Bag of Snow

Chapter 26

2005-11-30T00:31:00.000-07:00

The travelers had reached the outskirts of Ducann within just a matter of weeks. They did not rush on their trip back to Marissa's home city, and instead used a more leisurely pace as they made their way.

Today they were about to exit the large forest located just north of Ducann. This was the same forest in which Marissa had been attacked. It was also where she had killed the creature that hid amongst the trees. However, unlike last time it had changed seasons and they were crossing the forested path during the Fall.

Morning had just passed, and so while the air was slightly chill, the sun peeking through the sparse autumnal forest canopy warmed their skin. Dry leaves and twigs cracked beneath the hooves of their horses. Beaumont and his horse led the group, and faint clouds of steam emanated from Faerun's nostrils. Casually they made their way along the path amongst the empty branches of the trees.

Faerun stopped dead within the center of the path. The clouds of steam pouring from his nose increased. His large black eyes went wide.

"What is it, Faerun? What do you see?" Marissa asked of her steed.

Beaumont called back over his shoulder to Marissa, "What is it?"

"I don't know, Faerun is spooked. It is never good when Faerun is spooked. Be on your guard…"

The young man unsheathed his sword and surveyed the area. His deep blue eyes could not discern any movement within his field of vision. He slowly began to rein Reigard back towards Marissa, and his horse took a few careful steps backwards.

Marissa was worried and somewhat unsettled that she could not sense what might be scaring her horse. For use in her own defense, she debated between equipping her bow or her staff, and chose the latter. She had been told that was better to be prepared for a magical encounter than to be ready for something that could be dealt with a simple bow and arrow. This was especially true if the circumstances were unknown just like in a situation like this.

Still sitting the in the saddle with her staff in hand, Marissa cast a defensive spell. The spell she spoke aloud was intended to allow her to see any possible threats more readily in her vision. As the final word was pronounced, the world in front of her eyes went temporarily black. Just a moment later, the forest returned into view but a few green specks appeared in the distance.

She relayed her findings to Beaumont, "To the north, several paces away I can see three foreign objects."

"Any idea on what they are?"

"Not from this distance, but they would not appear green if they were friendly. I think… wait…here they come. Run!"

Rushing through the brush to the north came three black skinned figures racing on all fours. About the size of a medium sized wolf, the beasts rampaged towards the party with the intent to attack. Fallen branches on the forest floor were crushed beneath their fierce paws as they chased their prey from the north.

Marissa kicked hard into Faerun's sides and the horse galloped down the path away from the attackers. Beaumont quickly followed with the black wolves still tailing them from right behind.

Dust and leaves flew from off of the path and into the air as the party raced to outrun their attackers. Marissa pushed Faerun as hard as she could and the black Appaloosa was running with all of his might.

Beaumont turned around to see that the trio of beasts was still right at their heels. He knew that it would be impossible to escape a confrontation with these creatures, and decided to intercept the threat head on.

Marissa heard Beaumont yell out to his horse and turned to see him pulling hard on his reins. Her eyes also caught a clear view of the attackers: Pontia.

"No, you mustn't! Quick, run Beaumont, run!"

It was too late however, and the man on horseback had already engaged the pack of Pontian wolves.

His initial turn with Reigard had disoriented the monsters, and with a lucky strike he was able to take down one of them with a quick slice of his sword. The two halves of the creature slid down the dusty path and into the fallen leaves.

One of its partners leapt at the young adventurer and Beaumont was thrown from his horse. The flat head of the beast contacted with his right armored side and he slid out from the saddle. He fell to the ground and slid across the leaves.

The startled horse named Reigard jumped to the side of the forest road and attempted to get away from the two remaining Pontia.

The fallen Beaumont was able to quickly return upright in the middle of the road. He shook his head to regain his vision. However, he was just in time to see one of the beasts pouncing on his horse.

The large open jaws of the black beast tore through Reigard's undercarriage in a quick blur. The horse fell instantly to the ground with a thump. Dry leaves sitting on the side of the road flew into the air as the large mass came toppling down. With the horse crippled, the Pontia double-backed for another attack.

Beaumont tried to rescue his poor horse, but he was greeted by the slime covered face of the remaining black wolf. Its skin reflected the midday sun, and seemed to pulse with pure evil. The underlying bone structure appeared to press directly against its flesh, enhancing the beast's unnatural form.

Apprehensive of the sword within the warrior's hands, the pale white eyes of the evil dog remained fixated on the young man. Hesitant to attack while the man was still armed, it cautiously strafed the adventurer standing in the middle of the road.

"Tallion imperea!"

A large mass of broken branches, twigs, leaves, and dust hurtled through the air towards the wolf pacing around Beaumont. The ball of shrapnel connected onto its broad side, and the sharp edges of the projectile tore through its dark body. The battered Pontia was flung into the upper branches of a nearby tree where its frame was abruptly impaled. The black flesh was punctured by the leafless branches and dark ooze fell to the forest floor.

Marissa jumped off of the racing Faerun and stood next to her companion. The pair stood side by side as they watched the final demon gorge itself from the body of the fallen Reigard.

With torn flesh dripping from its lower jaw, the Pontia turned to see the pair standing in the road. Its eyes then were drawn to the body of its compatriot hanging lifelessly in the tree. A deep disgusting howl bellowed from its midsection in anger.

Without waiting for the Pontia to act, Beaumont raced to face the beast. With his sword at the ready he charged.

The Pontia partially retreated and the young man's sword cut into the creature's hind quarters. The beast stumbled slightly, and then abruptly turned to face the warrior.

It suddenly jumped into the air and came barreling down on to the stunned fighter. Its back legs kicked hard against Beaumont's head as it flew over him, and he quickly went down. The young man's body tumbled to the ground in a heap, and the sword within his right hand slid along the forest path.

Marissa quickly grabbed a handful of crystals from her rightmost pocket and threw them as hard as she could at the beast. A deep voice from within her bowels echoed out a single word and the shards turned bright blue.

The projectiles connected with the Pontia in mid-flight, and a layer of ice crystals raced across its black skin. In less than a second its entire body had become incased with a white powder and its form became frozen.

The immobile beast fell like a stone towards the ground. As it landed, distinct cracking noises could be heard as fine ice crystals sprayed from the frozen dog. Large pieces of the creature broke from the center form, shattering as they fell. Once the defeated beast's body had settled, all that remained was a pile of dust and ice.

Marissa quickly raced to Beaumont. "Are you alright?" she called out.

There was no answer.

She tried to get him to wake, but he would not budge. The young mage listened to his chest and noticed that the man was still breathing. "He is not dead, but he will not wake. What can I do?!?"

The scared young mage called out to her horse, "Faerun!" The black companion quickly came to her side. She quickly removed all unnecessary baggage from upon the horses back, including her knapsack.

Using whatever strength she had left, she amazingly lifted the fallen body of Beaumont onto Faerun's saddle. With a quick hop, she too had joined her injured companion.

"Quick, to Ducann! We must find him a healer! We cannot lose any more time! He must be saved!"

Chapter 25

2005-11-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

The feeling of befuddlement left Marissa soon after exiting the underground cavern. Where she once was trying to rationalize the strange meeting they had just had with Fandango, she was now coming to the realization that her initial mission had failed.

She turned to her male companion, "Beaumont, I cannot believe it. I have failed on my quest. I always thought that the mission might have a small chance of failure, but I only assumed that it would occur after months, or even years after searching. Here, we have found something completely opposite from what I set out to discover. We found a mass of land that is totally bereft of Pontia. And we have found out just mere weeks since I left Ducann! How could I have been so wrong with my hypothesis?"

Beaumont turned to look at the upset young mage. No smile graced her face and tears had begun to well up in the corner of her eyes. He looked into her dark brown eyes and felt sorry for his fellow traveler.

He began to speak, "Cheer up, not all is lost. Sure, you did not solve your initial mystery. Instead you have by all accounts found something more valuable. You have found a grove of trees that repulses the creatures! Isn't that something to be happy about?"

"It might be, if the Sylaalian weren't so close to extinction. I dare not share the location of this forest. You know what would happen…"

"I suppose you are right about that." He thought for a moment, "But you did complete a very difficult quest. You crossed the upper half of this continent and arrived at your destination, just as you intended. Isn't that something to be congratulated for?"

"Yes, but I only was able to do it with your help, Beaumont. I really should have been strong enough to handle the trials myself. It was weak of me to ask for assistance. I am a future member of the Protectorate. I should be able to fend for myself."

"But you did fend for yourself! You single-handily disposed of the Pontia infection at the mine. You remember the katabear right? You defended yourself from over ten of those brutes. And you did save me from that one on the hill. Is that not an accomplishment?"

"I suppose…" she quietly replied as she closed her eyes.

"And don't forget how you saved little Elanor in Welton! Look at how you handled yourself in that situation. Selflessly you threw yourself into the danger of the despicable storm to save another life. How courageous! How magnificent!"

The young mage had heard enough, and Marissa ran directly into Beaumont's arms. Her small form hugged tightly around his midsection with an emotional squeeze. With her head buried deep into his chest, she began to whimper. A single tear ran down the side of her cheek and she continued to sob within his grasp.

Beaumont comforted the youthful woman in his arms. As he had done before, he began to softly stroke her jet black hair. Each pass of his hand caused the small cries within her to dissipate. She was calming down, becoming more relaxed.

The young man then felt the weeping Marissa's heartbeat begin to flutter. A tiny beating within her chest began to race.

He peered down to find the young mage looking directly into his eyes. Her dark pupils met his own and time seemed to stand still. The pair stood there motionless staring at each other, oblivious to the world around them.

Marissa rose onto the tips of her toes and Beaumont met her with a soft kiss. He gently pressed against her thin lips and warmth fell over the pair. They both squeezed the other tighter and their embrace became more intense.

The sensation washing over Marissa was pleasant and soothing. Her fears and worries about her quest disappeared, replaced with a wondrous feeling of joy and happiness. The tip of her upper lip tingled with a buzzing sensation. Her eyes remained closed and she felt as though there was nothing is this world other than herself and the man wrapping his arms around her. She felt that she would be forever happy if they were to simply remain in this spot together.

The duo separated from their kiss and looked longingly into each others eyes. Marissa noted that Beaumont too was flushed. His once pale cheeks were filled with bright red, as were his hidden ears. She could hear his trembling heartbeat as they remained intertwined.

His hand rose to hold the right side of her head. She turned and kissed his gloved hand. Tears of happiness drained from Marissa's eyes.

The pair then returned to their embrace, each squeezing the other as tight as they could.

The couple spent the remaining days of the journey leading to Ducann together. The mage, the adventurer, and their two horses casually crossed the countryside on their way to the city of the south.

Beaumont had quickly decided to accompany the lovely young mage back to her home in Ducann. He feigned that his main reason was that he wished to see the city, as he had never seen the inside of her walls. The young man said it would be an honor to escort her home.

In reality, he had found someone to whom he had a strong emotional attachment. She stirred a fire within him that he did not think could be tamed. Wonderful feelings of joy filled his being each time that he looked at her nimble form. His heart would skip a beat each time that he caught a glimpse of her deep brown eyes.

The young man believed that their bond was so strong that he would follow her to the ends of the world and back, if need be. He was determined to follow her wherever she might go.

Marissa was also full with happiness. She had not had any kind of close relationship since she was but a child. It felt wondrous to finally have someone to love and who loved them back. She thanked the Heavens for sending such a dashing young man to be by her side.

The young mage honestly believed that she had found her soulmate. Beaumont was a wonderful man who appeared to deeply care for the young woman. She felt that nothing would be able to separate the two lovers. She also thought that if anything should happen, she would make sure they would be together at any cost.

Continue reading onto Chapter 26

Chapter 24

2005-11-29T00:29:00.000-07:00

Marissa thought to herself, "Had I really heard the ancient man speak in a common tongue? Did I hear what I thought I heard? Am I going mad?"

"No, you are not going mad my dear," spoke the mysterious man with a deep voice.

Marissa was shocked by his response. She felt confused and cried out, "Wait, I didn't say anything!"

"You did in your mind young one. How else do you think you can understand my speech, and vice versa? We are connected via our minds now. That is how the two of you are able to comprehend what I am saying."

The odd man continued, "And if I might ask now that I am awakened. Why have you come?"

Beaumont replied, "Well, sir, we uh… well Marissa and I are on a quest to find the source of the Pontia."

"Pontia? What is a Pontia?" he asked with a curious look in his dark eyes.

"You do not know?" she asked with a bit of surprise in her voice. "Pontia are a black plague that crawls across this entire world. Their demented kind strives to infect and kill all in their path. They are beings of pure evil! Surely you have heard of them."

The ancient man replied, "Evil? Evil is upon the world of Capresso? No, it is not possible. The world has never contained something like which you have just detailed. You must be mistaken. Capresso contains nothing but that which is pure."

"Capresso? Where is this Capresso you speak of? I've never heard of such a land in any of my studies."

"How can you not know of Capresso, mage?!? Why the land you stand upon right now is part of the Capresso hierarchy! Capresso rules over the land, sea, and air. Capresso is life!"

"I'm sorry. I still don't understand. Even with this magical translation, I have no knowledge of such a place," she replied. "I have practically read every ancient book in the Ducann library. Nothing matches what you speak of."

"That simply cannot be," the man replied with a frustrated tone. "Well, then I must ask: who rules this world?"

"No one person rules this world. The closest body to which you speak is the Church. You can say that the Church is the governor of these lands. The upper clergy and the high priests watch over us with a gentle hand."

"Blasphemy! The Church should never hold such power! How ever did this happen?!?"

For the next half hour, the man wading within the pool consulted with the young mage. They discussed what history Marissa knew of, and how the society of the world existed according to Marissa's studies. The differing arguments regarding the truths of both parties clashed against each other. Neither the mage, nor the man, could seem to compromise on what the real truth might be. Beaumont decided to keep his mouth shut and never joined their fierce conversation.

The ancient man was the first to try to resolve the situation, "This is getting us nowhere sorceress. It is evident that I have been gone for far too long, and have lost touch with the world. It is apparent that I will need to venture out and learn more. I must explore what has transgressed across the lands of Capresso myself."

He continued, "And with that, I will return to your original response. Could you please tell me more about these Pontia? You say that there is a new evil living upon the land?"

"Yes, the Pontia is a scourge upon the world. The vile creatures are a consistent threat which causes death and decay. They are an evil that the Church must combat on a never ending quest. As soon as we are able to banish one of their kind, two more appear to take their place elsewhere within the world. Their terrible infestation seems to be incurable at this current time, regardless of how hard the Church and Protectorate try. We are looking for any means from which to combat these beasts.

"It was my belief that we might come across clues to their origins here on this parcel of land. I once found a note that mentioned this peninsula by name in a book containing records of the Pontia. Through suspicion, I believed that the note related our current location to the vile Pontia. My new realization appears to show that this might not be the case.

"And you say that these beasts have a distaste for that which is magical? They literally cannot stand the presence of holy relics of your Church? Interesting…"

"'Interesting'? How so, if I might ask?" she politely inquired.

"Oh, well I would assume it might be obvious. Since the Church gets its powers from the Heavens, and the Pontia cannot stand to be near that which is holy, then the Pontia must in someway be related to your theology. They must have some connection with your religion. How else could the two be such polar opposites? It is not a coincidence that they are each others antithesis."

This theory had never been brought up to the young mage before. Her mind swam with ideas, "Could they be in some way related? If this outsider believes it to be true, his bipartisanship may be a key point. He is viewing this situation from the outside. It might make sense…"

"Of course it makes sense. It cannot be a mistake," the strange man replied.

The young mage gritted her teeth. She had forgotten that their minds were still connected and that he had continued to read her thoughts. Beaumont let out a slight chuckle regarding her petty fuming.

"I must proclaim to you yet again, that I have no knowledge of the creatures which you call the Pontia. The world prior to this one inhabited by young ones such as yourselves, did not have any plagues or scourges. I am unable to dissertain this 'source' that you are so desperately searching for. I can only assume the note you were following earlier was interpreted mistakenly. It was a good theory, but I'm afraid it was most certainly wrong. The Pontia could not have come from this island. The very ground that we walk on is filled with holy magic. If they were spawned from this earth, they would have instantly perished if your description is to be believed.

"I am sorry that you did not find that which you were searching for, Marissa," spoke the strange man. "However, all is not for naught; I can assist you with your fight. I too am familiar with the arcane arts. I can provide you with some additional tools from which you may continue your struggle. It is the least I can do to repay you for reawakening me."

Marissa's mood piqued as the man got her attention.

"Now, that's better. A curious one you are, I can see that. It must drive your teachers a little batty. So, would you like to learn?"

The young mage nodded. Beaumont remained removed from the pair's conversation. He just stood back and observed.

"Well first of all, let me tell you my name. I am called Fandango, so we can dispense with the 'sirs' from here on out. I prefer to be called by my name. Understood?"

She nodded.

Fandango had been sitting within the pool of water this entire time. Now that he was introduced, he finally stood up. He stretched his wet limbs into the air and stepped out of the stone box full of water. Immediately after his second foot left the large stone box, the water inside began to drain once again.

Even though they were still connected, the next spell the odd man cast was undecipherable. A large portion of the wall to the right side of the stone box began to descend. As this pillar of rock dropped, a hidden room behind the sliding door became visible. "A workshop or lab," Marissa thought.

"Correct. This is my personal work room. I built it long ago for purposes that I will not share at this time. What I can share is a bit of magic that even all of your 'glorious' books will not have any record of."

The trio walked into this new room. Desks, bookcases, and numerous chairs were scattered amongst the cluttered room.

He walked over to a dust covered desk. The man wiped the layer of dirt from the top of the knotted wood. "My, I have been asleep for a very long time; at least an age's worth. It is going to take much effort to re-learn that which has past. It always does…"

Fandango's pink fingers began to dig into one of the desk's drawers. He pulled from it a long brown strip. "Here, take this." He handed the strip to the young female mage.

The long strip was only a few feet high, maybe four feet at most. It was light brown in color, and soft to the touch. It was only as wide as fingertip at its thinnest point. For something that must be quite so old, it had stood up against time with ill effect. "Leather," Marissa remarked.

"Yes, the leather of a gital calf. Perchance, do the gital still exist?" the man asked as he wandered around his office. Fandango began to scrounge for different items located within his personal lab. He did so as he continued to converse with the traveling pair.

Beaumont replied for once, "Gital? No, but you might be speaking of the guillal. They have hides that are very similar to that piece, although we do not use its leather. The name does sound familiar." He made motions with his hands to explain the guillal's size. "And they have two upturned horns on either side, correct?"

"Yes, it sounds like the same beast. Not very good milk, not very good meat, but tremendous magical power. The gital, or guillal as you call them now, are an ancient beast. Maybe even one of God's first creations," the man replied.

Fandando continued, "That staff you have, is it Sylaalian?"

"Yes, it was given to me by a mentor. He found it on a beach one…"

The mysterious man interrupted as he was piling some ingredients into a bag, "And does it glow fierce whenever you use your magical powers?"

"Yes." Marissa wanted to keep her response short so that she would not be cut off again.

"Wrap that leather strip around the staff, and try to cast a spell. Something non-destructive please. I do enjoy my private room during the rare times that I actually get to use it. It would be quite terrible if you were to bring it to ruin. So please be careful."

"What will happen?"

"Do it and find out. Learn by experimentation. That is how the greatest wizards hone their craft. It's also the only way new magicks are discovered. You cannot discover without trying."

She looked at her staff with hesitation. "Should I trust this man? This staff was a precious gift from sage Klaus…"

"Nothing will happen to your piece of driftwood. Just do it!" he demanded.

The young man was really getting tired of him butting in on her own internal dialogues. Those thoughts ought to be kept private, hence why they were not spoken. She grumbled a bit as she stared at the leather strip.

Marissa reluctantly followed his instructions and tied one end of the guillal leather to the staff's tip. Using a clockwise motion she wrapped the long strip tightly against the gnarled wood. When she reached the apex of the staff, she knotted the other end of the leather through a large crack in the wood. A skinny piece of tan ribbon now encased her magical weapon.

The mage held the newly accessorized staff within her hands. The weapon did not feel any more powerful that it did before. She did find that the leather made it easier to grasp the wooden staff. The soft leather partially cushioned her fingers from the deep splintered grooves.

"Good, now cast something," he instructed.

The first spell that came to mind was the little ball of light she had cast earlier. The mage had dispelled the first fluff when she desired to cast the water spell. Using the standard quick snapping motion, she flicked her fingers and the ball reappeared.

She looked at her staff and did not see anything. The ball of light did not look to be any brighter either. "I don't see any change, sir… I mean Fandango," she stated.

"Are you sure? Take a look at that staff of yours. Notice anything different?"

It looked slightly strange within her hands, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Shouldn't it be glowing, my under-trained mage? I thought you were observant…"

Fandango was right. The grooves upon the staff should be glowing due to the magical reaction caused by her spell of light. "How could this be?" she asked aloud, figuring he would have just read her mind if she just thought it.

"One of the many benefits of that leather strip is that it mutes the physical reaction that is common in Sylaalian wood. Quite helpful when you are trying to keep your presence a secret but still have the power of a staff by your side. Leather like that has saved my hide on more than one occasion, pun intended.

"You will find over time that there are other subtle benefits to using the leather. You will also discover that the leather of the guillal can be used to accentuate other items other than just simple staffs. I suggest you experiment when you get back to your homeland."

"Our homeland?" Beaumont asked.

"Why yes. You did not find what you were looking for here on this peninsula, correct? And therefore I'd assume you'd be traveling back to your homes. You will not be able to stay here if that is what you are thinking."

"And where might you go, Fandango," Marissa asked.

"It is very apparent that I have been asleep for far too long. I need to venture forth and re-examine this new world. My purpose demands that I do so."

"And when do you plan on leaving this structure?"

"In just a moment. I only need to gather a few more items for my trip."

"May we accompany you? We could further explain our world and be of great assistance," she said.

"I'm afraid that cannot happen. You will not be able to follow me where I lead. I'm sorry, but I can't give a better explanation than that. So you will be on your way then?"

"If that is what you desire," Marissa stated.

"That would be best. I do appreciate you re-awakening me from my slumber. I didn't think anyone would come to this home of mine anytime in this century. It was most fortunate that you stopped by."

Before they could say their goodbyes, Fandango piped up again. "Thank you again, goodbye!" The mysterious man was still kneeling behind a large desk looking for something important. His impatient hand waved wildly in the air signaling them farewell.

Reluctantly, Marissa and Beaumont left the man's quarters and started the long journey leading out of the underground tunnel. Confusion ran through their minds as they walked along the stone bricks. Each of them pondered the odd encounter separately, "What exactly just happened?"

Continue reading onto Chapter 25

Chapter 23

2005-11-28T00:08:00.000-07:00

In front of the traveling duo was a single stone staircase the led into a black abyss. It was only wide enough for a single person to fit down its narrow passage. There were also no handholds to aid with the descent.

It was quite apparent that this stone staircase had been the source of the noise that they had heard earlier. This particular patch of land was free of the Sylaalian trees, but a few of the thinner trees had previously grown on the spot. In addition, a mixture of short grass and thick moss covered the nearby forest floor.

The skinny trees which used to cover the top of the staircase, toppled over as the trap door opened. In addition, the moss bordering the entryway had been shorn on its edges by the sliding platform which once hid the flight of stairs. Layers of peeled grass lay amongst the fallen trees.

"It must have been very long since this door was last opened," Marissa remarked. "Just look at the trees that used to grow on this stairway. They must be at least several decades old if they have grown that large."

Only the first few steps were visible in the daylight, and the others were clouded by shadow. Each stone step looked as though it had been carved from a single piece of rock and then carefully positioned into place. Large scratches covered the front faces of the blocks.

"And look at those scratches," Marissa pointed out. "These steps must be like large pistons that raise and lower as the door opens and closes. See how you can tell that the stones rub against each other?"

She continued to make observations, "Also, see that inset portion at the back there? You can see a stone platform hidden there. That must have covered the entire length of this entry before we came along."

"I'll buy that," Beaumont replied. "Now answer me this: how was it that you were able to open this portal?"

"I… I don't know… Maybe it was designed to react in the presence of magic, just like these trees."

"And who do you suppose built this flight of stairs?"

"I don't know that either, but we will follow them and see if we can find out."

Marissa spoke a single word and snapped her fingers. A ball of light popped out from the thin air in front of the young mage. It hung directly in front of her, almost tethered directly to her head. She twisted her head to look at her male companion and the light followed. Looking at the somewhat befuddled young man she spoke, "Come on. Time to find out where this hole goes."

Beaumont unsheathed his sword into his right hand as they made their way down the narrow flight of stairs and into the darkness. With the mage in front of the warrior, the only light they had to guide them came from the glowing tuft floating in front of the young girl. Step by step they proceeded down further, with the sky behind them becoming smaller and smaller. They continued walking until the light from outside world was no longer within view.

Marissa's heart was racing. She began to ask herself, "What could possibly be at the end of this path? Will it be friend or foe? Should we be worried? Could this actually lead to the source of the Pontia?"

The young mage thought she sensed hesitation in her male friend's demeanor as well. He too, was unsure of what might they might find at the end of these stairs.

Strangely, as they descended deeper into the structure they finally reached a portion where the steps abruptly stopped. In front of them the path now began to have a common slope and continued on a level grade.

Also, much to their surprise, their path was now being lit by a source other than Marissa's spell. The ceiling above them was uniformly glowing with the familiar colored lines of light.

"Look, the ceiling is made from Sylaalian! It's reacting to my spell, just like the trees outside. It's helping to lead our way," Marissa stated with a bit of excitement.

The young mage was correct, and their travels underground were becoming easier with this new lighted assistance. The mysterious Sylaalian wood was indeed casting a usable light onto the walls and floor. Their pace through the tunnel increased with this new found discovery.

For the next ten minutes they crawled down the passageway, venturing deeper underground. At the end of the long path the duo came across a single large room.

The room was constructed with the same carved stones that of the walls and floor of the tunnel. In its center was a rectangular-shaped stone box without a top. Its wider side faced out towards the long tunnel, and on this side there were carvings dug into the rock which depicted simple flowing shapes. Similar carvings had also been cut into the room's back wall that was located behind the box.

