Scathae opened the door. "Yes?" she asked, confident that the boy wouldn't do anything. Runah looked out behind her, confused.

He held out his bell and looked at her pleadingly. He tried to slow his breathing down, all the running had really made him breathless.

"Please, you have to help me..." he panted, "Please... you said you were powerful..."

Scathae hesitated for a moment. She reached for it, slightly pulled her hand back, and then took it. "Are you sure? I havenen't done work in that field for a long time... I don't really know what I'm doing." she said, looking at the bell.

Malachi chewed on his fingers. Time was running out. If they didn't find his mother soon... he shook his head, trying to get rid of all the bad thoughts that lingered. No. He could still save her. He had to!

"Just... I just need her back..."

"Could you explain excactly what I need to do?" Scathae asked.

"What do you mean 'explain what to do'?!" Malachi raged, his voice rising as he started to get hysterical. "You're supposed to be the strongest magus out here! I just want to save my mother... that man took her somewhere... and I don't know how to find her!"

"Hm... tell me what you saw." she asked.

"That man..." he paused for a moment and frowned, "Jian... he attacked my mother... I couldn't see very well... but I could smell blood... She's hurt badly..."

He chewed on his lip. Perhaps asking this woman to help was a mistake. He knew his mother would most likely be furious that he was accepting help but he didn't mind. He wasn't like her.

Scathae looked down and sighed. "You said he took her somewhere, and the only one I could get to quickly is the Underworld. She better be there, or that woman is dead." she said. She took out a sword, drew a magic circle, and stuck the sword in the middle. A magic rune shone in her hand and she put it on the sword, a spot that had an etching the excact size and shape of the rune. The sword glew and magic marks took their place on the large magic circle. She retracted the sword and the magic circle became a portal to the Underworld. "Made that one myself, hehe! But I need payment first. Nothing gets nothing! But I'll wait till after we rescue. But before I get you back... then the price comes." she said, and smiled, proud of her work. "And you're mistaken. Sanar was my trainee but succeeded my level of skill and power. But... she's dead now, I presume? Meaning I'd be the one capable of doing this."

[ Edited Jul 31, 2012 ]