The Guardian had taken Cindy away with such haste that the trip back through the painting was very much like the blink of an eye. He did not realise that, since she was not used to the enchantment, the rush would have the added effect of giving her a splitting headache and making all the world around her look like water-colour trickling off a canvas. And it did not help at all that, as they ran, the ruckus seemed to worsen as the floor and all the walls tilted ever so slightly to the right and then to the left and then on and on like a boat on questionable waters. At last, then they came to the inner edge of the ring and, there, Guardian turned to his companion saying...

We have to jump.

Huh?

Then he realised. Among other things, he noticed the mark his grip had left on her wrist from his dragging her about. At once, he let go and moved a little away to study the road ahead. And when next he spoke, he said...

Finish line's twelve rings down. Last one there's a rotten egg!

And so he jumped. Of course, it was perfectly obvious to Cindy that a quick descent was not a game but a necessity. Even so, she caught to his purpose and as she deluded herself into the jolliness of a game she managed to make her nerves quiet for one moment before letting out wild war cries the next. Sure enough, she began descending the bifrost with surety and cackles echoing in her wake. Bubble after bubble, she cleared as she began to catch up with the Guardian- who was going far slower than he otherwise could. Soon enough, she fell past him, sticking her tongue out mid-air to mock him before turning right back round and flying ahead.

If only you knew...

Not one to insult a rival by throwing, Malachi picked up his own pace so that he seemed, at times, to be actually flying- although they were both actually falling. And sure enough, since he was a daily practitioner and she, a second-timer, the Guardian surpassed young Cindy and landed half-gracefully on the intended ring. Then the island shook again- for it had been struck again -and thus the game ended. Whether or not she would have made it to the edge and beyond was already a matter of concern for both of them but whatever chance there had been for the nice end was vanquished by the quake which sent Cindy slipping past the ring and falling further down until a grab, a stretch and a grin.

Got you! I've got you!

Hoorah, hero!

And she was quite scared of falling before then. Though she knew that there was nothing to fear from falling down the bifrost- save the annoyance of climbing it again -her heart froze at the slip and it did not beat again until she felt his fingers hold her. With all the ease accorded him by his strength and her Cornelia-bourne smallness, Malachi pulled his fellow up to the ring and then held her with both arms until she was sure not to fall. Then, at once, he let go and examined the even harsher red round her wrist.

Masterful catch.

Masterful chase.

Hardly.

Hardly not! If not for the Island, you surely would have made it. Not bad for one morning's work, I dare say.

All the while he spoke, his eyes remained fixed on the mark and when Cindy noticed it too she meant to say something. But the rumbling continued and so the running had to as well.

Rushing round the ring, they eventually came upon a painting of a vast field and, wandering about the field, winged beasts- lions and birds and stallions and the like. At once, they jumped through. However, their passage was at an inopportune moment. On account of another less-than-subtle tilt of the island, Cindy struck against the frame so that when she landed in that very field which she saw painted, she did so with a sharp pain against her shoulder. Fortunately, it faded fairly quickly- since it was a pain and not an actual wound- and her thoughts promptly wandered elsewhere. It wandered, in fact, to the countless lions and birds and stallions all round her who were real and not painted. It wandered to all the peoples- armed, wounded or otherwise -marching to and fro a number of carriages- damaged or otherwise. A moment or two of further observation and Cindy came to understand that they were no longer in the palace of Stallion's Rest but rather on one of the smaller islands held up by the branches of the island's great tree.

Just as she was noticing these things, a great sound like booming thunder rocked the whole tree and the island on which it stood. A great ball of fire had been flung their way and had collided with an unseen shield in the space between. Then another. And a few moments later, another. And every time, it sent a quaking all over the island and the tree. And each time, the smoke left behind by the explosion wrapped around the shield revealing its shape. The whole island was protected by a blessed glass surrounding it in the shape of an eggshell. But before Cindy could ask anything about that, she heard a cry pierce through all the numbing noise.

Little brother!

Big sister!

At once, they caught glimpses of each other's raised hands through the crowd and so ran towards each other. And Cindy chased after her fellow.

What's the damage?

We've picked up most of the refugees but some are still in the sky. The Heralds, it seems, have been pursuing them.

And no one noticed?

They were cloaked by some sort of dark magic. They only reappeared after-

After the island showed up. Of course. We've been baited. Who else-

There were some warriors among the refugees. Those not wounded, fleeing or already fighting are being armed as we speak. Besides that, Cloudrunner's party has joined the fray. More will be here soon. The shell should hold till then.

