“She didn’t come to breakfast this morning and she wasn’t at lunch, either.  Did something happen to her?”  Yurrnwol’ha’s answer to his question about Kari’s condition echoed in Heka’s mind throughout the long walk from the main building of the academy to the residence buildings where he hoped Kari was still in their quarters.  No one had seen her in nearly a day, and while it may not have been a major cause for concern for anyone else, Heka was worried.  They hadn’t seen how depressed she had been over the last two and a half weeks.  What if she was too depressed to even make an appearance at meals?  Or what if she had harmed herself?

Heka pressed his hand to the panel that would open the doors of his quarters for him.  As they slid open, he looked around the living area to see if there were any signs of injury or anything that would tell him that something had happened to Kari.  Nothing.  Everything was in its proper place, just as he had left it three days ago.  He walked over to Kari’s door and pressed his ear against it.  He relaxed as he heard the sound of her in the shower.  If she was taking a shower, she couldn’t be injured, right?  Maybe she had finally slept some last night and just decided to sleep in this morning.  He shook his head.  He could ask her when she came out for class in an hour or so.  For now, he needed to unpack and take a shower himself.  Maybe that would help clear his head.

Kari sighed as the bright sunlight streaming in through the windows won the war between her fatigue and her inability to sleep during the day.  She stretched and sighed again as her fingers came in contact with the empty spot in the bed beside her.  A smile crept across her face.  She opened her eyes and found the clock on the table next to the bed.  Was it already midday?  How had she managed to sleep that long?  Wow.  Usually, she was up with the sun. 

Laying back down, she grabbed the pillow that Yunho had been using when she fell asleep and frowned in confusion when she felt something like paper crumple.  There was a note on the pillow!  She sat up and unfolded it.  It was written in Elanari, but for some reason, she could read it now.  Oh yeah.  They had finally fulfilled their end of the Treaty.  It would make sense that they could now read and write Elanari.  She shook her head and read the note.

Kari,

I didn’t want to just leave you after you went to sleep, but I was afraid that if my guard woke up and found that my room was empty, I’d never have another chance to sneak out again.  So, I found some drawing paper and pencils on your desk and wrote you this note.  I guess you’ve figured out by now that we can read and write Elanari, now.  You’ll have to remind me why we waited so long to get that ability.  Oh, and in case you haven’t noticed, the bond’s back.  I still have no idea what I did to get it back, but I guess that doesn’t really matter that much.  But, anyway, I’m sorry I couldn’t be there when you woke up.  I won’t miss it next time!

I love you,

Yunho

P.S.  Next time I find a way to come, we’ll need to come up with some sort of signal so you’ll know it’s me when I show up.  That is, if we haven’t found a way out by then. 

He had drawn a big lopsided smiley face at the bottom and hearts all around the edges of the paper.  Kari shook her head and laughed.  It was so cheesy.  She couldn’t help but be cheered up just looking at it.  Well, the fact that she could feel his confusion at her amusement helped, too.  It was so reassuring to be able to feel his presence through the bond again. 

Glancing at the clock again, she carefully folded Yunho’s note again and stood up, looking around the room for a good place to put it.  Her desk drawer might do.  As she walked over to the desk, she clicked her tongue in feigned frustration.  Her desk had been neat and orderly before Yunho ‘found’ the paper that was now covering the desk in a disorderly mess.  The pencils that had once been lined up perfectly according to lead size and softness were poking through the mess of papers in random spots.  Did Yunho really have to make a mess of her desk while writing her a note?  Smiling to herself, she moved enough of the papers to open the drawer and put his note safely inside.  Well, she didn’t have to clean it up right this minute. 

Kari stood there for a moment before she realized that she was facing the wall of windows that had no curtains and she was completely .  She blushed and grabbed a sheet off her bed to wrap around herself.  Where had her pajamas gone?  She looked all around the room and didn’t see them anywhere.   They must’ve still been in the living area.  She blushed again and peeked out the door to make sure Heka wasn’t back, yet.  From her vantage point, she could see her underwear and the rest of her pajamas thrown in random spots on the floor.  Opening the door, she ran and gathered them all up as quickly as she could and tried to make sure that nothing else was out of place in the room.  Heka was usually very tidy, and could always tell if something had been moved from where he put it.  She didn’t think she saw anything majorly out of place. 

Closing her door behind her, Kari threw her clothes down and sat on the end of her bed.  What was Yunho doing then?  She felt for his emotions.  He felt…content.  Sure there were other emotions like frustration and anger on the surface, but underneath those, he was content.  Somewhere in the main building, Yunho, despite whatever the Tu were doing to annoy him, was content.  Happy even.  And Kari was willing to bet that his contentment had a lot to do with her.  She smiled and was rewarded for her joy with an answering flash of joy from him. 

Sighing through her smile yet again, Kari stood up and headed for her bathroom.  She would have to take a shower and get ready soon if she didn’t want to be late to her class.

Puita stood in the reception room adjacent to the throne room in the Filarini capitol and wondered why they were there.  Why had two of the prophets from the ruling council dragged him and his ship here out of the blue?  And why did they tell him to come alone?  It had taken him a good half hour of persuading for them to concede that he couldn’t pilot his ship alone and had to have at least a skeleton crew if they wanted to leave Equatha in one piece. 

