They reunited in the abandoned house they had claimed on entry to the city, which was located just outside of the slums, however there was now one more to their group.  Jasper was seven years and three months old.  He came from the Village of Townsend and was a Healer apprentice. But he really had not liked the Teacher, who was also a Healer and he did not like being a Healer.  The people who wanted him to use his magic on them were mean and never said thank you.  His mama said good people should always say please and thank you.

Away from the clinic and away from the people who made him feel worthless and lonely, Jasper had turned into a chatty, brighter boy and had become especially attached to Wulfgar.  They would have gladly taken him to his home and attempted to reunite him with his mother, but his home no longer existed.  They suspected that he might even be somewhat aware of this as he did not ask to return to his Mama nor his Village.  In the end, it was decided that the boy should return to the surface with them.  The boy wore himself out once more speaking without pause and eating whatever they fed him, before settling into Wulfgar's lap and succumbing to sleep.

"Did you kill him?" Oswyn asked after the boy no longer demanded their attention.  He had no doubts that they had dealt with their former tormentor somehow as Saewulf had become unlocked from his child state and there was an air of peace about him.

"No," Saewulf admitted.  "But he will never harm another child or adult for as long as he lives.  And he will ever be aware of that."

"He got off lightly, then," Oswyn said, disgruntled.

Wulfgar shook his head.  "He is suffering a similar fate to what Saewulf suffered for many, many years." Oswyn appeared confused so the man explained further.  "His mind has been locked into a state like Sae's child state.  But he will never escape it.  I still am not sure how you managed that."  He directed this last sentence to Saewulf. 

"The secret is in the venom," Sae replied, vaguely.

"What about the lost children?" Leif asked.  "After visiting the Mage Hall and... not finding Vitalous, we went to the place where you were formerly held.  However, it has been abandoned.  Not even the refugees have sought to occupy it."

"I don't know," Sae said honestly.

"I'm not sure Vitalous had anything to do with that," Elyas mentioned.  The others looked at him with questions in their eyes.  "Think about it.  The man never attempted to add to your ranks after... he felt his 'experiment' was complete.  He also spoke of his regrets allowing you to be used by others. I believe he took us from the S-class to the clinic on purpose to gauge our reactions when serving the rich.  And at a similar time to those disappearances, he obtained a new apprentice, Jasper, who shared his abilities.  It is too simple to blame that upon him as well."

"That and he spoke as if he had a hand in starting this war," Lewin added.  "I think you are right, Elyas.  But if not my... that man, then who?"

"The handlers," Wulfgar replied.  The small bundle in his arms stirred and he found himself stroking the child's back.  It reminded him of those brief moments in which the younger him had comforted the tiny Saewulf after they had been thrown into the cells.  It was a bright memory in amongst suffocating dark ones reminding him that as horrible as his past was, there were times that he would not want to forget.

"Yes, there were one or two we did not get the chance to kill," Oswyn mused.

"It would be difficult to find them," Saewulf admitted.  "I don't wish to leave anyone to that fate, but how would we know where to begin to look?"

"They won't be in the city," Wulfgar said.  "Too many soldiers and patrols."  They all remained downcast for a while, the situation seeming hopeless.

"We should revisit this in the morning," Leif suggested.  "Things look brighter in the light of day!"  No one added that the city did not get much sunlight down in these depths.

In the end, Oswyn decided to remain in the city. He did not like the idea of returning to the surface while knowing that children might be suffering a similar fate to that which he had lived through. The knowledge that some of these children had been snatched away from people who loved them burned through him, it eased the dislike he had for city folk, while his hatred for his parents increased. Those children's mothers were prostitutes and could not provide their children with a safe and secure life, but still desperately attempted to, while his own parents were wealthy and able to care for him, but chose not to. He felt the need to settle his past before he could face his future.

The others felt no such need and longed to return home for varying reasons. So they bid Oswyn adieu and left the city more quietly than upon arrival and made their way towards the gate and the surface.

*****

The civil war did not end with the surface dwellers brief intervention. The King was still somewhat in charge, though many more of his troops had fallen into dissension and his Council had dissolved in the frantic need to save their own lives. The Crown Prince and Queen was also useless, demanding that the King bring an end to this war so they could continue their soft lives of splendour. But issuing orders to his generals would not be enough to stop the strengthening rebellion.

The Second Prince had been visiting his wife's family, but was killed during an uprising of the commoners, who finally burst past the wall of soldiers, trampling them underfoot with their stampede. They began to raid the homes of the wealthy, desperate to get food into their bellies. The Second Prince and his in-laws were not the only victims of that fatal day. It drew the remaining wealthy patriarchs to bring petition, nearly begging their ruler for assistance. The soldiers of his dwindling armies were too scattered and the magi were refusing to lend a hand to bring order to the anarchy after the Council lost all control of them.

