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Part 11 - Vital Discoveries

The tents had been taken down; the wagons were packed and ready to move out, by the time Zechs reached the camp.

"Let's get going," he ordered. "We have overstayed our welcome here at Alnswick County. We will head west to the Welshyre Kingdom."

Nobody questioned his decision; nobody asked where he had been. The remaining White Fang members had accepted him as their leader and they trusted him just as they had trusted Howard. As the caravan of riders and covered wagons slowly started to move, Zechs took the lead. It wasn't long before Hilde rode up next to him.

"Where is she?" the black-haired girl asked.

He didn't have to ask who she was talking about.

"I let her go; left her at a place where she was safe until her guards would pick her up."
Hilde's eyes widened.

"You did what? You broke into the castle, risked getting caught and hanged, to kidnap the princess just to let her go again. Have you completely lost your mind, Zechs?"

He didn't answer, but his lips, not hidden by the mask he was wearing, curved into a soft smile. She had barely ever seen Zechs smile. Suddenly something occurred to Hilde.

"It's her, isn't it? The girl from you dreams you once told me about? It's Princess Relena. - Who the hell are you?"

He looked at her, the smile gone from his face. "I am Zechs Merquise and that's all that matters. Who I was is of no importance."

*****

"Rashid," Quatre looked up at the tall Arab riding next to him, with a soft smile. "I'm glad that you found me and convinced me to come back home with you."

Over the past weeks the young mage had gotten slowly reacquainted with his family, and he knew now that his decision to return to Surabia had been the right one. After Quatre had spent time with his father and talked things out with him he felt far less angry. Seeing his sisters again had been wonderful. They still adored him and started to spoil him the moment he arrived at the palace. Four of his sisters had married since he had left. Three of them had moved away to live with their husband's families. But they came to visit when they learned that their little brother had returned. His oldest sister Iria and her husband, the son of a wealthy sheikh, still lived in the Emir's palace.

Quatre's father didn't like the idea that his son was planning to return to Sank. But Quatre had made it clear that he had made up his mind and that there was nothing that could change that.

"I'm glad that I was able to convince you, my Prince," Rashid answered earnestly.
The young mage almost winced. After having regained his freedom from slavery only a few months ago, he wasn't quite ready yet to be a prince again. "Please Rashid, I asked you not to call me that."
"Forgive me, but it seems so disrespectful to call you by only your name. At least allow me to address you as Master Quatre."
The blond signed. "Fine, if that's what you want. Although, I don't find it insulting at all if you just use my name. You should have heard all the things I have been called while I was a slave."

The moment the last word was out Quatre wished he hadn't said it. Rashid's face darkened instantly. The boy knew that his father's personal guard was blaming himself for not being there to save Quatre, when he had been kidnapped.
"If anybody will ever dare to disrespect you in my present I will kill him with my own hands," the tall man growled.

Quatre was sure he was not joking.

The boy reached for his canteen. It was almost empty, and the water was getting warm. He took a few small sips and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"How much further until we reach the oasis?" he wanted to know.

"Only a few more miles," Rashid assured him.
Quatre let out a sigh of relief. The sun was burning down at them, and he was beginning to regret that he had gone on this trip with Rashid. The two of them were traveling to Makhmed, the city of the Maganacs. Makhmed was located in the middle of the desert, a good hundred miles from the royal city.

A few days ago Quatre had asked Rashid to take him back the old hut where he and master H had lived before the raider attack, but Rashid had told him that there was nothing left of that place. The raiders had burned the hut down, and over the years the desert sand had swallowed what had been left of it. After the attack the emir had sent out the Maganacs, his personal elite guards, to search for Quatre and the raiders who had kidnapped him. The Maganacs also sifted through the rubble of H's house. Anything and everything that the fire had spared had been brought to Makhmed and kept there ever since. When Rashid told Quatre about a strange book, written in a language that nobody could decipher, the blond mage had decided that he wanted to go to Makhmed and see the book for himself.

Quatre and his bodyguard had left his father's palace before the break of dawn. Rashid had recommended taking a break at an oasis, rest during the hottest hours of the day and ride on once the heat became more bearable. Quatre was more than grateful for that suggestion. It was hot, too hot for somebody who had spent most of his life in the mild climate of Sank.

