4

"Ah, boy, how brave and stupid of you."

I turned around, this land was misty and dark, "Where are you?"

Then I saw him, a man towering me, and would've easily have towered over George too.

"The question should be, 'Who are you?'."

"Oh, my bad, I can't see through invisibility." I snapped.

The man laughed, "Even standing in front of the Gates of Death, you haven't lost your snark?"

I grinned, "I'd call it sass."

He laughed again, as if I was some puppy for his entertainment, "Listen boyo, I'm-"

"Death." I guessed.

Again, he laughed by tipping his head back slightly, "I wish I had that kind of power, but no, I'm the Dark Lord."

"The Dotek Kinsa?" I asked shocked.

"If you want to say it in the Ancient Language, then yes."

"But we defeated you and had you nearly killed." I sputtered.

He grinned, "Exactly, that's how I'm here. We're just in front of the Gates of Death."

"But..." my voice trailed off.

"Yes," he confirmed, "You like me, are just close to dying, except I have better healers and you only have a single healer."

"Sorscha." I guessed.

He waved it away, "Not the point, just know, you also have a less chance of getting revived, because some outer power is holding your soul, and no one but me, that outer power and the Holy Queen can heal you now."

I tried to look unimpressed, but if had to live in this shit-hole or back to the world of the living...

"Yes," he said if he knew exactly what I was thinking, "And the demons didn't even try to pull you in yet, and that's only the start of the punishments, then come the soul-sucking leaches and... worse stuff."

I gulped, "How are you alive then?"

"Limerg." He said simply.

"Limerg?" I asked.

"Not exactly but kind of like the power that keeps you alive."

This was making no sense to me, but I got one thing: Limerg is good and I have to help it live.

"I know this is confusing, but right now we both have to help each other, even if in the living world we're going to be enemies again."

I nodded, then said feeling as abandoned the day my mother died by my grandfather "I know that we're going to be enemies again, but please visit me as often as possible."

His face softened, "Of course." Then vanished.



The governor of the state told us that we should all take rooms in the

castle, and that he'll keep James safe in the med-bay with their healers, but Sorscha refused saying, that they'll go in the castle but James will be kept in her room and the governor agreed.

I couldn't sleep, just thinking about the days about me and James, the day we first met, and our duo adventures and our parties.

Dawn came around and I didn't get a wink of sleep, so I decided to get up the image of his steaming body not leaving my mind.

I went to Alice's room to wake her up, so I knocked and when no reply came, I figured she was asleep, so I opened the door, and saw her spread across the bed but still managed to keep the blankets on.

I approached her sleeping body and just touched her arm, when I heard Lysandra say, "I doubt she would appreciate you entering her room without permission."

I turned around, "If you don't know we've shared a room more times then I remember." I said, hating the way it just slipped out so harshly.

She seemed hurt at the way I said it, "I'm sorry, Lysandra, it's just after what happened-"

"You need to get your anger out, I understand, I know you didn't mean it." She said curtly.

I looked at her gratefully, "Thanks for understanding."

She just nodded, "Just wake her up and come down for breakfast."

I nodded and she left. Then I turned to Alice and shook her softly, "Come on wake up." I whispered to her.

I took me about three minutes of experimenting waking her up when I decided for a bucket of water, but when I returned, she was sitting, "Seriously George?"

I just stared at her, "I was waking you up for breakfast." I mumbled.

"Thank you, I guess but do not ever, ever think about throwing water on me while I'm sleeping, especially in the winter."

"Well, I won't do it during the winter but after that," I shrugged, in a way that I knew Alice hated "I'll do it."

"Ugh, just get out, and let me change and get ready."

"Okay, well come down in the dining hall after that."

She nodded.

So, feeling quite awkward I left the room and went downstairs, where I saw that breakfast wasn't there nor was Lysandra...

"Lysandra," I yelled panicked, "Lys, where are you?"

Suddenly darkness enveloped me, "Gah," I sent a blast of my magic, holy magic mixed with something else, causing the darkness to retreat slightly, then realizing its weakness I sent a stronger blast, and kept on repeating it unless I saw nothing but Lysandra on her knees, her nose bleeding, but she managed a grin, "Didn't know defeating my darkness for you would be so easy."

I was so relieved she was safe I didn't care that she assaulted me, "You planned all this?"

"Duh, who eats breakfast at dawn?"

I nodded, "George, James will be healed, but if you keep up to this, brooding and being sad, and fine we all are sad, but we try our best not to show it, you will have to do the same."

I raised an eyebrow, "How are you so certain?"

