Author's Note:

Oh, boy. This is where things get a little bit crazy, with subplots and the like. I'll try to do it justice!

-Tangent

Ean's eyes widened with shock as he looked out upon the town of Thais. They had traveled across the plain in the early morning, and had arrived at a large stone gate that led into the city. After answering some questions from the sentries, they had been permitted to go inside. They had joined the few others entering the city and had walked through the large stone archway to reveal the largest city Ean had ever seen.

The entry was built on a higher level than most of the town, so that people who entered could see their destinations easier. From the stone walkway, the trio could see the houses that stretched out in every direction. They were made of wood, with stone tiles roofing, and they were made of many different sizes. The houses were packed together in a neat sort of way, providing a sense of stability throughout the city. To the south, Ean could see a clearing with brightly colored tents, which he presumed to be the marketplace. To their right, he could see a small lake of water, which had a building in the middle of it. According to the guard, that was the inn.

Past the inn was the Pendragon Castle, a massive structure that dominated the sky with fancy towers and turrets. With one glance, one could see that the castle was a symbol of power, but one that provided a sense of security, unlike the Snow Queen's palace of ice. The castle was composed of a fine gray stone, with marble tiles on the pointed roofs.

"Where to first?" Ean asked, awestruck by the city. Next to him, Iya and Rye were under a similar spell. They blinked, and Rye pointed to the castle.

"Well, we've got nothing to lose. Perhaps we should visit the prince first." They agreed and set off through the wide stone streets, passing a fair amount of people for such an early hour. They saw several shops before they passed through another, smaller gate and entered a wide-open area. The inn they had seen was across a bridge, over the waterways they had seen. In the middle of the area sat a goddess statue, well cared for and pristine.

"Hold on a moment." Ean walked over to the statue and pulled out some coins, dropping them into the box.

Thank you for letting us get here. His prayer vanished along with his money, and he opened his eyes again. On the other side of the area were two gates, one leading south into the residential district, and the other leading east into the castle. There were guards posted outside both gates, keeping any eye on everything. He turned around to see Iya staring at a building with a strange sign.

"What's this?" He asked, and she shrugged.

"I'm not sure, but I can feel some sort of power radiating from the building. It feels like ice and fire on the edge of my skin." Her voice was thoughtful.

"Well, we can always come back. See, the door is locked." Ean said as Rye tried the handle. Iya nodded and they strode across the square, towards the entryway to the castle. As they approached, the two guards stepped in front of them, drawing their swords.

"Halt! Who are you?"

"I am Ean Okho, a traveler who has come far to see Uthar Pendragon. We bring news of Shaenlir." At the mention of the ice kingdom, the guard paled noticeably. He stepped back, allowing them through.

"Please, go on through. Prince Uthar will want to see you as soon as possible." They walked between the guards and into the outer ring of the castle. There was nothing here except a building that was labeled as the prison and a wide moat that surrounded the true castle. The drawbridge was lowered as they strode across, and Ean pushed open the massive doors that led into the castle.

As their eyes adjusted to the dim light, Ean saw that they were in a massive throne room. The walls were made of a smooth stone, and the walls and ceiling were made of oak wood lined with a red and gold carpet for the floor. Torches burned in brackets along the wall, giving light to their surroundings.

At the end of the room sat two thrones, but neither was occupied. In front of them, however, was a tall, dark-haired man with a crown upon his brow. The guards surrounding him drew their weapons at the sight of the travelers, but he raised his hands.

"Lower your weapons, men." The three stepped forward and bowed to the prince of Thais. He looked at them, his sharp eyes taking in their appearance.

"So… Two elves and a man. But who are you?"

"Your majesty," Ean began. "We come bearing news from Shaenlir." The three of them introduced themselves, and the prince looked at them suspiciously.

"The soldiers of Shaenlir have been moving suspiciously lately. But how do I know that you are who you say you are?" Ean nodded to Iya, who raised her hand. The green orb glowed above it, and she seemed to be filled with power for a moment. The prince's eyes were wide as he stared at the magic filling the room.

"A song mage. But the stories…"

"The stories are true. We need your help, Prince Uthar." Ean said, and the man nodded.