Never before had more than one prophet from the ruling council left their planet at the same time.  There had to be some reason.  Well, he would probably find out when the High Wizard Yazin finally showed up.  They had been waiting for several hours for someone to speak with them.  Actually, they had asked to see the king and queen but were told they were unavailable. 

The door opened and the High Wizard walked in, dressed in his usual purple robes with golden embroidery swirling in spirals that stretched up and down his sleeves and hems.   He gave a small bow of his head before inviting himself to sit down and motioning for Puita to do the same. 

“Please sit.  Let’s talk for a little while.”

Puita shook his head.  “I’m not here to speak with you.  My message can be relayed only to the king or queen.  Where are they?”

“Kidnapped.”  He paused.  “We don’t know who did it.”

Puita was shocked.  How could the Elanari allow their rulers, chosen by their own hands, to be kidnapped?  Wasn’t their end of the Treaty to stop things like this from happening?  “How long have they been gone?”

“Two months.  You may relay your message to me.  I am authorized to speak for the king in his absence.”

We will not speak with him.  His mind is closed to the prophecies.  There is one other who might listen.  Find her.  The prophet’s words thundered through his mind.  What could he do but obey?  “I’m sorry, High Wizard.  I must decline.  I will save my message for when the king and queen are rescued.”

The High Wizard’s face didn’t change, but something about his eyes told Puita that he was very displeased.  “Alright.  Please enjoy your stay on Filarin.”  He swept out of the room.  Yes, Yazin was very displeased. 

Puita turned to the prophets.  “So, whom should I speak to, next?”  One of the prophets turned his as if to see him better.

The last time I was here, I sensed a great healer among their people.  I believe her name is Reina.  Find her.

Puita bowed.  “It will be done.”

Finding this Reina was easier than Puita had thought.  Apparently, she was the leader of something called the Acyian t’Lialn or Healer’s Academy.  It was the Filarini’s main school of medicine and healing.  A short githa ride later, and they stood outside Reina’s office.  Puita prayed she would listen to him. 

“Come.”  Came the curt reply to his knock.  He opened the door and stepped into a much smaller office than he had expected.  It was barely large enough for the Reina, himself, and the two prophets to stand around the small desk.  Of course the floor to ceiling wooden cabinets lining the walls did make the room seem a lot smaller than it really was.  Everything was simple but well made.  All in all, her office spoke of practicality and restraint.  The voluptuous woman behind the desk suited the office very well.  She had an air of command about her without seeming arrogant.  “Well, don’t just stand there.  Either sit and tell me what you want, or stand and tell me what you want.  I’m busy and I don’t like to deal with people who waste my time.  Filarini or not.”  She motioned to the single chair that would fit in front of her desk.  Did the prophets really want him to speak with this rude woman?

“You are a very perceptive woman, Reina of Filarin.”  The prophets both removed their hoods.  Puita’s heart nearly stopped.  What was going on here?  Prophets never spoke to outsiders.  Never.  And now they were showing their faces to one?  How could this be happening?

Reina smiled and tapped her head.  “It helps if one’s secondary talent is mindreading.”

What did that have to do with anything?  Did she figure out the prophets’ natures by reading their minds?  That had to have been a violation of some kind of law.  Surely the prophets wouldn’t stand for it.

“It does.  We must discuss something with you.  Your…colleague, the High Wizard, does not have the mind to understand what we have to say.  Do you?”

“If I don’t, who else are you going to tell?”

The prophet actually smiled at that.  He smiled!  “Your king and queen must be rescued.  The fate of the entire Empire rests on them.”

“I don’t put much stock in fate.  I assume you have some doomsday prophecy that you believe is about to come true?”

“Yes.  We believe that your king and queen are the keys to preventing the Elanari’s war with the Tu from destroying us all.”  The Tu?  What was the prophet talking about?  The Elanari weren’t at war with anyone.   Were they?

“How?”

“The prophecy isn’t clear on that.  However, it does have something to do with a child.  The prophecy warns that their first child will be the catalyst to our destruction.”

Reina’s eyes narrowed.  “Well, you don’t have anything to worry about.  I doubt the Tu are going to allow Yunho and Kari to be together.  They won’t be having a child any time soon.”

“Then why are the prophecies so insistent on this?  The urgency we feel comes from our magic.  It will happen soon.”

“How soon is soon?”

“Within a year or two.”  They paused as Reina raised an eyebrow.  “We have to act now if we want any chance of stopping this.”  The look on Reina’s face spoke volumes.  She didn’t believe them.  “Have you noticed anything strange about them, your king and queen?”

Her eyes narrowed again.  “What do you mean by strange?”

“To your knowledge, has their magic ever behaved strangely?  Like simple spells producing odd results or anything to that affect?”

Reina stayed silent for a full minute before answering.  “Yes.  How did you know?” 

“The prophecies.  They warn of a husband and wife with odd powers who will have a child that will cause the destruction of the Elanari Empire and all the peoples under the Treaty.  We must stop this from happening.”

“Alright.”  She fell silent again.  Puita wondered what she was thinking that would cause the sadness building behind her eyes. 

“Come, Puita.  We must try to speak with the Elanari.  Hopefully they will listen as Reina has.”  They pulled their hoods up so that their faces were completely covered once again.  “Reina, please contact us if you hear any information about the king and queen.”  She nodded.  Puita followed the two prophets out of the office.  He glanced back in time to see Reina sink into her chair, face downcast.  For the first time in a very long time, he sincerely hoped that the prophets were wrong.