"There is no failure like that of a misguided attack.  Even when defensive 
strategies go utterly wrong, the crushing feeling is not as great as a grand 
offensive that should have won the war, but instead fails miserably.  But wars 
are not won by staying on the defensive, nor by making sure that you are just 
as strong as your enemy.  Risks must be taken, the greatest risk of 
annihilation skirted if ultimate victory is to be even approached."
                                 -- General Jouberyt, revolutionary leader 
martyred towards the end of the Crownbreaker War


             Die, Ultra! Die! Productions presents
               a Rocketarian Pictures production
                in association with Improfanfic

                   Suikoden: Distant Shores
              started by Illyria and Todd Harper
                  Part 17: Becomes the Hunted
                    by ColdFury and Illyria

	The term old is one that is often overused.  Those with barely a second 
decade under their belt often complain of feeling overly old.  Little ones not 
even grown to their full height often claim to be old.  Dogs that move little 
and eat plenty are often referred to as old.  The term has been so heavily 
abused, that it fails to convey just how old the Old One actually was.  The term 
'ancient', comes close.  Perhaps the best description of the Old One's age would 
be to say 'damned old'.

	He sat silently in the darkness of his room.  Chairs were scattered about 
it, as was the occasional unlit candle.  His eyes were closed, and his breathing 
was painstakingly slow.  To an outside observer, he would appear to be asleep, 
or quite possibly even dead.

	Despite the lack of any light whatsoever in the room, a shadow flickered 
momentarily in the corner.  The Old One raised an eyebrow but didn't move 
otherwise.

	They were coming.

	With a slight gesture from his left hand, the few candles in the room lit 
with a dark glow, an unnatural purple light burning the wick.  Moments later, 
two figures stepped out of the shadows of the now lit room.  One, accustomed to 
tradition, nodded curtly at the Old One then promptly faded back into the 
shadow.

	The other one, the so called 'Black Knight' took a confused step forward.

	"Give it a moment, young one.  You are unaccustomed to such a lengthy 
shadow walk... your senses will return in a moment."  The Old One slowly opened 
his eyes to address the newcomer.

	The Black Knight stood still for a minute, while waiting for the after 
effects of his journey to wear off.  "That was... unexpected."

	"You shall grow more and more accustomed to it as you travel farther in 
the shadows."  The Old One studied Valon, the Black Knight, carefully.  "You do 
indeed show much potential though."

	Valon walked up to the Old One and sat at a nearby chair.  "You didn't 
bring me here to discuss my potential." 

	"Indeed."

	Valon waited before responding.  "... well then?"

	"Such impatience.  The telltale sign of youth."  A smile crossed the Old 
One's withered lips.

	"The rebels are headed for Eregon as we speak, Oh Aged One.  I don't have 
time for meaningless trivialities."  The infamous Black Knight stood quickly 
from his chair.  "I must be--"

	"And how do you intend to get there in time, hmm?  Piggy-back another of 
my ninja?  Not if you offend me, young man."  The Old One turned an icy glare at 
Valon.  "I wish to discuss your behavior."

	"My behavior?  I cannot believe this!  I employ you... if anything I 
should be discussing your--"

	"You nearly had one of my men killed for your schemes, as you had to 
'change your mind', as I believe I was told."  The Old One's voice was stern but 
calm, showing no more signs of anger than his still frame did.  "This is 
unacceptable."

	Valon paused, the quiet of the Old One's demeanor proving to be quite 
unsettling, and considered for a moment.  "I see.  I will agree, on that note.  
I apologize for any inconvenience I caused you and any harm that befell your 
agent.  It was rash of me, and I shall endeavor to see it does not happen 
again."  Through his helmet, he eyed the Old One contemptuously.  "Was that all 
you wanted, Old Man?"

	"Two of my men will accompany you to Eregon to assist in the handling of 
these rebels."  The Old One smiled.  "I do not wish anything to happen to our 
most valued... employer.  That is what I wanted to see you for."

	The knight nodded.  "Very thoughtful of you, Old One.  My thanks."  He 
turned to walk toward the shadows, but paused in mid-stride.  "Those are 
familiar looking tablets..."

	The leader of the Ninja shrugged softly, and shed a very sly smile.  
"Consider it field research."
 
	His eyes widened behind the black visor of his helmet.  "The Tablets of 
Destiny... with these you can identify the Stars that have been gathered thus 
far."

	"Yes.  The Stars of Destiny is a very potent force to be reckoning with... 
we felt we needed an.. advantage of some kind.  If we were going to keep 
assisting you, that is."

	"I will see that you get something extra for this service.  Your men's 
skill again amazes me."  The Black Knight bowed respectfully before stepping 
back into the shadows.  "Now I shall rid us of three of the stars before their 
light can shine..."

	Behind the Old One, said escort stepped out of the shadows quietly just as 
Valon faded into those across the room.  "Your command, master?"

	"Take another, and escort him to Eregon.  He still may prove useful yet.  
We need to rid the Tenkai star of her staunchest supports if we hope to fully 
bend her to our will."  The Old One peered down at the Tablets of Destiny.  "The 
Tenman and Tenan stars, Lierni Totorika and Reid Arondight, must die."

	"Yes, master."  The ninja bowed and silently crept back into the shadows.

	The Old One flicked his wrist as before, and the candles in the room 
ceased to shed any more light.  He sat in the darkness once more, his thoughts  
again centered on the object of his desire.  The Tenkai star would bend to his 
will, and the Ninja would rule over the Island Nations as they were always 
destined to.

