--- Gie, Throne of Temples ---

Parisia stared deeply into the sky. The moons comforting glow blanketed her body as she lay on the roof of her new chambers. A small smile was worn upon her face as she thought of her past memories. This same moon had once enchanted her with Huru’s spell, someone she had not seen nor heard from in three long years. Each day that passed she would lose another pedal of hope that had once blossomed in her heart.

She clasped her hand as she choked back a weak sob. Then realized another loss she had encountered since the leave of Huru, her third finger from her index on her left hand. She cringed at the memory of the day she sliced it off. She had screamed in pain as the knife had stripped her of her Chosen position. She removed the finger as if removing the burden from being a Chosen. Weakly she felt her thumb over the stub that now represented the once short finger. She snorted.

"Lady Parisia?"

Parisia whipped around to stare one of her servants in the eye. "Yes?"

"The most honorable Alpha Trios is here" the servant announced keeping her stare to the stone below.

"Just now?" Parisia sighed.

"Yes Lady" the servant then curtsied and left.

Parisia gave one last glance as the moon in wonder then turned to take walk to Trios.

*

"Feather Empress has contacted me several times and each time her message becomes more severe" Trios explained as he sipped from the mug that Parisia’s staff had provided him with as they sat at her dining table.

"What do her messages concern?" Parisia questioned.

"Saria…" Trios whispered, his eyes not leaving their stare into his cup.

Saria…a name that caused pain within anyone who had been part of that fateful day…the Battle of the Chosen. And though the day that should explained everything to her had been unvailed in front of her very own eyes, nothing seemed to explain anything… She had always had a feeling that this wasn’t over yet…
Her thoughts began to drift…back to the beginning of her memories, back to the memories of tales she had long wanted to forget…

"No!" Meljar held her hand tightly. "Listen! You CAN’T protect them! Even if you could save their lives, YOU would die! You are the key to so many other lives! It is not worth it! You must understand this, if you die the world is cursed. We will all die!"

"The Key…" Parisia muttered falling back out of her distant memory.

"Parisia?" Trios asked somewhat confused.
"Yes… Saria… What exactly brings us to this conclusion?"

"The Spirit World has been constantly in… Well we don’t honestly know. Not even Feather Empress can contact the Spirit World. It’s strange… Feather Empress is afraid Saria caused this" Trios said, his words becoming more grave by each moment.

"But how? She’s lost her power…she’s in the Spirit World. I don’t understand…" Parisia replied in total puzzlement.

"Neither does Feather Empress" Trios stared blankly for a minute before snorting abruptly. "She’s so damn stubborn in keeping up with me. She’s always asking about me, and making sure I’m healthy and so on…" Trios shook his head.

Parisia looked on with sympathy. The poor man had lost all memories he had with the woman who gave her life for him. He was so plagued with guilt and curiosity it probably made him sometimes brink the edge of insanity.

"Don’t worry Parisia" Trios stated as he noticed Parisia’s pitiful smile towards him. "I’m not upset. Have any of your Priestesses encountered anything odd in their studies lately? Some of the Torixan Priests have claimed that the damned spirit of Saria haunts their dreams."

Parisia shook her head. "My Priestesses don’t usually deal with the Spirit World… But I’ll ask if any have had any sort of attempt of contact with the Spirit World and see if they have had any odd encounters."

Trios bobbed his head in agreement.

Parisia slightly smiled. Trios had grown up so much in these three years; it was almost as if he was reborn. His immature woman hunting continued, but he more than ever used his brain at least.

Trios grinned. "What are you smiling at?"

Parisia laughed softly. "I was just thinking how much you’ve matured over the years Trios. I remember just a while ago you would have had no clue what was going on."

"That was because I was too interesting in chasing Misuchi…" Trios answered, his grin now vanishing.

Parisia slipped back into her mind as a far off memory echoed in her mind.

"Well I should be going" Trios declared as he placed his mug onto the table and stood up.

"What? So soon!?" Parisia spat as she clumsily stood up as well.

"I have a lot of business to attend to in Yochee. Pack Leader Trel wishes to discuss peace offerings with the Pack Leader Ula and they usually need me for such discussions."

