I waited for Tellka to finish closing the door before starting down the staircase after Frank. Are you sure you are going to be okay?

"Grr......"

I sighed. The growls and hissings from around me kept distracting me. As we reached the bottom of the stairs something caught my attention. I could feel my ears turn trying to find the source of the sound.

"Do... Do... you hear that????" I stepped up behind Frank and asked him quietly.

"Human ears, Kate. Do you really think he is going to-"

"I thought that I was only hearing things... You heard that too?" Frank asked quietly. I shivered and he turned to look at me. The noise came again and I could feel my fur standing on end as my ears twitched.

"Well then.. He has better ears then I thought." Tellka stepped up behind me. "I'm hearing it too... It's coming from out there." She looked out the door to the darkness beyond us.

Frank moved toward me. "Don't worry Kate... I won't let anything happen to you." He said quietly. I looked into his eyes for a moment and felt a bit of comfort. He seemed to care so much. I nodded slowly at him. I heard Tellka grumble quietly behind me.

"Hey.. Who's your assigned gaurdian here.. Him or me?"

Geesh Tellka, you've gotten really nastly lately. Does his new Persona bother you that much?

"No, his new Persona bothers me more then that much, but what's becoming really annoying is the way that you've just been hanging all over him."

TELLKA! That's NOT true.. I haven't been hanging all over him... have I?

Tellka growled quietly, but I don't think Frank heard it. He was heading towards the door. "Wait here... I'll go check it out. I'll be right back." Frank unsheathed his rapier. The noise sounded again, only louder. It seemed like someone or something was groaning.

"There it is again..." Tellka grumbled.

"Frank... Be careful... please..." I told Frank in a caring tone. Frank looked at my and smiled. I saw him glanced over at Tellka and shrug. He must have noticed that she was not in the best of moods at the time.

"I'll be back..." He said as he exited the ruined doorway. I sat down to wait for a while.

"I hope he'll be okay." I sighed.

"Do you think that you'll manage to live with him gone for a few moments?" Tellka growled out again.

I blinked at her in amazment. "Tellka.. What is your problem? You weren't acting this way around him before..." Tellka turned away from me and just batted her ears in annoyance. I studied her for a moment. "Tellka.. what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Tellka grumbled and started pacing. "What's taking him so long? Come on, let's go find him." Tellka started out the door. I watched her for a moment and I jumped up to follow her out.

I could hear Frank talking to someone as Tellka guided me towards him. He turned and looked surprised when he saw us by him. "We were worried about you, Frank. So Tellka decided that we should follow you..." I noticed an injured Windian by Frank and let out a small gasp in surprise. The Windian turned to me.

"Are you Kate???" She asked. I looked at her for a moment and nodded. "Ms. Harlow is worried about you. I wish I could get out of here and help you three... but I've got a problem of my own." I blinked. Carrie sent her? She must be one of Windia's guards then. She turned to Frank and continued to talk.

"Frank... can you tell me what happened??? Why are there demons all over the colliseum?" I noticed her wince in pain. It was then that I saw the huge wound that she had on her leg, and I cringed a bit and backed up close to Tellka.

Frank reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small red orb. Tellka and I gave him an odd look, as did the Windian.

"What is that?" Tellka asked.

"It's a Bloodorb. I bought these medicines back home... Since all of these things had happened, the healing powers of conventional medicines has been enhanced." Frank explained. I blinked.

The what? Enhanced medicines.... Bloodorb.. what?

"Later.. I'll explain later."

"So... What are you going to do with it?" The Windian asked.

"I'm going to use it to heal you." Frank replied. "The only drawback is taht you are going to be extremely tired after I use it. Don't worry we'll move you to a safe place."

"Wait... before you use that... could you explain what is going on here???"

"Redwing... is the cause of all this..." I said quietly. "He must have summoned all these things... and he tried to kill me... like he did..." I could feel tears brimming my eyes and stopped talking in hopes that they would go away. It didn't work though, and I could feel the tears begin to stream down my cheeks as Frank came over to me and hugged me.

"Kate... please... you don't have to talk about it..." Frank said in a soothing tone. I looked at Frank but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't stop crying. After a while I just gave up and let the tears fall.

"Are you ok?" Tellka asked me.

I turned to Tellka and nodded. She studied me for a moment and nodded back.

The Windian spoke up. "I'm... sorry Kate... for what must have happened. What are you three going to do?" Frank glanced from me to the guard.

"He's gone too far. He's a demon, disguised as an Angel... The glowing eyes proved it. We're going to stop him and return this place to normal, even if it means killing h im." Frank said seriously. I looked up at him.

"You've got my consent. He always treated us without respect. Now I know why..." The guard said weakly. She reached into her armor and pulled out her identification. "Listen... I know that you three are going to fight him... And I truly believe that you can stop him... When you get out of here... Give this to the other guard waiting outside. Tell him where I am, and that I'm okay." She explained.

Frank nodded and let go of me as he stepped forward to retrieve the guards ID. He placed it in his pocket and move the bloodorb toward her.

"This will be quick, and then we'll take you to the armory. You'll be relatively safe there." Frank explained. He touched the Bloodorb to the guard's head, and some white medicine oozed out. Suddenly, she was surrounded by a golden glow which healed her leg completely.

"Thank..... you....." She said quietly before falling asleep.

"Tellka? Can you help me carry her to the armory?" Frank asked.

"Sure... I guess I could..." Tellka grumbled out her answer. Frank glanced up at Tellka before moving over and taking a hold of the guards arms. Tellka grabbed her legs and together they lifted her off of the ground and made there way back to the armory. I followed silently behind them.

When we got back to the armory, they laid her down on the cot. I glanced around the room.

How are we going to keep the demons out of here?

"There is a lock on the door.. See if you can't find a key or something."

I looked around the room and headed over to a little shelf on the far wall. I searched around it and opened it up. I rummaged through a few papers that were in it and found a key. Will this do?

"We'll see."

I headed over to Tellka and Frank and gave Tellka the key. We left the room and closed the door behind us. Tellka tried the key in the lock for a moment and a reassuring click sounded. Tellka nodded at me.

Frank looked at us before speaking. "All right.... It's now or never... We'd better be careful..." Frank started.

"Frank????" I asked.

"Yeah, Kate?"

"...... nevermind..... It wasn't important..." I said quietly.

Frank looked at me once more and started moving down the stairs again, with Tellka and I following. I felt a large smile spread over my face as I thought about what he had just done for another total stranger.

e-mail author, talonr@hotmail.com