He jolted slightly as his litter as servants placed it on the ground. His servants pulled back his curtain and he watched as several townsfolk nearby dropped to the ground in reverence. He held his hands out to the people allowing them to crawl forward and kiss his feet. He surveyed the area finding a house sitting atop the highest hill; slowly he turned and made his way towards it, stepping on the hands of the people in line to kiss his feet.
Corin's manservant rushed forward to keep up with him and when he stopped in front of the door, he knocked obediently. The owner of the house answered the door and raised an eyebrow when he saw Corin.

"May I help you?" he asked.

"I need a place to stay for the night, and possibly the next few days," Corin answered while eyeing the man around his own age. He looked at his hands and started to clean out from under his nails. "Your house will do nicely."

The other man laughed at Corin. "You do not understand who you are talking to do you?" He paused and watched as Corin continued to clean his nails. "I am the mayor of this city and I am not ordered around, especially out of my own house." He glared at Corin.

"I don't think you understand what saying 'no' to a man of my stature could do to you." He motioned behind him to the people still bowed in fear of Corin.

"So you can scare the common folk." He laughed, "That does not take much my friend." The mayor slammed the door shut, leaving Corin standing on the stoop.

A smirk crossed his face and he turned back to the crowd who were shaking in fear of what was to come now that one had angered this servant of the beast. He looked around him at those cowering an idea inspiring in his thoughts. "Faithful followers, I, Corin, will not bring down the wrath you all now so fear." He turned to his servant who pulled out the power stone they found earlier. "I will simply punish the man himself."

Taking the stone from his servant, he turned to face the door again. He held the stone out towards the door expecting something to shoot out of it. He glared down at it then towards his servant. "What did you do to this?" He mumbled under his breath so that the commoners wouldn't hear him.

"Nothing sir, I swear I just hold."

Anger surged through Corin; it was powerful this time as he growled aloud. He felt a power he never felt before coarse through his veins. When he re-opened his eyes, he was looking straight at the top of the door previously slammed in his face. Confusion struck him, but he did not show it as he looked down and smirked at his servant huddled on the ground in fear and awe. He glanced at himself covered in a grey armor, big and thick, definitely strong enough to keep out any attack he thought to himself.

Corin glared at the door feeling his anger and hatred boil up inside of him. The new powers that this stone gave him were incredible for now he was flying, but he knew through his anger that something more powerful was coming. Continually staring at the door, he felt more and more energy build up until he felt he could hold no more. His right arm began to tingle and then surged with the energy, he screamed out in pleasure as he felt the pain advance through his arm and into the house in front of him.

When Corin finally re-opened his eyes, he was standing back on the ground next to his manservant who was whimpering slightly. Corin looked at the house in front of him obliterated. He turned to the crowd behind him. "That will teach the unfaithful to go against me! My master has given me a new power, bow before me."

Several voices mumbled and slowly they began to bow to Corin again. One did not bow completely to the ground but he showed reverence and loudly he spoke above the mumbling. "You may stay at my house, powerful one."

Corin squinted and saw a finely dressed man emerge from the crowd and advance towards him. "It is not as fine a house, but I am sure it will suit your needs."

Corin smirked towards the man and followed him to his house. Corin nodded in satisfaction at the house he would be staying in and smiled at the man who was letting him stay. "My master will reward you greatly." He motioned to his slaves to bring his items including the oracle into the house.

*****

The group decided on taking a break. The mountain they were climbing winded all of them, as they needed to get used to the altitude change. Albert sat against a rock, leaning his head backwards, eyes closed in a complete rest. Cassie, who never really could rest, was off scouting for areas to camp for the night.

Nick and Rose sat on a rock together gazing towards the sky. The sun was just beginning to set and the beauty of the colors in the sky awed both. They listened to each other as they discussed the colors they were used to seeing in the sky in their own worlds. It seemed so long ago since they first met in the forest but in reality, it had only been a month.

Albert looked through slitted eyes at the two on the rock. He watched how both unconsciously moved towards each other as they talked. They thought they were being discreet, that no one would notice their movements, that no one would believe that these two were falling for each other. Albert recognized Rose acting the same way towards Nick that he remembered Dart acting like towards Shana. Both treated the other with respect but wanted to protect them, the protection was meant to hide the affection. Rose would deny it if he brought it forward, but he saw the look she gave Nick after the fight with the huge grey beast they fought to protect that child, it was a look of fear of losing something she just found.

