Khadian

Clive imagined having the owl Archimedes stuffed and placed on his father's mantle, then quickly decided otherwise. The prince knew that even if he actually did want the owl dead, (which he didn't) he knew of nothing powerful enough to kill the bird and with that thought he just let the rest slide. Viola had taken Archimedes's invitation and began the trek down the stairs to floor seven. Clive hadn't kept count of how many floors they had passed getting to this point but it felt like forever and a day. This tower must have been magically altered to appear smaller on the outside then it actually was. He looked at the rest of the group and shook his head. This was going to be a long day!" he thought to himself and headed towards the stairs. Hearing the rest of the group follow behind, he felt slightly more comfortable with Dalivn tagging along. The two women didn't seem like that much of a threat, or at least they seemed both nice and most importantly uninformed about Clive's real name. If they didn't know who he was, not only would they not attack him but they would also not know they could take advantage of his title. He knew he had to be careful who he made friends with. There was always someone out there with only one goal in mind when conversing with royalty, Money. These three didn't seem the sort, so there was a chance Clive could trust them. Truthfully, only time would tell. As they finished the last set of stairs down to floor seven, The prince saw Archimedes and Viola standing there waiting for them. Well, Archimedes wasn't standing really as much as he was sitting. The owl sat on his very own purch, which was actually the silver bar on top of one of the first bookshelfs the prince could see as he steped further into the seventh floor. Viola seemed to be looking around and Clive really didn't have the patience to search every nook and cranny of the seventh floor so he looked up at the bird. He remembered Archimedes's words before. " If were willing to do the leg work huh?" he said quietly to himself. He decided not to complain and began searching the imediate area for the shard. He quietly hoped if they didn't find it soon the owl would give them another hint, but he couldn't be sure.

By the time they reached the seventh floor, Viola was breathless and shaking. She wasnt out of shape or anything, but the entire time down she felt like she was going to fall. A glance in a wall mirror revealed her pale face. She gulped air and braced herself on her knees. "You better not get sick on these carpets. They're older than the lot of you combined times two." The owl screeched. If she wasnt so weak her glare wouldve shot daggers. Clive entered the room first and began rummaging through things. Viola took his lead and began to look as well. A weird sound escaped the owls beak--was that a sigh?--and it let out a loud 4 tone screech that had Viola covering her ears.

When the bird ceased he said. "You humans will never find anything making your messes. Look there." The ow held out a wing and pointed--pointed to a wall painted in flowers, bushes, and trees making up the image of a garden. "That is your first clue."

She stepped towards the wall to ponder the clue. A garden? There would be a garden on the 7th floor... would there? How would the plants get their sunlight? She reached out to touched a delicate and detailed leaf and, almost at her touch, the wall panel moved and opened, revealing a massive garden. Not entirely subtle... she thought.

She turned to the boy and said, "Hey, Clive. You might want to come take a look at this."

Clive was searching the book shelves in the corner of the room. He saw some interesting books about how to farm in different types of barren areas as well as several books about controlling water magic. It was like the books he would find most interesting were finding him. He silently wondered if it was some kind of magic but he figured it didn't really matter. He began reading one of the books. The one he picked out was titled " How to heal with water magic." He quickly skimmed the first couple chapters, hoping he would remember what he'd learn in a pinch when the owl made some kind of sound. Clive quickly looked over just in time to hear a loud screech. He dropped the book and his hands instinctively went to his ears. The screech didn't last long, but it wasn't exactly quiet and the prince definitely wasn't expecting it. Nobody seemed to see him drop the book, so he quickly picked it back up and placed it in it's rightful place on the self. He thought about stashing it, but he wasn't one to steal. Maybe if he told the mage what he wanted it for Majesty would allow him to borrow a couple books after they left.

"Hey, Clive. You might want to come take a look at this." he turned towards the direction the voice came from. Viola was calling for him from the other side of the room. She must have got over her dizziness he thought to himself. He walked around the bookshelf he was currently looking at and saw what she had called him for. What seemed to be a simple painting earlier was now the entryway into some sort of garden. He walked over to Viola and stared into it in awe. He reached his hand through the opening that should have been the wall behind the painting. His hand went through and he could feel the heat radiating off the light above. " Surely It couldn't be the sun, Could it?" he said to Viola. He took a good look inside. The first thing Clive saw was the step stones in front of him. All stone but they had a strange picture inbedded on them. Due to the fact that they were well worn, the prince couldn't tell what the picture was. He would have to take a step down to enter the room but his first step would land him on the first step stone. From where he stood, the step stones with the unknown picture lead further in towards some kind of central area. From there, he saw all kind of flowers flowing in the breeze as well as other colorful plants. He saw a set of stone benches near the center as well as a fairly large water fountain. This one was nothing like the one that brought him to this crazy place. This fountain had a statue of an owl not unlike Archimedes as it's centerpiece however this owl seemed somewhat younger. It was holding some kind of staff in its beak and had a few wounds down its side. Clive wondered if it was Arch when he was younger or another owl entirely. Either way he was never sticking his hand in another fountain again! He learned his lesson the first time. He was still trying to figure out if something happened and he was knocked out or if he had died and this was the world-after. He had heard stories about people seeing what came after death and they were nothing like this. In the afterlife, there normally wasn't supposed to be a large magic stone tower, metallic red sand, an annoying talking owl or a strange mage named majesty who knew everything you didn't want him to. There was always the possibility he wasn't dreaming any of it and this was real, but that wasn't a very comforting thought either. He secretly wished it was all a dream and his princess wasn't captured or possibly dead. He thought about Arwen again. Clive shook his head to get his thoughts clear. He took the first step into the newly discovered garden. He felt the smoothness of the stone at his feet. The heat coming from above felt real. Clive could also feel some kind of humidity he wasn't expecting and couldn't help but feel in awe. One step out of the cold but well lit tower and it felt like you were in another world. He didn't realize it, but his hand was on his sword as he stepped into the unknown. He looked around, no threat to be seen. He stepped out of the defense stance he didn't realize he stepped into and looked back to Viola. " I think it's somewhat safe in here," he said as he held out his hand so she could take the step in.

