All Fantasy Group Post Chap one ~The Adventure Starts~

Over head, the dragons fly. Peace had reigned for a thousand years over the Callcollope Valleys. It was peaceful quiet even today. Rayne sighed as she stared up into the evening's dewy skies. She would not be able to fly until the sun had gone down. It was hours away...1

The house she sat in front of was a comely little hut she had built with her friends. This was where they gathered after their adventures. They almost always brought in a new face. It was a comfy home with so many additions added, it looked more like a strange patch of grassy bumps. Rayne stared back into the monstrously large mouth of the house. It had been her home for years between adventures. Even a dragon could fit inside.2

Within this large house were a few of her recent friends. She turned her head as one of them came. 3

Out walked Rayne’s friend Eyrion; a tall, blue haired and eyed elf, he was well built and wore his customary elf clothes, green loose pants and a white shirt along with a green cloak. On his back he carried his oak long bow with his quiver and a long sword on his right side in a golden hilt. The two of them had met in the Krolan forest in the far west; just past the Anocha River on one of Rayne’s adventures. They had lived with one another for some time, far back as either of them could remember. They were the two that had started the house so many years ago. He smiled, as he slowly walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder gazing into the air. 4

“It smells like an adventure to me” He laughed taking a quick breath of air. As the sun continued to burn bright in the air and wind moved the grass like snakes in a meadow. There were very few clouds in the sky, but it was full of dragons flying, fighting, and catching one of their dinner eats. 5

“Come on inside and have a little bite to eat” Eyrion proceeded, by placing his right hand on his swords hilt and pointing inside with his left. 6

“We have made many fine foods, you may fancy one of them” He smiled again. His facial expressions were one of a kind as he tried to convince his young friend inside for a bite to eat. 7

"No I’m ok" Rayne answered turning back to the clouds. They continued to examine the dragons for a few more hours. They envied their sleek flying skills for such a large animal that they are.8

Finally, the sun went down and the dragons left for the caves of Ikauren and Rayne accompanied Eyrion inside. As soon as she smelled the sweet aroma of cooked venison and fried apples her appetite returned with full strength. She greeted her friends and younger sister before indulging in the rich foods lay on the table in front of her. She finished and walked to where Eyrion was standing. She gazed into the fire for a minute before noticing the worried look on her friend's face. "You look worried, Eyrion. What troubles you?" she asked.9

He was secretive at best, and it appeared that he didn't want to talk about whatever was bothering him, so Rayne let it go. She walked over to her sister, Eliane, and told her, "Eyrion has smelled a new adventure in the air." 10

"What kind of an adventure," Eliane asked, raising one eyebrow playfully, the grin returning to her face with the thought of a new prospect, and more traveling, "are we going on this time, where?"11

"We are going to the Doralean king in the Karanokos Mountains. We leave at dawn."12

"Let's ride," said Eliane, before turning, and walking deliberately over to Eyrion.13

"She follows you into every adventure, knowing that you know the outcome. As do I. What have you seen that troubles you, Eyrion?"14

"Eliane, I made a mistake in telling you that Rowan was going to die, but I could not bear to see you hurt when he left. I do not think I should tell you again. I cannot tell a person of their fate, it makes life miserable, knowing when you will be taken. "15

"'He who is destined to drown will never be hanged, think about that, Eyrion, and then tell me who it will be this time."16

"Not here, where they can all hear me. Come to my room tonight, and I will tell you."17

Eyrion turned and walked into the kitchen area of the giant wood home. He walked to the window and hummed a gentle note of wind and earth. 18

“Foreseeing can be a dangerous gift, in the hands of the wrong person it could kill many people, many people that aren’t supposed to die.” He thought to him self. He pondered about what he had seen while he hummed, and then something strange happened. Eyrion thought he had seen a person flash before his eyes, walking out in the hills. But when he rubbed his eyes and than re-opened them nothing was there. 19

“Eyrion” some one whispered placing their hand on his shoulder. Eyrion shivered and jumped around. 20

“Yes” His voice cracked. 21

“What are you doing?” Rayne asked giggling then removing her hand form his shoulder. 22

“Just gazing” He answered franticly taking a seat on the ground. 23

“So we leave at dawn” he took a deep breath in and than exhaled. 24

“Yes” she answered gruffly. 25

“We should get some sleep than, tell every one to get some sleep. I will meet you here before we leave in the morning.” He stood back up and brushed his butt off. 26

