After the big welcome into the city, two young girls around the age of 20 years came unto the female saviors and lead them off to a place where they could bathe and get clean clothing. As much as K'Lara and Nori protested, they didn't stop. They helped in bathing and dressing of all that were there. Once Dana was done with her herbal bath and dressed she looked for Stephen.
Dana said, "This is all now borrowed time. What am I ever going to tell Stephen? Or even how am I going to tell Stephen? It is going to be really hard. He might to be very mad. I guess I can't really blame him for it though. Oh, dear Prophets, please help me through with this. I know I traded my life with you for K'Lara's and her son's. All I ask is that when you take my life it is fast and painless. Please, I mean that is if it is in your best interest for it to be painless. Also I need your strength so that I can tell Stephen what my fate is."
Dana was standing by a huge pillar thinking all of this when a young girl came up behind her.
The young girl, Talorin, said, "Excuse me..."
Dana screamed in a high-pitched voice as she pulled out her dagger and turned to the direction of the voice.
"Please don't hurt me!!! I just brought you something to eat and drink!
Dana felt so bad that she made the girl feel that terror. "I am very sorry; please forgive me. I was in deep thought and didn't hear you come up behind me. You startled me."
Dana wasn't hungry but took the tray anyway, and the girl left. Dana placed the tray on a pedestal and continued to look for Stephen. Finally, success, she came to an area where she saw Stephen talking to the Chief Tactical Officer. She waited until they were finished and the CTO left Stephen's side.
She started over to Stephen, but then stopped in her tracks and just stared at him and his beauty. He saw her movement from the corner of his eye and turned his head in her direction to see who was there. Stephen smiled, "Dana, my beautiful princess." He walked over to Dana. "Happy birthday to you, dear. Now let me think, you are a big 20 years of age now correct?"
Dana just stood there, her eyes swelled up with tears and started to stream down her face.
"Dana, what is it? I was sure that April 5 was your birthday."
"Stephen... I... I... You need to... I mean there is something..." Tears were streaming from her eyes. Oh god, Dana just tell him about the deal you made with the Prophets.! "Stephen, you see I gave my..."
Dana couldn't tell him. She didn't want to hurt him. He was all she had in all the universe, and she loved him more than anything. "Oh, Stephen." She put her small hand up to her mouth, turned and ran off.
Stephen ran after her. "Dana!!! Dana, wait!!! Dana, what is it?!" He caught up to her near a fountain in the middle of the Keep, grabbed on to her, and turned her around by the shoulders. "What in the name of all the Prophets is the matter?"
Hearing "Prophets" only made Dana feel worse. Not being able to say a single word, Dana left out a whimper and pushed Stephen away from her. Then, Dana swooned and fell into the fountain.
"What the hell is going on?" Stephen said as he picked her up and took her inside Neklus's palace. "I need help here!"
Kaltanthrop and three other Borials came quickly. They placed Dana on an altar in front of an image of what looked like a bull. Kaltanthrop examined her and checked her pulse. He then stood up and began chanting.
Stephen demanded, "What's wrong?" He got no answer. "Damn it! What the hell is wrong with her?!"
Kaltanthrop looked deep into Stephen's eyes. "She's no longer with us." He continued chanting.
Stephen stepped back. His eyes became red with fire. He had never before known pure, unspeakable hatred for the cosmos until now.
Suddenly, someone yelled, "The Horde are attacking! Full-scaled attack!"
"No. No. No." That was the only thing Stephen could say. Then, the voice of the sentry seeped into him. He stepped out of the palace: death fresh in his mind. Stephen addressed the Virgos. "Defend Noran and kill every single one of those bitches you can get your hands on!" He grabbed an idej and headed out to the front line.