Darken slashed his hand through the tree. The subsonic sound wave he had focused in his hand sheared it like a blow from an axe. It fell to the ground as he watched it do so, his breath streaming in the slightly cold air of early morning.

He brushed his jet-black hair from his face and picked up the tree, straining his muscles with the effort. He brought it to the pile of logs much like them. The cords of his muscles strained under his bone-white skin.

He sat for a moment to catch his breath, his jet-black wings gently fanning a soft breeze to him. For not the first time he pondered the wisdom of trying to build this house himself. He didn't mind the work--far from it. It gave him a chance to hone some teachings he hadn't found much use for in the past year.

What he regretted was that he simply wasn't strong enough to keep up this pace. He had tried--he had been using a low-level heal spell to keep himself going, to mend the torn muscles and cracked bones that had resulted from lifting trees and having them fall back on him.

His breath streamed in the cold mountain air. He had been working here for the past 5 months, digging, cutting, and building. This was his wedding present to Phoenix Romanova, the woman he loved more than anything else in this world.

Well, woman wasn't quite the right term, he thought, brushing the hair from his face again. Romanova was a goddess, from a distant dimension. A dimension, for all Darken knew, where she was now. She had done it often enough, and he was fine with it, but on days like this, it made the absence weigh as heavily as the logs before him.

He heard a rustling in the bushes and snapped up, a bit unsteadily. He struck a ready pose, awaiting the instigation, but also praying they wouldn't see his muscles twitching with fatigue.

He immediately relaxed when he saw the face of his intruder. Rather, he saw the two lights which always accompanied her. "Liandra," he said, sighing with relief. "You're getting better at sneaking up on me."

The purple haired angel stepped into the light of the sun. "You're just tired, big brother," she said. Her purple hair hung over her eyes, an unspoken reminder of her blindness, as were the twin fairies that flitted about her, compensating for that same blindness.

"Yeah," Darken said. "I really am."

"Then maybe you shouldn't so this yourself," she said. "Can I help?"

"Liandra," Darken said, starting slowly, as this was sure to cause conflict. "I wanted to do this myself. And besides, you have to mind the temple--"

"From what, Darken?" Liandra said impatiently, cutting him off. She grit her teeth and Darken caught a glimpse of her fangs. "You know as well as I do that the temple will manage fine on its own. Besides, Kirone's in prison, she has been forever. You're just trying to make excuses to keep me away."

"Maybe I am," Darken said weakly. "Maybe I want this to be my gift to Romanova."

"Maybe your friends would like to give you a gift, to both of you," Liandra said. "We all have come to care about her too."

"I know," Darken said.

"All right then," Liandra said. She handed him a flask. "This is for you. Arabrosia, because I know you haven't drank anything but water for the past few days."

Darken hefted the flask in his hands. "Where did you get it? Isn't this expensive?"

"Kael had a store in the lower chambers of the Temple," Liandra said. "When we're done building the house, I should show you what I've discovered about the place."

"Why not now?" Darken said. "I could use a break."

"Because now I have to go and call your friends, that you were bull-headed to call," Laindra said, stern but smiling. She threw her arms around him. "I love you, big brother. You took care of me before, when I was turned. Let me return the favor, please?"

"You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"

Liandra smiled. "No."

Darken sighed, then smiled. "No wonder you and Romanova get along so well," he said. "You both won't take "no" for an answer."

"I never have," she said, her black wings catching the sky. In the space of minutes, she was gone.

Darken uncorked the flask and drank deeply. It was very sweet, refreshing in a way he hadn't had for a long time. The sun was peeking out from the clouds, and Darken felt himself get a little stronger.

"Honestly," the dark-haired woman said, raising her hands in the air. "This is your last chance to surrender."

The black-robed creature turned his white face towards her, speaking despite the lack of a mouth. She could feel his voice like cold fingers on her brain. He reached a long white hand towards her, clawed fingers seeming to reach towards her bone-white face.

