Galantyne kissed his wife and each of the five remaining children, holding the baby a little longer. "It won't be but a day, my love." He held her face to his cheek. "Be ready."

Feniece shook her head adamantly, her terror at the thought of leaving her home fresh in her mind. It was completely out of the question for her children. She wouldn't do it! They were safe where they were.

It wouldn't do for Galantyne to suspect that she wasn't coming. He could breathe the toxic air and survive! She and the children could not! She didn't care what Kara said about the planet being healed soon. She didn't believe her! No one did.

Feniece knew that Kara had been taken by a Foeman, that she actually carried his child, and that she had found the Talisman. Feniece was sure, as were all her family and friends, that Kara's fanaticism had unhinged her.

Galantyne turned and looked at Kara as if reading Feniece's mind, and she was sure sometimes he could. His facial hair had all been shaved, and his eyes were piercing beneath the darkness of their covering. Anyone who saw him would do well to run for their lives.

General Wendar tipped his head, he was staying to supervise the evacuation of the fortress.

"Kara." Galantyne strode to the front of the list of men, eyeing each one as fiercely as he could. "If it weren't for Talisman, I wouldn't be allowing you to take part in this engagement."

"As if you could stop me."

"Each of you." He turned to his chief soldiers. "Take a contingent to the upper exits. Josh, your unit will be marching the main tunnel to the entrance. Kara has assured us Quildor's army has gone, but there might still be guards. You know what to do. Regroup in three hours at the trail head to Valdemar. Clear out everything and everyone in front of you."

"Men! We are not coming back! This fortress will be taken by the refugees from Aquaria. Your families will be brought to you in Quildor's village. We will secure the village tonight and take over the coastal villages by eventide."

"Galantyne... what about affects from the air?"

"Kara has assured me that Talisman will take care of that. All men infected with kai will report to the shore at dawn. Good luck, men. Don't let me down."

He would have taken Kara's arm, but she refused to present it, as she had denounced the throne to him privately. Her fingers were slim and freezing, and the strangely flowing metallic gown she wore had sleeves that covered their union as well, so rather than grip her like a brother might, he released his hold just enough to lace her fingers with his.

"Talisman?"

"Kara!" She felt like Talisman would bound up to her, licking her face with his long forked tongue  if she didn't hurry and get into the darkness. She held up one slender hand so that the officers would halt their men.

"Talisman, I have amassed the army of Galantyne as you requested. What shall I tell them?"

"Kara? Aren't you glad to see me? I sense only anxiety." As they walked into the darkened tunnel, her eyes began to adjust to the luminescence from the living walls of the mountain and her ears to the constant rushing of the crystal frequency.

"I – I am glad to hear you Talisman, very glad." And she tried to let him feel her pleasure, but it was so short lived and so buried he was disappointed, and she sensed that he was. "I have an untrained and unproven army at my back, Talisman. I am understandably nervous!"

"You have no reason to be nervous, Kara. I am here. I am Talisman. Tell them to stay where they are, their orders are sound." She turned to Galantyne to tell him this, but he nodded, having heard every word of the exchange, he yelled it back to Josh and Splinchal.

"Talisman, where are the.... Where are Quildor's.... there is no danger inside the mountain." She squinted ahead to see him.

"Quildor has taken every last one of his able-bodied Minions and gone. He has also called all the Shadow Eaters and mind controlled Auditorium folk to follow. There is no one inside Sentinel and that is how it should be. Your people may stay in the lotica rooms safely until the village is secured, as planned. The undersea exodus has begun." Talisman's mind voice was reassuring, and Kara had no choice but to keep walking.

They rounded the first corner and were engulfed in mountain darkness, a path they had each traveled more times than they could possibly count. She watched Galantyne out of the corner of her eye, knowing he would not be prepared for the immensity of Talisman, nor his commanding and yet exuberant presence. He was an immediate contradiction, fierce and yet humble.

It meant more to her than she realized that he think well of the beautiful blue beast, and it's amazing skills. She pulled her brother to a halt close to her side. He leaned into her, as he never had before and reaching out in Zalez, she found that he was excited. This fearless warrior was suddenly vulnerable.

Talisman must have sensed the importance of this meeting. He inched his way into their view, filling the tunnel with his forbidding presence. His snout glowed golden like a lotica rainbow, his smaller front legs and feathered fore-ridges all reflected the bluish glow with golden accents. His eyes remained amber and inquisitive. Kara and Galantyne felt his regard for them.

