Day 164 (142nd)

Day 164 (142nd):
We were up and on the move by sunrise. Marble, as we called him, carried all eight of us to make the trip easier on our "tiny feet". I could feel the others as we got closer. Sarah and Lisa reported on the illness they were sensing. I had to nearly shut down to not be overwhelmed by them all. Anger, hate, all manner of hurtful emotions raged in the large cavern that housed their village. We wondered if we could heal so many and clear such a large area. Marble's sadness was so deep, I feared he would crumble. Scanning the village, I found a point of utter darkness. Asking Marble, he said it was not there when he got stuck on the surface. No one he had spoken to knew where it came from. Most said it just "appeared". We all came to the conclusion that it was the source. If it was gone, the natural behavior of the people would possibly return. Mattis cloaked us as Marble sat us down.
We got to the darkness which was a large orb of black stone nearly the size of Rono's inn. Anna told us it was sent to this place to do just what it had done. Tharinzar's master had actually pulled this from this own body to corrupt these beings into allies at best, no threat at worst. We began the spell to vanquish demons. The orb shrank as we chanted. Even concentrating, I could feel the emotions changing from the edges inward. Smaller and smaller the orb shrank. When it was two-thirds its original size, other large voices joined in our chant. I chanced a glance around us. Marble and other stone people encircled us and had taken up the chant. The orb shrank faster, the emotions changed faster, and the pain got smaller. Around halfway, another group encircled us. Those from the village edge had regained their natures and were helping us. The orb shrank even faster. From the size of a large house, it had shrunk to the size of a cow. I felt the exiles returning and racing to join us. Their energy caused the orb to nearly implode. Finally, the last fragment was gone. Stone people of all types cheered. They found family and lost friends. Such love and warmth filled this cavern that we were all moved to tears. Above us, the stringy brown moss that hung from the ceiling became green and thick. The shriveled mushrooms all around fattened up and stood tall. More cheers echoed as they noticed this new event. Anna explained that the moss and mushrooms were their primary food source. The evil had effected the environment as well as the people. Now both could flourish. Apologies rang through the village as food and other materials were redistributed. Plans were made to search for the other tribes to check on their health. Marble took us back to the cottage. He was so happy, he nearly flew through the tunnels. I could feel it as we got out from underneath Baaloc Prime. Also, I could feel the good of the stone people seeping up into the rock around them. We wondered what effect that would have above ground.
We reached the cottage to hear Kendar calling for us. Marble lifted us up to the door in the floor. Kendar was aghast. We explained where we had been and what we had been doing. He relaxed a bit. He told us the plan was working. None of our friends admitted they knew us or had ever seen us. The Baalocs could not find any evidence we had ever been inside the city. Our stuff at Rono's had been brought to the cottage. Kendar also came back to ask if we would approve of a plan our friends had thought about. Since Nigel thought we were Mara's handmaidens, would he meet with us to discuss Mara's accommodations at the palace? We liked it. We drafted the request to sound as spoiled as possible. Alice was a great help on that, having known very spoiled nobility and how they sounded. We asked to meet him at the spot designated for Mara's examination. Mattis said he would be the messenger. He left by the outer door and magically produced a horse and headed for the gate. Kendar stayed and ate with us.
About an hour later, Sadal hit the tunnel door just before Mattis came through the outer door. Both were breathless. Sadal began as Mattis rested.
"I don't know what you girls are doing, but it is astounding. The city feels different. People who hated each other are talking politely, rivals are working together, and people are actually happy. What did you do?"
We explained what happened below ground and how it changed them and their environment. We had wondered and now we knew the above ground effect. Then, Mattis told his tale.
"I galloped to the gates and said I had an important letter from Princess Mara to Lord Cornwall. I was escorted to Cornwall and presented it to him. After reading it, he ordered Nigel to meet with you at the outpost outside the gates. Nigel did not seem too pleased, but agreed to do it. I was told to return to you and get you there as soon as possible. I have a carriage I can summon. Appropriate garments would be a nice touch."
We agreed. We told Sadal and Kendar that they should return to the city. We guessed we had a while before we had to leave since the wedding procession was two days away, at least one by a fast horse. They would not expect us until sometime tomorrow. Mattis used his wizard glass to contact the wedding party and tell them what we were doing. They seemed to approve. They asked if we were pleased with the job they were doing. We confirmed they were doing exactly what we had hoped. To get the timing right, a rider would head out in a few hours at the pace of a carriage. We directed him to the underground cottage. While we waited, we decided on our look. We wouldn't have working frocks since we were supposedly traveling with a full escort. Envy's skills as a master seamstress came in very handy. By sunset, we had our dresses decided upon and would magic them on as we exited the carriage. Kendar returned to the inn and Mattis stayed with us. We decided to have him with us as a kind of chaperon. As both Nigel and Cornwall had seen him and didn't notice him as a master wizard, we felt that they would probably not notice tomorrow either.

Day 163 (141st)

Day 163 (141st):
Loud banging on our door woke us. Sadal burst into the room and said we needed to go now. Grabbing what little we had with us, we raced downstairs. We did not pause in the common room but headed down another set of stairs to the basement and on to a tunnel. Once that door had closed, blocking anyone from seeing the tunnel, Sadal stopped to explain.
"All chaos has broken loose. Every female in the city is being rounded up in order to find you girls, some as young as eight. Fortunately, our network of tunnels is unknown to the Baalocs. You will be safe here," he said with a sigh of relief.
We casually walked along the lit tunnels as he explained further. They had been watching all night.
"First thing they noticed was the pink door. That sent them searching. The clean moat, the healthy trees and grass, and the purified fountains drew them around to the mural. That sent them to get Cornwall. He was furious. Looking over the mural pulled his eyes to the spires. That sent him over the edge. He ordered every female above six years of age to the jail to cull you girls out. Even his own concubines, servants, and slaves were checked. He thinks you were actually in the palace in order to do all of that. He went berserk when he found out half of his treasury was reduced to dust. His wizards reported two-thirds of their amulets and talismans were destroyed. Since dawn, every Baaloc has been grabbing every female they can find. This inn had been closed for repairs, so they had not checked it. We, however, did not wish to chance it so Kendar told me to wake you and get you to the tunnels. We are headed towards a hidden cottage under a hill. We can close it off should the tunnels be discovered. There are plenty of supplies so you can be there a while."
We quietly listened to his tale, absorbing the information. We felt bad for all of those girls. I stopped everyone.
"We need to let them know they do not have us. We have to save those women."
"How?" Sadal asked, "Give up? Surrender?"
"No. We have done it before. When we get to the cottage, we will send an illusion message to tell him we are not in his possession. Hopefully, he will release the other women."
Everyone agreed. We hurried to the underground cottage. We had some of the powder left. Dawn and Bo were still with us. Sadal did not know what to do. We told him to go back as we could handle this alone. Hesitantly, he left us. We began preparing for the sending. We decided to use Vanity's image to project instead of mine or my sisters. We began the sending. Through Vanity's mirrors, I saw into the palace. I saw Cornwall, Nigel, and many Baaloc soldiers pushing women around and yelling orders. The women and girls were all frightened and huddled together like cattle. When an opening appeared before Cornwall, I projected the image to that spot.
"Greetings, Cornwall. Looking for someone?" I asked sarcastically.
All eyes focused upon Vanity's image; a tall, slim, beautiful Faerie with amethyst eyes in a sleek flowing gown. Cornwall and Nigel became furious.
"Where are you? Which one of these is you and your whoring sisters?" Cornwall demanded.
"None of us are in your possession. We are free."
"Impossible!" Nigel shrieked, "We have every woman in the city."
"There is your answer. We are not in the city. You have all made fools of yourselves. You went fishing in the wrong waters."
Both began fuming. Titters erupted among the women and girls. Cornwall ordered them all to be sent out of the palace. He ordered the palace to be purged of all females. No female slave, servant, or concubine was to remain in the palace by sunset. When the room was cleared of everyone else, Cornwall and Nigel faced the image again.
"We will find you and make you pay for the evil you have done upon this great city," Cornwall said through clenched teeth.
"We repaired this eye-sore of a city. When you are defeated, the rest will be repaired as well," I told him, almost angry myself.
"'Eye-sore'? Baaloc Prime is the most beautiful city in all the world. Raval Palace, Cassabla Palace, and Thantos Castle are eye-sores. Hideous things only demon-spawned bastards could dream up. Baaloc Prime is perfection."
I laughed, "You are so deluded. They have your thinking so twisted, you can't see reality anymore, if you ever saw it in the first place."
"I can see your reality. You are not human."
"True, I am not. Nigel knows my race and he fears to tell you."
Nigel sputtered.
"I do not fear you, bitch. I can name you race, stupid fe... stupid faer..." he stuttered.
"The word you are looking for is Faerie, deamae nohem."
Nigel choked. Cornwall stepped forward.
"Foul creature. I care not what vile race you are. Your tricks are for naught. Everything you have defiled will be corrected and, with Princess Mara as my wife, I will have surpassed Maalicus in power and achievement."
"So you will not mourn when Nigel kills her less than a month after your wedding? How heartless."
"We decided to let her live long enough to bear an heir," Nigel stated as he took a step forward.
"What! No one told me about killing her. When was this the plan? You told me she and I would rule forever, just like Maalicus before he threw off his immortality to save us," Cornwall confronted Nigel.
"Well, well, isn't that interesting? The masters forgot to tell the puppet their new plans. Or did you feed him that lie so he would join you willingly? Did they also tell you the 'holy words' are permanent?"
"Of course they are permanent!" Nigel shouted at both of us.
Cornwall looked at him confused. I could almost read his thoughts. Why was Nigel so adamant about the marks? Why were plans being made without him? He was the lord of the Baalocs, ordained by the one true god. This "servant" was acting like he was the leader and Cornwall was the servant.
"Nigel, she was addressing me. Remember your place."
Nigel's eyes flared red. At the last moment, he held back his response.
Somewhat sarcastically, he said, "Yes, my lord."
Cornwall turned back to the image. "My holy words are more permanent than the mountains. Tharinzar has assured me neither you nor anyone else can remove them, " he said proudly.
"Then this won't do anything," I said, then began the spell to remove the marks.
Nigel's eyes went wide. Cornwall tried not to move until the sensation became too uncomfortable to ignore. He nearly tore his pant leg off and felt his thigh. Three marks were gone and a fourth was fading.
"ENOUGH!" yelled Nigel as he lunged for the image and passed through it.
Cornwall twisted to protect what marks he could reach. I stopped the spell.
"That should prove some of his lies. I will leave now. I hope Tharinzar can replace what you think you have lost."
The image vanished. When I could focus again, I saw my sisters struggling not to laugh. We all finally burst. It was hilarious. Both Nigel and Cornwall thought they were both in charge. We agreed there was going to be arguments in the palace.
We put it out of our minds and looked around this underground cottage. Except for no windows and a door leading down a tunnel, it was very similar to our house in Thantos. We did notice the sky light that illuminated the interior. From the length of that small tunnel, we saw we were not very far from the surface. A little more searching revealed another exit to the surface and another door in the floor that went down further. The sound of water came from this way. We noticed no water inside the cottage, so Callie and Lisa found a bucket and went down to get water. They had been gone only a moment when they mentally called for the rest of us. We found them standing by an underground river staring at their feet. We looked at what they were seeing. Huge barefoot footprints ran beside the water. Alice and Anna told us our marble friend had been here a few times. Anna said there was some left behind emotions of anger and pain. I opened completely, but could not find him. Alice said he had searched for someone, but had not found them. We gathered the water as we wondered about it. Back in the cottage, we had just sorted out sleeping arrangements when a knock sounded on the tunnel door. I confirmed it was Kendar. He was relieved to see all of us safe. Larz inspected all of us as well. We found some chairs and sat down to listen to Kendar tell us what was going on.
"You bought us some time. Due to your 'attacks', Cornwall has sent a message to 'Mara' to stay out of Baaloc Prime until your threat is neutralized. We are guessing they do not want to wait long. The surrounding area is being searched since you are not in the city. A reward of ten thousand gold has been offered for you seven to be brought to Cornwall, alive preferably, but dead is fine."
We remembered Tharinzar talking about his master's vision of our deaths. Internally, all fourteen of us began working on a plan. We told Kendar to tell our friends to deny us. Kendar was taken aback at first, then his military mind kicked in and he smiled.
"I forget the ancient experience your girls can access. You are well advised. Our friends will understand your reasoning. Do you need anything?"
We thought as we looked around the cottage. Just then, a silver circle appeared in the floor. Mattis rose from within.
"King Droland felt you needed my help. Also, a strange message was left at Raval. It was a length of iron twisted into a friendship knot. Can you shed some light on that?"
We told him of our marble friend. Mattis nodded and said that was probably the source. We brought him up to date on our efforts here. He, too, liked the idea of our friends denying us to protect them. Kendar left to rejoin our friends as Mattis helped us plan our coupe de grace. He called all manner of materials to produce a grand effect. We decided to lay low for a couple of days to make them think we were gone. Secretly, we would work at night to strengthen the underlying structure of Baaloc Prime. Kendar returned several times before sunset. He brought us a map of the tunnels. We found the one leading to where the eggs were kept. They also showed the river below us and a place called "The Giants' Chamber" but did not explain its meaning. Lights like Raval's bloomed in the walls when the sun went down. We had a simple meal as we talked. We were getting ready for bed when an odd rumble came from below. We wondered about it until I felt someone familiar. Opening the lower door, we saw our marble friend walking below us.
"Friend, we are above you. Can you spare a moment?" I called mentally.
He stopped and looked up. We waved at him. He sat with a heavy thud and sighed. I could feel his sadness.
"What is it, friend? What saddens you so greatly?"
"Heir of the Faerie, my people are not well. All but a few are behaving strangely. We are a communal group but they are being selfish, hoarding things we don't value, and not sharing food sources. Those not that way are exiled and forced to the outer tunnels. My own family rejects me."
Alice relayed his memories to us as he spoke. We asked where his people lived. Our hearts sank when he said almost directly under Baaloc Prime. We told him of the corruption twenty years of demon rule had wrought above ground and just below in the water and soil. His anger rose as we spoke. Both he and Mattis concluded that the corruption had penetrated to them as well. We asked him to stay below us until morning, as we were all tired. At that time, we would go with him to see if we could help his people. He thanked us and found a place to rest. We kept the door open and went to bed.

