Even a little after midnight the streets of the city were packed with people drifting between places. The air was not getting any warmer and the walking simply made standing around feel even worse. Drunks staggered from tumble to tumble as they tried endlessly to put on foot in front of the other. Picking off a drunk would be easy, it would reduce the drain on society caused by excessive drinking by an unmeasurably small amount, its financial impact would be easier to measure.

Yet Kandra wasn't keen, at least not for just plucking a random person off the street."Look I can't draw too much attention to thirty deaths in thirty days. So random people means random consequences, the guy at the club, was a rapist, witnesses to the attack, no witnesses to the killing, so no one will miss him greatly no matter what. The old man we just dropped in the river, had no one, if he's found, its another homeless death. Any one of these drunk idiots could be a cop, city official, child of someone with alot of money and power. It could draw attention and we can't afford that."

Kandra turned to look down an alley "Look I'm sorry, you're right to many ripples means more heat. So we keep looking, I suggest maybe behind the big super stores, the river, could we even chance the hospital?" Malic said as he watched her eyes track something in the alley.

"Not today, down there, let's go." She bolted down the narrow alley, it was wet from recent rain and there was hardly any light at all save the moonlight. Whoever she had spotted seemed like they were long gone, then without warning she reached out to something behind a large bin. The tatty looking man had fear written all over his face as he shivered while Kandra held him a foot off the ground. There was the sudden smell of urine and as Malic looked at the man he saw warm liquid running off the mans shoe.

"Who are you?" Kandra asked as he tried to wriggle free.

"No one.." stuttered the man.

"Why are you here?" She asked tightening her grip on his collar.

"I live here, or there or anywhere I can rest. I was just moving on when you started chasing, the drunks, like to kick me and spit on me when they see me. So I don't stay around while they are out." He seemed to shaken up to lie so Kandra lowered him to the floor.

Looking at each other Malic and Kandra passed glances that said they agreed, he was a no body and he wouldn't be missed. "Look, we are actually looking for someone to help us. We need a hero, a real salt of the earth hero willing to do anything it takes to save the world." Malic placed his hand on the mans shoulder. "We'll leave you to find somewhere to sleep, and we are sorry for frightening you." Malic dusted his jacket off a little then turned to leave.

"Wait, please, this hero what does he need to do?" Asked the man with some enthusiasm in his voice.

Kandra stepped in. "Its a long story and one thats hard to believe. In the short version the world is going to end in 28 days unless this necklace is able to consume a human heart every day. We have already found two heroes and that is why two of these orbs are glowing and the others are not." The man looked at her with his mouth wide open.

"Serious?" He asked after a moment. "And this kills them, but it would save the world?" Kandra nodded. "I lost everything to corrupted systems because of men, I would let the world burn if it wasn't for children, they should always been given a chance to right the wrongs of their parents. I have nothing left to lose, but if by dying I give hope to the world then I'll die and choose how I go." Kandra and Malic looked at the man with total surprise then Kandra asked if he was sure he nodded. "Yes I'm sure." He replied as tears began to well in his eyes. "Will it hurt?"

"Just a little." Kanda said as she placed the heart of the necklace over the mans own heart. "What's your name?" Kandra aske.

"Jimmy, Jimmy Porter." He replied before his face embraced the pain he felt in his chest.

"You will always be remembered for this Jimmy, I will always remember you as a Hero." She added watching his life leave his eyes. Once it was finished Malic caught Jimmy's body before it fell and he sat him against the wall. "We have to go now." Said Kandra as she listened to voices drawing closer. They both ran down the alley and out of sight.

Following Kandra across town in a frantic run Malic was glad when they came to a stop outside the city Library. It's beautiful architecture was like that of the gothic era churches, tall stainglass windows, wide and tall stone supports, gargoyles perched along the roof line. Yet it wasn't a conventional church shape or size, much like Notre-Dame in Paris wasn't conventional. Four similar sized clock towers sat at each corner of the building, red tiles made up the roofs. It was a truely magnificent building one Malic had passed thousands of times but never really bothered with, he felt like he had cheated it out of his appreciation for it's own beauty. "Quick lets get inside." Said Kandra as she ran to the main doors.

After knocking heavily on the old wooden doors, solid and resolute despite their age, Kandra stood waiting nervously rocking on the spot in the cold morning wind. The doors opened slowly after a minute or so and a dim yellow light flooded the steps outside the library. A stout man stood in the doorway not looking very happy at being disturbed.

"Kandra I've told you, you cannot keep sleeping here." He said as he looked at her. "Beside you should be busy." He went to close the door until she put her hand out.

"Yanko, I need help." She said quietly, then nodded her head in the direction of Malic. "We had a visit from Alexicus and I mean WE." She starred at him with a determined look in her eyes.

"Get in quickly." He said. "Oi you, get your ass in here now." He called to Malic who was watching two cyclists on a nearby street. "Move it, move it." He added as this stranger to him bounced up the steps to the door.

"My names..." began Malic before Yanko cut him off.

"Sorry but I don't care, look Kandra, what ever Alexicus has said can wait until the end of the month, you need to stay on top of your charge." He shifted his gaze from her to Malic and back to Kandra.

"You mean the necklace?" Asked Malic as the Librarian shot him a cold glare.

"He knows?" Looking at Kendra with a look of confusion on his face.

"Yes, as I said Alexicus visited us Both. Me and Malic, together, at the same time, he took us to the garden." She blurted out and the look on Yanko's face said it all.

