Artemis could only stare at Oseely, her lips parted as she tried to make sense of his words. Her family was… in the Lantern?

Pain pulled her eyebrows together as her jaw clenched. Charring vines sprouted from the ground, beginning to twine up around her legs. She marched forward and they crumbled.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head. Tears burned wet tracks down her cheeks. "No, that's a lie!" Artemis reached forward with a clawed hand, grabbing his shirt. "My family is gone!" Her voice broke over the last word, the tightness curling around her throat choking her voice. "I would've known if they were there! I wouldn't have –"

Abandoned them. Again.

Artemis had run from the Lantern as soon as she'd felt responsibility weigh against her chest, threatening to suffocate her.

Her grip around his shirt loosened. She was barely even aware of Oseely anymore. Shaking hands clasped over her mouth as she tried to gasp for breath. Her eyes squeezed shut, hot tears falling heavy to the ground. Her shoulders shook with the force of strained sobs.

Artemis remembered when se'd first woken up in the forest, beneath the Lantern's warm light. She thought of how its eerie glow pulled her, even as she'd run.

For years, Artemis' one consolation was that her family was no longer alive to see her now – that she could disappoint them no more. But if Oseely was telling the truth –

Her brother's heartbroken face flashed in her mind. He'd be so ashamed of her.

Artemis crumbled to the ground her hands grasping at her chest. Her mouth opened and her chest heaved with gasping breaths. Finally, a shattered cry pierced the night. Artemis' wailed, ragged and broken. A circle of fire erupted from the ground around her, fierce and fleeting. The last embers were still drifting through the air when another cry escaped her.

She wanted them back. Her parents. Her brother. Her valley. Everything she'd run from. Everything that'd been taken from her.

It was all because of the Dragon.

Artemis forced another cry down. A hand slapped over her mouth again, shaking breaths heaving her shoulders up and down. She squeezed her eyes shut with the force of trying to quiet herself.

The Dragon had stolen everything from her. Her family. Her life. If it hadn't spread its plague to her valley… Would she be this person?

A bitter part of herself told her that she'd always been this person – selfish and cowardly. Unwilling to try and live up to anyone's expectations because she was too afraid she'd fail. She'd just been able to pretend she was better when Idris had been alive. When nothing had been at stake. It was too late now to believe she was ever more than this.

Another strangled cry escaped through her fingers. Her other hand was wrapped around her torso, gripping her side like she was gutted and bleeding and had to hold herself together.

Another quaking breath.

It was all because of the Dragon.

Grief and self-hatred mixed with something new – anger. Rage pierced her like a needle, poisoning her blood. This was the Dragon's fault. Had it not been for the Dragon, her family would be alive and she'd still be at home, toying with dignitaries and frustrating her parents. Her brother would be groomed for the throne, as they tried to groom her for a husband.

She'd probably already be married now, to some uptight, boring noble. She was old enough for it, she realized with a start. It seemed so petty – some far off worry of another life. She would've hated it. But if her brother was alive, then what did it matter? Artemis would give anything for that life now.

Artemis forced open her burning eyes and turned her head over her shoulder to look at the Dragon on the mountain, grotesque and alive. If the Dragon lived, it could die. It would die. Her mind worked to spin around her emotions, trying to find a plan. Slowly, she fought to stand, forcing her unsteady legs to straighten. She looked to Oseely again.

"If I brought the Lantern," she said in a hoarse voice, as shaky as her legs. But there was a new steal there to match the flickering fire in her eyes."Could you show me how to unlock it?"

Artemis was getting her family back. And then she was going to kill the Dragon.

<sub>"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.</sub>

Peck opened his mouth to reply, but found he had no words. The tone of her voice -- her name -- shifted his perception. He watched while she slipped into meditation -- Anise Sinclair -- and moment by moment, she became less a goddess sent from the stars and more a young woman only doing the best she could, with a heart as strong as a dragon.

Somehow, the latter commanded greater respect.

He sat cross-legged at the flap of the tent to prevent anyone from interrupting her, and for the next few hours he watched her in quiet fascination.

As Anise focused on the sunlight and on the lingering ache in her hand, the outside world slowly faded. Her body relaxed and stilled, eventually paralyzed in sleep while her mind -- and her spirit -- lifted away. Her eyes were closed, but the candlelit tent gently came into focus. She could see the stacks of books, the burning wick, the glowing coarse cloth walls, Peck's tired and confident face -- and herself, sitting with her head slightly bowed, breathing deeply. This was what one might call an out-of-body experience.

The old dead pirate -- gray and dark -- grinned, towering over Anise's body. He said nothing, but his meaning was clear: now she was within the Lord of Shadow's grasp, if only she would make a wrong step and join the other spirits in eternal servitude.

A brilliant light shimmered beyond the tent, calling her. Outside, the pirates of the Rook seemed to move slower, their voices quieter, as if it were all a dream. Anise shifted between them, floating rather than walking -- she would find that in this state she could imagine herself in any form she wished, with whatever powers she desired, though none of them would affect the real world. The light beckoned across the woods far below.

Below the Roost, the Dragon's leathered and dark-dripping wings were spread wide over the trees, as black as the sky, blue eyes shining down greedily upon a bright violet light. A young woman sat upon an armored gryphon, holding up the violet Lantern, speaking to a Pirate and a Kith as they held each other for safety.

A green light shone dimly, deeper in the forest at the base of the Roost's mountain. Hidden beneath layers of foliage, the green Lantern lay hidden at the bottom of a ravine. A blood-rat sat on top of it, protected by the Lantern's power from a monkey-bat that was attempting to bash it with a rock.

At the crumbled heart of the destroyed Mountain, the Lady of the Pond stood among the rubble, facing a little girl whose eyes glowed green; she left flowers and grass in her wake. Water roiled, and roots snaked under the rocks in threat. The Lady of Stone remained nearby, her focus on the eclipse.

To the east, beyond the Mountain, a Pirate city was on fire. A Kith tribe and the forest itself invaded Oyagun-Nai with deadly intent. Vines and trees crushed buildings, wolves and blood-rats sought out blood, guns flashed and fired, corpses littered the streets. Beside the city, an old temple had escaped the flames; within it was a statue of the Lady of Light, glowing softly, and a pedestal each for wind, fire and the forest. The pedestals for fire and forest had been activated, their handprints alight. Wind, only, was missing.

To the southeast, a red light glowed and flashed. The Witch traipsed through the woods carrying the red Lantern on a stick, returning to her ruined cottage.

In the wasteland to the east, created by the forest fire not so long ago, a tribe of Kith had gathered to escape the smoke that permeated the southern woods. Reus and Peck's brother, Kep, trudged north together through the wasteland, headed straight for the burning city of Oyagun-Nai. To the spirit's vision, Reus seemed to be an unstable presence, a glimmer of enchantment.

Among the bony ashen trees, a young woman knelt screaming in despair among rings of fire and shifting roots of her own making, while the Lord of the Flame listened to her grief -- the same young woman that Anise had met briefly at the river. The Lord of the Breeze sat in a treetop not far, spying unseen. He spotted Anise and watched her in silence.

