*Just for the record, I can't post on weekdays because my mom won't let me on the computer unless it's school related. I'll try to post tomorrow!*

Ian was sitting next to Ari, who lay trembling beneath the covers. Ian had done as he was told, keeping her warm and keeping an icily damp cloth on her forehead. But her fever was not coming down...

He sighed just seconds before there was a sharp knock on the door. He raised his eyes to it, not daring to move. "Who's there?"

"Vanis."

He scoffed. Great. Ciru brought Vanis home...just what we need. Nonetheless, he focused his telekenisis on the door, twisting the handle and popping it open for the dragon.

Ian beckoned to a nearby chair. "How can I help an old friend?"




***Just so you know, Ian knows nothing of Ciru's and Vanis' agreement.***

**The agreement's meant to be between Maradomin and Vanis, Vanis just needs Ciru and Ian on his side because they're technically his superiors.**

Vanis

He took the offered seat, his armour creaking a little as he sat down, "As Ciru may have informed you, I need to speak with you. But first, there is a more immediate matter that I feel should be brought to your attention."

The dragon could see Ianeil's tiredness clearly, and equally clear was the reason for it. Good. The less he can perceive about my motives, the better.

Ianeil raised an eyebrow, "You were saying...?"

"Maradomin and Ciru are arguing in the dungeons. It's about the interrogation method to be used on Cliares."

The general sighed, looking down to Ariadne's unconscious body. Behind the iron mask of his helmet, Vanis smiled. Another hindrance to Ianeil's judgement. And he didn't have Ciru here to act as a voice of reason, either.

Vanis stood, "You should stay here, of course. She needs you more than they do." He nodded to Ariadne, "I'll deal with them once I am done here. In the meantime, I need to speak to you about something more important."

"Yes?"

"As an heir of the world king, Azrayel's life is in serious danger."

Ianeil snorted, "No kidding."

Vanis' tone was, however, deadly serious. Apparently there was something more to this than just a desire on Hanik's part to kill the High Prince. "You're one of the few who knows just how old I am, Ianeil. I know of more threats to that royal line than you could imagine. You studied the race wars as a boy, I imagine? The conflicts between the fey and the elemental spirits? Several of those wars revolved around the world king's artefacts."

"Impossible, the race wars were-"

Vanis cut him off, "They are ongoing. And both sides would be willing to capture or kill Azrayel if it meant furthering their aims."

Maradomin:

He sighed "Ciru let me down. I promise I won't hurt the girl." He didn't smile, he meant what he said.

Ciru eased on the power. Maradomin got back to the ground. "Can I at least find her?"

"If you must. But no violence." Ciru sighed. Maradomin nodded, he listened, closed his eyes. He heard every breath every movement... There. He pointed at one of the corners. Ciru immediately used his powers. There was a scream of dismiss.

Cliares came out of her spell "Damn." She muttered.

Maradomin smirked "I told you so."

Ciru looked at Cliares, "Sit down," he commanded. Cliares obeyed as she had no other options.

Maradomin opened his mouth "Cliares. Could you please tell us where Your king resides when he goes to lick his wounds?"

"Non of your business."

Maradomin seethed his sword, Ciru gave him a look, Maradomin looked back "I'm not going to hit her." He said, he turned back to Cliares "Do you know this sword?" He asked.

Cliares didn't answer.

"It is one of the legendary weapons. It rules darkness, and is said that it can turn some people mad."

He walked to cliares and tied her hands on the chair.

He put his sword on the ground before Cliares, he turned to Ciru "Let us leave."

Ciru looked at him suspicious. "You are going to leave her here with your sword?"

"Oh I would be more worried about her than the sword."

"I told you no torture."

"Technically, it isn't torture, it won't touch her. It will just show her somethings which in time..." He let the words travel to the distance before he continued "Could do a few things to her character. Besides I won't do anything to her." Now he smiled.

Ciru

He looked from Cliares to the sword, then to Maradomin. He didn't smile, "I don't fully agree with this. I can't see it doing very much aside from possibly tipping her over the edge into total insanity."

Cliares gave him a sarcastic smile, "And there I was thinking you didn't care."

"Shut up." He muttered, not even bothering to look at her. She shrank away from him a little, hurt by his apathy. Normally he would have at least asked her nicely. He kept his attention on Maradomin, "And besides, if we leave, how will we know she wants to tell us what she knows? And if she goes completely insane, what's the likelihood of her telling us anything at all? Let alone telling us something highly specific. Tell you what," He said, the ghost of a smile coming to his face, "You let me interrogate her my way, and when we get Masset, you can use torture."