Moisture from the ground above was slowly dripping between the gaps in the stone walls and wooden ceiling. The occasional drop splashed on the stone floor and echoed through the chamber. The air smelled musty and humid. This hidden room which had never seen a beam of sunlight was also quite cold. The duo's hands and fingertips felt chilled.

The pair's eyes were fixated on the centerpiece of this strange room. They saw the odd object almost immediately upon entering. In the center of the room, sitting in the stone box, appeared to be the remains of a humanoid body.

The shriveled form sat kneeling in the center of the box. Both of its thin arms were positioned upright with its palms facing upwards. Upon its torso was a simple garment which was soiled and decayed. The figure's eyes were completely closed, as was its dehydrated mouth. Only a few straggled white hairs stuck out from its bare scalp. The skin was still flesh colored, but very pale and covered with a layer of dust. Whatever life force was once been in this body had left it long ago.

"What do you suppose that is?" Beaumont asked.

"Whatever it is, it looks to be deceased. Look at the webs underneath the arms. It must be as old as this cavern. Is it just me, or does it look like a man to you?"

"It does, but that garment is unlike anything I've ever seen before. How could a shirt survive this long if it was only made from plain linen? This water would have rotted it ages ago. It must be something else."

"Strange. Maybe the markings on this tomb and the wall behind it will help to shed a clue or two."

They both looked inquisitively at the stone carvings. A few unfamiliar words had been cut into the rock next to the grooved designs. The texts did not look to form anything meaningful in a language that the duo could recognize. They continued to search the carving's tiniest details for more information.

"Anything?" she asked.

"Nothing concrete, but this one shape does look somewhat familiar. Doesn't it look like it’s the same motion one would use to change the direction of flowing water?"

Marissa looked at the swirling lines. "Yes, that is the motion one would use. But how would you know that?"

"Did you forget already? At one point I did study magic. That spell always interested me because of its possible uses in irrigation. It would have been such a boon when I was still working on the family farm."

The clues began to fall into place, "And look at this," Marissa pointed at one of the odd words. "Here is one of the base words for that particular spell!"

She turned to Beaumont and kissed him on the cheek. "Brilliant!" she exclaimed.

The startled young man froze as Marissa walked back over to the wall to re-examine the carvings. He stood there motionless as she continued to ponder the mysterious words.

"Yes, that spell is indeed referenced here. Should I cast it?" she asked.

"Urm… ahem," he was still struggling from the sudden kiss. "Sounds like as good an idea as any. Go ahead and try."

Using the index and fore fingers of her left hand, she traced the flowing shape seen on the back wall. As she drew the design in the air, the color within the carving also began to light up; mimicking the motions of the young mage. Marissa finished casting the spell and other runes located throughout the wall began to glow. The lights trickled down the stones and began to outline portions of the large rectangular box.

The pair heard the sudden sound of water bubbling to the service. They bent over the edge of the box and noticed that a small amount of water had begun to fill the rectangular container. The clear liquid slowly bubbled up from parts unknown as it continued filling the box.

As the water spouted into the tomb, the body within it began to stir. Not quite noticeable at first, but Marissa swore that the flesh of the humanoid inside was changing from a pale and dusty white.

"Look!" she screamed as the pair took a few steps back.

With wonder in their eyes, they watched as the skin of the being within the box began to hydrate. Wrinkles along the skin started to smooth, and weight began to fill up the once frail arms. Color continually flushed across the once pale flesh, transforming it into a coloring closer to the pair of travelers. The white hair from on top of its head began to grow again as it shifted to a brown hue. The old single raggedy hairs fell from the skull and into the rising water.

The once raised arms began to casually relax as they bent down towards the being's sides. Its once dry hands dipped slowly into the water surrounding it. The back and posture of the figure began to straighten.

The eyes and mouth remained shut as life began to fill back into this mysterious figure's face. The horrific site of a shriveled nose and indented cheeks made way for marble-like smooth skin. The being's visage began to resemble something that was gentle and no longer gruesome. As its life returned, it also looked as though the figure was not much older than those of the cowering adventurers.

Water continued to fill the stone box even once it began to spill out over the edges. A secondary lip beneath the large box caught this overflowing liquid, but some of it still managed to splash onto the stone floor.

As the water kept to its steady flow, the once mummified figure looked more like a normal human being. His flesh had fully returned along with a full head of dust-colored hair. The figure sat motionless in his small pool for several minutes as Marissa and Beaumont watched.

A noise came from the man kneeling in the water, "Uuuaaaaa." His once dormant lungs began to inhale the surrounding air. His chest expanded with each intake, and deflated as he exhaled. Even though he had begun to breathe again, his eyes remained completely shut. Breath after breath continued to add more color to his skin.

"He's opening his eyes…" whispered Beaumont as the man began to wake.

Tiny little slits opened within the man's eyelids. Dark pupils started to appear from behind his slowly rising lids.

Almost shockingly, he opened his eyes completely wide within just an instant. His blaringly stark eyes remained open as he stared at the young adults standing in front of him. The man did not blink a single time as he forcefully focused on the pair.

A deep voice echoed from the ancient throat of the newly hydrated man, "Pullan tie mertian."

Marissa spoke, "I'm sorry. What did you say? I cannot understand you."

"Pullan tertia bollo mertian." The tone of his voice changed slightly and he motioned with his hands as well. It almost sounded as though he was trying to give the young woman some instruction.

Marissa shook her head. She did not understand a single word of this foreign language.

The man dipped his cupped hands into the water surrounding him. Using the water within his palms, he performed a drinking motion. The water poured down his throat and across his chin. He swallowed the majority of the liquid in one large gulp. The man in the pool then motioned for each of them to come over and do the same.

Marissa began to walk over to the stone box, but Beaumont abruptly stopped her.

"Wait! We don't know what's going to happen. I should go first, in case something goes wrong."

With a bit of hesitation she let the young man be the first to drink. He cautiously walked over to the man in the water. The figure motioned again. Beaumont cupped his hands and took a drink.

The strange man spoke again, "Pullan tie mertian."

"Did you hear that?" Beaumont asked Marissa.

"Yes I did, but it was still foreign. I didn't understand a word."

"What are you talking about? What he said was spoken perfectly. I clearly understood every word."

"Strange, it must be the water in that pool that lets you hear his true intentions. Let me take a drink as well."

Thoughts ran through Marissa's head, "Beaumont appeared to be fine, and he did say that he understood the mysterious man in the water. It should be safe." Marissa carefully walked up to the stone box full of water.

Both Beaumont and the man were motioning for her to drink from the box. She peered down into the liquid and noticed that it was perfectly clear. With caution still on her mind, she dipped her hands into the water.

It was cool to the touch, but not cold. Using her cupped hands, she lifted a small amount of the liquid closer to her face. The lights of the magical ceiling above sparkled in the magical water. The curiosity within her thoughts mixed with her hesitation.

She quickly downed the cool liquid and it tingled as it fell down her throat. She swallowed the last bit and turned to man kneeling within the pool.

Once again he began to speak, "Welcome, young wizard."

Continue reading onto Chapter 24

Chapter 22

2005-11-26T00:07:00.000-07:00

The next day was much more pleasant than any of the prior week. Where there was once silence, there was now playful conversation. The duo bantered back and forth, occasionally egging the other with bits of humor. Marissa felt that she hadn't laughed so much in a very long time. The young woman was glad to be cheerful instead of her emotionless self.

As they traveled they seemed to be crossing the country faster than what they had planned. They seemed to be ignoring the time spent getting to the Holloway Peninsula, and as such almost did not realize it when they had reached their destination.

"We're here," Beaumont stated.

"Already? It felt like it should have taken longer to get here."

"Well according my map we are at the peninsula. See the water's edge over there? That is the start of it."

In front of the pair was a forested landmass separated by two bodies of water on each side. An odd shaped butte could be seen on the eastern edge. The mount had a sheer face that led high into the clouds. Its tip was hidden amongst the mist filled sky.

Forests covered the other portions of the peninsula. The trees were wildly different than the redwoods of the paths behind them. These timbers were skinny, and the branches above only contained a thin layer of green padded leaves.

Marissa and Beaumont had deviated from the last remnants of a formal road since early that morning. They were simply following the advice of the male adventurer on how to get to their desired location. He had a crude map of the land that was only helpful in determining which approximate direction from which to head.

"Where do you think we should go now, Marissa?" he asked.

"Well there are some sketches of this note, but nothing that I can see that pertains to our current location. I'd just assume that we continue north until we reach its heart. And then we'll go from there I suppose." A layer of uncertainty filled her voice.

Marissa kicked into Faerun's sides and they were off into the strange land.

Traversing the forest was not easy. It was difficult to find openings between the thin trees from which the width of a horse could pass. The trees, although skinny, grew very close to each other. Barely enough room was present between each of them for a man to pass, let alone a large workhorse. The tall poles bent and strained as Faerun's and Reigard's hind quarters squeezed through. Luckily the smooth bark did not scratch their hides.

The forest began to thin as they journeyed deeper into the peninsula. They were getting closer to the edge of the tall butte, and its large shadow was being cast over the center of the peninsula.

Something caught Beaumont's eye. "My, those are some strange trees. I've never seen anything like them before."

An idea popped into Marissa's head. The young mage pulled the staff from off of her back and into her hands. She held the oddly shaped stick in her arms in an upright position. Her eyes then focused on the odd trees in the distance.

"Sylaalian! These are Sylaalian trees!"

"Sylaalian?" he asked.

"Yes, see my staff here? It's made from the same wood. These are magical trees! Such a rarity!" She paused, "But these are supposed to be lost from our world. No one has found any living members of their kind for over a century."

"So does that mean anything? Why would these trees be growing here?"

The question also entered into Marissa's mind. She rejoined the conversation, "Yes, it is odd. If the Pontia are supposed to be based here, then how could such a precious tree grow here as well? We know that the Pontia have a distaste for things arcane, almost a repulsion to such artifacts of the world. How could this be?"

A lucrative opportunity popped into Beaumont's head, "Should we gather some of this wood while we are here? We could bring in quite an amount of coin…"

"No, I won't allow it. These trees are sacred. Their genus must be kept intact, and we dare not take even a sapling. I would assume from the fact that they are no longer found on this continent, that they might only be able to grow on this particular piece of land. Besides, if we bring some examples back, then this precious forest would be razed in just a few days should people learn of where we had traveled. The forest must remain a secret."

"I suppose. Any thoughts on what to do next?"

"Well, we're getting closer to the butte, so why don't we head there directly? Maybe there will be some sort of structure, or something of the like, built into the mountain."

As they got closer to the rocky cliff, the amount of Sylaalian trees increased. All around them were the oddly shaped plants dotting the landscape. Their twisted forms left a sense of being in an otherworldly place.

The live Sylaalian trees looked only slightly different than the two bits of wood Marissa knew about. Unlike the dry brown colors of the staff and Box of Moddiad, these trees were a whitish green. The telltale deep grooves that traced their bark were present over their entire surface. These channels swirled around each tree with a distinctly unique pattern that was different across each individual tree.

The trunks were much wider than the thin trees they had passed through earlier, and their widths were even wider than the base of the largest redwood. It would take a storm of epic proportions to pull the trees from out of the ground.

The upper branches took the twirling structure of the trees to new extremes. Large corkscrews and odd curved angles sprung out from the upper portions. It was easily apparent that the staff which Marissa carried was but a small twig that had fallen from a single crooked branch.

The other odd feature of the Sylaalian was the stark white leaves that tipped their curved branches. No such leaves littered the floor, and not a single pale colored petal could be found on the ground beneath the pair. It seemed as though these trees never gave up their ivory pads during any traditional season, let alone any other natural reason. The bleached petals hanging on the twisted branches also seemed as old as the trees themselves.

The audible songs of tropical birds living amongst the Sylaalian trees whistled to the pair down below. Their sweet melodies sounded mystical and erratic.

Beaumont was the first to reach the edge of the cliff. He dismounted his horse, and scanned the mountain's base looking for any type of structure. The mountain was not as wide as the man expected for having such a tall peak. He was able to circle the mountain after only a few minutes of walking.

The young man looked high and low for any sign of a ruined structure, and even looked for any possible single bricks that might be lying around. His diligent searching turned up nothing, and he returned to Marissa with his findings.

"Nothing?" she asked.

"Not a single carved stone. Nor a sign of anything else manmade. There is nothing along this butte I'm afraid."

Marissa started to panic as she got down out of her saddle, "There has to be something here. I cannot have come all this way for nothing! What will I tell my teachers?!?"

"Calm down, we aren't out of options yet. It isn't quite yet time to give up just yet. There is a lot more land on this peninsula that we haven't covered. Have you even looked at your note recently?"

"The note? Oh, I forgot…"

She pulled the note from one of her pouches. She studied the drawings inscribed on the sheepskin with fresh eyes now that she was in this new location. One of the objects scribbled loosely on one corner of the note somewhat resembled the odd shape of a white Sylaalian leaf.

She asked the young man for a favor, "Can you pluck one of the leaves from these trees? I need to see if they match a shape written on this note."

Beaumont climbed on top of his horse, and stood upright on top of his saddle. Very carefully he stretched his right arm into the air and plucked one of the ivory leaves from a low hanging branch. He jumped down and walked over to Marissa.

The petal was asymmetrical in shape. The base which attached to the tree was round like a drop of water, but then it had three tapered prongs that somewhat twisted around this base. The middle leaf was the longest, with the other two being somewhat shorter. The shape of the leaf looked almost like a shooting star tumbling through space. The leaf within Beaumont's hand roughly matched the shape depicted on the note.

"Okay, so the note had a drawing that links this place to the Sylaalian. Now what?" the young man asked.

"Well, the Sylaalian are known to react to magic. Perhaps I should cast something?"

"It's as good an idea as any. But what should you cast? We don't want to damage the trees right?"

"I think I have an idea. Let me see if I have the correct ingredients."

Marissa placed her knapsack on the ground and started to rummage. She mumbled as he searched through her bag, "Nope, I guess I can't cast that one…" The mage dug even deeper. "Maybe…?... No. Not enough guran water for that…"

It took several minutes for the mage to find the ingredients for the matching spell that she wished to cast. "Aha! This'll do," she exclaimed.

She held a large piece of a brownish root within her right palm. Almost effortlessly, she snapped her arm outwards at the elbow in one quick motion. The root, and her right hand that contained it, began to glow and the air around them began to vibrate.

Beaumont tried to watch her as she did this, but he found it hard to focus on her palm. As she moved her arm, multiple copies of the image would trail behind her clenched hand, matching whatever little movement she made. In addition, her arm was distorting the air around her hand, which made it even more difficult to look at.

"Oh, I probably should have told you. Don't look at my right hand. It's another distraction magic. It doesn't do well to combine its illusions with a full stomach. And seeing as how we recently ate, you might start feeling sick. Just keep looking away and you'll be alright."

"Thanks for the warning," he said sarcastically as he tore his eyes away.

One thing that the pair did not initially notice was that not only was the staff on Marissa's back glowing with the distinctive lines of magical light, but the trees around them were reacting as well. The bark of the closest trees were also now lit up with colorful lines. They traced the mysterious shapes common in the skin of the Sylaalian plant.

In addition, the leaves were reacting much more vividly to the magic. Their edges were glowing with a bright blue tinge. Even the single leaf within Beaumont's hand was lighting up his entire face.

Shielding her right hand from view, Marissa looked around her. She noticed that the glowing amongst the Sylaalian trees depended on how close she was to them. As she walked around them, the aura which she was giving off changed. She wandered among the trees and gleefully watched their spectacular effects. With her left hand she traced the lines racing through the bark of nearby tree. Her finger drew circles and sharp lines. She even pretended that the colored lines spelled out her name.

Beaumont interrupted her fun. "Might I suggest you walk around the butte, oh wise mage? You know, to see if we can find this hidden structure, perhaps?"

With her dark brown eyes, she shot a disapproving glance at the young man. She also pulled her hand back into view, startling the young man. The dizzied man turned to pull his gaze away.

She altered her path and began to walk around the base of the butte. Numerous bushes grew along the cliff and she had to crawl through a few of them in order to fully circle the tall mountain. This time, Beaumont followed the young mage as they rounded the peak.

The pair heard the sound of stone shifting against stone. They turned to look in the direction of the noise but saw nothing. When Marissa stopped to listen for the sound, it also abruptly stopped.

"Did you hear that?" she asked.

Beaumont nodded.

"Thoughts?" she asked.

"Well I don't think it was anything that we have to fear. It might be a clue to this whole place. Keep walking, maybe out towards where the sounds came from. Maybe they'll pipe up again."

Marissa headed northeast, away from the base of the butte, and towards the sound they heard just a moment ago.

As soon as she took another step, the sound returned. She continued to follow the odd noise, which became louder as she approached. Marissa started to jog at a brisk run, heading directly for the sound of the grinding stones.

In her hurry, Marissa did not notice that there were steps that had been carved down into the earth below. Her foot missed the first step and she slipped on the first stone gradation. The young mage clumsily fell onto the upper step of the descending staircase. She landed on her backside with a thump. The root within her hand slipped from her grasp and tumbled down the flight of stairs.

"Ow, that looks like it must have hurt," said Beaumont as he caught up with her.

"Never mind that! Would you please help me up?" spoke the frustrated mage. Beaumont knelt down and helped to lift her up from the mysterious staircase.

"So, this must be the entrance to the structure you were looking for. It's quite lucky we found it so soon."

Marissa replied, "I wouldn't say that, my friend. We don't know where this hole leads, nor why it is here. If it was magic that caused this doorway to open, then magic must be an element of the contents inside. We must tread with caution for we do not know what is beneath us."

Continue reading onto Chapter 23

Chapter 21

2005-11-25T00:06:00.000-07:00

Marissa and Beaumont traveled for the next full week, camping along the trail whenever they needed. Unlike the trip to Welton, this portion of the journey was fairly uneventful. They had heard unsettling noises on occasion and they traveled through the forests leading to the peninsula, but they never encountered sources of the odd cries.

The pair really had not spoken much since leaving Welton on the prior week. Marissa had a habit of involuntarily shunning those whom she felt wronged her. The small amount of comfort she had gathered for Beaumont was shattered that night at Jack's when he refused to join her.

She did feel a slight attraction to the blond adventurer, but it was not going to be her doing that the friendship would be rekindled.

While they were riding along across a forested hill, Beaumont finally decided to break the ice. "Ahem, if I might finally ask, why do you believe the source of the Pontia is located on the peninsula? I suppose I should have asked that before we spent a week traveling, but now is as good of a time as any."

Marissa was somewhat surprised that he had finally decided to speak to her. She obliged the young man with an answer, "During my studies, I was fortunate enough to come across a single story that mentioned a mysterious underground structure. On a piece of very old sheepskin were a few handwritten notes speaking of the place. As it turns out, the note had been left in a book detailing Pontian lore."

"Why is that important?" he asked.

"Much of what we know of the Pontia is hearsay. This is because of the dangers and the fears in fully exploring their intricacies. The entire race is entirely too dangerous to study by scholarly methods. In addition, the creatures of the Pontia do not fall into simple classes like those of other breeds. It seems as though each Pontia is unique and unidentifiable. Most of our knowledge of their kind is based on bits and pieces of miscellaneous information.

"Well when I found the note I was quite excited. Usually notes left in the books of Ducann had been accidentally inserted into the pages by those previously studying the texts. This bit of scribbling must have come from someone who had been researching the Pontia, just like I am. And further still, this note is very, very old."

Marissa pulled off the knapsack from across her back. She dug into the largest pocket and removed from it a rolled piece of sheepskin. She untied a knot holding the ancient note and unfurled it for Beaumont to see.

The note appeared to be very aged. The skin had turned almost completely white and its burned edges were slowly disintegrating. Faded red ink inscribed on the flexible surface contained numerous scribbles. The purpose of the markings was not easily apparent as this had been the personal note of some ancient scribe. It wasn't meant to be a piece of information to last throughout history.

"And after a bit of work, the only things I could make out that were easily apparent under these scribbles were two different words: 'Holloway' and 'source'. Those two bits of information are very distinct.

"And so, that is why I am heading to the Holloway Peninsula." Marissa finished her long response with a bit of pride and satisfaction. It was as if she had resolved some great mystery.

"And the personal note of this ancient person is all we have to go on? For all we know, the note could have been intended as something else… and maybe it was never intended to be related to the Pontia. Don't you think we are stretching logic by following a hunch?"

Marissa crooked her black eyebrows, "Following hunches often lead to great discoveries. Why should this be any different?"

"It isn't. I just thought you probably had more concrete evidence for choosing this long journey. You are a student of the libraries correct?"

"Well," Marissa tried to think of other reasons, "There are many writings that detail large concentrations of Pontia that have lived on the peninsula. A larger than normal attack rate has been recorded in that area. Wouldn’t those facts help lead to my conclusion?"

"I suppose you are right." He paused, "How strongly do you feel that your assumption is correct?"

"I have no reason to believe that I am incorrect, Beaumont. I believe it is by Heaven's will that I have come to this realization. I can sense that God has blessed my theory and He is with me on this final test."

Beaumont turned his head and rolled his eyes slightly. Marissa did not notice this slight dismissal of the Heavens.

"Changing the subject to something a bit lighter, might I ask where you grew up? You know, something we can talk about to help pass the time."

"I will tell you, but only if you do the same. Agreed?"

"Agreed," he said as a slight smile graced his chin.

For the next several hours the pair spoke of their past experiences. Marissa told Beaumont about her childhood in the desert and the orphanage, and he spoke of his time spent in the outskirts of Welton. Each traveler went into the minute details of their somewhat unordinary lives.

Both the young man and young woman were glad to be speaking to each other. Bits of humor were interjected into their conversation and they both laughed. Marissa was happy to feel comfortable with Beaumont again. It pleased her to feel a connection with the young man and she was growing fonder of their time spent together.

The forest they were traveling through consisted of the same tall redwood trees that covered this area. Their tall stalks seemed like giant columns, and their branches were only viewable several hundred feet up into the air. The particular area they were in was sparse and there was only a small amount of trees encircling them. The pair and their horses were also ascending up a small hill that was blanketed with the fallen leaves of the ancient trees. The air was cold as the fall was nearing its end and winter was fast approaching.

It was getting close to dusk on this day of travel, and the red from the sun was casting a honeyed color upon all their surroundings. As the golden orb began to set across the horizon, its bright light glinted against the young mage's eyes. She squinted as they continued their journey.

Unexpectedly, Marissa felt something slam into her right side and she was thrown from her horse.

She landed and slid down the leaf-covered slope, unable to gather a handhold. She continued gliding across the slippery floor, up until she reached a spot in the forest where the floor had given way to a sinkhole. At that point, a pit several feet wide led down into a thick black darkness. Lining one edge of the pit was a single tree with its bare roots dangling in the air. She desperately tried to grab onto anything within her grasp as she fell into the hole.

Her fall into the nothingness was halted when her boot became caught on the exposed roots. Her body was pulled back from the black abyss with a jolt as her boot continued to hold onto the tree's root system. She hung then helplessly, desperately trying to right herself without falling into the hole.

In the distance, she could hear Beaumont struggling with whatever had attacked them. The violent sounds of clashing metal swords echoed through the trees. Grunts and howls permeated the air. The man and the attacker continued to fight until a single cry was heard. That final blood curdling scream of rage reverberated amongst the branches.

"Help!" she cried out. "Beaumont!"

The sounds of footsteps crushing the leaf covered floor began to get closer. The crackling of brittle leaflets was getting louder. The leaves around the pit rustled and a few of the dry pads floated into the black abyss. From out above the sinkhole's edge appeared the victorious Beaumont.

"Give me your hand!" Beaumont screamed as he removed his leather gloves.

Marissa was still facing downwards into the pit and was unable to grab a hold of his hands directly. Noting that she might fall in at any minute, she curled up at her torso and tried to right herself. As she twisted, his hand caught hers and she was freed from the dangling roots.

Beaumont leaned back and tried to pull the young mage out of the pit. He wasn't terribly strong, but with some effort he had been able to backpedal and pull Marissa out and over the sinkhole's edge. The young man fell onto his back as she was pulled face first along the covered ground.

Still panting, he got back up and pulled Marissa up from off of her front. He dragged her further away from the pit's edge. As he knelt, he pulled the young mage into his arms trying to make sure she was far enough away from the deep hole. As he worked to regain his breath, he held her tightly to his chest. Beaumont wanted to make sure that she did not slide away from him.

The exhausted pair laid there amongst the dry leaves for quite some time, long after the sun had set. Both of their bodies were very sore, and it felt good to take a rest. In addition, the forest floor was getting cold with the arrival of nightfall. The warmth from their embrace made it harder to separate.

Oddly, Marissa was surprised when Beaumont began to stroke her wispy hair. His coarse fingers felt strangely soothing as he ran them across her head. Each stroke helped to melt away the distress lingering within her body and she began to relax. Each pleasant caress increased the weight of her eyelids. Within moments, the young woman had fallen asleep within her rescuer's arms.

The young mage dreamed as she slept. Visions of a warm comfortable mattress with an incredibly soft bedspread crept into her mind. The young girl was wrapping herself tightly within the toasty sheets. With a large feathered pillow between her arms, she squeezed the fluffy object gently. She snuggled into a curled position within the sheets and felt a pleasant sensation of euphoria in this imaginary bed.

Marissa awoke a few hours later to find herself still embracing the young man. He was lying flat on the forest's underbrush and both of her arms were wrapped tightly around his torso. She lifted her head from his leathered chest and looked into the blue eyes of the young man.

"Evening," he said.

The mage did not jump, nor did she shudder. A wave of curiosity ran over her as she continued to stare.

Beaumont continued, "I see that you are comfortable. That is good."

With her arms still wrapped around him, she tried to peer around their immediate area. "Where are the horses?" she asked.

"I think they are down by a small pond at the bottom of this hill. When I called to Reigard, both him and Faerun walked past our current position and further down the hill. Even right now I can see them standing at the water's edge."

"And the beast you slayed earlier?"

"I don't know. I assume its corpse is still at the path near the top where I left it. Just like you, I haven't moved from this spot."

"Ahem, well… should we set up camp for the night?"

"Yes, we should," he agreed. A slight smile was on his face as he spoke.

Rather casually Marissa removed her arms from around his torso and stood up. She stood there in front of the young man and stretched. Her muscles and joints ached, but the source of the slight pain was not caused by the day's events. Instead her soreness was like that of someone waking from a deep sleep. She lifted her arms high into the air and took a few deep breaths.

