Chapter 7

When Freyja opened her eyes the first thing she saw was an almost ethereal pure white robe, the rest being a dark blur. As the figure leaned closer, the face swam into view. Long copper hair tickled Freyja's cheek as the women laid a hand on her forehead.

"Lucrecia..." Freyja whispered. Lucrecia merely smiled, murmuring softly. Soon, her vision returned and the other person's face was easily visible.

"Better?" Freyja nodded and glanced around, noting that somehow she had gotten to Lucrecia's house.

"How long?"

"Two days. It's almost midnight." Freyja sat up, a hand flying up to touch her cheek. She felt a faint bruise, but other than that, nothing. "Your jaw was almost broken. What happened?" Freyja explained, elaborating when she thought it was needed.

"Are you sure that was wise?" Lucrecia asked after she was finished. Freyja tilted her head slightly, face enquiring. "Provoking him. He could have killed you, and even I can't call the dead back, for all my white magic"

"I had to, I survived, didn't I? Besides, necromancy is black magic, which Cordelia is sworn to" Lucrecia merely shook her head and sighed, turning towards the door when a sharp tap was heard. Freyja pulled herself up, finding new clothes by the bed. She walked out and saw Lucrecia talking to someone outside. The woman stepped back to reveal a tall man with navy blue dreadlocks and clear grey eyes.

"You're one of the Knights!" Freyja exclaimed.

"Your Knights I think you will find, Lady Freyja" He said, voice quiet. She nodded reluctantly. She smiled at Lucrecia, dwarfed by the man in the doorway.

"Thank you" She whispered. Lucrecia inclined her head slightly, turning away from the two people by the door.

"Come then" Freyja sighed, sweeping past the man to the horses waiting outside. She stopped suddenly, looking over her shoulder to meet the bemused gaze of the man who would defend her with his life. Seeming to know her question before it was asked; he cleared his throat and stated his name.

"Väin" Freyja looked at him blankly "You wouldn't be able to pronounce my real name"

"Try me"

"Väinämöinen" He smirked.

"...maybe not" Freyja coughed, attempting to regain control of the situation "Lets go" She took Epos' reins from he and set off at a jog, Väin easily keeping up. As they went through Section 4B the groans and screams of the diseased and dying were audible. Freyja attempted to block the sounds out without success, and when she looked towards Väin his jaw was tight, but other than that he gave no sign of upset. When they finally reached the huge glass doors Freyja relaxed slightly, picking out the mass of warding and healing spells traced on the only proper source of light in the whole building. They slid back slightly when they approached, slamming shut after them, locking everybody back inside.

They made it back to the camp in record time, both wanting to leave Chiela behind as fast as they could. Ryuu found them first when they entered.

"Siren should be back soon" He commented.

"No need to sound so happy, Ryuu" Freyja said, pulling off Epos' saddle and jumping to avoid the kick the stallion aimed at her.

"Why do you keep him? He's insane and he bit one of the troops yesterday" Ryuu said, watching a battle for Freyja's arm ensue between horse and woman. Uncharacteristically, Epos gave up first and went after a nearby troop instead. The troop ran, running for the houses and diving into one. Epos merely snickered and trotted off, the troop sneaking out after it had disappeared from view.

"Ryuu...what happened?" Freyja asked. Ryuu frowned, before clearing his throat.

"We realised something was wrong when you didn't turn up after nearly an hour...Taboo reckoned he could find you, and he ran off as well. We followed him as best as we could, and we eventually found you about to get murdered. Taboo fought Gray and captured him. But...he killed himself. Cyanide probably." He sighed.

"He told me that if I died leadership would go to him"

"He's right. I never thought of it before but I remember Xerxes telling me" Ryuu said.

"And you didn't think to tell me?" Freyja snapped. Ryuu shrugged.

"I thought you already knew"

"Xerxes never told me anything. He only relied on Raiden. His perfect son" Freyja spat out. Raiden was popular among the clan, being completely opposite to his sister in nearly every aspect.

"Väin?" The knight blinked down at her "Could you watch out for Siren? She should be back about now..."

"There's no need" He murmured. She followed his gaze until she saw a distant figure approaching. She smiled, dismissing the knight with a nod and turning to wait for Siren. Siren jumped down from her horse, leaving it in the care of a guard. She jumped on Freyja, causing both of them to fall over. Siren merely giggled and ran off, hugging everyone she saw. Freyja followed slowly, waiting until a loud squeal of 'Tabby!' was heard to ask Siren about her trip. She glanced briefly at the torches as she went past, causing them to burst into life. It always got dark earlier the closer to the destruction site you got.

"Siren? Could you tell me what happened?" Siren nodded vigorously, sitting on the porch of Freyja's house and motioning for her to do the same. Roxanne, Taboo, Ryuu, Väin, and some others gathered round, curious as to what had happened while Siren was near the 'Government' leaders. Siren smiled at her audience, clearing her throat to begin.

"Well it took me a day to get to London; I managed to avoid the big monsters, and I only saw a few people, most travellers.

I managed to get there on time and I didn't get asked many questions, I think they had all decided to ignore me. I just listened to them all talking about what they had seen and heard, what the people were doing, etc, etc. As you know, each of the element leaders speak about their lands, and what they are planning to do. If another person has something to say he should wait...in theory. It never stops somebody from interrupting someone else's speech. Kalani wouldn't be there then, he's considered to good to hear such things. I reckon that Cordelia just listens to what they say then twists it when she talks to Kalani so he'll do what she want him to do, but that's just what I think.

