by Kahreen

illustrations by Kahreen

Editing by Vashkoda

******

What has gone before:

Suddenly a swift shadow blocked out the stars overhead for a brief second before disappearing. Instantly Shaiya and Madbrook adopted defensive positions, scanning the sky and surrounding bushes for any sign of the shadow.

"Damnit," Madbrook swore under his breath. "If I didn’t know any better, I would swear that we were facing a shadow beast." He instinctively checked the charge on his blaster, and once satisfied that it still had plenty of power, returned to scanning his surroundings.

"A shadow beast?" Shaiya had drawn her own weapon. "What manner of creature is that?"

"One created by dark magic. Sabrina and I faced one on our last trip though time," he grimaced at the all-too-recent memory. A sudden rustle in the bushes before him made him bring up his weapon and aim it at the source of the sound. "A bite or a simple scratch made by their talons will either kill or paralyze a person."

(Yesterdays Heroes Part One)

*

"As each season passses we see more and more fleeing the mainland to come here." The female gargoyle shook her head. "It won't be long before this island is overcrowded. Even now tensions have been building, and after last night...." she turned and fixed her human companion with a stern glare. "Our people came to this island, Argo to escape all that."

The human  kept his gaze trained on the horizon. "That incident was regrettable, but you worry too much Ceridwen. The attempted theft of one of your eggs was a one off event. Never before have your people been given cause for concern."

(Yesterdays Heroes Part One)

*

Ceridwen was the first to greet the female. "Sabrina, Madbrook, this is my mother, Nightshade."

The elderly pink-skinned, ram-horned gargess rose to meet them, her arms open wide as she embraced Ceridwen. "Ah daughter, newcomers. It does my heart good to see you safely here. The world outside is a deadly place, danger lurks in all places." She let her gaze wander over the brilliantly lit rookery before it fell once again on the trio. "Especially in the shadows."

Ceridwen was the first to greet the female. "Sabrina, Madbrook, this is my mother, Nightshade."

The elderly pink-skinned, ram-horned gargess rose to meet them, her arms open wide as she embraced Ceridwen. "Ah daughter, newcomers. It does my heart good to see you safely here. The world outside is a deadly place, danger lurks in all places." She let her gaze wander over the brilliantly lit rookery before it fell once again on the trio. "Especially in the shadows."

(Yesterdays Heroes Part One)

*

In a few minutes he had reached the center of the island, and below him the main tower had caught his attention. Usually bathed in darkness at this time of night, the top of the tower was awash with light. Curious, Gromer wondered who else could be up at this time of night. Humans most likely. Still, Gromer pondered this for a moment. It wouldn't hurt to fly down and have a quick glance, a few seconds to satisfy his curiosity and then he would be on his way.

(Yesterdays Heroes Part One)

*

The shadowbeast watched the seabird fly away and growled in frustration. It had been so close! A few moments more and it would have been able to drag the shapeshifter's carcass back to it's master. Knowing what it had to do, the beast crawled down the side of the building and through an open window.

There were people who had to know about this.

(Yesterdays Heroes Part One)

******

Sometime during the night the wind had picked up and what had once been a calm sea was now being whipped up into a a white-tipped frenzy. Where the wind had come from was unknown, but now it jostled the boats that were moored in Atlantis's inner harbor. In the waters around Atlantis other boats had cast their anchors into the water in the hope that the wind would not blow them out into the Mediterranean. However on the other side of the island, in the approach to a smaller, much more rocky bay, a small boat was not having the trouble that others were enduring. In a spearhead that began just ahead of the boat, the waters were calm, neither rocking the small craft nor unsettling it's two passengers, one of which was undoubtedly the source of the calming aura surrounding the boat. A tall woman stood at the prow and held aloft a small white stone while she chanted an incantation beneath her breath. Her companion was a elderly man dressed in black, his wizened body almost bent double under the weight of the heavy cloak draped across his shoulders. Neither moved nor spoke to the other as the boat--powered by neither sail nor oar--crossed the bay and fetched up against a ledge carved into the dark rocks of the cove.

As strange as this sight was, it was not unexpected. Upon the ledge two men waited, one dressed in white robes and the other in red. Both had pulled up the hoods of their garments so that their features were obscured. Not that they need fear discovery. This cove was known to only a select few, and even amongst that number only they knew of the path that led from the center of the island to this place. Red-Robes stepped forward and-- taking the rope that was thrown to him by the woman--secured the boat to the ledge. It would not be going anywhere this night.

In the meantime White-Robes walked to the boat and assisted the old man onto the ledge. Only when the old man had both feet planted firmly on Atlantis did anyone speak. Getting down on one knee, White-Robes knelt before the black-robed visitor and bowed. "Welcome Möbius," he said, "-to Atlantis. I trust that your journey was free of interruptions?"

Möbius gave a small laugh, a dry sound that brought forth images of fallen leaves and cold winds. "As smooth as that wine you Atlanteans are so proud of, my friend.   Inanis here is an excellent guide, one of the best," he said, indicating the tall woman who now stood at his side. Inanis gave a small bow of her head.

"My purpose is to see to your well being, master Möbius," she said, as she passed the small white stone to the old man. Möbius took it and secreted it away in a recess of his robes. In return he passed to her a small black marble box.

The exchange did not go unnoticed by Red-Robes. "Is that-?"

"My eye?"  Möbius nodded, his own eyes shining. "Well one of them anyway." He gave a small nod to Inanis. "Show them, my dear."

Inanis bowed in obedience and--turning towards Red and White--removed the lid of the box. Inside, nestled in a bed of white cloth, was a small black jewel.

Seconds passed as the two men stared at the jewel. White looked up. "Only one? Where is the other?"

"Somewhere safe," Möbius said, holding up a bony finger as Red-Robes made to speak. "And as for why there are two, remember this; with such a venture as we are undertaking it is best not lay all our resources in one place. You should know well by now that I plan for all eventualities, positive or otherwise."

Red-Robe's gaze followed the lid of the box as it closed over the jewel. "There is no need for such things," he said, the scorn evident in his voice. "We will not fail." He looked out towards the horizon, already the eastern sky had begun to lighten. "Now come," he said, indicating the path before them. "There is much to do before the sun completes another journey across the sky."

******

On the balcony of the gargoyles' cliffside settlement, another set of eyes watched the brightening sky.

Sabrina sighed and turned her back on the approaching dawn. "It's not fair is it?" she grumbled. "I know that time is immutable and that Atlantis will be destroyed or vanish no matter what we say or do, but-" she growled in frustration. "But even after all this time I still wish there was a way to help some people avoid their fate."

"I know," Madbrooklyn said. "It's never going to get any easier, but we both know the rules. Besides," he added, "who is to say that whatever will befall the island will happen now? We have no idea of the time or how this island became a legend."

"Do you really believe that, Embee?" she asked. "Why else would we turn up in this period except to witness the destruction of Atlantis?"  She looked back over her shoulder at the the sleeping island below. "Can you think of any other reason?"

Madbrook frowned. He had heard the hope that edged her voice but in all honesty he could not summon any words that would give strength to that hope. "No," he admitted, hating that word for the look of disappointment it caused to appear in his mate's eyes. "But what else can we do but roll with the punches and do what we can when the time comes?"

"Nothing I suppose," Sabrina said as she walked towards him and then buried herself in his embrace. "But still I can't help but wish it were otherwise."

"Now why the glum faces?" Calun's voice interrupted the moment. The two timedancers broke apart, momentarily startled by the unseen and unheard approach of Ceridwen's second. "Aren't you enjoying yourselves?"

