We've arrived at East Oaks - a small quaint village in the highlands. Population barely twenty.
"Over here, my Prince." Phillip calls out.
We meet Phillip in front of an old wooden house. The small door has the words painted "Malcom's Makes".
Alexandar, Phillip, Sir Henry and I walk in whilst the rest of the men wait outside the shop.
I sneeze as soon as I enter through the door. The place is filled with dirt. I spot several stones and weapons covered with a thin layer of dust upon them.
"Can we even be sure he's still here?"Alexandar queries.
As Alexandar speaks with Sir Henry and Phillip, my eyes are seduced by a large red stone near the back wall. It's beautiful...ruby-like...sparkling...
Suddenly a tattered cloth is thrown on top of the stone by an old grey man and I scream out of surprise.
Alexandar jumps in front of me similar to the way he did when Zelene first appeared.
"Katia, did he hurt you"? Alexandar angrily shouts. He grabs his sword and points it at the old grey man.
I quickly place my hand on his arm to direct his sword away from the man. "No, no Alexandar...I was just startled. I'm fine...really."
The old man speaks, "I apologize for frightening you, child. But this stone is cursed."
"Cursed?" I question.
"When I made the stone, I did not know the primary ingredient was blackened and malevolent."
"Primary Ingredient?" Alexandar asks.
"You see to make a stone, you need one main ingredient strong enough to tie everything together. A heart."
I look at the old grey man horrified, "A human heart...?"
"All alchemy requires sacrifice," the old man solemnly replies.
Phillip steps forward, "Malcom...we need your help."
"Phillip...my dear boy...is that you?" Malcom weeps.
"Yes, I apologize for my abruptness but time is of the essence. We need your help to find the Arka Stone." As soon as he says the stone's name, I can see fear fill Malcom's eyes.