Viola gazed into the room in amazement as Clive stepped inside. There was a slight breeze wafting through the doorway bringing heat, and the scent of flowers. She could hear the soft splashing of a fountain. Over Clive's shoulder she saw a beautiful water fountain with an owl. It was wounded which was heartbreaking, but at the same time it was beautiful. She close her eyes and inhaled the scents for a moment. She was reminded of the hills before the mountains that separated Donnally and Hannival. She smiled softly, remembering her mother holding her in the long grasses and her father played his flute.

"I think it's somewhat safe in here," Her father said. She opened her eyes quickly and realized it wasn't her father. Clive stood before her, his hand out to help her step across the threshold. She blushed slightly and then mentally chastised herself for it. She wasn't a blushing, dainty girl. She was a fighter. A warrior. She took his hand still, her legs still a little wobbly, and stepped inside. She almost immediately let go of his hand and ran to the fountain. The water was clearer than any she had seen and it seemed to sparkle in whatever light illuminated the strange garden. She suddenly realized she was thirsty, but wouldn't dare drink the water. It couldn't be good.. could it?

Archimedes screeched and flew through the doorway. It closed behind them sealing them inside the room. "Welcome to the gardens, pips." the owl said, landing on the staff in the stone owl's beak. "Care for a drink? I assure you it is safe. Most of the mages come here for their drinking water when when they are feeling weak, sick, or tired. It gives them a boost. I'm sure you could use it." He turned his head 90 degrees and stared at the stone owl. " My, My, My, was I ever that young?" The bird seemed to shrug and then he took off and disappeared into the flower bushes.

Viola cupped her hands and ran them under the streams. The water was cool in the warmth of the room and she put her hands to her lips and slurped the water into her mouth. A shock of tingling sensations moved through her body and she felt herself feeling stronger. When she opened her eyes everything seemed sharper and even more dazzling. "Woah," she whispered, "That's some powerful stuff."

She gazed about the room in wonder. There seemed to be sunlight but she knew not from where and the flowers seemed to fill every space. There was a large hedge row with an opening, and she felt herself drawn to it. Without a second thought or even a word to Clive, she took a step towards it. There's something here, She thought.

Viola took a moment before she entered the garden. She seemed to be in some kind of trance. With Clive's final words the trance was broken and she took his hand. Seemingly as soon as she was in she let go and raced toward the fountain. The one place he wanted nothing to do with. He cautiously walked closer to the fountain. Despite Arch's temptation, Clive wasn't ready to get near another fountain yet. He wasn't sure of the feeling, but it didn't seem to be fear. He'd felt fear many times before and this was more like reluctance. He didn't know why, but he wasn't going to put his hands in that fountain unless it was absolutely necessary. He took a few steps closer to the fountain. Now he could very clearly see every aspect of the owl. It looked more and more like Arch now that he was so close and it made him take a closer look at the live owl on it's stone staff as well. It might be Arch, he thought to himself. Clive saw a bit of hair not growing on Arch just about where the deepest cut the stone owl had received was. He was sure there was a story behind it, but Arch wasn't telling them. He looked down at the water and sighed. Arch said the water was good to drink and the more the prince looked at it the more thirsty he seemed. He almost needed to drink the water as if it was calling out, inviting him to drink it. He was about to reach in and cup out a bit when he did a second take. " Not again." he whispered and reached inside himself. He willed the water to move. Clive pictured it smoothly being pulled little by little, drop by drop out of the fountain and into his waiting hands. When he opened his eyes his hands were full of the clear, Delicious looking water and he took a long gulp. The water was cool to the touch and he could feel it going through his entire body. It seemed to relieve him of fatigue and boost his senses. He hadn't realized how many things he had missed about the garden his first look through. How many different color flowers, how perfectly spaced everything was. He could also tell just how large this floor was and by his estimation it should be larger then all four walls of the tower, which made no sense at all. Out in the distance was a wall of hedges and he noticed out of the corner of his eye the entrance. He looked around and Viola was gone. He took a second take all around and there was only one place she could have gone.

