Karma and her companions raced across Arula towards Shurli. They rode through the days and through most of the nights. It took them nearly two weeks to reach Shurli woods, and if Karma were keeping a record, that would the top record of fastest ride cross country. Unfortunately, Karma wasn't keeping a record at the time. They slowed their tried mounts in a trot as they made their way cautiously through the woods and into the kingdom. Karma could hear her heart beating. It was loud and fast.

She was angry, to begin with. The cloaked man has done too much damage on her world, and she was fed up with him. But she was also nervous, nervous because she was finally going to see this man again after their first confrontation back at Yunalla. She was also nervous because she didn't know what to expect when she came into Shurli. She has no idea what the cloaked man could have done, or what he was about to do. The possibilities was endless. The cloaked man had already done his damage. He killed off the Sprite Queen, Queen Luska. Karma couldn't prove that he had anything to do with the dwarf disappearance, but she bet every nickel she had that he did. She knew he had something to do with the elves getting sick, and nearly killing off her friend, Omar. No doubt, she had believed, that the cloaked man has something do with the dragons rampaging the villages.

As they drew closer to the gates of Shurli, Karma took in a deep breath. This was it. No sooner that they were in sight of the gate, several guards came rushing out and surrounded them. A young guard stepped forward to greet them. "Creator," he said trying not to sound frightful. "I am given orders to take you and your companions into custody by order our new...king." Karma could tell that young man hated every word that came out of his mouth. Keeping her head held high, Karma swung off Pepper and face the young guard.

"That would not be a problem," she said. "We wish to see this new king anyhow." The young man nodded and motioned for her and her companions to follow. Karma took in another deep breath and waved on her friends to follow and do what the guards tell them. Her companions, wearily, got off their steeds and did what they told. Some of the guards took away the steeds and the some took away the traveler's weapons. The rest kept an eye on them and together they all walked into Shurli. The village of Shurli looked to be abandon. Nobody was out in the streets. Villagers had closed up shops and quickly closed their windows and doors when they walked past. Karma could only hear their foots steps on the cobblestone path and the occasional dog barking.

But what Karma wasn't prepared for, is what laid inside the palace. They walked up the palace steps and through the front doors and what Karma saw made her rethink her enemy's capabilities. The palace was swarmed with shadow-like creatures. The creatures took forms of different predator animals. They stalked and roam the palace like they were guards themselves. They hissed, growled, and barked at Karma and the others as they walked past. Karma and her companions were guided through the halls until they reached the doors of the throne room where the young guard opened it and allowed them to go through.

As expected, Karma was facing her enemy, the cloaked man. He sat on throne, waiting for them. He had his legs crossed and hands folded neatly on his lap, and of course, he had his traditional cloaked over his head, hiding his smug face. Karma got a good look at the throne room that she hasn't seen in a good while. The shadow creatures roamed the room, and Karma couldn't help but think these creatures were parasites of some kind because they seem to wherever you look. Karma heard a familiar whine and looked over at the corner of the room to see Angel chained. She froze when she saw her beloved fox chained and miserable, which only fueled Karma's anger. When she turned back towards the cloaked man, she couldn't help but noticed the giant yellow egg that laid lazily beside the throne chair.

The cloaked man smiled from beneath his hood and reached over to stroke the egg. "It's amazing how easy it actually was to sneak inside the dragon's den and steal the heir to all dragon kind." He said and stood from the chair. "Welcome back to Shurli, Creator, or should I call you by your given name, Karma, isn't it?" Karma didn't respond right away.

"It hard to talk to someone who you can't even see their face." She answered him and the cloaked man laughed.

"Oh, you have tongue on you." He said with a chuckle. "But how can I deny her almightiness." Karma didn't like his tone but watched as the cloaked man reached up and flipped off his hood. Karma didn't know what she excepted him to look like, but not like this, she supposed. The cloaked man looked to be in his mid-forties to late fifties with greying brown hair and dull brown eyes. He wasn't exactly handsome, but he wasn't exactly ugly either. He looked like a normal person. Karma glanced at his shoulders to see an odd little creature. The creature had wings, ears, nose, and eyes like a bat, and a body, tail, paws, and legs like a rodent. The cloaked man saw Karma looking at him and grinned. He reached up to pet the creature. Looking over a Jason, the cloaked man said, "you should've taken my deal, boy, you have no idea what you're getting into." Jason, feeling a little awkward at being reminded that he almost considered betraying Karma, said,

"I'll take my chances. I don't betray my friends." The cloaked man laughed.

"Your friend, eh?" He said grinning. "After what she had done to you? Trap you inside this place with no way out? Ha! You make me laugh, boy. But it don't matter, with or without you I got what I wanted..." glancing over at Karma he commented, "with the help of that no-good head guard of yours, what was his name again? Yuza wasn't it? It's a shame that he couldn't been more of a use." Karma allowed the information to sink in. Yuza betrayed them? But she guess she should have seen it coming, she never really trusted the man. A couple months ago, Yuza disappeared without a trace. A small search party was sent out to find him. The only thing they found was what the saber-tooth wolves didn't eat.

