[Story] Quest of Twelve: 27/04/08 or 04/27/08 - Chapt. 20 [PG-13]

[Gabi]

Hello, everyone. I started developing this story a long time ago, but only on February 5th, 2003 I decided it could be worth writing and sharing with others. I started posting it on another forum, but my hectic schedule caused the updates to be too irregular and I lost all my readers there. This time it will be different, I hope, as I already have a buffer of 29 chapters so I'll be able to handle weekly updates for a while.

The theme is not too original; it's probably another examlpe of the most classic RPG-ish plot, with a whole lot of magic babbling and very delayed action (the first 6 chapters will be introductory, with just a little action starting on chapter 3), but I hope the characters will eventually earn a place in someone's heart.

The names of the characters are arbitrary. They're the names that came to my mind when I first thought of them, and I've grown used to them. I've thought of changing them more than once, but they wouldn't feel like the same characters anymore. So please bear with a world where elves don't have Scandinavian names.

The title of the fic won't make sense for a while... but it will, eventually.

The last warning is the following: there will be a corny song on chapter 10. It is a reflection of the thoughts, feelings and limited experience of its in-story author and as such I do not intend to make it any less corny. Feel free to skip it if it hurts you.

With this, I present you with Chapter 1.

Chapter 1: Change the world

Centuries ago, the world was populated by countless kinds of beings who shared many characteristics with humans, yet kept little or no contact with the human race. Which world? It doesn't really matter; all beings who develop a spoken language tend to give their world the name of the element that holds them anyway. How many centuries? Say two, if it's so important; if, like Eric Eatan, you're always asking a lot of questions in order to understand the world around you. And I guess the next question would be... who was Eric Eatan? He was an elf; still is, probably. A merial, to be more precise. The world he was born into was inhabited by different races of elves, faeries, sprites, sylphs and other creatures; each with their own particular traits that made them different from all the others. There were also millions of animals like the ones you must be used to seeing. And yes, there were humans too. Though, by the time when this story begins, Eric had only heard a few vague rumors about them. No humans lived in the wide southern area of the lush forest of Lumms. The region where Eric lived was home to large populations of neinis and dassels (two races of small plant faeries), lurians (even smaller light faeries), the occasional nirwas (water sprites), a few kraggletups (small non-elemental sprites who were rarely seen), and two races of elves: the merials and the elvins.

Merials and elvins had many things in common when compared to other species; especially their strong presence and their unlimited lifespan made them stand out from all other creatures in that region. However, the differences between them -the physical ones, but especially the cultural ones- kept their interaction at a minimum most of the time. Elvins were generally tall, and had the strongest presence. They had a natural talent for magic, and in many cases devoted their lives to deepening their knowledge of magic and the world in general. Their leaders would engage in endless discussions which were often more philosophical than practical. The merials would accuse them of being vain and having no grip on reality. Merials, on the other hand, were noticeably smaller in size and, while magic wasn't so easy for them to master, they were much faster and more agile than elvins. They moved graciously and adapted quickly to their surroundings, making a good use of whatever they had at hand. Exploration and fighting skills were commonly developed among merials, who took pride in conquering any threat that came to them. The elvins would often consider them inferior creatures, with little capacity for reasoning and an overly impulsive nature. Of course, in most cases those accusations were as false as the ones the merials made to the elvins. But there was so little contact between them, that few had ever thought of proving them wrong.

Eric Eatan was different. He knew that from the beginning, since he was a little child. His mother was an explorer and his father was the town's most renowned blacksmith. They had both been born over 2000 years before him, and often considered that a good enough reason not to take Eric's thoughts and opinions into account. They encouraged him to think for himself, but whenever he had a thought that contradicted the normal state of things, he would be dismissed for being too young. "You'll learn as you grow up," was the answer he kept receiving. But that didn't discourage him. On the contrary, he kept reminding himself of all his thoughts and ideas so that when he was old enough they would be taken into account, and he would prove everyone that things didn't have to be the way they'd always expected them to be. And that a young child could be right. And when he became older, he would make sure that everyone in the town had a voice, even the younger ones. That was one of his greatest dreams. The other was becoming a warrior. He had often seen warriors come in and out of his house wielding strong and shiny weapons, and had watched them part to defend recently established settlements from any aggressors. And he had also read about them, and heard countless stories about the brave warriors who, many thousands of years ago, had fought against all elements to earn the merials their current place in the world. He'd also read and heard about evil warriors who had caused pain and suffering to everyone who crossed their paths, and despised them deeply. If such heartless beings were still leaving their marks on the world, he wanted to help vanish them from existence. He wanted to be a strong and noble warrior, because warriors had the power to change the world. Fortunately for him, that was a call his parents did respond to, and as soon as Eric turned 10, his father began to supervise his training.

