Olfragh came back to the workshop hurriedly one day and the expression on his face gave Leona and the others a feeling that their safe moments in Faimeh are about to come to an abrupt end.

“Lord Thu’ril,” Jarael said frowning as the god ushered them inside the house, “What happened? Did Demvross find out that we were here?”

“Not exactly,” Olfragh said, bolting the door shut and looking warily out the window. “But what I’ve found out is bad enough.”

Olfragh took them to his office and locked the door likewise.

“From what I’ve heard a while back there in the butcher’s place,” he said in hushed tones, “the price, Demvross, is here for an ‘official visit.’ He even has his twisted brother with him. The butcher says that he’s here to recuperate from an attack from rebel groups in Amera. That’s where you came from before Faimeh, am I right?”

“What’s happening?” Nareana said quietly, gripping Leona’s skirt in her little fists.

Leona pulled her close, he heart hammering against her ribs at the startling news.

“What do we do then, sir?” she asked. Olfragh shook his head miserably.

“That’s not all the talk is about,” he said, looking at them with anguish in his eyes, “the proprietress in the inn you took Nareana from? Remember her? Well the butcher also told me that she’s taking advantage of the princes’ presence in the city.”

“She’s not going to tell the princes about the little commotion back in the inn, is she?” Tavus asked.

“That’s exactly what she intended to do,” Olfragh said. Jarael cursed and walked away. “She played the poor, lonely mother who lost her precious child at the hands of ruffians.”

Leona gripped Nareana tighter, “And then? But there are witnesses, right?”

“Yes,” Olfragh said, seating himself into his chair. “But they’re all too afraid to say anything otherwise. The landlady has powerful connections in the Hall, mostly some of her more affluent patrons.”

“Jarael, what do we do?” Tavus said, walking over to where Jarael stood quietly in deep thought. “We can’t stay here any longer. Sooner or later they’ll track us down once the proprietress gives our description to them!”

Jarael motioned for him to keep quiet impatiently, “Could you please wait? I’m thinking up of the best way for us to escape.”

Olfragh stood up. “I have a proposition to make. But it will be a risky process.”

The other three looked at him apprehensively.

“Go on, Lord Thu’ril,” Jarael said quietly.

Olfragh cleared his throat and continued, “In our original plan we’ll be going to Neizagaard together. But considering the circumstances, we’ll have to go separately. But I want the four of you to stay together at all times.”

“What do you suggest, then?” Leona asked.

“I suggest that you go to Dushahn first, wait for me to arrive there, go to the smith’s place, Tavus will know where to go.”

“Tavus, take them to Spencer’s place,” Olfragh said, Tavus nodded.

“When I get there, then we can sail to Neizagaard. I can’t go there first because I fear that if I leave you here, the protection I’ve cast on you will wear off when I leave the city.”

“I told you it’s very precarious, but it is entirely necessary altogether if we want Leona to reach Neizagaard unnoticed.”

Olfragh looked at them all, sorrow and panic on his lined face.

“It’s best you leave tomorrow, at dawn. Jarael, I will glamour them so you won’t tire yourself. Port Dushahn is very far.”

Olfragh turned to Tavus, “I advise you to take one of my horses. Jarael couldn’t carry all of you on his back especially if he’ll walk to Dushahn.”

Jarael blanched, “You mean to say, I wouldn’t just fly to Dushahn?” he asked.

“Of course not,” snapped Olfragh, “You’re still a horse.”

“But I can change into a dragon,” Jarael protested. Olfragh shook his head impatiently.

“It’ll still draw too much suspicion.”

“I’ll help you pack. But be sure you keep your weapons on you at all times.”

Olfragh led Jarael and one of his horses out of his backyard early the next day before sunrise.

Leona, Tavus, and Nareana came out and helped Olfragh load the saddlebags on both horses.

Leona wore a black leather suit and black boots that reached her knees which made it easier for her to move, she draped a cloak around herself as she buckled Rubida Nurthia on her belt. Tavus dressed similarly: his sword dangling from his hip and a longbow with a quiver of arrows was slung at his back.

“You’ll be in Dushahn soon, right?” Leona quietly asked Olfragh anxiously.

Olfragh looked solemn, “I will try my best, Leona.”

He gave a rolled up parchment to her.

“The map of Neizagaard,” he announced. Leona nodded appreciatively.

Tavus swung his leg on Olfragh’s horse. Leona helped Nareana get on the horse as well.

