The cavern was quiet as Sanria enjoyed a cup of tea in her garden. She had been dwelling on balance - determining how one could offer knowledge, learn and grow, yet not lose themselves in the pursuit. Her mind drifted to the Illuminati - long gone friends and family. Leandra pulled her from the perusal. "Mama. Where's Orn?"
"Lea, I don't know. Is he hiding?"
"No. I can't find him and it's making me mad."
"No need to be upset." Sanria pulled her daughter near and kissed her on the head. The girl was so much like Colin it made her laugh.
Sanria reached out with her mind, something she did often, only to find a dark silence. She held her panic down and tried again. Orn was nowhere to be found. Sanria's blood felt like ice. She rushed into the cavern to find Colin with Leandra close on her heels.
Sanria found the big man in the training room. "Colin... Orn, I can't reach him."
"I'm sure he's around here somewhere," Colin answered with a smile.
"I can't reach him. Magically."
"Is he with Mirin?" Colin asked, concern flooding his face.
Mirin. Gilean and Claire's daughter who had become fast friends with Orn from the moment they met. The two children had even decided to become boyfriend and girlfriend. It alarmed Colin, but Sanria found it cute...
Sanria reached out to Gilean. "I'm sorry to disturb your thoughts, Gilean, but have you seen or heard from Orn? I can't reach him."
"No trouble, Sanria. Mirin just returned from running away again. She seems to have been through an ordeal. She mentioned Orn but was too distraught to continue."
"And you didn't tell us?"
"I'm sorry... I've... had a lot going on lately. I will wake her and we will come by. Perhaps we can all find answers."
Sanria looked at Colin and nodded. "Gilean will be bringing Mirin. Some- thing has happened."
"What? What has happened? Did he say anything?"
"We will find out when they arrive."
Sanria sat on the sofa, staring at her lap, while Colin paced back and forth. "They should be coming soon, shouldn't they?" At the sound of the doorbell, Colin raced from the room. Leandra sat at her mother's side when Gilean and Mirin entered. Sanria's heart dropped for Mirin. The girl looked haggard and scared. "Did you guys bring my big brother back?" Leandra asked. "Where is he? Where's Orn?" Sanria reached over, silencing her daughter.
"Now, Mirin," Gilean began. "Can you tell us all what happened?"
'I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I ran away and Orn came with me...' she telepathed.
"It's ok," Colin said. "We're not mad at you. We just need to find Orn."
'We went... to a place with lots of pretty flowers... on a mountain. And then we needed to camp and so we found a place with little houses... We found a little house and a lady named Sarah and she said she wouldn't tell our parents where we were if we told her our names and our parents names and we told her and she gave us melon and...and...and she said we'd go to the beach but then I ate the melon and got really sleepy and...and I fell asleep and when I got up Orn... and Sarah... they... they were gone!'
Sanria's stomach fell. Flowers everywhere... melon... little houses... her mind refused to believe what her mind was already positing. "Mirin," Colin began, "Do you know where this place was?"
'No, we went far away to a sea, and then to a beach, and then climbed up a mountain and saw pretty flowers and Orn named one a Mirin Flower.'
"Colin," Sanria whispered with dread. "Dark Continent..."
Mirin continued, describing Arlenia with detail. Sanria felt sick to the core of her being. 'I'm sorry, Leandra... I'm sorry, Sanria... I didn't mean to run away...'
"You shouldn't run away so much! You lost my brother!" Leandra snarled.
"Now Leandra, that's enough," Colin said. "She never meant for this to happen. It's not Mirin's..."
"But she's why Orn is gone, Papa! She ran away and Orn followed her cause she's his girlfriend!"
Colin stared at the floor before him, calling Sanria's attention to what hd appeared. A small box. The big man opened it, and Sanria felt even more dread creep into her soul. "Colin, what's going on?"
"Gilean. You need to take the children."
Sanria rose and walked to Colin, taking the box. She pulled out the small note nestled within and read in a breathless voice, "Dear Colin... I have Orn and here is proof... You shouldn't have crossed me..." Beneath it was a small bundle of bloody gauze. Sanria unrolled it and staring up at her was the ear of a child.
"Leandra... go with Mr. Gilean and Mirin," Sanria said in a whisper.
"What... is it?" Colin asked once the girls were gone.
"SHE CUT OFF... SHE CUT OFF MY BABY'S EAR!!!" Sanria fell into the chair, sobbing. She knew that the time where everything had been smooth was at an end. A seriously ill woman had her child, and was carving him up. Her mind reeled, every worst scenario flooding her with vivid detail.
"Sanria..." Colin said, putting his hand on Sanria's arm. "We will to get him. I just need you to get me there."
"What if... what if she... she kills him, Colin... what if she kills our little boy?!"
"Sanria. Listen to me." Colin took in a deep breath. Sanria looked over to see his eyes slowly darkening. "You just take us there and we will get him back. I promise you, I will take care of her."
Sanria pulled herself together enough to realize two things very quickly. If she took Colin with her, Arlenia would likely lose her life. How she was going to break it to him that she would be going alone, she didn't know. Even with her child in danger, Sanria knew she could get him with magic. Colin would likely end up in a fight.
It was just as she readied to tell Colin that a voice cut into the room. "Wha..." Thasmudyan. Where he had been, Sanria didn't know. Clearly, Thasmudyan didn't mind that his absence had stretched into months. It didn't matter -here was Sanria's way to keep Colin here and make him feel as if Orn would be saved. "Thasmudyan, will you go with me to get Orn?"
"Sure..."
Colin strode over, clearly upset. "Just get me there and I will get Orn back!"
"Colin... if you go... you'll kill her."
"What do you think she deserves, Sanria?" She didn't know...
"Colin... you have to promise me you won't kill her."
Sanria's heart sank as Colin looked at her with distaste and shook his head. He turned his attention to Thasmudyan, and Sanria felt completely helpless. She could see in Colin's eyes the darkness... there would be nothing she could do to stop it.
