Chapter Four

‘Plumb City’

If you love something, set it free.

But make sure it will always come back.

            Maroshi decided that it was the most excruciating pain of his life.

            The two (who turned out to be the same age and not quite as different form one another) had bickered and fought for the past three days, with Maroshi often ending up in the middle of it. The fact that Maroshi had forced River to pay off Evangeline’s debts to the temple for letting her stay there only added to the boy’s fury.

            Maroshi had decided in Rocvale that it would be stupid to leave Evangeline Athraele behind and wait for Tabitha any longer; she probably had to go her own path now anyway. Besides, Eva was part of the team Maroshi would be fighting on, and it would be a disadvantage to have her disqualified. River reluctantly agreed.

            But that didn’t mean he had to like it.

            On the first night of camping, River had refused to make dinner for Evangeline until she apologized for all the nasty things she said about him.

            Evangeline ate fish rolls that night.

            Maroshi told the two to knock it off. It seemed that without the incense the samurai wasn’t as enchanted by Eva.

            On the second night, a sort of revelation was discovered while Maroshi tried to engage the two in friendly conversation. Evangeline was not an enchantress of any sort; she was actually a cleric.

            After much laughter from River, and a few shouts from Evangeline, Maroshi asked for a demonstration. With a wicked pleasure, Eva grabbed River’s wrist and thrust his hand into the deathly-hot Ooshi Bowl. River howled and cursed, trying to strangle the girl until Maroshi wrapped his arms around the boy and subdued him.

            With a snicker, Evangeline put her right hand over the injured boy’s left, and her bracers shimmered a dull pink. A soft golden glow came from her hand and traveled to River’s own. The two young men stood in shock—this was the first time they had ever seen a cleric at work. Two minutes later, River’s hand was as good as new, and Maroshi even had Eva inspect and heal a few bruises from the chimera.

            The third night passed with little-known incident. Oh sure, the boy in orange and the cleric had fought like a cat and a dog, but Maroshi suddenly considered this ‘normal’, and felt he may as well get used to it.

            On River’s watch Maroshi finally fell asleep. This is where the incident began.

            Maroshi was not superstitious without reason. Ever since he could remember, a dream kept coming back to him. Sometimes it would be months from one reoccurrence to the next, but now, it seemed, the dreams were coming closer together—and becoming more and more vivid.

            ‘Maroshi…’ a soft voice called out to him.

            Maroshi looked ahead of him. His entire dream-world seemed dark, but save a little spotlight that shone down ahead. Maroshi took a step forward, and then glanced down. His feet seemed so much smaller than he remembered. On further inspection, it seemed his whole body did. Then he realized he was just a child! He was dressed in a light blue hakama, and his hair was much shorter, cropped close to his head. Maroshi guessed he was three or four.

            ‘Maroshi…’ the voice sounded again.

            ‘Coming, mother!’ he shouted automatically. He’d been through this dream so many times, it really didn’t surprise him.

            His small feet shuffled against the ground until he came into the dim light. The dark floor turned to fine green grass, and a sakura tree rained pink petals upon it. Large gray rocks stood under the tree, and a woman sat upon the lowest one.

            She was wearing a green kimono like the ladies of lore, and sat elegantly with her left hand holding a pink fan that matched the blossoms. Her hair was tied back, though a few curls escaped the hold. In the dim light, Maroshi could assume her hair was a light brown of sorts. For all the detail he could make out, he could still not see her eyes.

            ‘Sit on my lap, Maroshi.’ The woman helped him clamber up until he had secured a comfortable position. There they sat, her fan in her left hand and her right holding the boy protectively. Watching the cherry blossoms flutter, Maroshi settled against her.

            ‘What do you want to be when you grow up, Maroshi?’ his mother suddenly asked. Her voice was kind, but seemed ephemeral in the dream.

            The little Maroshi shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’

            ‘Why don’t you become a samurai?’

            ‘What’s a samurai?’

            The woman chuckled. ‘A samurai is a great warrior from thousands of years ago. He is very honorable, and has a one-sided sword.’

