Dane was right and all four of them slept until the train reached Earthsea early that next morning. While Jade, Drake, and Dane all looked refreshed from a night's sleep, Damien looked the complete opposite and neither of them could find it in themselves to try and make him realize that he had stolen their voices.

Jade took one last look around the old worn out train, the mahogany wood, green carpets which were worn into a yellow stripe path straight down the middle. She would have looked more if Drake hadn't dragged her along violently by her arm, jerking her this way and that. Then Amon stumbled into their little group. She hadn't realized that he was on the train as well. That was the first time that Jade had ever seen him sober since she had come back. He took one look at Damien who was trying to be cooled off by Dane and quickly stepped in line behind him with Drake and Jade, muttering through a smirk, "Stay your distance."

Both looked up at him, but remained silent. "What?" He laughed aloud, "Has he tortured you so much that you can't even listen to me?"

Drake rolled his eyes as they all stepped into the brightly lit train station. The floor was made up of rough gray stones and the ceiling was falling apart. There were actual gaping holes letting in sunshine, birds and green vines. The rest of the station didn't seem much better off. The red cerulean blue paint on the walls was beginning to fall of in large strips and despite the overwhelming decay the place was bustling with people and life.

"Jade," Amon grabbed her hand quickly, pulling her towards him and dragging Drake unwillingly along as a rough looking man wearing a large jacket nearly bumped into her. "You need to watch out. The people in this city are swindlers and thieves. They'll tear the shirt off your back if they get the chance."

She glanced at him. That was the first time that she had actually heard her name in a while. Then slowly her eyes shifted down to her clothes. When had she changed? She couldn't remember, which disturbed her. Now she was dressed in a plain plum colored dress. The material was luxurious as it was silk. It was tight around her chest and waist but flowed out around her legs.

"You're just now noticing that?" Drake rolled his eyes from beside her.

"Like it?" Amon tilted his head in her direction as they walked through a patch of light showering out from a hole above their heads. "I chose it out," he sounded as if it were some major accomplishment, but to her it was just creepy.

She shrugged, squinting through the bright light, "Can you speak?" He added a bit more harshly, shinning in the warm light.

She sucked hard on her lips and shook her head no.

"Hmm," Amon crossed his arms. "Drake, you know that I don't appreciate these games anymore than your father does."

A sour look melted onto Drake's features as he glared at his uncle. He grabbed his arm harshly with the hand that wasn't cemented to Jade and jerked Amon closer towards him as they continued to walk on. He then pointed to his mouth and then shoved his finger in Damien's direction.

"Ah," he smiled with a laugh. He thought that it was funny! Jade put a hand to her head. They'd be mute for weeks.

"Fine then!" Damien shouted from in front of them directing their attention onto him.

Dane shook his head and then turned back to face the three of them speaking almost in a whisper, "We're just going to head to the house, all right?"

"As if there's another choice," Amon tipped his head as if he were wearing a hat. "But we should be more discrete. People are beginning to look."

Jade looked around and saw that that was very true. In fact people were beginning to come up to Damien asking him questions and holding out pieces of paper and pens. He looked like a lion in a zoo surrounded by watching people, reaching out to touch him naively.

He was forced to stop walking completely, trembling and tearing his hands through his hair furiously. Dane immediately leapt forwards and tried to shake the people off, but it did little to nothing. As they swarmed closer and closer talking more and more. Actually going so far as to grab his arms and jerk him this way and that. Finally Damien cracked, but it wasn't in anger as Jade had expected. A cool calm washed over his expression and even smiled, straightening his hair and laughing as he gently brushed the people off. "Why don't all of you lovely people go back to whatever you were doing and forget that you even saw me?" He shot off one last grin as his eyes spat fire at all of them, but they did as he had said all too happily and soon they were all gone and Damien continued to walk leaving the four of them staring in amazement.

Amon spoke first, "He's going to murder all of us when we get there. Don't make me go!" He wailed at Dane in a sarcastic sort of way.

"Best lose the attitude quick and keep sober, please," Dane begged him as they began to walk out of the train station and into the actual city. It was also in great decay with spurts of nature splashing over the broken building tops and bursting through the cobblestone streets which were lined with tents of cheap items being over sold like in a festival. Men and women shouted this way and that. "Rugs for ten copper coins!" "Magic rings for fifty silver coins." And so on, a man actually came up to Jade, grabbing her wrist and jerking her away from Amon and Dane, drawing Drake with her. "Dear," the short old man croaked. His breath stank of smoke and alcohol worse than Amon's. He held out a golden box and slowly opened it to reveal ten of little blue pearl like objects. "Would you like one? They are free of charge just for you and the lad."

