Stray leaves skittered along the earthen road like little green mice. A few twirled around the bottom of a plain wooden staff, tipped in some sort of silvery metal that caught the late afternoon sunlight. The wind responsible for making them dance pulled at the cloak of the staff-bearer. It was a plain traveler’s cloak, the color of terra cotta, a deep hood pulled up to shield the wearer’s face.

Something made the traveler’s head come up. His gaze, concealed within the depths of his hood, quested around as though in search of something. With a renewed resolve, he approached his intended destination.

The light of a single flame broke the darkness. This light spread to a third, and a fourth, until the candelabrum stood fully lit. A glow illuminated the visage of the Priestess of the Four Directions. Turning, one candle still in her hand, she paced around the Temple to light one candelabrum, then another, until the entire chamber filled with luminescence.

The young Priestess made another circuit of the Temple. This time she halted before each of the four murals of the ancient deities recognized there. So old that few now worshipped them, the Priestess paid homage to each; it was her duty to ensure that these gods and goddesses were not forgotten.

Now she made her way to the middle of the chamber. She mounted the dais with slow, careful steps, settling herself cross-legged in the center. Hands resting on her knees, she closed her eyes. She steadied her breathing as her mind coursed an invisible path elsewhere. The Priestess must, after all, ensure the safety of those she was to guide even when she was not with them.

She received not images, but sensations, as was the way of mental scrying. She lacked the energy for water-gazing; recently she’d found it more draining than normal. The past days had been a flurry of ups, downs, and events. She knew a lot had happened, but not what, and it seemed there was an added presence, one she couldn’t figure out although it nagged at her.

Then pain came. Intense pain, felt in some way through those she sought, if not by them. Fear followed, a desperate panic unlike anything she had sensed before. For a moment she nearly lost her concentration. No- breathe, breathe! You mustn’t lose them! In the space of another breath, exhilaration followed on the heels of pain and fear, the kind distinct to an inrush of heady power. She felt as though her head were reeling, light flashed behind her closed lids, if she opened her eyes she was certain the Temple would be spinning madly, like an out of control top....

Abruptly the sensation went away. All was serene, all was peaceful. Another deep breath, and the Priestess opened her eyes. Rising, she descended from the dais. A reverse circuit of the chamber recognized the patrons of the Zantaros again; a second reverse circle extinguished the candles. Then Miara Kadoward departed the Temple of the Four Directions, continuing secure in the knowledge that she had been right. The new Zantaros could definitely take care of themselves.

It was a motley, not to mention somewhat lopsided, group that made its way back to the Seven Swans. Amianna Brawnvore was still wobbly enough from the ordeal that the other two flanked her on either side in case she came over weak. However, as she was distinctly taller than at least one of those ready to support her, the sight would be almost comical to anyone unfamiliar with the situation. The fact that they were all sadly mussed from their fight with Morchades didn’t improve matters any.

Kagami let out a puff of air, tossing her bangs out of her face yet again. As her head came up, she beheld the figure of Mr. Brawnvore standing in the inn’s entrance hall. If they had been leaving rather than entering, the sun would’ve been effectively blocked out by his impressive bulk. He also had his arms folded under an expression that said quite plainly that whatever he was waiting to tell them, they wouldn’t like it.

“So!” The suddenness- not to mention volume- of his address made all three jump. “Not only are your friends trouble-makers, you are too! They’ve made a pig’s ear of my common room for the last time! And you- what have you done to my daughter?!” Both his tone and heightened color indicated that the bulky innkeeper was settling in for an all-out rant.

Amianna took an uneasy step forward, a hand upraised. “Nothing!” Her voice was somewhat stronger than it had been in the clearing. “They- they helped me. I was- I was-” she nibble her lower lip. “Sleep-walking or something, I’m not sure, but I- I was wandering, they came after me and got me to come back-”

“Humph. Then why’re you all such a mess, eh?”

“Well- I-” She nibbled her lower lip again.

“Fell,” Kagami said, adopting her most diplomatic smile. “Sleep-walking makes it difficult to watch where you’re stepping. And we all know the outdoors have all sorts of minor traps; hollows, stones hiding in the grass, that sort of thing. I’m sorry to say we took a collective tumble.”

“Humph.” Her tone seemed to mollify him a bit. “But I’ve still got a bone to pick with you about your friends!” He shook a thick finger. “They caused a right brawl in my common room, and it’s not for the first time!”