*************************

The town where Eric lived stood out for being the closest to the elvin city of Ayrus. There, life went on quietly and smoothly most of the time. At least when viewed from the outside. The council were always dealing with internal conflicts, which left its members with little time to tend to their families - those who had families anyway. That was the case of the Shimmer couple (their last name was actually a deformation of Shim-el, which meant blessed star in an ancient language which had long since become out of use among the peripheral elvin settlements who were in permanent contact with other races). The Shimmers were the youngest married council members; they had been married for barely over 100 years and their jobs didn't live them much time to spend with their 11-year-old daughter Mariel. Being left alone didn't upset Mariel as much as being left out of most of her parents' lives. When they came back home, they'd rarely mention any of the subjects they'd been discussing. They did ask Mariel how her learning was going, and did their best to prove her that they cared for her. But she felt like she barely knew who they were. The main thing she had learnt from them was to be independent. She would often go out and do research on her own, and she would do her best to make friends. That was not an easy task, though. She was the second youngest elvin in the city, the youngest being her 7-year-old friend Jasmine. Jasmine was nice and loved having fun, and she liked Mariel a lot; but there were too many things Mariel couldn't share with her. She tried to explain some of her deepest thoughts to Jasmine a few times, but her friend wouldn't understand her and would always suggest playing another game. Mariel needed someone with whom she could share her views of the world and discuss her ideas to make things better, but just like Eric she was always told that those things were too big for a child her age, and that she would have plenty of time to discuss them when she was older and more experienced. The only one who sometimes listened to her was her neighbor Primrose.

Primrose was 288 years old and had recently moved out of the house she used to share with her parents and her 2 younger brothers. That was probably the reason why she often got engaged in discussions about independence with the young Mariel. Primrose also liked Mariel for her determination -which she secretly admired-, for her great intuition and perceptiveness, and for her ability to understand and use magic. Primrose was a sorceress; not nearly the most skilled or experienced in the city, but a sorceress nonetheless. And Mariel really looked up on her and loved learning the secrets of magic by her side. Mariel was determined to become a sorceress herself. So Primrose introduced her into a realm of silent voices and eternal energies which could be wielded only by those who managed to understand their true nature. She taught Mariel about the different domains of magic and the tangled web they formed, web which held the balance of reality and for that reason should never be broken. She taught her how, for example, life magic was divided into 2 domains: the physical and the ethereal. And how a protection spell could only be cast by someone who had studied the ethereal domain, and physical enhancements could only be achieved by using physical magic; but both domains held the key to casting healing spells. She also taught her about more specific domains that derived from life, like the domain of plants and the domain of connection, and Mariel became especially interested in the latter. So Primrose went on to explain how the connection domain could help her feel someone else's presence within a range that would grow as she became stronger, how it could also help her understand the nature of things around her, and even other sentient beings if she was good enough, and how protection spells could also be cast from the domain of connection by first establishing a strong connection with the being she wanted to protect. Mariel studied all the lessons avidly, and Primrose was proud to have such an enthusiastic apprentice. So she also taught Mariel to recognize different types of herbs and prepare simple potions, and finally introduced her into the 6 elements of magic.

"As you know, magic can take many forms, and those forms compose a wide and tangled web," she unnecessarily reminded Mariel. "Sorcerers have divided the knowledge of those forms in order to understand them better. So far you've began to explore some domains of the widest element: the element of life. But there's much more to elemental magic, and it is important for every magic user to know and understand all 6 elements. These elements are Life, Air, Water, Earth, Fire and Light."
"Just like the types of elemental beings?," Mariel asked. She had learned about elemental beings from the books her parents regularly gave them, from stories she had managed to gather and a little from direct experience during her exploration trips into the forest.
"Exactly," Primrose responded, surprised at Mariel's knowledge. "Sometimes I wonder if my teachings are useful at all, or if you already know everything I'm saying."
"Oh, yes, they are useful!," Mariel assured. "I have learnt a lot being with you. Things I couldn't have found out on my own. And I'd like to know more. I want to be a good sorceress just like you."
Primrose was flattered. She moved her long and wavy black hair to cover her blushing cheeks. Her appearance contrasted with Mariel's straight, bright golden hair and her sky blue eyes. Primrose was also taller and thinner; at least now that Mariel was still growing, but she'd probably always be thinner than her young friend. Her skin, however, was as white as Mariel's when she wasn't blushing like now.
"Will you teach me to wield all 6 elements?," Mariel asked.
"I will teach you some, and some you will have to learn on your own," Primrose told her. "Be patient. You have plenty of time, and mastering the elements will take you many years; even centuries. you're a fast learner, but you'll have to give yourself time. If you're disciplined and constant, one day you will find your base element."
"My base element?"
Now Mariel was intrigued.

