"You idiot!" Caden began to strangle Stephan. Merill held his head and tried to understand what had happened, and Cassandra knelt and grabbed the grey sand into her hand.
"Silence! You act like little kids!" Cassandra shouted.
"Ah... you're right," Caden released Stephan.
"You better get us out of here now!" Caden shouted.
"I... can't, it doesn't work anymore," Stephan replied.
"How in the name of Saints do you mean it doesn't work?" Caden asked.
"The staff, the crystal probably broke or something... It just can't be used again," Stephan explained.
"You can not be serious? It worked a while ago!" Caden shouted.
"I don't know, Caden, it probably has limited use."
"Great... and where are we?" Caden asked.
"Dark Ones," Cassandra said briefly.
"What?!" everyone screamed.
"Either we are at the Dark One's territory, or your portal destroyed the whole Empire and turned it into this dust," Cassandra continued.
"That's a great prospect," Caden murmured.
"Uh... sorry, but can any of you tell me what's going on here?" Merill called.
"Stephan first brought us to the realm of demons, where your nightmare was played over and over again, and then threw us here in this grey desert," Caden explained.
"Ah... I don't get it anyway," Merill said.
"Never mind, we don't have time for this, Merill. If those talks about this land are true, the sandstorm will kill us anyway, unless we find shelter," Cassandra replied and went forward.
"Wait! Don't leave us here!" Stephan called, and everyone ran after her.
"What are you doing? The Dark Ones are worshipers of demons, they'll send us back!" Caden said.
"Hmm... and didn't the wardens say the same about the dark elves?" Cassandra replied.
"Even if not, nobody really knows how vast this land is, we can wander here for weeks!" Stephan objected when Cassandra exclaimed, "Look, a village!" And ran there. Everyone ran after her.
They entered a street of a small village.
"Em... good day we..." Cassandra called on one of the Dark Ones, who looked at them and ran away.
"Hmm… you're starting well," Stephan grinned, while Cassandra frowned.
After a while, the Dark One came back with a few men in black robes. One of them looked at Caden. "That's... that's one of the chosen ones!" Everyone bowed. "Chosen, what brings you to us? Let us accommodate your handsome guardian and your captives."
"I... eh..." Caden couldn't say anything meaningful, so he was silent.
"I started pretty well, unlike you," Cassandra laughed.
"Caden, say something! We are not prisoners!" Merill shouted.
"Well... you know, they're not my captives," Caden said.
"They are your friends? Are you friend with the imperialists?" the man in the robe frowned.
"Well, they're not imperialists. This is a half-dark elf and this is a mage," Caden explained.
"So your friends? That's great, and what house are you from?"
"I... em..."
"From the house of Snead," Cassandra said instead of Caden.
"Strange, I don't know that house, are you from far?"
"I... I'm actually the last of my family…" Caden said.
"Oh, I'm sorry, sir. Ah, forgive my disrespect, please come and tell us more by the good food. You surely travelled a long way," the man waved and led them into the tavern.
The folk there offered them food and drinks.
Caden and Cassandra sat at a table with a man in a robe. Merill and Stephan stayed at the bar.
"Forgive my first reaction, sir. But you're not Dark One. Mor'lak himself had to send you here," the man proclaimed.
"Em... who is Mor'lak?" Caden asked.
The whole tavern fell silent and turned to Caden.
"My lord is poor in fluid and sleep, he's just exhausted…" Cassandra smiled.
The whole pub turned and stopped noticing him.
"I thought you don't know our god for a moment!" the man laughed.
"And how did you get here? The dark elf is not seen here often, not even... a human."
"We came through a special gate," Caden replied.
"Interesting, you must have been in the government of your house. The last time I felt such strength was from our master."
"It's been a long time... How do you think, of such strength?" Caden asked.
"Haha, have you forgotten the tiers of the Dark mages as well? I won't bother you today, I have to arrange something, feel at home here, please," the man stood up and went out.
"Tiers of the Dark mages?" Caden turned to Cassandra, who just tossed her shoulders. "I don't understand anything here either," Cassandra replied.
Caden walked over to the bar.
"Your rooms are on the second floor. Rooms 4 and 5, here are the keys. Every room is for two persons."
"We have only two rooms?" Stephan went scared.
"Be glad. We could also sleep on the street," Merill stopped him.
"Fine, and who of you will share the room with Cassandra, huh?" Stephan complained.
Caden and Merill looked at him thoughtfully.
"No. Forget it!"