“What about the glamour, sir Olfragh?” she asked.

The three of them changed appearance instantly. They all had raven hair and their cloaks became dark to hide their weapons underneath with ease.

Leona mounted Jarael and felt Jarael’s crystalline dagger tied to her leg and the Rubida Nurthia hanging on her hip. Her heart skipped a bit when she remembered that she will be using those arms soon.

Tavus pulled his hood over his eyes and hid Nareana partly in the folds of his cloak.

“I guess we’ll have to go now, master,” he addressed Olfragh gravely. Olfragh nodded and turned to Leona.

Tavus rode parallel to Leona as they passed the city walls. The guards shot them suspicious looks yet didn’t give them much more than a second look. A few miles from the outskirts of the city, Tavus let out a long sigh of relief.

“I almost thought that they recognized us.”

“That’s impossible, we’re glamoured,” Leona said. Nareana stirred inside Tavus’ cloak.

“Are we going far? Where are we passing?” she asked. Leona relayed the question to Jarael.

“Port Dushahn is on the other side of Ramorgra in the far west. We’ll get there in about a week or so if we’ll just walk there. Our journey will be slow since we’re passing the road in the southern Rillions then begin the descent on the other side. But then we’ll have to go around the edge of the Fasenpahr before we even see Dushahn. Then we’ll have to cross a river to get there.”

Leona felt troubled. That’s way too far! And a week! And I have a bad feeling about the southern Rillions, it’s densely forested. T’lakr could be hiding anywhere…

They followed the winding road for two days, stopping in the evening to let Jarael and the other horse to rest. On the dawn of the third day they began their ascent in the Rillions.

The mountains on the southern end of Ramorgra were covered with impenetrable forests save for the road the merchants created to allow easy access through the mountains to carry their goods form city to city. But aside from the road, dense forests dominated most of the scenery. Trees formed domed archways over the road, letting only sparse beams of sunlight to pass through its endless green boughs. Birds occasionally burst from the trees and other tiny woodland creatures made rare appearances as well, frightened at the unfamiliar noise of passersby.

On the fifth day of their journey, Jarael reared to an abrupt stop near the top of the mountain amidst the fog that slowly crept around them at their height almost near the clouds.

“Jarael, what is it?” Leona asked, her heart skipped a beat.

“Quiet,” Jarael said, “I heard some unusual rustling in some of the trees.”

Leona and Tavus looked around and above them.

“I couldn’t see anything,” Tavus said. Nareana stirred and looked at him with huge, frightened eyes.

“Tavus, I can hear them, too!” she whimpered, “They’re coming near very fast!”

“Spur your horse, Tavus, we’re running.”

Jarael sped quickly through the bushy outgrowth with Tavus following closely behind. Leona strained her ears for the slightest sound except for the noise of the horses’ hooves and her own ragged breathing. They neared a section of the road that gave a clear view of the sky and the valleys below from cliffs on both sides when sudden rustlings in the trees became very noticeable to ignore further.

Suddenly, on the same road some strangers barred their way less then a mile away. Alarmed, Jarael reared and spun around, just to see that another group of strangers blocked the path they had just come from. Whoever they were they had trapped them.

Just then, a familiar chuckling came from above them, and to their horror they saw Prince Demvross alighting menacingly from the sky, sending gusts of strong wind each time he beat his ghastly black wings.

A person stepped up towards them as well, smiling wickedly in a sneer almost identical to Demvross’, except that this person had dark red hair that was almost like the color of blood.

“Prince Aljarus,” Leona breathed. Demvross laughed again, swinging his halberd around.

“I see that you know my brother, bright one,” he said, addressing Leona. He landed on the ground and circled around them.

“I can see that your, steed, is tired,” he said in a mocking voice. “I’d like to ease him of the burden of carrying you,” he pulled out his sword, while his brother’s hands flared with power as if his fists were engulfed in a bright red flame.

“I’d help you dismount, goddess,” Demvross said scathingly, “But I prefer it the less elegant way.”

Tavus and Leona unsheathed their swords as a horde of T’lakr came upon them. Hacking at the monsters furiously, Leona saw from the corner of her eye that Demvross lunged at Jarael and Prince Aljarus pointed a flaming hand at Tavus.

Her eyes grew wide with fear and confusion until a tiny shriek pierced the air,

Leona shielded her eyes as a sudden flash of white light engulfed them and projected outwards with a loud explosion that threw their attackers back.