"Oh we are," Sabrina said, giving him what she hoped was an assuring smile. "We were just remembering.."

"The past?"

"No." Sabrina shook her head. "Just time in general."

"Ah," Calun said, giving Sabrina and Madbrook a look that made the pair wonder if he had heard any of their conversation. "Anyway," he continued. "I came to show you to the roosting spots. Dawn isn't far away."

"Thank you, Calun, but if it's all the same to you I think I'd like to spend the day with my egg," she said as she turned to Madbrook. "If that is ok with you?"

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing," the orange gargoyle said. "Old habits die hard I suppose," he added, addressing Calun.

The blue horned gargoyle nodded. "It's perfectly understandable. You won't be the only ones down there. In fact Ceridwen herself will be spending the day down in the rookery."

"Ceridwen? Does she have an egg there?"

"Yes. And since the eggs will be hatching soon, few of the parents stay away from their little ones for too long. Come on," Calun said, gesturing towards the rookery. "We'll go see them now. I'm sure you'd want to get caught up in hatchling talk before sunrise."

"And you don't want to get caught up in your own?" Sabrina asked, smiling at the image of  the blue gargoyle discussing babies.

Calun cocked an eyeridge in surprise. "Even if I did find a mate of my own, I don't think I'd spend too much time in the rookery talking." He shrugged. "The eggs would do just fine without my chatter."

"You don't have a mate?" Sabrina sounded surprised. "But I thought you and Ceridwen..."

"Were mates?" Calun laughed and shook his head. "If Ceridwen is mated to anything these nights it's the clan. She did have a mate once, but he died shortly after the breeder's moon."

He paused at the entrance to the rookery and nodded to the watchful Argus before continuing. "Some humans were trying to get to the island in the middle of a storm. Shale saw them and went to help before anyone else could do anything to stop him. He was still on the boat when a giant wave picked it up and smashed it against the cliffs." He sighed. "We searched for many nights but there was no sign. In the end we had to accept that the sea had taken him."

Sabrina's hand crept into Madbrook's. "I'm sorry," she said. "We didn't know."

"It's alright," said Calun as Argus swung open the heavy doors for the trio. "She came to terms with it a long time ago and besides-" he said, throwing a smile over his shoulder. "Part of Shale lives on in the egg, so we haven't lost him completely." He turned at started to make the descent down to the rookery chamber. "Although it doesn't seem fair that what happened to Nightshade should happen to her daughter too," he added in a lower voice.

"Ceridwen's father died while her mother was with egg?" Madbrook asked.

"Not exactly," said Calun. "As far as I know, he thought Nightshade was dead, so he buried her and moved on with his clan. I think she caught up with them later but her mate was gone, sucked into some sort of magical portal. Nobody knew where he had gone or if he was still alive elsewhere. So, in time Nightshade left her own land and finally came to Atlantis."

"Oh." Sabrina frowned a little. As Calun had spun his tale, a small nagging feeling had begun to grow in her mind. Nightshade's name, her story. It sounded so familiar. There was something...another piece of information that would either confirm or dismiss this revelation that was falling into place. "Tell me," she asked, "do you know what the name of Nightshade's mate was?"

Now it was Calun's turn to frown. "Why would you want to know that?" He glanced at Madbrook who was giving Sabrina his own curious look.

"It's important," Sabrina said, stepping forward. "Please?"

"Ok, It just seems a little strange that's all." Calun's frown deepened as he searched through his memory for the name. "It was something rock-like...like Shale..." he paused for a moment as seemed lost until suddenly he smiled and looked up. "Ah! That's it. Flynt! His name was Flynt."

******

"My father is alive?"  The atmosphere in the rookery was one of silent disbelief as Ceridwen took in the news she had just given. With a worried expression she turned and glanced at her mother. Nightshade was standing a short distance away, caught wide-eyed in shock.

"Yes," Sabrina affirmed. "Well, the last time I saw him he was alive and well. We've lost contact with him for a few years now."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive! Our Flynt had a mate called Nightshade, but she was bitten by something called a shadowbeast. He and his clan thought she was dead so the buried her. They have to be the same person," She turned to Nightshade and said more softly. "Your clan was fighting against a warlord named Raoh, weren't they? That's who Flynt was fighting when he disappeared?"

Nightshade nodded slowly. "Yes," she said in a small voice and stumbled slightly. Instantly two gargesses were at her side and helped her to a seat at the edge of the nest. "My Flynt? Alive?"

"Where is he now?"

"I don't know, Ceridwen.  I'm sorry," Sabrina said, regret lacing her voice. "He and another member of my clan vanished while retrieving something for our leader. We never heard from them again." 

For a few moments there was silence in the rookery as the news sunk in. Ceridwen went to her mother and knelt before her. Seconds passed as they looked into each others eyes, both weighing up the implications of this news. Finally Ceridwen stood and looked back towards Sabrina and Madbrook. "Thank you for telling us this. There were many questions my mother had, that I had, that needed to be answered. You have brought those answers even though they raise many more."

"I'm sorry we couldn't tell you anything other than that," Sabrina said.

"You gave us more than we could have ever expected."  For the first time since the news had been broken she smiled. "And as for my other questions, maybe there will come a night when I can ask my father himself. Till then I am content with what I have."

Sabrina smiled, but on the inside she felt bad. How could she tell Ceridwen that unless she too traveled through time she would never have the chance of meeting Flynt? She glanced at  Nightshade. The older gargess was still sitting in shock and for the first time Sabrina wondered whether or not she should have passed on the news about Flynt. But it had seemed to be such good news, something that would have been welcomed. Despite Ceridwen's words, the look on Nightshade's face made her doubt herself. What if she had torn open wounds which had long since healed? What if...?

A pair of strong hands on her shoulders pulled her from that train of thought. "Whatever you're thinking, stop it," Madbrook said, turning her around. "You did what you felt was right."

"Was it?"

His answer was firm. "Yes. They needed to know what had happened and you told them."

"I suppose." She sighed, feeling a heaviness begin to grown in her limbs. Dawn was upon them. She watched as Ceridwen left her mother to stand  at the foot of the stairwell, her wings extended her talons and teeth bared. With her last conscious thought, Sabrina realized what she was doing. By taking up the entire entrance to the rookery Ceridwen had ensured that if anyone came down here with ill intent then they would have to go through her first.

Outside the sun rose above the horizon and all thoughts, good or bad, were banished for the day.

******

Dawn blossomed over the island as the day-dwellers began to stir. This day, however, there were some who were out earlier than most. At the edge of the small underground lake that served as the island's water supply, someone was busy working at one of the pipes that channeled rainwater and fresh water from the cliffs into this large storage area. Carved out of solid rock by the hard work of humans, gargoyles and Olympians, this simple cavern served as one of Atlantis' most important resources. As such it needed to be maintained on a regular basis; the pipes cleaned and the quality of the water tested. This was why the two guards who kept watch over the lake thought nothing of the presence of this solitary worker, nor did they express more than a bemused laugh when the the worker accidentally knocked over his bucket of waste water into the lake. Such small incursions really didn't matter, the charcoal filters in the wells would take care of that.

When the worker came to them and offered his apology, they waved it aside, saying that it was nothing.

No great disaster, after all.

******

"Anemos?"

The question brought the Olympian out of her sleep with a start. She looked up to see Argo standing before her with a light globe in his hand. She looked down at the disarray her table was in and felt color rise to her cheeks. She had fallen asleep in the middle of her search for the scrolls! "I'm sorry," she said standing and trying her best to look presentable before the human leader. "I..."

"Fell asleep. I see," he said, glancing down at the scroll she currently had spread out on the table.