"I see. Well I’ll contact you if anything comes up Trios. I loved seeing you again, stop by anytime Trios" Parisia replied understanding his responsibilities completely.

Trios tuned to regard Parisia. "Parisia…"

"Yes?"

"You’ve done a great job rebuilding Gie. Your mother would be pleased." Trios smiled as he exited the room.

Parisia smiled in return.

*

Huru stood on the ledge outside Parisia’s dining room window, listening carefully to the conversations that were held inside. A man without a tongue was totally silent, as it should be. Not once had he ever been caught. He smiled at the thought slightly. He didn’t smile much, but he could easily smile in the presence of just himself.

He missed seeing inside Parisia’s thoughts, her gentle morals and ideas fluttering about him. The light that he had pulled out from her was so empty now inside him. Hearing her voice wasn’t enough; he wanted to hear all of the small comments and thoughts that came with those simple words.

Huru exhaled and began to make his way away from the Gie castle. He had heard what he needed to for today… Though he had to fight the urge to stay and watch Parisia fall asleep. It was becoming harder and harder to stay away from, to stay away from everything.

*

--- West Issland, outside the town of Cala-cla ---

Her fingers wove an invisible spell as the fire roared with the incoming magics aid. Her words called out to the guardians of her wished upon world. Her eyes stayed closed and focused, just one slip up could cause the spell to go totally out of control and may even kill her. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of her own blood however. With her own death what chaos could she cause in the Spirit World?

"What have you come for?" a small voice purred from the flames, the voice almost sounded as if only a child was speaking.

"Allowance to enter your world, Gate Guardian."

"What have you think that YOU could enter such a sacred world without a gift?" the child’s voice snapped.

"I did not forget the gift…" she answered slyly as she slipped something from her pouch at her side.

"What have you brought us?" the guardian replied.

She grinned and pulled an item from her pocket then tossed it into the flames. "The finger that brought a stop to the win of Corii, the Great Earth Goddess."

The child’s voice cooed with happiness at the gift. "We accept the offering! The Gates shall open and you may enter!" the voice sang out, rushing to end the summons so that she may go and show her companion guardian’s of her prize.

*

--- The Spirit World ---

Velvet breathed in the heavy air around her. Her nose wrinkled at the scent and taste of magic that cluttered the air around her. Velvet began to study her surroundings. It was pitch black, yet she could see everything. The darkness here seemed to be what allowed you to see and to be seen, the opposite of the world she was used to. She was standing on a brick path that lead up to the horizon and around this path was nothing but fields…fields filled with whispers of confused spirits.

This is what lay on the other side of the great gates? Velvet thought with a scoff. She began to walk slowly up the road she had found her self on, hoping this would lead somewhere promising.

*

--- Gie, Throne of Temples ---

The morning came all too soon for Parisia, bringing her from her peaceful dream, a sort of dream that didn’t come too often for her. Tiredly she brought herself up and out of her warm bed and slid her feet down to the cold stone floor under her. She yawned as she stretched her arms and back out.

"Miss Parisia?" a servant lightly tapped on her door.

"Yes?"

"Ah, I just wanted to be sure you have awaken. I wanted to remind you, also, that you have a meeting to attend to, with the Clan of Miite" the servant shyly announced.

"Thank you" Parisia sighed as she began to regret scheduling the meeting so early.

Parisia slipped on her white gown, the gown she often wore for good luck. Though on her second thought she removed it, thinking it may be unsuited for a talk with worshippers of the Destruction God. She replaced her white dress with a dark blue shaded gown and then tied her hair back in a lose braid.

"Well, wish me good luck" she cooed to the small servant’s puppy that had wondered into her room as she patted its cheerful head.

*

--- Throne of Peace, outside Gie ---

Parisia squirmed in her seat as the three Clan Leaders entered the room. The first leader Parisia laid her eyes upon was a cold eyed woman, most likely the most important of them and following her were two large males, either body guards or more Clan Leaders. Parisia wasn’t too sure of Demon custom, so she tried her best to stay still and not to make any definite facial expressions.

"Greetings Miss Parisia of Gie" the woman demon stated as she held her hand out.

