Stell flipped her now braided hair over her shoulder to feel that it wasn't as sticky as it had when she left the castle. Thorne drying it when she was making Stell a new outfit must have given it the wash she needed. Now all she needed was some food and then she'd feel much better. It will be Heaven when she finally left Kespain forever.

Reuben began leading them all to the forest line where the trees were all clustered together, making the leaves shade the trail they walked on as dark as night. Stell shook at the shadows that moved, but kept her composure as to not let the others question her again.

"What exactly do you need in Kespain?" Stell asked to keep her mind off the dark forest.

"The Guardian of Trapario and his wife are here on a mission from the King of the Capital," Thorne answered, looking over her shoulder to Stell, Harry on her other shoulder. "The Guardian's wife is a witch and Reuben wants to know if she has an information on the Grimorie."

"What's the Grimorie?" Stell pressed. She wasn't paying much attention to the young necromancer as she was her surroundings, but it calmed her mind to know another witch was somewhere nearby.

"We don't know much, but what we do know is that it's an ancient artifact with power enough to be ripped from Seflorian history books." Thorne explained, pride in her voice from knowing so much. "Reuben loves learning new things and powerful things, he wants to find the Grimorie so he can find out why it's so dangerous. The witch we're going to see is said to have been blessed with great magical knowledge from her husband as a wedding gift. We're hoping that knowledge knows where the Grimorie is."

Stell had heard tales of the Capital's Guardian of Trapario. He was hand chosen by the King to protect all of Trapario from anything that could destroy it. Why he hadn't stopped Alabaster yet was one of the many questions Stell had herself for the Guardian. She wanted to ask the witch about the visions she had been having for so long as well.

"Do you know where they are?" Stell asked, ripping herself from her own thoughts.

"We heard they're somewhere in the old capital of Kespain." Thorne answered.

"Old capital?" Stell turned her full attention on Thorne, wondering what the necromancer meant. She had assumed the capital of Kespain was always where the Mallors built their castle.

"When King Alabaster took the throne he abandoned the original castle and built a new one where a bunch of shadow wolves used to call home. Poor things haven't been seen much in Kespain since." Thorne explained as she looked to Farkas, who followed close to Alia.

"What exactly were shadows like before Alabaster?" Stell asked on.

"Very secluded," Reuben responded from up front, "Thorne wasn't born when he took the throne, so she wouldn't know. Shadows only remained in Kespain most of the time, keeping to themselves in their own little darkness. Then, just out of nowhere, Alabaster became king and sent his whole army out to scare Trapario into making everything fear shadows again. Long before even I was born, shadows were respected and feared by the rest of the world because they could put an eternal darkness over it. But, until recently, shadows just sort of left that pride behind them and isolated themselves from the rest of the world."

Alabaster must be trying to bring back the old ways of Kespain. Stell thought to herself, wondering where Alabaster had come from in the first place. He had to be the prince once to take the throne, unless he had taken it by force. What was the previous king like? Had he been planning to let shadows spread their disease around Trapario even before Alabaster?

She shook her head, shaking the questions away. She could care less about who was ruling Kespain. She just wanted to get answers from the witch about her dream and go home to Sefloria where her parents' house awaited her happy arrival. She could smell the sweet scents of the pies her neighbors made with Stell's mother. The kind compliments of the men her father used to assist in their yard work. The children she used to play with. She couldn't wait to return home to it all.

"Why don't shadows and witches not get along anyway, Reuben?" Thorne asked, tearing Stell from her nostalgic thoughts.

Reuben began to answer his pupil's question, but immediately trailed off as if his answer had just suddenly escaped him. "Actually, I can't remember," the older necromancer responded after a moment of thought, "I don't think anyone can remember; shadows and witches have been at war with one another for centuries. Must have been really bad if it's still going on to this day."

I could think of a view reasons why. Stell thought bitterly as she clenched her fists in anger. Shadows were the very reason why everything she had ever believed had died. Her mother always taught her to see the good in everything, but shadows clearly were not creatures to be sympathized. Once she left Kespain, she'd make sure the Mallors paid for ruining her life.

"Are you okay?" Thorne's voice cut into Stell's seething and the witch turned to the girl now walking beside her.

"I-I'm fine," Stell lied, "just... Lost in thought."

"Really?" Alia spoke up. "Because you're head is on fire."

"What?" Stell jolted and began slapping at her head, burning flames searing her fingers. Soot fell before her eyes from her bangs and the smell of burning hair almost made her gag. "Water! I need to find water!" she cried before running off deeper in to the woods, shoving past Reuben and Alia. She ignored the necromancers' shouts to stop her as she pushed past large leaves, scratched her stocking covered legs against bushes, and tripper on mounds of dirt.

She finally came to a river where she dived into the cold waters. Luckily, the water was shallow enough to prevent her from drowning and deep enough to keep her from hurting herself against the pebbles at the bottom. She resurfaced with a gasp, thanking the Heavens for the relief her head felt from the doused flames.

