Chapter 4: Fear

Okay, this chapter is late because it took an extra long time to edit due to the need not only for cleaning up certain bits, but also to make the characters and their interactions more natural and organic.  It's also pretty long, so be prepared.  I should also note that the chapters may slow down a little bit over the next three weeks.  I will still try to deliver at least one chapter a week and, failing that, some extra bits, but...bear with me, people.  Now, without further ado, 

Chapter 4: Fear

            A chill in the air jolted Mina awake.  Save for a soft piece of cloth covering her from the waist down, she was naked to the world and goose bumps blossomed on her skin like flowers in the midst of springtime.  She could feel a damp cloth over her eyes and despite the cold, the fourteen year old girl was drenched in sweat.  Though she had wanted to scream from the moment she had awoken, Mina had been uncomfortably aware of her mouth being wedged open by something cold and slimy that filled her cheeks and continued down her throat.  Weakly tossing her head left and right, Mina tried to spit the sickeningly cold substance out of her mouth, but her tongue was pressed against the floor of her mouth and save for a few panicked mewlings, she was unable to make a sound.

            As if in response to her fear, a warm fluid coursed into her neck.  Mina felt her body relax and her heartbeat slowed, despite the growing awareness that she could not speak, see, or move.  Listening carefully, Mina could discern two voices around her, muttering unintelligibly.  Save for them, it was quiet.  The voices she had heard in her head before falling unconscious were silent and the pressure on her body had almost eased up entirely.

            After a little experimentation, Mina found that she could move her arms, but they were numb and did not want to cooperate with her.  Lifting them as best as she could, Mina tried to cover her breasts, only to feel warm hands take her arms gingerly by the wrists and place them back at her side before pulling the cloth up to her neck.

            “Aeom, ai tink she isth wakin uup.”  A delicate female voice grunted, sounding as if the speaker had something crammed in her mouth as well.

            Mina blinked as the damp cloth was pulled away from her eyes.  Though the light in the room was dim, she had to scrunch her eyes shut and open them gradually to adjust to it.  “Ugh…” Mina let out a frail groan.  Tears fell unbidden from her eyes.

“Shh…is aight.  Ur sav,” the female voice murmured.  It no longer sounded delicate, but strong and matronly.  The same warm hands from before touched her cheeks and wiped away her tears.

When her eyes finally adjusted, Mina saw two torches hung on the wooden wall of the hollow tree, shedding a soft glow onto the polished wood, even though outside the windows there was only darkness.  Turning her head to the right, she saw that she was still lying atop the wooden table she’d been placed on before she had fallen unconscious.

            A soft, silvery glow grabbed Mina’s attention and she glanced down at her chest.  Her heart nearly exploded when she saw something silver and ethereal passing beyond her lips.  A pair of skeletal hands slid into the ethereal mass and began to dig around.  As they did, Mina began to shiver uncontrollably.          

            “Uh-uh!” she grunted, shaking her head.  “UH-UH!”

             “Kinana, calm her,” Aeon murmured without turning to face her.

Suddenly, Mina felt more warmth coursing into her neck.  Her eyes relaxed and looked to her left, where a thin black tail had pierced the skin of her neck and was pumping something into her.

“Ish okay…Aeom ish elpin yu,” the distorted voice mumbled. 

The black tail ran off the table and led back to a woman standing next to her, with skin far bronzer than Celine’s, tucking a cloth blanket under Mina’s arms.  Looking closely, Mina noticed that only a few tiny scraps of black leather covered her curvaceous body, wide hips, and ample bosom, while a pair of black, leathery wings jutted out of her back.  She had long violet hair, horns that protruded out of her forehead, and a mischievous smirk that stayed on her lips even though her mouth hung open.  Then, Mina saw it.  The silvery wisp that was coming out of her mouth was held in place by an exceedingly long forked tongue that wrapped around it and fed back into the bronze woman’s mouth.

At the sight of the long tongue, Mina felt her stomach begin to churn.  Hot vomit started to rise in her throat.  She wanted to thrash about, but the warm fluid from the black tail invaded her neck once again and her stomach quieted itself.  Sensing Mina’s fear, the violet haired woman met her gaze with a pair of bright golden eyes.  Tenderly, she stroked Mina’s cheeks with her long purple nails.

 “Ow muc ronger?” the woman glanced back at Aeon, whose hands were still sifting through the silvery wisp.

“Hmm…” Aeon looked down at Mina, his eyes smoldering with green flames.  “There is still more to do, but for now, we should stop,” he said, pulling a tiny glob of green slime out of the silvery substance and tossing it into a tray next to Mina.  “You may release her, Kinana.”

The woman named Kinana gave Mina’s hand a squeeze before unraveling her tongue from the silver mass.  Gingerly, she lowered it back into Mina’s mouth.  When the mass was all the way inside Mina’s mouth, Kinana’s tongue released it completely.  Mina swallowed hard, as if she had just been fed a fistful of mud, however once the silvery mass had passed beyond her throat, she felt warmth course back into her numb limbs.  With a groan, Mina wrapped the thin woolen blanket around her and tried to rise.

 “Do not try to sit up.  You have gone through a great deal of shock.  Even with Kinana’s assistance, your body is weary.  You require more rest,” Aeon whispered, gently pushing Mina back down.  Barely able to keep herself up to begin with, Mina did not argue with the lich.

“Wh-what’s happened to me?” she mumbled, straining to keep her eyes open as all the blood in her body seemed to rush to her head.  “Why are you…helping me?”

“You would do well to not judge all liches as wicked,” Aeon muttered, resting his spine against the back of a wooden chair next to the table.  “As for what’s happened to you…that may take some time,” the lich sighed.

Glancing from Kinana’s tail to Aeon, Mina felt her heartbeat quicken.  “Wha-what have you done to me?” she stuttered.

“You have been sedated while I was operating on you,” Aeon patiently replied, while Kinana moved over to his side and took a seat on the arm of his chair.  As she did so, Mina felt more warm fluid pumping into her neck and her heartbeat slowed. “When you are able to walk, I can take you to your friends.  They are quite worried.”

“C-celi and Daryl?” Mina croaked.  “They’re here?”

“Hmm?  Do we have more guests?” Kinana glanced down at Aeon before throwing her arms around the grim figure and giggling.  “I wonder if they’re as cute as this little treasure,” she winked at Mina.

“Kinana, please,” Aeon muttered.  Turning back to Mina, he added, “Yes.  Your friends are waiting for you outside.”

Groaning to herself, Mina rubbed her eyes.  “What happened to me?  Why did I-?” Mina’s eyes grew wide as she drank in the sight of the lich sitting before her.  Her heartbeat quickened and she began breathing hard.  Even though more warm fluid was pumped into her neck, she opened her mouth to scream.  The flames in Aeon’s eyeless sockets flashed for a moment and before Mina could cry out, a band of ice formed around her lips.

“My apologies, but time is short and I do not wish to explain your hysterics to the others,” the lich muttered.  “To answer your question, you fell into a batch of soul satchern when you were in my lab.  It is a parasitic apocra that feeds off of Leyline energy by entrapping and preserving a living body and soul, then using them as a conduit for the Leyline.  It saw you as a source of food and tried to engulf you.  Do you understand?” Aeon asked Mina.

The ice that had gagged her melted away and Mina felt warm blood coursing back into her lips.  Shifting her gaze from Aeon’s cold demeanor to Kinana’s smiling face, Mina nodded.  “I…I think I understand.  Is that why I heard someone’s voice in my sleep?”

“Yes,” Aeon nodded.  “There was another soul being preserved in the soul satchern.  When it swallowed you, the satchern attempted to merge your souls within itself to increase the amount of Leyline energy it could draw upon.  Coming in direct contact with another soul put your body into shock and threatened to destroy your mind.”

“I-I see,” Mina lowered her eyes, “So I was just food to it.”

Glancing over at Kinana’s tail, she took a deep breath and tried to pull it lose.  The barbs in the tail held firm to her neck and Mina’s arms fell to her sides after a moment of pulling.  Aeon looked on passively while Kinana furrowed her brow in concern.

“What’s wrong?” Kinana murmured, releasing her hold on Aeon and floating over to Mina with a flap of her wings.  “Are you ill?”

Color flushed Mina’s face and a tear trickled out of her eye.  “P-please, can you remove this?” Mina tugged at the tail.  “I…I don’t like feeling so…helpless.”

“I’m giving you my life essence,” Kinana retorted.  “It will ease your pain and reinforce your strength.  Your body’s in bad shape after-”

“Let her try, Kinana,” Aeon interjected.

With a sigh, Kinana pulled her tail from Mina’s neck and the fourteen year old girl felt at the spot where it had been.  There was no puncture mark and no bleeding.  No sooner had the tail been removed than Mina’s heart began to beat faster and her breathing grew shallow and haggard.  Kinana raised her tail to Mina’s neck again, but she shook her head, swatting it away.

  “I-I’m alright,” she panted, gulping in air.  “Please, just give me a minute!”  Kinana lowered her tail at a nod from Aeon, but stayed close to Mina.  With her hand pressed to her heart, Mina glanced up at Aeon.  “Who…who are you really?” she panted, trying to get her breathing under control.  “You’re not like the other one.  You…you saved me, but why?”

“You ask why would I save you?” Aeon rested his chin on his bony knuckles.  “A better question is why would I not?  It was my fault that you were stranded here and the fault of my subordinate that you were in my laboratory.”

