddenly wished he had brought the water, offered by Aldarn, with him. Splash! What the—He hadn't even seen the window. So much for him and his legendary skills of observation. He waited for several moments before turning back to the door. Apparently no one had noticed. He was sure if they had they would've alerted the—"Intruder!" Scratch that. Apparently someone had noticed. So much for finding Angel.

Caleb dove out the now broken window, into the mote, arrows and spears being launched from all angles but none hitting him as he slowly swam to the banks. Apparently someone or thing up there still liked him. His instincts had started screaming at him the second he heard the alarm, but they had calmed such when he jumped out the window, to what he hoped was his safety. Now though; now they screeched at him again, sounding worse than banshees, told him it wasn't safe, to move faster and get out of the mote. So he kicked fiercely, powering towards the edge as he roamed over his observations. He was not going to make the same mistake twice.

The sky seemed to get steadily darker and he frowned. The sky around the castle was already as dark and twisted as it could get. And they had approached the castle at night, the darkest time for the sky. So that meant—it wasn't the sky. Looking up, he felt the astronomical widening of his eyes. Shit! he mentally screamed, before pushing himself to move faster. He needed to get out of the water now. Caleb nearly slapped himself. He had forgotten. Lionel had specifically told him to be careful. Though the scout had a head like a sieve, that liquid gold brain always remembered the dangers. "The bed chambers, Caleb," he had said, "are in the southern face of the castle. That means there's less guards but more chance of extra security." Idiot, he cursed. He should've remembered. Of course, even Lionel didn't know that the fish creature, which he had heard being called Fin or Fang, on many occasions; mostly by Cedric, lived in the southern face of the mote, but even the blonde knew extra precautions were taken where there was little security. Caleb motored towards the edge, the great fish monster Fin giving chase easily considering it was like, roughly four hundred times his size. It was toying with him. Acting cocky. The damn fish was acting cocky. Caleb dragged himself on to the mud and quickly rolled out of the way as the monster slammed its head into the bank where he'd been seconds before. That should hurt, he chuckled, serves you right, fish face. The sound of horns blown in the castle shook him from his moment's thoughts. He needed to leave, but he couldn't go back to the rebellion; the Prince's soldiers would just follow. He continued considering his options as he dashed into the foliage, hearing the roar of a shape shifter behind him. No doubt it was Cedric, getting ready to transform and chase him. He was so screwed.

****Rebel Fire****

Caleb panted heavily as he reached the large crevices of the dark hoo-gong valley. Jagged rocks and boulders, cracked earth, lay in all directions, standing as raised platforms that descended into the valley. There had once been no valley, but a great earth-shaker had made it so. The rebels couldn't complain, the valley made a good escape route. The sounds of the approaching soldiers caused him to spare a glance over his shoulder. They weren't too far off. Searching the area, he found a series of flat-faced stone platforms that descended into the valley near several of the birds. "Come back boy!" A voice bellowed before Caleb leapt on to the rocks, scaling them down; jump after jump until he landed on the back of the ostrich like creature. It screeched, rearing back before darting off into the valley with Caleb on its back. "Calm down you overgrown chicken!" He hollered as it raced between the rocks. It screeched in reply, picking up speed. He had lost his pursuers for now. But Cedric had a thing for appearing unexpectedly. And Caleb knew it was only a matter of time.

The hoo-gong bird collapsed after an hour or so of travelling, knocking Caleb off its back with a groan. "Stupid chicken," he muttered, looking around. To the north were the mountains; the rebellion, but to the south, was no doubt where he could find a portal, or a passling. They were good at finding portals. Looking around the area as he began to climb up the rocky cliff, he felt a wave of serenity pass over him. The kingdom and planet would be like this; peaceful, soon, when Phobos was off the throne and the heir had taken his place. Hauling himself over the edge, nails digging into the dirt, Caleb heard a hiss as a snake like body twisted and a tail skirted around it, waiting to thump him. He glanced up and his eyes immediately hardened. Cedric? Yeah. Pissed off? Yep. Unexpected? You betcha.

