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clasped around the object he’d searched for so diligently when he awakened in the ocean. It was an amulet decorated by ornate figures of gargoyles. Embedded in the center was a dull red gem. Tenderly, Ludo caressed it, pushing away the caked mud that had accumulated over the years.
    The woman who begged for the proclaimer’s life made a movement. Despite the voluminous material of the robe, a glint of silver still sparkled at her neck. Reaching forward, Ludo tore the robe, ignoring the woman’s gasp of fright. The ripped fabric exposed a wide expanse of skin along with a long silver chain disappearing between the globes of her breasts.
    “Remove it,” he ordered.
    Shaking the woman unclasped the chain and pressed it into Ludo’s hands. He spent the next few moments attaching the amulet to it and putting it around his neck.
    The weight of it brought back memories. Rhychard’s face from the past flashed through his mind – the golden eyes filled with authority and tempered with compassion. Ludo’s hand tightened around the amulet.
    Damn you Rhychard, for this. Damn you .

CHAPTER THREE
    Rin followed the raucous sound of the juusha of Rhychard as they gathered into the large anteroom. At its highest point, the galley rose about fifteen feet in the air. Whether by design or not, a cluster of stalagmites ranging in various sizes rested in the center. It formed into something that resembled a chandelier made of earth.
    Rin strode forward until she stood under it. As a child, she’d feared the day the rock chandelier would come crashing onto her skull. The dire thoughts of that event had faded over time however, and she saw the edifice as a sign of community. Soon the Elder and his son Alderic would come and stand with her. A sizable fire blazed and crackled nearby and she stepped closer to it to feel its warmth, although she doubted it would have the ability to melt the icy dread inside her chest.
    “Uchida-san , is it true? Has Ludovicus awakened?”
    Rin turned toward the voice and saw one of the older women before her, eyes wide. “ Hai , Obaasan .”
    The woman’s fingers clutched at her throat. “What will the Elder do?”
    Rin reached out and clasped the woman on the shoulder. “Do not worry, Obaasan. Ludovicus will not defeat us.”
    I hope. She hugged the woman, feeling the slight tremors rake through the diminutive frame. After some more words of comfort, the woman left and Rin sighed. The story had been passed down for so long that the reality of it seemed a distant thing. On the one hand, she wanted to ensure she would never forget why she and the others lived in caves, waiting for this day. On the other hand, that day had arrived. Stories had transformed into reality. That reality struck the juusha of Rhychard in the hearts.
    “Uchida-san , where is Tambo?” a young child called out to her in the throng.
    Rin smiled, thinking of her companion, and glad for the diversion of her morose thoughts. “He’s probably on the hunt. He’ll return when he’s ready.”
    At that moment, the Elder, fenced in by both Callen and Michel, with Alderic bringing up the rear, entered the room. Rhychard’s juusha dropped to their knees and bowed as they passed. Rin followed suit and stood once more. The Elder, old and bent over by age, still had the mental agility of his youth. Swathed in a silvery robe embroidered with dark thread, he made an impressive sight among the juusha . His dark eyes had a rich, otherworldly gleam in them, bright like the stars in the heavens. The reflection of firelight danced in their depths.
    She focused on his son, Alderic, the pompous but likable giant and the self-proclaimed future leader of the people as he strutted about. A massive man with coal-black hair that hung about his head in a shaggy style, he exuded an aura of vitality felt by all. When he folded his arms, they bulged in an almost grotesque way, with veins interrupting their smoothness. Skin baked by the sun gave him a swarthy