They were always sending Cassie and Albert off to scout out an area or around back when they freed that girl. Nick and Rose liked to be a team, they just liked to be together whether they admitted it to themselves or not.

"Albert wake up!" Rose shouted quickly.

He jolted himself off the rock and looked towards Rose. "What?" he questioned.

"Look to the sky quickly."

Albert noticed both Nick and Rose's eyes were transfixed on something in the sky so he shot his eyes upward and searched for what they were looking at. He let out a small gasp when he identified what it was. A large beam of light appeared in the sky off in the direction of Priam. He recognized the beam, Dart used that in battle against Melbu before he and Rose ended up in this world. He sighed, another spirit found, another friend whose fate was unknown.

All three turned towards the sound of rustling leaves to see Cassie emerge. "We need to move on; we need to reach Priam as quickly as possible. That beam gave me a bad feeling." She bolted past the others leaving them to grab their supplies and catch up with her.

Albert caught up with Rose and kept pace with her. "You know what that was don't you?"

She turned and glared at Albert, forcing him to shrink back and drop his speed slightly. She picked up her speed and caught up to Nick, keeping her pace with him.

It was just after dark and they were still a distance away. Nick stopped and fell on the ground.

"I… can't… run… anymore…" He said between deep breaths.

The rest of the group with an unspoken agreement stopped running and fell to the ground, forcing a rest upon them before they continued any longer.

Early morning light forced Nick to open his eyes. He looked around him as he slowly sat up. Cassie was awake sitting by a waning fire. She seemed lost in thought; her eyes appeared misty though Nick was certain, through a lack of redness, that she had not shed a single tear.

He made his way over to her and sat down. "May I ask?" He asked brushing his hand along her cheek for comfort.

Cassie shook her head. "There's not much to say. I was just remembering my family." There was no need to tell him that she was thinking about her brother again. Her nights seemed to be haunted by her memories of him lately. His last words running through her head repeatedly.

Nick didn't have a chance to say any words of comfort, for he was missing his family and friends too, because Albert was rousing Rose and soon they would be off again to find where that beam of light had come from.

*****

Eve glared at the two men dragging behind her. She knew Paneb could easily keep up and she guessed Drystan could as well, but Drystan asked Paneb about his hometown and they were discussing everything.

"So your town focused on sculptures, paintings and building?" Drystan asked.

Paneb nodded earnestly, thinking he found someone who would listen to his love of art and all he had to endure to be in the position he was before the monster. "Yes, we were a society of artisans. Our women knew women's work, but the men created such masterpieces that they were desired throughout the land."

"But it is just art. It does not cure anyone and it does not help the advancement of society. I do not understand the fascination with a picture using bright colors to depict a person that is standing in front of you." Drystan stopped and looked at Paneb.

Paneb stopped and took a seat in the dirt grabbing a twig carefully sketching the scene of the mountains in the near distance, the trees just past the horizon and even simple pictures of Eve and Drystan watching him.

"Paneb!" Eve shouted. "This is ridiculous; we have a monster to catch up with, to defeat to vindicate your family." She stormed closer to Paneb, stopping short of his drawing. Viewing it, she became breathless. "I never knew your talent, and you only used dirt and a stick." She sat next to Paneb watching the simple swift movements he used to complete his picture.

"Now, Drystan, can you not say that is beautiful and captures the moment?" Paneb asked looking up and the man.

Drystan glanced down at the picture. "Why should I look at a replica when I have the real thing in front of me?" He motioned to the scene that Paneb just reproduced.

"But that scene does not last forever, that is what we capture in our artwork." Paneb stood, helping Eve to her feet.

Drystan shook his head and kicked the dirt of Paneb's drawing, destroying what was just created. "Too easy to destroy. It does not last, now science and medicine is the way to keep the world alive so that generations can look upon a view like this and remember it to tell their children."

Paneb started a counterargument, that children would have an easier time to see what they were being told if there was a picture to represent it, but the look on Eve's face was now set and determined to move forward.