Yellow slit like eyes glared down at him as Lord Cedric, in his snake form, towered over him. "How can ss-something ss-so s-small be ss-so trouble-ss-some," he grumbled as Caleb watched with defiant eyes. He was satisfied that he could piss off the giant lizard. He smirked, something the beast should be familiar with, as he raised his sword from its sheathe, taunting him with it. He would make a purse out of him. A quick grin crossed the reptile's face and in a flash, the sword had clattered to the ground several feet away from him. Caleb stared at it for a moment, ready to dive after it before Cedric thwacked his tail into the rock and knocked Caleb down into the valley again.

Tumbling to the bottom of the valley proved painful as jagged rocks dug into him, twigs and loose plant roots tugged on his jacket and his head smashed against the stone, causing his ears to ring and his hair to become matted and wet with what he knew to be blood. But still, he got back up, watching Cedric follow after him, and he ran. What were rebels if not persevering pests to the enemy? "Catch me if you can Lizard Lips!" He teased as his eyes roamed the area, looking for an escape. A bright light captured his attention and he could hear the crackling of electricity over the sound of the brute's roars. Could it be...? Caleb was sure it was as he took off in that direction. He thanked every God he knew, every being of power that he'd heard of as he neared the swirling blue light that hung in the air, snapping and crackling as it awaited someone to travel through. A portal.

A loud crash, that raised dust and dirt, sending rocks flying after him, finalised what he had already decided. He sent one last prayer to his Angel and then charged towards it. Without thinking, or checking his pursuer's approach, he jumped into the portal, hearing the monster's enraged scream trail to his ears as he was transported to a new world. To Earth.

****Rebel Fire****

Caleb yelled out as he landed head first into a pile of garbage and junk that hurt his already damaged body. He heard a thud to his left and raised his head in a daze as he saw a girl with two long pigtails being lifted up from the ground by her three companions; a tall blonde with a vicious and commanding aura, a dark-skinned girl with short hair and a caramel brunette who stared at him with wide blue eyes. "You guys see the kid too right?" She whispered nervously as they nodded before the girl in pigtails screamed. His attention was taken back to the portal which now held the shadowed image of Cedric, much to his dismay. The girls yelled at each other; the caramel brunette demanding the blonde change them back as the others belted out their agreement. But change them back into what? He didn't have time to ask as the serpent appeared before him, latching on to him with clawed hands. He tried to hold on to the dead roots around him, throwing several things over his shoulder at the creature and hitting him in the face with a resounding thump. But it was useless as Cedric began dragging him towards the portal. He looked at the girls in desperation, trying to call out for help but he was stunned into silence as he gazed upon four much maturer and older girls in bright blue and green stockings with the traditional pink and blue uniform. The Guardians.

"Fire!" the blonde called out as the dark-skinned Guardian looked at her in confusion. "Me?" She rolled her piercing blue eyes before she glared at Cedric. She didn't want the thing to get that boy. "Everybody!" She yelled back as the others created a bubble of pink energy that connected with her own, and she launched it forward trying to direct it at Cedric. Beams broke away, shooting in random directions as the blonde struggled to focus it. Caleb was still shocked. On one hand, he was happy the Guardians were no longer old and incapable of fighting. On the other hand, he was devastated. The Guardians were now children! Young girls with no experience and they still weren't capable of fighting! Did Candrakar deliberately pick people who they knew would be of no use to either side of the war? Did they intend on screwing them over?

He was frustrated; something that wasn't so easily admitted by the rebel as it gave people an upper hand. But he was able to admit, the Guardians were useless and it irritated him. His mind, which was caught up in itself, suddenly started working again as the talons of Cedric's fingers dug into his sides causing him to gasp, and his voice screeched out; "Close it! Close the portal!" The quartet looked at each other in confusion before the blonde, who he assumed was their leader, called out; "How?" The pigtailed girl looked up, realization seeming to dawn, and answered for him, "Use the crystal thingy!"

And that was the last he heard as Cedric dragged him away, pulling him fully out of their world and back into Meridian. He was going to be taken to Phobos. All because the Guardians were inexperienced children trying to play heroes. The last thing he saw, before passing out, was the portal closing. The doorway to his escape shutting. And his hopes of escape and safety dissipating with his sight.