The Guardian Chapter 28: If Immortals Could Cry, a song of the lioness fanfic

(glances at the sidebar, highly intimidated).

I forgot how long this chapter was. It is one of my favorites though. :D

Disclaimer thing: I freakin own the plot, and if you beg to differ, consult with my human eating moose. He's very hungry right now.

Songs for this Chapter: We actually have a few here, to aptly fit this chapter's length. Helana → My Chemical Romance. This song fits the mood of this chapter nicely. I listened to it a lot while writing this. Ordinary People → John Legend. Such a beautiful song. It also helped me write this chapter. And finally, Hometown Glory → Adele. I JUST discovered this song no more than an hour ago and I already know that it is meant for this chapter. It makes my heart go all a'flutter. Just. Gah.

Chapter 28: If Immortals Could Cry

They arrived at Northwatch nearly two weeks later. The fort was bustling with many people, from smiths to knights alike. The massive amounts of people made traffic dense and space a rare and much wanted necessity. Welcome to the chaos of the day before battle, Romeli thought grimly.

The three of them actually had to stay in tents next to the headquarters. Due to their rank, they got to stay inside the fort and in slightly larger tents. The soldiers and fighters on foot stayed outside of the fort, their tents positioned in a block-like manor. Of course, there were no worries of a surprise raid. The two kings had come to a compromise: no blood would be shed prior to the battle.

The enemy themselves had stationed a camp north of Northwatch about a mile away where all of the Scanrans were staying. And of course King Jonathan had ordered their temporary fort to remain untouched.

Romeli sat in her tent. It was a small, cozy thing that was about as big as a horse's stall. She had just enough room to fit a bedroll, a lamp, and her packs in there. Already she was missing Sharpfang, who she left in the care of Ryoku. The cobra always seemed to brighten a dark room, or in this case get rid of her tortured thoughts.

The parchment that held the words of the prophecy and the information was in her hand as she looked over it with exhausted eyes. She was reading the paper without the words making sense; the parchment was only a blur in her unfocussed eyes. There was no use in reading it anymore anymore anyways. She had taken out and unfolded the piece of paper out so many times over the months that she had it completely memorized.

I'm no quitter, thought Romeli determinedly as she clenched her jaw and folded the paper back up. The Guardians said that the object will come to me in time, so...it will come to me. And yet she still looked towards tomorrow's bloody sun with fearful apprehension.

Romeli nearly skyrocketed out of the tent when a voice from the entrance said her name.

"Hellooo, Romeli! Are you in here?"

Romeli couldn't help but grin happily. Gods it was good to hear that voice again. "Come in James."

James came in with a joyous gait. He looked around her room observantly before staring at her with a jealous glare. "How come you get a bigger tent than me?"

Romeli grinned wickedly. "Because I'm more important then you," she joked

James stared at her. "So I'm guessing all the important people stay by the privies, or is it just you?"

Romeli fake winced. "Ouch. Is it just me, or did the heat lamp blow out cause it's cold in here." She pretended to shiver.

James threw up his hands in disbelief. "It's the middle of summer and you still complain about the weather! I pity you."

"I love you too, Queenscove."

James grinned and gave his best friend a tight hug. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," she said into his shoulder. "I haven't seen you in months!"

The green eyed young man nodded as they separated. "I know. It's been too long. If you want to, I'm going to the mess hall for lunch. I suppose you want to come? Unless you would like be a secluded loser pondering the depths of the depressing phenomenon we call life alone in your tent."

Romeli looked at James oddly. Where in the world did he come up with this stuff? "Um…I think I'd rather come with you."

"Positive?"

Romeli stared at him with level eyes.

"I guess that's a yes then! Let's go green head."

"I'm sorry?"

"Ah…I mean, Romeli."

"If you ever say that again, I will throw you in hot oil, blow you up into a thousand pieces, and feed you to my snake."

"Well you're threatening."

Romeli smirked. "Thank you. Now get a move on Meathead Junior."

James glared, but kept his mouth shut as he strutted out of the tent. Romeli rolled her eyes and followed him.

The afternoon air still had the cool crispiness of a Sunday morning as they walked to the mess hall. However, the peacefulness of a secluded morning was anywhere but here. Romeli was surprised that she could even sleep at night with all the pandemonium. Soldiers were calling towards their friends, cooks barked orders to their assistants, and the occasional sigh of a healer over another broken leg could be heard from the infirmary. Always in the background were the whinnies and neighs of the wide variety of lounging horses.

Their walk to the mess hall was a fairly quick one. James pushed open the swinging double-doors with the grace of a very hungry squire. The hall was also fairly busy. The cooks were storming about and dishing out food so quickly that Romeli could almost see steam come from their heads. She quickly grabbed her own platter and sat down by her friends.

Ethan grinned as she sat down. "I haven't seen you in a while Romeli. How have you been?" The rest of the squires looked at her intently.

Romeli grinned at them. "I haven't really been doing anything. Ryoku and I visited the lower city a couple times. Mostly that girl has been sulking about her 'boyfriend at the war'." Ethan grinned dashingly. "Whatever. Most of the time I've been practicing my staff and doing…research. But enough about me, what's been going on here?"

Tim shrugged. "I've been helping my father with healing, nothing really dramatic has happened. Everyone has just been thickening the walls with warding spells and setting up defenses for the battle."

Whave nodded in agreement. "Yeah. The only odd thing that has been going on is that King Jonathan hasn't left his headquarters in days. He's probably under a lot of stress…Romeli are you even listening to me?"

Truthfully, no, Romeli hadn't been listening to him. She was currently staring at a honey-skinned squire that was coming their way. "Shit…" Romeli whispered.

"Hullo, Romeli," greeted Quinn in a wispy voice that reminded her of wind rushing around dancing leaves.

Everyone turned around to see who the newcomer was. "Oh. Hi Quinn," greeted Sereem kindly as he turned back around and once again ate away at his food.

James looked at Romeli oddly before motioning Quinn to sit down with them. The only empty seat was across from Romeli.

"So Quinn, how was your stay at the palace?" asked Ethan as he looked at the other squire.

Quinn waved his hands is a so-so way. "It was alright. My Knight Master is a bore-fest. The only exciting thing that's happened over the past few months was catching Romeli and Ryoku at The Red Orchid."

All of Romeli's friends looked at her surprised as she paled. Quinn began to wolf down his food in huge bites during their silence. James gave her a look that asked for an explanation.

Ethan recovered first. "Really now? How was The Red Orchid? I haven't been there in a while."

Quinn grinned. "It was the most fun I've had in a while. Especially when I danced with Romeli," he added as he looked at the green haired girl.

Romeli hid her face in her hands. Oh, I'm screwed. What part of 'there is no way that I will ever be yours' does he not understand? She peeked through her fingers to see James staring at her like he was about to explode.

"Fascinating," said Whave as he nodded. "Do you like dancing?"

Quinn scooped up the rest of the food on his plate and ate it. "Do I like dancing? Of course I do, especially if it is with this young lady over there. You may not have seen what she was wearing…but trust me, everyone was staring." He stood up. "Well I have to go, I promised my Knight Aaster I would clean his armor. He stood and walked away.

Everyone looked at Romeli, who had gone impressively pale. "'I haven't really been doing anything?'" James quoted from what she had said with a disbelieving look of his face. "Did I hear wrong, or did he just say that he danced with you?"

Romeli looked at them. "Yeah, it's true," she said with level eyes. "But since when are you guys my guardians? Aren't I aloud to do something by myself?"

James stared. "No," he retorted.

Whave gave James a glare and Romeli an apologetic look. "We're just trying to look out for you. Do you even know what Quinn is known for?"

Romeli rolled her eyes. "Yes I do. And you would think that someone with as much power as me would be able to protect herself from the Tortall Sex God," she pointed out defensively.