            ‘Is he kinda like a knight?’

            ‘Almost. Indeed they fight with the same courage,’ the mother sighed sadly. ‘But they are still different. A samurai will not just fight for a woman who is locked in a tower, or a king who has been betrayed…’

            ‘What do you mean?’ The little boy shifted, trying to look into his mother’s face.

            ‘A samurai fights for what he believes in. And if he does not believe in something, he does not do it.’

            ‘Why not?’

            ‘He doesn’t have to,’ his mother smiled. ‘He is strong enough to fight for everyone, and fight against everyone if need be.’

            Maroshi turned back towards the tree. ‘I guess I could be one then.’

            ‘All right.’ His mother kissed the top of his head tenderly. ‘I’ll believe in you if you remember me always.’

            ‘I will, momma,’ the boy yawned.

            The cherry blossoms continued to fall.

            “Wake up.” River shook Maroshi gently, careful not to awaken the blonde witch who had curled up near him. “Mar, it’s your turn to watch.”

            “Mmm… Sam’rai,” Maroshi turned around in his sleep.

            “Mar!” River sent a swift kick to his ribs.

            “OW!” Maroshi bolted upright. “Man… didn’t you ever hear of gently caressing someone from the depths of slumber so they wake up gradually?”

            River shrugged. “I’ll caress you some other time, Mar.”

            Maroshi felt his face turn hot, knowing he walked right into that one with only his stupidity to blame.

            “You two really have loud lover’s squabbles, you know that?”

            “Go back to sleep, Eva,” River mumbled and settled against a tree.

            “Yeah, yeah…”

            Maroshi sighed and rubbed his ribs then the back of his neck. He hoped the other three team-members wouldn’t be like this, whoever they were.

            Snap.

            Maroshi glanced up. After the encounter with the chimera, he’d been really careful selecting camping spots. He thought he heard a rustling from behind him, and drew his katana. If they’re trying to lead me away, they have another thing coming. River can take on guys twice his size, and with Eva to heal him, he’d be unstoppable. With this in mind, the warrior was free to leave them for just a minute. Maroshi stepped quietly away from the camp sight and closed his eyes.

            No, he couldn’t feel anyone else’s presence… Just that thing up ahead, whatever it could be. Maroshi opened his eyes, and the yellow orbs became deadly gleams as he stalked his prey.

            The forest was one of large evergreen trees with bare trunks. The moon was full, its silver light creating odd shadows in the night. It was one of those unusually large harvest moons, Maroshi could tell as he entered a small clearing. The party had only gone a few yards away from the road, but so intent on finding his prey, Maroshi had wandered in at least a fourth of a mile.

            Maroshi stepped over a root and into the clearing as the St. Clare twinkled its deadly essence in the moonlight. The clearing appeared to be the end of the forest, but was actually a cliff. More trees could be seen in the lower part of the distance. A little rise in the cliff jutted up from the ground like a small stage or platform, the moon like a gigantic spotlight behind it.

            Something was standing on the rise, its dark form framed by the contrasting moon. Green eyes glittered in the dark and turned to face Maroshi.

            The samurai stopped, the St. Clare feeling heavy in his hands. This was what he had been after, this creature before him. As his amber eyes adjusted to the complementary silver and dark, Maroshi felt in awe of this thing.

            It was a wolf, the biggest he’d ever seen. Maroshi had seen a few in the fields of Icetai, but none compared to the size or beauty of this one. It stood more than eight feet at the shoulder, Maroshi guessed. Its paws were at least the size of his head, huge claws gripping at the soil it stood upon. The tail flipped back and forth mysteriously as the thing pondered Maroshi.

            But the face.

            Maroshi would later describe it as the most human thing he had ever seen. It wore a look of ‘What now?’ that seemed tired, agitated at the samurai’s presence, but mostly sad.

            Maroshi continued to gape at the majesty of the grace that stood before him. Not a single thought passed through his head as the two stared at each other in a surreal silence. Finally, the great beast looked away, and padded silently towards the raven-haired youth. Maroshi sheathed the St. Clare without really thinking about it—he doubted the wolf would hurt him at this point.