The pair made their way down to the small pond at the base of the forest. Just as Beaumont had said, both of their horses were standing near each other at the water's edge. It also looked like all of their equipment was still intact.

A partially full moon was shining in the night sky and its white form was being reflected off of the glassy surface. The soft pale light added a soothing glow to the forest's interior.

Marissa unpacked her bedroll and laid it upon the forest floor near the base of a large tree. There, underneath its leaves, she set up her camp. Beaumont unpacked his beddings as well and placed his roll a few feet from Marissa.

As time passed, the young mage tried to get some sleep within her bedroll, but she had little success. She tossed and turned and found it uncomfortable to stay in just one position. The cold mist hanging above the forest floor was also making it difficult to stay warm. Her body shivered with each evening breeze.

Frustrated after a few minutes of trying to sleep in futility, she sat up from her uncomfortable bed. Sitting up in her roll, she looked over to her traveling partner.

Beaumont too was also awake, and he had apparently been watching the young woman toss and toil for quite some time.

"Need a little help?" he asked politely.

Without much thought, Marissa nodded with agreement towards her male companion.

Beaumont stood up, lifted his roll from the ground, and walked over to Marissa's tree. He propped up the bedding against the red bark of her tree just behind the young mage and sat down. He motioned for her to come closer with his ungloved hand. The young woman complied and she scooted back over in his direction.

With her back facing towards the young man, she leaned backwards against his soft leather armor. To keep out the cold, she pulled up her bedroll around her. Once she had situated herself, Beaumont placed his arms around her chest with a gentle hug.

Stress once again left her body and she felt relaxed.

A slight breeze blew through the branches above and dislodged a few autumnal leaves from the forest's canopy. Gently they fell, swinging and swaying in the air as if they were weightless. Like the touch of a soft kiss, they landed on the glassy water in front of the pair. Calm ripples echoed out across the moonlit surface.

Marissa embraced the young man's right arm with her small hands. She snuggled her face against his white sleeve as if it were a pillow. It only took a few more moments before the young mage was fast asleep within her companion's arms.

There on the forest floor, the pair slept underneath the large tree. As the stars made their slow journey across the black sky, the duo of the mage and the adventurer kept their mutual embrace. They slept peacefully and without worry.

Continue reading onto Chapter 22

Chapter 20

2005-11-24T00:05:00.000-07:00

Marissa stayed in the town of Welton for the next forty-five days. As a servant of the Church, she remained in the city so that she could help those in need, as well as to help rebuild the devastated city. The people of Welton needed all the assistance they could get during this dire time.

A full one-third of the town had been killed during the tragic events. Numerous families had been crushed beneath the walls of their homes, and others had been killed when the roof of the main temple collapsed. Numerous others were lost across the town from other repercussions of the horrific storm. The town had never seen such a tragedy in all its years and it was still reeling from the tremendous loss.

Most of the damaged buildings were un-repairable and therefore had to be demolished to the ground. Large gaps now littered the town's landscape where homes and businesses had once stood. There was also a new road that led though town: the giant path carved by the great boulder of debris.

Welton had been fortunate to receive aid from neighboring towns, as well as from the Church herself. Men and women poured into the town, looking for anyway in which they could help.

Marissa saw Beaumont several times over the past month. He too had been helping with the rebuilding of Welton, and had remained inside the confines of the town. They never spoke but she would occasionally catch him walking by. Part of her wanted to speak with him in more detail about what had occurred, but she never pressed it.

With the recovery effort going well, Marissa felt it was time to rejoin her quest to the north. Gathering what little she could for supplies, she yet again saddled Faerun up for a long journey. As she was preparing, Beaumont entered the Church stables.

"Hello Marissa," he said.

"Greetings Beaumont," replied the young woman as she continued to tighten Faerun's saddle. She did not turn to face him.

"I guess you are off to the Holloway Peninsula I presume?"

"Yes, I'm continuing with my final student task."

"Might I have a word with you?" he asked.

Marissa's attention piqued. She stopped loading up Faerun and turned to face the young man.

The adventurer struggled to get his words out, "Marissa, I don't know how I could ever repay you for saving Elanor's life. I don't know whether you know the facts, but her parents, my sister and her husband, were lost during the accident. It was only because of your courage that little Elanor was fortunately saved. I will forever be grateful for that…"

"Beaumo…"

"Wait, I'm not finished. One of the main reasons I returned to Welton was to reconcile with my father. With this whole event, this whole insane event, our family bond has finally been rebuilt. My father and I have put the past behind us and each of us has made our peace with the other. This portion of my journey is over.

"Finally, I was unsure of whether you would have had the strength to complete your quest. I see now that you have strength way beyond your years, and are even a stronger person than I. I'm sorry for misjudging you.

"And so, if you will allow me, I would like to accompany you to the Holloway Peninsula at your prior request. Assisting you on your journey is the least that I can do as penance for all that you have done. I owe you that, and much more. I will not ask for payment of any type…"

A quivering Beaumont looked into Marissa's deep brown eyes. A feeling of prior regret hung on his face. He stood there motionless, and the young man waited patiently for a response to his plea.

The female mage thought for a moment. She was unsure of whether she still wanted his help. She was also unsure of whether she even needed his help. While she had been able to hold her own so far, it would be helpful to have a knowledgeable guide for the trip. Plus, his fighting skills may come to be a valuable asset. Two sides of the argument bounced back and forth within her head.

"Yes, you may accompany me. I believe that I will require your assistance for the journey. I would be honored to have you along with me as a companion, Beaumont." Her response was very terse and formal. It was spoken with a monotone voice and Marissa did not show any of her emotions.

She held out her hand so that they may shake on the deal. The young man's leathered fingers connected with hers, and a slight tingle climbed up her arm and into her neck. They shook hands and the informal contract had now been set.

The young mage Marissa now had a guide who would take her to the Holloway Peninsula, and the main destination of her final student quest.

Continue reading onto Chapter 21

Chapter 19

2005-11-23T00:05:00.000-07:00

Marissa awoke in a panic.

She leapt from her Church bed and ran to the nearby window. Outside she could hear the wind howling with great vigor. The stone masonry of her room was vibrating from the shear forces outside. Muffled in the distance were the terrified cries of hundreds of people. In a hurry, she got dressed and leapt outside.

For all intents and purposes it was still morning here in the city of Welton, but from the appearance outside it was anything but.

The sky was filled with rumbling black clouds that were being pierced by great lighting flashes. The black mass contained bright white streaks that pulsed onto the ground below. Bolts of energy were colliding with the tips of numerous roof tops. Chunks of masonry which had been dislodged by the powerful impacts were falling to the ground below.

Wind howled through the air as thunderclaps reverberated through the stratosphere. The sky seemed to be intentionally roaring at the populace below. The great thunderous booms were throwing people to the ground with their tremendous volume.

Above the uppermost portion of the town, in the middle of the black sky, was a giant swirl of purple mist. The eerie mass was spinning violently in a clockwise motion. Lightweight objects that had been picked up by the strong winds were being sucked into this lavender colored vacuum. Marissa's eyes could see tiny flailing bodies being pulled into the vortex.

Terror fell over the young woman, "By God…"

Marissa's attentions turned to the hordes of people outside of the Church walls. The people were desperately trying to enter the refuge of the Church grounds by any means necessary. The small gate was only allowing a few people in at a time, and many of whom were almost instantly trampled as soon as they entered. Men and women were also tying to climb over the rod iron walls that encircled the area. Guards were trying to keep the fearful people calm as they got into the grounds.

The sages and priests within the complex were also in a panic. Only a few of them were stationed here at Welton, and the ones that were located here were not high ranking clergy. They fumbled to comprehend the situation. These lame men and women simply could not handle the events that were unfolding. The official Church response to this emerging crisis was non-existent.

Determined to do something, Marissa decided it was her duty to try and help however she could. With her Sylaalian staff tied behind her back, Marissa made her way out of the complex.

She noticed that there was a small domicile along the eastern wall. This building was purposed as living quarters for all the caretakers of the Church. With a quick hop, the young girl nimbly climbed onto the low-lying thatched roof. She ran towards the iron wall, and with another quick jump she was out into the city's interior.

Now free of the Church's confinement, the young mage made her way towards the area just below the purple vortex. She began to run up the ascending road to the uppermost portion of Welton. The tip of the nearby Welton Mountain was hidden beneath the clouds.

As she tried to make her way up the street, the winds began to get stronger and stronger. She attempted to push her shoulder against the tremendous gale forces out in the open road, but instead had to resort to crawling against the buildings bordering the path. She crept ever slowly towards the violent tempest.

No guard members or Protectorate were at the site. Anyone who had been under the vortex had either been sucked into the mass or had fled the scene. The people quickly dispersed from the area just after the disaster began, and so their muted screams came from other places distant from Marissa's current location. Their fearful cries could barely be heard under the roaring winds.

The young mage Marissa was all alone under this mysterious anomaly.

She looked into the sky to see that the purple hued tempest was not of any natural origin. The clouds swirling around its center were of odd colors and shapes. Their misty forms were torn into thin ribbons that violently twisted around the center. Bolts of lightning traced the spinning mass as they raced out of the unnatural vacuum.

In addition, the strong gale winds seemed somewhat calmer near the base of this vortex. She was not being pushed away, and the mage was having an easier time keeping her balance without assistance.

She thought, "I've never read or heard of anything of this like ever occurring. What possibly could be causing this? What can I do…?"

Her inflection was stopped suddenly by a great clap of thunder. Just to Marissa's south, the walls of a large two story building shattered. Brick and masonry tumbled off of the tall home and began to accumulate along the ground. The framework and supporting stone structure crumbled away into nothingness. The sheer force emanating from the wave of sound reduced the once magnificent domicile to ruin.

Remnants from the thunderous blast threw Marissa down to the pebbled road. She slid face first across the cobblestones. Dust and small debris sprinkled onto her back from the collapsing home. She stood up and shook the dirt from her clothes. The wind continued to howl.

Marissa's heightened attention caught the sound of a small muffled scream in the air. The cry however was not coming from the distance; instead it was coming from one of the nearby homes. In fact, it sounded like the young voice was coming from the home directly behind the recently collapsed building. The plea for help sounded like the voice of a young girl. The young mage raced to find her.

Marissa leapt over rock and debris to reach the home containing the cries. Bits and pieces had been torn from its shingled roof, but the structure was still standing. With a hefty kick from her right boot, she opened the already weather-beaten front door. The broken hinge that had secured the door fell to the interior's floor with a thud.

She cried out, "Hello?!? Where are you?!?"

Marissa was greeted with silence. The storm above continued to raze the landscape around her.

The young woman raced upstairs and called out again, "Hello?!?"

A small whimper came from a closet bordering the hallway.

Marissa raced to the door of the closest and flung it open. Inside was a frail young girl sitting on the floor, clutching a small doll. Tears were running down her pale cheeks. She did not look to be much older than a few years old. Upon her shoulders was a thin cotton nightgown.

"Come on!" Marissa cried, "We need to get you out of here!"

Without waiting for a response, Marissa pulled the frightened girl out of the closet and into her grasp. She was unable to carry the girl all by herself, so she had to lead her down the stairs by hand. The pair raced outside as fast as the girl could scramble, quickly escaping out of the front door.

The wind chased them as they fled.

As they raced back down to the Church, Marissa looked up into the ominous sky behind them. She noticed that it was beginning to transform from its current state. The twisting purple clouds were starting to shift down towards the ground. A massive funnel was beginning to form at the base of the vortex.

The home from which the girl had just been plucked was torn into bits of rubble. Other homes in the area were also ripped apart down to their understructure.

As the walls were being reduced to single bricks, the debris was being accumulated within the great funnel. Chunks and bits of stone were being spun around inside of the massive column of churning clouds. As the vortex began to grow, so did the ratio of debris within. By the time Marissa and the fleeing child had raced halfway down the hill, whole portions of masonry walls could be seen peeking out of the storm's unnatural form. It almost looked more like a solid mass than a whip of clouds.

Marissa stopped and turned around to view the incredible destruction. The little girl tried to continue running but the young mage held tightly on to her arm.

The funnel had grown so gigantic that it had swallowed the entire upper section of Welton. All that remained were piles of ruin and the ever churning mass of the purple winds. It continued to spin within the same spot, towering over the city below.

The large mass suddenly lurched. Without even thinking, Marissa scrambled to look for anything of use within her immediate area.

The young woman's eyes caught sight of a very large cooking skillet. There sitting against the exterior of a kitchen wall was the object. The iron pan was easily as large as the small girl and had a slight concave shape. Two large handles had been bolted onto its sides.

Marissa tugged at the little girl and asked for her assistance, "Hurry, help me roll this out into the roadway!"

The mage and the young girl desperately tried to shift the massive piece of metal into the path. When they had pulled it far enough, they let it fall to the ground with a great clang. It fell upon its curved side and began to slowly slide down the slanted roadway.

The vortex became oddly silent for just a moment, and then it lurched yet again.

Marissa turned around just in time to see the vortex spew out the accumulated contents of the obliterated buildings. A large intertwined mass of stone, rock, metal, and wood was flung down the main roadway. This large spherical ball of debris tumbled down to the base of the town. As it made its way down the hill, buildings and objects in its path were smashed into dust.

Marissa grabbed the young girl into her grasp and ran towards the iron disk. As it was slowly continuing to move, the mage leapt onto the object with the girl in her arms. The disk slid suddenly as they climbed aboard, and Marissa tried to grab a hold of the iron handles on both sides. Her frail fingers clenched onto the worn grips.

The pair raced down the slippery cobblestone path on this makeshift sled. Sparks flew behind them as they were chased by the mass of debris. Marissa tried to steer the sled with the best of her ability. The young woman and her rider just barely missed a food cart that had been parked in the roadway. Faster and faster they slid, just barely staying out of reach of the avalanche of broken buildings.

The noise of stones being crushed behind them began to get louder and louder. The ball was getting closer as it ate up the road. In addition, the great friction of the iron sled hitting the path was heating up its base. The impromptu sled was becoming too hot to even touch.

Within a period of time no longer than two or three seconds; Marissa had pulled her staff to her side, said a single magical word, and cast her desired spell.

The path of the sled jerked suddenly as a magical force pushed on the right side of the sled. The iron skillet abruptly shot out in the opposite direction from which the spell had been cast. Marissa and her young rider tilted hard to their left as they flew down a narrow alleyway. The right edge of the sled began to scrape against the southern wall of the alley until it came to a stop.

The giant boulder made from debris rolled further down the path, just narrowly passing the duo's position in the alleyway. Portions of the buildings around them crumbled to the ground as the mass tumbled down the path. The ball continued to roll further down into town.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?!?" Marissa pleaded with the girl.

Even though she was in a complete state of shock with both eyes open as wide as they could be, she was able to nod 'yes' to the young woman.

Marissa let out a temporarily sigh of relief. She leapt up from disk and pulled the girl from their sled. The base of the super heated iron sled was glowing with a dark pink hue at its base.

The winds had begun to calm down. Flashes in the sky began to dwindle. The roar of thunder began to quiet. It looked as though the mightiest fury of the storm was now over. The sky began to lighten slightly but remained black.

Marissa replaced the ancient staff onto her back and ventured out into the now decimated roadway. Debris was lying everywhere and the complete faces of buildings had been shorn by the massive sphere.

The young woman peered down the path. A wide trail of destruction had been traced by the ball of debris. A distinct line had been torn through the town. Marissa gasped as she realized where the ball had ended its downhill journey: the Church.

In the distance she could see a cloud of grey smoke rising from where the Church steeples had once stood. Fires had broken out around the town, but a very large blaze had erupted on the Church grounds. Red flames were razing the main buildings of the Church. Helpless people at the Church were screaming.

"Those poor people…" she spoke aloud solemnly. The majority of the people would have obviously been ushered into the main chamber for their protection, and the main chamber had been effortlessly crushed by the force of the debris sphere. Unfortunately for those who had sought shelter inside, it was all for naught.

It took Marissa and the young girl almost ten minutes to make their way down to the Church through all of the destruction and panic. With the small little girl's hand still clasping her own, they walked up to the now fallen exterior walls of the Church.

Not all of the buildings had been destroyed, just the main temple and the guards' quarters. There was a greater loss of life on this day than there was loss of property. Several church members and volunteers were trying to dig through the rubble in a hurried search for survivors. Only a few lucky people were successfully rescued from the terrible destruction by the end of the day.

With the little girl still in tow, Marissa walked over to the horse paddock. Fortunately, the stables had not been harmed in any way by the morning's events. All of the horses had been frightened by the horrible storm and they were still racing inside of their gated homes in fear.

A small tear of joy fell from Marissa's eye as she caught a glimpse of her beloved horse, Faerun. He was still noticeably upset, but at least he was alive.

Quite surprisingly, right as Marissa turned from the sight of her horse, she was greeted by her prior companion: Beaumont. The young man in white armor stood there motionless in front of the mage and the young girl.

The little girl immediately noticed the male adventurer and slipped out of the young woman's grasp. Marissa tried to grab her, but the girl eluded the attempts of the female mage. The girl in her nightgown ran over to the young man who promptly picked her up into his arms. The two embraced strongly as he began to weep. Multiple tears streamed down his cheeks.

Marissa stood there silently, watching the two and their reunion. It took the man a moment to compose himself, but then he was able to speak to the female mage.

"Thank you, Marissa. Thank you, thank you, thank you," he belted out with a bit of sadness in his voice. "You have aided me yet again by saving this wonderful little girl. She is my niece, Elanor. May God thank you for your deeds…" The young man wept again.

Marissa did not say a single word. She continued to stand there as the man known as Beaumont held tightly onto his precious little niece named Elanor. The girl still held tight around his neck and did not turn to face the young mage.

Fires behind the reunited pair continued to consume the nearby buildings. Thick smoke was still rising from spots across the town. The gray clouds rose high into the morning air. Even though there was destruction all around, at least the terror of the day's events was now over.

Continue reading onto Chapter 20

Chapter 18

2005-11-22T00:03:00.000-07:00

By nightfall of the second day after the attack at the quartz mine, Marissa and Beaumont had reached the village of Welton: the home of the young male adventurer. The pair was welcomed warmly as they approached the city's southern brick wall. The guards above opened the iron gate and let the duo inside.

Welton was a town about the same size in populace as Ducann, but it belonged to a higher class of people. There were no apparent slums in this village of the north. Everyone appeared to be on more equal footing, and as such the homes looked to be of the same class.

The town had been partially carved into the southern face of the Welton Mountain. Its buildings and roads gradually led upward as the duo passed along the main cobblestone road. Marissa was surprised to see so many of the multiple story buildings being purposed as stores and restaurants.

"Shall we find a bit to eat?" Beaumont asked.

"Quite. It's been a while since I had a hot meal. I think it would do wonders to brighten my mood."

"There is a small place up ahead called Jack's. It's not much compared to the fancier fare of this town, but I prefer it. You might say I even have a small stake in its operations."

Jack's was a simple three story building on the western edge of the main road. Only a few people were still out scrambling amongst the streets, but there was still life inside this small café. Marissa tied Faerun to a hitch outside and followed Beaumont inside.

"Beaumont!" a waitress yelled. "Oh, it's been forever. Come give your aunt a hug!"

The young man complied with his friendly relative with a warm embrace. The woman was just slightly older than her nephew Beaumont, and had the same light colored hair. They exchanged intimate greetings and then they both turned their attentions to Marissa.

"And who might this be? A companion of yours Beau?"

"Yes, Aunt Eileen. This is Marissa. She's a mage of the Church. We have been traveling together since Villion. It's been twice now that she's pulled me out of a jam."

Marissa bowed, "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Now that the formalities are in order, what'll you have? Some sausage and gravy? Roasted pork? Cup of tale soup? A fine lager?"

"Some soup will be fine, Eileen. How about you Marissa?"

"The pork sounds wonderful. Maybe a cup of tea as well, if you can manage."

The waitress Eileen replied, "Certainly, it should only be a moment. Both of you, have a seat. Time to rest those weary bones."

The traveling companions sat at one of the tall pub-styled tables situated near the back of the room. Marissa removed some of her equipment from her back and laid them upon the chair next to her. She let out a sigh of relief without the heavy burden.

Unlike other institutions Marissa had visited on her journey, Jack's did not have a location for a bar. For all intents and purposes, this was a place solely dedicated to the serving of food. She slightly reveled in the fact, as she did not want to be around any more drunkards than she had to. Alcohol tended to make men quire irritable in her opinion.

No other patrons were inside of this particular restaurant. It did not look as extravagant as the others nearby on the main road, and as such it possibly did not attract as much attention. Yet again, Marissa was glad to amongst fewer people.

Hundreds of candles lit every corner of the room and the space was unusually bright for such a quaint restaurant. The light helped to better illuminate her companion Beaumont.

She had never really gotten a good luck at the young man, even after this past day. But now the young man was in clear view and Marissa took the opportunity to gaze at him.

Beaumont was of an average height and of an average build. He was not lanky, nor did he have an overly large musculature. He was not bulging out of his armor like other full-time warriors. The young man looked to be fit, but not focused on continually building his physical strength.

On the top of his head were sleek locks of golden hair. The long mane was almost closer in color to white than a yellowish blond. He let his hair fall casually down his face like water cascading over stones in a river. It covered his ears as well the sides of his face. Wisps of hair draping down around his eyes looked very similar to Marissa's twin bangs. They would shift back in forth every time he twisted his head.

The young man wore a simple suit of bleached leather armor. Upon the malleable and protective garment were intricate decorations painted onto its surface with blue dye. On the edges around his neck and on his chest were images depicting large birds. Cuts and scrapes marred the once immaculate clothing. Grass stains and streaks of mud also showed that the armor had seen its fair share of adventures.

He also wore a thick linen coat that was once white. Tans and grays muddied the draping fabric so that it was no longer pristine. Blue satin traced its outer edge, and the azure fabric was frayed in spots: particularly near the tail. A tear or two was also present in the body of the long cloak.

Upon his wrists were similarly dyed leather gloves. The blue was as vivid as the darkest, deepest waters. These too also showed signs of use, as cracks were easily visible along their surface. In addition, his pinky finger poked out through a large whole in his right gauntlet

The young girl's attention turned towards his face. His skin was smooth, and not marked in any way similar to his garments. It almost seemed as though this armor could have belonged to someone else because of his unblemished face. "A man with this much wear on his clothing must surely have some cuts and scars somewhere," she thought.

He had a chiseled, but still smooth, chin beneath his thin lips. His eyebrows framed his face in such a way that he always looked pleased or happy. A pair of dark blue eyes peered out from below his whitish-blond hair. It was at this moment, that the young man realized that she was looking him over with great detail.

"Find anything you like?"

"Upp," Marissa was caught off-guard. She had always searched for the tiniest details, and she didn't realize she had been staring at him for so long. The young mage must have spent several minutes staring at her cohort.

Her pale cheeks began to turn red. As she had done before, to hide her embarrassment she hid her face by looking down. The black locks of her hair attempted to hide her discomfort.

Beaumont laughed.

At about this time, Aunt Eileen returned with their hot meal. Marissa whispered to herself, "Thank the Heavens." She was not only starving, but she was also looking for anyway to distance herself from the awkward silence.

Eileen sat down in a chair between the two diners, "So, I wondered when you might be back. Did you tell anyone you were coming?"

"No," he replied as he took another sip of his soup. Marissa continued to eat her meal.

Eileen asked again, "And does that mean that I shouldn't inform your father that you are in town? Another one of your 'silent' visits?"

"It's not like that, Eileen. I just don't feel comfortable seeing him right now. The situation is just a little bit too hot at this time."

"Now you know, Beau. I don't think that's true. While I haven't seen your Dad in a good long while, I do think that those events are just water underneath the bridge."

"I know, I know. To tell the truth, that is part of the reason I'm back. But now that I'm here, it doesn't feel like I should. I had thought my emotions had settled, but seeing the mountain again has told me otherwise. Maybe on my next trip back…"

"Suit yourself. Need anything else from the kitchen?"

"Some more soup would be great. Can't get stuff this good anywhere to the south. I think I need to get more of my fill."

"And you girly?" Eileen asked.

"No thank you, miss. Much obliged though."

Beaumont's aunt went off back into the kitchen. Marissa could hear her mumbling as she went. Apparently she wasn't too pleased with the young man sitting across from her.

"So," Marissa asked, "care to elaborate on that little discussion back there?"

"Uh, not right now. Just as I said, it’s a little bit too hot to deal with the situation at the moment."

"Then can I ask what other purpose you might have in town? You know, so that I might convince you to travel on to Holloway instead," Marissa tried clumsily to bat her eyes at the young man.

Beaumont laughed. "You don't do that often do you? The whole feminine charm thing? Can't help but say you're cute when you do it, but that doesn't mean it'll get you anywhere." He laughed again.

"Well that can you at least answer my question?" she replied with a humorless tone. The young woman wasn't pleased that her attempt didn't work.

"It's nothing important. I just make an effort to come back home after long periods away. I read that it helps to keep the adventurer grounded. If one doesn't return home, then they lose purpose to the adventuring. Some famous proverb or something."

"Then why won't you accompany me to the north? Have you got anything better to do?"

"It's not like that. For anyone else, I'd take the job and lead the adventure if the money were right. It's just…" He paused, "It's just that I don't think you are ready to make that journey: alone or in a group. It's far too dangerous for a novice like yourself.

"And I was hoping that if I don't go, then you wouldn't go. Regardless of your silly test."

Marissa became defensive, "Did I not handle the situation perfectly at the mine? And what about the katabear who attacked us on the path leading to mine? Or even the night alone in the forest with the bandit creature? I believe that I am well enough prepared for any challenges ahead."

Beaumont remained silent and did not reply.

"So is there nothing I can do to convince you?" she pleaded.

"No."

Marissa sighed. She called out, "Eileen, how much do I owe you for the wonderful meal?"

From the kitchen in the back, "Oh, nothing dear. A friend of Beaumont is a friend of mine. No charge for tonight's meal."

The young mage called back, "Thank you, you are most kind. The Church also thanks you."

Marissa turned her attentions toward Beaumont, "Well, can you at least tell me where the Church is in this town? So that I may join my comrades?"

Beaumont walked Marissa outside of the restaurant. He pointed down the road and explained the paths she needed to take in order to reach the Church grounds. Marissa gathered her gear, unhitched Faerun, and mounted her horse.