Karma shook her head. "You're a monster." The cloaked man laughed at that.

"I am now?" He said with much amusement. The creature on his shoulders squawked making Karma's attention turn back to the creature and the shadow creatures that roamed the room. "Beautiful, aren't they?" He said walking over to one of the shadow creatures, stroking it as it ran by. "They are what remains of my creations, what have remained from my world when I had the power too." Karma gave a quizzingly look. "You really don't know, do you?" He said cocking his head. When Karma didn't answer, he laughed. "Oh that is rich, isn't it? A creator who doesn't know anything about her own world! Oh how rich indeed." Karma just stared at him, her fury growing.

"Then why don't you lay it out for me?" Karma said. The cloaked man looked at her dead in the eyes, amusement glittering in his own. He began to wander around the throne room.

"I could," he said. "Or I could leave you in the dark, making you wonder until it eats your very being... but I'm feeling generous today." He paused in his walking and looked at Karma. "Ever wondered why there are certain things, certain...creatures that you have never see before or ever remember creating them?" He let it sink in, waiting for Karma's reaction. He smirked when he saw Karma's eyes flicker. "I can tell you why you don't remember creating what you have seen..." he paused again and walked over to Angel. He reached out to stroke her head and Angel growled as he did, but her threats were meaningless to the cloaked man. "I have to give you credit," he said getting off topic. "You did create some pretty interesting things. You have quite the imagination." He chuckled.

"Get to your point." Karma said through gritted teeth. The cloaked man clucked his tongue.

"Oh, Karma, don't you realize that you are not the first creator of Arula... or so you called this world." He finished petting Angel and turned towards Karma and the others.

Karma eyes widen and she shook her head. "I don't-"

"Of course you don't!" He exclaimed. "Because she never told you anything." Karma was now more confused than ever. She? Karma thought, then it hit her. The woman who sold her the book all those years ago. "Ah, so you thought it was just some weird coincidence that a random blank book you bought at some random festival could create something as great and powerful as this!" He said reading her thoughts. "That witch is as sneaky as she is deceitful... she was the original creator of this world that you called Arula, but without her, you still be that little nobody from a small town." He smiled and watched as Karma's expression falter. She tried to understand what she was hearing but she didn't want to believe it. I'm not the original Creator? She thought, and like that, everything came crashing down. Suddenly, things started to make sense. All of it. Shari, the Numberries, the green fire, everything. The cloaked man laughed. He walked over to Karma and reached inside her satchel and pulled out her book.

He admire the cover for a moment, turning it and tracing its binding. He flipped over the book where the lock was. Out of curiosity, he tried to open it, but it was, of course, locked. Smirking, he took a step closer to Karma and reached out towards her neck. Slowly, he grabbed the silver chain and gently started to pull it until the key that hung from the chain came out from its hiding place underneath Karma's shirt. He admire the key has he held it in the palm of his hand. "The key to the world." He said and looked at Karma in the eyes. "It's a shame it not being put into better use." He gave a hard tug on the chain making it snapped from Karma's neck. It went limp in cloaked man's hand. Taking a step closer, he leaned over and whispered into Karma's ear, "but don't' worry, I'll make sure it is put into a proper use."

The cloaked man stepped back towards the throne with book and key in hand. He waved over to the guards. "Take them away." He told them and sat. "And make sure that they are comfortable." One of the guards reached over to grabbed Karma but got the shock of his life when Shari jumped out from the bundle of her hair and hissed and bite at the guard. The guard yelped and jumped back. "Grabbed that abomination!" Shouted the cloaked man and the guards went for Shari. But Shari was too quick. He jumped off Karma's shoulder and scurried out of the throne room. The guards looked at the cloaked man for orders. "Forget about it, my creations will find it soon it enough, just take them to dungeons." The guards did as they were told, taking Karma and her friends to the dungeons.

As they walked down the stairs to the dungeons, Jason leaned over to Karma and asked, "are you alright?" Karma didn't look at Jason, she was in too much shock to answer anyone at the moment. I don't know, she thought in dismay.

----

Iylac followed Karma and the others to Shurli, making sure she wasn't seen. Which didn't seem to matter either way because it seemed that they were so focused on their mission that they probably would have not notice a giant dragon following them. Once Karma and her companions disappeared into Shurli Woods, Iylac landed not too far from where they disappeared into. She followed them up to the point where they went to the village gates. Iylac stayed in the woods to keep herself hidden. With her excellent vision, she could see their every move. She watched as guards swarm out of the gates and surrounded Karma and the others.

She watched as they talked and taken them inside the village and into the palace. That's where she lost them. She may have excellent vision, but her eyes could not see through walls. Iylac waited there to see if they were to remerge from the palace, but by the time it became dusk, Iylac knew that they would not. Somethings amiss, she thought as she roamed the woods looking for dinner. She eventually found a lonely deer and made it her meal. But I could be wrong, she also thought eating her kill. When it became dawn and there was still no sign of Karma and her companions, Iylac began to wonder if something was wrong.