After closer inspection, Clive quickly realized it wasn't just a wall of shrubs, it was a maze. There was only one way in it seemed and it led directly to their right. He sped into the maze, knowing she had gone in first and alone. He knew Arch was there but he wasn't sure the owl would help if she had stepped into trouble. He took a left at the first intersection and a right at the next, somehow knowing she'd be in that direction. He sensed water all around him. It must have been for the shrubs to grow, but there were watering hoses and sprinklers everywhere. He wondered how difficult it would be to convince the water to come out and help him if he needed it. Just when that thought entered his mind, he stepped on something that made a loud thumping sound. He looked down and slowly raised his foot only enough to look under. There was a kind of button and it didn't take the prince long to realize what he had done. He looked around, Viola was nowhere to be seen. Well ... this is great, He thought to himself. " Viola?" he said aloud. " I don't know if you can hear me but be careful! There are traps in this maze. " He almost yelled, hoping she heard him before she did something close to what he had done. He looked right at one of the sprinklers, but it was pretty far away. He didn't know weather he could get the water in it to move or not. He tried, but he couldn't concentrate enough to make it happen. Great, he thought. How am I getting out of this? Clive could feel some loose water off behind him and willed it to trickle in toward his location. It wasn't much, but it seemed to be just enough to do what he wanted it to do. He pulled it closer and closet to him and with his mind he spread it out. He moved it through every crack and crevice of the trap. He was trying to figure out what it would do if he removed his foot. It didn't take long to figure out that if he removed his foot the floor would give way beneath him and he'd be sent hurtling to his death. There wasn't something has cliche as spikes at the bottom like most treasure dungeons would have, just a fall that was long enough to kill anyone that fell into it without having wings. Clive willed the water to form up under his foot at the exact spot where the button was. He formed it up tightly around where his foot was and pressed hard on the button with all he had. When he felt it was enough pressure, he stepped off and jumped out of the way. He was just far enough away when he lost control of the water and the very floor about eight feet in either direction swung down dropping the water he had used down the hole. He felt a few beads of sweat trickle down the back of his neck and sighed. " Time to be more careful," He said aloud and attempted further into the maze to find Viola and this illustrious shard.

Viola felt something drawing her deeper into the maze. She took a left and a right and walked down a path with two lefts and she took the second. It was like she was locked in a trance. Then she heard a yell. "Viola? I don't know if you can hear me but be careful! There are traps in this maze." Clive's yell snapped whatever hold was on her and she took a step back and looked around. She realized she was in the middle of the maze and there was a soft click beneath her foot.

"Oh no.." She groaned.

Small vines began to up around the stone. As they grew, large purple thorns stabbed through the air and cut her skin. They wrapped around her leg and pulled her to the ground. She tried not to scream as they moved up her torso and began to reach for her throat. Then, it stopped. She heard a hissing sound and she turned her head. Behind her was a gigantic plant. She couldn't tell if it was supposed to be a flower or a venus fly trap, but either way it was a dangerous looking creation. She squirmed, trying to break free of the vines but it was no use. Then she remembered the stone. The burning sensation that moved through her as she touched it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She remembered back to when she was first learning to use her shadows. She had to close her eyes and really focus. She took a deep breath and dug down deep into herself.

Nothing.

She heard a loud sound a little ways back from her. Clive. "Please be okay," she muttered. The flower hissed at her and sent out a sharp thorn. She managed to twist away from it, but her hair was caught underneath. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes once more. At first, there was nothing. And then suddenly there was a fire that burned so quick and hot that this time, she did scream. She smelled burning things and felt the vines break apart. She opened her eyes as the plant hissed at her again. It was weaker this time, however. She pushed herself up and, noticing she was unharmed, reached for the fire again. This time the flames licked up her arms and she threw her hand at it. Nothing happened. She cursed, absolutely unlady like, and tried again.

This time a fireball shot from her hand and landed at the foot of the flower... trap... thing. It shot another thorn at her and it cut the fabric of her trousers, but didn't touch her. She sent another fireball out and this time it hit. She sent another from her other arm and it just barely hit the top. She was getting the hang of things.

After a final shot, the thing was gone, the vines were dead, and she took off in the direction of Clive. She called out for him, "Clive! Can you hear me!?" She ran back the way she came and hopefully she would find him. There was a burning sensation on her leg, but she ignored it. She had to find Clive.

Clive heard a scream. " Viola? Are you ok?" he yelled. He knew the basic location of where the scream had come from but there were multiple walls and turns in between them that only lead to dead ends. He was getting a little frustrated. If Viola was in trouble he needed to get to her quickly. He was running through the maze now, not even caring which traps he tripped. It didn't actually seem to be a bad plan. Every time he tripped a trap he was going to quickly for it to hurt him. The only traps that seemed to slow him down as he ran were the fire traps. There wasn't any dodging those, he just had to pull water from around him and put it out at its base. "Clive! Can you hear me!?" He heard coming from pretty close behind him. Just as he turned towards the voice, he stepped on some sort of make shift trip wire. It was invisible, but as soon as he stepped through he felt the string pull free. Before he could even make a move, metal bars dropped on all sides of him. Like he was trapped in a cage. He looked up to see the top of the cage was closed off as well. "Great," he said as he put his hands on the bars to see if he could jar them loose. No luck! " In a bit of trouble over here." he said aloud. She had to be close enough to hear him. He looked around. He had no idea how to get out of this one, even with her help but they had to figure something out.

Viola ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She listened as closely as she could over the sound of her own labored breathing. She thought she heard a loud clang not too far from where she was running. She heard someone, hopefully Clive mutter "Great" from the other side of the hedge she was standing on. It was then followed with "In a bit of trouble over here." She looked up and down the path she was on and didn't see a clear opening to get to where he was. She wasn't sure what kind of trouble he was in, but she knew she probably didn't have a lot of time before it got worse. So, she decided to cheat. She dug her fingers into the hedge and held on to one of the stronger branches and started climbing. About halfway up, she felt the bush move and then something started to wrap around her. By the time she neared the top, she was almost completely covered in tiny, squeezing vines and it was getting harder for her to breathe. She peeked over the top and saw a path not too far from where she was to get to Clive and, she could see a metal corner to something square. Probably a box of some sort.

"Hold.. On, Clive!" she called out as loudly as she could. "I'll... be right... there!"