"Come, then. Let us speak." The guards left the room at Uthar's request, and Ean began to speak. He told the man of the Snow Queen's plan, and the fate that had befallen the other rulers. At the mention of it, Uthar seemed to collapse in on himself, and he stared at the floor.

"I feared that something had happened to them." Iya gave him a sympathetic smile.

"They are only frozen, Prince. They can be restored." Uthar nodded, standing up straight once again.

"Then we will rescue them too."

"Prince Uthar, you spoke of strange movements of the soldiers?" The man nodded.

"Yes. With the new barrier over Shaenlir, the troops cannot return. They have moved into the forests and mountains, and I fear they may be planning a takeover or another evil action."

"They may be searching for us. The Snow Queen knows we seek the nymphs." Ean had informed the prince of their mission to retrieve Iya's spirit. Uthar nodded.

"Perhaps. Regardless, we shall keep watching them."

"And what can we do to help?" Rye asked, looking at Uthar gravely. The man thought for a moment.

"I am not sure yet. Your news brings much change, and I must consult my generals for advice on our next move. I will also speak to the scholars, and see if they do not have any useful information for you."

"Thank you, your majesty." Ean said sincerely, and Uthar smiled.

"I suppose the one good thing we have is that the Snow Queen herself will not come out of her city now. Perhaps she fears you, young Iya." Iya contemplated the thought, but said nothing. Uthar clapped his hands together and spoke again. "Anyways, I will not have any answers immediately. I suggest you return to the inn and stay there tonight. Feel free to explore the town, alright?" The three of them acquiesced, and Uthar gave them a nod in return. They turned and exited the throne room as the prince disappeared into one of the side passages. The guards let them exit through the front door, and they were back in the sunlight. Iya breathed deeply, sighing a little bit as they crossed the drawbridge and headed back into the town.

Ean looked over the edge of the bridge as they crossed the small river in front of the inn. The water was clear, and he could not tell how deep it ran.

"I wonder how they did this." He commented to Rye, who shrugged as he pushed open the ornate wooden door of the inn. The inn was by far the most expensive they had come across yet. The floor was decorated with soft mats over the dark wood that formed the structure of the inn. The walls had designs carved on them, and there was a desk in front of them. To the left of the desk, a larger room filled with tables and chairs of the same dark wood formed the rest of the first floor. There was a small bar next to the fireplace that was crackling merrily, and a man came out from a door to the left.

"Oh, pardon me. How may I help you?" He was dressed in a neat suit with a red tie, and he had grey hair that clung to his scalp forlornly.

"We'd like to rent 2 rooms, for at least a day." The man nodded, writing something down.

"Are you the party that Prince Uthar's guard mentioned?" Ean was caught off guard by this question.

"Oh, err…. Yes, that's us." The man nodded again.

"Well, you'll each have your own room, and Uthar has offered to pay for it out of the treasury."

"Wow, that's quite generous of him." Iya said, and the man gave them their room keys.

"The bath is also on the second floor. We serve three meals a day, but you're welcome to eat elsewhere too. There's many restaurants in town."

"Thank you very much." Ean told him, and the trio strode up the stairs to find their rooms. Ean and Rye had two adjacent rooms, while Iya was across the hall. They deposited some items in their rooms, taking the money and whatever other items they thought could be of some value. Ean placed it in a pack and they exited the inn, looking out upon the town.

"Where to first?" Ean asked.

"Hmmmm… I suppose the market would be good. See if we can't sell any of our things." Rye said, and Iya nodded in agreement.

"Alright, then." They exited the inn, waving to the innkeeper as they returned to the stone streets of Thais. They navigated back through the city, heading towards the marketplace.

"The people here sure are friendly." Rye said as a young woman greeted him politely, blushing slightly.

"Maybe they're just looking for an eligible bachelor like yourself." Ean teased, and Rye rolled his eyes.

"Well, unfortunately, I don't have time to be finding a wife right now, so I'll leave any relationships up to you two." Ean's mouth fell open at the remark, and Iya blushed slightly. It was the first time Rye had shown any real sense of humor. He chose to ignore the remark as they entered another square filled with brightly colored stalls.