"Are there more refugees coming?" Anemos asked, already searching for a blank scroll and ink.

"What? Oh no, no more refugees," Argo answered, shaking his head. "Actually I was wondering if you had seen Gromer this morning?"

Now it was Anemos's turn to shake her head. "Not since he left for the gargoyles' dwellings last night. As far as I know he's still there." She frowned. "Has he done something wrong?"

Argo gave her a reassuring smile.  "No, not this time," he chuckled. "I actually need his assistance in a small project of mine."

"Oh." Anemos blinked; this was unusual. Most times Argo or one of the other humans came looking for him when the shapeshifter had got into mischief. Still, whatever it was she was sure that Gromer would come and tell her all about it later. "If I see him I'll let him know, Argo."

The human nodded. "My thanks." And without another word he turned and left the Olympian to her thoughts.

Anemos looked down at the scroll and reconsidered. There was much she needed to do that day, some of which actually took her to the upper levels and the library proper. Perhaps she could take a few minutes to find her friend and forewarn him. There were a few places that he went to sleep off a night's revelry. One of them, the gargoyles' dwelling, would be pretty much out of bounds for her; too far to travel even if she did call on her abilities to assist her. No, she'd keep an eye open for him and if she saw him she'd let him know. It was all she could do.

Once decided, she began to clear away the scrolls and inks on her table. A quick meal and then she would be on her way.

*******

The morning passed and shortly before noon a tired and hung over Olympian made his way along the woodland path that would bring him to the bridge that connected the outer ring to the inner island. Gromer blinked and shaded his eyes as the woodland began to thin out. Fae blood or no, the part of him that his kind had inherited from the humans was making him pay for the previous night's excesses. Time to return to the home he shared with his parents, time to sleep away some of the headache. Later, he told himself, he'd find Anemos and apologize for not visiting her when he promised. As he reached the edge of the bridge he paused. It would be so much easier to simply shapeshift into a faster form. However the change into his natural form shortly before dawn had been more than enough shifting for the time being. As it was, he had only enough energy to make the trip back home. He winced as  the sharp and insistent beat inside his head continued to play. Even thinking was too much at the moment. Sighing, he mounted the bridge steps and began to make his way home.

"Ah! There you are!"

Gromer grimaced as he turned towards the sound of the voice. True, the words were too loud for his delicate head at the moment, but there was another reason for that reaction.

"Good morning Argo," he said, giving the human a weak smile. As Argo closed the distance between them he began to rack his brain for any clue as to what kind of trouble he was in now. It wasn't anything to do with last night; that he was sure of. So what could it be? He studied the human's face, no frown, no un-amused expression in his eyes. Ok, this was a new one. Perhaps he should just get straight to the point. The sooner the scolding was done, the sooner he could crawl under the cool -and more importantly quiet- covers of his bed.

"What did I do wrong?" he asked, immediately regretting those words as a look of confusion crossed Argo's face.

"Wrong?" He shook his head and smiled. "I know that we've only talked under transgressional circumstances before, but that isn't the case now. No, you haven't done anything wrong." A shadow briefly crossed his face. "Rather, I was wondering if you would be able to assist me with something."

"Assist?" Gromer blinked in surprise. This was definitely something new.

"Yes. I need help in moving some of the larger objects in the tower. I thought that with your shapeshifting power...?"

The question went unfinished as Gromer began to shake his head. "I'm sorry, Argo, but I'd be no use to you at the moment." He looked up and added, "But I could get one of my brothers or sisters to help."

A look of disappointment - an expression Gromer was much more used to seeing Argo wear - briefly flashed across the human's face before it was quickly replaced by a smile.

"I was rather hoping you could do it as a good gesture. To show that you can be helpful."

"You mean to change their opinion of me."

"In a way, yes. Public relations is my role on this island, smoothing out any bumps between the humans and..."

"...Everyone else," Gromer finished, and sighed. That vision of restful sleep was slowly drifting far out of his reach. "Okay then, I'll help, although I don't know how much use I'd be to you."

Argo smiled, obviously relieved that he had agreed. "Oh, don't worry. I have something that will take care of that headache of yours. And in the bargain, I can pass on to you a cask of wine that I'm sure the gargoyles would appreciate."

The mention of more wine sent Gromer’s stomach into backflips. There was no chance that he would touch anything alcoholic for a while yet. Still, it's wasn't such a bad deal, and Argo did have a point. A cask of wine would certainly work in his favor the next time he paid Calun and the other gargoyles a visit.

"So," he said. "When do we start?"

*******

From the upper windows of the tower, the sun briefly glinted off an eyeglass as it was lowered and then secreted away in a pouch. Its owner, meanwhile, was still watching the two distant figures as his companions moved forward.

"Is that the one?" Red-Robes asked.

The owner of the eyeglass nodded. "My shadowbeasts do not lie when it comes to their prey."

"So then we kill him."

"No."

Red-Robes turned, angered at the unexpected opposition to his own bloodlust. "What do you mean, no? If we don't dispose of that mistake, then word will get out of what is truly up here."

"He will not tell, he's just as ignorant as the rest of the sheep on this island," Möbius said, a tone of self assurance in his voice. "But I agree that we shouldn't leave anything to chance."  Musing, he tapped his fingers on the windowsill.  "We'll need something with which to tempt our future allies into the void," he finished, noting the sadistic grin that now spread beneath Red-Robe's hood.

"What about the other one?" Red-Robes asked, indicating Argo with a nod of his head.

"He will serve in his own way," said White-Robes, stepping into the room and joining the trio. "Of that we can be assured."

*******

The sun had reached its zenith, and many Atlanteans were now seeking a cool spot away from the heat of the early afternoon. It was only early spring, the equinox not that far away, but the spring of that year had been unseasonably warm. Perhaps a little too warm, if the heat haze that now hovered above Anemos' hair was anything to go by. The Olympian had left the vaults mid-morning and was now on her way to the main library located in the central tower. She could have just as easily gotten there via one of the underground tunnels that linked the vaults to the tower. However Argo's visit earlier that morning had given her a reason for coming up top. Scanning the faces of the Olympians and humans who walked the streets, Anemos frowned at the distinct absence of a familiar bald head. She didn't really know why she was doing this. Gromer had probably already found somewhere quiet to sleep off his hangover. Either that, or Argo had already found him.

A flash of silver caught her attention. Well, she thought. There is one way to find out.

"Argente!" she called, waving to the tall female Olympian.  She was moving towards her when an arm was raised and that same flash of silver - caused by the large number of silver bracelets that Argente wore - blinked in the midday sun.

"Well if it isn't our little scroll keeper," Argente said, smiling down at Anemos. Tall was not a word that suited her. The dark skinned Olympian towered over just about everyone in the street. "We don't see you above ground much these days, dear. You really shouldn't let those humans work you so hard."

"I don't mind, besides it's important work," she said, quickly changing the subject. She had heard the change in tone when Argente had mentioned 'humans'. It wasn't hard to imagine from whom Gromer had heard tales of an island where there were no humans. "Actually, I was looking for your son."

Argente chuckled. "My dear, I'm usually the last person to see my son. May I suggest you check the gargoyles' dwelling or the apothecary. He does like to enjoy his life a little too much at times."

"So he hasn't come home yet?"

"Not to my knowledge." Argente shook her head. "Why do you ask?"

"Well Argo is looking for him and..."

"Ah! Say no more," she said, holding up a finger and cutting Anemos off mid-sentence. "He and the humans have probably not been seeing eye to eye again."

"I'm not really sure on that," Anemos said, shaking her own head so that a fine spray drifted into the midday air before evaporating. "But if you do see him, could you pass on the message?"