Days 161-162 (139th-140th)

Day 161 (139th):
Once again, the Baalocs did not sound their wake-up call. We woke to the smell of breakfast. Kendar was in a much better mood. Sadal and the others had spent the night again and were downstairs when we arrived. They, apparently, had been up very early as some were talking about the deal they had already made for the dragon egg shells. One was complaining that some of his had been seized by a soldier as "contraband" and how much profit he lost. I searched quickly and found the energy of the shells and the man with them.
"Worry not, friend," I told him, " no one knows about it. Go to the alley behind 'Sons of Glory'. He is there as well as your eggshells."
Everyone looked at me oddly.
"He will fight me if I ask for them back," the merchant whined.
"No, he won't. He is dead."
Silence. Then, like a shot, Sadal, the merchant, and Rono ran out the door. The rest of us continued breakfast and placed it all on the table. Apparently, "Sons of Glory" was not far away as they returned quickly. The merchant was happier and was holding a pouch.
"Poor fellow," Sadal began, "he must have tried to sell them. I guess his customer didn't believe him and knifed him over it. As 'honest citizens', we reported the body after we recovered the shells."
I was amazed at their callousness before I remembered what city I was in and who had been in charge. We sat and ate. They told us how wizards had nearly come to blows over the smallest fragment.
After breakfast, we began looking over the requests. About half were for healing. The rest were roughly divided between remaking homes and destroying rivals merchandise. We ignored the last ones. We pondered how to get the ones needing healing all in one place. The houses were also spread apart. We decided we would just have to do it in groups like before. Hopefully, we would catch the ones requesting help. Rono had the latest map of Baaloc Prime. We plotted areas we had already affected, then where the requests were. Fortunately, many lived near each other and could be taken care of almost all at once. While we were discussing this, another of the merchant, also this group's cleric, interrupted us.
"I have been wondering. When Selvis is re-established, what will be the state religion? Will there be such? Will the princess destroy everything and rebuild from the ground up? There are many questions I would like..."
"Peace," I said in a voice mine but not mine as a strange calm came over me, "your fears are understandable and justified. I see no state impose faith. All will be treated equally whether followed by thousands or ten. Your beliefs will not be squashed or forced into hiding. I see a faith council sitting with the judges and government council encircling the Queen and her King. Rest assured, Selvis will be a center of religious freedom and expression."
When I finished speaking, the calm left along with my strength. I nearly fell into a chair. My sisters rushed to my side while everyone else just stared. 
Before any could ask, Sarah began explaining, "Kayla is Faerie-blooded, so is Vanity. In the flesh, Vanity was a seer. Kayla is becoming one. When her eyes go white like they just did, her visions have a hold on her. Believe every word she said, it will be so."
The men huddled together. My sisters fed me their love and reassurance. The men broke apart and the cleric spoke again.
"What of the demon's vision? The grand wedding Tharinzar's master saw?"
I took at deep breath, "I have not seen anything about that, yet. When I find out.... the wedding is true, but it is not Cornwall nor any Baaloc she weds. The marriage will bind royal blood to royal blood. Snow will fall as they kiss."
I blacked out.

Callie again. We thought it was best to write what happened after this. Kayla stopped speaking, eyes totally white, and stood up. A wind lifted her off the floor and held her in mid-air. She spread her arms and, behind her, a mist formed. In the mist, we saw the images of what she had told us. The three councils in a half-circle around Mara and a man. Baaloc Prime rebuilt with new churches and temples and special places all around. Trinkets of all types sold openly. Then, the wedding. It was magnificent. Mara's dress was spectacular! The man beside her was richly dressed with a dark brown beard and some kind of hat/crown thing. As they kissed, a light snow fell upon the assembly. Rono said Baaloc Prime hasn't seen snow since Maalicus took over. Rain usually comes in floods and terrible storms. As the image faded, we saw Dawn, in the image, circling the pair and showering gold sparks on them. The mist left, the wind stopped, and Kayla slowly returned to the floor and sank to lay on the floor. She was unconscious. Kendar scooped her up and nearly ran her to our room. We girls followed. Kendar did not say a word, but the look he shot us told us to stay with her. Except for coming down for lunch, none of us left her side. Rono and the others left to do their daily business. Kendar paced in and out of the room, back and forth down the hall, nearly wearing out a rut throughout the inn. Rono set up dinner so we could get some and return to the room. I'm not sure Kendar ate. Sarah and I pushed our beds next to Kayla's on both sides. by the time we fell asleep, there had been no change."



