Daero's light revealed old drawings of Kathula carved into the stone walls. Warriors with spears and swords battling a mass of shadow with red eyes were spread across one side of the wall. On the other were more drawings depicting the lives of Kathula in ancient times. The gatherings of the Shaman and Shamala from different clans, the old teaching the young, scenes of childbearing, potion making, sewing, farming, every aspect of Kathula life.

"I wonder how old these are?" she whispered.

"Centuries, maybe," Daero said.

As the tunnel stretched on, gradually the drawings became sparse. Another burst of drawings appeared. The scent of chemical Human paint still lingering in the air as if recently made.

Frowning, Pinti followed the carved silhouette of a Kathula with the symbol above the head indicating it was a female handing a staff to a male child. The swirls on their bodies told her these were Cheripian. Masses of shadows over Kathula filled the walls. The male held up the staff and Pinti saw, for the first time, words underneath him in modern Kathulan.

"One day Edglings will kill Kathula. Darkness cannot be stopped," she read in a whisper. Lines and dots marking this year in the Kathulan Lunar calendar followed and then a name: "Xohr Tamido V'kuthiar."

"The bastard was here," Daero said with a growl when Pinti told him. "That's vandalization. Here, look." He pointed to another painting on the other side of the wall. It was a single Edgling holding the scepter.

"I bet he drew this, too." He hissed at the Xohr painted on the wall.

"Heizak." She scowled. "You can't stop me, feigat Cheripian."

As they continued on, the ceiling and the floor began to glow a whitish blue. Pinti bent down to touch the smooth floor, curious as to where the light came from. Her paw grazed a loose stone and she picked it up.

"Looks like a moonstone." Daero peered over her shoulder. "Like the Aurvandil stone".

As she stared at the stone, her eyes caught sight of a streak of light traveling from her feet deeper into the tunnel. Daero noticed it too and they followed the light this way and that as the tunnel curved and twisted. At last, the streaks of light disappeared under a rock face, blocking the way. Runic symbols were the only clues.

"Can you read that?" She pointed. Daero lifted the light to the ceiling.

"It says 'Lunar light, passage answers'. You need to open the door with your magick. I'm guess, runic words to match the inscriptions."

Pinti shook her head. "Never learned to do that."

"I can teach you the runic names that make up the phrase 'door open'."

It was worth a try. "Alright, what do I have to say?"

"Just repeat after me. Aufen. Reida." When he said the names, little runic symbols appeared on his paw and vanished.

"Aufen. Reida." Pinti felt the runic names on her tongue. "Now what?"

"Make your mark glow and say the words but while you say them, imagine the rock is opening up somehow. Any way is fine. Magick is all about imagination, really."

She made her mark glow and imagined the rock rolling open.

"Aufen. Reida," she said and waited for runic symbols to appear like they did for Daero, but nothing happened. Disappointed that it didn't work, she was about to turn away when the rock crumbled. Both she and Daero coughed on the dust as it blew up around them.

"Well see now! I was right." Daero smirked and coughed. "C-Congratulations, Pinti. Your first try at runic magick." He batted the air. "Contemplating wind magick, but might make it worse."

Runic magick? Me? She shook dust from her fur. "But no runic symbols came out," she said.

Daero batted at the dust. "Sorcerers mainly do that for aesthetic ethics," he explained. "It just looks pretty. You don't have to make runes appear for the magick to work, actually."

When the dust finally cleared a cavern made of moonstone revealed itself. A bluish white full moon peek in through a hole above. Pale blue light poured into the cavern making the walls shimmer silver and azure. Basking in moonlight, embedded deep in molten moonstone was a long golden staff. Intertwined vines crept up to an elongated oval cage with a red moonstone hovering inside, just like the drawing.

"Oh, my starlights," Daero breathed out.

It's real! She gasped. Tears burst from her eyes and she crumbled to the floor. Relief swelled through her body, her tail quivered, and paws trembled.

"It's real." She choked on her words. Of course, not for one second did she doubt it was fake. It was not some rumor, legend, or drawing in an old book—the Scepter of Tamido was right before her eyes.

"Oh, my starlights," Daero said again. "Are you seeing this Deel?" he whispered at the moon. "The Scepter of Tamido. We made it."

We made it. It had seemed so impossible not too long ago. She couldn't believe she almost gave up. A tickle of a laugh pushed up her chest and she let out a trill of joy.

She faced him with a grin. "I guess the gamble paid off?"

Daero laughed. "Indeed, it did! We're alive in the Sixth Ring with the Scepter of Tamido in paw's reach. How about that." His smile faded. "It's now or never. One wish, once in a hundred years, Pinti."

Pinti gave a firm nod. This was it, the end of her journey. She had the scepter before her and all she needed to do was wish to protect Kathula. Not revenge. No more hurt. Daero helped her realize that letting go didn't mean forgetting, that Kathula needed protection, not revenge.

Setting her mouth in a tight line, she stepped up to the scepter. Heart pounding, she closed her eyes, made her mark glow, and touched the hard, cold surface. Wind whistled as it traveled down the tunnel. Daero's breathing turned shallow so as not to disturb her. At first, she didn't know what to say, but then the words came easily.

Scepter of Tamido, I ask for your help. I am Pinti Segnoshua, Shamala of Makiista. I have come here to wish for protection for all Kathula from here on, forever. A hushed quiet surrounded her. She made her Lunar marking glow, feeling the warm Lunality flow through her body. Daero said magick was imagination, so she imagined her Lunar magick flowing into the scepter.

Time passed. The cold surface of the scepter warmed under her body heat. She opened her eyes a slit. Nothing was happening.

"I wish to protect Kathula," she said out loud this time, staring into the cage at the hovering red moonstone. Wasn't something supposed to happen? Her heart pounded against her chest. Had she done something wrong? Was she too late?