"That the human is looking for him?"  She smiled and her obsidian eyes shone. "I'm sure the human has already found him by now. But if I do see him I will tell him your message." She paused, cocked her head to one side and gave Anemos a long look. "My dear, whenever was the last time you had something to eat or drink? You look positively transparent."

"I'm fine Argente," she replied, backing away and smiling. "Thank you for agreeing to pass on the message. I hope you have a peaceful day." With that she bowed slightly and then hurried away towards the main tower.

Argente watched her retreating form with an amused smile. "What a strange girl," she muttered before continuing on her way.

Only when she reached the steps to the main tower did Anemos stop. Ah, but she hated those personal questions. She knew that Argente only asked those kinds of questions out of concern. The tall Olympian had seemed to have appointed herself general mother to all the younger Olympians on the island, and with over two hundred inhabitants on Atlantis fitting that description, it was a very big brood indeed. Still, some of that brood, Anemos included, didn't really feel that comfortable with her mothering. To be honest, it was sometimes uncomfortable. Anemos knew her scrolls, her labyrinth and Gromer. Anything beyond that small sphere unnerved her. Including the main tower.

Seen from a distance, it was indeed an imposing sight. By far the tallest building on Atlantis, it's height was further enhanced by the fact that it stood atop the summit of the hill that made up Atlantis's inner island. Like many of the island's older structures, it symbolized what the three races that inhabited the island could do when they worked together. These days it was inhabited by the island's leaders, the scholars, and those who served them. The circular rooms were filled with tables of people in small groups or others who stood and demonstrated some invention and, of course, there was a library that rivaled Anemos' labyrinth in size and sheer number of volumes.

It was to the library that Anemos was headed. In particular, to one small, secret room that the Olympians had created when the tower had first been built. To this day the humans had still not discovered it's location, although the head librarian - an Olympian himself - had joked that you could place the door to the room in plain sight and a human would still not see it.

That small, crescent shaped room was home to scrolls that contained the known history of the Olympians - penned by Anemos's predecessor - and more importantly, the few scant spells and incantations that the first-comers to this island knew. It was one of these spells that Anemos was looking for, a simple incantation that would show her the location of her missing scroll. 'Magic is not a thing to be used lightly' her predecessor had told her, 'But simple spells such as this will come in handy when you need them.' Before now she had never needed to resort to this, but enough was enough. A scroll may be mislaid for only a few hours but two days? Anemos prided herself on knowing where each and every one of her scrolls was. She was not about to let her pride take further bruising.

She entered the library on one of the upper floors and walked, head bowed, to a quiet and private corner of the room. Looking around her to make sure that no one was around, she laid her hand on the spine of a dusty green volume and gave it a slight push. Then, without hesitation, she walked forward and passed through the bookcase and wall behind it.

A few minutes later an elderly human hobbled towards that same bookcase and looked long and hard at the volumes before him. Each one was covered in a thick layer of dust. Dust that hadn't been disturbed for years. Deciding that none of the volumes were of any interest to him, the human hobbled away again, completely unaware of what lay beyond those dusty papers.

*******

"So who is it?" Gromer asked, giving the marble statue before him an experimental prod. This lump of rock weighed more than a stone gargoyle! It was going to take something much larger than his current form to have any hope of moving it.

"A human scholar," said Argo, coming to stand beside him. "Anemos will be able to tell you his history when you find her again."

"Humph," Gromer gave it a critical look. "And where exactly is it going?"

"The council chamber."

"That's a floor below us."

"Yes."

"Ok." Gromer scratched his head, a question was forming, one that would probably get him into trouble but... "This is going to sound like a stupid question Argo, but if this fellow here was supposed to be in the council chamber then why was it left on the floor above it? Isn't that just asking for more work than you need?"

Beside him Argo gave a weak smile. "This figure was brought up well before my time. They probably intended for it to stay here till the tower crumbled." He sighed. "But time passes, ideas change..."

"And the gullible Olympian has to move that change of ideas down a floor," Gromer finished with a shrug. "But lets not forget that nothing is going anywhere unless we get rid of the drums in my head."

"Ah yes." Argo turned and, walking over to a table set at the far end of the room, opened a cupboard door set above it. From this Argo took a richly decorated bottle and a goblet . Setting the goblet on the table he poured some of the liquid from the bottle into it and then held it out to Gromer.

The Olympian took it and sniffed at the orange liquid. "What is it?"

Argo froze in the action of putting the bottle back into the cupboard. Gromer could have sworn that he had jumped. But then why would he do that? There was nothing to jump at here.

"A simple concoction made from sugar, fruit and a type of seaweed," he answered, slowly closing the cupboard door and turning back to Gromer. "We usually drink it after a council meeting to stave any untoward effects of the wine we usually consume in that time. Now please," he said, sounding somewhat impatient. "Time is pressing on and we have work to do."

Gromer eyed the liquid once again. He'd never heard of this particular hangover cure before and he thought he had tried every type there was. Still, there was no need to pass by a gift like this. And if it actually did work like Argo said it did.... Well, perhaps he could get Argo to part with the recipe. That was if he didn't mess this up. With that thought in mind, he lifted the goblet to his lips and drank. To his surprise, unlike many of the other hangover cures he had taken before, this one actually had a rather pleasant taste to it. Quickly he finished it, not noticing the worried expression on Argo's face. By the time he had finished and handed the goblet back to him, the human was once again wearing his usual neutral smile.

"You know I think that's the first time I've tasted a cure that's almost as good as the wine itself," Gromer said, wiping his lips with the back of his hand.

"Yes it is quite...potent." Argo frowned. "How do you feel?"

"A little strange but that's ok." His smile brightened as the drummer in his head faded away to nothing. "Hey this stuff is good!"

"Indeed it is," came a voice from the open doorway. "And it works on levels your small mind can never grasp!"

Gromer spun around in the direction of the voice. Pouring through the doorway were a number of robed men. They moved quickly, almost gliding across the floor to cut off any possible escape route.

"What's going on here?" Gromer looked about him wildly. "Argo?" he whispered looking for Argo's blue robes in this new sea of gray and black. Suddenly he spotted him, backed into a corner of the room with one of the robed men advancing on him, dagger drawn. "Argo!" he shouted running forward. He didn't know why he was doing this; didn't really understand. Argo wasn't his friend, wasn't someone he really cared about. But this? This was wrong. Who would attack them like this? Why?   Whatever the reason, they needed to get away and they needed to do it now. What fools were these were to attack a shapeshifting Olympian!   Maybe they could overpower him by sheer numbers, but he could buy enough time to grab Argo, get to the window and...

...something was very wrong.

Gromer had barely time to duck as the blunt end of a staff came hurtling towards his face. Panic began to creep in, making his stomach lurch and his blood pound. He couldn't change! He couldn't feel that comforting, almost liquid feeling in his limbs that came with shifting. He was only a few feet away from Argo and freedom but he couldn't change! By the four winds he couldn't change. Why can't I change? His thoughts tumbled over one another as he dodged blow after blow. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Argo move forward, shouting something before a figure in white moved into his line of vision and Argo drew back. And now the blows began to strike home. From the side, from behind. Enough to cause pain but not to cripple. Still this was more than Gromer could take. He wasn't a warrior. It came almost as a relief as hands grabbed him and fastened shackles to his hands and feet. It had to end now. Whatever had been happening please let that be it.

But he was wrong. There was more to come. Something much worse.