“We told them not to kill each other,” Shizuka said under her breath.

“Kill? Humph. Not kill, but they made one royal mess of the place! I’ve a mind to send you lot right out of here on your ears, show or no show-”

“No!”

“No.”

The first voice was Amianna’s. The second belonged to someone they had never seen before, and only just realized had been standing quietly behind Mr. Brawnvore the entire time. A hood shadowed his face, but those shadows seemed to watch Kagami intently. An image flashed through her mind, an indistinct flicker of shadows and light and just for a second, a shimmering figure....

One hand came to rest on the innkeeper’s shoulder. The other supported a staff, a slim but sturdy pole of brown wood topped by a small silver disk set with a variety of colored stones. “Calm down, good sir. You have a reputation as a house of good hospitality, correct?” The voice was well-modulated, his words precise.

“Ah- o’ course.” The innkeeper thrust his thumbs through his apron loops. “None better anywhere ‘round, least not anything good decent folk’d use.”

“That’s right. That includes the performers you let do shows here. I’ve been listening to people talk, and this group has caused quite a stir. Their- youthful high spirits, shall we say?- just add an extra spice of interest. I’ll bet this afternoon’s little fracas will drawn an even bigger crowd than last night. In fact, I’ll also bet your takings will cover any damage done in the fight.”

He paused. “And if it doesn’t, please allow me to make up the difference.”

“Well- um- ah- well now, that’s mighty generous of you, sir!” Watching Mr. Brawnvore fidget was an unparalleled sight; it brought to mind the shift of tectonic plates on some strange, grease-stained planet. “I mean, ‘specially as you don’t know these young people- or do you?” He peered at the newcomer over his mustache.

“Not as yet, no. However, I wish to make their acquaintance.” The stranger stepped around the innkeeper- how he managed this, given Mr. Brawnvore’s far from insignificant girth, was something of a mystery to those watching- and approached the girls. They tried to brush dirt and grass from their clothes, suddenly self-conscious. Amianna took her father towards the kitchen, talking to him earnestly.

The tones remained quiet. “Would you escort me upstairs to meet your friends? I understand that after the fight broke up they barricaded themselves in one of your rooms.” His voice said that he had no doubt they would agree to his request. Her intuition flashed again. This time the glimpse was so fleeting that she couldn’t make out what it was, but she sensed that her instincts were telling her that both it and this stranger were important.

“They did? Well, it’s just as soon I had a word with them.” Kagami pulled her jacket straight. “It’s high time those two learned to control themselves-”

“I arrived just after the end of things, and I understand there were three of them.” The stranger followed her at an easy pace, Shizuka hurrying to keep up with the pace their longer legs set.

“Ayame, too!” Shizuka groaned. “We should’ve known- she never passes up on a chance for a fight- I’ll bet she started it!” She all but stomped up the stairs, loafers making a thudding echo.

“From what I’ve been told, it was something of a group effort.” The silver cap on the bottom of his staff tapped rhythmically beside his shoes.

By this time the trio had achieved their destination. Kagami rapped smartly on the door that led into the room shared by Reiko and Ayame. “Open up in there!”

“Hold on a sec!” Ayame’s call preceded a suspicious shuffle-grinding noise, like someone shoving a piece of heavy furniture across a wooden floor. The door flew open, their friend’s eyes bright with eagerness. Behind her they glimpsed Reiko and Jiro lurking on opposite sides of the room, glaring at each other.

She grabbed a wrist in each hand, yanking the two of them though the portal. If the angle of one of the beds was any indicator, then the sound they’d heard was precisely what it had sounded like. “Spill the beans! What happened?! You should’ve seen our distraction- it was awesome! We-”

“Yes, we heard all about it,” Shizuka said. “What were you thinking? You started an all-out brawl down there! You’ve gotten all of us in big trouble!”

Ayame’s grin faded. It was like the Cheshire Cat, only in reverse. “But you said we were supposed to keep them busy....”

“Yes, but not by punching people in the nose!” Jiro lifted a hand. “Hey, Bright Eyes over there was the one responsible for that. Though really, it was my whole face she hit.”

“Don’t make me come over there and do it again, Flame Brain. You asked for it, you and your million-legged bug-monster from the beyond-”

“C’mon, now, it was just a big beetle!”

A snort. “Beetle my butt! That was-”

“Well, if you insist, though it won’t be pretty-”

The stranger in the cloak, silent up until now, coughed.

