Part Four The Gathering

**She is a problem no matter what.** Caaris stated bluntly, and to both the leaders it was apparent that it was true. Shallie sat silent for a moment, guarding her thoughts that when this was over Epharen would be in lots of trouble... the High Counsel would give her no exile... but death! Shallie had seen their ways of dealing out death, she shuddered to think of her friend in any of those situations.

**Caaris, I can’t let her insolence get out...** Shallie was determined, her voice and colorings strong.

**What are you talking about?** Caaris could barely understand why that asshole had gotten in in the first place.

**She is like a sister to me, though I hardly think that she will consider me as that when this is over, and I cannot hand her over to the High Counsel...** Shallie sighed, showing her exasperation to her lover.

**Those dicks are still around?** Caaris laughed. **We thought that they had been over thrown a long time ago!** He bent over laughing, his paws pressing up the dusty ground that was on the roof of the Nonoshan structure.

**Come on! We have to find someone to help Spree and Laden, that is what we said to do before... remember?** Shallie prodded, but suddenly Caaris was no longer listening. She turned her eyes and there, hovering in the air, was another Sharro.

It was lank and tall on it’s slender paws, and it’s soft rose pink coloring seem glow in the darkness around several larger blotchy spots. What Shallie notice most though was none of these, but the fact that whoever this was seemed to have some kind of metallic harness on; it stretched out from behind their massive, upheld ears, and sloped back down under their chin, securing itself and looking strange.

**Greetings.** Shallie almost fell back the strength of the thought speech, its words rippling with glee and joy. Caaris cocked his head, his eyes narrowing to slits, there was hidden in its overly loud voice hidden feelings of anger, and unease.

**Hello?** Shallie said, she rose to her paws and pressed one of her claws to her brow in a quick Guardian greeting gesture.

**Who the hell are you!?** Caaris nearly leapt on the newcomer, and Shallie had to stop him from attempting to rip out their throat as they remained silent for a moment, as if calculating, deciding what they might say.

**You may call me Zenat.** With that the slender creature bowed. **I over heard your talk, excuse me please for eavesdropping, and I believe that I can help you with your friends; I am a healer where I come from.**

Shallie turned to Caaris and shut her waves, aiming her thoughts to him and him only, though she had the strangest idea that this new Sharro was listening any ways.

**What do you think?**

**I think that we should keep this bastard as far from your friends as we can!** Caaris stared directly at Zenat, as if to tell her that he knew she was listening. her ears fanned back and for a moment she looked desperate, Shallie knew he was right.

**Uun tonta es shovaki as inosherii ino sam compa e ost emories.** In the Nonoshan tongue Caaris told Shallie that he thought this creature had something to do with the lost memories.

They both turned back to Zenat, who was looking slightly angry at not being able to understand their words.

**Come** said Caaris as he lifted into the air, Shallie hovering after him. Zenat as well, though she unsure of herself now that she was off the ground.

***Epharen! Listen to me! Get Spree and Laden away from where they are! Hide them, Epharen! Caaris and I return with the memory stealer and I want them out of the way!*** Sending out her voice back to her friend with Far Reach Shallie pressed herself against Caaris as they quickened their pace back to Epharen.

Good, thought Zenat, at least I am with them, but the black one will have to go, he knows to much. I will see in time, what he keeps in his mind... The lank creature sped up to keep with them, the leaders of the Creashaw and the Guardians....