Anyway, Cordelia was there, though I don't know if she was listening. Willow, a wood nymph, was talking about who and what had gone through the borders of her forest when Kalani entered. It looked like Cordelia tried to stop him but I didn't really notice. The person who was standing next to him was gorgeous. Redd Sinclair, Kalani's General."

"Redd Sinclair? I've never heard of him" Freyja cut in.

"He's been getting clans to join elsewhere, far in the East and North. At least, that's what I heard" Roxanne commented.

"The North? It'd be difficult, but if he got Northerners on his side we'd be in trouble. They're hard, dangerous people. Made that way by the freezing climate they live in." Ryuu sounded worried. The Northerners had a reputation for brutality. The last emissary from the Government that had tried to talk them round had been murdered; his mangled body sent back with a depiction of a running wolf (the symbol of the North) carved into his neck. Freyja grimaced.

"Anyway, Kalani heard reports from the water, fire and earth spirits. He had just missed Zephyr's report. Then they started talking about what Redd had been doing. He said that the Overlord (the title for their leader simply put) was being stubborn and had said he would 'consider' the offer. In the East, apparently he had much more support. Maybe 'cause he's part Asian-"

"Really?" Freyja interrupted again. Siren nodded, her bell earrings tinkling.

"Yep! I think somebody told me that. Though it's not very noticeable, apart from the fact he has really dark eyes" Siren's own eyes went dreamy as she spoke, her mind elsewhere. Everyone present rolled his or her eyes, apart from Taboo, who looked slightly annoyed.

"Anyway, many tribes from the East have agreed to help Redd, but some have ties to Mae, who's told them what will really happen. I know Mae has lots of family connections but I thought lots would listen to her, not just a few" She looked a Ryuu for an answer.

"It is odd" Ryuu admitted "Usually they act as one, thinking a planning together. Ties of blood are very important to them, but they've been getting weaker for some time now. Fights between clans have happened, and it's tearing them apart"

"How the hell do you know so much about it?" Taboo asked the question everyone was thinking.

"Mae explained the situation when she was meeting Xerxes" Ryuu shrugged dismissively.

"Isn't Mae and her clan outcast?" Freyja asked, trying to remember the details.

"They have been for many years. Her whole family was. When her father died the leadership was meant to go to the oldest child, Mae's elder half-sister, Maelstrom in this case. However, Maelstrom, hating being tied down with leadership, left one night, leaving Mae and the youngest sister, Maeror. Mae took leadership, but one night Maeror disappeared also. It's not known whether she is still alive but Mae reckons she went after Maelstrom."

"They all have 'Mae' in their names?" Siren asked. Ryuu nodded.

"She explained it to me, yet I can't remember what she said" He shrugged again "Probably sentimental value"

"Anyway...when he finished speaking, a few lords from the cities came and explained their situation and what they planned to do. I can't say it was very interesting; most of the people seemed to be content, though a few people were spreading rumours of an attack apparently. Though they never said from whom, what or when."

"Did anything happen to them?" Freyja asked. Siren frowned, and then nodded.

"Caught then shot" Siren blinked "Well they caught someone anyway. Doesn't really matter whether it was them or not to the lords. Someone was blamed and killed; the public thought it was them, so they're happy"

"That's because humans are a bloody, petty race" Roxanne commented "It's our nature"

"True...after they spoke not much happened. Nothing suspicious, but when I was leaving I heard Kalani and Cordelia talking. It wasn't anything of interest at first, but then they spoke about Xerxes...she told him he was gone...and they both started laughing" Siren blinked rapidly. "She said that nobody was alive apart from the children, so I guess they were talking about Freyja and Raiden...then they laughed again! I was hiding in the corner, so they couldn't see me. At one point Redd came back into the room and said that the water spirits were suspicious. Cordelia said that they had wasted too much on them to do anything about it. Kalani pointed out that the water spirits held most of the oceans and lakes."

"Cerulean is the best leader they've had for awhile" Ryuu commented. Everyone either nodded or looked blank.

"Cerulean?" One person asked. Freyja nodded. She was familiar with the water spirit, knowing her from childhood.

"She's more involved with people than the others are, fire being too arrogant, earth not interested, air too distant and wood just dislikes humans altogether."

"She's very young isn't she?" Another person asked. Freyja nodded again.

"She's only a little older than me, which is barely out of childhood to spirits" Freyja shook her head "But I haven't seen her in many years...I believe she's forgotten me" A silence ensued in which Freyja played with her pendant, Siren thought of Redd with very little on, Roxanne pondered on tactics, Taboo thought of ways to kill Redd if he ever met him, Ryuu wondered what everyone else was thinking and Väin fiddled with his dreadlocks.

"Anyway..." Everyone looked up when Siren stopped thinking of Redd and broke the silence "Nothing much else happened, I sneaked out without them noticing, and came straight back here. Where all your lives were dull and gloomy without me!" Siren grinned happily, and with her egotistical statement finished, bounced away. Taboo sighed softly and, much to everyone's surprise, disappeared back to his house instead of following Siren.

"Odd" Ryuu commented, watching Taboo slope away. Everyone murmured agreement, knowing how attached the pair were to each other. Everyone, that is, except the women in the group, who all smiled faintly. Though when the others turned around the smiles were gone.

"Wonder what's up with them" Another person said. Everyone just shrugged.

"We'll find out soon enough" Freyja said ominously. Everyone nodded in sync, then stood and dispersed, going off to do what needed to be done.

"Soon enough" Freyja whispered to the darkening sky.