Makoto was about to go insane. He could hear it in his mind, roaring with 
barely restrained power. The Great Key. He had been 'banned' from the library 
for a period of 48 hours by Rune's orders. 'For his own good' she had told 
him. 

He sat down on the bench with a sigh. It had been the first full night of 
sleep that he had gotten in quite some time. Much longer than he cared to 
recall if he was willing to be honest with himself. Even with visions of 
Ifurita and the 
Key he had slept well.

The only problem was that since the moment that he had gotten out of bed the 
Key practically roared in his mind. His power was raging out of control, and 
he had retreated to the garden where there was little old technology besides 
the 
statues for him to inadvertently activate.

Surprisingly though, the 'ban' and his troubled dreams hadn't hurt his mood 
much. The memories of Ifurita he had reawakened with the bonding had lifted 
some of the weight from his shoulders. It made it seem that the world was not 
out to get him anymore.
---

Tenchi stretched as he slid out of the bed and pulled on his shirt, Ayeka and 
Ryoko were still asleep. Seeing the two of them on the bed, asleep and not at 
each other's throats was a great thing.

-I'll let them sleep a while longer.- he told himself as he pulled on his 
shirt and stuffed the Key in his belt and zipped his jacket up. He wanted to 
get a little practice in before breakfast.

Tenchi went through one form to another, trying to move with the ease and 
grace that he had seen in Yosho's movements. Grandfather. He stopped, it was 
so easy to forget that grandfather was gone.

Suddenly the morning wasn't so bright or cheerful. He looked out at the 
morning sky and tried to figure how he was going to tell his family. Father 
would be easy, but what about Funanho and the rest of the Jurian Royal family.

One worry led to another, like it usually did when Tenchi started to think 
about things. Like what to do about Makoto. He couldn't lie to his childhood 
friend forever. Sooner or later, he would realize that the 'sword' was the 
Great Key.

"Then there will be hell to pay." The sound of rustling bushes made him turn. 
A large cat eased it's way out of the bushes and walked up to him, sniffing 
him curiously.

-A cat with a mohawk- Tenchi thought for a second, -but who am I to 
criticize? I live with a Cabbit/spaceship.- He knelt down to pet the weird 
feline.

"Hey little guy? What's your name I wonder?" The cat moved in close and sat 
in his lap as he sat down, not paying as much attention to his attempts to 
rub it as to sniff him. "Hey fella, what are you doing?" He asked as the cat 
dove into 
his jacket.

The next thing he knew, the cat was off and running. With the Great Key in 
it's mouth.

"Hey! Come back here!" He screamed as he followed in hot pursuit, but the cat 
didn't make it easy for him. It dodged and wove through the underbrush of the 
palace gardens with him close in behind.

-I can see it now, I keep it away from powerful beings like Kagato , the 
Phantom tribe and such only to lose it to a  palace cat. I would never live 
it down. -

Ura paid no mind to the boy behind her, instead heading deeper into garden 

Makoto looked up from balcony edge at the sound of Tenchi yelling at 
something close by. -I wonder what that is all about?-

His curiosity wouldn't have to wait long as Ura bolted from the bushes with a 
frantic Tenchi in close pursuit. Ura skidded to a halt in front of him a 
dropped something at his feet. 

"'Smells like `Furita!" Ura said as he stopped to pick it up. -Ifurita, what 
do she mean?- He wondered as he picked up the sword hilt.

Tenchi came through the bushes just as he made contact with the sword. The 
power rushed up and washed over him for a second before a shock blasted him 
up and away from it. He sat up, cradling his burnt hand against his chest and 
throwing his coat over the Key and picked it up. He looked at his old friend 
with a angry fire in his eyes that defied all description.

"You LIED to me! You said that you didn't have it. Why?" He stalked towards 
Tenchi. Tenchi stopped for a moment, confused by the turn of events that had 
just occurred. He shook his head angrily.

"You don't understand. It isn't just a sword."

"I FELT that Tenchi, before your blocks broke the link! I need this to get 
you and the others home. To save Ifurita."

"No." Tenchi said quietly. Makoto's rage vanished under the calm tone of his 
voice "I can't allow it. You are already too powerful Makoto. Ifurita and you 
are bonded, you have the Eye of God under your control, would you allow 
someone with that much power get more? Give me the Key, Makoto."