Day 162 (140th):
I awoke feeling a little dizzy. It was dark. Callie and Sarah were beside me, their beds pushed against mine. As I laid there, trying to let the dizzy feeling pass and remember how I got to our room, my stomach growled. I couldn't remember any meal but breakfast. Crawling to the foot of the bed, I slowly crept out of the room and down to the kitchen. A pot on the stove was still warm and smelled wonderful. I just grabbed a spoon and ate at the stove right out of the pot. I heard footsteps thunder down the stairs. Kendar burst into the kitchen.
"Thank the gods! I looked in on you and your bed was empty. After your display yesterday morning, I was afraid you might vanish altogether."
"Display? Kendar, I cannot help the visions. If what I said upset anyone, I will apologize."
"It is not what you said," Kendar laughed, "It is what you showed to them that overwhelmed us all."
I looked at him, completely confused. He laughed again and told me what happened. I had to fish the spoon out of the pot. More footsteps rumbled down the stairs. My sisters nearly bowled over Kendar as they ran into the kitchen. Excited squeals, sobs, and talking engulfed me as the six of them raced over and hugged me. We all went back into the common room. Rono scurried in with a club. Seeing it was just us, he put it away. The nine of us sat at the big table and recounted my display. They found it hard to believe that I remembered nothing after I had spoken. Vanity and Sloth floated down to us. Using the mirror, they explained the mist was an old Faerie form of vision questing. The wind, however, was unique and neither had heard of or seen it before. We all returned to our rooms. I can't speak for the rest, but I dozed lightly until dawn. I watched the sun rise over Baaloc Prime. My earlier visions were intense, but this was something different. My only hope was this would not happen at a dangerous time.
A few hours later, Rono opened the door to allow his friends to enter. Talk stopped when they saw me. A flurry of emotions ran across their faces. The cleric was ashen. He found it difficult to look me in the eye. We all sat down and Kendar rolled out the map and began planning targets. Talk slowly returned as this tangible subject become the focus. They also informed us the wedding procession was four days away. We seven decided an "attack" on the palace would be appropriate. We chose the right hand spire to remake, an area just brushing the palace to heal and purify, and Maalicus' death on the north wall. Gretta would focus inside the palace for any fakes and phonies to demolish. Others that the men trusted would be brought to boost us even more.
We added some of the dust from the dragon eggshell to a powder we made to enhance our magic. Dawn poked at our powder, chirped, and shook, adding a shower of gold sparks. They landed mostly in our bowl and we swept up the rest. Bo circled our bowl of powder as we were mixing. On a cut in the table, he hooked a scale and pulled out of his skin. Lisa picked it up. In a few minutes, it was dry and crumbled easily into our bowl. Larz nudged us and lifted his paw. One claw had broken and was barely hanging on. We snipped it free and mixed in his contribution. We wondered how these additions would affect our actions tonight. Sloth commented that, he felt, it would greatly increase our energy and to look forward to something amazing. Over the course of the day, our merchants brought in their friends to get our approval. They were good judges of character. Many of them left laughing at how wrong the "accurate and validated" portraits were from how we actually looked. A Baaloc soldier proved this to all. He barged in pass Kendar and a few others and headed straight to the notice. He looked it over very closely for the slightest indication of any tampering. Satisfied, he turned and looked right at us. For a full ten count, he stared at us. Rono went over and asked him if all was well. The soldier took a moment to realize what Rono had said. When it hit him, he shook and, embarrassed, replied that it was and bit us all a good day. We waited a twenty count after he left before breaking out laughing. This encouraged some of the new comers to suggest other people who could help. Realizing we had too many already to fit on Rono's roof, another innkeeper offered his place which was much larger and closer to the palace. Before the curfew, we made our ways by different routes and in small groups to this other inn. It was far larger than Rono's, nearly twice its size. We went straight to the roof and plotted our assembly. We decided the newer people would be on the outside. Kendar, Rono, and the ones from before would be inside of them. Those of us not directing would be inside of those and the one directing in the center. We had enough powder to make a ring between each group and one around the center. We all had a grand dinner as we waited for sunset.
 Once it was fully dark, we made our way to the roof. We positioned everyone and laid down the circles. Larz joined Kendar and Bo and Dawn joined us. We were fortunate that a full moon was rising as we began. Gretta went first this time. She found the palace easily and the fake stuff just as easy. While we could not hear them break, we could feel a lot of them through Gretta. Once she was done, Sarah took her place in the center. We had aimed for an area about eight to ten blocks. With all the energy, Sarah ended up healing a circular area nearly thirty blocks radius from where we stood. The palace was swept through in a half-circle around the front entrance nearly one hundred feed inward. Callie took her turn and focused on the right hand spire. It reformed quickly, almost as if it were molten. She reshaped it down to its base. Feeling the energy, she proceeded to reform the other one. When she had finished, both spires from base to tip were clean, smooth, and perfectly straight and symmetrical. Just as a kicker, she recolored the door bright pink. Alice, Anna, and I went next. Focusing on the north wall, we produced the mural of Maalicus' true death. We did not position ourselves in the mural so anyone could recognize us. The same with Kendar. We made Tharinzar and the giant demon look as if they were fading instead of vanishing in a cloud of smoke. Everything else was completely accurate. We turned it over to Lisa. She purified several fountains, a park area, and many private gardens. She, even, purified the attempt at a moat that encircled the palace. When she was done, requests to obliterate Cornwall's statue were spoken. All seven of us focused along with our companions. The statue was reduced to dust. We also destroyed Maalicus' fallen statue. Kendar, Rono, and Sadal volunteered to clean up. We thanked them and headed down to the room the innkeeper had assigned to us. We did not bother to undress and fell asleep nearly as soon as we laid down.

Days 159-160 (137th-138th)

Day 159 (137th):
Once again, we were awaken by the banging that was the Baaloc "bells". We met Kendar and Rono downstairs. Kendar, again, looked frazzled by the rude awakening. Our friends returned by the time breakfast was ready. They told us what others had experienced yesterday. A few witnessed Baaloc soldiers attempting to "correct" our "vandalism" on the wall and fountains. The spire was slated to be torn down and replaced. Only the work on the spire was seeing progress as they were chopping at the unaffected part of it. Not a scratch appeared on the wall or fountains. Dirt, manure, and other debris dumped into both fountains quickly washed away and left pure water behind. War machines rumbled down the streets. Two catapults went to work on the wall and one on each fountain. None affected any of them save for some marks on the unchanged parts of the wall. The soldiers gave up after a couple of hours. We had watched most of this along with many citizens of Baaloc Prime. None of them suspected we were the cause of this event. The soldiers were heard commenting on the arrival of the princess. Reports from their stops sounded exactly as we had hoped: The demure princess was a frail thing prone to emotional breakdowns. Her honor guard was a lazy group who couldn't defend themselves, let alone anyone else. The head of the procession, Lehand, was more nursemaid then soldier. We were encouraged by these reports. Plus, we found out exactly when they would be arriving. We now knew we had one week to end Cornwall's, Tharinzar's, and the giant demon's hold on this kingdom. We returned to the inn and begun a great plan. Tonight, Rono and his friends would join us on the roof. They were all merchants so it was not uncommon for them not to return home some nights. With their aid, we could change more of the city overnight. By dawn, the city would really have something to talk about. They began getting ready and telling others they would not be home tonight. By evening, we were set. We had also decided what Alice, Anna, and I could do to stir the pot. We three would make murals appear on the walls, telling the real history of Maalicus, Tharinzar, and Cornwall. We would start with Maalicus receiving the "holy words" from Tharinzar in his true form. On it would be the precise spell in the demon language exactly as it appeared on his back. If we were not exhausted by then, we would make the scene of the battle, showing the Baaloc's running in fear, Maalicus losing his marks, and the two demons abandoning him to us. We would keep our faces hidden as well as Kendar's. After sunset, we made our way to the roof. Rono, Kendar, and the rest encircled us. Six of us formed another circle with the swords between us. Callie went first. She expanded the repaired section of the wall another seventy feet. Two buildings, small ones, were completely redone. Gretta took her place and destroyed phony items in three nine block areas many blocks away from each other. Sarah healed two four block areas, including animals and plants. Lisa purified a nearby granary, another fountain, and a livestock sale barn. Next, Alice, Anna, and I began our mural on the side of a government building. We actually changed the color of the stone to create the picture. When it was finished, we decided to hold off on the other for now. Our friends suggested all seven of us gather our strength and move Maalicus' new martyr statue just a bit as a lark. I guess we pushed too hard. It fell over. The crash echoed through the empty streets. A weird siren sounded and Baaloc soldiers ran through the streets, ordering anyone poking their heads out to get back inside. We disassembled our meeting and removed all signs of its existence. Rono headed down and opened the door just as a soldier ran by.
"Inside, citizen, now!" he ordered, a bit out of breath.
Rono jumped back and slammed the door. After about half an hour, the sirens stopped. We sat and waited. Not long after, horse hooves pounded up to the door. A heavy fist shook the inn's door. All of us but Rono ran to the kitchen. After we were hidden, Rono opened the door.
The Baaloc spoke as he stormed inside, "As an establishment open to the public, you are hereby ordered to prominently display this notice. Any removal of it will be considered an act of treason. A soldier will be by to check that it is here and intact. Any alteration of this document is also an act of treason."
"Here, sir, by my list of rules. Everyone who enters must read these, so they would see it as well," Rono volunteered.
"Very good, citizen, that will do well," he said as he strode up to the spot and pounded the nail with his gauntlet fist. He unfurled the notice and stormed out without another word. Once we heard the horse leave, we all returned to the common room. Rono was reading the notice and his lips were tightly pressed together, yet I felt no anger from him. Also, he seemed to be holding his breath. Just before we gathered around him, he burst out laughing. We saw the source of his mirth. Seven strange-looking females were drawn around a notice calling for any information on "the Seven Demon Sisters of the Abyss-forged Swords". We were charged with "crimes of the greatest evil ever witnessed in this or any land". Below was listed an absurd set of "crimes" we had committed, including "destruction of holy sites", "vandalism of civic and military structures", plus a host of other strange claims. We all laughed. In addition, the pictures were "accurate and validated portraits" of us. They were so far from portraying us, it was absurd. No one would ever associate us with those on the notice. We all decided it was time to call it a day. We laughed about the notice as we got into bed.

