I latch onto an outcropping and wait as the others fall into the river as well.

Joss is the last one out, failed by one of the Council member, ungracefully hurtling himself after us.

I balance myself on the outcropping and load my bow, hoping my sopping arrows will fly right.

Miraculously, it does, and when the arrow hits the man, he is flung off course and lands on the bank of the river.

Ghosts surround him, eternal slaves. They are pale as Snow White eyes as black as obsidian. That's what Aroculan would've turned us into if it weren't for Kalin.

I leap into the water as Cicada nears my outcropping, and latch onto her hand. No matter what, not if I fail as saving my people, I cannot lose her. She is the only person who's loved me no matter my endless list of flaws.

We rush down the river, struggling to stay afloat against the powerful current.

The world is blurry, full of wetness as we twist and turn in the river, fighting the water as it threatens to submerge us.

My hand never leaves Cicada's as we float. If I lose her now, I will not be able to continue this wild goose case for a mysterious creature I've never seen.

We rush down the river which eventually drains into a calmer, wider river. I am plunged beneath the surface and claw upwards to get both Cicada and I above the water.

The others follow closely as a canoe with torches mounted in the sides pulls up to us.

The man inside the canoe is old, with white hair. He war ads a leather vest and trousers. He extends his hand to me.

"Give my your hand, kid," he says and I immediately reach out to him. He pulls me up into the canoe followed by Cicada.

Kalin swims over to us and he also climbs aboard.

"More rebel boats are coming for the other two," Kalin assures me. Then he gives me an incredulous look. "Alaric, your nose is broken."

I reach up and touch it gingerly, sending sparks of pain through my nerves.

"Here," he says gesturing for me to come closer. I do. He hold my face, pressing his thumbs to either side of my nose and pushes it back into place.

I let out a strangled cry as tears spring to my eyes and agony erupts through my face. I back away instinctively and hold my face protectively.

"It was just setting it," Kalin says, "it should be fine now."

The sailor rolls the oars through the lake. The boat and oars are made from wood. How long has a forest been growing down here?

In the middle of the lake-like body of water is a small island shaped like a claw, with a curl in the end. This must be the Strip.

The sailor docks the boat and we climb out onto the bouncy woods structure.

Once we are on solid land again, I collapse to the ground and lay there, relaxing my muscles. Cicada, Jonah, and Joss lay down on the stone next to me.

"These little buggers like death warmed over," the sailor notes, "what the hell did you do to them, Kalin?"

The servant-slash-rebel soldier chuckles. "I saved their asses is what I did, Dax."

"Ok. I want the leader of their group taken with us to the war room, and the others taken to the village to rest."

"I think the leader is that one."

Kalin and Dax help us to our feet. The surface of the island is blank, except a few docks lining the shores and a steel door embedded into the mountain in the center of the island. They take us to the doors which slides into the rock surrounding it like the doors to Verro.

Inside is a metal room, with grating covering the from. Dax pulls apart the grating and we step through onto the creaky machine. He steps in a closes the gate and the steel doors slide shut on their own.

"What is this?" I ask.

"This is an elevator, son, just recently put together about two years ago," Dax says as the machine begins to lower.

My stomach churns at the sensation of dropping. I can feel the delicious dinner in King Aroculan's Palace rising up my throat.

I can't keep it in. Vomit spills from my mouth onto the floor of the elevator.

The other back away from me.

"Holy crap kid, what'd you eat for dinner?" Dax says, but he doesn't seem angry at all.

Mercifully the ride is quick and we come to a stop at another set of steel doors just like the ones above. Dax pulls open the grating and the doors open automatically.

We emerge in a wide cavern, that isn't very big. The walls are carved circularly and only reach about ten yards above our heads. Booths are set up all around the cavern, and doors pockmark the walls.

People rush forward to help us. Dax and Kalin give them orders and in second my party is gone, it is just me, Dax and Kalin.

We cross the cavern to a little wooden door. Dax unlocks the door and we step inside.

The room is not small but not big. A circular table set up for eight sits in the very center of the square room. Maps and charts are tacked onto the wooden walls.

"The generals should be here any second," Dax says, "take a seat."

I sit down and one second later the door opens and four people walk in, three women, two men.

"Generals," Dax says, sitting at the table next to me, Kalin sits on my other side, "this is Alaric Constantine."

Collectively, the four people gasp as they take their seats.

"I believe that today is the day we take down King Aroculan and reclaim Arocule as a free, non-slave nation," Dax says.

"King Aroculan is dead," Kalin says. "The only thing standing between us and victory is the remaining Judgement Council," Kalin says.

"We storm the Arocule Palace as soon as possible," Dax says, "are all the troops ready?"

The four generals all say yes.

"Great, I want all the troops gathered in the surface of the island in twenty minutes. We'll send half of our men over the river first. I want the armory notified that the catapults should be prepared."

The generals nod and leave the war room.

"So," Dax says once it's just Kalin and I with him, "I hear you killed King Aroculan yourself."

I nod grimly.

"I knew you'd be the one to save us islanders from his evil draft. I'd like to make you an offer."