She stared at them, curiosity spilling from her eyes for some reason the twinkling of these little spheres had put her in some sort of odd trance. Drake seemed to be affected as well and neither could see the danger in it.

"They eliminate all sadness," he grinned a toothless smile. "Now hurry up take one and eat it."

Jade slowly lifted her hand up to the box, but suddenly someone grabbed her wrist, snapping, "Jade, Drake come with me."

After a few minutes of being dragged along, Jade snapped out of her daze and saw that it was Amon who was leading her through the city. He shot her a side glance, "You cannot trust anyone in this world, Jade."

She looked up at him and wanted to ask him why he was indifferent to her sometimes and cruel others, but she had no voice.

They reached the house soon enough and exited the hot humid air of summer and entered the cool stone house. It was enormous and filled with all sorts of overflowing fountains which helped to cool the place further. The walls were covered with them that is water was actually flowing down every stone wall in the house from the ceiling into the floor where drains gathered it and then pumped back up into the cycle again. The ceilings seemed nonexistent, but that was only because it was replaced by clear glass windows. Damien ran a hand across the wall splashing the rushing water as he walked further into the garden like home. Then he reached a large blue circular cushion laying on the floor on a carpet surrounded by other chairs and plants. There he collapsed onto it face down with a soft moan.

Drake rolled his eyes and ignoring both of his uncles' many previous warnings stooped down onto the floor beside Damien and tapped his shoulder. Everyone waited apprehensively, hair standing one end as the sound of rushing water echoed along the marbled floors.

Damien gave out a loud sigh, muffled through the pillow and then sat up to face his son. He looked exhausted and there wasn't a trace of anger on his expression, even his eyes. Chewing on the inside of his lip, he muttered, "What is it? Get it out now because I need to leave in a few minutes and I won't be back until after midnight."

There was no pity in Drake's glazed eyes as he pointed to his mouth, moving it as if to speak words.

A ray of anger slit through Damien's eyes as he stood, "Does your mocking anger never stop, Drake? I'm beyond exhausted. The least you can do is quit playing these ridiculous games."

Damien then began to walk away. Angrily Drake flashed his eyes at Amon, screaming for his voice with two tight fists, but Amon only laughed, "Drake your games are certainly as entertaining as Damien's."

Jade pursed her lips. If she was to be a prisoner she would be a prisoner with a voice to protest. She rushed up to Damien, dragging Drake with her and grabbed his forearm. Just the touch made him stop completely, looking down at her through very narrow eyes. "You too?"

She shook her head and pulled on his arm so that he was inclined to bend down near her. His lips were quivering from hatred as his eyes met hers evenly. She let go of him and touched her mouth, then her throat and next tried to speak, "You stole our voices, remember."

He sighed as he stood back up and rubbed his left eye hard with his hand as he yawned. "I don't know what it is that you two want. Maybe you can find your damn voices by-"

He paused letting his hand drop from his face and hit his side gently. "Ah I see," he spoke in a low voice. He gave out another sigh this one louder than the last. He actually stood there and thought for a moment as to whether he should let them speak or not and once he came to a conclusion a smile crawled onto his face and he said, "No, I don't think I will and actually while we're at it. Don't leave this house until I get back."

"Damien-" Dane began to protest, but his brother interrupted him as he turned to walk out of the house.

"I need to go. I'm already ridiculously late," he sighed, rolling his brown eyes, "but we'll talk about this when I get back. I suppose. Don't worry."

Drake shook his head at Dane as if trying to tell him that under no conditions could he let Damien leave without freeing them first. Dane sucked on the corner of his lip, "Ah Damien," he spoke out calmly as he walked after him, meeting him right before his hand reached the door knob.

"Hmm?" Damien muttered clearly impatient to leave by his fidgeting but completely calm in his voice.

"No matter how vexed you are, They should be able to speak," he threw in his opinion as he reached out to put a hand on Damien's shoulder. The fidgeting stopped and his hands dropped from the sleeve he had been tugging.

"For you and only you brother," Damien growled and then walked out of the doors, slamming them behind himself.