Then another spell- another great ball of flaming death -struck the blessed glass and was denied its target. It was then that Cindy spotted, far off in the distance, the battalion of dragons which had been causing the spells and, beyond them, another floating island with another tree. And between that island and Stallion's Rest, she saw a great, destructive, chaotic, fiery clash of dragons and harpies and phoenixes and manticores alongside and against other lions and birds and stallions and even Whos. And among the creatures were Overseers: Silencer, Chainbreaker and others, leaping from combat to combat as they strove to bring as many fleeing ships to safety as they could.

We have to get Smith out of here. Lucian has a carriage over there (gesturing eastward) waiting to bring her home.

Amidst all this? Can't we simply say she is one of the refugees?

Not unless you are willing to let her bunk with said refugees. And, in any case, I can smell the Ardusk on her. (to Cindy) No offence.

In return, Cindy shook her head with a smile as if to say "don't worry about that" before looking away.

Don't be obtuse, brother. It was a heck of a time getting Father to accept her presence. I don't even want to bother explaining it to Amadeus.

Amadeus is coming?

Did you not hear me mention Heralds? They've shown themselves at last and he wants to help. And that's not to mention that over a dozen islands will be on our horizon within the hour. Making this-

A terribly convenient chance for another meeting.

(to Malachi) And hopefully we'll have some chained up villains in attendance. So let's please not busy the Holy Father by letting him find the prodigy of the Underground with a strange girl sleeping in his bed. (to Cindy) Again, no offence.

But Cindy was not offended- though she had been slightly so the first time. The reason being that she was hardly paying attention. As the battle raged on, Cindy remained hung up on the fate of Amadeus which seemed to ring in her mind in a strange and specific way. It was as though she had just heard the fate of a dear old fellow of whom she had fond memories, only she could not muster any such memories.

Amadeus...

Grand Overseer. Will explain later.

You will, most certainly, not!

(sigh) Right. Sorry. (to Cindy) I will not explain later. (to Susan) Thank you. I'll be with you as soon as it's done.

You've got to be joking.

Sue I...

Silly boy.

And just by the look on Cindy's face, the heiress of Stallion's Rest knew at once that the girl already knew, and she was very insulted. Still, being a good Overseer, she put the matter aside for the time being.

People are dying.

And she will not be one of them.

Ardusk is not in danger!

And I wouldn't care if it were.

Brother! (hesitantly) There are Its in the sky!

Though he was trying to give off an air of strength, Cindy could detect the fear in his posture but she wasn't quite sure whether it was for her sake or his own. And as she was thinking these things, she could feel the shadow round her shoulders becoming larger and heavier.

Its... And you're sure?

We have confirmed sightings near the rear. They haven't joined the assault yet, but methinks it's only a matter of time.

Good. Let us not waste that time-

You're being ridiculous-

I am forbidden from using it, remember?

These people are desperate. I'm not asking for your curse. I'm asking for you, Master Top-of-the-Class.

And this is my price. My final offer.

At last, and after a moment's struggle, Susan gave her nod- albeit in a fashion that made her head seem very heavy and her neck, very weak.

Thank you.

As they were leaving, the sister suddenly grabbed her brother by the arm and sternly whispered in his ear...

Be back as soon as she's home, brother. (angrily) And make no mistake, we will talk about that later.

Then she let go and went on her way.

With Cindy right behind him, Guardian fled eastward until he and his fellow came upon Lucian standing beside a different carriage than the one Cindy had earlier seen. This one was less ornate and more armoured, with a hatch at the top from which one of the passengers might arise and take aim. Quickly, Lucian called the two inside and with a mighty whistle, the unicorns began to run and fly and carry the carriage off- up and away. And the stallions no longer took any issue with Cindy.

The following flight, though no less exciting than the girl's first, was certainly not as merry. In fact, Cindy found herself utterly terrified in places. When first she looked out a window, she saw a host of chariots racing on clouds toward a company of Whos riding wyverns which had been chained at their mouths. And just a moment before the clash, the formation was scattered by the furnace-like breath of a dragon striking at them from below. Some time after that, she saw a swarm of bug-ish creatures descending on a particular vessel; and a few moments later, it ceased to fly and began to fall. Though Lucian had tried to avoid combat as much as possible, it was raging every which way they looked in their part of the firmament. And so said, in a shout...

