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Earendil hurried with Lin, and very soon they saw what the yelling was about. In the waiting room, things had changed drastically: Daelle and Dannon were gone, Wren was sitting on one of the chairs, her face pale, Daeron was standing next to Iorlas, who was holding Amir and staring down in shock at Ahkshi and Kyrie, who were kneeling next to a black-haired elf who was lying on the floor.

The new arrival was a mess of bloody cuts, but despite the mess, neither Ahkshi nor Kyrie were doing anything to help him.

Kyrie turned around to look at Lin, and her eyes were red. "He's dead," she said simply.

Ahkshi sighed and put one hand on his wife's shoulder. "Even if he had made it here alive, we couldn't have s-saved him," he told her quietly. "Not with what was done to him."

Kyrie nodded slowly. "I know." She swallowed hard, then rose slowly until she was standing straight. She looked she had something she wanted to say, but didn't want to say it.

"Kyrie?" Ahkshi frowned and rose as well, leaving the body visible to Lin and Earendil. The man - for it was a man - the man's skin was covered in cuts, each of them uniform in length and angle, and all of them the same distance apart. Some of them had festered with infection, oozing pus; others had simply bled; a few of them had begun to scab over, though those were few and far between.

"I know exactly where he came from," Kyrie said quietly, her voice trembling slightly. "And that's exactly where I have to go."

Ahkshi bit his lower lip anxiously. "Kyrie ..."

The dark-haired woman shook her head. "No. It's time this ended. It's been far too long." She turned to the others. "I know you all came to the city to celebrate, but I have to speak with you all. Everyone, even those back at your camp. Will you go back there with me?"

The others all voiced their agreement, and Kyrie nodded. A look of gratefulness flashed across her face.

"Thank you," she murmured. "You all go ahead, I'll catch up in just a moment."

"We'll head out right away then," Daeron said firmly. "Hopefully we'll have the time to explain to the others that this isn't our own blood that we're all wearing."

He had a point. Iorlas was the only one of them who wasn't bloody, though if Daeron kept his arm around her shoulders she just might end up getting blood on herself as well.

On their way back to camp, the group attracted many stares, though no one asked them any questions; and of course when they arrived they were barraged with questions about their safety and what had happened to make all of them (as even Iorlas had some blood on her clothes by now) so bloody.

Since Iorlas was the cleanest of them all, she took it upon herself to explain what had happened while the others went to clean up. They'd just had the time to wash their hands and faces before Kyrie also arrived, looking like so many emotions at once it was strange to look at her.

She motioned for everyone to gather around her, and before she began speaking, she took the time to make sure that they were all there.

Unsure of what the others had already been told, Kyrie explained about the Dark Elf who had died on their doorstep, and gave only a vague description of his injuries.

"This man came from the bordering country of Garnelia, to the west," she said somberly. "Unfortunately, this is far from a rarity in that country. The General, who usurped the throne by murdering the royal family, does this to anyone who questions his rule - and even to those who don't. It has to end. So far I've been playing a predominantly passive role in the goings on there, but I will not stand for it any longer."

There was a fire in her eyes, a fury hotter than when she had recognized the White Elf that had been brought in.

"I must go there and help to end this, and I have to go first thing tomorrow," she went on. "Not only because of this man, I admit, but I can't stay here as things are. I know you all promised you would come with me wherever I needed to go as part of my price for being your guide, but I don't want you to feel obligated to come with me here. It is dangerous, I won't lie."

She turned to Lancaeriel. "And yet ... selfishly, I must ask. Lancaeriel, you are a powerful magic user. You may be able to help with things that I could never do. And Andarien, Miyuki ..." She turned to look at the two youths. "Your Pokemon have abilities that no one in this world could ever have imagined. They, too, would be of a great help. I am asking for you to help me, all three of you ... though I will not hold it against you if you do not want to come."

Lancaeriel had been silent until this moment; but now she spoke up, smiling gently.

"We are indebted to you," she said softly. "How could I refuse? Yes, I will come with you."

Andarien looked to his parents and hesitated. He wanted to be of help, but would they let him go?

Andarien looked relieved when Lin said that they would all go together, and he was about to speak when Miyuki reminded him about Eon and Ai.

"I hope we can find them in time," he said worriedly.

Kyrie dismissed Miyuki's worry. "If she can't, then maybe she can go in her ball," she said simply. "Yasu will be help enough, I hope."

"You will be coming back here afterward, though, won't you?" Iorlas spoke up anxiously. "As much as I wish I could help, I know I would only be in the way ... and I don't want Amir to be put into harm's way."

"And I can't leave Iorlas and Amir behind," Daeron added quietly.

Kyrie smiled faintly and nodded. "I understand. Yes, we will be returning here as quickly as we may. I won't hold it against you if you choose to stay here."

Daeron reached for Iorlas' hand. "I think we should," he nodded.

"And me," Shiro spoke up. "I may have recovered from my injury, but even so I'm no fighter. I never have been."

"And I won't leave Shiro," Kaito said immediately, moving to stand closer to his brother.

"I will go," Wren said, stepping forward. "I have been useless to this point. Let me do something worthwhile."