"You say you wish to make war on us.  You say there will
be bloodshed and strife.  You say that there will be hunger,
and sorrow, and countless deaths.  Tell us, then... how is
this different from life in the desert?

     "Bring your warriors.  We do not fear them."

     - al'Kezzin response to the Children of the Wind

                       -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

           Plush Expendable Griever Studios presents
               a Rocketarian Pictures production
                in association with Improfanfic
                           
                   Suikoden: Distant Shores
              started by Illyria and Todd Harper

               Part 12: Winds from Distant Lands
                     by Brian Stricklin

                       -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     The hunting had not been good, but that was no surprise -
few game animals were willing to come this close to the
castle.  Still, he was philosophical about it; while somewhat
stringy, the large squirrel-like creature he *had* caught was
a veritable banquet compared to the average day's catch back
home.  He was a bit puzzled by the rather festive red cape it
had been wearing, but it made a handy napkin.

     As he chewed on one of its legs, fastidiously wiping his
mouth between bites, his eyes fell on the castle itself. 
Perhaps, he considered, he should try again in the morning. 
His wounds were healed now - well, mostly healed - and he'd
managed to get quite far in his last attempt before being
driven out.  Of course, the further he got, the harder it was
to escape if things got too difficult, but at least that kept
it interesting...

     A slight rustling in the underbrush caught his attention,
and he glanced down from the branch he occupied.  Three
figures, one leading a horse along the overgrown path, were
passing below him and moving in the direction of the castle. 
Judging from the way they were chattering, they had no clue
that anyone was watching them.

     He shrugged and took another delicate bite of meat.  It
was nearing sundown now, and there would be time enough to
deal with them in the morning.  Unless, of course, they
decided to enter the castle during the night, in which case he
wouldn't have given much for their chances.  Either way, a
meal was not something to be interrupted.

     The scrawny leg was halfway to his mouth when the stink
hit him.  Immediately he dropped the meat and his hand fell
instinctively to his weapon.

     One of *them*?  *Here*?!

                       -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "So, explain again why this impressive castle has been
abandoned for twenty years?"

     "Politics."

     "It figures."

     When Alaric, Kyrina, and Baren had first reached the top
of the plateau, seeing the legendary White Cloud Castle spread
out before them against a majestic mountain range and
reflected in a silver lake, they were indeed impressed.  Then,
as they worked their way around the lake and drew closer to
the ancient edifice, they began to take note of the damage it
had suffered.  While it hadn't been vacant long enough for
erosion and the effects of weather to take their toll, there
were numerous battle scars, ruined towers, and other ravages
of war.

     "When White Cloud was first constructed," Kyrina
explained, "two small contingents of soldiers, one from each
region, were stationed within.  They were just 'token' forces,
mainly serving as honor guards while the diplomats did all the
important work.  In time, however, the lure of a well-situated
fortress at the edge of their rival's territory proved too
powerful to resist."

     Baren snorted.  "So who made the first move?"

     The archer smirked slightly in response.  "That depends
on who you talk to; each government insists that their
counterpart made the first attack.  But whether it was Tir
Eselyn or Lierstam that started the conflict, the end result
was a vicious struggle for control that lasted seven years. 
Each side lost hundreds, even thousands of soldiers in the
various sieges and skirmishes, and control of White Cloud
changed over at least four times.  Finally, after a massive
battle that decimated attacker and defender alike, a truce was
declared, and both governments removed their forces from the
castle.  Ten years later, when the Treaty was signed, they
agreed to leave White Cloud vacant, to prevent the same thing
from happening again."

     Alaric considered this.  "That explains the damage,
anyway."

     "Quite so.  And the more I think about it, the more it
seems that this is an excellent choice for a new base for our
army."

     "How so?"

     She shrugged.  "Both Heresha and Lierstam would like
control of White Cloud, but neither wants to break the
Treaty... at least, not until they're ready.  Instead, they
both keep an eye on their rival, to make sure they don't
occupy it themselves.  If one side were to move their forces
in to occupy the castle, the other would know about it."

     Behind her, the massive Child of the Wind frowned
thoughtfully.  "But if Heresha discovers we're moving our
troops in..."