"Wow." Iya said. "This is so different from Shaenlir." Ean nodded. The people here seemed much more lively and healthy compared to the icy people of the Snow Queen. Rye spotted a building with an armor insignia on it, and he pointed to it.

"We should totally check that out." Ean had seen it as well, and he nodded.

"Couldn't hurt, I suppose."

As it turned out, it didn't hurt in the slightest. Ean and Rye both purchased lightweight chain mail that could fit under their clothes, and Iya got a cloak designed for a magician. The shopkeeper had told her that it was imbued with properties against magical attack. Ean also bought a steel shield, and they all got new boots as well. The shopkeeper was also willing to buy their old equipment, and they handed it over for a decent price.

"Well, at least he didn't try to rip us off." Rye said as they exited, and Ean grinned.

"Not all shopkeepers are evil, Rye." The green-haired man grunted as they walked across the square, looking at various stalls.

"Hey, a weapons shop!" Ean darted over to the building, which had a sword emblazoned on the door. "You guys want to check it out?" The others nodded, and they entered to see the widest array of weapons they had ever seen. There was maces, swords, knives, staffs, bows, and many other things beside. Iya picked up a long staff that had symbols carved into it.

"I can feel magic inside this one." The merchant behind the counter, sensing a sale, began expounding the many magical virtues of the staff, which mostly included more magical power. Iya bought it at a low price, arguing that not many people could even use it. Ean purchased a new, more powerful set of claws made of a needle-like steel. Rye did not see any bows he wanted at the time, so he refrained from purchasing anything.

The three had just exited the store when Ean noticed a small door set into a wall. There was no identifying mark on it, and there was no candle outside that signified anybody living within. He touched the handle and found that it was unlocked.

"Iya, come look at… Iya?" The elf turned to see his companion at a nearby stall, talking animatedly. As he got closer, he saw that the shopkeeper was selling a wide variety of flowers.

Oh, I remember now. Iya always liked flowers back home. Iya had picked up a bouquet of yellow flowers and was smelling them, her eyes closed. As she did, Ean was struck by a strange feeling. It was as though his stomach had dropped as if he was falling, and he blinked a couple of times.

It's just Iya. The thought passed through his mind, but he ignored it. Iya had opened her crystal eyes and was looking at him.

"Ean?" The elf blinked once.

"Sorry. Hey, come here a second. You too, Rye." They both followed him over to the door, and Ean pushed it open. Stairs led down into darkness.

"Anybody have a lamp?" Ean asked, and Rye pulled a torch from his pack, lighting it.

"Yeah, let's go." They descended the stairs into darkness, and Ean saw that they were in a small, dingy passage made of stone. Water dripped from the walls and ceiling, falling on the strange plants growing between bricks. At their feet, Ean could see several metal grates.

"What is this place? A sewer?" Rye asked, but nobody had an answer for him. There was only one way forward, and they followed it, twisting and turning through the darkness. As they rounded a corner, Ean saw light from in front of them. He motioned to Rye to put the light out, and they crept forward cautiously.

The room was fairly large, and there was a bed near the back. The walls were dusty, and the floor was cracked. However, their attention was immediately drawn to the statue in the middle of the room. It was life-sized, and featured a boy with an expression of horror on his face. His arms were raised, and he looked scared.

"A miserable thief." The voice resonated from their left, and Ean drew his claws. A hooded man was leaning against the wall, his head down.

"A thief?" Ean asked cautiously.

"Yes. He stole from my family three generations ago. A priceless heirloom, or something."

"Who did? The boy?" The man nodded. "So why is there a statue?" A low chuckle came from the man, but it soon turned into insane laughter.

"I turned him to stone!" He cackled madly, and Ean backed away.

"You what?!" Iya said, aghast. The man merely laughed.

"Ah, he had it coming. Now get out of here." They did not wait around, but left the passage immediately, moving as fast as they could. The man's laughter faded into the abyss behind them, and Ean shuddered as they entered the sunlight once more.

"That was… odd." Rye said. Iya looked at him.

"More like terrifying. Do you think the statue is really a boy?" The man thought about it, then nodded.

"Yeah, I think so. Didn't he seem serious?"

