Turning around, Lalna began running down the path the old man showed him, apparently supposed to find a witch? this kept getting weirder and weirder... was it some odd dream? thoughts rushed through his brains alongside his own rushing down a path unknown, where was he? who where these people, a witch, a lady of light? this all didn't make any sense. but as it stood, his only goal was to run towards those woods, and make haste. he needed to protect his only way home.

As Lalna dodged around boulders and crevices, skidding down sharp dusty inclines and skirting scraggled trees, he would see the occasional flash and bob of a pale violet light passing between the shadows far ahead. Sometimes he might catch sight of a silhouette or two running alongside the light, down the mountain and deeper into the thickening forest. After awhile it vanished and didn't return.

Lalna was alone in the woods at night.

The lights of the outpost were lost far above and behind him; ahead, the mountain seemed to descend endlessly into the shifting, rustling dark. Something chittered and cackled in the branches above him; Lalna might spot a flap of leathery wings and a monkey's paw. A rat skittered past his ankle and paused to peer up at him with red glowing eyes. It opened its jaws and hissed at him with long jagged teeth.

His foot splashed into a narrow creek that flowed gently down the side of the mountain, shimmering oddly, like the water was filled with flecks of gold. The water followed a safer path down the mountain, avoiding the more treacherous pitfalls and sharp rocks. Lalna would feel eyes all around him, staring, watching. Whether they were malevolent had yet to be seen.

Eventually the ground leveled -- the mountain left behind him -- and the stream forked into two paths. To the left, a bright cloud of fireflies floated and flashed, illuminating the forest in a soft yellow light. In the distance, at the far side of the fireflies, Lalna might make out the dim outline of a white wooden mask hanging on the side of a twisted white tree. The mask was in the stylized shape of a panther's face.

To the right, the stream flowed into the thick darkness of the woods. At the far end, a single candlelight glimmered. In this direction, over the gurgle of water, Lalna could hear the faint music of a woman's voice, singing a familiar hymn to Kall.

---

This time even her terrible aim couldn't stop the persimmon's flight. The second rune guided it up with perfect aim to the line. The moment the fruit touched the cord it severed. The persimmon fell to the ground again, but Artemis wasn't looking at it. She was beaming, watching the line fall, bringing the clothes with it. It wasn't quite long enough to reach the ground when it was still attached at the other side. But Artemis was tall with a long reach, and her prizes were well within her range. Artemis ran and plucked clothes from the line. At least now she'd have something better to wear than her heavy, ruined skirts.

Looking around the alley once more she ducked behind some sort of large trash bin. It'd have to do for. Artemis started stripping out of her old clothes and putting her stolen goods on.

"What adventure?" the girl scoffed with a grin; she was perched on the bin behind which Artemis was changing clothes. "So far you managed ta steal food from an old canner and knocked down a clothesline. That's not an adventure, that's easy." Even though this same child had been obviously impressed by Artemis' runewriting skills, she was much less so with their application -- or at least she fancied herself as more knowledgeable in the proper way to use power with such potential. She shoved her legs into a slightly-too-big pair of overalls and pulled on a warm-looking sweater. "Why not just barge into one of those shops there and demand all their stuff? That'd be more fun."

A cheer went up among the sailors by the dock; they'd managed to reel in the runaway ship, and several boarded it while others lashed it to the dock. A wide plank was lowered, and a dozen men began moving shipments of gunpowder, spears, swords and shields off the ship and into piles on the dock. Workers throughout the town rushed to make another pile of outgoing trade: bear traps and trigger-nets, crank-powered lights and oil-filled torches. Two boxes of fireworks were added to the outgoing supplies, followed by a crate filled with gemstones that glowed blue between the wooden slats.

"Hey you!" rose a holler at the other end of the alley. A middle-aged man had spotted the little girl perched on the trash bin. He was dressed all in black, with a black coif and black gloves. His eyes were big and livid. He pulled a gun from a holster behind him and pointed it at the sky. With a bang and a squeal, a flare exploded green and violet in the sky above them. "Here! Here!" he roared, his voice echoing in the alley.

The girl sat to finish hooking the overalls over her shoulders, grinning knowingly. In the distance, at the edge of the town, came the call of a whippoorwill. Red and golden eyes appeared at the limit of the shadows, where the town's defense mechanisms now lay dormant and still.

Shouts went up throughout the town, and several men and women -- all in black -- rushed toward the site of the flare.

---

Slowly, Erin began to back away from the wolf, into the clearing. If she ran, it would probably chase her, but if she could get close enough to the trees before it realized...

She kept eye contact with the beast as she backed away, until she felt she was about halfway to the treeline. This had to be enough for her to have a good chance at getting into the forest and away. The wolf didn't look like it could maneuver the dense trees very well. She took a breath- her only attempt to ready herself before she ran for it.

The forest itself seemed to be watching Erin's fate unfold. A breeze shifted through the clearing and ruffled the great wolf's fur, but it didn't move. Its gleaming golden eyes were trained on Erin's every movement. It glanced to the red glowing lantern, then to her face.

"Reus!" the old woman called from behind the cabin. The wolf's ears pricked, and it turned its head -- just in time for Erin to sprint for the edge of the woods. "Reus what's got into you? You're supposed to be looking for that girl and the gryphon."

Reus' ear twitched, and he looked back out to the forest just in time to see Erin disappear into the shadows.

There was no path on this side of the woods; Erin was forced to shove her way through bramble, hanging vines and wide thick bushes, with steep rocks and sudden cliffs to further slow her progress in the pitch-dark woods. The Lantern glowed warm and bright -- so warm that it was just shy of burning her skin -- and the haunting red glow was the only means by which she could hope to see where she was going.

Something cracked and shifted noisily behind her. If Erin chose to turn around, she would see those glowing yellow eyes staring at her from a not-so-far distance, moving slowly toward her. The great wolf seemed to be having no trouble following her, even if it had to traverse around some of the narrower stands of trees and stamp down a few bushes that she had passed under. It was in no hurry, but it was slowly gaining on her.

Ahead, Erin would hear the distinct sound of rushing water. Past a thick stand of bamboo and down a low rocky ledge there flowed a narrow river that sparkled slightly golden under the starlight.

In the middle of the river floated a mossy log, with a boy perched on it. The child was dressed all in faded gray, and wore a white wooden mask shaped like the face of a frog. He paddled his bare feet in the glistening water and stared up at the endless stars.

The wolf moved a little faster now, lowering its head to better follow Erin, intent on catching her before she reached the water.

---

When Palla motioned for her to exit the tent, she began to stand. Upon the mention of covering the lantern, Naia quickly grabbed the sheet that had been wound around the man’s legs, wrapping it around the lantern as she began to walk out of the tent.

“Oh, um, my name is Naia, and, er, I’ve been told I can run pretty fast. But if we’re running, maybe you should save the explanations for later?”

Naia had barely finished speaking before Palla grabbed her wrist and set off at a run through the village. She pulled Naia along around the bonfire, where the villagers and the gryphons stared at her with big curious eyes. They ran past a duo of armored guards, who saluted to Palla and blinked at Naia in confusion.

The dusty, narrow road led into the woods, where the ground sloped forever downward as they descended the mountain. The path soon forked -- to the right was a well-worn path that wound out around the rocky side of the mountain, and to the left the path was narrower and overgrown, and it plunged into the thick dark of the forest. Palla led down the left path, which would keep them better hidden.

Far to the left, they would notice the occasional flash of a green light moving down the mountain, appearing between the distant trees. Eventually it faded, swallowed up by the darkness.

"That Lantern you have is very important," Palla told her without turning her eyes from the faint path that led down through the sloping woods. "Inside that Lantern is a powerful part of an ancient god -- and it's attached itself to you. It will obey you. You're what we call a Sun Child. You're from another place, aren't you?"

Before Naia could answer, Palla stopped suddenly, her sword drawn. She yelped in surprise; a tree branch lashed out of the darkness, wrapped around Palla like a whip and yanked her high into the air.

Roots lunged up out of the dirt, wrapped themselves around her ankles and threw Naia face-first into the ground. Overhead, monkeys laughed and screeched, flapping their bat-wings with excitement.

"Hand over the Lantern," a child's voice demanded. He stepped out of the forest, barefoot and dressed in threadbare gray clothes, wearing a white wooden fox-mask that covered the top half of his face. He grinned. "The trees obey me, you don't have a chance."

The violet Lantern glowed steadily, and Naia could feel its warmth on her skin. She would know, instinctively, that it offered her the power to bring anything she imagined into reality. A power roiled within the Lantern -- the power to make dreams come to life. All she had to do was imagine.

High above, Palla's sword sparked with electricity. She hacked at the branches that held her, determined to get free.

---

Anise felt certain that the urgency of the situation got across to him. She faced the old man again. "With or without your help, I must save him. I must do it by myself, but that doesn't mean I can't get help from others before I arrive." Again, she paused. "Even if the answer is 'no', I thank you for your consideration."

The old man squinted at her with sharp eyes. He folded his hands behind his back, lifting his chin, studying her and her posture and her words carefully.

"Peck's got hisself in a position again, eh?" His face wrinkled as he grinned. "Caught by Shadow. And you're the Lady of Light that's gon' save him, issat right? With your two Lanterns and your high attitude, hah? You think a third Lantern's gonna make all the difference, eh?" He paced a little, and his eyes never left her. "One step closer ta letting that Dragon out, ya mean. I know who you are."

Behind him, a small crowd was gathering; by now it had spread throughout the Roost that the girl claiming herself the Lady of Light had come by Palla's escort, and was looking for the two Lanterns that had been left in the Roost's care.

The old man glanced back at them, then stepped forward. "I know that you know we don't think highly of that Dragon. You release that damn thing you kill us all. But Peck is our responsibility, an' I believe you when you tell me what's happened to him." He tried to stare her down -- and Anise might see, in the light of the blue lantern, that his left eye had a rune carved into the pupil. He was looking deep into her soul, searching for even the slightest twitch of dishonesty or ill intention.

He stepped even closer, intimidating for his feebleness, and he hummed under his breath. "The Lantern of Scales and the Lantern of Dreams are not here," he said in a low, final voice. "They have their own bearers now, with their own fates. You have more than enough power, with your Lanterns and your runes and your Pond-Lady's blessing. It is impressive, I will admit." He was uncertain; there was, definitely, an odd source of light in her chest -- something even she couldn't see. He couldn't tell its nature, whether it meant harm or healing.

After a long moment, the old man straightened and stepped back with a sigh; he'd finished his analysis, and it wasn't a result he'd been expecting.

"I refuse to call you the Lady of Light," he told her flatly. "At least not until you've proven it. You're not a spirit of the forest by any means -- you're just as human as any of us. But you mean well, and you're possibly the most powerful person on this island." She'd defeated the Witch in battle, which automatically made this Lady of Light the enemy of the Pirates -- but circumstances had changed.

"My riders will go with you." Five gryphon-riders stepped forward, already armored and armed with bows and spears. "I'll send word to Peck's brother, as well, to meet you at the mountain. Riders." He looked to the armored soldiers awaiting command. "Follow her lead as long as her orders ring true. If she deviates from our laws, remember Peck's rescue is your objective." The riders voiced their understanding. The old man took another step back and folded his arms. "We expect to have Peck back in one piece." He gestured with his head. "Git moving."

"Peck's got hisself in a position again, eh?" His face wrinkled as he grinned. "Caught by Shadow. And you're the Lady of Light that's gon' save him, issat right? With your two Lanterns and your high attitude, hah? You think a third Lantern's gonna make all the difference, eh?" He paced a little, and his eyes never left her. "One step closer ta letting that Dragon out, ya mean. I know who you are."

The old man reminded her of the peasant elder that she had seen several times in her father's court during meeting hours. He spoke in the same mannerism of the elder back in Riverforde. He even looked similar. Before she would have been disgusted by such a man, but she found it oddly comforting now. A reminder of her old life. Of her old home. She could not deny that she missed it, but this was her new home now. She had bound herself to this place.

She could tell he believed her, but trust would be a lot more work.

The old man glanced back at them, then stepped forward. "I know that you know we don't think highly of that Dragon. You release that damn thing you kill us all. But Peck is our responsibility, an' I believe you when you tell me what's happened to him." He tried to stare her down -- and Anise might see, in the light of the blue lantern, that his left eye had a rune carved into the pupil. He was looking deep into her soul, searching for even the slightest twitch of dishonesty or ill intention.

