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This is my “untitled” story (or rather, novel) --it’s not finished yet...so...yeah. I’m “in the process” of working on it, fixing it, so it might take a while. I’m writing it in parts a little bit & filling in the rest later, but for now, this is everything I have that is completely filled in. Enjoy! ;) Note: It’s kind of funky, but o well, you’ll live.

~*CHAPTER ONE*~
“Esh Velleh Hohn’d!” she yelled in frustration.
“They will not kill me. I am Josh Petrious ‘de Corazon, the prince to all of Bismuthe. Trust me, I’m well protected,” he smiled and continued, “Besides, I don’t pay my men in gold-filled buckets for nothing. Honestly, you worry too much Serenity.” replied the prince, trying to calm her.
Serenity spoke in Bismuthean again, but this time calmly,“Joshua, elle’d teah konshe’dd. Frund, bhuth konshe’dd.” In her native language, she told him that he was conceited. Brave, but conceited.
“Why, thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment, Serenity. But you are my advisor, your job is to not worry, or to try and scare me for that matter, but it is to give me advice, not to shout out some childish prophecy.” As he stared down upon her with his brown eyes, he noticed that he might have been too hard, so he added, “And don’t think I am not grateful for your worrying or your friendship, because I am. Good night, Serena, rest well.”
“Fasha necht, milord. You rest well also, after all, we have a big day tomorrow.”
As they departed from each other, Josh strolled down the hallway, his navy-colored, fully decorated robes flowing with a life of its own. The blue complimented his playful brown eyes while they scanned the hallways, a habit he now involuntarily did because he was always told to do it as a boy, in order to remain alert of his surroundings. Princes were usually quite average in height, but Josh was about six feet, which was not an uncommon thing among the royal Corazon family, whose genes almost assured towering height. His golden crown, with the mark of the royal “B”, the symbol for Bismuthe, sat upon his head, and fit him perfectly; it appeared that he was the right one for the duty. Finally halting, Josh wiped a few stray brown hairs from his face and looked to the right. There, his bedroom awaited, along with fifty servants for his beck and call, which he was not in the mood for.
He signed. Here we go again.
To his surprise, the door swung open. He stepped back a bit, not knowing who flung the door.
“Milord! Oh, it is lovely to see you!” one of his servants, Rachel, exclaimed. She was a middle-aged woman with hazel eyes and short blonde hair, which was now in a tangled mess, but she wore a smile on her face nonetheless.
About twenty servants were by Rachel’s side in a matter of a few seconds, like their lives depended on it. They all beamed with pride, waiting to fulfill the prince’s wishes, looking filthy in their rags, pleasantly smiling even with dirt, soot, and who knows what, on their faces. Suddenly, they all began to ask if the prince wanted this or that, or to explain what they were about to do for him. Does the prince want some water? I will get you this right away if you wish. Oh, you look like you need a bath, would you like me to draw one for you? I will get you that right away if you desire it. Do you need a massage, milord? It was so hard to distinguish all the questions, all the explanations. But it all sounded the same to him, day after day; it all seemed like nagging, bothering, pestering, things that he didn’t need. But he was the prince, he would someday learn to enjoy the servants. Well, maybe. Josh didn’t seem like he would ever relish in it all, but he put up an act for them, just to seem grateful, so as to not make it look like their hard work was in vain.
He smiled politely as best as he could, though he was deliriously tired. “I don’t need any service at the moment.” The servants tried not to frown, but it was too obvious that they did not like his statement. To make them feel better, he added, “But thank you for your hard work. As a reward, you may all have the rest of tonight and all of tomorrow to be free of your duty and to get back to the families that miss you.”
For the first time in a while, they all smiled, with real, genuine happiness. Rachel and the rest of them acknowledged their appreciation; they longed for their family terribly. “Bashink’d!” they cried out. Thank you!
Josh grinned. “Fasha necht, all of you. Good night.”
While everyone hurried off to their children, spouses, and loved ones, Rachel stared up at him tenderly. “Bashink’d, milord. You didn’t have to do that. That was such a kind thing to do, but I guess I’m not too surprised. I’ve known you all your short eighteen year life. Boy, you were such trouble back then.”
His grin widened. “I still am, Rachel.” Rachel laughed, her wrinkles showing, but the child within also being exposed. “Now, go back to your hubby, Rachel. I’m sure he is aching for you; after all, you are such a radiant woman.”
The servant smiled, not fooled the least bit. “Ah, my little Joshua. Flattery will get you nowhere with the ladies.”
Rachel put a hand to his shoulder, then said goodbye and walked off into the hallway, rather excited to actually go home to her caring husband. Josh’s grin was still on his face. It felt so good to make his servants happy, let alone being rid of their annoying questions and requests.
He opened the door to his extravagant room. Everything was as he left it, except it was tidier from the servant’s cleaning. His room was truly fit for a king, at least, when he became one. The cabinets and drawers had wonderful carvings in them, which probably took years to make; their handles all were made of gold, and the royal “B” was engraved into them. His luxurious bed, with the golden colored sheets and the embroidered pillows, in the left hand corner of the room, invited him to come and sleep in the warm blankets; he was extremely tired.
Too exhausted to change, he plopped on his bed and placed his crown on the table next to it. He fell asleep instantly.
Unfortunately, his dreams were filled with horrific scenes, scenes of his death, scenes of his family being put to death, scenes of the whole kingdom of Bismuthe being smoldered in fire. It was a complete nightmare. Throughout the night, he tossed and turned, hoping that it would all end soon. Even though it was chilly, cold sweat began to spring up all around his body. During his nightmare, he could only think of what Serenity told him.
Esh Velleh Hohn’d. They will kill you.

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The next morning, he woke up to Serenity’s bothersome knocking. Josh was so thankful to be awakened by his nightmare that he didn’t even care if she was nagging him about sleeping late. But that was just her job, she was the prince’s advisor.
Serenity Cudah-nelle, or Serena as most people called her, was hired to “advise” him. However, being the kind of person he is, he usually didn’t agree with her advising and did things she didn’t consent to. He was just a rebel, that was how he was. It wasn’t her fault she had been hired to work with him. On the contrary, it wasn’t such a shocker that he wouldn’t want to listen to her: she was almost the same age as him. It was a mystery why his father, the king of Bismuthe, had employed someone to look after him who was not an adult. But she was more than qualified for the job; her intelligence and cunning manner was often enough to at least make him think about what he was doing, which was more than anyone could ask for. Perhaps his father thought they could wed someday? They did look like a good couple: his brown hair and eyes went well with her beautiful brown eyes and dark red hair. She was very attractive for her young age. But them being wed would probably only happen when pigs learned to fly; although Josh was charming and they could get along sometimes, their personalities often clashed.
“Joshua, you haven’t even changed! How hard is it to wake up? For the sake of the good spirits, can’t I count on you to wake up on time?” she scolded him when she strode into the room.
“No, it is not that difficult. But maybe I don’t want to wake up because I know you will nag me anyway. Serena, calm down, you’re going to give yourself a heart attack. Then where will I be, without my trusty advisor?” he smiled, as always, trying to charm her.
It didn’t work. “Prince, just get dressed. We have a big day today.”
“Right now? Oh, I see. So, you want to watch me dress then? Tsk tsk. That is not why my father hired you.” he replied coyly while he began to put on his special clothes prepared just for that day.
Serena turned her back to him.and sighed. “Just get dressed in your ceremony clothes, we’ve wasted too much time already. Your fath--I mean, King Benjamin, is not pleased.”
He replied sarcastically, while putting on his pants, “Oh no, I have displeased the glorious King of Bismuthe! Goodness, he might chop off my head!”
Finally ready and with his crown, he told Serena to turn around to take a good look at him. “Is that better, my trusty advisor?”
In a delightful tone, she gave him a compliment,”You look very nice, Prince Joshua. At least you’ll look nice when your father cuts off your head.”
His eyebrows raised. “Wow, you made a funny.” She laughed at his choice of words.
Serena wanted to open up the large curtains in his room, so that light could flood through the room. The curtains were made of expensive red velvet and were very heavy, but with a flick of her wrist, they opened up instantly. Magic.
The prince and his advisor walked out of the room and into the hallway, on their way to the Agusto Shelance, the ceremonial grounds of Bismuthe. Today, Prince Joshua was to perform in a special ceremony with his family, a ritual that every royal Corazon was obliged to do. It was the Dawning of the Day ceremony, in which they all spoke in Bismuthean to the good spirits so that they could grant the kingdom happiness and prosperity for the following year. It was a tremendous occassion that everyone, from the poor peasants to the wealthy merchants, gladly attended. It was a marvelous event, watching the sun rise in the dawn. Unluckily, this year, the kingdom of Bismuthe would not witness the ceremony during dawn: the sun had already rose an hour ago.
When they arrived at the Agusto Shelance for the Dawning of the Day, the prince hurried to the huge ivory platform, where his family was kneeling in a circle, all dressed in their ceremonial attire as well. The circle included the immediate royal Corazon family: King Benjamin, Queen Catina, Josh’s nine-year-old sister Jenine, and his two twelve-year-old twin brothers, Jermaine and Bartholemew, also known as Jeremy and Bart, the Two Tornadoes of Disaster. As Josh made his way to the circle, Jenine and Bart moved aside to let him in.
Bart remarked, “Maybe it should be called the Dawning of the Mid-day ceremony instead?” Jeremy was the only one who chuckled with Bart. King Benjamin gave them both glares so that they would stop. They did.
Queen Catina whispered to Josh, “Honey, next time, please be on time. This is awfully important to Bismuthe. Hm?” He nodded.
King Benjamin rose to his feet, to greet all of the Bismutheans who had come to the ceremony. Even with the delay, nobody had left, everyone was there. They were still enthusiastic and cheerful, despite what had happened. “Welcome, my fellow Bismutheans, to the annual Dawning of the Day!” the king announced to his people. Cheers sprang up all around the Agusto. He continued, “Thank you all for blessing us with your presence. The good spirits will guide us all to prosperity!” The cheering of the crowd was deafening.
As King Benjamin came back to the circle, kneeling, he smiled and gazed around at the faces of his loving family. “Come on, we can do this. Hm? Be happy, we are the royal family.” He glanced at Josh on the opposite side of the circle and assured him, “We aren’t mad that you were late, Joshua. It was just an honest mistake, even royals have flaws, huh? Now let us show our fellow people what the Corazons can do!”
So the ceremony began. The Corazon family closed their eyes and began to chant in Bismuthean, still kneeling in the same spot. Serenity watched with the crowd, but seemed occupied in her own thoughts. The crowd cheered and encouraged them, but the royal family couldn’t hear them, they were concentrating so hard their chanting.
Good spirits, hear our voice. We are gathered together, please bring us joy. The dawn of the day approaches. We are united, and you know this. We pray to you to be our guides. Help us to gloriously live our lives. Good spirits, the dawn settles upon our land. We pray to you, on this day, hand in hand.
The royal family joined hands. They began to glow and sparkle. Magic. Still chanting the same words, the luminousness brightened dramatically. All of a sudden, their bodies began to slowly lift up off of the ivory platform, the luminosity still high. The family continued to chant while their bodies hovered a foot above the platform. The ivory beneath their floating bodies also had an enchanted glow. It was a marvelous sight!