Once they reached the top of a large sand dune they were able to see a small number of tents and palm trees near a watering hole. Water was precious here in the dessert. It was more valuable then gold, as it meant the difference between life and death for those who lived here. An oasis was a place where local nomadic tribes stopped to refill their water supplies; a place buzzing with people and animals.

The two riders were greeted with curious looks. Most of the people here had probably never seen a person with blond hair and blue eyes. So it was not surprising that Quatre became somewhat of an object of interest, especially for the children in the camp.
Rashid began to unload their packhorse and put up a small canvas tent with skilled hands.

"What do you want me to do, Rashid?" the young mage asked. "Should I go and water the horses?"

His tall companion shook his head. "I'll take care of that, Master Quatre. You just sit down and rest. We still have a long way ahead of us."

As Rashid walked off with their mounts the boy settled down near their tent and sipped slowly on his freshly refilled canteen. At the sound of soft giggling he turned his head. A group of children, the youngest probably no older than four or five years of age, were watching him from a distance. They were whispering to each other and laughing. Quatre smiled at them and gestured that it was okay for them to come closer. Shyly a few of the older kids approached and one especially brave girl, about nice or ten years old, came close enough to reach out and carefully touch his hair. Then she hurried back to the others to tell them excitedly how soft and silky his hair was.

"Are they bothering you, Mater Quatre?"
Rashid had come back from the waterhole. Quatre shook his head. "No, not at all. They are just curious."

"Very well. But if they are getting too pesky just let me know and I'll shoo them away."

The blond mage sighed. "Rashid, you know although I might not look like it, I'm very capable take care of myself. If those children get on my nerves I can tell them myself." "

"Forgive me, I did not mean to imply that you couldn't."

"It's alright. I am a little tired. Do you think I could lie down and take a short nap?"

The tall Arab nodded. "We will be here for several hours. Go to sleep and I'll wake you when we are ready to leave."
"Thank you," Quatre replied gratefully, before he crawled into the tent, kicked off his boots and stretched out on one of the soft sleeping rugs. For a moment his mind wandered off to the Sank Kingdom and he wondered how his friends were doing, but soon sleep overwhelmed his tired body.

*****

"What's wrong?" Duo asked his friend as he put down his crossbow. He and Trowa had been practicing on the shooting range all morning. "You are awfully quiet today."

The other youth shrugged. He pulled another arrow from his quiver, loaded his weapon and fired, hitting the target just inches from where his friend's arrow stuck.

"My uncle," he finally said, while he re-loaded his crossbow. "You remember that he asked to see me last night? He told me that he had gotten an invitation from Emperor Tubarov to visit him at his castle."

"Yes?!" Duo asked. That was hardly unusual. Trowa's uncle, the current Ruler of Crownwood, had visited the Emperor on more than one occasion in the past. After all Crownwood and the Romefeller Empire were allies.

Another arrow hit the wooden target, then the young prince turned toward his braided friend.
"This time, he said, that he expects me to accompany him. Emperor Tubarov mentioned that he would like to meet me."

"Perhaps he wants to try to get on your good side. You are the crown prince, after all. So, when will we be going on this trip?"

"We?" Trowa asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I'm going with you of course," his companion replied.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Uncle might not allow it."

"He surely won't expect the crown prince to travel without his personal servant?"

"I suppose you are right. I might be able to convince him to take you along." Trowa sighed as he reached for his last arrow. "You know, Duo, I have a bad feeling about this. It seem like it has been too quiet for too long. I have the feeling that Tubarov is planning something."

*****

Quatre was woken by the sounds of people yelling. He stuck his head out of the tent and rubbed his eyes.
"What's going on?"

"Some kind of accident, a child got hurt," Rashid explained. "I'll go see if I can help somehow."

