A week of talks, filled with arguing, fighting and bickering over irrelevant topics, followed. Secheriab varied from genial and benign, to frighteningly irritated and enraged. The four representatives spent their time alternating between trying to court his favour to their viewpoint, to avoiding his gaze and anger. Somehow an agreement was reached. It was a good agreement, everyone felt they could live with it, yet everyone also believed they had been hard done by.

"So it is decided. Finally, we seem to be finished. All we need now is for this to be ratified by your four cities and I will send advisors and representatives to start on our agreed path." Secheriab looked around the table. "Is it also agreed that Sister Egrit and Prince D'Fir will take the agreement back, while Mekior, Gyv and Jeria search out the Fallen?"

D'Fir answered quickly, not looking at the rest when he addressed Secheriab. "We believe that would be for the best. None of us here are beholden to each other and certain differences have manifested amongst us, which mean that, perhaps this group is not the best one for working together on an extended basis. We were chosen for political, not practical, reasons."

Mekior snorted from his place down the side of the table. "Now there's an understatement! It is a reality that Fort Livian and the Tower have been far more secure than most others, the Tower simply because it is impossible to find and Fort Livian because, though known to Kirest, its defences have proven too strong to justify the cost of an invasion. Both of you have the luxury of philosophies that we do not subscribe to. It is just as well though. The diversity amongst us is an important weapon against the regimentation and constrained thinking of our foe."

Those present were silent, quick glances showed the guilty acknowledgement that Mekior's words carried the truth, that where peace should be between them, should help to glue them together, instead there were idiotic arguments over different philosophies that pushed them apart. The meeting was adjourned, and the participants returned to their own rooms, each preparing themselves for their chosen task.

***

The next morning differed from the previous days. Gone was the regimentation of a meal followed by hours of discussion with food and drink ever replenished. Today they stood in the groups in which would sally forth, the packs of Gyv, Jeria and Mekior filled with the necessary rations and paraphernalia needed for an extended stay in the wilderness. D'Fir stepped forward and embraced each of the others in turn.

"Go in peace, may the Forge Father keep your souls safe within his anvil and let no harm come to you" D'Fir stepped back, watching as Sister Egrit followed his example.

"May the Void watch over you. May the Void guide your voyage to its end. May the void protect you all and bring you back in peace and health." Her hand stroked Gyv's scarred face, a tender caress. "We go to safety, you to face further dangers, not the least of which is to face a fearsome foe that needs to be turned to an ally. I pray that you do not pay further for your bravery and willingness to do that which so many fear; to approach fiends as friends and not foes. She reached back, pulling out a healing potion and passing it to them. You now have both the potions we had left, try not to all get hurt badly at the same time."

Secheriab watched their parting, his face unreadable. "Well now, if you are all set, you can all be sent to where you need to go. Sister Egrit, Prince D'Fir, the emissary will go with you and provide transportation to an area of safety from whence you can journey with ease to your cities. He will also go with you to represent Me to your rulers, an ambassador to ease the coldness between us. As for you Gyv, Mekior and Jeria, I will open a portal to the outside. It will open in the foothills of the Skyne peaks, over a thousand miles from here. The information I have indicates that the encampment of Aspith is somewhere in that region. I have a minion there who should greet you, though there is doubt as to his loyalty." Secheriab hesitated, his voice indicating his uncertainty as he continued, "This region is most likely unknown to any of you. It is distant, and who travels such distances in these days? I have been able to gather some very sketchy information; my minions are few and their capacity to gather information limited. There may be other cities in that region, both hidden and fiend ruled ones. Take care, not all hidden cities are necessarily allies.”

“To return without travelling the entire distance through unknown territory, return to the spot at which you arrive at and speak my name five times in succession. I will hear and activate a portal to bring you back."

The three shot questioning looks at him, but Secheriab seemed disinclined to talk further. He stood with his back to them as his hands and words moulded space and opened a door shaped portal. On the other side, a sunny day could be seen. The sun stood high in the sky, shining down onto rubble-strewn ground. Massive trees towered into the sky, their tops out of view. The three viewed the scene, taking a moment to examine the area beyond until they were satisfied that it harboured no immediate danger. Mekior saluted the companions they were leaving behind and stepped through, followed by Jeria and then Gyv.

"We're on our own. Do you think the others will find the Fallen and come back?" D'Fir was staring at the space where the portal had stood, now showing just plain rock.

"Have faith, D'Fir. I believe that the Gods themselves must have long since tired of the oppression and rule of the fiends. Perhaps we are the generation which will finally free the world from the fiends, maybe now is the time when success lies within our grasp." Sister Egrit stopped speaking but seemed to be chanting to a low hum under her breath.