"Thank you!" Drake exclaimed seeming to find joy in hearing his own voice again. "God, I hate that man!"

Dane looked down at him angrily as Amon hopped up on the table top to sit, "If you are so grateful then keep your mouth shut about your father."

That sent a scowl out of Drake. It hadn't taken Jade very long to realize that neither son nor father could stand their blood relationship. Before she had been too young to realize it, but she was now disturbed by the way they treated one another. What had happened between them to cause such strife or was it simply in Damien's nature to hate every living thing? "So what did he do to you to earn such hatred?" Jade laughed at Drake's red face, but inside she knew it was a very serious question and she wanted the serious answer.

He blinked at her a few times as if processing the question. He'd probably never been asked it before at least not so directly. "Would you want that as your . . . blood relative?"

No, she thought to herself with a shiver, definitely not.

"No offense or anything," Amon growled sarcastically, swinging his legs back and forth, "but some of us do."

Dane shot him a sideways glance as the corner of his lip curved upwards in appreciation.

"Why?" Drake laughed irritably, squeezing harder on Jade's hand, making her step on his foot to soften the small interaction between them as he rolled his eyes.

"You don't know his past," Amon began cooly through narrowed eyes, "you didn't know our father. Hell you don't even know what he goes through now having to watch over the two of you and at the same time work his ass of for the stupid-"

"Enough," Drake interrupted him with a growl, "I'm sick and tired of hearing people defend his actions. He chooses to drag us around with him. He isn't forced. So I find it very hard to accept that he's the one suffering."

Amon stared hard at him, narrowing his eyes even further and shaking his head from side to side, "Y-you just can't fathom t-the half of it!"

"You're shaking," Drake pointed out with a smirk, "and your face is turning green. I'll let you go so you can vomit out of my sight."

"You snarky, spoiled little-" Amon began, but Drake's words rang true and he leapt off the table holding a hand to his mouth as he stumbled his way out of the room. In the distance they could hear him vomiting several times sending out all of the contents in his stomach onto Damien's floor.

"He'll break by the end of the day," Drake smiled to himself. Dane gave him a sour look and he went on to say, "Damien keeps the basement filled to the ceiling with wine, doesn't he?"

"I swear, Drake," Dane threatened him as his face began to turn a bright red, "leave him be. Damien will actually skin both you and Amon if you try anything."

Drake's smile curled more, "You realize that I don't even have to say a word my dear uncle."

Dane sighed, releasing his anger and walking up to Drake who was trying to slither back, but was held back by Jade who was holding her ground. He shot her a dark glare and she gave him a smug look as Dane grabbed him by the shoulders firmly. "Drake," he sighed heavily, "I need you to stop fighting Damien. You are going to drive him mad."

"Isn't that the point?" Drake laughed, breaking free before Dane could have any affect on him and sitting down on the enormous round pillow with Jade. She rolled her eyes at him as she tried to zone out of the conversation. She wanted to be as exempt from their internal affairs as possible. She would not be swallowed into their world. She would speak as little as possible and practically be nonexistent. Maybe they would forget about her and then she could just slide out of their world.

Amon staggered back into the room, looking more sick than ever. Half way to them he almost fell, but Dane rushed to his side and caught him, helping him to a papasan chair adjacent to the pillow. However upon passing Drake, Amon pushed Dane away and landed a hard blow into Drake's left cheek and fell onto the pillow face first. Drake immediately stood up, jerking Jade with him. Dane moaned and then grabbing Amon from beneath his arms tugged him to his feet.

Drake eyed his youngest uncle up and down as he rubbed his sore jaw. "I'd punch back, but you're so out of it I don't think that there's any sense in it."

"Drake," Dane muttered, holding Amon up as he began vomit again, this time all over the side of Dane's left leg. He didn't seem to mind though. "Why don't the two of you get out of the house and do something? I'll take care of him."

Drake glanced at the door and then at Jade. She looked back up at him, wanting to stay with Dane, not only to help him because he was the only one of them who had been kind to her, but also because she had little desire to spend anytime alone with Drake. "What do you want to do?" He surprised her by asking.

"Stay," she put it simply. The less she said, the less he would know her and the less all of it would seem real.

"I can't breathe," Amon screamed suddenly clutching the shirt around his chest and tugging hard on it, beginning to panic.

"Amon," Dane spoke to him, placing his hands on his shoulders, "you are fine. Just take deep breaths. All right?" He waited watching his younger brother breathe in and then out as the panic slowly drained from his eyes. "Good, now let's get you into bed."