Quatre nodded. He quickly slipped into his boots and followed the tall man. Only moments later he could see what had happened. One of the large Bedouin tents had collapsed and trapped a little girl under one of the broken tent poles.
A number of men, Rashid amongst them, had already begun to move away wooden debris and canvas. Two women were comforting a third, apparently the child's mother, who was crying hysterical. As the men moved the large tent pole Quatre recognized the little girl that had earlier touched his hair. Her eyes were closed; blood ran over her face from a large wound on the side of her head and soaked the sand beneath her. She looked so fragile, like a broken doll that somebody had thrown away. An icy cold started to spread the young mage's stomach, as he felt her life slowly slip away.
"Let me though to her." Quatre pushed aside the people around him and made his way through the crowd that had gathered. As he dropped down to his knees, closed his eyes and summoned his strength he prayed that he would be powerful enough to save the child. The moment he laid his hands on her head, a wave of distress hit him. Grinding his teeth against the pain, he began to perform his healing spell. An aura of soft light surrounded the young mage and the girl. After some initial gasps of astonishment and wonder, the crowd had fallen dead silent.

Slowly, while he could feel his own strength slip away, Quatre could sense the child's life-force grow. He knew that his spell was working and that alone was enough for him to continue. Finally, after what seemed forever, he broke the connection and the soft light dissipated.

Quatre turned toward his bodyguard. "Rashid, tell her mother that she will be fine," he managed to whisper, then he promptly passed out.

When he came to and opened his eyes, the first thing the young mage saw was Rashid's worried face hovering above him. Then he realized that he was back in his tent.

"Hello Rashid," he grinned sheepishly. "What did I miss?"

"Master Quatre, thank Allah you are finally awake."

"I'm sorry if I scared you." Quatre tried to sit up, but Rashid grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back down with gentle force.

"You still need to rest."

"But shouldn't be on our way?"
"It is almost nighttime," the man told him. "You have been unconscious for hours. We will stay here over night and leave early in the morning."

Quatre nodded. "How is the little girl anyway?"

"She is doing well. Her name is Atisha. She woke up and was on her feet in no time at all, unlike you, Master Quatre," Rashid gave him a stern look. "You are too caring for your own good. You help others without keeping your own wellbeing in mind. I want you to promise me that you will be more careful in the future. It's my duty to keep you save, but you are not making it very easy for me."

"Relax, Rashid," Quatre replied. "I'm fine. I couldn't just let her die, could I? Anyway, I'm not a little boy anymore. I know how far I can push myself. And my father doesn't even have to know about this."
"It's not so much your father I'm worried about," his bodyguard confessed. "Lord Yuy and that wizard friend of yours on the other hand, I'm sure they will skin me alive if I let anything happen to you, Master Quatre."

"We can't let that happen now, can we," the blond mage laughed. "Alright, I promise to be more careful from now on."

Rashid nodded in satisfaction. "There is a present for you outside, Master Quatre. Atisha's parents left it before they moved on."

"A present? How could you accept a present, Rashid?" Quatre frowned. "I didn't expect to be rewarded for what I did."

"I realize that, but I don't think it would have been polite to refuse their gift of gratitude."

"I suppose you are right," the young mage agreed. "May I see it?"

"You will have to come outside, Master Quatre. I'm afraid it is a little too big for me to bring into the tent."

"Oh," Quatre exclaimed, with a curious look at Rashid. He sat up, slipped into his boots and followed the tall man outside. Near the tent where their horses were tied up, stood now another one; a stallion, dun with a long cream-colored mane.

"He is beautiful," Quatre gasped. "Does he have a name?"

"Sandrock."

The mount moved his ears and turned his head as his name was spoken.

"It fits him well." The blond mage stepped closer and patted the stallion's strong neck. Sandrock whinnied and scratched the ground with his hoof. Quatre smiled softly.

"We should eat and get some sleep, so that we can rise early, and leave before the sun comes up," Rashid suggested.
"You are right." Quatre nodded. "Good night, Sandrock. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

The stallion answered with another whinny.

***

The second day of their journey was no different than the first day had been. The sun was burning down on them mercilessly, and even the wind was hot and uncomfortable. They had stopped at an oasis once again to wait out the hottest hours of the day. Quatre was riding Sandrock. Already the stallion seems to recognize him as his new master. He had bucked and even tried to bite when Rashid saddled him, but around Quatre he was much more calm and peaceful.

"We are almost there."

Quatre snorted in amusement. "You have been telling me that all day."

"But this time it's true." Rashid pointed toward the horizon.

The young mage raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he looked up. And sure enough he could make out the outlines of a settlement in the distance. In the glistering sun it looked almost like a mirage.

As the two riders came closer, their horses raised their heads, and fell into a faster pace, lured by the smell of water and food.