            It came to a stop, muzzle inches from Maroshi. The wolf’s hot breath fluttered his bangs and Maroshi tried to remember how to breathe himself.

            A moment passed, then the gray-and-brown creature pressed its wet nose to Maroshi’s forehead, turning away a second later. It was a short display of something that Maroshi thought he was foolish enough to mistake for affection.

            The wolf turned back to the moon, and leapt down the cliff, running into the forest below.

            Eva awoke to someone nudging her elbow gently. “Mmhn… Maroshi?” She sat up. “Is it my turn for watch?”

            Maroshi nodded silently. Eva watched as he turned away and sat down beside River. His eyes looked very thoughtful in the firelight she noted. He seemed to consider something greatly before dismissing it and shutting his eyes. A minute later, he joined River in slumber.

            Evangeline looked around her as a shudder crawled up her spine.

            It felt as if someone or something had been watching her sleep.

            The trio entered Plumb City the next morning, Evangeline so persistent to go early that they all had skipped breakfast. Maroshi found that there was no chance in Hell River was going to walk the miles needed to go from the forest to the city. In which case, the samurai had to carry the sleeping beauty on his back until eight o’clock.

            While the blue-haired boy was sleeping, Maroshi and Eva had passed an interesting building. That is to say, Maroshi thought it was a building. Then again, it was rather strange to have a building that shape and sitting all by itself—it was in the shape of a massive lion or cougar or something to that extent. Maroshi could tell as they walked around one giant paw that stuck out in the middle of the road. But the head looked like a human’s with some sort of crown or helm framing its face. Except that there was no nose, as if it had fallen off or the builders had gotten lazy at the last minute.

            “Hey Eva.” Maroshi tossed his head towards the object poking out of the treetops, careful not to awaken River. “What’s that?”

            “Hm?” Eva turned to look. “Oh. It’s just this place clerics go to meditate. I’ve never been there very long myself.”

            “It must have taken a long time to build.”

            “Actually, it was there when Plumb City was founded. No one knows why it’s there.”

            River had woken up a little while after that and now Maroshi’s back was sore from the porker’s weight. And the Ooshi Bowl! Maroshi made a mental note to ask Evangeline later to relieve the soreness.

            Plumb City was not the original name of the large urban area. Indeed, the elves had intended on naming it ‘Rilious’, but the travelers called it otherwise. All the buildings were made of a purple stone that kept the cool in during summer and the heat in winter. It was slightly metallic, and was the color of—you guessed it—a plumb. The buildings ranged from small establishments to five-story towers. Often these towers had a tree growing through the middle.

            “Shit, lookit all the elves, Mar.” River stepped aside to let an elven woman by.

            Maroshi nodded. He’d never seen any elves before. He found them to be as tall as he, but with pointed ears and slender forms. “You don’t look much like an elf, Eva.”

            Eva shrugged as she led them down another alley shortcut. “I look more like my human mother.”

            After another shortcut, the three finally came to Temple Road. Maroshi and River gaped at the Temple of Rabbit—it wasn’t really a temple as much as it was a tree. A huge oak stood, taking up five city blocks. Around the base was a building of the same plumb-colored stone. Evangeline later told the two it was in the shape of a heart with a large statue of Rabbit at each cardinal point.

            “Oh! I can’t wait to show you the courtyards, Maroshi!” Evangeline practically floated in joy as they approached the temple. “If you think the fountains out here are pretty, wait until you see the ones inside!”

            Evangeline led them through a marble arch towards a set of finely crafted silver doors. A pair of guards stood on either side, spears ready. “Hello, Miss Eva.” The guards bowed as the doors began to swing open.

            “Hello Hayes, hello Thura.” Evangeline smiled politely and gestured to Maroshi who was still standing in awe of the tree. “This is Maroshi… um… what was your last name?”

            “Dun have one,” Maroshi muttered, watching as a gigantic leaf fluttered to the ground.