"And what were you wearing exactly?" asked Tim as he stared.

Romeli grinned. "If you really want to know, ask Ryoku."

Tim hit his head. "Were you wearing something from her closet?"

Romeli gave him a look that said 'yes' all over it.

"Mithros, I do not want to know," said James. "Can we talk about something else now?"

"Yeah, we can talk about your fat head."

James glared at Whave. "You will pay for that in the practice courts."

Romeli grinned. "Cool! Can winner duel me?"

James and Whave exchanged horrified looks. "Um…you know, we should save our energy for the battle," pointed out Whave quickly. Neither of them dared duel Romeli.

"The battle sure is going to be exciting," pointed out Sereem as he brushed a strand of brown hair from his face.

"Yeah, I can't wait until I get to fight with you guys. It will be a lot of fun," said Romeli as the rest of them nodded. "I've always wanted to be in a real battle."

"Same here," said Whave. "Kicking Scanran butt is what I do best." All of them laughed.

"Well I have to go," said Sereem. My Knight Master...well...mother...wants me to help her with something." Everyone waved him goodbye as he returned his plate and walked out of the mess hall.

Tim looked at them weakly. "What if one of us…well…dies during the battle? I mean, we can't watch all sides of our body all the time. What if someone gets a lucky shot right through our backs?"

Romeli bit her lip. "None of us are going to die," she told them hardly. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

Whave sighed. "Easy for you to say. You have all of those powers to help you. There is no way that this war can affect you. You're so powerful, you could probably just wipe out half of the Scanran army right now."

Romeli gazed at them all sadly. They didn't understand that everything came with a catch. Not even she or Numair would be able to survive this war if what was prophesied didn't show itself.

"That's not true," she told them. "I have just as much of a chance of getting through this as you do."

James shrugged it all off. "Either way, we're going to represent our country tomorrow. Fight like a Tortallan. Die like a Tortallan."

"So mote it be."

OOO

"Lady Romeli, the king wishes to speak with you as soon as possible in his headquarters."

The cracky voice of the messenger almost made Romeli jump out of her skin. She looked at the messenger and nodded, telling him she would see him soon.

She had been daydreaming again. It had become somewhat of a habit. She felt the rumpled paper held tight in her hand as she stood up from her bedroll and started to put her boots on. She threw the paper at the canvas wall of her tent, wishing that her worried thoughts would fly away with it. Putting on a coat, she walked outside.

The night was a peaceful time for the fort of Northwatch. Only the sounds of People and her footsteps padding across the rugged dirt could be heard. The slight breeze, though it felt cold, was a peaceful wisp of solitude, as if the Goddess were stroking her cheek with her windy hands, the stars her ever-watching eyes.

Her sanctuary had ended short when her soft steps halted in front of the wooden door of the king's headquarters. She stood in front of the mocking door for what seemed like hours. She knew that what the king called her for was urgent. But what was so urgent that they needed a fifteen year-old to talk to? Dread burned through her stomach. She sighed; her eyes were tired, and she needed her energy for tomorrow's battle. She slid her hand onto the cool brass of the knob and twisted it. The door swung open easily, as if it were mockingly asking her to walk in. Almost hesitantly, she stepped inside.

The room was fairly large. It was a sitting room equipped with a burning fireplace that brought warmth to places in her body that she thought would be numb for the rest of the night. All of the chairs that were circled around the fire were full except for one that was right next to her aunt.

"Oh, there you are Romeli," said the voice of Jonathan as he looked at her from her seat. His charcoal hair was starting to gray even more than the last time she saw him. "Please take a seat."

Romeli did so with an expressionless face. She looked around the room to see who was all there. Alanna, her mother, her father, Neal, Kel, and Raoul were all seated in chairs by the king. Why was everyones' faces so grim? When she tried to meet the eyes of her father to give him a questioning look, he refused to look at her, though he clearly noticed her stare.

"So Romeli," the king started as if this were merely light conversation between friends. There was a clarity in his voice that he had something important to say, but didn't know how to say it. "How do you think the war is going?"

Romeli looked deep into his eyes. She decided to play along with his questioning, perhaps to stall time until the unavoidable topic of why Jonathan brought her here came up. "I think it's all right. I heard that this battle may be the last one of the war."

Jonathan gave her a more-or-less type of look. "If all goes well, I'm pretty sure this will be the last battle of the war. The other king and I made somewhat of a peace deal."

Romeli nodded. "So is this all you needed me for? I'm rather tired and would like some sleep for tomorrow."

The king smiled weakly at her. His eyes were sad, and he hesitated before speaking. "About the battle. All of us, after a lot of discussion, have come to the conclusion that it would be best if…if you didn't participate in this battle and...leave for Corus as soon as possible."

Romeli froze with an emotionless face. Did she hear him wrong? She must have heard him wrong. There was no way that, she couldn't…

"I'm sorry?" started Romeli confused. "What did you say?"

King Jonathan refused to look into her eyes. He stared into the licking fire, not affected by the smoke dancing into his eyes. "You heard me the first time," he said quietly. "Please go back to Corus."

Romeli just stared at the ground in front of her with wide eyes. She couldn't even think! Just…bloody hell. "Mithros, Jonathan, why!?"

Jonathan looked around at the other adults in the room. "I could really use some help now," he told them.

Numair sighed as he looked into the disbelieving eyes of his daughter with his own hurt ones. "Darling I'm so sorry…but…we have plenty of mages here at Northwatch. Even though you may have the pitless Gift, you still don't have much control over your magic."

Romeli looked sharply at her father. "That has got to be the stupidest reason I have ever heard in my life. I don't have to use my Gift, I can fight!" Was this some type of joke!

"Darling, you may be a good fighter, but everywhere you go, you always tend to cause some type of…drama. What if something happens and you get Chaos Thoughts? You would be paralyzed under the trampling feet of enemies. We can't take such risks," said Daine with a pleading look in her eyes.

Romeli's face turned cold and stormy. She didn't know whether she wanted to cry or drill pointy things into each and every one of their heads. This couldn't be happening! They needed her! If they knew that she was their only hope in this war…they needed to know that she had to stay by the battle. Gods, even her own parents are telling her to go back to Corus.

She stood up, unable to sit down any longer; her whole body shook in fury. The air around her turned a faint shade of emerald as her fury grew. Everyone, even Numair drew back a couple inches.

"I can't believe this! If you knew, knew what was really going on, you would think differently! But as if you would talk to an unstable, freaky, fifteen year-old! You should think horribly of yourselves. Don't you realize that this isn't just any war? But no, I guess you wouldn't since your wise old wisdom makes you positive that nothing strange would ever happen for once! If you weren't so ignorant, you would know that you are making a bad decision." Hot, furious tears were streaming down her face as she burned her eyes into all of them. "I may be young, I may be different, I may have green hair, but that doesn't mean I'm some stupid science experiment that you can kick around. I have feelings! Alanna, how would you like it if someone comes up to you and says, 'oops, sorry you can't fight in the war because you may accidentally go out of control with your sword. Oh, and because your eyes are purple'! You may not believe me, but I am your only hope. Do you think that some girl with such powers like mine would just happen to come across you for no reason? I pity all of you, and I put the downfall of Tortall in your hands now. And since you don't want my help, yeah, I think I would be more then happy to leave. And don't come crying to me when you lose this war and your country is in pieces."

She stormed out of the room, teardrops trailing behind her on the wooden floor.

Idiots, she thought furiously as she broke into a run. She didn't give a damn where she went; she just wanted to leave. They'll realize they were wrong tomorrow.

Her raging tears had blurred her eyes and she didn't notice that she ran into something hard until she hit the dusty ground. She wiped her eyes angrily and rubbed her head as she stood up. She didn't care what she hit. She pushed past and ran again.

Echoing footsteps were trailing behind her. She heard her name being called from the distance.