Quatre looked around as they rode into the city. The houses were small and simple, build from mud bricks and straw.

"So, this is Makhmed," Quatre said as he and Rashid dismounted. He turned his head toward his companion. "Were you born here?"

Rashid nodded. "Born and raised, like all Maganacs," he replied with a hint of pride in his voice.

Quatre chuckled, and the tall man gave him a questioning.

"I just tried to imagine little Rashid playing in these streets."

"I don't think the captain was ever little," a good-humored voice announced from behind them.

The blond mage turned to face a young man, wearing the same kind of outfit as Rashid and a red cap on his head.

"Master Quatre, please meet Abdul." Rashid introduced. "Abdul, this is Prince Quatre."

"Prince…Quatre?" Abduls eyes went wide and he fell to his knees. "I did not mean to be disrespectful, my Prince."

Quatre rolled his eyes and huffed. "Rashid, please?!"

Rashid nodded. "Abdul, get up!" he told the other man. "Master Quatre doesn't like for people to kneel in front of him. He doesn't like to be addressed by his title either."

Abdul looked somewhat confused but rose to his feet.

"Will you take Master Quatre to his quarters, while I take care of our horses?" Rashid asked.
"Sure thing, Captain. Please, follow me, my….umm…Master Quatre."

"I'll see you later, after you had time to rest a little, and show you the things we recovered from Master H's dwelling."

Quatre nodded. "Thank you, Rashid."

As he followed Abdul, Quatre noticed that the young man was glancing at him curiously and repeatedly.

"What is it?" he finally asked.

The Maganacs blushed slightly. "I was just looking at your weapon. I don't think I have ever seen a sword like that."

The young mage pulled the sword from its sheath and handed it to Abdul. Abdul hesitated for a moment before he the weapon.

"It's heavy," he remarked as he studied it from all sides.

Quatre nodded. It was indeed larger and heavier than the crescent shaped scimitars Rashid and his men were using. He told Abdul about knights in metal armor even stronger and heavier broadswords that they used in battle. "If you would like I can show you later how to use it," he offered with a gesture at his weapon.

"Really, you would do that, Master Quatre?"

Quatre smiled, as he gave another nod. Somehow he had instantly taken a liking on the young man.

They entered one of the white painted houses. The air was pleasantly cool inside Quatre let out a sigh of relief.

"It isn't much," Abdul said as he showed Quatre to his room. "We live rather simple."

"It is just perfect," the young mage assured him as he looked around.

"Let me get you some water. You probably want to fresh up a little."

"Thank you. And Abdul…"

"Yes, Master Quatre?"

"Would you mind showing me the city a little later?"

"Not at all." Abdul hold him with a smirk. "I would love to."

***

"This is the book I told you about, Master Quatre," Rashid said, as he put a thick, leather bound book in front of the young mage.

The first thing that caught Quatre's interest was the mark on the cover. It was identically to the birthmark on his body. As the opened the book, Quatre realized what Rashid had been talking about. It was written in a very strange, almost symbol-like language. He never had seen anything like it before. The book seemed very old, and on some pages the ink was beginning to fade.

"Do you know what kind of language this might be?" Rashid asked.

Quatre shook his head. "No, I don't recognize it. I wonder if anybody in Sank knows more about this book. King Stephán has one that looks similar, at least from the outside. It too had the special mark on it."

"It is special, I'm sure of it," Rashid agreed. "The fire never even touched it. Everything around it was burned to ashes."

"I'll take it with me when I return to Sank," Quatre decided. "Was there anything else?"

"A few personal belongings of yours we returned to your father. And then there was this." Rashid put another book on the table. "Master H's journal it appears."

The blond mage opened the book curiously. The first entree on the very first page was very short; only a single sentence. It has begun.

When Quatre looked at the date on the top of the page he realized that it was written on the very day he was born. The young mage started to read through the journal. He recalled some of the things H wrote about; others he couldn't remember at all. Apparently the old man had kept a very close eye on Quatre even after the Emir had thrown him out of the palace and the royal city.

The last entree H had made ended with …The boy's empathic abilities are improving steadily. He never seizes to amaze me. He is much stronger than I had ever thought. But if he is strong enough to master all the challenges he has ahead of him, only time can tell. Tomorrow we will begin to work on his other abilities …

But of course that never happened, the following night raiders attacked H's home and kidnapped the young prince.