Epharen sat in the center of the clearing for a moment,unmoving in the mist.She murmured a prayer and a lament for all those dead in her native tongue,the words mysterious as she kept her eyes closed.
But the two pale azure orbs soon snapped open.She sensed Shallie and Caaris had met yet another Sharro. Like she had known with Caaris,Epharen knew this one was evil. At least this time Shallie wasn't being stupid and knew it as well.
* Epharen,listen to me! Get Spree and Laden away from where they are! Hide them!*
Shallie's voice drifted into her mind as an echo from a distance,and sounded, to Epharen's amusement,urgent and nearly convincing. Yeah,right. Shallie didn't give a damn about them,Epharen nearly laughed. She was probably off screwing that evil Caaris bastard and playing with her mind.
*Damn you and your orders*,Epharen replied.
But she did not need Shallie's request to get Spree and Laden out.She was going to do that anyway, even before Shallie's message.
Epharen barricaded her mind from any other incoming messages.She slowly crept over to where she had last left her two Guardian comrades.
As she walked silently on the soft pads of her paws,Epharen sensed Shallie's thought about the High Council executing Epharen.
She snorted and stifled a laugh.She could care less whatever they did to her. All those High Council bastards were corrupted anyway.( and of course, she'd be executed for thinking these treasonous things ) Epharen smirked.If she was brought to execution, she'd go screaming curses at them the whole way with a smile on her face,and attack them too. Hell,if you're going to die,you might as well have some fun before you do.
All of these thoughts put Epharen in a relatively good mood. She would still need to figure out how to get these two back home,however.
Epharen reached Spreeander and Pherlladen once again. She nudged Spree, who had apparently cried himself to sleep.He woke,disoriented.
* Spreeander *,Epharen called him.
* We must leave this place.Be still,I must examine you.*
Epharen warned him of what she was going to do,before carefully pushing him off Pherlladen. She had to restrain herself from going to her beloved first. He would be next.
Spreeander lay on his side,obeying his better's order and concealing the pain that the movement caused.
Epharen sat beside him,scanning his body with her eyes for any visible injury. One of his back legs was all scratched up,she noticed,but that was easy to deal with. She lowered her head and prodded every inch of him,sensing for more concealed,maybe even internal damage.Her nose ran through the soft fur that covered his stomach and then moved up to his chest.
Spreeander had to resist crying out as her snout touched his chest.Epharen sat back up with a displeased look.
* Great. Bruised ribs *,she thought only to herself,but he could not hear.
* Does it hurt to lie on your belly? *
She asked him this.
* Not if I ease myself down carefully * He replied honestly.Epharen was quiet for a brief while,pondering.
* Lie were you are and rest *,she said.
Then Epharen moved on to Pherlladen. He still lay unconscious and barely breathed,as far she could see. She sat at his side,her back turned to Spree,and looked ruefully down at the one she loved. He had fairly deep cuts on his shoulderblades and upper back. Besides that, he had a small cut on his head, indicating that he was probably thrown against something and got knocked out. His fur,in certain places a natural bright red,was stained with blood, especially his front paws and face, without mentioning his own wounds.
Epharen once again lowered her head to prod him. There was nothing wrong with his back besides those cuts she had already observed.She carefully rolled him over to reach his underside. Epharen inspected him and saw nothing wrong, except more cuts that dug into his stomach.
Epharen could imagine what had happened. He had probably caught a Nonoshan under him and was going for the throat,while the beast clawed at his vulnerable underside.
All these things could be healed, though the cuts were deep and had obviously been bleeding for a while.
But these injuries was not what concerned Epharen. There was something else,something not so clearly there.
Besides the still lingering prescence of a Memory Stealer, there was another prescence. Just as evil,just as mysterious...she had never encountered it before and yet she recognized it.
It was an Energy Drainer.
Shallie felt Epharen shut herself to her commands, and forced her leader to fum and brood in anger at her insolence and stupidity. Shallie was hardly alarmed until all three of them had returned to the battle place... and both Spree and Laden remained. Shallie dropped herself from the air and rushed towards them her eyes blazing with hatred for her once close friend.

**Epharen!** Shallie bound across the hard ground, ears raised and tail fluffed out. But it was too late... Shallie felt a blaze in her mind, it was blinding. the Guardian leader stopped mid jump and hit the ground hard, cracking her scull on the pavement as she mind struggle to recover from the mental blast.

Zenat walked over the Guardian, her long legs easily bringing her over the writhing creature, blood pooling beneath it. Zenat’s eyes were bright, and laughing.

**So you are Epharen.** Zenat laughed. **Thank you so much for disobeying Shallie, you have aided me greatly.** Caaris glared, this was too much.

**Stop right there you Kaassra!** Blocking his mind as well as he could Caaris leapt at Zenat who dodged aside missing his blow. She smirked down at him. Caaris swung up onto her shoulders racking her flesh with his claws, helpless to attack in any mental way.

Anger ran through Zenat’s blood she felt pain run down her spine. Whipping her body around her crushed the Creashaw under her greater weight. Then turning on him she tore down what he had secure to protect his mind.

Caaris had never felt mental strength like this before! There was no fighting it!

Zenat rummaged through his memories searching for the most painful to use against him. Was this Sharro afraid of nothing! Screaming with rage Zenat ignore Caaris’ claws in her underside, and ripped through his mind.

This murderer had nothing! ...but wait, what is this. Zenat froze, and carefully pulled from Caaris that one single memory, that one thing that he feared. Handling it as though it would break Zenat wrapped her mind around the memory and let it grow, then she released it and Caaris at the same time, backing away from her opponent.

Caaris froze suddenly, his eyes wide and unseeing as he began to relive his worse nightmare. Pressing himself against the wall of a building he let out a painful scream of fear and anguish. Flinging himself to the ground he clawed at the stone road, his talons splintering and breaking.