The voice was a familiar one. It was soothing to her burning tears. She slowed her run and stopped. She couldn't run from her best friend. Turning around, she waited until James caught up.

He stopped right in front of her, his green eyes confused. "Shit, Romeli what happened?" he asked seriously.

Romeli refused to look into his eyes as she bit her lip.

"Damn it, now is not the time to be stubborn," he said hardly as he forced her to look up with his hand under her chin. Tears came to his eyes; she looked so full of hurt, of loss. It brought a pain to his heart that he thought was never possible. Gods what happened to her?

"I've been ordered to go back to Corus," she whispered bitterly as she pushed his hand away from her chin. She looked levelly at him.

James froze. What?

"Are you serious?" he asked in disbelief.

Romeli nodded miserably. "They said that my 'unusual powers' may go out of control and cause more bad than good. My own parents said that. Your father said was there...and Alanna, Keladry, Raoul...the king." Tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm sick of being misunderstood James," she cried as she brought a hand to her head.

"Gods," whispered James. His father said that to his best friend. Her own parents. Out of everyone in the world, Daine would know how she would feel, being so different. And damn it Romeli risked her life, flew as a dragon all the way to Northwatch to save Numair. She brought him back from the dead! He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her long and hard as Romeli sobbed into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Romeli's tears slowed and stopped. "Don't be sorry," she said as she sniffed. "You're always there for me, and I'm so lucky to have you as a friend." She pulled away from him and wiped her eyes. "I better go. I want to make it to Corus by sunrise." She smiled weakly.

James looked deep into her sad eyes as he cupped her cheek. Despite all the things that people had told her, despite the unfairness and cruelty that humans seemed to always give her, she still smiled. She understood them, she knew they would learn, she knew how they acted. How innocent everyone was. But right now, her anger and emotions were too hurt for her to forgive them.

"Romeli, you're like a jewel to me," he murmured softly. "Just be safe," He wove a goodbye.

Romeli waved back, her eyes pained and shining. She turned around and began to sprint straight down the dusty fort. About twenty feet away, she jumped into the air, wings snapping open as she flew away towards the south.

James smiled sadly at the silhouette of an elegant dragon glide through the moonlight. Tomorrow would be a greenless battle.

OOO

The flight seemed to go by quicker than usual as she glided angrily through the milky sky. Sparks of lightning danced across the red tinge of her frustrated scales. Half the time she wasn't even aware of her surroundings. Her thoughts drifted furiously, making her want to hit something.

I'm such a fool, she thought as she glided above the lazy clouds. I should have known this would happen—so ignorant!

There is no way we will win this war, not without a price to pay. If only I found that item. Maybe things would be different. But it's too late.

Romeli stared at the expanse floating flat clouds covering the ground the ground below her. Not even a patch of farm could be seen below the sweet, frosty white. The full moon was swollen and large, making the moonlight glint off of her scales. The little sparks of distant stars looked like magical swirls of dropped glitter on a black velvet canvas. Overall, it was the exact opposite of her mood.

Romeli swooped down under the meadow of clouds to see where she was. She could see the city of Corus in the distance. A glint of pale cold light compared to the green around it.

She remembered not so long ago, the time when she looked back at the palace for what she thought was the last time, not wanting to leave the peace and tranquility that it held. But now, she didn't want to return. The view of the growing city as she came closer almost seemed like a mockery. She was really coming back to the palace. She was really kicked out of the biggest battle of the whole war. It was really only then that it hit home.

If immortals could cry, she would be one of them. But could immortals cry? She had never seen a stormwing weep, or a lone tear drip down the indented scales of a dragon's cheek. Gods or Goddesses didn't actually have that feeling of such magnitude did they? No. If immortals could cry, she would be the only one. She was always the only one.

By now, she could see her window on the rocky walls of the grand palace. There was no light coming from it—like she had been expecting one. She changed into the shape of a small sparrow, her tiny wings zipping her into the darkness of her room.

When her tiny claws hit the soft carpet of her bedroom floor, she changed back to her normal shape. She lit the few candles that were scattered across her room with her Gift. Angrily, she put some clothes on her bare body, threw herself onto the bed, and extinguished the candles.

Extinguishing the lights, she lied on her back, staring at the nothingness on the ceiling. The only soft illumination was that of the pools of moonlight that only lit patches and lines on her walls. She didn't want to go to bed; she didn't want to wake up to the cheery songs of innocent birds, or the mocking yellow of the bright sun. She didn't want to wake up to the destruction of Tortall.

A lone tear ran down her cheek before she turned over on her side bitterly and stared at the empty tank that usually housed her cobra.

OOO

The minute the black figure of Romeli disappeared in the distance of the moonlight, James turned around with a clenched jaw and walked angrily towards his Knight Master's tent. Right now, facing Alanna's temper seemed only mild to his own fury.

The light of a candle seeping through the canvas of Alanna's tent made it seem like it glowed.

"Alanna," hissed James through the breathable fabric.

There was a shuffle of movement before Alanna called, "Come in."

James entered through the flap of the tent with a stony face. He was the first one to speak. "Why did you do it?"

"Excuse me?"

James looked at her with glaring eyes. "What the hell were you thinking when you made her leave?" Fury was radiating through his skin.

Alanna stared with an emotionless face before sighing. "You're too young to understand Jameson. It was for the good of Tortall…"

"For the good of Tortall my ass!" James yelled, furious. "Do you realize how stupid of a decision that was?"

Alanna looked at him warily. "We have been talking about it for days…"

"I cannot believe this. Just because you're older than her, doesn't mean you know everything. Just because Romeli is different, doesn't mean that she doesn't think reasonably," he said hardly. "What if she had to be here for a reason? She's not just some powerful object that you can turn on and off. She's human, and damn you if you haven't realized that."

Alanna stared at him, but didn't retort. "Her powers are evolving quickly, what if something goes wrong? It's for her own good. It's already too late, she's probably already packing."

James stared at her with disbelief. "Packing. She just ran away with nothing on her back as a dragon. She'll probably be at Corus any minute!"

Alanna shook her head. "I appreciate your concern for your friend Jameson, but what we decided was for the best. Now as your knight master, I order you to go back to your tent and into bed."

James glared, wondering if he should obey or not. With hesitation, he walked angrily out of the tent and into his own.

OOO

Romeli woke up the next morning, she never really realized that she actually slept. She must have been so tired that she had drifted off.

Romeli bolted upright. Today was the day. The day of the battle, and she wasn't there to help or do anything. She was sleeping in a nice warm bed instead.

The green haired girl groaned as she eased herself out of bed. Gods she would do anything to just bring back time and erase all of this. Heck, she would even die. Anything to make this day just disappear. Walking to her closet, she grabbed a black pair of pants and a green shirt and slipped them on.

You're not yourself, she told her mind sternly as she ran a brush through her hair. Why don't you just get over it? They'll be fine without you.

No they won't, the miserable part of herself told her. My Guardians told me that I am the only one who can stop this. I just wish that I could help.

Well then help! part of her insisted. Don't you realize that fighting is not the only way to help? Time still has not run out. Maybe the Scanrans still haven't found the prophesied object yet!

Romeli set her jaw. I guess it wouldn't hurt to give the library another shot. Perhaps there is still time…

She set her brush down on her desk and put on some shoes. There was still a chance. And with that as her lone comforting thought, she left the room and walked towards the library with a confidence and stubbornness in her step.

A window passed by her along the hallway. She noticed that the sun gave off a tint of red, its hot beams tinting the trees and clouds with shades of red. The glow on the tops of the trees almost made them look on fire. It was a clear sign from the Gods that blood was to be spilt this day. It made the city seem silent or nervous. Quivering as one, wondering if luck was with them today.