The bright source of sunlight brought Anise to the Lake, where the rotting ship still lay broken around the scarred white tree. Deep beneath the gold-glimmering water, past the serpentine shape of the monster that guarded it, was a stone coffin. The sunlight radiated from within, but even in her spirit-state Anise could not see inside. Her vision began to flicker with darkness, and she would feel lightheaded and disoriented; something was happening to her body she'd left behind.

Gray spirits traversed the woods and climbed up toward the Roost, one by one surrounding Anise's body in an attempt to draw her energy and to prevent her spirit from returning. They stared at her with empty eyes -- but they flickered in the face of the sunlight that Anise had brought back with her.

_{“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?”}

The boy stared up at Naia, the violet light of the Lantern reflecting in his eyes. "L-Lozaelaem," he replied.

Palla laid a protective hand on Lozaelaem's head and raised her head with a fierce look for Naia. "Hold on."

Behind her, the Dragon swooped low; the trees bent and rushed under its blackened wings, and its bony teeth were sharp and wide. Blue eyes sparked, their focus entirely on Naia and the violet Lantern in her grasp.

The gryphon shot into the sky with a catlike leap; feathered wings struck the wind, and Naia was soaring over the forest, higher and higher into the clear cold night. Above her, the expanse of sky stretched endlessly, streaked with stars and galaxies. Behind, the Dragon rushed past, struggling to change course due to its enormous size. Below, the island stretched out beneath her. The beaches were white sand, the forests were dull with a coat of dust from the destroyed mountain. The Lake shimmered with a gold sheen, and the wasteland to the east lay blackened with bony dead trees. Above the wasteland, a seaside town lay in flames, besieged by war. To the west, atop a smaller mountain, the signal light at the Rook had been lit.

With a great rush of wings, the Dragon had soared into an arc and followed Naia once again, and would surely capture her in its skull-teeth if nothing would be done.

The gryphon instinctively made for the Rook, flapping fast to stay ahead of the Dragon, but could be made to change course at the tug of a rein.

<sub>"If I brought the Lantern," she said in a hoarse voice, as shaky as her legs. But there was a new steal there to match the flickering fire in her eyes."Could you show me how to unlock it?"

Artemis was getting her family back. And then she was going to kill the Dragon.</sub>

Oseely's usual grin and lax demeanor had stiffened to something stoic and wise, reflecting his centuries of experience while he watched the grief and fury and resolve roil and burn within Artemis. He dropped from his perch to stand before her while the fire licked the waste; the dead and broken trees shivered and groaned with the weight of Artemis' emotion.

He waited with old patience while the heat dissipated, while her breath became even, while the tears in her eyes caught a new determined gleam.

"Not unless I possess someone, and I'm not keen on doin' that," he said in a solemn tone. "The Lords and Ladies can't touch that temple -- it's protected by powerful magic. The place where the Lanterns were created. I kin tell ya how to work the machine, though." For a moment he studied her, looked through her eyes to her will -- an easy thing to do, with the mark of the flame upon her.

"If you bring that Lantern here to me," he said at last, "I'll tell you what to do." He gestured with his head toward the south, where the Witch's cabin lay.

Nura suddenly chirruped and spun in a circle, wings spread and eyes cast upward. The signal light at the Roost had been lit, calling all gryphons back home, and gleamed behind the remains of the mountain-dust that settled on the island.

The Dragon had left its perch on the Mountain's ruins; its wing-stretched silhouette darted over the treetops, its great skull-jaws wide in pursuit of a single armored gryphon. From this distance it was impossible to see the rider, but the violet flash of light in the rider's hand was unmistakably a Lantern.

The gryphon flung and twisted through the air, far faster than the Dragon; the air throughout the island was filled with the thunder of each flap of the Dragon's newfound wings.

Between the wasteland and the Witch's cabin, the tribe of Kith at the edge of the woods had begun casting spells of war. The return of the Dragon had filled the Kith with a rekindled hope for a return to the Way Things Were -- and a renewed hatred of the Pirates. Whispers had circulated among them of the return of the Lady of Light, the death of Tyaelaem, the weakening of the Lord of Shadow.

They drew circles in the ashes, drank enchanted potions, sacrificed small animals and threw their carcasses to the fire. Out of hands grew paws, out of teeth grew fangs. Terrible beasts rose out of the encampment, scaled and furred and clawed, each colossus towering over the tents, each with bright shining yellow eyes that lit up the night. The Kith screamed their enchantments, and the monsters howled.

At the north side of the wasteland, Reus raised his head and looked back, his yellow eyes shining, ears perked.

Keb waved at the big wolf with a gesture of an arm. "C'mon," he urged, looking up toward the column of starlit smoke that rose out of Oyagun-Nai. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

At first the out of body experience was jarring for Anise. Of all the things she had done and experienced nothing came close to this feeling except when she first wore the hawk mask. The disorientation mostly. The lightness she felt was a completely different inexplicable sensation. She smiled as Peck took his seat near the entrance to the tent. She was ever so grateful that her admission to him had not harmed their relationship.

She experimented with what she could do through the camp as everyone moved ever so slowly around her. Anise conjured a blazing blade. She turned into an eagle. She created light. However, none of the things she did garnered any reaction from those marching through the camp. She tossed a small ball of energy right through someone and they did not even blink. She guessed that the things she could interact with could only be other spirits, perhaps even the Lords and Ladies. That would have to wait.

She decided it was time to leave the camp and venture towards the sunlight she felt. She passed the Violet Lantern and watched as its guardian fell under the assault of the Dragon. A strong sensation of sorrow rippled through Anise. She vowed to herself that she would repair this damage as soon as she could. She giggled slightly as she passed over the comical scene at the Green Lantern. Even with so many terrible events going on through the Forest a moment of levity went a long way. She passed the remains of the mountain and watched as the Spirits there observed the wreckage the Dragon left behind.

Their inaction sparked irritation and frustration. In spite of herself she shouted at them as she passed them. "Stop being so damned lazy and do something to help! You are the Spirits of the Land and Water! You have a responsibility to protect this world! I am going to cleanse your Mother and stop this disaster from getting any worse! You have a hand in letting this world rot, so get off your lazy butts and lend a hand to those that need it!" She huffed heavily as she turned away from them and continued on her path.

A city Anise had never been to burned in the distance. She hoped that the citizens there managed to escape harm. She bitterly remembered the forest fire that had been created by another one of her peers as she scanned over the wasteland that used to be a part of the Forest. Fortunately, it had not taken the entirety of the Forest. She saw the Witch carrying the Red Lantern in the distance and smiled. She was glad that she had survived despite the hostile attitude the Witch had towards Anise. She could not think of anyone better suited to protecting it than perhaps a Lord or Lady.

When she saw the lady she met briefly at the river, Anise felt a mix of feelings. She felt sad about the despair she witnessed, but she felt glad that in some small way she had helped her survive the dangers of the Forest. She only wished her the best. Then she noticed someone that was watching them from a distance looked at Anise. She assumed that he was a Spirit and that her theory about only being able to interact with spiritual beings was correct. She bowed her head towards him respectfully and continued on her journey.

Finally, she made it to the source of the Light. She saw the serpentine creature that guarded it. She saw the container that held the light. She would have to return to the shipwreck. She would have to enter the water. She turned to return to her body and then she felt lightheaded and dizzy. This put her on high alert. Instinctively, she knew that her body was under some sort of attack. She had to return soon. However, gray spirits surrounded her.

