__________
Zach
___________

    Flugura decided to come with us. She wanted to see Zara safe, like the rest of us. Plus, according to Jay, she didn't travel much and had no idea where she was going.

    "She's very secretive, I don't know anything about her past." Jay commented as  we walked.

    Most of our party was up in the air. But seeing how Fulgura could not fly I took the gentlemanly option and walked down here with her. Jay was down here too, because Sarah tended to forget when to warn him when he might crash into a tree, or a bird, or herself. Honestly the two were like squabbling siblings sometimes.

"She's right in front of us." I hissed.

"I can hear you." She informed, her ears flicking back.

"Sorry." I apologized.

"Whatever, you want to know about me?" She slowed her pace to match ours.

"Not if you don't want to." I answered, just as Jay said, "yes please."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I grew up with my family, then they kicked me out when I was ten. I've been living on my own for four years. Happy?"

"So you're fourteen?" I asked. She nodded.

Jay shoved my shoulder lightly. "Just out of curiosity, when was your birthday?"

She gave him an odd look but complied. "A little more than a month ago."

I wondered what Jay was getting at, when it hit me. He wondered if we had stumbled upon another Great Beast on accident, like we had with pretty much all of them. She would have turned fourteen the same day as Feurige and Ipa.

"Have you ever heard of a fox named Levitas?" I started.

    She stopped dead, Jay nearly crashed into her.

    "Yes, yes I have, is that good or bad?" She answered.

    My eyes went wide. "That's good, really good."

"Sheesh, now we have to give her a rundown of everything that's happened." Jay made, what looked like an attempt to roll his eyes.

"Basically there was this prophecy, when the four have reached their fourteenth year-"

"Their cursed spells shall dissapear." She finished, staring at me in awe. "I've heard it before."

    "There we go, it's official." Jay announced. "Welcome to the life of a Great Beast."

    "What?"

    For the next hour or so Jay and I explained to Fulgura the legend of the Four Greast Beasts, along with the prophecies and the events leading up to now. She explained how she had been receiving visions ever since her birthday and how she had her powers. Fulgura had some minimal control over lightning, which also counted as the element air mentioned in the prophecy. She probably would, in time, learn how to summon the wings that Fuerige and Ipa had mastered.  But there was no doubt, Fulgura was the third one we were looking for.

    "It must be a sign." I told Kennon over out dinner. He wasn't really paying attention but I was excited all the same.

    "If you think so." The sixteen-and-a-half year old answered.

    "Okay, what's bothering you?" I asked, genuinely concerned.

    "It's nothing." He side stepped around that conversation smoothly. Then began to wash his tail.

    "Is it Arroyo?" I guessed. He sighed.

    "Yes. You should be more worried about the prophecies Glamora keeps sending us Zach. There's so many, they're clearly trying to tell us something. I'm stressed about the 'brother lost mortality' part."

    I settled down a bit. It was my concern. Just because I didn't have a brother doesn't mean I should be carefree and happy as a lark. Kennon was worried about Arroyo and Ocaso and Annabeth were probably worrying over Ostend. The thought made me feel guilty.

    "Speaking of that, where are the other two heirs?" I asked.

    Kennon scowled. "You've been so caught up in your sister hunt you've barely noticed them. They've barely kept up with us in the past few days Zach. And the two have been acting strange. They're only twelve Zach, twelve!"

    I recoiled. "Are they okay?"

    He gritted his teeth. "I don't know they won't talk to me!"

    I quietly withdrew from his anger. I know Kennon, he's not usually like that. I understand why, he's probably just as stressed over his coronation as I am, probably more. And I know he wants to be a Magycian, that would lead him away from from being Chieftain, and then the burden would fall to Arroyo. Which might be unfair to his little brother. And maybe Kennon was sick and tired of being his father's son. Now that I thought about it, he really was under a heavy burden.

    Ocaso and Annabeth weren't even old enough to worry about that. I didn't even know if I was.

    Great Glamora, having royal blood can really suck sometimes.

    I found the two of them sitting together lose to the center of the camp we have set up. They were talking quietly to  a familiar calico, Skylark. I thought a little bit about approaching them, Skylark looked like she had already addressed the problem and was comforting them. I bit my lip and started to turn around, when Skylark called out my name.

    "Wait up there tiger." She appeared right next to me.

"Hey." I greeted.

"Hey, I was talking to the White-claws. They told me about some sort of Magyk connection they had with Ostend. I was wondering if you had it too? With Zara?"

I took a deep breath. Part of me was angry. They had told Skylark. This was something so personal between me and my sister, more precious than anything I had ever felt before. We hadn't told anyone.

"Yeah, but when we fought in Sound I broke the connection by hurting her." I admitted.

She gave me a sympathetic look and wrapped a wing around me. We sat down as I told the story.

"It started when we tried to find a cure for the Ghostcough outbreak. I could feel what she was feeling, and then I began to hear her voice inside my head. I'm not crazy though am I?" I said quickly, noting the unstressed look she gave me.

"No! In fact, this is extremely fascinating. This kind of Magyk is called Kin Loqui, only it's been extinct for centuries! It's found more commonly in twins, I'm surprised the triplets have picked up on it." She marvled.

"Kennon too." I pointed out.

Her eyes went wide. "Him too? Great Glamora! This is amazing."

"You won't tell anyone else right?" I asked, scared she would go off to Lysander, who would tell Sierra, and pretty soon everyone would gawk at me.

"Why not?" She asked, her green eyes getting all meaningful again.

"Because, well, it's kind of personal." I managed.

She smiled warmly. "Well, if it's really that important you. I'm glad you could trust me."

"Me too." I answered.

We sat in an awkward silence before she rose. "Well, I'm off to bed. The early Scribe-claw gets the publishing rights! That's what I always say."

"Goodnight." I whispered softly.

"To you as well." Were her last words to me.

I sighed contently as I watched her calico tail disappear into a nearby bush. For some reason I felt too happy. Oh well, I'd better get some sleep myself. We have a big, cave finding day to get to tomorrow.