Romeli looked away from the window. The whole hallway was vacant. She felt left out and alone, like all of Tortall was currently up north and she wasn't. She knew it was nonsense. Many people were in the city and palace. The Queen was still here, taking care of the palace and taking the role of messenger between the king and his people. All of the pages were even in the palace. They were probably cooped up in their rooms or listening to a teacher babble about nothing.

The library was as always—disturbingly quiet and secluded. Her footsteps echoed across the stone ground as she walked inside. She looked around; no one was in the library. She hadn't even seen anyone all day.

I guess it's a better environment for concentrating, she reasoned. Quickly, she walked towards the prophecy section of the large library.

This may be no Carthak Imperial Library, but damn does it have books, Romeli thought with grim humor. The prophecy section seemed bigger than she remembered, adding to her doubtful thoughts of finding anything useful at all.

Romeli walked towards the shelves in search of anything that may have to do with The God's Prophecy. There were books on Seers, famous prophecies, but nothing that actually said an actual prophecy. She stepped away from that shelf and worked on another one.

Romeli beamed when she found a book called The God's Prophecy. It was perfect. She took it down and sat herself on one of the chairs circling the table. Slowly, she cracked it open.

OOO AT NORTHWATCH OOO

The blazing glints from the bloodstained Stormwing feathers circling the battlefield made it seem like the whole Tortallan army was seeing stars.

The day so far was a sickeningly beautiful one for a bloody battle, though not a single trace of a bird could be seen within a mile. The sun was shining a comfortable amount of warmth. There was a hint of red in the sky. Everyone knew that many lives would be lost in this battle.

The whole three fleets of the Tortallan soldiers were lined up with their groups and commanders on the north side of Northwatch. Most were on horseback, though some were on foot.

Three people atop their gallant mounts were separated from the army. They stood in front of them, staring at the faraway border of trees as if expecting something.

The King took a swig of water tiredly. Today was the day—the day that would declare who was the winner of the war. They had to win. If what Scanra was looking for was as powerful as they said, King Maggur would have won more then just a war. When he looked back at the faces of his Champion and King's Own commander, he saw that their faces held the same fierceness as his own.

He looked back even more to the determined faces of his people as they stood, still as stone. All of their faces were expressionless, but their eyes alone said more than a thousand words. Each one of his people standing behind him had their own life. Each was an individual with their own family, own fears, own hardships. All of them were here for their very own reasons, men and woman alike. The thought made him shiver as he turned around to face all of them.

"We all have been through dark times," he said evenly. His voice rang out like a bell, rolling through the crowds. "We have all been in pain. We have all had a loss. I know that there have been times of such sorrow seeded into each and every one of our hearts. But I plead of you, do not be of the sorrow folk if we do not prevail. For there is always hope. Even in the smallest and most horrible of places.

"I know that you are afraid. No man or woman can not be afraid of thousands of enemy swords. But just remember. Remember why you are here, why you are risking your life. Each of you has a reason. You have a newborn at home, with those innocent eyes shining like ripe moons, staring at the front door and waiting for the familiar steps that are yours to echo into their soft ears. You have your country, your pride; such pride that no one can take away. Remember those peaceful days, ones with no enemies in our land. The days where you would laze in the meadow, chewing on a sweet, milky root with the laziness of a sunbathing dog. Remember the children who have yet to live a taste of our lives, yet cry through this war-bred life they were born into. We can not stop war, because war makes peace. And if we fight our hardest, we will make peace. Maybe not now, or in ten years, but we will make peace. I can not promise that you will survive. I cannot promise that I will survive. But just remember that if your life will end this day, you have made a big difference. You have changed the path of this war, you have changed the eyes of your children, and you have changed the thoughts of many people. When you come to the eyes of those we are fighting against, despite the fear that may pulse through your veins, I want you to remember—I want you to remember that I love all of you with all my heart."

The King of Tortall once again looked into the glazed eyes of his people, of the archers posted along the fort's walls, the burly men standing like stone on their feet, the mounted men with their expressionless faces. All was frozen. All was silent.

Except for the pounding feet of the approaching Scanrans.

Jonathan closed his eyes and turned around just as the shadows of Scanran soldiers became visible from the dark shade of the forest trees.

It seemed like hours before the whole of the Scanran army stepped into the ruby sunlight of the war ground. In the front was the serious face of King Maggur as he tightly held the reins of his mount.

Slowly the enemy king rose up his hand. His soldiers both on foot and mounted on horses started running towards the Tortallan fleets.

Jonathan could only mutter one word before they ran at a charge.

"Tortall."

OOO

The battle had only commenced about fifteen minutes ago, and Alanna was still chopping away at anyone draped in enemy colors. Her sword slipped lightly through her hands, and was as light as a feather to her arms.

It seemed to her that Tortall was holding strong, though both seemed to be equal in skill. Some Scanrans were holding some of the biggest maces and axes she had ever seen in her life.

Her sensitive ears heard the whistle of parting air. She lunged quickly out of the way just in time to dodge a mace that thumped next to her. The spikes were scant centimeters from her face.

Gaining her composure, she brought her sword up as fast as lightning and cut down the intruder. The feeling of metal against his skull as she ripped out her sword did not upset her. She had grown too used to the feeling.

Looking around, The Lioness noticed that there were at least twenty raiders charging towards her. There were some Tortallans by her, though not much. And all of them seemed preoccupied with their own battles.

She turned back to the Scanran's, sword held high. Not a hint of fear was shone in her violet fire eyes.

The Scanrans hit, and they hit hard. Alanna managed to kill two with two mirrored swipes to their sides. She twisted and lunged from their repetitive attacks like a territorial lion. There were so many of them that it was hard to tell where they were all located. She swiped at anything in her vision that moved.

All the while, being surrounded by raiders, some of them got lucky nicks and blows at her body. Most were not noticed, the rest were ignored.

Sweat droplets ran down her forehead and lips as she gave out a battle cry. She cut down a raider's head, and gashed another one on the side.

Suddenly a major blow made her trip. A raider must have tried to sweep her off of her feet. She stumbled with a cry, loosing her cat-like balance. A nick at her hand made her loose her sword.

The rest seemed to all be a blur. Raider's were holding her arms behind her back and quickly bound them with a chain. She tried to use her Gift as she growled and kicked at them. The Lioness was not going down without a fight. The chain was magicked; she couldn't pull her Gift out of her body. She glared read hot spikes as she kicked at anyone who came in striking range.

A bag was forced on her head to keep her from seeing anything. She refused to be afraid, but instead called herself idiot over and over again. No one could take out twenty Scanran raiders singe handedly.

"Take her to the king," said a rough voice in thick Scanran. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

There was a shuffle of feet heard through the muffling bag before everything went black.

The mage had knocked her out and quickly carried her off towards the hideout.

OOO

Nealan of Queenscove was in the infirmary as the emergency healer. There were five other healers on duty not including himself. Truthfully, he saw no point in having six healers. Sure, there were still patients in the infirmary, but he wanted to fight. He was a knight, after all.

Shut up Neal, he told himself as he scrubbed a vile used to hold elixirs and such. You're head healer of Tortall. The whole fighting knight thing is gone now, deal with it.

Neal sighed. He set the vile down with the other clean ones and made a quick round around the infirmary, checking up on patients and plumping the occasional pillow.

He tugged at his collar; it was getting quite hot in the infirmary, not to mention it had the stuffy medicine smell that drove him crazy. He walked over to his co-healer and informed him that he was going to catch some fresh air. After the co-healer nodded, he walked out of the infirmary.

His first gulps of air felt like a healing all in itself. He felt his lungs clear of the stuffy air only seconds after he walked out of the door. Sighing contently, he started to walk around the fort.

The clang of swords and other weapons along with the roars of battle echoed in his ears. His sons were out there fighting. He felt protective of them; he didn't want to lose them. And yet, he knew he had to let go. His own father didn't pull him out of a war, so why should he to his own children?

