S2, Chapter 8 In fact its cold as hell

Mars. Twilight. Abandoned ruins of a defunct royal Chateau. 

They had hidden out in the ruins of a once grand chateau for royal retreats. But according to Ziggy, her host, there had been no visits in over one hundred and thirty years. They hid among the ruins comfortably and he seemed to have been there for some time. She set up her own sleeping quarters and had no other choice but to trust the man who had saved her at the last moment. Yet what he had to say astounded her and was so obviously truth she could not deny it.

Once inside the chateau and once he was satisfied that it was secure he spoke to her and she had no choice but to believe. They faced each other over a fire pit.

“My name is Ziggy and I have been waiting for you for over a century.”

She stared at him with wary eyes. “You. . .know me?”

“I know you very well child,” he smiled and before she could react he embraced her. “I was there the day you left here.”

“I am Martian?” She pushed away from him after accepting his embrace for a few moments.

He shook his head and began gathering wood for a fire together. “You were born on a planet that went nova eons ago. Do you remember anything of this?”

She shook her head. “Am I supposed to?”

He sighed and blew the fire into life. Once that was done he went about setting up for making food. He did not stop once to look at her. “Its no wonder you do not. You received no proper education on your blood. Every time a Rider was awakened they were educated on their past and the present they had come into.”

“Have I. . been awakened before?” She whispered as if afraid to believe it.

“Oh many times,” he grinned. “ King Lazuras gave you his blood in the attempt to bring you out of hibernation. But he lost his war before you could help it.”

“Then the King? Is he. . . . Is he my father?”

“Your father?” He asked.

“If he gave me his blood to bring me to life, I call him my father.”

He was silent as he brought out hidden shanks of meat and set them over the flames. His two toned eyes were thoughtful.

“Yes, he was your father of this life. He and his Queen gave their blood to you.”

“I have a mother?” She was excited at the thought.

He shook his head. “She died long ago, like the ones who birthed you.”

“And the King? Where is he?”

“Dead as well.”

She sank to her heels and sat on them. “I came here looking for them. . They. . .one of them called to me.”

He looked to her then, his two tone eyes bore into her from across the fire.

“They are gone but I was there when you opened your eyes. Do you not remember me at all?”

She shook her head, her eyes misted with tears.

He tilted his head. “I remember you. Your eyes were blue and your hair was white. Earth changed you.”

“Fire changed me,” she whispered and wiped tears away from her cheeks. “I awoke in fire on earth.”

“Time may have passed but I know your face. I could never forget.”

“What happened? Why was I sent away?”

“We had lost the war,” he sighed. “The Queen was dead, the King and I came here. His laboratory was here where he hid you. An awakening can last for months. The Barons had overrun the capitol so we fled here and sent you off in a rocket that the King had preserved.”

“Preserved?”

“Long ago other Starriders forbid Martian travel to Earth, they burned blueprints, destroyed every craft and murdered all technicians with space travel knowledge. Their knowledge purge sparked the Martian Civil Wars.”

“Did not the King start them?”

“Oh good heavens no,” he shook his head and poked at the seared meat. “No The last king inherited these wars from other Kings and Queens before him. They believed he would settle them and so they went into hibernation soon after his awakening. They were all destroyed by the Spyders. Cast out of the saftey of the ice while they slept and the sands stunk of rotting bodies for years. But he saved the very last Starrider besides himself.”

She stared at him with a face in awe. “I am the last?”

“Well besides me.” He grinned and laughed. It was an airy sound that she enjoyed listening to. “I am a lesser Starrider you see. Stewards of sorts.”

“What did you do afterwards?”'

“I ran and became someone else. It was the only way.”

She nodded, “I can understand.”

They ate that night together and she relayed to him her plight on earth. How she had enlisted the Kilmister to bring her back over five years before hand. Ziggy laughed at how he turned his mission to capture her into a mission to assist her, but did not elaborate. She felt like she was living a dream.

Even as they spent the weeks together and she learned of Martian Civil wars and the tyranny of the Barons, she felt that he only told her parts of whole stories and histories. As if there were things he hid from her still, she felt he knew more about Kilmister than he let on.

“So the Barons were the lead Spyders who overthrew the Starriders?” She asked.

He nodded. "Long ago, very long ago, humans from earth lived here first. They made it livable and one day they found the Starriders drifting through space on an ice asteroid. The humans brought the Riders to Mars and eventually some interbred, creating what are now called Spyders. But the Starriders became their overlords, that's what they have always done you see, rule planets.”

“What was wrong with them?”

“They found the secret to immortality in the stars. Instant freeze in ice caps on planets much like Mars and Earth. Only so many Kings and Queens ruled for only a few decades at a time. They would awaken the next one and then go to sleep for however long it took to get back round to them in the line of secession.”

“Were they not just?”

“It was not that they were not just, they were a greatly diverse group of aliens. But not everyone of the mortal Spyders liked this cycle of immortal rulers.”

Star shifted in place, it was as she did on Earth. Keep herself immortal, but she did it to protect the people against the BOC. Besides, she had shared her immortality with victors of tournaments. She was satisfied with her peace of mind, but in awe of just how alike she was to the others who had perished.

*********************************************************************************

As time went on she asked many question and received partial answers. She could not, however, bring herself to ask him why Zardos was so happy about being on Mars. She didn't want him to think her insane but during her stay Zardos posted by any window and stared out over the sea of sand surrounding them. She stared at the city and was silent. She hardly paid attention to Star and it made the woman nervous. She came and went as she always did but with increasing absences.

After a day or two he returned from the city with a jar of red, clay like substance.

 “A ruckus has been raised about the sighting of a woman with gold hair. Gold and white hair,” Ziggy had explained, “were tell tale signs the Barons told people to watch for on her bounty. We must dye yours.”

She stroked her lush golden hair. She treasured it, prized it. The thought of dying it never occurred to her. But she remembered her first days when she wandered about the city and saw that all hair was dyed various shades of silvers, reds, or black. If she wanted to stay she had to, she nodded and sat down at his feet.

He revealed more of her past. “You had white hair when you left, but the Barons countered this should you ever return. Everyone was forced to register their names into city logs and dye their hair various colors that the Barons chose, their colors.”

She listened more than she spoke, taking it all in as best she could. However, as he dyed her hair she had to ask one question that had been killing her since the day she arrived.

"What do you know of the two princesses in the Silver Spires?"

His movements through her hair stopped. "The princesses of Earth."

She did not face him but her eyes welled with tears. "Are they well? Are they cared for?"

"They are. As best to anyone's knowledge."

"How far is their prison from here?"

"Too far to go on foot. We would need horses and I cannot obtain them without being chased as a thief."

She fell silent. They were on this planet, as she always imagined, and she could not save them. Feeling worse than helpless, a feeling that had no name, she did not ask about them further. Only to know that they were alive was good enough for her. 