The Lord of Shadow's dead began to reach out and take her energy. Fury and wrath rose causing Anise's energy to surge. She tempered it. Focused it. While she no longer had the Spirit Egg, she remembered exactly how using it felt. She knew what true control could do. Not only that, but she was a princess. An authority. She decided she would exert her incredible willpower and focus her will on usurping the mindless drones from the Lord of Shadow. She reached out to the gray spirits and pulsed out a wave of raw willpower. She wanted them to take a piece of it and resuscitate their own will to some degree.

"You all must be very weary of this death," She stated warmly. "Come with me, and I will free you of this prison as soon as I am capable." She then pulled in the wave of willpower in a focused attempt to create a vacuum effect and possibly absorb them. "Join with me. Help me free the Light." Her voice was a soft whisper, but it carried an incredible amount of weight.

Artemis stared at Oseely with wet, intense eyes. Then she spun where she stood to face Nura. The gryphon's wings were splayed out, restlessly flapping, kicking up ash and dust as she trilled.

"Nura." The name was a sharp command. The sound of her name snapped Nura to attention and immediately she stilled, golden eyes watching Artemis. Stepping forward, Artemis raised a hand to cup the side of the gryphon's face.

Artemis' eyes flicked skyward. The black dragon lumbered through the sky like a coming storm. Pinpricks of fury infected her blood, spreading like venom.

She looked back down at Nura, who was watching her with wide eyes, waiting for direction.

"To the Witch." Her thumb ran over Nura's white feathers in a small, quick motion. Her expression faltered and she pulled Nura's face to her own. She bent her head, touching her own forehead with Nura's. Her eyes squeezed shut. Another surge of emotion rose in her throat, and Artemis clenched her jaw, trying to hold it back. Nura gave a small, confused chirp. Then Artemis pulled away and put on the rabbit mask again. She marched to the gryphon's side to climb up onto her back. Nura, growing more and more accustomed to having Artemis as a rider, knelt down for her. Once Artemis was secure, Nura took off into the sky.

Nura cut through the air, flying towards the great plume of smoke coming from the Witch's cabin. Artemis was frozen, muscles locked in place. They were too fried, too wired with energy. Too much emotion. Artemis couldn't think – she couldn't afford to let herself think.

Because if she thought, she'd run. And Artemis couldn't afford to run anymore. Not with her family so close. Not when there was a chance she could get them back.

They flew low over the trees, just above the canopy. Shouts and inhuman screeches, the chorals of a coming war, echoed from the forest.

But then there was a familiar red glow filtering through the trees. A shock of energy jumped through her blood. There.

Artemis realized she had no idea how to make Nura stop mid-flight. They were flying towards the ruined cabin, but the Witch was there, the Lantern – her family was there.

The mask's energy flowing through her body, Artemis forced a leg over Nura's side and dropped from the gryphon's back. The forest was quick to meet her. A green light shined against the skin of her hand, and the branches parted for her, almost without her command. She landed on the forest floor in a crouch, her ankles and knees bending to take the shock of the impact. Both hands – one still curled around her stolen staff – hit the ground to steady herself. Then Artemis stood.

She straightened to see the Witch standing ten feet in front of her, alert yet tired. They stared at each other for a long moment. Artemis found herself at a loss, now that she was in front of her. Slowly, a hand raised to pull the mask from her face.

She'd last seen the Witch mere hours ago, but somehow it felt like years. She couldn't imagine what the Witch would think of her now. The wayward thief, lost and asking for help only to run from it the moment it was offered. And now here she was again, in stolen clothes, dropping from a stolen griffon, wielding the Witch's stolen staff. The scarf around her hair had been lost in the flight. Her hair, white as the moon, had turned ashen. Soot coated her clothes and face, save for the clear tracks of brown skin, cutting through the dirt on her cheeks below her eyes.

Artemis opened her mouth. Nothing came out. She closed it again. Her grip tightened around the staff. She looked to the Lantern. Finally, she spoke.

"I'm sorry I ran." She was sorry for so many things. Her voice was still raw. She looked again to the Witch. "I can help. But I need the Lantern."

"You all must be very weary of this death," She stated warmly. "Come with me, and I will free you of this prison as soon as I am capable." She then pulled in the wave of willpower in a focused attempt to create a vacuum effect and possibly absorb them. "Join with me. Help me free the Light." Her voice was a soft whisper, but it carried an incredible amount of weight.

The gray forms flashed and flickered, faceless, watching her, but they did not move. The light of the candles passed through them, indecisive. A dark, undulating mass of shadow pulsed where their hearts should have been, squeezing and expanding as if it breathed.

Just as the spirits weakened, their bodies staticked and translucent, their black hearts surged with renewed power. The Lord of Shadow held tighter to them, fed them with more power, intent on victory no matter the cost. The darkness became blacker, beat harder, furious and defiant.

The spirits' blank faces split slowly, to reveal black mouths and white sharp rows of teeth. They continued to fizzle and flicker, but as their mouths widened their strength grew.

Anise, now, was fading. She would find her own limbs flashing in and out of existence, a lightheadedness overcoming her head, a taut discomfort in her chest. In reality, her skin became paler, her lips blue, and she barely breathed.

Peck had noticed, and he crawled forward to place his hands on her shoulders. "Lady!" he called uncertainly. "Anise! You okay? Hey I think this is bad. C'mon." He shook her gently; her head hung limp, her eyes slightly open and still. "Anise, c'mon! Stop! What's happening?" Alarm swelled in his voice. The spirits he couldn't see gnashed their frightful mouths.

Anise could feel their pain. Their desire for freedom, for light. While she faded and weakened -- without the Lantern to fill her thoughts -- she was stripped vulnerable to the emotion of the dead that walked in the dark.



Buried among the thoughts was an echo of Anise's own voice -- weak and hidden, but present, like a tiny spark in a sea of darkness.

A spark is all it takes to start a fire.

Anise's memory of the sun swelled in her heart, displacing the cold and the dark. The scar on her hand began to glow, and the sunlight swept through her astral body -- the same light that glowed out of the bottom of the Lake. The Lady of Light had found her, had touched the rune of Anise's own making. Should Anise open herself to it, she would find a new and deep reservoir of bright power, buried among the weeds under the water.

Her other hand, too, began to glow. The rune of the Lady of the Pond added a blue light to that of the sun, surged through her like ocean waves.

The spirits' mouths closed slowly, and their eyes opened. The black in their hearts gradually faded, while their shapes took human forms. Anise's grip on them strengthened, while the Lord of Shadow lost his hold.

The despaired whisperings ceased, replaced with a quiet light of hope.

The gray spirits were no longer gray, but stood human and emitting their own gentle light. Anise would feel their renewed hearts link with hers. Their renewed eyes took on a gleam of determination and fury; with the support of Anise's power, each of them clenched their fists and fought against the last threads of darkness.

The moment the last dark chain snapped, Anise was thrust back into her own body, where she could no longer see the spirits -- but she certainly could still feel them surrounding her.

"Anise!" Peck searched for her eyes, then jumped back a little to see that her hands were radiating light -- one yellow, one blue.