The young woman bent down in the saddle with a traditional farewell gesture. She spoke two words and headed up the cobblestone path. Her quaint "Thank You" echoed down the hill and back to the blond-haired young man standing outside of Jack's.

Continue reading onto Chapter 19

Chapter 17

2005-11-21T00:50:00.000-07:00

The grey rock of the ascending mountain pass made way for the deep red earth from which the mine was dug. The burgundy ground stained everything it came into contact with, causing the entire area to look as though it was covered in blood. Even the metal buildings and huts were blanketed with a line layer of rust colored sand.

Hundreds of tiny tunnels dotted the ravaged landscape. These very small tubes seemed to dig into the earth wherever there was an open spot. Where there wasn't a tunnel there were giant smelting facilities present, and each of them were constantly spewing grey smoke into the air. The mechanisms inside of each chewed on the nearby rock in hopes of finding gems for their owners. These creations apparently ran during all hours of the day.

The valley had at one point been covered with the same redwood trees as the pass. But unfortunately, the discovery of a large rose quartz vein beneath the area was its downfall. Men from all around came to the valley to ravage the land in hopes of wealth. It was only a matter of time before an organized effort was initiated in order to rip the quartz from the land en mass.

Marissa and Beaumont slowly made their way into the valley down a road that ran down through the middle of the mine. On approach, the young female mage noticed that the tunnels were very small, and that they were much too constrained for an average sized person to fit through them. "Why are the mining tubes so small?" she asked her companion.

The young man to her left replied, "The owners of this land found that it was cheaper to dig tinier tunnels. They discovered that they could retrieve the same amount of gems for a lesser price."

"But who could ever fit in such small spaces?"

"Dwarfish humans and small children are the most common miners found at this site."

"Children?!? They use children in order to gain wealth?"

"Yes, if a family needs to eat they will do whatever is necessary to provide for its members. Even if that means sending their smallest son or daughter off into these mines."

Marissa looked around, "And so, where might they all be? I don't see anyone working in these mines right now, nor can I hear any of them picking away."

Beaumont was taken by surprise. He had simply expected that the miners would be here. Nowhere within his range of view could he see any signs of their presence. When Marissa pointed out that they weren't around, a slight chill went up his back. He quickly spun around to look up the path behind him.

Marissa, in turn, bent to look in his same direction.

"Katabear," she whispered. Several different sized katabear were walking across the path behind them. Their furred claws were covered with dry blood. Red stains were splattered over the matted hair covering their maws. Growls from other members of their kind echoed from multiple spots peppered throughout the facilities.

"Quickly," he replied with a low voice, "Hide!"

The pair drove their horses to behind one of the smaller mining shacks. Their impromptu hiding spot would only last for a short while. It could only be a matter of moments before they were discovered by the rampaging katabear.

"We need to get through this pass, but we cannot just run past these beasts. We will be torn to shreds before we make it back up the hill," Beaumont instructed.

Marissa motioned to remove the bow from her backside. Beaumont stopped her, "I'm afraid arrows are not going to stop these beasts. You may have gotten lucky with that one earlier, but these creatures will take innumerous shafts and still keep coming. We'll need another plan."

Marissa thought for a second then asked her companion, "Well, what do they mine here? What gems come from this ground?"

"Quartz, specifically rose quartz. There is also the occasional ruby found beneath the soil. But primarily…"

An idea popped into her head, "Great, now we just need to get our hands on some. Thoughts?"

"This really isn't a time to think about filling your purse do you think?"

"I'm not thinking about the gems' wealth! I'm thinking of the quartz as a spell component! Are you not a mage?"

A feeling of ignorance washed over Beaumont, "Okay, I'm the fool. What do you have in mind?"

He spied the nearby area in hopes of looking for a cache of gems. Beaumont found that the immediate area had been scraped clean of any of the crystallized objects.

He then peered out from the side of this protective shack. The young man then turned to Marissa and spoke, "Our best bet is by that office over there." He pointed across the path, "That is where the owners usually can be found. If anything they should have a few gems in their desk drawers."

Very discreetly, the young man and woman scuttled across the road to the manager's office. As they ran, Marissa noticed that there were brighter streaks of red mixed into the soft burgundy soil. Deep claw marks had been dug into the dirt where the stains appeared. Tattered pieces of bloodied clothing were also strewn about.

Marissa now had a partial answer to her question regarding the whereabouts of the miners. "They must all be dead," she thought.

It was immediately apparent that the office had been attacked as well. The iron door guarding its entry had been broken down and blood was smeared all over the floor. Most certainly the katabear had gotten inside and taken care of the managers just as they had the miners. On the ground in front of the building were several barrels full of plain quartz: a byproduct of the mining process. Behind the barrels was a picketed fence just a few feet high.

"Wait," she whispered right before he was about to enter the office.

Beaumont replied, "I thought you said you needed rose quartz?"

"Not for this spell, I only need some plain quartz. Grab a few of the larger crystals."

The pair gathered as much quartz as they could hold and hid behind the fence.

Nonchalantly she asked, "I'd assume you do not know of the spell we're going to cast?"

"'We're'? You don't expect me to…"

"You do have an affinity, yes? Well then I can teach you the basics of this spell."

Kneeling down behind the fence Marissa produced a small stick of flint. "What you need to do is strike a flat edge of the quartz with your flint just like this." She motioned with the two objects in order to show Beaumont. "Then say the following words, 'Natteea Uyala' as you throw the quartz."

He repeated the words several times. "What will this spell do?"

"You'll see, it's…"

Marissa's speech was immediately halted. She became quiet as she heard the heavy growl of a katabear walking by the office on the other side of the fence. The pair could see the top of its furred head from behind their hiding spot. As the growls became louder, she tried to bend down further in order to hide herself. Her chest began to beat quickly with fear.

As it had happened before, her devotion to her duties was the main force in overcoming her fears. The confident young mage stood up so that she was easily in plain sight of the katabear.

It was now easy to see this horrendous creature's appearance. This particular creature appeared larger than the one she had previously defended herself and Beaumont from. It was almost twice her height and was covered head-to-toe in long brown hair. It stood upright on its two large legs, and five long claws poked out from its furred paws. Other than the mass of hair, all that could be seen on its form was sharp blood-stained teeth and a pair of completely white eyes. For just a moment, the mage and this hideous beast gathered eye contact. The creature sneered towards her.

The young mage held the flint within her left hand facing downward. In the other was a large piece of cloudy quartz crystal about the size of brick. Marissa ratcheted her right arm backwards, and then she quickly slid the large crystal across the flint on a trajectory towards the beast. The flint sparked when the quartz made contact and the crystal flew forward out from her hand towards the katabear.

Marissa spoke the mystic words 'Natteea Uyala' as the object hit the creature.

The air around the katabear began to shrink. A pulsing wave began to pull the space around the quartz inwards. The vision of the katabear began to envelope in onto its self. With a quick pop resembling the sound of a rock thrown into a pond, the katabear's body disappeared. Ripples of distorted space echoed out from the quartz's prior position. Where they once stood a large creature: there was now nothing.

The noise gathered the attentions of the other katabear. They saw the young female mage and began to run towards her position. From every direction around the pair came the other rabid katabear.

One by one, Marissa cast the same spell using the quartz crystals. Sparks continued to fly from the flint in her hand. The odd popping sounds echoed through the valley until there were no more beasts to dispose of. Silence fell over the mining camp save for the rumbling of the processing machines.

Tired from all of the exertion, she sat down on the porch outside of the office. There on the wooden planks she tried to gather her breath.

Suddenly another katabear lurched out from behind the broken office door. Having witnessed the prior events unfolding, it was now very upset at the female mage. It roared in anger.

'Natteea Uyala!"

A crystal flew through the air, and the space around this last creature popped and was no more. Just like the others, this katabear too had been sent to places unknown.

Marissa turned to see Beaumont standing up on the other side of the fence. He had a stick of flint in one hand and his other arm was still outstretched.

"Thank you, Beaumont," she tried to speak as she caught her breath. "Thank you."

The young man was now congratulatory, "Excellent work there. I didn't think you would be able to hold off all of those katabear."

"Neither did I," she caught a few more breaths, "I've never cast in such rapid succession before. Must be the heat of the situation that has heightened my skills."

"Might I ask a question?"

"You may," Marissa replied.

"Where have all these monsters gone? They could not have just disappeared into nothingness?"

"You are right, they have not just been banished from this plane. We should probably watch…"

From way up above the pair, screaming voices could be heard. Sheer howls of terror echoed down from the sky. They were howls of futility and fear.

Beaumont looked up to notice tiny blurred specks racing down towards the ground. The objects fell down from the sky at a tremendous rate. The pair raced to hide behind the fence.

Marissa and Beaumont moved just in time for the first of the katabear to return to earth. It landed with a sickening thud, easily crushing every bone in its body. The howl stopped instantaneously with its impact with the ground. It had landed in the exact spot from which it had disappeared.

The other katabear fell just as the first, each in their original spot. Several katabear bodies lay upon the ground in a massive heaps.

The final katabear crashed through the tin roof of the office's porch. The sharp metal tore into the flesh of this last falling creature. The monster's body was shorn and black ooze spilt from its body. Marissa's eyes went wide.

The young female mage quickly walked over to the creature's dead body. She knelt down to examine the odd black liquid.

"Pontia," she said. "The Pontia has infected this creature, as I must assume the others. Poor beasts. This massacre was not of their own accord!"

"What do you mean, Marissa?"

"These beasts were blighted by the scourge of these lands. It was the black evil that caused them to go mad with bloodlust."

The whole picture was coming into focus for the young woman. The bodies of the workers around her helped to paint a clearer picture. She screamed.

"The children! The dwarves! The blasted Pontia not only killed the workers of this mine, but also these innocent creatures!" Tears ran down from both of her eyes.

Sadness overcame the young female mage.

Marissa spoke, "We must at least make sure that no Pontia make use of this area again. We cannot allow them to abuse these people and creatures anymore. We must burn all the bodies."

As dictated by the Church, no bodies which were bereft of live were allowed to remain on this plane. A corpse could be used by the Pontia to sprout more of their kind. The dead were often a large portion of the Pontian race, and the undead were especially deadly should they be encountered. It was for this reason that the Church mandated that all bodies to be burned.

Slowly and for the rest of the day, Marissa and Beaumont located each and every body that they could find. Much of the workforce had been devoured by the katabear, and so only a few half-eaten worker bodies remained. Horrific images of the slaughter could be found everywhere.

To truly remove the bodies from this plane, a magical dust created from the Ifriit seed had to be used. The Ifriit seed possessed heavenly properties that aided in the disposal of Pontia. For every corpse they came across, human or katabear, the bodies were set aflame. Green fires burned across the mine from the use of the magical powder. The corrupted forms of the katabear burned extremely bright when touched by the essence of the Ifriit.

Emerald clouds from the burning bodies mixed with the smoke of the still operating machinery. Their gears and mechanisms still ran although no one was feeding them any more earth.

Solemnly Marissa and Beaumont remounted their horses. Having believed they had dealt with the situation, they felt it was time to move on. With a small prayer sent by the female mage, the pair began to climb back out of the valley and towards the west.

As they began their ascent out of the mine, Marissa could still the grey smoke of the mining equipment continued to billow out of the tall lifeless smokestacks. Another single tear fell from her right cheek.

Continue reading onto Chapter 18

Chapter 16

2005-11-20T00:50:00.000-07:00

There was a forested mountain pass leading north of the small town of Villion.

Tall redwood trees crowded the land and only made way for a single cart-wide path. Their roots clung effortlessly to the grey, rocky cliffs. Improbable in their survival, these large trees managed to grow without problem upon the uneven land. Taller and taller they rose, ever ignorant of their odd placement on this land. The occasional early autumn leaf would fall from their branches.

A single manmade road led up the ascent of the mountain. Thousands of pebbles had been laid in order to smooth out the road. Deep grooves dug into the pebbles marked that this pass was often used for travel.

Beaumont and his horse were slowly traveling along the path. They were casually trotting along the pebbled road on their way to the other side. The young man had been riding since daybreak. He turned to look behind him.

"You know that I can see you right?"

His voice echoed but there was no answer from the silence.

"This is not a good way to gather my favor, girl. Just show yourself so that at least we can chat along the way and get rid of this secrecy business."

Out from behind a bend, about one hundred paces away from his position popped out Marissa and her horse Faerun.

The young mage and her companion had been silently following Beaumont all morning. She carefully watched which paths the man took and made sure to trace them exactly. She had tried to stay far enough behind to stay hidden, but it was now all for naught as he had apparently known of her presence.

He stopped long enough for Marissa to join him.

"So, I'd imagine you have been following me all morning, yes?"

She nodded.

"And what part of 'no' didn't you understand in the tavern?"

She answered, "Technically I'm not being a burden to you. I'm simply tracing your steps. If you wouldn't accompany me, the next best thing I could do was to follow you in secret."

"Not much of a secret. That horse of yours is quite loud when it gets a hold of one of those apples. His gnashing teeth could wake the dead."

The young mage had purchased several different fruits for her black haired Appaloosa. She had felt sorry for making him work so hard on the travel through the dark forest. These treats were a way for her to make amends for his troubles. Apparently she should have waited to give her friend the apples, as it was how she came to be discovered.

Beaumont continued, "The main reason I did wish to have you accompany me, is the fact that this journey is very dangerous. I may be able to protect myself, but it is unsafe for a young girl such as you. Many a things hide along this path."

"And that is exactly why I was looking to ask for some help. I had an encounter in the forest that I don't wish to repeat. A traveling partner would be most helpful for my quest."

"Yes, you spoke of some quest. What might it be?"

"As dictated by the Church, I am to find the source of the Pontia."

"And you plan to do this alone?!?"

"Initially… yes. I thought I was strong enough for the journey alone. But now I'm afraid I am in need of assistance."

"Why do you need to find the source of those foul creatures?"

"It is my final test. My final test for entry into the Holy Protectorate."

"Ah, now I see. But shouldn't you be doing a research project or some simple spell casting. Not some crazy quest like this?"

"I suppose. That is the usual manner in which it is completed, but… how do you know of the test? You are not of the Church I see."

"You are correct. I do not owe my allegiance to the Church. While I believe in the Heavens above, I do not wish to work as one of Her servants. There is much to do outside the rules of the clergy. Mind you, I did dawdle on it at one time."

"How so?" Marissa was falling into her usual rut of asking endless questions.

"Once I was chosen as one of the 'gifted', and therefore it was suggested that I add my services to the Protectorate. I did not last long on that path."

"As a warrior? You do not look like a strong fighter to me."

"How kind of you to say," he replied with disdain. "No, I was intending to follow the path of mages."

Marissa made a small gasp of shock. "A mage?!?"

"I may not look it, with my sword and all, but yes I do seem to have an affinity with the magical arts. I do know a spell or two, thanks to plenty of time spent reading, but I prefer the use of my steel. The physical nature of a blade seems to be more comfortable than that which is arcane.

"And because I know that you are going to ask me eventually, I chose to be a mercenary for hire versus a member of the Church. The whole lifestyle of freedom sounded so much more appealing. Is that also surprising to you, hmm?"

"I apologize if I offended you. You just don't look like any wizard that I know."

"Well I am no wizard. I am just a man making a living going from job to job. Now it's my turn, how did you end up at the Church?"

"My parents were killed during a Pontian attack. I was left behind as an orphan of the Church. It was simply dictated that I serve the clergy as penance." Her response was short but not filled with regret.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't think it would be something like that. Please forgive me."

"Well, you could always allow me to follow you to your next destination. Where is it you are heading exactly?"

"Aha, you are trying to trick me. Well I can tell you where I'm headed. I'm going back home to…"

Suddenly a large stone fell from a cliff above them. It came crashing down just a few feet away from Beaumont's horse. The boulder began to spin and rolled down the pebbled path. A large growl accompanied the rock, and his horse took several steps back in fear. The young man struggled to keep his horse steady as a mass of matted hair and stained teeth peered over the cliff's edge.

Marissa quickly shifted the short bow from upon her back into her hands. In a flash she had gathered a single arrow from the quiver tied to her saddle. She pulled the string taut, let go, and the arrow flew rapidly through the air.

The attacker up above was hit squarely by the arrow. Another large stone it held within its furred hands fell from its grasp. It scrambled backwards away from the cliff's edge, but it ended up tripping on a loose rock. It's now blurred form tumbled down the steep edge of the cliff. Its body was thrown off the edge and down towards the floor below. The braches of the nearby trees cracked and split as the monster fell through them. It howled with tremendous anger the entire way down. Neither traveler heard a sound when it should have impacted the ground.

A look of surprise was covering Beaumont's face. He was sitting in his horse's saddle in complete shock. His mouth was agape. The young man struggled to form words, "How… how did you fire so fast?!?"

"You can thank the Church for that," she beamed. "I too am not just a mage. I have other skills as well. This example I have just demonstrated is just one of them."

She paused. "You were saying? Something about home perhaps?"

"Uh, uh. Yes, I was just saying something." A deep confusion wouldn't leave his mind. "What was I talking about?"

"Home…?"

"Home?"

"Yes, your home," Marissa replied.

"My home is in… my home is in Welton to the north. Yes, Welton." The young man regained his composure. "I am heading to Welton. You may come with me if you like."

"Really?" she asked somewhat surprised.

"Yes. It is the least I can do for someone who has saved the life of me and my horse Ghee. That katabear would certainly have crushed us with that second rock of his. Nasty creatures. But then, aren't most of the ones who end up attacking you nasty. Seems to be a familiar trait with the aggressive ones."

"Why did he attack us? Did we mean him harm?"

"No, it wasn't that. The katabear that live on this mount believe we are trespassing on their ground. They don't take kindly to travelers on this road.

"Also, we might want to get moving. We didn't hear that one hit the ground, so it's probably quite upset with us. Upset with you actually, you did shoot it with an arrow."

"It wasn't killed?"

"I'm not certain, but would you like to give it the chance? Or say, for another one of its kind to find us?"

"I suppose you're right. To Welton then?"

"Nay, Welton is much further along. The next town on the other side of the mountain is a mining camp, but it will suffice for now."

The group quickly ascended the rest of the hilly climb. The race to the top was short, and it was all downhill once they reached the path's peak. The large mining area below was even visible from such a high point. Large smokestacks spewed billowing smoke into the air. Loud clanging of metal hitting rock pinged across the stripped valley.

Behind them, several roars echoed from the forested areas below. Similar to the growl of the katabear Marissa had just shot, they knew that they would be wise to hurry down the mountain to the mine below. They did not want to encounter more of those very upset beasts.

A certain bit of satisfaction fell over Marissa. She was pleased that she had been able to procure the assistance that she was looking for. The young mage now had a companion along side here, and here he was: the perfect guide for her trip. She just hoped that she would be able to convince young Beaumont to stay with her a bit longer.

Continue reading onto Chapter 17

Chapter 15

2005-11-19T00:49:00.000-07:00

Marissa awoke in the middle of the afternoon on the next day. The young girl found herself beneath the sheets of a cushiony bed with her whereabouts unknown. The previous night was a blur and she tried to think about what had happened on the previous evening.

A slight headache made way for recent memories to enter into her consciousness. Hazy visions of her encounter with the green creature were followed by her remembering that she had pushed her very tired horse to continue through the forest. The only other image between then and now was when her eyes were becoming heavy.

She looked around the unfamiliar room and noticed that all of her belongings were sitting on a small table in the right hand corner. She was also still wearing her clothes from the previous night.

"Okay, so far so good," she thought. "It looks like I still have all my equipment, and presumably I'm at a friendly location. The main question is where I am? And how did I end up here?"

Her thoughts turned to her traveling companion, "Faerun! I can't fathom him not being alright…"

The well rested mage climbed out of soft bed and headed out of her room.

The hallway outside of her door served as entry for several other rooms. On one end there was a staircase leading downwards. She cautiously crept down the single flight of stairs.

At the bottom, some of her fears were relieved as she saw the telltale signs of an inn. There was a front desk, a simple meeting area, and apparently a small bar. A pair of double doors led out into the room from what looked to be the kitchen. Two men of differing ages sat at the bar, each with a drink in hand. Over near the desk sat a large man with a stark red beard. He was leafing through a large book, slowly recording the information on its pages within another log.

With the initial disorientation fading, she strolled up to the man behind the desk.

"Hello miss," he said as he continued to tidy up his papers.

"Hello to you, sir. Might you be the keeper of this establishment?"

"I am."

"And what is the name of this town that I find myself in?"

"Villion."

"Err," Marissa was not used to such terse answers. Long winded prose was usually the standard. "Um, can you answer a question of mine?"

"Sure."

"Uh, do you happen to know how I might have arrived at this inn of yours?"

"Yeah."

"And…?" she asked with a polite tone.

"Oh, sorry," he put down some of his papers. "Lots of work to do today."

He continued, "A pair of lumberjacks saw that horse of yers carrying yourself early this morning. Way before dusk I think. You were asleep on the saddle by the way."

The young mage felt terribly embarrassed. She was disappointed that she couldn't stay awake along with Faerun. The blushing girl hid here eyes from the innkeeper, but still continued to listen.

"Your black horse was following the path leading into town. It was quite easy to see that the pair of you was trying to make out of the forest through the night.

"Those fellas thought it would be proper to bring you here versus leaving you out there alone. So we set you up with a bed, and now you’re here to pay the fees, right?"

"Oh, oh, yes," she was again surprised by the bluntness of this conversation. "I'll have to head back to my room first, but I will most certainly pay you. But, can I ask you another question?"

"Shoot."

"Where might be that black horse of mine?"

"He's tied up back with the others. I can assure you he's fine. Prolly got some sleep and a good meal in too. Of course that has already been added to your bill…"

"Yes, yes. I'll be right back."

The flushed young woman headed back up the stairs and to her room. The confusion that had fallen over her was making it hard for her to think. She couldn't seem to keep a single clear thought within her head. The only immediate thing she could think of was to quickly pay the hospitable innkeeper.

Once after paying for her night of rest, she headed out back to see Faerun. Out in the stables there the black Appaloosa stood. He was apparently asleep as the black fur of his eyelids was closed over his glossy eyes. She slowly walked up to her companion and placed her arms around his neck. Marissa then began to pet his long mane of midnight hair. "I'll make it up to you Faerun. I'll do something special for you today." The young woman then kissed his sleeping forehead and went back inside to her room.

The young girl now felt much better about how things had turned out. Things could have gone much, much worse. She was amazed at her luck, and silently thanked the Heavens.

She had previously made a promise and therefore decided that she would need some assistance during her travels. She had asked the keeper about this town and found that there was no Church presence within its borders. Slightly peeved at this fact, she decided that she would have to find someone to join their journey elsewhere. When asked, the now bothered innkeeper suggested a tavern across the road.

Across from the inn was the Greasy Fork. The Greasy Fork looked as though it had been built with the remains of leftover wagons. Its walls were haphazardly erected with large sheeted planks crudely nailed together. In fact, she thought she saw some upturned wooden wheels holding up its roof. Being slightly daunted, she entered in through the tavern's front door.

The sun had begun to sink into the horizon and workers from around the lands were coming inside to have a drink or two. They piled into the many tables littered across the open space. Some groups were playing card games while others were simply drowning in their spirits. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw men simply sleeping in their chairs with their mugs still in hand.

The bar was manned by two individuals: a lusty barmaid and a young man almost the same age as Marissa. Men with guttural laughs were trying to win the favor of the provocative bartender as they ordered more drinks. The busty woman was easily ignoring their advances as she refilled their glasses. Her counterpart was cleaning a never ending supply of dirty glass mugs. His thin hands were running a dirty rag in and out of the soiled crevices. The rag itself was as black as the contents of bog.

"Ugh," she thought. She was beginning to regret coming inside. "Who might possibly be of assistance in a place like this?"

Also sitting at the bar were four men. Each of them appeared to be just slightly older than the young girl. The entire group was talking amongst themselves, apparently having a good time. Their voices weren't as crude as the other patrons and gathered the young girl's attention.

Marissa's eyes caught a few more items of note that differentiated this group from the others. Two of them had small swords by their side, with the others carried longer distance weapons: one a long polearm, and the other held a crossbow. They each wore different types of armored clothing, ranging from hard leather to polished steel.

She sat at an empty table in front of the bar and began to listen in on their conversation.

The man holding the crossbow continued his story, "… Master Needly was quite upset with me after that. I mean, you wouldn't be happy if I did that to your daughter either. Chased me with a lit sconce still containing some burning oil. I still have the burn marks to prove it!" He lifted his linen shirt to show a large burn mark on his right side.

"That doesn't seem like something you would normally do, Errant. Why did you even think that was a wise idea? You knew things wouldn't end up good."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. But she sure was pretty. I swear that she was winking at me in that special way. I almost had to do that just based off of principle. Oh well, at least it makes for a good story."

One of men carrying a sword spoke up, "So where are you headed Beaumont? Back to the north?"

"Yes, Iggon. I've already told you that. Too much mead has perhaps rotted your memory?"

"Never enough. The world seems dry wherever I seem to end up. I really should buy several more flasks. Liquor makes the days go by faster while you're on location."

"How bout you, Crushal? Where do you plan to make use of that polearm...?"

Marissa's eavesdropping was interrupted by the barmaid. "Something to drink, girly?"

"Oh, uh… no thanks. Well, perhaps a bit of foxtin wine if you have any. Just a small glass." She made a motion with her fingers showing how much.

"Sure, be right back," the maid replied in a monotone voice. The woman scuttled off to behind the bar as Marissa 'rejoined' the conversation.

"… You know me, I go where the money is good. And the money is real good to the east. So off to Gestalt I go. Got a gig guarding a brothel. Should make for an interesting 'adventure'. Ha ha!"

Beaumont replied, "So it appears that money isn't the only thing drawing you there. Maybe the company of the lovelies might be another incentive, eh?"

"And you don't feel the same Beaumont? You don't prefer the touch of a fine young lass? What about that girl in Yo…?"

Beaumont replied in a slightly harsh tone, "I don't wish to talk about that Errant. Let's leave it at that."

"Alright alright. Sensitive stuff we're getting into now," Errant replied. "More tales about our adventures is what we need. More action! More suspense! More blood!"

Iggon answered Errant's call for more stories. "Did you all ever hear about the fight I got into in Dover?"

The three other men nodded.

