Jaid: Hello all! I’m soo sorry for not having updated; I’ve been very busy this summer and our computer had a virus and…*sigh* I’m not sure how regular these updates will be. However, I am thinking of making a list so I can e-mail you with updates. If you would like me to do this, then please leave your address in the review box okay?

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Chapter Sixteen

Mieran shot up in her bed, gasping. Shaking, she brought her hands to her face, wondering what it had been that she had dreamed that had made her so upset. After calming herself, she quickly dressed, knowing that she would never be able to get back to sleep.

The morning air was cool, but Mieran could tell that it would be another hot day. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the fresh air, wishing that it would stay this nice all day. She would rather not ride in armor here, but it was required. Suddenly, she felt as if she was being watched and spinning around, she saw the Elvish Princess there, her queer blue eyes watching Mieran.

"I am sorry." The Elf said. "I did not mean to disturb you, xinglan." Mieran’s eyes widened slightly as she heard the title "leader" in her own tongue.

"You did not." She said. "I would not mind some company. Sometimes too much thought can be stifling."

The Elf inclined her head. "I know that all too well."

"Then, you will walk with me?" Mieran invited. The Elf nodded and fell into step beside Meiran, with a light and easy grace, despite her green-gold armor.

"What are you called by?" Mieran asked.

"In Elvish or Common Tongue?"

"Both."

"In Elvish, Darania. But most simply know me as Dorothy." She said. "And you are General Long."

"Mieran." The girl held out a hand. "Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise." Dorothy answered.

* * *

"Congratulations, Duo." Hiiron gasped as they ran. "I think you have said every curse I have ever heard uttered. And perhaps a few I have not."

"Save you breath." Wufei ordered, as the group turned a corner.

"Dead end." Midii whispered. The srych were coming closer.

"Chang?" Heero looked at his fellow wizard. Wufei’s face was taught.

"I am not-" he was cut off by Duo.

"There!" A small passage, hardly to be seen was a little to their left. Wufei immediately entered it and the others followed.

* * *

"Will we be on time?" Relena asked Trieze as they rode. Une was above them, mounted once again on her eagle.

"Only He* knows." Trize answered. His hand gripped his staff tightere. They had too get to the Chambers of the Moon and quick.

* * *

"It’s there" Mariemiea murmured. Beside her, Sercan was equally grim.

"Another day or so." He agreed. Turning, he ordered a soldier to alert the armies on the ground. Mariemeia frowned.

"What…?" her voice trailed off as Sercan pointed and she followed his arm. In the distance, like so many black ants, marched the enemy army.

* * *

"I think we’re getting closer." Duo commented, as the pitch-black darkness gave way to the eerie red glow of firelight.

"Closer to where?" Hiiron asked.

"How should I know?" Duo retorted. Pretty soon, the two of them were bickering. Quatre turned to Midii.

"Amazing how long they can go." He commented. Midii smiled and agreed. They were soon making a friendly conversation, and Trowa half wished that he could join. The talking stopped however, when the passage led into a great cavernous room. Around the edge of it ran a small strip of earth, part of which they were standing on, and in the middle was a great pool of fire. Over it, ran a bridge carved of stone.

Wufei began to cross, then Midii, Trowa, Duo and Hiiron followed. Heero stepped on the bridge, then turned and looked at Quatre. The Elvish prince shook himself and then walked towards the bridge. As soon as he stepped onto it, the room shook and boulders from the ceiling began to fall.

"The bridge!" Midii cried. "It’s cracking!"

Everyone began to run, the bridge crumbling just behind Heero and Quatre. Almost everyone made it, but just Quatre and Heero ran the last few steps, it fell away completely. Heero, who was closer, jumped to safety, but Quatre who had been behind him fell. He did, however managed to grab hold of part of the wall and hold on. Quatre tried to climb, but the ground kept crumbling underneath him. Heero turned to Hiiron and began rifling through the pack he had on his back. He brought out a rope and nodded to Wufei and Duo. They helped him lower it and held it fast so that Quatre could grab hold and climb up.

It seemed as if time had stopped and the minutes trickled by as slow as hours. Midii looked at the falling roof then at Trowa.

"It’s caving in, isn’t it?" she asked. Trowa looked up.

"Yes." The words were no sooner out of his mouth then when a large amount of the roof broke and fell away. Midii flinched as some of the larger boulders landed to close for comfort, then to her horror, saw a smaller one connect with Quatre’s head. His aquamarine eyes rolled back and he crumpled. Heero reached forward and grabbed his shirt. More boulders fell. Heero carelessly slung Quatre over one shoulder and shouted "Run!" to the rest.

They exited the chamber, just as a great rumbling sound came and there was a large cloud of dust and smoke blown into the new passageway they found themselves in.