All eyes abruptly swung in his direction. After a moment Reiko said, “Who the heck are you?”

Kagami gasped, both hands flying to her mouth when she realized she’d forgotten their guest. “Oh, I’m so sorry! This is- is-” Her head swiveled back to the still-cloaked figure. “What is your name?”

The stranger finally pushed his hood back. “No, I’m sorry for neglecting to introduce myself at the outset. I am Magus Iestyn ne Keir.”

He was younger than they had assumed. His years were hard to place, but a guess would hazard somewhere in his early twenties. Maroon hair stuck out in a variety of directions around his head. Ageless brown eyes gazed out of a clean-shaven face of smooth, clean lines. Eyes oddly shaped in a way that was somehow familiar....

Two images clicked together. They had seen eyes like that before, on a mural not so very long ago.... “You’re an elf!” Kagami exclaimed.

“You’re kidding!” Ayame unceremoniously dragged him across the room by the arm, shoving his hair aside to see for herself. “Hey, he’s got the pointy ears! Cool!” As soon as she released him the poor elf shuffled a few feet away to half-hide behind the two mages, visage burning as he attempted to flatten his hair back into place. “Mmm, wonder if all elf guys look like him?” she said to Shizuka in a not-so-quiet whisper.

“So,” Kagami said in an effort to cover her friend’s blatant appreciation, “what can we do for you?” She glanced back at her friends. “This gentleman has not only persuaded Mr. Brawnvore not to throw all of us out due to your fight- excuse me, I mean fights- but has offered to make up the difference for the cost of damage not covered by tonight’s takings. So,” the girl once again addressed Iestyn, “What do you require of us in exchange for this gift?”

“A moment of your time later this evening... Zantara of Air.”

Several minutes passed before Ayame finally broke the silence that descended after his pronouncement. “Jeez, why don’t we all just hang signs on our backs that say ‘Yeah, I’m a Zantara, deal with it?’ Honestly, who have we met yet who hasn’t figured us out?”

“Well, the Brawnvores, though that won’t last much longer if you shout like that again....” Shizuka murmured.

Finally, Kagami got her composure back. “But- honestly, how did you know?” Her hand unconsciously wandered up to clutch the pendant dangling against her shirt. “My sleeves are long, so you couldn’t have seen my birth mark, not unless....” She gave him a suspicious look. “Elves can’t see through people’s clothes, can they?” Shizuka gave a little yelp, instinctively bringing her arms up.

Iestyn laughed a little. “Relax; I may be a mage, but I can’t do that. You’re safe.” He smiled. “It was the crystal you’re now holding on to like a life line.”

Kagami glanced down, realized what she was doing, and immediately released it. “Oh. My Dunamis. Yes, of course.”

“I told you not to wear that out in the open,” Shizuka told her.

Iestyn shook his head. “Oh, I would have known no matter what. I sensed your presence here as soon as I drew close. The crystal merely confirmed it.”

“Oh.” Kagami stood quiet for a moment, looking both silent and thoughtful. “How?... Is it because you’re- you said you were a mage?...”

“That’s part of the reason, but it’s not so simple. That’s why I wish to speak to you later on. I know not how long it may take, and you have a performance in a few hours that it would be unfortunate to miss. As you’ll need time to prepare yourselves, I merely wished to make your acquaintance now so that I could ask you to talk to me in more depth later.”

Reiko finally got up off the floor, pacing across the room to place herself directly in front of him, arms folded. He was only a finger’s breadth taller than her. “Just Kagami, or all of us?” A glimmer of challenge rose in her eyes. “What do you want with her? Quit acting so mysterious and spit it out.”

“I promise you I intend no harm-”

She snorted. “And if you did, that’s exactly what you’d say, isn’t it? Give me one good reason why I should trust you.”

He looked deeply into her eyes. “All I can do is swear on my honor as a mage of Sylvanos that none of your friends will come to any harm by my hands.”

“Hm. Pretty words.” She regarded him for a moment. “I’ll let it pass for now. But don’t go thinking I’ll let you take her- or any of the others- off alone.”

“I had no intention of so doing; I meant from the start to include all four Zantaros.” His eyes flickered over to where Jiro sat on the other bed, watching. “Wait... four?...” He did a silent head count of the room’s occupants.

Jiro shrugged. “I’m just along for the adventures.”

“He’s our guide,” Ayame explained. “They’re handy, y’know.”

