Hammond's fist collided with Dagon's jaw. The young warrior staggered back and brought his tied hands up to his jaw, chuckling a little a irony of the moment.

"I missed you too Hammond...Still mad at me for completely whooping you, huh?"

Hammond set his jaw and stared daggers at Dagon, kicking him in the gut with force and fury. This time Dagon did not manage to stay on his feet and fell in the dirt at the feet of Toby.

"Good kick Hammond! Was that just like the one that won you the fight last time?" naïve Toby asked.

Dagon looked up at the boy and smiled a little, turning head to look at Hammond who was slowly turning red in the face. Staggering to his feet Dagon looked Toby in the eye. This kid did not know a thing about Hammond. He was his hero, that was for sure, but only because of lies.

"What did Hammond tell you?" he asked quietly.

"You don't have to answer that," Hammond quickly spoke up.

"No! No I wanna tell him...He told me about how you tried stealing the thrown from Berglund and he was the only one who could stop you. You ran away with your tail between your legs!"

Dagon could not help a slight chuckle escape his lips and turned to Hammond with a toothy grin.

"That's what you told him? You really shouldn't play on the ignorance of the young Hammond."

"Shut up," Hammond warned.

But of course Dagon did not listen. He turned back to Toby who was, by now, slightly confused.

"Do you want to know what really happened?"

"I said shut up!"

"Berglund sent Hammond and his 'tough guys' to keep me from getting on the throne where I rightfully belong! And he was the one who ran away with his tail between his legs!" Dagon said, venom in his voice.

"You're lying!" Toby refused to believe.

"Shut up Marinos! SHUT UP!" Hammond ordered, punching Dagon in the stomach.

"Hah, if I were lying do you think Hammond would care so much?"

The thief did not wait for Dagon to call him out any further and Hammond slammed the hilt of his sword over his head. Dagon was out like a light.

"Bring the other one in!" Hammond called.

But it was too late. The damage was already done. Toby did not know what to believe anymore.

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

"Are you sure we should be here instead of trying to find the twins?" Marcy asked, looking at the pile of rocks surrounded by trees.

"If we deal with what we're suppose to do we may end up meeting them somewhere in between," Cephalus said, climbing over the boulders.

"But what if we don't?...Chandra, what do you think?" Marcy inquired in a lowered voice.

Chandra seemed to have gone strangely silent as they had all made their way to the pile and now, in a solemn voice, she replied simply, "Whatever Cephalus says."

Marcy could not help her jaw from dropping and gazed around at everyone. Strangely enough Adrastea and Chandra seemed the most upset about the twins being taken and Marcy had a feeling it was because they knew something that no one else did...Except maybe Cephalus.

                  "Who is this guy?" Albano asked Adrastea quietly. 

Adrastea stared at Cephalus's back as he searched the rocks and tilted her head to one side.

"Cephalus is after one thing...Peace. But I think that in his mad dash to get it, he's sort of forgotten how peace is accomplished. Sure the nymph pool told us to come here, but they said that before the twins were taken. I believe we should be going to get them back, and then afterward we can find whatever it is we're looking for."

Albano began to chuckle a little and Adrastea turned to look at him with her regular skeptical expression.

"What's so funny?"

"You!" Albano laughed.

"Excuse me?"

"Ever since I can remember you've always been a recluse who didn't care what other people did with their lives. If I remember correctly, your exact words were, 'I don't care about other peoples problems'...Which of course is very hypocritical considering you've dedicated your life to my case."

Adrastea rolled her eyes and began to climb the rocks after everyone else, scanning them for anything that could be of any use to them.

"Hey look at this!" Marcy called.

Chandra was the first to hop over and she stared at the area Marcy indicated with a blank expression.

"Look at what?" she asked.

"This!" Marcy pointed at a small circular whole in the rock with the design of tree inside of it.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!...That looks kind of familiar."

"That's because it was on one of the stone tables...Dagon has that medallion," Adrastea pointed out, looking over at Cephalus.

"We can't continue without that necklace."

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

"I've always liked you Diomedes," Hammond said, placing one hand on his shoulder.

"Have you?" Diomedes asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Could have fooled me."

Hammond looked down at the ropes that bound his hands and nodded towards it, Toby immediately untying Diomedes and stepping back.

"Thank you!" he smiled.

The three of them stood out in the burning sun, surrounded by a wooden gate. It was Hammond's definition of an interrogation room and it worked well enough. No eyes to watch and no way out.

"Tell me, why do you like me and not my brother?" Diomedes inquired, the saucy grin still on his face.

"I never said I didn't like your brother."

"Sorry. It's just that since I saw him carried out of here unconscious I sort of guessed you two didn't exactly have a friendly discussion."

Hammond was beginning to find Dio's ever present grin annoying. It was enough that he was completely right about the whole thing, but the friendly attitude of the younger twin had always drove Hammond crazy.

"What did you bring me in here for anyway?" Diomedes asked, finding a comfortable position on his chair.

"I need to know where the secret passage into the palace is."

"What secret passage?" he inquired, looking up at Hammond with a blank expression.

"You know what I'm talking about. The passage that leads to the crown room...You can't enter it through the palace. At least not easily enough."