His own thoughts had made him let go of his surroundings. It was too late when he noticed a large man clad in black come up from behind him. The man in disguise put a black satin bag over his head and pulled him back into the shadows from where he came.

OOO

Laloria was posted with the rest of her rider group at the wall as archers. Romeli's older sister had no problem with that. She actually favored the long bow above all weapons. Her good aim was from her mother's side.

They were currently shooting their arrows at open fire at the trees where Scanran archers had been spotted.

Laloria thought they were doing well for only having one hundred archers posted on the wall. They had plenty of arrows left in their stash, and not one was wasted on a bad shot.

At the moment, Laloria was drawing her long bow with practiced ease. She shot the arrow and didn't bother to watch where it went. She was aiming for a patch in the trees that had a couple of archers shooting from it.

"How are your shots doing, Emmy?" Laloria asked as she kept her eyes on the patch of trees. She shot another arrow.

There was no answer.

"Emmy? Did you hear me?" the rider asked her friend. She lowered her bow and looked over to her friend.

Her eyes widened at the dead body leaning against the wall.

The feeling of a dagger against her neck made her skin crawl.

"Don't move a muscle," whispered the oily voice of a Scanran man in a chopped Common. He snaked a gloved hand over her mouth.

Everything went black.

OOO

As soon as King Jonathan had started the charge to the war, he made his way back to Northwatch to keep his eye on the people and to command messengers and such.

He was standing at the widest part of the wall, watching the fighting crowds below. Daine and Numair were also there. Daine was at the moment shooting arrows at enemies as fast as any Shang warrior. Numair was at the moment trying to take out distant Scanran archers with his Gift.

Overall the war was doing pretty well, though no side seemed to have an advantage.

He looked around the area he was standing by. The widest part of the wall was a giant square area that he stood in. It was used to search for enemies in the forest behind the fort.

Looking around he walked up to Numair. "I'm just going to go and fetch the Dominion Jewel," he informed the mage. Numair nodded.

The king walked away into an alley off of the side of the wall area that eventually lead to a flight of stairs. The alley was dark; somehow the torch had blown out.

Suddenly the touch of a blade on his neck and a hand on his mouth snaked around him. Everything went black.

OOO

"Darling, Jonathan hasn't come back yet. It's been ten minutes," Daine informed as she came up to her husband and tapped his shoulder.

The fire of Numair's Gift vanished from his hands and he looked around. "That's odd. He should have been back by now."

"Perhaps we should look for him?"

Numair sighed. "Yes." He walked over to a messenger and told him they would be back in a minute.

The married couple also walked into the alley in search of the king.

Just as Daine and Numair vanished into the darkness of the alley, another messenger came bursting up the other stairway and ran up to the messenger.

"We have three reported kidnappings," the messenger reported, his breath heavy. "I need to see the king."

"The king is off to get to the Dominion Jewel. If you tell me, I will inform him right away."

"Alanna of Pirates Swoop and Olau, Nealan of Queenscove, and a rider by the name of Laloria Salmalin have only recently been kidnapped," the messenger told the other one.

He paled and nodded. "Thank you. Please return to your post."

The other man nodded and scurried off.

The messenger went to an even more pale white when he heard the sound of a yelp from the alley. It sounded like Daine.

What was going on? He ran into the alley to look for Daine and Numair. Lighting the blown out torch, he noticed that no one was there. Sprinting down the stairs, he noted that the whole fort looked empty. There was not even a sign of King Jonathan. Another kidnapping.

The messenger ran back up the stairs and through the alley. Walking to the wall he picked up a mirror that linked the king to Corus. He had to inform the now highest authority of Tortall, the Queen. It was her duty to command this.

OOO

Jameson of Queenscove was fighting hard for a first year squire. He was by his other squire friends, taking down any enemy in sight. The next unlucky victim to come in sight of their swords was a large, strongly built man with a huge axe.

Whave was the first to lunge for an attack. The squire twisted and cut at his side. The axe blocked it, but left an opening on his other side for Ethan to slash at. Ethan pulled his sword out of his side and ducked a blow to his head. Sereem and Tim both went for his chest, but the man blocked their attack. James slashed his throat from behind.

When James slashed the enemy's throat, the flat of a man's sword suddenly hit him hard from behind. His body crumpled off of his horse and onto the ground.

Before any of his friends could come over to him, the man who knocked him out, scooped him up and started run away with him into the crowds of fighters.

His friends ran over to get him, but it was too late. The kidnapper and James were nowhere to be seen.

"Someone go to the king right now!" yelled Whave as his friends tried to look for any sign of him. They looked at Whave and nodded.

OOO AT THE PLACE OOO

The God's Prophesy

Two countries will take a turn. One knows It. One has It. It has the meaning of life, power, magic, and jewel. Lands will collide. Blood will spread. All for It.

That was all that circled in Romeli's mind as she read book after helpless book for what seemed like hours. Her eyes were tired, and the task was tedious.

Romeli leaned back in her chair with a hopeless sigh. What was the use? For all she knew, the Scanrans already won. They could have already gotten the prophesied object, ridding of all hope of Tortall winning the war. The king could have surrendered.

She took a sip of water from her glass and set it back down on the table. Turning the pages of her latest book, she found that it was just the same as all the other ones were. They only talked about the life of Taranatok Tanraoloph and about how mysterious and perhaps inaccurate the prophecy was.

She needed something useful, she needed a clue. But of course it would be a miracle if anything came up now.

Time is running out Romeli.

Yeah, well, time already did run out, so why bother looking now? What use was in finding something that was impossible to find?

The sound of light footsteps was heard behind her. Romeli froze and turned around to face The Queen of Tortall, Thayet. The queen's silky black hair and ivory cream skin looked strained. Her raven eyes were weary. Thayet sat down across from Romeli with a swan like grace that would have made a cat envious.

Romeli stared at the queen confused. What in the world was she doing here? "Yes, Your Highness?" Romeli asked. There was a hint of confusion in her voice.

"I have bad news," Thayet informed with a grim voice. She looked evenly into Romeli's green and blue eyes.

Romeli paled. Did something happen? Did they loose the war? Did something happen to her parents?

Romeli swallowed. "Did—did we lose?" Romeli choked out with a feeble voice.

Thayet smiled weakly and shook her head. A hand that squeezed her heart with a torturous grip loosened, but only slightly. She wanted to sigh with relief, but she knew that it wasn't the end. There was more.

"What happened then?" Romeli asked. She quivered at the thought of what the answer would be.

"Romeli, I don't really know how to break this to you," she started. "But I am sorry to say that about half an hour ago, your family, along with your aunt, Nealan and his son Jameson, and…and my husband, were kidnapped."

Romeli froze with wide eyes. Kidnapped? How in the world do you kidnap some of the most powerful people in the world, was her first question. And how in the name of Mithros do you get away with it?

"Are they going to be all right?" demanded Romeli, worry covering her face

"We don't know," said Queen Thayet truthfully. "We know they are most likely hoarded in King Maggur's hideout, but no one can get there now because of the battle."

Romeli stared. "And what do you want me to do about it?"

Thayet wrung her hands uneasily. "I don't know. I just wanted to tell you. I thought you would want to know."

Romeli nodded. "Thanks."

The Queen nodded, stood up and walked out of the library with the look of a stressed woman.

Romeli sighed helplessly. This just gets better and better doesn't it. Not only did she have to find the object to save Tortall, but she also had to save her friends, family, and even the king. The thought made her want to scream.

There was only one thing to do. She had to find the object. Had to, or the people she loved would die.

Okay Romeli, breathe, she thought calmly as she opened another book. Taking a sip of water, her eyes fell upon the prophecy for the ump-teenth time.