She pulled as much air into her lungs as she could, closed her eyes, and jumped back, allowing the flames to burn on her skin. The vines shrunk and burned away as she gracefully landed with a thud. It was a good thing she used to climb rooftops back home. Otherwise she might've been in trouble.

She took off in the direction of the path and rounded the corner. She took another turn until she could see a shape in the way. It was a cage with metal bars. Clive was cleaning to the metal rods. "Stand back!" She yelled. When she approached the cage she held on to the bars and closed her eyes to focus. She concentrated on her hands and willed the fire to burn the hottest from there. It probably took a few minutes but it seemed to take hours until she finally felt the metal melt and give way. She stepped back and opened her eyes. Before her was a hole just barely big enough for him to maneuver through.

She reached her hand out to him and beckoned him forward. "Come on! Lets go!"

Once he was out, she pulled him around the corner and stopped, looking left and right before she started speaking. "The only way we'll get through this without tripping any of the traps is to focus on the stone. I felt something tugging on me and I'm sure that's what it is. Before I snapped out of it, I didn't trigger anything. Just... I don't know. Close your eyes and focus on it."

Clive tried to use the water around him to break out of the prison, it just wasn't working. If he could control the water a bit better he knew there were many things he could try to break out but there were no locks and he couldn't control enough water yet to lift the cage itself. He thought about attempting to corrode the metal quickly which he was about to attempt when he heard something moving up the wall a bit away from him. Great, he thought. He was stuck there as a tasty treat in a cage for whatever was coming for him next. He tried harder to pull the water around him to his will, but there just wasn't enough to do what he needed. The prince could hear whatever it was almost make it to the top of the wall then there was nothing. No sound at all as if it had stopped to look at it's tasty meal. Just as that thought entered his head he heard Viola speak, but he couldn't tell what she was saying. Soon after he heard a sizzle, then he was hit by the smell. It smelled like burning plants, when live plants burn it makes a distinct smell. What was going on? Was Viola running from something that could Burn the shrub? There was nothing he could do but hope that the two of them together could do something about the cage and team up on the magical monster that was chasing her. He heard Viola land from about where the sounds were coming from and begin to trod over to his location. When she appeared in view her cloths were a bit tattered and she had some small wounds all over. He most notable would was the one on her leg which by his past experiences he could tell needed to get treated soon. Before he could come up with a plan for them to get him out of the cage, she quite forcefully told him to stand back. He didn't know what her plan was but he backed away just in time to avoid most of the white hot chunks of metal that were coming his way. He couldn't believe his eyes. She was melting the metal away with her bare hands. At first he wanted to look behind her for the monster, then he quickly realized the fire earlier was her. She could control fire. He felt bad that he had judged her by her looks before. He thought she was an innocent girl yet in reality she could control one of the most uncontrollable magics of all.

Before Clive knew it, Viola had already cut a hole in the bars large enough for him to make it through. She had her hand outstretched to help him out and all he could do at first was look in awe. "Come on! Lets go!" she said as she insistently urged him forward. He looked at the bars really quickly and saw they were still red hot. " Yeah, I don't think I can get through that unscathed." he said as he pointed to the bars. He had summoned enough water to him before to do what he needed and willed it to cool the bars. He concentrated hard and the water washed all over the bars cooling them and in turn turning into steam. Once they seemed cool enough to pass through, he grabbed her hand and used her help to get through the hole. Once on the ground Viola pulled him around the corner and stopped. She looked to both sides.

"The only way we'll get through this without tripping any of the traps is to focus on the stone. I felt something tugging on me and I'm sure that's what it is. Before I snapped out of it, I didn't trigger anything. Just... I don't know. Close your eyes and focus on it." she said.

He thought about her words for a minute but his brain was still catching up. " First of all thanks for the save," He said with a smile. " I didn't know you could control fire." He looked her over again. She definitely didn't look like the Fire magic type, but maybe she was just like him. Powers erased and having to deal with something completely new. He took a look at her leg, it really wasn't looking good. He took a step back and gestured to her leg. "Do you mind?" he said as he decided not to wait for permission. He called the water to him and began to cleanse it of all impurities. He knew everything that had to do with that now because both his new control over water and his old powers over earth. It didn't take long at all and he quickly began the process of healing her wound. He took a knee before her and began to go step by step from what he learned in the book. He used the water's natural properties to clean the wound then to heal it. Depending on how much magic he used he could ether increase her own bodies healing factor or use his own magic to heal her would. He decided to use his magic this time which was much less dangerous and slightly faster. It didn't take long but with Viola's squirming it could have gone quicker. It might have been better if he had explained what he was planning on doing but he didn't think that far ahead. He just saw someone that saved him and the fact that she needed treatment. It was almost done when he realized how uncomfortable this was and began to blush. To heal her he had to make the water form around his hand and apply it to the wound. That meant his hand was on the thigh of a girl that not only wasn't his lover, but was someone he had just met a few hours ago. He tried hard not to look up and meet her eyes, instead he finished his work quickly and backed away. The wound was completely healed and he stood up and turned around. "So? All we need to do is focus on the shard?" he mostly asked to hide his embarrassment, but he did what she asked. He closed his eyes and threw his senses out. It didn't take long at all to figure out the direction they should go. It was like the shard wanted to be found. It must have been as tired of this stupid maze as Clive was. "I found its direction, should we go?" he said as he looked back at Viola for the first time, his blush nowhere to be found.

