Lo flicked through the books of the colleges library, for once in her life, she actually felt like reading. At home all the books were boring to her, many were ledgers to keep charge of income and expenditures, others were massive tomes, chronicling family histories. These were different though, some were stories, but most were instructions. She'd tried to take one of the larger books out but the librarian had stopped her, saying that they weren't to little girls. She hated that everybody called her that when she had the same power in her little finger, that they had through there entire bodies.

She'd been there to three weeks and had finally gotten used to the cold, in fact she felt better here than she did sat home, but maybe that was because nothing here reminded her of her mother. She'd received news of the death about a week after she arrived. She was too far away to go to the funeral so she had just hidden in her room for a few, she didn't cry, that was the worst part, she didn't feel sad or angry, and that made her feel worse, which made for feel better as she thought she was starting to feel sad, which made her feel worse again. Right now though she had other things on her mind.

Her teachers all said her practical skill was excellent, better than people twice her age, but her theoretical knowledge was poor. She didn't know why she needed to know about previous wizards but for once she found an interesting book, The tale of the eight heroes. She liked the idea of people uniting together against a common threat, that's what she would be doing when she was older, but instead of a enemy an ally. She had started to like the idea of being queen.

Parcid took a deep breath before he released the bow string. The arrow flew through the air and struck the seal in the shoulder slowing down it's already laboured crawl towards the water. He moved quickly towards it and shoved the dagger into the creatures spine, causing it to flop to the floor. He'd not been hunting like this for too, Everlight was terrible for it, the only moving animal at a decent speeds were the panthers or the monkeys. And neither had enough meat on them to be worth hunting. The walruses though, they were large enough to compensate for the speed and the fat sold for a good price. It was hard working dragging one back to the sled he bought, but he felt sorry for the dogs that pulled it after he had stacked five of them on the wooden surface. Few people welcomed him in town, Nordberg wasn't treated well after the war and they were suspicious of outsiders. He sold them to one of the local suppliers and went to the build site. Lo was sat on the low stone wall he'd built and was eating a piece of pie with a book sat next to her.

"Can I go hunting with you tomorrow?" She asked without warning.

"No you're too young."

"Why does everybody say that, I'm nine now, that's older than eight."

"You were nine last week, and your still immature and impatient."

Lo gave out a huff. "No I'm not!" She slammed her fist on the wall.

Parcid gave a chuckle. "Way to prove a point. What's the book anyway?"

"The tale of the eight heroes."

Parcid picked it up and shook his head. "They took off the other half of the book."

Lo raised an eyebrow. "What other half?"

Parcid moved over to his bag and pulled. He pulled out a book that was a similar size to the one Lo had brought and passed it to her. "You want to know what happened to the heroes after that?"

"But the storey ends with the eighth hero sacrificing himself to kill the overlord, it's how all the storeys go."

"But life doesn't end when the storey does."

Lo opened the first page and stared at the picture. She recognized the armour instantly. "Who's that?"

"That is the eight hero, otherwise known as the third overlord."

"What's an overlord."

"You've had a really sheltered life haven't you. It's hard to explain really, there'll probably be a few books about it in the library if you look."

"I think I will."

Lo had found a book, it wasn't that large actually and she could carry it with ease. After a few minutes of flicking through the pages she couldn't find any information on where he came from, or why he had appeared in her dream. Before she could close it though, she found the page on minions.

"What you looking at?"

Lo looked up to see Morg sat the table, she hadn't seen him for a few days, but he did disappear every now and again. "When I met you, you said you were a minion right?"

"Yes."

"So you know about the Overlord?"

"He leader of minion-kind. There been, " Lo looked at his hand and started counting his fingers, "four so far."

"So far?"

"New one is coming soon, yes."

"So you'll be leaving then." Lo sounded disappointed, apart from Parcid, he was the only one who came with her from Everlight and along with a few possessions the only link to her home.

Morg shook his head" Blue minions rebel against the fourth. Won't be leaving your side."

Lo gave Morg a soft pat on the head. "Why did you rebel?"

Morg shrugged, he actually knew why but she would find out in her own time. Lo continued flicking through the book. "Why is there nothing about blue's?" She asked Most. He looked at the front of the book and read the date the book was written in.

"This written after rebellion, writer not know about blues."

Lo moved to the empty pages near the back, it was common practice that the books in the library do this in case there was a new discovery in the subject. She hummed slightly as she thought before closing the book and walking to the librarian, a middle aged woman with a pointy nose and small green eyes. "I want to take this out."

"You're a bit young for that aren't you?"

Lo couldn't stand it anymore. "You know what I don't think I am, I'm going to be queen some day so you will treat me with respect."

The librarian gave a laugh. "Fine then, you may take the book, your majesty." She gave a mocking bow as Lo left. "Going to be queen." She shook her head. "Such imagination."

Lo looked at her work, the writing was neat and fitted with the style in the previous chapters, but she was actually proud of the drawing. She closed the book as her room mate came in in. Anise was fifteen, it was the college's idea that paring a newer student with a more experienced one would help both, and she planned to stay at the college when her studies were complete. Most people left at the age of seventeen, but if the student had talent, or prior engagements they could leave earlier. She was set to finish next year so spent most of her free time either studying, or sending Lo on some errand so she could be alone with the range of boys that she seemed to be going out with.

"What's going Pointy?" Anise had several nicknames for Lo, Pointy was because of her ears, Glowly because of the light she emmited, and Red because of her hair.

Lo actually liked Anise, she could be a bitch, but was actually pleasant for the majority of the time and helped with her work. She didn't mind the nickname either, and as far as Anise saw having an elf for company gave her something to show off to her guests. "Not much, teachers are saying I have to study more on the theory side."

"Would you mind going back to the library, I have company coming round soon."

"But I've just gotten in."

"Please, it'll only be for hour, actually, you can stay till he comes, it'll make him think that I'm not bothered and he'll try harder."

Lo gave out a sigh, she seemed to constantly play games with them. "Is this the same one as last time?"

Anise nodded. "How's Parcid?"

Lo's parents hadn't told her the facts of life, which was probably a good thing since she was eight, but she wasn't an idiot either and could tell her room mate was attracted to her guardian. "Still too old for you."

"Give me sometime and I'll change his mind."

"Maybe in five years you'll be more age appropriate."

A/N Sorry for this chapter being slightly shorter than usual, next one should be back to normal.