Day 160 (138th):
There were no "bells" today. Rono and Sadal, the tall dark fellow, were the ones who woke us. They informed us that our new alterations were causing quite a stir. Also, the notice had already caused several unattractive women to be detained on the suspicion that they were us. Some merchant acquaintances of Rono's came over as we made our way downstairs. They moaned and whined at the loss of their merchandise. Some who had been in the area that was healed told of the ailments they no longer had. Not a single one of them made any comment, verbal or mental, about us or our swords. Several warned us about "strange times" in Baaloc Prime and suggested we leave in order to be safe. Just in the immediate area around Rono's inn, five merchants and nine families were packing up to leave Baaloc Prime until "the city returns to normal". We secretly wondered was "normal" was in Baaloc Prime. Our mural was quite the sensation. When people realized the stone had actually change color to make the image, even more people arrived to look at it. Scholars and artists copied it down. The text was reproduced hundreds of times during the day.
With Sadal, we went to see the statue we accidentally knocked over. It was a massive thing that, when standing, was a good six stories tall. This, too, was built "Baaloc style" as the stone of his head was a different color than his body and legs. His arms were some kind of plaster over a wood and wire cage. Soldiers and slaves were picking up the pieces and trying to reassemble it. As there was a lot of stone dust, their efforts were in vain.
Sadal served as our guide through the city. We had gotten our shielding a little stronger so we were not overwhelmed by the energy of Baaloc Prime. We saw many places being cleaned, painted, and decorated for the wedding. In front of the palace, a large stage was being assembled so the wedding would be visible to as many people as possible. I've seen children build firmer structures. Wizards and clerics were already being used to hold up the weak construction. We spent the whole day getting acquainted with Baaloc Prime. Passing the palace, we saw Cornwall on the balcony, looking over the city. Someone joined him. We hid when we saw it was Tharinzar. We did not need him to see us and ruin everything. From behind a building, we extended ourselves to sense the two of them. Cornwall was concerned that we were going to ruin the wedding and their plans. Tharinzar consoled him and let him know that nothing would stop the wedding. His master had foreseen a glorious wedding before this castle and those visions were never wrong. He also said his master foresaw our deaths in a blaze created by our own allies. Sadal nearly marched into the palace to beat the both of them. We reminded him that this was a demon retelling the vision of another demon. That cooled his temper. Tharinzar continued to lay lie after lie at Cornwall's fragile ego to shore him up just like the wizards were doing to the stage. We left when we could stand no more of it. We returned to the inn by sunset. The three purified fountains were an attraction to the honest people of Baaloc Prime. Those that received slight burns due to their evil avoided them since trying to convince the rest was a futile attempt. Since it was usually soldiers and minor clerics who were injured, they were chastised for the weakness of their faith. Higher clerics rarely left their cloisters, so no one got the chance to see their reactions. The purified granary and animal barn were also receiving a lot of attention. The grain was being sold for ten gold coins a bushel. The animals were being bought for three times their normal value. Drinks made with the purified water were being consumed as fast as they were made. Those who were healed showed off regrown limbs, restored sight and hearing, and other rejuvenated parts and abilities. At dinner, Rono informed us that a secret message was going around to be passed to the real Seven Sisters.
"Many people would like you girls to know that they do not believe a word on that notice. Also, the ones 'arrested' on suspicion actually volunteered in order to keep the soldiers too busy to really hunt for you. Plus, a number of requests have been gathered should you wish to do any more 'damage'."
These had been given to Rono since he was known for getting items and information others could not. He handed them to us. Most wanted their homes or businesses rebuilt. A handful asked to be healed. A group of wizards wanted more of the demon language to study.
As we were reading these, a knock came not from the front door, but from the entrance to the tunnel. Rono ran over and opened it. A boy limped in, carrying an obviously heavy sack.
"Pardon my intrusion, but I knew nowhere else to go. I have escaped from slavery in the palace. This stone called to me. When the statue fell, I gathered the courage to take it. Another slave had told me of these tunnels. I have been walking all day or many days, I cannot tell. The stone pulled me here."
We had him sit down and eat. Sarah looked him over and treated his lame leg. No sooner had it healed than his sack began moving. We opened it and saw a dragon egg wobble out of it. The boy dived for it.
"It called me! I have to...I need..it...it..." he trailed off as he cradled the egg in his lap while sitting on the floor. I sat beside him and explained.
"This is not a stone. It is an egg, a dragon egg, and your egg. You two are a set. This dragon has been waiting on you, but you had to be completely healthy before it could hatch. Sit here and hold it. Watch."
The egg rocked even more. Cracks appeared and pieces popped off. A soft squeak issued from inside. Larz, Dawn, and Bo gathered around the three of us to watch a little closer. The rest just stood and stared. A red foot kicked out another big piece. A hard rock spilled the red dragon into the boy's lap. With intense green eyes, he stared up at the boy who held him. The bond was made.
"I hear him in my head. He says his name is Fire-at-Night. He is very hungry."
This snapped Rono out of his fascination. He ran to the back and returned with the fat he had carved off the meat. He handed the bowl to the boy. Fire lunged greedily for it. I showed Tommy, the boy, how to feed Fire so he would not choke and how much to give him. Dawn was whistling and flying around. Bo returned to Lisa. Larz lay beside boy and dragon as just watched. The rest sat back down.
After a few silent moments, Sadal asked, "Where did he get a dragon's egg?"
My sisters and Kendar began explaining. I sat with Tommy to explain the new path his life was taking. Callie came over and told us Leo knew about the hatching and could meet us on the roof in a few moments. Fire had eaten his fill and fallen asleep in Tommy's lap. I helped Tommy stand and explained what we were doing. He was a little frightened, but trusted me to guide him. I gave him my sling for the dragon to ride in and we all headed to the roof. Baaloc Prime did not have the street lights like Raval. Leo settled on the flat roof and regarded the new rider and dragon.
"Sisters, you continue to amaze me. Kayla, I will need your harness as I have none."
I pressed my hand to Leo's forehead and we all watched the riding harness form around Leo. Once completed, we helped Tommy and Fire up and assured him it was safe. We told him to find Tess and Falcon, as they were our friends. Tommy waved good-bye, then hung on as Leo took off. We all went back inside. It was very quiet. Rono and his friends were silent as their brains processed what had just happened. We and Kendar cleared the table and picked up the pieces of the egg shell. They snapped out of their reflection when they realized how rare dragon egg shells were and the magical uses for them. We set it all on the table and let them negotiate among themselves who would get which pieces. Breaking the bigger pieces was difficult, but possible. Kendar and the seven of us went to bed before they had finished hammering out the details.

Day 158 (136th)

