Night had falling in the mystical realm of Vasi'shan, and a lone soul stood upon the parapets of the castle. The zephyrs caressed his silver hair, and the starlight shone down upon his countenance. Shining silver eyes looked out upon the ocean that surrounded his home.

The ocean waves crested with a roar, and fell back from the jagged stone to perpetually commit suicide.

For some reason, the sounds soothed the man, easing his troubled soul.

He sighed, turning his face up to the heavens, seeking guidance and finding none.

The war was not going well, and everyone knew who had the upper hand.

Voaton had not only taken his only child, Lucreana, but he had also wiped out well over half of his army.

He hung his head, his hands braced upon the cold stone.

He had to contact her. There was no other way except with her help.

Hopefully, she had found what she had been sent to seek . . .

Hopefully, she'd not kill him or beat him . . .

His life, his task, and his fate were never easy ones . . .

Night fell upon Zenthia in quiet solitude.

Everyone had retired to his or her respective rooms, and Aryun had been shown her quarters for the time being.

Aryun turned and looked at her chambers. There were many lovely things, and what attracted her to the room immediately were the large balcony doors that opened so that one could look down at the world around them.

The bed was elegant and covered in silks and furs, and had drapes that could conceal the bed from the chills of winter that were fast approaching. A small fireplace adored the other side of the wall, along with many tapestries and a few swords as well.

The tapestries showed scenes from epic poetry and several 'mythological' creatures that she knew to be true.

Slowly, she crossed the room to check out the closet, finding it filled with clothes of her size and preference. She whistled low, impressed by the magic that surrounded her.

Sighing, she flopped down on the bed, one hand across her face, the other over her hear.

"What the hell's the matter with me?" She muttered to herself. "Why the hell do I feel this way?"

She sighed again, spreading her fingers to look through them. "Erdric is the Chosen and I am the Center. Now, what are we supposed to do? We know about the whole "Resurrection of Evil", but for what purpose were we drawn in this web of fate?"

Her eyes closed, and soon she fell into a peaceful slumber.

Aryun woke the next day somewhat refreshed. The sunlight was just starting to seep through the windows to illuminate the soft beauty of the room, and she smiled slightly.

She stretched, yawning as she rose from the soft comfort of her loaned bed, noticing a scrap of parchment hanging in the air near the window.

"No," She whispered, afraid of who had written the delicate scrawl. "Light!"

She snatched the parchment from the air, and exhaled in gratitude when she recognized the seal.

With a slight smile, she broke the seal and read the letter.

"Dearest Aryun,
I regret I must inform you of my losses on the battlefield.
I have, your majesty, failed you. Half of my troops are destroyed, and the Lord Ashitare lays wounded, and he begged for me to plead your return. He also asked to inform you that we are in dire straights, and are in desperate need of your skills.
I hope that you respond, My Lady.
With Much Love and Respect,
Lord Tyral"

Aryun sighed, crumpling the paper in her hand, now worried for her people. She hated the fact that she was stuck with the title, but she was the best general they had, unfortunately.

"Why me?" She muttered as she walked out of the room after refolding the note and slipping it into the waistband of her pants.

She walked down the hall, humming slightly as she watched everything around her. Something caught her eye in a small open area.

Aryun stopped, tilting her head at the soft noises.

She walked slowly over to the part in the wall, noticing it led to a garden of beauty. She was startled at all the beautiful flowers that dwelt up here, and she ran her finger along one of the many leafs. She turned the corner and saw Erdric, kneeling on the ground to tend the delicate flowers.

His face was a mask of happiness as he cut out the dead leaves, cutting off buds of flowers and blossomed ones and laying them in the basket that Nara held.

Aryun's ear picked up a snippet of the conversation before she stepped forward.

"Erdric, I don't understand why you tend to these flowers like you do."

"They are hers, Nara, how can I not love them as I once did her?"

"But Erdric, that's the past. You need to -"

"I don't need anything but peace, Angel. They are hers and I will care for them." He sighed as he picked up one of the flowers, a delicate white one with petals that looked like lace. "I miss her, Nara."

"Erdric," Nara whispered, brushing her fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry. Tend to your flowers and I'll not bother you about them again."

After a few seconds, Aryun cleared her throat, causing Erdric to jump slightly and Nara to smile.

"Greetings, Lady Aryun."

"Xaire, Lady Nara and Lord Erdric." Aryun trilled the 'r' sound on the foreign word, causing Nara to arch her eyebrow.

Erdric nodded his head finally. "Greetings, Lady. I trust your rooms were suitable?"

"Indeed they were, Lord, and I have received a missive from the Lord Tyral in stead of my Commander, Ashitare. He's informed me that the situation is most grim for his troops and that I must return. Perhaps this is the uprising that was prophesied for you?"

"My kingdom is not threatened."

"Ah, but if my troops fail, if he fails, then all is lost, Lord Erdric. The Gods do not like others to meddle in their affairs, and this particular god is not anything to be trifled with. Since we have yet to figure this out, Lord Erdric, I request that you all accompany me to Vasi'shan, and there we may sort things out."

Erdric was silent the whole while, watching his fingers as they flexed. "You must speak with Master Dragon, first and foremost. Please, allow us to escort you without delay if it is such an urgent matter."

Swiftly, he stood; taking the basket Nara held and started to walk rapidly down the hall.

Aryun turned to look at Nara. "What is it with him whisking out like that and expecting us to play catch up?"

Nara laughed. "My dear Lady Aryun. He's always been like that."