"w-woah, hey, common Asima, tell me what's going on, I'm sure I can help" Set stepped forward, "what's so special about these doves?"

''oh... I see..." Set glanced away awkwardly, "Asima... do you not trust me anymore?" he asked uncertainly.

Set frowned a little, "But it's something you trust Lakar with."

Set followed after Asima, summoning a magical light to his hand as they descended into the secret passage below the palace. Solum stirred when Asima called out, and he got to his feet as the pair came down into the room. "What's he doing here?" the Kind questioned, looking Set over suspiciously.

Set met the King's gaze evenly, "I'm going to become the High Priest in time. I think I deserve to know what's going on around me."

"And besides" Set added, "anything you can tell Lakar, you can... tell... me..." his eyes fell upon the floor, staring at the large picture and more importantly examining the two figures depicted in the center. The boy fell immediately into silence for several long minutes. He stepped forward, walking around the picture and looking from up close to far away.

"Well?" Solum rolled his eyes, "what do you make of it, oh great High Priest to be?"

"... I know where Lakar is." the boy responded with a frown.

"Because I didn't know before." Set replied, "but this just makes it all too obvious." he turned to Asima, "It's his duty to protect you and Nemiah but it's not just that, it's all he wants to do. The thought of finally retiring from all this is never going to be enough, he's never going to stop doing everything in his power to keep you safe. Meanwhile according to this, you're going to end up fighting someone you care about and it is Malum, because if it was him" he pointed to Solum, "there would be a symbol indicating that he was a King of some sort. Now, since Lakar is gone, and these doves you mentioned are also missing, well all this adds up to one conclusion: Lakar has gone to fight for you."

"Last night" Set replied, "I asked him why he was leaving so late, he just told me it couldn't wait..." he glanced back at the picture, "He must know he's pretty much riding to his death... those black eyes... what is that thing?"

"There's no time to talk about that now" solum stated as he headed for the exit, "Asima's right, we have to go"

"Well I'm coming to!" Set exclaimed, turning to follow.

[Center]”Nemiah needs you, Set. He’ll need you even more soon.” Because we are going to die… Asima followed after, though soon she was jogging down the hallways, not bothering to wait for the groom to saddle her horse, and quickly locating a swift one for Solum as well.

“Solum…” She admitted over the wind, once they were on their way. “I’m frightened. This is my fault as well…I told Lakar I didn’t want this. He would have let me do it if I’d said I wanted to…”[/color]

"But I can help!" Set protested, but in the end he was still left behind, watching them disappear through the gates, "... he's like my grandfather to..." the boy mumbled, his shoulders sagging sadly. He'd gathered enough from that inscription what was bound to happen to Lakar should he battle the thing within Malum. But without the old man there, someone had to stick around with Nemiah... that seemed it was about to become his job officially now.

Solum rode swiftly alongside Asima, his eyes settled on the horizon towards Frodan, "It's not your fault" he stated firmly, "Like the kid said, Lakar would do anything to make sure you and your brother are safe, but that's only because you're the princess and he's the pharaoh. You can't stop being who you are, you had no part in choosing this prophesy and he made this decision himself. I don't think there's anything you could have said that would've stopped him from trying to protect you."

((yeppers))

After some constant travelling they finally made it to the pillar. Passing through into the city of Frodan itself, something already was feeling strange. Even stepping into the early morning light, things still seemed far too quiet.

"This way" Solum stated, immediately heading down the streets and making his way to the ring of challenges. They came to a clearing that dropped down into a large pit that looked about twenty-five feet from one side straight to the other. The circular drop was only about as deep as an average person was tall and along opposite sides there stood two pedestals that stuck out from the walls and were about as tall as half the height of the drop, making them very good steps to climb out easily. The walls themselves were made of strong stone and brick, packed into the earth to reinforce it's structure. The floor of the pit was a strange sort of grainy sand and just as the pair were approaching, the single figure of a cloaked old man was descending into it.

The old man startled and Lakar looked at her, "Asima... what are you doing here?" he questioned confused, and as though she had not just caught him doing what he was "I thought you weren't leaving until later."

Lakar's hands were empty, but he did have a bag upon his back. The high priest touch Asima chin lightly, looking her lovingly in the eyes, "my dear, we each have our destinies, the things that we are called to do, but nothing is for certain. It is our choices that shape the future and not anything that anyone else tells us. I made my choice long ago, to defend not only the family for which I have been charged, but to protect Egypt as well. My time is nearly up as it is, this is my last chance to keep my promises. Please, let me have it."