33 The Crest of Power

"Krevik are you alright?" Jesse inquired.

"I'm fine," Krevik answered panting.

He hadn't been breathing! Then when he does start to breath he runs out of the cave and throws up…..but everything's fine!? Jesse was angry at his answer of course he wasn't fine! She was fuming.

"Jesse," Krevik said, looking at her like a wounded animal, not sure whether to help or fear being bitten. "Really, I'm ok now…..Look," he said when she didn't respond. "I have the Crest."

She looked at him in earnest now. She had felt something on him in the cave. Was this it? She looked astonished into his face. He had found the Crest! How? He hadn't gone anywhere and he had been asleep the whole time. "H…How?" She managed to get out. She couldn't stop the smile from coming to her face. They now had hope.

"I found it in my dream," Krevik said.

"Oh Krevik!" Jesse exclaimed as she threw her arms around him.

*=*=*1

The Magician watched from his perch in the sky. Krevik had found the Crest! He did it! But Krevik still had no Idea where they were. The location of Japeth' prison was not as everyone else had presumed on the other side of the barrier. No it was here in their precious forest. Jesse and Krevik were right on top of it. Phineas was now at the cave as well. All they needed to do was follow the length of the cave. Then they would see the prison.

The Magician could see the figures had drawn far to close to the unsuspecting youngsters. One of them was almost upon them. He was too high! Would he reach them in time!?

*=*=*

Phineas had finally gotten there to the cave. His master had told him to go there and that he would meet with the two brats. Phineas had served the master a long time. Now was the time for everything to come to fruition. All those years of planning, now would be fulfilled.

He saw Krevik and Jesse rush out the cave. Krevik had thrown up. Ugh! Did he have to go near it? He could feel the darkness drawing nearer, and he knew he would have to get Krevik to trust him. His master needed the Crest.

*=*=*

"Krevik!" Phineas exclaimed as he came out from hiding. "Krevik, I'm so glad I found you!"

"Phineas?" Krevik said as he turned toward the voice.

"Yes," Phineas said. "Master sent me." Phineas looked at the Crest and desired it greatly. No Ametian blood flowed through him, but surely it would work for him if he tried. Krevik eyed Phineas warily. The Magician he remembered had wanted Krevik to dream. In the beginning the Magician kept Krevik from dreaming because it was too traumatic. He kept reliving his mother's death. Even when he was small some part of him knew he had to be to blame for all that had transpired. Then it was just childlike guilt. Now he bore the full weight of it around his neck. A great burden to bear. Then as he grew older the Magician began to give him a tonic that would make him dream again. He would give it to Krevik only when they were alone.

But Krevik couldn't dream yet. The magician thought he needed to be with his family to dream and sent Krevik out into the forest. He followed him and made sure he had found his family safely. Then an incident happened, something to do with a barrier, and he was scared. The villagers didn't like him.

The Magician came back for him in the night and took him back home. Then he went to see Phineas. After seeing Phineas that first time he developed headaches. His memory would come and go. He developed a slight mistrust of the Magician because of the headaches. Phineas would then come to Krevik and tell Krevik what a bad mood the Master would be in if he suddenly started dreaming again. He had told Krevik that the Master really didn't want Krevik to dream. He told Krevik that he had a way for Krevik not to dream. He would give Krevik tonic that would make him not dream. The Magician kept giving him a tonic to dream. No wonder his head was a mess. He had even felt guilty for day dreaming.

Now Phineas stood before him claiming to be sent from Master.

"What Master, Phineas?" Krevik asked. "What master sent you?"

Phineas' pleasant smile died on his face. "Look here boy," he said vehemently. It was the type of vehemence the Magician used when he was frustrated, "I am here because the Master sent me. We have no time for word games; the enemy is almost upon us!"

*=*=*

Krevik could feel the darkness drawing near. Everything was getting darker.

"Jesse," Krevik said with his hand guarding his sister. "Go back into the cave."

She did as she was asked. She had never seen the little old man before, but it was obvious Krevik had. And Krevik didn't trust him. That was more than enough information for Jesse to listen to her older brother.

Krevik was backing up into the cave as well.

Rage suddenly filled the little old man's face, and he leapt at Krevik knocking him to the ground in the cave. He was clawing at Krevik's neck, trying desperately to remove the crest. Krevik was stronger than Phineas, but Phineas was desperate. Phineas attacked with abandon. Jesse watched in horror wishing that she had a sword or a knife. They wrestled their way deeper into the cave; suddenly they were swallowed in a flash of light at the end of the cave. She rushed headlong after them.

As she was swallowed by the light, she realized it was a barrier inside the cave. They were able to cross into it. She saw Krevik and Phineas still struggling. She saw a long thin piece of wood and grabbed it. It was a log. Phineas was still trying to claw at Krevik's neck in-between blows that the two were having. Jesse swung the log and hit Phineas on the head. She had knocked him out.

Wide eyed she dropped the log. Krevik stood, and immediately hugged her.

"Are you alright?" He asked her. "You're not hurt anywhere are you?"

Jesse let out a nervous laugh. She had been more afraid of losing him than getting hurt, and he asks her that? "You're asking me?" she said incredulously.

They looked around for the first time realizing the cave was not dark at all. It was well lit and did not look like a cave at all. It almost resembled a home.