“Even so…” Mina mumbled.  She tried to swing her legs off the table, but lost her balance and nearly fell off.  Aeon flicked his finger at her, and branches sprang out of the wooden table to catch Mina.  Kinana lifted her off the branches and sat her down on the table.  Mina leaned into her arms and lowered her eyes.  “Even so,” she repeated, “You didn’t have to.  It was my own damn fault…I heard you talking with that teythen and I…I shouldn’t have been so scared.  I should have trusted you.”

“I know you fear me, Minava,” Aeon said, floating out of his chair, “However that is of no concern to me.  You were in danger and needed help only I could give.  Do I need any other reasons to save you?” his words were delivered with a warmth that belied his fearful appearance. 

A knock on the door of the hollow tree drew their attention.  “Hey, is it safe ta come in, chief?”

“You may enter, Yuka,” Aeon replied.

No sooner had he spoken than the door was thrown open and Celine forced her way in.  “Where is she?!” the tan skinned girl growled in Aeon’s face.  “She’d better be alright!  We were told she was sick and that only you could help her, but it’s been too long and I-!”

“Celi?!” Mina exclaimed, a smile bursting onto her lips

Turning away from Aeon, Celine gaped at Mina.  A few solitary tears ran down her cheeks as she stumbled over to the emerald haired girl and wrapped her arms around Mina’s shoulders.  Closing her eyes, Mina leaned against Celine’s chest and let out a sigh of relief.

“Hehe, guess that makes it all worthwhile, eh?” Looking over Celine’s shoulder, Mina saw Yuka next to the door, wearing a sleeveless white tunic and a leather smock with matching work pants.  “Half thought she’d tear up the forest ta find ya,” she snickered and waved at Mina.

“Will she be alright, Aeon?” Both Mina and Celine turned their heads when they saw Gadius step inside.

“The surgery was a success,” Aeon replied, “She will be fine.”

Ambling over to her side, Gadius gave Mina and Celine a curt bow before ruffling Mina’s hair.  “Glad to see you up and about.  You gave me quite a scare when you and Aeon popped out of thin air inside my home.”

“I…I’m sorry,” Mina hung her head.

“Relax, I’m just glad you’re okay.  Everyone is,” Gadius laughed, “And with good reason.  Twould be a shame for such a lovely lady to meet her end while still in the springtime of youth,” he took Mina’s hand and kissed it delicately.

“Ain’t she a bit young for ya, Gadius?” Yuka snorted, “At least give her till she’s fully grown before ya start hittin on her.”

Kinana batted Gadius’s lips away from Mina’s hand and scowled at the jela-vey.  “I agree.  She’s too much of a treasure for you.”

“For any of you,” Celine hissed, squeezing Mina tighter.

Yuka rolled her eyes while Gadius smirked at the two girls.  Kinana, however, looked hurt by Celine’s words.  Floating over to Aeon’s side, she leaned into him while scowling at Celine.  The lich patted her hand and gave her shoulder an affectionate nibble with his lipless mouth.  She suppressed a giggle and twisted her tongue into Aeon’s empty eye socket.

            “Celi…where’s Daryl?” Mina broke from her friend’s embrace and looked her straight in the eyes.  “Is she-”

“Tcch,” Celine grunted, “She was waiting with me until Nerise started talking about magic.  The damned fool got so engrossed in her discussion that she forgot about us.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Gadius shrugged.  “She seems like a sweet girl who’s only trying to make the best of a bad situation.”

            “That…sounds about right,” Mina sighed and managed a weak smile.

            “Yuka,” Aeon interjected, folding his hands behind his back, “I gave instructions not to be interrupted unless it was ready.”

 “Oh, right!” Yuka snapped her fingers.  “One sec!”  She dashed outside and returned less than a minute later holding a leather dress.  It was darker than Celine’s and seemed to be stitched together from several different pieces of leather.  “Dakon didn’t have a big enough piece of leather, so Echidna had ta stitch a few together.  Did a pretty good job of it too.  Hope it fits her.”

“We shall see,” Aeon replied.  “Lay it down on the table.  Now, I must ask that the rest of you leave us for a moment.  I must speak with Minava in private.”

“I’m not leaving her again!” Celine grabbed Mina’s hand and narrowed her eyes at Aeon.

“I’ll be fine, Celi,” Mina mumbled, squeezing her friend’s hand.  “If he didn’t hurt me while I was unconscious, why would he now?”

“I…but…” Celine stammered.  “Ugh, fine…but I’ll be listening in!  If you hurt her-”

“I will not,” Aeon cut her off.  Celine gave him a curt nod and reluctantly let go of Mina’s hand.  After dropping off the dress, Yuka followed Gadius and Celine outside and they closed the door behind them.

Forcing herself to look in Aeon’s direction, Mina felt her body involuntarily shudder.  “So…what did you need to say?” she asked.

“Dress yourself first,” Aeon retorted.

“Here, I’ll help,” Kinana said.  Grabbing the leather dress Yuka had left on the wood table, she walked over to Mina and handed it to her.  Then, taking the blanket Mina had wrapped herself in, Kinana held it up between Mina and Aeon, like a screen.

Glancing from the dress to Kinana, Mina blushed and quickly shoved the dress over her head.  Though it was a little too big for her, the leather was soft and warm, almost like a fur coat.  When she had finished dressing, she jumped off the table where she had been sitting.  Once her legs touched the wood floor, however, they gave out and Mina nearly fell over.  Kinana dropped the blanket and grabbed Mina to hold her up, getting tangled in the blanket as she did so.

“Thank you, Miss…” Mina stopped and suppressed a giggle when she saw that the blanket was caught on Kinana’s horns and one of her wings.  “Let me get that for you, Miss Kinana,” she smiled, unhooking the blanket from her head.

“You okay?” Kinana asked, steadying Mina with her tail and allowing her to grasp her hand to stay upright.

“Yeah, just…a bit tired is all,” Mina said.

“That will pass, in time,” Aeon broke in.  Another shiver went down Mina’s spine as he drew near and she hid behind Kinana.  “However, I fear we are not done with your surgery yet.”

“Wh-what do you mean?” Mina asked.

“The surgery for detaching a soul satchern from its host is complex,” Aeon replied.  “It involves cleansing the soul satchern from your physical body as well as removing any taint it may have left on your soul.  And souls are difficult to sift through, even for a lich.  I fear we have not removed all the soul satchern within you.”

For a moment, there was silence between the three of them.  Mina lowered her eyes and crept further behind Kinana.  “Are you going to force me to stay here?” she squeaked.

“Of course not,” Kinana stroked Mina’s hair.  Her hands were hesitant and her voice contained a hint of sadness.  “No one’s going to make you stay.”

“However, you must return to us within five days time,” Aeon added, “To finish the treatment.”

“And…” Mina shrank from Aeon’s gaze, her heart thumping in her chest, “What if I don’t?”

“Then you will suffer complications,” Aeon murmured, folding his hands behind his back.

“You mean…I’ll get sick?”

“Correct,” Aeon nodded.  “Should complications occur, your body will waste away and your wits will leave you.  Your body is only meant to house your own soul.  If the satchern containing Lucia’s soul is not removed completely, your body and soul will start to reject each other.”

Mina’s eyes widened and her heart pounded loud enough that she could hear it.  She gulped down air in quick shallow breaths and felt her eyes tearing up.

“Aeon!  You’re scaring her!” Kinana snapped.  Kneeling down next to Mina, Kinana put her arms around the girl and held her close.  Her warmth reassured Mina and she calmed down somewhat.

“She has a right to know, Kinana,” Aeon said.  “If she chooses not to return, then she should know what awaits her.”

 “Is…is that why I had to have a change of clothes?” Sniffing back tears, Mina looked down at her new leather dress.  “Is that stuff really so dangerous?”

“It is,” Aeon said.

“We had to burn your old dress,” Kinana added, lowering her eyes.  “On the bright side, your body isn’t scarred at all.  And what a cute body it is,” she rubbed her cheek against Mina’s.

Mina’s face exploded into a bright red and she pulled away from Kinana so fast that she stumbled and fell backwards.  “Wh-what?!” she exclaimed.

“Oops,” Kinana stuck out her tongue and laughed, “That probably sounded dirty.  Sorry.  It’s just in my nature, I guess.  I am a succubus, after all.”

“A…what?”

“It is a type of Goetian with the ability to draw the souls out of other beings and feed on their sexual desires,” Aeon bluntly replied.  “Without this ability, it would have taken several days rather than several hours to treat you.”

“O-oh…ummm…th-thank you then, Miss Kinana,” Mina stammered, her face still burning red.

“Isn’t she cute?” Kinana laughed before kneeling down and helping Mina to her feet.  “You’re so polite, little Minava.”

“Please…just call me Mina, Miss Kinana,” Mina blushed at the succubi’s touch, but did not pull away.  “So…it looks like I don’t have a choice, do I?” she balled her hands into fists and kept her eyes on the floor, unable to look Aeon in the face.

“We all have a choice, Minava,” Aeon said.  “However, you only have five days before your condition worsens.  By then, you must decide for yourself what you fear more.  Me…or death.”

“I…I can’t stay here though!  I need to go back to my uncle’s inn.  He’s probably worried sick about me!”

“Agreed.  It would be wise if you returned home for now,” Aeon lowered himself to the floor and raised her chin with his skeletal finger so that she was looking directly into his eye sockets, which were filled with green flames.  “Minava.  I give you my word that for the next five days my comrades and I will wait outside of Gesthal for you.  However, if we do this, I want your promise that you will not turn us over to the clergy or the border guards.”