As the words "Close your eyes and focus on it", the world started to wobble. She blinked a couple times and it seemed to fade for a moment and then return. Clive seemed oblivious as he was examining her leg. "Do you mind?" She simply shook her head and allowed him to do whatever he needed. She looked down, which immediately was revealed to be a bad idea as she began to lose balance making it difficult on him. She stared straight at the hedge walls and focused on her breathing. Whatever he was doing, probably cleaning, had stung. After another moment, her vision began to clear and she didn't feel as dizzy.

The dart must've been poisoned. His cleaning and healing brought upon by what felt like hydrokinesis, the power to control water, had saved her. Guess they were even. When he finished, she examined the mostly healed wound. It didn't even look like it was going to scar. She looked up at him wide eyed, but his back was to her. "I found its direction, should we go?" He said and turned back to her. She was still staring. She shook her head once to break the stare and straightened. "Sure", she muttered.

As she walked beside him, his words came back to her. Something about a thank you and her newfound fire control. "By the way, you're welcome. I couldn't say it before because the world started to rock beneath me. That dart was probably covered in poison. If you weren't able to do what you do, I think I'd be much worse off. So thank you. I think we're even now." She smiled at him. "Also, the fire is new." She turned her gaze from him and focused on the floor in front of her. "What about you? Have you always been able to control water?" She had thought about mentioning her true powers, but didn't know Clive very well, even if he did just save her life. He could just be in this for himself. Any information she gave him could probably lead to her own destruction. Looking at the boy she didn't think he was the type, but you never know.

[[lets have them talk a little bit since they're going to be working together. and then we can have them get to the stone. is that ok?]]

When Viola thanked him for healing her leg Clive was relieved she didn't feel at all awkward about the situation. He thought about how he should word his next couple sentences. He didn't want to tell her he was a prince just yet, but seeing as though she had been so honest so far he could at least tell her about his powers. "Actually, I used to be able to use earth magic. This new power is almost alien to me as well." he said as he raised his hand and swirled a water ball the size of a coin through each of his fingers. "I just learned that healing trick in the library before we got in here, I'm actually surprised it worked so well!" He nervously chuckled.

He took a second and stared into the air, thinking about Arwen. "Before, at the tower ... You hinted to the possibility that you had the same vision as I had? Did you have a vision of Hanivall's princess asking for help finding the shards?" Clive was still looking towards the sky. (or roof) He had assumed everyone had had the same vision as he had, but Clive had no way to test his theory yet. "If what she said in the vision was true then it won't just be Hanivall that is effected by this." he did his best to hold in any emotion he had but it wasn't easy. He knew Arwen would want him to think of her kingdom and the other kingdoms first before he thought of her but it was difficult. Clive would do as she would ask and looked back at Viola again.

She was a little surprised to know that he was new to his type of magic as well. In fact, his magic was similar to hers in the way that the magic they were gifted were the opposites of their original powers. "That's actually really intriguing. My original power.." She hesitated. It was only fair to share the information with him though since he shared with her. "was shadows. I guess it was lucky you found those books.

When he asked her about the vision. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her reddish-orange stone. "She seemed so scared." She rubbed her thumb across the smooth stone. "I hope she's okay." She held the stone out to him to see. "This is the one I found."

[[sorry it's on the shorter side. after he responds I'll have them find the tomb]]

Clive took a look at Viola's stone. Like his own stone it radiated power. He brought out the blue stone in his own pocket and immediately felt calm. He guessed it had something to do with the power over water. As the two stones had their first introduction since their separation, they seemed happy to see each other. It was as if two siblings had met after a long absence, even though it hadn't been very long since the separation. "I hope she's ok too!" he said with a hint of sadness the prince was unable to hide on his face.

Viola smiled down at her stone as it seem to vibrate from being so near it's sibling. "Guess that's another way we'll be able to tell," she said, closing her fingers over the stone and returning it to her pocket. "Their vibrations I mean." She looked over at him and noticed the sadness on his face. Though she worried for the princess, she was someone she hardly knew. Did the boy also know her? She opened her mouth to ask, when she noticed something further down from them. It was a large black stoned building. Strange white bursts were carved into the stone and surrounded small white carvings of animals. Up close, the amount of detail was breathtaking, but from afar it looked almost like... "Is that a map of the stars?" She asked him, tilting her head in wonder.

Something on the rooftop of the building moved and she took a fighter's stance, flames licking up her arms. "Don't shoot! I don't want to be fried owl!" came a familiar screech. Archimedes made himself visible now as he stood on the edge of the rooftop. "Don't startle us like that!" She scolded. "What is this place anyway?"

"It is the mausoleum of the arch-mages past and this is where Majesty had hidden the stone." He hooted.

She stood in front of the doorway, a seemingly harmless wooden door painted a soft brown. She wasn't entirely sure that she trusted the small building, but she felt the tug of the stone on her and the vibration of the stone in her pocket. Weird, the vibrations weren't so strong before when it was just Clive's stone around. She turned back to him, uncertainty on her face, but if they were going to continue, they had to open the door. "You ready?" She asked.