"They are animals!" Elder Duke complained.

It was the third Prince, a young man who had never been in line for the throne and who had been trained privately to become a Wind Mage that stood up and tried to make these men and his father see sense.

"The people are starving," he said, angry that his family had allowed this senseless war to drag on so far. "Of course they would act like animals when they have been left no other choice! We hide here surrounded by comfort while they are dying!"

"But that is our right!" His elder brother whined. The Crown Prince had lost an inch or so of his waistline, but considering the plentiful rolls still framing his midsection, it was not nearly enough.

"What right? Have we earned that right?" The youth asked. "We have a plaque carved by our ancestors placed above the doorframe of the great hall which states our first duty is to the Kingdom. That plaque is so dusty it is any wonder that it can still be read! We have failed our duty, father, you have failed our duty."

"Insolent boy!" The queen growled at him, while her husband cowered, so drained by time as he had watched his control slip like sand through his bony fingers that he could no longer summon the energy to defend himself. "It is our Kingdom, our duty is to ourselves!"

"It is everyone's Kingdom, from the farmers who seed the crops, the soldiers and magi who protect us, to those who rule and guide them," a white haired old man stepped forward, his back bent with age, but the pride in which he held still strong. He placed his hand upon the shoulder of his grandchild.

"Father," The Queen said with a strangled cry. The elderly gentleman was a renown scholar and magi, but had retired to some backwater village to escape the politics so he could study peacefully. He regretted that somewhat now, wondering if his presence would have somehow steered events in another direction, but he doubted it. Had he not seen what he had with his own eyes, he likely would be standing amongst the grumbling patriarchs now. He had not returned alone. A tall, middle aged man with weathered skin and a body sculptured with the rough chisel of a soldier's life stood with him.

"Arrest that man!" One of the patriarchs yelled, realising who he was, the leader of the rebellion.

None of the soldiers moved, their orders had come from the third Prince and unless they were overruled by the King, they would continue to follow them.

The negotiations that followed took many days and nights, but eventually a semblance of a deal came to be formed along with a new King, a new council (made up of representatives from all walks of life) and naturally protests from those who it would effect negatively. But the new King held his ground and reminded those who dissented that while he would listen to their complaints, if they continued to attempt to rally support for his usurpation, he could and would have them exiled. Not that they gained much support beyond their own and they were learning quickly that their 'wealth' meant little in the face of the current food shortages.

The former Crown Prince and former Queen and their minions were the first to face his wrath as they attempted to force a village to give them the food supplies in their possession after a reasonable harvest. The King was planning only to tax them a percentage of the surplus so that the rest could be sold to him for the sake of the city commoners stomachs and the villagers pockets. For his older brother and his mother to attempt to redraw his design for the sake of themselves angered him so profusely, that he exiled them without appeal. Their shock that he would do so to immediate family following a very public trial quietened the dissenters and gained some trust from his people.

Still, it would take many years before the Kingdom regained any stability and glory.

*****

Oswyn finally returned to the village almost nine months later and he did not come alone. He had discovered where the children had been held, but he was not able to save them all, too much time had past. Those he could return to their parents, he did, with assistance of a few he had come to trust during his time in the city. As they had suspected, they had been held by a handful of the assassins former handlers, but things had not been so... 'successful' as with the creation of One and the others.

For instance, an orphan girl of twelve years happened to be the daughter of a gruff veteran, who had raised her single-handedly until his death during the massacre of the first village. She protected many children and taught them to fight and survive with a few other special children, before turning wild on her handlers, maiming many of them with a flint she had sharpened whilst in their clutches. It was during this time, that Oswyn finally discovered their hideout. The girl was bleeding and bruised all over as the handlers had roughly subdued her and were preparing to put her to death. They died, frightened stiff, as if they had seen a ghost made of ice as his blades ended them completely.

Oswyn allowed the girl and the few displaced orphans as well as a couple of young magi who did not wish to enroll into the mage halls to follow him to the surface, where he signalled the Village using a strange seed that Leif had sealed for him. The seed grew impossibly fast into a slender tree coated in blossoms, it swayed in the wind creating sounds with hollow branches as it scattered its blossoms about. It's 'song' was echoed by other trees in the depths of the forest, reaching finally the Village and Leif's ears.

The orphans were adopted by varying families and settled slowly into the village. The girl, Annalise, was taken in by Fleur and her husbands as the older woman felt kinship with this fellow warrior. Jasper had long since been adopted by Wulfgar and Leif.

Annalise blossomed into a strong, young woman, but turned down any offers from warriors attracted by her skills and talents for her hand in marriage. For when she was just twelve years of age, an ice-cold angel had appeared in her life and she was determined to make him hers. She would, one day, succeed.

Author's note; Not particularly happy with this chapter... I may need to edit or something.