The God's Prophesy

Two countries will take a turn. One knows It. One has It. It has the meaning of life, power, magic, and jewel. Lands will collide. Blood will spread. All for It.

Romeli froze, her lips still touching the glass of the cup. The water licked at her lips. Oh Gods…

She dropped the glass; the cup shattered and broke against the cold stone. Shards of the glass sprinkled across the ground, but she didn't notice.

Her eyes grew wide as she stared at the book. There was no way…it couldn't actually be…

But it made so much sense…

You see Romeli, you carry the scale of life.

Life…

Power…

We have plenty of mages here at Northwatch. Even though you may have the Pitless gift, you still don't have much control over your magic.

Magic…

"Romeli, you're like a jewel to me," he murmured softly.

Jewel…

"…Gods," whispered Romeli. I am the prophesied one.

This couldn't be. How could she be so stupid? Had it been so obvious all along?

Your time and the time of others is running out.

Gods, it was so obvious. There had been so many clues…

Open your eyes, do you not see what's around you?

Her Guardians had been so clear with her. But her mind was so fogged with other problems that she thought were more important.

Give it to someone who can control it and wield it. It is said that only that person who holds that power can stop the war.

It seemed to clear to her now. She had to control herself to stop the war. She held the power to stop the war.

And there was only one thing left to do. She had to go back to Northwatch and save her friends...and all of Tortall.

Romeli stood up. She felt so…so new and powerful. Like she was the only hope, like she was all that mattered. Walking to the window, she pushed it open, the wind beckoning her outside.

She stood up on the bottom border of the window. Closing her eyes, she felt the wind blow by her, making her feel like she was one with the sky.

She pushed herself off of the window with a large leap. She quickly transformed into the emerald dragon. As quickly as her large wings would allow her, she made her way to Northwatch.

It was time to save Tortall.

OOO

The captors were hoarded in Scanra's hideout, which was located about a mile deep in the forest behind Northwatch.

The hideout itself was truthfully not that good looking. It had the tents and latrines, food, and horses all located around a single building that housed King Maggur.

The building had four rooms. Two downstairs, two upstairs. Downstairs was the lounge/meeting room that housed the front entrance and stairs. The door next to the stairs led to the temporary jail.

Alanna kicked the dirt ground of their hoarding area as she sat on the long bench that was sticking out from the wall. I can not believe Scanrans just kidnapped me. You have got to be kidding me.

Neal, Jonathan, Daine, Numair, and Laloria, who were also there, looked to be having the same thoughts.

Suddenly the door burst open and two Scanrans came in holding a very rebellious looking James by the arms. They sat him down next to Neal and Alanna with brute force before quickly walking out once again.

"You too, huh?" James asked as he elbowed Alanna.

Alanna looked at the opposite wall very embarrassed and angry. "Shut up Queenscove."

Neal looked at his son, concern etched in his face. "Are you going to be all right?"

James shrugged with his arms still tied behind his back. "I have to admit that I didn't plan on getting kidnapped for my first war, and my head hurts like none other, but besides that, yeah life is great."

Neal rolled his eyes. Sons.

"Why the hell did you get kidnapped anyway?" demanded Alanna as she looked at him. "You're only a squire."

James grinned. "Yes but I'm your squire. And they were jealous of my good looks."

Alanna hit her head with her hands. Well, she would have if they weren't tied behind her back. More or less, she glared. "You are too much like your father."

Neal glared. But then he realized that was actually a compliment, so he beamed. Yeah, he was pretty good looking.

"Alanna, Neal, stop this genetic bickering right now," ordered King Jonathan.

Alanna glared. Silence.

"Thank you. Now I don't care how or even why we are here. All that I'm concerned about is getting out. Daine, can you transform into an animal and get us out?"

Daine shook her head miserably. "They bound my ties to the wall, and the bindings are magicked to fit any form I take."

"I know my ties won't let me use my Gift," said Jonathan. "Is that the same with all of you?"

Alanna, Neal, and Numair gave a downcast nod. James looked at his ties and shrugged. He tried to use his Gift. His bindings were also magicked.

Jonathan looked at all of them. "Any other ideas?"

The rest of them shook their heads miserably.

Everyone looked towards the door at the sound of it opening. None other then King Maggur entered through the doorway, clad in a silky white tunic and black breeches. He smiled victoriously at them. Obviously he was very pleased.

"Hello everyone," he greeted in a slow, almost evil way. "I trust you're having a good stay."

Alanna glared at the other king defiantly. "What's with the kidnapping, Maggot," she demanded.

Maggur's lips peeled into a grin. He walked over to The Lioness. "You'll see soon my dear. All in good time. You know, it really was a challenge to get you. You killed nearly half of my men. You should be proud…Lioness."

Alanna spat in his face and called him many naughty things.

Maggur wiped away the saliva as he walked over to Jonathan. "Hello Jonathan. Oh how the tables have turned."

King Jonathan stared at Maggur with a serious and yet surprised face. "You found It didn't you."

Maggur grinned. "You catch on fast Jonathan. Yes I did find It. And, by the looks of it. I'm going to win this battle as well."

Jonathan stared at the other king. "Show me. Show me and end this war, Maggur. Fine, we lost. What does it matter?"

Maggur stares. "What does it matter? It matters a lot. We found the object, and I guess now won the war. I won much more than just a battle. And you want me to show it you? All in good time…"

Numair looked at the two of them. "Are you speaking of The God's Prophecy?"

Maggur turned to Numair. "Very good Master Salmalin. You proe to be smarter than I thought. And yet, I thought you would recognize the happening of a prophecy when you saw it."

Numair shook his head. How did he not notice before? He had been so wrong.

Maggur grinned victoriously. "I think a lot of things will be explained today."

OOO

Romeli flew over the battle of Northwatch as quickly as she could. The battle seemed to be doing okay, thought she saw no sign of one country having an advantage.

Quickly, when she neared the edge of the forest, she swooped down until her claws brushed the grass. She quickly turned into a human and sprinted into the forest.

After she had put on her spare change of clothes, she started running as quickly as she could towards the Scanran fort.

The hideout was a small thing. She saw a couple of soldiers on guard. Now all she had to do was find where her friends were. She suspected they were in the only building that was towards the center of the hideout.

Romeli clenched her jaw. Sneaking behind a tent, she began the hastened walk to the building.

She was about two tents over when there was a Scanran cry. Romeli turned around and swallowed hardly when she saw five soldiers running after her.

Romeli faced them and stood straight. Staring darkly at them, she rose her palms where two balls of emerald fire danced in her hands. They were in for the time of their lives.

The soldiers hesitated when they saw the pools of emerald light. Drawing their once sheathed swords, they ran towards her.

Romeli took one deep breath before she brought one hand up and twisted her hand into a fist. A wall of green flame circled around them. They stopped in their tracks, looking around for any type of exit. With another twist of her hand, their swords flew out of their hands and were engulfed in flame.

She left them there and continued on, this time running. Other soldiers would have noticed her by now.

Another perhaps twenty feet down, she ran into another skirmish with soldiers. She pinned two of them with the branches of a nearby tree with her plant magic.

She lunged down on the ground from a side attack and swept the violator off of his feet. Jumping up, she spun and side kicked another one in the jaw. She threw the last soldier over her hip and kicked him where it hurt.

Once again, she ran away at a sprint.

At last she made it to the building. Quickly she slipped through the door and found herself in a lounge. By the stairs was what looked like a thick door. They must be in here.

Slowly she walked towards the door. Okay, here we go…she breathed in deeply and opened the door. Power radiating from the pores of her body, she stepped a foot inside.

"Hello, Maggot."

The King Maggur, whose back was facing her, froze. His captors stared at her with wide eyes

King Maggur slowly grinned. "Hello Romeli. I've been expecting you."

Romeli looked at him surprised, her heart jumping in her throat "…You...you have?"