---

Artemis opened her mouth. Nothing came out. She closed it again. Her grip tightened around the staff. She looked to the Lantern. Finally, she spoke.

"I'm sorry I ran." She was sorry for so many things. Her voice was still raw. She looked again to the Witch. "I can help. But I need the Lantern."

The Witch was not surprised to see Artemis drop out of the sky, and she raised the Lantern and raised her eyes to peer up at the thief that had refused her help. The old woman had new scars on her face and hands; her balance was unsteady and defiant; her eyes were a little grayer than they had been before, drained of the power that had brimmed within her not so long ago. Behind those eyes rested a dim doubt, the seed of hopelessness that she'd spent a lifetime battling.

These eyes studied Artemis, the tear-tracks through the ash, the changed eyes, the marks of Oseely and The Unnamed One upon her hands, the sigils and strange clothes. The very grass raised up to soften the ground beneath Artemis' feet, and fire roiled raw in the girl's heart. The Lantern cast its red glow between them, the staff brimmed with electric anticipation; their silhouettes darkened the trees.

It was clear to the Witch that Artemis was not here to talk. There was something strained about the girl, something unwilling to listen to reason, to answer questions, to delay the mission she'd set for herself and risk everything. The Witch's bony grip tightened on the stick that held the Lantern, which swung and shifted the light around them.

"I suppose I've been expecting you." Artemis was standing in the path between the Witch and her home; she did not move any closer. "I can see you're not lying to me now, Artemis. Have you stopped lying to yourself, then?" For a long moment the old woman's glinting eyes studied the sooty girl before her.

She huffed and waved her walking stick for Artemis to step aside, let her pass. "You're the reason my magic's fading." She poked her stick at Artemis' hand. "Old Oseely picked you, that bald-headed rascal. Used to be me." She pressed the walking stick under her arm and held up a lined hand to show the fading, faint image of Oseely's mark. "Guess he's lost faith in this old woman -- but I don't blame him."

She hobbled past, shoving her way down the path, back toward her ruined cabin. "Come on, then. I've got something for you."

Still she hadn't relinquished the Lantern, but used it to light the way through the teeming forest and into the clearing, where the stars cast a blue glow on the high grasses. The twisted tree and broken wreckage of the cabin was a dark jagged shape ahead.

The Witch went inside for a moment, and returned again with the Lantern in one hand and a short sharp instrument in the other. She shuffled forward, set the Lantern down in the tall grass, and with a determined and defiant glance at Artemis' face, grasped the iron pendant of the rosary that Artemis kept in her possession, that had been found on the wooded path.

The iron rose was heavy in her gnarled hand. It held the latent power of years of prayer and hope, of the dreams and fears of a young girl trapped in a dark and unfamiliar world, who had been lost to those same shadows -- but there was something else, something far more important. There was within this rosary a resonance so similar to that of the self-proclaimed Lady of Light, whose actions had directly led to the Dragon's resurrection. Hania.

The Witch hesitated, but turned over the iron rose and scratched a sigil into it. Her expression was grim, uncertain, necessary. She returned the rosary to Artemis, and she took a step away from the Lantern in the grass. It was not hers to give.

Oseely's mark on the old woman's hand was still fading, as was the light in her eyes. On her other hand was a different mark, still strong, shimmering faintly white.

"You have what you need, when you need it," the Witch explained with halfhearted irritability. "No more lies out of you."

At first Anise only felt the extraordinary discomfort and agony brought on by the Lord of Shadow's control over the spirits before her. She could tell she was fading and she was fading fast. Truly, she was terrified. Just as terrified as when she first arrived in the Forest. Even so, she stood her ground and braced herself against the overwhelming force of the spirits before her. She could feel the raw emotions flowing from them and without the protection of the Spirit Egg she barely managed to maintain herself.

A single thought passed through her mind, perhaps it is better that I am doing this without the help of the Dragon.

The overwhelming feelings and thoughts from the spirits made it much harder for any other thoughts outside of emotion.

I'm scared.
This is eternity.
We are only objects.
We were never alive.
Nothing has meaning.
Fighting is useless.
There is no point.
There is no good.
I'm scared.
I'm scared.

Come with me.

Somewhere deep among the noise, Anise could hear a voice. Her voice. The memory of her own sun flashed before her mind's eye and Anise could not help but to grin. Deep down in her heart of hearts, she knew what this meant. "Come along, sister. Let us work together and save this world."

She welcomed the Light fully and entirely. Hope exploded throughout her so much so that it radiated outwards towards the gray spirits. She watched as the Lord of Shadow's grasp weakened on them and as it happened they transformed into more life-like forms. This was it! The start of the fall of the Lord of Shadow. His tyrannical reign would soon come to an end, and the people and spirits that lived under his selfish and heartless rule would be free before too long.

"Lord of Shadow," Anise called with raw conviction. "For too long you have thrived selfishly off the suffering of others. I, Anise Sinclair, declare war on you. I will fight you with everything I have, and I will win."

Just as she finished her brief speech, Anise felt herself shoved back into her body. She slowly opened her eyes and they readjusted to the blue and golden light mixing in the room. Peck called out to her and her eyes met with his. She beamed brightly at him. She could feel the hopeful spirits around her even though she could not see them. As Peck stepped back staring in amazement at her glowing hands Anise stood up with a proud and energetic expression on her face.

"I found her," she stated with a joyful tone. "We must go back to the lake. We must free her."

She had an idea that with the purifying power of Light and the healing power of Water she could begin to save the Dragon. However, she felt she had to completely free the Lady of Light first to do so successfully. She knew that the Lord of Shadow would do everything in his power to stop her, but that would not stop her from doing everything in her power to rescue the Lady of Light.

She put on her new shoes and marched on out towards the lake with purpose in her stride.

Artemis bright, red-rimmed eyes flicked down to the Witch's hand. The rune was faint and faded on her wrinkled skin. Artemis' eyebrows pulled together the slightest bit, her eyes growing just a tad wider. Oseely had… chosen someone before?

Of course he had. Artemis clenched her jaw. Oseely was ancient. This was bigger than her. Of course the Witch had…

Artemis didn't even know why it mattered. It didn't. Nothing did except for –

The Lantern swung in time with the Witch's steps as she huffed and sighed her way back to her ruined home. Artemis watched its crimson light dance through the trees, playing with shadows, before forcing herself to follow. Nura chirped before hurrying after. The Witch walked into her house before emerging again. She marched up to Artemis, her steps heavy with purpose. She placed the Lantern in the grass beside her, milky eyes daring Artemis to move for it. But even without the Witch's look, Artemis couldn't bring herself to move.

It was so close. They were so close.

The Witch grabbed the rosary at her wrist. The beaded bracelet pulled Artemis' left hand up, to hang limply in the air between the two women. Oseely's rune seemed to glow faintly on her palm – or maybe that was just the Lantern's light. Artemis was quiet as the Witch worked. Her eyes passed over the Witch's face. Artemis couldn't remember ever seeing anyone look so old before – so tired. But the Witch seemed determined to press on, as though in defiance of her own exhaustion.

Eventually the Witch finished her work and she dropped the rosary. Artemis' arm fell back to her side. The Witch stepped back, away from both Artemis and the Lantern.

"No more lies out of you."