Parisia smiled slightly. "Greetings to you, Madame" Parisia softly shook the she-demon’s hand.

The she-demon smiled, though her lips expressed more of a snarl than anything else. Parisia noted that her canine teeth were large, she was most likely a vampire.

"I am Madame Tere of the Miite Clan, you may call me Madame Tere however."

"Thank you, as you may call me Parisia" Parisia nodded and flashed a glance at the two men at her sides.

"Oh, yes" Tere grinned. "These two gentlemen are my High Guards, you have no need to know their unworthy names, Miss Parisia. They will not bother you I trust?"

Parisia shook her head. "Not at all. Please, take a seat Madame Tere."

Tere took her seat but not before giving Parisia a superior look over her.

"I will get right to the point of this meeting, I wish to make you a part of my alliance." Parisia stated as she leaned against the table.

Tere raised an eyebrow in thought and crossed her arms. "What would my Clan gain from this alliance?"

"The alliance I create will soon be known across Genta. The alliance will help all its member nations grow in knowledge and peace. With just one nation we will eliminate wars and we will become stronger as a world."

Tere sniffled and scratched her nose giving Parisia an unimpressed glare. "Once again what does our Clan gain? We already have gained both peace and knowledge…more knowledge than your alliance has most likely. We’re also more powerful than any other Demon Clan in Issland is. We have no need to join your alliance."

Parisia sighed; it seemed she would have to work very hard at convincing if she wanted her ideals to come reality. "If you join our alliance, you will have ensured power… You would have no worries of losing that power you’ve gained. All we want in return is you as an ally. What is there to lose?"

"What is there to lose?" Tere cackled. "Our knowledge power over you. Why would a Demon want to help a human gain knowledge and give them the benefit of maybe becoming smarter than the Demon?"

"But we will share our information with you! We will be equal! Think of the possibilities, Madame Tere."

Tere stroked her chin. "…If we join your alliance you promise on your nations honor that we will maintain and maybe even gain power?"

"I will insure you that you will GAIN power and maintain what you have now" Parisia smiled pleased.

"May we have the days to decide and consult with Miite?" Tere asked.

"Yes, of course. We encourage you to put thought into the alliance."

"What is this alliance’s name?" Tere replied.

"United Life."

*

--- The Spirit World ---

Velvet snickered as she looked upon the site of Dekca tampering with the lighted sphere. Somehow the light was extremely hard for Velvet to see, it was buried under the stronger dark that surrounded it.

Dekca turned to regard her. "Velvet? What do you want?"

Velvet cackled. "What a nice greeting! I have come to warn you of the outside rumors."

Dekca raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Oh?"

"It seems that this place is going to pieces. They believe it is Saria…" Velvet announced happily.

Dekca crossed his arms after placing the lighted sphere back onto a table. "Velvet, are you really that stupid? The reason the Spirit World is going to pieces as you say is because of me! Moron…" Dekca sighed.

Velvet rolled her eyes. "Saria has been haunting dreams of attempted walkers of this world."

Dekca narrowed his eyes as his grin flickered across his face. "How interesting…"

"Yes" Velvet squeaked as she twirled to his side. "And the most interesting part is no one can even come close to entering or exiting here, yet you and I seem to have no trouble… Oh yes, not to mention Huru has no problem either…" Velvet smirked at the sound of the name Huru, waiting for Dekca’s reaction.

Instead of the frown that Velvet had expected, a chuckle responded. "How very interesting! Do you notice a pattern, Velvet?"

"Pattern?" Velvet tilted her head.

"It seems only ones who have encountered the Battle of the Chosen may enter and exit the Spirit World. It seems our friend Saria is trying to coax someone here…"

"Parisia!" Velvet shouted.

Dekca nodded, his smirk not leaving his face. "Exactly."

"Oh how perfect!" Velvet squealed gleefully.

"Yes, very perfect…"

*

--- Throne of Temples, Gie ---

"Parisia!"

Parisia twisted around rapidly to face one of her Priestesses, a look of horror on her face. "You must come and look at this, Miss Parisia!"

