Chapter 4
The trio of people, hidden under the cloak of the night and thick forest growing on both sides of the road, followed the armed men in black armors, heading in direction known only to themselves, together with other members of the team lost in one of many worlds of multiverse. The first of them was Rann Shaner who forced his way through the thicket with the agility of the nocturnal cat, helping himself with a hologram of the map, created in real time by the computer inside bionic implants in his forearm. Jessica and Matts kept up with him with an effort, simultaneously trying not to make too much noise which could alert the armed procession going along the road. At some point, Rann stood up behind the big tree and ordered his companions to do exactly the same thing.
"What happened?" Matts asked.
"One of them turned around, we must increase our distance, or else they will guess that they're being followed. Jessica, do you feel something?" Shaner replied simultaneously turning in the direction of the girl.
"No, I'm sorry, I can see no images."
"Perhaps these surroundings hide nothing interesting." Matts spoke, but Rann hushed him up.
"I can't see Sakiko Hayasu amongst prisoners, I think that we can count on her help."
"I hope you're right, because the alternative is much worse." The boy completed his statement.
"Could they do something to her?" Jessica asked.
"If they can do these kind of things, we're in a grave trouble."
The group reached the border of the forest thicket. In the front of their eyes, the hill appeared, covered by meadows and enclosed by the sea of twinkling stars. Each of them knew that the walk should be much more careful, because they could be noticed with an ease on the opened area, even in the ink color of the night flooding everything.
"I'm wondering, why didn't they try to fight." Matts asked rhetorically.
"They don't know the opponent. An attempted to escape would be a tactical mistake and it could cause casualties. It is quite logical, I would act precisely the same. Besides, Morpheus as the higher being decided not to interfere in the natural course of events of the world in which he was."
"His decision can only kill somebody from us..." Sunder didn't hide dissatisfaction.
"We're going." Rann stopped the conversation, showing that the procession tracked by him disappeared behind the hill.
Sakiko went down, along the winding stairs, into the basements of the old magus Zibo's tower destroyed by time. Thanks to abilities of the vampire, the girl dealt with the darkness overwhelming everything very well and she had no problems with keeping her balance on stairs bent and crumbled by the long years. The black bird accompanied her every step, flying up into air just to sit down on her shoulder after a minute.
"Do you know what are we supposed to look for?" Sakiko asked, although she knew that she wouldn't receive the reply or an useful hint.
"I don't have a clue! The boss said that something will want to be found, and it will be found. Like it was supposed to help us in any way whatsoever!"
"Is he always so enigmatic in his statements?" Sakiko asked to kill the time and suppress her fear for members of the team whom she had to leave behind on the surface.
"Today he was exceptionally literal! Everything depends on the time of the day... and seasons... and of the awareness, which dreams he's travelling across. He sometimes answers with a question, a haiku, a parable or some verse stylized for biblical language. You can go crazy, if you have such a boss! But I'm able to understand him, but Mervyn doesn't!"
"Mervyn, who is Mervyn?"
"My pal from the palace. Mervyn, Pumpkin head. He deals with repairs and the reconstruction of the palace. And he has a lot to do, because Morpheus is so sulky. One day and the entire scenery around the palace become boring for him! The poor man Mervyn must quickly alter everything! I don't envy him such a work!"
"Now he must be satisfied. If your boss isn't in the palace, Mervyn has a lot of time for himself."
"No, it doesn't work like that. Devourers of Dreams attacked our land and there's a plenty of damage everywhere. Now Mervyn has three times more work than usually! He won't have some rest, there's no slightest chance!"
"What's that?" Sakiko stopped the conversation noticing bluish glow on one of walls of the underground corridor.
"I don't have a clue! Light so deeply below the ground?"
"Perhaps this is an artifact which Morpheus talked about? Perhaps it's worthwhile to check?" The girl suggested.
"Yes, you're right. It's worthwhile checking!" Matthew rose up into the air heading in the direction from which strange glitter radiated. The young female vampire saw the niche in the wall on which some object lay. When she went up closer and it turned out there was a strange scepter. It was made of gold and a blue jewel lighting with internal brilliance was attached on one of its ends. When Sakiko took a good look at it, she noticed whirling streaks of non-existent wind like clouds of the magic smoke swirling in its interior. The object was new, it completely didn't fit in walls of the tower covered with webs and stinking mushrooms. The girl instinctively extended a hand toward the artifact and a strange melody sounded in her head, very distant singing of women and ambiguous crystalline sounds difficult to express. The bird stopped the hand of the girl.