“If you want” Rayne smiled sheepishly. She left the room and told every one to get some sleep, Eyrion turned back to the window that he stood at before. He ran his hands through his short blue hair, and scratched his head. 27

“I swear I saw some one” He closed his eyes. He opened them back up and saw the same person but closer to the home this time. 28

“There” He whispered to him self. He darted for the door when Rayne popped out of the living room. 29

“All right it’s candles out time.” She smiled.30

Eyrion rushed outside and Rayne followed quickly behind him. Whatever it was that he was up to, Rayne wanted to be there with him. They had started it all together, and she'd be damned if she didn't finish with Eyrion by her side and visa versa.31

Her wings stretched outside as the last beams of sun faded from the clearing. It felt liberating to have her wings again. (For Rayne only had her wings during the night or when enveloped in darkness) She quickly took to the skies to keep up with Eyrion. He was far faster on foot than she. 32

Eyrion traveled fast and against the wind that started up. Rayne keep up with him though flapping her wings faster and faster as he started down a hill. Weaving his way over rocks and between them, following the shadow of the man he had seen out side the window. He leapt over one last bolder and the shadow was gone all that was there was mist. 33

‘Mist is this?’ He smiled.34

‘What?’ Rayne asked flying over his head.35

‘And snow? This could be a bad omen or a good one?’ Eyrion panted as Rayne landed next to him.36

‘What was that all about’ Rayne questioned him with one eyebrow raised. 37

‘That man I saw him before. In a dream perhaps.’ Eyrion played with his long blue hair.38

‘In a dream? Seeing things is no better than hearing things’ Rayne grabbed onto Eyrion’s arms and shook him.39

‘Come now let us go sleep’ He giggled and then left her.40

‘It’s not funny’ she threw her wings open and sailed into the air following him.41

They proceeded back the way that they had come form their home, and reentered it. Rayne went to her room and fell into her bed fast asleep. Eyrion sat in a chair, in the living room. Waiting for the time to come for when they left in the morning. It would be a final journey for some of them and an unforgettable for the others.42

It was still dark out when Rayne awoke from a dead sleep. She sighed and stretched in her soft bed. The silk sheets were from an old memory in themselves and she slowly sat up.43

With a swift gesture, she flicked the candlelight to her room on. That, in itself was a beautiful thing about this house. An old wizard friend had enchanted the lights to this place when they had built it.44

She looked about her cozy room. It had a small balcony that overlooked the peat-scented marshes on her left and the door to her right. Her vanity and such were in front of her. She turned to look towards her vanity where an old oil painting always sat.45

Shock registered at the same moment as a scream caught in her throat. It came out as no more than a strangled gasp. "What are you doing in my room!?"46

He looked at her quiet for a moment. Even at this hour, Rayne's strangely untussled hair and face showed a wide variety of emotions. 47

"I asked you a question," there was no humor in her voice as she slipped out of bed and her dainty feet alighted onto the group. Her hands held her father's spear at ready as she leveled a look at him. 48

"I don't care whether you built this place or not! This is my room and I want to know why you are here!"49

The man sat in the shadow and lit a pipe using her candles flame. He was dressed in a black robe and had markings on his face. Rayne could see them as he puffed on his pipe and the hot tobacco lit the mans face.50

‘Who are you?’ Rayne asked latching the spear with great strength.51

The shadow now stood and moved from the shadows of her into the light and removed his hood. The man wasn’t very tall at all but rather short, well much shorter than Eyrion; who was about 6 foot tall. The man was about 5’4” and had a long red beard and red hair.52

‘Marin, sorry you scared me’ Rayne dropped the spear onto the ground.53

‘I have one question that is all I will ask’ Marin said abruptly.54

‘Why are we leaving? We have been on many journeys, let someone else handle this one’ He smiled worried.55

He turned and walked to the door after a short silence. ‘And you wish not to kill any more dark men?’ She smiled.56

‘Bring them on they wont stop me’ He laughed and swung open the door. He exited quickly and then walked to his room; which was up the stairs and just past Eyrion’s. 57

Eyrion sat in his quite room full of paintings and war equipment such as, armor, weapons, and shields. He also had a balcony out side his room; it had vines from the swamp growing up onto it. His room also had flowers and lots of them; roses to be exact. He loved them, but these were special roses, they were a light blue color. They came from a distant land; he grew them because they needed little light and little water to live. It also had a large brick fire place, where he had a large painting above its mantle. A painting of a great warrior, who some thought was a god, Achilles; a man who was rumored from a land far away from their own, to only be killed by his heel.58