Parisia looked at the Priestess with confusion, but followed the girl back to the Priestesses’ Chambers.

Parisia’s mouth fell open as she opened the chamber’s door. Parisia stared at the scene before a scream finally erupted from the back of her throat. Lying on the floor were three Priestesses, their bodies no more than piles of bloody gore. Blood was splattered across the wall and in the middle tacked up by a ceremonial dagger was the a servant’s puppy. It’s small stomach impaled and from it’s slightly open mouth blood oozed.

*

"Increase the Guards! I want this place not to have one more murder! Every Guard MUST have a companion Guard, understood?" Parisia demanded.

Her servants bowed and left to deliver the message of her new orders.

Parisia sighed with worry as she rubbed her temples. "Who would want to attack us?" Parisia thought for a moment. "Tere…?"

"Wrong" a voice answered from behind her.

"WHO?" Parisia shrieked as she snapped around to take a look at the speaker. Parisia exhaled with relief. "It’s you…"

"Stay away from the Spirit World." The appearance of the Guardian Angel gave Parisia goose bumps. If she was even her Guardian Angel… She hadn’t appeared in three years, why know? Parisia thought.

"SARIA?" Parisia questioned.

The Guardian Angel gave her a quick look with those cold and blank eyes and then was gone.

Parisia sighed annoyed. "She’s a lot of help…"

"Did you say something, Miss Parisia?" a servant asked as she entered her room to bring her supper.

"No, thank you" Parisia replied as she took the dish from the servant. "Did you not hear me? Please stay in groups, you shouldn’t be alone!" Parisia snapped noticing the servant was solitary.

"My company is waiting outside the door Miss Parisia."

"Oh I see, very good. You’re excused" Parisia grumbled as she began to inhale the food of her plate.

The servant let herself out.

"I’ve never seen you around here before… Are you new?" the servant asked as she regarded her companion servant.

The man nodded.

"What did you say your name was?"

The man gave her a cold glare.

"Oh I’m sorry, I had forgotten you’re a mute."

He nodded.

*

[Three months later]

--- The Spirit World ---

"Sea Dragon of life’s currents" Dekca chanted as he light the blue candle in the dark of the Spirit World. "I, Dekca of the Clan of Qurin, the Dragon God of Blood, call to you." Dekca peered up at the sphere, a crystal sphere with Light energy trapped inside. "I offer you this light, a gift of beauty to such a dark home" With a sudden thrust, Dekca came down upon the crystal with a stone in hand and let free the Light energy that was filled inside. A brilliant flash of light covered the darkness for a moment before becoming swallowed up once more. Flames began to form into one, creating something within them. Dekca licked his lips with anticipation. Finally the red flames quieted and in their place was a sword. It's blade still slightly immersed in blue flames, it’s handle crafted beautifully. With that Dekca began to silently pray.

Velvet sighed with boredom as she watched Dekca continue his ritual. He had been working in the Spirit World for months now, and he hadn’t even given her a clue. At first she had found it a mystery and fun to play along with, but as the months dwelled on, she became impatient with the answer to of why and what he was doing in the Spirit World. She had now become totally bored with the idea of the Spirit World, it was a dull place, and unlike the stories she had heard from the outside world.

Dekca grinned. "It worked…" he whispered.

"What worked?" Velvet asked dryly.

"The ritual, Arténia has blessed me in my quest" Dekca laughed.

"So what?" Velvet exhaled.

Dekca snickered. "You do not understand the significance of this event, do you?"

"No" Velvet grumbled.

"If Qurin won’t come to my aid… Don’t you see? Qurin didn’t come to my aid for all these months because..."

"Aid you in what?" Velvet interrupted.

"He found his blade! Don’t you see Velvet? He has given me the first Ismas..."

"What’s so good about that stupid looking sword?"

Dekca chuckled. "Oh Velvet…you are so ignorant."
"I am not ignorant!" Velvet snorted crossing her arms with a pout. "So what do you need this stupid thing for anyway?"
"We’re going to open the Eye of Genta…"

"The Ismas…" Velvet’s eyes widened slightly at the frightful look upon his face. "Oh what fun!" Velvet yelped before suddenly beginning to roar with laughter.