“If you want to start fights or get bugged to an early death, maybe,” Reiko muttered, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Jiro jumped up. “Hey, spitfire, you’ve done more’n your share of fight-starting in these parts-”

“Only because certain little punks run around just asking for it, dropping monstrosities they claim are bugs down other people’s necks-”

“How else was I supposed to keep ‘em distracted? Have a sing-a-long?”

“I’m sure you could’ve-”

Iestyn coughed again. Before either of them could get their rhythm back, he interjected, “Shall we meet after tonight’s performance, then?”

“Oh- um- yes, of course.” Kagami’s hand went back to her pendant.

“Then we have an arrangement.... Your name is Kagami?”

“Yes, that’s right. And that’s Ayame, Shizuka, Reiko, and Jiro.” She pointed to each of her companions as she named them off.

“Right. I promise you it will not be a waste of time. Until later, Zantara of Air.” The young elf bowed and then, with a swirl of cloak, he went on his way.

Miara squinted as the bright light in the hallway struck her eyes, accustomed as they had become to the dimness of the temple. One arm went up to shield her face from the afternoon rays streaming in through the nearby windows.

“I beg your pardon! You almost walked into me, you know!”

Miara blinked, her vision still not completely readjusted to full light. “Oh... Eluna. Sorry about that. You know how it is. It gets so much darker in there, hard to see when you first come out....” Eluna just sniffed a little, holding her book tighter. “Whatever’s gotten into you recently?”

Eluna didn’t quite look at her. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh, come off it! You’ve spent the past couple days walking around looking like you’re standing downwind from the stables and not so much as giving me the time of day. Ever since the Zantaros left....”

Two and two came together. “Hey, it’s not something to do with that, is it? I mean, you didn’t spend enough time with any of them to become friends, did you?” Miara had, in fact, found herself rather missing them despite the brief length of time she had known them, but she suspected that wasn’t the case with her sister.

“Of course not. I don’t establish friendships on so short an acquaintance. You ought to know that better than anyone.”

“But you’re still in a tiff with me about something. I’d have to be blind as a bat and deaf as a doornail not to notice.”

Eluna sighed. “Since you’re being so insistent on the matter, I guess I’ll have to tell you, though I did prefer not to....” Two pairs of matching light brown eyes met. “I think you’re being very irresponsible.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know as well as I do, so stop being obtuse!” Eluna’s knuckles whitened as she clutched her book even tighter. “It’s- it’s- the whole Zantaros thing! Why did you let them get away?!”

“Get away? From the way you say it, you’d think they were wanted criminals, not the destined defenders of the known world!”

“Stop playing semantics with me! You know exactly what I mean!”

“No, I don’t. What does this have to do with me being irresponsible?”

“Sir Zarin told me all about the conversation you had with him.” Eluna’s voice turned into a mimicry of her sister’s. “‘I think you’re exaggerating the gravity of the situation.’ I happen to agree with him! You should have had them found and brought back here promptly, kept them under your eye until you were sure of them-”

Miara threw her hands up. “But I already was sure of them! Why do you think I decided to let them go in the first place? You saw what happened at Court-”

“Yes, where they made a chaotic shambles of the place and a mockery of the seriousness of both the locale and the situation-”

“And what would you have done!? Let the head of an important family be assassinated because doing something about it went outside the bounds of your precious decorum?”

“Of course not! I just would have been more circumspect-”

“When you have seconds to act, you’re not thinking about being circumspect! You can’t be discreet when you’re fighting to save the world!”

“I still think you should have kept them here for further training. Who knows what’s going on now that they’re out by themselves in the unknown?”

“I do. I was just sensing out their well-being moments ago. And I happen to know they’re faring perfectly fine.” Now wasn’t the time to mention the roller coaster of sensations and ideas she’d picked up in her mental scrying. “I’ll have you know I’ve been doing that the whole time they’ve been gone-”

Eluna’s book struck the wall with a heavy thud. “Then it’s the only thing you’ve ever done for them!”

For a moment it felt as though time had been suspended. Then Miara said, slow and quiet, “What did you just say?...”

Eluna tossed her silver hair. “You heard me! You’re supposed to be a leader to them, a guide, and what do you do but let them sneak out into the night without so much as lifting a finger to stop them-”

“That would have been difficult, seeing as I was sleeping at the time!”

“But you said you knew it was going to happen!”