He stepped even closer, intimidating for his feebleness, and he hummed under his breath. "The Lantern of Scales and the Lantern of Dreams are not here," he said in a low, final voice. "They have their own bearers now, with their own fates. You have more than enough power, with your Lanterns and your runes and your Pond-Lady's blessing. It is impressive, I will admit." He was uncertain; there was, definitely, an odd source of light in her chest -- something even she couldn't see. He couldn't tell its nature, whether it meant harm or healing.

Anise met the old man's gaze, but she also noticed the congregation gathering behind him. She felt that perhaps this would be the best time to voice her belief on the Dragon. While he was focusing on her. "I know you fear the Dragon. The Spirits share that fear. I imagine they are the ones that taught you to fear her. Just consider this: would you destroy your own children or the creations that you have spent years upon years giving life to? The amount of effort it must take to create a world must be incredible even for a god. Even if it has taken a life of its own and one you certainly didn't expect would you be able to destroy something you put your heart and soul into?"

She could accept the Lanterns being taken by new bearers, as much as she knew the Dragon was upset by it, she had little choice right now than to accept it.

"I refuse to call you the Lady of Light," he told her flatly. "At least not until you've proven it. You're not a spirit of the forest by any means -- you're just as human as any of us. But you mean well, and you're possibly the most powerful person on this island."

She nodded in understanding. "I appreciate your honesty. I didn't expect you to accept me as the Lady of Light for free." As much as stating the obvious that was, she didn't want to state the obvious much more than necessary.

"My riders will go with you." Five gryphon-riders stepped forward, already armored and armed with bows and spears. "I'll send word to Peck's brother, as well, to meet you at the mountain. Riders." He looked to the armored soldiers awaiting command. "Follow her lead as long as her orders ring true. If she deviates from our laws, remember Peck's rescue is your objective." The riders voiced their understanding. The old man took another step back and folded his arms. "We expect to have Peck back in one piece." He gestured with his head. "Git moving."

A mixed feeling of gratitude and nervousness clung to Anise's heart. "There is one danger I must tell you: the Lord of Shadow demanded that I come alone. He likely knows that I came here and spoke with you about this. I gave Peck a rune to protect him, and he will come to no physical harm while he has it. If you do come along, I am not sure what will happen. I know that you must go to try and save your comrade, but I cannot in good conscience risk his life by letting you follow me there."

Then an idea came to mind. "I can -- if you allow me to -- share my light with you. Perhaps then you will be even more capable of protecting yourselves against the dangers of the darkness." At least she could try.

She felt that if she concentrated hard enough she could pull the light within herself and extend it to others. She could extend it to them through the Rune of Light that she had just created. She could grant a piece of the sun within her to them.

Artemis was putting the final touches on her new outfit – tying the scarf that had been around her neck around her head to hide her distinctive hair – when a man's shout cut through the alley. She froze for half a second before forcing herself back into action. She couldn't see whoever the newcomer was (nor could she see the glowing sets of eyes hiding in the forest behind him). Her view was blocked by the bin she was hiding behind. But she certainly saw the red flair that lit up the sky, no doubt calling others to their location.

"Oh c'mon," Artemis hissed to herself. The Kith didn't seem bothered. But that didn't put her at ease. The man shouted again, a distant birdcall seeming to answer him. Footsteps, numerous and fast-approaching, echoed down the street on her other side. Which meant she was about to be cornered.

She doubted her ability to talk her way out of this particular situation.

With quick fingers, Artemis finished off her knot and swung the strap of her stolen bag over her shoulder. Her eyes flicked around, looking for answers, some idea on how to get out without being arrested or electrocuted. Her left hand tingled in answer. Realization striking, she lifted it up to her hand to see a pale mark on her brown skin. Oseely's rune. It was all sharp angles and fluid lines, seeming to move on her palm though the lines were still. Smoke and flames. One of those sounded like just what she needed.

It was just like the other runes, right? Want something and make it so? She focused her thoughts on the rune inscribed on her open palm, thinking of heat and billowing ash. Reaching down, Artemis tried to find some ember of energy, of Oseely's spark and dancing light. She exhaled and narrowed her eyes at her palm, searching, reaching, pulling…

And a tiny ember sparked into existence above her hand before fizzling out, blown away by a gentle night breeze.

"Fuckin'–!"

Artemis slammed her palm – her apparently useless, un-magical palm – over her mouth at the expletive. It had been loud and sharp, no doubt alerting the man to her hiding place. The footsteps were louder now, so distinct Artemis could count them if she took the time. But she didn't have time.

Artemis moved her hand from her mouth and gave it a sharp jerk at the wrist, as though shaking it out would suddenly fill it with the magic she desperately needed. She held it palm up again and glared.

"C'mon, smoke," she commanded. A thin black tendril lifted from her hand before it, too, was blown away. Artemis was getting fed up enough to consider chopping off her hand for its disobedience. She needed it stronger, she needed it to billow and blow for her, she–

Well damn. She had just the rune for that, didn't she? Looking down, she searched as quickly as she could for a sharp stone, a scrap of metal, anything she could draw with.

The smashed persimmon rested in a sad mess of pulp and skin not a foot away from her. Her hand flashed forward, grabbing it. Using it as a fat, messy, ugly brush she painted a familiar rune – the crude zigzag of lines that claimed others' runes as her own. It was huge and messy on the cobblestone, but it would have to do.

"Deep breath kid," she mumbled to the Kith, the words a quiet prayer that this plan worked. She looked up one last time to see three men in black clothes round the corner. One of them, the youngest it seemed, caught her stare. His eyes widened and his lips began to part in a call. Artemis slammed her palm onto the ground. The large, ugly rune took a moment to glow.

Then thick smoke exploded beneath her hand, hissing out between her fingers and the cobblestone in a black gust. In an instant Artemis felt the air grow hot and ashen, the force of Oseely's magic – of her magic – stinging her eyes and pushing against her clothes. The alley overflowed with smoke, black clouds bursting up above the roofs of the buildings lining it and down along the cobblestones, spewing out around corners.

Artemis took off from where she was crouched, sprinting to where she knew the alley opened up. Her footsteps were frantic, but still silenced from the runes on her feet. Her lungs were already constricting with the need for air, her breath held captive in her throat. Coughing echoed through the smoke and Artemis ran into the men at the edge of the alley. They shouted and coughed as she felt them knock against her. One even managed a clawed hand around her arm for one heart stopping moment before she wrenched herself free and hurried on.

The alley opened up into more smoke, but at least it was less thick now. Her vision was still black, but she could see different shapes and depths to the darkness. It lead her around a corner and out into a bustling dock.

Wide eyed people stood still, giving her alarmed stares. Artemis released the breath she'd been holding and panted, skidding to a stop.

"Help!" she shouted, her voice wavering and strained after holding her breath for so long, "There was an explosion in the alley! People are still in there!" Technically both of these statements were true.

Immediately the crowd sprang into action, many of the more altruistic people rushing past her to help those supposedly in need. That chaos would keep the black-hats busy, at least. The rest of the people were split between frantically trying to finish up their work, getting away from the alley, or gawking at the ocean of smoke that had apparently sprung from the stonework. Which was also true.

Artemis hurried forward, further into the dock. A person or two tried to check on her, to see if she was alright, but she waved them away. She was certainly glad she'd changed clothes before this whole debacle. Her stolen outfit was less cumbersome and distinct now: a pair of sensible dark pants (that actually fit her rather well, she was happy to find) and a long (too long, despite her height) navy blue trench coat over her own top. The scarf on her head might've been an odd touch, and if anyone looked at her wrapped feet they might've had questions, but all in all it could've been worse. And Artemis wasn't currently in a position to be picky.

She moved with purpose further into the crowd, hoping to lose herself between so many people and boxes that no one would recognize her as the one who'd shouted the alarm. It didn't take long before the people around her were back to work, carrying boxes on and off the dock, tying boats down, and best of all, ignoring her.

Artemis walked forward with quick steps, looking like she knew exactly where she was going and what she was supposed to be doing. As she moved her eyes darted between people and their materials. Swords, spears, shields, traps, and…

Ooh, shiny.

There was a box of glowing blue crystals that could only be trouble. Naturally, Artemis swiped one with tricky (sticky – there was still persimmon juice on her) fingers as she walked by, never slowing. It fell easily in the pocket of her new coat. She absently adjusted her bag on her shoulder as she moved along. It'd be wise to get out of the city soon, she knew. She'd move to a new part of town, as of yet untouched by her, closer to where Nura was hopefully still waiting, get whatever else she could, and leave to… where?

Oseely's cave? That seemed as good a place as any to set up camp. He might even show up there again. Maybe she'd just burn some stuff if she wanted him. Because she sure as hell wasn't doing all that other shit he said.

And so Artemis hurried through the dock, trying to make her way east, back to where Nura was. She'd stowed the gryphon in the shadow of some sort of orchard, empty of fruits and berries and, best of all, people.

It was time to get whatever last supplies she could and leave.

The winding path further down the mountain, away from the buildings he had woken up in wasn't particularly pleasant. a mixture of panic from his command to run away as fast as possible, and the possibility of being caught and having his only way home taken away made Lalna take no care while skidding and slipping down the dry incline. tripping on small stones and dried plants on more then one occasion, he paid no mind to the violet lights that passed barely noticed through his peripheral vision, although he thought he saw a few silhouettes at one point, which made him more worried.

Time went on and the noises of the ambiance mixed with his heavy footsteps faded, giving the stage to a much slower pacing, as Lalna found himself surrounded by vegetation, breathing in the cold air from the forest around him. the way down continued, but in a much harder pace to keep as the woods and roots made the path a lot rougher, no longer could he hear the noises from the outpost, and the only light that gave him direction was the pale moonlight..

Oddly enough, this was familiar.

He had spent nights wandering mysterious woods before, the moonlight and fresh air had always made for a relaxing time.. well, besides all the bugs.. but the atmosphere was worth some bother, for places like these have always echoed the works of Kall to great effect. the wind howled in unison to the nightly harmony of prowling predators and buzzing bugs, all held together by the soft rustling of leaves and vegetation. Alongside this melody, the greens, browns and other colors that composed the surrounding blended with the shadows and created a beautiful painting

It was distracting, Lalna's pace slowed and his attention drifted from here to there, as different things caught his eye. the ocasional interesting plant, or an odd color standing out in the shadows. there were critters everywhere, he quickly turned at one point, a flapping noise, like a bat perhaps came from behind him, yet he couldn't pin point the source, chittering was heard from above. and at an unfortunate moment Lalna almost fell on his back as the sudden hiss of a rat near him caught him off guard.

The surrounding trees eventually made way for a small creek that twisted it's way onward, further down the path, deeper into these woods. as he made his way down, following the edges of the water. he felt an odd tingling in the back of his neck, and a shiver crept it's way down his spine for he felt watched.. it unnerved him. As the mountain made way to flatter grounds, the creek split, and he examined both sides. although his initial urge was to examine the magnificent display of flashing lights , a faint hymn caught his attention as he took a few steps to investigate this side, and the familiar hymn sparked a feeling of hope within him that surpassed any logical hesitations, and Lalna made for the hymn, eventually finding his way to what seemed like candlelight

Naia stumbled a few steps when Palla started to pull her along, but quickly fell into step, her free arm firmly gripping the lantern. Her eyes, as they usually do, start to wander, though at the same time she kept watching where she was stepping, a skill she had picked up over the years from being her. None of the curious gazes or looks of confusion escaped her vision, and she could tell her appearance was surprising.

When Palla led her down the left path, she followed without hesitation, understanding why the choice was made. Palla looked to be a couple years younger than Naia, but so far she seemed to be quite smart and capable, and Naia could respect that. In the left of her vision she saw flashes of a green light, and stored that information in her mind as it faded. She remembered Palla’s earlier conversation with the captain. He had mentioned other lanterns, and she wondered if the green light had been another lantern.

She turned most of her attention to Palla when she began to speak, listening intently, and storing the important parts in her mind. An ancient god, and it’s attached to her? Naia had the feeling that she should be more freaked out about that than she actually was. Would other people be freaked out if they learned that kind of information?