"Even if I knew what you were talking about, what makes you think I'd tell you?"

Now it was Hammond's turn to smile.

"Dagon has always been the responsible one, I know that. But he does not only have a responsibility towards you, but towards the Rubin Soth as well. You however, you don't have that...Dagon is what makes me think you'll tell me."

For a second the act faltered and Hammond saw an angry flash of light appear in the younger twin' eyes, but Diomedes quickly covered it up. 

"Hammond you really must make more sense."

"If you don't tell me I'll rip your brother apart...Is that clear enough for you?"

No one said a word for several minutes while the two just stared at each other, sizing one another up. Toby was just wondering when Hammond was going to take Diomedes down.

"Clear as crystal."

"Good!" Hammond said cheerfully, pulling up another chair.

"Now...Where is the passage?"

"Where do you think? It's right behind you!"

Suddenly Diomedes flashed from in front of Hammond's eyes and pushed him front behind, disappearing in a mist of blue and reappearing by the gate. He slammed his fists against he hard wood vigorously and before Hammond could shout out a warning the guards came running, opening the gate just enough for Diomedes to flash out.

"HE'S GETTING AWAY STUPID!" Hammond yelled.

Diomedes looked back from the corner of a wooden fence and laughed, flashing across the courtyard to the stable where he knew Dagon was kept. Of course there were guards but they were sleepy in the afternoon light and did not expect anything exciting to happen. It was a simple matter to slip behind them and take each one out with a blow to the head. Diomedes did not waste any time and walked into the stable finding his brother groggily rubbing the back of his neck.

"Dagon, get up!" Diomedes whispered.

"We're getting out of here."

Dagon stumbled to his feet and swayed a little before putting one hand against the wall to steady himself. Diomedes pulled one of Dagon's arms over his shoulders and helped him to the other end of the stall. 

"I'm disappointed that you thought we had such little security," an elegant voice broke through the dim light of the stable.

A tall lady dressed in flowing black robes stood at the door, blocking the sunlight and casting a dark shadow. 

Diomedes let go of his brother and tried flashing behind her in the same fashion as he did with Hammond. However, the lady beat him to the punch and just as Diomedes flashed behind her, she reappeared behind him, throwing a knock out blow to the head with an unnatural amount of force. Dagon had collapsed without his twin's support and looked up at the haunting figure standing before him, an evil smirk on her aristocratic face.

"Demetria! Did you get them?" Hammond's voice called, running footsteps coming closer.

The smirk was still on her face and she stepped back, allowing the angry man to see the twins in their groggy state.

"Good work!" Hammond complimented, a grin on his face and a fiery light in his eyes.

Toby stood behind the two and Dagon barely caught the dying light in the boy's eyes. His admiration for Hammond was fading away, Dagon could tell. And for good reason. Diomedes with his wits always about him had left he man in the sand and the accusations Dagon had made himself probably had at least a small effect.

"Next time Hammond...Don't let him slip through your fingers," Demetria said calmly, her voice silky smooth.

Hammond swallowed a nervous lump in his throat and he nodded, watching as Demetria strode away elegantly in a flurry of black.

"That lady gives me the creeps," Hammond muttered.

Toby helped carry Diomedes into a different stable and once they closed the door one of the thieves came running up saying, "Sir, Berglund wants to see you!"

Hammond sighed and nodded, scratching the back of his neck and walking down the dirt street out onto the sand of the beach and down towards the hidden cave where all the thieves gathered. Berglund was waiting on edge at the end of the long table and Hammond could sense a problem coming right around the corner.

"Hammond...How far have you gotten with the location of the passage?"

"Diomedes is close to breaking," Hammond lied.

"Really? I didn't think he would crack that fast...We need that location Hammond. The crown room is the king to winning this whole battle of Rubin Soth. The people want a ruler, but they don't want to give it to just anyone. If we get our hands on the crown they will believe I am the rightful ruler."

"What would they do if Dagon and Diomedes returned?" Hammond asked.

"They would welcome them with open arms...If they don't have the crown they have the medallions and that's proof enough of their stature."

"Why don't we just take them away?"

"No, we can't do that. I have a feeling they're the keys to getting into the crown room. No, we won't take them away until the opportune moment arrives."

Hammond swallowed nervously and looked down at the sack of coins on his belt. Was this really worth it?

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

"It's all fine and dandy stomping through the woods but does anyone know where we're going?" Marcy asked, pulling a twig out of her flaming curls.

"Diomedes mentioned the thieves grapevine to Weland back when we first started out," Cephalus answered.

"I'm making an educated guess that the leader of that group took the twins."

"Do you know where their hideout is?"

"Albano does," Cephalus told her, nodding towards the massive figure who was in the lead.

"What about a plan of attack? Don't you need some kind of strategy?"

"The hideout is built in a cave, but I don't think that's where they keep their prisoners. Albano says it's most likely the deserted beach town down at the end of the beach."

"Why is it deserted?"

"The cliffs collapsed on the entrance after the town had been evacuated for a storm. No one really lived them permanently anyway so no one bothered going back."

Marcy looked up at the sky where the sun was still quite high in the sky.

"What time do you think we'll get there?"

"Sundown probably."

"Hopefully we're not too late," Chandra whispered.