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After the ceremony, the Corazon Family was exhausted. Unfortunately, they still had their duty to protect their people, and although they were extremely tired, they must continue to do their jobs. Well, at least King Benjamin and Queen Catina, who had treaties to sign, plans to make, people to meet, and a whole list of tasks that seemed to be endless. The rest of the family had planned other things to do: Jenine set out to play with her new dolls, Bart and Jeremy wanted to terrorize the cook, and Josh just needed to relax.
When everyone was off doing their own thing, the prince went into his room, grateful that he had sent his servants away the day before. He sat on his bed and looked out his window. The view was magnificent: the kingdom of Bismuthe shimmered in the afternoon sunlight; the waterfall near Plymouthe Mt. poured down like a beautiful scene in a painted masterpiece; and the forests brought brillant colors to the landscape from the trees and the animals.
“I know you’re there, it’s no use trying to hide.” stated the prince, still gazing out his window.
Shocked, Serenity came out of the shadows of the room, wondering how he had known. She asked, “You knew I was there the whole time?”
His brown eyes traveled from the view in his window to Serenity’s face. He lifted his eyebrows. “You don’t think that I could have sensed you? Come on, Serena, don’t take me for a fool, you know what I’m capable of.”
“I guess...I mean, after all, you are the prince of Bismuthe, right? You’ve got magic flowing through your veins.”
“Yes, but I don’t use my power for silly things, Serena.” She glanced at him for a moment, but then went back to looking at the view. “Like, when you opened up the drapes this morning. Right, Serena?”
He was still staring at her when she moved her eyes back to his face. “Right to what? Right that I did open up the drapes, or that you don’t use your power for silly things?”
“Both.”
“Look, Josh--I mean, Prince Joshua. I don’t use my magic on silly things. And, I have proof of that.”
Intrigued, he motioned her to sit on the bed next to him, to show him her so-called proof. Serenity stood there for a moment as if deciding what she wanted to do, but then finally walked over to the bed. But she did not sit down, she stood.
Josh just watched her silently and didn’t understand why she was acting so strangely. Her eyes piered down at the floor as if she could not look away. She seemed nervous and started to fidget. What was she doing? Honestly, it isn’t such a big deal to prove that you use your magic for significant things. Or, is it? Serena cleared her throat a few times, but she still didn’t speak, so she continued to clear her throat several more times. Finally, she spoke.
“Well, as you know, I am--I can, see certain things. Um, if--when I want to, I can read prophecies from the ancient Bismuthean times.” Serena became more confident, so she tore her eyes from the floor and looked at Prince Josh. “Prophecies can sort of fortell the future, they are to give guidance or to warn us of upcoming events. I can use my magic that is inside of me, to literally see those prophecies if I desire it--”
The prince interrupted, “But, how does that prove anything? You see prophecies. Yeah? But what do you do with your knowledge?”
“Usually, I stop what will happen. They are mostly little things and relate to the common Bismuthean people. I never tell anyone of what I see; my knowledge is not for common people. But you, Prince Joshua, are not a common person.”
Not expecting what she had just said, he stared at her, no words coming out of his open mouth.
She continued, “Remember when I told you about the prophecy, the one that said Esh Velleh Hohn’d?” He nodded and she cleared her throat and went on, in Bismuthean, to speak the prophecy,”He who is next in line must be aware, for they will kill him. One who he shall not expect will carry the knife that shall protrude from his back. Heed these words: they will kill you.
“Yesterday, when we were talking about it--well, when you were dismissing it actually--I told you that I thought I knew who it was. I thought it was the infamous Gregotess, the gang against Bismuthe, because they are missing, so it would be unexpected if they killed you...”
She paused a moment, thinking about what she was going to say. “Well, yesterday, before I went to sleep, I decided to use my powers, to see what this was all about, so that maybe perhaps I could see the murderers. And, I did.”
Josh inquired, “Who did you see?”
“It wasn’t who I saw, but what I saw. I saw you being stabbed in the back unexpectedly by a Morganian knife. Josh, I saw you die, by a Morganian knife. The Gregotess are not from Morgana. And if the royal family of Morgana were to be responsible for this, than it would be unexp--”
“No!” He stood up, towering over Serena, looking dangerously into her eyes. “They would not do that! I know them, I know their hearts. Bismuthe and Morgana are allies, they would never break our kingdom’s treaty. Morganians will not betray us. All you saw was a Morganian knife, that says nothing; anyone could have a Morganian knife with them.”
“No, Joshua, you listen to me. I don’t get these visions just to see something that will not help me. A Morganian will attempt to kill you. Beware, there are adversaries about. It may be the royal family of Morgana, it may be some beggar off the street, but no doubt, it will be a Morganian.”
“Leave.” the prince said, in a cold, hard voice, looking at the city of Bismuthe through his window. “Now.”
Understanding his tone of voice, she hurried to the door. She put her hands on the doorknob and, without looking back, stated to the prince,”And I don’t use my powers for silly things, Josh. I have just used them to try and save a fool’s life. I’m sorry that the fool is a stubborn one.”
A tear rolled down her cheek; she knew she did the best she could. It was all up to Prince Joshua ‘de Corazon to change his fate now. With shaking hands, she opened the door and stepped out, then shut it slowly, to leave Josh in silence.

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The room had an eerie glow. The candle flames flickered, making the shields on the walls go in and out of darkness, along with the extravagent M's that were bonded to them; they were Morganian shields.
"So, do you think anyone is on to us?" She looked up into the blue eyes of the young man with blonde hair.
"Nope, I doubt it." He pondered a moment before he finally asked, "Are you confident that we can succeed, Malayna?"
"Well, Randy, I'm as confident as I'll ever be." Just to make sure they were completely alone, she scanned through the darkness. "So, you remember the plan, right?"
"Yes. I have spied endlessly and overheard that Prince Clayton has plans to meet with the prince of Bismuthe tomorrow, here in Morgana. Then, hopefully, the prince will lead him away to a remote place as we have predicted.
"The prince doesn't know of our mission, so we must make sure he never does. He would slice off our heads in an instant if he knew. But, what must be done, must be done, even if they are long-time friends. When everything is ready, we shall do it."
Malayna looked straight into Randy's eyes. "We shall kill him." He nodded, understanding what must be done.
Malayna continued, "So, after we do our duty..." Randy gestured for her to go on, but she did not.. She continued to look straight ahead, though not aware of what she was looking at, not moving a muscle; she was only aware of what her ears were hearing. Footsteps.
Randy noticed as well. Someone was coming. The voices coming from outside the room were audible, but not yet clear enough to make out any words. He could tell, though, that the voices belonged to men, because of the deepness to them. Whoever they were, they did not seem like small men, they sounded like big, strong, muscular men who could crush them with their bare hands if they were unhappy. And surely, they wouldn't be too happy that Randy and Malayna were having a secret meeting down in the Morganian Auxiliary. Randy concluded that they were Morganian soldiers on the night shift.
The voices became more audible. The door to the Morganian Auxiliary made a squeak, as someone on the other side began to open it.
Malayna and Randy desperately looked around for an escape, or at least a place to hide. There weren't any. They both tried to think as quickly as possible. Would they be able to make the soldiers unconcious? Though Randy was a muscular man and could defeat himself well, he wasn't so confident. Maybe he could use the weapons in the auxiliary? No, that would do more bad than good. He didn't have his own sword with him, and using another one would take a while to get used to; by the time he was comfortable with the new sword, they would be dead. What could they do? They had no advantage. Except...
As the door continued to open slowly, Malayna whispered, "Magic."
The door swung open, and two Morganian soldiers appeared with swords in their clenching fists, poised for anything.
One of the soldiers exclaimed, "Ah ha!" then he strode into the room, looking straight ahead, to where Malayna and Randy had stood. But, they were not there. The soldier spoke to the other one still near the door, "I have been looking all over for my sword! Finally, I have found it." He smiled as he picked up his sword and discarded the one he had came with.
The Morganian soldier by the door gazed about the room. "Why there be candles lit? Gustav, who be in here before us?"
Gustav's smile did not fade. "Oh, Nicholas. Why be so worrisome, eh? 'Tis no matter. I hear some of the soldiers come here to get some supplies sometimes. They must have left thy candles burning." His smile widened. "You know how we Morganian soldiers be."
Nicholas gave him a wicked smile. "Ay. We be forgetful, but we battle hard. No need to remember all those who have failed to conquer us.
Gustav blew out the candles in the room and made his way to the exit while Nicholas left the room. Soon, there was only one candle left, it was by the door.
Leaning over, he slowly put his face close to the wick. He whispered, "Morgana shall prevail." The flame extinguished and Gustav closed the door behind him. The Morganian Auxiliary was filled with complete darkness.

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He could barely look at her, let alone speak. He had acted so foolish and wondered how he could make it up to her.
"I apologize for my behavior today, Serena." She looked up from her plate, not expecting his apology, especially during a banquet. The rest of the royal family and the guests had all stopped their eating and stared at Prince Joshua.
He awaited her acceptance, but she just stared back down at her plate as if he had not uttered a word. The others around the table exchanged confused glances, and soon went back to their casual conversation and eating.
Prince Joshua had never felt so lonely, being in such a vast room. He looked around, not interested in his meal. The walls were decorated with finely done paintings as big as ten people put together. The paintings were surrounded with gold, handcrafted frames. Chandeliers of diamonds and rubies dangled from the ceiling. The polished wooden tables in the room were at least forty feet long, with gold-plated tablecloths folded perfectly over them. Even the chairs by the tables were shown to have a fine quality: portraits were carved on them, each one probably having taken forever to be created and each a masterpiece on its own. The light from thousands of burning candles made the room glow beautifully and lit up the applauding people. Goblets encrusted with sparkling jewels were placed in lines upon each table.
One goblet was suddenly raised in the air by a muscular arm.
Holding the goblet, King Benjamin spoke, "I must thank you all for coming to this banquet, it has been quite a pleasure. Let us make a toast." Many goblets sprang up into the air on his command. They glistened in the candlelight.
King Benjamin looked to another table in the room, at a small group dressed in divine attire. "Let us toast to our dear and loyal friends, the royal family of Morgana!"
The whole room cheered, goblets raised in the air, mimicking the king. "Kreblegsh!" they cried. Cheers! Even Josh joined in with the joy and the rapture. After all, why should he dwell on his problems while his best friend, Prince Clayton of Morgana, was visiting?
Forgetting his problems, he jumped onto his chair and shouted enthusiastically, while waving his arms, "Kreblegsh to Prince Clayton!"
Prince Clayton, on the other side of the room, laughed. His dark, course hair framed his face, revealing his hazel eyes which twinkled in the light. He joined his friend and stepped onto his chair, appearing taller than everyone, then shouted, trying to stifle a laugh,"Kreblegsh to Prince Joshua!"
After the banquet, the guests departed the room, ready to go back to their families. The royal family of Morgana stayed behind; they wanted to spend some time with their friends, the royal Corazon family of Bismuthe. Prince Joshua and Prince Clayton joked with each other, catching up on lost time spent apart from each other in their different lands.
"Yes..." Joshua tried to speak through his bursts of laughter. " 'Tis...true..." He and Prince Clayton continued to laugh hysterically.
Serenity just stood, rolling her eyes, watching them have a grand time. What children! How could anybody possibly think that a man falling in manure could possibly be funny?
"Pathetic." Serenity heard herself say.
The two of them stopped laughing abruptlly and turned their eyes to Serenity.
"I mean..." she started to say, but thought better of it. "It is extremely pathetic...how that man could fall in manure and end up running frantically into a chicken coop..." She forced a chuckle. "I supposse manure could be used instead of tar for feathering?"
Prince Clayton chuckled as well, but Joshua did not. He still hadn't forgotten how she had given him the cold shoulder when he attempted to apologize. He tried not to sound rude when he asked, "Don't you have somewhere to be, Serenity?"
She glared at him, but no words came out of her mouth.
Prince Clayton looked from one glaring face to the other. He cleared his throat. "So...how is everything here in Bismuthe?"
Suddenly realizing what they were doing, they stopped glaring at each other and turned to Prince Clayton and his smiling face.
"Every--"
"Things are grand over here, Clay." Josh interrupted Serenity. She glared at him for a bit, but then smiled at Clayton.
"Yes, you should come to Bismuthe more often."
To their surprise, the prince of Morgana laughed. To come to see you bickering? Like you two always do? His smile widened. "Right. That would be, excellent.
"Now, Mistress Serenity Cudah-nelle," he said politely, turning towards her. "Would you mind if me and Josh had some time to discuss a few things?"
She glanced at Josh, then had a sly smile on her face. She whispered to Clayton, "No, 'tis no problem. It would be wonderful if you could get the little monster off my hands for a while anyway. Good night, Prince Clayton."
The prince of Morgana had a smile on his face as Serenity left the room. What a clever girl. What a beautiful girl...
"What did she say?" Josh interrogated, not liking the look on his face.
"Nothing, my good friend. Just a bunch of useless nothing, I assure you."
"So, what was it that you would like to tell me?"
The prince of Morgana grinned. His hazel eyes shined. "Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