*  *  *  *  *

	A spray of salt water caught Reid as he walked along the pier, drawing a 
string of sputters from the blond swordsman.  He turned to see Lierni and 
Alouette looking in shock at the city before them after he'd finished wiping 
his face with his sleeve, and followed their view up.  He shook his head.  He'd 
heard about the city, but words were a poor substitute for the sight before him.

	"Are all coastal cities this diverse?" he heard Lierni quietly ask as she 
eyed the broad cultural mix before them in the nearby bazaar.  The heavy wools 
of Hereshan traders intermingled with cottons and silks from the visiting 
Lierstam dealers, with even more exotic designs from the other Island Nations 
and further north.

	Reid shook his head.  "I don't think so... Eregon's a center of trade for 
this entire area.  It's close to the capital, and is an easy journey to 
Lierstam.  People come from all over."

	"Women come from all over, it would appear," Alouette noted with a faint 
quirk of his brow.  "A veritable garden, filled with all mixes of blooms."

	Reid just resisted the urge to drag Alouette off by the sleeve as they set 
into motion.  He'd been getting progressively worse ever since they'd set food 
on the boat.  Sara was not exactly the type to be approached by the young 
flirt, and Lierni... well, Alouette at least had enough sense to avoid her when 
he was in a mood for companionship.  The fellow did make good conversation when 
he could focus, and perhaps he was being too hard on him, courtesy of being 
holed up with him for the length of their journey-

	"I suppose we should split up to expedite our search, non?  I shall take 
the nearby taverns.  The bar wenches, as I believe they are called, are sure to 
be fonts of information... Monsieur Arondight, why are you looking at me like 
that?"

	"Come on," Reid groaned.  He turned and gave the boatsmen a quick wave to 
promise their swift return, then stalked off into the city proper.  He'd just 
focus on their goal, and if Alouette got too out of hand, well, then... Lierni 
could deal with him. 

*  *  *  *  *

	"Dr. Koris?  Can't say I've heard of him."

	"Koris?  Doesn't sound like he's from Lierstam.  He one of us, then?"

	"I can tell you where to find a Dr. Korilas... that help?"

	"This is not working," Reid sighed as he leaned against a mudbrick 
building and wiped at his forehead.  Even in the approaching winter, Eregon was 
warm, especially compared to the heights upon which White Cloud sat.  "We have 
no idea where to look."

	"The doctors I approached were extremely unhelpful," Lierni muttered.  
"Two recognized the name, but tried to hide it.  They thought I would be going 
to him for treatment, and didn't want to lose the business."

	Alouette pointed one gloved hand to the sign above their heads as it 
creaked in the strong breeze off the ocean.  Reid and Lierni looked up at the 
carving of a ship tacking into the wind, crested by the words "The Corsair."  He 
shrugged once, then suggested, "I did suggest taverns for a reason... gossip 
passes through them more quickly than any other place in a town, non?  
Especially people who pass from tavern to tavern... it could not hurt to 
investigate, I think."

	Reid and Lierni looked at each other, then nodded once.  "I suppose so,"  
Lierni sighed as she looked at the stream of questionable characters filing in 
and out of the doorway.  "But if we don't find someone who looks promising..."

	"Come on, Lierni," Reid said as he lead the three in.  "He knows, he 
knows."  He hadn't taken more than two steps in before he drew to a halt to 
avoid running into a small child who ran up to him, eyeing his clothes and 
weapon.  He put a hand on the hilt of his sword protectively, but it didn't seem 
to be required.

	"Are you here to see Nalia and Jasin, mister?" the kid chirped.  "You look 
pretty rich.  I could get you a spot up front."  The offer made, he stuck out an 
expectant hand for a tip.

	"Er, no, we're just looking..."  Reid trailed off as the kid put the most 
pathetic expression he could muster on, then tugged at the rags he passed for 
clothes.  A sigh growing, Reid looked back to Lierni and Alouette and shrugged 
as he pressed a coin into the child's dirty hands.  

	True to his word, the child did find them a table close to the stage: a 
ale-stained, unsteady table, but a close one.  "Sorry," Reid mumbled as Lierni 
gave him a flat look as the three took their seats.  "Let's just take a break 
and watch, and then we'll go back to looking.  We're sure to find someone who's 
been around a bunch of taverns."

	Lierni considered that a moment, then, thankfully, nodded.  Alouette 
snagged a flagon of wine off a wench's serving tray, and also settled in to 
watch the performance.

	"Dancer," in the minds of the three young adventurers, usually translated 
to "flirtatious young girl."  It was with a bit of surprise, then, that they 
found themselves instead being met with the form of a lean, copper-skinned boy 
taking the stage.  Red hair so dark it could almost be called burgundy hung to 
his waist, with two strands on his left temple pulled forward with a haphazard 
binding of gold thread.  His coloring suggested brown eyes, but it couldn't be 
verified, for they lay lightly closed.  The rest of his body reflected that 
preparation: feet solidly at shoulder width, hands folded at the small of his 
back, shoulders squared and moving with each slight breath. 

	Reid quirked an eyebrow at the sight.  For someone who didn't make their 
living through battle, the boy certainly had the body for it.  Granted, topless 
(save for matching iron armbands) and tight black breeches wasn't the outfit 
he'd choose for an army, but the women in the audience seemed to appreciate it.  
He risked a glance at Lierni; her eyebrows were raised in the most blatant 
show of approval he'd seen from the cadet.  After a moment of thought, he looked 
to his other side, at Alouette.  The swordsman was glowering up at the 
stage, towards the figure who'd suddenly become the target of all the female 
affection in the room.

	He was mostly successful in stifling a chuckle as the drum beats began.