"As you must already know, all elemental creatures have a base element; an element which they can easily control, allowing them to use simple spells with no effort, and master more complex spells with relative ease. In the case of Dassels, for example, that element is life. Dassels are plant-related beings and can control plants at their will. Lurians have control over the light element and can create bright lights and manipulate them effortlessly. Elves are non-elemental beings, but we elvins have a natural gift for magic and those who dedicate them selves to magic can master an element. That then becomes their base element, and they gain the ability to wield it for the rest of their lives."
"Does that mean I can only learn to use one element?," Mariel inquired, confused.
"No; you can learn more than one element. You can even get to wield all elements with enough time and effort. But once you've found your base element, it will be easier for you to use and understand its magic. It will be natural to you."
"And how will I know what my element is?," Mariel asked Primrose.
"You'll know when the time comes. Be patient. You're still too young," Primrose told her.
"I hate it when they say that to me," Mariel complained.
"But it's the truth. For now, you listen and learn. Then one day you'll become a powerful sorceress."
Mariel wasn't wholly satisfied with that answer, but she realized that arguing would be useless. It had always been so.
"What's your element?," she finally asked Primrose.
"I... haven't found it yet," Primrose admitted.
Mariel was appalled. She didn't expect that answer, not from her mentor.
"I guess there are some things for which I'm still too young too; it will be long until I get recognized as a true sorceress by anyone who has reached their adult height," Primrose sighed.
"Doesn't that bother you?," Mariel queried.
"I've learned to live with it. The future comes if you wait long enough. It's the way things are."
"They don't have to be that way," Mariel insisted. "We're already here; we're alive and thinking and feeling. There must be something we can do instead of just wait."
"Yes, we can learn and prepare ourselves for the future," Primrose pointed out.
"And what about the present?," Mariel inquired.
"You're precocious for many things and that makes you too eager. You'll have to learn to be patient."
"I'm not impatient. I just think some things should be different. Don't you?"
"Things have been the same way for many thousands of years."
"Then maybe it's time for some of them to change," Mariel insisted.
"Be patient. You'll learn when you grow up," Primrose assured.
"I hope not. That is the one thing I don't want to learn."
"Change the world, then," Primrose joked.
"I don't think I can change it on my own," Mariel answered. "But I really want to do something good. I want to make at least one thing better."
"You don't sound like the little girl you are," Primrose pointed out.

Mariel sighed, frustrated. Primrose would never understand. Unless not until she could do something to prove her point. Until she proved she could be useful for the world without having to wait at least 500 years to be considered a fully grown adult. For now, she was alone in this. But some day, somehow, she'd find a way.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Wooo. Definitely one to watch. :-)

[Gabi]

Thanks, llearch. For the comment and the corrections. I've fixed the typos now.

[Gabi]

Chapter 2: The cave of light

"Will you teach me how to use element magic?," Mariel asked Primrose one day, after weeks of going through the theory. "I know it's important to know the basics before using them, but don't you think I already know enough to cast a little spell? I can talk about magic and how it works for ages, but in the practice I can only use a little connection magic and make a few healing potions. I'm sure there must be something else I can do."