They stared at each other for a moment. Artemis felt she should say something. Her fingers curled around the rosary where it lay against her palm. She looked down. Then back up at the Witch. She opened her mouth to say… what?

She'd fix this? Do her best? That she'd make it all right?

No words came. Artemis closed her mouth.

Without another look at the Witch, she grabbed the Lantern from the ground, turned, and started walking.

The Lantern's iron was cool against her skin, and yet it burned her. Artemis tightened her grip against its weight. Nura hurried after her, pulling up to walk beside Artemis. The gryphon kept close, eyes constantly darting over their surroundings. She chittered nervously, eager to be out of the forest and up in the air. But Artemis ignored her and walked.

She'd thought she'd had a plan. Get the Lantern. Go back to Oseely. Get her family. Kill the dragon. Artemis had the Lantern. The plan suddenly terrified her.

Something hard and familiar started to tighten its grip around her throat. What if Oseely was wrong and they weren't in the Lantern? Or they were too lost to be reached? She'd have lost them again.

What if they were there? Artemis didn't know how she'd face any of them. Her parents, unsurprised but still somehow disappointed. Her mother would look at Artemis with sad eyes as she stroked her cheek and sighed. Her father would shout for a moment before slamming his mouth closed and deciding she wasn't worth the effort. They loved her, but they knew who she was. Maybe they'd never suspected the depths to which she'd sink, but they understood their daughter and all her faults.

Never Idris, though. He'd always thought her better.

Artemis didn't know when she'd stopped walking. She looked up to see the barest pinpricks of stars peaking behind the forest canopy. Hot tears trickled down her cheeks. Artemis looked down again to the Lantern. She lifted it in both hands, holding it along the sides up in front of her chest. She let herself sink down until she was sitting on the ground.

Quiet tears continued to fall as she sat in its red glow. One hand moved along it side to wipe slowly at a bit of dried mud. Artemis sniffled. The tears grew heavier, but still Artemis sat in silence, looking at the Lantern, even as her vision blurred and the world became a shadowy red haze.

Artemis pulled the Lantern to her chest, clutching at it with white-knuckled fingers. Her eye squeezed shut as a tiny sound finally escaped her.

She put on her new shoes and marched on out towards the lake with purpose in her stride.

Peck stared, bewildered, at the young woman that until a moment ago he had thought was on the brink of death, who now sprang into a new purpose with all the fierce energy he had come to expect of her. He scrambled to his feet, his mind struggling to keep up, and stumbled after Anise. "What, wait! Free who? The Riders are out there, they'll have questions!"

Just outside, the tents and stone cottages of the Rook were softly illuminated by the bonfire that always burned as a beacon at its heart -- but the doors were open and empty, and the only sound was the snap of the fire. The Riders were all gathered at the edge of the cliff, staring out at a spectacle none of them thought could ever be possible.

Peck craned his neck to see them, glanced at Anise, but followed the pull of his curiosity and rushed forward to the crowd, to see what they all were looking at. He skidded to a stop at the edge, and looked down at the sea of forests far below.

Something writhed dark at the center of the woods. The crack and thunder of falling trees echoed on the cliffs. The Dragon -- tar-black and skeletal -- clawed the trees out of the ground, ripped the foliage into clouds of leaves, created a clearing of destruction around itself in a frenzied yet methodical search for what rightfully belonged to it.

All around it, a circle of yellow lights was forming. While the Dragon was distracted by its search, the Kith had surrounded it, combining their powers in hopes of keeping it contained. Each of them held a ball of light in their hands, each of their masks eerily illuminated.

The Dragon yanked its head back suddenly, triumphantly; a violet light glowed between its teeth. The Dragon snapped its head back, tossed the violet Lantern in the air, and caught and swallowed it whole. A purple light coursed through the Dragon's body, its eyes changed color from blue to white to violet, and the tar of its moving corpse began to change. Like a distant image coming into focus, the illusion of the Dragon's true form emerged: shimmering reflective scales, powerful wings, tail and talons, a head angular with symmetric horns.

The renewed Dragon lifted its head and slowly surveyed the circle the Kith had formed around it. For now it lay comfortably curled in a destroyed clearing of its own making, and made no more move to attack.

Peck took a few deep breaths, and he made a decision. He grabbed Anise and led her along the cliff to a stairway down the cliff's face. "There's a faster way to the Lake," he explained, with no room for argument. He brought her into a shallow cave filled with straw, where the gryphons were housed. He went to a dappled beast and quickly strapped a saddle to it. "C'mon, Doreli," he encouraged the gryphon, who moved with the stiffness of age, "show us that speed of yours."

Once outside, Doreli sat to let on his passengers, then tried his wings. A few of the Riders above shouted -- but it was too late. The gryphon leaped off the edge and dropped headfirst, plummeting toward the trees, before white dappled wings snapped out and gryphon and riders shot like an arrow over the treetops.

The Dragon raised its head, and a bright eye caught them from a distance -- but it made no move. Not yet.

The Lake glistened ahead. Doreli circled and landed on the beach, where the gold-glinting water lapped the smooth stones. Even here, everything seemed far too quiet. All attention was on the Dragon; the forest lay still and tense, barely daring to breathe.

Artemis pulled the Lantern to her chest, clutching at it with white-knuckled fingers. Her eye squeezed shut as a tiny sound finally escaped her.

The forest was quiet, tense with the electricity before the storm. There were no animals, no insects, not even a chirp of a cricket to disturb the stillness. The red of the Lantern cast strange shapes on the bark, drew horrible silent shadows behind them. A cool breeze rustled the moonlit leaves above. The trees stood sentinel, unmoved and uncaring, while Artemis shook at their roots.

Through the power of the Wood's rune, Artemis would feel gentle silent steps on the grass behind her. Reus, the great black wolf, moved forward, stepping carefully over Artemis -- and stopped, protective, when he stood directly over her. He raised his head, staring into the dark with bright yellow eyes, shielding the light of the Lantern from the sight of the woods. His ears were perked, listening. Waiting.

Between the trees, small yellow lights shifted. Some of them were fireflies, momentary dim flashes that arced and fluttered in patterns. Others moved with purpose, two at a time, glowing bright and seeking prey. In the dapples of moonlight, brief clearings of stars, sometimes a muscled patch of fur, an ear, a flash of teeth would emerge before sinking back into the shadows. Twigs cracked. leaves rustled. Something big was breathing.

An enormous bear moved between the trees, its eyes shining yellow. It swung its great brown head side to side, but had yet to find what it was looking for.

Not far away, a second beast stepped softly: a mountain lion the size of a house, bright yellow eyes staring hollow, shifted among the shadows, also searching with swiveled ears and quivering whiskers.

It wouldn't be long before the light of the red Lantern would catch their eyes.

Reus remained poised over Artemis, watching them, calm but ready to attack the moment the need arose.

Peck stared, bewildered, at the young woman that until a moment ago he had thought was on the brink of death, who now sprang into a new purpose with all the fierce energy he had come to expect of her. He scrambled to his feet, his mind struggling to keep up, and stumbled after Anise. "What, wait! Free who? The Riders are out there, they'll have questions!"

Anise grinned as she stepped out of the tent. "The Lady of Light! Come on!"

