“Damn they spotted us” thinks Ivan as the three of them escape over the wall and head back to the rest of the group.

“Why is Ameiko trying to hurt herself?” asks Ivan as they walk into the camp.

“What do you mean he is at the fort” say Ivan

Sending “The assassin is at the fort. He is very dangerous so do not engagement him until we get there”

Second sending “I will be there soon and we will keep everyone safe. You have to trust me.

“I’m going to the right now, Radella..” Ivan says but in interrupted by Radella

“Yes I am going” replied Radellla

“I am going too” says Ameiko closely followed by “not without me” from Shalelu

“I can read his thoughts so I will go to” says Dasi

Ivan thought Kali and Qatana might be still trying to explain the benefits of their plan as his group vanishes. Halfway down the hallway it is obvious that Olmas has arrived as he still seems to be complaining about being separated from Ameiko.

“This is the person” says Hatsue

“No Dasi says this is a common theft not the assassin” whispers Ivan into Hatsue left ear.

The group moves around until Dasi points out the assassin and most engage.

“Hatsue that’s the assassin. Trust me” says Ivan

“But he is not Evil” says Hatuse

“But he has weapons” says Olmas’s voice from above.

The corpse of the assassin into the alter room. After a few minutes pass Dasi starts freaking out about the Amulet

“Dasi just drop the Amulet on the ground” says Ivan

“No one should touch it, you can’t have it” says Dasi

“Just put it on the ground” says Ivan

The moment the amulet hits the ground Ivan covers it in a dome of stone so that no can grab the amulet.

Ivan heads out of the room and motions to Ameiko asking her to follow him.

“Ameiko can I speak with you for a moment” Ivan says as he is looking down at Hatsues blood on his hand.

Ivan and Ameiko move away from the others. In the background the discussion on what to do with the amulet continues. The door closes and an eerie silence fills the room.

“Wah Wah WAH., WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH. WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH. WAH WAH WAH WAH. WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH. WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH. WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH, WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH” Rambles Ivan speaking so fast that Ameiko is struggling to understand him.

“Wah Wah WAH., WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH. WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH. WAH WAH WAH WAH. WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH.” continues Ivan

“Wah Wah WAH., WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH. WAH WAH WAH. “Wah Wah WAH., WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH. WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH. WAH WAH WAH WAH. WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH.” continues Ivan

Ivan suddenly stops which Ameiko presumes was to take a breath but then says “I’m sorry” as he gives her a good bye hug.

Ivan opens the door and steps into the main room. Avoiding eye contact Ivan moves across the room to the stairs and starts heading up. No one seems to notice that he is leaving or he thinks maybe they just don’t care that he is leaving. They are busy with the amulet so they have other things to worry about. The ghost sounds seem to be getting louder and louder and Ivan is surprised that the others have not notice. Ivan gets to the top of the stairs and then walks off into the darkness of the woods.

Ivan works his way through the woods until he reaches the little clearing near the edge of the cliff.  He just immediately gets the inspiration to put shapes in the rocks. He pulls down his goggle and just lets the magic create the shapes in the stone. One by one Ivan moves around shaping the stones until he has eight of them.

Ivan suddenly feels like someone pushes him off the cliff. He is thinking “why did someone push me, wait wh..” as everything goes black.

Ivan wasn’t sure how long we was out. He slowly opens his eyes and immediately notices that someone is standing over him with their feet next to his ears.

“Oh you’re finally awake” a female voice says as she taps the sides of Ivan head with her feet.

It is then that Ivan realizes that he seems to be tied up and can’t get up.

Ivan doesn’t recognize the voice and looks up to get a view of the person but her positioning only provides a view up her skirt.

“Why is your underwear blue with flowers” ask Ivan out of curiosity

“Blue! These are sky blue with white daisies” the female voice flippantly responds.

“I would prefer to be able to see the people that I am talking too” replies Ivan

At that she sits down on Ivan’s chest and disappointedly responds “Is that better? I just came here to help you and this is how you treat me”

“I am here to give you everything you ever wanted. There is just a small little matter that you need to do for us and then you can have everything” says the woman sitting on Ivan’s chest.

“I am sure you know where to find the seal, right. If you just do us this small favor you will want for nothing” continues the woman

A woman appears that he immediately recognizes as O-Sayumi. The dress she is wearing is just not the right color for her, Ivan doesn’t even think Koya would wear something with this color combination.  Clearly the woman with the strange underwear thought this was a good combination.

“We can make her your slave to do with as you wish” says the woman

“Why would I ever let you make a slave of one of my friends?” angrily responds Ivan

“That’s ok we have plenty of other women for you!” she says sounding pretty sure that she is close to sealing the deal.

“What no that is just wrong” response Ivan is frustration

“Oh I see. I didn’t realize you preferred men” she tries to say seductively as her body transforms into the form of a man. The blue underwear with flowers took on a new level of creepy as she changed into a male.

