The journey through the nights had been long and never ending; with each rustle of the wind through the trees and howl of the beasts that lurked in the shadows, the party's footsteps quickened. Danger pressed in along their backs along with the glowing eyes that could be seen off in the distance marking their hurried steps. The hills and valley's had stretched far beyond the cloaking darkness would allow their eyes to see and so they continued to press on with their senses heightened for sound of others along the road and their eyes glued to the horizon.  

With the third day's break long awaited arrival, the long shadows receded to shrubbery and gentle oaks lining the cart road they traveled. Kit had managed well even under the strain that burned Kalo's thigh muscles that, he thought, had been developed during the long marches with The Guard. The serene riverbank that they stumbled upon was a welcomed reprieve from their toil.

"This is only a short break, Kit." Kalo called out to the young boy that was currently unburdening his arms of the feline's weight that he had carried the night, onto one of the large boulder's that dotted the river's bank.

"At least we have a chance to get clean before the next town." Kit replied, dusting off his well-worn layers as he turns about inspecting the crystal clear water of the river as it flowed idly before them.   

Kalo snorted with laughter at the boy's words before replying, "Since when have you been concerned with cleanliness?" with a laugh Kalo watched as Kit began to shed some of layers.

The idea of washing away the dust from their long trek, was what made decide that this was brief break at the river was a good idea, he had expected a fight on his hands with the boy. The idea of washing had never gone over well with the young boy before, the mere suggestion of a bath had always been followed by an epic fight that left Kalo more in need of a bath himself and few cuts and bruises to be treated between the both of them.

Kalo could not help but chuckle to himself remembering those battles between him and the boy. Watching Kit as he struggled to remove his boots, Kalo could see the drawn up hem of the boy's trousers. Had it only been two seasons ago that they had flooded his feet causing him to stumble? Now they barely reached his ankle. They would need to get him something else to wear, a growing boy's self value was fragile enough without looking as though he had raided a nursery's wardrobe, Kalo noted to himself, it would a good as any chance to find out what ever additional information the locals had to offer.

The heavy thud of his great coat and the clanging of metal as it fell to the ground drew Kit's attention to the massive tree set away from the water's edge where Kalo was disrobing. Leaving the feline resting on the boulder Kit strode towards the growing pile of cloth and gear at Kalo's feet.

"What, is this?" Kit asked with curiosity and awe laced in his voice, carefully picking up an evil looking twist of polished metal between his thumb and forefinger.

"That, is not for playing with" Kalo said sternly plucking the weapon from the boy's grasp. With a slice of the blade through the air and a refraction of the sunlight that nearly blinded Kit, Kalo returned the weapon to its sheath where it was joined by the harness that was strapped around his leg onto the pile.        

"When do I get to have one of these?" Kit asked scavenging through the discarded items.

"Not until you are full grown."

"I am full grown." Kit grumbled in reply which caused Kalo to laugh in turn.

"I am a man of my own right" Kit yelled standing from his perusal of the weaponry to confront Kalo, as he began to tug his own tunic over his head exposing his own muscular and scarred torso, "I may not be a big lug like you are Kalo but I am a man as well."

The young boy and full grown man stood watching one another, neither one willing to concede to the other, as the cool water of the river flowed along its path, the sun peeked through the fluffy white clouds that dotted the endless blue sky of the morning and a cool breeze rustled through the leaves over head. It was with a quirk of Kalo's brow, that the silence was broken by Kit's exclaim, "Never mind you then!" and with a dismissive wave of his arm Kit turned back to the river, giving Kalo his profile as his chest heaved with quiet disdain.   

Kalo stifled his own overt reaction to the boy's indignation. He too, could remember what it was like at that age. Too old to claim youthful indifference to the world around you, that had made you orphan and left one responsible for their up keep while still not quite old enough to fully deal with the consequences meted out to you by the actions of others. For Kalo, even before the untimely deaths of those that had raised him, he had been different. With skin whiter than the snow from the north and almond shaped eyes as dark as coal, he was too easily spotted, an anomaly amongst the sun baked hues of the farming village he grew up in.

That he had grown from a scraggly and pale young boy with limbs too long to manage into a strapping young man with muscles and height to spare made even more so, other. The older boys who had used him for target practice as a relief from their mid afternoon boredom now only approached him in large groups.

He had earned a reputation for fighting so they were wise enough not to approach him alone, which oddly enough did nothing but increase his popularity with the women of the village that caused him to only have more fights with the other men. Kalo did not mind the reputation he had gained in his later years for sin and violence. It had given him hours of amusement, if only they knew, what their young pristine daughters where willing to do with the village outcast in the dark of night, under a draping moss tree or behind the local watering hall.

None of them had mattered. For him there had only been Camisa, the only person who had seen a filthy beaten young boy in the darkness and stretched out a hand in friendship. Friendship had turned to love and sweet kisses. Camisa was- is his heart, his everything. The world could be consumed in pyres and burn to ashes, as far as he was concerned all he needed was Camisa.

"My Lord, the scouts bring news," said the officer leaning in close to Prince Phalan's ear in order to not excite the others who occupied the Great hall. With a purposefully casual wave of his hand to his Captain, Phalan pushed back from the large head table and followed his man. More than one pair of eyes tracked his removal from the Great hall with interest.