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That was it. It was too much for him, it needed to be ended right now.
"Serenity, please, talk to me."
Prince Joshua stopped her in the hall. She looked impatiently to the side at the wall, while Josh looked straight into her face. He hated not talking to her. Regardless of their quarrels, they were friends. At least, to Josh anyway.
"Why should I?" She pivoted her head sharply to glare at him as she talked. "So you can yell at me again? Or...so you can dismiss my advice, like you always do? Perhaps you'd like to forget my cautious words about a so-called 'childish' prophecy? One that entails your death?" She began to walk away as Josh tried to find the right words to say. "Sorry, Prince Joshua, but I don't help fools."
She was walking away from him. To him, it felt as if she was walking away from his life, forever. All over some stupid prophecy! But maybe she was right. She was walking away from his life, one that would soon be extinct if the prophecy was true. How naive could he be! He didn't want to lose his life. Most importantly, he didn't want to lose her friendship. Besides Prince Clayton, she was his only true friend. And he was just letting her walk away from his life, forever. No, he couldn't let her do that; he had to do something.
"Wait," he said so urgently, that it made Serenity halt in her steps.
He continued his plea, "Look. What I did was wrong. And what I've been doing is wrong. I should have never dismissed you, for any reason."
She turned around, softening up a little bit, staring at him. "Go on."
"I am just a man. Yet, I have so many identities: Prince Joshua, the son of King Benjamin, one of the members of the Bismuthean royal family, and importantly, just Josh Corazon.
"And as Joshua, the only thing in my life I have come to know are my friends and my allies. When you told me of the prophecy, Esh Velleh Hohn'd, and how a Morganian, one of my allies, would kill me..." He cleared his throat. It was hard to share these kinds of feelings to someone, especially Serenity. "It felt as if this prophecy was trying to destroy my life. To discover that my allies would someday kill me, it made me think I also discovered some evil taint in my life.
"How would you feel if someone told you that your mother was to kill you? One who has nurtured you and brought you up to be the radiant woman that you are? I don't care what you think, but you and I both know that you would not want to believe it true.
"So as Joshua, I did the only thing I could do to try and save my life from this prophecy that has tainted my life: I denied it. I denied it, with all my power, even at the cost of losing you as a friend. And I regret that. My life is nothing without my friends or you."
Serenity couldn't believe what she had heard. He was so sincere. She knew in her heart that he meant every word. It hurt her to hear how he felt. It hurt her even more to learn that he thought of her as a friend. A friend. She never thought she had any friends; she was just an "advisor". But Josh thought of her as a friend, a friend that he cherished. He was her friend, and yet, she hurt him. Tears began to form behind her eyes.
She could barely speak through the flood of tears. "I'm-oh, I'm sorry. Josh-Prince Joshua...I'm sorry..."
He ran to her side to comfort her. He held Serenity in his arms as she cried softly. "There is no need to shed a tear. Serena, as you said," he smiled softly as he said this, "you were only trying to save a fool."
Serenity pushed away from him gently. She sniffled and he wiped a tear from her face. "You're no fool, Joshua."
"No, 'tis not true. We're both fools." She smiled. He continued, "So, since we are both fools, would you mind escorting a fool tomorrow?" She gave him a confused look.
Josh explained, "Prince Clayton of Morgana has asked me to go to Morgana to visit him tomorrow. Clay wouldn't mind if you went along. Besides, I would rather you come. Please?"
She couldn't resist his charm. "Prince Joshua 'de Corazon, I accept your offer."
They both chuckled. It was nice to not be fighting anymore.
Going down the hallway, Prince Joshua and Serenity danced happily while onlookers gave them disapproving looks. What did it matter if people thought they looked like fools? They were. And tomorrow, while visiting Prince Clayton, they would soon figure out how much they were fools.

----------***----------***----------***----------***------------

Malayna stiffened her muscles. She didn't want him to sense her fear. His hazel eyes penetrated her while he sat on his throne, as if he knew her secret and was waiting for her to confess the truth.
He wiped strands of his dark, course hair from his face. "Mistress Malayna Calahan? The message, please"
"Yes, milord. Serenity Cudah-nelle, of Bismuthe, has sent you a prophecy to be aware of." She hoped he didn't hear her heart beating fast as she read the prophecy in Bismuthean, "He who is next in line must be aware, for they will kill him. One who he shall not expect will carry the knife that shall protrude from his back. Heed these words: they will kill you."
He pounded his fist on the arm of his throne. This made Serenity jump back. "It makes me so angry to know people would want to do such a thing! He is my friend, and I will kill anyone who attempts to make this prophecy true. I will do it with my bare hands if I have to!"
Malayna swallowed. "Prince Clayton, would you like me to send a message to the city of this?"
"No, it's fine. I don't want anyone else to know of this. Tomorrow, he is to visit Morgana." She held his gaze as he talked. "And I don't want anyone to know he is coming, not even my family. The more publicity his visit receives, the more chance the murderer will have to discover he is here, and the more chances the murderer will have to get the job done. Understood?"
Malayna nodded. "Yes, Prince Clayton." She began to depart from the throne room.
"One more thing." Malayna stopped, but didn't turn around. "I want you to put a spell on me, so that nobody can track me down with magic and find out where Prince Joshua is. Not even you, Enchantress of the Force. So use whatever amount of magic is necessary. Understood?"
Her heart sank. "Yes, milord, as you wish.
"And tomorrow, before his visit, you shall give me a demonstration to prove to me that your spell is active and working."
Malayna left the room and walked down the hallway. Could it be any worse? It seemed like he knew of her plan and was attempting to stop it. Everything was starting to go wrong. She didn't know what to do now. She was a lost child, trapped in a maze, and didn't know how to escape the nightmare.

----------***----------***----------***----------***------------

Prince Clayton smiled. The mid-day sun shone upon him. "Welcome to Bismuthe, my good friend."
Josh shook his hand and exchanged his greeting as well, and then explained that Serenity would accompany him during his stay.
The prince of Morgana wasn't expecting Serenity. He greeted her politely anyway, saying what a pleasure it was to see her again and how she was welcome to come anytime she wished.
Prince Clayton then illustrated what he had planned for them to do that day for their visit. He wanted them to eat a lunch that he had prepared himself after going hiking in the mountains; he said he wanted to show them a few things of his wonderful city of Morgana.
After hiking for a few hours, they stopped near a beautiful waterfall. The water, which usually looked blue, seemed to be gold, as the sun began to set. Joshua looked at his surroundings. It reminded him of the waterfall near Plymouthe Mt. in his own city. It was remarkable; he had never been so close to a waterfall before.
The grass felt lush when he sat down to eat the lunch Clayton had made for them: dragon meat, potatoes, and green beans. It wasn't much, but Prince Clayton was proud of the delicacy that he had made. Josh and Serenity were happy about the food as well, because it was exquisite. They talked while they ate.
At one point, they discussed the prophecy. Prince Clayton stated that he would never let anyone try to kill Josh since he was his best friend. Serenity too said the same and was happy to be able to refer to him as a friend. Josh laughed and said he was grateful, but that he was a strong man and didn't need them to protect him. Prince Clayton wanted to disagree, but he didn't. He wanted to tell him that he was protecting him by the spell that the Enchantress of the Force had used on him, but then decided that it didn't matter.
After the meal, Josh stood up, wiping his dirty hands on his pants. "That was wonderful. So, what else did you want to show us, my good friend?"
The prince of Morgana grinned. "A little too impatient, my friend?"
He led Josh and Serenity deeper into the woods as the darkness began to creep in along with the night. They wondered where Clayton was taking them, but didn't voice their opinions aloud.f
Finally, Prince Clayton stopped. It was so dark they could barely make out the expressions on each other's faces. The smell of water filled their lungs, and the sound of a trickling river filled their ears. Why had he taken them there?
Josh had an odd feeling, but when he spoke, he masked his uneasiness, "Clay, why did you take us to the river? It's not like we haven't seen one before or anything."
Josh could barely see anything through the darkness, but he could make out the smirk on Clayton's face. "Oh, Josh. I didn't want to show you the dull river. No, I wanted to show you something else...friend."
In an instant, the trees around them lit up. Serenity and Josh looked around for the source of the sudden luminosity. It was Clayton; his empty hand held a beam of light. Magic.
Serenity matched his smirk. "Clayton, you came to show us that? I'm a sorceress, I learned to do that when I was but a babe."
Prince Clayton continued to smirk, the light still glowing from his hand, but he said nothing; he just looked into the light in his empty palm. The other two exchanged confused glances. What was he doing? Why was he acting so strange? Then, he finally spoke.
To their surprise, he spoke in Bismuthean, "He who is next in line must be aware, for they will kill him. One who he shall not expect will carry the knife that shall protrude from his back. Heed these words: they will kill you..."
The light flickered and faded away. They were all left in darkness once again, barely able to see the outlines of each other's body. The river continued to flow in the night, making the sound of water audible. Besides the river, the other sound were beating hearts.
Josh listened, in the silence, to the beating hearts. One was beating faster than average; that was his own heart. Another was beating very rapidly; he guessed it was Serenity's, she must be scared. The last heart, however, was much faster than Serenity's heart; it was abnormal for a heart to beat that fast. It could only belong to Clayton. Josh wanted to ask why his heart was beating like that.
"Clay--"
"Silence." Prince Clayton interrupted him. "You are not so foolish as I thought, but you are still a great fool. Esh Velleh Hohn'd."
"Why do you keep on bringing that up?" Serenity asked, annoyed of his strange behavior.
He ignored her question and continued, "They will kill him. What a prophecy, huh? But there is just one mistake: 'they' will not kill him." Josh could barely see his face, but he saw it. He saw the wicked smile that was on his lips.
Josh realized what was going on.
He whispered, "Oh, dear spirits..."
Through the darkness, he saw Clayton's mighty figure move swiftly through the blanket of the night. Serenity just stayed still, not knowing what was happening. Josh moved back slowly as he saw the Morganian knife come up.
The woods was instantly filled once more with light. The source again was in Prince Clayton's palm. But this time, his palm was not empty. Prince Clayton held up the Morganian knife, which glowed against the light in his palm.
Josh looked into Prince Clayton's eyes: they were filled with madness; he had never seen his friend's hazel eyes like that before.
"Esh Velleh Hohn'd. No. They won't kill you. I will. Oh yes, I would protect you from other's harm, but only because I would like to do the job myself. I would never let anyone bathe in my glory of killing you. Goodbye...friend." He still had his wicked, evil smile on his face.
Not thinking about himself, he shouted, "Run! Serenity, run!"
Serenity tried with all her might to make herself move, but she could not. Her body was paralyzed.