Eyrion now stared at the painting with delight, ‘You stare at that painting every day and it hasn’t changed my friend’ a voice came from his door way.59

‘A true hero, I wish to be just as great some day’ Eyrion smiled and then turned where he found Rayne standing.60

‘We have to leave’ she laughed and then made her way down the stairs.61

Marin's sudden surprise visit to her room last night had startled Rayne and the adrenaline wouldn't let her sleep. She grabbed her pack and looked at the one pair of shoes she owned. Marin had given that to her in lue of a sort of romantic pardon. He had liked her greatly, but Rayne didn't really care for him. Marin was a mere...acquaintance.62

Downstairs in the "Great Hall" as they were wont to call it, Rayne dropped her pack and headed towards the gigantic pantry and its adjoining kitchen. Every community room was large enough for even a monstrosity of a dragon to get through. Only bedchambers were graphed differently. Rayne sighed as she quickly bustled about the kitchen. This was normally her territory. She was the cook. When she was ousted from her position once in a while, Rayne would get upset. Normally heading outside to stare up at the ever present dragons. Shaking her head, Rayne quickly tossed the beautiful bounty onto the table in the Great Hall. She spun about to get back to cooking when she ran into him. Martin made his way to the table waiting for Rayne to fill his plate and goblet with ale and wondrous varieties of food. He smiled agitated for the food; for he loved to eat and drink although when he and Eyrion drank he was always the first to fall out of his chair, passed out.63

‘Bring me the ale’ He shouted clanking his cup on the table.64

‘Hey do you want to eat or not’ Rayne snapped back at him from the kitchen.65

‘Food…Ale… Food… Ale’ He moved his hands up and down as a weighing instrument for the two. ‘I need my ale’ He laughed tipping over in his chair. He made a loud crash on the ground that woke up the other adventurers. The first to make it down the stairs was66

Eyrion. He glanced at Marin for a moment before heading into the kitchen to help Rayne.67

"Noisy bluggard..." grumbled Rayne under her breath. "Treating me like some sort of serving wench!"68

Eyrion smiled quietly as he quickly poured a pitcher of ale. "I'll get it for him, Rayne."69

She smiled up at him before turning back to flip the pancakes. "Thanks, Eyrion. I'd just let the blasted dwarf get his own ale."70

Right before he left the kitchen, she called back to him, "Eyrion? Would you mind taking out the fruit salad I just finished? I can't leave the pancakes or they'll burn..."71

Eyrion walked into the kitchen and grabbed the fruit salad off the window sill. He carried it back to the table and placed it in front of Martin. He went back to where he was sitting and pulled his chair out and sat down. They both sat waiting for the food to be placed in front of them.72

‘Hurry, I can’t wait all day for a meal’ Martin smashed his fist on the table.73

‘Give her time’ Eyrion whispered softly.74

‘You will get you’re meal when it is ready’ Rayne shouted form the kitchen.75

‘Well I will be dead by the time you are ever ready to give us something to eat. If you don’t hurry I will have to make it my self’ Martin grunted back to her.76

‘You’re useless’ She exhaled to her self.77

Balancing a plate of freshly cooked sausage on her head, Rayne gracefully made her way out to the table. She held two plate of delicious foodstuff on each arm. Eyrion watched her silently. The last time she had done that, she had sprained a wing rather badly.78

Rayne tossed the food down and walked back to the kitchen with only a short pause to smile at Eyrion. She returned moments later with more dishes to find Marin was, as usual, devouring everything in sight like a pig. 79

‘Slow down you will get sick’ Eyrion smiled.80

‘We dwarf people never get sick, we are made for eating this much’ Martin burped and then grabbed his goblet chugging half of his ale down.81

‘You are different’ Eyrion laughed grabbing a sausage off his plate and biting into it.82

‘Hey we dwarf are just as…’ Martin paused.83

‘Just as what? Different’ Eyrion smirked finishing his sausage.84

‘Yes, different’ Martin recovered.85

Rayne finally walked out with the pancakes and placed them on the table and had a seat. ‘Where is every one? We are missing what three?’ She asked pouring some ale into her goblet.86

Sipping calmly as she watched Eyrion over the rim, Rayne ignored the next comment from Marin. "Is this ALL you're going to make? This isn't enough to wet my lips with!"87

