When
the spring festival at Lake Otris came around, Shezara, Lee, and Kowea left to go to the festival. Shezara did not want Dyntai
to come with them because his appearance would alarm the humans; but while they were traveling to the festival, Dyntai secretly
followed them but stayed away from their sight.
When
they arrived at the festival, Shezara looked around curiously at all the activies. There was music, merchants, dancing, and
happy people walking down the dirt road. Shezara watched the people dance, she too also wanted to dance even though she
wasn't good at it. They danced together with a crowd of other people as others watched and clapped to the rythem of the
music. Shezara had to make sure that no one would see her skin. While Lee went down to the shore of Lake Otris get some water,
Shezara saw Sanyu and Kiora, who were happy to see her. They talked to each other until Shezara was asked to dance by a mysterious,
hooded man. She sensed somthing strange about him as they danced to a very fast song.
After they danced, she
left to go look at the rest of the festival, and as she was walking down the dirt street, she met Riyu once again. He had
set her up. She found herself being surrounded by the rest of his gang, the officers, and a crowd of shocked people. Remembering
that Lee threatened her life if she killed another human, she decided to run from them instead of fighting.
Fortunately, to Shezara's
surprise, Dyntai was there for her when she made it to the gates of the festival, so she rode to the other side of Lake
Otris and lost the officers. She bent down to drink some of the lake's water, and saw the hooded man in the reflection
of the water. She quickly stood up and turned around, and then she noticed that he carried a sword at his side.
She felt threatened and drew her sword, but before she attacked, the man told her that his name was Sotarue, and he took off
his hood. Shezara gasped when she noticed that Sotarue was a Zelian.
Lee saw them and
ran over to them. Sotarue sensed somthing odd about Lee, and wondered why he wasn't shocked to see the two Zelians. Shezara
told Sotarue that Lee was her friend, but Sotarue couldn't understand why she would befriend a human. He asked her if
she wanted to stay with him in the mountains, but she refused at first. Finally, Lee and Shezara left together leaving Sotarue behind.
The next day
she was grooming Dyntai outside her house in the valley with Lee, when a league of fifty armed officers on horses
rode up to her and surrounded her. Lee was confused and Shezara was shocked. Since no one besides Lee and Sotarue knew
where her house was, she asumed that Lee met with the officers and told them where to find her. She was furious
with Lee and called him a traiter. Luckily, Dyntai was there to help her get out of trouble, so they left her house and
rode into the mountains. Dyntai was so fast that the officers didn't have a chance at catching up to them.
She and Dyntai went to
live with Sotarue in the mountains that surrounded Lake Otris. She told Sotarue about the incident, and Sotarue said
that he had a feeling Lee would betray her. Her anger and bitterness was rekindled, and she decided to train
herself with Sotarue in hopes of one day defeating Lee.
Together, they
trained for many months and Shezara became stronger as she trained with Sotartue. Even Sotarue had become stronger also.
It was finally
winter and the large amount of fallen snow blanketed the ground. Shezara finally felt herself strong enough to fight
Lee. However, that winter was very cold, and Sotarue became ill. Shezara didn't know what to do, but Sotarue told her to go
to Aragon, which was the closest city, and get medicine from a doctor. So Shezara did as she was told and went with Dyntai
to Aragon. She left Dyntai behind the walls of the city so that no one would see him. Guards were posted everywhere armed
with their newly invinted rifles. She knew that the guards were protecting the city from her. She wandered around the
cold city for several hours and finally reached a hospital. There were people lying on small matts on the floor. Their
faces were pail, and they were wrapped in blankets. It was rather warm in the huge, one-room building because of the giant
fireplace. She saw the old doctor sitting at his desk infront of thousands of medicine bottles lined up on shelves. The
doctor, named Dr. Vince, handed her some medicine, and Shezara quickly left. Once they arrived at Sotarue's house, Shezara
gave him the medicine, and took care of him. A few weeks later, Sotarue was feeling better, so they continued to carry out
their plot against Lee.