Anise halted briefly as she saw the terrible presence of the Dragon. It was so tragic that she was in such a bad state. Anise could only feel worried for her madness. This was all the Lord of Shadow's fault. He had corrupted her body so that when her spirit returned she would be consumed by madness. Hope still lived though and it burned brighter than before now that she bore the light of the Lady of Light along with her own.

Something about the combination of the Lady of the Pond's rune along with the Lady of Light's gave her a sense of absolute calm and certainty. Now that she had seen the Dragon consume another Lantern and assume the illusion of her proper form she imagined it would be a while to completely reincorporate its power. This gave Anise time. Precious time needed to save the Dragon.

Peck took a few deep breaths, and he made a decision. He grabbed Anise and led her along the cliff to a stairway down the cliff's face. "There's a faster way to the Lake," he explained, with no room for argument. He brought her into a shallow cave filled with straw, where the gryphons were housed. He went to a dappled beast and quickly strapped a saddle to it. "C'mon, Doreli," he encouraged the gryphon, who moved with the stiffness of age, "show us that speed of yours."

Anise blushed as Peck grabbed her by the wrist and led her to a gryphon cave. There had only ever been two men in her life to touch her before she came to the Forest: her father and the priest that christened her. Her fiance had never seen her much less had the chance to touch her. The upcoming Riverforde Ball was supposed to be their first meeting since their engagement. At this point, she felt she preferred the touch of Peck over a stranger that she had never seen before.

Had she fallen in love with Peck? The thought startled her. They had certainly been through a lot over the last few days. She certainly respected him greatly. Not to mention the several times they had risked their lives for each other. She mounted the gryphon and held onto him while these thoughts were suddenly whisked away by the absolute exhilaration of flight.

They soared to their destination in great style and Anise found herself giggling with joy as the approached the Lake. She never would have experienced the wonder of flight had it not been for the Dragon. This only gave Anise more reason to save her.

Anise slipped out of her shoes as she approached the water. She moved forward slicing through the tension with a focused expression on her face. She stepped into the water until her feet were completely submerged before looking back at Peck. "There is a beast within the water. I believe it is the protector of the Lady of Light's prison." She faced the Lake. "I will overcome it like I have everything else." She concentrated on the Rune of Light and created motes of light to send them ahead to lead the way towards the stone coffin. Then she fully submerged herself and used the Rune of Water to propel herself swiftly towards the Lady of Light's prison.

She was prepared to defend herself against the serpent of the Lake with all of her power.

How did one feel a shadow when it was eternally night?

Artemis lifted her head a scant inch at the sensation of the presence towering over her. She should be afraid, she knew. But she was too numb for fear, too caught up in her own grief and self pity to care about self preservation. She turned her head over her shoulder to see matted fur, dirty and blood-red in the Lantern's glow. Her eyes rose up the powerful legs, broad chest, then finally to the long snout with wicked, glinting teeth. Golden eyes shined, cutting through the Lantern's light.

The wolf.

Hadn't she set it on fire?

The memory stunned her through her haze – that seemed so long ago. Her chaotic first moments on the island trickled back to her, tangled memories like knotted vines curled around each other until you couldn't tell where one ended and another began.

The wolf wasn't looking at her though. It was looking out at the forest, eyes darting and ears twitching. It was on alert, watching. Waiting.

Guarding?

Artemis couldn't quite bring herself to care about this new puzzle. She forced herself to turn back and look down at the Lantern clutched in her hands. Her fingers were clenched tight against it, hooked and aching. She didn't know what to do.

She knew what she was supposed to do. Take the Lantern to Oseely. Free her family, if there was anything left of them. Kill the dragon… somehow. But the thought of doing any of those things froze her heart in her chest and stilled the breath in her throat. Shame crept through her blood at the thought of seeing her family – and more shame still, that she wasn't doing everything in her power this second to free them. To see them again, if only for a moment.

Her fingers tightened around the Lantern.

Kill the dragon.

The one promise without complexities – without emotion, save for this angry, chilling hatred. Artemis clung to it, desperate for anything to keep herself afloat, lest she drown in her own regrets.

Artemis was going to kill the dragon. Maybe then… she could see her family again. Maybe then she could look at them without this terrible shame. Artemis looked up again, at the forest around her. She watched the shadows shift and sway, almost solid. An idea came to her then.

She pushed herself up, stepping forward away from the wolf. Nura, who'd been glancing warily at it, wings ruffling, chittered at the movement. Artemis ignored her. Swiping at her wet cheeks with the palm of her hand, she looked out at the dark of the forest.

"I know–" her voice was frail and small, and Artemis gritted her teeth at it. This wasn't the time to show weakness – she needed a strong front, at the very least. "I know you're there," she said, louder. "In the shadows. I know you can hear me!" This was a terrible idea, this was going to get her killed or worse – but Artemis just tightened her grip on the Lantern, holding it up. She tried to cling to that anger again, desperate for strength. "Oseely said the Lord of Wood is everywhere because the forest is everywhere… so are the shadows. Artemis spun slowly in a circle. Eyes glowed in the dark, twigs snapped as unseen creatures stepped through the trees. "So come out!" Her voice echoed through the night, and Artemis paused, waiting – for what, she didn't know. For death, maybe, courtesy of one of the many beasts she was no doubt drawing the attention of.

"You want the dragon gone, right? Get rid of the competition? Island isn't big enough for two powerhouses? I want it gone too." Artemis was going to get herself killed, one of these days. At the moment she didn't care.
"I want it dead! So… so come out. And I'll help you kill it."

"There is a beast within the water. I believe it is the protector of the Lady of Light's prison." She faced the Lake. "I will overcome it like I have everything else." She concentrated on the Rune of Light and created motes of light to send them ahead to lead the way towards the stone coffin. Then she fully submerged herself and used the Rune of Water to propel herself swiftly towards the Lady of Light's prison.

She was prepared to defend herself against the serpent of the Lake with all of her power.

Peck splashed after her but stopped knee-deep, watching the shimmer of small lights and Anise's silhouette speeding underneath the gentle waves.

Something dark moved below.

Doreli warbled deep in his throat, tufted tail swishing -- then lifted his eagle-eyes when the Dragon's howl rumbled across the stars.

Peck buried his hands in the gryphon's feathers; his eyes were on the swift shadow beneath the water. "Everything's going to be fine," he told Doreli -- and himself. "Everything's going to be just fine."

Cold water bubbled swiftly in Anise's wake. The lights that led the way shone on swaying dark weeds and clear white sand, stones and scuttling things and darting fishes. The sandy floor dropped out suddenly, and Anise was floating above a long dark depth of rock and blackness.

The lights led down into pressured silence. Jagged stone cast frightful shadows as she passed. Down, and down.

A single sound broke the stillness -- the shift of water, slithering, behind and below her.

Ahead -- nestled comfortably in a bed of floating green and blooming weeds, the stone coffin glowed dimly with a faint light from within.

Darkness suddenly blotted out the scene, and Anise's lights could no longer penetrate it. The serpent had surged up between her and the coffin; its presence was so dark that no light could make out its true shape.

White eyes opened, staring, penetrating. Three, then a dozen, then a hundred eyes opening and blinking and staring through Anise out of the dark, like an eerie constellation at the bottom of the Lake.

Jaws opened, and infinite rows of sharp misshapen teeth welcomed her in. Silent.