	A startled gasp echoed through the room as the dancer whipped out a pair 
of fiercely hooked knives, each set with a cat's-eye jasper near the hilt.  He 
drew them close to his skin, flicking them in and out so quickly that it seemed 
sure he must falter and draw blood.  As soon as he'd drawn them in, though, he 
whipped them out to arm's length.  A moment passed as he allowed the audience 
to assure themselves of the knives' edges once more, then he began to juggle 
them.  Two more appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and the four were interwoven 
in a dazzling display that held the breath of everyone inside the large tavern.

	Those people whose backs had touched their seats during the first 
performance now found themselves leaning forward in keen interest.  As Jasin 
moved gracefully off the stage, the dancer following him wasted no time in 
taking her own spot.  Wine-brown hair was loose to her hips, with several plaits 
strung with gold beads.  They made soft clacking noises whenever she moved, 
accompanied by the ankle chimes she wore at the base of exposed legs.  
Sparkling violet eyes scanned the audience confidently as she raised one arm 
above her head, then extended a bare foot towards the front of the stage.  She 
remained in that pose for a second, until the music began.

	Where the first piece had been fierce and driving, this was a sliding, 
teasing song that matched her every sinuous movement on the stage.  Gleaming 
metal fans opened and closed in her hands in time to the music, when they 
weren't being struck against each other to mark a particularly high point in the 
song.  She moved in slow, expanding circles, thrusting her hips out towards the 
audience each time she neared.

	As the music slowly wound down, the three travelers had rather different 
expressions on their faces: Alouette looked enraptured, Lierni looked 
thoughtful, and Reid looked as if he was vacillating between the two.  He 
swallowed hard, then glanced over to Lierni.  She nodded, and Reid let out a 
soft breath of air.  Good, his mind was still acting like it should.  The court 
culture of Kesshin was... a little more reserved than what he was experiencing 
here.

	The patrons of the bar quickly resumed their conversations and turned back 
to their drinks when it became apparent that no more entertainment would appear, 
leaving an easy path for the trio to wind their way to the door.  Soon, they 
found themselves in the alley to the side of the tavern, waiting by the back 
exit.

	"With any luck, they'll come out here," Lierni said as she folded her arms 
and eyed the door.  "Performers like them have probably worked in every tavern 
around this city."

	"Ah... it seems like a longshot, though," Alouette said in response to the 
explanation.  "It is one doctor we're looking for, and all the women I talked to 
before had not heard of him."

	"Questioned, or threw yourself at?" Lierni snapped in a low voice.  The 
fair-haired swordsman didn't seem to have heard her.

	Reid rubbed his temples again.  He was developing a headache.  No matter 
what happened in days to come, he would never lead again a mission with these 
two on it.

	"If you want to contact me about a private performance, you should have 
approached me inside the tavern.  It's not very polite to skulk around doorways 
like this, you know."

	The trio turned to see Nalia standing in the doorway, the eyebrow that was 
pierced through with a wide silver ring raised at them.  Her arms were folded 
firmly below her chest, matching her guarded expression.  She remained in place 
when Reid stepped forward, though, not taking even one protective step back.

	"Oh... sorry about that," he said.  "But we were hoping you could help us.  
We're trying to track down a doctor by the name of Koris, and you seemed to be 
someone who might know of him."

	"Despite the appearance, that's not what I do for a living.  'Knowing 
men.'"  She brushed past Reid, then circled around him appraisingly.  "Hereshan, 
like I thought, and from the south of the country... I've never seen a more 
repressed group.  Well, maybe that's the wrong word for it.  Boring.  Oh, don't 
look surprised... I'm not Hereshan, no, certainly not.  I'm from another of the 
Island Nations.  I doubt you've heard of it."

	"What my companion meant to say," Lierni broke in with a level tone, "is 
that we're new to the area, and your job takes you to places filled with gossip 
and local knowledge."

	Nalia eyed Lierni up and down, noting the girl's ramrod-straight posture 
and tight mouth.  "Okay, maybe repressed was the right word for it."  She 
blinked, then took a step back, a wide smile sliding onto her face.  "Now... why 
don't you introduce me to your friend?"

	Lierni glanced back over her shoulder, then inwardly groaned as she saw 
that Nalia's approving smile was directed at Alouette.  She glanced over to 
Reid; he nodded, shrugging faintly.  "How rude of us not to introduce 
ourselves," she sighed.  "I'm Lierni Totorika, this is Reid Arondight, and 
that... person is Alouette la Lanterne."

	"Ah, greetings, mademoiselle," crooned Alouette as he swept down to kiss 
the lady's hand.  "Your dance was superb.  Were you to perform for the swans on 
their lake, they would part for shame at their own lack of gra-"

	"Hey!" came an infuriated voice from the doorway.  "Knock it off!"

	Alouette stood as quickly as he'd bent, turning to face the figure as he 
did.  "Forgive me," he smirked, "I did not realize you and the lady were 
together.  I will turn down her advances, then."

	If his intended result had been to soothe Jasin's furor, the dancer 
storming over to him and stopping not an hand's length from his face would 
suggest he was not entirely successful in his attempt.  Alouette let out a soft 
cough.  "If you wish her to focus her attentions solely on you, perhaps you 
should not display such anger towards strangers in front of her."

	"I will have you know," Jasin forced out through gritted teeth, "that the 
reason I want you to stop forcing yourself at her is because... she is my 
mother."

	The momentary silence that fell across the alleyway was soon broken by the 
mingled laughter and pained coughing that erupted from Reid.  He waved an 
apologetic hand at the air as he doubled over, trying to catch his breath.  
Alouette glared at him.

	"You don't need to sound that surprised," Nalia said as she examined her 
fingernails at arm's length.  She blinked, then raised her head to find 
Alouette staring at her in shock. "What's the matter, pretty boy?  You liked 
what you saw a minute ago, didn't you?"