~*CHAPTER TWO*~
"HELP!! Oh, dear spirits! Help us!" The only thing Serenity could possibly do was to scream through her streaming tears.
For the love of the dear spirits, please protect Serenity. I beg of you, with all my might. Please... As Josh prepared to die, he looked into the eyes of his so-called friend, pleading in his head for his now only friend, Serenity, to be protected from this beast, the one he had trusted with his life. Now, it seems, he had literally given his life to Prince Clayton of Morgana, and he hadn't the foggiest idea why.
"For what reason am I giving up my life, Clayton?" he asked in a steady tone, while his eyes penetrated the hazel eyes that brimmed with madness.
He had not expected this question, but nonetheless gave an answer, still clutching the Morganian knife as the light continued to glow between his fingertips. "Reason? You are an odd fellow if you think that you can delay your inevitable death, Joshua. But since you are my friend--"
"Friends don't kill each other, you freak," he said in a cold tone. He didn't care what the consequences were if he said it; he knew he would die anyway under Clayton's Morganian knife, so he would at least display his new feelings towards him.
His eyebrows went up. "You dare say that to me? Joshua, need I remind you, friend, I am the one with the knife over your heart, not the other way around."
I hate you. I hate you, you evil monster! I hope you perish in the fiery pits of the underworld for all eternity! Just kill me now, get it over with. But I swear, if you hurt Serenity--
Josh stared ahead in disbelief. Where Serenity once was, she no longer stood paralyzed. His blue eyes widened. Where was she? A bead of sweat trickled down his face. Realizing his actions, he diverted his eyes to Clayton and his wicked smile; he didn't seem to notice.
Prince Clayton's eyes glowed menacingly in the light. "Now, because I am such a wonderful person..." A twisted smile sprouted from his wet lips. "And even though you are such an insolent little fool, I will tell you of my reasons as a gift."
Good, keep talking, keep stalling. You're the fool. You've always been the fool.
He continued, his fists becoming white from clutching the knife in a death grip, "The Master. My Master." He cackled, as if it was the most amusing thing in the world. "He is my reason. He, is my life. So don't blame me, friend. He is the one who holds this knife."
Had he gone mad? Perhaps he was possessed?
To keep Clayton's attention on himself, he responded, so Serenity's absence wouldn't be noticed. "You killed me because your Master wanted it so? You're the fool, Clayton. Can't you see, your Master is only trying to break the treaty of our two cities? You are a blind fool."
"Blind fool? Tsk, tsk. Joshua, that is not how you speak to a close friend."
Josh's anger was rising. At that point, he didn't care what he did. He was just so angry and needed to vent his rage. He screamed at Clayton, "You are not my friend! By my death, a war will erupt between Bismuthe and Morgana! Your stupidity will have huge consequences: millions will die because of you; your loved ones will die because of you. How can you be so naive! I hope you and your Master are skinned alive, so I can laugh at every painful incision!"
Not even thinking anymore, he madly spit into Clayton's face.
Clayton's wicked smile faded as he wiped the spit off his cheek. His hazel eyes became slits as he glared at Josh's face, which was now red with heat. Now, more than ever, he looked incredibly evil. At any moment, Josh expected Clayton's forehead to sprout red horns.
In a split second, Clayton drew back his fist and brought it back, smashing into Josh's jaw. Newly drawn blood dripped from his mouth. A sharp pain from his jaw made his body twitch. It seemed that that one blow to his face drained all his energy. He didn't even have enough strength to move his head, so it stayed cocked to the side. His dark hair scattered in front of his face while the blood dropped to the dirt, staining it red.
Clayton's voice was threatening. "You mean nothing. The people of Bismuthe mean nothing. The people of Morgana mean nothing. My royal family means nothing to me.
"The only one who matters is the Master. And when I kill you, he will take your soul and torture you for all eternity. Only then, when you are in his hands, will you be of some use. When all the Bismutheans and Morganians massacre each other, because of their hatred sparked by your death, their souls will be taken to the Master. You will all perish. And I will laugh at you all forever."
Josh could only manage a whisper. "Well, you haven't killed me yet."
Abruptly, an unbearable pain erupted from Josh's chest. When he looked down, the tip of the Morganian knife had dug into his chest. The dirt was stained even more with red as Josh's warm blood trickled down his chest to the ground.
His breathing became staggered. This is it. I'm going to die.
Clayton drew back the Morganian knife, ready to finish what he had started.
With one last breath, Josh whispered, "Go to he--"
Suddenly, Clayton was knocked to the ground a few yards away; the Morganian knife thudded to the floor to a nearby tree. When Josh looked up, Serenity stood, holding her hands up. Her dark red hair lifted up off her shoulders, but there was no wind. Blinding light sparked from her fingertips. Magic.
She shouted an incantation in Bismuthean, "With the power invested in me, I banish you from the world of the living! I pray for guidance and strength that the good spirits are giving! With all my power and my soul...you shall be no more!" More sparks flew from her fingers, and an imaginary wind blew Serenity's hair once more, but this time with more force. Her brown eyes flamed with rage.
From a distance, Clayton's vicious laughter was heard throughout the crackle of Serenity's sparks. He stood up, with a twisted smile on his face, to front her. He drew up his hands in defense, forgetting about his Morganian knife on the floor; besides, a blade was no match for magic anyway.
Before he could cast a spell on her, Serenity yelled, "Gustappa!" A mighty gust of wind flowed from her outstretched fingers, making Clayton instantly back into a tree. Because of the intensity when he hit the tree, a few pieces of bark broke off of the trunk.
Clayton continued to laugh, as if her power wasn't affecting him. It seemed like a game to him. But it wasn't. No, it was a matter of life or death.
With out swipe of his hand, Serenity's wind was no more. In fact, Serenity herself had disappeared as well. He smirked. In a flash, Serenity's body appeared in front of him, her arms still in the air.
Realizing where she was, her eyes opened wide, staring at Clayton in disbelief. "How did--"
His hands came up to her neck swiftly. He wrapped his fingers around her pulsing neck and began to squeeze. Serenity's arms became limp. She tried to flail her body around, but his grip was tight. She was loosing air. Her head began to feel empty and her surroundings seemed to spin all around her.
She looked into Clayton's eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. Why? Why Clayton, why?
His grip tightened. He tried to literally squeeze the life out of her.
But then he thought better of it and let go. Serenity flopped to the ground, gasping for air, looking up at him with her glistening brown eyes. Why hadn't he killed her?
"Why, Serenity? Why did I not take the rest of your life from you?" He smiled. "It's simple: I wanted you to witness Prince Joshua 'de Corazon's death, every agonizing scream, until his last and painful breath." He saw the terror in her eyes; it made him ecstatic.
Taking hold of her legs, he dragged her across the dirt, walking towards Josh, who was still writhing in pain. He set her legs down and kneeled in front of Josh. Clayton turned around to Serenity who was lying down with her eyes shut tight. He stared at her face and his eyes began to illuminate. Serenity's eyes opened instantly and she sat up, staring blankly at Josh. She had no control, Clayton was using his evil magic. Tears formed in the back of her eyes. She did not want to see this.
Clayton moved his attention back to Josh. He looked as if he was already dead, but his staggered breathing was audible.
I can't watch this. I can't. For the love of the good spirits, I can't. Please, help me! I pray to the good spirits, don't let me witness his death. I love him!
With all her strength, Serenity tried her best to use at least a little bit of her magic. She knew it would be extremely difficult and painful against Clayton's magic that was put upon her, but she had to try. Through the searing pain, she eventually got a hold of her magic.
Paralysious. Immediately, she blanked out.
Clayton didn't seem to notice. He was concentrating too much on Josh. His smile widened. His Master would be happy. He would surely be rewarded for his duty.
In all the ecstasy he was feeling, he forgot about his knife. He looked around for his Morganian knife. He didn't see it anywhere. He stood up to search for it.
"Where is my blasted kni--"
The Morganian prince tumbled to the floor.
Josh heard the thud and looked up. Malayna was holding the bloody Morganian knife. Her eyes stared blankly at nothing.
"Mission accomplished," she whispered.

----------***----------***----------***----------***------------

The fire in the hearth felt wonderful against their bodies. It made the room glow in the warm light. Malayna and Josh sat in front of the fireplace while Serenity rested in the bed. Josh had bandages wrapped around his chest to heal his wound. Malayna and Josh talked quietly, so as not to wake Serenity from her peaceful slumber.
"I still don't understand. Why would you want to kill the prince of your own beloved city?"
Malayna stared into the fire. The flames reflected off of her violet eyes. "He no longer deserved to be prince once he planned to destroy one of his allies. Or anyone for that matter. His heart was filled with evil taint, Josh.
"I am the Enchantress of the Force. And in so being, I can do many magical things. I suppose Clayton underestimated my power.
"Once I heard of Prince--I mean, Clayton's plans, to kill you, it was my duty to stop it. I could not just sit around while I knew someone was in danger. So, at the risk of being beheaded, tortured, or even worse, I made plans of my own: to assassinate Clayton, before it was too late.
It must have taken a lot of strength to do such a thing. How could Clayton do this to her? "I'm sorry. I mean, for what you had to go through."
She took her eyes from the hearth. "It's my destiny. Don't be sorry for the inevitable Josh."
"Screw destiny."
Malayna couldn't help but laugh at his statement. "You are an odd fellow. I like it."
His eyebrows raised. "Can I quote you on that, Mistress Malayna Calahand?" She chuckled; her face reddened.
Randy cleared his throat. "Malayna?"
Josh and Malayna turned around, to see Randy standing in the doorway, rather annoyed from being ignored.
"Yes, of course, Randy. Excuse me for a moment, Josh."
Malayna stood up. Her violet skirt flowed gracefully around her legs. Josh could not look away from her as she and Randy walked away.
When they had left the room completely, Josh got up to check on Serenity's condition.
He stroked her hair as she laid in the bed. Her breathing was slow and steady. Sweat covered her rosy cheeks. Ever so often, she would seem to struggle, like she was having a nightmare that she could not get out of. I'm sorry, Serena. It's all my fault. I hate seeing you this way. Please, be strong for me. I need you. Serena...I need you.
After what seemed to be forever, Serenity began to wake up.
She whispered, with her eyes still shut, "No...please...Clayton, kill him...kill him..."
Serenity opened her eyes abruptly.
She looked around suspiciously. She absentmindedly asked, "Where...am I?" Her brown eyes settled on Josh's sympathetic face. "Josh...what happened?"
He softly touched her cheek; it was burning with fever. "Hey sleepyhead." He smiled and continued, "Everything is going to be fine. We can explain it to you later."
We? What did he mean by "we"?
Slowly, she nodded her head and sat up. She vigorously rubbed the sleep from her eyes and took a good look around the room.
The fire in the hearth was still blazing, but most of the lumber transformed into glowing orange ashes. The small room was dominantly colored with maroon and violet. Everywhere, wherever you turned, there was a fancy letter "M"; it appeared that they were still in Morgana. The lush carpets had intricate designs, or scenes from nature, with bronze thread intertwining between each. Only one exit was visible, a large wooden door framed in gold. To the right of the fire stood a bookshelf.
The bookshelf was made of finely carved oak, that had ancient Morganian symbols engraved into it. Hundreds of books, of all sizes, shapes, and colors, were neatly arranged on the shelves. The height of it was phenomenal, it towered over everything; it was a wonder how anyone could possibly manage to reach the top shelf because there was no ladder in sight. One of the books, however, stuck out a few inches compared to the rest. It was gold and looked extremely tiny being next to books that were approximately five times its size. It caught Serenity's eye. She couldn't stop herself from staring at it, it was like some force drew her eyes to it...
"Serena?"
His voice made her jump. "Yes, Prince Joshua?"
His eyebrows wrinkled together in thought. Should he attempt to ask now? Or maybe he should wait? But, they were alone, and he didn't know when he would get another chance to be alone with her.
The prince of Bismuthe decided to go ahead and ask, "Serena, what were you dreaming about when you were sleeping? I heard you...whispering some things."
"Oh...nothing." She forced a breath. "I bet it was...just a nigvot metta or something."
A dream you cannot remember.
Purposely, she changed the subject, "So, are you hungry? Because I am starving!" Prince Joshua nodded in agreement. He then realized how his stomach grumbled loudly from his lack of food.
How long had they been there?
Unexpectedly, the large wooden door, the only exit, opened. To their surprise, there was no palm on the doorknob. A few seconds later, Malayna and Randy walked through the door. They were talking to each other through bursts of laughter. They seemed to be long-time friends, or lovers.
Josh felt something deep within himself, but couldn't quite figure out what it was. But then he realized what it was. Jealousy.
After calming down a bit from laughing so much with Randy, Malayna strode to Josh, her skirts flowing with her graceful movement. When she looked up at him with her intense violet eyes, he felt as if he had a fever. She spoke softly, "You're hungry, I assume? Randy and I have prepared a meal for you two, but after you eat we must get going. It isn't safe here anymore."
He could only manage a nod. He tried desperately to keep his knees from shaking.
"How long have we been here?" he heard Serenity say in a rough tone.
He was so thankful to have her gaze lifted from him, he would have collapsed if she looked at him with her beautiful eyes any longer. Malayna spoke to Serenity, still in a comforting voice, "You've been here for a few hours."
Serenity gave her a disapproving look. Malayna explained, "You are in Morgana. Actually, in the Morganian Palace. However, we down below, where nobody comes, except the guards, but they work with us. They know of our troubles.
"The rest of the world above us, luckily, will be ignorant of the events that have happened just a mere while ago. For a few days, at least, it will stay the same. Nobody will want to believe that Clayton or Josh are dead. Certainly, they wouldn't make any accusations against each city yet, considering that his body was discarded, making it seem as though you both have disappeared together.
"I'm afraid that there might be a war if we don't do anything quick. We can't let that happen, that is just what Clayton wants: a war, where millions will be massacred. I know that if Clayton was just a jealous fool, and the case was left alone, it would not cause any accusations or a war. On the contrary, I know Clayton was not alone in his mission; that is what worries me. He worships the Master, whoever that may be, and I am positive that this Master of his must have other worshipers as well, which leads me to the conclusion that they will attempt to cause a bloody war between the two cities. Not only that, I believe that somewhere in the palace, those people lurk. They will kill us."
Serenity replied haughtily, "I am a sorceress. I can just simply put a spell around us so they will not be able to sense us. Either that, or I can destroy them with my magic. I am not going to run for the rest of my life, so let's just deal with it now."
Malayna matched her tone. "And I, am the Enchantress of the Force." Serenity gasped.
Throughout her life she had heard of the Enchantress, the one with immense power, the one who had a rare gift of superior magic, to do right and conquer evil. As a little girl, her dream was to become an Enchantress and to later become an Enchantress of the Force. Enchantresses were taught, at a young age, to learn how to use their magic, as if it was a second nature to them. She had always envied their wonderful clothes that were more elegant than even a queen. Most of all, she dreamt of one day wearing the gold chain that every Enchantress wore. Serenity couldn't believe that Malayna was indeed what Serenity had always wanted to be, but when she looked at the gold chain, she knew it was true.
It went no further than her forehead as if the chain was too small of length to fit over her head. However, this was how it was to be. In the middle of the chain was clasped a golden stone. The stone hung, connected to the chain, in the middle of her forehead, in between her eyes. This stone was a symbol of her power, her power as the Enchantress of the Force. Whenever Malayna, or any other Enchantress at that, used her powers, this magical stone would glow, bringing fear into her enemy's eyes. This stone was called the Eudora. Whenever worn by an Enchantress, it meant she was on duty; she was prepared to do what she must. The gold chain and the Eudora itself was called Aura’s Forsaken. It symbolized an Enchantress herself; it was given when one was named. Therefore, if one was ever stripped of her powers because of betrayal to the Forces, the good spirits, her Aura’s Forsaken was taken from her and her Eudora was burned in fire, to make her aware that she would soon have the same fate. Burning in the hot, blazing fire was the only way to rid an Enchantress of her gift of magic. Every single time, as each screamed in howling pain, they died; once an Enchantress, always an Enchantress...until dead by fire with incantations. All Enchantresses cherished their Aura’s Forsaken dearly. All but the Enchantress of the Force. To Malayna, it was only a reminder of her destiny; the thing she hated most.
Malayna softened her tone. "Just because you have magic, does not mean it is any easier to kill. It is merely a tool, as is a knife or an arrow. Have you ever killed with your magic before?" Serenity shook her head. "I thought so. It is the most painful thing you can ever imagine. I'm sure it is worse than what you will ever do to your victims. But I had to do it, because it is my blasted destiny. And right now, we can't massacre them like that, not when we have a choice not to."
Randy motioned his hands to the doorway, with a grin on his face. "Okay, let's say we stop this 'friendly' conversation and eat?"
Malayna laughed. Josh felt that pang of jealousy again.