As Mina stared into Aeon’s eye sockets, she felt a cold chill run down her spine and began to tremble, but she did not look away.  “I…I suppose we owe you that much,” she mumbled.  “I…I promise.  Just…please don’t hurt anyone.”

“Of course,” Aeon released her and floated back into the air.  “That was never my intention.”

Dropping her eyes to the floor, Mina struggled to keep her heartbeat steady.  There was a squeeze on her shoulder and Kinana whispered in Mina’s ear, “He may look grim, but you can count on him.  You don’t need to be scared.”

“R-right,” Mina said.  She stepped forward without Kinana’s help, and though her legs trembled, she faced the lich.  “I…ummm…Aeon, right?” The lich gave her a curt nod.  “Well…I…ummm…I mean, I’m grateful, for-”

“Gesthal draws near,” Aeon said, without acknowledging Mina’s words.  He floated over to the hollow tree’s wooden door and pulled it open.  “Kinana, I leave her in your care.  Collect her friends and come to the exit to Acacia.  I will be waiting there for you.”

“And what will you be doing in the meantime?” Kinana called back.

“I must speak with Raschid about his…prank…on our guest,” Aeon hissed.  Mina saw his eyes flicker with brilliant green fire before he passed through the door and disappeared.

Only when Aeon had departed did Mina’s trembling cease.  She dropped to the floor, clutching her heart and Kinana was next to her in an instant.

“He really does scare you, doesn’t he?” the succubus whispered sadly.

Averting her gaze from Kinana’s golden eyes, Mina merely replied, “I’ve seen what his kind can do, Miss Kinana.”

“So have I, little Mina,” Kinana said as she helped Mina to her feet.  “So have I.”

Save for the stars above and two small bonfires, it was dark outside when they finally emerged from the tree.  With what little light she had, Mina was able to make out that they were on the edge of a huge field, filled to the brim with exotic plants, curious fruits, malformed vegetables.  The whole area was part of a large clearing, with trees surrounding them on all sides.  Turning her gaze skyward, Mina saw the stars and clouds pass over them quickly, even though the ground she stood on seemed relatively stable.

“We’re…in the forest, right?” Mina whispered, her eyes wide with wonder.  “The one I saw when I first entered Acacia?”

“Yep.  Well, to be specific, this is Gadius’s garden.  The others gathered here to wait for you, so let’s go find your friends,” Kinana said, pulling Mina along.

Falling into step behind her, Mina squeezed Kinana’s hand and her own was squeezed in return.  The Goetian looked down at her and winked.  Feeling her breathing steady, Mina smiled at Kinana.  “Ummm…Miss Kinana…are you and Aeon…married?”

A lusty laugh burst out of Kinana’s throat.  “Married?!  Me?!  Haha, no, little Mina.  I’m merely bound to Aeon through a Goetian contract.  Though…I suppose you could call it marriage of a sort,” she put her hand over her heart and let out a whimsical sigh.  “Aeon called upon me for the pleasures of my body…but he ended up teaching me of the pleasures of the heart.”

Feeling her cheeks burning, Mina lowered her eyes and fell silent.

“I’d never betray him,” Kinana whispered, lifting her hand up to Mina’s cheek and rubbing it against her skin.  “But you are a treasure…maybe I should…”

Mina pulled away and fell onto the grass with a squeal of surprise.  Her face looked as though she’d swallowed an entire mouthful of Hamelin pepper.

“Oh, relax,” Kinana laughed, reaching down and scooping Mina up before depositing her back on her feet.  “I’m just teasing you.  I thought…a little levity might be in order.  After all, you’ve been through a lot.”  When Mina looked up at Kinana’s face it glowed with warmth and a smile played upon her lips.

Mina’s heart sank and she felt a tear come to her eye, but she blinked it back.  “Miss Kinana…please, forgive me,” she whispered, “You and Aeon have been very kind to me, but-”

“Pfft, me more than Aeon,” Kinana snorted.  “I may love the man, but he’s not one to mince words.  Anyway, don’t let it trouble you.  It’s only natural to be a little scared.”

A smile came to Mina’s face and she took Kinana’s hand for support as they approached the first bonfire.  The firelight illuminated Echidna’s massive form.  She cradled something in her arms and held it up to one of her breasts, which had been pulled out of her tunic.  Seated next to her were the purple skinned Dakon and bronze skinned Celine, laughing and talking together.  On the other side of the bonfire was Yuka, sharpening her wrist mounted blade on a whetstone.

“Oi!  Mina!  Kinana!” the neeg jumped to her feet and walked over to them.  “Good ta see that you’re up and about,” Yuka smirked and clapped Mina on the back so hard she nearly fell over.  “I was right.  Dress fits ya like a dream, don’t it?”

“Haha, yes, Miss...Yuka, was it?” Mina laughed nervously, rubbing her sore back.

“Not miss, thank ya kindly.  Just Yuka,” the neeg smiled at her with pristine white teeth, “I ain’t no lady, so no need for fluff.”

“Mina…” Mina, Kinana, and Yuka turned and saw Celine get up and amble over to them.  When the glow of the flames touched Celine’s face, Mina saw that she was scowling at Yuka.  “Can you leave us, for a few moments, Yuka?”

“Ah, so ya know my name now, eh?” Yuka snorted.  “Sure.  Whatever,” she shrugged.

“Miss…I mean, Yuka,” Mina stammered, glancing from Celine to the neeg woman.  “I’m sorry about this.  It’s just that-”

“Ah, forget about it,” Yuka shook her head, “No big deal.  Anyway, thanks for pullin me outta that tree,” she nodded at Celine.  “Never thought I’d fall so far from uncle Merkel’s tower…”

“Ummm…and thank you for helping us in the forest,” Mina quickly added, taking Yuka’s hand and giving it a shake.

The neeg looked down at her hand and grinned.  “Ah, I didn’t do much.  You’re welcome, though.”  Whistling as she walked, the green skinned woman brushed past Celine and disappeared into the forest.

Steadying Mina with her tail, Kinana frowned at Celine.  “You’ve been a bit harsh with her, don’t you think?  Yuka’s a good girl.  Why-”

“It’s none of your business,” Celine spat.  “And why are you clinging to Mina like that?  The surgery’s over, isn’t it?!”

“It’s okay, Celi,” Mina mumbled, “I’m still a little sick so Miss Kinana is helping me.”

Celine scowled at Kinana, who returned her scowl with an impassive stare.  A purple hand on Celine’s shoulder made her jump and she turned around to see Dakon and Echidna behind her.

“You can relax.  She might look like trouble, but Kinana’s very kind,” Dakon said.  “She won’t hurt your sister.”

“Sister?” Kinana glanced down at Mina, then back up at Celine.  “You two sure don’t look alike.”

“Sisters by adoption,” Celine said, kneeling down next to Mina.  “You alright?  That lich didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“N-No, he…he was…very kind,” Mina stammered.

“I told you there was nothing to fear,” Echidna laughed, ruffling Celine’s hair.

“Yeah, yeah,” Celine chuckled, squirming out from under Echidna’s large hand.

“Dakon and…Miss Echidna, right?” Mina stepped up to the purple skinned man and his much larger wife.  They nodded to her and Mina responded with a bow.  “I…wanted to thank you for helping us before.”

“Haha, she’s going to do that to everyone here, isn’t she?” Dakon laughed and gave Celine’s arm a little nudge.

Shrugging, Celine put her arm around Mina and laughed.  “What can I say…it’s her nature.”

Blushing hard, Mina lowered her eyes to the ground.  “So, is that a new one?” she heard Kinana mutter.  Looking up, Mina saw that what was cradled in Echidna’s arms was a little bundle of fur with small, leathery wings, a long tail with spikes coming out the end, and a small, rounded head, lapping at her breast.

“A baby?!” Mina gasped, stumbling over to Echidna and almost losing her balance as she did so.  Celine and Kinana caught her and they all gathered around the larger woman.

“Hmm?  Oh, yes.  This little one’s name is Kal.  He’s only a week old, so I still have to suckle him.”

“He’s adorable!” Mina squealed, reaching over and tickling the little ball of fur.  It let out a low purr and went back to sucking on Echidna’s nipple.

“I really envy you, Echidna,” Kinana sighed, poking at the ball of fluff with her tail.  “You not only get to have kids, but you’ve got such a lovely mate…” she smirked and tickled Dakon under the chin with her hand.  The purple skinned man raised an eyebrow in her direction, but otherwise did not react.

“Hand’s off, succubus,” Echidna growled good naturedly.  “He’s mine.”

“So…” Celine interjected, blushing a little as she did, “Is it time to go?”

“I think so.  We need to go find Daryl,” Mina replied.

“Easy enough.  The princess ought to still be with Nerise.”  Turning to Dakon and Echidna, Celine smiled and held out a hand.  “Thanks for everything.  It’s been a lot of fun.”

“The pleasure was ours,” Dakon nodded.  “It’s not everyday we meet a girl who’s skinned a cu sith with her bare hands while running with a pack of fenris.”

“Haha, yeah, I had some wild times before I settled in with Mina and Kano,” Celine snickered.

“I hope you can come back sometime,” Echidna added, planting a small kiss on Celine’s forehead.  “All of my children are really quite fond of you.”

Waving as they went, Celine took Mina’s hand and led her and Kinana towards the other bonfire on the far side of the clearing.  “This sure is a weird place, huh?” she smiled at Mina.

“You get used to it after a while, though,” Mina giggled, squeezing both Celine and Kinana’s hands.  “It feels nice, being back among so many strange and wonderful voices.”

“Sounds like our little family’s nothing new to you.”