	"I... uh... forgive me, madam," he quickly replied as he dropped into a 
quick bow.  "I should not have assumed."  He looked up, eyes wide, as she laid 
her hand on his shoulder.  "Uh, madam..."

	"Sure, I'll help you.  I like this boy.  Perhaps he'll be the one to repay 
me later, eh?"  She winked down at him.  Behind her, Jasin looked absolutely 
mortified.

	"...Perhaps you can assist us in finding Dr. Koris, then," Reid offered 
after what he considered an appropriate time to let Alouette open and close his 
mouth in befuddlement.  "Have you ever heard of him?"  He smiled hopefully, 
after making sure to phrase his question correctly.

	"Can't say that I have," Nalia shrugged.  "But I bet I can find out.  Come 
on, I have friends all over this city.  Jasin, come help your mother look."  As 
the glowering teen moved on ahead of the group, the dancer motioned Reid and 
Lierni forward with a wave of her hand.  "Go on, go on.  Time wasted is time 
lost.  Or something.  Now, you, cutie..." she grinned ferally as she wrapped her 
arm around Alouette's waist, letting her hand drop well below the small of his 
back, "will accompany me and make sure no nasty barflies hit on me, right?"

	As she set him into motion with a soft tweak of her hand, Alouette looked 
up with slight desperation towards Reid and Lierni.  After a quick glance behind 
her, Lierni tried her very best not to snicker.

*  *  *  *  *

	Sunset was near by the time they approached a small building at the edge 
of a cliff overlooking the ocean, stuck together from an odd mix of wood, 
plaster, and stone in a surprisingly sturdy-looking result.  Here at the edge of 
town, foot traffic was light, so an armored swordsman and two scantily-dressed 
dancers attracted, thankfully, less attentions than they had in the city proper.

	"Dr. Herold Koris," Reid read from a hand-written plaque at the side of 
the structure.  He and his companions flashed a pleasantly surprised glance at 
the dancers; Nalia just shrugged.

	"I've been in this town a while; too long, really.  I know how to find 
information.  Now, go talk to your doctor friend."

	Reid nodded once, feeling suddenly nervous.  "Yes... thank you."  He 
swallowed once, then stepped forward to rap sharply against the roughly-made 
door.  He was left rocking on his heels for a moment, then a reedy rang out, 
calling for them to enter.  He motioned for the rest of the group to follow him 
in with a tilt of his head, then did so.

	The small figure inside looked as they'd all expected: a tiny, bronzed old 
man who looked as if he might blow away without the assistance of his gnarled 
cane.  When he turned, though, they saw that the fingers gripping the head of 
the cane were long and secure, and that his stance was firm where he stood.  
Bright blue eyes, unclouded by age, glittered out at them from under a full head 
of silver hair.  The image of frailty apparently came from his height alone, as 
he stood a good six inches below Lierni.

	He eyed them appraisingly for a second, then spread his mouth into a gap-
toothed grin.  "The Arondight boy."

	Reid's mouth dropped open, and he was barely aware of the rest of his 
party viewing his delighted surprise.  "You remember?"

	Dr. Koris walked over, quickly despite the assistance of his cane.  "You 
still haven't grown out of that baby fat, and besides..."  He reached up to tap 
Reid's scabbard with the tip of his walking stick.  "I remember this sword on 
your father."

	Reid laughed weakly, a faint blush cresting his cheeks as he forced 
himself not to look back and see Lierni and Alouette's reaction to Koris' baby 
fat comment.  He'd forgotten just how embarrassing shared knowledge of childhood 
could be.  "Ah... yes... well.  Ahem.  You see, I had to come and find you, 
Doctor.  We need your help."

	The wizened man smiled gently at him.  "Well, tell me what it is you need.  
I could use a bit of excitement in my life."

	"Well," Reid slowly began, "there's this... girl."

	The words didn't come easily; concentrating on the mission had held his 
attention.  Keeping Lierni as... well, happy as she normally was, and away from 
Alouette's throat, had done the same.  But now he had to think about Tavia, and 
how she was sick with some unknown malady... it wasn't a pleasant thing to 
dwell on.  To top that, his emotions about the situation were stronger than 
they had any right to be.  After all, he was just a soldier serving his 
commander...  From the look on the doctor's face as he noted the tone in the 
young warrior's voice, it looked as if he didn't believe that any more than 
Reid himself did.

	"So... will you come back with us to White Cloud?" Reid finished, a 
hopeful turn to his voice.

	"Do I look like I have a steady practice here?"  Koris chuckled, and 
hobbled over to his table.  "Let me pack, and we'll go help that friend of 
yours."

	Reid breathed a sigh of relief.  "Thank you, doctor... we have a ship 
waiting for us in the harbor.  We can be on our way as soon as you're ready."

	"I wouldn't count on that."

	At the strange voice, the six spun to see three new entrants to the 
doctor's office: three figures, dressed all in black, with their faces covered 
and swords drawn.  The center, tallest figure took one step forward, not making 
a sound on the stone floor.  "Arondight, Totorika, la Lanterne?"

	The named three's eyes narrowed.  "What do you want with us?" Lierni 
hissed, eyeing their weapons.

	The ninja opened his mouth to respond, then cocked his head to one side, 
as if listening to a far-off sound.  He looked over at the three newer members 
of the gathering and gave a satisfied nod.  "Nalia, Jasin, and Koris, I presume.  
Six... even better.  Please don't fight this.  It'll just make things harder."

	Lierni's eyebrow furrowed as Valon identified the others in the room.  "It 
would appear that Luc has failed in his duty to guard the Tablets of Destiny."