Movement at the door made the robed figures step back as something entered the room. Gromer looked up through a blackened and swollen eye. At first he thought that the blows he had received had loosened something in his head. What was a gargoyle doing up in broad daylight? But as his vision cleared he realized the dreadful truth. This was no gargoyle. It had wings, had the height and stature of a gargoyle but it's body flickered in and out of the daylight like a shadow. Becoming more solid in the darkness, wraith-like in the light. "What?" he managed to whisper in fascinated horror. "What is.." he recoiled when the creature began to lurch toward him. Words failed him as the creature bent over him until it's face was mere centimeters from his own. It sniffed him, drinking in the Olympian's scent before it retreated.

"Is it the same one who was lurking on the roof last night?"

The question asked by the man who now walked into the room was answered by a long drawn-out hiss.

"Yeeesssssssssssssssss."

"Good." The man nodded. "Now return to the others. You will have your chance to hunt tonight."

With that the creature left the room. The void it left behind welcomed a new player to the room. Red Robes halted before Gromer and lifted a finger. The shackles that bound the Olympian began to glow and, moving by magic, hauled him to his feet. In that moment, Gromer caught a glimpse of the eyes that smoldered beneath the hood. Hungry, needy, gleeful and most of all insane.

"You have a habit of being in places where you're not wanted, don't you creature?" he asked, taking Gromer’s chin in one gloved hand and lifting it so that they were eye to eye. When Gromer didn't answer, he smiled and the shackles glowed brightly, sending a jolt of pain throughout his body. The beating that he had received at the hands of the other robed men was nothing like this. This felt like his veins were on fire, as if something was tearing him to shreds from the inside out.

When Gromer had finished screaming, Red Robes began again. "Oh we know where you were last night. But I wonder...what did you see? Who did you tell?"

"Tell?" Gromer managed to gasp. "Told who? What about?" Another smile and another jolt of pain filled his senses. "I don't understand!" he cried. "Why are you doing this?!"

Seconds passed and still Red Robes maintained the torture. However, almost reluctantly, he lowered his hand and the light from the shackles was extinguished.   Gromer collapsed into a heap on the floor. "Well you were right, Möbius," he said. "This creature does know nothing. Our plans are still safe."

"I am more concerned to know whether he will know anything at all after that little show of strength he just witnessed," the older man said, walking over to Gromer’s still form and checking his pulse. "He is of no use to me ruined."

"Ruined or whole, it doesn't make much difference when it comes to things like that. Still, we will let him recover his wits and senses." He motioned to two of Gromer’s attackers. "Take him to the top floor and keep watch."

Bowing low in obedience, two men, one in gray the other in black, picked up Gromer’s unconscious body and left the room. One by one the others followed until there were only two people left in the room.

During this time Argo had been torn between his need to help the Olympian and the knowledge that in doing so there were other lives that would be endangered as a consequence. However those conflicting emotions were being quickly swallowed by another one. Outrage. He turned on the white robed figure who had intervened when he had gone to help Gromer. The same figure who had visited his home two days ago, the same figure who now stood before him. "What was the meaning of this?" he shouted. "You assured me that you would only ask him a few questions and then release him. You said nothing about torture!"

The figure pulled back his hood and Argo found himself staring into a face very much like his own. "I do not believe, old friend," he said. "That you would be so naive as to think violence was not intended. Why do you think we instructed you to give that potion to the creature? Do you think he would have given up any information willingly?" here the white robed figure smiled. "Or would you prefer that I let my associate continue such practices on your little one?

Argo paled. "You...wouldn't..."

"No, I would not." White Robes said. "But I cannot say the same for my colleague. Believe me, Argo, your daughter is in no safer position than she is now."

"Arius..."

"Don't ask any more of me at this time, my friend. I cannot do more than I already am. But remember, when this is over you and she will be reunited." He bowed and pulled up his hood. "I must go. Be at peace, this will be over soon."

With that the white robed man known as Arius exited the room and left Argo seething in his own personal storm of anger and apprehension.

******

Anemos poked her head through the doorway to the Olympians' secret library and once satisfied that she was alone, walked through the barrier that separated it from the main library. She'd found the spell she was looking for, and much more besides. Before now she'd never had that much of an opportunity to explore what was contained within that small room . There were one or two chants that belonged more to the home of their ancestors, the Fae.  She couldn't believe that the world they lived in was only one part of a much larger, multifaceted picture. The scrolls in the vaults mentioned nothing of this! She looked out of the window and blinked. The sun was now hanging low in the western sky. When she had first entered the room it had been midday. Like so many times before, the contents of a few scrolls and pages had captured her whole being, making her lose complete track of time. With rising alarm she realized that she should have been back in the vaults hours ago. What if Gromer had come to visit while she had been away?

Clutching the few scant notes she had made, Anemos hurried out of the room. She would have to continue the search for her missing scroll some other time. Now she had to find the copy of the passenger list of the Phoenix and give it to Argo, and then there was...

Anemos, still buried in her thoughts, failed to notice the human in her path until it was too late.

"Ah!" In her sudden alarm she sent up a small, yet strong gust of wind that sent the human flying backwards into a table, which in turn dislodged a jug of water. The end result would have been the talk of the tower for the next few days if any other souls had been present to see it. The jug swayed before tipping on its side and sending a torrent of ice cold water onto the human's head.

"Oh I'm sorry! I didn't see I..." Anemos trailed off as she realized with growing alarm just who she had run into. "Argo!" She rushed forward and offered the human a hand. "Are you alright?" she stopped when Argo tilted his head and looked up at her. Argo almost stepped backwards in shock. The Argo that sat before her looked decades older than the one she had talked to in the vaults that morning.

"I'm fine," he said in a voice that was almost as aged as his face. Taking her hand he allowed himself to be brought back onto his feet.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, sending forth a light breeze as she did her best to dry him off. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I..." she stopped as Argo's hand latched firmly onto her wrist

"Neither of us was looking where we were going. But what is done is done. You can't do anything about it now."

"Argo?" she asked, sounding genuinely puzzled. It didn't even sound like he was talking to her.

The human blinked and frowned as if seeing her for the first time. "What? Oh no, I'm fine. His eyes flicked back down the way he had come. The corridor was still deserted. "Did you find what you were looking for?" he inquired, turning back to her.

"The scroll?" she looked down at her wrist which Argo still had firmly in his grasp. "No. I haven't found it yet."

"I see." He glanced back down the corridor and frowned. He looked back at Anemos, coming to some sort of decision. "Now that I think of it, I do recall seeing some scrolls on the uppermost floor. One of them could be your scroll."

"Oh." She smiled, trying hard to hide her discomfort. She didn't like the way Argo was looking at her. "It's all right. Really. I've found a way of locating it. So there's no need for you to go to all this..."

Finally Argo released her wrist and Anemos fought back the urge to rub at it. He smiled at her, a weak, tired smile that barely lifted the corners of his mouth. "Please, humor me. I'd like to think I'd helped someone today."

Anemos looked at him, an uncertain expression in her face. The last few minutes had seemed wrong, as if someone had taken what she was used to and turned it inside out. Part of her wanted to head down to the vaults, the place where she felt safe, and stay there till the sun rose once more on a new day, a different day. However the part of her that wanted to help people, to please them, called for a different course of action. If Argo was right and the scroll was on the upper floors then she wouldn't have to resort to using magic. And thrown into the bargain she'd also make amends for getting Argo soaked to the skin.

"Where exactly was this table again?"

For the first time since they had collided with each other, Argo actually smiled.   Not a thin one, not the business smile he wore when dealing with others, but a genuine smile. Anemos relaxed a little. This was more like it.