"Ready!" he said right before she opened the door. He expected some kind of trap or monster to come out to play, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. It seemed as if the door hadn't been opened in awhile because it was difficult to open and the simple fact that once Viola did have it open dust was introduced into the air. Based on what the owl had said and what the vision had informed them, it hadn't been long since the shard was separated from its complete form. Viola and Clive looked at one another and Clive made it clear that he wanted to go in first. The prince put his hand on his sword just in case and stepped over the threshold. Despite the torches on the walls the room was still quite dark. It took the prince a second to adjust to the low visibility but when his eyes adjusted he took in everything at once. Bodies lining the walls in their stone prisons. Jewels and expensive items of all kinds lining the shelves. There was a very interesting and familiar looking sword alongside an extravagant mirror. In the center of the room was a stone sarcophagus of the most recently deceased arch mage. This stone wasn't ordinary stone, instead it was the same kind of stone the tower was made of. It, like the tower radiated power. The sarcophagus was masterly etched to the exact shape and size of the person within except the prince thought the crown on the arch mage's head was odd. Logically the arch mage shouldn't be wearing a crown, but this one was. He took another step into the room, forgetting to tell Viola it was all clear and took a closer look at the crown. It was very intricately designed with a brownish looking jewel engraved within. Clive felt it before, but the vibration his stone was making intensified immensely as he stepped closer to the jewel. Just two steps away now and he knew that it wasn't just a jewel. It was the shard they had been looking for.

He realized he had his hand out and was about to touch it when he recoiled. He remembered the last time he touched a shard and he wasn't planning on doing it again. He looked around and for the first time remembered Viola was still outside definitely anxious to come in. Right when he was about to tell her it was clear, she was already coming into the mausoleum. "Oh well," he thought to himself. He ignored the shard for the moment and walked over to the sword. Clive looked at it long and hard. Where had he seen it before? It was gold and blue with a sapphire jewel on the hilt. It was about three feet long tip to hilt, with a comfortable hand and a half blue leather hilt. He knew looting from the dead was disgraceful, but there was something about the sword that screamed it was meant for him. As he looked at the sword, the crystal in his pocket vibrated more so then ever before. Clive put his hand in his pocket and fished out the crystal. As soon as it touched the air he saw some kind of vision. At fist all he could see was darkness. He felt a cool mist and could smell the ocean. The first thing he could see in the darkness was a man controlling the uncontrollable ocean. He was using the ocean to take on an armada of ships. The man had greyed hair and the prince could tell he had been fighting for a very long time. His cloths were tattered and soaked and his hair was plastered to his head. He was standing on the water, forcing it to be calm beneath his feet. Everywhere else the waters were as savage as a storm could be. With every swing of the gold and blue sword the waves would follow, crushing several ships. The men on the ships had two choices, abandon ship or go down with it. After a particularly damaging attack, he could see a kind of sadness in the old man's eyes, as if he didn't want to be doing what he was doing. Then for a scary moment the old man looked right at Clive. The old man bowed and said one simple phrase. "I trust Earth Shaker to you!" Clive instinctively looked around, but saw nothing behind him but water. "Was the old man really talking to me?" he thought out loud. As he looked back the man was gone and there was nothing but darkness again. Just as quickly as the vision came it was gone and he was back in the mausoleum, holding the sword. "Earth Shaker?" he said as he partly unsheathed the sword.

Viola opened the door to the mausoleum and allowed Clive to walk in before her. She waited a moment for him to look around, but when he said nothing, she followed behind him. She gazed around the room in amazement. Treasures glittered beside the bodies resting within the walls. An impressive looking sword next to a beautiful mirror. In the center of the room was a stone sarcophagus made of the same stone as the mausoleum. In the middle of his forehead, placed in the center of a crown, was a gemstone about the same cut and size as the stone that sat in the pocket of her cloak.

In fact, that stone was vibrating. She reached for it, and noticed she was alone in doing so and pulled back. She looked around the room and found him reaching for a sword. As his hand grasped the grip, his eyes seemed to lose focus. She walked towards him and waved a hand before his eyes, attempting to get his attention. "Clive?" He didn't seem to respond. "Clive!" Her foot slipped on something on the ground and she fell back into the mirror. The glass seemed to ripple at the impact. "Clive!"

Suddenly, he came back. "Earth Shaker?" He said, unsheathing the sword. "What? Where did you go?"

---

---

The princess's head snapped up as a name reverberated through the mirror world. "Clive!" Her lips parted in a silent and disbelieving o. She ran towards the sound. There was a loud bang to her right and she turned. There was a body, a girl with dark hair, slammed into the surface. When she pushed off, she saw a pair of incredibly familiar blue eyes. Clive. She pressed her hands to the mirror and knocked. She hoped he could hear her. No. She prayed he could hear her.

"Where did you go?" he heard and for the first time he realized he was staring at the sword. It was beautiful, but that wasn't why he stared. He knew the power the sword held and he knew it wasn't normal. "Clive!" he heard her say coming from a long ways off. He thought she was just messing with him or something, but her lips never moved. "Did you say something?" he asked, sure he heard something. Clive looked around the room but saw nothing out of the ordinary. The prince then heard a small thud coming from Viola. What reason did she have to mess with him? The only problem was that when he looked her way and heard the thudding, she wasn't moving at all. "That's weird." he thought. Clive took a second to look around the table she was standing by where he found the sword. He was sure Viola was wondering what he was doing, but he had a gut feeling he needed to find whatever was making that noise. It didn't take him very long until he was face to face with the love of his life. Arwen was staring at him through the mirror! "What?... How?" He tapped the mirror. "Can you hear me?" he said as he stepped back a step.

Viola watched Clive move about the room, with a raised eyebrow. Then she heard it. She turned quickly and saw the face of the woman from her dream. The one that started her whole journey. The princess of Hanivall. She opened her mouth to comment on the appearance of the girl in a surface that should reflect their faces, but the look on his face made her pause. His guard was down and there was so much love in his eyes. "What?... How? Can you hear me?" He said as he tapped on the glass.