            “Maroshi Dunavun,” Evangeline continued. “He’s my teammate for the tournament.”

            The elven guard called Hayes nodded, his silver armor clinking slightly. “Ah, Master Hue told all the guards about your letter.”

            “Congratulations!” Thura bowed again.

            “Thank you! Is Hue in?”

            “Yes,” Hayes replied. “He has been looking forward to your safe return.”

            “Then let’s not waste any time!” Evangeline grabbed Maroshi, shaking him out of his stupor. The two had entered the doors when a loud clank reached their ears—they turned to see two silver spears blocking the way back out. River, who had been silent up until this point, stood blocked from the others.

            Thura turned to Eva and Maroshi. “Is he with you?”

            Eva blinked. “No, I’ve never seen him before.”

            “Eva!” Maroshi released himself from her grip.

            “You stupid cleric!” River barked as steam seemed to pour off his body. Other elves passing by jerked their heads around to see who could have said such an offensive thing. Hayes and Thura narrowed their blue eyes at the defiant boy.

            “Oh, fine,” Eva muttered. “He’s just a friend of Maroshi’s. Though I don’t know how that happened.”

            River stuck his tongue out at Hayes while Thura turned to Eva. “We’re sorry, Miss Eva. Master Hue said no one except temple members, guards, and VIPs such as Sir Maroshi should be allowed in.”

            Evangeline blinked her pretty violet eyes in surprise. “Now why would he do something like that? Usually we’re open to the public…”

            Thura shrugged in response. “Sorry Miss Eva. We wish we could help you out, but we have orders.”

            Eva sighed in frustration. “Very well.” She turned to River. “Since you have most of the money, why don’t you go shopping? The shop district is just up Halos Avenue where we took that shortcut by the bakery. Do you remember it?”

            “Yeah I remember,” River snapped. He wasn’t going to take this lying down.

            “Don’t get uppity! I’ll send a guard to find you once Maroshi and I have talked to Master Hue.”

            “And I should trust you not to run off with him?” River spat.

            “You don’t have much choice.” Evangeline sniffed and turned to walk further into the building. Maroshi looked back at River apologetically before following the blonde.

            The doors shut.

            River cursed.

            The temple corridors had been very much alike to one another. All had deep purple carpet atop silver marble with murals hanging on the walls. Stained glass windows painted pictures on the floor as the noontime sun shone bright. There were some cherry-wood doors leading to prayer centers, offices, sleeping quarters, and broom closets even. A pair of guards dressed similarly to Thura and Hayes stood on either side of every door. (Except broom closet doors.) After a few twists and turns, Maroshi felt completely lost. Eva tried to explain the layout of the building to the samurai, but without much luck.

            Finally, the hall ended and the guards multiplied. The two men clad in silver standing by massive jewel-encrusted doors saluted Evangeline crisply and allowed her to enter the giant study.

             It was a room that could be mistaken for a house, Maroshi easily concluded. To his right was a library annex with hundreds of books. The annex looked somewhat like a beehive, with a ramp spinning up four floors to the top where a chandelier hung. To the left was another annex, this one rectangular. It was full of glass cases displaying many treasures, each with a detailed scroll explaining the history of the item underneath. Ahead of where they stood was a window that took up the entire wall. Through it Maroshi could see a private courtyard with a sprinkling fountain and a lovely little bench beside it.

            Before that window was a large wooden desk, and at that desk sat an elf in a yellow robe. The robe had a purple cloth that wound around his shoulders as a shroud with a longer piece hanging down his chest, possibly touching the floor.

            The elf looked up from the papers he was reading, and a smile passed over his lips. “Evangeline! You’ve returned!” The elf practically leapt over the desk to welcome her in a hug.

            “Hello, Hue!” Evangeline returned his embrace thoughtfully. Then, as if remembering her place, pushed him gently away and knelt on the carpeted floor. Maroshi fell to his knee beside her.

            “Oh get up, Eva,” the elf laughed. Maroshi found his voice surprisingly pleasant. “You know me too well for such formalities. And who is your… friend?”

