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((The 14 pages of Valentine's Day + Double Wednesday -- Page 11 of 16))
The Hun’Sho outside the dome were just standing there, watching. Not trying to break in and rescue their friend, as Zeff might have assumed. They started backing away when they saw Zeff looking over them again.

He annihilated the dome and watched the majority of them scatter.

‘Which one’s Torveis?’ he asked.

‘Straight ahead of you, not moving,’ said Ax privately.

Zeff saw him. He appreciated that the man wasn’t making him chase him down, at least. “Explain yourself, ‘Elder’ Torveis.”

Torveis sighed but stood his ground as Zeff approached. “We are a peaceful people. Why must you resort to violence?”

“Why must you lie to my face?”

“You do not understand.”

“I know. That is what I am trying to correct.”

Torveis shut his eyes, though the glow still shown through a little. “We would have been happy to explain, if you had simply allowed us privacy, first. This is a sensitive matter, one we wish the children not to overhear.”

And in spite of his bristling emotions, Zeff could understand that much, at least. “You have my apologies, then.” He could only manage to sound half-sincere, though.

Torveis sighed again. “We are prisoners in this place. And our keeper, Seyos, is ever watchful. Even now, he may be listening. However, as I am still standing here, perhaps he is not.”

Zeff just kept listening.

“Seyos wields tremendous power, and we are at his mercy. But that is not enough for him. He often gives us tasks to complete for him. He transports us to distant locations--sometimes with him, sometimes not--and forces us to aid him in collecting valuables. By now, it must be an absurd volume, but I do not know where he keeps it all or to what end he means to utilize it. I imagine, however, that wherever it is, you will find your kin there.”

Zeff was silent as he processed all of this information.

‘You have no idea how we can get there?’ said Ax, still attached to Zeff’s back.

“I know that Seyos can see and travel through every mirror in Himmekel, but I do not think he is limited to that. I think it is merely the most convenient for him.”

“None of this explains why that Hun’Sho man laughed at us,” said Zeff.

Torveis hesitated and looked around. The black street had emptied, and only the tall Lemoros had remained by Torveis’ side. The two elder Hun’Sho exchanged nods.

“The children do not know of Seyos,” said Torveis. “And in recent years... Seyos has stopped giving tasks to the elders. He has been giving them to the children. And... they have not been returning.”

Zeff’s eyes widened.

‘Your children have been disappearing?’ said Ax.

Lemoros interjected. “We do not truly know that he has been giving them the same manner of tasks that he had been giving us. We have only been assuming that, as it seemed the most obvious explanation. But... as not even one of them has returned, I have begun to suspect that Seyos is doing something else with them.”