Jarael took advantage of the confusion and said urgently to Tavus as he turned into a dragon, knocking back T’lakr who have escaped the explosion with his tail, “Abandon the horse! We’re flying away this instant.”

Tavus nodded and dismounted, carrying Nareana and jumping on Jarael’s back. Jarael spread his massive leathery wings and prepared to take off.

“Jarael, what would Olfragh say if you flew to Dushahn?” Leona shrieked as the T’lakr and the two princes scrambled to their feet.

“We can’t outrun them at this rate,” and Jarael took off the cliff overlooking the valley.

“Where are they?” Prince Demvross demanded angrily as he shook the shock of the explosion, he raged as he saw that Leona had escaped.

His brother came up to him and said directly, “They have flown away on the Giraj, brother.”

Demvross hissed and staggered upright, and then he changed into the fearsome black dragon in a gust of putrid black smoke.

“What did you do a while ago, Jarael?” Tavus shouted above the rush of the wind, they soared above the Sea of Imrath far below, “You sounded like a mouse.”

“To tell you the truth, I don’t know myself. That energy didn’t come from me,” Jarael replied, “Whoever did it was a very powerful magician.”

Just then, a jet of angry fire missed them by mere inches, a bolt of red light frizzled on their other side blasting a section of the massive rock face a mile away from them. Leona’s head whipped around.

Less than a league behind them came Demvross in his draconian form with his brother riding on his back. The menacing pair was rushing at them with tremendous speed.

Then arrows came showering at them from the higher cliffs.

“They have T’lakr archers situated in the cliffs!” Tavus exclaimed. Jarael swooped low trying to avoid both attacks.

Jarael arched his long scaly neck above Leona’s heads and sent a billowing jet of fire on both the princes and the T’lakr.

Leona shook her head and whispered into Jarael’s ear.

“Jarael can you go any closer to those two?” she asked. Jarael snorted a gust of black smoke.

“I’ve had it up to my neck with them. Wait for me underneath,” Leona said, her heart throbbing in her throat. I have to do this…

“When you get near them enough, you have to let me get on Demvross’ back. Fly behind them.”

Jarael roared angrily, “I won’t let you do such a thing! You don’t have your Ifla Merum! If they hit you severely you will die!”

“Do what I say, Jarael! I know what I’m doing,” she shouted.

Reluctantly, Jarael fell back of their pursuers until they were almost parallel with the black dragon.

Demvross snapped at Jarael’s snout, the latter bathed the other dragon’s head in an inferno from his mouth.

Much to the protest of Tavus and Nareana, Leona staggered to stand on Jarael’s back, wind whipping at her furiously and threatened to knock her off balance, and then flung herself on Demvross’ flank.

Aljarus laughed mirthlessly at the sight of Leona behind him.

“Brother, you should witness this! The goddess herself has come to us!”

Leona ground her teeth and thrust her sword at Aljarus, the prince nimbly moved out of the way.

“You’re really looking for trouble aren’t you, bright one?” Aljarus said, taking hold of his brother’s sword. He lunged at her with a roar and Leona parried it, sending a shower of sparks on Demvross’ black back.

Aljarus grimaced as Leona sliced a long gash on his chest. His fist flared up in the fierce red flame and shot a bolt at Leona.

Leona shrieked as the light grazed her side and she was thrown back.

She almost fell from the dragons back as Aljarus came and pointed his brother’s sword over her.

“We want you alive, goddess,” he said, red blood blossomed on his chest, “But if it’s death you want, then death you shall have!”

Aljarus raised his sword over her and roared angrily, Leona staggered to a crouching position and hacked furiously at he prince’s torso.

The latter howled, went out of balance and fell from his brother’s back.

Red lightning blasted in all directions as Aljarus plummeted several feet down. Demvross roared menacingly and dove downwards, Leona struggled to remain on his back while clutching her wounded side, wind whipping furiously at her face. She crept towards Demvross’ neck and brought her blade savagely in the dragon’s unprotected neck.

The beast snarled in pain and spiraled downward at being wounded. Leona shrieked as Demvross plunged down after his brother. She weakly looked around for Jarael.

Jarael was just behind them. She gasped that his underside was bloody. Suddenly, Demvross’ wings stopped beating and they hovered for a moment before the dragon dropped quickly from the sky.

Leona screamed as she hurtled to the sea below her.

Her eyes fluttered as the visions shot through her sight again.

Falling, screaming, blue light, white feathers…

She vaguely felt Jarael swoop below to catch her. Then she blacked out.