Prince Rathner walked through the passageways of the temple. It was an extraordinarily large structure for its precarious position on the side of the Arina Mountain range. He had been out of bed for a week and every day he tried to walk a little longer and further to not only explore more of the temple's different levels and winding paths, but also to rebuild his strength. It was alarming how his health had been impacted after only being sick for a week.

His thoughts never strayed far from Prince Jale. He had no idea how a person could come back from what Prince Jale had experienced. How did a person gain the ability to trust anyone after such an ordeal? And what about the humiliation? Prince Rathner would feel shame if his family turned against him, although Prince Rathner did not look down upon Jale in any way. The man had acted with only honor. He had stood up for what he thought was right. He had stood his ground when he had been faced with enemies from every direction. Prince Rathner doubted that he would ever have the courage to do such a thing with such ferocity and conviction.

A flicker of movement caught Prince Rathner's eye and broke his stream of thoughts. He turned. There, in the corner of the hall, a Talekan Assassin was standing watching him. Prince Rathner studied the assassin, unsure of what they wanted.

The Talekan Assassins, an enigma, that's what they were. In the past week, he still hadn't learnt anything useful about them. He had no idea who they were, where they came from, what their purpose was, and what their intentions were in rescuing Jale and himself. Whether the old building was actually a Talekan temple used for their daily operations or just a temporary camp, Prince Rathner didn't know either.

This assassin was petite, so small in fact, she would barely reach Prince Rathner's elbow. Her face was covered but for her eyes and mouth, and her body was shrouded in the long heavy cloak she wore to keep her warm. She didn't look as if she could cause a sense of worry or inflict harm on a person.

Prince Rathner was not stupid however. The Talekan Assassins, all women so far, came in many different shapes and sizes and, he surmized, with many different skills. A small, slight person could easily blend into a crowd, allowing her to go about her business with stealth and furtiveness. There was no doubt in his mind, the woman before him had probably murdered a number of people who had never seen her coming.

The assassin nodded slightly in his direction before she turned and started towards the back of the hall where the weak sunlight barely reached. She stopped at an arched, stoned doorway, the space beyond it dark and uninviting, and with a quick look over her shoulder to ensure that he would follow, she disappeared through the entrance.

Prince Rathner glanced around the room, unsure. There was no one else present. He did not suspect a trap. Nevertheless, it was the first time since he had arrived that a Talekan Assassin had shown an interest in him other than to attend to his health. The assassins rarely spoke and when they did, it was short and to the point. They shied away when conversations were attempted.

It was doubtful that the assassins would go to this much trouble to save him only to go and kill him now. He remained on the spot for only a moment longer and then started to follow, curiosity winning over. There were just too many unknowns when it came to the assassins and Prince Rathner wanted to discover as much as he possibly could.

It was the first time Prince Rathner had ventured to the lower floors of the temple. The stone stairs spiralled further and deeper into the rock of the mountain, the air in his mouth visible as he breathed. His feet tapped on the rock at his feet and burning torches hung on the wall to light his way.

At the bottom of the stairs, the hallway opened up into a large cavern of a room. At the top, a pile of stones lay in a haphazard manner that reminded Prince Rathner of an ancient yet forgotten shrine. In the middle, a circle had been engraved into the stone floor with patterns and what he suspected was a text from the way it was organized on the stone.

His gaze fell on the three additional assassins, standing in a row, their bright, blue eyes shining brightly in the dimness of the large room. The woman who had guided him down the stairs, stopped in the center of the circle and turned to face Prince Rathner.

"I am uncertain as to why you have guided me here," he said, stopping a short distance away from her, his voice echoing around the hall.

The assassin pulled back her hood and pushed her mask up and over her head, baring her face to him. Prince Rathner stepped back cautiously. The assassins had been so secretive, hiding their faces and their identities until then.

The woman was around the same age as Prince Rathner. Her eyes were bright blue, and her fair skin was framed by her abundant, dark hair. Standing within this distance, Prince Rathner could see the leather vest she wore buttoned up to her willowy neck underneath her cloak, and the two daggers that she carried at either side of her hip.

Prince Rathner coughed awkwardly. "Thank you," he said, "to all of you for taking caring of us."

The assassin dipped her head in acknowledgment. "You were chosen," she said simply. Her voice was clear and crisp, confident and strong.

"Chosen?" Prince Rathner questioned.

"Yes," she responded.

Prince Rathner glanced hesitantly at the three assassins who were still lined up in a row, and then looked back to the small women before him.