Shallie struggled to her paws at the cry of Caaris, blood dripped down her face. Her eyes focused slowly on his writhing body, and twitching flanks. Shallie stood horrified as suddenly a wide gash grew across his side, opening of it’s own accord.

Caaris roared but could only fall to the ground as his insides began to free themselves through the opening. Zenat laughed, her eyes unable to leave the creature that she was torturing so nicely.

**CAARIS!!** Shallie leapt towards Caaris though she was off balance and bleeding all over herself. Caaris stopped struggling at his name, but with blind eyes searched for the Sharro who had called him.

Shallie raced past Zenat, who cared little if Shallie went to her dying beloved, and bent over him. He was still, barely breathing, though he continued to send screaming moans through her head and those around him.

**Look what you have done Epharen...** Zenat turned back to the other female Sharro, her words convincing and slippery. **Look what you have caused...** Zenat broke out laughing again. **He will die because of you... and you hated him.** Her laughter filled the air once again...


Epharen stood stiffly as she watched this new horror unfold.Spree also watched from where he lay, weariness apparent on his face. Before the arrival of Shallie and Caaris,Epharen had come to the conclusion that there had also been an Energy Drainer here,and that it had claimed much of the strength of both Spree and Laden.
Epharen knew about Energy Drainers,but they were rare nowadays. One had been here,though. Shallie did not know this,for when Epharen had realized it her mind had been blocked.
Epharen could still sense Shallie's thoughts,however. The leader was frustrated at her,thought Epharen insolent and stupid. This angered Epharen. Shallie did not understand. Epharen was going to indeed leave and take the two others with her,but something inside her had told her to stay.
And she now knew why. The one who had come with Caaris and Shallie was Zenat. Epharen had not been sure before, but she had been right.
Zenat. One of the most horrific memories that Epharen had was given to her by Zenat. But this wicked Sharro apparently did not remember Epharen,then only in late adolescence when they had last encountered.
Epharen closed her eyes,removing the block from her mind so that Shallie might see,might understand. And Epharen remembered.
~*She was 19. She'd only been on the Mainland as a Guardian for a short year,and loved it so far. It had been a night very much like this one,in the dead of winter. Snow drifted silently to the ground,putting the young Epharen into bliss,for she loved the snow. It coated the ground thickly and the imprints of her paws were obvious. Epharen had been gone on duty since dawn, following a certain Nonoshan female. It had been Zenat. Epharen had not known it then,but after a day of tracking her,the Sharro female had led her into a trap. There were other Sharro with Zenat that night,but Epharen could not remember their faces.She would remember Zenat's until her death. For that night,Zenat had led Epharen and her comrade Bredelph far into the wilds... ...where no one could their screams. Epharen and Bredelph had been bound and left to Zenat's will,who cursed them and racked their minds with graphic images, forcing them to relive their every nightmare. Zenat had been set on Epharen as a target,though the Sharro Guardian never knew why,and Bredelph, just as any big brother would, ( for so deep was the bond between the two he was considered a brother in her eyes ) leapt to her protection. He had fought Zenat for an hour,Epharen forced to watch every blow he took. But even thoug Bredelph had been strong,Zenat's powers were stronger. She paralyzed him magically,so that he lay a few feet in front of Epharen,his eyes locked with hers. Zenat had smirked at her....and slit his throat.
For the rest of that night,Epharen and Zenat had been left alone. Epharen knew not how long she was tortured,for after the first hour time melted together. Only when she woke after passing out from the pain and saw the sun rising in the pale winter sky,she knew that night was over. But when Epharen woke alone, with the exception of Bredelph's body, she cursed her eyes for what they saw.
Every inch of snow on the ground was red. Deep,dark,convicting scarlet.... ...Bredelph's blood.And her own. Epharen could barely move,the pain was nearly as intense as it had been during her torment. Her chest, stomach, back, throat,face,flanks were so lacerated it was sick. Her ribs were broken, her shoulder blades were bruised as well as her flank bones. But none of it was worse than that pain she felt all within herself,in every inch of her body from the internal torture Zenat had inflicted upon her with her mind. Epharen's own screams still filled her mind as she lay there. She had no other choice but to pick herself up and walk back to Guardian headquarters.