"What should they forget about?" Cassandra came to them.
Stephan frowned. "But we're leaving in the morning!" Stephan shouted, grabbed the key and left.
"Your friend doesn't like it here?" the bartender asked.
"But of course he does. He's just a little drunk," Caden smiled.
"You're sleeping with him," Caden turned to Cassandra.
"Are you ordering me?!" Cassandra went angry.
"No, we have two rooms."
"And why don't you sleep with him?"
"Do you want to sleep with Merill?"
"No, I don't want to sleep with any of you!"
"It's nothing. We just have to sleep somewhere, if you want to sleep on the street, feel free to do so," Caden smiled.
"Oh, what kind of gentleman you are!" Cassandra said angrily and left.
"Did I say something wrong?" Caden turned to Merill uncomprehendingly.
"I guess nobody understands the situation," Merill said.
"You're right. The two might think that wherever we go, we'll get an Emperor's room or something…" Caden proclaimed.
They both shrugged and went into the room.
There were one double bed and a wardrobe in the small room. Caden and Merill could not resist the explosion of laughter. "Well, I know where Stephan will sleep!" Merill laughed.
Cassandra walked out into the hallway. "Very funny! He might end up sleeping with you!"
"Calm down, Cassandra. You know him, don't you? It's just one night, you'll make it," Caden reassured her.
Everyone then went to their rooms.
"I joined the mages, fought with the wardens, and visited the world of demons. Still, I wouldn't expect to be sleeping with you in one bed," Merill complained.
"Hah, that's the last thing I thought of. Em... what do you think happened with El and the others?" Caden thought, lying beside him.
"I have no idea. Perhaps they surrendered, or they were sent... where we were," Merill replied.
"Did you have something together? It could not be overlooked. You love her, right?" Caden said.
"I... yes, I love her. And what about you and Amelia?" Merill asked in return.
"What about?"
"The way she smiles at you, she looks up to you... She said it to El."
"I promised my father to protect her," Caden replied.
"And you did it..."
"You know... I can't start anything with her. Especially after all what happened. I can die at any time, someone is still trying to kill me," Caden explained.
"Maybe you don't have to start right away. It would be enough if you would express a little interest in her existence," Merill said.
"You do as if I pretend that she doesn't exist," Caden frowned.
"You know, Caden... sometimes it looks like that."
"Ahh... c'mon, does she live? She lives. Is... was she safe? She was. What more could she want from me?" Caden went angry.
"Well, if you take it that way. Forget it, by the way, do you have any idea where we are?" Merill changed the topic.
"I have no idea, probably far beyond the Wall of Sorrow."
"That scares me a lot. I'm tired of all of this. Good night, Cade."
"Good night, Merill."
"This part of your bed is yours and this mine, cross it and I will cut your neck," Cassandra explained and lay on her side.
"All right. I don't plan to sleep anyway, I don't even know what happened," Stephan replied.
Cassandra was silent.
"You are already sleeping? Ah... I envy people who can fall asleep so fast! Did you notice how my own brother had no mercy with me?" Stephan suddenly heard a quiet cry.
"Cassandra? Are you okay?" Stephan leaned over to her.
"I'm not..."
"What happened?"
Cassandra opened her hand with a small pendant.
"It's supposed to open and play, but it's not working..." Cassandra sobbed.
"Show me. Interesting widget, you know, I sort of learned a little bit about the modern technology," Stephan replied.
"There were a few wheels shifted a little, try it now."
Cassandra's cry of mourning turned into a cry of happiness when lovely music began to play when the pendant was opened.
"Thank you..."
"You're welcome, Cassandra... who are the two in the pendant picture?" Stephan asked.
"That's my mother and father... and this is my little brother."
"That's nice, I want something like that too. And what happened to them?" Stephan smiled.
"They're all dead. Alger was my only family, and he isn't anymore," Cassandra frowned.
"But come on, what about us? We are your family," Stephan said.
"Even if we sometimes argue and threaten death to each other?" Cassandra asked.
"Of course, such are all the families after all. Mormir is your family, Caden, me and Merill. We are a bunch of creatures that want to kill each other, but they can't because they need each other," Stephan explained.
"Thank you, Stephan... I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. We're going to sleep, we don't know what's waiting for us tomorrow."
"You're right... won't you mind if I play the music for a while...?" Cassandra asked.
"Of course not." Stephan smiled.
"Thank you. Good night."
"Good night, Cassandra."542Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDAMIeN26X