When Palla stopped all of a sudden and drew her sword, Naia tightened her grip on the lantern, hugging it to her chest with both arms. She took a step back when the branch grabbed Palla, a yelp escaping her mouth when she felt the roots wrap around her ankles and throw her. The sound of monkeys laughing and wings flapping reached her ears.

"Hand over the Lantern," a child's voice demanded. He stepped out of the forest, barefoot and dressed in threadbare gray clothes, wearing a white wooden fox-mask that covered the top half of his face. He grinned. "The trees obey me, you don't have a chance."

Naia looked up at the child as he spoke, realizing with annoyance that the fall had caused dirt to get on her glasses, so there was a big annoying smudge on her right lens. Suddenly she was aware of the lantern glowing in her arms through the bed sheet, and it’s warmth on her skin. The knowledge of the lantern’s power came to her mind, as if she had known the information all along, though there was no way she could have. She quickly observed her surroundings, running options in her head. Obviously she had to do something about the trees.

Fire? No, too uncontrollable. Palla might get hurt. A giant axe? No, she wouldn’t have the strength to wield something that big. She had to make it so the trees couldn’t get to her. Or Palla. Then she had an idea. It was pretty basic, but it might just work.

She concentrated, hard stone walls appeared around them, and the ground seemed to become stone as well. The stone came together up above to become a roof, cutting of any branches that got in the way, and they fell lifeless to the ground. As the branches holding Palla got cut, a curved slide of smooth, sleek stone appeared under her, delivering her safely next to Naia. The child with the fox mask was trapped with them in the small stone room/hallway, lit only by the violet light from the lantern, which Naia had taken the sheet off of. Even if the trees could break through the hard stone, it would at least take a long while.

"I can -- if you allow me to -- share my light with you. Perhaps then you will be even more capable of protecting yourselves against the dangers of the darkness." At least she could try.

She felt that if she concentrated hard enough she could pull the light within herself and extend it to others. She could extend it to them through the Rune of Light that she had just created. She could grant a piece of the sun within her to them.

The riders shifted only slightly, obviously distressed but making great pains to hide their fears, while Anise drew a rune on each of them that would chain them to her own Rune of Light. At first, nothing seemed to happen -- but then, the sheer force of Anise's resolve bled into the runes by extension, and the riders began to shimmer with a faint glow of their own light. Each gleamed with a slightly different hue, but all resonated with Anise's own shine. They stared at their hands and examined the armor they wore, and they turned their awed eyes to the Lady of Light. They were beginning to believe.

The old man, though, was not impressed. He stood tall with his wrinkled jowls turned in a frown, his beady eyes peering through Anise. He didn't say anything else -- he'd given his instructions, and the riders knew what to do.

The riders each rushed to their own gryphon, and soon the sky was full of flapping wings. Two of the riders' gryphons also began to gleam with the same glow; these riders were those who trusted the most in Anise, who would believe she was the true Lady of Light that might return the sun to the sky. These two stayed close, the others behind, while Anise led the way to the Mountain and to the mouth of the cavern beneath.

White masks disappeared from the treetops; a tendril of campfire smoke wisped near the gaping cavern entrance, sharp like teeth under the glow of the moon. Inside was cold darkness. Stepping past the maw was like walking into a freezer.

The riders landed and removed the harnesses from their gryphons' beaks; they were as formidable in battle as the soldiers themselves. The gryphons scraped the ground and chortled in anticipation of a fight. The riders awaited Anise's order, each illuminated by her willpower.

The cavern entrance opened into what at first seemed like a black nothingness. No matter how brightly Anise flared her light, there was no wall nor ceiling to be seen: just the smooth stone floor and the close darkness and the frigid cold. Before long, the moonlight behind them was swallowed by the dark. There was no true way to tell which way they had come from, and which way was forward. All words were met with silence. All actions were met with only the dark.

Only after a long walk would Anise finally hear it: the low, faint thrum of a heartbeat.

Ahead, a wall came into view. There was something sculpted in relief there -- something enormous, that towered high into the thick darkness. As Anise stepped closer, she might make out a monstrous claw, a tooth, the tip of a wing, hints of the colossal leviathan that appeared to be sculpted out of the wall. Something black oozed between its ribs, from its stony mouth and eyes. The black ooze pulsed with every low heartbeat.

Out of the dark to the right, Peck stepped slowly forward. He stared at Anise in silent fear -- as if something would go terribly wrong if he made a wrong move.

---

Ooh, shiny.

There was a box of glowing blue crystals that could only be trouble. Naturally, Artemis swiped one with tricky (sticky – there was still persimmon juice on her) fingers as she walked by, never slowing. It fell easily in the pocket of her new coat. She absently adjusted her bag on her shoulder as she moved along. It'd be wise to get out of the city soon, she knew. She'd move to a new part of town, as of yet untouched by her, closer to where Nura was hopefully still waiting, get whatever else she could, and leave to… where?

While a ruckus was being made around the site of Artemis' explosion -- and a dozen men and women wearing long black coats sprinted through the moonlit alleys in search of their missing quarry -- the part of town she now found herself in seemed comparatively silent. Across a flowered graveyard was a squat red building with spires and emblems that suggested it was a shrine or temple. Stone dragons snarled at the eaves, and silvery chimes tinkled among the trees up high. The doors of the shrine were wide open, showing a glimmer of a huge golden statue of a lady inside, with the image of the sun behind her head. No one was around.

"Boo!" The Kith popped out from behind a gravestone, cackling, and moved to follow Artemis once again, her bare feet squashing the flowers freshly planted at the grave. "That was a neat trick. Don't think I know that one. Boom! Haha!" She flung her arms in the air, her teeth showing in a wide grin. "But I think you should prolly not look so much like a Pirate just now. Shit's about to go down. Stick with me and you'll be okay, don't you worry. And in exchange you can show me those tricks, yeah?"

The chimes above them rang ominously in the breeze. At the edge of town, the trees rustled and snarled.

A shout and a scream went up in the distance behind Artemis; the trees were moving, slithering and breaking the ground with their roots, flinging their branches into running people. Wolves darted through the crowd, their teeth catching on fleeing townsfolk; blood-rats scurried in droves and latched onto feet and legs while the alarm sounded. And then, the Kith swarmed the streets -- children in gray clothes with white masks raced among the rats and wolves and terrifying trees, flinging themselves at the adults with expert martial accuracy, making the earth shake, flooding homes, skewering townsfolk with roots and vines, throwing them high up in the air on a whirlwind and throwing them headfirst into the rocks.

Soon, musketfire rang out among the screams, and the Kith started dropping -- but with the power gone, the town was crippled and overwhelmed.

A bolt of lightning cracked with a blinding flash, and one of the stampeding trees split into flames. Two gryphons and their riders arrived from the outpost, shooting electricity from their spears with precise accuracy while the beasts flapped and screeched and snatched up wolves with their claws.

It had only been a few minutes, but the town was now a battlefield.

"C'mon, let's go to the tribe," the Kith girl begged, tugging on Artemis' coat. "The Kith are gonna win, and we're gonna own the town and everything in it, you'll see. Then you can have everything you want. Claim a house for yourself before someone else does, yeah?"

Though the booms of lightning and the crush of roots into stone echoed war behind them, the temple stood quiet and serene in the moonlit dark -- as if the sound and the reality of the outside world could not cross this threshold.

A skylight inside bathed the golden statue of the Lady of Light in the rays of the moon, and her diamond eyes sparkled. She stared benevolently down at whomever might stand before her; there was a promise of sunlight on her face -- but also an old sadness.

On the floor in front of her were three small platforms that glowed with a color similar to that of the stone Artemis had just stolen from the dock. Atop the leftmost platform was a miniature tornado, swirling perpetually. On the rightmost platform, a bonsai tree grew with its roots completely exposed, gripping the edges of the platform. At the center, a flame burned with nothing to fuel it. Each of the platforms was pressed with a stone handprint.

The handprint on the tree's platform had a sigil at its center. It shimmered bright green, and pulsed ever so slightly, like a heartbeat. The other two handprints were empty and cold -- but should Artemis step close to the fiery platform, Oseely's symbol would appear at the center of the fire's handprint, pulsing a shimmering red. Should she decide to press her hand here, the symbol would remain lit no matter how far she stepped away -- but, it seemed, nothing would happen while the wind platform remained cold.

At the other end of the temple, something was ticking.

A darkened back room was filled by enormous silent cogs and gears, static cords and indiscernible clockwork. There were little lights attached to metal rods that stuck out of huge arches that looked as if they might be meant to spin and twist, were they not so cold and dead now. The ticking, however, came from a bronze clock at the back of the room, with hands that pointed to symbols of water and stone, among others that looked like moons and stars and fire and wind, etched images of little animals and plants that circled the face of the clock. Beneath the clock was a glass cylinder with a hinged door open wide. Inside was a shard of stone just like the one Artemis carried, only this one was dark and dead.

The dim sound of feathery wings flapping preceded the scrabble of claws on the roof overhead. A warbling, lonely screech echoed down. Nura paced up and down the roof of the temple, scratching and fussing at the creaking tiles.

The Kith girl, meanwhile, had refused to go into the temple. She sat on one of the graves outside, watching the battle at a distance as if it were a fireworks show.

---

although his initial urge was to examine the magnificent display of flashing lights , a faint hymn caught his attention as he took a few steps to investigate this side, and the familiar hymn sparked a feeling of hope within him that surpassed any logical hesitations, and Lalna made for the hymn, eventually finding his way to what seemed like candlelight

As Lalna stepped deeper into the woods, the green Lantern proved to be the only source of light in the complete darkness. The Lantern's green glow cast silhouettes of shivering leaves and moving shadows; the tree trunks appeared and shifted eerily in the light as he passed. Something small scurried across his path, but was gone. So was the light behind him. The only way now was forward, toward the pinprick of flickering candlelight in the deep dark, and the voice that sang so sweetly.

The candlelight began to move; it lifted slightly and swayed a little, back and forth. As Lalna approached, he would see that the little candle was suspended by a rope from a branch. The woman's song echoed all around him, but there was no one to be seen -- until a gray shape shifted among the brush.

They were gray, slightly glowing silhouettes, shaped like people but fading in and out. Spirits of the dead appeared all around Lalna, blocking the way back and emerging out of the way forward. He was surrounded, and they were closing in silently. There was no sound save for the singing woman, echoing among the trees.

Suddenly the singing stopped, and something dark darted in front of Lalna; a shadowy man, all in black, emerged out of the darkness and struck like a snake at Lalna's head, his sharp long fingers poised to skewer his skull --

PING!

The Lord of Shadow's diamond-sharp blades stopped just inches from Lalna's eyes. A green shimmering force-field surrounded Lalna, and the Lantern gleamed brightly in his hand.

The Shadow hissed, and the gray spirits lunged at Lalna all at once -- they disappeared in a puff of mist upon touching the barrier that protected Lalna.

The Lord of Shadow stood tall, glaring down at Lalna with bright red eyes; his features were hidden by the darkness, and no amount of light from the Lantern could illuminate his face. "Hand over the Lantern," he hissed. "It does not belong to you, boy."

All around him, the spirits began to reform. The Lord of Shadow grinned, his sharp teeth bright. "Hand it over and I will send you home."

---

She concentrated, hard stone walls appeared around them, and the ground seemed to become stone as well. The stone came together up above to become a roof, cutting of any branches that got in the way, and they fell lifeless to the ground. As the branches holding Palla got cut, a curved slide of smooth, sleek stone appeared under her, delivering her safely next to Naia. The child with the fox mask was trapped with them in the small stone room/hallway, lit only by the violet light from the lantern, which Naia had taken the sheet off of. Even if the trees could break through the hard stone, it would at least take a long while.

The branch holding Palla was severed, and she screamed shortly until she realized she was safe on . . . a stone floor? Bewildered, the soldier sat with her hands pressed against the stone as it brought her next to Naia, who seemed very calm considering there was a stone house building itself out of nothing before their eyes.

The attacking trees writhed and struck savagely, but the stone pruned them back and shut them out; they could still be heard on the other side of the wall, scraping and squeezing and tapping against the stone.