"Rashid," Quatre spoke as he closed the journal. "Can we stay here at Makhmed for a few days? I would love to see more of the city, and watch the Maganacs train."

The tall man nodded. "We can stay as long as you wish, Master Quatre."

*****

Emperor Tubarov's palace was easily the most fortified castle Duo had ever seen. The inner curtain-wall was enclosed by a second, even stronger wall. They had to cross not one, but two drawbridges to reach the inner yard of the castle.
Duo gazed around. Aside from a statue of the emperor himself, he saw little decorations and adornments. The grey stone walls looked dark and uninviting.
"This place gives me the creeps," he whispered to Trowa.
"I know. It has an eerie feeling to it."

The king gave the two of them a disapproving look. "I don't want to hear talk like that. We are here as guests, and I expect that you show the Emperor the respect that he deserves, is that understood?"
"Yes, Uncle," Trowa replied.

"Duo?"

"Yes, your Highness, I understand."
As Duo looked up he noticed a woman standing on one of the second floor balconies, watching them. She was tall, with long, black hair, and wore an open black robe over a crimson red dress. The braided boy turned his head for just a moment and when he looked back up she was gone.

The emperor's steward, a short, heavy set man, with a nose that reminded Duo of a hawk's beak, greeted the king and his entourage in the castle yard. He showed them to their quarters, while a number of servants took care of their horses and luggage.

Duo's small servant's room was adjoined to the prince's much larger bed chamber.

"Did you uncle tell you, why Tubarov asked to see him?" the braided boy asked as he poured water from a bucket into a silver basin, for the prince and refresh himself.

Trowa shook his head. "I asked him but he only said that they had to discuss state's affairs." He slipped out of his tunic and travel pants.

"I suppose you will find out soon enough."

While the prince washed himself Duo laid out a new set of clothes for him. Trowa thanked his friend with a nod. He was barely finished dressing when his uncle, the king, knocked at his door.

"Are you ready, Trowa? The emperor is expecting us, we shouldn't let him wait."

"I'm ready," Trowa replied.

One his way out of the door the prince turned once more to face Duo. "Promise me that you won't get into trouble, while I'm gone."

"I promise," Duo told him, with a smirk.

***

Emperor Tubarov greeted his guest with a smile as fake as the pearls around a gypsy's neck.
"King Dekim, I'm pleased to see you again. And I'm even more pleased that you have brought your nephew with you this time. I have been looking forward to meeting you, Prince Trowa."

"Thank you," Trowa answered with a respectful bow. "We appreciate your invitation, Emperor."

"You must be hungry after your long journey." Tubarov gestured at the lavishly set table. "I had a small meal prepared. Let's sit down and eat, shall we?"

"Where is Lady Catorce, if I may ask?" the king wanted to know. "Will she be joining us?"

"She should be here any moment," the emperor replied.

As if on cue, the door opened and the sorceress walked into the room.

"Forgive my tardiness," she apologized. "I was so wrapped up in my work I didn't realize how late it was."

"You are working too much, my Lady," Tubarov told her, before he introduced her to his guests. "You do remember King Dekim, don't you? And this is his nephew Crown Prince Trowa Barton."

"And what a handsome young man he is." The sorceress extended her hand, and Trowa kissed it courteously.

"King Barton," the emperor spoke as they settled down at the table. "I'm sure you will be pleased to know that the first 800 imperial soldiers are on their way to Crownwood. I'll send another 700 -800 men in a month or two."

Trowa looked first at his uncle then Tubarov. "What do we need that many soldiers for?"

"They will be guarding our border with Sank," the king explained.

The prince frowned. "We never had even half as many men stationed at the border."

"These are dangerous times, my young prince. A powerful army will make your enemies think twice about invading your country." Tubarov's voice was smooth as oil.
"As far as I know, Sank has never invaded anybody in the past. What makes you think that they would start now?"
"Better safe than sorry, wouldn't you agree."

"Trowa that's quite enough," the king told him. "It is not your place to question Emperor Tubarov's or my decisions."