	Reid and Alouette looked at Lierni in astonishment, as Valon laughed 
heartily.  "Well met!  Yes, my companions took the chore of liberating the 
Tablets from your group's possession, and these three..."  He waved his hand in 
the direction of the dancers and the doctor.  "...seem to have just been written 
into it by an unseen hand."  

	"I think," Reid slowly said as he motioned his party to move into battle 
readiness, "that you should leave."  As he rested one hand on the hilt of his 
longsword, Alouette drew his rapier with a flourish, and Nalia opened her fans 
with a flick of her wrist.  At her feet, the faint glint of exposed steel now 
glittered.  Behind them, Jasin and Lierni both readied themselves; to the 
group's delayed surprised, after they realized what was happening, Dr. Koris 
joined them, as well.

	"This isn't your fight," Reid muttered to the dancers and doctor.

	"He wants to hurt us, too, it seems," Nalia practically growled as she 
stepped in front of her son.  "We won't get in your way, don't worry."

	The black-clad figure sighed.  "Fine... I should introduce myself, first.  
My name is Valon, and these are two of my compatriots.  Now... please stay 
still.  This could all be over very quickly for you."

	"Give us your best sho-"

	Reid's challenge was cut shot by Valon whipping his hand forward, 
releasing a sphere of black energy that aimed right for the heart of the group.  
They scattered in an ungraceful dive; Alouette had the sense to grab Koris as he 
leapt, bringing the elderly man with him.  As the energy ball landed, it 
exploded into a mass of pitch black strands that searched for a few seconds for 
anything to latch onto before collapsing into itself in a soft wuff of air.
	
	"Mon Dieu," Alouette breathed as he picked himself up off the ground.  
"What is it that we're fighting?"

	"Mom!"  Jasin tugged anxiously at Nalia, who was sprawled out on the 
ground.  He breathed a sigh of relief as she sat up, blinking blearily, then 
shot a glare over to Valon.

	The ninja remained inscrutable as he looked down at them, then motioned 
his followers back with a flick of his wrist.  As the three edged towards the 
door, Lierni narrowed her eyes, noting their goal of the twilight outside the 
building.  "You'll fight in these closed quarters," she murmured, "whether you 
like it or not."

	A sharp crack of energy rocked through the small building, centering 
around the doorway the ninja trio was heading for.  The resulting explosion sent 
them flying forward a few steps to land in an ungraceful sprawl on the floor; it 
also half-filled the exit with collapsed beams and shingles from a new array of 
holes in the roof.

	"My... office," Koris weakly said as he looked at the damage.

	Valon gave a slight nod of approval as he surveyed his surroundings.  "Not 
bad... if you really think fighting us is a wise move.  Perhaps it would be 
better if you just let us retre-"

	"Don't even think about it," Lierni flatly replied as she brought her hand 
up again, this time holding a ball of light aloft that cast all the shadows out 
of the room with a harsh white glow.  "You'll answer for what you've done."

	Reid let a soft smile of approval grow, despite his tense stance.  As 
difficult as she could be to deal with, Lierni was an awfully good person to 
have on your side.

	Valon drew himself up to his full height and nodded once; at his sides, 
his two followers did the same.  "All right, then.  A battle.  Clever girl, 
getting rid of the shadows."

	"You're using some sort of Darkness rune," Lierni replied in that same 
flat tone.  "And I wouldn't be surprised if you used it to get into our castle."  
She smiled thinly at him.  "Or am I wrong?  From your abilities, and the fact 
that you actually managed to sneak past Kyrina and Luc with the tablets, I would 
surmise that you are the ninja of myth."

	"Bravo," Valon said, genuine surprise in his voice.  "You are a quick 
one."  Almost faster than their eyes could follow, he flicked his hand forward, 
sending a sharp whistle of steel forward to impact Lierni's glove-clad hand.  
She let out a yelp of pain before she bit down hard on her lip, quieting her 
cries.  "Don't want you using any other runes you might be hiding in there.  And 
just so you know... do not mistake me for one of the ninja.  I am far more 
dangerous than one of their number."

	Lierni gritted her teeth and forced out, "I have to focus on maintaining 
the light.  You have to defeat him, and I would appreciate it if you did it with 
some haste."

	Reid nodded once, resuming his guarded stance.  For a long moment, the 
nine stared at each other, waiting for a move.  From one second to the next, the 
air was suddenly filled with the keening wail of steel as it parted air, but 
this time, the attack had come from the Stars' side.  Jasin flicked out two more 
knives from his wristbands, but he'd already given the sign for the battle to 
begin in earnest.

	Practically dancing as he moved forward, Alouette swept his rapier out in 
a broad arc, bringing it down upon a buckler one of the ninja had brought out at 
the last possible second.  A broom handle made a convenient quarterstaff in the 
fighter's hands, though, and Alouette just as quickly had to sidestep to save 
his head from the staff's impact.  An idea flickered into his mind, and he 
ducked low as the staff swept forward again, hoping to catch the ninja off-
guard.

	Had he not been a swordsman trying to catch a martial artist in that 
manner, it might actually have worked.  As it happened, he instead got his own 
foot yanked out from under him and was brought to land heavily on his back, 
groaning. 

	"Take him out," Valon growled as he matched his katana against Reid's 
broadsword, the two clashing in the harsh light of Lierni's spell.  The ninja 
nodded once and raised the handle high, ready to drive it through Alouette's 
skull.  His arms were ready to drop when a soft buzzing and soft "thunk" told 
of a new attack; the ninja blinked once, then wobbled, his arms turning weak.  
Alouette took the chance to jab his rapier forward into the man's chest, 
sending him stumbling backwards into a fallen beam.  He clunked his head quite 
soundly against it, then dropped to the ground.

