The sun rose the next morning spilling down through the fog that laced the town of Phoenixbrook. It sparkled off patches of water that were clear along the river and glinted off of buildings as they broke through the mist. A single bell could be heard chiming slowly from the misty church yard and one or two figures hurried along the streets in the early morning gloom. This mysterious scene was lost on the inhabitants of Andrina's cottage however as they did not rise until mid morning and by then the mist and fog had cleared leaving an overcast day with little bits of sunlight as it flashed through breaks and gaps in the cloud cover.

After a late breakfast the six friends went their separate ways though they promised to meet up at three that afternoon at Eliki and Leana's house to say good bye to Russet and Trent, for today was the day the duke had to return to his capital of La Vane in Vardenai. Leana hurried into work and Trent and Greg returned to the restaurant so Trent could pack and collect the Limousine, Andrina departed to go to the library and Russet and Eliki took a slow walk around the town together, paw in paw and smiling as they enjoyed the sights of the town of Phoenixbrook.

The pair stopped by the church to speak to Father Ubekell about arranging for the remains of Eleanor ti Careldar ei Vardenai back to Vardenai. They did not spend long, though Russet did climb the hill to visit her grave once more and he placed something next to it and muttered a soft prayer that only he could hear before the two left. Father Ubekell walked back up to the grave and sat down next to it and stared in puzzlement at what the skunk had left. A single silvery blue something that he could not work out what it was. He left it there and returned to the church looking back over his shoulder at the lonely grave as he went.

As Russet and Eliki reached the end of Church road they where met by an elderly mouse, the same mouse who had spoken up in the church a couple of days back when Russet addressed the crowd.

"Your grace, sorry to bother you but I wanted to give you this, so that you would not forget your visit here," the mouse said holding out a small blue crystal to Russet.

"Thank you ma'am I will treasure it though I doubt I could ever forget this holiday." Russet held up the crystal and peered into its depths, he could just make out a misty image of Phoenixbrook locked within. "Thank you very much I shall treasure it."

She smiled and thanked him again for showing him the secrets of their past. She said she was a local historian from the library and so was really interested in what he had discovered. The skunk thanked her once more and they parted ways.

Before long it was coming on for one in the afternoon so the pair made their way to Eliki's house and Russet packed up his suitcase and the two enjoyed a shower together before Russet got dressed in a light loose fitting pair of trousers and a long flowing top for the journey home in the limousine.

All too soon it was time to leave. Trent pulled up out the front in the car and loaded Russet's shopping bags and suitcases into the boot. Russet turned to Andrina and smiled.

"Well it has been nice meeting you Andrina and when I have Leana and Eliki down to La Vane I hope you will come with them and join us." He smiled and handed her a small cloth bag. "Here I think you might be able to use these in your Jewellery they will bring wisdom to the wearer."

Andrina opened the bag and looked in and smiled but she did not take anything out, "Thank you Russet I will use them wisely and I will gladly come and see the sights of La Vane. You take care getting home."

Russet moved on to hug Greg and say it was a pleasure to meet him before he stopped and held Leana close in a hug. "It is great to have seen you again and thank you for the hospitality of your house."

"You were most welcome Russet and I look forwards to seeing your home in La Vane. I am sure it will be stunning and you have my thanks for what you have done for our town as well." She said with a broad smile as Russet stepped back and turned towards Eliki. He embraced then kissed the snowkitten, much to his embarrassment.

"And you my little Kitty cat I will speak to you on the phone and online. Now behave and I will see you in a few weeks. I'll even send Trent here to collect you all and bring you down." He hugged Eliki and stroked his paws through his head fur.

"You take care my skunky and I will speak to you soon," Eliki said with a smile and with that Russet padded down the steps and climbed into the car. Trent started the engine and they drove off down the road and south towards the gates leading back to Vardenai.

The Limo was rolling towards the southern gates of the town when it slowed to a halt and just sat there on the road. Russet leaned forwards and spoke to Trent to try and find out what was wrong.

"Trent what is it? Why have we stopped?" The otter just pointed out the front window and Russet peered forwards. He could make out a figure standing in the centre of the road blocking the entrance to the archway. They were wearing a long black trench coat and holding something behind their back, and from their posture it was clear they were not going to move. "Jarret, I should have known he would turn up again. Trent stay in the car, I'll deal with this."

With those words Russet climbed out of the car and moved towards the shadowy figure. It moved forwards into the sun light and his dark fur was illuminated. It was indeed Jarret the snowkitten. He crouched low and moved his arms around, revealing what he was hiding behind his back. A long, curved scimitar.

"Defend yourself Vardenai. I will have retribution for the humiliation I have suffered under your paw." He growled softly advancing towards the skunk.

Russet sighed and placed a paw on his hip, "The humiliation has been yours and yours alone Jarret. Step down this can end in but two ways;your humiliation or the revelation of a truth your mind cannot hope to contain."

"This will end with your demise and humiliation Vardenai. Fight!" with that the snowkitten lunged forwards. Russet's arm swept up and with a vibrating chime, Jarret's sword caught on a glittering blade of swirling night. Pin points of light swirled and flashed within it's depths as Russet intoned words that seemed to reverberate and shake the very foundations of the buildings around them. "The Starlight Sabre in light of day, meets Shaylanii steel in the Phoenix's Town."