"The second from top floor. There are two ways to get up there, the main staircase and the back stairwell. If I remember correctly the room was somewhere between the two." He paused for a second. "Oh yes, one more thing. They're having an important meeting on the top so it's probably best if you go in without being seen and heard. I don't think they'd be too pleased at being disturbed."

"I suppose not." Anemos sighed. "Very well, I'll have a look. A few minutes more shouldn't matter considering my lateness." She gave Argo a little bow. "Thank you for trying to help me," she said before turning and walking back the way she had come.

"Believe it or not, you'll be the one helping me," Argo said in a low voice, not meaning for Anemos to hear it. However the blue female suddenly halted a few steps away and turned back to him, a questioning look on her face. "Oh, I forgot to ask. Did you find Gromer?"

That name struck Argo like a knife, a sharp pain within his conscience and within his heart. He had hoped she wouldn't ask about him. "No," he apologized, shaking his head. "I haven't seen him all day."

"Strange," Anemos said, looking thoughtful for a few moments. "I guess he must have stayed at the gargoyles' caverns all day then."

"Yes," Argo said, nodding. "That's what must have happened."

"Ah well then. I'm sure he'll be back shortly after sunset. Well," she gave another little bow, "in that case I'd better be on my way. A peaceful day to you Argo."

Peace? Argo watched her retreating form, his mind already moving at an alarming pace. No there would be no peace for him. He was already damned no matter what he did this night. Sending Anemos up there--was that as bad as what he had done to Gromer earlier that afternoon? Or did he dare to even contemplate the price of the acts he had committed?   No, this was different. Anemos may not have any idea of what she was walking into, but at least she was still able to defend herself. She would see, she would hear and then she would have the ability to get away. Word would get out and Arius and his 'colleagues' would not be able to point the finger at him. His daughter was safe...

...for now.

At the moment all he had done was buy her and himself some time. And her safety depended on what he did in that time. He turned and ran down the corridor towards the stairs and his own private apartments.

Anemos would be back and he needed to be ready for her.

*******

So many new things, and yet so much that was part of her everyday world was out of place. Anemos halted at the base of a set of back stairs that would take her to the uppermost floors and decided that she would be glad when this day was over. She'd heeded Argo's words and had avoided the main stairwell and corridors, although she'd thought it a little strange. She'd been to meetings before; they had always been open, available for any to watch if they so wished. But a closed secret meeting?  What was it that they were discussing up there? An unfamiliar notion rose in her head, perhaps she could go and...

Almost immediately she shook her head, dismissing that thought. She was only here to have a quick look at the scrolls Argo had told her about and then she would leave. If anything important was being discussed at that meeting, then the representatives of each community would pass on the word in due time. She stopped at the top of a staircase. Here the back stairway ended, the only way to get to the top floor was to go up a smaller staircase that lay at the opposite point of the tower to where Anemos was.

The corridor before her was empty.  In fact, she couldn't recall seeing anyone for the past two floors. 'They must all be on the top floor,' she thought. This was good. She could quickly look for her scroll without disturbing anyone. Taking a few steps out from the stairwell, Anemos suddenly stopped and cringed. Her footsteps sounded so loud! She had no idea that the echoes in this part of the tower were so powerful. Why, she'd disturb the meeting one floor above just by walking down the corridor! She briefly considered going back but then a thought occurred to her. Why should she? She had already come this far and if her scroll was in one of these rooms then wouldn't it have been a wasted trip? No, she decided. She wouldn't turn back, especially when she had a way of getting about that would not even disturb a sleeping mouse.

She closed her eyes and concentrated, pushing that force that lived inside her towards her feet. Within moments a soft cushion of air separated Anemos from the floor. This way she could get about without making a sound. Thus equipped she looked about her. Argo had said that the room that he had seen the scrolls in was halfway between the back stairwell and the staircase that led up to the uppermost floor. The problem was that Argo had neglected to tell her which halfway point it was. There was really only one thing to do now. She'd have to go in one direction, check the room halfway at that point and then continue on past the upper staircase until she reached the other half. Sighing, she turned to her right and began floating down the corridor. As she did so an all-too-recent thought resurfaced. When all was said and done, she would be very glad when this day was over.

******

"Are we ready?" Möbius looked around at the five assembled figures which, including him, stood at six points around the edge of the circle that Gromer had seen the night before. Arius, Red Robes, Inanis, the master of the shadow beasts, Möbius himself and a slender, silver-haired woman. Each had been chosen for this task. What they were about to do required a strong will and an even stronger belief in what they wished to gain from this.

Behind them the last dying rays of the sun filtered in through the western window, bathing them in a blood red light. Arius smiled. This was perfect. Even the sun itself seemed to support them. "Each of us has been ready since the day we came into being. Fate has provided the rest," he said, indicating Gromer’s prone form in the center of the circle with a nod of his head. "This one's soul, though not innocent, will entice the demons to leave their world and follow it."

"And a pure soul will bring them into ours," Möbius continued. "You failed in obtaining one of the gargoyle eggs, but when one door closes, another always opens. We have found a replacement, a pure soul...an innocent soul, and through it the dam will burst and we shall be where we desire to be." Around him Möbius' co-conspirators nodded.

"Daylight departs, night is upon us. This first step must be completed before midnight." Arius raised his hood and stepped forward into the circle. "Let us begin."

******

Anemos picked up the scroll, held it at arms length for a few seconds, and then dropped it back onto the table. Did Argo actually know what was on these scrolls? She had found the room without any trouble, but the elation of walking into the chamber and seeing a table laden with scrolls had swiftly vanished, blown away by the ill breeze that Anemos now felt swirling around her. The source of this breeze? She didn't know exactly. From the scrolls, from above, from all directions. It had probably always been there but the blue Olympian wasn't aware of it until she opened the first scroll and began to read. Perhaps it was those first few words, imprinted into Anemos' mind forever, that brought her emotions to a place they had never been before.

Creatures...mistakes. These were words that the humans on the mainland used to refer to gargoyles and Olympians. What was such filth doing here on Atlantis? Anemos looked at the other scrolls and stepped away. What hatred did they contain? Did she want to know? Perhaps not, but there were others on this island who would need to know about this. Argo, Ceridwen, Argente, all the representatives of the three races that shared this island. They would need to know. As much as she hated to touch the thing, Anemos picked up the scroll once more. She would need proof. The other scrolls might vanish once others knew, but at least this one wouldn't. She backed away, glad to distance herself from the scrolls and their foul breeze...

She stopped. She was leaving the room, but that whisper of hatred was still there and now it seemed to carry something else. Anemos listened, even though part of her was screaming at her to run, get away from this place. Was it? She strained her ears, willing whatever currents of air swirled around the room to bring the noise to her. Chanting. Yes, that was it. Someone, somewhere was chanting. She didn't recognize the language but that didn't matter. Word were pointless when the tone, the aura of the sounds were all the translation she needed. Someone was casting a spell and whatever it was it wasn't something good.

All of a sudden the chanting stopped and whatever hold it had on Anemos was lifted. The Olympian took the chance to get out of the room and back into the corridor and into darkness.

******

"The door is open," Möbius said, his weary voice barely audible above the wind that howled around the room. He lifted one bony finger and pointed at Gromer. The Olympian's body rose and hovered above the center of the circle. The glow from his shackles were now the only light source in the room. All other candles and lamps had briefly burned green before being extinguished as the spell had started. He nodded at Red Robes who now took up his own chant.

As he did so, the shackles that bound Gromer flared, filling the room with a brilliant light, a light wouldn't fail to be seen by many, if not all the people on the island. It didn't matter. There wasn't anyone on the island who could interfere. Sunset and the awakening of Ceridwen and her clan was still some minutes away. Red Robes stopped and smiled. "Now we send the lure-"

The light surrounding Gromer intensified and he began to scream.