The child, meanwhile, was screaming. He clambered against the wall feverishly, ran to another corner and slammed it with the side of his fist, unable to believe that solid rock had just appeared out of nowhere to contain him in darkness. He spun around, breathing quick as a rabbit, his back pressed against the wall, and he saw Naia standing there with the only source of light, the Lantern he'd heard so many stories about.

"Don't kill me!" he screeched in a panic, scrabbling to press himself as close against the wall -- and as far away from Naia -- as possible. "I didn't know you're one of those people! I'll call off the trees, I'll grant you an alliance with the tribe, just don't kill me!" He dropped to the floor and crossed his arms over his head, defending against a blow he thought would surely come.

Palla stared, her mouth still hanging slightly open; she'd never seen a Kith scared before. She looked to Naia. "What did you do, and how? This is impossible!"

Anise's success at placing the Runes of Light on the gryphon knights raised her spirits slightly, but even so she knew this next task would be a greater challenge than anything else she had faced before. The Forest's current monarch: the Lord of Shadow held terrifying power. She had an idea of how to deal with the upcoming situation peacefully, but only if she had a chance to speak. She noticed how unimpressed the elder was at her display, and she had a feeling it was possible she could do more, but first she had to learn and experience it. She doubted the Dragon would just tell her what she could do although she instinctively knew what the Eggs were capable of her own capabilities without them were a mystery to her.

They took off silently as she led them to the cavern. When she landed at it she could feel the difference in temperature and it gave her goosebumps. She stood still trying to decide the instructions to give the riders. She closed her eyes and took a few breaths while deciding. Then she turned to face them. "I do no expect you to face the Lord of Shadow that responsibility is mine. However, do everything you can to rescue Peck as soon as you see a chance. I imagine this place is where the Shadow is the strongest, so be wary he may have some traps prepared for those that carelessly try to rescue Peck. I will try to reason with him, but be prepared for the worst. Thank you for taking this risk to follow me. I will do everything in my power to make sure you return home safely."

She turned and entered the mouth of the cavern and the frigid cold nearly made her shudder. She could barely see a few feet forward with how the darkness consumed her light. As they went deeper into the cave she could hear a heartbeat. She gestured at the riders to wait as she wanted to investigate without risking them too much. Anise stepped up to a wall and saw a fearsome sight. The leviathan took her breath away for a brief moment as she stared at the utter size of it. The oozing black heart looked like something corrupted and evil. Could this be the Lord of Shadow's heart?

She then saw Peck appear and again her spirits rose slightly. She saw the fear on his face, but the fact that he was alive made all the difference. She looked to the shadows. "I am here. Let Peck go home with his people and we can be alone as you requested. He has no need to die today; none of them do. You can wait for their proper time. Is there any need to force it?"

A single bare foot, filthy from the cobblestone and wrapped in a torn, ragged cloth, passed the threshold of the temple to step on the wooden panels. The grain was smooth against her skin, old and worn.

Another step in.

As flippant and irreverent as Artemis was, she'd always been able to recognize when something was beyond her. Standing here, in this little temple, at the feet of something divine, Artemis felt small. She was small. She felt pulled in a gravity she couldn't fight. Screams and gunshots reverberated through the city behind her, crashes of lightning ripping apart the air. And here she stood, almost afraid to breathe lest she dishonor some holy being.

In some distant, closed off portion of her mind came the dawning realization that Artemis was in far over her head.

The scrabbling on the rooftop snapped her back to attention, her heart skipping to her throat. Artemis brought a hand to her chest at hearing Nura's chirps and closed her eyes. Damn bird had almost given her a heart attack. How'd she even get here? Hadn't Artemis left Nura in an orchard? Well, she knew that Nura wasn't exactly the most obedient creature – what with how easily Artemis had stolen her. She supposed she should just be thankful that now she didn't have to go any farther to reach Nura. Because no matter what the kid said, Artemis was getting out of here.

But first…

Artemis walked towards the Lady of Light, looking down to see the three elemental platforms. The skin of her left palm tingled the closer she came. It wasn't difficult to guess what Oseely's rune was reacting to – the way the green platform pulsed, bright and alive, while the other two lay dormant was enough of a clue. The handprints only served to drive it home. But the question was... what would happen when all three platforms were alight?

Bright blue eyes flicked back up to look at the Lady of Light – at least, that was who Artemis assumed this was. But who else could she be, with the way the sun seemed to shine in her smile. Actually, she reminded Artemis of her mother; all patience and warmth, but a tired sort of sadness that spoke of old scars and poor decisions.

Maybe the likeness to her mother was why Artemis already felt like a disappointment, she thought sardonically.

She gave a small shake of the head and pushed forward again, slow steps to the foot of the Lady. Her hand itched and stung with each step, the fire dancing above the pedestal. Artemis wondered what would happen if she answered the fire's call and placed her hand down on the pedestal. Likely nothing. Maybe something. Her eyes flicked back up to the Lady – the statue.

Well, there was one way to find out.

Artemis stretched out her hand to touch her palm to the stone. It wasn't a perfect match – the print embedded in the pedestal was comically large and intended for a right hand, and Oseely's rune was on her left. But the stone reacted all the same, emitting a warm, pulsing light. Artemis pulled her hand away and stepped back, holding her breath.

Nothing.

She looked back up at the statue once more.

"Sorry," she whispered with a halfhearted shrug. Her voice, though soft, seemed to cut through the tranquility of the temple, like she was breaking some reverent spell. "I tried."

It was then that a ticking from the back of the temple caught her attention.

"Why is it always ticking," Artemis muttered to herself, immediately tense. The last time she'd heard that sound, she'd woken up in a demonic night forest and had been dropped into a river in front of a giant wolf.

Artemis stood frozen as she listened to the sharp metallic, clicks count the temple's time. The sounds of battle were steadily growing louder outside as the fighting crawled further into the town. She took a moment to steel herself before creeping around the statue, her footfalls the only quiet thing in the town, it seemed.

When it got too dark to see without the light of the moon, Artemis raised her left hand to glare at Oseely's rune.

Fire.

A tiny ember sparked into existence.

"Ha!" Artemis' delight was cut short when the flame flickered out again. The next half a minute was dedicated to creating a small flame above her palm and not have it immediately die. When she was finally successful, Artemis continued on into the back of the temple, still on guard, but now the tiniest bit smug at her candlelight.

She found herself in a ticking room, filled with still metal and cogs. The machinery seemed to tangle inside itself, twisting and bending into hulking shapes. It was a clutter of devices Artemis couldn't imagine the uses for. The ticking was coming from a bronze clock, the only thing still alive in here, it seemed. But it wasn't like any clock Artemis had ever seen. Its many hands were engraved with elemental symbols and an array of plants and animals were drawn about the face. Artemis raised her little light closer to it, tilting her head. Pulling back, she looked down to see a glass cylinder with an open door. A dark, dull stone rested there, reminding Artemis of the glowing one she stole. She reached forward to grab it and looked at it in her palm.

An explosion cracked through the air, shaking the ground. Artemis jumped, her fire extinguishing.

After a few frantic moments of cursing, her light was back. The fighting was definitely getting closer. Artemis dropped the stone in her pocket without a second thought and took a step backwards only for her heel to hit something cold and hard on the ground. She jumped again (but was satisfied when her fire only flickered instead of going out this time) and spun around to see… nothing. At least, nothing living. Artemis sighed, her heart still hammering in her chest.

She looked down to see something glinting in the firelight on the ground. Artemis carefully put the front of her foot over it and curled her toes around something cold and metal. Grabbing the round lump, she raised her knee and turned her leg so she could transfer her grip on the object from her toes to her fingers.

Artemis lowered her foot again as she looked at the… pocket watch? Locket? It was fairly plain save for the scratches and dirt, and smaller than her palm with a long chain attached to the top. She pressed the top button, expecting the cover to open up, only to find it was jammed down and unmoving. Artemis' eyebrows pulled together slightly.

There was another explosion, not as close as the last one, but still loud enough for Artemis to feel the reverberations in her feet. It was time to go.

Hurrying back towards the entrance, Artemis dropped her fire when it was light enough to see again. She gave the Lady of Light one last look before exiting the temple, the two glowing platforms behind her.

Nura squawked as soon as she saw someone exit the temple and jumped down to land heavily on the ground before Artemis. She dropped the Witch's staff at Artemis' feet and shoved her beak in Artemis' face, snuffling and sniffling.

"Yeah, yeah, hey it's me," she said, trying to shove Nura's face away. When Nura finally pulled back, Artemis gave her a quick rub above the beak. "Let's get out of here." She kneeled down and untied the rabbit mask from where she'd secured it around the gryphon's leg. She lipped it over her face, feeling the familiar energy zip through her, and grabbed the staff before straightening up. Nura was already squatting down, fidgeting, eager to escape the battleground. Climbing on her back was unspeakably easier now that Artemis wasn't dealing with her skirts anymore.

"Save a house for me, yeah?" Artemis said to the Kith girl as she settled on top of Nura. The little girl had turned around to look at Artemis, her eyes growing comically wide at seeing the rabbit mask. Her mouth opened to say something, a hand raising to point at it –

But then Nura took off, and Artemis was in the sky.

"I am here. Let Peck go home with his people and we can be alone as you requested. He has no need to die today; none of them do. You can wait for their proper time. Is there any need to force it?"

"Peck!" one of the riders shouted from behind, alarmed at their comrade's pale face and frightened eyes. The rider began to rush forward, but shouted in surprise when a horror of ghostly hands broke out of the ground and wrapped cold fingers around the riders' ankles. Lightning shocked and flashed while the riders hacked at the spirits with their enchanted swords; the cavern brightened with electric light, but the spirits' grip held tight.

I don't need their deaths, the Lord of Shadow's hissing voice echoed all around, over the beating of the dark-dripping heart. And they are no threat to me. I asked you to come alone in order to minimize the casualties you leave in your wake, Lady of Light.

More translucent spirits climbed out of the ground, shifting and off-balance, and wrapped their hands and arms around each of the riders' throats.

I've noticed your sign of protection on this young fool, but for these soldiers of yours there is no --

One of the riders roared in defiance, and he flashed with warm sunlight borne from Anise's light. The shade holding him disappeared, and the hands around his ankles slunk back into the ground. The other riders followed his lead, they concentrated on the light and drew it out; one by one they flashed like beacons and were released from the shadow-minions' hold, illuminated by their own willpower.

The Lord of Shadow's voice chuckled appreciatively, a rumbling echo. Peck stared with pleading eyes at Anise and shook his head, silently urging her to leave as quickly as possible, but unable to speak and warn her of the coming disaster.

The blue egg presented Anise with new knowledge: Anise knew that the heart and the petrified bones before her had belonged to the Dragon -- the mountain itself was the tomb of the Dragon's titan body. The liquid darkness pumped through the Dragon's abandoned heart, forcing it to beat again with a new kind of life. She knew, just as the Dragon realized it, that this had been what the Lord of Shadow had wanted all along.

Something dark skittered along the wall; the Lord of Shadow was not physically here at all, but only his voice spoke through the medium of a huge dark spider that clung to the rock.

Behind Anise, the riders advanced with weapons drawn to protect her, shimmering with light and strengthened with new trust in the Lady of Light. Electricity spiraled around them with the gleam of sunlight, ready to strike on her command.

Anise Sinclair, the Lord of Shadow's voice called out with glee. Allow me to introduce you to the Lady of Stone.

A shattering rumble like thunder rolled and shuddered all around them, trembling in their skulls and vibrating in their chests; an explosive, deafening CRASH announced that the cavern entrance had caved in behind them. There was no way out.

Dust and pebbles rained down on their heads before great boulders of broken stone dropped among the riders; they shouted and leaped away just before house-sized boulders smashed into the floor where they'd been standing, and more were raining down throughout the cavern. The walls cracked and split, the floor twisted, wide fissures gaped beneath their feet in the dark. The riders each called on Anise's light in order to see the stones before they hit, to see they weren't walking into a new fissure, and so Anise's own power was draining. Her human body wasn't enough to maintain that connection for much longer.

The water-rune on her hand began to glow and tingle.

Dark liquid dripped along the exposed petrified bones of the Dragon, while the wall that held it captive cracked and crumbled.

Finally, Peck broke out of his petrified state, and he wheezed a moment before he leaned forward on his knees, coughing. "It's a trap!" he croaked. Too late.