"You went through everything that I did and still don't understand what I 
lost?"  Makoto felt all the pain and despair come back in a rush, he stepped 
back as Tenchi's hand shot out to grab the coat. Not quite making it, as 
Tenchi snagged 
the other end of the bundle.

Sheyla yawned as she stepped into the garden. It had been quite sometime 
since she had gotten up this early. -Haven't been an early riser since I was 
a novice. Maybe greeting the dawn is what I need to set me back in balance.- 
And she 
knew exactly where to do the greeting. 

Ahead in the clearing that she was looking to go to, voices could be heard. 
-Who could be up at this time of day.- She asked as she cleared the bushes 
surrounding the grove.

"Makoto? Tenchi?" She gasped as she watched the two boys struggled, unable to 
move as the two wrestled over a bundle. Tenchi managed to get the upper hand 
finally shoving Makoto backwards. -What the hell is going on?- Sheyla 
asked as she ran to her friend's side. 

Only to stop short as she saw Makoto blasted backwards in a flash of light. 
There was a strong smell of ozone. She ran to his side, worried about the 
condition he was in. "Makoto!" Sheyla spun to face the Jurian noble, "What 
did you do to him." She growled as the flames rose from her power gems.  
Tenchi backed up under her wrathful gaze, bringing the Key up in a guard 
position as he did. Sheyla barely registered the glow of the energy blade, 
her instinct for combat taking over instantly.

Ryoko yawned as she walked out the bedroom and into the massive garden. -I 
wonder where Tenchi.- Her thoughts were cut short by a massive explosion 
"Tenchi!" Ryoko screamed as she took to the air, instantly knowing that he 
was 
at that place, and that she was needed there.

Ayeka force a smile to the who minor nobles bowed as she passed. Her eyes 
were half closed as she savored the memory of Tenchi's warmth in the bed the 
night before. -Even Ryoko's presence in the bed with us, can't spoil that. -
Despite the link and their newly founded understanding, there was many things 
to be resolved.

The mental shock that tore through her was sudden and unexpected, and she 
didn't have Ryoko's experience in shielding herself psionically. +The wall of 
flames erupted around him, reaching out to consume him. The sounds of 
serenity enveloped him as the wings formed at his call and held the plasma at 
a distance. The fires dipped and faded to reveal Ryoko and Sheyla fighting as 
he staggered and fell to the ground, drained by his sudden demand for the 
power within.
--

Ayeka fell to her knees, clutching her head to keep from being overwhelmed in 
the images washing through her mind. "The garden." she cried.

Makoto shook his head, trying to clear it from the impact of his fall. His 
hand throbbed with pain, and it gave him something to focus on. He pushed 
himself up to his hands and knees. He looked up as he heard Sheyla's scream.

"Sheyla! Don't!" he yelled as she lashed out with a trio of fireballs.  They 
hit within a foot of Tenchi and he closed his eyes as the inferno consumed 
the boy.

Ryoko screamed as she saw the blast consume Tenchi. -NO!- She spun in the air 
 and saw the cause of the attack.

"You!" She screamed as she dropped from the sky,  plasma sphere flashing from 
her hands in rapid succession.

-What have I done?- Sheyla thought as she saw the explosions swallow Tenchi. 
Her stomach twisted at the thought of her casual act of murder, the pain 
lessened as she saw the glow of what Ayeka called `the wings of the light 
hawk' in 
the smoke.

Then next second the world exploded in a fury of fire and noise as Ryoko 
dropped from the sky like a shooting star and Sheyla's beserker instincts 
came to the fore. The two womem met with a thunderous clash that shook then 
entire 
palace.

Fujisawa shot upright at the shock. -What the hell is going on?- He asked as 
he ran out of his room, pulling on his shirt as he ran down the hallway.

The plasma bolt struck the ground a scant second after she rolled out of the 
way. Missing it's target by a hairs distance. "I knew you couldn't be 
trusted, you bitch." Sheyla shouted as she lashed out with three globes of 
energy towards the space pirate. Growling like a massive cat, Ryoko closed 
the distance by phasing through the fireballs as she threw 3 more bolts. 
"What the." Sheyla only barely dodged them, surprised by the sight she had 
just seen. "Nice aim!" Sheyla taunted. She caught the fourth bolt in the 
chest with such force that it knocked her across the grove and into the 
bushes.