"Think! Perhaps it's a trap! It looks suspicious!"
"Matthew... it's calling me... wants to be found, taken from this place. Perhaps it's an artifact which the Master of Dreams talked about?"
"It can be... but remember that I warned you!" The raven announced hiding behind the stone sticking out of the floor. Sakiko touched the shimmering surface of the object and she felt pain in the same moment, completely like she was paralyzed by the electric current. She tightened the hand on the artifact trying to move it with all her might, but she wasn't able. The object she started telling her some very important information and it could not let the female vampire lose contact with it even for a second. The raven scrutinized the quiet event from a safe place behind the big stone.
"Now I know that it's an object which I searched, which wanted to be found. I'm sure about it." The girl spoke, losing the contact with the mysterious thing.
"Can I come out?" The bird asked.
"Yes, this scepter is completely safe for us." Sakiko put the golden artifact back to a place adequate for it.
"How do you know that it's the right thing?"
"The scepter told me whom it had belonged to in the past and where I can find its previous owner now."
"And will he help us to get out of this cursed hole?"
"I don't know Matthew, I could ask about nothing. I simply saw the face of somebody who earlier wielded power of the scepter in the hand and the place in which he's now."
"In that case, let us move out from this hole and let us go to him. The faster he'll take us from here away, the better."
"I don't know if it's so simple."
"But you said a moment ago that you knew where he is!"
"And there is the entire problem. The previous owner of this scepter doesn't live. A place which was shown to me was a graveyard of the city situated a few kilometers from here."
"What? And how it is supposed to help us?" The bird was irritated very much, he flew around the head of the girl.
"I don't understand it either! But it's the only trail at the moment which we have and we must try to follow it. Do you agree with me?"
"Yes... you're right." Matthew calmed down and came back to the stone floor. Sakiko raised the scepter, this time not having a bit of a problem with it. The object communicated its message to her and then it turned into the state of sleep in order to wake up in the next appropriate moment.
"Our trip must wait." The black-haired announced.
"Why?"
"We must find the rest of the team and then try to learn where these soldiers took Alan and other and to try to rescue them."
"You're right. So let us move..."
In the inn, from which the local military took Mint and Narea a few hours earlier and Rann Matts and Jessica had to escape, the two travelers savored the beer and the roast from a wild pig. The local company discussed about entering of soldiers to their favorite inn, the disorder and a few women taken out of it. Everyone had their own theory concerning what had happened as well as the only truth about the identity and crimes committed by women. Black-haired looked at the bearded man with her big violet eyes. Her face expressed sadness and concern.
"Do you know what everyone are talking about here? If Morpheus was captured, chances of the success of our mission drastically decreased. Should we not intervene?"
"What do you mean?" The bearded man asked looking from above the mug with a beer.
"It's too risky. Eyes of the Awakening would be returned to our side. It would entirely blight any chance of achieving our purpose. We won't risk."
"If you think this way... but if they are imprisoned in this world, we face the same fate."
"I won't believe Morpheus will let any mortals to imprison him the second time. I am convinced that everything will be well for them and soon they will set off on their travel." The girl fell into a pensive mood, as if her mind ran away somewhere beyond thresholds of the old inn stinking of the mustiness. "Somebody from them... read the message from our scepter." She announced after short-lived silence. A smile appeared on her face.
"I knew that you were worrying unnecessarily. Everything is going according to our plan. Did Morpheus touched the scepter?"
"No... I don't think so... I don't know this person. This is probably somebody from his team of sleeping mortals."
"Unimportant. They caught our track. Now we must hurry up so that we will come before them and make our message." The bearded man smiled widely. However, he noticed that the face of his companion had become sad again.
"What's bothering you? Everything is going according to the plan".
"Exactly..." The girl answered. She closed her eyes.
"What do you mean? Sometimes I cannot understand your behavior. What do you worry about?" "When we started, I had no doubts, I was completely sure about what I wanted to do. But now, when we are travelling the unknown worlds night after night, when we are closer and closer to our purpose, I start hesitating. I am afraid that what we are going to do is bad."
"Why do you worry about it? We promised ourselves that we would be thinking only about our purpose."