The three of them turned and saw a figure garbed in a black cloak melt out of the darkness.  “I do not believe we have been introduced.  I am Vincent,” he bowed deeply, his pale skin almost glowing against the blackness of the night.

“Minava,” Mina curtsied, “but everyone calls me Mina.”

“Celine,” the bronze skinned girl nodded at the man.  “So…you’re a teythen, right?”

The man’s crimson eyes flickered and he averted his gaze from the girls.  “That is correct.”

“Oh, don’t be so gloomy, Vincent!” Kinana sighed, leaning over and dragging the man over to the two girls by the arm.  Even in the dark, Mina could see color rise to his cheeks and a small grin played at his lips.  “If they’ll sit and talk with a nal-vey and an omnara, you really think they’ll be scared of a teythen?”

“I…have my reasons for staying at a distance,” Vincent replied, straightening the bandana he wore over his white hair.  Turning to Mina, he added, “I merely wanted to say…I am grateful for your offer in the forest.”

“It was just a little blood,” Mina shrugged.  “And you seem like a good person.  You did protect us, after all.”

“Hmm,” Vincent stroked his chin. “It is unusual for people to be so accepting of my kind outside of Ahri.  This is a pleasant surprise.  I must admit, I was somewhat concerned when your friend-”

“Yeah, Daryl’s a bit…pampered,” Celine snorted.  “Our little princess doesn’t get that the clergy might be wrong about a few things.”

“Nevertheless, I am grateful.  I hope your time here has not been too…unsettling.”

A shiver ran down Mina’s spine, but she tried to hide it.  “It was fine,” she said hurriedly.

“Good,” Vincent nodded, before pulling out a small flask and taking a quick drink.  “Forgive me, but I have business I must attend to,” he added, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

“Oh…umm…okay,” Mina said.  “It was nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Vincent nodded at her before taking a few steps backwards and vanishing into the trees.

“Ugh, he’s so stiff,” Kinana grunted, folding her arms across her chest.  “It’s not like we’re strangers.  There’s no need to be so formal all the time.”

“It’s just in his nature, I guess,” Celine murmured, narrowing her eyes at Kinana.  “Come on.  The princess is just over there,” she pointed to the bonfire at the edge of the clearing.

When the three of them drew close, Mina saw that three figures were seated around the fire.  The little girl with long, coarse black hair and a robe that was too big for her was seated next to Daryl, who was engaged in a lively conversation with her and had laid her expensive purple cloak on the log next to her.  On the other side of the fire was the brown haired conjurer, gazing down at his bandaged right hand.

Looking up from his hand, the conjurer noticed them coming and waved.  “Oh…uh, hey!  Pull up a seat, if you want,” he patted the log he was sitting on.  “There’s plenty of room.”

“Why are you sitting all alone, Deminos?” Kinana flapped her wings and floated over to the conjurer, landing next to him on the log.  “Don’t tell me you’re scared of girls…” she smirked, nudging him with her hips.

“N-No, it’s not like that!” he grunted, turning bright red and scooting away from Kinana.  “It’s just… it’s pretty clear I’m not wanted over there,” the conjurer snorted, jutting his thumb out at Daryl and the little girl.

“Why would you think that?” Mina asked, taking a seat next to the young man named Deminos.

“Did the princess give you the brush off since we’re not in danger anymore?” Celine sighed.

Glaring up at Mina and Celine, Deminos let out a grunt and turned his gaze back to the fire and flexed his bandaged hand.  “Something like that.”

“What happened?” Mina asked, scooting a little closer to Deminos.

“When we first met it was all, ‘protocol this’ and ‘we beg your protection’ that, but now…” Deminos blew air out of the side of his mouth and glared at Daryl.  “But now that she’s got no use for me, I may as well not even exist.”

Looking over at Daryl, Mina and Celine saw that she was enraptured by what the little girl was saying.  “Wait, say that again.  I’m not sure I understand this whole ‘Void energy’ business,” Daryl raised an eyebrow at the little girl skeptically.

“Okay.  See, the power I use in my necromancy is Void energy.  Void Energy is the essence of the soul,” the little girl said with a childish smile on her lips.  “We all know that the Void is the stream of souls which binds the worlds Shanadia created together.  But what some people forget is that it’s just like the Leyline.  The Leyline is a stream of life, while the Void is a stream of souls.  And, since they’re so similar, it’s not that hard to use Void energy for magic just like how we use Leyline energy.”

“So…it’s like a secondary source of power?” Daryl mused, rubbing her upper lip, “I mean, can it heal like holy magic or kick up fire or ice like elemental magic?”

“Uh-uh,” the little girl shook her head.  “Void energy is the opposite of Leyline energy.  Leyline energy creates the tangible, like a body, and Void energy creates the intangible, like a soul.”  The little girl spoke frankly and childishly, but with knowledge that belied her appearance.  “The Leyline gives the world life and all the laws surrounding that life.  However, by introducing a small amount of Void energy into the world, you can kind of bend those laws.  That’s basically what necromancy is.  Normally, a soul can only exist in a living body.  But we bend the law a teensy bit and we can briefly put a soul into a dead body for a short time.”

“I never would have guessed…” Daryl mused.  “Tell me, Nerise, does teleportation magic make use of Void energy as well?  You said it bent the natural laws of the world and I can think of nothing more unnatural than moving between distant lands instantaneously.”

“Tcch, teleportation magic,” Deminos snorted.  “You really think you can boil something that complex down so easily?” he growled at Daryl, “Listen up!  If you know what’s good for you, you’ll forget trying to understand teleportation.  Without years of training, you’ll just end up splattered across five different kingdoms the first time you try it.”

Daryl glowered at Deminos.  “I don’t recall asking your opinion.”

“Well, thank you both for that wonderful image,” Kinana let out a sigh and stepped between the two of them.  “No doubt the next time I take my meal, all I’ll see is a bloody smear from the Bay of Bendak to the Gollian lowlands.”

“Kina?” Nerise tilted her head to the side before a huge grin split from her lips.  “Kina!” she jumped off the log she was sitting on and ran over to Kinana before jumping into the air, latching onto the succubus’s chest, and smothering her face in Kinana’s bosom.  “KinaKinaKinaKina!!!”  she squealed.

Everyone present turned a bright shade of red, save for Kinana, who merely laughed and patted Nerise on the head.  “I missed you too, Neri,” she said, extricating the girl from her breasts and nuzzling her cheek.  “Have you been entertaining our guests like a good girl?”

“Uh-huh!” Nerise bobbed her head up and down.

“Kina?” Daryl repeated before finally noticing Mina and Celine.  “Mina!” she ran over to Mina and hugged her.  “I was really worried!  I…I didn’t know what to think when I heard that…that lich was going to be the one treating you,” she lowered her eyes.

“You can relax, Daryl.  I’m fine,” Mina smiled, looking from her friend to the impish little girl held in Kinana’s arms.  “This place is a little crazy though.”

“Dary, who’s your friend?” Nerise asked when Kinana put her down.

“It’s Daryl, Nerise,” Daryl sighed.  “Anyway, this is Mina and the vagabond.”

“Hey!” Celine exclaimed.

“Haha…Mina and Kina,” Nerise giggled.  “Hi there.  I’m Nerise, but you can call me Neri,” she waved at Mina and Celine.

“Ummm…nice to meet you,” Mina let out a nervous laugh and held out her hand, only to have Nerise run up and hug her.  When she was done with Mina, she hugged Celine too.

“Vagabond is a weird name.  Why’d your parents call you that?” Nerise mumbled, still clinging to Celine.

Slapping her forehead with her palm, Celine sighed.  “My name’s not vagabond, kid.  It’s Celine.  Celine Gren.”

“Oh!  Haha, that makes more sense,” the little girl laughed.

“Well, this is sickeningly cute and all, but I think it’s time for me to leave.  Before you lot make me hurl,” Deminos grunted and got to his feet.

“Awww, Demi, don’t be like that,” Nerise whined.  “We want you to stay!”

“We do?” Daryl whispered to Celine, only to be rewarded with a quick shot to the kidneys to silence her.

“My name isn’t Demi, Nerise!” Deminos yelled.  “It’s Deminos.  Deminos Savant!  Jeez…the way you say my name, I sound like a stupid girl!”  Instantly, a sea of scowls bore down on Deminos from everyone around him.  “Err…I didn’t mean it like-”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Celine retorted.  “Excuse us for being ‘stupid girls!’”

“Look, I didn’t-”

“Ummm…” Mina tugged on Deminos’s sleeve to interrupt him.  The conjurer eyed her suspiciously and pulled his sleeve free of her grasp.

“What is it?” he grunted.

“I just wanted to thank you for saving us in the forest,” Mina bowed deeply, even though she was still scowling at him.  “It was very…heroic, of you.”

Deminos’s face flushed and he quickly turned away.  “S-sure.  You’re welcome or…whatever,” he mumbled before stalking off into the forest.

“Hmmph.  Typical Telnumbran,” Daryl sneered.

“Demi’s not usually so crabby,” Nerise scratched at her cheek and let out a quick yawn.  “He’s usually pretty nice.  When he’s not being crabby.”

“I wanted to thank you too,” Mina smiled and knelt down next to Nerise.  “Without you, we would have died.”

“Oh!” Nerise gasped.  “I remember now!  You’re the screaming girl!”

Immediately, Mina’s smile faded and her face turned bright red.  “I…um…yeah…I…I suppose I am.”