"Ondrea's children."

Galantyne unlaced his fingers and dropped them at his side, staring in fascination at the giant beast that was called Talisman. Kara heard his audible gulp as the immensity of their predicament enfolded him. This wasn't a simple uncomplicated war to win back their mother and free some age-old knowledge of how to heal toxic air. This was the emergence of a new species, one the planet had chosen to dominate.

Talisman bent on his forearms, bowing before the King's son.

"This is the union of a remnant of Earth and the adaptations of Folara." He said in Zalez, and heard the purring as Talisman agreed.

"In freeing your people from the captivity of their undersea realm, and healing the toxic air of this planet, my species will thrive, and there will be peace." Talisman said.

"But first there will be strife. Are you prepared to face this conflict, Talisman? We both stand at the crossroads of time, choices that affect our future and generations to come will be determined by what happens this day."

"I am your servant." Talisman proclaimed. "My species will always be your allies. Of this, I swear, my liege. Your heart is pure."

Galantyne felt tears gather in his eyes as the dragon bowed his head to the ground and Galantyne touched the feathery ridges on Talisman's forehead. The image of Galantyne's strong hands scratching in the deep grooves of frontal ridges overcame his foreboding and he began to do as the dragon instructed.

"Seriously?" Kara walked forward. "This isn't a massage moment, Talisman."

His deep hum of pleasure met her ears. "I will be forever in your debt, Galantyne, if you will continue to scratch my ridges and disregard your warrior sister."

Galantyne could see Kara's astonished expression and an abrupt laugh rang out in the corridor. "Our dragon friend and ally..." He stressed the last word. "Is in need of my ministrations before we embark on our campaign."

"I can see this is the start of something annoying to me." Kara informed them. "What about Quildor? What about Mother? There's a war out there, a village to secure, people to find homes for.... Hello." She knocked her fist against Talisman's snout.

"Galantyne and I enjoy an overwhelming connection. It is our Zalez. I am his, as he is mine. We are bonded. It will always be this way with our two species. The males of both of our species will bond, and stand together as Sentinels of peace. You have witnessed this day, the first bonding moment."

"Fine. Take it outside, boys." She said in their minds with as much of her annoyance showing as she could infuse into it. "The lovey-dovey stuff can wait."

Galantyne did manage to let go of the frontal ridges, still seeing in his mind's eye the future of the two species traversing the air ways, rider and dragon, fighting together to uphold continuity and peace.

"Kara." He said out loud. "Do not mock what you don't understand."

Kara eyed them with what she knew was her most piercing gaze. "Responsibility and Honor are watchwords of our generation, Galantyne, but before they can be explored fully, they must be paid for. I will not mock your link to Talisman. It reminds me of the Forever bond I share with Korlon--"

"And have neatly blocked from him." Talisman reminded.

Kara's face colored in acknowledgment of what she wished to keep private, realizing that Talisman would know her secrets, in the same way he had bonded with Galantyne. They were blood. However inconvenient that might be. "I can feel your recognition and I admire it, as it confirms the hopes I have for our future. However...."

"Yes! Yes!" Galantyne scrunched up his face as he wiped his nose with calloused fingers and then reached for her hand.

Kara stared at him as if he'd lost his mind. "I'm not touching your hand with snot all over it."

"Why anyone would follow you two is beyond me." Talisman complained fondly.

"They seem to have no choice." Galantyne reminded, his hand now riding the tail of the giant blue dragon, having seen the image from the dragon's own mind, of them flying together in the air.

"There is... conflict." Kara interrupted.

"Shadow Eaters." Galantyne grimaced and backed Kara against the wall. She pushed past him, dagger drawn, and a feral look of anticipation on her face.

Kara was met with the awful sounds of tearing flesh as Shadow Eaters ripped and tore at the bodies of the folk left mindlessly inside Auditorium.

Galantyne jumped past her to the first atrocity he saw. Kara only had a few seconds to see him in action as he cut off the head of the aggravated Shadow Eater. He whirled to slash through another as it looked up from its pillaging and back stabbed as a huge one began to descend in preparation for attack. Another whirl, another stab, and Kara had quit watching to face the coming onslaught over the top of the cliff. They came, crawling lethally on all fours, stuck to the mountain, like spidery crabs. Their sucking claws and facial pinchers below eyes that were deeply darkened glared at her mercilessly, and Kara felt revulsion that fueled her ability to fight....

Fight for her life.

*****