----------***----------***----------***----------***------------

Serenity looked around, wondering where she had headed. She had made a wrong turn and was lost. The hallways were dark and deserted, and there was a musty odor. Where was she?
Reluctantly, she took a few steps forward. Her boots hitting the floor echoed throughout the hallway. Her Bismuthean dress hugged her legs as she took each step, but she still remained cold. It hadn't been so cold in the rest of the palace, so why was it now? Serenity's thoughts scrambled through her head. What if someone were to find her? She halted. What if the Master worshipers found her? Despite the cold, she began to feel hot. Her heartbeat quickened. Malayna said that killing someone with her magical powers was agony, and she definitely would have to kill if someone attacked her.
No, that can't be true. Malayna is immensely powerful, so it must have a different affect on her. Yes, it must be different. Serenity kept thinking, trying to convince herself that it would be allright.
Her pace quickened. The faster I walk, the faster I'll get out of here...
Once again, she stopped. She thought she heard something, but it was just her boots. Okay, Serenity, don't start acting crazy now. It was just your imagination. Nobody else is here.
After a few minutes of walking through what seemed to be the longest hallway in history, she heard a sound. Immediately, she stopped.
The sound of footsteps continued to echo through the hallway.
Someone is following me!
Serenity quickened her pace again, hoping that it wasn't too noticeable; if they knew that she had noticed their footsteps, they would chase after her. Her chest heaved up and down as she breathed heavily, but softly.
"I know you're there..." a manly voice said. "I'm coming to get you."
"Leave me alone!" Serenity shouted.
Soon, the sound of running footsteps echoed throughout the hallway. Serenity sprinted with all her might. She had to get out of there.
She heard laughter behind her. How could the man run while laughing? And why was he laughing? Is this a game to him? My death is a game? He is insane. He is evil. The laughter seemed to get louder. He must be closer to her now.
They had been running for a long time. Serenity couldn't take it. Her legs were pounding with pain and her lungs ached. Sweat gathered on her body, making her dress stick to her. She took big breaths of the musty air, even though it had a strange odor to it. The hallway was still dark.
Serenity turned around. She glared straight ahead, poised for anything, anyone. Her hands sprang up, ready to release powerful and deadly magic. I can do this. I can kill.
She gasped, her eyes widening in shock.
"Hello, love."
A face stared back at her with a twisted smile. His hazel eyes penetrated through her. It was Clayton.

~*CHAPTER THREE*~

This was insane. Clayton was dead. At least, that was what they thought. Malayna had killed him, with his own Morganian knife. Or had she? Maybe, perhaps, Serenity had just envisioned his face. It must be an illusion, Clayton was dead. Yes, it had to be. It just had to be.
Kill him. He isn't Clayton.
But what if he was? And why would she even have to hesitate about killing him? She hated him. He tried to kill her, and Josh. He probably hated her as well, for not worshipping his Master. So, they equally hated each other. Why then, did he call her "love" and why would she have doubts about ending his life?
Kill him. He tried to kill Josh. He is the enemy. He is evil.
Serenity stopped looking in shock and put on a face filled with no emotion, no fear, no regard. She wanted desperately to hide what she really felt. She hoped he couldn't see her knees shaking in the darkness.
Instantly, a knife appeared in her hands, as if she had summoned it. Serenity held the golden knife high, clutching it for dear life. If she was going to do it, this was it; it was now or never. Kill, or be killed. Kill, or live with the guilt.
With fury and passion, Serenity wailed in Bismuthean, "I call upon the powers that be, give me strength!...samonsah digvot'd!!" A gust of air swirled about them, separating Serenity and Clayton.
Serenity fell to the side, the golden knife disappearing from her hand, ready to hit a wall of the long, dark hallway. Surprisingly, she hit nothing and skidded on the...lush carpet? The carpet felt so good underneath her bare feet, but noticing her boots were gone, she didn't know what was happening. When she peered down at her feet and the lavish carpets, something strange made her heart skip a beat: she wasn't wearing the same dress she had started off with; she wore a dress of the Enchantress of the Force. Her shaking fingers made their way to her forehead; there, fitting perfectly, was an Aura's Forsaken, the symbol of all Enchantresses.
"What the--" Serenity whispered. Her mouth dropped open.
Prince Joshua 'de Corazon stood in front of Serenity, Clayton nowhere to be seen.
Where had he gone? What in the world was going on? Serenity's head pounded in pain. Josh's dashing figure slowly floated towards Serenity, as if he was a ghost. He smiled his sly smile, the one she longed so much to see. Serenity smiled back. Finally, he would take her away from this nightmare.
He lifted up his hand, not saying a word. Serenity closed her eyes, waiting for his soft hand to touch her face. When at last she still did not feel his hand, she opened her eyes.
In front of her no longer stood the Josh she had come to know; the person in front of her was Josh allright, but with Clayton's evil smile.
"You fool!" Josh screamed as his lifted hand slammed down on Serenity's beautiful face, slapping her senseless.
Tears of confusion flowed from her face like depressed waterfalls. "Josh...how could you? How could you?!" Josh floated away, laughing malevolently.
Oh Lord, what is happening to me? At that point, she could hardly breathe, let alone think. She sobbed and shook uncontrolably. Just close your eyes, it will be over soon...
"Honey, open your eyes. It's me, darlin'."
A single tear of despair rolled down her cheek as she reluctantly opened her glistening eyes. She just wanted it all to stop. She no longer could divide what was reality and what wasn't; it was all just a big jumble of confusion. Serenity looked to the man in front of her. In the background, she could see a massive chandelier, hanging over many dancing people. They were in a palace...her palace, the one where she had lived before she went away to live in Bismuthe.
Serenity continued to sob. She didn't want this man to suddenly slap her like Josh had done, she didn't want to hate him or feel betrayed by him.
His voice was so sincere, as was his friendly smile that she always remembered. "Serenity, my dear. You mustn't be afraid, I'm here now. I will never leave you, ever."
Serenity flinched. At any moment, she was prepared to see the man's face turn evil, but, it did not; his wonderful smile remained on his face.
She confided to him, softly, "Oh, Papa...how I have missed you, Papa..."
He took his burly arms and pulled Serenity closer to give her a warm hug. He assured her that everything was going to be all right. For a while, she actually believed him. What choice did she have left? There was no point in being a depressed fool anyhow; if she was helpless, she was helpless, no matter what.
Memories of her life before Bismuthe came to her while her father held her. She could not remember the last time he had ever been so nice before, or the last time he had hugged her for that matter.
Actually, when she thought about it more, she remembered when he acted like that: before he developed his drinking problem. Later, when he lost his wife, he let drinking take over his life. During that time, Serenity wanted her old father back, she wanted everything to be the same. But her wish never came true, he just shipped her off to Bismuthe without a word or thought. Now, it seemed, she wa s holding exactly what she always wished for: the father she had. Despite how great it felt, she didn't know why she couldn't fully enjoy it. There were just too many questions. Why was her father acting this way again and why was he even here?
"See what my fabulous magic can bring, love?"
A disgusted look appeared on Serenity's face when she looked up to see Clayton standing a few feet in front of her.
"Magic? This isn't real?"
Clayton scoffed. "Who needs reality? Your father is here with you now, just how you've always wanted it to be, yes? And how does it feel to wear the dress of an Enchantress and to have your own Aura's Forsaken? I can give you everything you desire. Everything. You can have it all."
"No, you can't give me everything, with your tainted magic." Serenity gently pulled away from her father and stood up. He wasn't real. She looked at her father for a moment and went back to Clayton after her father disappeared, saddened that it was all an illussion, but happy that it lasted as long as it did. "He isn't real. This isn't real. I'm not an Enchantress. But there is some truth to your magic."
"How so?"
Serenity smirked. "Well, it made me see how fake you are. It made me see that you are truly a coward; you need magic to conjure up your desires and to change the ideas of others.
"And it also made me see how jealous you are of Josh. I should've known that he would never do something like that to me. No. Only you would. You'll never be half the man he is."
His shoulder's shook while he laughed. "No? I only showed you that because it is the truth. Don't let ignorance shade you from the truth. He is an evil man and will betray you one day, just as I have shown you."
"I've had enough of your little fantasies. It's time for you to die."
Holding his hands up high, rolling his hazel eyes back behind his head, he hollered, "Master! Aid me!" His eyes rolled back into view. They were no longer hazel, they were blood red. "We will show her our true powers!"
Serenity's hands stretched out in front of her. "Not unless I shall show you mine first."
In a violent spark of light, Serenity's gown turned back into the one she started out with. The Aura's Forsaken was still sitting on her head, however, for whatever purpose she had. The carpets and everything that was an illusion faded away to reveal the dark hallway and the musty smell.
"Esh Velleh Hohn'd? Oh no. I will kill you, not "them". Too bad Josh isn't here to see this, I'm sure he would have thoroughly enjoyed seeing you squirm in my grasp. At least I get to enjoy every agonizing scream, as I destroy you, limb from limb, from your ice cold heart to your feet. No, Clayton. You'll never be half of what Josh--"
Josh is evil. He will kill you. He doesn't love you, no, he never will. He sees you as nothing compared to himself. He does not love you, you are not his friend. He is evil.
"What? Josh is ev--No! Stop it! I said stop it!" Serenity clutched her head, trying to squeeze the terrible thoughts from her head. "No! Please, stop!"
Clayton tried to put on a look of sympathy. It appeared extremely sincere, actually.
"Something wrong, Serena?"
He deserves to die. Josh is atrocious, loathsome. He is a monster. He is vile. He deserves to die in the fiery pits of the underworld.
Serenity trembled, still holding her head, but falling to the cold floor. Get out of my head! Get out! She screamed, not knowing what else to do. She was helpless, helpess against Clayton's mighty power.
"STOP IT! Get out of my head! Paralysious! ...Paralysious! " She tried to blank herself out, but it would not work. The veins in her head throbbed. She screamed once more, but this time longer, and louder, and more filled with pain. It was terrifying.
Clayton's eyes became a deeper red and his voice in her head became louder. You want Josh dead. You want them all dead. You will come live with me, you will worship the Master. They are all evil.
"Oh Lord, it hurts! It hurts!...Josh is evil. Must worship the Mas--STOP IT! LEAVE ME BE!" She wailed painfully.
Clayton sighed. "I"ve had enough. This is taking forever, I don't have time for this, love. Now, just be a good girl and behave. This won't take long, I promise."
"Yes, child, behave. He can give you the world, he can do what I never could, darlin'. If you love me, my beautiful daughter, you will do as he says. Come on, we can spend time together...just like old times." Serenity's father appeared, smiling at Serenity, making her believe him, making her believe that he was not a mirage. Clayton's magic was working.
"Oh, daddy...I miss you. What must I do?"
"My dear, it is quite simple. Just, listen to the truth, that's all."
"But, Clayton is lying. He doesn't speak the truth, he is a beast. I hate him. Why can't you make him go away? Please?"
Serenity's father gave her a sympathetic look. "Darlin', we need him. You need him. And he speaks the truth, Josh has just blinded you from it. Josh is evil. His only intent is to kill you, to rip out your heart. I can't have that happen; he is not going to hurt my daughter. Please, honey, believe me. If you love me, you will believe my words: Josh is evil."
It was hard for her to say it, and although deep down she did not truly believe it, her mind shaded her from the truth, Clayton's magic was working very well. "Josh...is...evil."
She felt warm when her father gave her a big hug. She missed him so much. But this wasn't her father; he was just a result of evil magic. However, to Serenity, he was real, he spoke the truth.
Clayton smiled. "Good girl. Now, let's see if my magic has done its job, shall we?"
With a wave of his hand,Clayton summoned Prince Joshua 'de Corazon. Serenity gasped. Her father glared.
"Josh--" Serenity started to say, but instantly, something in her head stopped her. She started over, with a cruel look on her face, "Get away from me! Go away...you...monster! You evil freak!"
A knife instantly appeared in Josh's hand. He thought nothing of it. "Serena, what are you talking about? I love--"
"Look! He has a knife! You...beast! Don't you dare come near my father! I hate you, I hate you!" Her chest heaved while she held onto her father and glared at the prince. "Gustappa!!" she yelled.
Josh looked down at his knife, examining it; Serenity's spell had done nothing. He looked back at Serenity with wet eyes, not understanding what was happening, not able to comprehend her new hatred towards him.
"Clayton!...Kill him!...Kill him!" Serenity gasped. She herself, could not fathom what she was doing. How could she say such a thing? What could possibly drive her to say something like that?
Evil magic.
"My pleasure, love. My pleasure." Clayton said, with a smirk. Indeed, the magic had worked.
Her mind was poisoned. Her mind belonged to him.