O-sayumi vanishes and is replaced with Sandru dressed in skin tight clothes.

“No I do like females” Ivan says in a creeped out tone.

“So do we have a deal? You go get the seal and you can have want ever you want” he/she says as the voice changes from male to female mid-sentence.

“I don’t think so. Can you please leave” says Ivan

“I can do this all night if we have too” says the female form still sitting on Ivan’s chest.

“You know some people are never going to fall for your old tired tricks” says a male voice from somewhere behind the woman.

Ivan realizes that his hands are now free and pushes the woman off him and can now see a man standing on the other side of the room. He recognizes the symbol on his left cheek as one of the symbols representing the gods but he doesn’t remember which god.

“Go away I was here first” the woman says angrily

The scene changes and Ivan finds himself in a big lavish room. Tapestries cover the walls to scenes of men and women in victory poses. The man with the symbol on his cheek is to his left while the woman is to his right. Sun light shines into the room from a row of cathedral windows. Lavish carpets line the floor.

“Can’t you just imagine yourself living this type of life” says the woman standing next to Ivan.

Ivan looks around and says “were is the doorway to the alchemy laboratory”.

One of the young female servants walks over to one of the tapestries and pulls it to one side revealing a door. Above the door a sign says alchemy Lab. Just then the door opens and Zosi steps out followed by three attentive women shrunk down to his size.

“No but I think this would be perfect for Zosi.” replies Ivan

The area around them changes and Ivan finds that they are back at the village of Kokomigi. Kimoto is directly in front of Ivan mourning the death of his family.  Ivan just sits there watching Kimoto as he says goodbye to his family.

The scene shifts back to the cave.

Suddenly Ivan notices that Ameiko is now in the cave with him but she is wearing the same clothes that he saw in the vision from the seal. In fact he is pretty sure this is the vision.

“You can become the ruler and possess all of them if you just take the seal” the woman says in response to the image of Ameiko.

“Ivan you are linked to the seal and your friends. Until the seal is used to proclaim the ruler of Minki the gods expect you to follow this path. Are you going to abandon your friends?” says the male voice

“So are you going to also tell me that I need to save the hero? Do you really think a commoner should be walking the path with Heroes and royalty? ” asks Ivan

“I don’t know about their status as heroes but I suspect that at some point you might have to save one of your friends” replies the man

The woman vanishes with the parting words “You haven’t won yet”

Ivan makes his way out of the cave and climbs up the cliff back to his meditation spot. When he gets to the top he is greeted by Hatsue.

“Ameiko asked me to come check on you.” says Hatsue as she sets up the game board.

“You still owe me a game, it’s your move” says Hatsue

“Well that was a pretty good move” says Hatsue as Ivan moves a piece to the right side of the board.

Hatsue moves her piece into position as Ivan just watches and waits

“I will move this piece over here” says Ivan as he moves his piece

“Well you’ve lost already” says Hatsue as she makes the move to end the game.

“Ok since I won you have to do something for Me.” says Hatsue

“Who are you, you are clearly not Hatsue.” says Ivan

Hatsue’s form gives way to that woman as she says “I just want you to get the seal for me”

“Ivan she can only talk with you because you are still on the ground unconscious and bleeding. You’re not afraid of snakes right?” says the now familiar male voice

Ivan wakes up and slowly gets up from the ground as to not upset the snakes. He thinks to himself that there is no need to hurt these snakes. Ivan feels a little dizzy and stumbles over to the nearby wall. A quick heal and his head begins to clear up. Looking up Ivan sees the outcropping of rocks that he most likely hit this head on.

Ivan makes his way back up to the meditation spot. Looking around he sees that he created a circle made out of symbols. Four of the symbols he knows as Irori and opposite each of the symbols of Irori are the same symbol that he saw on the man’s cheek. He should know this symbol Ivan thinks to himself.

Ivan lays down in the middle of the circle looking up at the stars as he drifts off to sleep. He wakes up just in time to regain his spells.

Sitting there Ivan sees a rock just outside the circle that catches his attention. He walks over, picks up the rock, and uses magic to allow the proper shape to manifest itself. Ivan searches his bag until he finds what he feels matches the new shape of the rock. He sets this new item down just outside the circle.

Ivan picks up his pack and quickly heads towards the fort. Ameiko has only been hurt a little but he better head back to the fort and check.

About the halfway point on his return Ivan pauses for a moment. “Oh god what did I say to Ameiko before I left. I really wish I could remember what I said” Ivan says out loud to himself as he hurries back to the fort.

Ivan makes his way down the stairs and then glances at Ameiko, he is relieved that she is not holding any weapons. He then diverts his gaze to avoid eye contact.

The talk is consumed with news of Qatana leaving. Ivan realizes that he does not since Qatana but remains silent and continues to avoid eye contact.

Ivan has dried blood starting at the top of his head, across his face and down his neck. His clothes are tattered and ripped. He is also covered from head to toe with dirt, sticks and various local plant material.