As Stell caught her breath from the sudden excitement and running, she looked around to see no sign of Reuben or his two companions. Embarrassment made her face flush, feeling foolish for running off without first calming herself and letting the more experienced casters assist her.

When she turned her head to run her fingers through her soaked purple hair and think of ways to find the three people she left behind, she noticed two small feet standing in the water before her. Stell looked up with a start to see a young boy look down at her in bewilderment. In his arms were two buckets filled to the very edges of the top. His clothing was poor and his ash hair was a mess. He didn't have any of the characteristics of any shadow Stell had ever seen before.

"I got to admit," the boy started as he raised an eyebrow, "when I asked for a chick, I didn't think one would come running out of the woods on fire and fall into the river while I was fetching water."

"Sorry... About that..." Stell chuckled as she lifted herself up out the water, dripping. "I... Um... Just got a little... Hot headed."

"Hilarious," sarcasm in his voice, the boy rolled his light green eyes. "What are you doing out here anyway? People don't come around here normally."

"I was with a group, but my head suddenly caught fire somehow so I ran off in a panic," Stell explained, feeling even more foolish now that she was listening to herself talk, "now... I have no idea where they or even I am..."

"Your hair caught fire out of nowhere in the middle of western Kespain?" the boy analyzed aloud, a sound of skeptic in his voice. "The part of said Kespain in which life hasn't tread since Alabaster stole the throne twelve years ago?"

Stole the throne? Stell repeated in her mind curiously. Was Alabaster not meant to become king? Twelve years ago...

"Next your going to tell me that dragon that flew by earlier just let you live." the boy finished with a scoff.

"Actually, I escaped," Stell corrected.

"Bull crap!" the boy exclaimed, dropping his buckets into the water. Since the buckets had been filled to the top, they splashed upright without spilling out the contents within them. "Dragons will eat everyone and anything and they're too proud to allow something to escape! How the hell did you escape a dragon of all things?"

Stell hesitated for a moment. He wasn't a shadow, but she wasn't sure who he was fetching water for. If she told him she was a witch and that she used her magic to escape, who knew who he'd tell around this kingdom.

"I... Just kept wiggling my way down his claw until I was able to push myself out of it and into a lake..." Stell lied, blushing. "I guess I've been falling into a lot of bodies of water today."

The boy looked up at her skeptically for a moment before shrugging and snatching up the buckets. "Whatever you say! That's definitely a story the guys will like to hear when I get home! Of course, they probably won't believe me... Wait a minute, how'd you like to come with me so I can prove to them you exist?"

Stell jolted and blinked in shock. Who was caring for the child and could she trust them? They were in Kespain after all. What if he belonged to a shadow? What if it was a group of shadows? What if they knew she was a witch and they'd turn her in to the Mallors? She had just escaped them, she couldn't risk being sent straight back to them. It made her shake at the thought.

"Are you cold or something?" the boy asked, tearing Stell away from her past to the present that stood before her.

"S-Sorry," Stell stuttered, "I don't think... I should just... Wonder into your home uninvited by your family."

"They're not my family," the boy responded, tilting his head with a raised eyebrow, "I'm only living there because Kabuto took me in, they just send me out to do chores for them while they train."

"Train?" Stell asked.

"They're a group of rebels who fight off Alabaster's men whenever they attack a nearby village," the boy explained, his demeanor immediately changing to excitement and his eyes shining with admiration, "they're amazing! Of course, Kabuto is the best of them all!"

"They're rebelling against Alabaster?" Stell asked, her eyes widening at the thought of meeting people who hated the Mallors as much as she did.

"Of course, who wouldn't?" the boy replied, "Alabaster and his creepy family are a real bunch of jerks!"

Stell thought for a moment. She looked back to where she had come from, wondering if she should search for Reuben and the others. Though, once she met the group of rebels she could ask for their help to find them in exchange for information on the Mallors. She had lived with them long enough to know some of their weaknesses.

"Okay," Stell nodded with a smile, "I'll come with you."

"A hot chick and an awesome escape from a dragon story," the boy spoke to himself aloud, "the guys will have to respect me now!"

Stell rolled her eyes and giggled slightly. He was just a child being raised by rebels, she could understand why he was inappropriate upon meeting her.

"Name's Tak, by the way," the boy told her as he began leading the way from the river.

"I'm Stell," Stell replied.

"Weird name, but whatever," Take shrugged.

Stell prayed the rebels were kinder than the boy before her. They may joke around, but they couldn't be as outspokenly rude as Tak.

The witch wondered if the others were looking for her after she ran off like a fool. Her face grew hot at how stupid she must have looked when she ran off with a head of flames into a dark forest. She hoped none of licks of flames had struck any of the plant life she passed on her way to the river. Kespain only had its vegetation to make up for its horrible people after all.

After the two pushed their way through bushes and vines, Tak lead Stell to a small, one story minka with a pond in the front. It wasn't beautiful, but the trees and well decorated pond were better than anything Stell had ever seen in Kespain. If this was what she saw more of with little to no Mallors, let alone shadows in general, Kespain would be the place to go for sightseeing.