"We have brought you here to inform you of the consequences of your rescue," the young assassin continued. "You are now indebted to the Talekan Assassins. My name is Valina and from now on, whenever you deal with the Talekan Assassins, you will do so through me. These ladies," she held up her hand to signal to the other women in the room, "are here to bear witness to our conversation. They are higher level ranking in our sect, therefore their identify will remain hidden to you."

Prince Rathner glanced once more at the three women. "How am I indebted to you?" he asked cautiously.

"You do not know much of the Talekan Assassins, do you?" Valina said. When Prince Rathner shook his head, she continued. "While the stories around us are elaborated, they hold some truth. We have an awareness of what can occur in the future."

Prince Rathner's eyebrows rose and he gazed at her skeptically.

"Not every image we receive is the correct one,” Valina continued. “It is for our great seers to determine which path holds our world's best interests at heart. Sometimes, we even have to interfere to ensure that happens. We passed parts of these visions to you when you were recovering."

"Visions?" Prince Rathner swallowed and then he remembered. "The dream?" he asked.

"Yes," Valina answered.

"You were responsible for the dream I had?"

"One of our seers passed it to you, to give you an insight," Valina explained.

"I can only remember a swirl of confusing images. Who can make sense of that?" Prince Rathner asked.

"You do not have the expertise and skills to experience the visions as the seers do. The dream was to give you a mere insight into what we know and are capable of seeing."

"I don't believe you," Prince Rathner responded.

"Whether you believe us or not, you are still indebted to us," she said firmly.

Prince Rathner sighed. Surely such nonsense would mean a nonsensical request. "What do you need me to do?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Valina stared Prince Rathner straight in the eyes. "In the past, the Talekan Assassins had very little need to interfere with the Talbecan Empire and the actions of your father in creating it. We knew of the peace he fought for, so we have often dealt with issues in the desert cities and the lands beyond Yaleka."

"Yaleka?" Prince Rathner asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Across and beyond what the Talbecan Empire calls the Lost Seas and Lost Deserts. Too far for your ships to sail to," she clarified.

"There is a faraway land called Yaleka?" Prince Rathner asked in wonder.

"You're asking the wrong questions," she stated. Valina stared at Prince Rathner ensuring she had his undivided attention. "What I'm about to tell you is to remain between us, there would be severe consequences otherwise."

Prince Rathner raised his eyebrows. "Severe consequences?"

"Yes," Valina stated firmly. "This information can directly affect the entire Talbecan Empire, do you understand?"

Prince Rather tried to hide his shock. He felt nothing but disbelief at present, but he had no doubt the woman before him believed everything she was saying to him. "Yes," he stated.

"Good. Several years ago, five years ago to be exact, the Talekan Assassins became aware of a child, a descendent from a dangerous race," Valina began. "We sought out the child, initially with the aim to see his end. One of our seers reached out to him, and the seer and the child shared their thoughts, in a similar way as they shared the dream with you. The child was determined to not be a threat and therefore, he was not killed." Valina paused ensuring the Prince Rathner was still listening.

"One day, years from now, you will meet him when he is a young man. Keep him safe, Prince Rathner, for he has a good soul but the same ability that we share, is shared with his people for we are distant cousins. If they become aware of him and seek him out, who knows what will happen.”

Valina stepped towards him.

“Danger comes from many directions for this young man. We have seen two visions, Prince Rathner. You must protect him for those that try to seek power could lead us all to destruction."

She placed a gentle hand over Prince Rathner's heart. Prince Rathner froze, nervous at the assassin's close proximity.

"Love, Prince Rathner," she said with a gentle, soft smile. "Love will keep him true. Don't let those who seek power get too close to him."

"This is all a little vague, don't you think?" Prince Rathner said. "How am I to know who this individual is, and how will I know how to keep him safe?"

"Once I have finished explaining everything to you, I will assist you to revisit the dream so you can recall what you saw. Remember, you must not share this with anyone, not even your new lover, Jale."

Prince Rathner let out a short laugh. "I wouldn't call him a lover just yet. I don't even know if he will come to Talbec with me."

Valina's smile deepened, but then her face became serious and determined again. "Jale has only received remnants of this vision to plant seeds into his subconscious, but it is very unlikely that he will remember any parts of it especially after being so deeply inflicted with plague's curse."

Valina paused adding emphasis to her next words. "This is serious, Prince Rathner. Jale has experienced much betrayal. It will take him a long time to trust again. Telling Jale what I have told you, could change the outcomes of what we have seen. Let love run its course, and let your own emotions run true. What I have told you and what you learn from the dream, stays with you and me."

Prince Rathner gave one last look at the ladies at Valina's back and then met Valina's piercing gaze. "All right," he replied. "It will remain between you and me."