            Evangeline got up to both feet and Maroshi followed suit. “Master Hue, meet Maroshi. He has also received a letter like me.”

            “Nice to meet you,” Maroshi bowed.

            Hue studied him thoughtfully. “A sword, eh? I also fancy myself a swordsman; don’t let the cleric routine fool you.” The elf chuckled and pointed to a saber sitting in a glass case not too far away.

            “Master Hue, you really shouldn’t fight,” Eva said fretfully.

            “Nonsense! Now, let’s get all the business out of the way and have a look at those letters.”

            While Master Hue read the two letters, Maroshi had a chance to study the elf closely. He couldn’t tell the age of Hue, but he had no idea if the rumors about elf age were true. Hue had light blue eyes and long brown hair pulled back into a loose ponytail—he didn’t look half bad. Maroshi wondered why Evangeline didn’t make any advances towards him with her flirtatious nature. All in all, the young woman seemed more humble and relaxed in Hue’s presence.

            After a moment, Hue looked up from the letters, his face quite serious. “I think you two should have a seat.” He gestured to two velvet chairs in front of the desk. While the travelers took a seat to rest their legs, Hue opted to lean against the desk.

            “First, let’s get the obvious over with.” Hue handed the letters back to them. “Both your letters are exactly the same, even the stamp on the envelope. It should be concluded, in that case, you are both on the same team. This is actually very good; the chances of you finding each other were slim to nil!

            “But that still leaves three other people. I myself have heard nothing from the other temples about a letter such as these. Say, Maroshi… What temple are you from?”

            “Tiger, in Icetai, sir.”

            “Icetai, eh? We don’t get news from the north as quickly as I’d like,” Hue mused and tapped his pointed chin. “That’s probably why we didn’t hear from your master.”

            “Ex-master.”

            “Oh?” Hue’s eyebrow arched in interest. “You defeated him in a match?”

            “Yes; that’s how I came by this sword.”

            “Indeed…” Hue trailed off. “Anyway, no other temple has reached out with information. So this leaves us in the dark about your other three friends. Then again, there is the small possibility of them not even being affiliated with a temple. The fact is that there is little chance of you meeting up with them. I’d recommend going straight to Mt. Yukito without them; they’ll probably be there anyway.”

            Anyone could have told us that, Maroshi sighed inwardly.

            “So that’s the obvious part done and over with. Any questions? No? Good! Then as for the other things… I have little to tell.”

            “Really?” Evangeline was surprised. Usually the Temple of Rabbit knew most everything about tournaments. Where else did the tournament managers go to find healers in case of serious injury?

            “I’m afraid so, Eva.” Hue glanced at the young cleric who was still puzzled. “The competition may be on a different continent, that’s always a possibility. But why would they make you go to the mountains instead of a port or harbor? That makes me think it may be a private tournament. There are rare cases of a few rich people getting together things like this for amusement and gambling.”

            “But why go through all this trouble?” Maroshi questioned.

            Hue shrugged. “Beats me. I guess the wealthy have a lot of time on their hands. I’m afraid that’s all the information I have. Now…” Hue’s demeanor suddenly changed back to his playful self. He smiled softly at Eva, and Maroshi felt he could have been blue with red spots and Hue wouldn’t notice him sitting there.

            “What has my darling Evangeline been up to this past month?”

            River had been in no mood to shop after he’d been turned away from the temple. After an early morning (at least by his standards) with no breakfast, River had thought the day couldn’t get worse, but was proved wrong.

            Little plans and schemes of getting back at Eva and Maroshi ran around his spiky blue head. At about half-past noon he sighed and kicked a pebble dejectedly off the sidewalk. Who was he kidding? It really wasn’t their fault he couldn’t follow them into the temple. He’d just have to accept that when it boiled down to it, he wasn’t a part of the team.