It sickened him, pandering to sycophants, conspirers and whores all clamoring for favor from the King, who sat on the dais, a few spaces from the seat that Phalan himself had just vacated, gloating and reveling in the spoils of war. Phalan in his youth living in the Citadel, learned that those smiling faces before the King often hid the devious and secretive intentions of the power hungry and vengeful. Edrick's advisors had spoken against welcoming the conquered region's elite into his hall, believing this would leave him open to assignation but by some providence, he remained amongst the living. With each failed attempt on his life he became more brazen and his enemies with the smiling faces and sweeping bows, more determined. It matter none to Phalan, he knew they would all get what was coming to them in the end.

Reaching the corridor outside of the hall, Phalan followed the Captain to the small group of his men who stood away from the hall's entrance. Noticing his presence behind their Captain the men turned and bowed at the waist before him.

"What have you learned?" Phalan said, cutting straight to the heart of the matter impatiently.

"Prince, he has been seen," the young office reported quickly sensing Phalan's urgency.

"Where?"

"To the East, my Lord witnesses tell of him journeying towards Okeanida."

"Yes, he is rumored to spend a great deal amongst the thick woods there, where else could he be so well hidden?" The Captain added solemnly.

"Ready the horses, we leave immediately" Phalan commanded turning away from the men towards his chambers to ready for the journey, pausing briefly he added, "Send the water engine vessel as well, we would not want him escaping across the river." Phalan tossed over his shoulder before continuing down the corridor the staircase beyond, leaving the men to go about carrying out his orders.

As they made their way out of the doorway leading to the plaza outside, another figure slipped out from behind a suit of armor. Checking that the corridor remained empty the shadowed figured headed in the opposite direction of the men, with quick but light steps. Leaving the corridor with out a trace of it every being there.

Okeanida, was a bustling township more so than the one they had fled only a few nights ago. The now derelict wall surrounding the town was well established in great slabs of stone, marking itself as a defensible port of old surrounded by thick forest on three sides while the other butted against a vast body of water, where many a foolish marauder had sunk their invading hoards amongst the jagged rocks that dotted the coastline. Smugglers and fisherman kept the secrets of navigating the dangerous waters. They had kept the town safe, a solitary defense unto itself for many years until Edrick's campaign against the township in a bid to control commerce in the region, they trampled over the less sophisticated weapons of the merchants and fisherman with rifles.

 They had not stood a chance against the invasion and subsequent conquering of the Citadel's forces, now they existed, a mere shadow of its previous greatness much like the rest, living under the rule of the Great Conqueror and his Golden Queen.    

Approaching the main gates Kalo could see where times of peace had left the westward defense neglected and in need of care. Citadel banners rippled in the wind from the guard posts on every visible corner, claiming the once great port.  

Pulling his heavy cloak closer about himself, Kalo glanced briefly over his shoulder to ensure that Kit was still behind him as he slipped quietly behind a merchant cart as it passed through the guard posting at the entrance of the town avoiding their inspection and quickly immersed him and the boy into the crowd making its way into the market square.

During his nomadic wonderings after leaving the guard, Kalo had heard the tales of beastly creatures savagely attacking travelers on the road and those who had managed to survive the beasts where then picked of by thugs who had mange to settle the area. He didn't worry so much for himself but he knew traveling with the young boy, allowances must be made. The northern road they had taken into Okeanida had been the safest and quickest choice to reach the denser wood that lay on its southern border, where the visions were leading him.

Merchants crowded the square with stalls over flowing with a variety of wares catering to the everyday man as well as visitors with a few extra coins to spend; weavers cloths from the south and grains and spuds from the west.

 It was quite a sight to be seen. As was evidence by Kit's slacked jawed amazement as he took in the mass of people. Although he had spent time in the Citadel trying to make a life out in the streets, Okeanida was place all too different from the capital city.

 May be the sun shone brighter here or it could have been the air that was free of danger from the ever-lurking Guard who patrolled the streets for miscreants and ill doers.  Children weaved through the crowds with shrieks and great peals of laughter as they made their way to the furthest corner of the market but they were not the only ones, Kalo could see over the heads of the crowd that many where making their way over.

Hearing the merriment, Kit craned his neck, jumping and dodging about trying to see what all of the fuss was about.

"Kalo, can you see what is going?" the boy asked eagerly, as he tried to peer around the large slow moving man in front of him.

"There seems to be some sort of unique attraction over in the far corner." He replied matter-of-factly as they drew nearer to the crowd.

"I am going to see what it is" Kit said too anxious to wait, before he crouched low to the ground, the feline still in his arms, slipped behind a nearby stall and darted along the back wall of the market towards the attraction.

Laughing to himself, as much as Kit longed to be a man he was still very much a boy, as he turned in the direction of a stall that sold cloths hoping to find something appropriate for the boy to wear.

Kalo had not been at the stall long before Kit found him again, his constant movement and gleam in his eye evidence of his overflowing excitement.

"You have to come and see!"

"What is it then? Some new potion that will turn stones into gems?" He sarcastically replied.

"No, he is a magic maker! He can make objects move on their own-"

"I am sure there are strings," Kalo interrupted.

"And he just knew things about people," Kit continued excitedly as though Kalo had never said a word, "You have to come and see it!" he finished tugging on Kalo's arm trying to pull him away from the stall.

The merchant whose stall Kalo had been perusing, chuckled at the young boy's antics before speaking to Kalo, "If you don't mind my sayin' he is worth taking a moment to see. They call him The Hermit, he is a wonderous man indeed."