                                                                           **

Ziggy had made trips back into the city, Star had gone with him but was wary of journeying to the center of the maze. The guards were actively looking for her and she was the highest bounty paid fugitive on all of the planet. She had never known this and so had never suspected what she was going to jump into. But she went as far as she dared with Ziggy and he showed her what he safely could.

When Star herself knew that she had outstayed her welcome. Ziggy reminded her that Mars time was longer than Earth. By the best of their combined understanding, she came to the shocking surprise that she had been gone well over three solid months from the Throne on Earth. While only being in Mars for weeks. 

They made plans to set off back to the location of the Rainbow bridge where they would jump back into it and shut it off from her side. They would go through a narrow gorge to skirt around the city to avoid any tolls or checkpoints. It was too dangerous to go through the dunes, people got lost all the time he said.

So they would go beneath the city and run from there. She didn't know what she had expected, but this was too much for her to take on alone. She would need to take her knowledge back to Earth and try to figure out how to approach it. Returning to Mars was a dangerous subject, while returning to Earth knowing what she did now was even more so. She huffed against the cold encroaching winds that blew into the ruined abode she hid in.

Maybe it was indeed for the best that she return to a place where she, at least, had some political standing. It unnerved her to think that if she was caught here she would undoubtedly be put to the sword. But on Earth it could get just as bad. As she gazed at the dunes, her hair a dark dyed shade of red now, she took in the last sights before she was to go home.

“Are you ready?” He asked behind her.

She nodded and they started into the twilight. Through the darkness of the desert they silently made way to the gorge. Star didn't know where to go, but Ziggy did. He took her by the city but they avoided the sights of the guard towers. Into the gorge they went and all was silent in the night, she actually believed they would make it. It was a crawl as they heard talking and saw guards above them. Ziggy felt his heart drop, he hadn't expected this. They never came this way so far from the city at night.

He led her along, he had to get her out of here. But to his dismay he heard footsteps behind them. He turned and saw a Spyder Soldier.

The Spyder struck a torch. “I knew it was you. No one else would be on her trail as closely as a Spyder.”

“Run Star,” Ziggy told her while withdrawing a large scimitar. “Run through the city, lose them there.”

“I will not leave without you,” she said firmly.

The guard then threw the torch overhead and when it landed it lit the gorge walls on fire. They had been oiled. It was not a fire meant to kill them but to alert others. He grinned.

“Go now!” He shoved her to go around the Spyder.

As she looked at him, really looked at him, it suddenly struck her. Right in the head. He was the one she had seen. He was the Martian of her visions, sitting in the red dunes holding out his hands. But he shoved her away just as she understood and had no choice but to make sure his efforts were not in vain.

The Spyder let her past. “You won't last long,” he said to her.

She dashed away to find a path to the city. Ziggy faced the Spyder and they dove into a well trained flurry of sword fighting. Their fight went on, clashing swords and flying sparks. When they stopped both were panting for breath and the Spyder was surprised. With the walls of the canyon on fire they were melting in their leather armor.

“You are still well honed for being such an old man,” the guard jibbed. “Your fugitive friend won't hide for long in there.”

“You have no idea what she is capable of.” He glared at the other man. “How did you know we would come this way?”

“A hunch. I saw you two escape the city so I followed you.”

“You've been watching the chateau?”

“Aye, for some weeks. Nearly lost your trail honestly.” He chuckled. “But I found you on one of your little trips to the city.”

“You let us sit for weeks. Why not make a grab for us when you could?”

They flung themselves into parries and blows once more. Sparks upon sparks rained at their feet. The fire was starting to create its own draft and it sucked through the gorge, making the men sway. They stopped again, panting for breath.

“I knew you would dash for it out in the open. You never came into the city, even then I'd lose you. I figured you two were smart. You could see me coming miles away during the day, you would have even been able to slip away if I came with an army. But here at night is where I waited.” He laughed at his own cleverness. “I knew, I just knew you two would sneak around, whatever you're after.”

“Laugh while you can,” Ziggy said. “It will be your last.”

As if he had merely been playing with the Spyder, he danced forward and cut his leg out from under him. The scimitar then found its way cleaving into his chest. He was stunned and choked on his own blood, Ziggy faced the oncoming set of soldiers who were coming to back up their partner. But they would arrive too late for their comrade and just in time to battle the man of the sands.

                                                                           **

Tears streamed from her eyes as she dashed through the fire lit streets of the city. She had found him! She had spent days and nights with him! And he had slipped through her fingers! She now had to run back to the portal and go home, alone. It was too dangerous here and she knew that now. They could stay no longer and she had to leave him behind!

Somehow, someone along the way had gotten clever and had ruined everything! She had no idea if anyone followed her but her progression through edge of the city slowed as the crowds thickened. Men and women in red and silver capes rallied through the streets and under bridges and through tunnels. They chanted about growing their hair free, they chanted about being free to believe to learn their history. Their torches cast the city in orange light and they moved forward.

As she stood on the edge of a fountain a set of three soldiers entered the square. She saw them and one saw her and they knew. He pointed to her and the other two looked at her as well. They began pushing and shoving through the crowds with hard aggression and some of the protesters shouted their upset.

Star fell into their ranks and crossed the square. She got to another large, square fountain and jumped up by a light post. Light reflected off the water and she stared about at the surrounding crowds. So many people! This would not end well, Star knew it, she had seen it before.

Suddenly she heard breaking doors and windows in some unseen alleys, ahead of the crowd a building was lit on fire. As the building roared into flame, she took the moment as the crowd began running forward in a heavy surge, to flee. Any guards after her were occupied now.

Into the darkness she melted and not a soul came to stop her. She looked back as she left the city and crested the first dune. Behind her was a large plume of fire in the outskirts of the city. Not one, but two of them burning tall and bright.

She turned away, leaving a world on fire as she had on earth and ran through the night time desert of Mars. The dark sky had just begun to turn the slightest lighter shade of night time blue to signal that dawn was hours away but coming. She came upon the black shapes of the ruins in which one could feel and hear the hum of the rainbow bridge. She had no fire or light to see by but could make out their shapes.

Once inside she knew to walk straight forward. Even in the dark she followed the hum of the Bridge as she got closer and felt the false wall that hid the portal. Once between the false walls she saw a faint blue glow and followed it.

Her lips were dry and her lungs bursting. Her throat parched and her water long since gone in the sandy dunes she came from. She beheld the blue flow of the bridge as it sensed her near and prepared itself for her. Praying to any gods she knew that no one followed her she went to jump into the fire-

A hand grabbed her! He pulled her back around the false wall and in the glow of the portal he knocked her hood back. She saw his face, angry and young.

His eyes! They were silver like Kilmisters! Swirling like mercury. 