"You are not in a position to make demands," it said, the spare light glinting off of its greenish metal armor. The burning caverns they were in smelt of brimstone and death. The creatures smelled even worse than that. "What you have seen here . . .you will take to your grave. The dead keep their secrets well."

Her black eyes narrowed on him. "Is that so? Then I guess I'll just be off then."

Before the creature could react, she was in the air, her grey cloak blooming behind her as she moonsaulted over the surrounding creatures. Their heads snapped to track her, and their green eyes narrowed. This woman was proving disturbingly difficult to apprehend.

She landed hard on her ankle, felt it twist with the impact of her landing. She grit her teeth and took off running, the pain shooting through her like hot knives.

Block it out, she said, reciting a mental mantra that helped her to ignore the pain. Had she bothered to turn around, she would have noticed something strange. The robed creatures weren't following her.

With seconds, she knew why. A massive creature landed before her, followed by another. They looked like giant wasps, their stingers glowing with eerie green light.

Damn, she thought. Warrior Seketha. She slid to a stop, under the legs of one. It tried to impale her on its stinger as she went under, but only caught her cloak, tearing a neat shred off. She rolled to her feet and kept running, her ankle even more in pain because she had been forced to stop the mantra.

One of the Warriors grabbed her by the cloak. Her eyes bugged out as she struggled for air. She felt herself being swung like a toy on a string and throw hard against the wall. She tried to roll with it, but it was no use--the pain made her feel as though she was set aflame.

She could hear the dry scratching of the Warriors, moving closer. Sections of their carapaces opened, revealing eye-like protrusions. They glowed with the same energy as their stingers.

She fiddled with her cloak, removing what little was left of it. She draped it over her, slowly, hiding her body from them as she steeped into position.

At the same instant bolts of energy burst from the weapons the Warriors had unleashed, she leapt to the face of the leader, wrapping her cloak over its head. It thrashed about wildly, trying to throw her off, trying to see.

She held on tight, unwilling to let go. She heard a rumble and looked upwards. A cave-in, she thought. Just what I need.

A stalactite imapled the abdomen of the Warrior she was astride. It let out a high pitched cry that pushed against her eardrums. It reflexively threw a bolt towards on of its fellows, blowing it apart. A clod of dust had been kicked up, and she took advantage of it, leaping to a higher ledge, just as a bolt blew apart the Warrior she had blinded.

She was safe here, she reasoned. She let a hand run to the side of her head, partly to brush her hair away, but mostly to see if her implants where working. Thank the Elder, she thought. They seem to be all right. I've got to get back to Deianyra. Kael and Gailion must be told about this.

She took a deep breath. Her implant allowed her to cross Spheres on her own, without a gate. However, it was extremely dangerous to use, as it would, with enough uses, kill her.

But she had no choice. With what she had seen here, if she didn't go as soon as she could, they would all be dead.

Sandalphon surveyed the landscape from his window. He shifted uncomfortably, not because he found his title or position uncomfortable, but because he found the purple uniform of the Regent was of a fiber her found irritable.

The view from the palace was magnificent, as it always had been. Save for one small blemish. It stood there, in the foreground of the massive window, among the gleaming towers and gravity pagodas of Nycheladra, reminding him, taunting him.

The wreck of the Skyshadow had been a blemish ever since it had crashed there months ago. Rather than try to remove and destroy it, Sandalphon had ordered it studied, and over time it had been re-made. Not much remained of the ship, just the command tower, which loomed like a dark tower in front of him.

He squinted just a bit, trying to discern activity in the windows of the tower. He found none, but that was just as well. He knew what was going on there, in every detail. He had ordered it.

He turned, hearing the massive doors open. A smile crossed his face, wide and genuine. The young girl rushed to him quickly, her soft white wings dragging against her only a little.

"Alecto," he said, embracing her tightly. "I have missed you, my daughter."

