The sky was darker now as they continued deeper into the Lotus main city though Kisa barely seemed to notice as she looked around from the narrow cobblestone street they were walking along on. Large buildings with strange symbols where everywhere now, silvery trees adorned the gardens of some as while others had smoking chimneys or spiked courtyards. Tall, black spires loomed up here and there and in the distance, a giant purple fountain could be seen against the gray backdrop of rain. Yells and screams echoed from within these structures causing the hair on the back of Kisa's neck to prickle.

"Don't worry about it." Ferendil said softly. "They are just training. I suggest you keep close though."

She immediately drew close as a pair of stooping men with heads covered came near. One of them saw the group and came forward, beckoning the other to follow though he did this somewhat hesitantly. A short greeting was said which Ferendil answered warmly and they soon fell to talk though it was in a language Kisa couldn't understand. < They're own, I guess... > Kisa looked uncomfortably around and saw the quieter one staring at her through his hooded eyes. She was about to say something when he began to cough horribly, black slime dribbling from the sides of his mouth as he hastily tried to wipe it away with the back of his hand. Some fell on the paved street and a hissing sound was heard as it ate a small hole into the stone. Wide eyed with shock and disgust, Kisa backed away slightly from him but the man didn't seem to notice this and kept looking at her, rain dripping down his emaciated face. Kisa neared Ferendil quickly and hurriedly asked if they could leave now. She nodded and spoke to Giron who immediately said something commanding to the two and they soon bowed and left the trio. After a few moments of walking silently in trepidation, Kisa looked at Ferendil from beneath the hood of her cloak and asked. "What was THAT? He,he was coughing black goo that burned the street! Is he sick?"

Ferendil looked at her blankly at first then it suddenly dawned on her and she smiled. "Of course, I forgot. You have never seen an Unclean One before, have you?"

Kisa shook her head slowly at her a bit warily as they passed a group of the gangly blades man she had seen earlier who bowed to the group and left. "Un...clean One?"

Nodding, Ferendil continued. "I had forgotten that these types never leave the High Plateau and thus, have never been seen by the postwar generations. Lord Zymeth kept them here for he knew what would be the reaction of the other clans to such people. They are seen only if the Lotus clan is in battle."

"I see..."

Kisa pondered on this and looked up in time to see as another group coming towards them. This time, a set of short men with bulging stomachs and a mop of white hair like everyone else comprised it. They stopped short of the trio and gave the bow Kisa had seen over and over that day and her eyes widened in horror as pieces of their stomach fell on the street. Ferendil noticed her reaction and quickly waved the group away after she greeted them in return. As they left, she clamped a hand on Kisa's shoulder.

"Are you alright Miss Kisa?" she asked anxiously but Kisa was paralyzed with revulsion at what she had just witnessed.

"Miss Kisa, we must keep moving." Ferendil said calmly, feeling the looks passing people gave them. "Here, hold my hand. Giron, can you please stand to her right?" The Warlock obeyed and she continued. "You may close your eyes, we will lead you to our Keep this way or you will see worse sights."

At the prospects of seeing even more gruesome scenes, Kisa grabbed the offered left hand and closed her eyes, feeling Ferendil grip her hand reassuringly. They walked in silence and horrible screams and groans of agony filled the air in a near deafening cry before beginning to fade away but still Kisa kept her eyes shut. Murmurs could be heard now of old men talking in low, grave tones as they moved along in the unceasing rain and this soothed her a bit, remembering how her father used to talk to the elders of certain towns and villages and brought her along. She relaxed and Ferendil felt this and smiled before steering her into the final stretch and said.

"We are here. You may open your eyes now."

The sight that greeted her was awesome. The Lotus Keep was made of black marble, large and imposing with intricate designs and elaborate ornamentations adorning the outer wall, giving only a hint of what could be inside. They walked up the steps to it and another Warlock appeared. He started to greet them but Ferendil interrupted him, speaking in the common tongue.

"I have brought a Dragon trespasser with me. < !!! I am not!!! > A judge is required as you know."

The Warlock looked Kisa over before replying, "I will alert Lord Zymeth immediately."

Ferendil nodded and led the way in. The dark hallways were lit by a strange violet glow that cast long shadows on the three as they moved silently to the main receiving room. Kisa had removed her cloak and was now folding it neatly as she grumpily talked to Ferendil.

"Why did you call me a trespasser? I thought you were on my sid..." However Giron silenced her with a gesture and said irritably.

"Can you not see that Lady Ferendil is concentrating?"

Raising an eyebrow in response, Kisa began jogging in front of Ferendil to look at her expression.

"Eh?"

Her face was in a slight frown as before but it was her eyes that caught Kisa's attention. They had become hard and lifeless and looked as if she was staring right through her. Kisa was jogging backwards in front of her now as they walked down the long hall and began to wave her arms at her, trying to get her to wake up or something.

"Ferendil? What's wrong?" Nothing. Not a muscle twitched out of position from the hard and vacant expression on her face. Kisa started to make even more elaborate means of getting her attention but was immediately stopped by Giron's heated reprimand.

At last, after passing through more than just a few gilded staircases, heavily decorated rooms and long dark corridors, the trio finally came upon a large door with similar looking runes etched across it as the ones on the fringes of Ferendil's white and silver cloak. She still said nothing at which Giron touched the writings gently, causing the door to open wide and in that moment, she snapped out of it and spoke hurriedly to Kisa.

"Lord Zymeth is not in a pleasant mood, be wary of your actions alright? If ever he directs a question to you, let me answer it. This is very important. And please, be courteous to him!"