Day 158 (136th):
Loud noises startled us awake. We realized that this, too, was a crude copy of Raval's bells. Bangs, crashes and other noises continued for some moments. Kendar, still in his night clothes, jerked open the door and looked at us wildly.
"What in the world was that?" he asked, searching to see if the sound had originated in our room.
"The Baalocs have their own 'bell' system like Raval," Anna told him calmly.
Kendar just stopped. His mind reeled at this news. That the Baalocs had copied Raval was no surprise. The fact that the noise we had heard was their reproduction of it was surprising. Raval's bells was a melody of an ancient source which gently built to a climax that everyone could hear. This was chaotic, random, and plain loud. The elves entered as Kendar left to get dressed. They said they had witnessed the noise makers, who were just taking sticks and beating anything that would make a sound. Kendar met up with us down in the common room. He was dressed, but still recovering from his fright. Rono was just as cheerful as yesterday. He asked what our plans were for today. The elves said they considered returning to the forest.
"We are not sure what we can offer anymore. We had only agreed to escort you through Brimgrove. Curiosity and the need to see the problem for ourselves are why we continued to accompany your group. Now that we have seen, we wish to take this back to all of the elves," Lurox sadly told us.
As sad as it was, we agreed to let them part. The horses they had ridden would go with them. Rono showed them his tunnel and told them where it exited and the quickest route to the forest. Callie was able to contact Leo and asked him to watch over them until they reached the safety of the woods. After they ate, we said our good-byes and watched them disappear into the tunnel. We stayed until the sound of the horses could no longer be heard.
Back in the common room, we pondered our next moves. Rono contacted his friends. When we introduced ourselves, a few of them fell to the floor and praised the same deity Constance had praised. Once finished, they gave us the general layout of the city. Some were also able to tell us hidden ways into the palace. The swords buzzed a plan to us.
"We would like to see how Cornwall and the rest react in a crisis. Nothing grand, but definitely unsettling," I interrupted.
"What do you have in mind, ladies?" Rono asked, realizing that talking to me was the same as talking to all of us.
"Callie's powers, just like the rest of us, have grown. With our aid, she can reassemble some of the wall and a few buildings to a stronger and safer style that will be far less chaotic. Also, Sarah and Lisa can strip away a layer or two of the disease and poison within this city. Gretta can shatter around a block of false trinkets and fake items. That would cause a small crisis."
The others sat in silence. A tall, dark, formidable-looking man slammed his hands on the table we were all sitting around.
"I say do it. Shake them up. Too many believe the Baalocs won after Maalicus 'martyred' himself. They need a dose of reality."
The others agreed. Rono led us to the roof. From there, we could see a nice chunk of the city. We set up an area to amplify our actions. Mattis sent some things to help us. By mid-day, we were set and ready. After we ate and readied ourselves, we began. Callie stood in the center, Wrath flat in her hands, and scanned for her first target. The rest of us channeled energy to her to boost and sustain her. A portion of the wall about two blocks south of us began moaning and creaking. The odd bits and pieces reshaped themselves and molded to resemble the older portion of the wall. Crowds began to gather and watch the event. When the noise stopped, a thirty-foot wide column of strong smooth stone broke up the chaos of the rest of the wall. Callie paused and said one building then it was Gretta's turn. Searching, she spotted a spire five blocks west of the inn. Building up again, she directed her power to it. Moaning and creaking alerted the crowd at the wall. They rushed to it and watched the tower rebuild itself into a clean, smooth, symmetrical spire. Callie sat heavily and said she was done. We helped her take Gretta's place at the edge while Gretta stepped into the center. Since channelling was easier than directing, Callie was able to continue. Gretta focused on an area slightly north of us but that would include the inn and Rono's shop. We gathered the energy and supplied it to her. Pops, snaps, and breaking glass echoed through the city. Items of all types, sizes, and values were reduced to showers of dust as they exploded. Even Rono had a few things blown apart. When she was done, a six block radius was covered in the remains of fake diamonds, artificial jewels, and phony magical items. After taking a few deep breaths, Gretta informed us she wanted to do it once more. This time, somewhat west, another six block area was decimated. She walked slowly to the place Sarah vacated. Sarah, with Lust in hand, looked for her targets. Soldiers in demon armor had arrived and were corralling the spectators. She chose them and their prisoners. The crowd became quiet as they felt the power work on them. The soldiers were also silent. We saw legs, backs, and arms become straight. Hairless heads started blooming hair. Even a few missing parts began growing back. When nothing else could be healed, Sarah stopped. She was tired, but wanted to continue. She did not find another group so she turned it over to Lisa. Lisa found two targets quickly. At two junctions we could see, fountains bubbled and splashed. Both were undrinkable. One had brown-red water that stained the formerly white stone. The other had odd-smelling foam and ran slowly. She chose the stained one first. Using Gluttony like cross-hairs, she focused on it. For a moment, the water stopped. People close to it looked at it curiously. Then, clean water started flowing from the top. As it flowed, the stone lost its stain. Like ice melting, the color slid off the stone to reveal it true white color. When it got to the bottom, it drained away on the inside and vanished into the ground on the outside. A brave man dipped his hand in it and drank it. His shout brought others over who drank, dunked their heads, and filled up every container they could find. Lisa continued for a few more moments, making sure the source would not retaint the fountain. She stopped, caught her breath, and focused on the foaming one. Again, the water stopped. People from the first who were walking by it stopped to watch this one. A rumble from below it spooked them. All the water drained quickly, sucking the foam down as well. A jet of water shot straight from the top. The water then slowed to what it should be and washed the foam out of the basin. After a few seconds, another brave man drank from it. His shout brought some of those fighting for water from the other fountain. Lisa continued until the source of the taint was gone. She desperately wanted one more thing to purify, but her knees gave out and she fell. We ended the magic. Anna, Alice, and I removed all evidence of our activity while the others went to our room to rest. Rono and his friends played the part of not knowing what had happened. Other Baaloc soldiers arrived to hear the fantastic things that had happened and see the evidence for themselves. Water, trinket dust, and people were taken to the palace for examination. We saw the liaison, Nigel, swagger up and down the streets. The red bolts of his anger nearly obscured the blackness of his soul cloak. From every soldier, every citizen, he demanded to know the party responsible. The three of us were still on the roof as he howled his anger at those on the street. Holding hands, we asked the stone of the spire, wall, and fountains to produce a symbol of our own. On all four, an ancient symbol formed. Only the liaison could read it, besides Rono and his friends. In the Faerie language, the symbols for "Seven" "Sisters" and "Swords" were either as big as a door or as small as a plate. Since he could only reach the fountains, he tried to break one off. He slipped and fell into the purified water. He ran from his impromptu bath before too many saw the welts rising on his face. It was not as strong as the spring water from Green Springs, but his evil did cause it to react on him. By the time we got back inside, a curfew had been issued for the area. No one except Baaloc soldiers would be out after sunset for twenty blocks around Rono's inn. Kendar asked if we could join everyone in the common room. Callie, Gretta, and Sarah made it easily enough. Lisa was still a little weak and leaned on Alice as she came down the stairs. We assembled at the table we were at before. We sat down to a sea of puzzled looks.
I started to explain, but Rono stopped me, "Knowing how or what you did would be no help to us. We have no fear of this curfew. Why we called you down here was to ask a favor. If you could continue this for a few more days, it would make it easier to get in the palace and get to Cornwall before the wedding procession arrives. This city would be in such an uproar, no one would be certain of anything. Three of you didn't use you powers. What could you do?"
We thought a moment, "Alice sees individual histories while Anna receives the history of places. I see the true nature of people, animals, and any living thing. We're not sure how to use that to cause any disturbances."
We were quiet as we all thought about it.
Another of Rono's friends casually asked, "Wonder what Cornwall thinks of all of this?"
As one, we asked, "Want to find out?"
Everyone looked at us. Kendar smiled since he remembered our previous viewings. Everyone agreed that they did want to find out. We asked Rono if he had a large mirror. He grabbed one out of the hallway and set it up. We asked the mirror if it would please show us Cornwall and let us hear what was being said. The mirror started to ripple and blur. The sound came as the images were settling.
"...me again exactly what happened," a male voice ordered wearily.
The liaison huffed and started his tale in a slow and deliberate fashion, "The Seven Sisters are here. They have flaunted their power by vandalizing a section of the wall, a spire of a church, and two fountains."
"How have they done that? What damage did they cause?" Cornwall asked, slightly more interested.
"The wall is plain and smooth. No Baaloc handiwork on it at all. Same with the church spire; straight, smooth, and even on all sides. Both fountains run water nearly as tainted as Green Springs. It is unfit to drink yet the people believe it is sweet and delicious. Years of protection were washed away in moments. Plus, my lord, many people were disfigured by their magics."
"Can you show me?" Cornwall asked, on the edge of his throne.
"I can, my lord. A citizen and a soldier are with me to show you two extreme cases of this disfigurement."
The doors opened and two men entered. Both were obviously frightened. When they reached Cornwall and Nigel the liaison, they were ordered to tell their tales.
The citizen spoke first, "I had watched both the wall and spire transformed. Still in awe, I felt a tingle upon my body. I looked at the stump of may arm and watched a complete arm, wrist, and hand grow from it. When it was finished, I found it to be completely functional and strong. It was nothing short of amazing."
Nigel stopped him and ordered the soldier to report.
"Sirs, I arrived on the scene after the wall had stopped changing and the spire had started. I witnessed the last half of its transformation. When it stopped, I felt a curious sensation on my face. The right side of my face was burned many years ago which blinded me on that side. I kept it covered at all times. I removed this covering and found my sight returning. Also the skin smoothed and became the way it was before the accident. I have perfect vision in that eye and my skin is without mark. Even other pains and aches have vanished."
"See!" Nigel shouted, "Corruption and disfigurement. The god ordained these men to be as they were and these unholy bitches take it upon themselves to change them without their knowledge or permission. Abominable!"
Cornwall sat back and thought quietly. The citizen and soldier were dismissed. Nigel stood and waited. We suspected he was hoping for some great decree that would lock down Baaloc Prime in some way. We saw his disappointment when Cornwall sent him away without any more discussion. We ended the viewing and Rono returned the mirror to the hallway. After a quiet moment, giggles slowly erupted among us. I was laughing at the twisted way Nigel was interpreting our actions. We knew his true nature yet hearing him spinning the events was amusing. We wondered if Cornwall was able to see what really happened or if he accepted Nigel's version of the events.
Dinner was casual and the talk was easy. We were told of things about our new friends and told them about us. There were no night "bells" like Raval. Remembering the new curfew, the others left. We seven, Kendar, and Rono were left in the now very empty inn. We helped clean up and then went to bed. It had been a very satisfying day.

Day 157 (135th)

Day 157 (135th):
I woke up with a terrible headache. My sisters also were in pain. We had to go through the exercise three times to make it stop. The elves were barely able to feel it, but they were aware of it. We mounted up and headed towards the darkness of Baaloc Prime. Only three hours in the saddle, Baaloc Prime rose out of the landscape just as hideous as we remembered and the others had speculated. It was a crude parody of Raval Palace. Two spires rose above the plain. They were different heights and inconsistent widths. The smaller ones were also uneven in height and width. A few looked like bites had been taken out of them. It was another hour before we could distinguish the wall from the city. With all the weird angles, it was hard to see the border of the wall unless someone was walking across it. The wall was very far from the "palace". A large outpost was about two hundred yards from the gates of the wall. There seemed to be far more people milling around it that it should hold. Amid all the people, one felt familiar. As we looked, a flash of black swished in front of the fort.
"The liaison is here. Why is he here so soon? The procession is still...a week?" I asked.
"Almost two," Kendar answered, "They are taking the large main road with about a dozen towns to stop and 'make appearances'. He must be setting up something underhanded. How close to read his intentions?"
I thought, then told him, "Another hundred yards should do it. That knot of traders should provide cover."
He looked and directed us towards a group of wagons.
With the swords working to block out everyone else, we focused on him. Learning his name was Nigel, we dug deeper. Whether or not "Mara" was a virgin, he planned to say she was, see to it the marriage took place as publicly as possible, and kill her after a month or so in order to make Cornwall king without the needed bloodline. Also, he was a demon hybrid and had flew to Baaloc Prime after Mary's examination. I shook as we pulled away. The others were furious when we told them, both because of the deception and the plan to kill Mara.
The group of wagons began moving towards the gate. Mutters of "it's about time" rippled through them. Alice and Anna informed us they had undergone "inspections" which resulted in two days of delay and a ten percent loss of merchandise. We slid in with them and entered the gates unchallenged. I was closed almost completely and still the chaos of Baaloc Prime was overwhelming. Kendar took the lead and the elves surrounded us. They guided us to an inn on the edge of the city near the wall. Compared to the others, it was untouched with very little evidence of patching or rework. Inside was like a cool breeze on a hot day. Very old magic kept the rest of the city out of our heads. Kendar said one of their spies had reported about this inn as being a safe place. Even the elves relaxed here. A short man came from the back and welcomed us warmly. Alice shot all of us her feelings on this man.
I stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said, "Constance is safe and with friends."
His eyes lit up and his smile widened, "She had sent a message of unique travelers in Kirpack. I am Rono, owner and innkeeper. Also, as you know, a member of Constance's faith. My home is your's."
He showed us around, got us assigned rooms, and helped us with the horses. We were his only guests. He said he had very few guests at any time. Rumors had been circulated that his inn was haunted. New Baaloc soldiers would be dared to spend the night. Very few have made it. What they heard was the wind whistling through the tunnel under the inn Rono used to smuggle. His shop, around behind the inn, was known for getting "unique items", which only a few people knew were not human made. Rono told us this as we had our evening meal in the empty common room. When we asked his opinion of the wedding, he went from smiling and open to frowning and closed. Tersely, he said he did not approve. When we told him of the ruse, his smile returned. He approved of the plan and trickery. He seemed drawn to Gretta. Finally, my honesty broke through.
"Rono, are you a leprechaun?"
All talk stopped. I wanted to hide, take back the question, and not have ever spoken.
Rono laughed, "Perceptive girl. You are correct. I am a leprechaun. Fortunately, no one around here has ever met one and just assumes I am only short. I suppose you are also aware that Constance was not human."
Kendar and the elves looked at us.
As one, we answered, "Wood nymph."
Rono smiled while the other men gasped.
"That was why she was so slight and frail," Lurox stated, "Without a forest, her strength had gradually faded."
"The garden at Raval will improve her health tremendously," Sarah beamed.
"Most of us are not human or fully human. We have hidden in plain sight all these years. Yet, now, we fear Cornwall's rule. He is far more paranoid than Maalicus ever was and has been seen killing just for the sake of killing."
"Have you seen his back, without a shirt?" Kendar asked.
"Not his full back, no. He was being fitted for armor. A portion of his shirt came up. Angry red welts were on the skin I saw. There were also some on his upper thigh. He had a loin cloth on and I saw part of his leg, the back of it. Is that significant?"
We all paled. We informed Rono of their importance. It was his turn to pale. We were all quiet as we pondered the significance of these added marks. Still silent, the seven of us rose and surrounded Rono. I told him what we were doing.
"Rono, think back to that day. See it as clearly as you see us."
We each joined hands. The two on the ends placed their free hand on Rono's head. The memories poured into us. When he saw Cornwall, we froze the scene. The part on his back was the same as Maalicus. We moved it forward until we saw his bare leg. These were definitely different. When we broke contact, we informed the rest of what they meant.
"From what we saw on his leg, Tharinzar has added strength, access to more demon magic, and a part of a spell to make the marks impossible to erase by anyone but a demon of Tharinzar's power or greater."
"So the puppet's strings cannot be cut," Kendar gravely added.
We nodded. Rono suggested we sleep on this information and see if the dawn reveals anything new. We all agreed. Rono had a large room the seven of us could sleep in comfortably. Kendar had a room to himself and the elves were two to a room. We talked a little before settling in to sleep. It was our opinion that Tharinzar did not want a repeat and had added the new marks to prevent us from removing his handy-work.