Even though she ignored him, Eyrion could tell the words had stung...somewhat. "Is Elaine coming with us?" Her voice wavered slightly, but Marin didn't notice as he continued to grumble.88

"Blasted cook can't cook a decent meal around here..."89

Eyrion shot an angry glare at Marin, who wasn't paying attention, and turned back to Rayne. She set her cup down and quietly picked up some hashbrowns. "You should ask her."90

A loud, rumbling belch came from Marin and Rayne looked at him for the first time since sitting down. She wished he'd be a more gentlemanly character like Eyrion was. He shrugged when he noticed Rayne staring at him and belched again, louder this time.91

Rayne set her fork down and stood up, "Marin."92

He looked at her for a moment before sliding his frothy cup over to her, "Fill it up."93

Rayne's golden eyes turned darker. Eyrion quietly drew to the other side of the table. This was not a good thing. "Get your own bloody ale..." silence prevailed as Marin stared at her like she was insane. "I don't want to see you or anything of yours here when I come back...Do you understand me, Marin? Get out." 94

Marin was totally disconcerted by her reaction. After all A good belch was only a traditional way to show appreciation for a good food or drink. At least in his native land it is.95

He raised himself somewhat unsteadily to make his apology but already Eyrion was across the room, He was totally embarrassed and decided that perhaps he had better leave, for the moment, he could always return at another time and explain he meant no disrespect by his action.96

He made his way to the public square and roamed the artisans stalls gazing at the various wares offered. He stared in amazement at some of the works he contemplated.97

Then his attention was drawn to some music coming from a short distance and decided to follow the notes to their source. The music felt strangely familiar in an odd fashion... 98

Meanwhile, a stranger had landed in front of Rayne's and her friends' home. She had long black hair tipped with silver, going down far past her waist. Her bangs were gold and silver and her side burns fell down to her waist, also trimmed with silver. Her eyes were crimson red, one of the hints of a seer, and she had leathery Dragon's wings; the bones black and the leather red. They each had one silver spike atop.99

For her attire, she wore a black dress rimmed with gold at the top above her breats and also on the bottom. The dress was sleevless and strapless and had a slit going up to the hip on each side. She wore red and silver boots and had golden claws for finger nails.100

The Dragoness looked towards the house, expressionless. "This was definitely in my dream. I wonder why this blue haired elf is so important...Maybe he's seen what I have..."101

She did not make a move to go towards the large place. She stood there waiting. She did not know what for, but she felt that what she was doing was best. She needed to find this elf and speak to him. 102

At the same time, in a dark cave on the nearby Mount Sylanti, lay a massive creature. One would have thought she was dead, at how still she lay. But as the sun rose to shine outside, she stirred. Opening her deep-green eyes, she lifted her tremendous wolfish head, and blinked into the growing brightness of dawn. Yawning, she stood in the simple cave made for a dragon, and her head nearly touched the ceiling. As she padded out of her lair, her feet made no noise, silent as a tiger brushing through the forest. In fact her name, Liara, meant "Silence." Her long tail curled up behind her, and then bent down again, almost to the ground. She was a Wolfic, a rare creature, and rarest of the rare, because she had wings. Enormous wings that stretched to the sky as she now stood on the mountain top enjoying the delicious sunlight.103

Suddenly, she smelled something. Very, very slight, but something was different. Something was wrong. Immediately she thought of her friend, Rayne. "I wonder how she is." Last time she had seen her, she had saved her life, for the second time. The first time, Rayne had brought food and water to her, as she lay, chained to a crevice floor, to die. She eventually found a way to break her chains, and freed her. The second time, There had been an evil magician that had sought to bring her under his control. He hipnotized her and Rayne had killed him, and broken the spell.104

Rayne had offered for Liara to come and live with her and her friends in that odd house of hers, but Liara refused. She was a solitary beast, and could not be made to live in such conditions. She had, however, given Rayne a small, but loud, horn to blow if she was ever in need.105

A sharper wiff of the smell brought the enormous Wolfic back to the present. It was the smell of fear, and it was coming from the direction of Rayne's place. "Now," Liara thought, "Maybe it is my time to repay my friend." With that, she launched herself into the morning air. 106

Back at the sprawling house, Rayne was pacing around the Great Hall. She was hysterical. Though she looked ready to cry, not a drop tumbled down her soft cheeks. Eyrion leaned against the Great Hall table, quietly trying to piece together what she was saying.107