"Remember the time when they nearly threw you into hell, we thought

freeing you would be impossible, but in the end, Alice, James and Veronica got you out and proved that even the forces of the Dotek Kinsa can't keep us down, and when you were sent in prison by General Samuel, we managed to prove your innocence, and showing that even the political leaders of our Empire couldn't keep us down. Now George I gave you examples of yourself and every time you came out the same optimistic guy, with his sass and you held no grudges even to Lady Elenore who had blamed you in the first place."

I grinned, "Well, you gave examples of me what makes you think James will be the same?" there was a joke and serious question in that.

She also realized both parts of it, "He will George, nothing of the sort happened to him yet but take Alice, me and Sorscha we all have suffered terribly and even know you don't know our personal history, you can trust us."

"I know Lysandra, I do trust you guys even if you're with Chaos."

She smiled, "We all have that thought running in our minds and we all follow that."

I nodded, "What do you think would be going on with Jamsie right now?"

She grinned, "Sorry, milord never came close to dying."

"No, what I mean is," I started, "These cursed gods, wouldn't leave anything easy and I'm sure right now James is suffering terribly."

Her smile faded, "Yeah, but let's pray for once they'll think about us too."

"Seems doubtful." A voice said from back.

We turned and saw Alice and the others standing on the staircase, "How long have you guys been standing here?"

Alice grinned at me, "It's been a while."



The battleship was a king among ships, its prow was glowing with power, and the oars were huge hidden under the sea, being run by only the strongest people on board and would do it for only four hours and then the next shift, and there were three shifts meaning one person would get eight hours break.

"Looking at this, I want to be a sailor at your ship." Sophia commented.

I smiled "You won't be saying once she puts you on duty." in truth I knew that Jeanette herself designed her ship and set up these rules.

Jeanette rolled her eyes, "I'm sure it's better than making random soldiers start their drills at random times and the poor commanders too have to start doing it too."

I smirked, "Which is why my whole legion is fit unlike yours who's only two thousand soldiers per ship are actually strong."

"You know, on two thousand people, you don't usually emphasize it with 'only'."

"Compared to the amount you stuff in, I'm afraid I have to." He retorted.

I laughed, "Come on let's get this baby moving."

"You didn't anchor it, did you?" I asked as the Silter had fully set.

"No silly, but we have to still get it moving." She explained.

"I know, just saying." I chided.

She smirked, "Sure," then she raised her voice, "To the Prince of Darkness."

The cheer was taken up by the rest of the crew and suddenly the whole ship jolted then I realized, that the oarsmen were water benders. Then I

wondered what caused her to be so late?

For the size of the ship it was going quite fast, a fifty-foot beast, cutting through the currents of the sea.

"This is the same ship you used in the Battle of Bisker, right?"

"No, this a copy, the original is much bigger."

I nodded and then asked, "Why'd you arrive late, with this ship, even the delay of krakens couldn't have done much."

"Well, we also had to heal the injured and repair the broken parts of ship."

Again, that wave of guilt came at me, thinking that she would be lying to me there where she first told of the krakens.

"Come on," she held my hand and took me to her room in the center of the deck.

"Quite a dangerous spot to for the Admiral." I said concerned.

She waved that off, "Come in."

I entered feeling weird, "So why'd you call me in?"

She sat, "To tell you the real reason why we're late."



"Where were you, for all this time?" I hissed.

"None of your business, I do have my own life." The spy said.

"You will do as I say." I said firmly.

It laughed, "Or what?"

"I won't complete my side of the bargain." I said coldly.

"You can't blackmail me forever with that, you should get that." It warned.

I took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, just feeling angry today."

"Find someone else to take it out on." It said simply.

"What news?" I asked, changing the topic.

I sensed it felt gleeful, "What is it?" I asked annoyed.

"Nothing, just today I want you to tell me who you really are."

I exhaled sharply, "Then you tell me give your identity too."

It shook its head, "At least give me your gender."

"Whatever I'm going to tell you, you have to tell me." I snapped.

"Fine, then let's delay this for later."

I sighed with relief, "Well, can you give me the news you've gathered?"

"Getting him out of the way, as much as I hate it was a good move." It admitted, "His friends are now broken, and aren't really focusing on anything but healing him."

"Good, good," I muttered, "Any threat so far?"

"Yes, the General Samuel and his sister sail to get the Prince."

I shook my head, "Why do you think they'll pose a threat to me?"

She snarled, "Aren't you both a team? Last I checked you were with the Dotek Kinsa."

"Now, now, don't get angry your information wasn't that much of use to me, yes, we're a team, but the information you gave me was certainly good but any threat posing me, specifically?"

"No, you have no threats," she admitted, "But the city of Beser has fallen."

"They had it coming." I said calmly.

Suddenly, I think because I pushed it to the limit it vanished.

"Great." I moaned.