******

Where had the daylight gone? Anemos rushed over to the window and peered out into the murk beyond. The sun wouldn't have set just yet and this time she knew she hadn't lost track of time in that room. She looked up and found her answer. Dark clouds, so dark and dense that they blocked out all sunlight were rushing in, pulled by a wind so strong that it seemed to be tearing them apart even as it carried them. Where had they come from? When she had last looked out of a window the sky was clear save for a few wispy clouds on the horizon. She knew the winds that circled around the island.   She may spend most of her time secreted away in the vaults, but she still knew the air around her, it was part of her, something she could call upon to help her.

A thought, planted as a seed in those moments, began to rapidly grow. The ill wind in the scroll room, the feeling of unease, the chanting. And now this. The words written in the scroll she now held. Was this what they were talking about?

Her mind raced as these ideas began to merge into a possible answer. However those thoughts were interrupted by a sound that tore straight though Anemos'mind. A voice screaming...

...her eyes widened and her heart quickened as she recognized that voice, the particular currents in the air that it caused.

"Gromer!"

She clasped her hands to her mouth. She hadn't meant to shout his name out loud. Suddenly the wall beside her exploded as a bolt of energy missed her by the barest of margins. There, standing between her and the back stairwell, was a man dressed in black robes, a wooden staff outstretched. He said nothing to her.  Instead he began a low chant as light started to build at the end of the staff.

He'd fire and this time he wouldn't miss. Luck had been on Anemos' side the first time.   Now she had to make her own. Barely two heart beats passed before Anemos did something she had never done before.  She fought back! Without really thinking about it, she sent out her own shot, a blast of freezing air that drove the man back, causing him to break off his spell as he struggled to stay upright. Further, further back until her way to the stairwell was clear. With one final push she knocked him off his feet and dashed into the stairwell, not bothering to wait to see if he chose to follow her. She knew he would. She knew someone would.

Thoughts rushed through her head as she sped down the stairs. She had to find someone. They had to rescue Gromer. They would have to discover what was happening and put a stop to it.

Floor after floor passed her by and still Anemos saw no sign of anyone, human or Olympian. She knew she couldn't tell just anyone, she needed to find someone she could trust. And the last person that she had seen had been Argo. Praying that he was still near the library, Anemos doubled her speed, soon reaching the upper floor of the library. There, to her surprise and relief was Argo. It seemed the human had been waiting for her. In his arms he carried three scrolls.  On his face was a look of grim determination.

"Argo!" she panted, trying to force the words out of her mouth although her lungs were screaming for air "On...on the upper floors they..."

"I know."

Anemos blinked. He knew? "They have..."

"Gromer. Yes I know. I heard him."

"We have to help him!" she said, watching in disbelief at the look of sadness and regret that Argo now wore.

"There is nothing I can do to help Gromer now."

"But!"

"He's gone, Anemos. You can't save him.  No one can."

For that moment silence stretched out into infinity. Gone? What did Argo mean by gone? Surely Gromer wasn't...

...dead?

"No," she said, shaking her head, refusing to believe what Argo was saying. "We can still help him. The others will help."

"No." Argo shook his head. "Your people won't be able to do much to stop this."

Sounds of feet running down stone stairs became audible. Anemos turned back to Argo, fear and confusion in her eyes. "They're coming Argo! What should we do?"

"Get to the gargoyles, show them these," he said, thrusting the scrolls he had been carrying into Anemos' arms. "They might be able to help, but I'm afraid it may be too late."

She glanced down at the scrolls and then back up at Argo, feeling the first stirrings of betrayal. "Why don't you help?"

"I can't," he said pushing her in the direction of the stairs. "I'm sorry but I can't. Now go!"

There wasn't anything else she could do, so she turned and ran, trying to outrun both her feelings and the men that now followed her. As she reached the stairwell she risked one last backwards glance. Argo had vanished and now she realized with growing urgency, so should she.

******

The early darkness had brought many of the Olympians onto the streets. The humans, thinking that it was a coming storm, retreated to the safety of their homes. It may look bad, they told themselves, but like all storms it would pass.

The Olympians however, knew a different story. Their magical heritage, the same one that gave them such a diverse spectrum of shapes, sizes and power, now sang a truth within their blood. This was no natural occurrence. High up in the tower something magical was happening, something that made its presence felt as a brilliant light shot out of the windows of the upper floor. Nervous murmurs began to spread among the assembled crowd. Some spoke of going into the tower to find out what was going on.  Others talked of leaving the island until this was over.  Some talked of leaving for good.

"Out of my way!" The crowd nearest to the tower parted as Argente stormed towards the main steps. For a few moments she scowled at the tower before barking orders. "Minos. Haem," she called to the two Olympians who had followed her through   the crowd. "Come with me, we'll find out what those humans are up to." Another Olympian, this one with wings and golden eyes approached the small group before they disappeared into the tower. Her name was Aerius.

"Argente," she said. "We should have the others make preparations to leave if this deteriorates."

"Oh come, child," she replied "It is not as bad as all that. Still," she glanced at the faces and the range of emotions that surrounded her. Perhaps it would be a good idea to keep their minds otherwise occupied. "Still," she repeated. "It is best to be prepared."

"I'll see to it," the Olympian said, nodding before she disappeared back into the crowd, raising her arms, extending her wings and raising her voice so that she would be noticed.

Argente meanwhile had turned her attention back to the tower. The humans--and make no mistake humans were behind this--would have a lot to answer for. Humanity and magic was a bad mix at the best of times. The dark clouds above, the light. This seemed to be worse. A whole lot worse.

"Look!" a voice rang out as an arm in the crowd was raised and pointed towards the tower. Everyone's attention was drawn to a window some four stories up as the glass window blew outwards, showering some of the crowd below with a sharp and cutting rain. Argente's attention was drawn back to the window and a blue figure suddenly came hurting out of the window, cocooned by a whirlwind of water and air. Whatever it was, it was enough to cushion the figure as it landed on the streets below. As it groggily got to it's feet, Argente suddenly recognized who it was.

"Anemos!"

The tower forgotten for the moment, Argente and a few other Olympians rushed to her aid. Anemos, it seemed, did not see nor hear them. She was too busy picking up the scrolls she had dropped when she fell. She was also glancing back up at the window that she had fallen from, apparently seeing something that made her back away in fear.

"Anemos!" Argente had now reached her, laying one hand on the smaller female's shoulder. Anemos gave a small scream and cringed.

"Keep away!"

"Child?" Argente now tried a softer voice, gently lifting Anemos' chin so that they saw eye to eye. What she saw there was something she had hoped to never see in another Olympian's face ever again. Pain, fear and a total sense of helplessness. By the four winds, had the same thing begun on Atlantis too? Then came a small flicker of recognition, and then-

"Argente!" Anemos moaned, her words tumbling over themselves in her rush to tell all. "They have Gromer, they did something to him.  Argo told me to get help from the Gargoyles, show these to them...think they're going to try and wipe us out. Oh Argente, Argo said that Gromer was dead!" And now the tears came, and a rush of emotion that had been held back by fear was released.

Argente, not knowing what else to do, embraced Anemos. She looked back at the other assembled Olympians and for the first time, words failed her. Around her they others were in shock, they knew who Gromer was; knew that he was Argente's son. As for the rest...

"We can't stay here!" Anemos said, suddenly pulling on Argente’s arm. "They will be coming."

"Who?"  another Olympian asked.