She couldn't tell his hair color in the light. He stared into her face, taking in her details and pulled on her to leave the ruins but she punched him in the head and he yowled loudly. He turned and smacked her across the face in return.

 She had a dagger that bit him in the dark and drew blood on his forearm. He grabbed her wrist, slammed it against the wall and she dropped the dagger. But she was quick to retrieve it with her free hand and stabbed him in the hand in turn. He yanked it back, screaming. The dagger flew into the darkness behind him during their scuffle. She turned away but as she did he grabbed a handful of her flying hair!

He twisted a good grip on it and pulled so hard that strands were coming off in his grip. Her hair was strong in the rope he held and without the dagger to cut it she had no choice but to pull away from him. The clump came away in his grip, blood came from her skalp. She screamed and kicked him with her boot before rolling away and flinging herself into the portal and whirring off to earth.

There was no way He, Garot, was going to leave Mars and go into the portal everyone thought was defunct. It was against the law to even come to this place. He may not know her name, but he had her hair, he stumbled out of the ruins with something to show the Barons. Klyde had been killed in battle and he had run after her into the dunes, to this horrid place of legend.

He had seen her face and if she was who he thought she was, he was shocked that he had seen her alive. He looked at the hair as the sun began to rise and saw dye coming off on his sweaty palm.

                                                                     **

When she came out, Kilmister was more than surprised. Star fell out of the portal and into the cold room below him. He sat in a hanging swing seat above. She fell and sprawled out on the floor, her head was dripping a solid line of blood and she got on her hands and knees, gasping violently for air.

He watched her adjust to earthen atmosphere and when she could breath she looked around for him.

“Water!” She shouted. “Water please!”

He lowered the swing and rushed a flask to her lips. He knelt beside her and was able to see that her bleeding spot was a missing clump of hair. Someone had attacked her and she got away. He went to the main power lever and hauled it down. The whirring of the Bridge ceased and the earth was eerily still.

Kilmister went back to her side. “Breath, breath heavy. I remember what it was like, adjusting to earthen air.”

She gasped for a few moments until her shoulders shook and her gave out low raspy bellows. A laugh.

“Martian air is....is kinder to....adjust.” She coughed and drank more water.

Kilmister smiled. “You'll have to tell me what it's like.”

She looked up at him with a sharp twist of her head and reached into her pocket. She produced a silver coin and gave it to him. His smile died and his silver eyes widened.

“You know them?” She rasped.

They met eyes and he nodded. "They sent me to kill you."

She felt a dizzy spell come over her head and fell to the floor before they could speak of it further. . . .

S2 Chapter 7 Caught in the Middle

Holy Wood, Ao'o, 2020 AC/DC, Day.

Her mother had been gone two months! Months and not a word! Last they heard of her she had ridden off to settle land disputes and a fire and had done so. But of course, the treaties lasted a short while. not on the fault of lords and ladies of the land but simply because the pagan tribes that had no kings or queens were always at war.

Dawn did not bother with them. But Richi was busy in the throne room at that moment, reading letters and corespondents form afar. Dawn picked her nails with a wooden pick and acted nonchalant. Rosie was in classes and Dawn had little else to do on this day, instead she was watching her Uncle. maybe he knew something of her mother, though she doubted it.

He also didn't seem aware of Dawn's discoveries. He didn't seem to know a damned thing about the Silver eyed man her mother was so infatuated with. Her dark blue eyes stared at her uncle as he sighed over this paper and that.  No doubt he was reading over the bills her mother accumulated. But still he didn't seem so bothered, just annoyed.

Just as she was judging him he spoke out loud.

"Again! Just as you mother settles one dispute there is a siege at Darkness Castle."

As she was the only one else present she knew he was trying to include her in subjects of the lands.

"That's a little farther north."

He looked up and from across the hall said, "You are not as interested in far lands as your mother."

"Why should I be? Allies yes, but there is nothing for me there."

He seemed to think about that statement. It rang a bell in him.

She toyed with him. "What's that look for?"

"She does love the Sabbath lands. . . ."

"Glad I'm not the only one who noticed," Dawn said, a grin teasing her voice but not her lips.

"But still, she knows the importance of taking care of ones allies. As the epicenter of the known world its nearly our duty. If and when you inherit the throne, you will be forced to care for countries beyond our boarders"

She scoffed. "We shall see."

"Speaking of which," he trailed off while reading a letter. His eyes skimmed over words but each syllable only seemed to make him more dismal. "This is not good. They are not prepared for such a siege." He put the letter down in his lap and looked at the floor in thought. "My diplomats are holed up in the Sabbath Lands."

"What are you going to do? Go yourself?" Dawn laughed, she saw a plan building. "We need you here, send someone else."

He sighed and ran a hand through his thick black hair. "At the moment there is no one else." His gaze wandered at dates on papers. "This was dated not long ago, this one reports that the siege is imminent," he held up another. "This one is an account from an outside source."

She sat up from her  slouch. "I can go."

"No no, I will. Its an isolated place and I know the young Prince, Ozzie. Better than you do so it will be easier for me to deal with this."

She shrugged at his truth. "If you insist."

He looked up at her. "I will leave you in charge of the estate managers until I return."

"You need not worry Uncle, I won't cause damage. I will not take with force what is mine by birth." She grinned wolfishly. "Not like I'm in any hurry to become Queen."

                                                                              *

As she watched Richi leave the castle for an extended trip to the Sabbath Lands. He had given a great sigh and then made the necessary arrangements to make her Queen Regent until his return and after a short time preparing he was gone. Dawn was beyond overjoyed with herself. She assured her uncle that she would refrain from making any major decrees or actions until he returned.

The first day she received nothing to do. She merely sat on the throne with glee and dwelled on thoughts of what she could do. She didn't have much time. She summoned two men to her side, great warriors and bards. Loyal as long as she had known them.

They stood before her on the second day of her Regency, they were in her chambers as she wished no one to know what she was doing.

"Sir Kyle, Sir Jables. You two have been called to help me."

"But of course," Kyle said. "In what way do you need our services?"

"I need you two to do a bit of dirty work for me."

Jables looked uncertain for a moment. "Ok are you sure? Because we aren't Dirty Deeds men you know." When he received a blank stare he went on. "You know, its cool! Forget I asked, whatever it is! You got it." he smiled.

She presented two large bags of coin on her table. "Thrice this much awaits you if you trap my uncle at Ozzie's castle. Set fire to the grounds, inflame the riots, I don't care just cause havoc and keep him there."

The looked at each other, then the gold, then they nodded.

And they both said! "OK."

She provided them with horse, food and funds and sent them away.

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Four months after Star's disappearance. . . .


