I realize that I am dreadfully late but I have a good reason. For some reason my computer wouldn't let me upload any documents. Then none of the computers accesible to me will let me do that either. I just decided to try once more on another computer today and it WORKS! Yay!

I am really impressed that you thought of that answer. Regretfully, the death that I was referring to was the one on the first chapter. Tamara doesn't go down that easy. However, you are quite close in your guess that she has...or had...anyway, died. Your guess is really scary because it coincides with the later story so much. You'll just have to wait out what it means. You are correct in that assumption, but you are incorrect in pertaining to the details from last chapter.

Chapter 14: Arcadia

The next morning, Lyn woke to find herself alone in Mark's tent. Mark had already woken up and wandered off. After stretching and doing her morning rituals, she went off to find Mark.

No one else she ran into saw him. This was looking familiar. She met up with Eliwood and Hector and they haven't seen Mark either. This was strange. A beautiful day and Mark hasn't even gone out to say hello to everybody, check up on everyone, make every person who is uninterested learn why the sky is blue (Light is made of wavelengths that are diffused by oxygen and nitrogen in the air. Since blue is the shortest wavelength, it's diffused up to ten times more. Who told you that? A little girl on TV.).

They walked a little while and found him in the library writing down notes in his new notebook.

"Hey Mark, you're not going to die on us again are you?"

"No Hector," said Mark exasperatedly, "I have no intention of dying on you this time around. Last time was because…"

"Yeeessss, go on."

"Nah, it's nothing that directly concerns you."

"So it'll indirectly affect us."

"More or less."

"Oh, okay then, no worries."

"Anyway," Lyn said to try and steer the conversation away from something that she doesn't want to know, "So Mark, where are we heading to today."

"Lyn, Mark told us yesterday. We're heading out to that point on the map."

"Shut it Hector, I'm surprised that you even heard that since you usually fall asleep during one of Mark's speeches."

"Okay, that's enough you two. How are you doing this morning Eliwood? Lyn, that was hitting below the belt. And Hector, YOU FALL ASLEEP WHEN I'M GIVING DETAILS ON THE BATTLES?!"

"Calm down Mark. I'm fine this morning, we all are. The one we're worried about is you. And yes, Hector does fall asleep during those times."

"Oh well that's good to hear. I'm alright. Lyn, I'm sorry for that unexpected outburst yesterday. That was highly unprofessional. HECTOR! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF FALLING ASLEEP DURING MY SPEECHES?!"

"Not to worry Mark, what are friends for? Anyway, can we please get off the subjects of Hector falling asleep during your speeches? We have a ways to go from the looks of it on the map."

"Fine, we can go. Pack up your stuff and meet me at the entrance in five minutes. Hector, you're going to pay for falling asleep."

"Eeep."

So after five minutes, they found themselves at the entrance with everything packed. Mark and several other more studious members seem to have more books with them. They must have raided Athos' collection. With everything set, they headed out into the stormy desert.

It took several hours to get to the point. They stopped for a break. Not only were they tired and hungry, they didn't understand what to do at the point.

When they reached it, it was like a mirage. A large ring was standing straight up, with its edge no more than a thumb's width. It stood on a raised alter with great curved wings reaching up to the apex of the circle. Everything was gilded. The figure stood high above the dunes that surrounded it, but its location was cleverly hidden. Even through the shifting sand dunes, had anyone came in any other direction, the golden…thing would still be hidden.

The strange thing was that Pent and Louise found a mark that signified that it was a creation of Athos. They also found several similar marks on the scrolls they carried from his library. After circling around it for the 38th time, they found something else strange. It was an orb with a demon's wing and an angel's wing.

Several strange runes were also written, and this was what got them the break in the first place. Mark can easily read it, but there was so much that he decided to write it down. Pent volunteered to help out along with Canas because they both wanted to learn the new language.

Two hours later when everyone managed to set up camp, they heard joyful screaming from the figure. Everyone raced up to see what was happening. They saw Mark, Pent, and Canas running around like idiots screaming and laughing in the full desert heat. Mark was singing.

"You can dance, you can dance, everybody look at my pants."

The three lords came up to them, fearing that their brains had finally melted from the heat. Then they found out that the three lunatics finally deciphered all of the runes. It took more than 17 scrolls. Many of them couldn't even write half a scroll in a day.

"Anyway, this is a really big achievement," Mark said really fast.

"Yep, Athos and apparently Mark made this thing."

"I'll have no idea why though."

"It'll say so in the scroll once we read them."

"I don't remember making this though."

"But you have been missing a lot of your memories."

"True that. Okay lets read."

All of that was said in a matter of one minute. Two minutes later they all exclaimed that they finished.

"DONE!"

"DONE!"

"COMPLETED!"

"T-that was fast…" said everyone else shakily.

"Was that for all 17 scrolls?"

"Yep!"