"Just think. You want to send them for the pointless journey all over the Worlds, only so that they help you to find some old artifacts needed for conducting the ritual which was legendary even in the ancient books. And you are using the terrible cataclysm which is hanging above the entire reality! What will you do, if through our action the Awakening wins? How will you live with it?"
"I won't. The Awakening will blot me and you out from existence because of our involvement in her holy mission of restoring the primeval nothingness. It won't let us become anew in the world created by it."
"We have the strength to help this team and instead of it, we are searching something what will make happy only us. I don't want to have anybody on the conscience, my matter isn't worth such a sacrifice!"
"I tried to convince you that it is worthwhile. And I sustain my opinion. We cannot move back, I have said once it wouldn't be possible to stop the machine set in motion, because its entire future is already determined from the beginning by the initial conditions."
"But why exactly these worlds? Objects belonging to the Endless are everywhere. We could make their road much easier."
"We have already talked about it. Our action will let us destroy fugitives from the land of Lucifer so they don't mess with our plans in the future. They aren't able to understand them."
"Are you enough strong to fight with them?"
"Yes, if the Master of Dreams will assist me, consciously or unwittingly."
"And if we will meet him, the Morning Star on our road? Are you able to defeat him?"
"We won't meet him... he left his land and he is not interested in fate of its inhabitants."
"You didn't answer my question. Are you able to defeat him?"
"No. I am not." The bearded man replied unwillingly rising from the table. The girl also finished the food and quickly joined him."
"Where are we going now?"
"I said, we must prepare our message for the Lord of Dreams. Recall exactly what you experienced in the vision."
The group of black knights leading Mint and Narea met with the team run by Drales, which managed to capture Morpheus, Alan Scott and Corinthian.
"What is happening here?" The frightened Mint asked seeing the dark eyes of the Master of Dreams. "Be calm child, this misunderstanding will be clarified."
"What misunderstanding? Please see what this witch had!" The one of soldiers pushed Narea so strongly that she fell down to the ground. He took the bag with crystals away from her and he handed it to the long-haired commander. Mint helped her friend to get up.
"Yeah nice... scribes from Oficium Antimagicum will have their hands full." Drales replied looking into the interior of the bag. His eyesight lodged on the shimmering surface of one of black crystal. "What secrets does this slice of rock hide?" He asked rhetorically and then he gave the bag to one of soldiers.
"Carry it to the storage room, it will be an evidence against these people."
"What's going on here? What do they want from us?" Mint asked Alan and Master of Sleeping Marches, but none of them answered her fearing the reaction of guards looking them after. Narea watched in a silence as the man enclosed in armor took the property which she'd never parted with earlier, on all her previous expeditions. Terrible anger seized her, feeling which she had tried to purge from her personality for years. Drales came up to Alan, pointing the opened hand at his direction. "Give me the ring." He announced firmly.
"Why? It's a family signet ring, souvenir very important and valuable for me, I cannot part with it."
"I won't repeat twice. Give me this ring, or else one of my soldiers will take it together with the hand!" Did I express myself clearly?" Morpheus approached the Green Lantern.
"Alan Scott, do what the this man asks for. The resistance can end tragically for you and persons keeping you company." The man unwillingly removed the green ring from the hand and handed it to the long-haired commander. In the same moment, Fiflet cut in the conversation. The little guy was silent all the time, counting money which he earned on the betrayal of strangers and simultaneously feeling fear of Corinthian, who earlier had threatened him with the death.
"Somebody is missing! Somebody is missing! There was more, I remember them!" He said looking at the man with long hair taller than himself.
"There was more of them! They escaped!" He repeated.
"Is it true?" Drales asked firmly.
"No, I don't have a clue what this man is talking about. We're travelling alone. If he could see anybody else, he or she had to be some traveler in the tavern who joined us since there was a vacancy by our table." Alan announced calmly.
"Untrue! It's not true! They were together!" Fiflet didn't give up.
"Aren't you trying to collect even bigger award? Think, or else you won't get no penny!" Drales was irritated with behavior of the short intruder.
"My lord! There were more of them!" Fiflet bowed low before long-haired man.
"Okay! I will send somebody to check that dump of a village! Hey, four of you! Come back to the city and ask about strangers!" Drales shouted at his subordinates and they obediently carried out an order turning back toward the small town.