"I want it dead! So… so come out. And I'll help you kill it."

The great black wolf snapped and yowled quietly under his breath, snarling a warning, this time at Artemis' foolishness. The light of the red Lantern gleamed on his bared teeth and shone in furious eyes.

Ahead of Artemis, the light outlined the shapes of other great beasts ahead of her: an ear, a flash of an eye, a sheen of fang, all as huge and powerful as the wolf that clawed the ground behind her.

Trees cracked and groaned in the wake of the monsters that advanced on her now.

Reus, in comparison, would stand no chance against them both.

HELP ME?

The voice whispered like a breeze through the leaves, everywhere and nowhere at once. Everything grew slowly darker; the shadows encroached on the edge of the Lantern's light, thick and palpable.

THE KITH OBEY ME. THE TREES OBEY ME. THE WATER OBEYS ME. THE GROUND YOU STAND ON ... OBEYS ME.

The great mountain lion stepped forward into the Lantern's light. The bear was just behind, eyes flashing yellow. They were careful of the Lantern's power -- but intent on claiming it from Artemis' feeble grip.

WHAT USE HAVE I FOR YOU, SUN-CHILD, AGAINST A DRAGON HALF-FORMED?

The mountain lion, with paws each as big as Artemis herself, launched at her with claws and teeth.

SEEMS TO ME, IT'S ONLY THE LANTERN I NEED.

Anise stared the dark serpent down fiercely. She certainly felt fear, however, she had already committed herself to this. The time to turn away had long since come and passed. She had been naive about it before, but she knew that she had more power than almost everything on the island. She likely even rivaled the Spirits of the Forest. The Lord of Shadow would not fear her so much if that were not true.

This serpent could only be an aspect of Shadow. That would not be enough to beat her, although she would not underestimate its power either.

Anise remembered a tale she read while growing up in Riverforde Castle. A tale of a hero fighting against a raging water spirit. The power the spirit had put out all fires, tore through all earth, was immune to the effects of air, washed away the beasts of the dark, and brightened in the light of the sun. Even creatures of the water were overwhelmed by the spirit's power. She could not remember how the hero won the battle, but Anise's power certainly was more along the lines of the spirit's than the hero's anyways.

She began to twist the water surrounding the serpent in order to cause it to lose control of its ability to swim properly. A continual whirlpool should make it difficult even for the most powerful of beasts to maintain control. Her interest was not so much in killing the beast as it was in preventing it from harming her, so she could more safely open the coffin containing the Lady of Light. She prepared to fire a jettison of water to give herself some distance from the serpent if needed.

The water twisted and frothed; bubbles hissed in Anise's ears as her surroundings turned in the vortex of her own creation. Soon her vision was filled with spinning eyes and turning chomping teeth, struggling against the current toward her, bubbles and froth and torn turning leaves of kelp.

The beast opened its jaws again, and a deep impenetrable darkness grew deep in its throat; a ball of something powerful and something foul. The turning eyes flashed bright red, and the serpent grinned.

The water grew colder.

Rapidly, as tendrils of darkness reached out of the serpent's throat and quenched what little moonlight filtered down, the surface of the water froze over and ice thickened. The water around Anise was deathly frigid -- and above her, the ceiling of dark-tainted ice grew swiftly closer.

The serpent took advantage of the distraction to launch a strike, many rows of teeth wide to receive her -- but her jettison of water sent it spiraling back again, still seething the many vines of darkness that fed the ice.

She had her moment with the casket -- but getting out would prove far more difficult.

With a touch of Anise's glowing hand against the gold emblem on the casket, the lid would unlock with a low sound and a hiss of bubbles.

The Lady of Light lay still, her pale mouth and white eyes open -- breathless and sightless. She wore a tattered dress not unlike Anise's own, and her feet were bare and cold. Translucent hair floated around her.

In both hands she gripped a sword to her chest. The source of the light was a bright stone embedded in the hilt, that glowed like the sun.

Anise paused a moment as she removed the lid from the casket. There she was. The Lady of Light. Beautiful. Brilliant with light. Dead. Perhaps in some small way her essence remained, however Anise's hopes that the Lady had simply been imprisoned now were completely dashed. A bright light emanated from the sword gripped in both hands. She would certainly need it to defeat the serpent of darkness. Her power barely fended it off, and she knew that she would not defeat it without the help of this sword.

She placed her hands over the handle of the sword and closed her eyes in a silent prayer of gratitude. The Lady of Light deserved a proper funeral, and Anise promised to herself that she would deliver one as soon as all of this was over. The power she felt coming from the sword and the Lady's body caused her to feel a tingling sensation.

She could not afford to be careful and yanked the sword from the Lady's grip to face the serpent. All along she concentrated her power to overwhelm the darkness. She raised the blade and swung down toward the serpent releasing her power and creating a blade of light to tear into the beast.

From here on out she would carry on the Lady of Light's legacy.

On the shoreline, Peck jumped back as the lake's frozen surface smashed like glass, shards flying high; the ice flashed with a brilliant light that made him squint and shield his face.

The light dimmed, and silence fell as the shards scattered on the ice.

He lowered his arm, staring at the scar in the ice -- and he waited. Somehow he knew she was okay.

In the lake below, the shadows had dissipated in tendrils of oil; the eyes were gone, the teeth had vanished, at the first touch of the light-borne blade.

The sword was warm in Anise's hand; a bright glow resonated with her heartbeat, pulsed in the symbols on her hands. The ice above her had begun to melt, and the healing gold shimmer of the Lake returned to the gentle current.

A low rumbling, a quiet ripple under the water, was the only warning before a dozen huge spikes of jagged rock pierced up out of the lakebed with incredible speed, one after another, with the intent to impale the Lady of Light upon their sharpened points. The coffin was violently destroyed as a spike ripped through from beneath it, striking through the previous Lady's corpse in a bid to surprise Anise enough to end her.

The entire Lake began to ripple and rumble; the ground beneath the water cracked.

In the distance, the Dragon howled.

Mistake mistake mistake, Artemis' life was just one long string of mistakes, wasn't it? The great wolf was snarling warnings and scoldings at her, but its feral teeth weren't the only to shine in the Lantern's light.

The Lord of Shadow's voice boomed through her, reverberating through her muscle and bones, blood and sinew. It was like it lived in the very shade of her body, echoing up and down her skin. Her white hair stood on end, bumps raised along her flesh. The lion jumped at her. With a gasp Artemis raised her arms to form a feeble shield in front of her face, Lantern in one hand, staff in the other. The green rune on her right hand glowed.

With a crackle of lightning the ground erupted in front of her. Thick, wicked roots shot up, shaking the earth and destroying the forest floor. The tremor shook her, sending her falling backwards to land roughly on her rear, the shock of the impact stunning her jaw. Her eyes were still shut. But she felt the hot splash of blood – she heard the strangled, unearthly cry.

Artemis opened one eye. Then she could only gape at the scene before her. The lion was suspended mid-leap, paws still outstretched, claws extended, mouth open. But its eyes were still trained on Artemis, but they were oddly vacant. Four tree roots stood straight out of the ruined earth like pillars, covered in dirt and blood. They had impaled the great lion. Artemis scrambled to her feet, Nura frantically nudging at her still. The rune on Artemis' hand pulsed again. And then it extinguished.