----------***----------***----------***----------***------------

The dark alley was quiet, except for the sniffling of one woman. Her blonde hair blew with the cold breeze. The man that stood in front of her was looking down at her, feeling her pain, feeling her hurt. His golden eyes glistened wetly while his brown hair danced across his face. The woman finally spoke.
"Please, don't go....please..." The tears were stinging her eyes, her heart was shattering, it was all happening too fast.
Looking deep into her eyes, he touched her face gently. It was such a shame, to end such a wonderful thing for the sake of everyone else. What a shame.
"Babe, I have to go...I wish it were different, I really do. But you'll always be in my heart, forever, no matter where I am," he tried to comfort her.
The tears flowed freely down her face, gliding over his hand; her tears were too much for him, they just reminded him of how much he was hurting her. He took his hand away but continued to hold her sad gaze.
She tried her best to keep her voice from shaking. "I'll be allright. Really. And I love you too, with all my heart, with all my soul. It's just that you are everything to me, and if you're not here with me, I have nothing. I'm gonna miss you so much, it's going to hurt, but I'll be allright, don't worry about me."
"Whatever pain you are feeling, babe, it will be ten times as fierce for me. I love you so..." He looked quickly to the side, where shadows lurked in the dark alley.
Figures dropped down from the air, surrounding them instantly. Assassins.
He whispered, "Holy shi--"
"Let me go! Help me, Eric! Eric!" The assassins took hold of the woman while she kicked and screamed.
Eric snapped out of his mental stupor and shouted, "Damnit, can't you guys take a break once in a while? I don't have time to beat the crap out of you, we're having a moment here!" Eric punched the nearest assassin and grabbed the woman's arm. He stepped in front of her, so that he could protect her as if she was a damsel in distress. It aggravated him that they could attack him at such an emotional time in his life; he was just tired of it, tired of running away from assassins, tired of not being able to settle down. He'd been running for as long as he could remember. Didn't they ever get tired of it?
Clearly, the answer was no. Everytime Eric managed to kill one, more would come back, even more poised to get the job done. It wasn't so bad, Eric eventually got used to the sudden attacks, but this was not the right time for one.
He took out his knife and drove it into the heart of one of his pursuers, like he always did. He looked back over his shoulder. "Stay behind me, babe. Let me take care of this." With a grunt, he jabbed his knife into another body. What a shame.
Finally, the fighting was over, the chaos ended. The bloody bodies were everywhere. Eric turned around.
He smiled. "Now we can get back to where we were, before those idiots showed up. Are you allright?" he asked, breathing heavily; his heart was pounding from adrenaline.
"Am I allright? Am I allright? No, Eric, I'm not. I can't take this! How do I know that you'll be okay once you're gone? Huh? How do I know that these assassins won't finally get the job done? You know, eventually, they'll get the idea that you are more powerful than they think, and then they will bring you down. I would rather die with you than to live and not know if you're still breathing or not."
"I know how you feel...but I can't take you with me. You know I wish I could, I wish I could break all the rules. But if I had a choice, I would rather just stay here with you, live with you forever. That's not how it is though; I don't have a choice, others lives depend on it."
"So, you would put your happiness behind, just so you could help others?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
She laughed and smiled. Yes, this was definitely the man she fell in love with. "That's what I love about you, you're like a knight in shining armor." Her grin faded. "But I still hate this."
He sighed and looked around the dark alley. "I guess...this is goodbye, babe."
With a harsh voice, she ordered, "Just go. It'll hurt less if you just leave without all that mushy crap. Go, Eric. Now."
Breathing hard, he ran. He ran with all his strength, even when his legs burned from the effort. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep the tears back. He ran. Was he making the right choice? Well, at least the assassins would be lured away from his love. He ran harder. The thought of her made him want to go back, want to turn around, but he forced himself to continue. He ran, with only one thought in his mind: where his destination would be.
Morgana.

