- Before you ask who I am, let me introduce myself. I'm Genusha Sab Ar Irati Ashemi. I'm a merchant, but more importantly, I'm part of the resistance against the high queen, and her tyranny. As I said, you were not found by your friends. You were found by us, and only because of him - the Sabhetani pointed at Bashan, who was completely silent up till this point.

The old man smiled.

- I'm also part of the resistance - he informed me. - The very moment I heard of you, I knew that you might be an important piece. The fact that the high queen stripped you of your powers meant she was actually afraid. That's why I informed the rest about your whereabouts, and also helped to create this reunion.

I nodded.

- Thank you... But what now? Can we leave this planet? Can we escape? She is still in my head.

- Yes, she is - Bashan agreed. - We knew that from the beginning, and we have a solution for that.

- Yes - said Genusha. - I believe it's time to change our location.

Without a word Daniel nodded, and moved deeper in the shadows, to touch something on the wall. Almost without a sound part of the floor started moving, revealing a staircase that was barely visible, and after two steps completely gone in the darkness.

- This way - he said, pulled a flashlight from his pocket and started walking.

The rest followed him. I hesitated, but Bashan pushed me, forcing me to take a step. I followed them, with the old man just behind me, but he quickly caught up, and we were walking side by side.

- Why didn't you say anything earlier? - I asked him.

- That would be foolish. The secrecy needed to be kept until we were ready to move.

- How are we gonna escape? And what will happen to Druoag and Yagg?

- Yagg should be dead by now. I poisoned him. There was no other choice. Druoag went to make sure he will be discovered, and enough ruckus is caused by all of this. He probably is already waiting for you at the end of this tunnel. If not he will join shortly. As for the escape route... That's something Genusha prepared.

- What about Vazasse. Is he also in this? He has definitely been behaving strangely.

- Yes, he is - confirmed Bashan, as we were reached the stairs, and started moving down.

In front of us was a dark tunnel, just like the old man said, with rough flor made of grey stone, and walls in the color of sand, clearly man-made.

- Vazasse is our very old ally that has been placed here and waiting for his chance to do something for our cause. I arranged for us, to come here because I knew he might be helpful. Together we came up with a plan to eliminate Yagg, and get you out of here.

- What if somebody checks his mind? - I asked immediately, since I already experienced that, and knew what consequences this could bring.

- He is gonna provide all clues to the high queen, and answer all her questions on top of swearing to find you - he smiled. - This will become the focus of his life from now on. Officially to clear his honor, but really to make sure the rebellion will have all information it needs about the pursuit. She won't even think once he could be accomplished in this. At least not until it's too late.

- I'm too weak to fight her... Even if I had my powers back.

- Genusha might be able to help with that.

- Can he remove her from my head? - I asked, as a spark of hope brighten my usually dark thoughts.

- I don't know the details. You will need to talk with him.

I focused my eyes on the silhouette of the Sabhetani, ahead of me, just as they all stopped in front of a door. Daniel pressed something on the wall, and those slid open revealing light blocked partially by the massive body of Druoag covering the whole entrance and whatever was further in the chamber.

- I guess it's the time for me - said Bashan.

My focus immediately changed to him.

- What do you mean? - I asked.historical

- I can't go with you.

- What? Why?

- The high queen won't believe in Vazasse's story if he doesn't deliver her something important. For example, somebody who was behind all this. He needs to capture me, and deliver me to her.

- She might kill you, or what's even worse, break your mind.

The old man smiled.

- She won't - he said with a calm voice, and then turned around, to start walking in the direction we just came from. - You can't break a dead's man mind.

His last words shocked me, and for a second I had a desire to rush after him and stop him, but then I realized that it's not a battle that can be won without sacrifices. Some had to die, to give the rest a chance to change the world for the better. I was this 'rest'.

As I watched his back, slowly vanishing in the darkness ahead I made a vow to myself that one day I will dethrone the high queen. That was the last time I ever saw Bashan.

I slowly turned around and followed the rest of the group patiently waiting for me. Seeing that I'm moving, they started entering one by one.

p The chamber was round and large. Bright thanks to a crystal embedded in the ceiling. Except that, completely empty with our group, and two other figures. One was Druoag, visibly sad, but silent. The other one was hidden under the same heavy cloak my friends were wearing, with a deep hood covering the head.

I ignored the mysterious person and focused my eyes on Genusha. The idea of getting rid of the high queen in my head was just too powerful to be ignored or even delayed. I needed to know.

- Bashan said you might have w way to fix me - I said to him, as I got closer, passing by others.

He smiled at me.

- No. I don't have a way to do that.

His words struck me like a lightning, and I immediately thought this whole thing might be some kind of weird attempt to eliminate me. Calludins were known for their psychic powers, and I was quite vulnerable to those. There was a possibility of them manipulating my mind to lure me to a secluded place to deliver the finishing blow.

That story was something my mind produced in a split of a second.. I immediately looked around like a feral animal, ready to defend myself.