Kisa nodded, quite alarmed at the slight panic in her voice. Nodding back, Ferendil led the way in followed closely by Kisa and Giron. They entered a large, arched room with an elaborately festooned throne at one end guarded at either side by the same type of people as the group's earlier companions though there were a few that Kisa had only seen while walking through the city, men carrying iron staves. No one was seated at the throne though before it stood a cluster of Warlocks, the tallest had his back towards them. The talking stopped as the three were spotted and the tallest turned to see them. Even though nobody had told her that this was Lord Zymeth, master of the nefarious Lotus clan, she knew it was him instinctively. A cold and menacing aura seemed to emanate from him and his tall, thin frame rings true to the description her father had told her but… Kisa leaned over and whispered quite audibly.

"I thought he was old and wrinkled?"

The entire room froze in silence at what she said, Ferendil's hand was hovering before her face in horror and Giron was looking somewhat anxiously towards the ceiling as if expecting lightning to strike them all dead while everyone else just stood there in shock at the recklessness of the girl's behavior.

Ferendil was now murmuring something unintelligible before lowering her hand and glaring at Kisa.

"Please...be...quiet!" she growled though gritted teeth.

Zymeth now drew near and spoke, his cold and deep voice flowing smoothly over them.

"And what foolish, uncouth creature have you brought to trouble me now, Ferendil?"

He stopped in front of her and stared down to her eyes, waiting for an answer. Kisa wanted to say something back but Ferendil raised a hand to stop her and returned Zymeth's hard gaze.

"This is Kisa Lord Zymeth, we found her wandering quite deep within our territorial boundaries without a legal permit and as is according to the Strangers Act made in one AGB, we brought her in for questioning."

Thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance, as if a monster was voicing its disapproval. He turned from them and walked towards the throne and Kisa stared at the long tendrils of his luxurious robes, mesmerized it seems by their coiling and twisting.

"And?"

Kisa snapped back to attention as Zymeth reached his throne and sat down, looking at Ferendil. She merely cocked her head to the side a bit and replied too innocently. "And...?"

A scowl passed over his faced at this answer. "Surely that is not all of it, Ferendil. Always there is something more than just that." Slight irritation could already be traced in his tone as his gray eyes narrowed at her.

Again, a thunder growled close by as Kisa heard Ferendil take a deep breath before replying. "And I would like to request that her sentence be lighter than what is ordinary as she was mugged by bandits and thus, it is not her fault that no papers were found upon her person."

He gave a mirthless, hollow laugh at this and Ferendil sighed and whispered, "I knew he was going to do that..." Kisa glanced at her, surprised that she was still smiling though her eyes were closed.

In a moment, Zymeth had stopped his mockery of her answer and said scornfully. "I hope you realize what an absolutely flimsy excuse that is, Ferendil. Any fool could weave such a laughable story." This only made her smile widen however.

"How about one so young and naive as to so readily trust a Lotus with barely a second thought?" Kisa looked at her stunned. < Wasn't I supposed to trust her??? > Ferendil continued. "After all, she is only a child Lord Zymeth, born after the war of 16 years ago, I pressume. If she could trust one of the 'deceitful' Lotuses so easily then no doubt we have one of a simple heart. I can be quite treacherous if I so wish."

A slow, mischievous grin appeared on her face as she added one last word to her defense. "You taught me that after all, quite well if I may add."

The surrounding Warlocks looked at each other anxiously as Zymeth glared down quietly at the three. "Too well I suppose, girl." He leaned forward a bit as he prepared to give his ruling. "The law is very clear upon this. All strangers arrested within another clan’s territory will be imprisoned until that reckless imbecile's identity and purpose is known and verified." He looked down callously at Kisa now making her insides squirm as she tried to steady her gaze back at him. "Yet, because of Ferendil's apparent interest in the foolish and susceptible girl's case, I will accept alternatives to her incarceration."

A sigh escaped Kisa and she looked triumphantly at Ferendil but the seriousness of her expression dampened her a little.

"And your requests are, Ferendil?" A ghost of a smile (or was it a smirk?) lifted the appearance of Zymeth and a dull feeling of dread throbbed in Kisa. Stepping forward, Ferendil sank on her right knee, placed both hands on her left and gave a quick bow before standing and crossed her arms behind her and replied. "That I will be the one to guard her during her stay here."

Murmurs arose from the lingering group of Warlocks.

"Your freedom will be limited as well if you do this." She nodded, accepting this readily.

"And one more thing my lord, if ever I have more pressing tasks, may I leave her under the care and surveillance of the Yellow Lotus? Specifically, Giron's?"

Murmurs again as Zymeth looked over at Giron who was staring shocked at Ferendil as the latter was begging to him.

"Please Giron! If ever I need to do something, for Lord Zymeth..." He was about to say something but she gave him an unhappy "Please!" and he sighed, defeated.

"Do you accept this responsibility then, Tunreidin? < Tunreidin? Who's that? > If she escapes while under your authority, the sentence will be transferred to you." The voice was low and threatening.

Grimacing slightly, he answered. "I accept Lord Zymeth for Lady Ferendil has decreed it..." Laughing happily, Ferendil hugged him, thanking him, and in the process made him cry out in dismay and discomfort. "Lady Ferendil!" He staggered slightly from her over affectionate form of gratitude. Still giggling, she released him sighing in exasperation.

"Ferendil..."

She stopped and turned grim-faced to Zymeth once more and Kisa stared at her. < What's wrong? Isn't it over? > From the look of her face, it seemed as if she expected a whip across her back. < What's going on? >

"Take the girl and settle her in your room. Make sure she stays with you or I will be forced to exact the punishment that is rightfully hers." He stood and turned to leave. "Lord Zy..."

He stopped. "We will speak of your...compensation later."

Ferendil grimaced at this. "Yes Lord Zymeth." Walking swiftly, he left through a side door as the Warlocks dispersed from the room.