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"But wait!" Kaden interrupted, "What about the troops? There's no way we can bring them with, and we can't leave them behind."

Blaise shook her head, her brow furrowed in thought, "No, we have to. We have to leave them here, it's the only way they'll be safe."

"But Blaise!"

"No Kaden! This is a hard enough decision as it is!" Blaise said sternly, "I would rather leave them here then take them with. If I do that then they are all in danger . . . they could all be killed! What kind of a leader would I be if I knowingly put all of my troops in danger?"

"Well how are you supposed to tell them that you are leaving them?" Kaden shot back, "Even before you became Lieutenant, even as the youngest mage you have given the Foresters hope. You have shown everyone that determination can get you anything, no matter who you are. You cannot take that away, they hold so much faith in you."

"Then they should hold faith in my decisions! I would only leave them because I care and I do. If you weren't so stubborn then I'd leave you behind as well! Where we are going, wherever we are going, is not the place for them. They belong here. In a forest, fighting for what right they still have in this world of corruption. If they do not stay here then they will see what is really going on, they will see that their fight for freedom goes beyond people against people, it's a battle between hell and itself. It's a nightmare, Kaden! If I show them that then they will have no hope left, and I who have apparently given it will take it away."

Kaden looked to her darkly and shook his head, "Right Blaise . . . you do what you need to. After all, ignorance is bliss . . . just keep them happy . . ." he said, then turned to leave. Blaise watched him go with a frown on her face and leaned against a tree as he was gone.

Blaise let out a breath and ran her fingers through her hair, "Yes, yes, we'll put Nayati back in charge . . . or he and Eitan can do it together. I trust them both. And I can't simply just go without saying anything to the troops. I'll have to speak to them all. That's going to make leaving even harder."

Kaden didn't turn as Rosette called after him, but kept walking. He didn't say anything to her, they had all already heard how he thought leaving was ridiculus and he didn't want to talk about it any further.

Kaden gave a shout as he was pushed to the ground and pinned beneath her.

"Jeezum, Rosette! What the hell?!" he shouted, "I don't agree with any of this and I'm not coming with you. I'm not just going to abandon these people! They are my friends, they are my family! The only family I've ever had and I'm never going to give that up for anything!"


Blaise could hear Kaden and Rosette shouting in the distance but couldn't make out what was being said.

Turning back to Chrono she asked, "What can we do to fight off a demon of that calibur? I was completely powerless against her . . . I was tied up, true, but even my elementals were next to useless . . ."

Kaden pushed himself up, trying to fight back tears, "Damn you woman, I CAN'T! I can't just leave!"

Kaden turned away from her as his tears began running down his cheeks. He wrung his fingers in mixed emotion, trying to calm himself down.

"I . . . I just can't, Rosette." he nearly whispered.


Blaise frowned, "Tonight? But . . . but that's not enough time! There's so much to . . . How can we . . .?"

Blaise began searching for excuses to stay at least untill tomorrow. She didn't want to leave everyone so soon.

Kaden slowly began walking away from her saying softly, "I will think about it."

Kaden had made some very hard decisions before, but nothing like this. Leave your troops and comrades, or leave two close friends and someone he loved? He sighed and continued walking, hoping to clear his mind and make a decision. The right decision.



Blaise rubbed her face and sighed. She really didn't want to leave so soon, but they had to.

"Alright . . . you and Rosette prepare . . . I will speak to Eitan, Nayati, and the troops. We leave two hours before sunset and travel by night, hopefully it can hide us enough."

Blaise nodded and rubbed her arm. She knew she wouldn't be sleeping any before the trip and eating anything was even less likely. She hadn't eaten in a while but now the task of leaving made her feel a bit sick and not hungry.

"I should . . . get over to Eitan's." she sighed in a forlorn fashion, "He's not going to be very happy. He's seemed to have gotten attached to us a little . . . I know I have gotten to really like him. Kinda like a dad, you know?"

"Yeah, sure . . ." Blaise said softly. She gave Rosette a halfhearted wave before turning to leave.

She got to a place that was a bit more populated and asked where she could find Eitan. They told her he was in his home and directed her the right way. She got to his house and knocked on the door. He opened and gave her an odd look.

"Well hello there. I wasn't expecting to see you. Why the glum face?" he asked.

"Eitan . . . we gotta talk."

~ * ~

A little girl, just ten years old, rushed to the catle's kitchen. She had her father's brown curly hair, but her mother's eyes. She couldn't remember much about them, they died when she was young. The person she recalled most was her older sister. She often times missed her and was thinking of her when she realized the time.

It was nearly noon and she had to make it to her masters quarters with his tea on the hour, as were his orders. It was routiene, do it every day, but today she had let herself get distracted. She found the tray of tea where the cook had set it, just as she had every day. Scooping up the silver platter she made her way for the maid's passage which would lead her to a door in her master's quarters.