"Well about six months ago when I was in Dover, my cohort at the time got into a scuffle with a very large brute of a man. We were simply walking along the streets when we saw this man roughing up this teenage boy in an alley. Being the great 'heroes' we are, we were off to help the young man.

"The beast was able to clip my buddy with a concealed knife, but it was my sword that skewered that pig. Of course he did manage to dent my armor something awful when he rammed me. Took nigh a week to hammer out the dents."

"Yes, what luck… adventurers!" Marissa thought. "One of them surely must be available for hire." With that thought, Marissa got up and walked over to the four young men. As she got closer, they looked much bigger than what she had seen from a distance.

"Excuse me sirs," she introduced herself. "I couldn't quite keep myself from listening to your discussions. It appears that four might be adventurers. Might any of you be available for hire?"

Their attentions turned towards the young mage. Errant ran his eyes from her feet to her head. Two of the other men nodded their heads negatively in response. Errant responded, "I'm not, and these two aren't, but Beaumont might. Why are you looking for an adventurer young mage?"

"I'm heading north to the Holloway Peninsula. I am looking for a traveling companion who can act as both protection and as a guide. I feel the travel will be perilous and I don't believe I am capable of traversing there myself. I was hoping that one of your four might be of assistance."

Beaumont replied, "And what might be there, Miss… Miss…? I don't believe you have told us your name."

"Sorry!" she apologized. The young mage was used to speaking with people who already knew her name. "My name is Marissa."

"Well, Marissa," he continued, "what might be leading you to the north?"

"I have a quest that I must perform. The next step of my journey begins there."

"Unfortunately while I am heading to that destination, I am not available for hire at this time. I am returning to…"

She interjected, "Then might I simply come along with you?"

"No. I am in a hurry, and I don't need to watch over someone as they slowly stumble along. I am sorry."

"But I can pay you for your troubles. The Church has given me several…"

"I'm sorry milady," Beaumont cut her off. "I don't wish to continue to be rude, but you may not accompany me. Even if it is at the Church's request."

"But sir…!" she pleaded.

"Sorry, lass. It doesn't appear that we can help you," Iggon replied. "You'll just have to find someone else. Now if you'll excuse us…"

The man made motions for her to leave. Apparently he was bothered with her presence and wished to continue talking with his friends.

A dejected Marissa hobbled over to her table. She pulled a wooden chair from underneath the table and sat down on the hard seat with a thump. Items within her pockets rattled. In front of her was her small glass full of foxtin wine. The deep purple liquid reflected the lights of the candles throughout the room.

She rambled quietly to herself, "Here I find a man who could easily perform this task for me, but he refuses to do so! The luck of finding someone, here in this blasted town, in this pitiful tavern, that would be heading to my next destination is unheard of! I doubt any of these other drunkards would be of help and I bet that they never leave this stank bar!"

Her thoughts continued, "One way or another, I will get to Holloway."

With that final resolution, she quickly picked up her small glass of wine and swallowed the whole bit. Intense flavors fell down her throat. Strong aromatic fumes tickled her nostrils. The strong sensations were a good compliment to the young girl's foul mood.

Continue reading onto Chapter 16

Chapter 14

2005-11-16T00:49:00.000-07:00

The first part of the journey northwest led through fertile grassy plains. Dairy cows often roamed the land, each eating their fill of the bright green blades of grass. A simple dusty footpath led Marissa and her horse through several large farms. Rickety wooden stakes tied with wire were the only markers from which they were able to tell when they were passing across from one farm to another. The farmers really didn't enforce any sort of security on their land and so they simply ignored the occasional traveler heading north.

Marissa was already enjoying this first portion of the trip. The day was partially cloudy and a slight breeze blew through the air. She couldn't see a single person as she rode along with her horse Faerun, and she was enjoying hearing the songs of the wind passing over the hills. It was a much better start than that of her last journey, and she hoped that the rest of the quest would be just as peaceful. The substantial miles that the duo traveled seemed to melt away with the time.

However just as she was getting comfortable near the end of this first day, she came across a large forest that she would have to traverse. Unlike the tropical forest to the south, this forest housed tall evergreen trees and a leaf covered floor.

Near the forest's edge the path they had been following forked into two diverging destinations. One direction led to northeast and followed the outskirts of the woody forest, keeping travelers outside of the forest and in the countryside. The latter delved right into its heart and apparently was a more direct route to her intended destination.

Confident that is was still early enough to enter this mysterious forest, the travelers decided to follow the path less taken.

Shortly after they chose this trail, a darkness came over the entirety of the forest with the end of the day. The once auburn sky turned to black and purple. Mist began to creep up from the overgrown floor. Silence fell over the forest, and all that could be heard were some rustling leaves and the heavy breaths of her horse. Faerun seemed partially unnerved as each of his deep breaths was slow and calculated. This fear within her horse partially transferred to the rider.

Marissa began to think that she hadn't quite thought this entire trip through.

For one, she had never camped alone in a place like this. The only times she had slept outside of an inn or the chapterhouse was during field trips with the other students. She honestly believed that she would be able to rest in the outside air when the time came. She just didn’t think an opportunity of an event would come so soon.

With it now getting to be very late, the young mage decided to stop for the night. She spied a very large tree with a spot below it that looked to be a usual camping spot. The girl assumed that others had camped here in the past, and therefore it must be a suitable location to rest. A ring of stones with burnt embers in their middle helped to reinforce the idea.

Marissa unloaded Faerun and tied his reins around the base of the tree. The mage unpacked her bed roll and laid it upon the ground. With a quick flick of her wrist, a small fire grew within the stony ring. No wood was needed for this magical fire and its faint light helped to illuminate the area. Finally she unloaded a few ingredients to make a quick meal before it would be time to sleep. She also fed Faerun a few bits for him to nibble on as her food was slowly cooking.

As she ate, she thought she could see faintly glowing yellow eyes moving in and out of the distance. They always appeared very far off into the murky expanse. In addition, every time she tried to focus her eyes on the apparitions they would simply fade away into nothingness. She couldn't hear anything of note coming from their location, nor sense anything resembling a threat. The mage chalked up their presence to the idea that her eyes and mind were probably playing tricks on her.

After the unsatisfying meal, Marissa extinguished the magical flame and crept into her bed roll. The sleeping arrangements were nothing remotely like the warm embrace of a true mattress, but she was on a mission after all. She had a job to do and not everything was always pleasant. "Besides," she thought, "people sleep like this all the time."

The young woman casually fell to sleep.

Unfortunately, her slumber did not last long.

Just an hour or so after she had closed her eyes, her senses heightened. She was able to just barely hear Faerun stir ever so slightly. Faerun was now fully awake and breathing unusually. The young girl new that it took much for the black horse to react to anything, even in such a minute manner as which he had. With her back towards the ground, she cautiously opened both of her eyes.

Marissa could not see anything at all. The night was pitch black due to the thick canopy of leaves above. The large leafy mass blocked any and all light from the star filled sky. Even with not being able to see anything of note, she innately sensed that something was not right.

While still tucked into her bed roll, she slowly twisted her left arm in an attempt to gather her short bow. It and a quiver of arrows lay just beside her on the ground. Silently she was able to gather her weapon as well as a single arrow. The fingers of her single hand fumbled with the string-based weapon and its ammo.

Marissa recited a small vision based spell under her breadth. The quiet little words leeched out from behind her clenched teeth. Almost instantly a single bright object appeared in the space above her. Whomever or whatever was spying on her had apparently been there a while, and fortunately didn't seem to notice the weapon held between her hands.

The sound of a single arrow whizzed through the air.

A sudden lurch was heard, followed by the breaking of branches above the wizard. An object tumbled down through the air and landed upon the ground with a loud thump. The echo of the fall appeared to be located jus a few feet away from the once sleeping mage.

Another fire was created with a flick of the wrist and the area was lit up once again. The once enhanced vision of the young mage dissipated. Lying on the ground in front of her was a small man-like beast which had landed with its face down upon the forest floor.

Fully-clothed and now apparently dead, the creature looked foreign to Marissa's eyes. "What ever is it?"

The sprawled out body was about four feet tall. Upon its squat form was a set of raggedy garments. Its arms and hands were covered with an oddly greenish skin. Numerous pouches were tied around its waist, each seemingly holding different baubles and trinkets. Within its clasped right hand was a small rusty knife. A soiled red scarf was tied around its head and tufts of dark green hair poked out from behind it.

Marissa initially felt some pity for killing the miniscule beast. She was quickly redeemed due to the bladed weapon within its hand. "This thing was apparently not friendly, and it is probable that I was an intended victim of that knife."

Regardless of its motives, she wasn't happy about killing this creature. The young woman had never used her weapons against a living thing before. Slight pangs of regret filled into her emotions. These were quickly drowned out due to Marissa's tendency to repress her memories. Her remorse only lasted a few seconds.

"Well Faerun, we cannot continue to camp here. We don't want to encounter any more of this creature's kind, especially if anything comes looking for it.

"I should have guessed that this site was probably used a trap for unwitting travelers. The site is a bit crude for the average man, and a little bit savage. I knew that it felt a bit off kilter.

"Regardless, we'll have to press on to the next town."

The horse looked at her as if she was insane.

"I'm just as tired as you, my dear, but it is the only way to be certain that we will be safe. I promise that we'll try to find some help at our next stop, so we won't have to do this again. I don't want to be caught out in the open alone like this again."

And with that thought, Marissa packed up her few belongings. She climbed back into the saddle of a much displeased horse, and instructed him to continue on. She knew that he was very tired, and she knew that she also hadn't got any rest. The young mage felt sorry for her steed and silently promised to make it up to him in the next town.

Continue reading onto Chapter 15

Chapter 13

2005-11-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

Marissa made preparations for her upcoming trip. She knew that she might be gone for several months so she made sure to be well equipped for the travels ahead.

She of course had already planned on bringing her new staff with her on the trip. She purchased a simply sling from which she could carry the wooden rod upon her back. It was fitted so that it was comfortable to wear, but also easily accessible should she need to use its tremendous magical enhancements.

In addition, the young mage was going to be bringing her favorite short bow. She owned several different bows: two short ranged bows and a bigger long bow. The specific one she chose for the trip was one of her more recent acquisitions.

She happened to come across this favored weapon due to a challenge presented to her on one evening. A traveling bard who was visiting the Church was boasting about his archery skills within one of the common rooms. He told tales about how he was able to shoot the wings off of flying doves, and how he was even able to peg a stag over two hundred feet away. His peers around his table were not buying into his claims, and in the corner of his eye he saw Marissa.

She was sitting in one of the comfy chairs within the room, reading a book she recently borrowed from the Bullond library. Just beside her, lying against the chair was her long bow. She had previously been training with it on this morning, and had simply brought it along with her for the rest of the day.

The bard quickly yelled out to the doubtful crowd, "I am even so great that I could easily win a contest of skill against any of you here!" He pretended to scan the area. "Why I could even out shoot that girl and her bow over there!"

The men around him chuckled. "This fool didn't quite know what he's getting into," they thought.

"Marissa," one of them called. "This man here has thrown down a challenge. He questions that your archery skills do not match his. Do you accept?"

Now usually, the young mage was not one to agree so easily to a challenge. But today she felt intrigued. "And what is the wager?" she asked.

"Hah, why do you even ask? You know you can't win," the bard replied. "Fine, the fee for this challenge is each other's bow. Whoever wins keeps them both. Agreed?"

"I suppose that will do. What is your challenge?"

The challenger laughed, "Good, a chance to prove myself. Let us go to the archery range and discuss the terms…"

A group of other students followed the challengers outside. Betting wasn't completely allowed by the code of the Church, but then again this was a man who was challenging members of the faith. A reputation had to be upheld. Besides, this was more of a contest than a bet.

Marissa and the bard discussed the terms. They would each shoot at three clay discs thrown into the air. Whomever the surrounding crowd believed was the better, more skillful archer would be deemed the winner. The bard was so sure of himself that he didn't care that the majority of those in attendance were of the Church. He believed his skill would be far greater than this little girl.

An impromptu referee began to announce the event, "Bard Unon of Tastille will be shooting first. The range is yours challenger." Within his hands were three clay discs, roughly the size of biscuit plates. "Unon, call out 'fly' when you wish me to throw a disc."

Unon situated himself at the front of the range. He pulled a single arrow from his quiver and nocked it into place within his short bow. The bard kept the bowstring taught and called out, "Fly!"

An orange disc flew into the air. It rotated as it gained in height. At the peak of its lift, the man fired his arrow. The bolt hit the flying plate and it split in two. Mild clapping could be heard from within the crowd.

The bard prepared for another plate.

"Fly!"

This plate had been thrown long and the bard just barely clipped the object with his second arrow. The disc spun fiercely then broke apart. He had just barely hit the target.

"Fly!"

The bard's final plate and arrow collided with each other just a few feet from the ground. He had waited just a second after its launch and had skillfully caught the target just before it landed.

Udon the bard bowed down towards the crowd. A few of the people clapped and hollered.

The referee spoke again, "Marissa of the Church of Ducann, you are next. Call out 'fly' when you are ready."

Almost casually the young challenger grabbed a single arrow and locked it into place. She slowly pulled back the string and held it in place. "Fly!"

Just a few feet from above the referee came raining pieces of clay. Marissa had hit the target just a second shy of when the target was launched. Red dust covered the man's face. The surprised referee wiped some of the dust from his eyes and placed another disc within his hand.

"Fly!"

Red dust filled the air above the referee again. This time the disc had been broken even closer to the man's hands, barely a fraction of a second after the disc had been sent flying. Now his shirt had been covered with the dust.

"Fly!"

Almost instantly yet another disc shattered around the impromptu referee. The cloud of dust was the strangest of the three, as it appeared at his back! Apparently, Marissa had been able to destroy the target during the referee's back swing, just as he was gathering enough force to launch the disc into the air. A piece of the disc was still be clutched within his fingers.

The crowd broke out into loud applause. Men and women who had been watching were clapping and congratulating the young girl. She walked over to the bard still standing there almost in shock.

"I'll take this, thank you." Marissa grabbed the bard's short bow from his hands. "It will nice to have another in my small collection. Much thanks." With that the young mage walked off. She headed back to the common room, and back to reading her book.

The bow she had won on that day had come to be her favorite. The wood was a golden brown, and different carvings of flying creatures had been placed within its span. Intricate images of birds and different fowl crowded its thin frame. The centerpiece of the entire piece was a painted image portraying the magical beast called the griffon. The bow string was also strong but flexible. She usually kept the bow tension very taught, preferring a quick snap of motion during the release of arrows.

Additional gear she would need for her trip, excluding her usual garments, included winter clothing including heavy gloves and a thick parka. The Holloway Peninsula was coming up on the midst of winter, and snow would soon cover the upper lands. The young woman would have to be prepared should the cold snap of winter come along.

Of course, Marissa was going to need basic rations and food stuffs. She planned to regularly visit the local towns on her travels, but she could not count on relying on their assistance. Who knew what might come up and make it impossible for her to reach a town.

The final piece of her entire plan was the need for a reliable horse. She thought she might know the name of a useful steed or two.

"Back again I see, so soon at that," Jeremiah replied. "I suppose you want that ruddy horse over there again?" He pointed to Faerun.

"If I may?"

"Oh you most certainly 'may'. That bloody animal is a nuisance I tell you. Doesn't do anything but eat and stand there. No one else can ride 'im, and so he's just taking up space. I could easily train another horse to fill his place if his stall was empty."

"So I can take him?"

"Are you looking for a bigger invitation? Take him on that quest of yours, just pray that he does you well. Pray to God that that horse doesn't cause you strife. I know he's done it to me!" Jeremiah turned around and dropped his pants. There imprinted on his lower left cheek was the distinct mark of a horseshoe.

Marissa quickly looked away out of embarrassment as the stable hand pulled his pants back up.

"Oh what? Like you never seen sumthin like that before? I tell ya, you just try to do your job and clean these mongrels, and what do they do? Kick you in your arse when you ain't lookin. And that is all the thanks I get!"

Marissa, feeling pity for Jeremiah, walked over to him. Without using much judgment, she bent over and gave him a tiny peck on the cheek.

"There, that is sumthin that'll make a man feel better for the day. Thanks milady. What else can I do for you before you take leave?"

Jeremiah and Marissa loaded up Faerun with all of the gear the young wizard was bringing with her on her quest. The young black horse struggled with the somewhat large amount of weight. A slight look of disdain covered his face.

"Oh, don't you give me that. We'll need all of this in case something should come up. Besides, at least we aren't going through the desert this time. There will probably be lots of wild fruit along the way to boot, and we will be stopping more often!" Marissa reasoned with the Appaloosa. His demeanor didn't change.

"See I tells ya. You can't reason with this animal, but the best of luck to you."

"Thank you Jeremiah. Hopefully I will be seeing you again soon."

"As long as you aren't on that beast right there, then I'll be glad to see ya. Good luck young missus."

And with that, Marissa and her horse Faerun set out northwest for the Holloway Peninsula. Off the duo went in hopes of finding the source of the evil Pontia.

Continue reading onto Chapter 14

Chapter 12

2005-11-13T23:25:00.000-07:00

Marissa was amazed that she was now in the possession of a Sylaalian staff. The piece of wood did not look like much, but she knew that there was much power within.

The staff even though it was twisted and warped, measured four feet three inches long. Its contorted form twisted wildly in a circular pattern from its lower pointed tip to a larger nub at the top. The largest variance was near its upper portion where the twirling snake opened up into a funnel-like shape. Marissa thought that the magical object resembled what a tornado frozen in time might look like.

No splinters could be found along its smooth glossy surface. She drew her fingers along its wooden skin. The staff had long continuous ridges spaced a little over half of an inch apart that traced its entire length. These grooves were a natural part of the Sylaalin tree, and a telltale feature of this rare and unique wood.

The staff did not feel the slightest bit brittle, but it did not feel very sturdy either. She felt that she would need to be somewhat careful when carrying this special weapon.

She heeded the higher cleric's words and went to the Protectorate testing grounds for some experimentation.

In front of the young woman was a range full of target dummies. The numerous mannequins were built from bundles of straw fashioned into the forms of men. These targets were meant to stand in for different shapes and sizes of adversaries. They were also placed at different distances within the field to help the students learn different ranges.

One would think that the range was intended for archers, but they would be wrong. Instead this field was dedicated to the use and practice of magical projectiles. Lying in a pile at the south end of the field was a heap of broken, burned, and completely obliterated targets. Their remains were a stern warning to stay clear of accidentally wandering into the field.

Today the field was empty save for one other adult mage. This other mage was trying to focus on the casting of wind spells. Although she was a full member of the Protectorate, she was flailing wildly in multiple attempts to knock down a mobile target. She was still trying to hone her skills when Marissa entered the field's entrance.

As Marissa entered, a faint light emanated from the side of her staff closest to the other mage. The barely noticeable light flickered whenever the mage tried to cast a spell. As she walked further down the field, the lights grew dimmer.

The use of a staff was not required in order to cast magic. A well training wizard needed no additional accoutrements in order to perform their spells. The known magic of the world easily could flow out of a man given the right circumstances.

However, the use of staffs and other weapons could be a valuable addition to any user's bag of tricks. Even the most rudimentary of staves, poles, or even bladed weapons could accentuate a spellcaster's actions. In addition, the more enchanted the object the more powerful the result.

Marissa had never used a staff to aid with her casting. She wasn't exactly familiar with what she had to do with her new found weapon. The only thing she knew was that the benefits of the object were usually related to the positioning of its form. With this knowledge, the young woman held the magical staff to her right side using both hands. The wider angle faced the field and the pointed end was at her back

The first spell she had chosen for this test was a simple knockdown blow. The particular spell took no ingredients, and could be cast entirely verbally. If performed correctly, the target would be pushed backwards from the magical force. The target she chose was only a few feet in front of her: a good first test.

Marissa spoke the few specific words needed for the spell and immediately felt movement within the staff. Purple lines beginning at her back traced the edges of the staff leading to the front. Within a flash, she was pushed backwards herself and had to struggle to stay upright. She concentrated on keeping both of her hands on the weapon.

When she regained her balance, she looked out to the field. In front of her, the dummy which she had targeted had been sent flying back much further than she expected. A wide path had also been drawn through the field leading towards the dummy's prior location. The magical force pushed aside the loose straw littered about the field.

"Wow," she thought. "Could I really have cast a spell so strong? This staff is remarkable."

She was now excited to try other spells. Next on her list was something far more dangerous: a fire projectile.

Casting fireballs took a bit more than just a few words. She reached into her left-hand pocket and drew from it a bag of tiny coarse pebbles. Only slightly larger than grains of rice, these black stones were made from crushed lava rock. They felt very rough to the touch, and a single kernel could easily be kept between the fingers without fear of losing it.

To cast this particular spell, a mage usually simply held a stone or two within one of their hands. A particular motion was needed as well, and that entailed the user drawing circular lines in the air parallel to their head beginning near their temples. If all went well, the stones within the hand would melt away into ether. Then with a final burst the wizard would point to their target and the spell would hopefully be cast.

Using the staff during this process would be a bit tricky. Marissa assumed that she would hold the staff with her left hand, carrying a single stone in her right. Then she would draw with the right, finish the circle on a downward motion, clasp the staff with both hands, and then aim down the field.

The attempt sounded difficult, and she was slightly nervous that she might aim incorrectly and fire the magical ball to somewhere else within the camp.

The young woman took a deep breath and started to go through the motions. Once she started, the whole world seemed to slow to a crawl. As she cast, small flames appeared along her right fingertips. They did not burn, but they did leave small flickering trails in the air. Her right index finger drew two full circles and on the third pass she widened the radius leading down towards her right side. Her fiery right hand met up with the staff held with her left. The flames upon her right hand washed over the length of the Sylaalian staff. Bright red trails marched up the length of the wood, just as they had done before. Quickly, she pointed her flaming staff town towards a dummy near the middle of the field.

A giant ball of fire launched from the wide end of her staff, heating the air around her. Her face felt hot and the magical ball raced down the field. Within just a second's time, the ball exploded onto the straw figure.

It instantly burst into flame and the straw dummy shattered into thousands of pieces. Flaming particles shot out in every direction. Nearby dummies caught pieces of the burning embers and also began to catch fire. The ground beneath the dummy was still smoldering and charred black.

Marissa heard the woman at the end of the field swear verbally in shock. She quickly raced to the young mage's side.

"How in blazes did you do that?!? Oh my… I've never… Such force...!"

The ridges of Marissa's staff were now white hot in color due to the cast spell, but it was still cool to the touch. The glowing lines caught the eye of the adult mage.

"Ah, now I see. It was your staff…" she tried to catch her breath, "But what an amazing staff. Where did you get it?"

"Sage Klaus gave me this Sylaalian staff," she replied.

"Sylaalian? If Sylaalian can help a novice such as yourself cast such fierce spells, I should try to drudge one up too. Why if I had such a staff, who knows what I could do! Then I might not have to work so hard with these flimsy practice sessions. I'll be sure to look around near the merchant's row next time I visit town. Wow!" The other mage just seemed to be babbling now, obviously dumbstruck from today's experiments.

Thoughts were also running through Marissa's mind. "Such power! Why, there isn't anything I couldn't do with this staff!"

Reason began to come over her, "But, this staff could also be very dangerous. My face almost melted off with that Sphere of Embers spell. The destruction I could accidentally cause could be catastrophic.

"Also, the staff is clearly not something I could use silently. The glow from that last spell is still present. Hrm, that might be a problem. I can't be giving away my position every time I use magic. This thing might give away my location."

As Marissa thought to herself, her eyes wandered to one of the white spires of Ducann. There looking outside his window near the top was Sage Klaus. Even from this far away down below on the ground, she could see his red cheeks. He was obviously laughing at what had just happened. She almost could hear his chuckling echoing through the yard.

"Did he know that this artifact was so powerful? If so, why did he entrust a student such as I with such power? Does he really think the journey ahead will be so dangerous?"

Continue reading onto Chapter 13

Chapter 11

2005-11-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

Just a single week had passed since Marissa's desert journey. She had completed her first solo mission, successfully delivered the bottle of dew, and was now back in Ducann continuing on with her life at the Church. However, her training was quickly coming to an end.

In order for a magical student of the Church to ascend in rank, they must complete a final student mission of their own choosing. It is the only way to be recognized as a full mage by the Church. It is also the only way in which one is properly inducted as a wizard of the Holy Protectorate.

Often these 'missions' were actually quite simple, more of a formality in actuality. Usually a long research dissertation detailing a certain magical theme, or the successful completion of a difficult spell, or the taming of a wild beast for use as a familiar were all that was needed. Only on rare occasions were the challenges suggested by the students of magic much more elaborate.

The purpose was for the student to show skill in something for which they were personally motivated. Emotion played a crucial role in the casting of magic. Strong emotions come from themes that are close to that person, and so personal projects were an accurate test of magical fortitude. And as such, a spell user was only as strong as the sums of their heart, determination, concentration, and knowledge.

Today, Marissa was intending to announce the final student mission of her choosing. She was both nervous, as well as intrigued, with what responses she might get.

The young mage climbed the northern Ducann spire as she had many times before. Her destination was a meeting room on the sixth floor. Inside of the chamber were three elder sages: Dominique, Poe, and Klaus. She rapped upon the double wooden door and was welcomed to enter.

In the center of the room was a medium sized circular table made from blown glass. It was blue in color and had been etched with purple filigree. Dazzling loops and trails dotted its exterior. Light from an open window appeared to make the ceremonial table glow.

Around the table sat the three sages, each wearing their customary robes. Each of them sat in a tall high-backed chair made from iron. Long fabric runners of different colors trailed down their metal backs. Embroidered into each were different symbols of importance to the Church.

A final seat of much lower stature had also been placed near the table.

As she entered into the chamber, the murmuring clerics began to quiet. The conversation they were having would have to wait until later. Marissa sat down in the ordinary chair and faced the three sages.

"Marissa, magi in training," Sage Poe continued as if he was reading from a memorized written verse, "It is our understanding, and the understanding of the Church, that you are ready to pronounce your final mission as a student of this institution.

"The final task is to be chosen by a student and is an important part of his or her growth in the magic arts. The completion of the task is to signify one's succession into becoming a comprehensive mage, as is so deemed by the Church.

"It is with great honor that my colleagues and I are present to witness this grand moment in your tutelage." Poe yawned as if he had done this a hundred times before. "It is to be commended that you have shown such dedication to the magical arts. The path is only available to a select few, and the path is only completed by those who are unrivaled among their peers.

