>Hope sat dangling her feet over the edge of the large rock she was sitting on. She slowly stirred the air with her fishing pole as she hummed quietly to herself and patiently waitied for a bite. She looked up through the thick canopy of trees. The sky beyond was growing steadily lighter with the rising of the. She glanced to the left. Donovan sat crosslegged on the ground, deep in meditation.
>Hope knew he was trying to contact their father. He had been trying for the past three days. Hope could only get him to stop for food, but he didn't sleep. She pulled her attention back to the water as there was a pull on her line. After a playfull struggle with the fish on the other end, Hope yanked him out of the water. When she put the large fish in the pile with the others she had caught, she realized that she had caught enough. She took out a slim, sharpened rock and began gutting and cleanin the fish. After she threw some more kindling on the fire, she began to cook.
>When the fish were cooked, she took on and brought it over to Donovan. She sent to him, gently calling her back. Donovan blinked, looking his sister in the eyes. "Any luck?" she asked, handing him the fish-on-a-stick. He only shook his head, still dazed. Hope got a fish for herself and sat next to him. They ate silently for a while until Donovan looked up.
>"I'm glad you paid attention when Father was teaching us how to survive in the wilderness. We wouldn't have lasted these past few days without it," he said, looking at the crude shelter Hope had built for them.
>"Oh, don't worry your silly old head about it," was all Hope said, then she took another fish and ate it. Donovan took another fish also and sat back down. No sooner had he taken a bite than he heard a loud noise. Off in the distance, there came a loud snap, followed by a yell. Donovan looked at Hope, she was looking at him as well. "One of my traps!" she whispered.
>Quickly and ever so quietly, the two children jumped up and headed for the source of the sounds. Hiding in the bushes just lining a clearing, they saw a man hanging upside down from a high tree. He was trying desperitely to loosen the rope about his ankle. As the twins studied him, they could see that he was not entirely human. His skin appeared to be made of rock and his hair shined like wires. They could hear him mumbling and cursing as he wiggled about like a worm at the end of Hope's fishing hook. They couldn't help but laugh.
>"Damn it!" Zelgadiss cursed, reaching up again. The rope, it seemed, was always just out of his reach. He tried bending this way and that, but his fingers just barely brushed the rope. Finally, he got an idea. Zelgadiss drew his sword and slashed. The rope yielded immediately to the sharp blade and Zelgadiss was freed. Only then did he realize the result of this action. Zelgadiss yelped as he went hurdling toward the ground. He hit the ground with a loud thud and a lot of cracking and rustling from the disturbed underbrush.
>Zelgadiss sat up groaning and holding his head. From some bushes on the edge of the clearing, he heard small, muffled giggles. He looked, trying to find the source of the sound. "Who's there?" he voiced at last. The giggling stopped. Zelgadiss stood up and looked all around him. He called, "My name is Zelgadiss! I'm looking for Hope and Donovan! Jaynis sent me!"
>In the bushes, Hope and Donovan looked at one another. **Zelgadiss?!** Hope sent to her brother, **Father used to talk about him.**
>**You think it's really safe?** Donovan sent. Hope shrugged. **I'm going to check.** Hope nodded, understanding her brother's intent and watched as he stood and entered the clearing.
>Zelgadiss turned when he heard the rustling behind him. There before him stood a young boy of about nine or ten years. His hair was wild and the same shade of brown as Jaynis', but he stared at Zelgadiss with eyes that were narrow and purple as Xelloss'. This sent a cold chill down Zelgadiss' spine, but, more than that, there was something about this boy that unsettled, almost freightened Zelgadiss.
>"I am Donovan, son of Jaynis," the boy said. His voice was strong and steady. He held his hand out to Zelgadiss. Zelgadiss, deciding it would be rude not to, took the offered hand. As soon as their hands touched, Zelgadiss felt a slight shockwave rip through his mind. He quickly pulled his hand away and looked at Donovan. The boy was sweating profusely, as if he were exhausted and he staggered backward, sending to his sister. Hope came rushing out of the bushes to support her weakened brother.
>"It's alright..." Donovan whispered, "He's here to help."