---

---

The princess pressed her hand against the glass as if she could reach through it, there were tears of relief in her eyes. "Roderick trapped my soul in the mirror realm!" She explained. "I followed the sound of your name. I'm so glad you're alright! Not that I doubted it, but it gives me hope." She smiled softly at him, all her fear shining in her eyes. "Where are you? She asked, her pale eyes gazing at the room behind him.

Rowas stood on her toes, maintaining her balance as her mentor, Nanic Husck, moved around the room and instructing the other dancers to mimic her. She was very tired from the day before where she ran for miles and miles and practiced until her feet began to bleed and blister and also from the dream she had.

Libertat.

She knew what it meant, but she didn't know what to do about it. She wasn't even sure if the dream was just a dream or if it was a hallucination from being overworked. Either way, she was too tired and needed to focus on her current task, demonstrating a dance for the newest group of young dancers hoping to become the next famous dancer known around all the kingdoms of Khadian.

As Nanic circled the room again, she clapped her hands twice and Rowas began to move about the dance floor, gracefully sliding her feet or sailing through the air. Every dance has a story behind it and this one Rowas knew well. A young girl wanted freedom from the people who wanted to use her, to make her work everyday and she escaped the harsh conditions by creating tales of adventure in her head. Rowas performed this piece daily, but she never tired of it.

When the dance came to an end, the students clapped for her and Rowas left the room as Nanic began to teach them the correct positions and techniques to use. As she headed to collect her things and leave to get ready for a party, she played the dream over and over in her head. The woman in the dream was beautiful and looked regal and she wanted to give freedom to all the kingdoms. Rowas didn't know how that was going to happen.

Arriving at her small apartment, she cleaned herself of any sweat or grime that she collected that day and began to dress in a floor length silver dress with a raised shoulder piece on the left side and many jewels decorated the skirt. After pulling up her hair into a bun, she placed a silver crown that rested against her forehead and had beads of light blue that framed her face.

Arriving at the celebration was a spectacle as she was accustomed with. Many wanted to talk to her, but she was able to escape from any boring conversations and sought out more important conversations she wished to have with the elite of Xayen. But as she was making her way to elites, she felt a pull directing her towards the gardens outside. She veered off and headed towards the pulling feeling and found herself out in the crisp night air, staring at a piece of a larger jewel that had been split. Rowas stared at the shard for a while before deciding to reach down and touch it. She did not expect what would happen next.

"Roderick!" he cursed. Clive saw the fear in Arwen's eyes and wanted to rip it away and make it wish it didn't exist. The only way he could go about doing that was by releasing her from her prison, if that were even possible. "We're in a garden inside a place called the Glass Tower!?" He said with the slight hint of a question on his voice, silently asking if she had any idea what it was. "I had no idea this place even existed, let alone how huge it was." He looked around at his surroundings and realized she could only see the inside of the mausoleum. "This room is the place where the previous arch-magi rest and this," he said as he gestured towards Viola."This is a friend of mine that is going to help find the shards." He didn't know weather or not she knew he had been sent to help with the quest, but if this could help him save Arwen then there was no shard that could hide for long. After the two introduced themselves, Clive looked at the glass a little closer and asked,"Is there any way to get you out?"

The corner of the princess's mouth quirked up a bit as the prince let out a frustrated curse. It didn't happen often and she found it comical. She didn't comment on it though. The pain in his eyes was enough to keep her from joking. That and the fear in her heart. Her eyes widened as he talked about where he was. "The Glass Tower? The Glass Tower? How in Khadian did you get there?" When he told her who he was with, a smile broke across her face, "You saw me! You're going after the shards!" Her heart almost gave an audible crack at his question. Her smile fell from her face and she looked away from him. "Not until the shards are united and my body is nearby, but," She nodded to the other side of the room where she had spotted a small reflective object. A hand mirror made of silver no bigger than her palm. "You can take that and carry me with you. I will help you in anyway that I can."

---

---

Viola watched and listened as the princess and the boy talked. They were definitely familiar with each other and she could tell that whatever their relationship, they cared deeply about each other. When the princess pointed out the mirror, Viola began to urge the boy towards the stone. "The only way to help her is to keep going. Get the mirror and lets go!"

Clive walked over and grabbed the mirror. He waited until he could see Arwen in the mirror before he continued on. The prince strapped the sword he newly acquired to his waist next to his trusted blade. He didn't have the heart to replace the sword he always used and he had a sneaking suspicion he wasn't ready for Earth Shaker just yet. Something inside told him it would quickly sap his strength and possibly kill him if he wasn't careful. He tucked the mirror away into the bag at his side. Clive wasn't sure how this teleporting magic worked exactly, but there was no way he would lose that mirror. He walked on the opposite side of the sarcophagus as Viola and readied to touch the stone along with Viola.

Viola waited until Clive was with her before she dared reach for the stone. She looked up at him with her blue-brown eyes and asked, "Ready?" Then she reached for the stone. She winced as the muscles of her arm seemed to lock up painfully. In fact her whole body felt hard as if she had been made into a stone statue. It lasted only a moment and then it was over. She looked around them, nearly losing her balance. She was glad they had teleported there because if she was meant to climb up to where they were, she would probably have not fared well. They were just outside some sort of cave high in the mountains. From this distance, she could see the castle from here, off in the distance. It was hazy and just barely visible, but it was enough for her to understand where they were. She was home in Donnally.

But they were up so high.