"Bullseye, I've been wanting to do that to you from the day that we met!" 
Ryoko crowed triumphantly.

Sheyla staggered to her feet, surprised at the sheer force of the blast she 
had just taken. -If I hadn't had my plasma screens up, that one would have 
blown a hole in me.- She saw the follow up volley coming and quickly leapt 
away as 
she lashed out with a return volley.

Ryoko landed and looked over at where Tenchi was getting up, concern clear on 
her face. "Tenchi, are you okay?" she called.

"Ryoko, look out!" Tenchi said as Sheyla's tackle hit full in the stomach. 
The two women's momentum and Sheyla's energy screens made it easy to go 
through the wall behind her. Ryoko smiled grimly as the two of them wrestled 
in the rubble.

"So, you want to play rough, eh?" Ryoko growled as she pulled herself out of 
the rubble, "I can do rough." She popped her fingers with an evil smile, "In 
fact I like it."

Fuji stopped short as he surveyed the ruin that was all that remained of the 
garden. -If I didn't' know better I would say that someone had fought a war 
here.- A tree to his right exploded, knocking him flat. He watched as Sheyla 
bounced off the brush, just steps ahead of Ryoko's blast. The ex-pirate was 
closing in rapidly, with a look that promised that there would be hell to pay 
when she caught the redhead.

"Great.", he said with a sick twisting in his gut, "just what I need first 
thing in the morning, the mother of all catfights."

Sheyla gathered herself and leapt at Ryoko. "I won't let you get away with 
that, you little tramp!" Ryoko blinked out of the way with a laugh.

"You and what army?" she asked as she caught the red head in an armlock. 
"Forget it girl, you're not strong enough to match me."

The next thing she know, it was Ryoko that was caught in the unbreakable 
grip. She felt herself being lifted up as she struggled. Sheyla quickly slid 
away as her arm was released. Fuji grunted as Ryoko struggled in his grip.

"Let go of me!" Ryoko screamed angrily.

"Not till you two back off and cool down." Fuji said through gritted teeth. 
Sheyla spun around and took advantage of the situation to slam an elbow into 
Ryoko's gut. "Sheyla, back off!!" -Damn, I hate breaking up cat fights.-

"Ryoko!" Ayeka's voice cut from across the grove, and Fuji tuned to face her. 
Something in the tone of her voice set his instincts off. He got to see her 
gesture seconds before the blast hit him.

"Great." He said as he was blasted through the trees, loosing his hold on 
Ryoko as he went deep into the woods. -I should have taken the job with 
Hinako-chan at Furikan High.-

Sheyla moved the instant that she saw Ayeka's attention to her, bobbing and 
weaving as the blasts came one after the other. Only to freeze in place as 
Ayeka's force field caught her. She hung in the air motionless, waiting for 
Ayeka's follow-up attack.

"Stop!" Miz screamed as she and Sasami entered the garden.

"Ayeka! Sheyla! Stop fighting" Sasami said. Ryoko and Fuji exploded from the 
the bushes, locked in combat with one another. "Stop it!" Sasami's voice cut 
through the violence, like nothing else. For several long seconds the 
combatants 
froze in place embarrassed by the fact that a 10 year old was the most mature 
of them. "I thought we were all friends.." she said with tears in her eyes.

"Oh my god!" Miz's surprised gasp broke the spell and everyone turned to look 
at what she was pointing at. A bugrom flier leapt into the air and vanished 
into the trees.

"The Key!" Ryoko yelled as she pulled free of Fuji and Sheyla fell into step 
behind her as they gave chase.

The flier was small and fleet, normally it would have been long gone by this 
time. But it's burden slowed it too much to make escape easy. It followed the 
song of it's motherqueen loyally. Only to have the comforting warmth of the 
hive falter and fade away for a moment, before returning again from another 
direction. Closer.

::Mother??:: It asked as it leapt into the waiting arms in the shadows.

" Come on! It came this way." Ryoko yelled as she flew into the open edge of 
the garden, Sheyla follow a few seconds later.

"Where is that oversized mosquito?" She asked as she tried to catch her 
breath.