Dawn circled her coveted throne. What was hers by birthright as the only surviving child of the last Lizard King. When she came of age she began hearing whispers of her two elder sisters and how they vanished into the night before she was born. Around this time her father also disappeared and it wasn’t until after Dawn was born that the BOC kidnapped her and imprisoned her mother. 

Her eyes concentrated on the thing her father seemingly never wanted. Dawn however, wanted this, she wanted what her father left her, what her sisters gave her, what her mother had shed blood for. But due to some witch’s prophecy about a bastard king, Star refused Dawn rulership, believing that death would follow her crowning if she sat on an Earthen throne. Foolish loon.

“My Lady!” A messenger approached with a guard by his side. 

Dawn was alone in the throne room, after she had tricked Richi into leaving Holy Wood she happily took command. By order of succession, with the Warden of Holy Wood gone and the Queen gone, it fell on the Princess to assume leadership. With their prolonged departures backing her reasoning, she had begun preparations for her coronation as Queen.

“We have received word from the Sabbath Lands.” He held out a rolled piece of paper. It had a red seal with Richi’s stamp on it, unbroken. 

Dawn nodded in dismissal and while the messenger left the guard remained. He saluted her and relayed more.

“Dee Astoria of the BOC wishes to have an audience with you my lady.” He announced.

She thought it over and then nodded. “Send him in.”

He bowed his head and left the room. Dawn swept to the throne and took a seat, slow sitting down. She savored the feel of control. Dee was no doubt coming to speak to her about the nobles. He among the BOC mingled in the courts, Dawn considered him a spy and if he was she wanted to keep an eye on him. He was the only member of the BOC her mother trusted, which shocked Dawn considering their past. 

No doubt he came to tell her how unrest and uneasy floated through the courts of nobles. Dawn knew it, it had been a challenge these last few months, gaining their support. She had tried to attend more manager and nobility council meetings, and tried to appear interested. She tried to make it look like she had curbed her rambunctious behavior.

As she waited for Dee to enter she unraveled her uncle's message. It was spotted with blood, she doubted it was Richi’s. Most likely another messenger’s. 

“Dawn, the clan war has cut us off. Cannot get out, will seek shelter with the Prince of Darkeness Castle until the war subsides. Please send an extraction! -Richi.”

She grinned, she had no intention of sending help. It was no secret that those lands were sometimes blockaded for months during their clan wars. The longer he was kept away from Holy Wood, the longer she was able to gain control. She heard the approach of softly padded feet and looked up. Dee Astoria, tall and narrow faced, with his platinum hair tied back. There was something Dawn could never trust about him, something she saw that her mother did not. But she didn’t know what it was she saw exactly. 

“Hello Princess,” he bowed his head. “I heard Lord Richi has been away over a month now and came to see. How fares the throne in your uncle’s absence?”

Straight to the point, at least he knew that Dawn would waste no pleasantries with him. “It fares well. It is, after all, my inheritance.” She gave him a look of faux confusion.  "Everyone seems concerned about my business in his absence."

Dee eyed the rolled up parchment in her hand. She tightened her grip.

"Some of the nobles say it odd that you plan to crown yourself when neither are proven dead."

"Given the circumstances, I believe it a logical course of action. Did you come here to speak secession?" She kept it as civil as she could manage. 

He was taken slightly by surprise. “I came to extend my alliance as I did to your mother. I believe we may help each other.”


“Oh?”

“I come with information, whispers and statements committed by nobles. They are uneasy about your rumored
ascension.”

“Tis no rumor. They will grow to accept it.”

“I hope you are right. Many wish that Princess Rosie takes your mother’s place.”


Dawn smirked. “My daughter is next after me. She is much too kind for the heavy ideals of monarchy. She will come after me I can assure them of that.”


“They wish it now.”


“Do you?” 


“Of course not, I wish whoever sits on the throne to be a capable leader and of the right blood.” He came closer and smiled respectfully. 


“Does he think we are friends?” She thought to herself. Out loud she said. “With my uncle gone the responsibility of Holy Wood falls upon me and I will take it up. Whether the nobles want me or not is of no consequence as I AM the king’s only living daughter.”

Something like a twitch in Dee’s eye made her narrow her own and raise an inquisitive eyebrow. But he concealed whatever he was thinking. 


“They are used to Star’s rule, they will be hard pressed to accept you. You are after all, an excellent and noted war strategist. But this is not the Underground nor a battlefield, you are the queen apparent. However, if there is a revolt you will not be what you were born to be.”

“Is that so?” She asked with an even tone. 

“Indeed it is. You must play a different face within the courts of these nobles. Many of them are immortal like your mother and yourself. They are used to her soft hand, threatened by the loyalty she evokes in the common people.”

“I have loyalty. I do not worry over the opinion of those who were not born from the last Lizard King of Holy Wood.”

“I knew you would say that.” He grinned as if he was friendly with her. “Many opt to free the Sabbath lands as it is now known that they have been cut off and your uncle seems to have become part of the clan battle.”

“It is unfortunate that he is stuck behind the blockade. But now is not the time to worry about lifting a blockade. It is my understanding that this happens often, that they are out of direct control of Holy Wood and they were my Mother’s allies. She was the one always riding to their defense. But I am not my mother, I will clean up whatever is left of the dispute but I decide to let them battle it amongst themselves. Their land wars do not concern me.” 

Dee, seeing that she was a harder challenge than he first thought decided he needed to regroup his thoughts and plans. He smiled and nodded. 

“Any news of your mother’s return? People do wonder.”

She felt that their conversation was nearing an end, thank the gods. “There is no news forthcoming. I sent my men, the Tenac, to go search for answers but they not yet returned. In such an instance I have decided to commence with my coronation and a wedding on the same day.”

“Oh? A wedding you say?” He seemed keenly interested.

She nodded. “The Wizard, Sir James, is to be made my husband and King.”

“The first wizard to become king of Holy Wood, my my what a shock.”


“It is no secret that we are lovers. If I can assume that you worry he will take power over me, I can assure you he will not. King in title only. It is MY throne and I will be the ruling Queen.” 


“I will convey your thoughts.” He said, he was about to say more but she interrupted.


“Be sure that you do and give them the honest telling of what I said here today.” Her test upon him to see just what he did with knowledge. “And ready the people for my coronation and wedding.”


“As you wish,” he said as he bowed. He turned and left with a parting smile that Dawn took to be sly and friendly. Falsely so.


As he left she called for a guard. When he appeared she stood and looked out of a window behind the throne. 


“If two men by the names Kyle and Jables should come to my gates alert me immediately.”


He nodded. “Yes my lady.”


“That is all,” she dismissed him. 


With him gone she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers. She meandered to the records room. The day before this one she had sat in there surrounded by account Managers and dealers, hounding her about her mother’s strange spending habits. They were not drowning in debt but it made the managers go wild with confusion. She heard them prattle on about the mage called Geez, where she she had witnessed Star speak to the mystery man. Whoever the Silvered Eyed one was, Dawn had no clue. She had no idea why her mother would imprison him with war criminals and then release him. But it was important and there were other reasons Dawn had for implanting herself on the throne so forcefully. 


