"Conor?" Jeanette was sitting beside Conor looking worried, "Please wake up."

They were outside the cave, drenched with water. John sat on his other side, looking equally worried. Max was beside John.

"Come on buddy," Max whimpered, "don't you dare die on me."

"Yeah Conor," Griffin meowed, who was sitting beside Jeanette, "the kingdom needs their king.

Even Griffin looked worried but Conor didn't move at all.

"Wait, I have and idea," Griffin meowed and jumped onto Conor's chest. Then he started jumping up and down on top of Conor.

"What are you doing?" Max growled.

"I'm trying to perform CPR," Griffin explained, still jumping.

"That's not how you do it," Max exclaimed, "you're killing him!"

"No," Griffin argued, "i'm saving him!"

"Guys enough!" Jeanette cut in, "Griffin, get off him right now."

Griffin jumped off him and glared at Max who glared back.

"We're not helping Conor by arguing," Jeanette went on.

Just then, she heard a moan and she looked down to see Conor stirring. He started coughing out water and he opened his eyes slowly.

"What happened?" Conor asked, hoarsely.

"Conor, you're alive," Max exclaimed while John let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks to me," Griffin explained, "without my skills of doing CPR, you'd be dead. Next time, you should listen to the cat doctor more often."

Max and Jeanette rolled their eyes.

"Your majesty, I mean, Conor, are you alright?" John asked.

"Yeah, i'm fine," he managed to smile weakly, "thanks for saving me."

"I'm sorry, I should've went last," John said looking very sad.

"It's okay," Conor said, sitting up and putting a hand on his shoulder, "we're all alive so let's get going." Then he looked over at Jeanette, "Do you really want to come with us?"

"My cottage is probably gone now because of the fire," Jeanette answered, "and I owe you my life so i'm coming."

Conor started, "Okay then, but I warned you before, this mission-"

"Is dangerous, I know," Jeanette finished, sounding annoyed, "stop treating me like a child."

"Okay okay," Conor said, "I was just warning you."

"There's a village on the way," John said, "we can stop there for the night and we'll make it to the Dark Mountains before night fall if we go fast. It's called the Dark Village because it's the village is the border between here to the Dark Forest."

"Doesn't the Keeper of Death live in the Dark Forest?" Conor asked him.

"Yes but don't worry," he reassured them, "he's been locked up for years. We'll get there without a problem."

"Great," Jeanette muttered, "the sooner we get to the Dark Mountain, the sooner we'll get the Golden Diamond."

And the sooner i'll get my reward, she thought.

"How much longer till we reach the village?" Griffin whined, "I don't think I can last another day. I'm so tired that I can sleep for a year."

"You're not even walking," Max growled annoyed.

Griffin, who was laying down on top of the bear, just glared. It was night when they finally reached the village, but Jeanette felt that something was wrong. After John told Ursa to stay in the forest, they walked into the village. The villagers stopped what they were doing and stared at them. Children and some of the adults ran inside their cottages.

"Why are they staring at us?" Jeanette whispered to Conor.

"I have no idea," Conor replied, equally confused.

Jeanette spotted a man walking towards them.

"Greetings," John said as he approached, "we are just passing through."

"Who are you?" the man demanded.

"We are travelers," John answered, "we mean no trouble. Like I said, we're just passing through. We were hoping to sleep here for the night, we'll leave early in the morning."

"Turn back now," he ordered, "you do not belong here."

"Look, we mean no harm-"

"Turn back now!"

The villagers started to form a circle around them.

"Looks sir," Conor started, "we don't want any trouble. We just want to sleep for the-"

"You bring trouble by coming here," the man yelled, "turn back now or we will force you to!"

"What do you mean we bring trouble?" Jeanette asked.

"I'm telling you one more time," the man ordered, "leave now!"

They were silent until Conor spoke directly to the man, "I'm sorry sir but we're not leaving."

He quickly drew out his sword and John quickly followed, drawing out his sword. Jeanette drew out a dagger that Conor gave her on the way, in case they run into trouble. She didn't have much experience in fighting but Conor gave her a few tips.

"Now let us pass," Conor ordered.

"You think we're going to give up just like that?" the man said.

"Ursa!" John shouted, a few seconds later, the bear came running towards them and he roared loudly.

Villagers ran away in fear while the man trembled in terror.

"You will let us pass," Conor repeated.

"Please don't hurt us," the man pleaded, "we already had enough trouble from the Keeper."

"The Keeper?" Jeanette echoed, "do you mean the Keeper of Life?"

"Much worse," the man answered, "the Keeper of Death. He's been killing our villagers one by one every time we step into the woods at night."

"Impossible!" John exclaimed, "the Keeper of Death has been imprisoned for years!"

"Until someone frees him," the man said in a low tone.

"So you're saying that someone freed him?" Conor asked him.

"Yes," the man said, "that's why we tell visitors to turn back."

"But who would free the Keeper?" Jeanette asked.

"Why did King Jack fight for the Keeper of Death's side?" the man asked, "it's because he wanted revenge but was it revenge? Or was it power?"

Jack. That name rang into Jeanette's mind. She'd heard of that name before but she still couldn't remember.

"Have you seen the Keeper?" Conor asked.

"We have but not clearly," the man answered, "he was too fast and it was too dark to see him clearly but he was huge. A very huge beast I tell you. You mustn't go to the forest at night!"

"Then will you let us stay?" he asked.

"Very well but only for the night," the man answered.

A man with a hooded cloaked, walked through a very dark forest. Up ahead was a large, dark cave. He walked into the cave without hesitating. Something growled from the darkness and two red eyes glowed. The man lit up his torch, filling the cave with light. In front of him loomed a huge shadow. Chains were chained to its four legs and its huge head.

"What do you want?" he growled.

"I'm here to free you," the hooded stranger answered, "but with one condition."

"Very well," the beast growled.

The hooded man drew out his sword, "Give me power."

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