	Panting slightly, Alouette looked over his shoulder.  Dr. Koris was 
lowering a blow gun from his lips, looking just as surprised as the swordsman 
felt.  Feeling Alouette's gaze on him, he started once, then smiled faintly.  
The blow gun was carefully set to one side, and he resumed mixing the powders 
and potions that would be deposited on the ammunition inside.  Alouette gave a 
quick nod of thanks, then leapt up to join Reid in his fight.

	On the other side of the room, Nalia and Jasin moved in unison as they 
faced the female ninja.  Fluid hardly described their movements; knives clashed 
against the nunchaku wielded by the anonymous woman, which was then swept 
forward and halted only by the perfectly-timed raise of the steel fans.  
Despite the two-on-one odds, the ninja looked to be holding her own... until 
mother and son looked at each other and nodded.  They jumped back with one 
movement, leaving their opponent stumbling forward one pace in surprise. 

	A soft hum of energy gathered around knives and fans as they both raised 
their weapons above their heads, which turned into a bright light as they 
whipped forward in a sudden spiral of movement.  Jasin approached the woman like 
a whirlwind, his knives flashing out at a speed which threatened to overwhelm 
her.  He dropped low and thrust his knives at her knees; she dropped to block, 
but Nalia took the chance to use her son's back as a springboard to leap towards 
the ceiling.  Jasin cleared out of the way with a backflip, leaving the ninja to 
look upwards in confusion as Nalia returned to earth, slicing down her forearms 
with the razor edges of her fans.

	The woman stumbled backwards, letting out a scream more of rage than pain 
as she stared at the bleeding gashes.  "Do you know what you've done?" she 
howled.  "Walking will destroy my arms!  They'll have to take my arms!"

	"Really sorry about that," Nalia shot back as she ran over to join the 
fight against Valon.  "Come on, Jasin, come help your mother."

	The redhead looked at the ninja with faint pity for a moment, then nodded 
and ran to join the fight.  

	"Doesn't seem like very fair odds," Valon breathed as he saw Nalia and 
Jasin join Reid and Alouette.

	"You're the one who ambushed us," Reid snarled as he nearly stumbled 
backwards after blocking a strike.  "Why are you trying to kill us?"

	"You don't need to know that, Tenan Star.  But you can't make it back to 
White Cloud to save the Tenkai Star, nor can anyone else here."  Valon let out a 
soft grunt as one of Jasin's knives found his hand, then shook his head.  "I 
have a duty to fulfill."

	"Well, so do I," Reid shot back.  "I have to save Tavia.  There's a person 
behind that title, you know."

	Moving back, inch by inch, towards the wall, Valon gave the group a slight 
smile.  "I don't doubt it... but she's going to be thought of as a title, not a 
person, until this all ends.  You don't know what the Stars can do if they're 
gathered together... what they've stopped before.  That can't be allowed to 
happen again."

	"Whoever's guiding you, they won't be happy with you telling us this 
much," Reid smirked as he forced Valon's uninjured hand against the wall with 
the flat of his sword. The weapon in the ninja's hand clattered to the ground 
and was quickly snatched up by Nalia.

	"I think you all deserve... information, if not straight answers.  I know 
fate chose your roles, not you... so it's really nothing personal," Valon 
replied, shaking his head.  "Well, I did not expect to get pinned like this.  
Then again, they didn't tell me to expect six of you."  A smile crept across his 
face, and he continued, "they did tell me you were young, though.  And foolish."

	"What is that supposed to mea-"

	A strangled cry from Lierni drew their attention, and they turned to see 
her clutching at her hand as the female ninja retrieved the shuriken from it 
with a rough pull.  The light of her spell flickered and died, and shadows fell 
across the room as satisfied smirks came to rest on the faces of the two ninja.  
"This is for my arms," the woman breathed as she drew back her arm, katana in 
hand.  

	Reid reached out his arm, eyes wide... though Lierni quickly showed 
herself to have the situation well in hand.  The rune user brought her hand up 
and shot out a bolt of lightning towards the sword, sending energy arcing up 
through it and the arm of her attacker.  Smoldering slightly, the ninja fell 
backwards, staring at her worsened wounds with a look of horror. 

	Valon looked to one side, wincing.  "They'll kill you if you stay... 
walk."

	A sick look came across the woman's face as she nodded once, then stepped 
back into a darkened corner.  A howl of anguish rang out through the building as 
she vanished, and her commander sighed.  "I suppose that girl's concentration 
isn't as easy to break as I'd hoped."

	"Let him go," came Lierni's voice from behind the group.  She stalked up 
to Valon, pressing hard on her wound to keep it from bleeding.  "Unless you want 
to kill him, Reid.  Which I'm not discouraging." 

	"Erm..." the blonde trailed off.  He'd been ready to do so in the midst of 
battle, but this was different...  A grunt escaped his lungs as he was shoved 
roughly backwards, only saved from a rough landing by the dancers' quick hands.

	Valon rushed from their grasp to the same darkened corner his compatriot 
had departed from.  He looked down at his bleeding hand with regret, then sighed 
and vanished into the darkness with a muffled grunt of pain.

	Reid spun on his heel to look at Lierni.  "Why did you say to let him go?"

	"He knows some things, but not enough, and is intelligent enough to hide 
things during questioning.  Now, this fellow," she continued as she prodded the 
still-unconscious third fighter with her foot, "might prove useful to us."

	Reid blinked once, then smiled and nodded in agreement.  "Bind him up, so 
he can't walk.  We'll use him to track down whoever it is that commanded that... 
person."