     "They won't," Kyrina assured him.  "As far as White Cloud
is concerned, they'll be paying full attention to Lierstam. 
Why watch their own lands for military activity?"

     "Makes sense."  He nodded briefly, then the frown
returned.  "Hold on... if that's the case, then wouldn't the
reverse be true?"

     "That Lierstam *will* notice us?  Yes, I think we can
count on having to deal with them at some point, but if we can
convince them that Heresha is our enemy, we shouldn't have
much to worry about.  And even when Heresha finds out where we
are, it will take some time before they work up their nerve to
send their army against us, with Lierstam keeping such close
watch on them."

     Alaric regarded the young part-elf with new respect. 
"How is it you know so much about White Cloud?"

     Kyrina smiled, a bit sadly.  "Senrou and I discussed it
once, though he considered it a potential threat rather than a
base of operations.  It's too far away from Lindael, or so he
said."

     She lapsed into silence, then after a moment Alaric
hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder.  "I'm sorry."

     She shrugged.  "It's all right.  This is a war, after all
- casualties are to be expected.  It's just that-"

     A ferocious snarl behind them made the two warriors turn
around, just in time to see a red-clothed figure drop from the
branches above.  It landed just in front of Baren, dropping
into a low crouch; his single eye widened in surprise just as
the figure leapt at him, smashing into the Child of the Wind
with its shoulder.

     Fortunately for him, the barbarian was a large man, and
was somewhat less affected by the tackle than the attacker
was.  Moving swiftly, he unlimbered his spear and brought it
up before him, managing to parry the figure's own weapon - a
wickedly sharp scimitar - before it sliced into him.

     They stood in tableau for a moment, each straining to
knock the other's weapon away in the clinch, which gave Kyrina
and Alaric time enough to look at the intruder clearly.

     Standing at easily seven feet tall, the attacker looked
for all the world like a wildcat standing upright.  His head
was entirely feline, though his ears sported numerous tears
and punctures, and light brown, almost tan fur covered his
body.  Or, at least, those parts that could be seen - a large
crimson robe was draped over his form, and a white turban
wound about his head, stable despite his recent exertions.

     Ignoring the onlookers, the catman redoubled his efforts. 
"I almost didn't recognize your stench, Wind Child," he
snarled - a very literal description, as a hint of primal roar
hung from every word.  "Could it be that your people have
finally discovered what the word 'bathing' means?"

     Baren shifted his grip on the spear, and managed to force
his opponent back a step.  "What're you doing so far from your
precious city, you mangy fleabag?  This is a long way to come
just to get your belly sliced open!"

     The catman smirked, allowing his fangs to show.  "Brave
words, O Devourer of Many Meals.  Let us see how bravely you
talk when you have no throat to speak with!"  With that, he
kicked Baren away, and the two began to duel in earnest.

     After recovering from his initial shock, Alaric lifted
his staff and advanced, seeking to pin the catman between
himself and Baren... only to stop in surprise when the
barbarian turned an icy glare upon him between strikes.  "Stay
out of this, boy!" he shouted.  "This is my fight, not yours!"

     "But...!"

     "The foul-smelling wretch speaks truly," the catman
rumbled, glancing back at the young man.  "I seek no quarrel
with you or the archer, but I will brook no interference!"

     Baren barked a laugh.  "Don't worry - I'll see that your
last request is honored!"

     "Ooooooookay."  Alaric backed up to stand next to Kyrina. 
"Any ideas?  Or do we just wait?"  He paused, then glanced at
her.  "Uh... Kyrina?"

     "I don't believe it," she murmured.  "I thought they
were...!"  She shook her head, then looked at Alaric.  "Hmm? 
Oh.  No, I don't think we'll wait."  So saying, she raised her
right hand and concentrated.  The Wind Rune upon it flashed
with power...

     Suddenly a small whirlwind, carrying with it a shower of
sweet-smelling petals, manifested between the two combatants. 
They stared at it briefly, then each one fell over in a deep,
magically-induced slumber.

     A few minutes later they woke Baren, who was none too
pleased.  He glared at Kyrina angrily.  "Dammit, I said not to
interfere!"

     She was unmoved.  "We have other things to do than waste
time on your squabble with your friend over there."  Kyrina
nodded at the catman, who was securely tied nearby.

