This is part of Lunzie's back story. . .eventully it will be added into the rewriten Quest for Lantri, but for now, it is not completed, though what is can stand on it's own for now.

Lunzie ran. She didn't know where she was going, or where she was. She just knew she had to get away. A long black cloak flapped behind her as she ran, pale fur shone in the moonlight where the hood had fallen back. Bright green eyes, filled with fear and pain, looked for a place to hide. Lunzie ran as quickly as she could, protecting the twins in her arms, cooing to them quietly as they became upset, sensing their mother's emotions.

Finding a hole that looked big enough, Lunzie ran in and tried to keep everyone silent, hoping they would walk past. "Why run big sister? You know you can't hide from me. I will take the throne when our father dies, even if it means getting rid of you and your children."

Lantri walked past the hole in the wall Lunzie was hiding in and turned. Motioning with his head to the two guards with him, Lantri's face held a smug expresion as Lunzie was drug out of hiding. Holding the twins, Lunzie was unable to fight back against her assailants. Fear turned to hatred in her eyes as Jaine and Tr'Lain where taken from her and presented to Lantri by one of the men, while the other held Lunzie's arms firmly behind her back.

"Why?! Why do you want the throne so badly? We would have given you anything you wanted, 'Tri. You didn't have to do this. . ." Lunzie sobbed, not even trying to escape the harsh hold she was in. She'd lost everything. Her husband had been killed, and now her children taken. All by the one person in her family she would least expect it from, her brother.

"Why? Because you know as well as I do, that the other rulers would never agree to it. As long as you live on this planet you are a threat to me. I have taken everything that you ever cared about, you have no reason to remain on Niagara. I'll let you go, go where ever you think you may have friends, but if you ever return here, I'll have you executed as a traitor."

Lunzie's mind and body went numb. A traitor? No. . .this could not be happening. . .This was her brother, wasn't it? What had happened to him during the time Ventisca held him captive? He had changed so much, Lunzie did not recognize him anymore. . .and now this. . .it was too much.

Hanging her head, beaten and knowing it, Lunzie accepted Lantri's terms. Set free, Lunzie headed for her personal space craft, she had to get out of here. . .

Lunzie shakily got her ship off the ground and into space. Once across the veil to the realm that Jaina was in, managing the Dagger, Lunzie's control left. She collapsed back into the seat, letting the computer take over. It would be a few days until she got to the Dagger and the ship could handle getting there and landing.

Lunzie stared out the window at nothing, reliving the last few months in her mind. The return of Lantri, the death of Marshane, the kidnapping of the twins, and her own exilement. It had all happened so fast, Lunzie kept going over it again and again trying to find details she had missed, but she could not see anything she had not seen before.

Lunzie's ship landed behind the Dagger, Lunzie still staring into nothingness as she had for the last week, not eating or sleeping, did not even register the cesation of movement. Inside the Dagger, Jaina heard a ship land and went to check it out. Seeing it was Lunzie's ship, but not seeing Lunzie, Jaina began to worry a little, Lunzie should have been there giving her sister a hug. . .

Peeking into the ship's comand area, Jaina saw Lunzie sitting in her seat still, not moving. Not thinking, Jaina pulled Lunzie out of the ship and carried her bodily to an upstairs room in the Dagger. Returning downstairs to mark the room occupied, Jaina returned to Lunzie.

Lunzie did not move and would not respond to Jaina shaking her, slapping her, or yelling at her. Not sure what was wrong, and worried that her friend and sister was ill, or injured, Jaina grabbed a knife and slit her own wrist, pressing it to the vampiress's mouth trying to get her to drink.