The assassin cracked his whip and two more Gloams materialized from thin air. They resembled the previous ones in their wolf like shapes, but they looked more lethal and abominable, as if coming out from some horrible nightmare!

Ethan and his friends stared in horror as the two Gloams attacked them head on.

"Liz! Ahir! Get that assassin there! I'll take care of these two!" Shouted Ethan. He shut his mind from every rational thought and let his instincts reign over him. Surprisingly, he found that all his senses worked better in that way, letting him use his body as a shield as well as a weapon. His bloodlust had unleashed itself and unblinking, he went for the kill.

Ethan untied his sash and turned it into a long snakewhip. As one of the Gloams pounced upon him, the whip in his hand cracked and landed on its back. Instantly, its body was torn into pieces and vanished in air. But, before he could take care of the other Gloam his attention was diverted to the place where Ahir and Liz fought with the lone assassin.

The assassin had turned his whip into a sword now. He seemed to be an excellent swordsman. With amazing skill he flicked his sword and blocked every attack from his opponents. Though he didn't get a chance of counter attack, it was clear that the two fighters before him would soon tire out. Ethan admired Ahir's swordsmanship, but Liz was not well versed with the weapon in her hand. She was loosing ground rapidly.

'Ahir alone wouldn't be able to win the fight,' he thought. He couldn't go help them without taking care of the Gloam first!

 
But they were not alone anymore!

A girl had appeared in front of the charging Gloam! With a shrill cry, she jumped high in air and landed on the Gloam's back. With both her arms she braided its throat and neck and in one swift movement, brought the huge creature down on to the ground, making an almost unseen manoeuvre at the last moment, so that she was not buried under its massive body. Like some iron claws her long pointed nails tore open the Gloam's belly and some black tar-like substance started oozing out from it. Then the Gloam's huge form melted into the ground.

Ethan didn't stop to watch the Gloam's end. He had jumped into the fight between the assassin and his friends. Liz had been kneeling on the ground, panting, blood flowing from a wound in her right arm while Ahir fought with him alone. As Ethan turned and looked at her, Liz flung her sword towards him which he caught mid-air and rushed into the combat.

 
But the assassin was not interested in fighting with him. He must have felt that he couldn't have won the combat there. He lowered his sword and retreated a few steps. A blue column of light hid him from the view and disappeared in an instant, taking the man with it.

"Arcus of Cerulean light!" Liz said, astonished. "It must  have been a Cereb there! Ethan, they will know about you now!" She said, her voice strained.

"As if they don't know enough by now!" Ethan exclaimed in a bitter voice. Ahir had already bandaged Liz's wound. The strange girl who had appeared out of the blue and helped them, now kneeled on the ground by her side. A group of five people was coming towards them from the direction of the city. By the relaxed look of his friends Ethan knew that they were friends, not enemies.

As the newcomers came near, Ethan's eyes fell on the woman leading the group. There was something about her that caught his attention. She was exquisitely beautiful, like a flawless statue curved out of jade, but in comparison to Liz, who was vivacious and full of life, she looked ethereal. It seemed to Ethan that her mere presence was enough to inspire awe and admiration.

"Nana! You came for us yourself!" Liz exclaimed as she stood up and held out her hand towards her. Nana took her hand and pressed it lightly. "Welcome, Liz! But hasn't Juran come with you as well?" She said. The tinge of worry in her voice didn't escape Ethan's ear.

Liz shook her head sadly. "He went to fight alone, so that we could escape, and was captured," she said.

 
For a second, Nana's jade like face looked ashen. But when she spoke, her voice didn't waver. "Come, let's go into the city first. This place is not safe at all," she said and turned her gaze towards Ethan. "You must be the Forger? Juran had sent me the news of your arrival," she said.

"....your arrival." The two words buzzed inside Ethan's head. It seemed as if she had known for sure that he would arrive in this world!

'I'll have to ask her what she meant there,' he thought. 'But not here.'

Liz looked at him. "Ethan, this is is Shura. Shura, this is Ethan!" She introduced the girl who had killed the Gloam with her bare hands.

Involuntarily, Ethan's eyes fell on her long, slender fingers. Her claw like nails had retracted now. Still, her fingers looked quite out of place in her small hand.

"Didn't you ask what a human weapon is? Well, she's one!" Liz said. The petite girl chuckled. "I'm still learning!" She protested. "I'm still far from becoming a lethal weapon."

Ethan looked at her with admiration and awe. 'What a strange world this is!' He thought. 'This girl is with Nana, then! But who is this Nana? Just a look at her is enough to tell that she is not a mere Citizen. Who is she, then?' His mind kept on churning out questions. But there was no one to answer him there.

By this time they had started to move towards the city. The fleeing horses were captured by Nana's companions and brought back to them. All nine of  them rode towards the city gate.