"The Garden... as in The Garden of Edania... the sacred hub of life... the paradise of the Gods... That Garden?" His frustration was clearly rising. Kandra nodded slowly. "I have waited years to be invited, I work twenty four hours a day in this literally god forsaken place and some random guy you picked up on the street gets to go before I do. What makes him so special?" He snapped pointing angrily at Malic.

Kandra grabbed his arms and looked at him softly. "Listen to me Yanko, I killed him, I snapped his neck." She started and suddenly the Librarian took notice. "He was dead, I have never failed with the manoeuvre because you taught me not to, when I went to use the necklace on him I felt compelled not to, then suddenly his eyes snapped open." She looked at Malic who was now eyeing up a series based on a modern crime adventure.

"Are you sure?" He asked lowering his voice, Kandra nodded and smiled to assure him. "That would mean... he is a... but it can't be... can it?" His excited causing him to stutter his words, failing to make complete sentances. "We have to find out for sure." The Librarian looked at Malic with deep interest as he had his back to him. "Let's find out then." Rushing silently forward Yanko grabbed Malic's head so quickly he had snapped the neck without realising it.

Moments later Malic woke on an old sofa in the middle of a room. Sat watching him was Yanko who's smile widened as Malic began shaking off the effects of being both dead, alive and sleep all at the same time. "How do you feel?" Asked Yanko to Malic.

"Like I just got steam rollered with a fleet of lorries." Malic rubbed his head. "Not sure what happened, but I have a massive headach."

The Librarian jumped out of his seat. "You are right." He shouted which startled Kandra as she was sat across the room reading a large book with a gold cover. "Come with me Malic, I have to show you something."

Kandra went back to reading while Malic struggled back to his feet and looked around. At first he thought he had died, until Yanko began speaking again. "Ah yes, welcome to the Lost Library of Alexicus, often confused with the Library at Alexandria, the fabled library of gold, build by Alexander the Great during his conquest of The known world. Lies... we built this, the Children of Nefi, to safe guard the ancient texts from being destroyed by the Sons of Oris or seized by the Daughters of Orla." His smile was wide and proud.

"I heard Alexicus mention the Sons of Oris, said they were taking the last of Nefi's bloodline captive for a sacrifice on the last day of the harvest." His voice somewhat concerned despite he was still having a hard time believing in it all.

"Yes word is they have two, but I haven't heard from one of the others now for almost eight hours, so I'm concerned about him, then myself and Kandra are accounted for, so five of us remain, and I have them contact me every few hours or so. Infact I'm due to hear from them soon." He looked at the clock on the wall.

Malic turned his attention back to the room, he couldn't get over the sheer size of the room, it looked small but at the same time the bookshelves looked as though they went on for miles. Thousands of gold covered books filed the shelves, it would take him a life time to read them all.

"Here take this one to begin with." Yanko handed Malic a large gold covered book from a pedestal nearby. "This contains everything you need to know before taking on the rest of the library. A serious bit of light reading." Yanko smiled and walked off. He tapped Kandra on the shoulder and motioned her over to the sofa. "We have to talk."

Once the three of them were sat down Yanko pulled a mobile phone from his pocket. "I have received three texts, the two who haven't text in are no where near each other and are usually the first two to sound off." He looked at them both. "When Sanca went missing almost three months ago I received a message from her phone. It said that she felt like she was being followed. Then nothing. I know Sanca she would have let me know if she was mistaken, so I got everyone to keep me posted. Then Kal disappeared four weeks ago, likewise he had been messaging me for a few days feeling like he was being followed, then nothing."

The Librarian grabbed a long tube from behind the sofa and rolled it out on the floor. "Sanca was here when she disappeared." He put a coloured dot on the map. "Kal was here." He added another dot. "Kria was here when she last spoke to me, Mav was here and Lax was here. None of them close enough together to be scouted out by a small group. The Sons of Oris have grown in number and influence if they can abduct five people from across the country." Yanko looked at the map and grabbed a few dots of another colour. "Uthar is currently here, Megan is here, Kalab is here and we are here." As they all looked at the map it was very clear that finding everyone would take an army of people looking.

"I'm going to organise the others to come here, that way we can work together to stop any more of us going missing, it also means we have more eyes and hands to protect Kandra until the end of the month. They will keep her alive regardless as they need her to keep sacrificing hearts until the last day of he harvest then they can kill all of our bloodline and then let the world burn." The Librarian pulled a another roll from behind the sofa.

"This place is a mini fortress, built to withstand an attack. It was always supposed to be a last stand, safe haven in case this happened." He added as he rolled out the blue prints to the library. "As there will only be six of us we will have to maximise what we can. There is one problem." Looking at them with a worried look on his face Yanko pointed to the far wall of the building. "Damage to this wall means it is alot weaker than any other part of the building. If they breach here then they can gain access to the entire library."

After several hours of discussing the options to fortify he library further the three of them went aside to think, read, plan and for Malic to get his head around everything. He rest of the day passed without much excitement until Yanko jumped from his seat. The time had rolled away and it was almost eleven in the evening.

"Uthar will be at the train station at nine twenty five in the morning, he wants us to meet him." The smile on his face said it all. "Get some rest then, we have an early start in the morning."

Kandra curled up on one of the small chairs while Malic grabbed the sofa. "How are you feeling?" She asked him after watching him shift position a few times.

"Restless is an understatement, still getting my head around everything. The book isn't helping, all it's doing is giving me more to think about." He said looking at her. "Maybe a good nights sleep will let me clear my head." He added hoping by saying it would help it become true.

"Ok, well good night then Malic." Replied Kandra.

"Good night to you to."