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"Eve, look over here." Paneb shouted to the woman who was scanning the town. She turned towards the direction that Paneb was pointing.
"What the hell happened there?" She questioned, sauntering up next to him.

"Looks like some kind of storm just demolished the house, but touched else around." Drystan commented from behind. "I've never seen anything like this before in all my travels." He stooped in the mess and started to scrounge around, searching for any information that might help him in his studies.

"Who do you think, or what do you think did this?" Paneb asked Eve.

"I think that it wasn't Wulf." It was all she said before turning and looking at the town behind her.

Paneb watched as she wandered back into the throng of merchants at the market. He knew she was listening for any information that could be of use to them. He watched her for a little longer, her hips swaying less then usual. His attention eventually made its way back to Drystan who was trying to talk to him.

"Something very powerful did this." Drystan commented. "This was no fire or storm as we originally thought." He stood next to Paneb and adjusted his quiver. "Where did Eve wander to now?" He questioned with slight irritation.

Paneb jolted his head towards the market and the two made their way over to where she was standing.

"Discover anything?" Drystan asked.

Eve shook her head. "Nothing about the house being destroyed, all the talk seems to be about four outsiders that were at the site earlier. I think we should find them and learn what they know." Her idea was not a suggestion; it was their next course of action. She did not give them a choice on the matter, but headed towards the Inn, the logical place that out of town people would go.

*****

Cassie sat holding her mug aware of all the eyes on her. She knew that she owed the others an explanation, but when her own thoughts were askew, she had no idea what she should tell the others.

If she had premonitions of the future, why did she not see this coming, how did she not know she would find Caleb in this world?

She was starting to think so hard about the topic that her brain was starting to hurt, she needed to talk, but would the others believe and trust her after this mishap? She looked up at the others; they sat trying to not make it obvious that they were watching her.

"I don't know why I did not see it before," she started, eyes immediately flying to her as she spoke. "For some reason I did not know he would be here, it is something I was sure that I would be able to know, especially since he is from my own world. I was under the impression from the elders that I would be able to know if any of my kind were located anywhere near me." She sighed heavily and took a drink of the liquid in her mug.

Nick nodded his head in sympathy. "You can't know everything always Cassie, don't be so hard on yourself."

"I do not understand the big deal about one of your kind being here, if you made it here, then surely others found their way on accident." Albert interjected between sips of his ale.

Cassie shook her head. "Something about it does not sit right with me Albert. I know it very well could have happened on accident, but…" She drifted off noting the door to the Inn slamming open and three travelers taking a seat near the fireplace.

Rose looked around at everyone, leaning back in her chair, the only one without a mug in front of her. "It is not of our concern now!"

"I'm sorry Rose," Cassie apologized. "There are so many more important things then me bumping into an old friend." A small sigh escaped her lips. "We need to find out who controls that immense amount of power."

"The Divine Dragon Spirit is not something that I hoped I would have to deal with again. Not many people would be able to control that amount of power either, Dart was one of the few who could use control." Albert started the discussion.

"What if it was an accident?" Nick questioned. "I mean look what happened the first time I used my Spirit."

A small smirk played on Rose's lips and a booming laugh from Albert caused many eyes in the room to look at the group of four.

"It's a possibility, but someone is searching for the Spirits, that much we know. Perhaps one of these Priests found the stone and accidentally used it, but we have to think that it is possible, Corin, was that his name?" Rose looked towards Albert and with his nod continued, "We have to consider that he has obtained this stone and has discovered how to use the power. If he has, then it is not only Wulf we have to contend with.

It was with those words that Cassie noticed the three recent patrons watching them all carefully. "I think it's best we not discuss these matters in public any longer, others seem to be interested in what we have to say." She nodded her head towards the other group.

The others turned their heads quickly noticing who she was talking about turning their heads quickly to try to avoid further suspicion.

It was Nick who took the first action, standing quickly he was halfway to their table before Albert or Rose could stop him.