Days 155 &156 (133rd & 134th)

Day 155 (133rd):
Sloth taught us an exercise to help block out the town's accumulated energy. We were able to see the current energy, not the past mess layered upon itself. It helped greatly. The other relaxed as we were calmer. It was still morning when the town came into view. Just like our vision and reports about Baaloc Prime, this town seemed slapped together without plan or design. We could see the old, planned construction was patched, topped, and covered by the slapped together stuff. As we began our trek around it, a group of soldiers in Baaloc armor came riding out of the gates. They stopped us and began ordering us to follow them into the city. Kendar asked why, but they refused to tell us and just kept ordering us into the city. To keep from drawing attention to ourselves, we followed. Inside the city was just as thrown together as the outside walls. The roads twisted, buildings leaned, and chaos reigned. We were led to a building with bars on every opening. A barred door opened and another Baaloc ordered us to dismount and enter. We complied. The elves kept their heads covered and bowed as we entered. We were taken to an office of sorts to stand before a fat man who was drinking some strong-smelling liquid.
"Explain yourselves. My men saw you going around our city. Why are you avoiding Kirpack?" he said between swallows.
Kendar responded, "I am Major Kendar of Cassabla. I am escorting this group to Baaloc Prime."
"Under who's banner?"
"Lord Carmon of Thantos and King Droland of Raval."
The fat man laughed, "They have no authority here. Why would they send such to Baaloc Prime?"
"For the wedding of Lord Cornwall to Princess Mara."
"Cornwall? 'Lord'? You are mistaken. Cornwall is barely a general. Maalicus is our lord and Chosen."
"I guess you have not received the news. Maalicus is dead. Tharinzar raised Cornwall to his vacant position."
"Lying dog! Maalicus is eternal! No man can kill him! I should slay you where you stand for such lies!"
"Sir, I was at the battle. I saw the Seven Sisters of the Swords kill him on the battlefield. Even you own people refer to him as 'Maalicus the Martyr'."
The fat man paused for a moment, then told us, "I have not received any report in some time. We only heard of the Baaloc's victory a few days ago from a merchant riding through here. He did admit his information was second hand at best. I will send my fastest rider to Fairpoint Fort to confirm this news. If you are lying, I will take you to Baaloc Prime myself, in chains. If you speak the truth, you are all free to go."
He called for his men and ordered us to be taken to a nearby inn and guarded until the rider's return. We quietly followed the soldiers as we led our horses through the chaos of Kirpack. A soldier asked me about the lack of saddles.
"Our cleric companions' order forbids luxury of any kind. Saddles are considered a luxury," I lied, feeling Vanity vibrate to make my words believable.
He seemed to accept my lie, plus it explained the elves silence and covered appearance. The inn where we were taken was as slapped together as everything else. The door barely fit in its frame and had to be lifted slightly to be opened. We were stopped just inside. The innkeeper bellowed about losing business being used as a jail for Commander Buqdoll's temporary prisoners. Kendar stepped forward and laid some gold in the man's hand.
"Fair compensation for our stay."
The innkeeper's demeanor changed immediately and he called for everyone to tend to his "honored guests". The soldiers stationed themselves at every exit. We decided to make the best of our wait. Larz was brushed and cleaned. Bo was checked for any loose scales or anything that might become a problem. Dawn's feathers were checked for any parasites, loose feathers, or anything else that might harm her. After a couple of hours, I noticed the soldiers huddled together, talking low, and looking at us strangely. I remembered that look, it was not good.
"Everyone, listen please. Those soldiers mean to do us harm. We must guard ourselves against them."
Kendar and the elves strayed a look at them. Being more worldly, they did not need special senses to know the men's thoughts.
"Yes, seven girls with only one soldier and a handful of 'clerics' for escort would be a tempting prize for these blokes. Any suggestions?" Lurox asked.
"Sloth", Anna volunteered, "he could make them too lazy to pursue their intentions."
"Good idea," piped Kendar, "Make it happen."
I saw the tendril of power float from Anna's back and reach towards the soldiers. I was amazed no one had removed our weapons. Most likely, they believed them to be ornamental and of no threat. Also, they probably believed that they could all take Kendar easily as his was the only other visible weapon. The power snaked around the men and began to go to work. They leaned on the bar and plopped onto chairs. Some stretched, others yawned. Anna and Sloth curled the power around the rest of the soldiers who slouched at their post or sat and make themselves comfortable. After every soldier had been affected, they pulled the power back. The men conspiring lost all interest in their plan. Another hour later, a young girl arrived and told us the rider was expected to return in the morning. She was very timid and avoided the Baaloc soldiers. We asked her to stay, but she said the commander was expecting her to return promptly. The innkeeper stepped in and volunteered to show us to our rooms. The girl slipped out before we could say anything else to her. Our rooms were spare, but not bad. We seven stayed in one while the elves and Kendar split up into two others. We had to share beds, but we were fine with that. The inn and city were unusually quiet. I wondered about it as I fell asleep.