"I've missed you, Father," she said. He noticed, not for the first time, how grown-up she looked. Her silver and black robes only accentuated the regalness she seemed to carry herself with. For not the first time, Sandalphon thought about she had adjusted to his ascension better than he had.

She brushed a lock of her auburn hair from her face. Sandalphon's eyes narrowed at the trace of white in her hair. He looked downcast for a second, always reminded in that action what Alecto really meant to him.

"So," he said. "You are released from the Academy?"

"Only for the Month," Alecto said. "My Warmaster says I show promise."

Sandalphon laughed and poured them both a glass of water. "Well you would have to, wouldn't you?" He smiled gently at her, handing her a goblet. "You are the daughter of the Regent."

Alecto smiled humbly. "Father," she said. "I hardly think that's the reason."

"I know, I know," he said warmly. "But I'm very proud of you, Daughter."

"I want you to be proud of me," she replied. He almost winced at the youth in her voice, the life. How far he felt from it all now.

He embraced her tightly. "That, dearest Alecto," he whispered softly to her. "Is something you would never have to work for."

"Father," she said, pulling away for a moment. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes," he said, doing his best to hide the trouble crossing his face. "It's merely the weight of the office. Things were much easier when I was a solider in the guard. It's . . . tiring."

"I can imagine," Alecto said, stretching. "Father, may I go to my room? The journey from the Academy was a long one."

"Of course," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "Take your rest, the guards will show you to her quarters." He motioned to his two red-clad guards. Alecto and the guards walked out of the door without a word.

"She's really quite sweet, isn't she?"

Sandalphon's hand tightened around his goblet. "Kirone," he said flatly.

"And doesn't she love her father?" Kirone said, folding her hands to her chest. "Oh yes. How much she would love you if she knew everything about you."

"Kirone," he said firmly, walking to the massive desk he had been sitting at. "If you value you your life, be silent."

"When are you going to tell her about what you did to her mother? Or her father?" Kirone said, leaning in close. She stroked his face with the back of her hand. "Oh I know--how about you tell her what you've got planned--we two, the two of us. You, the Regent, and me the most hated villian in the Angel's history. Tell her that."

"ENOUGH!" Sandalphon yelled. "I don't need you, Kirone."

Kirone laughed loudly. It sounded like the cackle of the dead. "Oh that's right," she said, taunting. "You don't need me. You have all the Angels, you have all the technology I found. And oh yes, you have the Sekthea."

Sandalphon smiled. "Yes I do," he said. "And that's what bothers you, isn't it? Your kind's always been afraid of them. Why?"

"You tell me," she said, turning away. "You were there, weren't you? Twenty years ago. Before I was ever born. You were at that temple, weren't you?"

Sandalphon stood still, not moving.

"Ohhhhhhh . . . forgive me, Regent," Kirone said, rubbing it in for all she was worth. "I forgot--you don't remember anything about it, do you?"

"Shut up," Sandalphon said.

"You know that I'm not helping you for your sake, don't you?" Kirone said. "Please don't be that stupid. But I'll tell you this--I'm only with you until I get the power to usurp the Seketha and this lovely little plan you have. Then I suppose I'll keep you around, crucify you as a traitor in the public square. Then I'll keep you alive just long enough so you can see me turn dear sweet Alecto into a vampire. If she's as good as you say . . .I may keep her around for my fun."

Sandalphon stood up, the chair shooting out from underneath him. His mouth spwed curses as his hands went to her throat.

"You touch her and I'll kill you, you hateful bitch!" Sandalphon said, shaking her as hard as he could. He began to increase the tension, trying to snap her neck.

"STOP!" a voice thundered in both their minds. Sandalphon snapped his head away from Kirone to see one of the Seketha standing there. His green eyes glowed with rage.

"Let her go," it said, speaking in their minds with such force they hurt. Sandalphon did as he was bid.