"I can't do this anymore!" She gibbered as she flung her hands up in the air and paced relentlessly onwards.108

Eyrion turned to watch her as she began to quickly clear the table of its ramshackled bounty. "He comes in and orders me about...." She struggled to speak for a second as she picked up Marin's mug, "I can't do it..."109

It was a normal trouble with poor Rayne. She would take on whatever came her way, but everyone once in a while, she'd snap. This time, she snapped rather suddenly. Eyrion turned and helped her clean up as she rambled onto herself. It wasn't exactly his business, but he cared for Rayne. He and Rayne had been friends for quite some time, after all.110

Rayne finally quieted after placing the last dish in the sink. "Thank-you, Eyrion," she whispered quietly as she turned to look at him. Her eyes sparkled slightly in the golden splendor. There were tears hidden there, "I needed to vent." 111

Eyrion nodded and smiled. "Any time, Rayne. You can talk to me about anything. That's what friends are for."112

Rayne smiled a bit at him and not a few moments later, they embraced. They stayed like that for a couple of moments before parting. After that, Rayne went to sit beside the kitchen window and she was very surprised to see a young woman staring at the house. She was unknown to her.113

Eyrion walked over and looked at her, a little concerned. "What's wrong now?"114

Rayne looked back at him, looking rather confused. "There's a girl standing outside the house. She looks like she's waiting for something." She moved to stand and motioned to the window with her hand. "Take a look." 115

Sorry this is a reasonably long reply is that alright?116

and do you mind if I am the girl on the hill117

"Your right" he said in a slightly bemused manner. Imperceptibly the wind changed carrying with it a new scent. She didn’t know quite what it was but it just smelt wrong. Intuition gripped her and she ran towards the door flinging it open she stood knowing by the shapes coming quickly into view behind the girl that she was too late. The girl slowly turned around drawing a slender straight sword as she did from her waist then a curved one in her other hand. Recognizing them by their scent Rayne looked with disgust at the malformed creatures breasting the top of the hill at speeds that there tortured and twisted bodies bellied. Slayviles, Creatures torn from the bowels of the earth by magic fed with blood. Fused with other creatures to become what they are now, hybrids, atrocities hungry for that which created them, blood. As the first of them came towards the girl she shifted her stance and lifted one sword back. The creature saw this though made no note of it and at the last moment jumped to the other side the girl anticipating it flicked the other sword upwards and into the beast’s stomach. Hurling defiance at her till the end it spat at her, hate was bred into it. Ripping the sword from it she turned back to see ten more coming over the hill. Rayne started to run to help her but then stopped; it was just something about the way she held herself, no fear emanated off her only confidence. The other Slayviles seeing their others plight came more slowly and formed a circle around her. Suddenly they all leapt forward massive forearms raised to strike. She crouched then lashed out quickly at the underbelly with both swords at one Slayvile it fell trembling. Tensing her legs she leaped strongly over the fallen creature. Spinning in the air she slashed violently in front of her, they backed off snarling deeply. She landed lightly on her feet facing them and without any sign of what she was going to do she charged swords horizontal beside her. For a millisecond the creatures were startled that anyone should be so brazen in front of them, it was all she needed. Swinging precisely she decapitated one spinning around it blocked a thrust from a clawed hand incidentally severing it. Using all the momentum from her charge she had left she finished off the beast with a final stroke. A claw swung wildly at, she stepped back slightly the claw missing her by inches. With a flick of the wrist the hand fell twitching to the ground. Twirling to gather momentum and force her blade met the beast and bit deeply, it also fell dead. The other Slayviles backed off but the need for violence and blood did not let them retreat. With seven left she sheathed the two swords no need to clean them because even though they lusted for blood Slayviles had none of their own. Reaching back she took out four throwing knives bent her wrists back with two in each and with a force that seemed impossibly mustered from her slight frame she hurled them. When suddenly there were seven Slayviles now there were three. Once more taking out her swords she started towards the last three as if she meant to combat them hand to hand. Then she casually flicked the two swords towards the beasts surprised once again they had no time to react, two more fell to the hard ground. Walking towards the last one with nothing in her hands she faced it and motioned it to attack. It came forward slowly though they appeared all brute strength and force they did have intelligence. The Slayvile knew that charging her would do nothing against the cold calm violence that she possessed so it circled waiting for its opportunity. then there it was pouncing on her side she ducked against his lunge punching upwards with such force that it shattered his collarbone grabbing him she hurled him to the floor. It tried to get back up but a kick placed with deadly accuracy killed him where he lay. With that she spun on her heel towards Rayne shifting effortlessly between combat and normality she seemed polite, nice as she walked towards the house. But Rayne could not forget the violence that this girl possessed. Rayne wondered if that name was appropriate for such a person. Discarding her doubts she strode out to meet her. Just then she saw a figure on the hill groaning she tried to articulate a warning but then she realized who it was Liarn?118