Maradomin appeared suspicious, "And you would truly let me use torture on him?"

Ciru shrugged, "If we capture him, only Ian and Vanis could overrule me. We both know that Vanis couldn't care less about someone else's life, and I don't imagine Ian would be in a rush to save Masset."

Maradomin:

"Fair enough." He lifted his sword from the ground.

"Cliares, you should show some respect for Ciru, he may have just saved your sanity.

Maradomin walked out.

Reva fought and kicked as the guards brought her into the castle.

I told you it wasn't a good idea.

She didn't listen to Longwei, he was just a stupid know-it-all.

They reached a room that held many beds and a man was sitting next to an unconsious woman with firey red hair.

"Ianel, we caught this intruder sneaking in, she demanded to be brought to the High Prince, but he isn't here, so?" the guard waited as she squirmed to get free.

*okay, you guys; break-time's over! Ayumi, you are obviously next to post, since Reva (Moon Jumper)came to you. Doesn't need to be a super big post; just enough to get it going again! Or Billy, Anzius, you can keep your conversation going if you like. Just remember-I'M KNOCKED OUT! I'd be posting, but I'm not able to! I'll wake up soon, I swear, just keep posting! Don't let this die!!!*

*** Sorry 'bout that.

By the way, MJ, Ari's hair is white, not red.

And we need to think of some way to start this back up good again. Like me; I'm getting bored with all the people being hurt and recovering and the interrogation of every single prisoner. Maybe a time skip just after Ari wakes, after news of Thorn's recovery is given. Skip a few weeks, so everyone is starting off fresh and "healthy." ***



Ian stood as the door was swung open, a couple of guards bringing a struggling young woman into the room. She looked like she was annoyed. Probably because she had been caught.

"Ianeil, we caught this intruder sneaking in; she demanded to be brought to the High Prince, but he isn't here. So?" The guard waited as she squirmed to get free.

Ian glanced at Vanis. "We can finish this later, once Ciru and Maradomin stop bickering." He turned his gaze on the girl. "And you, come here."

He wrapped his magic around her, pinning her arms to her sides and pulling her forward, toward him and mentally holding her there. She glared at him, almost loathingly.

"No need to be so hateful, little miss. Just talk to me for a while." He waved for the guards to wait outside. "Tell me why you're here, what you're up to."

She barred her teeth. "First of all," she growled, "Don't call me 'little miss'. I could kick your butt if you weren't holding me with your magic."

"Next, get him," she motioned to Vanis, "-out of here, I need to talk privately." Ian nodded and Vanis left the room unwillingly.

Reva whispered to him, "There's a traitor among you. I've seen something that you wouldn't like. I can't tell you everything, cause that means I'm putting my butt on the line for someone I've met for about a minute and already hate."

Ian looked at her questioningly. "But who are you? Why are you here?"

She rolled her eyes, "Reva, not so glad to make your acquaintance. And well obviously, I just told you why I'm here. And I want to help you, but only if you let me go of that stupid magic."

Ian stood there for a moment, deciding, and then let her go.

Reva unwrapped her head from the bring scarf that hid it. As she unwrapped it, Ian realized her eyes were all black. She shook her purple hair around, not noticing the look on his face, "Well finally, now it's time for buisness."

*I like that idea, Ayumi. After Reva explains everything (because she's really really caught my attention) and Ciru and Maradomin are done with their little interrogation, I'll post with a little time skip. Everyone okay with that?*

Reva looked at him, "What?"

"Your eyes are all black!"

She rolled her eyes, "No kidding, your point? - Listen, you let me fight and include me in all the details, and I'll make sure the person doesn't step out of line again. Deal?"

Ian looked at her suspiciously, "How can I trust you? And why are your eyes all black?"

Reva sighed, "I would be whooping your butt for holding me in that magic of yours, but I'm not. And enough about the eyes! That's my past and not your buisness! Do we have a deal or what?"

"Fine."

Reva smirked, "Not much of a pleasure doing buisness with you, but still, good outcome for me."

Ian groaned, what had he done?

Ciru and Cliares

He watched Maradomin leave, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword until the door to the dungeon slammed shut behind the mage. Then he turned back to Cliares, "Alright, now are you going to tell me anything, or not?"

