Hidden among the icy cliffs of The IceFields, lies Zev's fortress, better known as "The Hidden Base" to Zev's followers. A dark figure growls, throwing random items of the well kept room, towards Sonya, Star, and Fruma. As items crash and shatter at their feet and above their heads, Sonya and Fruma are unmoved by this usual outburst. Star is afraid, huddled in a corner, whimpering.

Star: "S-Sir! Please, my Lordship, tell me what I can do to make things right?" (o_o)
Zev: "Oh, you wish to make things right do you, Star?!" W('O')W
Sonya: (>_>)
Fruma: (-_-)
Star: "Y-Yes, sir!" (o_o)
Zev: "I need a few questions answered... " (u_u)
Star: "Okay, sir. I will try to answer them, sir." (;^_^)
Zev: "First one... how come we haven't a single shard?" (u_u)
Star: "Um... Well-" (;^_^)
Zev: "Second, how come you didn't kill those meddlesome insects and that seer, when you had the chance?" (;u_u)
Star: "Yeah, about that, I-" (;^_^)
Zev: "Third! And listen carefully to this one, Star... let it impact your mind, before you answer... WHY ARE WE LOSING TO THE LOWER BEINGS OF SERENITY?!" W('O')W

Zev grabs Star suddenly and flings him across the room, as if he weighed no more than a shoe. Star hits a wall, with a audible crunch. "Ow." he winces. "Well?!" growls Zev, turning his anger towards Sonya and Fruma, "Do you have any answers to my questions?! Or are you just as stupid as Star?!" Sonya sighs and says simply, "We haven't gotten a shard, because the worms are more strong-willed, this time around. They rather die, than to give us the locations of the shards." "And die many have." smiles Fruma, happy with the thought, "The splash of red is so wonderful!"
"Second," continues Sonya, "The reason why Star didn't kill the seer and her pets is because, like you've noted, Star is feeble-minded and weak." "Hey!" Star gives Sonya a dark look, "It's not my fault! That dirty bard froze me!" "Yes," nods Fruma, "But if your ego wasn't so huge, you'd have plenty of time to counteract that silly spell and cast in return a very nasty one upon them all!" "But," frowns Sonya, "Your weakness for grandstanding and long speeches got the best of you." "Hey!" growls Star, "You two didn't do so well either! Fruma lead our army into ruin and Sonya haven't found a single shard yet!" The three started auguring at once.

Zev: *sigh* "Children... settle down." (-_-)
Sonya: "Yes, sir." (u_u)
Fruma: "Useless..." (-_-)
Star: "What did you call me?!!!" W('O')W
Zev: "AHEM!" (;u_u)
Star: "Sorry, sir. Listening, sir." (;^_^)
Zev: "Blaming one another is a waste of MY time. I don care to hear your excuses. I want results!" (-_-)
Sonya: "Yes, sir. And you shall, my Lordship." (-_-)
Zev: "Our army has perished, only a few remain... The seer is currently on her way towards the last shard... Things do not look good for us." (o_O)
Fruma: *yawn* (-_-)
Sonya: "But there is good news. The seer has not found the last shard yet." (^_^)

"Sonya," smiles Zev, taking her into his arms, almost romantically, "My dear... are you trying to tell me, that you know where the last shard is located?" "Yes." she nods, "It's on a island. That's why we are here, to tell you of the plan and to get your blessings." Zev lets go of Sonya, as if disgusted, yet he was very happy with Sonya and her good news. "Hmm," he says, almost giddy, "I knew there was a reason why I've kept you alive, all of these years. What is your plan, dear Sonya?"
"Yes." begins Sonya, "The seer and her pets are heading for the island, this very moment. Of course, as primitive as they are, it will take them some time to reach their destination. We, on the other-hand, can travel there within three minutes. So... I was thinking, maybe I should take Star and Fruma with me. Our pests have been lucky so far, but they can't possibly be so lucky against three of Lord Zev's best." Zev ponders that for a moment...