Maggur's grin grew. "Dear girl, you don't know do you? And I thought that someone with so much power would realize my plans. I suppose not. A bit depressing actually."

Romeli stared at him confused. How did he know her name? But then she thought deeper…this couldn't all be coincidence…

The crab clicked its claws. "I don't think it will be hard. The thing seems to be easy to manipulate. I bet it doesn't even know of its true potential. If we get some dirt on it, find a sore spot, it will come crawling straight to us."

Maggot grinned. "Good," he said very pleased. "You know what your job is my spy. Don't let me down."

Romeli stared at him. "You planned this. All of it," she stated flatly. How could she be so stupid? She felt like she had just hit a double negative. She had come to save her friends, but by saving them, she had taken the bait, falling right into Maggur's trap.

"Good job my dear, you found out at last," said Maggur. Maggur turned to his prisoners. "Well, as I promised. This is the Prophesied One."

Jonathan gaped at a defiant Romeli. "Romeli? You were the One all along? How come you didn't tell me?"

Romeli looked at him sadly. "I didn't know. I only found out about two hours ago. Right after I found out you were kidnapped. Right after I fell into the trap." She looked away from Jonathan and back at Maggur with a contemptuous glare.

"Why did you do this?" she demanded angrily. The air around her turned a faint emerald and began to ripple. She brought out her Gift in her palm.

"Nah ah, my dear," chided Maggur with a teasing voice. "If you attack me, I push this button." He showed a small button on his bracelet. "And your friends go bye-bye."

Romeli froze and lowered her arm with a struggle. Her eyes could have burned. But overall, she knew this was a no win situation. Maggur would have kidnapped them anyway, and if she didn't come, he would have killed them. For the sake of her king and the people she loved, she would have to pull through with her plan.

I should have known that it would come down to this, she thought sadly. There is no way we will win this war, not without a price to pay.

"How do you know my name?" she demanded angrily as she looked at him. His face made her skin creep.

"It's all thanks to my spy," informed Maggur simply yet darkly. "Spy 24, do you mind showing yourself?"

There was a creak from the opening door as a young lady came in, clad in all black. And yet she was as recognizable as ever.

Alanna gaped at the grinning woman in front of her. Romeli too looked astounded, as did Daine, Numair, and Laloria.

"Maryann?" choked out Alanna as she stared at her cook. Maryann grinned and wiggled her fingers in a silent hello. She walked over to her king. He put an arm around her waist.

"Oh the irony," said a smiling King Maggur. "Maryann is my ace spy. She was the one who planned this whole thing."

Romeli felt like killing something. Or someone. This just got better and better, didn't it.

"So Romeli," started King Maggur. "It all comes down to this. You see, Jonathan and I made a sort of deal."

"Wait…you two gambled over me!?" Of all the lowest things…

"Not a gamble exactly," corrected Maggur. "We swore by blood that if Tortall won the war, I would never attack their borders again. And if I won, I would get to find you and bring you to Scanra."

"Jonathan! How could you just give me away like that!" demanded Romeli, feeling completely betrayed. Here she comes to save his life, and he made a deal to throw her to the enemy?

Jonathan gave her an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know what the thing he spoke of was. I didn't even know who you were."

Romeli clenched her jaw. As much as she hated to say it, he was right. She whipped her head back to Maggur, glaring.

Maggur continued again. "Well as you can see, the tables have turned. I have already gotten you before the end of the war, and there is no decided winner. So. Either you come back to Scanra with me forever and I set your friends free, or I destroy everything that you hold dear."

Romeli's eyes widened as she froze. She knew this would happen. She knew that some sacrifice had to be made for Tortall to win. Her life would be no stroll in the park, she knew that before all of this even began. As she looked over at her friends and family, tears began to well up. Either way, no one here was going to be a winner. Her eyes fell upon James' own green ones. He gave her a pleading, shaking his head slowly. A lone tear rolled down her cheek as she smiled at him weakly. It was almost hysterical how she was going to throw her life away right now. But it was either her life, or the life of her ruler and everyone she ever cared about.

Slowly she took and unsheathed a dagger from inside her boot and brought it up to her neck. She stared a King Maggur darkly. Her eyes began to fill with a mixture of burning hatred and desperate passion.

"Gods…" whispered Neal.

"Romeli," Alanna started with wide eyes. Numair, Daine, and Laloria went as pale.

Romeli ignored them as she continued to look at Maggur. She closed her eyes, as if to mediate, and opened them again. "I…I accept your deal," she whispered as if it pained her. "Under one condition. You can only have me if you end this war right now and never attack us again. And if you don't, I swear I will slit my throat. I swear I will."

Romeli stared at him darkly, as if she were daring him to refuse. Slowly she applied pressure to her neck until blood began to trickle down.

"Romeli stop," whispered James as if it pained him as well. Tears rolled down his eyes, but he didn't bother wiping them away.

"Ok," said Maggur as he stared at her neck. "You have a deal. But only you can stop this war. So go on, stop it."

Romeli clenched her jaw. He was right. Only she could stop this war. It wasn't like they could send out a peace flag or something like that. She closed her eyes and brought out all of her power, the infinite amount of magic that could never end—all the magic that she had ever used in her life. The air around her rippled until it looked to be almost a fog-ish blur. The essence around her, the pores of the air turned a bright green. She herself began to glow, as if her Gift tucked inside was so bright that the light escaped through her skin. When she opened her eyes, they blazed a green so blinding that it made the stars look black.

Open your mind to all the humans, she told herself. She saw with her mind the battle of Tortall and Scanra. She searched and spread herself like a blanket over all the battle. With a pain unimaginable, she entered all of their minds and told them to stop the war.

All went silent. Even the breeze seemed to halt.

Romeli wanted to scream as she left all of their minds. It felt like going the opposite way through a cheese grater—tiny pieces forming into one.

Romeli opened her eyes to the sight of black and white with the noose swaying in the breeze. She gave out a cry and collapsed onto her knees. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she leaned on all fours and gasped for breath.

"Romeli!" Daine cried as she tried to stand up, but her bindings held her back. Everyone else looked at the green haired girl worriedly.

I have to get up, thought Romeli hardly. Her whole body shook from the effort, but at last she was up. Her body quivered and her mouth was parted in pain and breathless exhaustion. She looked at Maggur strongly.

Maggur grinned. "Very good my dear girl. You have much power. Now come here."

Romeli, despite her weakness, glared and limped over. There was no way she would fall under King Maggur's eyes.

She came up to him, a strong, defiant glare in her eyes. King Maggur got something out of his pocket. It was a slave collar. It was then that she realized that never again would she be free. She would never again see her friends, her family. She would no longer be able to hold her beloved double bladed staff in her hands or go on another outing with Ryoku. She would never ride with Shadowdancer, or talk with Sharpfang. She was never coming back.

Romeli did not stop glaring darkly at him as he clipped the metal collar around her neck. She was not afraid. Not once did she wince when the cold metal touched her flesh. Is this what she was to become? A slave to a hated king?

"Magicked in the collar is a tightening spell. If you try to escape, it will suffocate you, so I advise against it. And also in the collar is a spell that will stop you from using your Gift without my permission. The collar will adapt to any animal form you take."

Romeli's shoulders drooped, but she refused to surrender under his gaze. No one could break her.

"Can you let them go now? It was part of the deal."

Maggur nodded and snapped his fingers. The bindings immediately disappeared. They all began to flex their raw wrists as they stared at Romeli and Maggur.

"Can I have a few minutes to say goodbye?" Romeli asked of him as she stared at him emotionlessly.

Maggur hesitated, but nodded. He led Maryann and himself out of the door, locking it behind him.

Romeli turned to everyone as tears dripped down her cheeks. They all stood up and went over to her. Numair was the first to reach her. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight as he stroked her back. Romeli sobbed into his shoulder, smelling the comforting smell that she always loved.

