Quake's ear twitched as she heard Alyson call her from the lagoon. Without saying a word to War Scribe or anyone else, she left the temple and simply walked down into the ground. Earth meld was such a wonderful ability.

Madeous merely watched at the chronicler heading out of the temple. He surmised that whatever War Scribe truly was her own origins were anything but natural. There were gaps in how she viewed people in general. It was as if she never experienced childhood herself, and neither could grasp it or cared about it. He wondered on how Alyson met her in the first place.

Sergeant Talos started to head out of the temple but not before saying one last thing for the evening, "Well then, I must return to the barracks and clean up the mess left by the previous officer. Do enjoy the rest of Asylum, and please stay out of trouble."

"We will stay out of trouble, Seargeant Talos," Willow replied.

"But we cannot guarantee that trouble will stay away from us," Irzen added with a grin.

Madeous turned to Willow, Irzen, and Neven, "You are more than welcome to join me at the Light house. There's a library there, as well as Armendes, the keeper of the lighthouse and long time friend of Lazheros. There are two ways to get there, one is by boat, the other is when the tide goes out at dawn and dusk."

"Sure," Irzen replied.

"There is nowhere else we need to be," Willow added.

"Okay. We'll most likely have to take the boat out there now that the sun has gone down." Madeous told Irzen and Willow as they left the temple and headed back to the docks.

"Thank you for the invitation," Neven replied as he turned towards The Shield Maiden, "Serna, do you want to come along?"

"I think I'll stick around and hang out with Caliphay," Serna replied, "You guys can go on. I'll be fine!"

"Neven, would you like to hang out with us?" Seri stepped forward towards the thief, "I'd like to know more about you and my friends would like to hear more of the Realm since we don't go very far from the city itself."

"Sure," Neven smiled at Seri before he turned back to Irzen and Willow, "Guys, I'll catch up with you later." The Thief turned towards his new friend, "In truth, I would like to get to know you better and learn more about Asylum as well."

Gabe waved to the others to meet them back at the guild or the Gallows pub in the poor district. "Right. Seri, see you in a bit. You too, Neven."

Seri whisked her hair back over her shoulders and took the thief's arm, "Shall we?"

"Absolutely!" Neven eagerly took Seri's hand as they walked out of the temple together.

"Looks like Neven has made a new friend," Irzen mentioned to no one in particular.

"Or his new friend has made Neven," Willow responded with a knowing look, "They are Thieves after all. Only time will tell if their interest in each other is true."

The Swordsman nodded in agreement.

*********

The Bronze Man wrapped both arms around her and the two vanished in a flash of light and reappeared at the steps of the Lighthouse. The door opened by itself and the two entered the building.

Lazheros and Alyson stepped through the threshold of the lighthouse. The interior was deceptively bigger on the inside than on the outside. Typical of a mage creation. The main room had a two large couches on either side with book shelves behind both. At the far end was a desk covered with scrolls and various other writing tools. A set of spiral stairs could be seen just to the right and behind the desk that went further up. Plants hung from the twelve foot ceiling with long green tendrils glowing softly in the room.

Lazhreros ushered Alyson forward for her to have a seat on the couch to their left. She gladly sat down remembering how comfortable it was. He then walked to the back of the room just past the spiral stairs and came back with cup of hot mint tea for her.

A scuffling sound followed by clanking came from the stairs as someone descended them. A figure resembling a tin man, or construct stopped at it saw the elementalist sitting down and talking with the bronze man, "By Bahamut! Alyson? Is that you? You've grown into quite the woman!"

The elementalist took a sip of the mint tea and turned towards the figure, "Armendes. It's good to see you again."

Armendes was once a powerful wizard. A silver dragonborn who in an attempt to create a construct as a servant botched on the spell which left him without a body. Initially he believed that his spell was flawless failed to see the true cost of the work and magic that was required. In his haste, the magical spirit he summoned destroyed his mortal form and forced him to inhabit the construct instead. For the last five hundred years he has been a long friend and aid to Lazheros when ever his area of expertise was required.

Alyson let out a giggle at Armendes, "Teehehee!" It wasn't intentional but it did slip out loud enough for the wizard to crane his metal head around.

He sighed, "I heard that."

"Yes. You did. Sorry, after the day I've had, me laughing is a good thing," Alyson sat back against the back of the couch. "It's when I am not laughing you should be worried." An aura of fire surrounded her body in the presence of both the cleric and the wizard implying that her powers were returning faster.

"Ah! You've awakened! Truly awakened! That would explain the random storm that formed earlier. It always called to you. In fact, I clearly remember having to Teleport your younger self out the direct path of a lightning storm that naturally blew in. You're not immune to lightning you know." Armendes clamored forward some more in his construct body.

"No, I am not immune to lightning. Only resistant to it." Alyson stretched and yawned inconspicuously , "I am, however, immune to fire."

"Is that a fact?" Armenedes walked past her to look out the window towards the city and noticed a boat with three people heading in their direction.