"I lost it." Ryoko said quietly as her eyes scanned the sky. -Where the hell 
did it go?-

"It.. it had the key." Sheyla said.

"Yea, tell me something I don't know."

The flier shivered as the two hunters turned and walked away. How was it 
possible for them to miss it's presence so nearby? Peace and comforting 
warmth washed over it as it's mistress stepped out of the shadows. "Sh.. 
little one, 
you'll be away in a moment." A wind rose up and stripped the now empty tree 
line, the stranger and her small cargo gone.

"Did you catch it?" Miz asked as the two women entered the clearing.

"No," Sheyla said with a shake of her head. Anger coursed through her. -I 
can't believe it..-

"That means that.." Fuji said as he pulled of the remains of his shirt on.

"The bugrom, and Jinnai, have the great key." Makoto finished for him, from 
where he and Tenchi sat as Alliele and Sasami bandaged their injuries. Tenchi 
looked up, an determined look in his eye.

"Not for long." He said calmly.

-----------
"All I request is four attack pods and at least two full platoons of men. 
This is less than a standard patrol." Rune repressed the urge to clench her 
fists. Despite her anger, she couldn't disagree with Commander Absvin's 
logic. -Can't 
you understand what is at stake here?-

"Rune," he replied, " you know the losses we took during the war. I've got 
lieutenants running regiments. We're at 25% of what we had six months ago, 
that including the regional militias. Also, there is the fact that the 
council isn't 
convinced that the Key is that much of a danger, or that the bugrom can even 
make it work."

"I believe what the princess told me," Rune said intensely, " I see it in her 
eyes, when she talks of the destructive potential the Great Key possesses." 
Absvin sighed, and broke eye contact.  "Secondly, it is a priceless artifact 
that the Lost hold dear."

"I can give you for scout pods with bare crews. The troops.. I'm sorry 
princess, I just can't spare them." Rune nodded in appreciation and walked 
over to Ayeka.

"He refused!" Ayeka said, stunned at the outcome, "I can't believe that.. 
that.. treasonous dog.. said no!"

"He's doing his duty. His oath is not to the royal family. It is to the 
people of Roshtaria and the council. I can't order him to do anything unless 
he yields his authority to me , like he did during the war." Rune replied.  

"The we'll go it alone in those.. ships. Thank you for your aid." Ayeka 
couldn't get over the feeling that she had been betrayed by her 'cousin'.

"Take my Royal Guards. I have no need of the them."

"But...."

"You see," Rune smiled, "I have my own army to command..."

"But, your safety will be at risk, I couldn't possibly..."

"My sister's men will be enough for the both of us, while we are in the 
palace. She won't have any objections."

"I thank you." Ayeka replied with a deep bow to her kinsman.
-----

"Whatever, I'm not just going to wait around doing north, just to hear the 
bad news. There is no way we're getting any help from the army," Sheyla said 
to the others, her voice echoing through the vast open space of the council 
chamber.

"She's right," Ryoko chimed in to the surprise of others, "We should be 
preparing to to do this alone. We need weapons, armor, equipment, gear, 
transport," A sly glint came to her eye. "Explosives, you know.. the fun 
stuff." A ripple of chuckles echoed through the group, breaking some of the 
tension that had been brought on by the waiting. Makoto stood, and looked 
over the assembled group.

"I think that it is safe to say that we can't all go along on this little 
trip."

"Sorry Sasami, but you and Alliele are going to sit this one out." Ryoko said 
as she place a hand on both of them, the look in her eye cutting off any 
protest that they might have offered before they could speak. 

"It just isn't reasonable for you two to risk yourselves in this," Tenchi 
added as he and Nanami walked in. -At least this way, some of us have a good 
chance of coming out of this alive.- He added to himself.

"Ayeka just left the war room," Nanami added, "and she doesn't look she got 
what she wanted from the army."

The group waited patiently as the princess walked in and took a seat beside 
Tenchi and Ryoko.

"Four scout pods with a skeleton crew for each, and the small contingent of 
guards, Rune's own royal guards. That's it." Ayeka continued on by telling 
the assembled group of the entire meeting. Hours went past as they discussed 
the variety of plans for the search.  All plans were killed at the table, one 
factor made them all untenable.