The roots went slack, falling. The lion fell with it. It hit the ground, still impaled, with a great thud that shook the ground again. Artemis fell too, suddenly exhausted. Her knees hit the ground, and it was all she could do to keep her staff planted and use it for support. It was suddenly hard to keep her eyes open, with how tired she was.

But Artemis grit her teeth. If she fell unconscious she would die – there was no question. Her knuckles turned white around her staff and she fought to stand.

"You," she panted out, finally getting to her feet, "you're not the only one with power. And you haven't killed it yet. You've had it trapped for centuries and you never killed it. Which means you either couldn't kill it, even when it was weak and captured, or you were stupid enough to think it would never break free." Sweat was beading on her brow as she turned over her shoulder to look at whatever new monster the Lord was bound to throw at her. "You all keep calling me Sun-Child. And whatever the fuck that means, I'm gonna guess that means I'm too important for someone as opportunistic as you to not use. So stop playing coy."

For a moment silence descended on the night woods.

A low growl rumbled somewhere in the shadows, but was soon quieted.

Eyes of the dead blinked between the trees, bright and haunting, but closed and were gone.

"So you aren't deluded."

A shadow in the shape of a man paced slowly around the edge of the Lantern's reach. His voice was a smiling whisper.

"So you aren't weak."

He stopped, and he faced her, scrutinizing. "The Dragon lives because of me. I exist because of the Dragon. I held hope there may have been a different end," he hissed, "but you now well know the endlessness of her hunger. Her sons and daughters, your dear brother, none of them are beyond her jaws."

He stepped forward, into the light -- trusting that she would not use it against him, his eyes locked on hers -- while the lion behind him dripped with blood. As the red Lantern's light threw the darkness away he seemed only a man, though a roiling power followed him; he was draped in black, his sharp face had never touched a smile, his stare was gray and piercing.

Slowly he extended a hand. An invitation. "Rest, now," he assured her solemnly. "No more tricks -- you're safe with me. When you wake I'll show you power unimaginable." A cruel smile lifted the corner of his mouth. "We both shall have our revenge."

As the earth jutted and rumbled around her, Anise barely dodged the spear of earth that launched through the casket and the Lady of Light's corpse. She had created an opening in the ice above her and realized that she had better escape the lake before the earth swallowed it up. She pushed herself to the surface with the water and then made her way to the shore and Peck with all due haste.

She stopped to rest right before him Sword of Light in her hand. "I'm sorry, Peck, I thought she was still alive somehow and imprisoned. I was wrong." She presented the sword for him to see. "With this, we can carry on her legacy. We can still save this land. We can cleanse whatever has been done to the Dragon."

Anise could feel they were close to the climax. First she would have to deal with the Lady of Earth.

"Lady of Stone," Anise called out. "Why is it that you are working with the Lord of Shadow? You can see how unbalanced everything has become under his rule. Trees thirst for blood thanks to the lack of sun. The wildlife is far more hazardous than it should be in any reasonable state. The corruption of the Dragon can only spell disaster. Is this really better? The Lord of Shadow acts as a selfish tyrant looking to expand his own power to no one's gain except his own. A true ruler is responsible for the protection of those more vulnerable. A king is nothing without the support of the people. What do you think?"

She kept the Sword of Light at her side and maintained a neutral stance. She was prepared for the possibility of an attack, but she had no interest in fighting the Lady of Stone.

Artemis tensed when he mentioned Idris. But she held her ground as the Lord of Shadow stepped into the flickering red light. Her hand gripping the staff was shaking.

He carried power like a cloak, rolling off of him in thick black shades. Artemis met his sharp, grey stare, unblinking. She gulped, her throat dry.

She was exhausted. She was in pain. Artemis knew not to trust him for a moment, that whatever power he offered, if accepted would come with costs. And he'd probably try to rid himself of her as soon as she'd served her purpose. She glanced to the steady pulse of the Lantern.

Idris.

Artemis looked back to the Lord of Shadow. Then she stepped forward and took his hand.

She stopped to rest right before him Sword of Light in her hand. "I'm sorry, Peck, I thought she was still alive somehow and imprisoned. I was wrong." She presented the sword for him to see. "With this, we can carry on her legacy. We can still save this land. We can cleanse whatever has been done to the Dragon."

Peck hurriedly dug a blanket out of the griffin's saddlebag and rushed to the lakeside as soon as he saw Anise emerging. He draped it around her shoulders, and only then stepped back to take a wide-eyed look at the sword she held between her hands. It was ... warm. There were legends about this sword. He dared not touch it, but he looked to her face again, determined to assist however he could, breathless with the gravity of everything that had happened. "I'm with you."

"Lady of Stone," Anise called out. "Why is it that you are working with the Lord of Shadow? You can see how unbalanced everything has become under his rule. Trees thirst for blood thanks to the lack of sun. The wildlife is far more hazardous than it should be in any reasonable state. The corruption of the Dragon can only spell disaster. Is this really better? The Lord of Shadow acts as a selfish tyrant looking to expand his own power to no one's gain except his own. A true ruler is responsible for the protection of those more vulnerable. A king is nothing without the support of the people. What do you think?"

For a moment there was no sound but the cracking of the melting ice and the gentle lap of water. Peck stepped forward to stand beside her, staring carefully out onto the lake.

And then, Anise was suddenly falling. The ground opened up beneath her, swallowed her, and closed up again before Peck had time to blink. He cried out -- but it was as if she had never been there at all. He rushed for a weapon, and used his own sword to strike at the ground, to dig her out.

Anise landed on soft ground at the bottom of a small cave -- in complete, blind darkness save for the glow of the sword.

"I have no interest in trees and blood and kings."

The Lady of Stone moved like a shadow on the walls, a ripple of a figure that paced around Anise. "Look around you. Shadow and I understand one another. The cold and the dark and the barren suit me. I'll drink up the blood that's spilled. I'll swallow the buried dead. I'll swallow you." There was a grin in her voice.

Artemis looked back to the Lord of Shadow. Then she stepped forward and took his hand.

The moment her hand touched his was the last she would remember.

When she awoke, she was warm in a thick bedroll, on the canvas floor of a tent. The red Lantern glowed in a corner. Along the side was a backpack stuffed with supplies, and littering the floor were a small notebook, a burned-out lamp and a half-eaten fruit, as if the tent's last occupant had left in a hurry. Near the flap was a wooden plate with a roasted rabbit and a fragrant stew of vegetables, and a pitcher of clear water.

She might find that although she didn't feel cold, her skin was chill to the touch. Although the Lantern offered her its light, she no longer needed it to see clearly.

Outside the tent was a burned-out campfire, a broken clay cup, and signs of a struggle. Blood stained the grass, a knife glinted in the dirt. Ropes lay loose around a tree, as if something or someone had been tied against it before they were cut. Perhaps it was this that had sealed the fate of the campers.

Reus was gone.

The dead stood among the trees.

A dozen of them, gray and black with eyes a haunting white, swayed and shifted among the gnawing trees. One of them -- little more than a shadow -- stepped forward, holding out a cloth-wrapped package that glowed bright green from within. The last Lantern unaccounted-for.

They watched her ... and they waited.