The girl twisted around impossibly hearing Liarne. she realized that her swords were still in the dead Slayviles. Cursing she faced Liarne with dangerous intent. Rayne seeing the misinterpretations ran out to stop them. 119

The girl scanned the unknown beast, wondering if it was friend or foe, or if it was another one of those things sent to stop her from seeking out this place. She started foreward when someone grabbed her arm from behind. She turned and looked at the girl. Blood red hair, nice complexion. She blinked. Why was she checking out anyone at a time like this? She mentally kicked herself. 'It doesn't matter anyway, since no one will ever love me in return,' she reminded herself.120

She noticed the girl looked worried and that she was telling her not to hurt her friend. "Liarn is a friend of mine! Please don't harm her! She would cause no one but enemies any harm."121

The girl looked back at the beast, pulling away from Rayne's grasp at the same time. "And I'm not an enemy? You know nothing about me, so how can you be so sure? I've come here to speak to someone. Do you know of any elf with blue hair?" 122

Rayne's eyes focused on the girl. She could sense she was not an enemy. Somehow, she just knew it. "Don't touch Liarn."123

Eyrion watched from the doorway at the two women. He recognized both of them as they glared at each other. Headstrong women tended to not get along too well. Rayne held her ground easily though she was not as tall nor well muscled as the other. The woman with dragon's wings glared down at Rayne with her nose turned up slightly enough to let Rayne know she thought her below herself.124

Needless to say, it surprised all around them when the strange woman smiled and gave Rayne a friendly hug, "I have waited years to find someone of such caliber!" 125

Rayne was quite surprised at this sudden movement, as was the girl herself. She didn't usually open up to people so easily, but this person seemed to be someone she could actually get along with. She had that feeling. The sense that she knew that this woman was a good one. Someone who could be a good friend. She pulled back from her hug and the smile left her face somewhat.126

"Let me introduce myself, along with giving you an explanation, somewhat, of why I am here." She took a breath and let it out, closed her eyes then opened them. "My name is Rose. I am part Red Fairy, Vampiress, Demon and Black Dragon. I'm not usually this blood-thirsty or violent as it may have seemed, but I've been really annoyed with these beasts following me around lately. You see, they've been trying to stop me from coming here."127

Rayne blinked, taking in the information. "OK...So why did you come here and why have they been trying to stop you?"128

Rose shook her head. "I don't know why and I've come here to speak with the blue-haired elf from my dream. Some sort of premonition. I've been seeing this place for quite some time now and it's finally urked me enough to set out and find it and that elf. Do you know of whom I'm talking about?" 129

Rayne stared at Rose quietly. It was odd that this strange creature relied on her in strange comrade-ship. Still, she was not wont to lie to anyone. "You speak of my friend, Eyrion." Rayne waved towards Eyrion who remained in the doorway watching them.130

Rose's eyes swept over him and their eyes met. So this was the elf that had haunted her dreams for so many a restless night. Rayne smiled calmly as Rose turned and advanced towards Eyrion.131

Before Rose or Rayne could say a single thing more, a shadow crossed over head. Rayne looked up in surprise. Her dear old friend, the Wolfric known as Liara, landed right where, moments before, Rose had stood. "You come at a strange time, Liah," smiled Rayne. Liah was the nickname she used with her friend.132

Shaking dewy fur and making a strange puppy-like bark, Liara smiled, "I thought you might need help today."133

"You smelled the fear."134

Liara nodded, looking more like a pidgeon's bobble than an actual nod. Rose stared at Liara for a moment before turning back to Eyrion. Rayne noticed Elaine's curious face peering around the door before anyone else.135

"I have wanted to speak with you for some time now," said Rose as she took another step towards Eyrion.136

"Wow!" gasped Elaine as she slipped passed Eyrion and stared openly at the large Wolfic.137