"Do you have something to wish to know, to ask or to comment on? Maybe you need a picture, it lasts longer!" He shouted at the group. Shrinking back only slightly when the muscular man stood and started to advance towards him.

"It is you with the problem!" He shouted back to Nick.

"Then why are you watching us so intensely?" He questioned harshly.

"What does it matter if we do boy?"

By now Rose, Cassie and Albert were by Nick's side but could not keep him from talking to the brute in front of them.

"Nick, we do not need to fight senseless fights." Rose tried to interject, but the men throwing words back and forth did not hear her. By now, the bigger man's companions were by his side, sizing them up.

Rose rolled her eyes as the two flung their words and insults back and forth and looked towards the woman in the party. Something about her seemed familiar to her but she shrugged it away and tried to reason with her.

"Sorry about this, I don't know what got into him." The glare that was returned showed her that the woman did not care to hear any explanations; instead, the other woman's hand flew to her belt where a rapier hung. As fast as she could, Rose grabbed her sword, unsheathed it, and held it at the big man's throat.

"I suggest you leave that where it is" Rose threw her words at the woman.

A smirk crossed the other woman's face and she threw her head back and laughed slightly. "You think that threatening his life will keep you safe?" She questioned. "Go ahead and kill him, then I won't have to put up with his vile smell anymore." Quickly her rapier was pulled and aimed at Nick's throat. "Now I say we have a slight problem."

Swiftly Rose glanced around at the others, Nick was at a standstill but Cassie's bow was tight and ready to release an arrow at the woman, and the third member of the other party also had a bowstring tight aimed at her. "Bring it on." She voiced using her foot to kick the woman backwards, forcing her to drop the rapier from Nick's throat allowing him to unsheathe his sword.

"Eve!" The large man shouted, moving quickly to help her to her feet.

"That was unwise." The woman, Eve, said. "Paneb, Drystan, let's show them that they made the wrong choice in attacking us!" Quickly the three moved towards the group.

"You definitely don't know who you are messing with." Rose spat out as her sword clashed with Eve's rapier.

Drystan's first shot with his bow flew wide, missing his target completely sticking into the wood above the bar.

"What you kids think you doing?" The bartender shouted unheard in the commotion.

Paneb grabbed a table and charged towards Nick; quickly Nick moved out of the way allowing the large man to pass him. He let a soft laugh out but was brought back to reality when the sting of a dagger crossed his leg. He turned quickly to face Drystan who abandoned his bow and was using a dagger now.

"You think it's a fair fight, my sword against your dagger?" Nick asked mocking the man.

Drystan lunged quickly at Nick, grazing his arm with the dagger. "It's not the size that matters." He laughed softly before falling to the floor from the blow to his head administered by Albert.

"Thought you could use the help." Albert smiled.

They turned towards the remaining fight. Rose and Eve were locked in combat, evenly matched. They turned their attention to Cassie who was trying her best to avoid Paneb's lunges, unable to do so he caught her up in his arms and began to squeeze.

"Little man, I have one of your women. I'll let her go, I want hand-to-hand combat. No weapons, just you and me."

Nick gulped as he watched Cassie struggle against the pressure pressed on her. He was not trained well in this kind of fighting. Albert spent little time instructing him without a weapon. Albert saw the panic in Nick's eyes and placed his hand on his arm causing Nick to look at him quickly. Albert nodded and looked towards the pack.

Catching his drift, he turned back towards Paneb as Albert walked back to their table.

"I'll take you up on your challenge!" He shouted, "Now let her go."

Paneb released Cassie who fell to the floor and crawled away from the commotion.

Nick slowly approached dodging swings Paneb took at him. He tried to remember the few boxing matches he watched with his friends back home, tried to dance with his feet quickly enough that he could move from the punches until Albert achieved his goal.