---

But then Nura took off, and Artemis was in the sky.

The Kith girl stared up at the retreating wings of the gryphon, and Artemis soaring off among the stars -- and she tilted her head with a ghost of a smile. The battle raged closer, and an explosion ripped a gash in the temple garden, raining dirt down on the girl where she stood. Pirates, draped in black, swarmed toward her, crackling with electric vengeance, certain that she was responsible for calling the attack on the city. And maybe she was. The girl curled her hands around the collar at her throat, and concentrated.

Up in the sky, Artemis' right hand began to shimmer; an elegant green rune appeared on her skin and glimmered like the rune of the Lord of Flame. Artemis would feel like there was energy being drained from her -- it was only enough to cause a perceptible dizziness, but definitely unnatural.

Back at the Temple, the Kith girl was growing horns, and her eyes glowed green with a concentrated effort. Rough barky vines broke out of her skin and curled around the collar, squeezing and pulling it til it collapsed and twisted apart. At this moment, the Pirates descended on her, their lightning-bolts flashing -- but the moment the electricity crashed into the rooftop, spraying splinters of tiles, the girl had gone.

A vine snaked down the side of the temple, and the Lord of the Wood stepped into the forest -- small, horned and glowing. The child no longer had a gender, or maybe was both.

Below Artemis, through the eyes of the rabbit mask, she could see that the shifting treetops began to shimmer and glow a dim green; the new light rippled out of the battle she left behind, flowing in waves toward the Mountain that rumbled and thundered and echoed in the distance. The rune on Artemis' right hand glowed a little brighter, and now her energy returned tenfold, as thanks from the Lord of the Wood. She knew, instinctively, that in combination of the rune and the mask the forest itself would bend to her will.

Pieces of the Mountain crumbled and broke away; fissures opened in the ground throughout the island, and everything shook. The shimmering trees swayed violently. The water in the Lake swirled and surged in great torrents toward the Mountain, flooding between the trees.

While Artemis soared safely in the air, she might witness the top of the Mountain crumble away, and a great bony wing emerge, shimmering with a black pulsing oil.

The only place that seemed unaffected by floods or earthquake was a second, smaller mountain on the west coast of the island. Several other gryphons and their riders sped past Artemis and Nura, not giving her more than a passing glance, flocking toward the outpost village atop that stationary mountain while, to the North, the greater Mountain was being ripped apart from within, filling the island with a deafening thunder of falling rock.

"Don't kill me!" he screeched in a panic, scrabbling to press himself as close against the wall -- and as far away from Naia -- as possible. "I didn't know you're one of those people! I'll call off the trees, I'll grant you an alliance with the tribe, just don't kill me!" He dropped to the floor and crossed his arms over his head, defending against a blow he thought would surely come.

Naia blinked, looking at the child as he pressed himself against the wall. She heard Palla say something as well, but ignored her in favor of the child. Holding the lantern tightly, she walked forward until she was a few feet in front of the child, kneeling down with one knee to the ground. Her kind nature wouldn’t let her leave the child so scared, even if he had attacked them.

“Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you,” she began, smiling warmly to show that she didn’t want any trouble, “But do you promise you’ll call off the trees?” She didn’t know what tribe he was talking about, so she didn’t see any benefits of it at the moment. Also, she thought it would be best to focus on the current problem of the trees and not reveal quite yet that she was new to this world and didn’t know much about it.

She wasn’t even fully sure how she had created the structure. The only thing she knew was that it involved the lantern, and didn’t follow the normal physics of her world. Naia could tell then and there that if she was to understand quite a few things in this world, she would have to let go of a few conceptions of how she viewed the world. No matter, she was an open-minded person. It was like being the main character in one of the novels she read.

“Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you,” she began, smiling warmly to show that she didn’t want any trouble, “But do you promise you’ll call off the trees?”

The masked child nodded feverishly, desperate to agree to anything so long as this strange lady with the glowing Lantern would be appeased. "Yes! They're called off now! Now just --"

The ground under them shifted and trembled; Palla yelped in surprise as the walls of Naia's new house trembled with it, and she knelt on the ground to avoid being thrown down against her will. "Are you doing this?!" she called over the thunderous rumble beneath their feet.

"This isn't me I swear!" the child shouted, clinging to the quaking ground on all fours.

Once Naia had removed the house from around them, they would see that the trees were swinging unnaturally, thrashing to and fro as the ground shifted and rumbled at their roots.

"What's happening!" the child demanded, and he raised his hands to try and soothe the trees -- but his power wasn't enough to stop them from flinging their branches. He backed up and gripped Naia's arm, hoping for her protection from the earthquake, which he'd never experienced before. He happened to look up through the branches, and he squeaked and pointed up at the silhouette of the mountains in the distance.

The biggest Mountain of the island was collapsing. From this angle they couldn't see much of what was happening, exactly -- all they knew was that the Mountain was crumbling, and the island shook with the powerful thunder of cracking stone.

A gryphon soared overhead, flapping toward the outpost that Palla and Naia had just run away from. Another gryphon flew past, soaring in the same direction. "Naia! The only safe place I know is back the way we came, but I don't know if that person's still after you! I could call my gryphon, we'll fly!"

No sooner had she spoken, the roaring, rushing sound of water filled their ears -- like whitewater rapids, coming closer. In the distance, speeding toward them, a wave of water crashed through the trees, racing toward them on its way toward the Mountain.

The child stammered. "U-uh . . . call that gryphon?"

Palla whistled high and sharp with two fingers to her mouth -- but there was no way the gryphon would reach them before the water got them first.

I don't need their deaths, the Lord of Shadow's hissing voice echoed all around, over the beating of the dark-dripping heart. And they are no threat to me. I asked you to come alone in order to minimize the casualties you leave in your wake, Lady of Light.

Immediately upon hearing this Anise felt like something was terribly terribly wrong. She knew that coming here would leave her at a disadvantage. She knew she would be risking herself, but she had hoped that the Lord of Shadow would at least let them go. This meant he would make an effort to kill them as well.

I've noticed your sign of protection on this young fool, but for these soldiers of yours there is no --

When the riders started to light up and repel the shades a small amount of pride at her accomplishment rose in Anise's heart. She had granted them a defense against the Shadow.

Then information started flowing into her mind about the skeleton before her. This was the Dragon's body. It amazed her and terrified her at the same time. Terrified her because of what had been done to it after all the time within the mountain. Given the chance she would free her from this prison. She had to remove that dark ichor from it.

Anise Sinclair, the Lord of Shadow's voice called out with glee. Allow me to introduce you to the Lady of Stone.

Anise refocused her attention on the Lord of Shadow's voice for a moment. Then the mountain came down around everyone. She felt herself fading as the riders used the Light and tested the Stone. She stubbornly refused to let go of her concentration though. She saw the bones of the Dragon breaking free of the Stone. She concentrated on the connection she had with the other eggs through the Blue Egg.

All she needed to do was getting a simple message across. Help. The survival of the Forest depends on all of us.

As soon as she let go of her focus on the Dragon she felt dizziness force her to her knees. However, she still had one more thing to do. The greatest reason she had to coming here in the first place: the Lady of Stone. She took several deep breaths to help her concentrate better. She ignored the sensation she felt from the Lady of the Pond's rune. She ignored Peck's statement of the obvious. She focused completely on the walls and rubble around her.

"Lady of Stone," Anise said wearily. "I am here to speak with you on behalf of your sister, the Lady of the Pond." She presented the Lady's Rune to the cave wall. "She says it is time to release the sun. If you do not believe it I understand, but I ask of you to hear out your Mother's case." She made a serious effort to stand up, grabbed the Spirit Egg from the air, and presented it to the rock face. "It is easy to fear retribution, but I swear upon my life she has no desire to destroy the home she built for herself and her children."

Artemis was starting to get real tired of this stupid island and its stupid lords. She didn't even want to know how the Lord of the Wood had ended up shackled and disguised as a Kith girl. At least she hadn't offended the all-powerful forest lord. That would've sucked – but not as much as seeing the dragon shatter its way through a crumbling mountain sucked. Because that shit sucked hard.

She was half-hysterical (she blamed that on the new burst of divine energy zipping through her blood) as she stared, wide-eyed, at the midnight dragon claw its way over bits of mountain and forest. Spiderwebs of black ichor trailed from its claws and wings. It let out a roar like death, shaking the very air. As if in response, the earth quaked and shattered beneath her, great waves of water crashing through the brittle trees. When had the great trees, the predatory monsters that made up the forest, become so fragile?

A piercing cry escaped Nura, just as frantic as Artemis felt. She was following after the other gryphons.

"Shit shit no, Nura!" Artemis pleaded, but her voice was lost in the chaos. She was only holding on with one hand, the other wrapped tightly around the staff held behind her. Her torso was pressed entirely against the gryphon's back. She tried pushing on Nura's side with her feet, but it had no effect. She still had no idea how to steer a gryphon. And either way, Nura was too panicked to listen to any commands – instead, she was falling back on familiarity, following the other gryphons to the roost.

Which meant Artemis was about to be surrounded by a bunch of panicked Pirates while wearing a Kith mask, riding a stolen gryphon, wearing stolen clothes, wielding a stolen staff, and carrying stolen loot.

Oh, shit in a shoe.

Artemis squeezed her eyes shut, her mind spinning with all the ways she was about to get murdered. A plan. She needed a plan.

By the time the people and buildings on the mountain were clearly visible, Artemis still didn't have a plan. She had a terrible, half-formed idea. But that was usually how her plans started. So she had the beginnings of a plan, she tried to assure herself.

She didn't feel very assured.

Nura landed at the edge of the Roost, just inside of the sigils. A crowd of gryphon riders was surrounding her, along with other people frantically going to the riders for answers. What happened to Oyagun Nai? What're all the earthquakes about? Did you see the dragon? Was it real? Is it awake? With all the commotion, Artemis could almost fool herself into thinking she could go by unnoticed.

She dropped off of Nura's back.

"Kith!"

The rabbit mask (traitorous thing) at least gave her the presence of mind to dodge to the right, away from Nura, when a sword stabbed in her direction. More and more eyes turned in her direction – and more weapons followed. A sword swung down at her. Her heart skipped and without thinking, Artemis spun her staff at it, deflecting it to the side and down as the blade followed its arc. The Pirate who'd swung at her was thrown off balance by the redirection, and Artemis took the opportunity to hit him in the temple with the other side of her staff. He went toppling to the side as three more Pirates rushed at her. A few were reaching for the pistols at their sides.

"Enough!" She shouted, giving her staff a quick spin before slamming one end into the ground. Light sparked through the runes and lightning exploded out of it, arcing through the air and cutting through the panic. The Pirates all jumped back, seemingly stunned by the display – apparently the Witch's runes coupled with Artemis' own slapdash magic was a formidable combination. Nura squawked and took off into the air to circle overhead, a gust of wind billowing the ends of Artemis' coat. The man she'd knocked to the ground had scuttled backwards at the shock of lightning, his hand still gripped tight around his sword. The rest were now standing in a loose semi-circle around her, still tense and wary, and ready to gut her like a fish. But now they regarded her with a new sort of caution. Like she was something to be taken seriously.

Artemis… kind of felt like a badass. Sure, she would've died without the mask, the Lord of the Wood's energy, and over a decade of dance lessons, but still. That had been pretty goddamn cool.

She was panting, her muscles still tensed around the staff. Not releasing her grip, she straightened her spine and raised her chin in a haughty tilt. Her eyes flitted between the different people around her as she fought to gather her scattered thoughts. Plan. She had a plan. She picked an accent to wrap around herself as she opened her mouth. 'Exotic' accents always did wonders for cons that relied on her perceived mysticism.

"Perhaps we may talk now? Like civilized folk?" Praise the heavens for the singing lessons that she'd been forced through that had given her the ability to project her voice without shouting. The music of her words, all rounded vowels and soft consonants, echoed through the stunned, silent crowd. There was some sort of movement at the back as heads bobbed to the side, parting for a newcomer. "I am no Kith, nor am I a Pirate." An old grouch of a man leaning on a walking stick forced his way to the front of the crowd, shoving aside a woman much larger than himself. He reminded Artemis of the Witch. She really freaking hoped the Witch wasn't here. Or the guy whose gryphon she'd stolen.