“I hope you’re okay,” Nerise put her hand on Mina’s forehead.  “Aeon said he’d treat you.  Are you feeling better?  He’s a good doctor.  You hungry?  I’ve got some snacks if you wan-”

A small gurgle escaped Mina’s stomach and she put her hands over it.  “No…I’m fine, Nerise.  Really,” she laughed.

“I hope that is the truth, young lady.”  Mina jumped at the sound of a soft, voice from behind her.  Gadius stepped out of the forest, clothed in nothing but a pair of dark green trousers.  He knelt down next to Mina and took her hand.  After feeling her wrist for a moment, he began to press his fingers against Mina’s cheeks, neck, and temples.

“Get off her!” Celine yelled, grabbing for Gadius’s arms.

Flashing her the warmest, most ingratiating smile he could muster, Gadius said, “Relax.  I am merely examining Aeon’s handiwork.  So, do you feel any pain anywhere?” he turned back to Mina.

“N-no…I’m alright,” she stammered, pulling away from Gadius’s probing fingers.  “And…umm…thank you for saving us in the forest.  And for helping me when I was sick,” Mina added.  “Mr…?”

“Hmm?  Ah, how rude of me,” he slapped his forehead.  Getting back to his feet, the muscular man gave Mina a low bow.  It was so low that she could see a pair of pointed ears sticking out of his hair.  “I am Gadius Yggdrl.  It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Ummm…I’m Min-” Mina started to say, only to have Daryl butt in.

“Daryl Telvun!” she said with a curtsy.  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yggdrl.”

“Just Gadius, if you don’t mind,” he smiled at her and lifted her chin with his hand.  “My…what a pretty young lady.  I am sorry for all your troubles, I-” he stopped mid sentence when Nerise bonked him on the head with her toy scepter.

“Gadi!  Aeon told you to behave, didn’t he?”

With a sigh, Gadius backed away from Daryl, who was frozen in place, her face glowing red.  “I suppose he did.  Right after he sent me to fetch you three.  Come on.  I’ll lead you out of the forest.”

Celine cast a frosty glare towards the smirking jela-vey.  “I don’t like you,” she snorted.

“What a shame.  If only you’d lose the attitude, you might actually be cute,” Gadius winked at her.

“Mina and Dary and Celi…will you come back?” Nerise lowered her eyes.

“I don’t know…I’d like to, but-” Daryl started to say.

“Sure…we’ll be back soon, Neri,” Mina quickly interjected.

“Yay!  I can’t wait!” Nerise threw her hands up in the air and laughed.

“Come on,” Gadius said, stepping back into the forest. “Given how the sky looks now, I’d wager it’s about twenty minutes till dawn.  Acacia will touch down before that, so with any luck you can be back in your beds before sun up.”  The three girls and Kinana followed Gadius through the forest, which he navigated with ease.

“So, I heard the little girl storming off into the woods.  I suppose no one was paying attention to him, eh?” Gadius muttered good naturedly.

“Little girl?  Does he mean Nerise?” Mina started to ask Kinana.

“He means Deminos,” Kinana frostily replied.  “Gadius, why must you hound the boy so?  He is no less stable than you were when you first arrived here.”

“Because of that damnable chip on his shoulder, my sweet Kinana,” Gadius smirked.

“Yeah, it’s official, you’re an ass,” Celine snorted.

“Shush, vagabond!” Daryl growled, her eyes fixed on Gadius’s sculpted body, hairless chin, and beautiful face.

Slowing his stride to match Kinana’s, Gadius put a hand under her chin.  “Since my home was taken over by Aeon, I had to cancel my date with a lovely trio of harpies.  Would you be interested in filling the time slot?”

“No chance in any of the Goetia’s nine hells,” Kinana snarled.

“Well, it was worth a shot,” Gadius shrugged.  There was a sudden tremor all around them, rustling the leaves of the trees, which stopped almost as soon as it had started. “It seems like we’ve touched down.  Best hurry.”

Stepping out of the forest, they appeared to be in a grassy meadow overlooking a desolate valley.  On the far side of the meadow, near a wall of cliffs was the hallway that Mina and the others had entered Acacia through.  Stoically floating in place by the doorway was the skeletal form of Aeon.

“Wait…shouldn’t we still be in there?” Celine jutted her thumb in the direction of the forest.  “I was wandering in that forest for hours before I found my way through.”

“When you’ve got grace and beauty, even the trees make way for you,” Gadius smirked.  “Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he added before turning around and disappearing into the forest.

“What a pompous fool…” Celine snorted.

“But he was a handsome, pompous fool,” Daryl blushed.  “And a native of Lucaria.”

“And that’s all that matters to you, huh, princess?” Celine sneered.

“Not all of us want to end up as vagabonds, you know!” Daryl retorted.

“Aeon’s waiting.  Should we-” Kinana muttered, pointing at the pair of arguing girls.

“No, it’s best to just leave them be.  They’ve been like this from the moment I introduced them,” Mina sighed, heading towards the doorway with Kinana.  After a few minutes, the sullen pair caught up with them, averting their eyes from each other.

Floating forward to meet them, Aeon looked directly into Mina’s eyes.  His piercing gaze and the cold that seemed to radiate from his body made Mina shiver and look away. “There were no problems?” he stated more than asked.

“Nope.  She’s a lot stronger than we thought,” Kinana smiled, patting Mina’s shoulder.

“Very well.  You are dismissed,” Aeon said, locking eyes with Kinana.  The succubus nodded to him and a circle of light appeared at her feet.  The circle contained a heart shaped sigil held within a pentagram, with runic characters all around it.  Kinana gave Mina’s shoulder one last squeeze before she slid into the circle and disappeared.

Without another word, Aeon pulled the door to the hallway leading out of Acacia open and beckoned Mina and the others inside.  With a snap of his fingers, the walls lit up with torchlight and Aeon led the three girls through the stone passage.  None of them spoke until the doorway to the outside came into sight.

Rushing ahead, as if Aeon intended to eat them right there, Daryl pushed the door open and stepped onto the snowy grass outside, taking a deep breath of the cool morning air just as the sun started to peak over the horizon.  They were at the edge of the forest just south of Gesthal and could see a tiny outline of the town in the distance.  “We’re alive…and we’re home!” Daryl nearly cried out.

“Yeah…well, anyway…” Celine turned to Aeon, scratching the back of her head anxiously.  After a second, she got down on her knees and bowed to him.

“Celi?!” Mina mumbled.

“What do you think you’re doing, Celine?!” Daryl snapped.  “He’s a-” she thought better of finishing her sentence after looking at Aeon’s skeletal form.

“I feel like I owe you this much,” Celine said, looking up at Aeon.  “I don’t care how grim you are.  You saved my best friend’s life and I’ll always be grateful for that.”

“You owe me no thanks,” Aeon retorted.  “Her mishap was my fault.  Had I been more careful, she would not have suffered.”

“I…um…” Mina stammered.  “I’m sorry…for what happened in the lab.”

Looking directly at Mina, Aeon’s eyes bloomed with fiery green light.  “Remember, Minava.  I can only wait five days.”

“I…understand,” Mina said, glancing from Aeon to her two friends.  “Thank you.”

“So, have you thanked everyone on the island yet?” Celine put her arm around Mina and laughed.

“N-Not everyone, I don’t think,” Mina blushed and lowered her eyes.  “Anyway, let’s just go home.”

 “Hey, what about this place?!” Daryl snorted, looking out at the massive island that seemed as big as the mountains that lay behind it.  “You can’t just leave this place here.  It’s too big!  People will spot it the moment they look out their windows!”

When she had finished speaking, Aeon raised his hand, which was sparkling with a black light that seemed to shimmer in mid air, and touched it to Acacia’s wall.  In an instant, the entire island disappeared and in its place, a large, but smooth hill appeared, with an iron door set into the wall of the hill.  Pulling the door open, Aeon stepped inside.

“When I close this door, it too shall vanish.  However, if you knock three times on the hill, it will reappear.  Keep that in mind,” Aeon said before grabbing hold of the door and pulling it shut.  After the door was closed, it melded into the hill and disappeared from sight.

The three girls looked at the hill for a moment before making their way along the edge of the forest towards the outline of Gesthal.

“So, what do we do now?” Daryl mumbled.  “Should we tell Angelo and the clergy about everything that’s happened?”

“We can’t…” Mina sighed.  “I promised Aeon that we wouldn’t.”

“You made a promise to a lich?!” Daryl exclaimed.  “What would possess you to do something like that?!”

“It seemed like the right thing to say at the time,” Mina groaned, holding her growling stomach.

“Look, let’s save the arguing for after we’ve had some food and rest,” Celine sighed.  “For now, let’s just keep what happened to ourselves.  As far as we know, we got lost in the forest overnight before stumbling back into town.”

“I hope everyone’s okay.  They were on their way to Steadfall when we-” Mina started to say, but her words died in her throat when she saw two figures approach them in the morning light.  One was swathed in a white cloak with a layer of sand on it, while the other was a muscular man with shaggy black hair peeking out of a soiled coat.

The pair of men gawked at the trio, as if they had come from an entirely different world.  “You’re here…you’re safe!” Wrec exclaimed, running out and embracing Mina joyously.  “Oh, man!  Kano’s been beside himself with worry!  C’mon, we gotta get you girls home!”

“U-uncle Kano?” Mina stammered, tears blooming in her eyes.  “He’s back?!”

“Yes.  One of the border guards found us and told us the fighting had died down, so we returned to Gesthal,” Nivtenc muttered.  “We assumed you had as well, since we didn’t find you on the road to Steadfall.  However when we got back…”

“Oh, goddess!  My mom must be going crazy!” Daryl squealed.