Day 156 (134th):
A very timid knock woke us up. The same girl from last night stood at the door.
"The rider has returned and confirmed what you said. The guards are gone. You are free to go."
She turned to leave. We ran out to stop her.
"Do not leave, please. We can see your fear and pain. Let us help you, please," Gretta nearly begged the girl.
The girl paused, looked at us, and burst into tears. We guided her into our room. She did not have to speak. The long sleeves, high neck, and long skirt spoke of hidden injuries. How stiffly she sat told us of new injuries not yet healed. Sarah knelt in front of her and the power began flowing and wrapping around her. Her eyes went wide as she felt her injuries healing. I felt Gretta reach for Mattis and Alice looking into her past. Alice informed us her name was Constance. I saw Gretta light up as she and Mattis came up with a plan. Alice knelt before Constance and addressed her.
"Constance, I am going to be honest. We are the Seven Sisters of the Swords. We brought about Maalicus' death. Our cleric companions are not clerics, they are elves. We cut through the forest to get here before the wedding procession. We are on our way to Baaloc Prime to unseat Cornwall and banish Tharinzar and any other demon there."
We expected her to start screaming and threatening to tell everyone what we had said. Instead, she fell to the floor and began praising a deity I had never heard named before.
She then stood and explained, "My faith had hidden for over a thousand years. An ancient prophesy said powers from many lands would come together to rid this land of this evil. I am so happy I lived to see it."
"There is another gift for you, Constance. The true ruler of Selvis needs people she can trust. A portal is being opened to take you to Raval. The Baalocs cannot touch you there."
"A Selvis heir? Alive? Who?"
A silver circle appeared in the floor. Kendar and the elves entered, saw it, and closed the door quickly. We let her know the portal was safe.
As she stood within it, we told her, "Say hi to Princess Mara for us."
A bright smile burst on her face as she slid down through the portal. When she and the portal were gone, we quickly explained. As we left, the innkeeper handed us some travel food and thanked us for the gold. Outside, all of our horses were there, safe, and had received good care. Saddle blankets were on the elves' horses as were bits and bridles. We saddled up and headed out as quickly as we could without looking suspicious. We saw the news of Maalicus' death spreading through the city. Some people even killed themselves instead of living without Maalicus as their leader. We had to repeatedly do Sloth's exercise to block all of that chaos. Within a few hours, we were leaving Kirpack and all of that mess behind. Once its influence was far enough to be ignored, I opened up to seek for Baaloc Prime. It was just at the edge of my furthest perception. A small point of darkness lay between us and it. We suspected this was the fort that the rider went to in order to get a report. Again, we decided to wait until we got near it to decide if we should enter or go around.
A few hours after mid-day, the fort was sighted. A small structure, about the size of four cottages sharing walls, with the same pieced together lack of planning we had seen in other Baaloc buildings. We turned to Anna for an explanation of this building style.
"I have gathered that most able-bodied males have been pushed to become soldiers. Females are made slaves or prostitutes unless they show magical ability. The skilled workers were either worked to death or died of old age before training anyone else. Only wizards, clerics, and prostitutes are officially allowed to have trainees. Thieves' guilds unofficially train all the time. While the law says they are illegal, no one enforces that law or even acknowledges it. Most soldiers either work with them or are a member of at least one of them. So, the walls and buildings are built by unskilled workers without any idea of how to build them. Most of them are held together by magic, luck, and a few barely remembered techniques."
The elves were angry at such waste and abuse of people and magic. Kendar quietly fumed as well. We decided to skirt this fort. The road forked around it, so it would not seem strange to avoid it. We saw a few soldiers watch us pass. Alice and Anna were able to perceive that the rider had told them about us and our destination. I felt a trickle of power from Sloth.
"So they do not inform their superiors right away."
I thought that was good thinking. The soldiers kind of leaned on the wall and watched us go. Dawn cheeped a sour note and ruffled herself. I guess she didn't like the fort either.
We found shelter just as the sun was setting. It looked like a sheep shed or other animal shelter for bad weather. It had not seen any domestic animals for some time. When asked, I told everyone that I could sense Baaloc Prime, even nearly completely closed. I described it as a black mountain sitting in a stagnate swamp. I could nearly taste its darkness. My sisters also reported their feelings. Lisa and Sarah commented on the sickness and poison of the place. Alice and Anna spoke of the layers of personal and regional history piled upon each other like the Baaloc buildings, chaotic and disjointed. Gretta said very little sang in that place. If there were any real jewels, amulets, or the like, they were hidden beyond her senses. Callie reported on the weakness and fragility of both buildings and people. She could feel the magic holding up the buildings and the fear holding together the people.
Kendar asked, "Have any of you perceived how they explained Maalicus' defeat and death? We've already heard him called a martyr. Someone has spun a tale, apparently, that he sacrificed himself for the Baaloc faith. Yet, we witnessed him being abandoned by Tharinzar and that giant one when you girls began erasing the demon spell. Commander Baqdoll said he had been told of the Baaloc's victory. Cornwall was there, so maybe he is the spinner?"
"It is possible," Alice began, "that Tharinzar has marked Cornwall with the same spell as Maalicus."
"And, having grown up in Maalicus' shadow," Anna continued, "his thinking may be just as twisted, seeing things only as he wants to see them."
"Such a man would not wish to see his leader, his 'god', defeated so he has told everyone that Maalicus martyred himself to save the soldiers who were, actually, running away in fear," Sarah added.
"Plus, we have been told Cornwall is stricter than Maalicus was," Lisa commented, "which means he may be quicker to kill anyone who disagrees with him."
"To save their own hides," Gretta stated, "the soldiers have repeated their leader's account even though they know it is not true."
"Which adds to the chaos of all Baaloc towns, forts, and cities," Callie chimed in, "making the people more afraid and easier to herd and manipulate."
"Maalicus had already laid the foundation that the swords are minor gods in their powers. Cornwall may just be building on that foundation to control the people," I added.
Kendar and the elves just stared at us. Lurox looked at Kendar.
"Do they do that often? Watching one train of thought from seven mouths is a bit dizzying."
"More 'Sister Speak'. They don't do it often, but it must be witnessed to be believed."
We all began laughing. We didn't notice until afterwards that we were all following the same line of reasoning. At least we went to sleep on a light note.

Days 151-154 (129th-132th)

Day 151( 129th):
We awoke to the elves singing a working song as they broke camp and made breakfast. The unicorns had relaxed a bit and did not stay so close to me or us all the time. The sunshine through the trees was warmer than when we had entered over a week ago. Granted, it was deep into summer and we were further south than Raval Palace. Our new companions, Larz, Bo, and Dawn, had settled into parts of their partners and it was easy to forget they were there. Larz rode between Kendar and the pommel of the saddle. Either he was really the runt or just a smallish breed, but he fit that nook quite well. Bo had his head near Lisa' right elbow, body over her shoulders and down her left side, tail lazily coiled around Gluttony. Dawn found a nice spot behind Alice, nested between the saddle bags and cuddled against her back. The forest became quieter as we neared the Baalocs' settlements. The unicorns got edgy and nervous. We told them it was alright if they chose to stay in the forest instead of following us. Reluctantly, they agreed to stay behind. We neared the edge of the forest shortly after our mid-day break. Almost at the same time, the unicorns, we seven, Dawn, and Larz went on guard facing the southeast. Before the rest could ask, about a dozen people came running at us, screaming and holding up weapons of various types and sizes. We couldn't make out individual words until they got closer. Mostly, they were shouting "demons", "devils", "beasts", and other mean things. Our elf troop launched a volley of arrows just over their heads. Other than stumbling, it did not change their advance. When they got a little closer, they stopped. Once of the men stepped forward.
"Stop your unholy activities or we will be forced to attack you."
Kendar addressed them,"What 'unholy activities'? We are just traveling through the woods."
He interrupted,"In the company of demons with unholy beasts as your guards."
We all looked around, very confused. Seeing we did not understand who or what he was talking about, the man pointed his short sword at Lurox, "Devils". Then, he pointed at the unicorns, "Unholy beasts."
We looked at each other and started laughing. This made them very angry.
Another man stepped forward and addressed us seven, "Girls, I don't know what they promised you, but it is not worth you souls. Any wealth or beauty they offer is an illusion, empty promises bringing nothing but pain and suffering. Say the word and we will protect you from them."
This resulted in another round of laughter. It was their turn to be confused. Gretta composed herself and began trying to explain. They refused to listen and moaned about lost children. Kendar suggested they leave before they got hurt. I could see they honestly believed what they were saying and truly felt their way was good and right. Hurting them was not the way. I whispered to the unicorns to put them to sleep so we all could leave unharmed. However, it was Dawn who acted. Circling above their heads, she sang a beautiful tune. They began to slump, letting weapons fall from limp fingers, and slowly slid to the ground. They all had peaceful looks on their faces. Dawn returned to Alice's saddle, chirped, and straightened her feathers. We took this as a cue to leave.
We were many miles away when I felt them rise. They were confused and decided no to follow us. We were still under the trees when darkness fell. I sensed we were very close to a Baaloc town. I pushed as far as I could, but Baaloc Prime was still too far away. Also, I could not reach the wedding party. I hoped they were safe and weren't too bored with this duty.

Day 152 (130th):
The mornings were becoming warmer as the trees became thinner and further apart. Our unicorns decided they could go no further and feel safe. We hugged them, thanked them for their company and aid, and asked if they would watch over the temple cave and its occupants. They were glad we still needed them and gleefully let us know they would as soon as we were out of sight. We left them standing under a clump of trees. We continued east, trying not to look back at them, as it was a heartbreaking sight. About an hour after parting, Dawn gave a mournful whistle that let us know they had left. Soon after, we left the forest.
I felt the Baaloc town getting closer as we journeyed. Not everyone there was evil. There were many who honestly believed the teachings as the right path. Still, I could feel the many who knew they were doing bad things and did them anyway, regardless of who got hurt. Here and there were pockets of people who were doing good and did not believe the Baaloc way, yet pretended in order to survive. We channeled some good energy their way to help them not feel alone. The elves began hiding their obvious elfish features. Kendar got some horses for them from an outlying farmer who, I could feel, desperately needed the money. While Kendar was dealing with him, the seven of us secretly purified his fields of poison, boosted its fertility and producing capacity, and asked the animals around to help him if they could. We checked the horses for diseases or problems. They were healthy, if a bit underfed. Fortunately for them, the elves were lighter compared to humans at the same height. The elves rode bareback as the farmer had no saddles at all. The horses didn't seem to mind.
We passed within sight of the town. I could not look directly at it for more than a few seconds without pain pulsing through my head. My sisters also commented on the many impressions they were receiving. It was decided to only do business with outlying homes and stay clear of town as much as possible. Kendar said he was glad we could sense others this way so we all would not be fooled by dishonest people. We warned the others when we were being approached by other riders or travelers. We did stop a merchant wagon manned by an honest couple. They were friendly and dealt with us openly. They warned us that Cornwall "the heir of Maalicus the Martyr" was harsher in his dictates and had no mercy or lenience in his rules. We thanked them and parted.
Around evening, we found an abandoned house that showed no signs of any occupation for some time. Part of the roof had fallen in, but as no rain was anticipated, it made a good place to stay the night. No one was on the roads, so we felt safe. We risked a small fire. I didn't know if it was Baaloc Prime or not, but a large area with many people was at the furthest edge of my and Vanity's combined reach. We were asked if any of us had gleaned the name of the town we passed. Anna said it was Kordack, formerly Lystal. Looking at the map, we found Lystal. It was a few days ride south and west of Baaloc Prime. We decided to avoid the roads as much as possible and make a nearly straight shot northeast. A large town was in our path, but we held off on a decision until we got a better look and feel for it. The night was eerily silent.

Days 153-154 (131-132):
We were up and gone before sunrise. We traveled over forgotten fields and abandoned grazing pastures. We happened upon two active farms with families who were glad we were not Baaloc soldiers. At both, we did the same as the farm where we bought the horses. The first was just an elderly couple who wanted one more good crop before they died and their house became government property. The second was a family with six children and a very pregnant wife. Husband and wife feared giving birth with no mid-wife for miles around. Kendar and Lurox agreed that we could stay the night and aid the poor woman. We felt for the baby and found her healthy and strong. She could survive being born at that time. We nudged the girl into deciding to come out. The wife and us seven went into her bedroom when the contractions started. Callie and I had aided our village mid-wife before, so this was not new to us. Sarah monitored their health as we secretly gave energy to the wife. By dawn, the sun was greeted by a new voice. Father, mother, and siblings welcomed their new addition. They wanted to pay us, but we knew how little they had, so we politely declined. When they insisted, Sarah said her order was forbidden from accepting payment for such service. This ended their argument.
We left before mid-day, continuing our planned path. The large town was creeping into my awareness. The others felt it, too. Lisa said it was like a stinger in the land, slowly sending poison in all directions. Sarah had to pull inward as the pain of it was eating at her. To me, it was a dark emptiness slowly covering a beautiful landscape. At times, I wanted to cry at the waste, suffering, and cruelty of it all. We informed Kendar and the elves that we had to pull our senses in to keep this from chipping away at us. They understood and said it was the best thing to do. By nightfall, we were still a distance away from the town, but, even nearly closed completely down, it still pressed upon my senses. I could see my sisters also struggling with the town's presence upon their senses. Kendar and the elves were worried about us. We tried to assure them we would adjust to the town and be glad when we were away from it.

