"What do you mean, banished?" Aurora's mouth hung open.

"Hanna is a Fate. You cannot just 'banish' a Fate!" Zan balled his fists. Something was very wrong with these creatures if they were willing to cast out one of their own who was so gracious and generous.

"Hanna agreed to be banished. I cannot go into the details, but it was easier that way." Asha seemed to want to say more, but she pressed her lips together. "You must go. I am very sorry."

Gandr tried to reason with her. "But all we need is a little water that comes from here. We would only be a moment. Maybe you could even…"

"I cannot. They will throw me out along with you. But I will tell you that I found out..."

"Not another word, Asha," the warning boomed.

"Yes, Justum," Asha hung her head.

Justum appeared at the top of the stairs that led into the spires. "Perhaps you should have gone with Hanna," he added in a softer tone. "She has always been your favorite."

"This is my home, Justum." Asha would not meet his eye.

"And so it shall remain, provided you continue to do your job," The Fate eyed her sternly.

Asha curtsied, lowering her head. Her humble attitude made Justum sigh.

"Do not worry, Asha. We know your value here." The Fate turned to the three visitors. "You may as well come and have some food and drink. Then you can tell me why you have disturbed the peace."

Aurora and the others knew better than to argue. They joined Justum at the top of the stairs, leaving behind a relieved fairy. With a flourish, the Fate led the way to a chamber, and Asha portaled into it with food and drink.

Just like most of the other rooms in the Mystic Spires, the chamber's austere white walls were free of any decorations. They were like a blank canvas waiting to be filled.

Grateful for the sustenance, the mortals ate and drank. Their bodies felt restored.

"We appreciate your hospitality," Aurora said cordially after she wiped her mouth.

"What brings you to the Fates this time, Your Majesty? It is rare for a human to visit us and unheard of for one to do so twice." Justum took a sip of water, though he seemed to only be doing so to be polite. He had not touched the food. Fates did not seem to need to eat.

The Empress folded her hands in her lap. "We have come due to a urgent need. The entire world is in danger of collapsing."

"I noticed. You mortals do manage to get yourselves into a lot of trouble." Justum stated it like it was merely a point of curiosity and nothing more.

"Which is why I would very much appreciate the intervention of the Fates, actually." Aurora gave her best smile.

"Do you know that you are the reason Hanna is gone? She wanted to help, but we are only bound to intervene under specific circumstances. Hanna did not like that answer anymore than I think you do." Justum watched as Aurora's expression went from expectant to sour.

"What conditions would those be?" Zan interrupted.

"That is not my place to share. And more importantly it is not why you three came. Now make your request so I can reject it and send you on your way." The Fate was losing patience. He was ready to be back in the company of his peers.

Aurora pressed her lips together. She too was finding it difficult to get along with Justum. It was much easier when she could just order people to do what she needed. "We seek water from the waterfall to heal Prince Alaron."

"You want to heal the boy who supplanted you?" Justum was not surprised. Clearly he had been keeping at least some of his attention on the Empress.

Aurora took a deep breath. "I received a vision that Alaron is the key to fixing everything."

"Hanna has been wrong before…"

"I didn't say the vision was Hanna," the Empress countered.

"You did not have to. No one else gets visions quite like her." Justum almost sounded jealous.

Could Fates get jealous?

"What if she is correct?" Gandr spoke up to ease the tension. "If Hanna is right, shouldn't you help us then?"

"Believe it or not, I do want to help you," Justum felt a little bad when he saw a flicker of hope in the others' eyes. "Alas, I am forbidden from giving anyone that pure water. You have stood in the pool, Your Majesty. You know that water holds strong magical and healing properties. That is why Dew Mountain exists: to dilute it before it reaches the ground. That and the other safeguards protect the water from being collected in its pure form."

"So you will not help?" Zan expected as much from the Fate, but it still bothered him.

"I cannot give you the water. I am sorry. Would you like any more food before Asha escorts you to the ground? I will make sure the entrance to the spires is closed so you will not be tempted to return."

"What about this water?" Gandr motioned to their cups.

"Any water we serve comes from the ground. Still magical, but not pure," Justum dispelled his hope.

Aurora stood and the two males with her followed suit. She smoothed her dress. "Thank you for your time, but I can see we have overstayed our welcome."

"Safe journey, Your Majesty. Go home and fight your war as humans always do. Please believe I want you to be victorious," Justum placed his hand across his chest and bowed his head. "And give Emperor Devrim my sincerest regards. I am glad I married you two."

The Empress could see that he was not being sarcastic, though how she was supposed to react she was unsure. "I will," she answered at last.

Asha appeared and opened a portal. The trio looked at her warily.

"Is that safe?" Gandr voiced his concern. He unconsciously took a step back and bumped into the chair where he had been sitting.

Asha scowled at him. "You can see the ground on the other side of the portal. It is safe. Now let's go."

Despite their hesitation, the Guardian, Empress and Halfling bravely stepped through the floating ring, leaving behind the Mystic Spires for the final time. When they all set foot on solid ground, they were much relieved.

"That was much better than last time," the halfling admitted. His body relaxed slightly.

"Once in a while I get it right," the fairy answered gruffly, causing the three to jump. None of them had seen her follow them.

Aurora looked around. They were just outside the edge of Dew Mountain, but the Empress did not recognize the terrain. "Where are we exactly?"

Asha's wings appeared behind her and she flitted slightly off the ground. She scanned their surroundings. "I brought you where I thought you might have the best chance of success."

"What does that mean?" Zan looked up at the Mysitc Spires. They were as unreachable as ever.

"It means I am not strong enough to reach the water from the outside. The wind is far too strong." Asha chose her words carefully. "Good luck."

"We will need it," Aurora joined Zan in his steady upward gaze. The task seemed impossible.

"One question for you before I leave. Have you ever wondered why Cafer has not just killed you himself?" Before she could say anymore, the hand of a Fate appeared and plucked Asha from their view. They were left alone with more questions than answers.

"What did that last bit mean?" Zan wondered.

"What did any of it mean?" Gandr added.

The Empress ran her fingers through her long dark hair absentmindedly. "Both Justum and Asha said that they could not get the water, but not that no one could retrieve it." Her mind suddenly began to race. "Something or someone around here must be able to reach that height and fight whatever wind is up there. We just have to figure out who to look for."

"That sounds simple enough." The Guardian nodded. His anger at the Fate lessened slightly. Perhaps he had been helpful in spite of himself.

Gandr shivered. "I hope it isn't a wyvern. Those things give me the creeps."

"Or a griffin. I am not sure if we could get one of them to leave their treasure long enough to lend us a hand." Zan knew how greedy the creatures could be and they had nothing to offer in return.

The two males continued to muse while Aurora noticed the bushes moving nearby. A small whimper sounded, causing the Empress's heart to clench. She walked over the shrubbery and pulled back the branches. Sure enough, a baby was lying on his back with his claw lodged between two branches. His crimson eyes looked up and pleaded with her for help. The Empress gasped.

She bent down and freed the baby, gathering up its red scaly body in her gentle grasp. His skin was warm to the touch and the feathery spines on his neck tickled her arm. His wings were tucked tight to his body, but they seemed to be unharmed.

"It is worse than either of you thought," Aurora called over her shoulder. She turned and they viewed the bundle in her arms with wide eyes. "I think the only ones who can help us are...the dragons."