“Uncle…we made it,” Mina sniffled.

“C’mon, there’ll be time for tears later,” Wrec said, taking Mina’s hand.  “For now, let’s get you some hot food and clean clothes.”

Chapter 3: Alone

This chapter was mercifully one of my shorter ones, but I really like it for a number of reasons that won't be explored here for the purpose of spoilers.  I hope you lot enjoy it as well.  Incidentally, is anyone at all curious about the thought processes that go into some of these chapters?  I was thinking about, if I can't revise a chapter in time, to include a sort of creator commentary on my thoughts for a set of chapters.  Probably only do that though if people would care, so if you don't...I probably won't.

Chapter 3: Alone

When Mina came to, a dull stiffness ran through her body.  Rubbing her sore bottom, she allowed a small groan to escape her lips before sitting up and rubbing her eyes.  When her surroundings came into focus, she saw that she was sitting in an alcove underneath the crystalline tower, which loomed over her, like an icy mountain.  Various plants, from flowers to weeds, all grew in carefully tended patches around her, while a flight of stone stairs behind her led up to the crystalline tower’s front door.  Glancing to her right, Mina saw a stone archway that was in front of a bottomless black chasm.  A sudden gust of steam ruffled her hair and cloak, drawing her eyes to an open doorway at the base of the large tower.

“Ugh…what happened?” Mina grunted, “I remember falling and-” Stopping mid sentence, Mina’s eyes grew wide.  “Celi!  Daryl!” she cried, jumping to her feet and glancing around the deserted area.  “Where are you?!”

When no one answered, Mina put a hand to her chest, trying in vain to quiet the rapid thumping of her heart.  “I’m…alone,” she whispered, her breaths growing more ragged with each passing moment.  “I’m all alone again…”

Her legs began to tremble as a tremor shook the ground beneath her.  A sudden jolt unbalanced her and Mina fell onto her back.  For a moment, she lay still, her heart thumping in her ears.  Glancing skyward, Mina saw a crescent moon adorn the night sky and several stars were peaking out of the clouds above her.  The clouds themselves, however, were passing over her with surprising speed. 

Stumbling to her feet, Mina glanced out towards the edge of the landmass and could see the Keval mountain range and the forest she, Celine, and Daryl had escaped from growing smaller with each passing moment.  “A-are we…moving?!” Mina said, calm her haggard breathing.  “B-but how is that possible?!”

Minutes ticked by gradually for Mina, who sat on the ground in a trance at the sight of her home fading into the distance.  When the Keval mountain range finally disappeared from sight, Mina wrapped her arms around her legs like a frightened child, and buried her face in her knees.  “Celi…Daryl…” Mina sobbed, “We’re never going to get home…are we?”

Fighting back tears, Mina closed her eyes and sat perfectly still.  While she was sitting, the only sounds that reached her were the sputtering of steam from the nearby passage and the wind whispering in her ears.  In the back of her mind, she heard a voice scolding her.  “Are you just gonna sit there and cry?”  Lifting her head, Mina wiped a tear out of her eye and looked down at her knees.  “I know it hurts,” the voice in her ear murmured, as the wind wafted over her, “But if you just plop down on the grass and give up, you’ll never get anywhere!”

 “Momma,” Mina sniffled, tightening her grip on her legs.  “Yo-you’re right,” she rubbed her eyes and clambered back onto her feet, “This time, I won’t just sit here and cry.” 

Lurching over to the wall of the crystalline tower, Mina used it as a brace to hold herself up.  “I need to find Celi and Daryl,” she panted, “Let’s see…we got separated when the floor collapsed, but if I’m still on the island then they probably are too.  And they’re probably out looking for me.  I should do the same.”

Turning her gaze towards the passageway in front of her, Mina took a deep breath.  “Well, I suppose this is as good a place as any to start my search,” she mumbled aloud before heading into the passage.

Metal pipes lined the stone walls of the passageway, twisting in every direction before disappearing into the walls, ceiling and floor.  Mina tried to use them to maintain her balance, but when she touched one, the pipe was so hot that she had to jerk her hand away immediately.  Periodically, steam would leak out of the pipes, filling the hallway with stiflingly hot mist.  As she made her way through the passageway, Mina began to sweat copiously.  Shrugging off her cloak, she pushed further into the corridor, coughing and wheezing as her throat grew dry and scratchy.

A light at the end of the passage attracted Mina’s attention and she stumbled towards it.  Covered in sweat and panting hard, Mina dropped to her hands and knees and crawled away from the steam filled passageway as fast as she could.  Flopping onto her back, Mina glanced up and saw that she was inside a large antechamber, dominated by a huge translucent bubble-like dome. 

The sound of flowing water reached Mina’s ears and she smacked her lips.  Wiping her brow, she climbed back to her feet and warily approached the dome.  When she peered inside, she saw a giant, red skinned man stretched out on a mountain of pillows, facing away from her.  The man had long black nails and was bald save for a pony tail of jet black hair.   Instead of legs below his waist, there was a black mist that seemed to waft into the sides of the bubble and disappear.  Strewn about on the sandy floor were half eaten bits of meat, apocra bones, and empty wine casks.  A fountain of clear water was situated right in front of Mina, just beyond the dome.

After letting out a quick cough, Mina put her hand to her throat.  Gazing over at the fountain, she tentatively poked her finger through the bubble.  It slid in and out with ease.  Looking down at the water again, Mina cupped her hands together, reached inside the dome, and scooped some out.  The cool clear water rippled in her shaking hands and Mina slurped it down greedily.

“A thief, eh?” Tilting her head up, Mina jumped back just before the red man’s giant hand shot out of the bubble and groped around the area where she had just been standing.  Clamping her wet hand over her mouth, Mina fell flat to the ground and resisted the urge to scream.

Looking over his shoulder, the man blinked for a moment, before pulling his hand back inside the bubble.  “A kid?” he mumbled, “Heh…it’s not like Aeon to leave me live entertainment.”

Swallowing hard, Mina lowered her hands and stepped forward.  “H-hello.  M-my name is Minava Gren.  I…appear to be lost and…ummm…” she stammered, trying to remember her manners.  “I apologize for taking your water without permission,” she bowed, “Please, forgive me.”

“Forget it,” the man said, turning over to reveal that he was quite muscular and had a goatee of black hair under his chin, despite several wrinkles adorning his face.  “It’s just water after all.”  Looking Mina over, the man smirked at her and said, “Tell me, child, do you know where you are?”

Mina shook her head, her breathing slowly returning to normal.

The man let out a raucous laugh and slapped his side.  “Oh, this is rich!  Hehe, so you really don’t know?  What are you, an idiot?!”

Balling her hands into fists, Mina took a deep breath and lowered her eyes.  “Fo-forgive my ignorance, sir.  It was cold last night and I required shelter.  This place was all I could find.”

“Well, well…” the man drew close to the edge of the dome, smiling broadly at Mina, “A child who remembers her manners.  How refreshing.”  Leaning back, the man reclined on his pillows.  “Forgive me for my earlier rudeness, Miss Gren.  And for not introducing myself.  I am Raschid al-Maddab, formerly a great wind djinni of the Aridian desert, but now, just a humble prisoner, forced to power this island,” the red man said, courteously bowing his head to Mina.

For a moment, Mina was completely silent.  When Raschid raised a curious eyebrow to her, however, she snapped out of her stupor and did a curtsey with her leather dress.  “I-It’s an honor, sir.”

“Hmmhmm…so, did you see the battle outside?” the djinni chuckled.

When she remembered all that she had seen just a few hours ago, Mina began to tremble uncontrollably.  Dropping to one knee, she gulped in air and placed her hand over her heart, which had skipped a few beats.

“Are you well, Miss Gren?” Raschid murmured.

“I-I’m fine,” Mina mumbled, slowly rising back to her feet, “I’m just…hungry is all.  I haven’t eaten since morning.”

“Ah, so that’s it…” the man said, rubbing his black goatee.  “This could be interesting after all,” he mused aloud, sizing Mina up with big, golden eyes. 

Grabbing a wine cask from a stack that was next to the bubble-like dome, he cracked it open and downed it all in one gulp before letting out a satisfied sigh.  The force of his breath was nearly enough to knock Mina off her feet while the fetid stench made her cup her hands over her nose.

“Sir,” Mina mumbled, trying not to gag, “I-I was just outside and…it seems like we’re moving.”

“We are,” Raschid retorted, “Aeon never stays in one place for very long.  Which is a pain for me, since I’m the one responsible for lifting the island.”

 “Wh-what do you mean,” Mina coughed, wiping tears from her eyes, “you lift the island?”

“Hehe, see my smoke?” he pointed to the sable mist that came out of his waist, which was being absorbed into the bubble.  “I am an apocra with great power over wind.  This bubble absorbs my essence and uses it to keep the island aloft.  It also converts my smoke into steam for use by Aeon and his vassals.”

Mina gave the djinni a blank stare while her eyes grew round and her heart skipped a beat.  “So…we’re flying?” she stammered.

“You saw the clouds passing by overhead, yes?” Raschid muttered, grabbing a hunk of meat off the floor and tearing it from the bone.  “Should that not have been a hint that we are in the air?  Because of me, this is the only fortress in Serano that can fly,” he jutted a dirty thumb towards his chest.

“Ju-just where am I?” Mina stammered.

“Aeon calls it Acacia,” Raschid replied, “An island composed of lands from all over Serano that he’s…acquired.”

“Acacia…” Mina repeated.  Shaking her head, she looked back up at Raschid and steeled her gaze.  “Is there any way off this island?”