"That!" Anemos cried, pointing towards the broken window. The crowd scattered as a dark, winged figure emerged from the window and leapt down to the street below.

"Shadowbeast!" a fear laced voice called from the crowds, causing some of the Olympians to flee. They had all heard of shadowbeasts, the short-lived monsters called forth by a human mage. Gromer had passed on the story after hearing Nightshade's tale from Calun. This was the cold reality and a darker nightmare than the tales told to frighten the younglings late at night.

"I'll stop it!" Haem shouted, drawing his hand back. Like Anemos, he had the ability to use the elements, although limited to fire and earth.   But unlike the blue female, his power at this critical moment failed him. The fireball that should have appeared in seconds did not come.  He stared at his hand in disbelief and glanced back up at the Shadowbeast that was now advancing on Argente's small group. Another beast had appeared at the window and was quickly following it's kindred. "I...I can't," he said, his voice shaking. "Can anyone?"

This question brought forth a series of gasps and moans as one by one the assembled Olympians tried to call upon their powers to rid themselves of the Shadowbeasts, and one by one found that they couldn't. Only Anemos, it seemed, had retained her powers.

Now fear gripped the crowd and many of the assembled Olympians who had come to rely totally on their powers began to back away. Others stood, looking towards Argente and her small group for a word, any word on what they should do. The only words that broke that silence came not from Argente but from someone behind her.

"Me," Anemos whispered. "They're after me."

"Argo said to go to the gargoyles, did he?" Argente picked up an urn and threw it at the shadowbeasts. Anemos was right. The creatures were ignoring all others. Their concentration was fixated upon the blue female. "Very well, go to them child. Haem!" she shouted to the red skinned male. "Go with her, see that she gets there."

"What are you going to do?"

"Whatever we can here. Aerius will see to it that those who cannot fight get to the boats. This island is neither a safe nor fit a place for us to be." Someone handed Argente a long wooden staff. Around her other makeshift weapons were being passed around. She used the weapon to keep the approaching shadowbeasts at a distance. "Now go!"

Anemos and Haem didn't need to be told twice. They turned and ran in the direction of the cliffs. Behind them they heard a scream of rage as the shadowbeasts were prevented from following them. They came to a street corner and  turned it, leaving the central plaza and the tower behind. Suddenly there came another scream--this one not from a shadowbeast. They stopped and stared at each other wide-eyed, resisting the urge to go back.

Haem scanned the street, looking for something. "Horses."

"What?"

"We need to get a horse.  We'll get to the cliffs much faster that way."

A noise behind them made both Olympians jump. From within the shadows cast by an urn a cat emerged and stood blinking at the pair before disappearing into the night.

"Cursed animal," Haem swore under his breath. "But it's got the right idea.  Come on, lets go."

And without another word they went, keeping to the shadows, to the side streets, always listening and looking over their shoulder for a shadow that was darker than the rest. As they reached the bottom of the hill, the city houses and plazas gave way to terraced farmland. Outside one dwelling they stole a horse, not caring when the human who lived there came out and started cursing at them. The way they saw it, the humans owed them for what happened that night, and speeding them on their way was only a tiny part of it.

No sign of pursuit came until they reached the bridge that connected the inner island to the outer ring. There, perched atop one of the columns that marked the start of the bridge, was a shadowbeast.

"That's why nothing attacked us in the city," Anemos said in a small voice as she tried to tighten her grip on both Haem and the scrolls she carried. "They knew we'd have to come out here."

"Then how do we get off the inner island?" Haem asked as he tried to keep control of the horse.  The animal had sensed the shadowbeast and was now doing it's best to shy away from the bridge.

"Keep going."

"What?" Haem shifted slightly, trying to glance at Anemos. "We'll be dead before we even go two steps!"

"Keep going," she repeated. "I'll make sure that the beast doesn't touch us."

Confused, Haem nevertheless complied, tightening his grip on the reigns and forcing the animal to stay on a direct course for the bridge. This didn't make sense. Only minutes ago, Anemos had been almost incoherent with fear. And now? Now she seemed to have been drained of all that. Had the fall and the shadowbeasts sent her over the edge?  Or had it merely sent her mind to a place where such things didn't matter? Whatever it was, he prayed that it wasn't sending them both to their deaths.

As they approached the bridge, the shadowbeast made no move or sign that it was even capable of movement. Behind Haem, Anemos closed her eyes and concentrated. Around them a wind began to blow, circling around and keeping pace with the horse. They were now on the paved area just before the bridge and still the shadowbeast had not moved.

"Anemos!"

"Keep going!" she shouted through gritted teeth.

They had now come level with the two columns and only now did the shadowbeast act. Spreading it's wings it screeched and dove at the pair only to be batted aside as the wind that surrounded them increased with such force that it became an impenetrable shield. The beast screamed, circled and dove again, only to be driven back once more. On and on it went until they had reached the other side of the bridge. Haem didn't know how Anemos was able to keep it up. He was grateful, there was no question about that, but Anemos had already used her powers to cushion her fall from the tower and he wasn't going to even guess how many times she had been forced to use it in the tower itself. It couldn't last, and shortly after they had reached the cover of the trees on the other side, the wind stopped as suddenly as it had begun and Anemos almost fell off the horse.

Some distance behind them, the shadowbeast gave another screech. It wasn't going to follow them into the woods. Rather, it would do as it had done at the bridge and wait until they came out into the open again. And to get to the gargoyles' cliffside dwelling, they would have to. The carved stone steps alone would leave them open to attack and it was doubtful that Anemos could muster enough strength to create yet another shield.

All too soon, the base of the cliffs and the steps came into sight. Not knowing what else to do, Haem picked up the longest, thickest fallen branch he could find. Around them the wood had been cast into almost total darkness. Only the torches from the dwelling above cast any light on the stairway. Surely sunset and had come and gone. Would the gargoyles hear them if they started to shout now? Or would it just bring forth the shadowbeast and death?

As he helped Anemos off the horse, Haem realized that even if they could get up there, what could the gargoyles do? This was magic, dark powerful magic, and if those with fae heritage couldn't do anything about it what could anyone else do? With one arm guiding the exhausted Anemos and the other holding the branch at the ready, he gave the horse a powerful slap to the hindquarters. The frightened animal took off, galloping past them and along the now open path. Perhaps the beast would chase the horse for a while.

They reached the base of the stairs and looked up, scanning the sky and cliffside for any sign of the beast. With a pitch black sky it was impossible to make out anything. They began to make their way up, Haem between Anemos and the open air. The blue female stumbled more than once on what seemed to be an agonizingly slow journey.

Halfway up, when they could neither go up or back down, the shadowbeast re-appeared. This time it didn't attack straight away. Instead it made two lazy passes, eyeing the pair before heading back into the murk beyond.

'It's testing us! It must know that Anemos doesn't have anything left!' The cold realization came as a screech tore apart the uneasy silence and the shadowbeast dove at them, talons extended. Haem brought the branch up and prayed that it was strong enough to deliver at least a few good blows before it broke. It was closer now and Haem could make out every fearsome detail on the shadowbeast's grinning face. A few moments more and it would...

...vanish?

When the beast was close enough that it could touch the pair, its grin turned into a look of utter surprise and frustration. The shadowbeast screamed as it became transparent, and then vanished from sight altogether. The only part of it that actually touched Anemos and Haem was a slight breeze, nothing compared to what had been an almost certainty before.

Suddenly another shadow passed overhead and Haem swung the branch wildly, barely missing the gargoyle who now landed beside them.

Calun took one look and the disheveled and frightened pair and for once couldn't think of anything to say. What finally came out seemed as lame as any question could be.