With no one in the room she struck a candle and let it burn before holding Richi’s message over it. It ignited in flame and she wished her uncle the best of luck. Her abandoning him was not because she harbored him ill will, they were alike in many ways. She wanted to be Queen and she would do it while he was away. So long as no one else read his message and need for an extraction from the Sabbath Lands, no one would go do it. Which means he would be detained there until the land dispute ended and by that time she hoped to be married and queen. 

“Mama?” She heard a voice from behind her int he hall. It was Rosie. 

 The child had come seeking the princess. Dawn smiled and turned to face her. 

Rosie could see that a piece of paper was burning but did not ask why. “May said Dee was here.”


“He was.” Dawn walked to them and took their hand, they walked through sandstone halls side by side.  As different as fall and spring. “He is gone from the castle, though not from the village. Don’t ever trust him Rosie, never trust a BOC member.”

“But nana does.”


“Your grandmother had a different past with them. But you and I are not nana.”

“Ok,” they said. “When are nana and Richi going to return.”


“I do not know my sweet.” It was the truth. “But we have reason to celebrate. I am going to be married to the Wizard and will be crowning myself queen.”


Rosie looked up in excitement. “You are?!”


“I am!”


“What about my father?”


Dawn’s thoughts halted. Apollonio was a prince from a far away land who was once fostered under Star while a plague ravaged his homelands. They married in a small ceremony that while it was no secret, it was unsanctioned by the Queen and she was not present. Thus she had no knowledge of it until Dawn showed signs of pregnancy. When Rosie was two years old, Dawn had another child by him but the Prince was summoned back to his homelands and they had not heard word from him or his father since then.


“We are no longer married sweet child. With no knowledge of his lands or well being, I had to move on. But I am getting married once more to a man I love deeply.”

Rosie nodded. The men in her family seemed to be cursed in some way. Her brother, her father, her grandpa, even Angus. The demon her nana had summoned. She walked alongside her mother as they went to prepare for the double ceremony. 

S2 Chapter 6 Not to touch the Earth

Mars, Year 134 of the Order of Barons.

 Day, ruins of the Martian side of the Rainbow Bridge.

Star stepped out of the ruins and into the land of red sand. The building was a stone temple, red sandstone and half crumbled. She stooped down to one knee when she left the place and scooped up sand in her fingers, letting it fall. This was the land of her dreams, the land she had seen in a vision. She was home. Once again she was in the desert, as she had entered earth. She went forward, towards the sight of a shimmering silver city on the red horizon.

She began running and a memory came to her, one of her on Earth as the man she was to marry led her through the desert. His dark brown hair brushed his shoulders, his blue eyes were deep and full of mystery. He spoke to her the day after he found her, a simple message.

“Nothing left to do but run, run run.” He had said. “Lets run.”

They ran.

“Lets run.”

She ran, tripping once in the sands as she fled for the apparent city. Her heart beat frantically as she scrambled to see what she could see on the horizon. Burn burn, her heart and lungs burned.

“Move, move move,” his voice droned on in her ears. “Run run run!”

“I will get you, soon.” She whispered in between breaths.

She found her footing and ran but it didn't last long, the air seemed heavier here. Never one for long distance running in any way but this place felt stagnant, the air heavy upon her. But when she steadied her heart she felt normal once more and she was able to move on. She bent a knee in mid stride to scoop up handfuls of red sand, only to let it fall through her fingers. She wriggle each finger to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Her eyes widened and unbeknownst to her they were turning more red than honey as they were on earth.

Up onto the hill, she pushed herself to keep moving, she could not stop, not with his voice telling her to move Move MOVE! Up on the hill she would see, as she had once before onto Holy Wood for the first time, only this time she was conscious of what she was doing. Come with a mission, a purpose, reason. Her never ending purpose to find reason, her life's mission. A stale breeze blew her long wild hair around her face but it did not stop, nor did the incline of the hill, nor the sand beneath her boots. She stumbled, her lungs burned, but she grabbed sand in her fist and jumped back to her feet.

“SooooOOOoooooon!” Her husband's voice shouted as she crested the hill.

She fell to her knees as his voice faded from her ears and beheld a city of silver in a red waste. Within the city were trees and crops and greenery and color and flags with the Spyder emblem on them. They waved large and high above the city of silver spires. Silver and red in the orange sunlight. The sun, Star looked to it and shielded her eyes and felt her cotton mouth. The sun was the only familiar thing and even that was tainted a new color.

She looked back to the valley and began her decent. Going down was easier but each foot step she seemed to sink deeper into the sand. Gravity was altered here, but only slightly. She hadn't thought what the air condition might be, she assumed it was like earth. It was, only there came a new scent to the terrain, an exotic spice she had never smelled before. A new planet and a new scent.

Right before entering the city limits she stopped and had to look back. Zardos, the personification of her mind, had materialized and followed Star across the sands, but now she stayed back. Something about the Silver City made her wary and she turned back to hide in the dunes. Star shook her head, glad to be rid of her.

She approached the city and with her spirited stride she was coming to the outskirts quickly. She didn't comprehend time and she doubted it mattered if she did. The day seemed longer, it Was longer. The sun had hardly moved in the sky when she reached the city but she still felt like hours had passed. She came upon a trough void of animals and drove her head into what looked like water.

It was chilly in the desert but dry, very dry and she was desperate for a drink. She dashed her royal status, it mattered for nothing here and drank. She brought her head up and breathed deep to fill her lungs as quickly as possible. In a scramble to her feet she moved on into the city, her hood pulled up as she saw other people in the nearing distance. Others wore hoods to hide from the harsh orange glare of the Martian sun.

The buildings were a glossy smooth sandstone, silver spires topped the castle towers in the distance. No wonder from a distance they had appeared silver, she thought. But that was not all, the trees and shrubs that burst out of the large dirt filled troughs and pots astounded her. They were like the floral of earth yet, evolved to be different.

Birds sang new songs in the trees that grew here, trees that resembled those on earth. She marveled at the small flitting creatures in the canopy above them. Slowly she began to mingle into the crowd, seemingly unnoticed. She turned her attention to the people and found most hurried along without looking at her, they had different colors of hair, ranging from a bright red to silver to black. Some appeared dyed, she couldn't tell. No one with gold hair, she did well to hide it she thought.

She let them push her any way, happy to roam through them without anyone recognizing her. Without a care she walked streets she never thought were real and she still thought this place a dream, she couldn't stop smiling. Not that she tried. A dog's bark, song birds singing. The hustle and bustle of city life as she came upon a traders market.