Dekca smirked.

"So what’s so special about this stupid sword? Looks pretty ordinary to me, well except it’s pretty!" Velvet asked as she stepped towards Dekca.

"Arténia is not an ordinary sword!" Dekca sighed as he began to pick it up. "This blade is the most powerful weapon that ever existed. Many years ago my Clan stole OUR sword from those damned elves… Qurin meant for us to have it! For it is HIS blood that it is bathed in."

"Oh really?" Velvet replied uninterested.

Dekca chuckled as he swung the sword through the air.

*

--- Gie, Throne of Temples ---

"The plague has become even worse, I’ve heard it spread even into Torix" Trios explained grimly as he sat back in his chair.

"I can’t believe… And it started where?" Parisia asked, shocked by the news. It had been at least three months since she had heard of any suspicious problems. The last catastrophe they were cursed with was the death of the three Priestesses. Since then, no one had done magic or even entered that room. Other than that, things had been rather peaceful.

"It’s believed it started in the Miite Clan when the Leader, Madame Tere, I believe, tried to contact her God through ritual in the Spirit World" Trios replied, pondering on the thought.

"The Miite Clan?!" Parisia cried. "It was three months ago that I first talked to them! No wonder they haven’t responded to me…"

"I suggest you keep all of your people within Gie… Who knows how far this plague is gonna spread. We’ve sealed off all ways into Yochee and the public is totally horrified. It was hard for me to even leave Yochee the guards were so tight" Trios exclaimed.

"Do you suppose…"

"Saria, yes, I am thinking the same" Trios nodded.

"What should we do?" Parisia questioned.

"Well your people have little to worry about as of now… However, my people are in great danger. The plague is so close to home. We’re surrounded by it. I am told all of Issland is infected and that Torix has began to become victim to it as well. I don’t think Yochee will hold off much longer…"

Parisia stared down in thought.

"I should return to Yochee, that is if they allow me reentrance. Good luck Parisia."

"No wait! Trios, stay here. If you go back to Yochee and they come infected, you will too!" Parisia shouted as she grasped his arm.

"That’s a risk I’ll have to take, I can’t abandon Yochee. They have been good to me and they need me" Trios replied, a frown on his face. "But thank you for the offer, dear Parisia" Trios went on, smiling kindly at her.

"I understand… Please be careful Trios" Parisia answered returning his smile.

Trios’s eyes abruptly widened. "Did you hear that?" Trios whispered, pulling Parisia close so that he may whisper in her ear.

Parisia shook her head as Trios’s hand guided her to the back of him.

Trios narrowed her eyes as he growled softly and began to suspiciously look around the room. Without a second thought Trios slid the small knife he held at his side pouch to flung it strait ahead towards the red drapes that covered the stone window.

The red material responded, engulfing the knife between two pieces that came to life.

Trios grinned. "I can smell you, come out Huru."

The red material released the knife and Huru stepped out from behind the curtain.

"Huru?!" Parisia shrieked with shock.

Huru nodded, his expression clearly showing he did not want to be seen.

Parisia’s eyes slightly filled with tears. "Huru… You’re back!"

Trios folded his arms as his grin spread.

Huru once again nodded.

Parisia stomped up to Huru and with her right hand slapped him as hard as she could across the face.

Huru’s expression did not change, but his hand replied, grabbing hers and bringing it back to his face.

"No! Not again!" Parisia screeched as she pulled away, but before she could resist further, his Light had already began to fill her.

/I’m sorry./

"How dare you!" Parisia screamed as she pulled her hand away and then ran from the room.

Trios chuckled. "Good work, Romeo."

*

/Running from me isn’t going to help make you feel any better./

"Shut up! Get out of my mind! How could you be here and not tell me! You’re so selfish it makes me sick!" Parisia growled as she held her head.

/Selfish, we are… But I was not here for my own sake, I was here to understand the problems that have occurred world wide with the Spirit World./

"If you had just come to me I would have told you! You didn’t have to sneak around! You didn’t have to leave me in the first place! I was so young and you abandoned me!" Parisia sobbed.