"Maybe we should do something about it. Talk to Uthar, maybe? He might know how to free the boy. Nobody deserves something like that." The others nodded.

"That seems like a good idea." They continued through the market and the rest of the town, gazing around at the many wares that the merchants had to offer.

As such, it was fate that seemed to have dragged them across the town, outside a respectable, if slightly dilapidated, house. Ean had glimpsed a piece of paper on a board, asking for help in a legal matter across town. As nobody else seemed willing to help, they all had agreed to visit the owner and see what had happened.

The door opened at their knock to reveal a young lady, dressed in a nice gown.

"Who are you?" Ean held up the paper.

"Do you need help with this?" At the sight, the woman seemed to collapse with relief.

"Oh, really? You can help me? Please, come in!" She let them enter the house, closing the wooden door behind them.

"Now, what's the problem?" Iya asked the lady.

"My father died recently, and the house was supposedly left to me. However, the will has gone missing, and if I don't find it, I'm done for. The house will be turned over to my greedy relatives." Ean gave her a look of sympathy.

"Perhaps we can find it. Where did you see it last?"

"I never saw it, but my father kept it in the house, somewhere secure. I just can't think where…"

"Did you father ever give any sort of signal as to where it was?" Rye asked, but the woman shook her head.

"No. He was too busy making clocks, you see. He's quite famous for it. He even has a prototype upstairs on the wall. It's supposed to open, but he never got it working before he passed."

"Hmmmm." Ean said. "Mind if we look around?"

"Oh, go right ahead. I'll be down here if you need anything." The woman turned and left the room, leaving them standing at the foot of the stairs. They headed up, looking at the various walls of the house. There were several clocks, all uniquely shaped to create some sort of odd pattern on the wall. With each step, dust particles fell from the ceiling lightly.

The top floor of the house was divided into three rooms, two bedrooms and an open area with more clocks on the walls. They checked the clock room first, inspecting each one.

"Hey, this one is vibrating. Weird." Rye said, pointing to an old wooden clock on the wall.

"Is that the prototype?" Iya asked, and Ean shrugged. They investigated the bedrooms next, but found nothing except dusty beds and furniture. They were about to leave when Iya spotted something under a table.

"Hey, what's this?" She bent down and grabbed it, revealing a dirty metal key.

"Where does that go, you think?" Ean thought about it for a moment, and comprehension dawned on his face.

"She said he never finished the clock, but what if he did? And what if he hid the will in there, hoping she'd find it?" They rushed back into the clock room, and Rye found a small, hidden hole on the side of the old clock.

"Here." With a clank, the clock swung open to reveal two things: a scroll and an official-looking piece of paper.

"This must be it." Ean said, taking the will from the clock. "But what's the other thing?" Rye had opened it, but he frowned.

"It's written in gibberish. I can't make anything out." He passed it to the others, who looked at the strange writing too.

"Huh. Let's ask her about it, I guess." They returned to the woman, who squealed in delight.

"You found it! Thank you so much!" The elves told her what had happened, and she smiled knowingly.

"Of course he would. But I'm afraid I don't know what's in the other scroll. Perhaps you should take it."

"Are you sure?" Ean asked, and she nodded.

"Of course. It might be of some use to you. Actually, I believe that the scroll is a translated version of something else, deciphered by my father. He was given the opportunity to study it by a warlock. If you want to read it, you might want to go to Bogwood. Maybe the warlock is there?"

"Well, we were planning on going there anyways, so I guess that's a plan. What was the warlock's name?" The older woman frowned.

"Something that started with G… I can't remember. Sorry."

"It's alright." Ean assured here. "Have a good day, ma'am." The trio exited the house, looking down the streets.

"Well, you want to head back to the inn?" Rye asked, and Ean nodded.

"That's fine with me." They began walking, but stopped as Iya let out a short cry. She was clutching her head.

"Iya!" Ean grabbed her arm. "What's happening?" After a moment, she looked up at him in confusion.

"Somebody spoke to me. They said that there was a trial awaiting me within the building of chaos. I… I think it's that building from earlier, the magical one. It also said not to come until we are departing the city."

"Okaaay… But what do we do?" Rye asked. "What if it's a trap or something?"