“I never said that; I said I expected it. I didn’t know for sure, nor when it would happen if it did. I may be the Priestess, but I’m not omniscient.”

Eluna huffed. “You’re playing word games again! Even a general idea could have increased the guard and alerted them to a possible escape attempt, one they could have halted. But no, instead you just step aside and let them go, as if your role in this is of no consequence, as if you’re not supposed to be helping them along the way instead of sitting in that temple, occasionally taking a few minutes out of your day to glance at them and make sure they’re not dead instead of doing your duty and keeping a close watch on them every step of the way-”

Miara’s hand flew up. Eluna flinched aside seconds before it swung to a stop by her cheek. “You’re just lucky I’ve got self-control. The priestess is the guide to the Zantaros, but what you’re describing is not a guide, but a keeper. You, like everyone else, expect me to dog their every step. They’re not children, and I refuse to treat them as such. As the Priestess, I have to have faith in both their judgment and their abilities. As I told Sir Zarin, they cannot do their duty sitting quietly inside this house.”

Eluna put h4er hands to her temples. “Enough of this! I can’t talk to you- you go in circles. I have some reading I want to do.” The younger girl spun, a whirl of long skirts and shining hair, and tore off back the way she had come.

It took a moment for Miara to realize that Eluna’s book was still lying on the floor under a window.

“So- uh- what was that whole priestess thing, again?”

Lanterns lit the common room of the Seven Swans, uneven light making odd flickering patterns on the walls. The Zantaros-plus-Jiro team had squeezed themselves into a corner table. Iestyn’s prediction that this night’s show would draw a substantial crowd was correct. Their performance had since concluded, but Iestyn had yet to make his appearance. Kagami swore she had seen him in the back of the crowd while she was singing, but that was the only evidence that he was still anywhere in the vicinity.

As they waited, Kagami and Shizuka had provided their friends with an account of their unexpected encounter with Morchades. Reiko then left, having agreed to search out the errant elf and bring him to where they waited if, as she phrased it, she had to drag him there by his pointy ears.

In the meantime, Jiro was having some problems with the basics of Shinto warding and banishment charms and Shizuka’s use of one. “So is it your mom that’s the priestess, or you, or both of you? Or is there something I’m missing?”

“Um...” Shizuka took a hasty sip of her drink; members of the audience kept trying to send them over. “You’re missing something,” she said, as kindly as she could. “Neither one of us is a priestess at all.”

“But wait a sec- you said-”

“All I said was that she’s from a family that has a strong connection to the occult side of Shintoism. You know, the main religion where we come from. Some areas of Shinto are more into mysticism than others. Sometimes you get a whole family with a legacy of mystic and spiritual knowledge. Mom is from one of those families. She’s not a priestess or anything, but she still knows a lot about charms and wards and things, and well, she’s taught me too. She’s offered to teach- my friends-” she slanted a glance at Kagami, who for once didn’t have a comment about the superstitious nature of such beliefs- “but none of them has taken her up on it.”

“Uh-huh.” Jiro nodded; it wasn’t clear whether he understood it any better than last time, but he wasn’t pressing the issue.

Kagami kept fiddling with her pendant. “I know I saw him. Where could he have disappeared to?” She craned her neck, somewhat nervously scanning the room for any sign of Iestyn.

Jiro set down his mug. “I think I’ll go ask around myself.” He sauntered over to the bar, propped an elbow on the edge and signaled to the barmaid. “Another pint, if you will,” he said, flashing his best rogue’s grin. “And another round for the fellows over there.” He angled his head toward his first targets, a nearby group of rugged-looking traveler types.About the same time, Reiko was making her way back to their little group. Apparently she had gone upstairs briefly, because she had her Karate uniform back on. “What’s Flame Brain up to? Didn’t think he was the type to try to get cozy with the locals.” She sent a look in his direction. “Or with anyone but that twit of a girl. Look at her, fluttering just because of a stupid smile. Idiot.”

“No luck, huh?” Ayame inspected what was left in her own mug, shrugged, and downed the lot. Another was presented to her almost immediately.

“It was a total bust.” She humphed. “All those bozos wanted to do was to buy me drinks and jabber in my ear about taking walks and stuff.”

In the meantime Jiro was enjoying a pint with the travelers at the bar, having adopted the befriend-through-alcohol method of inquiry. One of them, a large, well-muscled man with a shaven head and arms covered with tattoos, saluted him with the mug in his hand. “Say, you’re not doin’ too bad fer yerself, mate.” He cocked a thumb in the direction of the table of young females Jiro had recently left.

