Stepping into the Shadow Dimension was never a particularly pleasant experience. There was a resistance and then an electric pressure on the body. Delaney kept her body in front of ZsaZsa's. There was darkness all around them but they could see each other if it were daylight. Wind seemed to blow all around them whipping and grabbing at their clothes as if to pull into the chaos.

   Delaney asked the Dragon girl through the mental bridge built between them.

  ZsaZsa looked around. she asked. Suddenly images were transmitted to her through the bridge. They were Raven's memories of Cruinog. There were smells, emotions and impressions associated with the images. The main image was of a house with both happy, warm and sad emotions.

   Delaney instructed.

  ZsaZsa blew out a breath and reached out to touch the air. Branching cracks appeared in front of her eyes. If she'd been anyone else, her mind would have scattered in millions of pieces, but she was able to travel as a Drake and knew how to concentrate on her destination. she said as one branch lit up and the others faded away.

  Delaney reached out and touched the branch herself. She nodded. she said and led ZsaZsa forward. As they stepped into the branch, their bodies lurched as the resistance came again before they stepped into what appeared to be an attic filled with dust.

  Since living on Emphyralis, using the Shadow Dimension was easier, but Delaney still had to catch her breath. ZsaZsa wasn't in much better shape. She reached out to lean against a wall. "That was intense," she said with slightly pale lips.

  Delaney smiled wryly. "Do you think you'd be able to access it if I take you a few more times?" she asked.

  ZsaZsa immediately shook her head. "Drakes can only travel within a singular plain. We can't breach the dimensional barrier," she answered. She'd felt the resistance when they went in and out. It took much more power than she could muster as a Drake or even a Dragon.

  Delaney frowned as she began to pull out capsules and set them on the ground. "Strange. I'm almost certain that you can do it," she said. "I can feel that you can," she said, slightly frustrated.

  ZsaZsa didn't dismiss her feelings as merely being stubborn. "Maybe. I can't do it now, but..." she trailed off thoughtfully.

  Delaney paused in her actions. "Maybe what?" she asked.

  ZsaZsa linked her fingers nervously. "If I can find the Voidheart Gem," she said. She explained before Delaney could ask. "Not all Amethyst Dragons have the potential to be Voidrifters. Only those whose ancestors came into contact with the Voidheart Gem. It was a gift from Emosyne, our patron Goddess. She's the Lady of Inspiration and Goddess of Art.

  "Being able to Voidrift is a departure from her usual gifts. That's because of Aurelia Eventide. I heard you met the Voidstalker? In the Seventh Age Aurelia fell in love with him and wanted to be on equal footing with him. She was a devout Priestess of Emosyne, and prayed to Emosyne for a solution. The story says she bowed to the Goddess for seven days and seven nights. Aurelia was also a Gemcaller. After her devout session, fatigue and hunger made her pass out and she had a dream about a special gemstone that only a powerful Gemcaller could find.

  "She spent another seven years looking for the Voidheart Gem and finally called it forward. She then created the Eventide Enclave with Raziel Voistalker and allowed select Amethyst Dragons to also be gifted with Voidrifting abilities. Over time, the Voidheart Gem was no longer kept within the Enclave and given to the Temple of Emosyne for protection and soon it was lost to the passing of time."

  Delaney was listening so intently she forgot to free the others from their capsules. "Then...how do you know?" she asked.

  ZsaZsa smiled slightly. "My mother's village was the headquarters of the Order of the Shroud. One of their tasks was the protection of the Voidheart Gem, but because all the adults died when my mother was young, a lot of what they should have learned had been lost, but they already knew about the Voidheart Gem, just not...where it is," she said.

  Delaney nodded. "That must be it. That feels right," she said. "We'll think about it after we return. Let's wake them up and head to where Raven wants to lay the Bridge," she said.

  ZsaZsa agreed and they began to release everyone from their stasis.

  Before long, everyone had been released and were recovering from their stasis. ZsaZsa helped settle them. Ever since she got here, she felt strange. She thought it was just after effects from traveling through the Shadow Dimension, but the feeling hadn't gone away. She walked to the locked french doors that led to a small attic balcony. Moonlight was spilling through the slats.

  She opened the doors and walked onto the balcony. "The moon is so big," she gasped.

  Raven heard her words and frowned, coming to look out the balcony as well. "I didn't expect it to be a full moon," she said.

