The suns started to beat down on the once cold mountainside. Stargazer and Kaden had made more progress through the night. Hoping to reach the castle by mid-day.

Seirra stirred. Kaden's head shot up. Her eyes blinked open, trying to figure out her surroundings.

"Kaden?" She rasped.

He was by her side in a moment, kneeling down to her makeshift bed.

"Do you need anything?" Kaden asked hurriedly.

"Xol." Seirra coughed.

"Wha-?" Kaden almost asked.

"She means the water, love." Stargazer answered for her.

Kaden nodded his head, feeling silly for not realizing was sooner. Grabbing the scrap of cloth, Kaden started off to the stream.

Stargazer looked back to Seirra.

"Hello my Queen." She neighed happily. Helping the tan skinned girl to an upwards sitting position.

Seirra looked to Stargazer. Recognition flashing in her eyes, she let her jaw hang open. Stargazer had changed, she was much bigger. Her mane and fur was much longer, and she looked very much regal. She seemed to have a light aura around her. Her teal mane glimmered like the stars.

"Stargazer!" Seirra finally said, tears coming to her eyes.

"Seirra!" The horse snorted, before nuzzling up against her.

"We have so much to discuss." The freckled girl stated, smiling weakly.

"Indeed. What do you want to know?" The blue horse inquired.

"How by the three suns did Asadior escape?!" She exclaimed.

"Settle in, this is a little bit of a longer story."

"Well. I'm not going anywhere."

❇❇❇

Twilight pulled her hood up and sighed. Daylight. The only thing that could kill her, was steadily climbing into the sky and forest around them. As long as she had her shadowcloak on her, she'd be fine. Kathreen was snoring on the other side of the clearing. It was the worst thing Twilight had ever heard. It was like a normal snore until she breathed out. It sounded as if some animal was dying.

"Get up. It's time to move." Twilight said as she poked the 'dying' girl with a stick.

Groaning, Kathreen mumbled something like "five more years" but Twilight didn't understand, what she said, or what it meant.

"I said get up. I didn't rescue you just to get captured again." The shadow growled.

"Okay, okay." Kathreen said groggily. Stretching her arms upward, and twisting her back.

Twilight rolled her eyes. Come on stupid girl. Notice we HAVE to move. She prayed. But, as she had feared, Kathreen was oblivious to the fact that they should move while they could. Taking extra time to get the few supplies that Twilight had made.

"Just hurry up for the moons sake!!!" Twilight finally burst out. She had had enough of this slow moving attitude. Putting her hand on her hip, she oversaw what Kathreen was doing, and was relieved when instead of fighting back, Kathreen listened.

Kathreen was tiered. Her bones ached from lying on the cold hard ground, her eyelids still heavy with sleep. Looking up to the shadow, Kathreen nodded to show that she was ready.

"This way then Kat. Wait, I can call you that right?"

"If I can call you Twi?"

"FINE." The shadow agreed.

❇❇❇

Asadior woke up after a few hours of sleep. His mind was keeping him awake, those voices wouldn't leave him alone. And he hated it, he was tearing himself from the inside out. And it hurt.

He had to keep searching for the queen. He knew that Stargazer had found her. Just thinking of the teal horse's name brought even more pain of her betrayal.

He wanted the horse dead, and the queen. But did he? They voices came back.

You left her because you knew she'd be saved. No! You thought she was hit by the blast good enough! No! You didn't truly want to hurt her.

Asadior let out a pained scream. He was going insane! Wasn't he? He was a monster after all, wasn't he?

❇❇❇

"So you're saying that you sent him off to a prison, but it wasn't a real prison!" Seirra rambled.

"Yes, I'm sorry Seirra, they seemed so valid."

"Well, it's behind us. We can't change it."

Stargazer nodded her head in agreement. She was about to say something when Kaden came back.

"Seirra! It looks like you're doing better!" Kaden smiled warmly.

"It looks like I am! Now, do you have that Xol? I'm like, really thirsty here." She laughed.

"Oh! Right!" Kaden handed her the wet piece of cloth.

Seirra took it gratefully. Before closing her eyes and squeezing it into her dry mouth. She made sure to get every last drop of it before handing the cloth back and wiping her mouth.

"Thanks Kaden." She was about to lie down again, but her brain processed the words before she could. "Wait! Kaden? How did you get here, how did you come to Kascia?" Seirra asked, now completely shocked.