A hush came over the street. People had slowed to watch as the pair had talked but now they stood frozen to the spot. Inside the Limousine Trent leant forwards over the wheel and gripped it with his paws. To one side of the street a female otter was standing routed to the spot eyes wide with horror as she watched the climactic events unfold in the centre of the cobbled road leading south out of Phoenixbrook.

With a scrape of metal and a abrupt chime the two jumped apart, then clashed, sword on sword. The harsh metallic sounds of Jarret's scimitar meeting the chiming, shimmering substance that made up Russet's sabre was the only sound as the two powerful furs met in battle. Back and forth they danced across the cobbled streets. Their swords flicked rapidly touching and scraping and meeting as their foot paws stepped and jumped and swept across the ground, taking them forwards then backwards, circling and moving as each sought to gain the advantage and turn this battle in their favour.

Suddenly Jarret lashed out with his foot paw at the same time as he swung his sword in a low sweeping cut. He tripped the skunk's paw upsetting his balance and as his sword hit his sabre it knocked it from his paw and sent it sailing through the air, darkness and light glittering within each other before it sunk into the ground up to it's hilt, causing a low rumbling to roll through the town. Jarret smiled and raised his sword a triumphant glint reflecting in his eyes and he looked down at where Russet had stumbled, and froze! The skunk was staring up into Jarret's eyes and within them a light danced, silver and blue, darkness and light, purples, red, the colour of nebula's. A reflection of the starlight sabre? The core of his power shining through? Something within stilled the snowkitten's paw as he looked into the eyes of the being whose arrival and brought such humiliation upon him. The light swirled and mist of nebula lights formed and broke, changed and projected, drawing the snowkitten's mind within and letting him see, letting him know. The truth, Vardenai, Dunar, Towers in the Starlight, Castles by the Sea, it was all their laid bare for him the words of prophecy spoken moments before echoed through the passages of his mind as he looked within the eyes of the being before him.

"The revelation of a truth your mind cannot hope to contain!"

A Clang! Followed by the whispering, rolling sound of metal vibrating to stillness. Jarret's sword lay upon the ground and the snowkitten took a step back, trying to break free, to avert his gaze, but the skunk stood up, his gaze still locked on his and then with a soft smile the duke turned and walked towards his sword. Jarret stood frozen for a minute his eyes watching the skunk as he drew his sword from the ground causing the town to vibrate once more. He made a movement as if sheathing it and it was gone and the spells seemed to break. Jarret ran, pushing past the people and vanishing down an alleyway, the images made from lights of nebula gases within the dukes eyes still echoing within his mind.

Russet turned and looked in the direction where Jarret had fled and shook his head before turning to face the female otter who stood staring at him in horror. "Marie, I told you not to follow me to Phoenixbrook. The Imperium Guard could not have helped me here, but no matter, into the car, we are leaving at once." With those simple words he gathered up the otter behind him and climbed back into his car and bade his driver continue and take them from the town.

Russet's limousine glided silently from the town of Phoenixbrook, passing under the archway of the south gate and away down the road soon leaving the town far behind, after half an hour of silence Russet leaned forwards and spoke to Trent.

"Prepare the car for ascent we must return to LaVane faster then I had planned, this morning's events are worrying." Trent just nodded in response whilst Russet leant back and pressed a button on the communicator before him. After a moment a male voice spoke over the speakers.

"This is LaVane control please identify yourselves. This is a restricted channel."

"This is Duke Russet ti Nostor ei Vardenai aboard the ducal land transport, requesting emergency priority A clearance for a flight plan from my current location to the Castle at LaVane." There was silence from the other end and a startled gasp from the otter Marie who had thus far remained quiet.

"Sir that is unprecedented." She muttered looking at the skunk in surprise.

"Priority A, your grace?" the voice at the other end of the communicator asked quietly, "In a land transport? But how?"

"You do not need to know how. I require a priority A flight plan back to my castle at LaVane, comply."

"Yes sir flight plan approved and uploaded you are clear to launch. You are clear to land in the main court of the castle of LaVane and your staff have been alerted to your arrival."

"Thank you control, Duke Vardenai, out." With that Russet shut down the communicator and signalled to Trent. The otter depressed a switch and the limousine lifted up off of the road and shot away southwards into the sky.

Thus the Duke Russet ended his holiday to Phoenixbrook in an unexpected manner, tearing back to the capital and locking himself away in the hall of records and communicating with various world leaders and fellow council members. Those who had witnessed the sword fight and it's conclusion that fateful morning could only wonder if maybe, just maybe, his unusual reaction had something to do with that, but within a few days of his return he once more appeared in the public eye and it was as if nothing had happened. He was himself once more and slowly the incident and his unusual behaviour was forgotten by the people and became the stuff of urban legend and myth.

So here concludes this part of this tale, where many beginnings where forged and mysteries both revealed and made, for now we shall leave the land of Aredria, the world of Venuvia and her people but we shall return soon, for much still needs to be explained and much more is fated to occur as a result of the meeting of Starlight and Snow, so until then farewell traveller.