	From the rubble, Dr. Koris' voice quietly said, "Well... I don't suppose 
I'll be setting up shop here again."  He shook his head, then walked over to 
Lierni, turning her hand over to inspect it.  He gently removed the falconer's 
gauntlet and began bandaging it with a light touch; the brunette thanked him 
with a faint smile.

	The heat of battle slowly leaving the room, the six took the chance to 
catch their breaths.  "What was he talking about?" Nalia demanded as she looked 
around, waving a fan at her face to dry some of the sweat.  "He sounded like my 
son and I were important."

	Reid considered that for a moment, then slowly asked, "I don't suppose you 
two would be interested in performing at White Cloud Castle?  We've got an army 
gathering, and no real entertainment..."

	"Featured performers, every night, eh?"  Nalia shrugged; behind her, Jasin 
sighed.  "Sounds good, boy.  We might just take you up on that offer."  She 
winked over at Alouette.  "You can give me a tour, right?"

	"Oh, I'm sure he will," Lierni smirked.  "The main hall, the storage 
facilities, the sleeping quarters..."

	The White Falcon lived up to his name as he paled at the suggestion.  
Nalia tittered at his discomfort, then quickly hid it as she sidled over to him.  
Once again, Jasin looked mortified at his mother's behavior.

	Reid just shook his head.  He'd let Alouette resolve this on his own, and 
he did have it coming, after all. "We need to set sail immediately-"

	"Sara and Zeb will be none too pleased about setting sail in the dark," 
Lierni noted, as flatly as ever.

	"Well, if we tell them about ninjas leaping from the darkness, I imagine 
we can convince them to push off.  Let's go," Reid said.  "I want to get back to 
Tavia as soon as we can."

	After a minute spent gathering the last bits of important supplies from 
the doctor's office and maneuvering the unconscious ninja between Reid and 
Alouette for transport, the six set off into the darkness, ready to return to 
White Cloud.

*  *  *  *  *

	Davon eyed the papers before him carefully.  "So many players at work... 
all wanting to be on top when the dust settles.  The Ninja have managed to gain 
hold of the Tablets of Destiny... the leader of the rebels has fallen ill, 
likely with the help of the Ninja."  

	He leaned into the backrest of his chair thoughtfully.  "This is 
unexpected... but I will wager that whatever the Ninja are planning, the Tavia 
girl and her friends will 'discourage' the Ninja from interfering any longer."

	He eyed the report thoughtfully.  "Still... this merits caution.  Chaos 
will soon be upon us... and those caught unaware..."

	A knock at the door interrupted his musings.  "Commander Davon?"

	"Ah, Lieutenant!  Just a moment."  Davon quickly filed the papers in a 
hidden compartment in his desk, and rose to open the door for his guest.

	Adele entered quickly and boldly, "I wanted to see if there was any 
progress on the investigation to clear the name of the General."

	Davon shook his head with a hint of sadness.  "I'm afraid we still haven't 
turned anything conclusive up.  However, we still have many leads to follow up 
on, so there's still a great chance."  Davon tilted his head slightly at the 
young officer.  "I take it you shall be representing the General at the State 
Dinner tonight?"

	Full of confidence, the lieutenant nodded.  "Of course, it is only right 
that I carry on in her name."

	"Of course, and in your family name as well."  Davon smiled brightly.  
"You exude such noble heritage, Miss.  General Nevenheim.... she'd be proud."

	Adele straightened at that remark, a small smile at hinting at the corner 
of her cheeks.  "Thank you.  I have to go to the dinner now, in her name of 
course."

	"In the name of the Hereshan military, as well."  Davon's smile increased 
ever so slightly as he saw Adele process that bit of information.  "You'll do us 
all proud."

	"Thank you.  Please keep me abreast of the General's situation."  Adele 
asked curtly. 

	Davon nodded, and Adele made her way out of the room.  The commander 
simply smiled as he shut the door, noting that every day the young lieutenant 
asked less and less about the General, and more about the festivities she would 
be 'representing the General' at.  Soon, she will be so wrapped up in her family 
and military duty, General Nevenheim would be nothing but a memory.  Davon 
nodded to himself once more.  "Yes... soon."

*  *  *  *  *

	"...was able to injure my assailant, but they escaped somehow.  And it was 
after that incident that we found the tablets missing."  Kyrina explained from 
her seat at the conference table.

	Across from her Reid nodded thoughtfully.  "That would explain a lot."

	Kyrina shot him a glance, but it was Lierni that explained the events that 
happened in Eregon.  Most of the more trusted members of the army were at the 
table.  Charlotte, Daniel, Luc, Pane, Alouette, and Alyssa were all present.  So 
were the new arrivals Jasin, Sara, Zeb, and Nalia.

	Lierni finished, and everyone digested the current events.

	Luc was the first to respond.  "We need to take back the tablets."

	"Why should we?"  Lierni snapped.  "We don't need to bring back the 
stones, they're simply a marker of who the stars are.  It's not like we need 
them to actually accomplish anything."

	"I have to agree."  Kyrina added.  "I'm not sure why I'm a 'star', or how 
that's even relevant to our cause here.  Why should we waste time and lives 
trying to bring back some stone tablets?"

	"It would seem that they were important enough for the ninja to steal 
them, however."  Alyssa noted from her end of the table.

	"We should not let this travesty go unpunished!"  Alouette slammed his 
fist into the table with anger.  "They have breached our defenses, and have 
struck deep at our hearts by falling our leader!  We should strike back in 
retaliation!"

	"He has a point.  They did try kill Tavia."  Reid mused thoughtfully.

	"Poison Tavia.  She's incapacitated.. but it doesn't look like they 
intended to kill her..."  Lierni shook her head.  "I think they were trying to 
force some of us out to eliminate us one by one."