So Epharen had forced herself to stand,every step she toook sending a new ripple of pain throughout her whole body. Then,as insane as it seemed,she had begun to dig,her paws plunging into the snow and the ice until she reached ground and then dug a deep hole. She dug despite the numbness in her paws from the ice,despite that the mere movement of her legs going back and forth was agony and tore further at the cuts in her shoulder blades. She dug as far as was needed, exhausted beyond any imagination, still bleeding,still grieving and trying to reclaim mental stability. And then,Epharen had gently pushed Bredelph's heavy body over to that hole,blinded by tears of anguish, exhaustion,and pain.She pushed into him the grave and then sat before it for a long while,weeping and murmuring a lament in her native tongue. And then,after all of that,Epharen pushed all the dirt and all the snow and ice back where it had been,concealing Bredelph's grave. It looked as if nothing had happened now,after she somehow found the strength to place a concealing charm on the snow to rid it of the blood stains. Epharen had then walked four miles back to Guardian headquarters, pushing herself and plagued with anxiety of being spotted by a Nonoshan. But she was not,and before reaching home, Epharen gathered the very last shred of strength she had left within her and cast a concealment charm on herself,instantly making every wound invisible. Epharen had never told Shallie or anyone else alive about what had happened to her that night. She plainly said that she had been tracking all night and that Bredelph had frozen to death in the,already buried. God only knows how she made through that day of her return,still taking duty as if she were well. She had managed to go past Shallie and all the others normally,and only collapsed once alone in her quarters.*~
Epharen opened her translusent blue eyes again,glaring at Zenat even more coldly then she had Caaris,if that were even possible.
* Zenat *, she hissed,once again blocking her mind from Shallie.
* You come again to haunt me,or was a decade really so long that you have forgotten me? *
Spree had moved closer to Laden,and watched Epharen in heaving breaths behind her.
* I have been waiting for revenge. You know not how thristy I am for your blood. *
Epharen said this with a new tone,one that did not sound like herself. It sounded like...like someone purely murderous.
* I have not killed Caaris *,she said with a certin sense of nobility in her voice. She had vaguely heard the accusation from Zenat as she remembered.
The male Sharro,who was no less evil than before,lay in agony behind Zenat, undergoing torment similar to what Epharen had suffered. Shallie was with him. Epharen did not understand her. She guarded the body of that bastard, neglected Spreeander and Pherlladen, and made Epharen out to be the one to blame.
True,Epharen did loathe Caaris. She had wanted to kill him,but now that desire had temporarily died and her new target was Zenat.
* Rin erwendos saer ell a bletian dir * She spoke to Zenat in the native tongue of her people,of the land she was born in on the Homeland,a language neither Shallie nor Caaris could understand,she was sure.She said the ancient,beautiful,mysterious words slowly and clearly. She knew Zenat could understand.
* You face your death,Zenat. And this time,the fight shall only be stopped over my dead body.*
She said this with such a menacing authority in her voice,it was sure to keep Shallie from interferring...or at least she hoped so.
Epharen stood straightly,stiffly, rivaling Zenat's height. Her eyes blazed with a fire that was seldom to show itself.
* Lo beth en dal a car mend phalen *
Epharen said it as if it were some ancient rune,directing her voice and otherwise secret power to Caaris,but still looking at Zenat. It was a healing spell,and she knew not why she used it to help that son of a bitch,but she did anyway. Not for him,not for Shallie who had pissed her off and not seen clearly. No,she did it to piss off Zenat.She hoped Caaris was now all right for that reason.
* Rejoice,bitch,for you have you lover.And yet Pherlladen lingers on the edge of life and swiftly goes to death. Though you don't give a damn.*
She said this loudly to Shallie,not looking at her,but focusing all her anger,all her hatred,all her blood lust on Zenat.
Oh,yes. Epharen would have her revenge.

Zenat’s eyes danced, her tail was raised, and her ears flicked forward.

**I never forget a face.** She snickered, and with an angry bound leapt towards Epharen, but not before Shallie was able to fling her entire weight at the attacking Sharro. Both of them were thrown to the ground, and Zenat thrashed out wildly her voice screaming.

Shallie pushed her claws into the creature’s eyes ripping lose the appendages and throwing them aside. Blood coated her muzzle, and paws as she ripped at the face of her opponent.

**CAARIS!** She screamed, Shallie’s eyes were wide and wild with blood lust, the name of her lover ringing throughout the cold city. Zenat struggled, kicking, and roaring, to get away from the Guardian leader, but it seemed to be of no use.

**You shall PAY!** Zenat racked the Sharro’s face sending blood in all directions as her blind eyes twitched on the ground amide the gore. With that Zenat took hold of Shallie’s memories and just as the Guardian slammed Zenat’s head into the ground her past was stolen from her and she fell to the ground atop of the unconscious Zenat.

Part Five
Back