I look at him, to show him that I'm listening, but my mind is still back at the palace when I murdered Shamus, and I cannot bring myself to speak.

"When we take down the Council and unite Arocule once again, I wish to make you our new king," Dax says, looking my directly in the eyes with his watery blue ones.

It takes me a moment to register his proposal. "King?" I ask as if I hadn't heard him.

"Yes. I believe yo are solely responsible for our victory, and you have the blood of Alvus Constantine in your veins. You'd make a fine ruler."

"I can't."

"Well why not?"

"I didn't leave the Network to become royalty," I say, "I left because there's an even bigger threat on my home than Aroculan."

"Yes, I've heard that the Network is at war with Arosi. Fine, if you do not want to rule us, I ask that you lead my soldiers into battle. I know you'd inspire them."

"Dax, sir, I don't think you should ask a child to fight in a war," Kalin chimes in.

"He's already fully invested in his own war. It's not as if he doesn't have it in him to help us with ours," Dax says.

"He already has helped us, tremendously," Kalin retorts, "you cannot ask anymore of him."

"No," I say, cutting off their conversation, "I'll do it, on one condition."

"What?" They say in unison.

"I want my friends and I fed, dressed, and supplied with extra food, clothes, and weapons. While I'm gone I want every single whim of their's attended to. I want all of us to be more than ready to continue our quest before we leave here."

"Done," Dax says, smiling. "Now we must go above."

I trail Kalin and Dax through the cavern to the elevator, which has been cleaned. Dax talks to a few people before we head upward.

On the surface of the island, thousands of men have gathered. Dax helps me climb to the top of a small peak to talk to them.

"Soldiers of the Strip," Dax yells, "tonight is the night that we finally defeat Aroculan and the Judgement Council. Tonight is the night we finally rejoin our nation as one. I know this because Alaric Constantine stands next to me! Alvus has gifted us with his own flesh and blood. Alaric Constantine has made it all possible."

The soldiers below cheer and whoop, some chanting my name some chanting my grandfather's name.

"Tell them something," Dax whispers in my ear.

"I've been where you are," I say, "I've been faced with many impossibly feats that I overcame. So for any of you who still have doubts of winning this war, don't, because all it takes to get to victory is a belief in yourself."

After my speech the soldiers start loading onto landing crafts which are shipped across the river. I am given fresh arrows and I am put on one two.

Kalin is at my side the moment we step into enemy territory. Our soldiers march, at some point being met up with Aroculan's army, where the war begins.

Massive flaming boulders fly overhead and smash into the enemy. Screams and the metallic smell of blood fill the cavern, making my stomach churn.

At first I fight with my sword, mostly defending myself. Kalin is making progress toward the palace, where the remaining Council members sit safely.

My killer impulses come alive again and this time, in the middle of a battle, I do not try to stifle them. I let them loose.

My blade goes crazy, slashing here and deflecting there, effectively protecting my body from harm.

Finally we are at the river crossing beneath the window. I just excapee form this place not even and hour ago and here I am.

We leap over the narrow river and emerge in a dark tunnel. I click my tongue against the roof of my mouth to activate my echolocation.

I sheath my sword and load my bow, wanting to be prepared for anything. The tunnels beneath the palace twist and turn, hopefully leading towards the upper levels.

The tunnel ends in a heavy looking set of double doors.

"I don't know how we are going to get through these," Kalin says pushing on the doors helplessly.

"I've got this," I say. I close my eyes and imagine the door. It's the exact same door as in front of me, except there's a stack of gunpowder kegs in front of it. I also imagine the tip of my arrow aflame.

I open my eyes and see that my mind has created reality.

"How...how did you do that?" Kalin asks, wide eyed.

"It was a gift from Alvus."

We step back and I take aim on the gunpowder kegs.

I fire and my arrow whizzes through the air, penetrating one of the barrels.

At first nothing happens. Everything goes silent, and then the entire tunnel is consumed by a plume of fire and rubble.

Kalin pulls me around the bends second before the inferno disintegrates me.

Smoke fill the corridor, suffocating me as we sprint through the rubble of the door.

There are about a hundred soldiers in this room, pulling a massive cage mounted on wheels toward the door. Inside the cage is a horde of minions, crammed against each other and snapping their teeth in fury since they can't move anything else.

"We're under attack!" A soldier yells.

They haven't seen us yet, so we rush toward a shadowed corner near the door.

The two of us can't defeat one hundred soldiers. But more importantly, how did the manage to trap the Dragon's minions?

I close my eyes and imagine the scene that I last saw. I watch as soldier move around my mind's peripheral vision. I imagine a plume of fire erupting from the ground beneath their feet. Fire consumes most of them, casting them all across the cavern..

I open my eyes and watch as the fire dies. Now there only remains about twenty of the soldiers.

"Open the cage!" I here. I can't let them do that. The minions will flood the battlefield and we'll lose our advantage.

I close my eyes again. A soldier is turning the dial on the lock. I imagine his hands bursting into flames. He screams and waves them frantically in the air.