----------***----------***----------***----------***------------

"No...please...Clayton, kill him...kill him..."
"Serenity, wake up. Serena, come on, wake up. You're having a nightmare. Serena--Ow!"
Josh held his nose in pain. Not knowing what she was doing, Serena hit him while she was flailing her arms about, still in her dream world.
She opened her eyes. "Josh, what's wrong with you? Discot aychina?"
He rubbed his nose. "Yeah, I'm okay, really. You just kind of...hit me in the face."
Serenity sat up and glanced around the room. "Where...are we?"
Joshua cleared his throat, felt his nose once more to make sure it wasn't broken, and explained, "We're somewhere in Morgana. We left after we ate in the Morganian Palace, then we came here. Then, you slept, remember?"
"...Yeah...right...I remember now. Sleep has a weird way of making you forget where you are."
"Yeah, exactly," he said casually. Josh glanced at Serenity from the side. "Speaking of sleep...what were you dreaming about? I heard you whispering some things again."
Serenity paused, not expecting his question. "Um...what was I dreaming about? You know...I don't know." Serenity laughed nervously and shrugged dramaticallly. "I must have had a nigvot metta."
Josh eyed her suspiciously. Noticing him staring, Serenity played with her hair and stared at the carpet. It was rather nice. So many designs. So many colors; blue and gold were dominant among the variety. It was easy to get lost in the beautiful pattern...
"You said that last time, Serena, that you had a dream you could not remember. But yet, you whispered the same things...What was it? Oh yeah...'No...please...Clayton, kill him...kill him'?"
She looked into his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about you evil--I mean, Josh. I think perhaps that you're the one who needs the rest now." She forced a grin.
He got up and headed towards the door. Then he stopped. Slowly, he turned around to face Serenity. In a calm voice, he asked, "So, why did you want Clayton to kill me anyway?"
"He said you were evil."
Serenity gasped. Josh smiled, pleased with the success of his plan to uncover whatever she was hiding from him. He just happened to guess what her words could mean, and it appeared that his guess was right: when she whispered, "Clayton, kill him" she meant Josh. Lucky guess.
She stuttered, "I-I mean, what? I di-didn't hear your question cor-correctly."
His handsome grin faded. He walked over to Serenity. "We both know that you are hiding something...so just tell me already."
Serenity started to sweat. He made her nervous. Josh took another step closer to her; she flinched. "Please, don't slap me again! Please!" She held her hands in front of her, as if someone were about to beat her.
The prince of Bismuthe was stunned. Hit her? Why would he ever hit her? "...Oh Lord, what did your dreams do to you? I would never do that, ever. You know that, Serena. Please, tell me what happened, so I can help you."
Shaking tremendously, while holding her knees, Serenity rocked back and forth, staring blankly at nothing, muttering, "Josh...is evil. He...wants to...kill us all. Clayton...loves me..."
Tears gathered in his eyes. It was as if she was in a different world. She was becoming crazy. He hated to see her like this...what was happening to her? Lord, if it wasn't for me, she would be okay. She wouldn't be suffering like this. Oh, dear spirits, it is all my fault! What have I done?
Looking back at Serenity once in a while, he exited the room. What a shame. What she said made him cringe. What she had done, screaming at him, fearing him, that made him worry. Who would do this to her?
He remember what she said, Clayton...loves me...
Then he realized something. Ever since Clayton died and when they first came to the Morganian Palce, whenever she would whisper while she was asleep, she said, "...Clayton, kill him..."
Clayton. He was doing this. He knew it.
Malayna greeted him in the hallway, but suddenly figured that something was wrong. Randy looked at him worriedly.
In a calm, heavenly beautiful voice, Malaya spoke, "Josh, you don't look so well. Are you okay? What's wrong?"
At that moment, he lost all his composure. "Serenity! She...something is wrong with her! First she was fine, but I knew she kept something from me. Then, the next minute, she is acting like a psycho! She whispered--then I asked--it was just a nigvot metta she said--but no, it wasn't--she wants Clayton to kill me, and--"
Randy interrupted Josh, "Breathe man, breathe. We can't understand a word you're saying, you need to speak s-l-o-w-l-y. Calm down, get your wits together boy."
Malayna put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gazed into his eyes. Josh took a deep breathe. "Okay...this is what happened..."
After explaining everything, Randy and Malayna exchanged glances. Quickly, they went into the room where Serenity was. She was smashing everything in sight, screaming how evil Josh is, wailing that she wanted Clayton to rescue her. Josh stood in the doorway while Randy and Malayna attempted to constrain Serenity. She moved around violently like a mental patient trying to get away from the doctors trying to put on the straight-jacket. It was awful.
Josh could barely watch. It was too unnerving. I'm so sorry, Serena. I'm so sorry. Please, come back to reality. Come back to me. I need you.
"Josh will kill you all! He will kill you all!" Serenity screamed painfully when Randy tied ropes around her body; there was no other choice, nobody could predict what she would do next; she might try to kill Josh, or kill herself, but it was impossible to predict by the way her sanity was leaving her body. What a shame.
He could not take it anymore. It was all too much for him. The tears stinging his eyes flowed down his cheeks. What have I done? Breathing hard, he went into the hallway and shut the door so Serenity's screaming was barely audible.
Brushing his hands together, like he was cleaning his palms, Randy stated, "Okay, that'll do it." He chuckled lightly. "Not even the Enchantress herself could escape from my rope and spell bindings."
Malayna eyed Randy sarcastically. "Excuse me, but you are sadly mistaken, Randy. That is just child's play. I'd like to see you escape from one of my spells, you wizard. Now that would be a laugh." She smiled warmly.
"When this is all over, I'm going to quote you on that, May," he laughed. He added, more seriously, "Now, ome on, let's go. We need to...tell him." Malayna nodded solemnly
The door squeaked open. Josh turned around swiftly to see Randy and Malayna come out of the room. They shut the door carefully behind them. The eerie squeak of the door filled the hallway.
The Bismuthean prince turned around to see Randy and Malayna's sympathetic faces. He inquired nervously, "Oh no, is she allright? What happened? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Malayna sighed.
How can I tell him? Just thinking about Serenity in the state that she is in now, it hurts him. He has no idea what is going on, yet he would risk his life to help her. What a shame. He is in so much pain...
The demons that haunt her, the things she has seen, it is breaking away her sanity. What in the world is the purpose of these dreams? I myself, don't even know. Unfortunately, I know enough. I know enough of the truth and facts to keep him from wondering, but I know enough that will not keep him from worrying.
This is going to be so hard, to tell him...to tel him...that her dreams are not just a figment of her imagination. They are real.
The Prince of Bismuthe concentrated on Malayna's expression; she looked terrified.
"Tell me. Tell me what's going on Malayna."

~*CHAPTER FOUR*~

"Welcome back, love. I thought you'd never make it back, but here you are."
Serenity wiped the tears off her face. Her body was shaking as she whispered, "D-did you s-see? See wh-what they did to m-me? They tied me up! They will not listen to the...the truth."
"Do you see it now, Serena? They are not your friends, they are your enemies. I would never do such a thing to you. Ever. Do you believe me now?"
"I-I don't kn-know..."
"What is wrong with you?! You FOOL! You poor little fool"
Serenity looked up with big wet eyes. A tear ran down her face.
Clayton gained his composure and smiled, as if his outburst had not happened. "It is okay, Serena. I will give you...all the time...you need. See, I am not like them."
"Thank you...Clayton. You're the only one who understands."
"And me too, Serena, I understand as well," her father said with a smile, as he suddenly appeared from thin air.
Serenity searched her father's eyes. "Yes, papa."
Clayton cleared his throat and waved his hand in the air; Serenity's father vanished. "Now, honey. You must understand, you do not get to be with your father permanently unless you do something for me. Otherwise, that wouldn't be fair, right?"
"Well, no, I mean, but--"
"I--I mean, we --don't have much time. I would love to just let your father stay here forever, but I don't have enough power, see. That's where you come in."
Serenity began to think. "But, you said that he wasn't even real. I don't mind if he is real or not though...but it doesn't take that much power to conjure him up."
"Yes it DOES!" It was getting harder and harder for him to stay calm. He breathed deeply and began again, trying another approach, "Serena, I need the power. I need it. And, you know what? If I have enough power, I can get into another body, and then, I could bring your father to you...for real. How would ya like that?"
A smile crept onto Serenity's face. She would do anything for that to happen. Anything. "I would like it very much, Clayton. Very much."
"Now, here's what we're going to do. When you go back out there, you'll be able to hear me inside your head, guiding you. And don't worry, I will not leave you--"
"Out there? Like, out there, in the real world?"
Clayton walked over to Serenity, and put his hands on her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, when he finally spoke, "Let's get one thing straight, hm? In your mind, this is where reality is, because I don't shield you from the truth. Out there, where those monsters are, they try to hide you from the truth. That is not real, this is real."
Whispering softly, she repeated his words, "That is not real. This is real."

----------***----------***----------***----------***------------

"That is not real. This is real."
Malayna shook her head sadly, avoiding Joshua's eyes. "No, Josh. That is real. The world inside our minds is real. At least, to us. When you dream in your mind, does it not feel real? That is because it is, mentally. We certainly react to things happening in our mind, we certainly feel it. Like I said before, the world in our minds is as much real as anything out here. Although our bodies are not physically in the world, our soul and our mind are in it. That is what matters. Our souls and mind are the only things that make us truly feel anything at all. That feeling, my friend, whether it be in your world of reality or in the mind, makes all the difference. Although it may not fit your opinion, it is enough to make it real enough for you to be alarmed."
Joshua would not agree to any of this. "No. It is not real. Just make her snap out of it!"
"Josh. She's living a nightmare. One that she cannot escape. She is in her mind, where she is the most vulnerable. And for reasons that you will not let me explain to you, she is trapped inside her nightmare! Don't you think we would have saved her if we could? Just you not cooperating, not wanting to understand, that makes it more difficult. If you don't accept this, she is going to die, and that will be all your fault. I am tired of you not listening to anything I am saying." Malayna exhaled. "It's no use..."
"No! I will not sit by and watch her turn crazy like that! Just because I cannot understand the things you are saying, does not mean I can't help her get better..."
"Mr. Corazon, you are sadly mistaken. You are the only one now who can save her. She needs you. You are the only one who can take her hand and guide her out of her nightmare; she will only listen to you. Magic, is not a problem; Randy and I have enough to do what is necessary. But understanding what is happening, that is the most difficult part. Unless you understand what is going on, you will be compelled to do something else when the time comes, and we can't afford that...everything must be done exactly--"
"Just tell me what to do."
"Understand! That is what you must do!" Malayna could not hold her temper any longer. Why did he have to be so stubborn? She could not take it anymore, all the stress, worrying, working, it was too much to handle, and he made it worse.
His voice became ominous and a deadly look came into his blue eyes. "This conversation is over. I don't need your help. You said it yourself that I'm the only one now who can save her, so I will. Ooshbah."
"Don't you dare say goodbye to me! I'm the one who's suppossed to end this conversation!"
"Not if I end it first!" Prince Joshua went to the nearest door and was about to open it.
"Wait, Josh!" Malayna called, in a desperate, pleading voice. Josh turned around to see Malayna's face behind an almost closed door.
The prince suddenly had a worried look on his face, wondering what was going on. He took a few quick steps to the door, watching Malayna with her panicked look. "What, Malayna? What's wrong?"
Malayna slammed the door shut, with a sly smile on her face.
Josh scoffed and whispered, "Wench." He clenched his fists. "I'm going to save her, you watch me. You hear me, Malayna! I'm going to save her!"
"Save...who?" a familiar voice asked softly.
Who had just spoken? Her voice sounded so...shockingly familiar. That beautiful voice, who could it belong to? I swear I have heard it before...but where? It sounds like...
Turning around swiftly, his eyes met the speaker. "Serenity," he whispered.
To his surprise, she blushed furiously, apparently fidgety about something. Her fingers of her sweaty hands were intertwined together, and her thumbs moved about nervously. Her mouth moved, but no words came out when she looked up into his eyes. Had she been crying? It puzzled him so. Then, another question popped up in his head: How did she escape the ropes that had been tied around her? But most importantly, how did she escape all the magical webs weaving throughout the ropes and herself? Josh knew she was powerful, but not that powerful; something strange was going on.
But in all the excitement and confusion, he tried to forget about the eery feeling he had in the pit of his stomach. It didn't matter anyway, he was too happy to have Serenity back. Or so he thought.
Apologize Serenity. Do it now, love. "I'm...sorry. I don't know what's happening to me..." There was a long pause. Evidently she was thinking so hard, trying to make her words come out exactly the way she wanted them to. "I, um, I've been so confused. And I'm just lost. I needed someone to hold me, and I--"
All her anguish and pain came out, in the form of tears streaming down like raindrops when the sky cries. Her sobs were too much for him; he hated to see her hurt. Dear spirits, what was wrong with her? It seemed that ever since Clayton died, Serenity could not hold herself together, mentally and physically. With her knees trembling beneath her, she slowly collapsed.
Valiantly, the prince rushed to her side, to break her fall. He eyed the hallway, to see if anyone of importance was watching, but he only saw a maid, dusting the walls, eyeing them once in a while suspiciously. For the first time since they had fled the Morganian Palance, he felt calm, holding Serenity in his arms. Although he knew this was happening only by chance, he just happened to be in the hallway at the right time, he cherished every moment, fearing it would never occur again.
Don't even try getting comfortable in his arms, love. We haven't much time. Remember what I told you to say? Do it! Serenity's voice came out in a barely audible whisper, "Oh, Josh. I just wanted to tell you that..." Hurry up honey, you can do it. And remember to look deeply into his eyes. Suddenly her eyes made their journey from the floor to Josh's face. "I, um, wanted to tell you, that I'm sorry. And...I think..."
Serenity's eyes searched the hallway, breathing heavily. She continued, "I think...this place is haunted."
His face twisted in confusion. What in the world was she talking about? He spoke in Bismuthean, "...Discot aychina? "
"Josh, I'm okay, really. I, um--you see, I've been hearing voices in my head, and, uh, they told me that I had to do some things or else they would kill you all. And I was just--I was so confused. I...didn't want anything to happen to you, so I did what they asked me to. When I finally realized that, uh, they were no match for us, it was too late; you had already tied me up."
This made absolutely no sense to Josh. She knew they were all powerful in their own way, how could she possibly forget that? More questions and doubt filled his head, until Serenity began to cry in his arms. "You don't believe me, do you? Oh gosh, I feel so lost..."
He could not help but comfort her and believe her; he hated to see her cry. "It's okay, it'll be okay. I believe you, Serena, please don't cry. I believe you."
It's working, love. It's working.
As much as this was comforting to him, holding her shaking body in his arms, it worried him all the same. In an act of desperation, he told her he believed her, when in fact he didn't; he knew something strange was going on, she had never acted so helpless like this before. Haunting voices indeed.
He gathered his inner strength to do what he thought was necessary. Affirmative action was needed. "Not to sound like a...jacka--I mean, a fool...but I would thoroughly appreciate it if you told me the truth. And don't start your little crying, because it's hard to understand you when you're choking with sobs."
We're losing him! Do something, you fool! Must I do everything myself? Time for the secret weapon...
Without thinking, Serenity whispered, "...Clayton?..."
Stay loyal to me while I'm gone. You'll do fine, love. Trust noone but me.
Panicking, she asked questions to nobody that were unanswered. Where was Clayton going? How? Why? She needed him. Prince Joshua tried to hold her down, as her body tried to wriggle out of his grip. She called out Clayton's name between sobs and prayed for forgiveness for failing him.
Take care of that maid, she seems like a nice gal. Goodbye, love.