  "Is a full moon bad?" Britiana asked.

  Raven turned her white, glowing hand around in the moonlight. "It amplifies our power. But it also amplifies the power of other creatures. This is Earthborne territory so we shouldn't have anything to worry about," she said. "It's just...it doesn't feel right. This is clearly the Darovan ancestral house in the Bienskurr Mountains, so we made it Cruinog, but I fear things are worse than anyone expected," she said with a worried frown.

  "The plants are dead, and the trees are withered," Darius observed.

  Stretched in front of them is a mountainous forest, or perhaps a forested mountain. If the grass and shrubs weren't yellow and the trees weren't dried husks of what they used to be, they could understand why the Earthborne chose New Bienskurr to settle. It really was a similar landscape.

  Raven was still frowning. "We should go. Let's not waste anymore time. The sooner we lay the Bridge, the better. Come along. We'll head to the ancestral hall and build the Bridge there," she said. She ushered everyone back into the attic, closing and locking the attic doors behind her.

  She led them through the dusty house. She, Niklaus, and now ZsaZsa were the last of the Darovan clan. No one had visited this house in the more than sixty years since she'd left. If it weren't for laying the array, she wouldn't have even wanted to come back.

  After she ushered everyone out, she locked the door, then reached out to touch the house and it disappeared, foundation and all. Only the underground cavern the family used to sleep in was exposed, but she'd cleaned it out before she left, so now it was just a hole in the ground. No one questioned her actions. Who wouldn't want to take their home with them whenever they moved if they could?

  "It won't take more than an hour," she assured the others and turned into a mist that quickly formed itself a Raven and flew forward to lead the others. An hour's walk was nothing for the group. Delaney changed into a black mist before turning into a large black cat with glowing green eyes. She darted from shadow to shadow, barely seen most of the time.

  Amadeus and Lazarus led the formation with Darius and Britiana behind them. Ice and ZsaZsa followed. Delia and Wallace and Spencer and Alistair fanned behind as Aman and Imre scouted along the edges for any possible threat.

  As they walked along, a sparse fog became thicker and thicker. Isa automatically moved forward to take Britiana's hand so that he wouldn't lose her in the fog just as Darius gave the order to halt and regroup. However, the fog billowed up even more.

  --

  Icestorme, Thale

  Icestorme was quietly busy. Openly, Morganna was in charge of distributing the relief supplies from Silvermoon. Allotting which village needed which supplies based on the census was a process. Luckily, she had staff who could do the heavy lifting, but she still wanted to personally oversee the distribution. Not only would it hearten the people, it was what she wanted to do.

  Mason volunteered to help her while Maddox pouted and helped. He actually wanted to help his big brother, but he wasn't allowed into any high level meetings. He naturally had no idea that on the night of the attack, delegations from the other five continents arrived in Marius' office with a contingent of trusted aides.

  A child like him also wouldn't know that two stealth mercenaries delivered to the Generals a recording of the attack and joined Ulrik Icebridge's retinue. The six men analyzed the recording many times, sometimes singularly, sometimes as a unit. Each time they gleaned something new.

  He definitely wasn't privy to the interrogation of the Nyxie. It was very resistant to the Truthcaller Ulrik brought along. If a person or a thing resisted a Truthcaller too much it could damage their brains, which would defeat the purpose of keeping them for interrogation and they haven't been able to learn much from it yet. They had to find alternative methods to get the answers they needed to know. A telepathic Silver Dragon might work, but currently only Chrystianna might be strong enough to infiltrate the Nixie's mind without harming it. They haven't exhausted other possibilities yet.

  On the morning that the delegation from Silvermoon headed for New Bienskurr on a flying yacht, four cats were smuggled into Thale with the latest shipment of relief supplies to Thale.

  Since Morganna was in charge of the supplies, she very naturally picked up the correct chest and half pretended to be startled when four cats were staring at her. Honestly, she was still a little genuinely surprised. "Looks like we have stowaways. Mason, Maddox, help me carry them back to the Estate," she said easily. She cleared her throat. "Be gentle," she added.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  The well behaved, rather large cats allowed the two boys to pick them up and carry them away. Maddox struggled a bit since even the smallest of the cats was half as tall as he was. Finally, unable to stand it, the black cat mottled with orange jumped out of his arms and followed obediently behind.