"Alright, what's this new mess to deal with?" the old man grumbled. His eyes landed on Artemis and she forced herself not to move under his stare. She knew how to survive scrutiny – she'd spent most of her life practicing. "And who're you supposed to be?"

"I am the Marid," she announced, like a declaration of right, "servant to the Lords and Ladies of the forest." He didn't look impressed. But Artemis had committed to this lunacy, and damnit there was no going back now.

A woman's voice shouted from the crowd, "A what? A married? She's just some loon, I ain't never heard of no married!" There were a few murmurs of agreement.

"My role is to serve, not to be known by you." She didn't bother to look at who'd spoken. Instead she kept her gaze on the old man – the one with the real power here.

"Nah," an armored rider said, shaking his head, "nah nah nah, she's some Kith spy or something who figured out a way around runes! She's a fake!"

Murmurs started to build to shouts of agreement.

Artemis raised her right hand above her head, the green rune on her palm glowing. "And who will step forward to demonstrate my falsehood?" Artemis' voice rang with challenge. She willed the trees into motion behind her, and they swayed, branches bending and creeping towards the edge of the sigil-barrier. Some of the Pirates snapped their gazes up and their eyes widened as they stumbled backwards. At once the voices were silent. Please don't actually test me, I will fail spectacularly. The old man did not move.

"We've already had some upstart sun-child goin' on about her supposed title, and we sure as hell don't need another. Look where that one got us." He waved the end of his walking stick in the vague direction of the still shattering mountain. "Who's to say you're any more of a 'servant' than that whelp was the Lady of Light?"

There was another Lady of Light??? Artemis' mind spun to work this new information in. She lowered her hand back to her side.

"The girl is not my mistress," she said, her mother's nobility and her father's command in her voice. The trees stilled behind her, still moving, as if breathing or being nudged by the wind, but no longer with any discernible intent. She softened her voice, almost thoughtful as she said, "And it has been a very long time since I was a child of the sun." Give the mark enough to think he's figured you out, but keep him interested in figuring out more. That was a laugh. He looked wholly uninterested in learning more about her. But he might be interested in what she had to offer.

"Then what're you doing here, hmm? After the Lanterns, t–"

"I want nothing to do with your lanterns!" Flames danced around her left hand, still clutched around the staff in front of her, before flickering out of existence. But it was the ferocity in her words that seemed to give him pause. Artemis squeezed her eyes shut and worked her jaw. She took in a breath before looking at the old man again. "They are not my responsibility." Another breath. Artemis fought to reign herself back, straightening her spine.

"I've been sent here with a message," she said, pitching her voice out so the entire crowd could hear. Yes, that's totally why I'm here, not because my gryphon which is actually your gryphon dragged me here or anything. Nura, apparently tired of flying in circles above Artemis' head, finally landed in a gust of wind and dirt behind Artemis.

"I'm sure."

Artemis pretended she hadn't heard him. "What you see crawling out of the earth is a shade. The Lord of Shadow has kept the dragon weak."

"The who?!" a man Artemis' age shouted out.

"She's on his side! She–"

Artemis slammed her staff on the ground again, another jolt of lighting sparking around her. The crowd was silent as Nura gave another indignant squawk. But she stayed on the ground.

"The night is your salvation, not your prison. As long as the sun is hidden, the dragon cannot reclaim full power." The entire crowd seemed stunned, like they didn't know what to do with this information. But the old man just kept watching her.

"Yeah but it just leveled a bleedin' mountain without being at full power. So it still seems pretty catastrophic." The child who'd shouted was swatted on the head before being pulled back by her mother.

"It's far from powerless. But if you have any hope of imprisoning it again, you have it now. This false Lady of Light will be working against you. If she fights for the sun, then she fights for the dragon. You're mistaken about what happened to the sun – the dragon didn't bring this eternal night. When it was sealed away, the Lord of Shadow was chosen as the lesser of two evils. The lives of everyone on this island, both Kith and Pirate, were chosen over the Lady of Light. As long as there is darkness, the Lord of Shadow can claim the souls of the dead, and the dragon cannot." Who the hell knew if Oseely had been telling the truth about all of this, but it saved Artemis the trouble of making something up. "That's how it survived, by sapping the life from the island like vines strangling a–"

Her words caught in her throat. The old man's gaze sharpened and he leaned forward the slightest bit. At last, there was a spark of interest.

"–a tree..." Her heart was pounding in her ears so loud that the frantic drumbeat was all she could hear.

"And even after he was sealed up and cut off from the Kith, he just started sucking life out of people in other worlds. Probably your world, too."

Artemis suddenly felt very cold. Her lips parted. She wouldn't dare think the thought that had just occurred to her – but there it sat, at the edges of her mind, daring her to look.

Her eyes finally refocussed on her reality. They darted between the faces of strangers surrounding her. Her breath suddenly seemed much shallower than it'd been just moments before. Finally she found the old man again, solid and still and ever watchful. His head was tilted to the side slightly as he watched her, like he'd finally decided there was actually something worth looking at in her.

Artemis focused on him. She let the sight of him ground her. She wasn't done here.

A deep, shaking breath. Her hand clenched around the staff, weathered wood and cold metal on her skin. With practiced care, she took her emotions, her thoughts, her family, and sealed them away until they were buried like their bodies. Licking her lips, she opened her mouth again. Shut it. Another breath. Her heart was still hammering in her chest.

When she spoke her voice was less affected, less regal. She didn't have the presence of mind or the care to sell it anymore. She was quieter, but her voice still carried like a warning. If there was a slight quiver to it, a thickness that didn't belong, Artemis fought to ignore it.

"The Lords and Ladies thought that by sealing the dragon away from the lives of this world, they'd keep it imprisoned. But instead the dragon found a way to steal lives from other worlds. It has a fraction of its power back now. But if the dragon is able to claim the souls of the island again, then you will know catastrophe. The Lord of Shadow is a tyrant. But tyrants can be overthrown. Regimes crumble and fade." The old man finally looked away from her, turning his gaze down to his hands resting on top of his cane. Artemis felt a weight lift that she hadn't realized she'd been holding, a sort of tension in her back and shoulders. "The dragon is death."

He was quiet for a long moment, breathing out a heavy sigh. "That it then? The gist of your 'message'?" He looked back up to her, but this time his stare wasn't as intent, as chilling. Artemis gave a small, halting nod, not sure what else to do. "We'll take it into consideration." he said, already turning away from her. Artemis blinked. "Go on, then. Go run back to wherever you're holed up" The rest of the crowd blinked, too. And then they sprang into a commotion.

"Wait, what?!"

"You can't be serious, she just –."

"Isn't that Kep's gryphon?"

"Wait, if she really works for the Lords, shouldn't we –"

The old man's grumbling voice cut through them all, "Let 'er go." He turned slightly to look back at her over her shoulder. Artemis felt small again, not knowing what to do with herself but frantic for direction. "She's just a girl. Not a threat to us. We've got bigger things to worry about." The crowd looked from the old man back to Artemis to see a strange, willowy woman in a Kith mask with a runed weapon, who could apparently control the very elements and ride one of their gryphons. She very much looked like a threat. A few murmurs of displeasure sounded from the crowd. But it seemed they trusted the old man more than they feared her.

Artemis, frozen, finally forced herself to move. She turned on her heel and made short work of swinging herself onto Nura's back as the gryphon bowed for her. It seemed practice and a pair of pants made perfect. As soon as her legs were tight around Nura, one hand gripping the shining armor on the back of her neck, they took off into the crumbling night.

Artemis, frozen, finally forced herself to move. She turned on her heel and made short work of swinging herself onto Nura's back as the gryphon bowed for her. It seemed practice and a pair of pants made perfect. As soon as her legs were tight around Nura, one hand gripping the shining armor on the back of her neck, they took off into the crumbling night.

The old man watched after her while the village folk gawped at him in trembling disbelief. Less than an hour ago, they had sent their hopes and a handful of riders along with the Lady of Light in order to defeat the Lord of Shadow once and for all -- and now an opposite truth had been posed to them: that the Lady of Light would end up getting them all killed. For a people who had grown up in reverence of the Lady of Light and in hatred of the Dragon, nothing was more confusing or overwhelming than this.

And so, in silence, the people of the Roost looked to their elder leader for a decision -- for his interpretation of the End of Times, which Sun-Child messenger they should believe, who they should fight.

The old man stared out over the valley, toward the billowing cloud of rock-dust that masked the remains of the mountain and the silhouette of bony wings. "All of you, gear up," his voice boomed with authority, a voice that the youngest of the riders had never heard. "We'll find our own and the Lady of Light. Bring them all back here." While the Riders scrambled, the old man only stared out toward the crumbling Mountain -- then at the retreating figure of the Marid who seemed to stand for the Lords, the Kith and Men in one force against the Dragon. He wanted desperately to believe in the harmony that the Lady of Light had promised. His mouth set in a thin line.

A swarm of armored gryphons swept away into the night toward the Mountain.

--

The billowing clouds of rock-dust rolled over the island and filled the air; Nura flapped above it, chittering, heading eastward once more. The other gryphons had banked off on their mission, the ground and the water had quieted, and the living remains of the Dragon only shook off the pieces of mountain from its ancient joints, barely visible through the dust. Flashes of electricity at the destroyed Mountain illuminated the toxic clouds like lightning. An eerie silence blanketed the island.

Here, there was only the hush of the wind through Nura's feathers.

Water glistened in the breaks in the dust-clouds, flooded valleys and submerged forest. To the southeast, where Artemis had left the Witch's house, a very different black smoke billowed, laced with tongues of fire. The forest here was aflame with the same strange fire that Artemis herself had witnessed while she'd briefly carried the Red Lantern.

Oyagun-Nai, too, was a pillar of smoke on the horizon.

Only the barren ashes of the burned-out waste remained just as they had been before: bleak and undisturbed, clear of smoke or dust. While the aftermath of the Mountain's collapse settled on the northern part of the island, this small graveyard of bony scorched trees was a sanctuary.

At the southern edge of the waste, a tribe of Kith made camp as close to the trees as they dared. They were frightened of the flames at the Witch's house, driven out of their homes by the smoke, and none of their command over the forest could protect them from the Red Lantern's curse. A campfire had been set in the ashes, and sinewy children in masks mulled around it, drawing in the soot with their fingers and shouting, or sharpening weapons, or gathering the wildlife closer to the campsite and away from the fire. Rabbits, deer, raccoons, bat-monkeys, and a chatter of birds all swarmed the woods that bordered the wasteland, in hopes that the fire would burn itself out soon.

Farther north, a great black wolf -- the size of a small house -- swam across the swollen river. He clambered out onto the ashes on the other side and shook a spray of water from his thick dark pelt. Dripping, the wolf continued on its labored way toward the smoke that rose out of Oyagun-Nai -- then paused and looked back with dull eyes.

A moment later, Kep emerged out of the water and sloshed onto the shore in all his waterlogged armor, scowling hatefully. The wolf snorted and continued forward, with the human trailing behind.

To the west, at the top of the tallest burned-out tree, Oseely stood among the branches to watch the smoke over the Witch's house. The dragon-fire was beyond his control; he wasn't used to this helpless feeling.

---

She concentrated on the connection she had with the other eggs through the Blue Egg.

All she needed to do was getting a simple message across. Help. The survival of the Forest depends on all of us.

Anise's consciousness sank into the cavernous depths of the Dragon's soul. For what felt like an eternity she floated weightless in starry nothingness. Then, she saw pinpricks of light: violet, red, green. An ancient wisdom filled Anise, and she knew these lights were a part of her, pieces of her being that had been savagely torn from her by her own children. As she reached out to them, fed them power, they pulsed brighter; she could feel each of them faintly, straining against the Lanterns' cages.

Below Anise, something moved. Bone and sinew soared silent on sharp wings; the husk of the Dragon's body flew straight for a brighter star. She yearned for the wind under her wings again, suddenly vehement against the confines of the Egg, the restrictions of Anise's human body. It wasn't enough, could not be enough to recover all that was lost -- and her greatest weapon lay so close.

At this moment, a weakness overcame Anise. She felt energy draining quickly, power rushing away, something profoundly important leaving her. The stars faded, and she returned to the crumbling cavern.