Guardian! Be a good lad and clear us a path-

No!

She answered on instinct and grabbed onto the Guardian's hand with harshness. And though Lucian did not hear her objection, the Guardian did. And so he replied to Cindy's concern with a false smile and a trembling voice, saying...

I'll be fine.

And though she was not convinced, she let him go, though she kept her eyes fixed upon him. Thus, she beheld, up close the change of his steel-grey bracer into a wand, with his Tear on its point. And she further beheld extensions- seeming to be made of glass -appearing to form the image of a rifle, with the wand as its handle.

Opening the hatch above, the Guardian made his way upwards and began his work. Though he made no time for reloading, and, indeed, he didn't seem to have any care for ammunition at all, the Guardian let out shot after shot, hitting each and every mark and sending unnumbered foes falling from the sky. That said, when he had gone out of the carriage, the makings of rifle had become so hard to notice in the light of the sky that it seemed- from Cindy's perspective -as though the boy were simply playing gunman's pretend with a stick for a weapon, and with all the falling monsters being no more than willing actors and playmates. Of course, plain reason demanded that such a theory be discarded but it was still a sight to see.

Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful, young Guardian!

Malachi gave no cheering of his own and even Lucian's cheering stopped when he noticed a terrible thing happening. Although he had cleared a path, the Guardian had gotten cocky and had begun loosing far too many shots and hitting too many marks and drawing the ire of other companies of Heraldic minions. Among them, there was a certain, recognisable wyvern-rider who began a pursuit of their carriage. The roar of his wyvern and the sight of his flaming sword sent a shiver down Malachi's figure and he could not help but miss blast after blast; not only because of his own panic but because the rider was skilled in manoeuvring through the air.

With his arms shaking and his heartbeat wild, the Guardian braced himself for one last chance at a shot between the rider's empty eyes. Just then, a familiar Overseer burst in from the right and cut off the rider's arm so that he fell and dragged- with his other arm -the wyvern down and round and round until Guardian could take a step up and send a bullet right into the creature's nape, killing it and dooming its rider. In fright and wonder, Guardian turned to look at his rescuer. Clad in her armour, which looked- to Cindy -to be a Beenu of glass, the Overseer girl waved at her comrade and let out a wild battle cry before flying off to another bout.

Runemaster...

Are you okay, boy?

Y-Yes! Well enough!

Seeing that the carriage had managed to get from the island to the outskirts of the battlefield, Malachi returned to his seat and re-shut the hatch for the sake of secrecy. As he sat, his rifle became once more, a steel-grey bracer on his wrist, with the Tear restored to its former place. Sitting so close to him, Cindy could not help but see, then and there, the distress bleeding from every look and motion. Indeed, she saw cracks in his rose-tinted lenses, though she knew not from whence they came.

They were still far from their path of descent when Lucian detected, out of the corner of his eye, a great hydra: a large and horrific beast with many heads and snake-like necks. When Lucian noticed it, it had already wrapped its many necks round one of the fleeing vessels, squeezing and crushing it so that it began to crumble and crack and all the peoples within could only scream since nothing they had on them could pierce its hide. In the distance, the Faun saw Silencer rushing towards them but, in his heart, he knew that even he could not make it in time.

Guardian! Call your pet!

What?

I'm no fool. I know it flies these skies in disguise.

I-

Don't worry. I haven't told anyone yet and I doubt I'll get any more chances.

What's this about, Uncle Lucky?

The hydra. The one to our left.

And Guardian understood at once. Without delay, Lucian turned the carriage towards the hydra and roused the unicorns to charge as quickly as they could.

What's going on? What pet?

Your glassicals won't make it through its hide and I don't suppose that fellow of yours knows how to wrangle and ride a unicorn mid-air.

Uncle...

It's nice to know you care, my boy but we don't have much time and I wasn't asking! Call your pet! Now!

Open the door on your end and, at my word, I want you to fall out.

Are you insane?

I will catch you!

And who will catch you?

Do you trust me?

And she did, but she couldn't very well admit to it, being a twelve-year-old girl. Instead, she did as he asked. As soon as the door was opened, she felt the wind try to drag her out. And, after a deep breath, she let it. And so did she find herself swimming in the open chaos of aerial war, but Malachi was not after her at first. As he prepared himself to leap after, he could not help but give another, more anxious look to good Lucian who declared, in response...

For the Underground!

For the Underground.