"Move! We're pressed for time!" He added gesturing to soldiers order to quicken the pace.
Rann Shaner hidden in a safe place, in the dark, forest thicket, noticed that the group of men dressed in black armors, in helmets on heads, had turned back to his side. He moved aside into the darkness of forest so none of them could see even a smallest part of his body.
"Four. They went back and they are going this way." He said to his companions.
"Namely, we must get out from here?" Matts asked.
"There aren't many of them. The similar luck may never repeat itself."
"What do you mean?" Sunder has asked once again.
"I will get their armors. We will obtain the tactical advantage. Stay here and don't be seen."
"Do you want to struggle with the four?" Jessica was surprised.
"And how can you help me? Did you kill somebody in the past?"
"Of course, no." The girl replied but Matts only shook his head.
"As I thought. Therefore, be quiet and wait for my return."
Rann went to the deeper part of forest. The road which soldiers followed led there and the man could prepare the deadly ambush. He climbed a tree quickly and nimbly like the cat. The majority of biomechanical additions which had made him strong in the past was removed from all over his body, after he had fell into the disgrace of his companions, but all what remained, made him somebody much tougher than the average man. His eyes could see in the darkness of the night as good as in a sunny day which gave him the considerable advantage over his victims. His left hand had once covered the dagger moved by the mental order, but even now, when there was no weapon inside, the man was able to use it as the effective tool of the death. Silently, like the bird of prey attacking its victim, Rann jumped on one of warriors. Using his kinetic energy and taught ways of the hand-to-hand combat, Shaner hit the unlucky soldier, effectively knocking him over to the ground. Butting against the tough ground and the grip of the man were enough for breaking the neck of unaware guard from the tower. Rann took his black sword, and moved in the direction of his companion violently. The surprised man didn't defend himself against the blow which impaled him. Rann knew that he couldn't get rid of the rest of opponents the same way, he needed three armors not stained even with one drop of blood.
"Who are you?" The other knight asked, tightly gripping the sword in hands.
"Somebody who will take your life in a minute!" Shaner replied smiling widely.
"Don't chat with him!" The second warrior shouted. He wasn't armed, but yet he dared to attack somebody, who had killed his two friends with an ease. Rann was much faster than him. Mighty blow of his right hand directed at the glass protection of the soldier's helmet, smashed it to pieces. The man knew what force to use and which place to hit so that sharp shards of glass hit the face of the poor wretch and particularly his eyes. The opponent was trounced effectively, therefore Rann decided to get even with the last of the patrolmen. Soldier, seeing two dead friends and one cruelly crippled, twisting around land in a great pain, didn't know what to do.
He was holding the sword, but he also was losing all hope, with every passing moment, he knew that the weapon would give him no protection. After a dozen seconds, he decided to choose the escape instead of the fight. He threw the sword into thickets and he geared up for the run. However, Shaner could not let him escape. If the man managed to alert his companions, forest could swarm from dozens of armed soldiers and it certainly would finish his and his companions journey. And apart from that he needed the third uniform not stained with a blood. The man set off in pursuit of the fugitive. He managed to catch up with him very quickly and gave him a blow into the back of the head, depriving him of consciousnesses and life a moment later. The stranger from the world of the future came back calmly to the place, where originally fought the duel with soldiers, he looked around and broke the neck of the man heavily wounded into eyes, last of the four of unlucky patrol.
"Computer... status of targets..." He asked.
"Lack of life signs in three individuals. In the fourth one, an activity of the cerebral cortex is currently disappearing." A mechanical voice coming from the device stuck to the man's arm answered. "Evaluation of damage?" He asked again looking at his hand hurt by the contact with the black pane. "Lack of breakdowns. Wounds are superficial and they aren't threatening our correct functioning. Nano-robots are starting repair of injuries of the skin."
"Very well. We're taking clothes and coming to the others."
"We recommend replacing nano-robots. Level of active nano-robots in the blood stream is critically low.."
"Stop! I don't need such an information. Where I'm supposed to find nano-robots on this dump of the world?" Rann said to himself hushing announcements of the private computer up.