Everyone stood, sweaty, dirty and gasping for breath. Heero placed the unconscious Quatre carefully on the ground. Blood liberally soaked his blonde hair and ran down his face.

"Is he…?" Duo’s voice trailed off. Heero bent near Quatre’s mouth.

"He’s breathing." He said quietly.

Wufei blew out a breath. "Will he awake, do you think?"

Heero bent to examine Quatre’s head. "I can’t tell." He finally answered and looked at Wufei. "You seem to know something about the art of healing; perhaps you can do something I could not." He stood and moved aside as Wufei knelt.

"Duo, give me one of the canteens. Midii, Hiiron has a roll of bandages in his pack. Get them out."

Duo handed Wufei the water. Wufei carefully bathed the wound, and then Midii helped him bandage it. Then he directed her to get a bottle that was also in Hiiron’s pack. Uncorking it, Wufei carefully poured a little into Quatre’s mouth. The Elf coughed and sputtered. Encouraged, Wufei poured a little more in and was relieved to see Quatre’s eyes flutter, then open.

"E erath?" he asked.

"Quatre?" Midii said. He blinked.

"Yes?"

"Are you all right?"

Quatre winced. "My head hurts."

Wufei smiled dryly. "That’s understandable. Do you think you can walk?"

"Maybe."

Heero and Duo helped Quatre to his feet, but the Elf slumped, and then clutched his head. Wufei shook his head and they lowered him to the ground.

"We will rest here for a while." He said.

* * *

"Father?"

Zechs looked up as Dorothy entered, one arm holding up the flap of the tent.

"You sent for me." She said. Zechs nodded. Dorothy entered, her armor clinking a little. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow as she sat. Zechs sighed.

"Scouts from the Skyeborne have brought news. The enemy army is closer than we think and is larger than we expected."

Dorothy frowned. "Is there any sign of Xry?"

"None. There are plenty of srych, trolls and Wargs, however."

"I see." Dorothy said quietly. There was a short silence.

"There is another reason I called you here." Zechs finally said. Dorothy looked up.

"The Skyeborne have also brought news from a dragon called Mornreg. He says that the enemy is awakening a Kavu Wrym."

Dorothy’s eyes widened slightly in shock. "I thought those were only legend."

"No, it is not." Zechs hesitated. "Right now it is a semi-hibernation mode according to Mornreg. If we can, we need to kill it before it fully awakens; if we don’t…"

"Then our armies will be destroyed from right under their feet." Dorothy murmured. Kavu Wryms were great yellow and blue creatures who lived underground. They were spoken off with surprising fierceness and would tunnel under armies and destroy them with a single swallow.

"Who are they sending?" Dorothy asked. Zechs didn’t answer.

"I see." Dorothy said quietly.

"You don’t have to go Dorothy."

She was quiet for a moment, the dreams of the past few months coming back full force. Then she looked at her father.

"I’ll do it."

* * *

The company made slow progress though the cavern. Wufei recognized some of the place from various manuscripts he had read.

"We need to strike for the Chambers of the Moon." He said. "And pray that Treize is there."

The air was stifling. It seemed hat they had been traveling for ages through the dark tunnel.

"Wufei," Midii suddenly spoke up. "Are these passages made by man or srych?"

"Dark Elves" Wufei answered. "Ages ago. The upper levels were made by men."

"So who created the Chambers of the Moon?" Midii asked. "Surely not allies of the srych."

"A long time ago, a powerful female mage named Alisqua united the dark creatures together and began to take over the free peoples of our lands. It is said that six wizards rose up to stop her, but one betrayed them, weakening their power. That one wizard created a twin of the Rinekin na Kamen, a dark twin that had equal power. For days there was a terrible clash as the two sides strove for power. Then the Mountain Elves came with their gift; five magical jewels that would magnify the strongest powers of the Rinekin na Kamen. But even then, it was not enough. Six is the number of completion, and the number of the good wizards was five; the number of incompletion. Because of this, they were able to diminish Alisqua for a long time, but were not able to destroy her. It was prophesied that when Alisqua rose again, six chosen ones would come forth and she would be destroyed forever…or she will be ruler of all."

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Jaid: Sorry it’s so short! I’ll try to get the next chapter out soon.

Jad: Hey, Jaid, you have a message from "Ash." Who’s Ash?

Jaid: Oh, some girl I helped with math.

Jad: You helped with math?

Naga: Did she know what she was getting into?

Jaid: She was in Algebra!

Jad: Right.

Naga: Did she get an F?

Jaid: No. -__-;

* "He" refers to Erian (Elvish for "The One"). Erian created the seven Telmar who, under His guidance created the lands and people of Erthe.