     "Pfeh!"  He spat to the side.  "He's no friend of mine. 
I've lost more tribesmen to his kind than I care to remember. 
Well... no harm done, I suppose."  The barbarian picked up his
spear and stood.  "Come on, hold him up so I can get a clean
shot at his heart..."

     Alaric stared at him.  "You'd murder an unconscious
prisoner?"

     Baren hesitated.  "Hmm... you might be right.  It
probably *would* be more fun to watch the expression on his
face..."

     "No."  Kyrina stepped in front of him, glaring in
annoyance.  "We didn't tie him up just so you could kill him. 
If he's been here a while, he maybe be able to give us some
important information about the castle."

     He snorted, then leaned against a nearby tree a bit
petulantly.  "Fine.  Do what you want."

     "Besides," she continued, looking at their captive
speculatively, "I'd like to find out what an al'Kezzin is
doing in Hereshan lands.  Especially since they're supposed to
be purely mythical."

                    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "It's an honor to serve with you, Lady Tavia!"

     "Th-thanks."

     "We're with you one hundred percent, Lady Tavia!"

     "Uh... do your best."

     "Hell of a speech, Lady Tavia!"

     "Yes... thank you..."

     Three days!  Three days of unrelenting, heartfelt support
from the troops.  *Her* troops!  Even now, thinking of them as
being under her command was somewhat overwhelming.

     And there were more of them every day.  Alyssa and Reid
were maintaining the sweeps well, and the Sindar outpost was
now hosting a full eight hundred soldiers - not enough for
even a small army, but a good start.  Of course, that meant
extra mouths to feed, and there was only so much that could be
traded from the surrounding villages.  When this was added to
the fact that the swamp offered little in the way of foraging,
Tavia feared that, before too long, they'd reach the point
where they'd have to move forward regardless, or starve to
death in the ruins.

     Yet despite this, the troops supported her
unquestioningly.

     She couldn't understand it, and said as much to her
friends at the evening meal.  "I haven't done anything to
warrant this much trust in my abilities.  I played a minor
role in the attack on Bristow, and I couldn't keep Senrou from
being killed by..."  She faltered.  "...the Hereshans.  Why
are they so eager to follow me?"

     "Senrou trusted you," Reid offered, laying down his bowl
of stew.  "That counts for quite a lot with the original
revolutionaries.  And you also helped convince General la
Lanterne to join us, if only briefly."

     "And as for the Academy cadets," Lierni continued, "your
tendency to coddle the younger students back at Heimdall seems
to have worked in your favor.  For some reason, they've come
to look up to you."

     "And, of course, you have-"

     "-a True Rune," Tavia finished glumly.  "I still don't
see how that makes me fit to lead a horse to water, let alone
an army to Lindael."

     Reid shrugged.  "In general, those who have carried True
Runes have gone on to accomplish great things.  The men know
this, and they want to be a part of your, well, destiny. 
Besides, compared to normal runes, a True Rune is like holding
a broadsword while your opponent has a dagger - you aren't
*guaranteed* to win, but your chances are a lot higher."

     "But it doesn't *do* anything," Tavia complained.  "All
it's ever done is protect my squad from that one magic attack,
and I didn't even tell it to do so."

     Lierni rolled her eyes and stood up sharply.  "You're
being foolish again, Tavia," she said sternly.  "Bemoaning
your fate is not going to justify the troops' admittedly
bizarre respect.  You have their confidence - now you need to
bolster your own."

     Tavia stared at her friend in surprise.  "Li..."

     "At any rate," she continued heedlessly, "I find I've
quite lost my appetite for this nourishing gruel.  If you'll
excuse me..."

     They watched her leave, then Tavia dropped her head into
her hands.  "I wish I'd never made that speech," she muttered.

     "Non, do not say that, mon capitan!" Alouette protested. 
"If you had not rallied the men like that, they would surely
have scattered when my grandfather left us."

     "I know, I know... it's just that..."  She hesitated,
feeling their eyes upon her, then sighed.  "Never mind.  It's
nothing."

     ...it was just that, despite everyone's claims that she
was a natural leader, she had never been comfortable with
public speaking, and certainly not with making impromptu
speeches.  Yet this one had come from out of nowhere, and had
sparked a grand fire in the hearts and minds of the soldiers. 
It was... troubling.