Two armed guards closed the gate of the tower, leaving Fiflet, keeping the sack of gold, completely alone. The short man clasped his treasure tightly, but he didn't intend to diverge. The lack of a few people from Morpheus' team meant the possibility of extra money for him. Fiflet looked at the dark clouds, moving all over the night sky lighted with a glitter of the silver moon, thinking how to find and betray the last group of travelers to guards. Drales strolled there and back around the stone floor of his stronghold and his steps echoed from cold walls of dungeons. He stopped halfway, he looked ahead of himself, just in order to return to the restless walk after a moment. Behind bars of cell, Alan Scott, Morpheus, Corinthian, Mint and Narea sat on old and destroyed by the time and the vermin benches. Listening to the Master of Dreams, nobody spoke and all of them ignored taunts of the long-haired man. Drales decided to continue his monologue.
"Your journey ends here, in dungeons of my stronghold. You won't get to the city, you won't be telling heresy about Fallax's return, the one who ruled these lands at one time. I know very well that your trip to these sides was aimed at finding wonderful objects about which your legends tell or perhaps even waking up your god a long time ago put to sleep! Nothing of the kind! Soon, envoys from the capital city will arrive here and they will take you to the place, in which you will spend the rest of your life! And you will learn the truth about the history of these lands. About whom really Fallax was and where the march to fathoming magic secrets led him. And now let us see what we here have..." Drales approached the table on which the bag with Narea's magic crystals lay. He took one of them out with shivering hand. He looked in Narea's eyes, although the girl tried to ignore his taunt.
"What's this? What is it used for?" He shouted. Black-haired didn't answered. Irritated Drales threw crystal against grating of the prison. The object emitted characteristic clanks and fell on stones of the floor. Narea was furious, but she didn't react. Months of meditation and lessons of ruling above her own emotions turned out to be very helpful, she thought recalling her teacher.
"I asked you questions! What's this?" The long-haired man rose with an anger.
"Stones, ordinary ornaments, there is no need to throw them." Narea replied closing her eyes. The man didn't feel like talking with here again.
"We'll see what you will be talking during the court." He grunted.
"This idiot Fiflet said that the ring on your hand had gleamed with a green glitter. Now we will see the truth." Drales smiled widely putting the ring of the Green Lantern on the middle finger of the hand. He came closer to bars, as if he wanted to watch the ring's previous owner more closely.
"How to make it shine?" He asked. Green Lantern did not say one word, he was silent and focused his will, his life force on one task only - not allowing Drales to use the power lying dormant in the small green object.
"Don't you feel like the talking with me? In the capital city, they will certainly force you to open your mouth!" The long-haired man looked at imprisoned people with a hate in his eyes and moved toward stone stairs taking the ring as well as the bag with Narea's crystals. Alan Scott clutched his head.
"What happened?" Alarmed Mint asked.
"It's all right. Don't worry about me. I'm exhausted by controlling my ring from a distance. You can't imagine how much intense energy is imprisoned inside it. The energy, the light having its own awareness, own desires and needs. For a moment, I felt the green flame wanting to unite with this man, it tried to enter his mind, to answer his requests. The flame senses great passion in him, possibility of the transformation into something greater and therefore it wanted to help him with this transformation. If he tries to use the ring somewhere else, far from my influence, I won't be able to stop him."
"We will have trouble..." Mint said sitting on the bench again.
"You're right Alan Scott, Green Flame, the Heart of the Star is a proud and great being. I remember, when I had met him for the first time eons ago, when the universe was young and the sky above our heads didn't gleam with thousand of stars. The story about glitter of the Flame is filling cards of more than one book in the library of my palace."
" I won't even try to understand when and where it happened." Alan announced calmly.
"It's okay, you are aware of restrictions of your human mind, terrestrial Green Lantern."
"How could he!" Narea turned to Mint clenching her fists.
"How he could treat the crystal as some pieces of rubbish! As something which can be thrown away! If I didn't swear the peaceful life at the foot of the crystal tree, I would use all available magic in order to wipe this mocking smile off his disgusting face!" The girl was irritated more and more.
"Narea, don't be mad. We cannot reveal who we are. You must retain your patience. We cannot risk the anger of these people, when know nothing about them."
"And look who said it! I understand that the Master of Dreams was deprived of his abilities and I and Alan Scott aren't able to act without our artifacts, but you should do something! You're carrying the magic in your heart! Why didn't you use it on this piece of trash, when he tried to destroy my crystal? Why didn't you pierce those soldiers with the branches of trees and roots which you can control? Why we're sitting here, instead of do what we must and go back home? "
"Narea, calm down. You heard that we could not reveal our abilities. We cannot interfere in the balance of this world..."