"Always so eager to learn, are you, Mariel?," Primrose chuckled. "Alright, we'll start getting a little more practice. Which element would you like to explore first?"
"Huh?"
The question had caught the young elvin by surprise.
"You can only learn to use elemental magic if you focus on one element at a time," Primrose explained. "So what will it be? Life? Light? Earth? Water? Air? Fire?"
Mariel thought for a moment and finally answered: "Light."
"Alright, that's a nice one. And fortunately one I've had training with. Had you chosen Earth I would be lost."
Primrose had reached a point where she considered Mariel a friend in spite of her young age and was not ashamed to admit her flaws to her.
"You can use light magic to guide you through dark places, and even to defend yourself if you get in trouble, which I hope you don't. You can also use it to create light signals and, with enough knowledge and experience, you can even enhance your sight just like with..."
"Physical magic," Mariel ended the sentence before Primrose could finish it.
"Oh, you already know that," Primrose laughed. "I sometimes forget what a good memory you have."
"I remember what's important to me. And magic is," Mariel responded. "Will you teach me how to use Light magic?"
"I will. We'll have a little experience to start. In order to use light magic, or any kind of elemental magic, you'll have to establish a connection with the element first. Feel it. So sit down and close your eyes. Focus on your own body, breathe deeply and try to feel a small light inside your heart. You probably won't be able to visualize it the first time, but don't worry. Feeling it is a good start. Feel that light grow and become more intense. Feel it extend itself all over your body and illuminate it. Let the light fill you and remember how it makes you feel."
Mariel made an almost imperceptible nod; the expression on her face showed deep concentration.
"Alright, now we'll try something else. Don't worry if you can't do it this time. You will soon if you practise regularly. Try to make the light break through the limits of your body. Let it out and let it illuminate everything around you. Let the whole room be filled with the bright light from your heart."
Primrose saw a wide smile form on Mariel's face, and left her like that for about 30 seconds.
"Alright then; always remember how you've felt today. You can slowly come back to the real world and, when you feel like it, open your eyes."
Mariel's expression  as she opened her eyes was priceless.
"One day you'll be able to visualize everything, even the light coming out of your body and filling the whole room. And if you work hard enough, one day that light will become visible for others as well," Primrose assured.
"But I did see it!," Mariel declared. "All the time; in my heart, and all over my body, and then everywhere. Well, I almost lost it once, but then I concentrated and it became brighter and stronger. It was strange; when I opened my eyes, I couldn't believe how dark the room was."
"Wow!," Primrose exclaimed. "That was amazing! Never forget it, then. And repeat it everyday. You may or may not feel and see the same things each time, and that's alright, but keep track of all the sensations you will discover, and always let them in. They will help you conquer light magic. Now, we'll go for a bigger challenge," Primrose suggested enthusiastically. She wanted to see how far her student could go.
Mariel nodded firmly.
"We'll start with a basic spell: the sphere of light. Put your hands together facing up like a spoon. Yes, close them a little more. Try to form the shape of a spoon with your two hands."
Mariel quickly complied and Primrose helped her form the perfect shape.
"Now feel the energy between your hands," She continued. "The energy that comes from within you. Feel it and let it grow until it turns into light. Once it is visible, hold it and make it as bright as you can."
Mariel did her best effort and managed to feel the energy within her hands, but no light came out. Not even a spark.
"It's ok," Primrose comforted her. "I would have been astonished if it had worked on your first try. I'm already amazed at what you have done so far. Get some rest, we'll continue tomorrow."

Mariel was not frustrated for her failed attempt to cast her first light spell. The things she had felt had encouraged her to work harder. She kept practising at home as well as at Primrose's house, and even her parents ended up noticing her progress and admiring it. They were proud to have a little sorceress at home; though that was not enough to let her take part in adult conversations yet. So Mariel retreated to her own world, where the magical forces and nature itself would never cast her aside. She soon managed to create spheres of light and, by doing some research, found a book on recovery magic which instantly caught her interest. She was amazed to find new ways of healing and restoring things which Primrose had never mentioned and were much easier than using life magic. There were even fixing and reversion spells that could only be achieved through pure recovery magic. Some of the spells were too complex for Mariel to cast them, but she did her best to remember as much of them as she could, in order to try them when she became powerful enough. All of that, added to her regular studies and her work on potions didn't leave her any time to get bored. But she did still feel lonely every now and then. She really wished she had someone with whom she could share everything. Someone who knew who she truly was and accepted her.