     Sometimes, just every so often, she darkly suspected that
the speech had come from *somewhere else*...

     On her hand, the Victory Rune lay inert.

                          -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "I," the catman began, speaking with regal dignity
despite being tied to a tree, "am Kaleen ibn'Ashra, warrior of
the al'Kezzin."

     "I thought so," Kyrina said with a smile.  "I thought
your people were little more than a fable, though."

     He raised an eyebrow.  "For that matter, I was under the
impression that elves were mythical creatures as well."

     "Point taken."

     Alaric turned around from setting up a campfire.  "I've
never heard of any... Al... Alka..."

     "Al'Kezzin," Kaleen provided, the word rolling fluidly
from his mouth.  "And no reason you should have, O Warrior of
Few Summers.  We are a... reclusive race."

     "There's been no contact with them for several hundred
years," Kyrina added.  "The name translates as 'The Prideful
Ones'."

     Their captive rumbled in annoyance.  "As if confidence in
one's abilities was some kind of crime..."

     "Bah!"  Baren finished gutting the small forest creature
he'd caught and jabbed his knife into the ground.  "Maybe the
'civilized' lands haven't seen them, but we of the Wind
Children have known about these... these *animals* for
generations."

     Kaleen smirked at him.  "Indeed you have... for all the
good it's done you."

     The barbarian growled and reached for his spear.  "You
worthless..."

     "The great city of Ghali," Kaleen explained, ignoring
Baren's rage, "rests in a large desert at the southeastern tip
of the Wind Children's territory.  They encountered us quite
by accident several decades ago.  We showed them our culture,
our treasures, and our accomplishments, and they repaid us by
declaring war."

     Alaric blinked in surprise.  "What, all of them?"

     "Indeed.  But we are also a resourceful people, and
despite the many battles, not a single barbarian attack has
breached our walls," he finished proudly.  "We do have to dig
a new pit to bury all the dead Wind Children in every so
often, however, otherwise they'd stink up the place even
worse-"

     The point of Baren's spear sank into the tree, a fraction
of an inch away from Kaleen's throat.  The Child of the Wind
glared down at their captive, his single eye burning.  "Not
one more word out of you, fleabag," he growled.

     The catman returned his gaze with an icy stare of his
own.  "Yes, I suppose the only way you *could* kill an
al-Kezzin is if he were bound and disarmed..."

     "That's enough!"  Kyrina's shout rang across the
clearing.  "You can pick fights in your own time, Baren -
we've got more important things to worry about right now. 
Understand?"

     He bristled.  "After he attacked us, you're going to
just-"

     "That's an *order*, Baren.  Or is your sworn warrior-name
worth nothing?"

     There was a long, tense moment... then the massive
barbarian retrieved his spear and returned his attention to
the campfire, pointedly ignoring the prisoner.

     For his part, Kaleen looked impressed.  "To have tamed
such a fierce warrior... truly you have powerful magic on your
side."

     Kyrina let out a long breath, then quirked a smile.  "He
has pledged himself to our cause, the Winds alone know why. 
Still, he *does* have a point.  I don't think we can release
you if you're just going to attack him again."

     The catman rumbled for a moment, his tail twitching with
slight agitation.  "That is a problem," he admitted.  "Perhaps
if you simply knocked me unconscious, then went on your way? 
My tracking skills are keen, but if you get far enough away, I
shouldn't be able to follow you."

     She gave him an odd look.  "I have to admit, you're the
most helpful and amenable prisoner I've ever seen."

     Kaleen lifted his head slightly, displaying the
expression of supreme dignity common to all cats everywhere. 
"One must always strive for proper decorum, no matter the
situation.  I find myself curious, however... what business do
you have at the castle?"

     She hesitated.  True, he was unlikely to be a Hereshan
spy, but still...  "We... just thought there might be some
worthwhile treasure left behind when it was abandoned."

     If the al'Kezzin suspected her of lying, he didn't show
it.  "I see.  Much the same thought occurred to me when I came
across this place.  Thus far, however, the guardians within
have..."  He stopped, and lifted his head.

     "What guardians?  I thought-"

     "Shh."  Kaleen turned his head this way and that.  "They
come."