"What are you doing here?" Kirone asked, rubbing her neck. "Shouldn't you be in the other tower?"

"I am," the Seketha said. His voice had returned to its cold soothing tones. "But there is news to report. Things to discuss."

"Oh?" Sandalphon said. "You've found the Four Destroyers?"

"Yes," the Seketha said simply.

"Well then," Kirone said, drawing her dark cloak around her. "Now all we have to do is find the four keys, don't we?"

"Leave that to me," Sandalphon said. "Elita's crossing the other spheres now, trying to get us permission to cross into the Spheres. If that doesn't work, we should have our backup plan readied by that time."

"And if that's unacceptable to them?" Kirone said. "Most of these keys could be deep within the Spheres, even part of their holy places--they DO have great power."

Sandalphon looked at her. "Well," he said. "That's what the program in the other tower is for, isn't it?"

Darken was awoken by the feeling of a foot on his chest. He opened his eyes and followed the white fur and claws of the foot up its leg and to the rest of its owner.

"Jaga's Claws, young cub," the booming voice said. "Were you planning to sleep all day? There's work to be done."

Darken got up slowly. "Tigerhawk?" Darken asked, shaking out the grass in his wings. He cut a stark contrast to Tigerhawk, whose white fur and white angel's wings--a gift from the king of the angels in return for service--marked him as one of the feline Jakyra. "You're going to help me build the house?"

Tigerhawk laughed. "Well, why not, cub?" Tigerhawk said, smiling. "This is a momentous day for you. This is the beginnings of your life as a married man."

He grabbed one of the logs in his clawed hands, his tail twitching with the effort. "You know, I remember the day I took my beloved Felina as my wife," Tigerhawk began. "I was wholly unprepared for how my life was changed. I found her at times demanding, at times commanding, and mostly wonderful."

Darken lifted a log too, pointing to Tiogerhawk on how to lay them aside the other. "So, it's worth it then?" Darken asked, laying his perpendicular to the one Tigerhawk laid.

"I would not trade Felina for all the riches in these worlds," Tigerhawk said. "She is domineering, controlling, and never shy about voicing her opinions. She questions everything I do, and holds me to a very high standdard. Is it any wonder why I love her?"

"I guess that all depends on what you have to trade," a firm, calm, voice said behind them.

Darken's head turned around. He regarded the older, white-clad angel before him. He stood there, smiling, Liandra next to him. "Master Gailion," he said. "Liandra asked you to come as well?"

"I had . . .business here, yes," he said quietly. "Besides, I felt it necessary to come and visit you, before you wed. I'm afraid my story wasn't as happy as Tigerhawk's."

Gailion hoisted another log in position, as they did as well. "You've mentioned that before, Master," Darken said. "About what happened on that journey into Taruga. With my mother."

Gailion nodded. "Before that, we were part of a great order, I had a wife, a child, everything I could want."

"But you never went back," Darken said, setting another log into position.

"I could never go back," Gailion said. "It took some time to return to Nycheladra. By the time I had, I found things . . .changed,"

"Changed?" Darken asked. "How, exactly?"

Before Gailion could answer, there was a flash of light. A woman, pale, and white-skinned, fell to the earth. Blood was pouring out of her nose and mouth. Gailion rushed to her immediately, as if he knew her.

"Tralesta," he said, cradling her. "What happened?"

"I . . .had to get here," she groaned. "Had to . . .find you . . .tell you . . .It's started."

She fell unconscious soon after. Gailion held her there for a time, cradling her with his wings. Liandra, Tigerhawk, and Darken all stood there, watching him and her.

For a year, Darken had trained under Gailion, learned the Mirage Knuckle from him, learned how to maximize his gifts to a warrior's perfection. He had also taught him the mercy a true warrior would show, to those who fought beside him and fell.

Darken turned and looked at the house. It wasn't even a fourth finished. He had a gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach that it wouldn't be, for a very long time.