Paneb grew frustrated with Nick's dancing and used his arms at once, throwing them out and smacking the side of Nick's body, knocking him to the floor. Paneb reached down and grabbed at Nick's legs, trying to pull him closer in so that he could really start to use the brunt of his strength.

"No where to go now!" He said as he started to pull him closer.

"Nick, catch!" Albert yelled from across the room. Nick quickly looked up and shot his hand out catching his Dragoon Spirit.

In only a few seconds Paneb realized that, his arms were fully extended upwards instead of towards the ground pulling. Shocked for a few seconds, he loosened his grip and allowed Nick to pull his legs free from Paneb's grip.

"NO!" A shout from across the room sounded. From nowhere a blast of energy knocked Nick to the floor causing him to lose conciseness and hold on his Dragoon form.

Rose stood looking at Eve with questioning eyes. Before she could form any words to question, the woman she was running out the door yelling for her companions to follow her. Paneb scooped up the hurt Drystan, grabbed his weapons and left following Eve.

"What was that about?" Paneb shouted at Eve as he hurried to catch up to Eve. "That twerp deserved what he got, why didn't we stay to finish the others?"

"They weren't worth it!" Moreover, Paneb knew with those words the discussion was over, there was nothing left but to follow her in silence. He didn't even bother to question her about what it was that knocked the flying freak over.

*****

He received the news through one of his many spies that he networked around the many towns and cities in the world. One of the unclean used their power in public. This one was just asking to be found and purified by him and Wulf.

"Sir," his spy spoke up again. "I think you be interested in something else I saw."

Corin raised an eyebrow and looked towards his informant. "Well, what are you waiting for, speak!"

"One who fought, he grew wings. I see it with my eyes." The man bowed his head, afraid to look Corin in the eyes.

"Was it one with the unclean?" He asked.

The man shook his head, "No he with the others."

Corin could feel the anger begin to boil in his blood. "Leave," He shouted at the man quivering in front of him. As soon as he was sure he was alone, he began to pace back and forth in front of his chair. "I knew those four yesterday were up to something, I knew there was something suspicious with them." Throwing himself back into his seat, he fumed over his earlier lapse in judgment. "I should have destroyed him when I had the chance."

Angered by his mistake, he charged into the room the oracle was kept.

"Why did you not tell me about the power stones that would make themselves available to me in this city?" He swung his arm striking the chained oracle across the face.

When an immediate response was not given, Corin struck again, this time kicking the weakened being. "Answer me!" He snarled.

The oracle continued to remain silent.

"You are hiding something from me aren't you?" Corin glared at the one who supplied him with all his information. "Something you don't want me to know is in that warped brain of yours." An evil laugh escaped his lips. "You understand by keeping it from me, it only encourages me to go to any extreme to get the information from you."

The crumpled body in front of Corin started to shake sobbing with the realization of what would come. "No," the torn body mumbled. "I can't take this anymore."

"So you will talk?" Corin moved closer, grabbed the battered face and forced the oracle to look upon his face.

"The woman who will be the end of you and Wulf travels with the group, the one who slipped through your grasp only weeks ago." The oracle's breath was raspy but the words continued to fall out. "Each one carries a Power Stone and each are strong in their use, fighting them all to obtain them will be your end sooner then ordained."

"How do you see it possible for me to obtain the stones from them?" Corin asked as he stood staring out a high window in the room already planning forms of attack.

"One is weaker then the others." It was all the Oracle was willing to say on the matter, when pressed further he denied knowing the name of the one.

"What of the unclean one?" Corin changed the subject, much to the relief of the Oracle.

"I see nothing of her and her companions."

Corin cocked his head to one side. "I suppose that is alright, Wulf will help me find them." He turned to leave the room. "In one hours time I will call on the power of Wulf, I expect you to be ready." Quickly he left the room leaving the crumpled, broken man who served as his Oracle on the floor.

"Cassie, be safe." He whispered quietly to himself in a silent hope for his sister.