	"I think, sirs, that it would be important to get the tablets back."  Pane 
piped up momentarily, silencing under Lierni's glare.

	"ENOUGH!"  Everyone jumped as Luc stood from his seat and silenced 
everyone with an angry look.  "We're getting the tablets back, that is FINAL."

	"Who put--"  Reid started.

	"The Tablets of Destiny are like a magnet.  When they're in the possession 
of a group of the 108 Stars, they help to attract the other Stars.  A big 
mystical magnet intertwined with fate and mixed with destiny, pulling all of you 
so called hero's together."  Luc glared at Reid.  "Without them, the gathering 
of the Stars will be slower, possibly even incomplete.  We HAVE to go get them."

	"We wouldn't be having this discussion if you were worth your salt as a 
guardian of the Tablets."  Lierni spat back.

	"We wouldn't be having this discussion if you would learn when you're 
wrong and outvoted."  Luc shot at Lierni in return.

	Tension in the room mounted as the two glared at each other.

	"Everyone.. calm down.  We'll get the tablets back."

	All heads present whipped around to trace the weak voice from the entrance 
to the room.  In the doorway stood a pale looking Tavia and a smiling Dr. Koris.

	"Tavia!"  A half dozen voices instantly rose to greet her, and the tension 
in the room melted away as her friends quickly welcomed her back to the land of 
the healthy.

	After the greetings died down, Tavia sat down between Lierni and Reid, and 
glanced about the table.  "I see we've grown in number a bit.  Thank you... 
everyone who's joined us."  She smiled at Lierni, Reid, and Alouette.  "And 
thank you, for going to get me help."

	Reid and Alouette alike blushed, then eyed each other wearily.  Lierni 
simply nodded, and then addressed Tavia.  "You said we're going after the 
tablets?"

	Tavia nodded.  "Leknaat gave them to us for a reason.  And I heard enough 
to understand that Luc's explained they are important.  We need them.  And we 
should try to deal with the ninja... if possible.  The doctor filled me in as to 
what caused my illness."

	The doctor coughed from his recently acquired seat.  "Exotic herbs, in a 
strange mixture, and a touch of rune magic.  I've only read about it in the 
past.  Quite a rare poison, indeed."

	"Even if we want to, we don't know where--"  Lierni started.

	"I've already begun preparations to track the tablets.  With the help of a 
few others of the right ability, I should be able to cast a spell to give us a 
location.  With the aid of Charlotte's maps, of course."  Luc interrupted Li 
quickly.

	Charlotte smiled at him.  "Of course, of course.  I have just the right 
map for the job too... a nice big one, but with enough detail that..."  

	Everyone ignored the young cartographer as she got started.

	"All right then, it's settled.  We cast the spell as soon as possible, and 
then we send a party off to retrieve the tablets."  Tavia glanced around the 
table thoughtfully.  "I think we should send--"

	A large cheer from the entrance to the castle interrupted them.  "What 
the--"  Daniel rushed outside to go see what the commotion was.  Moments later 
he returned, a smile on his face.  "It's Alaric, and the others!  And they 
brought friends!"

	Daniel quickly vanished through the exit again, and slowly everyone else 
filtered out to follow him.

	Finally Tavia, escorted at either side by Reid or Alouette in case she 
should feel suddenly weak once more, made it outside of the main castle 
entrance.  A caravan of nearly twenty supply wagons greeted her.

	Her jaw dropped, and she was speechless for a moment.  "What in the world-
-?"

	"We, the governing Council of Bristow, in agreeance with our esteemed 
Mayor Werner, hereby ally ourselves with the Crescent Freedom Army.  For the 
time being our support shall be of a somewhat covert manner, sending limited 
supply convoys and other such support, but rest assured, that when if the need 
arises, the population and governing body of Bristow ally ourselves with you."  
Alaric grinned as he read from a proclamation he held in front of him.  "And 
they go on a bit in a similar manner."

	Tavia looked at him.  "What did you do to finally convince them?!"

	Shrugging, Alaric answered.  "I gave them a letter from Lierni."

	Turning to her friend, Tavia looked at her inquisitively.

	Lierni let out a rare smile, and shrugged.  "Do you think you're the only 
one capable of letting out a few rousing words?  Morale was low with you out of 
sight... I thought convincing Bristow of our cause would tide them over to your 
return."

	"Li... you're... thank you."  

	Tavia impulsively hugged her friend, who failed to respond in kind.

	"For the last time, it's Lierni."

	Shouts rose up from the surrounding soldiers.  "Make way for the 
supplies!"

	"Three cheers for Bristow!"

	"Three cheers for Tavia!"

	"Three cheers for the rebellion!"

	And indeed, cheer they did.

*  *  *  *  *

Stars added:

Chiin Star -- Nalia
Chikyou Star -- Jasin
Chirei Star -- Dr. Koris

Notes:

Illyria: First off, sorry for skipping last week. Next, thanks to Fury for 
letting me work with him this week... I did want to write for DS, but having a 
close relative go in and out of the hospital for two weeks tends to make it 
hard to get things done.  Mostly for that reason, this wasn't a very FUN 
chapter to write, but it was fairly satisfying, if just for the feeling that 
stuff got done that needed to be.  Hopefully my next chapter will actually be 
fun to write...

ColdFury: Psy yi yi!  I'm your little Psyduck yi!  Wow that was a challenge.  I 
enjoy the story, and I'm signing up against post haste.  Thank Lina in heaven 
that Illyria was willing to work with me on this, I'm not sure what I would've 
come up with on my own.  She definitely deserves most of the credit for this 
chapter, I just wrote some hopefully nice frilly stuff around the edges.  Hope 
to see you again soon! ^_^

-6/12/01