“Oh, yeah. Running with four chicks.” He stretched. “I’m not complaining, that’s for damn sure!”

One of the others, a particularly scruffy individual with a bushy dark beard and the look of one who had been on the road and bathless for quite some time, clapped Jiro on the shoulder so hard he staggered. “If ye did ye’d be a fool!... Say, four’d hafta be too much even for you- spare one for an evening?” He slapped the bar, he and his friends roaring with laughter.

“I dunno....” The boy stroked his chin, pretending to look thoughtful. Then an idea arrived in his head. Green eyes took on a shine of mischief. He leaned in closer. “Actually, there’s one,” he said, adopting a tone of semi-secret intrigue. “See the one in green? With the ponytail?”

“Yeah.” The fellow stared in that direction. “Saw her when you lot was doin’ yer show. Got a swagger I like to see in a gal. I like my girls with some spirit, if you catch my meaning.” He gave a conspiratorial wink.

Jiro laughed. “Well, this one’s got plenty of spirit to go around, if you catch my drift.... So why don’tcha go on over and have a go? Can’t hurt.” As the bearded wanderer started away, the boy tapped him on the shoulder. “Oh, and be sure to call her ‘Bright Eyes.’ She loves that.” The man just grinned and gave another salute and a nod, then strolled across the room.

The girls were suddenly aware of the light from the nearest lamp being blocked out. The next thing they knew, a decidedly scruffy individual was settling himself in the empty chair between Reiko and Shizuka. His mouth widened in what the generous might call a smile, revealing a great number of gaps where teeth should be. He pointed that smile at Reiko.

She slanted a glance at him around her bangs, expression carefully flat. “Who invited you?”

“You did. An’ ye can keep it up all night, ‘cause I’m yours as long as ye want me, Bright Eyes.” Under the table, a large hand came to rest on her leg.

Reiko didn’t say a word. She didn’t even look at him. Visage still deliberately flat, she simply backhanded him in the face. The chair- with him in it- promptly toppled backwards onto the floor.

The man blinked up at her, still partially stunned from the unexpected blow. “What- what the-”

Reiko swung around, elbows resting her knees. Her face still showed no change. “Funny- that’s what I should be saying to you.”

“But- your friend- he said you was game-”

Her mouth hardened. “He did, did he?” she said, voice dangerous. She glanced up towards the bar. Jiro sat next to the wall with his back carefully turned to the room, hunched over his drink. He looked so unconcerned she was surprised he wasn’t whistling. “So that’s where you got Bright Eyes. Excuse me....”

Reiko stepped over the figure still prostrate on the floor, making her way to the bar. A hand clapped down on Jiro’s shoulder, swinging him around before he had the chance to so much as protest. The death grip she had on his collar effectively canceled out any opportunities for escape. Face set in an expression that tended to make prudent people step away, she said, “Flame Brain, get your butt off that stool right now so I can pound it into the dirt.”

Jiro’s grin took on a decidedly shaky appearance. “What for, huh? I-”

“You know damn well what for!” She gave him a shake; some of his drink splashed down the front of his shirt. “Move it!”

“Just cool it a sec, spitfire- let a fella finish what’s left of his drink first.” He peered down at his damp tunic. “But since you helped me with that-”

Her grip tightened. He swallowed. “Don’t push your luck. You’ve pushed me far enough-”

A discreet cough disrupted her tirade. “Perhaps you could settle this later? Only I don’t think we’ll be able to persuade Mr. Brawnvore not throw you out if you have another fight in his common room.”

“Eh?” Both of them peered over to see Iestyn watching them from the depths of his hood. Reiko blinked. “Where the hell did you come from?”

The head of his staff glinted a little in the lamplight. “I’ve been around. I just had some business to take care of.... Now, would you be so kind as to let your guide breathe again, so we can rejoin the rest of your friends?”

“Oh. Yeah.” Jiro’s sigh of relief as she finally let go was barely discernible. “C’mon- over in the corner by the side door.” Despite the crush in the common room, they had a suspiciously clear path back to their table. For some reason people just seemed to naturally shift out of Reiko’s way.

The traveler she had slugged was no longer lying on the floor. Ayame said he’d taken himself off as fast as possible after he’d come back to his senses. “Guess he doesn’t want his friends laughing at him about being laid flat by a girl- at least not in a way other than how he’d planned,” she added with a wink. Reiko just humphed, dragging the last chair to a place as far from Jiro’s as she could get.