"I honestly don't know. I just, well, was sucked in I guess?" Kaden scratched the back of his brown hair, just as confused.

Seirra through her arms around him. Happy that he was here.

"Well, we better get moving. Daylight is precious nowadays." Stargazer pointed out. And indeed it was.

The three suns were already starting to get high in the sky. Seirra nodded her head in agreement, before getting a lift from Kaden into the horse's back. They were leaving everything behind, brace it would only slow them down. Plus, it was makeshift stuff, and others could have greater need of it instead.

As they started off, Seirra looked back to see two cold blue eyes. But when she blinked they had disappeared. Maybe I was just seeing things? But she was sure she had seen something. And that something didn't seem friendly.

But again she shrugged it off. They were only about sixty miles from the castle now, and with Stargazer running them. That would seem like nothing compared to what they'd been traveling.

Seirra watched as they entered the grassy plains, she watched the mountains fade away. But even though she felt sad at leaving the majestic peaks, she was glad she could be here with a friend.

❇❇❇

Twilight was waiting for the redhead girl. She could scale the cliffs easily after years of training. And that one day. Twilight added. While Kathreen was like a kitten trying to climb a tree for the first time. So. Slow.

Have patience, once you get to the tunnels, Liveos can't call you back. But Twilight couldn't listen. She was so full of stress and anxiety, she could barely stand up. Her chest was tight, it felt as if she couldn't breathe.

Eventually Kathreen's pale hand grasped the ledge that Twilight was standing on.

"Hey Twi. Do you think you could maybe help me?" The muffled voice of Kathreen asked.

Twilight answered her by grasping her arm and heaving upwards, pulling the dusty girl onto the flat surface. Motioning for the blue-eyed redhead to follow her, Twilight started off again. Kathreen on her heels, determined to stay along.

The sun was going down, faster and faster. Twilight struck a worried pace, praying to find the tunnel. Then, the rock opened up beneath her. Kathreen tumbling down on top of her.

"OW!"

"Sorry Twi!" She apologized.

"Well, at least we found the tunnels." Twilight said as she formed a torch.

As soon as the light entered the dark crevice, the light made it a long way. The tunnel seemed almost endless, but the walls were polished, almost completely smooth, as if some giant worm had made tunnels in the rock. Kathreen looked at it questioningly, and opened her mouth as if she was about to ask something when Twi stopped her.

"Enots. Wormlike creatures who lived when the world was first made. Ate the stone to live." She answered first.

"Cool!" Kathreen said enthusiastically.

If she actually saw one, she'd be terrified. But instead of stating that, she just nodded her head.

"It's about five miles to the next cavern. We better get moving if you want to stay free."

The redhead nodded, her eyes wide in terror. The last place she wanted to be was in a dark cave. But if it meant her freedom, so it be.

"How did Enots make these so smooth?"

"Well, they ate through the rock, so they slid through. And in order to slide through the rough stone, there was something like slime on them. The slime stuck to the rocks, and eventually hardened. Making it smooth." Twilight explained pridefully.

Most beings already knew the legends of the Enots. And it was fun to tell someone who had NO idea about them.

"Wow! That's really cool."

It really is. I guess I just thought it was nice that there were tunnels to hide in. I didn't ever see it that way.

❇❇❇

Asadior was out riding Darknight when he heard a howl. It was the Lord Liveos' hunting pack. Asadior knew the sounds of the oversized wolves he used. Someone, or thing had gone missing.

"Back to the castle! Now Darknight!" Asadior bellowed.

Darknight dipped his head before racing off. Darknight wasn't near as fast as Stargazer was. But he was still fast. In a matter of five minutes, they reached the pointed hate it the castle. Asadior dismounted before rushing in. Looking at the right wall until he found the empty chains. The prisoner got away. And Asadior knew just the shadow that would do that. Twilight.

Asadior jumped into Darknight and steered him towards the barking and whining of the kingswolves. He has to get to Liveos, for Liveos could call back any shadow from hiding.

Darknight raced through the twisted forest path. Dodging branches and trees. As they reached the spot where Liveos was, the overlord swung his kingswolf around to meet him.

"What do you know about this?" He demanded .

"Not much sire. Only that it was Twilight who saved her." Asadior said, breathless.

"I thought so too. But she was so loyal..." He trailed off.

"Yes, but remember where she came from"

(1,675 words)