>Hope nodded, setting Donovan on the ground gently to rest. She stood again and faced Zelgadiss. Zelgadiss looked at her carefully. Her hair was purple, like Xelloss', but her eyes were silver and she looked very much like Jaynis. She held her hand out to him and Zelgadiss stepped back, wary of any contact. "I am Hope, daughter of Xelloss," she said. He took another step back and she giggled. "Don't worry, I can't use mind-power like my brother can." Still very cautiously, Zelgadiss reached out and took her hand.
>When nothing happened, Zelgadiss smiled. "I am Zelgaidss Graywords," he said. Hope and Donovan smiled and nodded.
.............................
>Xelloss looked long and hard at the house. One by one, the tears streamed down his face and dripped off his chin to be absorbed by the moist earth. He had come to say a silent good-bye; to his house, to his family, to everything he had spent so long building up. As he looked at the house, ht thought about his children and what they would do with their lives now, without a father's guidance. Then of course, his thoughts went to Jaynis and what HE would do without HER. He tried to shut out such thoughts, they would only make leaving so much more difficult.
>Xelloss finally got up enough strength to go and turned around. He started walking down the hill when he heard a sound behind him. He turned with deliberate slowness. Jaynis was standing in the doorway, looking at him with tears in her eyes. She made a small, happy sound and ran to him. She threw her arms around him and held him close, sending her joy to him.
>"Stop that." Xelloss said quietly, trying to close his mind to her. Jaynis looked up at him with a questioning look. Xelloss did not look at her, did not return her embrace. He looked up at the moon, tears still leaking from his eyes. Still, Jaynis did not let go, but her joy was muddled.
>"You...you're not staying, are you?" she whispered. When Xelloss did not answer, she began to cry, tugging on the front of his robe. "Why? Why?!" she cried, pounding her fists on his chest. "You can't leave! You promised!"
>Xelloss took both of her wrists in one hand and pulled them over his head, forcing Jaynis to stand on her toes. He looked down into her eyes with a cold mazoku look, the kind of which he had never forced on her before. She gasped, eyes wide and tried to pull away. Xelloss held tight and lifted her off the ground. She let out a pained groan and Xelloss snapped to his senses, setting her down.
>He let go, turning his back to her. "Don't you understand?" he said quietly, looking up at the sky again. "I can't stay, you would all be in danger." Jaynis went to him cautiously and hugged him from behind, placing one hand on a small hard object hidden benieth his shirt. She smiled, know what it was.
>"I will go with you." she said. She felt Xelloss' body tense at these words. He spun around violently, grabbing her by the shoulders. She yelped, startled by his speed. He looked in her eyes again, but this time it was with love, tenderness, and fear. She returned his gaze, trying not to break benieth his stare.
>"You mustn't say such things, Jaynis," he said in a firm, commanding tone. Still, Jaynis smiles and shook her head, holding up the half of the lodestone around her neck. It began to glow with a pale white light, as did his half, hiding under his shirt. He brought out his half and looked at its pale light with a mixed expression of love and saddness. Jaynis, still smiling, held her half up to his, fitting them together. The light grew steadily brighter.
>**Remember our vow,** Jaynis sent, **wherever we go, we go together, Samael.**
>**Essence...** She looked up at him and he looked down into her eyes. They clasped their hands together, around the glowing lodestone. Drawn closer by the use of their soul names, they engaged in a passionate kiss. The light of the lodestone became blinding and enveloped them.
>Down the hill, just coming out of the forest, Zelgadiss and the twins had to shield their eyes from the bright light. When the light disappeared, they looked to find Jaynis and Xelloss were gone. The twins cried out at once, "Mother! Father!" and ran up the hill, into the house. Zelgadiss walked slowly up to the house, looking around carefully as if dazed. When he reached the spot where Jaynis and Xelloss had last stood, he stopped. He knelt down and ran his hand over the perfect, green grass.
>"Jaynis..." he thought to himself, "you went with him...You went willingly and now you're gone. Do you even know what you're getting yourself into?" He looked up, into the house where the twins were still looking for their parents.
End Part III...
On to part 4...
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