As soon as she let go of her focus on the Dragon she felt dizziness force her to her knees.

"Lady of Stone," Anise said wearily. "I am here to speak with you on behalf of your sister, the Lady of the Pond." She presented the Lady's Rune to the cave wall. "She says it is time to release the sun. If you do not believe it I understand, but I ask of you to hear out your Mother's case." She made a serious effort to stand up, grabbed the Spirit Egg from the air, and presented it to the rock face. "It is easy to fear retribution, but I swear upon my life she has no desire to destroy the home she built for herself and her children."

While Peck and the gryphon-riders took shelter under an upturned slab of rock -- while the cavern shook and crumbled all around them, and sunlight peeked through the fissures in the ceiling, and the tarred skeletal remains of the Dragon shifted and climbed away from their petrified prison -- the floor in front of Anise shifted. A hand, then a head and body crawled out of the rock. In a moment, the stony shape of a young woman emerged with a cocked head and shining emeralds for eyes.

The Lady of Stone stepped forward with a heavy gait and a cruel grin on her cracked face. She stood over Anise, and while the world fell down around them she peered down with an amused glare.

I know you, Anise Sinclair. You think I haven't heard every damn word you've said since you got here? I am this island. Let me get one thing clear, girlie: you're a fraud. Everything you believe is a lie. She shrugged, her stony mouth turned in a smirk. Not that it matters. I'm kinda sorry you gotta die like this, but at least you'll be buried alongside your beloved Dragon.

While she spoke, her voice still somehow clear over the crashing rock, the Blue Egg was fading. Anise would feel it cooling in her hand while the blue light dimmed and became smaller deep within. Soon, the light would be gone completely, and the Egg would be nothing more than a husk.

The wall beside her thrashed and cracked. The skeletal remains of the Dragon -- dripping with deep black oil -- twisted and shifted. Joints moved on their own; claws clenched the stone. With a great heave of the Dragon's bony wing, a cascade of boulders and dust let in the moonlight. The Dragon's great head tore free with a gnash of long bare teeth. Its eyes glowed blue.

While the Lady of Stone gaped in horror, the skeleton wriggled out of the mountain like it was nothing more than a pile of leaves, and the mountain itself collapsed in its wake.

A house-sized boulder plummeted down at her -- but at the last moment, a surge of electric current caught the rock, which exploded with a force of dust and static right above Anise's head. Peck was holding out a flickering sword, staring at her in relief. He looked up at the screech of a gryphon and another flash of bright electricity; an army of gryphons soared overhead, dipping in through the widening fissures in the rock, their riders blasting their way through with electric precision. The rescue squad had arrived.

The sensation Anise felt while she dove into the power within the Dragon. Almost every time she did so previously, she felt nothing but emptiness. A few times she felt an inkling, or a sensation of the Dragon's presence. She could barely describe the vastness of the Dragon, and it amazed her to no end. Suddenly, she felt something draining away from her. She could not define it, but whatever it was she knew it was important. She knew she could not stop it.

Regardless, she had to do what she had to do.

I know you, Anise Sinclair. You think I haven't heard every damn word you've said since you got here? I am this island. Let me get one thing clear, girlie: you're a fraud. Everything you believe is a lie. She shrugged, her stony mouth turned in a smirk. Not that it matters. I'm kinda sorry you gotta die like this, but at least you'll be buried alongside your beloved Dragon.

Anise was about to respond when she realized that the Spirit Egg was fading. There was barely anything left of it when she caught it. Her mind began to frantically work out what was the reason behind this. Was this the thing she lost? Her instincts told her that it was only a part of what was lost. Then the great beast of the Dragon's body tore itself from the mountain, eyes glowing with a blue light. Then she connected at least some of the dots.

Her eyes widened with a slight panic and she reached out towards the Dragon. "Wait, you aren't ready yet!" Her voice was drowned out by the rumbling of the mountain falling apart around her. Then the Dragon shifted and a massive stone fell towards her. She flinched immediately and realized she was much too exhausted to jump out of the way.

A moment passed. Then another. She looked up to see the boulder was now nothing but dust. She then looked to see Peck wielding a sword. An absolute joy washed over her. Through the fatigue and emotion, somehow Anise found herself embracing Peck. She had no idea how she found the strength to get there. That did not matter though. All that mattered to her is that for now they were alive.

She looked up at him with a warm smile before her fatigue took her into darkness. Everything had taken its toll.

---

There was darkness ahead of Anise, but behind her there was light. Even though she knew she had never seen this room before she felt something familiar about it. She blinked her eyes and there was Peck standing in front of her, but this Peck seemed empty. Hollow. She blinked again and then she saw herself wrapped around him in a black dress wearing her crown. The crown she had left behind in Riverforde. Something about this other Anise felt dark and dangerous.

Anise defensively postured. "Get away from him."

Dark Anise leveled a cool gaze upon her. "Oh, but I can't. We are near him right this very moment. In fact I am the one that pushed you to embrace him." She chuckled. "I couldn't deny us the pleasure. After all we've been through we deserve that much."

Anise's face turned pink and she shook her head. "No. There's no way you did that." She knew she was lying to herself.

Dark Anise grinned and let out a short loud laugh. "How adorable. You know the Lady of Stone was right. You are a fraud. You've been lying to yourself ever since you shoved me into that cold dark abyss with the Spirit Lantern. You aren't the Lady of Light. You aren't even powerful without your adoptive mother there to help you the whole entire way."

Anise's eyes widened as she realized exactly who she was staring at. "No! I destroyed you! You can't be here!"

Dark Anise glowered at her. "Wrong! You banished me. You don't have the power to destroy a piece of yourself even with the help of Mother." Her expression calmed. "That's alright though. You did what you had to survive. I would have destroyed us, but I've had time to calm down. Time to think. Time to watch. I've even helped you from time to time." She extended her arms as if to embrace her other half, but did not move forward towards Anise. "I forgive you for what you had to do for us. I even thank you for putting me in time out for these last couple of days."

It was at this time that Anise noticed the nightmare-version of Peck had vanished and it was just the two of them standing there. She glanced around the half-dark half-light room as she hesitated to respond to Dark Anise. She felt conflicted. She knew Dark Anise was not lying to her -- something deep down told her that. However, she knew that this part of her was more than willing to kill especially since that part had taken the Spirit Lantern's taint from its last bearer. The fact that she was forgiving of being locked away only confused Anise further.

"Why should I trust you?" Anise decided to put her doubt out there.

Dark Anise dropped her arms. "You know what I say is true. I am a part of you. Separated, yes, but we are connected." She paused to let that settle in. "You need me and I need you. We can only get so far through determination and faith. Without me guiding your instincts on occasion you would have died long ago. How else could you have made your Light Rune? You needed that little push of fury I gave you."

Anise clenched her fist and stepped towards her dark half. "I made that on my own."

Dark Anise raised a finger causing Anise to halt. "You wouldn't have gotten there without me. That frustration. Your carving the rune into your hand." She embraced herself. "The passion." Her arms settled back to her side as she closed the gap between her and her light half. "You, and you alone have too much restraint."

Anise balked. She had always felt she had done what was right, but as much as she wanted to disagree her dark side's words rung true. She remained silent while letting the words settle.

"You are weak," Dark Anise continued. "That is okay. To become strong one must first be weak. First you need to stop relying on the power of others such as Mother. You also must stop lying to yourself! We are Princess Anise Sinclair, sole heir to the throne of Riverforde not the Lady of Light. If you want to become a Spirit of this forest then become something you are don't try to take up the mantle of something you aren't. The Spirit Egg leaving us may very well be a blessing for if you want to truly be a service to our adoptive mother then we must grow into our own."

Anise's blue eyes met with Dark Anise's red. "What do we do now?"

Dark Anise's hand cupped Anise's cheek. "We become whole again."

"Yes."

With that Dark Anise kissed Anise directly on the lips and embraced her. Slowly the melded into each other and the darkness of the room swirled together with the light. Anise felt as if something that had long since been missing had come back to her as emotions she had not truly felt for the last few days tore into her. Passion. Rage. Ambition. Greed. Pride. The sensation was terrifying and glorious. She felt the truth she had denied herself so blindly burn steadily into her mind. She knew what she was, and what she would become.

Wake up, we have much work to do, Princess.

When the ground started trembling, Naia immediately let the magic holding the structure together dissipate. She stared with wide eyes at the trees as they thrashed about, trying to figure out what was causing them to act how they were. Feeling something grip her arm, she looked down and saw the child, who looked terrified. Letting him hold her arm for now, she followed his finger to the big mountains in the distance, finally spotting the cause of the earthquake.

Several questions ran through her mind at once. Why was the mountain crumbling? What was going on there? Should they run? Her eyes snapped upward as she spotted a gryphon above them, then went to Palla as she started speaking.

"Naia! The only safe place I know is back the way we came, but I don't know if that person's still after you! I could call my gryphon, we'll fly!"

Before she could reply, the sound of rushing water reached her ears, causing her to turn to the source of the sound. Dread gripped her at the sight of the wave of water coming towards them, though her mind was immediately running through solutions to save their lives. Her ears barely registered Palla’s whistle, but she knew the gryphon was too far away. In a few short seconds she had settled an idea that would work.

She quickly picked the boy up, ignoring any protests he may have had, and ran the short distance to Palla, already putting the magic of the lantern to work. Wood started to form around the three into the shape of a boat. Knowing the water hitting it would be rough, she put a roof above them for protection, deciding she would take the roof off later, and the wood the boat was made of was sturdy and strong. It was about the size of a small bedroom.

The boat had barely finished forming when the wave crashed into it, the force causing them all to fall onto the floor. They could feel the water moving them along, knocking into a few trees on the way, but thankfully the boat held strong. When the force of the current had calmed some, Naia removed the roof of the boat to reveal the sky above them.

Artemis barely registered the destruction of the island as she gripped Nura's armor, body held low against the gryphon's back. Her knuckles were white and her teeth were clenched – every muscle was taut with frantic energy. But she couldn't move. She could barely think. Her thoughts raced, too quickly to keep track of, as Artemis flew through the sky. Something was building inside her. Some horrid truth, too dangerous to recognize, too painful to look at, was rearing up inside her, pulling years of hidden emotions with it.

She barely registered when Nura landed on familiar, ashen ground. She stumbled off, inelegantly leaving Nura to squawk and chirp at her. The gryphon was obviously confused – she could sense some change, some foreign energy around her new rider. Artemis just tossed the Witch's staff at her taloned feet. Nura chirped in surprise, sniffing the staff only to dart her eyes back up to watch Artemis. Her feathers ruffled underneath her heavy plate armor, distressed sounds escaping her.

Artemis was pacing. Her heart hammered in her throat, her chest fluttering up and down like her very skin was struggling to contain her. Oseely's words echoed again and again in her head.

She had too much energy. She was too hot. She was freezing cold. With every step she took, saplings sprouted from the barren, charred earth, only to curl and blacken, smoke rising from their dying bodies. Magic sparked in her blood, uncontrollable, as the two Lords' runes glowed fervently bright on her hands. She clenched and unclenched her fists. In a flash of motion, she reached up and ripped the rabbit mask from her face and tossed it to the ground. Embers sparked into existence, following her hand, only to flicker and fade in the night in the next instant.

Losing the mask's energy didn't seem to calm Artemis at all. She was still restless, her breath coming out in frantic puffs as her fists clenched and unclenched in rapid succession. She just felt clumsier now, more cumbersome and less focused.

Artemis remembered the plague – the Climbing Vine, they'd called it. She remembered the panic that'd seeped through the valley when more and more people began dying from it. She remembered being quarantined from her parents when they fell to it. She remembered how her heart stopped when her brother caught it.

Idris' face flashed in her mind. Not as he'd been in life – no, Artemis saw him ashen and dull eyed, blindly telling her how much faith he had in her to do a job she was never meant for.

Her warm, loving, trusting little brother. The plague had taken him from her – it had stolen her life just as it'd stolen his.

Something nudged into her back and Artemis spun in a blur of motion, rounding on Nura, who immediately flinched back. The gryphon had a worried look in her eye, the staff held hopefully in her beak. Artemis wanted to feel guilty. But she was too overwhelmed by her own emotions to feel any more for Nura. Squeezing her eyes shut, she pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes and clenched her teeth. This was too much. She lowered her hands to find them wet with fresh tear stains. She didn't even know. But if –

She looked up over Nura's armored head to see a familiar back – Oseely. He was standing in a tree on the edge of the waste. Suddenly her energy had a focus.