"I hate the idea of going in without a clue about what to expect." Sheyla 
muttered as they shelved another plan.

"They'll be waiting for us," Ryoko added. "They have to know that we won't 
sit back and wait for them to figure out the Key. If only we knew what the 
hell is on the other side of the River of God." The debate continued on, with 
only 
Nanami remaining silent.

"No Way! Going in separate will only leave us open to attack without the full 
power of our group to get up out." Makoto said.

"But, it will allow us to cover more territory in the same about of time!" 
Tenchi countered. "It's a chance we will have to take." The discussion seemed 
ready to disintegrate back into another argument.

"I wish there was something that we could do, like find a map or.. a 
guide..." Sasami sighed, trying not to imagine how dangerous things would be 
for her friends and family. Allliele put a comforting on her shoulder, she 
could emphasize with the younger girl. Nanami started at the words, suddenly 
aware of an option that no one else in the room knew.

Nanami looked from one face to another,  taking in the grim expressions. 
-They know that we'll probably make it without a guide or map. We have to 
know what is waiting for us. Fauric will understand.. but can I risk it? Will 
they understand?-

"I know a way.." Nanami whispered, just short of stammering the words out. 
Her heart was pounding and she could feel hands go moist as all the eyes on 
the room came to rest on her. "I know someone that that could be of help..."
-----
Fatora brushed a lock of hair from her face, as she rolled over in their bed. 
 "Alliele," she wined playfully, . "come on, your not going to stand there 
all night are you?"  The princess adjusted her nightgown to be a bit more 
reveling, with the sexy pout that normally turned Alliele's knees to jelly.  
Alliele took a sip from her wine glass and continued to stare out past beyond 
the palace walls.

"Is that all you think about," the girl mused darkly as she placed the glass 
back onto the nightstand. Fatora flushed covering herself up in a surge of 
modestly.  A strange gleamed in Alliele's eyes, one that seemed out of place 
in her lover's eyes. It sent a shiver through her spine.

"Alliele?"  Fatora quivered.  Her lover led her from the bed to the open 
window.  The princess could see the four scout pods being prepped.  "So.." 
The girl ran a finger down her back sending the ripples of warmth through her 
spine.  "In 
the mood?" Alliele embraced her lover from behind closing her eyes.  A single 
tear ran down her cheek, then an idea hit her.

"Maybe, down there in the ships."  Fatora's eyes went wide with shock. 

"We can't..they'll..what if?"  She stuttered.  Alliele had never been so bold.
  
"Why? Does Varic exhausts you?" Alliele pressed bitterly.  The princess 
didn't hear the bitterness in her voice.  Fatora blushed furiously.

"No, never, he's never...ummm, ya know."  Alliele laughed in relief. 

"Think about it, the cool night air, the stars shinning above our hearts 
beating in unison.  The danger of getting caught." Fatora shook her head in 
disbelief.  -So bold, I wonder why she has changed so suddenly?- She laughed.

"Lead on, love."  
----
Fauric awoke to the sound of chains.  Two guards smiled cruely pulling open 
the door to his cell.  "Wakey, wakey freak show."  He could see Nananami 
standing behind them.  A look of sorrow and betrayal stood on her face.
He passed her a look of forgiveness; he understood completely.  He let 
himself go loose as the guards roughly chained and drug him from the cell

----


Alliele held her close breathing deeply. A pang of regret shook her. It was 
the only way. She couldn't let them leave her behind on this adventure. It 
was too important, she knew that there was something more to it that the rush 
that she had longed for over the last few months.  She stroked the sleeping 
Fatora's hair as she felt the pod shift slightly changing course leading them 
towards Bugrom territory. -I have to be there, I know it.-
----
"The main hive is four days travel at flank speed, southeast along this 
ridge. By the second day the terrain gets rocky and then there is a maze of 
canyons that lead to the valley where the hive itself is." Fauric pointed to 
the makeshift map that he had sketched out, as it lay on the Navigator's 
desk. The Helmsman looked to Aykea and Makoto for confirmation. They nodded 
and he immediately set his course up for the hive.

"I don't like this, going in blind is folly. There is no indication of what 
we could be going into." Ayeka told Makoto. He nodded, too concerned to take 
his eyes off the horizon for a moment.