Her ears twitched at the sound of a loud, scruffy voice—Orvineau. He was coming and the scepter wasn't working. Pinti released the scepter and grabbed it again, making her mark glow at the same time and wishing at the same time but nothing happened.

Daero cleared his throat. "Is everything alrigh—?"

"I don't know!" She hissed. "It's not doing anything."

Guttural shouts echoed in the tunnel, bouncing against the walls of the cavern. Daero stood still with his ears perked upright. "I'll go hold them off," he said and drew his sword of light from its invisible sheath. Pinti gasped and turned.

"Wait," she called, "don't die."

Daero gave her a smirk and said, "Remember what I said, Sorcerers don't die easily." His pawsteps pattered and faded as he ran off.

Once he was gone, Pinti focused on the wish again. She chanted it out loud, in her head, half out loud and in her head, and she even tried touching different parts of the scepter, but nothing was happening.

A strange wheezing sound and a thump startled her. Coming into the cavern was Saboteur in his wolf-like form. He was breathing hard and dragging himself on one knee. Black ooze splurged out from his side where he held his paw over a wound.

Pinti was lost for words. She had never seen him in such a defeated state. She didn't even know Edglings could get hurt.

"It's not working for you, is it?" He spoke slow, grunting as he leaned against the wall. Pinti twitched her ears, catching the sounds of Daero cursing, swords clanking, guttural sounds mingled with screeching, and rocks crumbling. Saboteur let out a growl.

Pinti faced him. "You did something to this before I got here, didn't you?" she said, realizing that was probably why he helped her escape.

Saboteur glared at her. "I told you we knew where it was, but we needed the one with Lunality to make it visible. It answers to your Lunality the moment you used your magick to open the door. I've peered down through that hole above. There was nothing there before." He pointed to the scepter. "It was empty! Just the holder, but I knew, we knew that's where—"

She hissed at him, not wanting to listen to his excuses and stories. Gritting her teeth, she reached for the scepter again and wished while making her mark glow, but nothing happened. Annoyed, she stood up.

"It's not working!" she groaned. What more did it want her to do?

Her eyes widened when Saboteur began to crawl towards her. She couldn't let him touch it! Pinti grabbed the rod and yanked, but it was embedded in the moonstone.

Saboteur dragged himself across the ground. "Your duty is over, Pinti."

"Stay away from me!" she shouted, baring her fangs. A piercing sour fear scent hit her nose making it hard to concentrate on much else.

Daero came bursting into the room. "I can't hold Orvineau too long."

In his paws was a rope. He tugged at it and a cry of pain came from the other end. "And Edglings are coming." He flashed a glare at Saboteur and said, "Tell her."

"What?" Pinti demanded, but Daero ran off. Something had suddenly gone on between the two of them?

"I'll kill you, parasite! The scepter is mine!" Orvineau's scream catapulted down the tunnel. She had to figure out something quick or they would all be dead.

Then, her paw brushed against something etched into the scepter. Squinting her eyes, she recognized ancient Kathulan, but it was too scribbly for her to read. At the end of the inscription was the Lunar marking. Touching it, she felt her mark glow on its own and heard a male's voice in her head, singing the Song of the Scepter like it had in Vrebrinfeld Lowlands.

After the song ended, there was a pause of a few heart beats. The voice returned with a low growl and she felt a deep, ancient magick cover her body like a heavy blanket.

Stories in rocks, tales of home

Whistling wind, moonlit night

One must traverse through darkness alone

To Elgana, they return the light

The deep voice filled her body and her Lunar marking glowed. Maybe now she was ready? When she glanced up, Saboteur was suddenly right there on the other side of the scepter. His red eyes were orange.

He reached for the scepter and it began to glow.

"No," She grabbed for it, "this is my duty!" she said, but the moment she touched it, the light disappeared.

"Why won't it work for me?" she wailed. Everything made sense for it to be her. No other Kathula with Lunality had been searching for the scepter or believed in it. But for her, the scepter remained dull and dark. Feeling defeated, she let go, but she couldn't give up. She had come so far in this journey!

"I just want to do this foh Kattola," she whispered, and tears stung her eyes. She pounded the floor with her fist. "I don't want to fail."

The scepter was glistening in the moonlight and the red moonstone occasionally sparkled when the light hit, but it was so useless to her. Saboteur sat opposite her, but not looking at her.

Wind whistled down the tunnel bringing guttural sounds. The Edglings were coming. Soon they would be upon her.

"Orvineau has Kalis," Saboteur broke his silence.

"Heizak, you brought her here?" She hissed at him. If Orvineau could manipulate Kalis, she would most certainly wish for the destruction of the world and the Edglings would rule and Kathula would die. Pinti could not let that happen.

There has to be something I can do, right? she thought desperately but already doubt seeped into her mind, weighing exhaustion on her shoulders, tempting her to give up.

Just then tentacles shot out of his back, latching around her arms and waist, shoving her against the opposite wall. With a yowl, she tried to squirm free, but his grip was too tight.

"Let me go!" she screamed, struggling in his grasp. He ignored her and muttered something under his breath. The scepter began to glow in response and the red moonstone melted, dripping out of its cage and onto the moonstone alter. The alter shimmered in golden, yellow light. Runic symbols appeared on the surface.

"Feigat!" Pinti hissed until her throat hurt.

Saboteur turned. A faint smile on his lips. "It was us, Pinti."

"Don't you do anything more! Feigat, feigat!" Tears hit her eyes, as she gritted her teeth. Unsheathed claws dug into her paw pads. Tentacles squeezed her so much, she couldn't move even her neck to bite his flesh.

Why won't it work for me? I'm the one Kathula needs! She could only watch in desperation as he placed a paw on the Scepter of Tamido.