Lazheros had went in the back room briefly and returned with his own cup of hot herbal tea. One of his own making. He didn't care for fermented beverages like wine or ale. To him it was foul tasting. He set it on the desk and walked over to see what Armendes was looking at. "Ah, it would seem that the king is coming for a visit, as well as two of Alyson's friends."

"She has friends?" Armendes asked sarcastically. his metallic voice reverberated within the constructs body.

The mint tea that Lazheros had given Alyson to drink was taking affect on her. It made her sleepy and she struggled to keep her eyes open. It was a natural tea with a mellow sweet taste to calm the person who drank its contents. Sometimes causing the person to fall asleep and since she was already tired, it made it easier. When the bronze man glanced back to the elementalist she was asleep. The cup grasped loosely in her hand as she leaned against the arm of the couch.

The Bronze Man merely took the cup from her and placed it on the desk. Then he reached down and gathered her in his arms and ascended the stairs to the sleeping quarters on the second floor. A few minutes passed when Lazheros came back down and settled into the chair behind the desk. Grabbing his tea, he sipping it until it was gone.

He closed his eyes in contemplation. Had it not been for Alyson's friends, Sorvor might not have been exposed and found out. The test was a simple one that the young shield maiden had finally admitted to her mistake but her stubbornness will either make or break her. Calipahy will now get the chance to see the rest of the Realm as it was her wish. The ranger cares not for his heritage or the simple fact, that there are emissaries from his homeland here in Asylum. The other two, the swordsman with two souls and the thief who could find a new life here depending on what he does. Young love is such a precious thing. The swordsman is always cautious, and his human half taking a ride in a body that's not his own. Time will tell....

**********

It took Madeous, Irzen, and Willow several minutes to reach the docks where a single medium sized boat lay anchored there. The night watchman turned around upon hearing the trio approaching him. "Your majesty. Heading out to the lighthouse this evening?"

"Yes, and so are these fine gentlemen." The platinum knight grabbed a hold of the mooring rope and stepped into the boat."

The night watchman held up a lantern to signal another guard posted on the far side next to the lighthouse. He swung it back and forth three times to indicate how many people were coming over. "All right, if you will climb aboard, you will be received on the far end." The guard gestured to the swordsman and ranger.

Both Willow and Irzen joined Madeous in the boat.

**********

Caliaphy took notice of the chronicler arguing with Quake and walked up to Serna, "Want to see something funny?"

"Sure, what do you have in mind?" Serna asked with a mischievous grin.

Caliaphy brought her finger to her lips and whistled loud enough for all the children in Asylum to hear it and come to her location. That is one third of the population.

As War Scribe was beginning to depart, the Drowling noticed a small army of children heading towards the temple, "What in the Realm is going on here? This is a temple not a playground."

Children from the ages of seven to twelve walked up the hill from the city and entered the temple. They came and surrounded the chronicler with all smiles and giggles.

Irzen, Serna, Neven and Willow took notice of the onrush of children as well.

Caliaphy held Serna's hand and grinned, "You look unhappy here, silly drowling. So, my friends and I are gonna cheer you up. How are you at Hide and Seek? We love to play hide and seek! Teeheehee!"

"I'm very good at Hide and Seek, little Elf," War Scribe turned to face Caliaphy with an evil grin, "Do you think you brought enough kids to seek me out? What are the rules of this little game you wish to play?"

"We learned Hide and Seek from Alyson long ago," Caliaphy smirked, "Well, first of all, not it. You are it. Two, we all hide and you count to fifty. No peeking. Then you say Ready or not, here I come. The safe area is the fountain in the center of Asylum. If any of us reach it there before you find us, we're safe. If you find and tag someone else, it's their turn to be it. You can start right outside the temple since its the one place that's off limits and we don't want to anger the Bronze Man. No, hiding in the buildings either. And no magic once the game starts by the person who's it."

"No magic by the person who's it?!" The Drowling screeched, "That's not fair! You and the rest of your little imps can use magic all day to evade me, but I can't use any? That's not fair at all."

The Kurori snapped her fingers and the children dispersed so fast that it would impress any battle field commander. She then looked at Serna, "Since your new to this, you get one free-bee." Still holding her hand, the two blinked in a flash of light and reappeared down below the temple at the edge of the city proper. "Okay, we hide now."

"Sure thing!" Serna ran with Caliaphy as they reappeared.

Meanwhile, War Scribe was more than a little perturbed that the rules were so obviously set up so that she would lose. In a huff, she stormed out of the temple, "No magic, indeed! That scheming little Elf and that pest with a shield won't be able to hide from me for long. I'll get them before they can even reach that stupid fountain!"

Caliaphy gestured to Serna to pick a spot near the docks. There were plenty of empty barrels for both to hide in while the chronicler counted down.

The Shield Maiden quickly looked around and selected a row of empty barrels that appeared to be set aside against a warehouse. Meanwhile, War Scribe started her countdown certain in the belief that she will win this little contest.