Amon suddenly turned around as if he expected to see someone, but when he realized that no one was there he turned back to Dane, begging him, "I don't care what Damien wants. Please, Dane I just need one drink. I'm dying! My muscles are giving way. Look," he held up a sweaty trembling hand, "I'm shaking! Ly-" he began to speak to Jade, but Dane covered his mouth, shaking his head in defeat.

"Amon, we are going to get you through this. I don't want you to die all right and if you keep this up you will," Dane spoke earnestly. "Now take your pick, do you want to stay down here with us, maybe walk around the city to keep you distracted or would you rather sleep it off."

"Sleep!" Amon shouted with a shaky laugh, "That's definitely not going to happen brother."

So the four of them left the house and began to walk through the crowded and lively streets which were erupting with colors and noise. The smell of food swirled through the air and the sound of music and wind chimes echoed across the stone roads.

Jade was walking on her toes, just waiting for a chance to run away. Drake wouldn't be a problem. He seemed to want to leave as much as she did and once they were far enough away from Damien they could part their separate ways. The time never seemed opportune though and soon enough they had reached the edge of the city which overlooked a port with sand and calm blue seas. Here they sat on the ledge, letting the sea breeze lull them in the warm afternoon sun. Amon laid on his back moaning, staring up at the sky, while Dane sat with his legs hanging of the edge, pointed to the land far below as he watched the sea with wonder filled eyes.

White sea gulls passed over by sailing through the blue sky as they cried out.

Tapping his foot impatiently Drake growled, "Well why don't we head down there instead of just sitting here wasting our lives?"

Suddenly his hand fell out of Jade's and hit the side of his leg. He turned to look at her astonished. Then he broke into a full grin, laughing, "Thank God!"

She smiled as well. That simplified things beautifully. Now she would simply slip away into the city and be gone. She would need to get far enough from Drake so that he couldn't hear her thoughts and track her down, but after that she could head back to Monorail and hide in Erik's house until Damien finally gave up.

Nice plan, he thought to her. It won't work, but I won't stop you. In fact I'll help you out dear.

She raised an eyebrow at him as he moaned to Dane, "Come on the fresh air should be good for him, right?"

Dane rolled his eyes, tearing them away from the calming sea and turning his body so that he feet touched the ground that had been behind him. "All right, Drake," he stood. "Let's go then."

He stood with Drake and Jade and then grabbing Amon by the arms gently lifted him to his feet like a small sick child. He swung one of Amon's arms over his shoulder and began to walk to down the hundreds of steps that led off the ledge down to the port. Drake turned to Jade and gave her an unkind smile before taking off behind Dane, starting up some meaningless conversation with him.

Jade smiled to herself and began to move the other way at first backwards with a smile.

"So we won't see Damien until-" Drake asked his uncle.

"I don't know Drake," Dane panted under the weight of his younger brother, "sometime tomorrow morning, but not for long and maybe not at all. He's leaving very early."

"Yes," Drake said understandingly, "but Dane when will he be home?"

"God, Drake!" He snapped at him and Drake was worried that he would look up and notice the absence of Jade, but he didn't or rather he couldn't because of Amon. "Midnight maybe?"

Drake dearly hoped that Jade would be out of his mind before Damien realized that she was gone other wise he would command Drake to tell him where she was and track her down that way. Now Drake didn't particularly care about Jade, but he would help anyone escape from Damien and besides he didn't like having her around. It only put Damien in worse moods. However, Drake was well aware of the consequences he would face when Damien found out about his rebellious actions, but in the long run he'd be less angry and if Drake was to be stuck with him until death do them part he wanted it to be as less painful as possible.

"Wait," Amon groaned and as soon as Dane had stopped, Amon vomited down the stairs. Drake looked away in disgust as his own stomach gave an uneasy lurch.

Dane patted his brother on the back, "Are you okay to keep moving?"

Amon slowly stood up straight and with a sigh and a flush of color coming to his face he looked around wearily and just like that all color left his face again. "Where the fuck is she?"

Dane whipped around as well, franticly turning his head left and then right. Drake smiled to himself. It was entertaining to see them panic that was until Dane grabbed him by the shoulder, digging his fingers deep into his flesh, painfully breaking the surface. In that moment he resembled his younger brother. Drake met his blue eyes as he growled, "What have you done?"