"If we do not find and destroy Wulf, who will be around to do any of these things?" She turned and marched off thinking about her home, the art that surrounded it and the stories her family told her. She needed to find Wulf and control it, or perhaps she should destroy it? Her head swam in confusion as she walked. In finality, she shook her head and set her face more determined now to find the beast and control it, keeping safe the ones she loves and to destroy those who harmed her people in the past.

*****

Corin, hands folded behind his back, walked around the cities markets. He told the people that he was there to inspect the city, to make sure they were living a righteous and sinless life. Nevertheless, as he inspected a cart of fruit, his eyes darted around searching for the person who would bring new power to his oracle, for the person who held his new power stone and for the person he was forewarned would be his doom.

A sudden movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he turned to look at the commotion. He watched as four young people walked into the marketplace, the commotion was caused by the city folk eyeing the weapons and moving away from the newcomers quickly. Corin scoffed at their fears. These were only mortals with shiny metal sticks, he was next to a god, and they should not fear mere humans.

Corin turned towards them, eyeing each of them as they ran past. The tall blond kid was wearing foreign clothes; he seemed to be leading the others out of the marketplace, though he constantly looked back at the female behind him. Corin eyed her and her long, black hair. Something in her dark clothing gleamed and caught his eye as she ran after the blond. Not far behind ran a blond woman and a dirty blond male, no wonder the dark-haired female stood out, he scoffed to himself.

They paid him no attention, all but the second man, he turned towards Corin slightly, his eyes widening. He quickly turned away and picked up his speed to catch up with the second female. Corin started to shrug the newcomers off when he noticed where they stopped; huddling around the destruction he caused yesterday talking quietly to themselves.

There was something about the four that unnerved him. He needed to find out who they were and what they were doing. A sudden smile crossed his face and his manservant cringed at the sight as Corin called him over.

"I want you to send a slave over to that group huddled yonder." He started. "Find out what they are talking about and try to get close enough to the dark haired girl, I think she might have another power stone with her."

The servant nodded his head in compliance and scurried off to find a slave to do their masters bidding.

Ku quietly approached the group of four that he was told to spy on. As much as he was afraid of these strange people, he was more scared of Corin and the punishment that would ensue if he did not comply with his wishes.

He pretended that he was rummaging through the ruble and inched his way closer until he could hear the conversation.

"So what who do you think has it?" the tall blond asked.

"Someone who either doesn't know how to use it, or is using it with the intent of destroying." The dark-haired girl replied.

Albert turned to the others and started talking quieter then before. "Have you noticed that little hunched up man edging towards us?"

Cassie looked up and towards the man that Albert was talking about. She gasped slightly at him. "He looks familiar." She mumbled.

Not noticing what Cassie said, Albert continued. "Nick, I saw a man decked out in a red robe standing in the marketplace when we entered town. He was watching us, I wonder if this puny man has anything to do with him."

Cassie stared harder at the man trying to place his face. She could not tear her eyes away from him. She was not listening as the others formed a plan as to what to do about this potential spy. Maybe she met him when she first entered this world; he might have been one of the sick she healed. She settled on that decision but her mind would not rest on that idea.

She watched as he rummaged through the debris trying to make it appear as though he was up to nothing. Slowly she took a couple of steps closer to him, unaware of the others pausing in their discussion to look at her.

Cassie's mind raced with faces and places trying to recall where she had seen his face before, but each time she was on the verge of discovering where she knew him, her mind went blank and she was forced to start her recollection over.

Her mind raced, she caught Nick approaching from the corner of her eye, Rose not far behind. Words were exchanged between Nick and the unknown man. Cassie was still trying to place his face, paying no attention to the raised voices.

She saw the dagger raised against Nick, but it seemed more like a dream as Nick brought his foot out to kick the sharp object away. The man began to cower and Rose was immediately at Nick's side with her blade brandished against the man.

A sudden image formed in her mind as her face finally placed the man. "NO!" She yelled out at Rose. Rose stopped her blade midair and looked towards Cassie.

"What?" She questioned. "He raised a weapon against Nick!" She shot out defensively.

By that time Cassie was standing in front of the ragged man, arms outstretched, protecting him from any forthcoming attacks. "You can't hurt him, I won't allow it." She said looking from Albert to Nick to Rose and then back to Albert.

"Why is it so important to you Cassie?" Albert queried.

A single tear rolled down her cheek as she stepped aside and looked at the man and then back to her friends. "Because this man was one of my childhood friends."