Artemis walked around Nura without glancing at her and began marching towards the Lord of Flame. Without slowing, she bent to scoop up the rabbit mask as she passed, frantic embers dancing off of her skin. Saplings were born and killed with every silent footstep. The barren trees themselves seemed to sway with her movement. Nura chirped around the staff in her mouth before jumping to follow nervously after her rider.

"Oseely!" came her ragged shout when she finally drew close. There was something desperate and grieving in her voice as it broke over his name. She came to a stop several yards away from his tree, looking up at him with bright, wet eyes. "Oseely, you tell me why I'm here!" For all its force, it wasn't a command – it was a plea. "Why am I here? You said that thing," she lifted a hand to point to the dragon, shaking itself out of the mountain, "stole lives from my world." She lowered her hand and looked at him. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She had to force the words into the world. "Which ones?" They were hushed. But her voice grew again. "The ones closest to me?" Burning tears were starting to trail down her cheeks as she struggled to speak. "Am I here because the dragon drained the life from my family? My Valley?" She dared him to tell her the truth – why it was that her entire world had come crashing down. "Did it take my brother from me?" The person standing before him wasn't Artemis. It was the girl she'd abandoned with her family. Still grieving. Still in pain. She couldn't keep from holding her halting breath as she looked up at Oseely.

Still waiting for answers.

When the force of the current had calmed some, Naia removed the roof of the boat to reveal the sky above them.

During the tumult -- while the water hissed and roared against the walls of Naia's ark -- somehow Palla and the little Kith boy ended up clinging to one another for safety, their eyes squeezed shut against the violent shifts and bangs along the swirling waves and barrier trees. The boat tossed and lurched, slammed and spun.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, everything grew quiet. Naia had removed the roof, and only then did Palla and the boy open their eyes to stare up at the sky, clouded by dust and billows of debris. The only sound was the quiet lapping of ripples against the sides of the boat, and the occasional crack of a stone falling in the distance.

The boy wrenched away from Palla in disgust, stumbled back, and turned around to peer up at two blue fiery dots that seemed very different from stars.

Palla shifted to her feet, unsteady on the rocking boat. "The others will wonder what happened. I wonder what the hell just happened --"

"Uh, guys?" The Kith boy straightened his arm and pointed up at the two blue dots in the dusty sky. They moved together, slow and fluid, like eyes. When Pallas squinted, she could make out a dark, enormous shape half-hidden behind the dust-clouds. She could make out a long neck, bony wings, a skeletal and serpentine tail; a lizardlike colossus as tall as a mountain. The creature rummaged in the ruinous rubble of the mountain, and slowly drew out something small and glowing-white between its talons.

"The Dragon," Palla breathed. She glanced to Naia and swallowed. "The Dragon is the ancient god of this island," she explained. "It was supposed to have been sealed away forever."

While she watched, the Dragon raised the little white-glowing Lanter up to its bony jaws and swallowed it whole. Sparks of energy rippled along the Dragon's skeletal frame, and leather grew between the black bones of its wings. The Dragon was so distant, so huge, that all this was completely silent to those watching from the boat.

Both Kith and Pirate stared in fascination -- until the Dragon's bright blue eyes spotted them.

The Dragon turned toward Naia's boat, raised its head, and focused its attention entirely on her. The new wings stretched and tested the wind, preparing to take flight.

Palla gasped, put her fingers to her lips, and blew a piercing whistle to call her gryphon. "Naia, it wants the Lantern," she said quickly, pressing her hands against Naia's arm. "You mustn't let it have the Lantern. Promise me."

The gryphon lighted on the edge of the boat, which lilted deeply with the added weight, and flapped precariously. The light of the violet Lantern illuminated its runed armor and frayed tawny feathers. "Take the gryphon, his name is Goldquill," said Palla. "Go alone -- go! The Dragon has its sights on you. We'll get to higher ground, don't worry about us. Hurry!"

---

The person standing before him wasn't Artemis. It was the girl she'd abandoned with her family. Still grieving. Still in pain. She couldn't keep from holding her halting breath as she looked up at Oseely.

Still waiting for answers.

For a moment, Oseely only stood staring out at the vision of the Dragon's moving black bones, and the brief spark of the Lantern of Flight before it disappeared into what remained of the creature's gullet. His fingers curled against the ashen bark.

Finally he turned his head, peered back at Artemis out of the corner of his eye. He shifted on the branch and turned his back on the Dragon to face Artemis. With steady eyes he studied her, his mouth set to a grim line.

"It's probable that the Dragon could have attached a link to your bloodline," he said, gentle but firm. "Used that link to draw power. Maybe you resisted or you were immune. That bloodline link would've made it easier to summon you over anyone else. The cause is the same, the effect is different."

Oseely dropped lightly to the ground, but didn't approach. The moonlight shifted in and out of the moving clouds of dust; the burned-out wasteland undulated in the passing shadows, haunting and alive at the same time. "That link -- that same link -- probably still exists. You could give in to it -- or it could be your advantage."

He waited while she processed this -- grieved, fought, whatever she needed to do. During this time he noted the mask, the glowing stone she'd picked up, the pocketwatch, the lightning-staff -- and the slight sparkle of a green rune on the back of her hand.

"Those people's spirits are what powers the Dragon -- and the Lanterns. Your family, your brother, might be dead, technically. But here, as long as the Lord of Shadow's in charge, the dead never really die." He tilted his head a little in thought, while in the distance behind him, dark leathery wings shifted in the smog. "Your link is with the fire Lantern, right? That'd be the same part of the Dragon that took your family. I'll bet their spirits are still in that Lantern. All you'd have to do is crack it open." He gestured to the pocketwatch. "Looks like ya already found the machine that can do it."

---

Wake up, we have much work to do, Princess.

Anise would wake to find herself sheltered by a lamplit tent. She lay in a bed of furs, with bandages wrapped around her head. Her old clothes had been removed and replaced with a blue smock-dress. She was barefoot, though soft shoes had been found and set on the floor for her.

The inside of the tent was stacked with books; the oil lamp burned atop one of these stacks. At first glance, something shadowy shimmered at a corner. It took the shape of the old man she'd killed in the woods so long ago, grinning at her -- but he faded when Peck scrambled forward, having just noticed that Anise had opened her eyes.

"Hey, you're back." He grinned a little, uncertain. "Don't move fast, you're okay, you're at the Roost. There's nothing to be done right now."

When he was sure she could handle sitting up, he handed her a cup of cold water. Outside the tent, people were running and gryphons were huffing and scratching; murmurs of voices mentioned dragon and lantern in rough and hateful voices.

"The white Lantern is with the Dragon now," Peck informed Anise. "Everyone sees this as a bad omen, but we know the Dragon's return will be a good thing, right? Just three more Lanterns -- is that how it works? -- and the sun can come back." He offered her a smile. "You did it. Too bad Pirates are hard-headed and hard-convinced."

Anise opened her now violet eyes as soon as she felt herself awaken. That piece that felt like it was missing still was, but regardless of that fact she felt somewhat more complete. Something that had left her feeling foggy before now left her clear and focused. She glanced around to see that her shattered dress had been replaced by a blue and very plain smock-dress. The next thing she saw was that none of the light around her had been created by either of the Lanterns she had held. So, not only had the Dragon lost her patience and hurried desperately to her body, but in her madness she took the Flight Egg as well.

She closed her eyes as dark feelings swirled inside of her. She was disappointed in herself just as much as she was in the Dragon. That ichor covering her body must have been the reason why she is so feared and hated. Then her rage boiled up. Her anger at the Lord of Shadow whom so greedily gathered power for himself and cared not about taking care of the Forest he was supposed to be in charge of. She fumed about the other Spirits who clearly did not care about the decay this world suffered in their actions and inaction. Above all of that she was furious with herself for failing to make any action that helped the Forest. Everything she had done had only placed it one step closer to its final destruction.

Once she had taken the time to calm down, she reopened her eyes and caught out of the corner of her eye a shadowy something. At first glance she saw the familiar shape of an old man grinning at her. She took a moment to realize who it was and then her heart jumped. Then Peck appeared before her and she quickly calmed. Perhaps not everything she had done had resulted in failure. After all, she had successfully saved him. Barely.

"Hey, you're back." He grinned a little, uncertain. "Don't move fast, you're okay, you're at the Roost. There's nothing to be done right now."

She sat upright steadily and accepted the cold water he handed her. Drinking it she realized just how parched she had become.

"The white Lantern is with the Dragon now," Peck informed Anise. "Everyone sees this as a bad omen, but we know the Dragon's return will be a good thing, right? Just three more Lanterns -- is that how it works? -- and the sun can come back." He offered her a smile. "You did it. Too bad Pirates are hard-headed and hard-convinced."

Her heart sunk heavily. She had no desire to disappoint any of them, but Peck was a special case where it would be world shattering to the both of them. If she lied to him, he would find out eventually and it would scar their relationship forever. However, telling him the truth would do just as much. At least that was how she imagined it. She finished drinking the water while she thought of a way to respond to him. She had accepted the fact that the Lady of Stone was correct in that she was a fraud. She had even convinced herself of her status. If anything she was a shard of the Lady of Light, but she was certainly not the Lady herself.

Then something clicked. If she could actually become the Lady of Light she would gain all the abilities that came with that territory. Light was a pure and cleansing thing. It brought clarity so all could see. If she was right in that she had a piece of that power then all she had to do was follow it to the true source. It would be connected just like the Dragon's power was. Then she could quite possibly cleanse the ichor from the Dragon before she became whole.

She looked directly at Peck eyes intense with focus. "Peck, my work it far from over. That dark ichor you saw on the Dragon's body is no good thing, but she is desperate and lost her patience. I do not know if the Lord of Shadow is responsible for it or if it's something else that simply... synergizes with the darkness." She looked at her hand with the Sun Rune scarred onto it. "Right now, I am just Anise Sinclair, the Princess of Riverford. At most I only have a piece of the Lady of Light within me. Since the Lord of Shadow prevents everything from truly dying I might be able to find her essence. Then I might be able to cleanse that evil from her. Then I might be able to save this world from the decay it has suffered over the centuries." She smiled at Peck full of hope. "Hope is far from gone."

She then concentrated on the Sun Rune. Every intent focused in on finding the true Lady of Light's spirit. She searched for the connection between her Light and the Lady's. She fully immersed herself in this search. She would make the Lady of Stone a liar. She would save the Dragon from that corruption. She would save this world from its destruction. As soon as she found that connection she would begin her march to her destination.

A dragon. Just when Naia thought things couldn’t possibly get any crazier. She was seriously wondering how she had gotten thrust into all this mess. However, speculation would have to wait for later. Her eyes quickly scanned the situation before her, taking in all the information her mind would need to make a quick but rational decision. Time seemed to slow down as she thought, her brain feeling as if it were going a million miles an hour.

She didn’t doubt that the Dragon was after the lantern. Not after witnessing the dragon swallow the white light, which Naia could only assume had been a lantern as well, and spontaneously grow flesh. Obviously the lanterns gave the large creature power. Power that, judging from Palla’s reaction, Naia did not want to witness the Dragon having.

It’s eyes were trained on her, she could tell. The blue dots felt as if they were staring into her soul. She had the lantern. The Dragon wanted her, or more specifically, the lantern that had been in her possession since she had arrived here, which had probably only been a few hours ago. Palla wanted her to go.

Her heart said she shouldn’t leave them. They were beginning to feel like friends in a way, though she had only known Palla a short while, the boy shorter still, combined with the fact that he had attacked them at first. However, her mind told she couldn’t. The dragon was after Naia. If she left, it would most likely follow so it could take the lantern.

Her decision was made quick. Gripping the violet lantern tight, she quickly walked up to the gryphon. She looked the boy as she walked over, multi-tasking.

“Could I know your name in case I see you again?” She asked the boy quickly, but slow enough and clearly so that she could be understood. As she climbed onto the gryphon’s back, she quickly addressed Palla, “And Palla, any important, last-minute gryphon-riding tips I should know so I don’t fall off and die?”