     Now the others could hear it - a rustling noise, as of a
creature making its way through the underbrush with no concern
for stealth.  Baren and Alaric stood up and readied their
weapons, cautiously moving a bit closer to Kyrina.  "What is
it?" the barbarian growled.

     "This castle... it has been the site of many battles,
yes?"

     "You could say that," Kyrina responded, her heart beating
faster.  The sounds were much louder now.

     "Within its halls walk the tortured spirits of those who
died there.  I have entered it several times, and on every
occasion they have tried most enthusiastically to add me to
their number.  They rarely venture this far away - your
presence may have alerted them."

     Alaric gripped his staff tighter.  "Spirits?" he
quavered.  "You mean...?"

     "Quite so.  I refer, of course, to the living dead."

     The rustling stopped, and then a heartbeat later a large
shape rushed forward into the firelight.

                    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     Davon stood at the balcony, watching the activity in the
courtyard below.  In the absence of any direct orders, Adele
Malespoir had taken to practicing as often as she could,
sharpening her skills for future battles.  She danced across
the torchlit cobblestones, facing off against a pair of
soldiers... both of whom, Davon knew, were seasoned warriors. 
Despite this, she was handling the fight expertly, and to his
mind the conclusion was foregone.

     *Such potential.  I can see why they have chosen her for
this task... and, of course, she is a Malespoir, which only
makes it that much sweeter...*

     As if echoing his thoughts, a familiar voice behind him
said, "She is quite... *driven*, isn't she?"

     Davon didn't turn around.  He didn't need to.  "Very much
so.  In other circumstances, this could have made my task more
difficult... but thankfully, she is so blinded by pride that
she is grateful for a little guidance."

     "The rest of the Council was pleased with her,
admittedly, but I am a bit uncertain.  How is she
progressing?"

     "It's very promising.  And, of course, her victory over
the bandit leader was something none of us could have foreseen
- it was an amazing bit of luck."

     "Luck."  There was a pause.  "I don't believe in luck,
Davon.  It so often turns against one."

     He nodded slightly, his eyes still fixed on the
courtyard; Adele had knocked one of her opponents out of the
fight, and was now all but toying with the other.  "I
understand.  Nevertheless, a bit of risk may be acceptable. 
She has certainly shown that she can handle it."

     "Hmm."  The figure behind him paused briefly, then turned
to leave.  "I trust it to you, then, to ensure that our prize
isn't spoiled before the time is right."

     "Of course, sir.  You will not be disappointed."  But the
figure was already gone.

     Below, Adele raised her weapon in triumph.

                 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "Ah," Kaleen said brightly.  "A revenant.  One of their
more dangerous and durable members, I've found.  Quite
vicious, and impervious to pain.  One time, I was attacked by
two of them, and it was all I could do to-"

     "*Shut up*, fleabag!"  Baren blocked a heavy swipe from
the dead soldier's misshapen claws, and essayed a stab of his
own.  "Save your lectures for when we're not about to be
killed!"

     "I'm sorry, I'm not distracting you at all, am I?"

     "Undead!"  Alaric, noticeably shaking, raised his right
hand and sent a gout of flame toward the revenant - it was
knocked down by the blast, but soon rose to its feet again. 
"I really, *really* hate undead!"

    "Stay focused, Alaric!"  Kyrina fired an arrow into the
zombie's neck, which had little effect.  "We can't let it-
uugh!"  Her sentence went unfinished as the revenant struck
her side - the archer fell to the ground and rolled a full ten
feet before stopping.

     "Kyrina!"  Baren rushed in and, with a quick swipe of his
spear, hamstrung the undead soldier.  The sudden loss of
muscle tissue was enough to disorient and unbalance the
creature, and it dropped into an ungraceful heap... but it
soon began to pick itself up.

     Alaric, meanwhile, had gone swiftly to Kyrina's side. 
After a brief check of her status, he looked up at Baren. 
"She's out of it for now, but she'll be okay.  If we live."

     "Dammit..."

     "Both of you, run!"  They turned to look at Kaleen, still
tied to the tree.  "If you try to escape, the revenant will
turn its attention to me instead.  Take your friend and go!"