But it's too late. The lock is open and the minions are banging hard against the cage, knocking the lock out of the door. I imagine the doors are hole again, and shut tight.

I open my eyes and the gate of the massive cage is flung from its hinges and minions pour out, slamming their bodies against the door like rapid beasts.

My head is aching now. I've overused my powers. I load my bow and creep along the wall, toward the staircase where the twenty soldiers stand, their eyes wide with fear.

The entire building rumblings and I lose my footing. I press my palm against the wall to study myself. Presumably a catapult has hit the palace.

We need to get out of here.

I need to conjure one last vision. I close my eyes and cracks form along the floor beneath the minions feet. They remain unfazed, biting and clawing uselessly against the wood.

The cracks widen as and the rock collapses into an endless pit below, taking the minions with it.

The twenty soldiers are frozen with fear. Kalin rushes forward and knocks them all unconscious with his fists.

"Do not kill any soldiers. Once we win we will give them the choice to stay and live in peaceful Arocule, or to leave."

We rush up the stairs, careful not to step on the sleeping soldiers.

The stairs twist left and end in a small cavern.

The six Council member sit in a circle, holding hands. How could they be so passive as there world crumples around them?

I pull back my bowstring and fire, my arrow sticking in the back of one of the members. They all snap their ghostly heads in our direction as their comrade falls over, dead.

They stand and face us, now only five of them.

"You've made a mistake, Alaric Constantine. Today you will die and Arosi will succeed in taking over the Network. All your people will die and your petty quest will have been for nothing," the one in the middle says.

I sling my bow over my shoulder and draw my sword, ready to fight for my life. I will not die today. The existence of my people depends on it.

I slash my sword at the nearest Council member. He doges and lunges at me, grabbing me by the shoulders and flinging me against the wall. I bring my feet up and push off the wall, slamming into the chest of the member and flipping over his shoulders. My blade slides through his back and into his heart.

Two more member swarm me. Now that my Impulse Warrior skills are in check, I should be able to defeat them.

I rip my blade from the body of their comrade and dodge their flailing claws swiftly.

One tackles me and we skid across the floor. I bring my feet up into his gut and fling him into the wall. His spine shattered against the stone. I roll over and push myself bodily to my feet as the next one strikes with its wickedly long fingernails.

I sidestep its strike and kick its feet out from under it. It falls onto its chest and I slide my blade through its nape.

Kalin is fending off the last two. Four of them lay dead on the stone.

Kalin slashes his blade across one of the members throat, the same way he killed Tessa and Daloth.

He has his back turned to the last member, and the ghostly man pulls a knife from the folds of his robe.

I raise my sword and fling it across the room. It spirals through the air and the blade sticks into the members side. He collapses hard to the stone floor.

We've defeated the Council. Now we must defeat the soldiers on the battlefield.

"We need to get the other servants out of the palace," Kalin says. "They are rebels too and if we don't win tonight and they are still here, they will surely be killed."

We rush up more stairs into the main corridor. People flood the hallway, murmuring in confusion.

"Rebels!" I hear a soldier yell. At least forty soldiers come running at us.

My head throbs as I close my eyes. I imagine the soldier falling asleep, collapsing to the wooden floor unconscious.

I open my eyes and all of the people are staring at me, stunned. The soldiers are unconscious.

"We need to get the battle outside to stop, we need to get them to surrender," Kalin says.

I rub my temples, a vain effort to ease my headache. I have an idea, but I requires more visions, and I'm not sure I can handle it.

"Is there an way to the Strip through the crystal room outside?" I ask.

"Yes," Kalin says, looking nervous.

"Get all the servants and anyone who isn't a soldier out of the palace," I say.

Them I start down the corridor, sprinting toward the dining balcony.

They are all still here. Shamus, Tessa, and Aroculan still lie dead on the floor.

I avert my eyes from Shamus's shattered face and look out at the battle raging in the fields. Soldiers and ghostly slaves clash with rebels, each killing their fare-share of enemies. The fields are pockmarked with creators that I'm guessing are from the catapults on the Strip.

I close my eyes and start speaking, imagining that my voice is echoing across the entire cavern.

"My name is Alaric Constantine. I am the great, great, great, great, great grandson of Alvus Constantine himself."

In my vision the people have stopped fighting, and look around at the roof of the cavern, confused. Some have spotted me standing in the widow.

"I am in these parts of the ground because the Dragon, Arosi, has declared war on my people, but I believe my grandfather brought be here for another reason as well. He brought me here to end this savage war. Alvus is a symbol of light for us in the Network. He lights our Hearth everyday in the Network. King Aroculan was darkness, or at least a piece of it. He had dark intent for his people, and today his actions have caught up with him.

"Next to me lies his body, and the body of Tessa, a Judgement Council member. The other are dead as well. There is no one left in this entire cavern that has the power to continue the atrocities that they started. Soldiers, I ask you now to lay down you swords. The islander rebels have won the war. Surrender or suffer the consequences."

My head thumps loudly when I open my eyes. The last thing I see before I pass out is the soldiers dropping their weapons.