One day, Primrose trusted Mariel with a mission, which was also, in a way, a test. Mariel would have to go into the forest and bring all the ingredients for a poison antidote. All the herbs she needed could be found in that part of the forest, but some of them were very rare. And some could be easily confused with other herbs, so Mariel would have to prove that she could locate them and recognize them. It was a challenge she was happy to take, not only to prove herself but also for the opportunity of spending the whole day in the forest. She loved being among the plants and animals, feeling the forces of nature at work all around her and enjoying the occasional company of a neini or even a kraggletup. And the perspective was so much better than spending another day playing "2 and 2" with Jasmine! (That was a new game Jasmine had invented, which consisted in taking turns for rolling two dice until they both fell on the same side, and in that case rolling again; the winner was the first one who could make both dice fall on the same side twice in a row, which took hours and got Mariel extremely bored). So there she went, embracing the adventure. She walked into the depth of the forest stopping to catch every sight, smell and sound, and everything else she could feel. It was easy for her to find the herbs. The last two flowers took her some time, but she'd already got hold of them by noon. So she decided to use the rest of the day to enjoy herself. After having a snack she'd brought along, she walked deeper into the vegetation, marking a path she had never walked before. She wondered how many had ever been there, apart from the bees and butterflies that were flying all over the place. She was dazed by the beauty of the forest. And then, when she thought she had already seen everything, she spotted a light shining on the west. Curious, she decided to check what that was.

As Mariel got closer, she saw a large wall of rocks ahead of her. The light came from somewhere up the wall. She wasn't an expert mountain climber, but she managed to find enough rocks to stand on and fissures to place her hands in, and slowly climbed up to the top. Once she was up there, she saw a cave a few meters in front of her. That was where the light was coming from. Proud to have reached it, Mariel walked into the cave and what she saw there made her more impressed than anything ever had. The sun rays that filtered through the entrance of the cave were being reflected by thousands of colorful crystals which completely covered the cave walls, creating a festival of light and colors unrivalled by anything Mariel had seen before. Every crystal had a different color, different shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet and everything in between.
Mariel released a small sphere of light to see what happened, and it began to bounce from crystal to crystal, picking up new colors each time it touched a wall. It was amazing. Mariel could hardly believe that such beauty lay there, in the middle of the forest, all around her now, and she had never heard of it before. Was she the first one to ever find that cave? Or had no one paid attention to its beauty? And what would it look like during the sunrise or sunset, when the sun itself provided light of different colors? Could it get even more beautiful?

Mariel gave in to the pleasure of observing the wonders around her, and let the light surround her and fill her. Soon, she could see nothing but a pleasant, soothing light. A light that invited her to play with it, to be part of it. For invaluable minutes, Mariel and the light were one, and everything was calm and perfect. She felt like she could stay like that forever, but there came a moment when she knew she had to go back. It was as if someone wanted her to return to the real world, and she calmly acceded. She knew it was for the best. She slowly let the lights fade away and as she did, she saw a shadow form in front of her. The silhouette was that of a young elf. She didn't understand it until her consciousness went back to its normal state and her brain interpreted the form of the one who was standing in front of her. It was, indeed, a young male elf, about her age or maybe a little younger. He had fair reddish brown hair and bright green eyes, was wearing strange clothes and had something on his left side that looked like a sheathed sword.