"No resistance, no sign of the Bugrom at all. Hell, there's no animals around 
at all. Not even a bird,... it's unnerving. Those canyons he described sound 
like a made to order ambush spot." 

"I don't trust him." Makoto followed Ayeka's gaze. She was watching him and 
Nanami talk quietly at the edge of the bridge. 

"We haven't got much of a choice." Makoto replied.

----
Sheyla looked up into the sky, her instincts were humming. The tension was 
tangible in the air. The canyon that had been a shadowy line on the horizon 
hours before, now loomed before them. -I don't like this.- She charged up a 
glode of energy. -We should've waited till morning to enter.- Her eyes darted 
across the cliff faces, alert for any sign of danger. Out of the corner of 
her eye, she saw Ryoko do the same on the other side.

The pod in front of them was sliced in half by a hail of bolders from the 
cliffs above them.

"Tenchi!!!!"

"Makoto!!!!"

They both screamed in horror. It didn't help that Ayeka and Nanami were in 
the pod too.

"Battlestations! Dive, hug the ground!" Afura shouted quickly to the 
helmsman. The space pirate and Sheyla lashed out volley after volley at their 
attackers. Their blasts lit up the night-time sky, making it easy for the 
guards to see their heretofore hidden attackers.

Another rapid succession of boulders dropped onto the pods behind them. The 
crushed pods exploded in a hail of steel splinters. Afura's winds deflected 
most of them, but still enough came through her screens to scythe through the 
guards 
on the aft section of the craft.

Screams erupted all around her as the wounded screamed in agony. Blood 
stained the entire deck. The pod slid to the left, Afura glanced to the helm. 
The helmsman was on the deck, a large shard  sticking out of his neck. -No!- 
Then the pod hit something and everything went black.

The next thing she knew Alliele and Fatora were pulling her out of the 
burning wreakage. Afura tried to stand, but couldn't, her injuries combined 
with the just healed ones were to much. The last thing she saw was Ryoko and 
Sheyla  fighting hand in hand with a growing horde of Bugrom.
---

Sheyla would remember the next few hours in a horrific daze of fighting and 
death. -Fire, run, fire, dodge, weave, and run.- The words kept running 
through her mind as she and Ryoko fought to make a wedge for the surviving 
soldiers to 
escape through. They would cut down one Bugrom, only to have five take it's 
place.

There were simply too many of them, even for Ryoko and herself. The soldiers 
formed up behind them and covered their charge, Sheyla turning back to cover 
them in turn. Too late, she saw the enemy overrun the now weakened 
position. All that she could do was run with Ryoko as the gunfire  dwindled, 
fighting their way out of the trap. Hoping to find at least some of the 
others. Someone else.

Deep down, a part of her howled in bloodlust as the running battle continued. 
Ryoko pushed it aside, she had mastered the bloodlust. It was no longer the 
master. She lashed out with another blast, trying not to hear the screams 
behind her as the soldiers bought them vital time with blood. Suddenly, the 
gunfire ceased altogether.

"Damn." She whispered as another of the huge bugrum fliers landed in front of 
her. Sheyla cursed as well, when she turned to see what it was that stopped 
their flight. Suddenly Afura Mann landed beside them, bleeding from dozens of 
little cuts, and breathless. None of them were in really good shape.

"Alliele and Fatora are .." Afura gasped for breath before continuing, 
"hiding with Tenchi and Makoto ..two leagues east." Ryoko looked in the 
direction Afura pointed, and could feel Tenchi in the general direction of 
Afura's finger, and 
knew that Ayeka was nearby as well, then back at the gathered Bugrom before 
them. -If the others are back that way, then...-

".. I can go full out." She yelled as she pulled more and more energy from 
her gems. Finally, as the nighttime darkness of the valley was banished by 
the false dawn of her plasma sphere she unleashed it.

Sheyla watched in a mixture of fear and awe as the massed forces of the 
Bugrom vanished in a flash of plasma that rivaled anything she had ever seen, 
save Ifurita and the Eye of God. The blast tore through the Bugrom and 
continued 
on into the valley wall behind them with a thunderous roar that left all of 
them temporarily deafened. What remained of the valley wall fell in on the 
remaining Bugrom.-I was trying to pick a fight with someone capable of that?- 
She 
thought in stunned awe. Ryoko looked at the two priestess with a rougish 
smile.