Rayne smiled wirly. It appeared that everyone was meeting here today. Liara sat down on her haunches and scrached her ear. This was getting rather sappy in her tastes. Liarn quietly touched Liara's thick fur as if to make sure it was real. "I've heard a lot about you." Whispered Liarn. "You and I are a lot the same..."138

Rose huffed at the interruptions. Would nothing go as planned today? As if in answer to that, a dwarf ambled up with a newly purchased axe and a sac of what looked like Troufle-Delights, a Dwarven favorite. Rose glared at all the interlopers about her before turning back to Eyrion. He shrugged, "Shall we go inside?" 139

Rose nodded. "I think that would definitely be best."140

After agreeing, she followed Eyrion inside and cut right to the chase after they sat in the kitchen.141

Rose looked at him seriously. "I don't know whether you'd like to discuss this here, unless you are sure that no one would hear us. However, I'll cut right to the chase and tell you that I've been having visions of things and my dreams seem to be telling me that you are having the same visions. I want to know if that's true. Will you tell me what you've been seeing?"142

She thought she had held herself up rather well, seeing as she had been instantly attracted to him and had no time to even ponder on her easily gotten infatuations. She awaited his answer in silence143

Eyrion stared at her with a blank face not knowing to answer her with; his blue hair fell in front of hit eyes so he brushed it back. He had not known what to say to her no knowing what any of the out come might be.  She stared back at him smiling with her star white teeth; she was a pretty lass at no mistake but her problems would he really be able to help her.  Just as Eyrion opened his mouth to answered Rose, Marin came barging in and stumbled.144

‘I…I… think I might have had a little much to drink’ He slurred his words falling over onto a chair breaking it into pieces. 145

Eyrion and Rose both looked at each other and laughed at Marin.  He tossed and turned and clunked his head on the table leg.  The two could not hold them selves back from laughing.146

The laughter burst out of them and the mood that had hung around them dissipated like morning mist. Relaxing a bit he opened himself more to her and started talking 'In this vision, I see a tree, a solitary tree, it looks like the last one on the entire earth. We are surrounded by sheer cliffs that speak of no want to do harm but the capability to. And then it begins to wither the leaves fall off branches curl everything about it screams of death and corruption. Then you come your swords are drawn and it looks like you mean harm I try to move, to stop you but you are too far away and I cant reach you no matter how hard I try. You reach the tree touch it and suddenly it is alive again. You nod as if you conversed with it then leap up and slash off a branch. I hear a groan almost coming from the tree a groan of satisfaction. Sighing the tree falls back into death but the branch you slashed off seems still alive. you pick it up and yellow power explodes knocking me back and then, I wake up.' shivering as if it had more implications than he could comprehend looked at Rose in his eyes was a silent plea, a need to be able to share this burden. 147

Rose closed her eyes and sighed. "Every time I see this vision I get a sense of the world dying...It scares me. I've wanted to get this off my back for a long while and I'm glad I've finally found you. We need to stop this. I guess the adventure will be starting very soon..." She looked at him wearily. "I suppose you haven't told anyone else and if so, not many?"148

Eyrion shook his head. "I've told no one. I don't feel it is right to tell one of their fates, but since you already know what I've seen, I feel the need to share this with you."149

Rose nodded. "I know the burden well. I've been cursed and blessed with this gift for years. I don't know how I inherited it, but I am both glad and mortified by it because of what it shows me. I'm sure you feel the same, or at least somewhat."150

Eyrion nodded. "I do. I've had this gift and curse for quite a long time and I never grow accustomed to when it shows itself as it pleases...I suppose you'll be coming along? I'm sure no one will mind. You might even make a few good friends."151

Rose looked down at the floor. "...Maybe. That is, if anyone is willing to try to understand me and my nature." She looked up at Eyrion again, looking determined. "However, I'll be coming along no matter if I am wanted or not. This has something to do with me, so I have every right to go." 152

As the quest began it seemed that the two of them would set out to find the answers that concerned them, but they would not go alone. For they needed the help of a ranger; someone who had traveled these vast lands. Dark and terrible things lurked the shadows of this world. Only one who knows this darkness could give them the aid that was needed. And who better to choose than an old friend, the Dark Elf Vannolyn.153

Traveling to find this seasoned rover, they see that other help will be necessary. Who knows what they will encounter on their quest. It would seem that it was them against the world. Not long before they had departed something dawned on them.154