/I was trying to save you trouble, if you had seen me you would have had this same reaction earlier./

"I want to know why you left without even a word! For all I knew you were dead! Some friend you are!" Parisia snarled.

/I had no reason to stay with you./

Parisia twitched at his answer. "How could you say that? You knew me better than anyone! I THOUGHT I understood you! But you’re too selfish to be what I thought you were. I needed you as a friend, I needed all the friends I could get after that…that damn day! That fucking horrid day!"

/I am selfish, but you are as well. I had my own reasons for leaving, as you had reasons for me to stay. But now is not time for us to talk about our parting, we need to think about this dilemma that Genta is faced with. Saria’s plague is going to wipe us out otherwise. This quarrel between us is nothing compared to the suffering that surrounds us, agreed? /

"Fine, as soon as we’re done with this problem, I want you gone! I hate you!"

/Hate me as much as you like, lets just finish this before it all ends itself./

"Very well, what do you suggest we do?" Parisia sniffled.

/Enter the Spirit World and end Saria’s wrath once and for all./

"Brilliant" Parisia snorted sarcastically. "That is IF we can enter the Spirit World… Don’t you know that no one has been able to make contact there?"

/We can, subjects of the Battle of the Chosen may enter and leave./

"How do you know?" Parisia asked slightly puzzled.

/I have entered the Spirit World quite often and never had I had a problem./

"Why would YOU visit the Spirit World? You’re a Light Giver, and the Spirit World is filled with darkness…"

/That’s not of your concern, go and get Trios we should leave for the Spirit World soon./

*

"Do you have the Sun Stone?" Parisia asked as she held her hand out.

Trios nodded, pulling out the small pouch from his side pocket and emptying the contents into Parisia’s hand. With a loud smack, Parisia slammed the rock into the ground, cracking the rock in half as its insides spilled out. She swept the sparkling dust into her hand and threw it into the small fire in the middle of the three. The fire roared as it engulfed the sparkles and then flickered a light shade of blue.

"Who has called upon the Gates?" the fire asked.

Parisia swallowed. "Lady Parisia of Gie, Alpha Trios of Yochee, and the Light Giver, Huru. We…"

"Yes, we know. We have waited for the rest of you, witnesses of the Battle of the Chosen. What gift do you bring us guardians?"

Parisia grabbed the ceremonial dagger from the floor and brought it to her face. Slowly she brought it up to her hair and began to force the blade through her hair, cutting anything below her chin away. "I sacrifice you witnesses of the Battle of the Chosen, surely this hair has been with me since then."

The Guardian giggled childishly. "Throw it to the flames! We will take your gift, such pretty golden hair. We never see such bright colors in our world! How pretty, how pretty indeed!"

Parisia gave her hair a final look before throwing it to the flames.

*

--- The Spirit World, Place of White Dark ---

"Enter, leave. Enter, leave. Enter, leave. Enter, leave."

"Look what we brought you!"

"Does it speak? Can it feel? Have I seen it before? May it move?"

"You may have not seen this! Oh so pretty, we like it! We like it!"

"Continuous circles bring me back to the beginning, but with more knowledge. Shall I step in or out?"

"Beautiful gold just like beautiful flowers, do you remember the flowers?"

"Memories, are they here or did they leave? I should remember, but I can’t. They’re there, but they are gone. Can you see when you’re blind?"

*

--- Spirit World, inside the Gates ---

"This is the Spirit World" Huru stated; though his voice showed just the slightest hint of asking.

"I never thought this is what it would look like…" Parisia whispered as she studied the darkness around her.

"Whoa! Don’t you notice that Huru is talking?" Trios shouted as he looked at Huru with amazement.

Parisia rolled her eyes, uninterested.

"The Spirit World is not made of the physical, but the mind" Huru replied flatly.

"Wow! I never imagined your voice to be so…DEEP!" Trios yelped still in amazement. Trios stared at him for several moments in deep thought over his voice, so plan…so emotionless, much like his face.

"I don’t want to be here long, I don’t like it here" Parisia declared as she started up the path she spotted.

Huru nodded and Trios soon followed.