Tak led Stell up to the sliding, paper door which he pulled open to reveal a small living space of nothing but wooden floor.

"Hey, I'm back with your water!" Tak called into the house, lifting up the two buckets. "Where is everyone?"

"Tak!" a whispered yell called back as the sound of feet hitting floor filled the silence. From behind a wall a girl slid out to the lobby, looking tired and frizzled. "Be quiet! Master Yama is meditating!" her light pink eyes then looked to Stell and she stood up straight with a suspicious look. "Who is that?"

"This is Stell," Tak answered as he placed the buckets of water on the floor, "she came running out of the woods on fire and into the river."

The girl looked to Tak with a serious look.

"She did!" Tak exclaimed.

"I don't care if she came out of the woods covered in blood and shouting nonsense wearing an elephant hat," the woman shot back, "you know how Master Yama is when it comes to visitors!"

"I'm not afraid of that old jerk!" Tak waved a hand dismissively. "The only person who's opinion matters is Kabuto's! Speaking of which, where is he?"

"He went out," another voice spoke up from behind the wall opposite the first girl came from. Another girl stepped out, dressed completely different than the first. While the first girl wore only a pink training bra and gray sweat pants, the newcomer wore a long black, sleeveless dress. "You know he doesn't want you talking to strangers." her voice was quiet and her face looked sad.

"He also says I should help anyone in need, especially girls!" Tak pointed out matter of factly.

"Kabuto also says to make sure they're not killers in disguise!" Stell jolted at the sudden voice from behind and spun around to see yet another girl dressed all in black, only this one was a long black sleeved thigh-high dress, her face looking more confident than the second girl's. "She's jumpy."

"Well, she was on fire and I don't think she's a fire mage." Tak shrugged.

"Why were you on fire?" the third girl asked, eyeing Stell suspiciously.

Before Stell could answer, another voice interrupted her, this one of a man's. "Who cares?" Stell turned to see a man wearing a brown jacket and black shirt, an eyepatch covering his left eye. "If Master Yama wakes up, we're all in trouble! Tak, take her back to where you found her!"

"You can't tell me what to do, Cyclops!" Tak stomped his foot.

"No, but I can get Kabuto to double your chores, small fry!" the one-eyed man retorted.

"That'll teach him," a sarcastic voice came from behind. Stell turned once again to see a tall, dressed all in black man with a wide black hat, his shirt unbuttoned to reveal his bare chest and stomach. "You know he can't give Tak traumatic punishments, he's too much of a softie!"

"Take that back!" Tak demanded as he turned to face the second man.

"Make me, hot head!" the man glared back from the shade of his hat.

"She's really scrawny too," the girl in the short dress commented as she lifted one of Stell's bony arms up.

"She looks like she just rose from the dead," the girl in the bra agreed as she circled Stell, looking her up and down.

"But I like her hair," the girl in the long black dress spoke gently.

Stell couldn't tell if these people were shadows or not. She hoped to God they weren't, but they at least didn't seem to be planning to kill her for trespassing. They were strange, no stranger than Reuben and his companions, but then again, she hadn't met anyone outside the Mallors and whoever else lived with them.

"I think it's best you take her back," the girl in the short dress sighed sleepily, "Master Yama won't take her in and Kabuto won't speak up for her even if you defend her, Tak."

Tak began to protest, but was immediately interrupted by the man in the eyepatch. "Not to mention, we don't know where she came from, there's probably a good reason why she was on fire."

"Well, fine," Tak rolled his eyes before turning a suspicious eye to Stell, an eyebrow raised, "why were you on fire? Are you a fire mage?"

Stell began to answer them stopped herself. If these were shadows there was a good chance they'd kill her in cold blood because of what she was. She wasn't going to die in Kespain, she refused.

"Yes," she lied, "I'm a fire mage. Just... Not really used to my powers... They tend to get out of control sometimes."

"What are you brain dead?" Tak asked without hesitating.

"Tak!" The girl in the bra and sweat pants shot.

"Sorry," Tak glared back before returning his gaze to Stell, "'Special'?" he reworded in mock kindness and forming air quotes with his fingers.

"I... May have hit my head on my way here," Stell blushed as she stratched the back of her head. "And, speaking of why I'm here, I got separated from some... Acquaintances of mine and I was hoping I could get help in finding them. They couldn't be too far from where Tak found me."

Just then, the door behind her slid open with great force and a loud thud made Stell jolt. The others looked to the entrance with wide eyes, Tak's jaw dropping in shock.

Stell spun and let out a gasp when she saw Reuben, Thorne, Alia, Harry, and Farkas bound up in black rope on the floor before her. Their faces, aside from Thorne or the animals, were covered in dirt and bruises, Farkas and Harry panting as if they had been to war.

The witch then turned her attention to the man behind them, his bangs drooping over his green eyes and plastered to his pale skin from sweat. He was panting slowly, his bare chest moving up and down below his buck-skin shirt. He flung the necromancers' staffs to the floor beside them, glaring Stell down as he stepped into the house.