When she found the bazaar she fiddled with a ring on her hand. A simple gold ring of no significance. Surely it was trade-able here, it had to be. All she wanted was something to carry water in, that was the most important thing. She chose a stall that had such a thing and when she presented the ring he took it without blinking an eye.

“Anything you want my lady!” He even spoke her language.

“Of course, they were descendants of earth.” she thought. “That!” She pointed to what looked like a waterskin. “And some spare coin? For the same value.”

He seemed to understand and gave her a handful of coins. When she held them up she saw a face on each side, two stern looking men. She nodded in thanks and melted back into the crowds. As she walked along she was increasingly worried about the absence of children. This seemed unnatural to her, just as the Kilmister said. She nearly wished he had returned with her.

She saw a small crowd around an old man. A story teller, he must be. She halted with the others and a few threw coins at him. She heard the story as it was paid for and he croaked out his tale.

“You wander about and what do you not see? Children?”

Someone must have said something, else he had read her mind. She stared at him silently.

“We have lived for a long time and why? Magic. Cursed Magic. Aye, I remember when children were born and lived and ran through the streets. I remember their laughter, but no longer.” He sighed. “All because of war of the bloods. Old vs the new. Spyders had killed all but two of the ancient Starriders by the time the Barons stormed the Capitol. The King, he had tried to awaken the last Rider, a woman, but he failed before he could. When the Barons cornered him, he shot her into Space, into oblivion. To a place where Riders hadn't wanted to go.” He shook his head. “His war was long since lost before he could awaken her, so he sent her away. Her freedom cost us our children, our morality, and our time.”

“Will she ever return?” A woman asked.

“Good riddance. . .” A man whispered.

I hope she does, the bounty will increase and we will see children once more.” A taller man, a worker, with red hair said.

She remained still and stared down. "Was this me?" She wondered.

“What if she did have young?”

“All the more reason to turn her over to the Barons.”

“I've heard rumors that she has. That two were brought to Mars and kept in the Silver Spires.” A starry eyed younger man said, he bore dyed silver hair.

“Perhaps, but that is mere rumor and legend.” The old man said.

Her heart skipped a beat. “Her daughters here on Mars?”

“How would that even be possible?”

“We do not know...but if the Star King could send her away, the Barons could bring others back.”

“Star King. . .” she repeated to herself.

Not wanting to attract attention and stay in one place for too long, she wandered away and into the streets for some time more. For seven long days she lived this way, harking back to her time as a fugitive. It came back to her with ease, she could sleep propped against the wall as easily as she could in her bed on Earth. She used what meager money she made from the sale of her ring to buy food, until that money ran out. Another ring got her more coins.

Yet every night she dreamed of Earth, that blue dot in the rust colored Martian sky. Oh the very thought of earth made her feel strange inside, it was so far away. She hoped Richi was faring well, her poor cousin. Days lasted so long, nights were the same. She grew accustomed to the length of a day and understood what the Kilmister had told her before her leap into space.

She thought of nothing as a threat, did her best to avoid any Spyder clad guards. It wasn't hard, they were lazy and she had evaded such eyes before. It was strange seeing Spyders on Mars, cousins to the ones on Earth. As she did her wandering and spying, she noticed that there were many posters put on on walls and under tunnels, all with the Spyder emblem crossed out in bold black. Strange writing, the Martian language, was scribbled on the edges of such posters. She could sense the discord without knowing what was happening.

She stared and reached out to touched the writing. Something happened here, something akin to a revolution. Unlike her retaliation to the BOC's war, this one had been raging for a long time. The poster she stared at was browning and  the edges were crisp and flaking. Other posters lay over the older one, but the discontent was still the same. The Barons were bad, she didn't need to be told.

One day her walk-about took her to a square were men and women were preaching about tyranny. Star stood close and listened as they preached about the Barons and their false promises. How at least their immortal kings and queens from the Stars had been fair and just, how their only true crime had been withholding the secret of everlasting life. The Barons, they cursed the world, reformed their religions and culture. Took away children and the ability to age a full life. Froze them in time as a form of revenge against Her. Controlled what history people knew, but many still remembered the true history of Mars and the Barons would not control what they said.

Star nodded in approval of their defiance. It reminded her of her war against the BOC. The BOC who was similar to the control of the Spyders, but surely the two cultures would clash harder than Earth and Mars alone. Suddenly there was shouting from down the street. Many people immediately began fleeing as Spyder guards came into the square. She watched as they went after the main instigators who stood tall and accepted their punishments. The Queen was horrified to watch on as they were beaten, men and women, by the Guards and their clubs.

Others were arrested and she watched from her corner of the square. Suddenly she met eyes with a guard not far away from her. He saw her face, her gold hair. But it was not just the hair that drew his eye, he saw the sword at her side. She was a threat and a suspicious character. When he pointed and shouted at her, she swirled into the fleeing crowd and fled.

“YOU WENCH! HALT!” He shouted behind her.

She did not! She would not as she pushed forward through the people. With her cloak billowing behind her, she dashed under the tunnels she had come to learn and through the alleys she had slept in.

But the guard was right behind her. Over her! On the bridge! She was up against a dead end that she hadn't seen coming! She turned to face the guard and his partner and drew their sword!

“Weapons are banned in civilian hands! You're under arrest! Now lower your hood!”

“Fuck you!” She shouted and spit at them and drew her sword. No one took the Star Queen without a fight!

Just as they were about to move in on her, an overhanging net filled with crates was cut from its high point. They landed with a crash on top the two men, Star dove for the bridge they stood on as they careened to the ground and were buried under smashed wood. She watched in surprise and then dashed out from her hiding place and ran up the side stairs to be where they had been. She looked down at them and then up. There was a masked man above, looking down at her.

He waved to her and pointed to the set of stairs that went up the side of the building her bridge connected to. The stairs went to the roof. She wasted no time and followed her rescuer. When she met him face to face she stopped for a moment and saw him clad in a simple off white shirt and with dark trousers tucked in knee high boots, his head wrapped in a reddish brown cloth like a mask against the sun and winds.

Her hood had come off and exposed her golden hair, he noticed and straightened up. She put it back on and he motioned for her to come closer. He swung a leg over the building and stepped onto the roof of the next one. She followed closely.

“Thank you!” She shouted when she got next to him.

“You can thank me when we're safe,” he said in return.

She followed him across the roof tops as the day waned overhead. With the other two guards disabled, Star and the mystery man didn't meet any trouble on their way out of the city. There was no wall surrounding the outer limits and they slipped away into the crops fields on the western side. From there they effortlessly made way into the desert sands. Her friend did not stop the entire time.

When he finally did they were far away, on a lone and dusty trail she was sure hadn't been used in years. She stopped out of pure exhaustion and drank heavily from her waterskin. She handed it to the other man but he had his own and followed suit.

