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Message: <blockquote data-quote="simmo" data-source="post: 1385418" data-attributes="member: 9744">Part 9 Heart to Heart, Henshin to Henshinchapter 1 News from Beyond the CellHaving crosses the Lady's ward, accompanied by her hound archon servant, Serena entered the City Barracks and was shown through the building to a cell where an old friend sat waiting. Kendrick wore a simple robe and looked somewhat tired. His blonde hair was cut short and he smiled when the petite seer entered the room. The Harmonium guard left the room, to be replaced by Arianna Redstrike who told them that they had an hour together. She then sat on a chair in the corner and made herself appear busy by doing some paperwork.“How are you?” asked Serena. She took her time to look her friend up and down. Kendrick looked worn out, but not as if he had been mistreated.“I am well," Kendrick said with a tired smile. "Considering the circumstances." He smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "I'd like to thank you for all that you have done for me so far. It was more than I could ever have asked for”“I am your friend.” The beautiful seer stated simply.“Yes, um." Kendrick spent a few moments trying to organise his thoughts, but decided instead to speak from his heart. "I'm beginning to learn the value of it. I did not really realise what it meant before. I thought that by being in the Temple of Tomeri that they would teach me its meaning. And it has," he paused again to reflect on what he had learned. "But not in the way that I was expecting.”“You have to experience it to really learn about it.” Serena smiled reassuringly and felt for that moment as if Kendrick and her were the only people in the world.“Yes I am trying to learn. The Mercykillers are a strange group of people." Kendrick's voice dropped to a whisper as he was unsure of who else might be listening. "But there are some really good people amongst them. That really care that justice is done. There are some who just want to hunt people down - with an excuse for doing so of course.” His face was darkened briefly by a troubled expression, but then brightened. “But there are others like Arwyl Swan's Son.""Factol Alisohn Nilesia is rather harsh and is trying to push through a bill that will bring even harsher punishments.” Kendrick said in a subdued voice. “However, Arwyl has his supporters and I'm one of them.”“Have you had any strange dreams recently?” asked Kendrick hoping to change the subject to anything else.“About Haven?” Serena's intuition homed in on the thought that they were both having and spoke aloud the name of the city that they'd seen in their dreams. She brought to mind the vision which she'd experienced in the Outlands and had seen again in Garden after meeting Inlia.“I keep seeing my children dancing amongst the rubble and strange creature walking past that I do not recognise. Like watching the inner workings of a clock marching by. Very strange. The whole city was devastated.” Kendrick tried to keep the panic from creeping in to his description, but the dream that he'd experienced was simply too vivid and frightening.“I had a vision tonight.” Serena reached across the table to take hold of Kendrick's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “Have you heard of modrons?”“No," replied Kendrick. "What are they?”“They are machine-like creatures," the seer explained. "The workings of a clock sounds very much like them. They go off on a march every 17 cycles and they've started it early." She sighed and tried to push the vision to the back of her mind. "They're heading for Haven.”“That does not bode well,” Kendrick shook his head and looked despondent.“I don't think that there is anything that we can do to stop them." Serena tried to make eye contact again with Kendrick and squeezed his hand again to get his attention. "But I'm hoping to see what I can do to help Haven.”“I would very much appreciate that. Being stuck in here..." Kendrick looked around at the blank walls, barred door and Harmonium officer sitting in the corner. "I am not able to do anything to help. And my children are...” His voice broke and he buried his head in his hands.“Kendrick," Serena spoke softly with a steely determination in her voice. "If I can do nothing else then I will make sure that your children are safe.”“That is more than I could ever ask for," he replied grateful for her promise. "If you get to Haven, see if you can find a great Elm outside the city. Climbs its branches and use something to refract the light. It is a signal that I have with some warriors of Tomeri. If there is trouble then I should be able to come and help you.”“I understand." Serena replied, curious as to who these warriors were. "Thanks for this.”“So tell me of this..." Kendrick began and then promptly changed his mind. "Uh, no one tells me anything. What's been happening with the trial? With the dates?”“Well," explained Serena. "We've been running around trying to gather evidence in your favour. Arianna and Arwyl have been fantastic about getting us more time to gather more evidence. Did you hear that we have captured Toranna the Gray?”“That's fantastic news." Kendrick gripped Serena's hand even stronger. "That's brilliant news.”“She's in custody.” Arianna Redstrike confirmed, looking up from her scrolls.“And the others?” asked Kendrick hopefully.“We have not got the others, but we hope that Toranna's testimony ought to be enough." Serena added quickly. "She certainly confirms what we said.”“And your quest, the one that we are supposed to be on.” Again Kendrick sought to change the conversation, as if he had a mental list of topics to cover in under an hour."Ah, that is not going so well.” The Heart Seer of Tomeri sighed as she thought about the confusing quest that each of the Chosen had to perform that involved finding four forms of love.“Do you have an amulet as well?” Kendrick asked, pulling a silver locket from beneath his shirt.Serena drew forth a dark frog-shaped amulet. “Like this?”“No, not like that” He replied somewhat disappointed.Serena held out her locket of a silver female shaped figure with wings, that clutched a small green gem-stone in its arms.“I have a Fortress, but I can only go there every so often." The young Mercykiller looked down, almost as if he was talking to himself. "It is a strange place, but being stuck behind bars I don't want to draw attention to myself by using it. There was someone in there the last time that I visited.”“Really, who?" Serena sounded intrigued. "Did you speak to her?”“Some woman." Kendrick replied evasively. "She seemed really nice and was under the impression that she hurt. She was covered in filthy clothing. I managed to find some clothes for her in the castle.” He managed to sound both sheepish and confused. “Now when I go she looks after me. There is always food on the table and clean sheets on the beds. But I have no idea what she is doing there.”“Well I can tell you that in my Garden I'm sometimes visited." Kendrick smiled when he heard Serena statement and felt less as if he might have been imagining the whole thing. Now it was Serena's turn to sound confused and embarrassed. "By spirits." She paused. "She may be dead.”“Ah, that explains it." Kendrick slapped his hand on the table to emphasize his point as the pieces were finally beginning to fall in to place. "I wanted to know what the green gem-stone was inside our lockets. I finally managed to track down a 'sage' who knew what it was. It belongs to a strange race of creatures.”“What are they?” Serena asked filled with curiosity.“Gk'lok-lok." Kendrick managed to pronounce the name properly on his first attempt.</blockquote>

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