  The orange cat looked at her and settled into his arms more easily and flicked her tail, allowing herself to be carried as she looked around. Maddox frowned. "Why are these cats so weird?" he asked.

  Mason cleared his throat. "What's weird. They're very good cats. Especially beautiful," he said flatteringly. The blue-eyed gray cat in his arms meowed to agree with him. The black and white tuxedo cat flicked her tail and conveyed the cat equivalent of an eye roll at her aunt.

  Maddox side-eyed his older brother then looked at the cat in his arms. Well, he had to admit that was true. But it was still weird. "Why did Silvermoon send us cats?" he asked. He was ten, not two. He knew these cats didn't just "stowaway" like his mother said. "And don't brush me off again. I understand that I can't be in the warroom with Marius but can't I at least know this much?" he demanded.

  Mason sighed. "These are the Crowleys. They came to lay the other arrays without anyone else knowing," he finally said.

  Maddox nodded, satisfied that someone finally gave him a straight answer. Soon, he frowned again. "Wait. Then why are we toting them? Can't they just follow us?" he asked, looking at the cat in his arms, perplexed.

  Amalthea did a very un-cat-like thing and laughed. "The boy is right. Get down and walk. Do y'all think y'all're really cats? Especially you, Lyzzie. You're almost as big as he is," she scolded her youngest sister.

  Lysithea snickered and jumped out of Maddox's arms. She rubbed his legs in apology and ran to her oldest sister. Helena and Phryne followed suit, and soon the Icestorme brothers were being trailed by a gaggle of overly large cats.

  Maddox's eyes twinkled. "So, awesome," he said. The boy really had transformation envy.

  Soon, they led the cats to a guest wing in the Icestorme Estate located in Icestorme Hall. He showed them where they'll be staying while they work. "Mom will arrange things when she's done sorting the relief supplies. I'll go back and help her. Make yourself at home. No one here will leak your presence, so just ask the attendants if you need anything," he said to the cats who had become women.

  "Thank you, my lord," Amalthea said, speaking on behalf of her family.

  "Can I stay? Sorting supplies is boring," Maddox complained.

  Masoon ruffled his hair. "All right, go entertain yourself, don't bother our guests," he warned and left the Estate.

  Maddox immediately proceeded to bother the guests by asking them everything he could think of about them, their powers, Terranthea, Terranthean food, games, and technology.

  Phryne finally managed to get the hyperactive child under control by bringing out a handheld gaming console and showing him how to use it and the types of games she had. He was immediately drawn in. Her aunts gave her amused and grateful smiles.

  They decided to pass the time and indulge the boy by finding the kitchen and making lunch for him.

  They'd be busy the next few days. Who knew when they'd be at leisure again.

  --

  Bienskurr Mountains, Cruinog

  The fog came suddenly and enveloped everyone. Sight, sound, even smell was hindered within the fog. ZsaZsa found herself alone and looked around. "Hello?" she called, only for her voice to immediately muffle in the fog. "Is anyone there?" she called more loudly.

  "I'm here," she heard a voice in the distance. Did the voice sound familiar? She wasn't sure.

  "Where are you?"

  "Over here," the voice seemed to overlap, confusing her even more. She began to get a bad feeling. She should do something now. But what was she supposed to do? "I'm here," the voice sounded closer this time. ZsaZsa sighed in relief and moved toward it. It was one of her companions.

  Right?

  She was unsure as she moved closer.

  Who were her companions again? Did she even have companions?

  She moved forward in the fog continually calling out to the answering voice. She heard a horse whinny in the distance. A horse? Were her companions on horses?

  The fog began to thin as she heard hoofbeats coming towards her.

  --

  --(tapas)--

  In the fog, Britiana clung to Isa's hand when she felt it go slack. She could feel something trying to influence her mind, but it was nowhere near as strong as she was. She quickly threw up a barrier around them.

  Isa's slightly confused expression cleared. "Lady Britiana. I heard you further away," he said with a frown, trying to clear his confusion. "At least I think it was you," he murmured.

  Britiana frowned. "It wasn't me. You almost wandered off," she scolded. "Some bodyguard," she sniffed.

  Isa was horrified. She gave him a smile. "Just teasing. This fog is strange," she said. "It's interfering with my perception," she complained and covered her shielding pendant, trying to at least feel the emotions of the others, but there was too much interference. She tried to contact everyone via telepathy but still couldn't get through.