Day 148-150 (126th-128th)

Day 148 (126th):
I awoke rather angry. My sisters and the unicorns were awake and staring at me. I sat up, stood up, and yelled for everyone to gather together. Once assembled, I recounted my vision. Everyone got angry, including the unicorns. Lurox suggested confirming this, even though he believed me completely. I opened myself up as fully as I could and pushed a little farther. I felt the cave a few days journey somewhat to the south. We ate and got ready at the same time. We went as quickly as we could. Our deer family followed at the same pace. Lurox and his troop wondered why they were so intent on following us. Alice reported that they had done nothing "undeer-like" as far as she could see. I could not feel anything from them, even the fawns. That was the only other curious thing about them. We ate in the saddle. By sunset, the presence of the cave was like a void in a painting. Callie said the magic was so weak it felt like a bruise on her heart. Anna was quiet as she sorted out the layers of history. She did confirm Baalocs were here a long time ago. Lisa and Sarah stated that some slow infection was seeping through the area. Gretta could feel the crystals, but their song was very faint. Alice said "ghosts" were about this place. Lurox was unsure how to take our input. Kendar said something about "Sister Speak" and Lurox smiled and nodded. I guess we had been the topic of many conversations. We made camp in a small clearing. The unicorns set up a perimeter around us seven. Our deer family boldly slept not far from us. As I drifted to sleep, I swore I heard a male voice say, "Tomorrow brings the answer."

Day 149 (127th):
We were up and on the trail before sunrise. Our whole assembly was on edge. We were at the curtain of vines and roots Lurox told us about. He began a long prayer-like chant, asking for entrance and begging forgiveness for coming uninvited. When he finished, all was silent. Nothing happened. Lurox was flustered and couldn't understand what was wrong.
"It's too weak," Callie stated, "The magic is not there to open the vines."
"But, Starlight is eternal. Her power should not have faded. Kayla's vision is accurate and the portal is gone. We must get inside," he stated as he drew his sword.
"Stop!" I ordered, "There is a gentle way in, right, my sentinels?"
The unicorns stepped forward and touched horns. A ball of light formed at that point. In unison, they stepped forward again. The vines shuddered. When the light nearly touched the vines, it shattered into sparks that dusted the vines. The weak and withered things became strong and green again. They parted for us like a silk curtain. The elves and humans stared.
"Coming inside?" I asked playfully.
We all entered the dark cave. It was the same I had seen in my vision. By memory, I found the hole that let in the light. Asking the plants to move from it, light flooded the cave. The finely honed crystals bounced and reflected the light to focus on a central point. The stone stump was there, rune precisely etched around the flat circle that was its top. A depression hinted that something had been cradled on top of it. Lurox began fuming. While I could not make out all of the words, I could feel the raw anger, the pain of loss, and a mix of other emotions from him and the others. To our amazement, King and Queen had entered with us.
Kendar, finally, asked, "What is with them? Deer do not act this way."
I saw the answer on the wall behind them. Our shadows were firmly painted. The unicorns, Bo, and Larz were the only animals casting shadows. Two people-like shadows stood behind the deer.
"Lurox, Kendar, everyone, meet the lost prince and lady of the elves," I said, smiling.
Understanding bloomed upon my sisters' faces while the rest were utterly confused. My sisters stood with me as I informed the others.
"Remember, when they disappeared, all that was found were deer and horse tracks. When they became separated from the rest, your enemy transformed them, clothes and all, into the animals you see here. For reasons I don't yet know, they have not aged one day since their change. The babies are orphans, real deer, they are caring for until they grow up. They have been following us because they felt the power of the swords and our Faerie pendants. It is their hope either we can free them or know someone who can."
Lurox interrupted, "If they are the Royal Couple, how do we prove it to our fellows?"
"When they are returned to elf form, they will be able to prove it themselves," Alice added, "I can't believe I missed the obvious. The people I saw around them weren't hunters or villagers, they were them in their true selves and their families. I feel so foolish."
"The histories they laid down in the forest make sense now as well," Anna chimed in, "They have secretly or openly aided others to the best of their abilities. I should have see it, so many histories feature a stag or stag/doe pair as aid to a journey."
"Do not blame yourselves, dear girls. We have remained unnoticed for hundreds of years. Even several weeks together may not have revealed us until we entered this temple."
"Was that... did they speak?" Lurox babbled.
"Actually, just him. What little magic is still here has allowed his voice to be heard," I calmly explained.
Lurox and the other elves went and bowed before the two "beasts", "My prince, my King, we have waited so long. Many will rejoice at this news. We will do anything to return you both to your original form and the throne that awaits you."
"Alas, we cannot take either until the portal is returned to this place. You girls and your swords are strong, but there is little you can currently do for us. The Baalocs did steal it, being gold and all. However, outside of here, its magic is faulty at best. The longer it is gone, the less it works properly. Another year or so and it will not work at all. Plus, the spring water can only be called by mermaids or water nymphs. Should all of you manage to find it, getting it back to full power will be a challenge."
"Still, my king, we need to let everyone know you are alive, healthy, and safe. We will get wizards, clerics, anyone we can to convey this to all of our people."
"I volunteer to be the messenger," a sweet female voice echoed in the cave.
From the darkness, the Faerie Queen walked into our area of light. The kneeling elves prostrated in front of her. The stag and doe bent forward slightly. She gave all seven of us a hug and told us how proud she was we had found these two and kept them safe.
"I will tell the chancellor, your people in the west, and these in Brimgrove of the happy news. I will admit that I, too, failed to associate the lost pair with these unique deer. Please, Your Majesties, stay here while they continue into Baaloc Prime. That will keep you safe and save them from searching for you."
"Agreed," the two chimed in unison.
They looked at each other and smiled as best deer can smile. The elves stood and expressed their gratitude to the Faerie Queen for this service. She suggested staying here for the night as, by the fading light through the hole told us as well, it was getting too late to travel. She said good-bye and left. We all went about setting up camp inside the temple cave. Grasses and leaves were gathered for the royal pair and their charges to bed down. Torches were set in dusty holders and a fire was lit in the small brewing pit. The elves were more cheerful than they had been since we met. Their glows were free of the dark spot of doubt and self-pity that had been a part of them and their lives for three hundred years. Even in the dark, I could sense the vines and roots growing in strength and health. Sarah said that just having all of us here, in peace and happiness, and of our own free wills was boosting the health of the plants that shrouded this place. By morning, she guessed, they would be nearly up to full strength. Lisa added that the slow infection had stopped and was reversing itself. Hopefully, the source of the plants had not been too gravely injured. We left only the cook fire burning as we all settled in for the night.

Day 150 (128th):
A nuzzle woke me. The unicorns informed us that the sun was rising. We gently woke the rest, bid the royal pair good-bye, and got back on the trail to Baaloc Prime. Our diversion to the cave had not lengthened nor shortened our travel time. Our elf partners were in much better moods this day and we seemed to sail through the forest. I could sense the few settlements and the joy as they received the news. A few began packing for the return trip home which, they were certain, would be soon. The forest this way was thinner than the western part. We were informed that Baalocs had harvested many trees in this area, but had not for sometime. The growth told us no tree had been taken in over a decade. The stumps left also told how long any had been cut down. The unicorns continued to join our journey. The lack of deer took a little getting use to, but we knew they were safe. Sarah's guess was dead on as the vines and roots were thick, strong, and green and covered the entrance well. They moved aside for all of us, even the fawns, who were natural deers.
As we traveled, I noticed Alice kept looking around. Finally, I asked,"What troubles you?"
"I feel someone is watching me, not us, just me. It doesn't feel threatening, but it is a little frightened. What should I do?"
Looking at Bo, Lisa, and Larz, remembering that Alice was part elf, I suggested asking it to show itself. Nearly everyone else agreed. We stopped and let Alice separate herself from the group. Not a word was said. Before our eyes, a large bird drifted from the trees and landed on Alice's leg. As big as a rooster, yet its tail was twice the length of its body. I had seen rich gentlemen have feathers like this bird's tucked in their hats.
"It is a King's bird. Their feathers, males and females, are prized by nobles and lords. You are lucky such has chosen to pair with you, Alice," Lurox stated proudly.
"Pair? Like Bo and Lisa? We're a set?" she inquired.
"It appears to be, sister," Lisa smiled and stroked Bo.
"Well, it could be worse. Your name, please?" Alice asked the bird.
We could sense it pondering the question. When it realized what was being asked, it fluttered and danced a bit. We guessed it assumed we would force a name on it. A picture of sunrise flitted through our minds.
"You are a girl named Dawn," Alice said cheerfully.
Dawn danced some more then hopped on the pommel of Alice's saddle and settled in to join the journey. Alice was calm now and we resumed our travels. It seemed Bo and Dawn could also hear Gluttony and Envy. Bo's tail wrapped protectively around Gluttony. Dawn peeped and chirped and nuzzled Envy every so often. Near sunset, I had just begun sensing the Baaloc's presence. Fortunately, their nearest settlement was still days away at a gallop. The elves had loosened up enough to share folklore and song from their western land. The night sounds were quieter in this region. We decided that the less dense forest meant fewer animals.