Fruma: "Dear sister, you do mean TWO of Zev's best, don't you? Star wouldn't make three." (^o^)
Sonya: "Yes, I believe you're right. A slip of the tongue!" (;^_^)
Star: "HEY!!!" W('O')W
Sonya: "Ha-ha-ha!" (^o^)
Fruma: "Don't worry, Star. We're only teasing you, because you're so stupid." (^_^)
Sonya: "Yes, you should be use to it all, by now." (^_^)
Star: (>_>)
Zev: "Your plan seems infallible, Sonya. Except for one thing..." (-_-)
Sonya: "What's that, my Lordship?" (-_-)
Zev: "How do you plan to get the last shard?" (o_O)
Sonya: "Ah, yes. I forgot to explain that part of the plan..." (-_-)
Star: "You forgot on purpose, to cause dramatic effect." (;u_u)

Fruma frowns, "Don't grow a brain on us now, Star. You're ruining the fun!" He grins, happy to have cause Fruma some annoyance. "Lord Zev," continues Sonya, "We plan to ask the lower beings of that island to give us that information. Of course, they won't tell us, so we'll let Fruma kill them all." "Yay!" she cheers. "How's that going to get us the shard?" growls Zev, becoming impatient. "We only need the seer and her friends to show up," Star explains, hurriedly, "You see, she's totally attached to those pets of hers. We were informed, that she hasn't been traveling for the shard, for a while now." Zev raises one brow, interested.
Sonya is a little peeved that Star is blurting out some of the suspense. After all, this was her plan. She wanted to keep Zev's attention, for as long as possible. "Yes," she continues, "Fruma has given one of the pets a nasty poison. And when the seer heard he was to die of it, she postponed her journey to search for a cure." "How useless." laughs Zev, highly entertained, "There is none, for those who have little knowledge! So, the little seer wasted her time, enough for us to learn of her next move! And in the end, her pet still dies! It's so delicious!"

Star: "Uh..." (>_>)
Fruma: "Hmm..." (;^_^)
Zev: "He did die... right?" (o_O)
Sonya: (<_<)
Zev: "Right?" (O_o)
Star: "Eh-heh..." (;^_^)
Zev: "RIGHT???!" W('O')W
Sonya: "Sir... seems as though our spell can be broken with a primitive plant." (u_u)
Zev: "BUT I'VE DESTROYED THAT PLANT!" W('O')W
Sonya: "Yes, I know, a century ago. You've cause the extinction of that plant." (-_-)
Zev: "So how did they obtain it???!" W('O')W
Fruma: "That part isn't clear... the lower beings are calling it's reappearance an... 'mirror-cle'?" (o_O)

"Miracle," corrected Star, "It's one of their words. It means a unexplainable situation, which is caused by some divine goodness and light." "Yuck!" frowns Fruma and then shivers, "How disgusting!" "Yes." agrees Star. "I don't like this story anymore!" yells Zev, ready to throw another tantrum, "Sonya, get to the point of your plan!" "Yes, sir." she nods, "Well... the seer will do anything for her pets. If we hold the life of one, in our hands, she will bow to our will!" "Not only she will give us the last shard," grins Star, "She will give us the whole key!" Zev stares at them for a moment. He begins laughing quietly and then suddenly loudly. "Bingo." nods Star towards Sonya, "I think we have his blessings." Zev's dark laugh echoes throughout the fortress.
...Meanwhile... our heroes are riding across the plains and Adie shivers...

Edeline: "Are you okay, Adie?" (o_O)
Adie: "Yeah... I just got the chills, all of a sudden." (o_o)
Oar: "The weather seems fine." (-_-)
Adie: "No, it was more like something creepy just happened." (;^_^)
Faeda: "Oh, you mean, like a bad feeling?" (^_^)
Adie: "Yah! But... it's probably nothing." (;^_^)
Vi: (>_>)
Galen: "Well, you're probably sensing all the hi-jinks Captain Pete is going to put us through." (-_-)
Oar: "Ugh!" (-_-)
Adie: "Nope! I'm sure it will be fun!" (^o^)
Oar: (o_o)
Galen: "Crazy mage." (u_u)

"I think it will be fun too!" smiles Faeda. "Crazy seer." frowns Galen. "Yes." nods Vi, "Me too." "Crazy bard." he grumbles. "Well," shrugs Edeline, "This is the last shard, isn't it?" "Yes," says Faeda, "After this shard, my journey will be nearly complete." "Our journey." corrects Adie, "We're all in this together." Faeda smiles, "Yes. That's true. I'm happy to have you all, with me!" "Of course!" grins Galen, "Friends are suppose to be there for each other. Besides, we don't have anything else better to do."
Edeline smacks him in the head. "Ow!" he yells, "I was just kidding!" "Well," she frowns, "It wasn't funny." Vi and Faeda giggles. Oar sighs, annoyed. Our heroes continue traveling, towards Fox Arbor...