"Tell me, D'Fir, how familiar are you with the prophecy of Gerogh?" At the mention of the prophecy, Sister Egrit noted that Secheriab became much stiller, his head held at an attentive angle.

"Have you ever wondered if it applies to us, particularly to Jeria? Ever since I met him I cannot get the 'Refrain of the Keystone' from my mind"

Her hum got louder, her voice breaking into a chant

The child will come from one abused

Torn from the womb of a mother

Hidden from the father

His life forfeit from the moment of creation

Not for him the love of the mother

But for him the hate of the other

The bringer of bitterness yet applauded by many

Who shall walk at his side when he dares accost the Fall

The Hidden and Marked true to their Call.

From beyond the Gate he brings our succour

From within his heart our release

His soul the key to our ease

"Does that not make you think of Jeria? I cannot fathom the line of the Hidden and the Marked. Could the Hidden and Marked be Gyv and Mekior, but which is which? And the last stanza has always been ridiculously unclear, interpreted as everything from the Gods coming themselves to an Angelic army storming the strongholds of Kirest. Of course, most agree that the last stanza means that whoever this is will die." She sighed, looked at D'Fir and then at the Emissary and Secheriab who were making no secret of their interest. "Prophecies are rarely helpful, always clear after the fact, and never telling you what you really need to know."

"Aside from rumours we have heard nothing of the prophecy of Gerogh." Secheriab's voice was flat, no emotion coming to the fore, "From what I heard within that segment it does sound like it could be referring to Jeria, but, as you say, it is generic enough that it is wide open to interpretation. I would suggest you resume your speculation once you are safely ensconced within the bosom of your people."

D'Fir laughed at Gyv's speculation. You want the Marked and the Hidden to refer to Mekior and Gyv. I can see how either could fit Gyv, but I don't see how they would fit Mekior. "As much as I hate to agree with a fiend, let us leave the speculation until we are home."

On cue, the Emissary came forward, reaching out and touching each of the others.

"Close your eyes, both of you. D'Fir, if you would please envision in your mind our destination. I will take us there as soon as I have enough of a feel for the location to do so without getting us stuck in solid rock." The Emissary waited, its own eyes closed, its face wrinkled in effort.

D'Fir did as directed, his eyes closed, his mind wandering to the towers and battlements of the massive fort, its market filled with throngs of people as the smell of incense and unwashed bodies mingled. His mind wandered through the city streets, bringing longing for his home to the fore, for the massive audience hall within the Royal Keep, the gardens tendered and filled with all manner of plants, their like normally not found beneath the Earth. He could feel the vibrations of the Emissary's voice, even though he could not understand the words. The change in temperature and footing underneath caused him to stumble, and, by the way the Emissary held him steady, it at least seemed it had not come as a surprise to him.

"Open your eyes, we are there."

D'Fir and Sister did as directed and stared at the massive iron gates of Fort Livian before them.

"Sorry I couldn't bring you closer to where you wanted to go, D'Fir. The city is heavily warded against such entry. No doubt to stop my cousins from just ignoring your defences and having their way with your city." The Emissary chuckled. "Now use those princely charms of yours to get us in. I wait here in anticipation of a rain of arrows falling upon my head."

D'Fir gave a dark look in his direction. "The city IS warded; you should not have even been able to get us this close! I had expected us to arrive much further out, and to be surrounded by armed guards and those that stand in their support."

The Emissary gave him a bland look. "Yes, you're right. There was a redirect spell set on the city, which should have done as you said. I do not know who set it up, but it contained a weakness I used to bring us to a less obvious area. Never fear, I shall tell your mages within how to fix this hole in your defence. After all, isn't that what allies are for?"

Somehow, D'Fir did not feel comforted, how many other gaps in their defences had this fiend noted, and did not speak off? He set off around the wall, not waiting for the others but expecting them to follow. It was not a short walk, the city was immense, the walls high and curved outwards, smoothed to make them almost impossible to climb unless the climber could hold on like a spider and cling to smooth rock while upside down. Eventually, they came to a guard trail, which lead them around to the main gate and the soldiers that stood there on watch. D'Fir was known, but he caused consternation with his companions. Sister Egrit was unknown and the Emissary an obvious, and powerful, fiend. The crowds around the gate towards which they walked scattered, a solid line of guards taking their place.

"Stop! If we go closer, they will shoot first and ask questions of our corpses afterwards. In addition, there are mages hidden behind them, out of our sight but ready. If we wait, they will send someone to us who can summon my brother, or others, to vouch for us." D'Fir sat as he finished, hands open in front of him, his axe sheathed upon his back. Sister Egrit copied him, ready to wait.

"So mote it be." The Emissary sounded bored, resigned to the delay. His large, compound eyes watched the soldiers, taking in details that the two with whom he sat could have no hope of noticing from this distance.