“So,” Kagami said, turning to Iestyn, “what is this all about?”

Iestyn opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Just as he was about to speak, something flickered past the window; a vague silhouette, a shadow whose edges seemed to blur with the night around it. A frisson went through those watching.

Kagami’s head jerked up. Her eyes widened; a sound very much like a small, quick “oh!” escaped. At the same time Shizuka went completely still, color draining from her face. Two more of the shadowy shapes flickered past.

A second later Kagami cried out. She slumped forward, clutching her head, eyes squeezed shut. “No- no- keep away!” Her head shook back and forth, face tight with something that was part pain, part struggle.

Iestyn got to his feet, snatching up the staff along the way. “Quick- get her out of here!” He gripped it in both hands, as though for combat. “My ‘business’ is back. I’ll distract them as long as I can. Hide.” A pause. “I can find you later. Move!”

Ayame got Kagami under one arm, Jiro under the other; between the two of them, they pulled her to her feet. Shizuka sat frozen, visage a ghastly white. She watched the door and its flanking windows with wide, horrified eyes. The shadows seemed to be converging outside the inn.

A second later Kagami cried out again; this time the sound was closer to a scream. Knees buckling, she dropped to the floor. Her hands flew to her temples again. It was plain that she wasn’t moving, most likely couldn’t. Jiro quickly got down on one knee so Ayame could sling her friend onto his back. The girl’s head lolled sideways as he stood, chin bumping against the arms draped around his neck.

Reiko hoisted Shizuka out of her seat, passing her to Ayame. She too was watching the cloaked figures hovering outside. But instead of petrified terror, her eyes narrowed, color heightened in a way that made it plain she was completely furious. “Go. I’ll cover your backs.”

Finally, Shizuka found her voice. “But- but-”

Reiko shoved her and Ayame. “Damn it, don’t argue! Just go!” Her friends stared at her for a moment. This was Reiko at her most unyielding. There would be no dissuading her now. Slowly, still watching their friend and the mysterious elf, the four made their way towards the rear door.

If the main portal opened, neither human girl nor elven mage saw it. One moment indistinct shadows shifted in the darkness outside; the next, shadowy beings hovered within. Cloaks, hoods, and masks left them nearly indistinguishable. They didn’t make a sound; it would have been extraneous. They simply stood there, invisible eyes questing about the room.

Stillness and quiet dropped over the room like a pall. Then the dark figures glided- there was no other word for it- across the chamber, cloaks drifting around them like the corrupted souls of mist.

The silent figures circled, soundless as the dead. Then she noticed that the rest of the common room’s occupants weren’t just watching in stunned silence. They were well and truly petrified, frozen in mid-action like a display in a wax museum. In other circumstances it might have been absurd; instead, it was chilling.

“What,” she said through gritted teeth, “the hell is going on here?”

“It’s them. I’ll explain later. Follow the others.”

She took in a sharp, deep breath. “What about Kagami?”

“Yes.” The cloaks floated closer. “That was them as well.”

“Then I’m staying.” The things floating silently, watching them through empty black holes behind the masks. This is really driving me nuts....

“Don’t be rash, you can’t fight them-”

Hands rose as one foot shifted behind her, settling into battle stance. “They hurt her. So I-” one fist smacked into her other palm- “hurt them. Don’t underestimate me.” Her fight stance deepened. Suddenly she could no longer take how the things just hovered, soundless and motionless. “What are you waiting for?” she yelled. “Christmas?” With a wild battle cry she lunged at the nearest of the figures, throwing all her anger and power into the attack.

Her fist passed right through.

Reiko tumbled forward. And the world suspended. She felt as though she had been pierced all over by a billion ice-cold needles. Colors swam around her, deep and otherworldly. Breath came in short gasps; no matter how she tried, she just couldn’t seem to get enough air. She felt suffocated, like a fish pulled from water....

Her vision unfocused. Everything grew white and hazy, as though a veil had dropped over her eyes. The misted colors spun, blurring together. A buzzing sounded in her ears as the white thickened. Then there was nothing.