"We are now ready and willing to accept your suggestion for this final mission. You have the floor."

Now that he was done with his spiel, Sage Poe took a drink of water from a copper goblet located upon the table. He kept the glass within his hand after he had taken a sip.

"Thank you for the kind words sirs. My desire for this final task is to determine the source of the Pontia."

Poe coughed and spit up some water. Dominique, whose eyes had been glazed over up until now, began to pay attention. Klaus's eyes went wide. Sage Poe continued to cough up bits of water in an attempt to catch his breath.

"Source of the Pontia?!?" Klaus responded. All the formalities were now long gone, "how do you ever plan to do that?!?"

"I plan to search…"

"Nonsense," Dominique retorted. "It cannot be done."

Poe came to Marissa's aid. "Sage Dominique, regardless of the facts at hand, let us listen to the girl." The old man paused. "Well?"

"Ahem. I plan to search the lands far northwest of Ducann, towards the Holloway Peninsula. I have read in some texts that a large concentration of Pontia used to roam across the area in the past. I…"

"Poppycock," Dominique interrupted again. "Why would anyone bother to do that, let alone a novice such as yourself? It is suicide to try."

Poe spoke, "Dominique is partially correct. Why do you wish to find this 'source'?"

"As several of you may know, my family was killed due to the actions of a large birdlike Pontia. An ash raven if you will. It is for their memory, and for the knowledge of the Church, that I wish to complete this goal."

"Personal matters should not have any sway in your final mission!" Dominique replied.

Klaus responded. "Ah, but you are mistaken Dominique, a personal stake in the matters of the final student mission is a key point of the task. In fact, it may be the most important theme of the entire testing process!"

Dominique grumbled.

Klaus asked, "Do you really think you will be able to complete this lofty goal?"

"Yes, I do. And if I don't try, then I will never know."

"I see…" Klaus replied.

Poe thought for a moment. "The other mages and I will have to think over this matter. We need to determine if this constitutes an applicable task, as well as if the task is even feasible. Please wait outside until we call for you."

Marissa closed the doors behind her and waited outside of the chamber for several minutes. Inside she could hear a heated argument between the three senior sages. Fists were slammed into the glass table and loud shouting could be heard. After what seemed like forever, the young mage was instructed to reenter.

"Mage Marissa, it has been decided that we will allow this task to be completed as proof of knowledge in the study of magic. Only when you have completed this important last mission, will you finally be deemed a true mage and be allowed membership in the Holy Protectorate." Poe spoke this final decision in the same manner as he had before: just as if it had been read from a standard statement.

"On another note, can I please have a word with you Marissa?" Klaus requested.

"Certainly Sage Klaus," she replied.

"Please come with me to my quarters, so we may discuss this task of yours in more detail."

When they arrived at Klaus's office, both of them sat down on a couch found in his study. Klaus began to speak to the young woman beside him.

"I was almost certain you would take the research path of the final task, but never did I think you might choose an adventure such as this!"

Marissa responded, "Honestly sir, I did not know that I would follow this path until just after my prior task. It was there, at the grave of my parents, that the thought came to me.

"Sitting beneath the wreckage of the once great Fontail Elevator, memories of the past came into my mind. I remembered the day they were killed, and I remembered the horrific bird of fire. The pain that the beast has caused me, the lives of my family that it took away from me, and the other atrocities the monster has caused over time made my blood to boil. I had to find a way to stop them, even if I had to travel to the end of the world!

"As far as choosing this adventurous task versus the expected safe research project, I came to an astute realization about my studies. I have read many books, but have not yet experienced much of the world.

"I have found that there is very little written about the Pontia in our numerous tomes. It is certain that the Pontia are our greatest enemy, yet we do not know nearly enough about them. We do not know of their source, we don't know exactly how they are created, and we don't know why they even exist.

"I chose this particular path because we must learn more. I must venture out in an attempt to further my knowledge, as well as the knowledge of the Church.

"I also believe that if I can determine this mythical location, then there will be a multitude of benefits available to us.

"For one, we might be able to destroy a significant portion of their kind. By knowing their location, we can stage an attack and wipe them from the land thereby saving hundreds, if not thousands, of lives.

"We could also use their point of origin as a hub for research. That research may help us to better deal with their threats head on.

"Finally, if I do happen to come across such a place then we can quarantine the area and at least try to contain a large part of their race. We'd be able to live more peaceably without their constant interventions."

"Hrm. It seems you have put a bit of thought into this whole matter. Do you really think you are up for such a task? I know what you said in the session below, but honestly do you really think you are able?"

"On that exact point, I do not know. It is a daunting task. It does scare me, but I feel it is something that I must do."

"And if you fail?"

"If I fail…," she paused. "If I fail, then I will be able to join my family up in Heaven. I will have died under the will of God, and I will have died according to his wishes..." Her confidence for this particular mission, regardless of her words, definitely was waning.

Klaus noticed this, "Fear not child, God and the Heavens above will be watching you. They will make sure you do not come to harm.

"Of course, their help will not be the only thing by your side." Klaus stood up and walked over to a large chest located next to his personal library. The box had been built from a cherry wood and tied together with gilded metal. He lifted the latch, creaked open the top, and dug inside. He pulled papers and different swatches of fabric from the box as he rummaged.

The senior sage stood up and within his hands was a warped piece of driftwood. Long dry crevices traced its surface like grooves in the sand. It was about four feet long and not decorated in any way.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked.

"A staff?" she wasn't quite sure.

"Aye, it is a staff. A very basic staff with one particular difference: it is made from the wood of a Sylaalian tree. I'd assume you do know that word."

Marissa most certainly knew of the Sylaalian tree. "The wood is magical. It is the same wood that was used to fashion the Box of Moddiad. How did you come to own such a large piece?"

"Well I may not look it, but I have seen my fair share of adventures. None quite as intense as the one you are about to embark on, but I did spend quite a bit of my youth traveling. As luck would have it, I found this staff here one night along a beach to the northwest. It looked exactly the same as it does here right now. Its subtle glow caught my eye as I walked along the sands. I guess my light casting spell reacted to the wood. It still does react quite well to any magical auras. Those little grooves glow something fierce.

"I had always planned to add a bauble or two to accentuate its appearance. But seeing as how I ended up as part of the higher clergy, it wouldn't look anywhere near as 'pretty' as those white staffs they hand out to us geriatrics."

"Sir I wouldn't call you a…"

"Is it only in my presence that you do not have a sense of humor? Maybe that will be another little additional skill you can learn from your quest, among others."

"Yes sir." She chuckled under her breadth.

"Yes, that's much better. Try to practice. Maybe find a joke book or two within the town. Now, where was I? Oh yes. This, my dear is for you." The sage handed the long wooden staff to Marissa.

"But sir, this staff must be of immeasurable wealth. I cannot just take it."

"Of course you can. It is a gift from me. That is enough reason to take it."

"But how can I ever hope to repay you?"

"You can do one thing: make sure you make it back here alive. Even if you fail to find the elusive source, at least make it a point to survive. I will not have one of my pupils dying before I do."

"But if I do fail sir, what then?" The mage had not been able to find anything documenting a student failing this final task.

"While rare, a student will fail their final chosen test on occasion. In those uncommon cases, the student will have the opportunity to retry a different task of the Church's choosing, a year after the first. Keep in mind, the task ordered by the Church will be far different than any suggested by the actual student. I recommend not keeping the idea of re-testing as a crutch. You will not enjoy the test the Church gives for failure." The sage's words were ominous.

"So I recommend you go test that new staff of yours. Make sure you are familiar with its properties before you take one step out of Ducann. The object may very well be crucial to your quest."

"Yes sir. Thank you, sir."

"One thing before I let you go. I have one final request."

The aged cleric stood up. His lifted his arms and motioned for Marissa to come to his side. She lifted herself from the couch and walked towards him. The two embraced in a warm hug. The sage's long robes wrapping around her thin frame.

"God be with you my dear. God be with you."

Continue reading onto Chapter 12

Chapter 10

2005-11-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

The following day Marissa began to make her way back north to Ducann. With the bottle delivered, this portion of her mission was over. There was no other reason to stay in Takait. The young woman gathered her belongings, packed up her horse, and headed out of the church grounds. With Faerun by her side, she then left the great desert city.

Tracing the same path as before, they headed for the hidden canyon towards the west. The earthen walls helped to shade them as they traveled on the long journey. The sky was also full of large clouds today, which helped to keep the heat to a minimum. Since it was cooler, she felt she could push her horse a little bit harder. She kicked her leather boots into Faerun's sides and the duo sped across the dusty land in a quick trot.

The young mage had decided to bypass the desert oasis she had visited earlier in the week. She did not feel like meeting with her friends again quite so soon. She particularly did not want to see Botrun right now. Instead the traveling duo of a girl and her horse made their way towards a settlement she had been told was stationed near the Great Vein. They were also heading to the exact spot where the Fontail Elevator had once climbed the great wall.

She could easily see the rocky face of the great chasm as they drew closer. The breadth of its enormous wall stretched across the entire horizon. The giant flat wall simply could not be ignored. One could not head north across the desert and not see its great height.

They reached the edge of the cliff by the early afternoon. The actual waterfall and settlement were still several miles to the east, but one could see the giant misty bottom of the falls in the distance. The large cloud masked the actual distance that they would have to travel. They followed the cliff's edge until they reached the settlement.

As they got closer, the telltale signs of the ancient elevator were still present. Hanging loosely off of the cliff's edge were the giant iron chains that had once lifted the mighty platform. Their broken and rusted links hung lifelessly in midair. The massive chains shifted ever so slightly back and forth with the wind.

Clouds of thick mist fluttered through the air from the great falls. The great roar of the falling water echoed through the entire area. The mist made the air both cool and moist. The traveling duo could also feel small droplets falling from high upon the upper face down onto their skin below.

The small town that had been located beneath the elevator was now in ruins. Where a large hotel had once stood there was nothing but rubble. The restaurant called Isaac's Tavern was nothing but broken wood planks. In their place were a few hobbled together homes made from bits and pieces of scrap. Windows and doors had both been boarded up across the town, and in other spots the structures had been reopened by enterprising settlers. Broken windows dotted across the town and trash littered the ground beneath.

The few people who were mingling outside their residences quickly ran inside when they saw the mage and her steed approach. They were a cautious bunch, fearful of much of world. They stayed away from any possible confrontations, even if they might be friendly.

Strong winds had always traced the great cliff's edge, and its invisible form whistled through the defunct village. Wooden signs flapped in the wind and open windows howled as it passed. With no one in sight, the entire town felt as though it was full of nothing but ghosts.

The spot where the massive wooden platform had come crushing down was immediately apparent. The guard tower and the accompanying control room had been obliterated by the large wooden scaffold on its fall. In additional, boulders and large chunks of rock that had ripped from the wall during its descent also littered the ground. The great timber beams were now rotten and splintered. Mold and decay covered what remnants were left.

Even after all of these years, no one had attempted to resurrect the great Fontail Elevator. The damage done had been far too great for some. In addition the expense of rebuilding it was out of reach for even the Church. It was simply too daunting a task to bring the elevator back to life. So the remains of the once great achievement lay in ruin with no chance of repair.

The only new construction that had been created since its destruction was a memorial built directly to the west of the ruined elevator. A large pyramid made from hundreds of river rocks had been erected at the scene of the disaster. Polished stones from the base of the falls had been stacked up on top of each other to create the structure. It was presumable that it held the bodies of those lost in the accident. She also assumed that inside of the monument were the remains of her fallen mother and father.

Marissa dismounted from Faerun, and she walked slowly over to the memorial. As she took each step closer, feelings of sadness and remorse filled her being. The young woman was determined to keep her resolve. She knelt down and put her right hand upon the pile of stones.

Marissa remained kneeling there in that single spot for almost an hour. She did not cry. She did not say a word. She simply reflected on the past.

The young mage rose to her feet. She tilted her head and looked towards the sky. Marissa squinted as she scanned the rocky cliff face and the open air. A gust of wind blew down the passage and the dark bangs draping over her face fluttered.

It was there standing at the scene of the accident, the very place where her entire life had changed, that she made a promise.

Marissa bent down and took one of the small river stones from the memorial pyramid. The mage then walked over her to horse and climbed back into the saddle. She situated herself within her seat and prepared to leave. She tugged at the reins and the duo was off again for their home in Ducann.

As they rode, she rolled the smooth stone which she had taken within the grasp of her right hand. She let her fingertips gently touch its glossy exterior. The rock was both cool and soothing. She continued to play with the stone as they made their way back northwest. Back to the trail leading to Ducann, and back to her home.

Continue reading onto Chapter 11

Chapter 9

2005-11-12T00:19:00.000-07:00

Takait had changed drastically from when Marissa had last visited its hallowed walls. Extravagance had made its way into the city and it was easily apparent that the townsfolk had come into wealth. Golden roofs reflected the setting sun, intricate gateways blocked their entries, and expensive ornamentation rose to the sky. "How did these people come into such funds? Takait used to be a simpler city. I should ask Priest Holland about this."

The main gate leading into the center Church was oddly decorated as well. A golden entryway made from spiraling metal blocked her way. Purple gems dotted its frame. A pair of guards stood on the other side of the closed door.

"Hello, may I enter?" Marissa asked.

"What might your business be, milady?" one of them answered abruptly.

"I am here to see Priest Holland. I have a delivery from the Church of Ducann."

In the guard's hands was a tablet containing a paper log. He scanned its entries. Using a piece of graphite, he wrote a checkmark next to one of the rows.

"I'm sorry I was so curt, miss. We can't be too careful. Please come in. Priest Holland is expecting you, although it appears you have gotten here earlier than expected." The guards opened the gate and Marissa and her horse entered into the courtyard. As soon as they had passed, the gate was locked shut behind them. The guards resumed their posts.

"Which way to the horse paddock?" she asked.

The guardsman pointed. "Over there. You'll also find the priest's quarters in the center tower there just to the left."

"Thank you."

Marissa secured Faerun to a hitching post in the stables and then headed for the center tower. The base of the tower was huge, even much wider than the spires of Ducann. There was an exterior stairway leading up on the outer skin of the structure. It spiraled upwards in a corkscrew pattern that seemed to never end. In evenly spaced points on the climb, there were large balcony levels that encircled the circumference of the tower. On these levels, a multitude of desks could be seen. Several clergy members were sitting at these strange desks which faced outward into the open air.

"It must be odd to have one's workspace out in the open like that," she thought. "Was there any benefit other than the fresh air?"

The young mage had been told at the base of the tower that Holland kept an office on the sixth floor. When she reached the specified point of the climb, she noticed that this level was completely open as well.

She announced her presence, "Marissa of Ducann, here to meet Priest Holland. I bring an important delivery."

An old man in long grey robes stood up from a chair in the center of the room. As he turned to face the mage, she noticed that he was completely bald. On top of the man's hairless skull was a splattering of discolored marks. The man did not look tired, nor did he look to be disabled in any way. He obviously had seen his fare share of seasons, but he really didn't look all that worse from the wear according to his saunter. As her eyes caught his, a large grin graced his face.

"Ah yes, Marissa. So good of you to come all this way." The sage's voice was regal and authoritative. "Have you brought the magical dew?"

"Priest Holland, it is an honor." Marissa always seemed to coddle any senior mages in hopes of gathering their favor. "Yes, I have brought the dew from Mount Gilliean. Hopefully it will be of use to you."

"Yes indeed my young lady. It will be most helpful. More helpful than you might know."

"Oh, how is that? If I may ask."

"No worries child. I have already heard of your insatiable curiosity my dear. You can also stop with the flattery now," he chuckled, "I will share with you what I know."

Marissa cleared her throat with a little cough.

"As Klaus may have eluded, the waters of Mount Gilliean appear to have healing properties. We don't quite know if the source is somehow magical in nature or maybe something more scientific. As I have made my life's work in the field of healing arts, the dew is yet another weapon I would like to add to my arsenal."

As the elder priest approached her, she walked forward to hand over the flask. The sage raised his arms as she got closer and his hidden hands slid out from behind the long sleeved robes. The young woman noticed that his hands were very wrinkled with age. Upon his hands were the same darkly colored spots as his scalp. The priest tried to steady his shaking hands as he clasped the tiny bottle. His thin shriveled fingers vibrated in the air.

"Thank you child."

"Sir, if I might ask, why does Takait seem so different that what I remember?"

"Oh, have you been here before? Yes, yes, Takait is not as it once was. I assume your curious mind wishes to know the reason?"

She nodded.

Priest Holland continued, "Well a little over a decade ago this desert city came into fortune thanks to a rare fruit called Muura. Muura, while not being a very appetizing, can only be successfully grown on the land lying beneath the town. For the townspeople, the Muura plant was almost a nuisance before the boom hit.

"It seems that a few Muura made their way into the lands of the west. There due to some creative chefs the fruit became a delicacy. A delicacy desired by the wealthy and famous, and therefore a new gold mine from which to plunder.

"Well, as you can imagine our people started selling the now precious fruits to lands outside of Takait. Money poured into the city like rain falling from the sky. Every single Muura plant was stripped of the commodity, and full grown trees and their seedlings were hoarded. Plants that were growing out in the open were uprooted and taken into seclusion, usually by thieves.

"This strange situation the city finds itself in has stayed relatively the same ever since, except that now the fruit are even more rare. They still don't taste great I must admit, even if they are such a delicacy. Hrumph.

"And now I can assume you are probably wondering why our Church has such an ornate gate dotting our entrance, yes? You don't hide your thoughts to well my dear. Try not to be so eager.

"Well you may not have seen it, but we have one of those blasted trees planted here on the church grounds. Just a single tree that has probably been here as long as the Church. It's quite large and does birth quite a bit of fruit.

"And it was because of that tree that an enterprising individual once tried to tear down our previous gate to get to it.

"On one night about a year ago, a foolish man with two bulls tried to rip the prior gate down just using the animals' brute force. He threw some chained hooks over the gate and had them pull. He was not successful in pulling down the gate, but he did happen to bend and contort its frame beyond comprehension. He also was unfortunate enough to get caught.

"As it turned out, he was the stepson of one of the families in town: a family that owns about a third of the Muura supply! So not only did the idiotic lad spend several months in our prison, but his adopted father also 'generously' donated that ornate gate which now guards our front entry.

"And that is why this Church has such an extravagant gateway leading into our walls.

"Hard to believe there are people who would ignore the valuable jewels dotting its surface just to get to the other side and to our ever so precious Muura fruit.

"Bah, I've been babbling. For shame that you let me go on so long… well I guess if anyone would want to hear me drone on and on it'd be yourself." The priest chuckled under his breath. "I'm always fond of listeners."

Marissa had been enthralled by the multiple stories. Any discomfort from the trip across the desert to Takait washed away.

Marissa spent the rest of the day on Church property, and then decided to stay for the night. She was generously given a room on one of the tower's upper floors. Her particular floor was near the top so it wasn't as wide as the others, but the young woman was still amazed by it.

Just like the other levels this one was also completely open, and as luck would have it the night sky was perfectly clear. Thousands of stars could be seen glowing in the fabric of the night. The light of a half full moon lit up the land below.

She spent about an hour or so reading some of the texts located in the room's small bookshelf. By candlelight she read several of them cover to cover. Their subjects ran through different topics such as the life cycle of a cow, the use of yuon leaves in fire making, and the benefits of enchanting swords. She absorbed their varied teachings into her head like a sponge.

Before she could read another book, something in the distance caught her eye. She put down a book titled "Flight: for One's Defense and Offense" and walked toward the open balcony.

Not far off into the murky horizon she could see a tiny caravan making its way north away from Takait. Travelers, who were both walking and riding, carried handheld torches that flickered wildly with the desert winds. She counted about fifty little torch lights following each other in a path, and thought about their travels.

"Another caravan making its way north," she thought. "Maybe they are leaving now in order to stave off the daytime heat and the blistering sun, perhaps? They won't be roasted to death by the moon's light, that's for sure. I certainly don't miss traveling in the sun… either…"

She felt a prick upon the back of her neck. Just as the desert had done before, Marissa was pulled back in time.

In her eyes she saw her mother, father, and younger self heading north from Takait. They had just been to visit a good friend of her father's who owned a small home on the eastern block. The trio had said their goodbyes on this morning and they were heading back to their desert home.

The family did not own a horse, or any other traveling animal. Instead they were walking across the desert like they always had: by foot. Luckily the winds were not ravaging across the dunes, and instead there was just a slight cool breeze.

The trio had joined a small caravan of about twenty individuals, most who were also walking. The group had planned to make occasional stops at different nomad settlements along the way, and so they weren't too worried about the desert's heat.

Her father wasn't wearing his armor, so apparently Graham had taken time away from work to spend it with his family. Her mother, Sicily, was also wearing her standard attire. Her long black hair fluttered in the wind.

Marissa looked down to notice that she was wearing a small tunic that had been wrapped around her several times. She thought she would feel hot underneath all the fabric, but found out that it was not the case. She instead felt quite comfortable in her traveling clothes.

The family continued alongside the caravan, chatting as they went. Marissa could hear her mother laughing at her father's jokes, and in turn she could hear him chuckling back. The young girl also found that she was holding hands with her mother.

Tears began to fall down the adult Marissa's cheeks.

It had been so long since Marissa had thought of her parents. Emotions that were once bottled up came flooding back into her mind. She tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, but they continued to fall. A breeze passed over the balcony and cooled her moist cheeks.

Continue reading onto Chapter 10

Chapter 8

2005-11-09T23:35:00.000-07:00

The hot morning sun snuck its way into the sleeping mage's room. Its gaze slowly crept though a window and along the floor. Marissa's body began to sweat, but she was ever vigilant to stay fast asleep in bed. A knock at her room's door thought otherwise.

"Marissa? You up yet? We have some breakfast for ya…"

"Botrun," she easily recognized the voice, "did you have to want me so early?"

"The food will get cold if you don't get up. Plus the desert heat isn't gonna get any cooler. And this is early?!?"

A groggy Marissa got out of her bed and began to get dressed. She stumbled a bit as she made her way around the simple room. The fully clothed girl then waddled out the door and headed towards the common room. A great big yawn came over her as she tried to wake up.

In the main room she noticed that Bogun and his wife Gillian were sitting at the inn's largest table. No one else appeared to be out and about yet. She slowly walked over to the pair and sat with them.

"Morning Marissa," greeted Gillian.

"Good morning Gilly," she replied with another long yawn.

"You're not used to waking up this early I see? Been gone far too long from the desert to wake up before the sun rises I suppose."

Botrun joined the rest of the group, carrying with him a basic meal of fresh bread, cold milk, and pruned dates. He had also brought a single fried egg just for Marissa. The foursome ate as they continued conversations which had been started the night before.

As they partook of breakfast, Marissa studied her friends more closely. Both Bogun and Botrun were brothers whom had lived in the same caravan as her family. The siblings were now a muscular pair; with the older Bogun being larger by a significant degree. Muddy tufts of brown hair dotted their skulls. The distinct flat and squared noses of their lineage were easily visible as well.

Bogun had married Gillian five years prior to this reunion. Marissa could not remember if she was familiar with the tall young woman. The husband and wife owned the inn that they currently resided in. The greatest feature of the building was an indoor well found in the center of the kitchen. The inn's business wasn't great, but they did manage to make due with what they had.

Botrun on the other hand had apparently stayed single. It had been a stroke of luck that he had decided to stop by the inn yesterday. For the majority of the time, the younger brother worked with a family of herders. The family owned a farm near an oasis just a few miles to the east. Botrun had decided to visit his brother during a bit of time off that he had.

Marissa started another topic to add to their conversations, "So what is the best path to take to Takait? I have a map given to me by a stable hand, but I doubt the directions are very reliable."

Bogun answered. "Most folks are told to follow the western edge of a distinct dune ridge southwest of here. That is fine and good, but we have discovered that there is another path that is, shall we say 'more tolerable'?"

"That bad? I don't remember the desert travels to be very hard…"

"Well they aren't necessarily difficult for those of us who do travel across it more frequently. Foreigners usually exhaust themselves too quickly on the trip. And I might add, you have been cooped up in that mess of a city north of here."

"Ducann is my home, Bogun."

Botrun interjected, "And the Fontail Desert is not? You do not call this place home?"

"I can barely remember my childhood here, Botrun. All of this seems only vaguely familiar. I must admit, it is only you my dear friends of old that I can really remember. The rest of my experiences elude me."

"Well, I can help with that. I'll come with you to Takait," Botrun replied.

"Really? Do you have business there as well?"

"No, but I haven't got anythin' else better to do. Besides, I'd love to chat up with ya some more." The flat nosed man grinned.

"Well I suppose I won't refuse the services of a guide, and a qualified and friendly one at that. You must understand that I can't pay you much, the Church stipends are…"

"You're gonna leave me as high and dry as a rock baking the sun? Me, the poor farm boy with nothing really in this world to speak of…"

"Well I could…"

"I'm only kiddin Marissa. You must really be out of it if you didn't sense that."

Bogun interrupted, "It's settled then. Off both of ya go. You'll need all the morning air you can get.

"And my dear Marissa, please do come visit us again. Possibly sometime earlier than within a decade and a half."

Marissa had already gotten her Faerun ready for the trip. The mage and her horse were now packed and ready to leave the stables. They waited there for Botrun to arrive and join them.

The flat nosed man came trotting up on an aged grey mule. Its shaggy fur bristled back and forth against his linen garments. Black hairs jotted out from the creature's tall ears.

"And that would be?" Marissa asked pointing at Botrun's mount.

"This? This is Stewie. Been the in the family for ages. He's a good traveler. Likes the desert too. He may not be as fancy as that 'stallion' you have there, but he does the trick."

"Well point us on our way, friend Botrun. Lead us onwards to this 'more pleasant' path towards Takait oh wise guide."

"I see you are getting your sense of humor back. Nice to see you cheerin' up some more."

Slightly blushing cheeks could be seen hiding beneath her long bangs.

The group made its way directly south for about a furlong. They had bypassed the traditional path leading towards the ridge, and instead had come upon a small canyon dug into the dusty floor. Marissa let out a sigh of relief when she noticed that they would be shaded for at least a portion of their excursion.

Botrun asked her a question once they descended into the canyon. "So you're a mage now, all magical and whatnot. Anything you can show me?"