"And whether somebody worried about the balance of my world, when he kidnapped me where I didn't ask to be at all!" Narea shouted at her friend.
"I'll try to calm you with touching..." Mint stretched the hand out toward the face of the friend.
"I don't need it!" The black-haired girl pushed her hand and she banged her fist on the stone wall. She clenched her teeth, rose from the bench and ran up to bars separating her from the free world.
"I... I apologize... it all has a very bad influence me... I don't have the crystal for meditation and I'm starting to feel it... it will be worse and worse from hour to hour..."
"Perhaps I'll help you with my touch, or at least I will try."
"No. I must cope with what is happening to me myself. Too long I counted on crystals, garden, fountain of the life which holy water is soothing all wounds, both physical as well as the psychological ones. The first real trial awaits me now."
Elf girl approached her friend in spite of protests, she embraced her and cuddled up to her.
"Every inhabitant of our Forest knows that he or she has dark half, dark elf living in the deep forest, where even rays of sunshine don't reach. And each of us is learning through the entire life how to control him or her and how to not permit him or her to leave the black and humid imprisonment and settle in meadows of our forest bathed in the light. I'm sure that you'll also be able to imprison your shadow and to learn how to live with its presence all the time behind the back."
Drales stood in one of the chambers on the highest level of the Tower. A fat man with a bald skull dressed in white shirt and trousers kept him company. A huge, black stove in which stacks of woods burnt stood behind men. The strange structure was adjoined directly to the wall of the building, the panel full of levers, knobs and hanging chains was stuck by it.
"Tell a message. Immediately." The long-haired man said.
"I knew that you would decide it. I prepared the fire." The bald man said being very satisfied from himself.
"I caught the suspects which require examining by the Oficium Antimagicum. I ask for envoys arrival as soon as possible."
"Oh Right!" The fat man announced pointed at the direction of machinery. He moved levers sticking out of the wall panel in the rhythmical way, exchanging Drales' words and contents hiding in them to the sequence of mechanical impulses controlling the machine. Wooden blinds of the large window was opening and closing alternately according to movements of the man periodically revealing and covering embers of the large hearth from outside world and the night reigning around the stronghold. The light signal visible from the distance of many kilometers brought the information encrypted in flashes far beyond the border of the province like a beam of light from the lighthouse telling the way to the port amongst the restless sea. The message was read in other watchtower, where the fire was lighted and identical information signal, correct to a single bit was sent. Unusual news about catching people allegedly practicing magic, travelled slowly to the capital city, where the Oficium Antimagicum ruling all over the realms had its main temples.
Sakiko stood on the road leading to the village on which she could see everyone from her team for the last time. Raven Matthew sat by her on the wooden stake, signpost, destroyed by the time and rains often falling in the country. The girl was ready for the travel to search the owner of the found magic artifact in basements of ruined tower. Not knowing what direction to take, she asked elderly man who decided to walk in the moonlight.
"I'm sorry, I arrived here from distant place. I learnt recently that my family had come from these surroundings. I wanted to visit them on the graveyard, but I got lost. Do you know, where the nearest graveyard is? Big, enclosed with stone wall..." The black-haired asked the most politely she was able.
"Er..." The grandpa replied thinking.
"I know! I remember! The graveyard enclosed by wall is located in Margouth city, I know none other, but I didn't travel in my life too much..."
"Thank you, which way I'll reach the city?"
"On legs? It would be a long walk. Riding on horseback, you lose one day and half a night. On foot it takes much longer... you must leave the village using the eastern road and then straight across the bridge as far as up to walls. But now you'd better go to the inn, girl. It's dangerous to wander around in nights. A plenty of guards is walking here tonight. Who knows what they want..."
"Thank you... for information and good advice." Sakiko said moving away from the man. Matthew glided above her head.
"Did you hear? One and a half day of a travel by a horse!"
"Long. Perhaps we should first find the boss and the rest of group?"
"Matthew, will you be able to find me when I'm somewhere far away?" The girl asked.
"Yes, yes... I have a good eyesight. I'll find you for even on the second end of this continent."
"That's great. We'll split up. You'll find the place in which our team is being kept, as well as the ones who weren't caught. I'm sure, that since we're free, somebody else could also have luck."