***

Duo started out of the window, bored. He wished that there was something to do for him, something else but sitting here and waiting for the prince to return. Suddenly the braided boy smirked. Sure, he had promised Trowa that he wouldn't get into trouble. But that didn't mean that he couldn't take a little tour through the castle. He just had to make sure that he didn't get caught.
Duo left the chamber and asked one of the nearby guards for the way to the stables. He figured that, if he got caught by someone snooping around, he could tell them that he had gotten lost.
He wasn't quite sure what he was looking for, but a steep and narrow staircase, leading into some kind of basement, caught his attention. For a moment he wondered if it led into the dungeon. But when he climbed down the stairs he found himself in a long corridor. A few burning torches provided inadequate illumination, and made the place appear murky and uninviting.
Duo saw several doors. He tried to open the first but found it locked. The braided boy grinned. There was no such thing as a lock that he couldn't open. He pulled out a small but sturdy metal pick, which he had been hiding in his long braid. He poked around in the keyhole for a few moments then there was a quiet click and the door was unlocked. Duo pushed it open and peered into the room.

There were no windows and it was dark. As he walked forward Duo suddenly bumped into somebody. Startled he took a step backward and froze. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he realized that he hadn't run into a guard, as he had first assumed, but into some kind of statue, or coat of armor. With a sheepish grin, Duo reached out to touch it when the armor suddenly started to move its right hand. Duo's eyes went wide, as he backed off even further.

For a moment the braided boy thought that he had been imagining things, but then the armor moved again. This time there was no doubt about it. The large hand opened slowly, moved toward the sword and pulled the weapon. Duo, armed only with a small dagger, didn't wait to see what happened next. He turned and dashed out of the room. He slammed the door closed behind him and relocked it, then he waited for a moment, listening.

What the hell was that?

After a few moments of consideration Duo decided to go ahead and check out the next room. Very slow and very cautious he opened the door, somewhat surprised that it wasn't locked.

Perhaps, he thought, the other room is locked only to keep that thing - whatever it may be- inside.

This chamber had a small window high up on the wall. A beam of pale moonlight fell through it, draping the room in dim twilight.
Bull's-eye! Duo thought as he gazed around. This is just what I was hoping to find.

The walls were lined with shelves filled with spell books and scrolls. As he walked over to the table the braided boy bumped against a chair. He cursed quietly and rubbed his aching shin. For a moment he considered shifting, to make use of his feline form's superior eyesight. But then he realized that the sorceress would probably sense the sudden burst of magic.

There was a noise. Something was moving at his right. Duo jerked his head around, and from the corner of the room he found a pair of yellow-golden eyes staring back at him.

Another monster? He swallowed and reached for his dagger.

"Meow!"

A cat?! Duo snorted.

The animal leaped from the bookshelf, landed right at Duo's feet and started to rub its head on the boy's leg.

"You're quite a friendly little fellow, aren't ya?" He squatted down to pet the black cat, eliciting a content purr. "I'm Duo Maxwell, what's your name?"

Duo picked up the animal and scratched it behind the ears. With the cat in his arm he started to inspect the room. A few spell books and scrolls were lying on the table next to bottles and vials filled with odd looking liquids, and things Duo couldn't even identify. He wasn't sure that he wanted to know what they were. He picked up one of the scrolls and was just about to open it up, when he heard a noise from the corridor. He listened and heard the sound of footsteps. Somebody was approaching.
Duo jumped into a dark corner and pressed himself between the wall and one of the heavy bookshelves, just as the door opened. As he peeked out from his hiding place he could see the form of a woman.

Lady Catorce, the Emperor's sorceress.

Duo's mouth went dry, as she stopped in the doorway and gazed around the room suspiciously. Had she noticed him?

Suddenly the black cat jumped from his arm and dashed toward its mistress.

"There you are. Have you gotten yourself locked in once again?" the woman whispered softly, as she bent down and took the animal into her arm. "Poor little kitten, you must be starving. Let's go and find you something to eat."

As the sorceress walked away, Duo let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He waited a few moments just to make sure that she wasn't going to return before he left his hiding place.

***

Trowa was waiting for him in his chamber.

"Where have you been?" he asked, brows furrowed. "I told you not to leave this room, didn't I?"

"No, you told me not to get into trouble. And I didn't." Duo gave him an impish smile.

"So, where were you?" Trowa repeated his questions.