She started to sway a little on her feet and her knees buckled so she fell to the rocky ground of the cliff they stood on. She pushed herself back until her back was against the rock of the mountain and she instantly felt better. She couldn't see the ground from here. That's when she realized she had let go of the stone. Clive, standing next to her, was holding it. "Do you know where we are?" She asked rhetorically. "We're in the Forbidden Mountains. Although, only people from Donnally refer to them as such. The people believe that there are powerful creatures of magic and myth that live inside the mountain's many caves. That to enter, would mean certain death." Her eyes were distant as she stared at the castle, a place she had always wanted to visit, but never dared. The moment she sat foot in the capital city, she would be tossed into the dungeons. She chuckled ruefully, "Although trade still exists between Terrowen and Donnally through the cave systems. Only the bravest and greediest of travelers pass through though." She pushed herself up until she was standing. Her eyes darkened and filled with sadness. "Did you know magic is forbidden here? That those who use it are sentenced to death and anyone who aids a magic user is executed as well?"

She shook her head, shaking the sadness from her face. She decided to change the subject. "What power do you think the stone holds?" She asked the boy who was still clutching the small mirror.

---

---

The Princess waited until Clive had a hold of the mirror before she moved from the one she stood in. She gazed at the room of mirrors around her until she saw his face once more. When she appeared, a look of determination crossed his face and she felt hope--also worry--rise in her chest. It would be a dangerous quest, but this boy is no ordinary boy. He is a prince, a warrior, and she would help him every step of the way. "I'll be right here, Clive. Go ahead and touch the stone." she said softly.

There was a small flash and then absolute darkness. For a heartbeat she feared the mirror had been broken and she would not see her beloved until he found another mirror and called to her. Then the light returned and she could see the beautiful blue eyes of her Clive once more. Her eyes searched the world behind him and she couldn't help but ask, "Where are you? Can you tell?"

Rowas felt like the wind was going to pull her apart, but just as it began, it ended. Her surroundings were completely different. Mountains rose up around her and two people were standing a few feet from her. She looked at their clothes and then remembered what she was wearing and felt overdressed for standing in a mountain range.

Looking down at her hand she still held the yellow and black shard in her right hand and still felt the tingling radiating from it. Not sure of the people in front of her, she slipped off her black and gold small gem covered heels and held them tightly to use as weapons if needed.

Rowas spoke in a harsh tone. "Who are you and how did I get here?"

With both Arwen's and Viola's words of encouragement, he touched the stone. Teleporting this time was less annoying then it was the last time. Maybe it was because Clive had been expecting it or maybe it had something to do with his new sword. He could already feel it amplifying his power, even though he was only carrying it. There was also the shard that he still clutched in his hand. The two combined with his shard seemed to hold more power then he had ever felt. Clive had no idea what power would come out of the shard they had just found or how it would work, but he was a bit hesitant to find out. Once he took stock to figure out everyone and everything came out in one piece, he looked around. They were next to a dimly lit cave on a mountain. Clive would know these caves anywhere, they were distinct to Donnally. He often went along with ambassadors whenever they came to any of the major kingdoms and the ambassadors always used these mountain trails. Despite the possible danger, It was actually quite a bit safer then other routs. Most bandits were afraid to go near the mountains and Clive's father had learned that fact long ago. Thanks to his father, Clive had something like a diplomatic immunity in Donnally to where they would not be able to arrest him just because of his magic. Despite that, most of the time Clive followed their customs and tried his best not to use his magic. He was trying to think of what to say to Viola to tell her where they were transported to when she spoke up.

"Do you know where we are?" It didn't sound like a question.

"We're in the Forbidden Mountains. Although only people from Donnally refer to them as such. The people believe that there are powerful creatures of magic and myth that live inside the mountain's many caves. That to enter, would mean certain death," She said.

"You have no idea." He muttered under his breath as he looked towards the cave to try to find out exactly where they were. He remembered not only that she came from Donnally, but also that she didn't know who he was. "Maybe I should tell her," he thought to himself.

"Although trade still exists between Terrowen and Donnally through the cave systems. Only the bravest and greediest of travelers pass through though," she continued.

And Diplomats, he almost said aloud.

A sad look crossed her face. "Did you know magic is forbidden here? That those who use it are sentenced to death and anyone who aids a magic user is executed as well?"

At this he actually did speak. "It's truly a tragedy." he said with experience.
"Where I come from anyone can use magic and nobody is discriminated against." Clive said while shaking his head. "Donnally needs to change." He said as if it was an actual option. He knew there was little he could do, but he hoped together with Arwen they could slowly change the world.

He pulled the small mirror out of his pocket and saw Arwen staring back at him,
"Where are you? Can you tell?" Arwen said without missing a beat.
"Thanks to Viola we know." He said with a smile, still not wanting to let Viola know just yet who exactly he was. "It looks like were in Donnally, near the Forbidden Mountains." He said into the mirror.

"What power do you think the stone holds?" Viola said. Clive looked down at the stone in his hand. "I have no idea but I'm sure we'll find out very soon." Just as he put the stone into the pocket opposite his blue stone, he heard another voice coming from a bit behind the group. In a harsh almost violent tone, the voice said,"Who are you and how did I get here?" Clive whipped around and immediately drew his non magical sword. As he turned, he looked the intruder over. She looked like she was dressed for a party. She wore a silver dress which went all the way down to the floor along with a skirt that was littered with gem stones. She had her heels in her hands, ready to use as weapons and a silver tiara type thing on her head. (He was never any good with jewelry) Clive had no idea what was going on. All he could say to her was, "Umm?" He looked over to Viola and that's when it hit him. "Do you think it was a shard?" he questioned Viola.