            River looked around him. He’d been wandering rather aimlessly for the past half-hour and came to stop a huge store on the corner. Elves went in and out of its revolving doors; in with money and coming out with neatly wrapped packages. River grinned at the sign that said ‘Blue Eagle Books’ with a little blue eagle flying above the words—books usually calmed his nerves, so it was no hard decision to go through the spinning doors.

            The store was divided into three sections, each with a large wooden sign written in both Common and Elvish speech hanging above them. There was one that said ‘Food’ and hung above the part with hardwood floor. There were a few tables with elf waiters and serving girls taking orders and doling out dishes to patrons. River’s stomach rumbled, and he resolved to get some lunch after reading a bit.

            The part in the way-way back said ‘Spells’ and had a tile floor. A purple curtain hung in front of the area, while a smaller sign said ‘Closed for Repairs’. River had never understood magic, and even the Ooshi Bowl was a bit of a mystery to him. He felt no loss at the section being closed.

            He was about to head over to the carpeted ‘Books’ section when the woman in front of him made him change his mind. She stepped over to a large rack of hooks by the doors and took off her jacket and quiver and even her bow. The rack had many coats and other items, plus another sign (Elves were proving to be more and more anal by the moment) reading ‘Please Keep Loose Items Here’. River decided he’d had enough of the Ooshi Bowl’s weight for one day and slung it off his shoulder. Hanging it up on a peg between the woman’s bow and a black coat, River felt his back ease under its newfound freedom. He did, however, keep the wooden spoon sticking out from the back of his sash.

            The bookshelves were rather tall, with even more signs (proving how anal elves are once again) describing the sections. The boy sauntered through each one on the Common Tongue side casually, not really caring for any of the subjects he passed by. After about ten minutes, he came to the ‘N’ row.

            “Names… Nature… Necromancy… …wait…” River stopped walking and turned to the last one. There weren’t many other people in the row, just a couple of girls at the other end, an old lady in ‘nature’, and someone looking at the ‘M’s behind him.

            River didn’t give the other customers any thought and began to murmur the random titles to himself. “Gothicism by L. Haneo… Dark Magic and the Elements by R. Foen… Guide to Undead by R. Senix… The Wisdom of Rat by F. Sofevin… Cooking Eyes the Easy Way… uh, gross.”

            River had his hands on his knees, back and legs straight as he peered at the curious book spines. He was so engrossed in his reading that he didn’t notice a gloved right hand grab a hardback a few shelves above his head. “Foen usually writes quite well on the subject, he being one of the few necromancy authors who is, in fact, a necromancer,” the hand’s owner said.

            River blinked. He knew that voice. Body stiffening, he straightened up and turned to the man leaning against an M shelf. A familiar figure stood with a freshly picked necromancy book wide open and stared at its pages. “You!” River bristled at the taller man. He knew that black coat on the rack had looked familiar when he hung the Ooshi Bowl.

            “Who else?” Xyo looked casually at him over the book. “Had I known you were a necromancer in training, I’d have retired from the business.”

            River scowled as Xyo’s eyes flipped back to the book. “Ass! As if my day couldn’t get any worse!”

            Xyo flipped a page with his gloved hand. “Please refrain from the swears; this is a respectable establishment.”

            River frowned and bit his lip; he was glad the old lady and girls left the isle. “You wanna take this outside?”

            Xyo sighed and put the book back in its proper place, right above River’s head. “I hardly have any desire to fight you, princess.” Xyo kept his hand on the book and loomed over River like a dark cloud.

            “Princess!?” That’s a new one, River thought as he pressed his back to the shelf.

            “What would you prefer I call you?”

            “Anything but that!”

            “All right, sweetheart.”

            River rolled his eyes “Bastard.”

            Xyo’s lips twitched in an amused smile. “Would you like me to point you towards the dictionary and thesaurus section?”

            River glared at the man. He hated being beaten in a war of words. Some voice told him in the back of his mind that he couldn’t beat Xyo with his fists, so this was the best it would get.

            “Gothic sunuva—“

            “No swearing.”

            “Fuck! Why should I listen to you!?!”

            “You’d be wise to,” Xyo said seriously.