“Not without Aeon’s permission,” Raschid muttered.

“Then…” Mina stammered.  “Then can you tell me if any girls my age have come through here?”

Raising an eyebrow, Raschid smirked and shook his head.  “I haven’t seen anyone.  Truth be told, I was sleeping until just a few moments ago, when the bubble was activated.”

“I…see,” Mina mumbled, trying to hide her disappointment.  Looking back up at Raschid, she bowed to him and said, “T-thank you.  You’ve been a great help.”  She turned around and prepared to leave the antechamber through the steam filled passage.

“Interesting…” Raschid mused, stroking his beard.  “I have spoken of the lord of this place many times.  Yet, you seem uninterested in Aeon.  Why is that, I wonder…?”

“I care little for his name,” Mina growled, balling her hands into fists.  “I already know what he is.  And what he will do if he finds me.  Now, farewell, Raschid,” she added, stepping into the steam filled passage.

“Hold a moment!” Raschid called.  Mina stopped in place and turned around to face the djinni.  “These other girls…just what are they to you?”

“They’re my friends.  My closest friends…” Mina replied, rubbing her arm anxiously.  “I’ve known one since I was eight years old…and the other one is like a sister to me.  I have to find them.  So, forgive me, but I can’t stick around to chat.”

“Hmhmmm,” Raschid chuckled softly.  “I know how you can find them.” 

Mina’s eyes widened and she looked back at the smirking djinni with some suspicion.  “H-How?” she mumbled, walking back over to the dome that kept Raschid prisoner.

Stroking his chin, Raschid mused, “You might come face to face with the master of this place if you heed my words.  Still interested?”

A shudder ran down Mina’s spine, but she nodded.  “I-I understand the risks.  Please, tell me.”

“Very well,” Raschid sighed, blowing a gust of wind out of the side of his mouth which parted a set of red curtains to the left of his bubble, revealing a tall archway leading out of the antechamber.  “Follow the path I just opened all the way to a big, open, crystalline hall.  From there you should be able to find a spiral staircase heading up.  Climb the stairs to the top level of the tower and look for a set of large wooden doors.  That’s the master’s laboratory.  He has a crystal in the very back that allows him to look over every speck of this island.  He can find intruders with a thought or guide lost friends home with a word.  With that, you could find your friends with ease.”

            Looking through the path that Raschid had opened up, Mina turned back and cocked her eye at him.  “Why are you helping me?  I’m an intruder here, aren’t I?”

             Downing another cask of wine, Raschid smirked at her and said, “Perhaps.  But I’m curious.  Will you find your way off this island…or will Aeon turn you into one of his lab rats,” the djinni laughed.  “Entertain me, human.”

            Another shudder ran through Mina, but she maintained her composure and bowed politely to Raschid.  “Th-thank you for your help,” she said, before passing through the open curtains.

Looking back at him for a moment, Mina narrowed her eyes at the djinni, while he picked at the meat in his bubble and downed another cask of wine.  Putting her hand over her heart, she let out a sigh and headed through the elegant marble hallway beyond Raschid’s antechamber.

 Heading up a flight of stairs, Mina followed a carpeted path from the stairwell until she entered a spacious grand hall.  Stopping in her tracks, Mina’s mouth dropped open.  The hall was made of blue crystal and pristine white marble that radiated with an otherworldly light.   From where Mina stood, however, the walls and floor appeared to be crafted of ice and snow.  Occasionally, a ray of moonlight would creep in through one of the tower’s windows and when it struck the crystals, silvery light scattered everywhere, as if it were snowing within the hall.  A chill of excitement ran down Mina’s spine and she craned her neck upwards, unable to see just how tall the impressive spire was.

“Beautiful…” Mina whispered, momentarily lost in thought.  When she spied the long, winding, circular staircase which led up the tower, she returned to reality.  “Head to the top via the staircase, huh?  Well, better get moving,” she mumbled, grasping the dank handrail before stepping onto the first glassy stair.

The stairs were firm and solid underneath Mina’s feet and she moved up the stairs as if possessed by some otherworldly force.  She continued for what seemed like hours, however the stairs refused to deposit her on the top floor.  Eventually, Mina stopped to catch her breath and leaned over the handrail, glancing up towards the top of the spire.  The ceiling was nowhere in sight and the stairs seemed to continue upwards indefinitely. 

Gritting her teeth, Mina stamped her foot against the crystal stairs.  “I don’t have time for this!  I need to find Daryl and Celi!” as if in response to her cries, the staircase came to life, carrying Mina upwards at a rapid pace.  As the stairs bore Mina towards the top, she heard the familiar sounds of clanking and whirring made by the trapdoor that had separated her from her friends.

Gazing in wonder at the moving staircase, a small smile crept onto Mina’s lips.  “This place is amazing!  I…I wish Daryl and Celi could see it too,” she murmured, lowering her eyes and rubbing her arm.

Eventually, the stairs deposited her on the top floor, in the middle of a long, circular walkway.  On the far ends of the walkway were two sets of doors.  One was made of wood, while the other seemed to be little more than solid ice, with no way to enter.  Still holding onto the railing, Mina followed it to the wooden doors and put her hand against the hardwood.  The door was bitterly cold and she had to pull back almost immediately, breathing on her hand to warm it.

“I guess this is the master’s laboratory,” she muttered to herself.  “Well, whoever he is, this Aeon can’t be worse than...” she stopped mid sentence and shuddered.  “Than the Molten Zombie.”

Planting her shoulder against one of the doors, Mina pushed as hard as she could, even though her feet kept sliding on the cold, crystalline, floor.  Eventually, she managed to force the door open just wide enough for her to squeeze through.

Sticking her head inside first, Mina saw that the lab was covered with ice and snow.  Even the floors were frozen solid.  Candles lined the wall, flickering with blue flames and casting sinister shadows all along the laboratory’s walls.  Curios and potions of every variety, covered in ice and labeled with a spidery handwriting that was almost completely illegible to Mina’s eyes, lined the many shelves within the laboratory.

Taking a deep breath, Mina clenched one hand into a fist and placed the other hand to her heart.  “Celi, Daryl, please wait for me.  I’m coming,” she whispered before ducking into the lab.

Mina’s breath was visible in front of her as she trudged through the laboratory, careful not to slip on the frozen floors.  Gradually, the light grew better and the shadows cast by the carefully bottled oddities became less frightening.  At the very back of the lab, Mina saw a work bench and a table with what looked like the corpse of a naked woman on top of it.

Quickening her pace with her heart thumping in her ears, Mina climbed onto the work bench and leaned over the table.  The woman in front of her seemed very well muscled and voluptuous, with long golden hair and breasts of a fair size.  Color rose to Mina’s cheeks upon surveying the body and she put her arm across her own chest.  Leaning closer to the woman, Mina couldn’t resist touching the beautiful woman’s cheek.  To her surprise, the cheek caved inward and was slimy to the touch.

Jerking her hand back, Mina rubbing her fingers together and saw bits of clay fall from her fingertips.  Reaching into the caved in cheek, Mina pinched a piece of the skin and pulled it back out, however, she pulled it too far and it stuck above the rest of the body.  “What in Serano…” she whispered, her heart threatening to burst from her chest.  “This…it’s not a human?”

Backing away from the woman, Mina glanced to the left and saw the final portion of the laboratory blocked off by a black curtain.  “This must be where the crystal is kept,” she mumbled to herself, running her fingers along the curtain before pulling it aside.  However, there was nothing behind the curtain save for a large pool of translucent green slime that seemed to pulse in time with her own heartbeat.

Looking into the slime, Mina saw a woman of advanced age laid at the bottom with her hands clasped on her chest.  She was naked from head to toe and covered in wrinkles, however, despite her age, Mina could still see muscle on her body.  Though her breasts sagged and her face was well lined, her hair shone like molten gold beneath the layer of green slime.

Mina’s heartbeat quickened and her eyes widened as she glanced from the woman in the pool to the woman on the workbench.  “Goddess…what is that lich doing here?!” she hissed.  Kneeling down to take a closer look, Mina held out her hand over the slime.  However, the slime rose up and tried to grab hold of her fingers.  “Ah!” she gasped, scooting a few steps backwards.  The slime groped for her nearby, but was unable to find Mina and returned to the pool after a moment.  “What’s with this place?!” Mina panted, holding her hand to her heart while she quickly backed away from the pool.

 Careful to avoid the slime, Mina examined several of the curios lining the shelves near the back of the laboratory.  She found what looked like a live sapling in one, a pickled hand in another, and the corpse of a tiny apocra in yet another.  Feeling her stomach begin to churn, Mina plopped down on the workbench and took one last glance around. “There’s no crystal here,” she sighed.  “I knew something was off about that djinni.  It was too easy.   Well, at least I know they’re not in the tower.  Maybe I’ll have better luck outside.”

Carelessly trudging back through the lab, Mina nearly slipped several times before reaching the door, but instead of ducking through the opening she had made, she froze.  Voices were coming from outside.  Her heartbeat quickened and she pressed her ear against the door to listen in on their conversation.

“Are you certain?” a raspy, soft spoken voice murmured.

“Yes,” a more amiable, but somewhat somber voice replied.  “Neri found the purple haired girl wandering through her valley.  I sent my familiars to check on them and I’m certain.  She’s one of the three girls we saw in the forest.”

“What of the other two?”

Calming her rapidly beating heart, Mina slid over to the small opening and peered out at the speakers.  Her blood ran cold when she saw them.

