Annalise waited for everyone to clear out of the camp before she headed back to her squads. She followed the same path out that she had used coming in. She stopped once to observe the vegetation; it was much greener than what she remembered.

That meant that IT had more power. The young souls they had acquired lately were not so many to account for this high increase of IT's power. 'Great' she thought ironically, her task of obtaining IT just got much harder.

These were news that she had to deliver to her King urgently. As soon as she travelled a good distance on foot that she felt it was safe, she started flying towards Castle Gold. She was almost running through the corridors. She made a quick right turn and was knocked on the ground. She turned around to see who had come in her way. She had literally just bumped heads with the Queen!

Stella was transported to a room filled with tea roses. Every inch of the room was covered with roses. White, yellow, orange, blood red, a rainbow of colours as far as her eyes could see. There was no obvious way out of the room.

She took one step forward, thorns scratched her skin. Hastily she moved back but the roots of the roses snaked around her legs, arms and torso. She fought to break free, the Gold blood was flowing all around her, excruciating pain was shooting through her body pinning her to the soggy soil. The next moment her body was covered with rose pedals and she was levitating in the room. Warmth spreading through all her senses.

Loud noises broke her serenity; the room was shifting. It formed itself into a tunnel, a dark tunnel of roses. Abruptly she started falling; the tunnel was swallowing her up. Her eyes flew wide open and Stella came back to reality.

"I apologize Queen Stella, I was not looking were I was going." Annalise said avoiding eye contact and quickly got back on her feet, "let me help you get up."

"Go! Leave now", screamed the Queen.

Annalise could not get away fast enough.

Stella got up and went to her chambers to relax. The vision she had when her head touched that soldiers head was bizarre.

◇◇◇◇

Joas had just landed a punch on Iris face. Iris took a few steps back, wiped her nose with the back of her hand to push away the blood. She swiftly crouched to the floor, leaned on her hands and kicked out her right leg. Joas went down hard. She jumped on him and pinned him to the floor.

"Match point?" She enquired with one eyebrow raised.

"Is that so?" He countered as he used his weight and span her around so that he was on top.

"Really?"

"Hmmmm..." was the only response Joas offered.

She wrapped her legs around his torso and with a sudden burst of energy she pushed him back, stood on her feet and landed a hard punch in his stomach.

"Match point," she declared. "Next time don't hold back, they certainly won't be." She informed him gesturing with her head out the window.

"I wasn't holding back", he growled at her. "You grew stronger, just like IT grew stronger the past week."

"Ahh, the perks of having friends," she teased. Joas was always curious how her bond with IT worked but would never ask her anything about it.

"Annalise was watching the mock wars. We staged a fake battle for her to have something to report back to Castle Gold. However, I'm sure that she noticed that IT is growing stronger."

"That is an issue," she said deep in thought.

"It is. It should be dealt with sooner rather than later," he advised.

"I will ask Zanti to put a spell on Silyn to disguise the radiance of colours oozing out of the plants," she said firmly, "it's temporary, I will talk to IT to contain its powers or channel it somewhere less obvious."

A cloudsoldier run through the room standing in front of them panting. His hands on his knees trying to catch a breath.

"Well?" Joas inquired.

"Ann...Annal...Annalise," he took a breath, "saw", another breath, "leaves".

"Form a sentence soldier." Joas ordered.

"Annalise came close to the camp and as she was leaving she noticed the leaves on the roots that were more alive today than yesterday," he blurted out.

"What? Ask Madelin to come here, NOW." He barked.

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