“Again, thank you,” she said.

“I could not let you fall into their hands.” He said and removed the cloth wrapped around his head.

When he exposed his deep red hair and two tone eyes she felt a strange sensation in her stomach. As if she had seen him before but could not remember from where. He was older than her, even in their immortal ways. But instead of trying to remember him, she simply smiled and stuck out her hand. He took it in return.

“I am Star.” She said.

“I know who you are,” he smiled. "I have waited a long time for your return."

Her smile faded.

“I know you come from earth and I am here to keep you out of the wrong hands.”

“How?” She asked.

He grinned and put his mask back on. “Follow me and we may speak in private.”

As he turned and went off into the sands she had no choice but to follow him. Zardos did, she had returned in this moment and Star watched the creature trail after the man who knew her. . . .

S2 Chapter 5 The Sabbatical

Wildlands, 2026 AC/DC, twilight. 

She hid in the glens and woods not far from the Rainbow bridge location. The morning after her nightly drug trip, she had ridden back to Geez's manor and sent the men back to Ao'o with a message that she would be taking a sabbatical in the Sabbath lands for an undetermined amount of time. She would be taking up residence with Geez and she would return quickly, Richi was in charge until then. They left and she made way back to the stream and woods where she had stayed over night.

It still baffled her as to what her dream of her three deepest lovers meant. Zardos had said, one to never fail, one to give her power, and one to make her desperate. She hated the were-creature's riddles. After ten days of isolation she had made herself a small stream side hut on her own. A trait she learned while in the throes of hiding and battle in the year 1979. She came out of her hut and saw a thin trail of smoke on the fading horizon. The sun had already dipped below it and the blue sky was tainted pinks and golds. The smoke was a pillar of grey and she knew it was her signal to come back.

That and Zardos was staring at it. She had been serious of late, ever since Star took shelter in the glen her mental counterpart waited with her. Not speaking other than what she said that night of the mushroom trip. Now she stared with yearning at the pillar of smoke, it made Star's heart jump in her chest.

Had the time come?

She rode hard on her stallion right up to the porch of the seemingly decrepit tavern. A fire pit was smoking in the barren courtyard. She dismounted, undid her horses saddle and bridle, set them aside and only then did she enter the place. She did not expect to. . .well she didn't know what to expect. Would she be leaving this planet tonight? Going where only heroes dared. Her eyes glittered hopefully as she entered.

There was Kilmister, hanging in a seat swing tinkering with some final lever.

“Bout time you got 'ere.” He said.

“Is it. . .is it done?” She asked hopefully.

He sighed. “You really want to go?”

“Yes! I. . .I do.”

He stared at her a moment, at the desperation in her eyes. She knew she was not of earth, he all but confirmed it. He had never wanted her to return but when she asked he could not deny her.

“I was sent here to capture you and send you back. You return to Mars of your own free will Queen.”

He pulled down on the lever and the room lit in a bright greenish blue hue. She had to cover her eyes for a moment and when she could see again the rainbow light was trailing out of the massive roofless domain. The light died down but she could still see a quaking in the air and sky above them, it was something colorless yet you could see. Ripples of distortion in the stars, it was something she had never seen. When it turned on there was a loud, low toned, ring that evened as the bridge materialized.

“I don't know what awaits you on the other side. Whatever portal you come of is the one you will return by, never forget!”

She nodded and checked for her dagger, her short sword, her money would be no good so she dumped it to the floor. She tightened her cloak and stared at the doorway at the base of the bridge. The portal could only move one person at a time.

“I will keep the bridge open as long as I can but if anyone besides you comes out I will close it for twenty four hours Mars time!”

She didn't know what that meant but she knew she would find out.

“There will be no help, you are on your own.” He nodded. “God save you Queen of the Stars.”

His words made her stomach twist and while she wanted to not go, the bridge was built. She had to go. She had to know, to see what lay on Mars, why and who called to her from those sands. To see where she had come from. They had spoken little of her darkest questions. . . .where Did she come from? Why did she fall to earth? Who was the man of her dream? Who was Zardos? Where did she spend the first years of her life? Why hadn't she killed the Kilmister?

She would know these things if she stepped forward, all questions would be answered.

As she walked forward and put her hand into the rainbow light of the capsule she felt like her body become air and she looked up at to the sky once again. She stepped in and closed her eyes and felt herself leave the ground. She opened her eyes and watched stars and rainbows and sky floating passed her and it gave her the most peculiar sensation of having come this way before. She floated through galaxies and space, she was light and she was a star and she smiled. The red orb of destination loomed closer and she let herself be taken to it, she looked behind her and saw the blue orb of Earth fall away.

********************************************************************************

Almost two months later. . . . . . .

Ao'o. Day. Throne room.

Richi had sent all the managers away after spending hours telling them what to do in Star's stead. She had been gone without a word to say other wise for over a month now. Out in the Sabbath lands for a spell she had said. . .yet no other word had come and it made Richi irritated. He didn't know why he put up with her, stood in for her, ruled for her. He had his share of woman and some he had loved, he didn't have to put up with this. But serving the Queen as closely as he did left little time for personal affairs. That and he must find a woman immortal like himself who would tolerate him spending long amounts of intimate time with his Queen cousin the ruling power of Holy Wood.

Sigh, being the power behind the crown was a lonesome, enjoyable, time consuming, constant duty. Yet what he could only think about was Star. She was prone to bouts of isolation yes but to go this long, over a solid month, with no word was unlike her. Something was not quite right and he knew it. Not even Geez had sent word. If this went on much longer he would have to either send someone to locate her and see what was wrong or he would have to go himself. . .and he rather not do that.

As he sat on the throne in place of Star he pondered Dawn's desire for the crown. She sat in it with her mother gone and when Richi was not attending to business in it. But he had to watch his neice like figure, ever ambitious she had created her own kingdom but he knew she would surely take over a second kingdom with ease. The woman was more than capable of ruling by herself over vast amounts of land. She sometimes took it upon herself to sit in at council meetings. But it was a rare occurrence and mostly consisted of Richi calming fears and answering questions and giving commands.

Dawn was there now, entering the room as the managers left. She was dressed for travel but it appeared light. She waltzed in, her chainmaille skirt clinking against her scabbard, she faced her uncle figure and bowed her head in respect.

“No news of my mother?”

“Not yet.”

“Could she be dead?”

“As much as we can only speculate I doubt it.” They shared thoughts.

“Pity.”

“You wanted to do it yourself?”

“HA! I couldn't kill her, no matter how furious she makes me.” She gave him a curious look in her blue eyes.

A look he didn't entirely trust.

“I am going riding for a few days.” She said. “Rosie is to remain here, I have arranged May with what she would need. Like dear Mother, I do not know when I shall return.”

Richi was pleased but didn't let it show. “To which direction do you go?”