The lich she had seen outside the forest floated in mid air with his bony hands calmly folded behind his back, looking down on the pale teythen named Vincent, who still wore a bandana over his silvery hair.  He had stripped out of his black cloak since leaving the forest and was garbed in a black and red doublet with matching trousers.

 “The tan girl is with Dakon and Echidna.  Apparently, she helped Yuka out of a tree, but then became very bitter towards her.  The two got into a fight, so Dakon and Echidna had to step in to sort things out.  Neither she nor Yuka were hurt, though.”

 “Good,” the lich nodded, stroking the jawbone of his skull.  “Vincent, I want you to send a message to Nerise and Dakon.  Have them bring our guests to Gadius’s hollow.  We can meet up there.”

“What about the third girl?” Vincent mumbled as several of his rodent-like familiars with leathery wings melted out of his flesh, leaving a small hole in his shoulder.  “We can’t just leave her wandering around the island.”

“Agreed.  I shall divine her location and join you after I have found her,” the lich replied, “Tell that to our guests if they prove uncooperative.”  The teythen nodded and his body dispersed into a multitude of the winged, rodent-like familiars before flying out of a large, open window in the roof of the tower.

Holding her hand over her mouth, Mina stepped back from the door, wide eyed.  Shaking her head and fighting back tears, she retraced her steps until she was close to the back of the lab once again.  When she heard the heavy wooden door creak open, Mina frantically looked around for a place to hide.  Spying the work table, she dove under it and tried to keep from uttering a sound.

Minutes ticked by like days for her, until she could see the bottom of the lich’s spine hovering over the table.  An unbearably cold wind emanated from his body, biting into Mina’s flesh and bringing more tears to her eyes.  However, she remained completely silent.  Rubbing her hands together for warmth, Mina saw the lich rest the bottom of his spine on the hard wood bench.

Though she could see the bottom of his body, the lich did not make a sound.  Instead, Mina could hear a low grinding, as if he were rubbing two pieces of rock together, followed by the clatter of glass on glass and liquid being sloshed into a bowl.  For a moment, the sounds ceased and Mina thought she heard the lich’s soft spoken voice grunt, “Hmm?”

The lich’s spine lifted itself off the work bench and Mina craned her neck from her hiding place to get a look at what he was doing.  She saw him hold out his skeletal hand before the work bench flew backwards, leaving her completely exposed.  The lich lowered himself to the floor and spotted her in an instant.  Eyes wide with terror, Mina could only shiver at the monstrous creature that had fixed his empty eye sockets on her.

To her surprise, the cold wind vanished immediately and the lich held out his hand to her.  “Come out.  I have no desire to hurt you,” his voice said, without any hint of concern or emotion.

Shaking her head, Mina opened her mouth, as if she were about to say something to the lich, however nothing but a terrified squeal came out.  Pressing her body against the stone wall behind the work table, Mina lay perfectly still, almost as if she were dead.  The only signs of life she gave off were her ragged breathing and the furious thumping of her heart.

With a sigh, the lich held out his hand once again, pointed a finger at Mina then jerked it backwards.  Mina felt herself pulled out from under the table by an impossibly strong gale.  For a moment, she hung in mid air, face to face with the lich.  She gazed into his empty, lifeless skull in abject terror, too frightened to even cry out.

Tilting his head to the side, the lich rubbed his chin before letting his hand fall.  Mina floated down to the ground as gentle as a leaf from a tree in the height of autumn. When her feet touched the cold stone floor, they immediately gave out from under her and she fell backwards onto the ice.

“Come with me,” the lich muttered, holding out his hand in her direction once again.  “Your friends are safe.  I will take you to them.”

“I…I don’t believe you!” Mina retorted, edging away from him.

“I can see that,” the lich said, floating forward.  “Nevertheless, you have nothing to fear from me, child.  I saved you before, did I not?”

For a moment, Mina’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock, but following that she violently shook her head.  “No!  Y-you’re a lich!  You’re nothing but a soulless monster!”

The skeletal figure made no move to rebuke her.  He merely floated in the air, watching her inquisitively.  After a few moments of awkward silence, green flames flickered to life in his eye sockets and he drew nearer to Mina.  “What do you know of liches?  Or for that matter, me?” his voice contained no scorn, but rather a note of sadness intermixed with curiosity.

“I know that your kind took everything from me!” Mina yelped, staggering to her feet.  “I know that you’re evil!  I know-” she mumbled, taking another step back.

“Wait!” the eye sockets of the lich suddenly erupted with green flames.  “You…you’ve revealed Lucia?!” he called, looking past her.  “Please, you have to step away from there!” the lich floated forward, reaching out his hand to grab Mina.  “You must not-”

Before he could finish, Mina took another step backwards in fear and both she and the lich froze.  Looking down at her leg, Mina saw the green slime she had uncovered wriggle out of the pool and wrap around her foot.

“Agh!” she screamed, as it pulled her leg out from under her and began dragging her into the pool.

“Dammit!” the lich yelled, zooming over to Mina’s side and grabbing her hand.  “Hold on to me!  I won’t let you-”

“D-don’t touch me!” Mina screamed.  Tears sprouted in her eyes and she batted away the lich’s hand.

“No, you fool!” the lich cried when more tendrils of slime shot out of the pool and latched onto Mina, slowly dragging her back into it.  “That fluid is designed to entrap and preserve bodies and souls!  If you don’t get out, yours will be trapped alongside Lucia’s!”

With eyes as round as dinner plates, Mina took one final look back and saw a giant surge of slime leap out, engulfing her entirely.  She tried to scream, but the slime forced its way into every one of her orifices.  Mina could even feel it seeping in through her ears and eyes.  It felt as though a thousand voices were swimming within Mina’s head and pressure was being forced onto her from all sides.  Hot vomit rose in her throat, but it was pushed back by the slime, which crept deeper and deeper into her body.

Before she could be dragged down into the pool, however, the flames in the lich’s eyes flashed and a burst of frigid air escaped from his mouth.  The slime began to slow and parts of it froze solid.  Reaching in after her, Mina saw the lich’s hand right in front of her and he mouthed the words, “Trust me.”

With her heart threatening to explode and her vision blurring, Mina scrunched her eyes shut and took hold of the lich’s hand.  A blinding cold poured over her and when she opened her eyes, she was cradled in the lich’s arms, covered in the green mess.  The voices and the pressure on her body had not ceased, however.

Coughing up green slime, Mina opened her mouth and weakly whimpered, “I…I don’t want to die…Celi…Daryl…I…”

“I won’t let you die, do you hear me?!” the lich called, gently shaking her.  Looking up at the skeletal figure, Mina saw the lich’s body start to glow with all the colors of the rainbow.  “Stay with me,” he grunted.

Fighting the pain that now raged in every cell of her being, Mina tried to nod her assent, but before she could move, the entire world seemed to flicker around her.  The cold, snowy laboratory disappeared and was replaced with the inside of a hollowed out tree, decorated with furniture carved out of the tree itself and made to look like a house.

“Well, speak of the-” Mina weakly looked up to see the bare-chested man with the orange-gold hair standing in front of her, his mouth agape and his eyes wide.  “Aeon, what’s happened?!” he murmured, trying to keep his voice steady.

Clearing off a table, they laid Mina down upon it.  “She’s come into contact with the soul sacthern in my laboratory.  Having been separated from the main body, it will try to trap what memories it contains within this girl,” the lich named Aeon replied.  Though he spoke quickly, he never lost his composure.  “I will need to operate on her.  Fetch me some powdered mandrake, forget-me-not stems, lavender, and the petals of a rafflesia titan.  Then fetch Dakon and tell him I’ll need a lamias egg, a cu sith tongue, and the umbilical cord of a baby chimera.  He should be able to account for those.  Now be quick!  If we fail, her body and soul may begin to reject each other!”

Grabbing a tray, the bare-chested man laid it down next to Mina and handed a few bottles and dried plants to Aeon.  “These should help ease her convulsions until I get back.  By the way, her friends are outside.  Should we-”

“Do not tell them.  We cannot afford to waste any time,” Aeon muttered, using one hand to sprinkle a foul smelling powder over the parts of Mina that were covered in slime while putting his other hand to her chest.  It slid through her clothes and skin as if they were made of water and Mina felt the crushing pressure on her heart ease up slightly.  “After we have stabilized her, you can tell the others.”

Nodding, the bare-chested man rushed outside.  Lifting her head slightly, Mina saw that Aeon was running a hand over her that was brimming with radiant white light, while picking bits of slime off her skin.

“Don’t…understand…” she coughed up more slime that Aeon immediately scooped up and tossed into the tray behind him.  “You’re…a lich…”

“Do not speak,” Aeon murmured, gingerly rubbing her hair in an almost fatherly manner.  Picking up a sprig of dried lavender, he stuck it under Mina’s nose.  “You need to rest for now.  Just close your eyes and let this all fade from your memory.”

“Trust him,” a voice in her ear whispered, above all the others.  “Atron will protect you.”

“Wh-who’s there?” Mina grunted, as her eyes grew heavy, “Who…said…that…?” her voice slowly trailed off and she laid her head down on the wooden table.  Closing her eyes, Mina found herself unable to speak, unable to move, and unable to feel.  All that she could do was listen to the voices raging through her skull.

The thousands of voices that rang through her head just moments before solidified into one voice that whispered to her in a kindly, yet somber, female voice.  “I’m sorry,” the voice called out.  “But you can trust him.  Please, remember that.”

Mina tried to respond, but the voice drifted into the back of her mind and disappeared.  Left in utter silence, Mina’s mind went blank and she slipped into unconsciousness.