   She followed her mental link to her brother. Unlike a temporary one formed with a bridge, this was a bond from the womb, stronger than any interference.

  <...Britiana?> Darius asked unsurely, looking around in the fog, eyes widening with shock. What was he just doing? he asked, trying to get his bearings. He quickly shielded himself.

  Britiana smiled wryly. she reminded him.

  Darius looked around as the billowing whiteness around him. He could barely make out the moon above him. It only succeeded in making the fog brighter and even more disorienting.

   he asked.

   she explained. she explained.

  Isa stood beside her watching her expressions as she was clearly communicating with brother. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face even in this situation.

  Darius looked up again. he said. He tried to transform and found it difficult, but doable. The fog seemed to envelope him even as he grew larger. He flapped his wings and blew the fog away and jumped. He managed to get above the fog but all he could see was white clouds hovering on the ground. he complained.

   Britiana said. Soon he spotted two more Dragons break through the fog in the distance.

   Darius was surprised. They'd been separated by more than a mile in a matter of moments.

  The three Dragons flew up to a perch in the mountains that were above the fog and transformed back into their humanoid forms. Every now and then they could see movement in the fog but then it would be gone. Isa clenched his jaw as he watched. If it weren't for Britiana he would have wandered away from her. Darius wasn't pleased that he'd lost his entire team in moments.

  Britiana huffed and rotated her wrists. "This isn't a job for brute force. Outta the way, boys," she declared. She began chanting in Emphyralian Draconic. A breeze began to blow. The fog began to move. She kept chanting and the breeze picked up force. The longer she chanted the stronger the wind. Soon a gale force wind was blowing through the fog filled valley.

  The fog was stubborn, not wanting to move away. A cat suddenly appeared beside them. "Finally found y'all," Delaney complained after she transformed back into her human form. As soon as the fog began to drift in, she cloaked herself in the shadows and tried to find everyone. Even though her mind hadn't been affected, it was impossible to see in the fog. It wasn't until the wind began blowing that she was able to trace them.

  "Let me help you with the spell. I know this one," she said. Britiana glanced at her and nodded without stopping her chanting. Delaney began to chant along with her. The fog reluctantly began to thin out.

  The first to break through it were indeed Wallace and Alistair. They found their location when Darius borrowed his sister's telepathy to contact them. Since she was concentrating on the spell, he borrowed her perception ability as well, scanning for the other as the fog was thinning.

  Aman and Imre appeared beside him, forming from the shadows of the night. They bowed to Darius and explained that while their minds hadn't been confused, their senses were and they tried to meld into the shadows to find the others.

  Finally, the fog thinned out enough for the other Dragons and even Raven to find them.

  Only ZsaZsa was missing. Worried, Raven joined the spell, lending it even more power. After an initial pushback, the fog rolled away as if it were never there.

  Britiana slumped back slightly. Delaney was a little better. She was more powerful than the younger girl and she hadn't performed the spell as long. Isa immediately gave her some Dragonwyne.

  "ZsaZsa?" Britiana asked, looking at Darius, since he was still borrowing her abilities.

  Darius shook his head. "I can't sense her. She's not within your perception field," he said.

  "Delaney?"

  Delaney tried to follow the mental bridge between herself and the other girl, but it stretched out into nothingness. "She's either too far away or unconscious," she answered.

  Raven clenched her fist. "She couldn't have gone that far, could she?" she asked. She was afraid and confused. This was Earthborne territory and yet something exerted its power here without fear. She didn't know what it could be or what it wanted.

  "We were in the fog for hours. Look at the moon," Darius said.

  Raven gasped as she realized that. "It'll be dawn soon," she was shocked. It only felt like a few minutes.

  Even Britiana was shocked. She thought she'd snapped out of the control immediately, but it was actually several hours? Or did the perception of time muddle even after they regain consciousness? "Make camp here. Raven, you should avoid the dawn just in case. The rest of you, go look for ZsaZsa. I can't feel her in my perception, but I know she's out there somewhere," she said solemnly.

  Darius agreed. He had Aman and Imre stay here with Raven, Britiana, Delaney and Isa. He and the others took to the sky as Dragons to look for ZsaZsa.

  --