"I don't think it is." The female elf said seriously. "It didn't feel like one. I think we should check it out." They looked at Ean.

"What?" He asked with a half-smile on his face.

"Well, you're the leader, aren't you?" Rye said.

"I am?"

"Um, yeah. Aren't you?"

"I don't know!" Ean was thoroughly confused now.

"I'll just lead, then." Iya said with a trace of exasperation. "Boys." Her voice was slightly sarcastic as she walked past, and the others followed with their mouths slightly open. They headed back to the inn, where they spent the next few hours doing nothing of consequence. Ean was sitting on his bed when Iya knocked on the door.

"Ean?" He sat up quickly, his heart suddenly racing.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to sit in the park and watch the people. Do you want to come?" It sounded odd, but Ean knew Iya had never seen anything like the city before.

No wonder she wants to see as much as possible. He stood.

"Sure, I'll go with you. I'll meet you there, okay?" She gave her assent, and her footsteps vanished down the hall. Putting his plan into action, Ean slipped out of the inn and headed back to the marketplace. Approaching the vendor with the flowers, he motioned towards the yellow bouquet he had seen earlier.

"How much for it?" The vendor looked up in surprise.

"Oh, my apologies. Something for the lady friend?" He seemed to recognize Ean, so he nodded mutely. The merchant smiled.

"I understand, I think." He named a fair price, and Ean paid for it, slipping it into a bag so that it would not be obvious. The elf set off back through the city.

Your heartbeat is rising. The deep voice growled in his head. Such weakness.

Quiet, you. And then he saw her, across the street. Iya was sitting on a bench, watching the dozens of people going about their day. She seemed content, even happy, and Ean sat down next to her. If she noticed the bag, she did not comment.

"It's peaceful here." She gestured around her, and Ean listened to the sounds of many people talking.

"In a noisy sort of way?" He said with a slight smile, and Iya nodded.

"Yes, actually. This comforts me, for some reason. It reminds me of home." Ean's expression changed as he thought of the village he had left behind. "But at the same time, I'm a little bit in shock at all the things we've seen already."

"I understand that. I'm the same way. I think Rye is too, honestly." He responded, and the elven girl nodded.

"Indeed." Her gaze fell upon some children playing nearby in the grass, and he saw some unidentifiable emotion flicker in her eyes.

"You've always liked children." Not a question.

"I suppose so. They seem so carefree, and I think I'm jealous of that."

"Jealous? Why?" Ean asked gently. Iya let out a small sigh.

"I never had that as a child. I was always expected to start developing magic, and it never happened. I could only be myself with…" She reddened and did not finish her sentence. Ean reached into the bag quietly.

"Well, I happen to think that you developed much more magic than anyone, Iya. That's something special." He handed the flowers to her, and her eyes widened.

"These are…" Instead of blushing, she looked at Ean with a trace of seriousness.

"Why?"

"I felt bad about arguing with you. I was wrong to eavesdrop on what happened before, Iya." He looked into her eyes, begging her silently to accept the apology. She looked back, their hands still touching the flowers.

"I was not exactly nice either." She murmured. "I…" She stopped, thinking, and Ean withdrew his hands, leaving her to hold the bouquet.

"You do not have to tell me anything, Iya. I understand if-"

"That's not it, Ean." She cut him off, speaking quickly. "It's not that I don't trust you, I just don't want you to worry about me and look at me like I'm some sort of glass cannon." Now Ean was rendered speechless. "I know you mean it as a kind gesture, but sometimes I feel as though I am not worthy of this magic, and that makes me feel worse about it." The other elf managed to find his voice.

"Iya, you aren't unworthy of anything. I just want you to be happy, because if you aren't, I'm not." Now she was blushing.

"Ean, you can't say things like that." He smiled.

"Well, I just did. So you better be happy, or I'm going to be very sad." Iya smiled back, holding the flowers closer to her chest.

"Thank you, Ean. For…" She gestured at her chest, and he knew she was not referring only to the flowers.

"You are welcome. We're in this together, okay?"

"You're right. All of us have just as much to lose on this quest." They stayed in the park for a little bit longer, if only so they could be at peace for a few short moments.