<div align="center"><strong>Viviana</strong></div><br/>"Oh! Oh no!" A hand flew to Viviana's mouth, her bright blue eyes grew wide in surprise. She turned to look at Tiagar and wordlessly nodded her agreement. She dropped Phaerbryn's bags and was was just about to start running when she heard an "Ummm" come from Phaerbryn. Becoming exasperated with this harsh looking woman's obsession with the hard black treasure chests, she turned to her guards.<br/><br/>"Pick those up and follow me," she ordered before taking off in a sprint. By the calculations of the sun, her father was probably in his throne room at the moment, listening to the pleas of his bourgeois and serfs. He spent most of his day in the throne room as this was also where he heard the speeches of his advisors and signed the necessary paper work that came with a man of his position. She raced off in the direction of her father's throne room, Tiagar and Phaerbryn right on her heels, and the guards on their heels. In this manner, she was required every few seconds to shout out "They're with me!" lest the armed guards scattered about the palace think she was being chased.<br/><br/>The group came to a pair of very large, intricately carved, stone doors, coupled on either side by an armed guard. The guards bowed humbly in Viviana's presence and hesitated only momentarily before using all their strength to pull open the doors.<br/><br/>The Lord sat high on his throne, a stern emotionless look on his face, his elbows resting on the arm rests and his hands clasped in front of him. A simple silver circlet wound about his head, sparkling brightly atop his blue black mane. He wore a silver and white robe and cloak - ever the formal Lord - that were sharp contrasts with his deepened purple skin tone. Viviana had never seen a Zenythri with more purple in their skin tone. It was often a rumor she'd heard whispered that her father had Drow in his blood somewhere along his lineage.<br/><br/>Her mother was very light skinned in her appearance. There was almost no trace of purple in her skin and a very light sheen on her silvery head of hair. She sat dutifully by her husband's side on a slightly smaller throne. She wore a purple dress in almost the same shade as Viviana's. Her mother hated to wear a cloak unless she was to be in the cold outside air. They were so very heavy on her slight frame. Aside from her mother's compassion and love for reading, her slight frame, nose, and lips were just about the only things Viviana had inherited from her mother.<br/><br/>"Please, Lord Baldric!" A woman was on her knees before the throned couple, doubled over, almost kissing the ground. "I have not a single coin left! Lady Ayanna, with my husband in jail, how will I provide for my children? I beg of you, release him!" The woman pleaded her mother's sympathy vote as Viviana barged in.<br/><br/>Baldric and Ayanna immediately rose to their feet, both wearing expressions of great relief upon their faces. Baldric turned to the woman, still on her knees, who was now turned curiously toward the open doors.<br/><br/>"I'm sorry for your hardship, Dahlia, but you know I can not release your husband. He was caught attempting to murder an official! Is your family not shamed enough that you come to beg at my feet? Learn a trade or apply for aid, but do not come begging at my doorstep again. Now be off with you!" Baldric waved his hand in front of him and 2 guards on opposite sides of the room came and apprehended the woman under each of her arms. They drug her from the room as she sobbed in protest.<br/><br/>Baldric's grave expression immediately turned to one of delight as he raced down the dais to stop in front of Viviana. He looked as though he wanted to swoop her into a hug, but instead covered his features with another stern expression. Concern filled the same cerulean blue eyes that Viviana had. Her mother, however, pulled Viviana into a hug that she was afraid would never end.<br/><br/>"Where have you been, young lady?" Baldric's eyes narrowed on Viviana."I have an entire army unit out searching for you! Arkon came back without you and then came reports of a small foreign village appearing out of nowhere. We feared the worst!"<br/><br/>"You have to recall them, Father!" Viviana interrupted her father. "These foreigners are from a different world and they have these small projectile weapons that will seriously injure our men!" Baldric looked insulted and was about to speak when Viviana continued. "And they are scared and will attack first and ask questions later. We'll have a war on our hands, Father!"<br/><br/>Ayanna shot Baldric a concerned look, worry filling her bright violet eyes. "We have been going about the normal daily routine while our military adviser collects more information for us, but maybe it is time to take some action," she explained to both Viviana but pointedly at Baldric.<br/><br/>Baldric turned to one of his nearest serfs and said in a commanding tone, "Hurry to Zelith's tower. Tell him I require his presence and to bring whatever he needs to scry with. Explain that I will be requesting knowledge of this town and its people." To another serf he demanded, "Bring me the army's ball."<br/><br/><div align="center"><strong>Phaerbryn</strong></div><br/>Bryn could barely keep herself from snickering when the large man spoke of the army's ball. He was definitely a powerful and imposing man, but she had dealt with men of his stature most of her life. The Special Ops unit of the CIA only hired less than imposing men if they were ninjas.<br/><br/>She looked back at the guards holding her cases to make sure they were still holding all of them. Even the ones she'd piled on top with a smirk when they'd begun running. It was at this time that she saw the unusually well dressed slave return with a glowing red orb. He brought the orb to Baldric's side and the Lord placed his hand on it. He concentrated hard, as if her were searching for something. After about five minutes, he seemed to have what he was searching for.<br/><br/>"Men, regardless of where you are or what you are doing, I ask that you retreat. Lady Viviana has been found. No military action is to be enacted. Return immediately," the dignified Lord commanded. So this is the device he used to communicate with his troops. Bryn had to, once again, hold back a snicker as she related the similarities between the red orb and her President's red war time phone. Then that gave her an idea. Maybe she could locate and speak to her own troops back on Earth with this device! Could this be her way home?