     "We can't just leave you here!" Alaric protested.

     "You must!"  For a brief moment, the al'Kezzin allowed a
smirk to flash across his face.  "Besides, I'd rather die to
the revenant than endure the Wind Child's stench much longer."

     Baren growled in anger.  "I *told* you..." he said,
pulling a knife from his belt.  "...to *shut*..."  He lifted
the knife, then hurled it toward the catman with precision
accuracy.  "...*UP!*"

     The knife spun through the air, and Kaleen's eyes grew
wide... until the blade sank into the tree, severing the rope
that secured him.

     He pulled the ropes away from him and stood up, staring
at
the barbarian in confusion.  "Why...?"

     "You know how to fight these things," Baren said curtly. 
"We don't.  Get your weapon and do something, or we're *all*
dead!"

     As if to emphasize the point, the revenant got to its
feet
and lunged at the Wind Child.  The wound to its legs did
little to slow it down, and Baren was forced to take several
steps backward in order to defend himself.

     Kaleen wasted no time and sprinted to the other side of
the fire, where his scimitar was resting on a stump. 
Snatching it up, he turned back around and advanced on the
revenant.  "Aim for its joints," he shouted.  "If we can
disable them, we'll be able to finish it off."

     Without a word, Baren smashed the zombie away with the
haft of his spear and assumed a more aggressive stance.  He
stabbed forward, and the spearhead sliced into the revenant's
forearm, mere inches away from its wrist.  He cursed and
pulled his weapon back, waiting for another opening.

     After making sure Kyrina was safely out of the way,
Alaric
raised his staff and pressed the attack, having already
expended what fire magic he could manage.  While the beast's
back was turned, he lifted his weapon above his head and
charged.  "Dammit, why don't you things just stay DEAD?!"  He
swung the weapon down with all his might...

     ...which, unfortunately, was not enough to break the
revenant's shoulder upon impact.  The zombie turned and
advanced on the trembling mage, who took an involuntary step
backwards.

     Then Kaleen was there, slicing across the creature's ribs
- a seemingly pointless attack, but one that attracted the
revenant's attention.  "Strive for accuracy, young one!"  He
dodged out of the way of another attack, then swung his blade
in a swift arc that ended in a jolt as it impacted bone.

     "Hah!"  Baren sneered at him, readying for another
attack. 
"You're one to talk, fleabag!  Watch how it's done!"  He
stabbed forward, a move that connected with the revenant's
elbow.  Thick black blood dripped from the wound, and the arm
flopped a bit before the zombie regained control.

     "I am watching, yet I do not see."  Kaleen moved in,
taking the other side.  "*This* is how a true warrior does
it!"  His scimitar flashed, and the revenant's left claw fell
to the ground.

     "Pathetic!  My grandmother could hit harder!"  The undead
soldier had not yet recovered from Kaleen's attack, which left
it wide open for Baren's stab.  A moment later, its arm hung
uselessly at its side.

     "Well, at least *someone* in your family has some
strength!"  Another slice, and the arm was completely severed.

     Alaric paused in his attack, watching the two warriors in
bemusement.

     "Is this what's been holding you up all this time?  I
would've cleared the castle out by now!"

     "I'm sure you would - your breath would have driven them
off before you reached the front gate!"

     "At least I have the stomach for a *real* battle, unlike
you and the rest of your mange-ridden kind!"

     "Stomach, you have in great quantities, but courage and
skill are another matter!"

     "Pah!  You're just afraid to admit that a 'barbarian' has
a greater warrior spirit than you'll ever have!"

     "Enough!"  A final slice from Kaleen's blade sent the
revenant's head bouncing off into the darkness, but he didn't
seem to notice as he stepped over its body to glare at Baren
from inches away.  "I think it's time we settled who the
*real* warrior is here!"

     "Fine by me!  Let's get this over with!"

     "Prepare to-!"

     "Guys!  GUYS!"  Alaric forced his way between them and
held them apart - an impressive feat, as they both outweighed
him by a considerable margin.  "It's dead!  You both killed
it!  Good job!  So stop fighting!"

     They continued to glare at each other, the adrenalin
slowly fading... then they turned around at the same time,
each pretending that the other was beneath their notice.