Marissa became puzzled. She hadn't really used magic for demonstration purposes. She didn't quite know what might show off her skills, let alone look interesting. "Uh…"

"Oh come on now. Just something small. Not many of you magic folk come south you know. The desert scares them away."

A thought popped into Marissa's mind, "Ah, I think I have an idea. Give me just a moment to prepare."

Marissa thought about the spell for a moment, and then began to cast it. This particular spell didn't require any ingredients.

With her right hand she began to swirl the pad of her thumb onto the tip of her middle finger. She drew six counterclockwise circles in a smooth rotation. On the sixth revolution she quickly snapped her fingers.

A small pink ball of light hopped out from the center of her palm. It was about the size of a peach pit as well as transparent. As it floated above her hand, tiny sprinkles of glistening light dripped from its form.

Pointing with her right hand she directed the ball of light over to Botrun who was still riding on his horse. It dotted across the space between them and over to her traveling companion.

The mage motioned into the air with wide circular patterns. As her hand spun so did the ball of light. A trail of twinkling matter traced the racing balls path. It then came to a stop just a few inches from Botrun's face.

The young man tried to grab the ball with his gloved hand. His thick fingers began to enclose the floating sphere.

Marissa quickly snapped her fingers.

In an instant the ball of light popped and faded into nothingness.

"Wow, that was interesting. What's its purpose?"

"Distraction. You can easily daze most folks with it, so it comes in handy quite often."

"Anything else you can show me?"

Marissa frowned, "That wasn't impressive enough?"

"No, it was. It's just that this is going to be a long trip and I was curious. I assumed you could perform magic at will… you know, with no effort."

"Well all of its takes concentration as well as a bit of stamina. I'm not just an illusionist. I can't just go casting all day long, the magic will drain me faster than this blasted heat."

Botrun apologized, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to offend."

"That is alright I suppose. I would be curious too. It's just that most of my skills are, shall we say, more dangerous. Not all of them have visible effects, and the effects that some of them have are I must admit, quite gruesome."

"Gruesome eh? Any tidbits you can share?"

"Luckily I haven't had to use my more destructive powers in instances other than training. Having a target dummy made of straw turned inside out is far less disgusting than seeing the same effect happen to flesh. I've seen it, and it is not pretty. Ugh."

"Haha, I bet I've seen worse. Regardless, why learn such things? What benefits would they have?"

"The Holy Protectorate has a duty to uphold. Our duty is the defense of the people and the Church. Defense means that we have to compete against some sort of offense. We need every option available to us if we hope to do our job. War most certainly is not pretty."

"War? War with whom?"

"My, you are inquisitive Botrun. An overflowing well of questions my friend."

Marissa continued, "War. We are always at war with the Pontia, everyone knows that. They are a foe that simply will never cease. They will never stop, they will never pause. Add to this the fact that we practically need to wipe them clean from this plane in order to destroy them. Simply hacking at them with a sword will never 'end' a Pontia. Magic of some form must always be used… always."

Botrun changed the subject, "So, have any fella friends in that city of yours?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean: a companion. A male companion. Do ya got one?"

"Well… well no… I've still training. There is so much to learn. There is no time for… for… for relationships. I'm far too busy." Marissa began to feel uncomfortable as she jumbled her words.

"Ah I see, aiming for a life as a spinster. A noble choice."

Awkwardness led way to anger, "Spinster! Spinster?!? I am no spinster! I am a very important mage within our order. I… I could easily find a partner if I wanted to!"

"I'm sure you could. You are quite attractive now."

Marissa pulled tight on Faerun's reins. The horse stopped short within a couple of steps. The mage began to breathe very heavily. The dry desert air being pulled into her lungs started to tug at her chest. Her nostrils flared.

Botrun obviously realized what he had said, and he now saw how Marissa was acting. He quickly tried to apologize, "I didn't mean it that way. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

Marissa's heart was beating with great fervor, and she felt hot up and down her body.

The young mage sat on her horse, very still, for several moments. Neither she nor her companion said a word. They both sat there within the confines of the desert canyon.

Once she had regained her composure, Marissa flicked at the reins and Faerun started to walk again down the dusty path.

For the remainder of the trip to Takait, the young woman never once looked over to her friend Botrun. She never spoke a word, and she never responded to any of his pleas. Still keeping herself closed off from the world around her, the group slowly made their way to the desert village.

When they arrived at the gates, Marissa and her horse headed directly for the Church grounds. Botrun did not follow, nor did she say goodbye. Her steed quickly made his way towards the center of town. The silhouette of her friend faded into the distance as she rode away.

Continue reading onto Chapter 9

Chapter 7

2005-11-09T02:04:00.000-07:00

Marissa had only been outside of Ducann for the occasional school related trip. And when they did leave the confines of the large city, the students only visited the nearby forests and country sides. Never had she visited any other cities other than Ducann, and she had not been back to the desert lands that she once called home.

The trail map handed to her by the stable hand, Jeremiah, led south through the dense jungle that lined the southern border of Ducann. She would then have to detour far west towards a mountain pass that slowly winded its way down the Fontail Chasm. Once she reached the bottom and revisited the desert of old, she would have to rely on a compass and Faerun's innate skill in order to travel across the great desert. Only then would she be able to reach Takait and complete the first half of this mission.

She had ridden Faerun a few times before they came upon this journey, and so she felt comfortable in his presence. Training with regards to horses was standard for members of the Holy Protectorate. She had learned to ride just a few months after joining the Ducann School full time, and it came naturally to her. That was, of course, if the horse was willing.

Faerun was an odd little horse, much like the young mage. Both of them were quiet, reserved, as well as independent. On more than one occasion riders attempting to tame Faerun were booted from their seats and onto the ground below. He wasn't always a troublemaker as some untamed horses tended to be, but he wasn't the easiest of creatures to ride either.

Marissa was one of the few who had both the patience and skill to successfully ride the black Appaloosa. She tended to favor the young stud, and always looked forward to his company. And so it was with much pleasure and good fortune, that she had been able to secure her favorite horse for this trip.

As the duo traveled down a winding path leading through the forest, they cautiously watched the surroundings as they passed. A narrow trail had been sloppily cut into the jungle brush: half of it traversable, and half that was quickly being reclaimed by the forest. The particular trail which they found themselves on was never used by large caravans. Instead it was used occasionally by small groups of travelers. Cargo definitely was not something you wanted to take down this mysterious path. Nothing in the forest was known to be dangerous, but things changed quickly in this world. For this reason it always paid to be careful.

At first Marissa had been fearful of this unexpected trip, but as they made their way along she slowly started to come to terms with it. "I suppose it's healthy to get out of Ducann once in a while. I really shouldn't keep myself tied down inside of her walls. There is just so much to learn!

"Maybe I'll find some new knowledge of my way... Yes, yes, that would be most appeasing."

The light of the morning sun barely shone through the thick brush. Thick mist hovered high in the air, clouding the canopy above. The jungle was teaming with innumerous creatures and other bits of life. Loud bird calls echoed from the tall tropical branches. The young mage had never seen half of the plants or flora crowding their path. Giant emerald leaves draped over the trail, many tipped with brightly colored flowers pleading for pollination. Large winged bugs with spherical eyes were more than happy to oblige. It seemed as though the entire forest was alive. Even though Marissa only had the company of her horse, she did not feel alone in this place.

The air was sweet and soothing, and it was also very moist and wet. Portions of Faerun's coat were soaked and partially matted. The young horse wasn't a fan of the humidity, but he didn't show his disdain. Marissa was indifferent to this foreign environment as well. "At least it isn't the desert," she thought. Tiny beads of moisture dripped from her thin black bangs.

After four sweaty hours had passed, they came to the end of the jungle trail. The sky was now open and visible, and the air was slightly drier. In addition, the sheer cliff of the chasm's northern face was easily apparent. The lush green land of the forest floor seemed to stretch out only a few feet in front of them, with the grassy road ending abruptly in midair.

Below their position was a gigantic flat plane filled with tans and browns. All that was visible beyond this point was the great Fontail Desert. It spanned across the entire horizon as far as the eye could see. The dust filled land down below also felt an immeasurable distance away. The duo felt like they had come to the end of the world, and in a way they had.

An unsettling feeling trickled down the mages back. She was brought backwards in time and into her past. Memories of life prior to the Church seeped into her mind. The girl began to daydream.

Faerun's eyes caught the start of the descending trail and he headed for its entrance. A single lane had been crudely carved into the rocky face. The horse began to take cautious steps down the path.

The trail seemed to be both narrow, as well as wide in spots. The width of the road depended on what the ancient engineers had chosen to do. The path carefully hugged the cliff face, and its single lane zigzagged down into nothingness.

As Marissa had read, the mountain pass predated the great Fontail Elevator. In fact it had been used heavily during the elevator's construction. The only other method for descending down the cliff was a wider roadway located further east; further east by several hundred miles. Regardless, the trail worked well for a single traveler and this path would do just fine.

The climate changed drastically as the duo made their way slowly down the pass. The once humid and slightly cool air made way for a dry and hot experience. An environment that the young mage had once been accustomed to was now very strange. A feeling of dehydration fell over her, and it felt as if her skin was baking in the hot sun. Marissa would give anything to be back inside the swampy climate of the jungle, or anywhere else than here.

The mage and her steed continued the long trek down the mountain. Not once during this entire trip had she encountered another person. It was solely her and her horse, and their simple delivery. When the pair had reached the bottom, the sun had already begun to set to the west.

"How are you feeling Faerun? Are you as tired as I am of this heat already? It is hard to believe that I once called this area home.

"I suppose we should find shelter, if Jeremiah's map is correct there should be a settlement just a little ways south over those dunes. How about one final jaunt before we end this day?"

The horse made no sound.

"I suppose that isn't a 'yes', and that isn't a 'no'… and I suppose I am talking to a horse. Not like you can understand me. Oh well, off we go."

Marissa could see the settlement's tents just a few minutes after leaving the shadow of the chasm. A simple village had been built around a center structure, probably a well. Cattle and oxen lined the outskirts, each tied to another with long ropes. The once white fabric tents were now stained by the orange desert sands. A few people could be seen walking around the camp, mostly getting their belongings back inside their dwellings. No wind was blowing over the dunes and so the outpost was calm and quiet. She could hear a few voices echoing across the sands.

A man wearing heavy linen garments walked up to the duo. He spoke to the woman on horseback, "Hello, what brings you to our camp on this eve?"

The shy Marissa struggled to speak, "Hello, uh, I'm looking… I'm looking for a place to camp for the evening, if that is possible. Myself and my… my horse need some rest."

"Came down the Saladden pass I see? Come from the north?"

"Yes, from the town of Ducann."

"And your business is this desolate place is…?"

"I have been tasked with a delivery to Takait."

"Takait, that is far from here. A day's travel at the least. You may stay here for a fee. Water is scarce in these parts, miss. But you'll find that we will not gouge you of your entire purse."

"Agreed. Where might your stables be?"

The man pointed to the opposite end of the camp. "Over there. My brother should be able to assist your companion there. When you are done with that, you may get some food from the main building in the center there."

The timidness that had overwhelmed Marissa left her body. Relieved that she had been able to actually hold a conversation, she headed to the opposite side of the camp. Once there she took Faerun to the stables and made arrangements for his care. Once she was satisfied with his affairs, she headed for the center building.

The structure was larger than she initially thought. Thousands of adobe bricks had been used to create the dwelling. Long wooden beams protruded from the roof of the building, apparently placed there for support.

Once she had walked inside the structure, she was surprised to find that it was an inn. A group of about fifteen men and women were inside the main room socializing. A female server was also walking between them and delivering meals. A desk in behind the group was manned by a single young girl.

With a bit more money, the young mage secured a room for a single nights stay. She went to the back of the building, dropped her belongings into her room, and came back out to the center area.

A waitress motioned for her to come and sit down with the rest of the group. The room had been arranged with numerous large pillows surrounding a single low lying table. No chairs could be seen anywhere in the room. A few of the individuals within the room were sitting haphazardly on their seats, with most of them were sitting on their sides.

Instinctively, Marissa chose a pillow, knelt down by crossing her legs, and sat down. The method in which she did it caught the attention of an older woman sitting to her left.

The woman spoke, "You do not look to be from here, yet you sit in the same customary manner? Have you been to this area before my dear?"

"Yes mam," Marissa didn't elaborate. She motioned for a stoneware cup from the nearby table. Using a pitcher of water, she poured herself a drink.

The curiosity of the woman was further peaked. She squinted and the wrinkles around her eyes grew. "I feel like you are familiar, but then you are not. What is your name?"

"Marissa," she said plainly before she took a drink.

"Marissa…? Marissa…? Marissa!!" The woman became extremely excited. "Marissa!"

A sensation of fear and panic brushed past the young woman's body. She was attracting unwanted attention.

"Marissa, my dear! Marissa! I haven't seen you in ages!"

By now a few of the other people within the inn turned to look at the blushing girl. Slowly they too began to remember who she might be.

The elder woman crawled over to the embarrassed girl and threw her arms around her. "My dear Marissa, it is wonderful to see you again. You were but a babe when I saw you last."

A distinct memory popped into Marissa's head. She pictured a lady who looked slightly younger than the woman currently hugging her. The woman in her dream was giving the younger Marissa a small basket of feathers. A great big smile grew over both the Marissa in her dream, as well as the one in the inn.

Marissa spoke, "Tatanna?"

The woman smiled. "You do remember me! You do remember me my dear! And after all of this time we thought we had lost you. Praise to God that he saw it within his graces to bring us together again. It brings warmth to my heart to hold you again." Her squeezing became even tighter.

Marissa scanned the room. One by one she recognized additional familiar faces. In her mind she called out their names, "Bogun, Botrun, Tabitha!"

"My dear, what in Heaven have you been up to? We knew you had been taken to the north, but from there it is a mystery."

An imaginary shell over Marissa shattered. No longer did she feel shy and reserved in this desert inn. Almost immediately her temperament changed and she was answering the woman's questions.

"Well, I was taken to Ducann. There is a school there. I am a mage now, part of the Holy Protectorate, well almost… not yet anyway…"

"A mage? A mage! Glory be, I knew that you were special my dear, but this is amazing!"

Botrun chimed in, "Very impressive, Marissa. Very impressive indeed. So what brings you back to the desert?"

"I have a task… I am traveling to Takait. I have to deliver an item to for the Church."

Tatanna was still beaming. "Look at that my dears, our Marissa has already been given an important assignment even at this young age."

Bogun joined the conversation, "I hope you have a sturdy horse, the ride further south won't be any fun. You do have a horse don't you? I hope you don't plan on walking…"

"Yes, I have a horse. So silly for you to think that I don't, Bogun." She threw a devilish smile towards her old friend. He laughed.

"Have you eaten yet?" Tatanna asked.

"Well not yet, I just got in…"

"We'll have to change that," Tabitha replied. "I'll go get us some soaked beef and bread. You'll need as much as you can get to get to Takait quick enough. Besides, look at how thin you are. We need to fatten you up!"

For the next several hours, Marissa and her old friends reminisced about the years gone by. They spoke of Bogun's marriage, the construction of the inn, Marissa's training, and a multitude of different topics. It seemed like they could have talked until dawn if given the chance.

When Marissa had finally decided to turn in, she went to sleep with a smile on her face. Happiness filled her dreams that evening, and she slept very soundly on her straw bed. Where once she had feared, she now felt content. The knowledge that she still had friends, and that they remembered her, carried her long through the night up until the sun rose the next morning.

Continue reading onto Chapter 8

Chapter 6

2005-11-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

Within a flash, fourteen years had passed since Marissa's test in the Box of Moddiad. Year after year the young girl grew both in age as well as skill. She took to learning the magical arts quite well and partially enjoyed the process. Through training and discipline Marissa had become an excellent mage.

It of course had not been her decision to become a wizard. The Church had chosen that path for her. She did however decide to make the best of it, and spent countless hours researching the arcane arts that were the specialty of the Ducann school. Whenever an elder sage would visit the great white spires, she was always there trying to glisten whatever knowledge she could during their stay. She constantly hounded her teachers and read from the oldest of books in order to excel in her craft.

The once little girl had grown up a bit as well. No longer frail and weak, the training given to her by the Holy Protectorate helped to hone her into not just a great magical defender, but also a keen physical fighter as well. She still could not hold onto a sword with any kind of success, but ranged weapons and basic hand-to-hand contact came easily to her.

Marissa also looked quite different from how she did as a child. The small girl was now a fully grown woman. Her frame was sleek and slender, as well as a bit shorter than her female peers. The young mage was not muscular, nor did she have curves to speak of. All in all, she looked to be similar to most girls her age.

The long locks of jet black hair were now no more, and instead she kept her hair short and tight. She didn't keep it trimmed extremely close to her head, but it was shorter than normal. Futhermore, she had kept a few longer bangs that visibly draped over her face. The long wisps of black framed her adult face and gave her an aura of mystery. These midnight tresses kept her emotions masked behind their shadowy forms as well.

She also chose not to wear the billowy robes that a majority of the wizarding world traditionally wore. The young woman thought that looser fabrics got in the way, and usually they were just a complete bother. A pair of dark leather pants and a simple sleeveless vest were the bases for her traditional day-to-day attire. Her garments snuggly fit to her thin frame. She thought that she could move as easily in the wind in such clothes. Her arms felt free and open, and she believed that they gave her a better sense of her surroundings.

Her visage had also changed. The desert heat no longer tanned and dirtied her skin. In its place was a very pale flesh that was almost ivory in appearance. The primary cause for this change was due to all of the time she spent indoors studying book after book. Her skin was smooth and free from any blemishes. Not even a single birthmark dotted her immaculate face.

The same deep brown eyes were still present from when she was a child, and they usually penetrated deep into a person's emotions should she happen to gather their eye contact. Their dark centers were both beautiful and mysterious.

At a glance, Marissa was very beautiful in a natural way. Both mysterious and alluring, younger male pupils would often gaze upon her from a distance. However, she did not make any effort to improve her looks nor did she try to gather the attentions of those around her.

However, even with all these changes the friendly demeanor from the once cheerful girl never returned. Her spirit was very low key and she didn't spend much of her time with others of her age. She did not find it enjoyable to socialize with her peers. Instead she continually focused on her training, ever thirsty for more knowledge.

Today, she had been called into the office of one of her teachers, a high sage named Klaus. Klaus's office was found near the twenty-second floor of the northern tower. The young mage slowly made her way up the structure's center staircase. When she arrived at the door leading into his chambers, she knocked upon it.

A voice answered, "Yes, please come in Marissa. I've been waiting to speak with you."

As she entered the room, she saw the familiar face of sage Klaus. She had been under his tutoring for well over a decade. The man, while not as old as the elders, had come on in years. The once russet beard of her mentor had begun to gather bits of grey. Wrinkles dotted the edges of his eyes and forehead.

He wore robes of white trimmed with golden thread. The fabric draped off of his form in large sheets, obscuring most of his body. Only two worn hands and his cheerful face were visible. Large grey stains streaked across the hanging portions of the fabric, and threadbare patches lined the bottoms.

"Master, you really must clean those robes. They are far too dirty," the young wizard commented as she sat down.

"Oh are they now? And why does the deterioration of my favorite robes bother you so?"

"Well it doesn't, I was just making a suggestion…"

"I know dear, I know. I am only teasing. You know me, always trying to pry a wee bit of emotion from a shy pupil."

A small frown peeked out from behind her dark bangs.

"I don't mean to offend my dear. It's just that one cannot study for every moment of one's life. I just wish that you were a little more open to the outside world, a bit more… friendly I would say."

She challenged him back, "And why do you think that I need to be 'friendlier', sir?"

"Take it from someone who has seen much in his life. Everyone needs some sort of contact, some sort of friendships in order to live life to the fullest. We are not whole unless we have."

The sage continued before she could interrupt, "It is for this reason, as well as another, that I am sending you on a mission. A very simple mission. I need something delivered."

Marissa slightly panicked, "But master, I haven't been outside of Ducann in years. Not since I was a child! I don't know if I can…"

"This task is very simple dear, and it is something you will be able to handle very easily. I need you to take this flask to the city of Takait to the south."

Visions of the desert flashed before Marissa's eyes. "Takait?"

"Yes, I have a fellow priest at the chapel in Takait who has requested the contents of this flask. All in all, not a very difficult mission at all. Take a horse, head south, cross the desert, deliver the flask, then return. Should not take you more than a week at the most."

The inquisitive nature of the mage kicked in, "And may I ask what is inside the flask?"

Klaus laughed. "Always curious my dear Marissa. Always thirsty to know the entire mechanisms of the world.

"The contents of the flask includes a little under a liter of dew gathered from Mount Gilliean. The waters that flow down from the mountain contain healing powers of some sort. We don't quite know if its magical, or because the runoff is due to something more chemical. Priest Holland in Takait has asked for a sample to study. I, and the Ducann Church, are more than happy to apply.

"Does that answer your question?"

"Yes." Marissa didn't have anything else to add.

"And will you to travel to Takait like I have asked?"

"Yes."

"Good, it is settled. I suggest that you leave in the morning. Please see Jeremiah down at the stables so that he may help you on your way. Good luck my dear…"

Marissa stood up to leave.

"… and I hope you do have an enjoyable trip." Kluas let out a deep laugh as she left his office.

The scared young mage grumbled as she climbed down the circular staircase. "How am I supposed to make it all the way south to Takait? Sage Klaus can be so stubborn sometimes. Forcing me to do things he feels are necessary. Arrrrh!"

The next morning, Marissa showed up at the stables located on the church grounds to talk with Jeremiah. She spoke of the journey she was about to take and asked what needed to be done. He recommended some basic supplies, and then led her down the stables so she could choose a horse that she may ride.

The paddock contained a number of different horses. They ranged in wildly varying colors and sizes. Some of them were used for breeding, but most were purposed as work horses. About half of the horses within the stable belonged directly to the Church. The others had been put up by travelers whom were visiting Ducann.

While not a fan of people per se, she did appear to have an affinity for horses. She believed that they did not ever seem to judge you, or force you, like a person would. The creatures would simply perform the duties that they had been assigned. They rarely disobeyed, and always attempted to do their best. She felt closer to these majestic creatures because of these reasons.

"Ere's a nice pony," said Jeremiah. "She'll get you through the desert no problem. Prolly quite swiftly too. Nice coat she's got here, and her gait should make traveling smooth."

Marissa shrugged.

"Okay, lessee here. How bout this one." He pointed at a medium sized and sturdy brown gelding. "He'll work out okay I suppose. Not the best, but he'll do the trick. Not as fast as…"

Marissa shrugged again.

"Sigh, then do you have a suggestion missus all-n'-mighty mage. Any of these blasted animals that you thought would work for ya?"

The young wizard walked towards a young black Appaloosa found at the end of the stables. He was mostly black except for a blotchy patch of white spots on his rear. He looked to be a little over a year old. She picked up one of his hoofs and checked to see if he had been reshod recently.

"I might have known. He's a tricky one, but you know that already dontcha. Want a challenge do you?"

She began to stroke the side and lower mane of the beast. Her thin fingers twirled the many hairs of his crown. The horse closed its eyes with a look of satisfaction.

"Fine. Be that way. I'll get him properly saddled up." The handler paused then walked over to a wooden table.

On his return, Jeremiah lifted a lightweight saddle onto the back of the horse. "I'll give yeah one thing, he sure is bomb-proof. It takes something real fierce to set him off." He paused again as he attached the saddlebags. "But mark my words, it's your own arse if he throws you!"

With the rest of the tack put onto the horse, Marissa climbed into the saddle. With the help of Jeremiah, she was able to lift up a small pack which she then attached to her back. Now quite comfortable in her seat, she grabbed both of the reins. She tugged gently to the left and made her way out of the church grounds.

Jeremiah hollered as she left, "Good luck young missus. Hopefully Faerun there works out for ya. Safe journey!"

And with that, Marissa exited towards the southern gate of Ducann and out to her first solo adventure outside of the Church's protection.

Continue reading onto Chapter 7

Chapter 5

2005-11-07T00:05:00.000-07:00

The tests included three different parts. One tested a student's strength with a weapon, one tested for archery skills, and the final test was for an affinity with the magic arts. Four of the children had reached an age when they were able to take the tests, and one of them was Marissa.

The day's session was led by a group of three clerics: each one of them tasked with one portion of the tests. An additional two teachers, whom trained Protectorate warriors, were also on hand for the children's safety. They were also there to help study the students' progress and make recommendations.

For the first test, cleric Algrin had led the four students into a makeshift arena out in the Church courtyard. A crude circle had been erected using hay bales lined up end to end. The diameter was about fifty feet wide, but it was enough space for the four of them to be able to move around freely. Each student was handed a wooden short sword that had been slightly weighted around the hilt. In their other hand they carried basic round shields made of wood. A final bit of protection was a heavy linen coat that each wore. Any blows would be absorbed by the coat, and it also added a significant amount of weight. All these tools and how they used them would help determine whether they were fighters or not.

Marissa was not looking forward to any of the tests on this day, but especially not this one. She struggled to even stay upright with all the strange gear in hand. Her tiny fingers struggled to grasp the practice sword, and she wasn't strong enough to keep the shield fully upright. The coat was also very heavy and encumbered her walk. Reluctantly she entered into the testing arena along with her classmates.

One of the Protectorate teachers spoke, "The goal for this test is to land as many clean hits as you can. The aim is not to harm your opponents, and we are only watching to see how well you innately handle your weapons. Aim for the shields and no portion of the body. Don't be discouraged if you find it difficult to wield your weapons. This is a very important step, and it is required."

"Begin!" shouted Algrin.

Immediately, the largest of the four orphans leapt at Marissa. With a forceful blow he slammed his sword directly onto her shield. The blow reverberated through her shield and into her hand. Her fingers went numb and she lost her grasp. The wooden shield dropped to the ground.

The aggressive boy attacked again. This time he struck Marissa upon her back with the flat edge of his blade. The coat cushioned most of the blow, but she was still thrown down to the ground. As she fell, she slid into the dirt.

"Stop! You idiot, what are you doing?!?" screamed one of the guards. He leapt into the arena and forcibly grabbed the boy. "Clean hits I said! Don't aim for the body you moron!"