*

The unnamed undecided being stroked the scar across her face. She snorted remembering a time when she owned a body, her own body. A frightening grin of sorrow crossed her face and she chuckled with insanity. How many years was she cursed to roam without a body or face to claim as her own? Maybe 200, maybe 300… She had lost count of days and years so long ago. As her laughter became more and more hinted with sarcasm "her" body lurched over, her hair becoming a shield around her face and her arms falling limp. She stared up through the red hair that had blanketed over her face and narrowed her golden eyes with anger and hatred. This was not her body! Never was it hers… She clawed up her knees and continued to scratch up her leg till she hit her stomach. Ah, her stomach, she smiled at the memory. Slowly she pulled her shirt up and looked down at the scar, a huge puncture wound was carved there. She snickered and lightly felt it. Her other hand wandered to her face to comfort her with the knowledge of her second scar, a scar that ran across her cheek to her lip. Her smile widened. Scars told her she was still real, that she was not just nothing. That fact brought her little joy, but enough for now…enough till the day she found her body.

*

"So can we use magic here?" Trios asked as he looked over at Parisia.

"I think so…" Parisia replied shrugging as she kept her pace.

"Yes" Huru answered, his eyes still straight ahead of him,

"So it’s not like a Emperor Maze?" Trios questioned, this time directing the question to Huru.

"Correct" Huru simply responded.

"So uh… where are we headed? I mean does anyone actually know where we are going? Or are we just gonna wander around till we find Saria…?" Trios said, after a moment had passed, determined to break the silence.

"Wander" Parisia stated as she looked over at Trios. "None of us has a clue where Saria is… Unless someone has been keeping something from me again" Parisia glared at Huru.

Huru’s expression didn’t change…as always. "If your implying I know, I have no idea."

‘Well then, I was right to think we are just going to wander… Maybe we’ll find a friendly looking spirit to deal with and they’ll know something."

"Do you think it’s wise we speak with a spirit?" Trios raised a brow.

"I don’t see any danger in it. Since we are still living I doubt that anything here could hurt us. And most of the Spirits here don’t even have a Spirit Body to harm us with…since their body is somewhere decaying…" Huru spoke, as he stopped and look upwards.

"What about Dark Hearts?" Trios went on and looked up also, wondering what Huru would be looking at.

Huru shook his head, his stare continuing to monitor the sky. "Doubtful any are here, most Dark Hearts are used in Emperor Mazes and it’s rare to meet up with any in the Spirit World since they tend to stay to their own."

"What are you looking at?" Parisia snapped as she spun around to look at Huru and Trios, both of their eyes glued to the sky.

"Usually around this time the Dark Moon is up…" Huru mumbled.

"How can you see a Dark Moon when the rest of everything else is dark…" Parisia muttered to herself.

"Different shades" Huru replied, oblivious to the fact she was speaking to herself.

"I know!" Parisia hissed then glanced up at the sky. "Can we go on now? The delay of a Dark Moon that will not aid us is no need to gawk at."

Huru finally brought his eyes down from the sky and to Parisia. "Very well, but it is very suspicious that a Moon would just vanish."

"Maybe it is just too dark today for even the Dark Moon to show…" Parisia shrugged, not sure if even her own words made sense to her.

"No need to make excuses for it, lets be on our way" Huru sighed as he pushed through a huffy Parisia.

Trios however remained looking upwards. "Umm…"

"What is it Trios?" Parisia sighed.

"Don’t you see that faint glow in the sky?" Trios said as his head cocked to the side.

"Hmm?" Parisia brought her gaze to the above skies and sure enough she noticed the glow, he was correct in saying it was faint…but it wasn’t totally swallowed up in darkness.

"Probably a spirit attempting a spell to recreate them selves" Huru simply stated as he continued his walk.

"What if it is Saria?" Parisia suggested.

Huru took a deep breath and nodded with agreement that they should investigate this occurrence further.

"So how are we supposed to get up there?" Trios blinked in wonder.

"You’re forgetting Trios, we don’t have bodies…" Parisia stated as she eyed Trios.

"Huh?"

Parisia inhaled with pity for his intelligence. "We just will our selves towards where we want go… We don’t actually have to walk, it just comes more natural to us."

