When she was still just a little girl, as she lay tucked safely into her bed, her father would tell her stories of a knight in red armor. He was a strong, brave man that did what no others would dare to even think of. When the evil Emperor had threatened to slaughter their people, the knight rose up and struck him down, ending the tyranny. But his act of bravery had come with a price- he was cursed for spilling royal blood, and soon struck down himself. His death cry turned their home to jade, and the home of their friends the Kurzicks to stone, making it undesirable to the Canthans who sought to take it as their own. Only those that knew the sea and the forest continued to make it their home.

The knight was long since struck from history records. The Canthans would portray him as an evil man that acted only for his own gain, and should he ever return he would bring with him a plague terrible beyond imagination. But the Luxons and the Kurzicks knew the truth behind his sacrifice and passed his story from generation to generation. For they knew one day he would return, when corruption and greed once more ran rampant in his homeland, to purge Cantha of its evil. And when the day came, they would be ready to help him.

~*~*~*~

It was a sad state of affairs in Cantha. Every year, the Celestial Ministry took a little more power from the Emperor. Every year they controlled more and more of the mainland. Kaineng suffered greatly, as its citizens were taxed to the point of poverty. The empire had become nearly isolationist as ship captains were required to pay fees to dock, and merchants were taxed heavily on their goods. Where all the money went was anyone's guess.

Emperor Kisu, whom most Canthans felt was a good man and a good ruler, was doing all in his power to tip the scales back in his favor, but even he could only do so much. Matters were only made worse by his older half-brother, Togo. It was no secret that he was jealous their father had given Kisu the throne. He felt the empire was rightfully his to rule, as the first born. With bitter rage he would do anything he could think of to thwart his brother, just to spite him. He also encouraged the war between the Tengu and the humans, vowing to wipe every last one of them off the continent. He would even urge the students at Shing Jea Monastery to participate. Points were awarded for every Tengu scalp and crushed egg shell they would bring to him.

Frankly, it disgusted Lani to no end. She too had once been a student of Togo's, but was expelled after stopping a group of students from raiding the Angchu clan's nests, all on her own. She had given them a good beating (and received one of her own) before sending them crawling back to the Monastery with a message for Togo. If he hadn't expelled her, she was certain she would have left anyway. Her only regret was leaving behind her friends who also disagreed with Togo's ways, but were less capable of doing anything about it.

The fire mage had only returned home briefly to say goodbye to her family before leaving to join the Crimson Skull guild, led by another former student of Togo's. She had been helping them fight for the Tengu since then, even challenging Togo when he came to deal with the guild himself. She bore a shield of Tengu design and make, a mark of friendship with the feathered people of the Island. Her favorite weapon was a well-made fiery dragon sword she had plucked from the hands of a Kaineng soldier she had killed herself.

It came as a surprise when one day in Zalfawn, her two Monastery friends came to Port Kaimu to find her. It was mid afternoon when the two young men approached the guards posted at the entrance to their guild hall. "State your business!" one of the Rangers called down to them.

"We need to speak to Lani Karras." One, a Warrior, told them.

"Tell her Lukas and Aeson have come to see her." His Ritualist companion added. The guard studied them for a minute before disappearing from view. It was almost fifteen minutes before Lani finally came out to them. She smiled at her friends, not hesitating to hug them both though it had been a year since they last saw each other.

"What brings you all the way out here?" she asked them.

"Nothing good, I'm afraid." Aeson answered her, getting straight to business. "An unnatural plague has come to the island. We first discovered it at Minister Cho's estate when Togo took us there for graduation. Most of the guards were maddened from the illness and attacked their fellow guardsmen, as well as us. Minister Cho is also dead."

"Well that explains a lot," Lani muttered, thinking back to the insane guards she and her guildmates had been protecting Aerie from for nearly a week now.

"That's not all either. Togo has gone to the eastern side of the island to find the source of this illness. I... fear what he may find."

"What do you mean?" Aeson hesitated to answer her. Lukas grumbled and nudged him to continue.

"Headmaster Amara foresaw the plague." The Ritualist explained. "She told Togo about it... but didn't tell him of the rest of her dream. Something important is happening, something we've been waiting two hundred years for. And its start is in Zen Daijun."

"You mean..."

"Exactly. You'll come with us?"

Lani smiled grimly at them. "Wouldn't dream of passing that up. Just let me pack my stuff, then we can set off. We should be able to reach Tsumei by sunset." She packed quickly, only taking what was necessary- a few platinum she'd saved up, a salvage kit, a couple changes of clothes and her fire staff, as beautiful as it was deadly. The rest of her belongings she gave to her guildmates to use as they saw fit; who knew how long she would be gone. Shouldering her pack, she left her guild hall and home for the last time.

~*~*~*~

It was obvious by the time they reached the Zen Daijun valley that Togo had already come and gone. Considering he had two days' head start, it was to be expected. Corpses of grotesque monsters- once human, Lukas explained- littered the valley, half-rotted. The stench was nauseating, but the trio pressed on. There was nothing left to hold them up on their journey to the library.

Lani was somewhat surprised to see Yijo's corpse amongst those of the former monks, lying at the bottom of the library steps. She felt no sadness or sense of loss for him. "Lani, you should come see this." Lukas called to her from inside the library. He was staring at something on the floor. Curious, she climbed the few stairs to join him.

Painted in blood on the tiled floor was a large symbol of a clawed hand. Lani recognized it from one of the Monastery library's restricted books she had 'borrowed' once. It was the Mark of the Betrayer- the guild symbol of Shiro Tagachi. "So he really has returned..." It glowed faintly with the remnants of whatever curse had claimed the monks tending to the library.

"Headmaster Greico told us before we left that if we found anything here, he would take us to the mainland. We have to find Shiro before Togo does." Aeson spoke, breaking the contemplative silence. "We should return to Seitung Harbor. Doubtless Togo has already made his way to Kaineng."

"Doubtless," Lani agreed, and led the way back to the harbor where Headmaster Greico awaited their arrival.