     A moan off to the side caught their attention, but they
relaxed when they saw who it was.  "Winds above, I'll feel
that tomorrow..."  Kyrina stood up, clutching at her side...
then blinked in surprise as she saw the revenant's body lying
motionless on the ground.  "What just happened?"

     Since the others didn't seem likely to explain, Alaric
cleared his throat.  "After you fell, Baren freed Kaleen, and
together they took it down.  It was pretty impressive."

     "I see."  She nudged the zombie with her boot, then
seemed
to make a decision.  "All right, let's head back to the
ruins."

     "What?  But... we just got here.  Not only that, but my
horse bolted during the fight..."

     "It doesn't matter.  Our orders were to come back if we
ran into any problems.  Call me crazy, but I think this thing
counts as such, especially if there are more like it."

     Alaric hesitated.  "...that's a good point.  And if
there's a lot of undead in one place, there's usually someone
or something leading them, in my experience.  They're
generally not very well-organized."

     "Besides, I'll be happier when we're a bit further away
from this place."  She gently prodded her ribs then,
apparently satisfied that nothing was broken, raised her
voice.  "Let's go, Baren.  We should at least get to the other
side of the lake before we make camp."

     "Hmph."  He retrieved his knife from the tree and
shouldered his pack.

     Kyrina turned to Kaleen.  "Well, you don't seem to be at
each other's throats right now... I suppose we'll call it
even.  Thank you for helping us, though.  We'll be on our way
now."

     He absently scratched behind one ear with a fingertip. 
"Actually... I'm of a mind to accompany you, if you'll let
me."

     She raised an eyebrow.  "Oh, really?  You don't know a
thing about us or why we're here, you obviously have a grudge
against Baren, we tied you *up*... and you want to come along
with us?  Just like that?"

     Kaleen grinned a toothy grin.  "Precisely like that, O
Bountiful Oasis of Sarcasm.  When the Seriph of Ghali gave me
permission to leave home, he requested that I find out about
the world.  I think I may accomplish that better by coming
with you - if only briefly - than by trying and failing to
enter this castle.

     "Besides," he added, glancing at Baren, "your companion
seems to be, of all things, a barbarian that understands
honor... if only slightly.  I would be remiss if I let such an
opportunity for study slip through my fingers."

     She considered his words carefully.  "Well... you *do*
have some unique knowledge about the current state of the
castle..."  A long moment passed, then she shrugged.  "We'll
bring you back to our commander and let her decide.  I can't
guarantee anything."

     Kaleen bowed, his tail curling ornately behind him. 
"That
is more than this unworthy servant could ask for."

                -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     From the highest room in White Cloud, clad in
bloodstained
armor, it felt rather than watched them leave.

     So.  They were leaving.  But there would be more, it was
sure.  Another invasion, instead of the single warrior
attempting to work his way in.  But it knew how to deal with
invasions.  After all, it had been born of the screams and the
clash of metal that had accompanied a hundred attacks - it
welcomed the chance to test its skill against worthy foes.

     It looked forward to sharing its pain with them.

                -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

STARS ADDED: Kaleen ibn'Ashra (Chisyu star)

AUTHOR'S NOTES:
     Well, that was interesting. ^_^;  I might sign up again
later, I might not.  Dunno at this point.  But, though this is
a short and rather pointless chapter (or possibly because of
it), for once I managed to do everything I'd planned to.

     I had a bunch of things I was thinking of saying, but
right at the moment they don't seem terribly important.  One
comment about Baren, though: since his rather *ahem*
lackluster introduction, he hasn't been given much in the way
of personality.  There isn't even a description of him, except
for the scar around his missing eye.  So, with him in the
scouting group, I basically had to build him from scratch.  I
dunno about everyone else, but I've kinds visualized him as
the big, beefy, Genghis Khan-kinda barbarian, so that's how I
wrote him in.  Of course, it's no big deal to leave a minor
character in the background - we don't need to flesh out all
108 stars - as long as the main characters remain in the
spotlight.

     Mad propz to Illyria for prereading, and a ball-peen
hammer set to the side in case she ever tries to put me in
this situation again. ^_^;;;;;

     Now to see if I can finish Starburst Crystal.  In one
day. 
Gah.

          - Brian Stricklin