Trios looked down showing that he still wasn’t sure of what she was trying to hint at.

"Trios… Look upward and start walking towards it, in other words you can walk on air…" Parisia explained.

"Ah!" Trios nodded with understanding.

*

--- Place of White Dark, Spirit World ---

""In or out?" Mullock cocked his head to the side.

"We can’t answer a question that is unheard to us, dear friend."

"Simple questions…simple questions…"

"We think you should have told her… No love! No love!" Mullock’s small companion called out as she revealed herself from under the small table that sat in the corner of Mullock's home.

"Oh love, place of extreme."

"We can see it… Yes we can see! The flowers whisper the answers… LISTEN! LISTEN!" the child’s voice cried out.

"A song without notes… See without eyes" Mullock whispered, his bottom lip trapped between his teeth.

"The song of flowers is almost ready…listen!"

*

"Someone uses the words of Qurin?"

She looked towards the sky to look upon the small light that had formed; she could feel the scratchy magic brush against her skin in the dense air filled with so many other magics.

She sniffed the air, she smelled the curios scent of life. Though she had smelled it once before, it was nothing more than a flower someone had sacrificed to the Spirit World for a dead soul. This time the scent was stronger, sweeter. Her mouth watered with anticipation, what if this was what she had been searching for? She asked herself. Slowly she crept towards the light, hiding herself within the darkness around her. As a Dark Heart, this was an easy task.

*

"They’re here" Velvet announced happily as she skipped to Dekca’s side.

"As I knew they would… All of them?" Dekca asked as he pat the small creature that was forced onto his lap.

"Yes, even the Light Giver…" Velvet answered with pleasure.

Dekca grinned and brought the creature to his face and replied to it "Did you hear that? Even the Light Giver…"

The creature didn’t seem overly interested, it’s shadow-like body limp within his hands.

"I didn’t think you’d be too caring towards them" Dekca declared as he let the shadow creature fall down to the floor.

"So what’s the plan?" Velvet giggled as she fell to the floor to grab the shadow creature and pick it up into her arms with a strong hug. "My precious pet!"

Dekca looked back at Velvet who held the creature lovingly. "You make me sick… Simple, I use your pet as bait."

"Oh! Do we have to give my baby up!" Velvet whimpered as she hugged the creature more fiercely.

Dekca rolled his eyes and snatched the shadow from her. "Shut up" he grumbled.

Velvet snickered. "You’re so easily irritated!"

"Velvet, once again, shut up" Dekca replied as he began to walk towards the light that he had created.

"Coming!" Velvet sang out from behind him as she leaped up to her feet and merrily jogged beside him.

*

"Living? BODIES?" Her mind raced with a thousand thoughts. A Priestess, and two common males…she was certain that the woman was a Priestess, there was a glow to her, a holy light. She chuckled at the thought. Maybe one of these bodies would best suit her. She grinned.

*

"So NOTHING is here really? Just this stupid orb?" Parisia sighed as she lifted the still glowing sphere into her hands.

"Well… Whoever set the orb here should be somewhere around…" Huru said to himself.

Parisia shrugged at his overheard words. "That’s true, but I don’t see anyone…"

"Spiritshadows?" Trios suggested.

"Good point…" Parisia replied.

Huru closed his eyes in concentration for a moment then exhaled. "I feel a presents…but it’s not a Spiritshadow."

"Then what?" Parisia asked placing the orb back to floating in the air.

"Dark Heart…" Trios stated as he sniffed the air. "I sense it too."

Parisia’s eyes widened. "WHERE?"

"We know you’re here!" Trios called out into the darkness. "Show yourself!"

"Very well" a woman answered as she suddenly formed among the shadows.

"Saria?" Parisia shouted, as the voice sounded too familiar.

The shadow-being hissed. "You speak names of curse…"

Huru and Trios watched helplessly as Parisia was suddenly engulfed within the shadow.

Parisia began to gasp for air as the darkness swallowed away her oxygen. She tried to tell herself this wasn’t real, that this was just the Spirit realm, but her mind would not listen and soon the dark became darker…