She smirked and turned up her nose, "Why you seem to believe I'll talk is beyond me."

"What will you lose?"

The Dark Knight frowned, "Excuse me?"

Ciru laughed, "You're so deluded, Cliares. I know you've got no tactical information of any worth, since the Dark Knights will have called off their invasion, and you're just a private anyway, no matter that you're part of Nerad's inner circle. All we want to know is where Hanik goes to lick his wounds. He won't have stayed in the palace, so where is he?"

She glared at him, "Ask Vanis. He's on your side now, isn't he?"

He shrugged, "Maybe. But Hanik would never have trusted Vanis with that kind of information. He's far too powerful. So you're going to tell me, because if you don't, then there's no reason for me not to throw you back to the Dark Knights." Cliares gave him a confused look, prompting him to continue, "They'd never trust you now, you know. They'll think that if I, Ian, Maradomin or Vanis interrogated you, you'll have told us everything. And if we just turned you loose, as well, then you're probably a spy. Like it or not, you don't really have a choice."

She looked at the floor, Ciru was right. And knowing how the Dark Knights treated those who were suspected spies, she really felt no compulsion to go running back to them immediately. But perhaps there's another way to stay in their favour, she thought, I'll give him a place I know we can ambush him... None of her captors would know, except perhaps Vanis, although even that was unlikely. It was a name given to those who could be captured, the lower ranks, but only the most loyal among them. No one here would know of it, not the purpose she intended, anyway.

Cliares let out a resigned sigh, ever the good actress, "He'll have retreated to the Buried Spire. It's hidden in the hills of Southern Athanasia. You'll never be able to take it, though. The palace was a walk in the park by comparison."

Maradomin:

He sighed. He was feeling a tad bit grumpy, as he walked down the corridor. He was following Vanis's sent.

When he finally found Vanis, he saw the dragon standing behind a door.

"What's going on?"

"Ian is in there with some kind of tress passer."

"Have you eavesdropped on them?"

"Do I look that petty to you?" Vanis asked.

"To put it bluntly... Yes, yes you do."

Vanis smiled, not something you see all the time.

"What are they talking about?"

"You." Vanis wasn't smiling anymore.

"Me?" Maradomin grimaced under his hood, what was this about?

"They're talking about a traitor." Vanis sighed, "The tress passer knows you burned the farmlands... But she hasn't told anything yet."

"How long have you know about the farmlands?"

"Since we first talked after landing."

Maradomin nodded, he opened the door, "Sorry if I am intruding anything." He said smiling.

Ian had a expression of hate on his face, the tress passer looked with shock, she was about to say something, but was shut off by the small notion in which Maradomin nodded to his sword.

"What are you doing here?"

"Nothing really, just wanted to see the tress passer." He smiled at the girl. The girl's eyes were totally black. Maradomin took a step back.

He grimaced, and then grinned "Having trouble with magic?"

"Shut up." The girl snapped. Ian looked confused.

"What are you talking about sergeant?"

"Nothing, nothing," He was standing besides the girl and nudged her, he whispered as silently as he could only to the girl: "Tell Ian anything about the fire, and I will cut your throat open, but if you do not tell Ian anything," He showed the girl a glimpse of a money pouch "I believe we can make a deal."

Reva

"You slimy little git," She growled, "You should be thankful that I don't my butt on the line for strangers or I'd have told him the whole thing."

Maradomin's hand flinched at the sword.

"Ha, what would Ianeil do to you if you cut me up right in front of me? Not that you would win or anything," Reva laughed evilly to herself for she knew she won.

"I don't take bribes you worthless dog," Her eyes burned with scorn, "I can provide for myself just fine. And I don't have problems with my magic, that's just what happened after I got my magic. It's supposed to be that way so shut up."

Ian looked at them, "Care to include me?"

"No."

"And why not, Reva?"

"Because it's none of your business what I say to Maradomin. That's between him and me. So shove it, and where's my room?" Reva tapped the floor with her foot, "I need to get Yon and Longwei settled."

Maradomin was the one asking the question this time, "What?"

She rolled her eyes in frustration, "My dog, Yonguri, and my dragon, Longwei."

Ian took her forearm to lead her and she slapped it away. Embarrassed, Ian turned and started to walk, with Reva right behind him. But before she walked out the door, she shot a secret smug glance back at Maradomin.