"I took a walk." His friend flopped onto the large bed.

"A walk?"

"Through the castle," Duo explained. "And you won't believe what came across." He grabbed the prince by the arm and pulled him down next to him on the bed, before he started to tell him what he had found in the basement.

Trowa didn't interrupt Duo, but he had a look of disbelief on his face, when the braided boy told him about the armor clad statue that had suddenly come to life and tried to attack him. "Duo, are you sure you didn't accidentally end up in the wine cellar and had a few too many sips from the wrong bottle"

Duo snorted, offended by his friend's comment. "I'm not drunk. And I'm not crazy either. I know what I saw, Believe it or not."

Trowa could tell that his friend was upset. "I'm sorry, Duo," he said. "But you have got to admit it sounds rather farfetched."

"I know it does, but I also know what I saw. Whatever this thing is down there, it is dangerous and I'm sure there is a reason why they keep it locked away. But if you don't believe me, we can go and I can show it to you."

"I won't go, and neither will you, Duo," the prince replied seriously. "Going down there once was dangerous enough. Obviously they are trying to keep this thing a secret. There is no saying what Tubarov or his sorceress would do if they were to find out that we know about it. By the way, I think I know what the emperor is up to."

The braided boy gave Trowa a questioning look. "What is it?"

"I just learned that he is sending fifteen-hundred soldiers to Crownwood. He is stationing them near the border to Sank."

Duo's eyes widened. "He is using Crownwood to gather his troops for an invasion on Sank."

Trowa nodded solemnly. "I'm not sure if my uncle is too blind to realize that, or if he is working together with Tubarov."

*****

"You are leaving…already?" the emir asked. "I thought you would stay for at least a few more months. We've barely had time to get to know each others. And what about your sisters? Can't you at least stay for their sake if not for me?"

"I'm sorry, Father," Quatre said quietly. "I have to go. I need to get back to Sank as quick as possible. I've told you about those dreams I'm having."
Four days ago his dreams had started, and he had them every night since. Horrible nightmares and visions that made him fear for the lives of his friends back in Sank

"If your dreams came true," his father replied, "and the Sank Kingdom is heading into war, that's one more reason for you to stay right where you are. You know that I'm strictly against war and violence."

"So is is the King of Sank, Father, but if his country is threatened he will defend it. And I need to be there with him." Quatre replied.

"What about this country? Surabia needs its prince, Quatre."

"Father, don't you understand that I'm not a prince? I don't know anything about politics or affairs of state. I've never learned to be prince." Quatre sighed. "Surabia has done very well without me for the past 10 years. I think it would be better for this country if Iria and her husband ruled Surabia after you, just like it was planned when you thought that I was dead."

The emir opened his mouth, but the blond mage stopped him before he could say anything. "Father, please don't make this harder than it has to be. I will leave, so much is sure. But I would much prefer if we would part on good terms this time."

After a long moment of silence the emir nodded. "I see you are just as stubborn as any member of this family. Very well then, I'll have Rashid put together your escort."

"My escort," Quatre echoed.

His father nodded. "You didn't think I'd let you travel back to Sank without the proper protection, did you?"

Quatre smiled softly. "Thank you, Father. I'll come back soon to visit, I promise."

***

Rashid came to see the young mage two days later.

"These are the Maganacs I have chosen as your guards, Master Quatre." He handed Quatre a list of names. "Please have a look and let me know if they meet your approval."

"Thank you, Rashid. I'm sure they are perfect," Quatre replied as he started to read. He smiled softly as he found Abdul, Ahmad, Aura and several other Maganacs who he had met in Makhmed on the list.

"And with your permission, Master Quatre, I'll be leading your escort," Rashid continued. "I failed once to protect you, I won't let it happen again."

Quatre frowned. "You didn't fail, Rashid. Now stop talking like that. You did everything you could have done. And I would love to have you by my side when I return to Sank. I can't think of anybody I trust more than you."

"Thank you," Rashid answered humbly.

"When do you think the Maganacs will be ready? I would like to leave as soon as possible."

"They will arrive at the royal palace before nightfall. We can be ready to leave by tomorrow."

Quatre nodded, satisfied. "That sounds wonderful."

______________________________________________________________________ ____________________

T.B.C.

Author's notes:

Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)