"Romeli…I am so sorry," he whispered as he stroked the silky green strands of her hair. "I should have listened when you thought the prophecy was true. I should have helped."

Romeli pulled away from him and looked deep into his pained eyes that mirrored her own. "Don't be, Da," she whispered.

Numair ran a finger along the cool metal around her neck. His eyes turned glossy with a new sheen. "He's turned you into a slave. I should've known this would happen. Romeli…what am I going to do without you?"

Romeli wiped her eyes. "It's okay. I'll be fine. I'll find a way to get around this. You raised me strong."

Numair cupped her cheek. "That's my girl." He kissed her forehead.

"Promise me, you'll be good," Daine said as she held both of her daughter's hands. "Gods Romeli why does it have to be you?"

Romeli hugged her ma. "Sometimes fate is cruel. Just…just promise to say hi to Sharpfang and Shadow for me okay?"

"I love you. There won't be a day in my life where I won't think about you. I will love you forever. No matter what happens. No matter where you are, I'll be there for you."

"I love you too, Ma," whispered Romeli. "Always."

"Romy," started Laloria. Romeli went up to her sister and hugged her tight.

"Sissy, I'll miss you so much. I won't have anyone to look up to, I won't have a friend," started Romeli.

Laloria nodded in her hug. "I know. Just remember that your older sister will always be here for you. Be strong, and don't break no matter what. We're not going to leave you there. I'm looking forward to busting you out. Be strong, and kick some Scanran butt."

Romeli couldn't help but laugh. Even in the saddest of times, all that her sister could think of was an action filled fight.

Neal was next in line. He smiled weakly and clapped a hand on her shoulder. Though Romeli couldn't really classify Neal as a friend, she knew he was always there for her, and knew what was best. She sort of considered him as an uncle.

"You're going to a dark place," Neal said truthfully as he looked sadly at her. "People will not be as friendly, and life will be hard. But I have faith in you. I know what you can do. And I know that you will get through this. There will be times when life will seem hard, when it seems to be only you against the world. But just remember your home. People who love you for who you are and not what you are. We will always be thinking about you, and we're expecting you to come back again. Don't fail us. We know you can do this. I wish you the best of luck with all my heart, Romeli."

Romeli gave him a watery smile as a tear rolled down her cheek. She hugged Neal tight. Neal hesitated before patting her back.

King Jonathan was next. He came up to her with a soft face. He took one of her hands in both of his and squeezed it tight. "Thank you for doing this for me. I know you're not fond of me, but—."

Romeli looked at him steadily. "I didn't do it for you. I did it for Tortall. I did it because they need a good ruler. They need you, not me. I love Tortall, it's my home and will always be. And by sacrificing myself to Scanra, I have saved not only my friends, but also the place I love. That is all that matters. I only want to serve my country, Your Highness." She closed her eyes and bowed with her head down.

King Jonathan shook his head. He put his hand under her chin and made her look up. Tears were in his eyes. "No," he said. "Please don't. You have changed us in the best of ways. You have taught us all many lessons ever since we've met you. You have touched our hearts, in so many different ways, Romeli. And I speak the truth when I say that Tortall will miss you. If anyone in this room has to bow, it is I." He lowered his head as Romeli stood up straight with a confused expression. "Romeli, no one gets left behind. We will come back for you."

Romeli nodded, though a little confused. She looked around the room for James. He was standing out of the way of everyone else as he stared at her. He smiled weakly at her when she met his eyes.

Romeli looked sadly at him and ran over to him as she hugged him tight, he hugged her back, their bodies smashed together.

"I never thought a goodbye would be like this," James said truthfully.

Romeli wiped her eyes as she stared at him. "I'm going to miss you so much James. You've always been there for me. And everyday you're not by me, I feel so empty...and lost. Now that I'm going to be so far away…far away from everybody, I don't know how I'm going to live."

James fingered her slave collar sadly. "I feel the same. There won't be a day where I won't think about you. Just…just be strong, kay?"

Romeli nodded as she hugged him again. "I don't know what will become of me now. I don't know if I'll ever see you again. Or if I'll ever leave Scanra. I see that life may…may not be any longer now for me. It will be hard, I know. But I won't ever forget you. You or the rest of our friends." She shook her head slowly with closed eyes. Tears ran down her cheeks.

A tear went down James's cheek and he looked away. The pain in his eyes was so unbearable, that her voice felt choked.

"James…James look at me." Slowly James looked back at her, his eyes as glossy as a mirror. "No matter what happens, I will always be your best friend. I'll always love you, and Gods, I'm just going to miss you."

James kissed her cheek. He got something out of his pocket. It was a tiny snow globe. Inside the snow globe was the Tortall's palace, Corus.

"Your home will be waiting for you," he said as he put the snow globe in her palm and closed her hands with his. "I got this from Ryoku. It's good luck."

Romeli gave him a watery smile. This was the nicest thing that anyone had ever given her in a long time. She grabbed one of the shiny glitter strands that was in her hair and yanked it out of her scalp. It always hurt to pull those things out, but this was for a good cause. She handed it to James.

"I'll miss you," she whispered as she hid the snow globe in her pocket. The door creaked open again as Maggur and Maryann entered.

"I'll miss you too. With all my might."

"A deal is a deal, Romeli. Time to go to your new home," said the sly voice of King Maggur. A hand wrapped around her arm and started to lead her out of the exit. Just when she was about to go through the doorway, she looked back at everyone and smiled sadly, exiting with two words:

"For Tortall."

And then she was gone, perhaps for forever.

YESSSS. ACTION. EMOTION. SADNESS. ACTION. MAGGUR. ACTION.

Replies:

Mercury-Shadowfeather: My god I totally agree with you. Jeeze, and you read it all? I'm very proud! Thank you for the nice complimet! I indeed agree that it seems to be very different from anything else I've read. Yeah…Romeli has a very crappy life. I would love to read your story as soon as I get the time. I promise that I will though…I've just been a little busy lately. Yeah…I'm sorry to say that the end will be a while away. There are two more climaxes coming up. Oh jeeze…

Dreambringer: lol. Oh that jewel thing. That it an emerald pendent that she wears around her neck. She is still wearing it, I just haven't really mentioned it lately.

QueenThayet12990: lol. Hope you get over the tiredness of the first week of school sickness. And yay to you too. Lol.

George Bassy: cut up by the crazy doctors. Hah that's funny. Is she okay? And you know what I find scarier then the crazy docs? The post office. That place is sosososososo creepy! I'm serious. I am scared of the post office. Lol. (sings creepy post office song)

HorseLover59: lol. I would write faster, but damn this chapter was long! It took a while to write. And you want me to write a good story right? Lol. Well at least you're not dying of suspense anymore.

Captain Cheese: lol sorry. Well I replied this time. And damn them if I get kicked off. Yes my other story has a lot of people screaming and scaring people. It's fun. It's my I need to relieve stress story. Which is odd because I have barely been stressed out in my life. Whatever. Yes that symbol thing was indeed a clue. And you noticed it! Good job! My nothing gets past you does it. Well actually, I think a couple things did…but I'm not telling you what. And yes it was very short compared to this one.

Blue mariposa: Um…Numair is old and stupid in this fic so he doesn't know who it was. Lol. And no I don't think anyone verified the rule, and I will if I get kicked off for doing this. Some experiment huh? Lol.

Apathetically Interested: The old prophesy gave away too much. I think I was high when I wrote it. Lol. Fun stuff.

HyperKathryne: Ok I will add more as soon as I get to it. Lol. And yes something obviously happened to Romeli. Lol.

Silver-star-0: I love sox on noses. They tickle. Lol. Were you right? I think you were. And just because you asked Yes that Prophesy did have to do with Romeli and a certain…ahem hem cough… (runs around the neighborhood crazily with you).