"What about you?"
"I'll go to this graveyard and perhaps everything will become clear. Or at least I'll get the next clue how to get out of this place."
"Is it sensible? There's a lot of these dim-witted heads here!"
"I'll can do it. I'm a strong and independent girl." Sakiko replied smiling.
"Will you go on foot?"
"No, you heard that I should take a horse."
"And where will you find a horse, girl!" The bird was surprised.
"I have my ways." The black-haired vampire smiled again.
"Ok. Do what you will, I'll check the surrounding and perhaps find somebody!"
"Yeah, do not waste the time"
"Yes... And one thing more... take care of yourself." The bird said rising up into the air.
"You too." The girl announced. When the raven disappeared behind the horizon merging with inky blackness of the night sky, Sakiko decided to look around for the horse. The extraordinary abilities, she gained after being bitten by the vampire, provided her with increased strength, speed, agility and endurance, her senses were much sharper than senses of the ordinary men, she could see very well in the darkness and her hearing was able to detect a flutter of wings of a moth flying to a roadside lamp post. The ability of establishing the telepathic contact with animals was one of powers which the girl rarely used. This power was supposed to turn out to be unusually useful. Sakiko noticed the brown horse tied up at the entering to the small inn. She came up to the animal with a saunter, stopping right before his head. She looked into the eyes of the horse with her hypnotizing look and her mind reached deep into the consciousness of the animal. She established the connection after a few seconds and she telepathically convinced it that she was its owner and needed its help. When she was sure that the horse was calmed, she untied the constraining rope with one move of the hand.
"We must hurry up." She whispered to the animal, stroking it on head and neck. She was riding the toward the road leading to the city.
Rann Shaner came back to the place in the depths of the forest, where she had seen Matts and Jessica for the last time. He was carrying three sets of soldiers from the tower uniforms and intact helmets with visors made of the brown glass.
"Change clothes. I don't know, whether they will fit you, but I'm not able to find you anything better. "Did you manage to defeat four people.." Matts said taking one of helmets.
"What happened with these people?" The girl asked.
"I'm sure that you know the reply." Rann replied dispassionately, gearing himself up to change the into the uniform of Drales' warrior.
"Did you kill them everyone?"
"We are going to war, I prefer to think about it like about the elimination of the opponent." Rann finished the conversation which irritated him more and more.
"What are we going to do now?" Matts asked.
"We'll reach that tower and we'll get our companions out. And then we'll be looking for the way of leaving this world. I think, that we all want it. Better hurry up with dressing, because more soldiers can appear here soon. Jessica raised the helmet and in the same moment a vision appeared in her mind. She observed the fight which had happened in the forest. For a moment, she was in the skin of one of soldiers, she could see the massacre of her friends from hands the Shaner, she felt the fear which had paralyzed her, when she had decided to escape. She could man and his hand which brought her closer to the death with every passing microsecond. The girl threw the helmet to the ground, simultaneously moving back a few strides.
"You are a murderer..." She said looking at Shaner.
"I'm a soldier. And I'm on your side. Remember about it and don't inconvenience me anymore!" Rann shouted giving the helmet back to the girl.
"Get dressed, or wait here until we perform our task!" He added.
"Jessica, we must do what he wants from us..." Matts came up to the girl.
"I don't trust him. I hope that we will quickly find the rest." Jessica replied.
Meanwhile, in the completely different place and time, the old woman leaning on the wooden cane stood opposite the pitch-black pole raising above crowns of trees. She looked at it knowing that she was going to fight for the life very soon.
"I didn't want to use the physical violence and its worst form is which murder, but unfortunately I am forced to act." The booming voice sounded around.
"My sole purpose, which I was created for, is to be a guardian of this place and the person which is its prisoner. I cannot let you see him, even if the existence of the entire reality depend on it."
"Yeah one-zero logic, I didn't expect something more elaborate from the Guardian..." The witch hissed.
"So let us not waste time, I will not stop, you will not stop... demonstrate what you can do." She shouted with a squawking voice.
"As you wish, my lady..." The voice answered and the statue started emanating purple brilliance. Dark, slender shapes loomed into the view from nearby trees. Trees assumed the human form to oppose the witch and chase her away or eliminate entirely.
"Nice, I am impressed." The old woman replied. She formed a fireball throwing it straight at the closest standing monster.