“Westward, along the seaside. I will not take long and I hope you have news of mother when I return.”

“Gods speed Princess.” He said to her in parting.

She left her uncle to guard what she coveted. It was in safe hands. To the seaside she rode, making head way to the north. A few day's ride would bring her within sight of the infamous Chatue D'if, the island prison. Where her mother was once held captive for months when she was an infant. Three lonesome days along the mist she rode, in silence and without guards. She was a skilled, trained warrior, she needed no guards.

Once on the shore opposite of the Chatue, she found a lagoon under a massive sea cave. In it was a lone boat, the only way to and from the island. Though, rather morbidly, visitors where few and prisoners many. The guards standing over D'if were made of clay and wore armor, they neither ate nor drank, nor slept. They needed nothing. Once a month, her mother sent enough supplies to the island to feed the 66 inmates. As Dawn got into the boat and pushed off from shore she held fast to the oars and thought about what she would find.

Upon chance one day while attending a Mangers meeting, she had come across a list of inmates with the list of inventory to Chatue D'if, a prisoner of war criminals her mother funded and supplied. Those who were found guilty of crimes yet did not find death. In the personnel descriptions Dawn found a line that said an inmate had silver eyes, who was locked away with no particular crime to his “Prisoner 54” status.

This she recalled as she came closer to D'if. This seemed odd, the man himself had been put in prison for no particular crime besides 'War Criminal, Guilty'. Dawn knew her mother and knew that Star was the type of person to hide someone if she wanted them kept alive without question. The D'if is one place the BOC did not venture, once a place they ran themselves. It was the best place to hide a human being, but why?

Others may not question what the man had done to be locked away in D'if but Dawn did. Star was meticulous when dealing with imprisonment and only those who participated in the BOC war were kept in D'if. Every other inmate had a length account of his or her crimes, except the silver eyed man, nameless 54. That struck the princess as worth seeing what the man looked like and if he could attest to his crimes.

She entered the prison through the single landing dock and tied the boat to the rocks. She climbed the spiral stair case chiseled into the rock and came out into the sun. She went into the prison and into the rocky maze of cages. These were more immortals, doomed to decades of never ending starvation for their crimes. Star would end them eventually but she made them examples to the BOC. It said 'fear the wrath of the Star Queen. Cross her and suffer an endless death.'

Dawn made way past the guards, they recognized faces that the Queen deemed was appropriate to walk these halls without her. She went to the one and put her hands through his helmet, her palms to his temples. This connection allowed her inside his memories. For over six years not a single human had come or gone from D'if, but the ones who had come made her shocked. It was Tilda, alive and dressed in war woman garb, sword by her side. She accompanied her Mother! They had come this way and through the hive like collection of golem minds she saw which way the two had gone.

She left the golem and went to the cell her mother had visited. When Dawn got there the cell was empty, void of any human habitation. She turned to glare at a few scattered prisoners in the same block, they stared back with wide eyes. Their tongues had been removed as part of their torture, sixty six people and not a single word spoken in forty seven years. Their eyes however told her what they remembered, the queen had left with the prisoner.

It wasn't difficult for her to understand what had happened. Star had found use in the Silver eyed inmate, the reason she kept him locked up perhaps. She took the man away, the only person who knew was dead. She had no doubt that this was the same man she visited in the Sabbath lands under cover. Whoever this man Really was, Star wanted it kept a secret and Dawn was going to find out why. What was her mother hiding so fiercely?

Dawn left the cell after inspecting it and finding only a cigarette butt. To the nearest Golem she went and looked into his mind to that day her mother came. Star stood outside the cell for some time, talking low to him. Suddenly she opened the cage and yelled at the man. Eventually, He came out and when Dawn saw him she knew it was the man in the Sabbath Lands. The man her mother had released was the same man she met with in secret.

She quickly left the island, the Sabbath Lands were next on her list. But now that she understood her mother's method-hide these things in plain sight- she knew that she had to look into the same records she had found the inmate in. If Star was trying to make it look like he was still in prison it meant she had him doing something somewhere else. The Sabbath Lands, the very place she had last been seen and known to be.

                                                  )))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((

It was three more days before Dawn returned to Ao'o. There was no new information regarding her mother. She calmly re-entered the castle, surely Richi didn't even know what Star had been doing. She doubted he did or else her mother would have taken Him with her to D'if for the Silver Eyed Man. Dawn had declared War on her mother now, war of secrets and lies. She had to play cool though, to reveal her mission would bring Richi into the fold and Dawn didn't need his ways clogging up her investigation.

Star was up to something big and to the record rooms she went. Being the princess of the crown she had all access to these rooms and so she entered alone in the night. She could waste no time. She went straight to the Sabbath land records and shut the door. Records of shipments sent to or received form the far north east marshes were written down for generations. Dawn did not need to read back far, whatever her mother was doing had only started about six years before. Knowing, somewhat, of what she looked for she noticed that every now and then an odd crate was counted for.

Thrown in with an outgoing shipment of crates bound for the north east were tools. Tools? Listed as destined for the blacksmiths of Geez Manor. The princess's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Another crate full of cigarettes. . . . .was it coincidence that Inmate 54 smoked cigarettes? Again, destined for Geez Manor. Who needed an entire crate of cigarettes? Another few weeks later, again, tools and metal sheets and other things forged by royal blacksmiths. Why did she send things that others could provide? Perhaps it was the act of providing for someone, providing things more easily made in Holy Wood.

How did anyone over look this? Much less Richi!? Yet, Dawn knew that as far apart as the shipments were during times of trade it was easier to hide. Again, her mother's attention to detail is what covered her tracks. Metal and tools to blacksmiths, sheets of metal that could be disguised as traded for rich crops of cannabis. After all, there were richer ore mines found south than north. Since Geez practiced science and alchemy, many would not doubt that Star was simply being a good hostess type and providing for her allies. Dawn, however, knew better.

Her mother had imprisoned the Man for some reason, released him for That same reason and hid him at Geez Manor. All the while, public records showed he was still locked up in D'if. Hmmm. What was her mother doing? She righted the room, put away all records and went to her chambers.

She could not go to the Sabbath lands for answers, she would find no help. Geez would not tell her, not when her mother so plainly tried to hide this and he was obviously helping her. No, Star was north working on whatever secret project she had going with the Silver eyed Man. Dawn wouldn't go riding off after her, news would surely make it to Richi in this case.

Well that and another clan dispute, different clans than the one set the fires that took her mother out that way. Always in dispute those cavemen were, Dawn didn't feel like walking into another battle riddled land. However, in Star's absence, Dawn began to form her own plan, a plan to take her turn at ruling. With Star gone and thoroughly distracted in the North she could possibly ease Richi off the throne and herself onto it. If anything THAT would bring her mother home.