"I believe you said something about the others being that way?"
----

Namami bolted awake, her first sight upon returning to awareness was that of 
a massive Burgrom warrior standing in front of her. An iron grip on her mouth 
kept her from screaming in terror at the sight. Fauric's voice was a harsh 
whisper in her ear.

"Trust me, k'Chara. They can't see us, my power has us cloaked from sight and 
smell, but you mustn't cry out." Nanami nodded, and as quickly as it had 
appeared, the hand was gone. She tried to sit up but the sudden movement 
brought on an wave of pain that she only just managed to keep from screaming 
from.  Fauric's other hand was applying a cloth to her side, where she noted 
with no little amount of queasiness, a large amount of blood was leaking from.

"Fauric?" She whispered gently as he eased her back onto the makeshift mat, 
"Makoto,.. Ayeka.."The sounds of battle could be heard dimly through the 
thick forest, she could make out the ominous shadows of the valley cliffs 
behind him.

"Hopefully they are alive as well, hold on. You've been badly injured and I 
have managed to stop most of the bleeding, but you must hold still."

"No," she said, gasping for breath as the pain returned. -So tired...- "My 
friends." She could see the desperate concern on the phantom's lined face. -I 
never realized.-

"Look at me, K'chara, ..Nanami." He said hurriedly. "You will die without 
help, which right now your freinds won't be able to provide." She shook her 
head, trying to fight back the weakness that made her vision hazy and dim. 
She could 
feel Fauric pick her up gently, moving deeper into the passages of the Bugrom 
warren that he had hidden in.

Fauric looked down at the gash across his leg. -I can't take her with me. And 
if I don't stay with her, she will die.- He crouched down, still cradling her 
in his arms as more Bugrom searched through the underground forest. He 
focused 
his powers, expending the field of his illusion to cover the trail of blood 
that he was leaving. As the increased power of his illusion grew, a ripple of 
light wavered over Nanami sending tingles through his mind.

He looked down at her face and finally understood many things. The 
self-hatred and almost desperate need for someone who would possibly 
understand, all the while terrified of becoming like her sibling. -Blood 
seeks blood- His 
hands traced an arcane symbol over her breast as he placed her gently on the 
ground. He took a moment to adjust the makeshift pressure bandage on her 
stomach wound. A dagger appeared in his hand, his own. A reminder of what he 
had once been. A warrior, a Knight of the noblest order. He slid it into it's 
sheath and hid it on Nanami's body, erasing it from view with a simple 
illusion before restoring the one that he had disturbed.

"k'Chara, I'm sorry. I pray that one day, that you will understand." He 
dimished the illusion that kept them hidden from the burgrom, pulling it 
around himself as he stood and edged away from her. The burgrom warrior that 
was passing 
immediately caught the alien scent of human blood and approached to 
investigate, waving it's antenna as it did.

-Jinnai? Not Jinnai, but also of Jinnai. Same brood... No kill.- The simple 
thoughts of the Bugrom were directed by the hive mind, and it gently picked 
up the girl and retreated deeper into the hive. Others would resolve the 
confusion, it would simply serve as it was needed.

Behind it, a half visible shimmer wavered a second before turning and 
vanishing into the growing light of the dawning morning.

------
Makoto wretched the second he awoke, the memory of blood and gore in his 
mind. Finally, he was reduced to dry heaving. Tenchi handed him a canteen, 
which he took with a grateful nod. He washed out the acid taste from his 
mouth.

"Thanks." he said, handing the water back.

"No problem," Tenchi took a sip and looked over the remaining members of the 
doomed expedition, "Sheyla, do you have any idea how long it would be before 
Rune would send in another expedition after us?"

"Days at the best, unless she realizes that her sister is here with us. Then 
they could comb the ridge in force within the hour." Sheyla shrugged her 
shoulders, "sorry that I can't give you a better estimate. I'm a preistess 
not a general. I am not used to having to deal with the bureaucrats that Rune 
will have to deal with. What do we do till then?" Tenchi looked out the cave 
entrance a while before he spoke.

"We hope and pray that the alliance finds us before the bugrom."  Tenchi 
nodded grimly as he grabbed a rifle from a fallen soldier ratcheting the 
action.