The other four crept through the dusky Taran night, Jiro carrying Kagami piggyback, Ayame dragging Shizuka by the arm. The former occasionally made little sounds, clutching Jiro’s neck by pure instinct. Shizuka was so frantic that the words she was trying to say were indistinguishable. Physically, she seemed torn between running back to the Seven Swans and Reiko and clinging to Ayame’s arm as if it were her only chance of safety. They had all glimpsed the creatures, clearly, and what they had seen chilled them to the marrow.

Jiro gulped in more air; his face, too, was whiter than normal. “I... I think this’s a really good time for a bolt hole....” His voice shook just a little.

Ayame looked behind them. “I keep thinking we should go back,” she said quietly. “We left Reiko there. I know she made us go, and she can take care of herself, but those things....”

“Hey, I dunno what they were either, but at least I had the sense the gods gave a flea to know I couldn’t fight ‘em! Let’s hope that elf can do what we can’t.” Jiro’s green gaze searched about for the right alley. He knew it was close....

Shizuka’s voice came clear behind him, low and weepy. “We forgot- you don’t care what happens to her,” she said.

Jiro spun around as best he could with Kagami balanced on his back. “What are you talking about?” he snarled. “Just ‘cause she gets on my nerves like no one I’ve ever met doesn’t mean I want her dead! I just- it- look, sometimes you gotta pick your fights! And this’s definitely a no! Holy Hells, we don’t know what those things are or what they can do! She ain’t in no shape to fight-” He jerked his head back towards Kagami- “and neither are you!”

“But I-”

“Stuff it!” he spat. “Hell, Kagami’s unconscious ‘cause of them! We’ve got to keep her safe. You’ve already fought today. You’re not enough defense in the shape you’re in now! What can me and Ayame do if we’re trying to watch out for you guys? Besides, we don’t even know what we’re going up against! Sorry, but I really want to avoid killing the lot of us any time soon!”

He stumped along for a minute. “Look,” he said, softening his voice just a trifle, “that elf said his ‘business’ was back. So when he disappeared it must’ve been to do with them. If he could deal with them then, he can do it now. And as for that spitfire, she’s indestructible.”

“Yeah.” Ayame put an arm around her sniffling friend. “He looked like he knew what he was doing. And Reiko’s tough. I’ll bet they turn up any second now.”

Shizuka scrubbed the back of her hand across her eyes. “I feel like such a ninny,” she said. “I’m so worried, but- but it was so- it was like there was dark ice everywhere, and I couldn’t move, it was worse that the Shadowmen-”

Ayame gave her a comforting squeeze as they entered the mouth of the alley. “It’ll be fine. Just stop your sniffing and think about that.”

Jiro eased Kagami down onto an old crate. She sagged limply against the wall. Her eyelids fluttered a little. “Found it. You guys keep an eye on her until I get this door open. Then it’s time to wait.”

“Did you hear something?” Shizuka looked around the little one-roomed hut shelter the four of them huddled inside. There was no real way to know how much time had passed. Kagami had fully awakened not long after arrival, but she just quietly leaned back against the wall, staring.Ayame started to her feet, but before she could finish a creak of hinges broke the silence. Moonlight outlined Iestyn. He leaned heavily on his staff, and a figure draped over his shoulder. The elf all but dragged himself across the threshold, sliding the form he carried down onto the floor, propped against the wall. A streak of moonlight showed them that it was Reiko. Her eyes were closed, visage deathly pale.

Shizuka shrieked, hands flying to her mouth. “She’s- she’s not-”

“It’s all right. She’s just unconscious.” Iestyn knelt next to the girl, lightly slapping her cheek with the back of his hand. She stirred, groaning.

Jiro swallowed. Ayame said, “How’d it happen?...”“She tried to hit one of my opponents.” Iestyn paused. “It didn’t work. She passed right through.” Reiko groaned again, louder this time.

“Through it?...” Kagami’s first words since before they left the inn came out as a croak. She cleared her throat before speaking again. “I know what it felt like inside my head....” Fingertips flickered to her temple. “They caused that, so to pass right through one....” She hugged herself, shuddering.

One hand came up to clutch her crystal. “I think it’s about time you told us everything that’s going on here,” she said, voice still weak but determined.

“I second that,” Reiko added, speech cracking. Her brown eyes were now fully open, watching Iestyn warily.

Iestyn knelt silently for a moment. “Those beings- as I’m sure you’ve guessed, they’re not human. They were human at one time, but sacrificed their humanity for power. They, along with their evil master, are part of my story.

“They were originally after me, yes, but that was for one purpose only. And that,” his eyes met Kagami’s, “was to find you.”