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"Look old man, you get out of my way or I will cut your throat. Understand?"
Eric was exhausted, frustrated, and desperate, and this fool would deny him passage? With Eric poised and ready, with his hand on the hilt of his new sword he stole from a soldier, it was a wonder how this man could possibly not let him pass.
The tall wooden gates lined with iron behind the old man did not move, even after the threat posed upon the guard. For a moment, Eric wondered how a little old man could even budge the gate a crack, let alone swing it back all the way to let him pass, but he realized it was done by magic. And although he posessed a somewhat magical gift, he knew it would not be the right kind; a gate such as that could only be opened through certain spells of magic.
The old man fell to the floor, clutching his hands to his chest, trying to stop the blood from flowing though it was no use because the stab from the sword was enough to make him bleed to death. A pool of blood stained the dirt road.
I'm sorry, old man. I had no choice.
He thought for a moment on his decision. What was he to do now? After rubbing his chin in thought for a moment, he smiled when an idea came to mind. With a wave of his hand, the old man's body and blood vanished in thin air.
Eric eyed two guards coming up the road to take their shift.
One of them spoke to Eric in a friendly manner, "Hey Peter, my good man. My my, were we gone so long? It seems you be a bit taller."
The other one spoke in a deeper voice, "Ay, leave him be, Gustav. The old man be tired, I'm sure."
The one named Gustav let out a deep breathe. "Okay Petey, it's time for our shift now. Can't let you have all the fun." His toothless smile almost made Eric burst out laughing; trying hard to stiffle his laughter through the guard's helmet, he nodded his agreement. Gustav's leather creaked as he lifted his arm in a salute. "Morgana shall prevail."
Not sure what to do, Eric made a signal for the salute, but did not say a word, knowing his voice would give his trick away. The wind blew softly, the dust gathered about their leather boots.
Gustav became suspicious. "Cat got your tongue? Hey Nicholas, something be wrong with Peter, he ain't saying the salute."
The leather creaked in his arms as Eric moved his fist to his face and made a coughing sound. He prayed that they would understand.
Luckily Nicholas understood his meaning. "Ay, Gustav. Peter be sick. Don't make him strain his voice, he will need it later when he shouts in battle; that be true, ain't it?"
Once again, Eric nodded his agreement. For Morganian guards, they didn't seem to be too bright; if he was in their place, he would act upon his suspicion. But he was glad nontheless, it made his job a lot easier. They appeared to now believe him to be Peter, the old guard.
How in the world am I going to open the gate?...
In an instant, without hesitation, he stiffened his muscles and moved his arm into a salute. Gustav and Nicholas did the same. At the same instant, a medium-sized rock from the dirt road floated in midair. When Eric put his hand to his side, the rock suddenly came to make an impact on the back of Nicholas' head. The guard cursed loudly from the jolt of pain and turned his body around to see who threw the rock at him. Nobody was there.
"Oy, what in the devil that be!" Nicholas cried out, as he turned around and looked for the culprit.
Gustav gave him the look usually reserved for mentally insane people. "What you be talking about, bugger. There ain't no devil here today, you be working too hard. Move out of me way, Peter," he said as he attempted to nudge past Eric. But he would not budge. Instead, he cleared his throat and pointed to the back of Nicholas' head. Deep crimson blood flowed from his head. "Ay Nicholas! You be bleeding stupid!"
Nicholas was a bit "slow": "Eh? Who be bleeding?" Gustav took his shouldres and spun him around to face him.
"You!" Gustav yelled. He continued, "You soon be bleedin' to death for sure! Let's go back to town and get some of them potions, come on, you big lug!" From within his armor, he pulled out a glowing amulet tied to a chained necklace. Calmly, he stated, "Krimlit dosh punta omt Dayma", "Open the doors of Death". The high-pitched sound of the gates opening was unbearable; Nicholas and Gustav weren't affected by it, it seemed normal to them.
Holding his head with one hand, Nicholas glanced back and told Eric to stay behind and guard the gates until they returned.
Revealing his true identity, Eric finally announced, "I am not Peter. And, I am not staying behind...that's what you're to do."
The bodies of the two guards collapsed to the floor, with stabs to their chest. A silent prayer was said in Eric's head; how he hated doing this. Putting his emotions aside, he ripped the amulet off of Gustav's neck and entered Morgana through the gates. Hopefully he was not too late.
Now with the glowing amulet in his hands, he used his knowledge to conjecture what the spell would be to close the gate. With an even tone, he said the spell, "Queln dosh punta omt Dayma".
Close the doors of Death.

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Randy gently closed the door behind him, so that nobody could eavesdrop on their conversation. He couldn't believe it; it was already time.
Malayna, on the other hand, was not so certain about it. "It can't be time. It's too early. Certainly they aren't that good?"
"Babe, it is, trust me. Remember what happens to people who underestimate others: they die. We need to think of these men as highly skilled trackers. And if I know the Morganian Guard, they'll stop at nothing to find out the truth, and I'm positive they will not just believe that two heirs to the Morganian and Bismuthean thrones have just suddenly disappeared out of thin air."
"I supposse you're right. They must have the whole Morganian Guard looking for us. Dear spirits, how will we get out of this?"
A sour look crept onto Randy's face. "I bet Clayton did this just to make our blood boil."
Smiling at his joke, she replied, "Yes, that was his goal, just to make our lives as miserable as is possible."
He matched her smile with a sly grin, "Miserable? How can my life be miserable when you're here?"
Clearing her throat, she reluctantly had to end their flirting session; there was no time to fool around, they were coming. "Well, babe, if we don't do anything, I don't doubt that we'll be far worse than miserable. We need to plan what we're going to do. And need I remind you, we also have Serenity on board, who is going to die if we don't help her. We may be powerful enough against the Morganian Guard, but no doubt there'll be the Bismuthean Guard too; which will definitely be a challenge. But not only that, if this case isn't solved fast, both kingdoms will be at each other's throats, blaming each other; that's exactly what Clayton wanted: utter chaos. Sadly enough, his plan is working so far."
He began to get riled up. "Excuse me for my language, but that guy is a complete bastard. I mean, really, I never liked him from the beginning; he was always that spoiled little brat who knew too much for his own good. And now, even when he's 'dead' he manages to make our lives a living hell."
A thought came into Malayna's mind. "Hell!"
Randy's eyebrows went up. "Gosh babe, I never heard you speak such language before. I must be a pretty bad influence, huh?"
Malayna chuckled softly. "No, Randy. Hell. Don't you wonder why Clayton hasn't gone there yet? How in the world has he been able to escape the clutches of the dark spirits who take people down there? Well, we know that much, but not quite. Somehow, when we killed him, he went into hiding...in Serenity's subconscience. That's how he can control her dreams. We knew once we heard of Serenity's condition, that it was a meetvoynig, but we hardly fathomed the possibility of everything. It will take forever to try to find the answer to how he is doing this..."
"No, it won't. You see, I've always been taught that you must not seek the answer when you are blind; you must seek the truth, with what you have already seen. In other words, we don't have a clue where to start, so what's the point? What we must do, is use what we already know about magic and whatnot to find paths that lead us to the answer."
"Oh. I get it. You really are a smart one. Wow, I've got a great catch, don't I?"
Now Randy felt the gnawing of time in his gut. "Look, like you said, we don't have much time. We have to get out of here. We can deal with Serenity later; after all, we must not risk all our lives for one."
"But--"
He grabbed her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes. "I promise I'll do whatever it takes to help her. I swear it. Now let's go!"

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Her servants jumped up, startled; the council stood their ground. The ringing of the plates still rung in their ears after the princess slammed her clenched fist on the table. Clearly she was angry.
"I will not stand by while everything falls to pieces! Clayton was the heir to the throne, he was to be the king, and I was to be the queen! Now with him missing, I am just supposed to withdraw from it all? No, I will not. This is my kingdom, just as much as it is to all of you! Bismuthe cannot blame us for the disappearance of their heir, we have lost an heir as well. Because of the sudden death of the king and queen and the whole royal family of Morgana, it is my duty to rule since Clayton has vanished. No one is here to lead our people, so what choice do you have?"
One gentleman cleared his throat. "Your Highness, a woman is not fit to rule alone. There are many who will take advantage--"
Romanov, the Leader of the Council, interrupted, "You simply cannot, mistress. The law states that a woman and a man must rule. If that cannot be established, then it is up to the council to decide Morgana's fate."
Quite haughtily, the princess replied, "Excuse me, Romanov, but the will of the king and queen stated that at least one of us was to rule someday in their absence. Now with that said--"
"The will is gone. Exactly what you will be in a few minutes, your Highness." Romanov's voice was not threatening at all, he was stating a fact.

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Though Serenity wasn't exactly the strongest person in the world, it was quite hard to keep her under control, even for Josh. Just for a few minutes, he thought Serenity was back to normal...until something went terribly wrong. Josh's heartbeat gained in momentum; he looked around the hallway for somebody who could help, but all he saw was the maid, looking at him strangely.
Everything seemed to progress in slow-motion. Through his eyes, and the tears welling up inside, the surroundings became blurry. No longer could he shout for Malayna's help, not after the way he haughtily proclaimed he would save Serenity. What choice did he have now? What else could he do?
Magic.
Hurriedly, he blinked away the tears and mustered up the magic he posessed within. Work. Please, work. "I call upon the powers that be, please help Serenity." To his shock, nothing happened; Serenity remained shaken. He did not have the composure needed to work the spell. Work, damn you, work! "I call upon the powers that be, and if you don't help Serenity, you will have to deal with me!" Still, Serenity twitched violently.
He breathed deeply. "Screw my pride. I have to help her." Reluctantly, he called for Malayna, and while waiting for her, he whispered to Serenity, in attempts to calm her down. For some reason, this time, it worked.
Serenity opened her eyes like it was the first time in days. Her eyes drifted to Josh's bewildered expression. After a few seconds, she spoke, but in a fast pace. She was scared out of her wits. "Josh, you have to listen to me. Please. I don't know what's going on, but he...Josh," she took in some air, "he's doing something to me--I'm sorry. Help, Josh--he's powerful, doing things with my mind, I can't stop it--"
"What? Speak slower, I can't--"
"Josh, get out of here, leave me--he--Josh, Clay-Clay..."
Rolling her eyes back, she gasped, falling back into Josh's arms unconscious.
There was a thump somewhere in the hallway; though, he hardly noticed from the shock that Serenity's unconsciousness gave him. Holding her, he had no idea what to do; it was all too confusing. Maybe he had just imagined what just happened. Maybe she had fallen asleep in his arms. Maybe this whole thing was some crazy nightmare and he was really sleeping in his bed, in his Bismuthean palace...
No. It was real.
But what was Serenity trying to tell him? Somebody was doing something to her mind. Somebody was more powerful then they all assumed. She tried to mention that person's name while she was gasping for breath, but who was it? His head pounded with pain; the mysterious name had vanished from his head.
A door opened. Standing there with their mouths hanging was Malayna and Randy.
Josh noticed the maid walking quickly in a strange manner, as if she had just fallen previously; soon, the maid was no longer in sight.

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