"Okay, so what did it say?"

"Well Mark, why don't you explain this one?"

"Yes, since it is your creation, you will probably have a subconscious connection with it."

"Okay, sure why not. The mechanisms of this figure are quite astounding. This my friends is a portal. Similar to the Dragons' Gate that we saw but also quite different. This gate connects two points on this world. The way that this happens seems complex at first but it relatively simple once you get down to it. The plane we live in is folded and… HEY! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING?!"

Everyone was asleep. It was much too hot to do this kind of heavy thinking. So after waking everyone else up, Mark gave it the simple and sweet version. They needed more time on this to find out where the portal would take them and how to activate it.

"Knowing Athos, he would have some kind of doohickey or special lock to start this thing."

"That is true my Lord Pent. Remember the bathrooms at his place."

"I remember, Louise, you had to turn them a certain way, for a certain amount of turns before it opens. And don't call me 'Lord'."

"Forgive me my Lord Pent."

"Forget it."

"Okay, well if you two love birds are done, then perhaps you can help Canas and me. We're a bit stuck on what to do."

"No problem Mark. We're on our way."

After several more hours, they still couldn't find anything.

"It should be something simple Mark."

"Too simple. Something that even I would look over."

"Sounds like something you and Athos would do."

"Hmm…"

So several hours later, they still couldn't find anything. It was late into the night and everyone had gone to sleep. Everyone except Mark.

"There has to be something. Something I'm overlooking. Heh, talking to yourself isn't a great way to remind yourself that you're sane."

He turned away from the runes written on the figure to the ones on the scrolls. The way they were originally written, it started in a center and rotated outwards. Because of this, they had to jot down runes and words and rewrite them in standard writing format.

"Hmm? Strange. Could it be? Aruthe Cadamis Iatos. Yeah, this could be it. Aruthe Cadamis Iatos. Lieth Inu Fontus Tuum Façade…"

As he was muttering this to himself, he paced around the figure his hand lingering on the runes as he spoke. Eventually, it led him up the steps to the circle. He saw a flash of light and muttered "Uh-oh," before disappearing in another flash of light.

The next morning, everyone woke up and no one has seen Mark, AGAIN!

"Is he just disappearing in the morning just to spite us?"

"I don't think so, I'm sure he must have something important…"

"AHHH!"

"Quick, that sounds like Pent and Canas."

"They're at the Big Thing."

"Weird Figure, Hector."

"Whatever."

They found Pent and Canas scurrying over the sand trying to dig it up.

"What are you two doing?"

"Mark left the scrolls lying around last night!"

"Now they're all covered in sand."

"When I get my hands around his scrawny little neck-"

Just then, the portal flashed again and Mark came tumbling out. He had on a really gaudy orange festive mask. He also walked as if he was drunk.

"Heeeyyyyy Guys. What cha doing here?"

"Mark, are you okay?"

"Sllurre, I'm dandy." Then he leaned in close to Lyn, "I'm totally drunk."

"I can see that Mark. Man, we have to do something about your breath."

So after getting Mark under control again, they finally got a story out of him.

"So I was looking up the runes last night and it whisked me to a far away place. A world of wonder. A world…oh how can I describe this. Ah, I know! With a song!"

So Mark started to sing "What's This" from A Nightmare Before Christmas. He didn't even bother to substitute in words so everyone was left confused. Noticing this after he finished his song and bowed, he told everyone to pack up and head towards the gate. There, he touched the runes in order and opened the portal. They all stepped into it, and came to a whole new world.

They stepped off into a town that was bustling with business. It was active, but with a homely feeling to it. Some girls noticed them and came forward. Sain noticing this prepared his smile and flashed it at them. They just ignored him and moved towards Mark.

"Master Mark, how pleased we are to see you again. Last night was unforgettable."

Everyone was staring at Mark and he stared at the girls. "What are you talking about?"

The girls giggled. "Oh yes, you probably wouldn't remember. Master Mark, you really can't hold your alcohol."

"Yes, you were a true gentlemen last night. After that dance and dinner, you played with the children and still held on to that mature dignity."

"Oh," everyone breathed a sigh.

"It would seem that Mark is well known around here wouldn't it Lyn," Eliwood spoke as Mark bade the girls goodbye.

"Yeah, it really does."

"So Mark, where is this place."

"Welcome, to Jurassic Parks…I mean Arcadia!"

Arcadia, the land that Athos spoke of. The land where humans and dragons lived in harmony. A paradise on earth.

I don't know what I was drinking when I wrote this. Maybe some punch. Oh well. Anyway, the theory that Mark was beginning to say was that the world is not a rigid fixture. That space can be manipulated and shifts accordingly, like a fabric so to speak. By folding the said fabric, you can close the distance between you and your destination and cross much faster. Then you just have to unfold the fabric and now you can be several miles away in a short distance.