            “Oh yeah?” River didn’t catch the tone in the necro’s voice. “You were wrong about Maroshi. I’m still breathin’.”

            “Only so the gods may punish me, apparently.” Xyo sighed and leaned against the shelf opposite to the rude teenager.

            River continued to scowl at the man. “Just what do you want from me?”

            “What do I want from you?” Xyo arched a black eyebrow in amusement. “I simply gave you information on a good author and you blow it out of proportion.”

            River frowned. He had started the word battle after all. “Hmph.”

            “Now…” Xyo straightened up, checking a silver pocket watch in his right hand. “I would love to continue ridiculing your every word, but I haven’t eaten since late last night.”

            River kept his vampire joke in check.

            “So I’m heading to lunch.” Xyo took a step towards the ‘Food’ area. The red-eyed man turned back to a very bewildered River. “You’re free to come, as long as you keep coming up with such amusing things to say.”

            With that, Xyo continued walking out of the isle. River stood there for a few seconds, face totally blank. Had anyone x-ray vision, they could have seen many incoherent thoughts chasing their tails in his head. There’s no way this is a coincidence… Is he following us? Darnn it, I wish I knew what his damage was… What should I do?

            River’s stomach rumbled.

            With a sigh, he followed the man.

            Hue sat back against the desk, his arms crossed over his torso. As Evangeline added the details of the last few days to her story, Maroshi was certain he detected a wave of relief from the older cleric.

            “…and Maroshi’s been a really great friend ever since!” Evangeline beamed thoughtfully at the samurai.

            “Well, Maroshi, you certainly have my thanks as well for getting Eva back.” Hue got up from where he’d been leaning for the last thirty minutes and returned to his office chair behind the desk.

            “It was no trouble at all.” Maroshi pat the back of his head in humiliation. “Really.”

            “No, really, I owe you.” Hue smiled pleasantly and leaned back in the chair.

            “Oh, Hue…” Eva stood up suddenly, remembering something. “Why did you put the guards on high alert?”

            “Eh? Oh that. They didn’t give you any trouble, did they?”

            “No, of course not.” Eva shook her head, her long hair swishing back and forth. “But why all the security? The temple was open to the public when I left a few months ago.”

            Hue looked away from the two, hesitating with what to say. Finally, he folded his hands on the desk and looked Eva seriously in her eyes. “We got some reports… A little over a week ago.”

            “Reports? About what?” Maroshi questioned.

            Hue’s eyes flickered over to the sitting samurai. “There was a meeting of magicians—magicians who had defected from the Temple of Monkey to study the dark arts. For a few years now, a very powerful man named Durmir Kyott was their leader, having left the Temple of Monkey a few decades ago himself.”

            Eva was still mystified. “But the last I heard their headquarters were a good hundred miles east of here; why should it matter in Plum City?”

            Hue nodded in agreement. “Normally it wouldn’t, the dark magicians have very little contact with Plumb City, if any. They prefer to wage war on the light mages, and the light ones prefer to pretend it isn’t happening,” he added with a bitter smile.

            Maroshi frowned. His master had mentioned this briefly before, telling him to beware of the dark mages. “So what happened to make you suddenly boost up security?”

            Hue sighed, his crystal eyes becoming a bit darker. “At that meeting, K’yott was killed, his head taken.” He looked up at a very pale Evangeline. “I don’t need to tell you what that would mean if it fell into the wrong hands, Eva. But unfortunately, it seems it did.”

            “Who… who got it?” Eva’s hands were shaking by her sides.

            “We can’t be certain… But the reports said it was an elven woman who killed Kyott and left the headquarters in a shamble.”

            “An elf?” Maroshi repeated.

            “Then, it could be…” Eva trailed off, sitting back on the chair as if some force had roughly pushed her there.

            Hue nodded solemnly. “It’s just as I dreaded.”

            Maroshi looked at the blonde-haired girl. She stared at her lap, nails digging into her dress—he had never seen someone so distraught.

            “I fear, Eva, that Celintra may be close by.”