Algrin also entered the arena to aid Marissa. He helped her get to her feet, and the both of them removed themselves from the action. Obviously the young girl was not destined to become a warrior as she had not even gotten a chance to swing her weapon. The remaining children, including the aggressive young boy, continued to finish out the test for the next thirty minutes. They attacked one another until each was battered and bruised. Marissa was glad she did not have to stay in the arena for all that time.

The second test of the day was to see how well each of them could handle a bow. In addition it would help show how well they could pay attention to their senses. The entire group had moved to the Protectorate archery range within the Church compound. There were two different locations within the range, and each dealt with a portion of this particular test.

First off, each student was handed a short bow and given simple instructions in how to use them. In front of the four orphans were targets only a few steps away. One by one they were instructed to nock an arrow into position and aim at a target in front of them.

"On my count…" the cleric named Roland paused, "Fire!"

Three arrows flew into the air, and two hit their targets.

One of the boys whom had been fighting aggressively earlier had lost control of the bow string right before he released it. The arrow fell out of position and down onto the ground. Apparently, he had trouble keeping his aim due to a large bruise that scored his right forearm. The young boy was then excused from the remaining archery tests.

The aggressive boy from earlier had fired his arrow correctly, but it had landed no where near any of the targets. He threw the short bow down to the ground in frustration. Its wooden frame bounced back up at him. He refused to continue with any of the tests in anger.

The two children that had hit the targets included a young boy named Picollo as well as young Marissa. The young girl was surprised that she had even been able to use the bow correctly, let alone successfully hit the target. The two would-be archers continued to take a few more test shots. Some of them landed on or near the targets, and some of them did not.

"Good job you two," spoke Roland. "On to the next step."

The two remaining children moved to the second part of the range. Just like the arena before, a circle of hay bales had been set up. However, this time the radius was larger and the bales had been positioned vertically to make taller walls. At four points within the circle, targets had been fastened onto the center of the walls. Each target had been spread out along the circle so that they each covered a direction. In the middle of the circular arena, stood a quiver fastened into a fixed position. The quiver contained a number of standard arrows. A single doorway had been created within the circle, and Marissa was sent into the archery arena first. She carried the same short bow she had used before.

Roland's head peeked up above one side of the wall. He made eye contact with Marissa and spoke to her. "As you can see, there are four targets placed around you. On the opposite side of the wall behind each target is a bell. When you hear a ring coming from a particular bell, turn yourself and fire at that corresponding target. Try to keep an arrow loaded into place before each ring. You will only have a few moments between bell rings to aim and fire. Good luck."

One of the guards shouted, "Ready..."

Marissa gathered a single arrow from the quiver and placed it within the bow. She aimed her weapon at the northernmost target. She squinted and focused on her target. The pulled bow string within her fingers vibrated as she held it.

"Go!"

The bell behind the northern target rang.

Marissa let the arrow fly. The shaft promptly fastened itself into the middle of the target. She smiled in glee at her luck and apparent skill. She quickly grabbed another arrow and awaited the sound of another bell. This time she aimed for the western target.

Another ring was heard and she let the arrow go. The arrow landed a few feet to the right of the target. However, the bell had rung along the eastern wall. She cursed under her breath. The little girl then again got ready to fire another arrow.

The bells rang another seven times. For four of those rings, she had correctly aimed and hit the targets. Other times she had fired into the wrong direction, or the arrow didn't fly far enough from the bow to reach the wall. Her arms and fingers were starting to hurt. Yet again she nocked another arrow into place.

A noise behind the southern target could be heard. She twisted her small frame a full ninety degrees in order to aim at the target. As she turned, she began to lose her footing. She had spun too fast and began to fall. As she fell she let the arrow fly. The loose straw covering the ground supported her as she fell. She landed without making a single noise.

"Time! The test is over, please put down the weapon," called out a voice.

Roland and one of the guards entered the arena to judge her score. They were surprised to see her getting up from the straw covered floor. Roland walked over to the girl and helped her up. The guard member went to examine the final target.

"Roland, take a look at this," the guard member said as he pointed at the wall.

The cleric looked amazed, "Why… she hit it even though she fired while falling? Quite an achievement.

"Congratulations my dear, excellent work. Not perfect, but still quite good. Especially with that last shot of yours."

Marissa was pleased with herself. She really didn't think she had it in her.

The third and final test was going to be a test of magical acuity. The sun was going down after this long day, and dusk was quickly approaching. Marissa had no idea what this test would involve. She had figured out what the other two tests were about, but this one was a mystery. "How am I supposed to know magic?"

The four tired children were looking forward to when the day was going to be over. They hoped that this final test would be easy, and not as challenging as the previous.

The entire group made their way towards the base of one of the great spires. Its white stone exterior reflected the setting sun with dazzling auburn colors. Stationed outside the tower was a simple wooden box.

The box looked to be about the size of a single person. The box was not ornate, nor did it look to be sturdy. Crudely nailed together boards had been used to construct it and only a single latch marked its sides.

The final cleric, Ulric, motioned for the first child to enter the box. He grabbed hold of the simple latch, opened one side of it, and led the child in. He then spoke of few inaudible words to the boy inside and waited. The boy stood in the box for several minutes and nothing appeared to happen. Ulric then let the boy out and told him to rejoin the group.

One by one, the other children followed this same procedure. "Get in the box, wait, have nothing happen, then get out. What is the cleric looking for?" Marissa thought.

Finally it was Marissa's turn to take this last and final test. Just like the others she was led into the box and the door was closed behind her. The box felt very old. Mold and mildew covered its interior. The boards from which it had been constructed were littered with visible cracks that let the outside light and air in. An odor of dust and decay permeated the ancient box.

Ulric spoke, "This test is simple. I want you to concentrate. Just try to think about what goes on inside you head. If you can, try to talk to yourself within silently. Simple enough, yes? Ok, begin."

Marissa closed her eyes. She started an impromptu internal monologue, "Simple? Is talking to yourself simple? I guess so.

"Hrmm," she continued to ponder, "So how does my mind work? I dunno… how… how should I know? I hate these tests…"

Unbeknownst to the girl inside, the exterior of the box started to glow. Very gradually a faint light emanated from the many cracks of the ancient container. The glow was a very dark violet and it seemed to pulse in waves of brightness, each wave leading downwards to the base. These traced edges soon started to form odd looking symbols and text.

The children outside looked at the glowing object with wonder, but as time passed they became fearful. They slowly started to walk further away from Marissa and the box. Inside, the girl had still kept her eyes shut and was talking to herself.

Ten minutes passed. The symbols transformed and changed with each passing moment.

"That is good my dear, you may stop."

The glowing edges began to fade into nothingness. However, before they completely disappeared she caught a quick glimpse of the dancing lights. "What is that? Did I do that?" The curious little girl stepped outside of the newly opened box.

Ulric began to speak towards the girl, "Very interesting Marissa, very interesting. None of your compatriots here have shown any sense of magic ability, and they were unable to react with the Box of Moddiad. It is quite strange, but fortunate, that you on the other hand have done so. Most fortunate indeed."

"Box of Moddiad, sir?" she asked inquisitively.

"Yes, the Box of Moddiad is a very important artifact that was found by the great sage Tulusha. He had come across it on one of his many journeys, and found that the wood it has been built from reacted to magical energies. We don't know who built the box, or when, but we do know that it was used to test individuals just like we have tested you. It must have been used for at least several centuries until Tulusha came to own it.

"The wood comes from the rare Sylaalian tree which used to grow on the lands to the far far east. We have tried to search for more of these magical plants, but it has unfortunately disappeared from our world. As a matter of fact, this is one of the very few pieces created from its bark left anywhere we know of.

"We find that the wood reacts when it comes into contact with the aura, or powers, of a magical empath. Hidden tendrils embedded within the wood glow when they encounter such forces. Often it looks like symbols or odd writings appear, but they are just illusions created by our own minds. It is just the natural structure of the timber drawing the images.

"But I've rambled on long enough while trying to answer your simple question," the cleric laughed. "Items like this box, and its ilk, are just some of the things that you will be researching as a mage."

"So am I to be a mage?" she asked.

"But of course, why wouldn't you? It is somewhat rare to show favor to the magical forces at an age as young as yours. It is also a great honor, and where else would you want to train than the great libraries of Ducann!

"It is most certainly something to be celebrated my dear. You are very special, and you will make a great addition to the long line of mages that have served the Holy Protectorate!"

Continue reading onto Chapter 6

Chapter 4

2005-11-07T00:04:00.000-07:00

It had been six weeks since the accident at the Great Vein. During this time Marissa had the traditional difficulties adjusting to life at the orphanage. As expected she was still sad and depressed, but she was no longer mournful. While she appreciated the attention of Arience, she found herself to be quite different from the other orphans. She had a hard time relating to them and had not yet made any true friends.

The other children entrusted to the Church ran from ages four to thirteen. Most of them were unlike little Marissa, and almost all came from families that had given them up willingly. Families who could not afford to care for their children, and children that were not wanted were the primary residents of the orphanage. They also were from the areas in and surrounding Ducann, and as such were more familiar with the dilapidated town's atmosphere.

Marissa surely was not.

She was used to the dry sandy desert and its scorching heat. Desert dwellers had to stay together in packs in order to survive the desolation, and so she was accustomed to intimately knowing each and every one of her neighbors. They had been friendly, courteous, and they had always looked out for one another.

The populace of Ducann was most certainly not like this. A strong sense of individualism flowed through the town. The people were very protective and usually kept to themselves. This lifestyle flowed down to children, whom were often reserved and unfriendly. Of course, not everyone in the orphanage was like this.

Marissa had noticed on a few occasions when a couple of the other girls had tried to play with her. Marissa just wasn't ready yet. The once open girl had turned inward, becoming shy and fearful. Arience often tried to break the orphaned girl out of her shell, usually with little effect.

Today the children were in a classroom filled with the younger half of the orphans. The lessons were being taught by a senior abbess named Carrian. Today's session dealt with the different positions that could be held within the Church. Carrian had already been lecturing the children for the better part of an hour.

The abbess continued her speech. "... and it takes several years for a person to become a junior clergy member. Of course, to even begin on this path you must have prior lineage in the profession, and sadly none of you in this class are eligible for these types of jobs.

"Opportunities available beneath the lower clergy fall into three distinct paths. For those that show favor in strength, agility, and dexterity there is the path of the fighter. You will be the base forces for our Holy Protectorate." Several of the younger boys flexed and made threatening poses. They apparently had already decided to become fighters. A blond haired boy squeezed his upper bicep with his left hand as he flexed.

"Those showing great intelligence, strategy, and concentration will follow a path dealing with the world of magic and its many uses. This path is a specialty of this institution, and is only available to a select few. Research is a major part of this role within the Church, and it takes many years for one to become even somewhat familiar with the art." No one in the room motioned or made any kind of response to this path. Apparently none of the children showed interest in being a mage, as it appeared to be too tough and boring.

"The remaining path includes the rest of the duties within the Church. Cooks, stable hands, craft makers, or even teachers in this orphanage are just some of the many simpler jobs that fall under this path. These day-to-day manual labor jobs provide a solid backbone for the Church." Simple was a key word and the rest of the orphans thought they would probably fit well into these roles. To be a cook or something like it didn't sound to be a hard job at all.

Marissa didn't quite know where she might fit, nor did she really care.

"For those of you who have not yet been tested, we will be holding our testing session to see which path each of you is destined to follow. Because you have been left to our care, it is ordained by a mandate of the law that you serve the Church when you are of age. It is as a penance for our services that you must do so."

Marissa had heard rumors that she would have to serve the Church from the other children, but never from one of the sisters. Having it spoken to her directly from a superior clergy member reinforced that the majority of her life was going to be dictated to her. The ever present depression within her grew.

The young girl was unfamiliar with most of the ideals and laws of the Church. When her family was still alive, they had rarely attended any Church sessions. The main abbey in Takait was very far from her desert home. That wasn't to say that she didn't follow the beliefs of the religion, it was just that its principles weren't as intertwined into her daily life like those who live in the cities.

The idea of a series of tests frightened young Marissa. "What did they involve? What if I got hurt? What if I fail?"

Continue reading onto Chapter 5

Chapter 3

2005-11-04T01:10:00.000-07:00

Marissa had no other family other than her late mother and father. She did not have any grandparents, aunts, or uncles. She had nobody left in this world and was now all alone.

Now that she was an orphan, it fell upon the Church to care for her. Within a day of the accident, the young girl and a few of her belongings had been sent off to an orphanage. This particular orphanage was located in a town north of the Fontail Chasm called Ducann. Ducann was a sizable distance away from Marissa's desert township to the south, and very far away from anything and anyone familiar to the little girl. She wondered if she might ever see her home ever again.

Ducann was one of the few cities in the Helean peninsula. Easily three times the size of the desert city of Takait, it was completely massive within the eyes of the little girl. The young girl had been sent along her way with a group of travelers whom had been ordered to take her to the great city. As she rode in one of the wagons of the caravan, she noted how everything was both odd and new. Her mood was a mixture of sadness, fear, and a bit of excitement. She did not speak at to anyone at any point along the trip. She merely sat in her seat watching the lands go by.

In the village's center were five towering spires built from white granite blocks. Each of these towers was easily visible from miles away. They shot up towards the sky, dwarfing even the nearby hills and forests. Apparently that was where the area's main Church was located, and also where a significant portion of the Church's clergy still resided.

As they entered into the borders of the city, Marissa could see even more. Dotted around the gigantic center structures were buildings of widely varying shapes and sizes. Large three story mansions were located right next to single floor rickshaws. It was easy to see that in the town of Ducann there were some with tremendous power and wealth, as well as those just struggling to keep alive.

One of the senior caravan members began to speak of the city's history. Marissa carefully listened as she scanned the alleyways of the village.

Marissa learned that at one point the city of Ducann had been a capital city. The highest members of the Church had overseen the lands from their towers upon high. However Ducann had fallen upon hard times, just as most cities do when they grow too large too quickly.

The initial simple township had been built from the ground because of the waterways bordering its edges. Goods and services were flown up and down the nearby rivers, and a healthy freshwater fishing industry was also maintained. The water brought life and prosperity to the land.

When the Church first arrived to establish a simple chapterhouse along its shores, there was no sign of the great towers. But as the town and its people grew, so did the size of the Church's presence.

Within half of a century the city had been built up again and again away from the town's center in circular patterns. As more and more people settled in Ducann, its borders and containing walls were pushed further and further out. With no real plans in place, homes and businesses were placed randomly and essentially wherever space was available at that moment. It was only a matter of time before the once small fishing village had transformed into a tremendous city bursting at the seams. Those living in Ducann had great power and governance over their surrounding areas. The ivory towers were seen as a great symbol across the land.

As it grew, so did the dissidence between its people. The land on which the city had been built became incredibly expensive, and those unable to afford the higher costs lost their homes. Businesses which were not profitable had to be closed. Many of the simple services which had sustained the backbone of the town disappeared. With the luxuriousness of the town fading, many of those with wealth also left to find residences elsewhere. The city began to slowly decay.

As expected, the Church did decide to move most of its focus from Ducann to the city of Isalis. Isalis showed more promise than its brother, and the great city then became the new capital city of the land. However, the Church did not fully abandon the once great city of Ducann.

A group of sages had decided to remain in the village and continue calling it home. This was mostly due to their compassion for the people; to whom they felt they owed a debt. They recognized that it was important for this city to remain under the guidance of the Church. At this dire time especially, the town needed leadership.

In addition, they had also chosen to stay because of the great libraries stored within the granite towers. Rows upon rows of books lined the white walls of the tall steeples. Texts that had recorded centuries of history lay upon the shelves. There were also the innumerous arcane books written by those familiar with the magical essences of the land.

Magical research had been one of the larger industries of Ducann during its golden age. Mages from around the lands came to study and practice on the Church grounds. Their experiences were meticulously recorded into tomes filled to the brim with knowledge.

From these tomes a school of magic was born. Similar to most Church based schools; the school was created in order to train members for the Church as well as its defensive force the Holy Protectorate. While some schools primarily focused on physical training with a spotlight on fighting skills, the Ducann School favored magical teachings.

It was at this institution of magic that Marissa was destined to stay.

As the caravan carrying the little girl arrived at the gates of the Church, a single woman greeted the traveling group. The woman was plump and somewhat short. Her skin was a pale white, and her blond hair was tied behind her head with a strip of bleached linen. Upon her sturdy frame she wore a simple sleeveless white dress.

She lifted the latch of the gated door and opened it wide. The woman then strode out to speak with the party.

"Who amongst you is named Marissa?" she asked with a calm voice.

Marissa solemnly lifted her head and her hand to answer the woman.

"Ah, there you are dear. Please come with me and bring your belongings."

Marissa disembarked from the wagon with the help of one of the travelers and gathered her few personal items. In a cloth sack lay several items of clothing, a doll sewn from an old dress, as well as a small handful of feathers. These few items were all that Marissa was allowed to bring from her home in the desert.

Marissa emotionlessly waved goodbye to her traveling companions and walked to a spot beside the woman.

The woman knelt down to the small girl and hugged her tightly within her arms. The hug took Marissa by surprise. The smell of fresh cotton wafted into Marissa's nose, and the warmth from the lady's arms soothed the girl's small frame. A sensation of relaxation and comfort overwhelmed the young girl. Instinctively Marissa hugged the woman back.

"There, there darling." Sorrow filled the woman's voice. "I feel terrible about what you've been through. It must be so hard…"

Marissa didn't answer. She simply continued to hug the compassionate woman.

After a few moments Marissa let go, as did the woman. The woman led Marissa up to a building on the eastern side of the Church courtyard. A two story building made from wood sat separate from the main stone structures. They entered in through the front door and climbed a simple staircase to the second level.

With one following the other, they both entered into one of the rooms located on the top floor. Inside were five individual beds. No one else was in the room at this time, and so the pair was alone for a moment.

Using her right hand, the woman motioned to the bed closest to the window. It was a small bed made from wooden beams, straw, and a pair of linen sheets. Beside the bed was an end table with three drawers.

"Marissa, this will be your bed for the time being. You may put your belongings in those drawers over there." The small girl walked over to the drawers and placed her items within.

"Now you may be wondering who I am, am I right?" the woman asked.

Marissa looked into her eyes and nodded.

"My name is Arience. I am one of the sisters who will be taking care of you at this institution. I will make it my duty to watch over you the best that I can. You should think of me as a sister, one of your family, and as such you can call on me at any time. I will always be here for you.

"As you can probably see, there are other children living within this room. You'll be sharing this room with three other girls whom I'm sure you will meet later. You will find that they are all quite nice, and hopefully you will quickly become friends.

"Now before I leave you for a short in order to prepare tonight's supper, do you have any questions of me?"

Marissa hesitated, trying to think of anything to ask. The young girl nodded 'no'.

"Are you sure?"

Tears began to form around the edges of the small girls eyes. She nodded 'no' yet again.

Sister Arience easily noticing that Marissa was about to cry, raised her hands up into the air towards the little girl.

Marissa quickly embraced the caring woman. She leapt into Arience's arms and held onto her tightly. Two streams of tears fell from her tiny eyes as she started to cry.

Arience tried to comfort the crying child. "That is all right dear. Let is out. Let it out."

The woman continued, "You have been through so much, but you are here now. You are safe, and you are amongst those that will love you."

Continue reading onto Chapter 4

Chapter 2

2005-11-03T02:19:00.000-07:00

The ride up the Fontail elevator from bottom to top took an average of seventy-five minutes from start to finish. On this particular trip, Marissa and her mother would be sharing the platform with two other groups.

One of them consisted of a horse drawn covered wagon that carried four young men. Apparently they were on their way to find work at the upper cliff cities. It was either that, or they were on this trip for pleasure. It was difficult to tell as they did not speak with the rest of the group.

The other caravan only had a single sturdy male on horseback. At his side lay ten oxen, each of them with an iron chain around their necks which was tied to the one behind it. The cattle formed one long leashed chain, and they were all skillfully handled by their keeper.

While not a completely full load for the great Fontail elevator, it still was a sizable group. As each group climbed aboard, the iron guardrails that surrounded the platform were erected. The rails were not an entirely perfect solution in regards to safety but they did their job well.

In addition to this, a sole guard rode on each trip up and down the wall. He sat on a simple wooden stool near the western edge of the platform. This position for the elevator's staff was usually the most boring, and napping on the job was a very regular occurrence. This trip would include the same, and the eyelids of the man assigned this task became heavy. He would assuredly be very much asleep, very soon.

A great whistle of steam echoed up the wall of the chasm to signal the platform's ascent. The wide wooden platform creaked, slightly stuttered, and then started its hour long climb.

Marissa waved to her father as the platform rose. Graham waved back and wished them on their way. The little girl watched as he slowly became smaller and smaller in her view. As he appeared farther away, the grip she had on her mother's legs grew stronger. Marissa wasn't terribly fond of heights.

The elevator continued its steady climb up the wall as the minutes passed. Higher and higher it rose, almost reaching the halfway point up its journey. It was at about this moment, that a few of the oxen on the platform began to rustle.

Just out of sight in the direction opposite of the Great Vein appeared a cloudy shape. It flew upon the air effortlessly, almost gliding. It was obviously coming closer to the rising elevator and the attention of its passengers turned towards it.

"Pontia!" cried the now fully awake guard. He struggled to get upright and clumsily tripped into one of the oxen.

A tremendous cry was heard emanating from the approaching creature. Now easily visible, it was terrible sight upon the air. The large birdlike creature was made up of pure blacks and grays, each feather a dark shadow upon the sky. Behind its massive wings trailed long plumes of smoke that traced its movement. Each flap of its wings twisted and stained the air with the putrid ash. The pointed beak looked like that of a giant raven. A terrible sensation of heat accompanied its arrival. The passengers felt as though the beast's pitch black eyes were staring into their souls.

The ten cattle were now fully spooked, and they began to bellow out in horror. Almost instantly they began to flee from the elevator in futility, and in turn started to pull at their chain leashes.

The ox at the tail of the chain reared back away from its restraints. Its sudden movement pulled the entire line backwards a step. The still rising platform shifted slightly.

The guard whom had clumsily fallen into the group of cattle was shoved to the edge of the platform due to their movements. When he tried to regain his balance, the rear oxen had instead slammed into his side. With a quick flip, the poor man toppled off the edge of the iron railing. No voice was heard as he fell down to the desert below.

Marissa and her mother Sicily cowered down onto the floor near the eastern railings, both of them kneeling down and clutching each other. Fear filled into both of their hearts.

Another screech could be heard, and then the Pontia was upon them. Easily half the size of the entire platform, its massive form was awe inspiring. The accompanying heat of its presence forced them to look away. It passed over the top of the elevator, glancing down towards its prey. It did not take any action as it flew overhead.

It was at this point in which it was apparent that the crew on the ground below had to take action. They did not know how to combat this beast, nor did they know even if they could. The conductor immediately halted the lift on its journey upward, and the platform and the giant chains ground to a halt.

The only way to reach a stuck platform was through a single emergency lift line that had been installed alongside the eastern chain. It only was built to carry a single man, and would allow him to rise quickly up the cliff usually with tools, supplies, or a tow line. He could then help the crew get the elevator working again. The line could only be used once with any kind of speed as resetting it took several days.

Without even thinking, Graham had harnessed himself into the line and motioned to the conductor. With no words being spoken, his blurred form raced up towards the platform of passengers.

The great Pontia passed over the platform and continued on as if it was going to leave them be. That was not the case, and the giant raven of ash banked and turned its attention towards the elevator once again.

In one fell swoop, the creature had clasped the center ox within its giant claws. Each dark mandible seared into the flesh of the shrieking prey. The Pontia easily lifted the cow and its brethren into its possession. The chain of animals which were connected at the neck, turned into a giant whip. The beasts' handler was instantly thrown off of the platform from their flailing mass of bodies.

The bird now had its prey, and it made motions for its exit. With a final flap of its wings, one of the smoldering feathers clipped the eastern chains. The ancient iron links melted and snapped on contact and let loose of their cargo.

The eastern edge of the platform fell, and the entire surface tilted on its axis towards the ground. With only two of the support hooks now able to perform their duty, the iron grapples struggled to keep their clasps onto the lift chain. The angle of the platform was now very steep.

The covered wagon quickly lurched down the angled platform, its wheels spinning downwards off of its face. The men had decided to climb inside for protection, and in doing so had doomed themselves. They desperately tried to escape from the cart as it moved.

The iron railing protecting the western edge tore and broke upon impact. The wagon and her passengers easily rolled off of support of the elevator. Silently they fell, and then suddenly splintering wood could be heard when the wagon crashed into the side of the cliff.

The only remaining passengers were now Marissa and Sicily. They desperately clung to the iron railings, their fragile little hands holding on for their lives. Tears ran down both of their cheeks from the terror.

At that moment, Graham's emergency ascent had ended. He was now at the same level as the crippled platform. The man quickly climbed aboard with his harness still in tow.

Unfortunately Graham knew that the line he had just used was not strong enough to hold all three of their forms. In fact, it barely had been able to carry his midsized frame up the cliff. A choice had to be made.

Graham motioned with his hands towards little Marissa. "Marissa! Grab my hand! I need to hook you up to my harness!"

The tears flowing down Marissa's cheeks stopped. An amazing resolve flushed over her tiny body. Almost instinctively, she let one hand go from the railing and leapt towards her father. Their hands met and he pulled her towards him.

Within moments, he had traded places with his young daughter and she was now confined within the safety of the harness. Satisfied that she was secure, he immediately placed his attention towards his wife. He was certain that the line would be strong enough to hold both Marissa and her mother.

Just as he had begun to turn his attention towards Sicily, the platform lurched.

Unable to continue his hold onto the harness, he tumbled away from his daughter. Luckily he was able to catch a hold of the iron railing. His arms twisted with the fall, but they still held. There he and his wife clung tightly to the metal bars.

The platform began to tilt even further. The surface became more and more vertical as the giant iron hooks lost their grip. With one final creak, the platform lost its hold onto the eastern supporting chains and began to fall downward.

Farther and farther the platform fell, with both Sicily and Graham still aboard. They became smaller into the distance as they descended. They continued to fall until they could no longer be seen except as a tiny speck below. Marissa continued to watch from the comfort of the harness.

She never saw the platform crash into the river below, nor was she able to hear it. All she could hear was a ringing noise in her ears mixed with the roar of the waterfall to the east.

It was there in that spot up along the cliff side, that the poor little girl remained until her rescuers arrived several hours later.

Continue reading onto Chapter 3