"Are you real?," he asked her when he noticed she had seen him.
"How long have you been here?," she asked back.
"I haven't been counting, but a few minutes, I think," he replied. "Who are you?"
"My name is Mariel," she said. "What's yours?"
"Eric," he replied. And then he inquired: "...How did you do that?"
"Do what?"
Mariel had just gone through a unique experience but she hadn't felt like she had done anything herself, let alone anything surprising.
"The light that was all around you," he clarified.
"You mean it was real?! I was actually surrounded by light?!"
"Yes," he confirmed. "First it was filling the whole cave. Then it formed a circle around you and started shrinking until you absorbed it. Don't tell me you didn't see it!"
"I did, but I didn't think it was real. I thought I was just... meditating or something."
"You meditate?"
"Meditation is an important part of being a sorceress. You have to be in deep contact with yourself and the world around you for magic to work," she explained.
"You're a sorceress?! Wow!," Eric exclaimed. "I'd never seen such a young sorceress before!"
"Well, I'm still in training," she confessed. "And being so young has given me a lot of problems, believe me."
"You too?," he asked, surprised. It was the first time Eric had found someone he could identify with.
"No matter how hard I try, no one ever takes me seriously," she told him. "They never trust me to help them; they never think my ideas are worth a thought, and I can never take part in their conversations. If it were for my parents, I'd spend my whole life babysitting little kids who can't think of anything but playing. Don't take me wrong, I like playing. But my life needs more than just that."
"Wow, it sounds as if I was hearing myself talk!," Eric remarked. "I have the same problems, you know. No one in my town thinks my opinion counts because I'm too young. I wonder if that happened to them when they were my age."
"I think so, but they must have forgotten. Either that or they didn't let themselves think when they were young."
They both laughed.
"Where do you live?," Mariel asked Eric.
"In Harland, 2 hours to the east of here."
"Harland? That's a merial town!," she realized.
"Yes, what did you expect?," Eric asked her. "Wait a minute, where do you live?"
"In Ayrus," she replied. "It must be 2 hours to the east at my pace, I took longer getting here because I was gathering herbs. I know it would take me longer than that to get to Harland."
"So you're... an elvin?"
Both Eric and Mariel were shocked. They had heard about each other's race, but they'd never seen them in person, even though they didn't live far from each other.
"I thought elvins were taller. Like 2 meters or something," Eric stated.
"Only the tallest ones. And I'm still young, I'm not fully grown yet. Besides, I'm female, so I won't be getting that tall," Mariel informed her. "But aren't you a bit tall for a merial? You can't be older than me and you're about my height. How tall will you be when you grow up?"
"I won't be growing up for a lot longer," he told her. "Maybe 2 years, 3 at most. I'll be 11 soon. My mother is rather tall, so if I take after her family I could make it past 1.5."
"Well, then it's true that you're shorter than us, but not that much. I wonder how many other rumors were exaggerated."
"Well, I know of one more: the rumor that says that elvins never come out of their towns. You're here after all."
"Did anyone actually say that? I'm surprised! I know some elvins from Ayrus who have even been to Harland and other merial cities."
"I've never seen them. But there are places in Harland where I've never been. I should get to know the whole town. The first thing a warrior should know is the place where he lives."
"So you're a warrior?," Mariel asked, intrigued. "I'd never talked to a warrior before. Not that the warriors from Ayrus would listen to me."
"There are warriors in Ayrus?! I thought all elvins were sorcerers or philosophers."
"What?!," Mariel burst into laughter. "I love magic and a good discussion, but not even a small village could be built by ONLY sorcerers and philosophers."
"I guess you're right," Eric laughed. "But it seems they can be built by liars. Anyway, I'm not a warrior yet, but I'm training hard to become one. I almost beat my father the last time we trained. And he's good with the sword. He tests all the weapons he makes."
"Is that a sword you have with you?," Mariel asked him, pointing at his sheath.
"More like a very long knife," he said. "It can't cut anything harder than tree branches. One day I want to have a reinforced steel sword like the ones my dad makes. Those which never break and can penetrate through anything."
"And what would you do with it?," Mariel inquired.
"Whatever I need to," he said. "A good warrior must have a good sword."
"You know... it's very interesting to talk to you," Mariel said. "Your life is so different from mine... and so similar at the same time!"
"Yes, who would have thought so?," Eric agreed. "Do you think we can keep seeing each other? Here? We can talk and give each other ideas. Maybe we can even show Elvins and Merials that we're not that different."
"I'd wait for the last part," Mariel warned her. "I feel like it would be hard to do that. They're too full of themselves. But we can be friends. We can meet here, or somewhere between our homes, that would be easier. And we can think of ways to make our lives better and have fun too."
"Yes, I'd like to know what games elvins play. Is it true that you can't climb trees?"
"I've never tried, but I think I could if I tried to. I climbed up to this cave today; a tree shouldn't be that different."
"I didn't have to climb much to get here," Eric said. "Just a few hops. But you have two arms and two legs, so you should be able to climb."
"Yes, I think I should," Mariel agreed.
"Well, I'll teach you to climb a tree next time we meet. I come to this part of the forest once a week. Will you be here next week?"
"I will," Mariel promised.
And so it began.

[Tapewolf]

Hmm.  Yes, as Llearch says - definitely one to watch.

[Gabi]

Wow, praise from both llearch and JP! Thanks, guys!

Here's the next chapter.

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Chapter 3: Training

Eric and Mariel met again the following week. And the week after that one. And many more. They became great friends, and within a few weeks they felt like they'd always been together. Eric did teach Mariel how to climb trees, and while she wasn't nearly as agile as her friend and her long dress didn't help things, in the end she succeeded in the task. Mariel, in turn, told Eric the basics of magic, and convinced him that he'd be a better warrior if he had a few magical resources at hand. After all, most legendary warriors had used magic as one of their weapons.

Eric went on with his training and, on his eleventh birthday, he managed to disarm his father. At first he thought his father had let him win as a birthday gift, but the blacksmith assured that he had done his best, and that Eric was improving his skills at an incredible rate. He decided that Eric was ready for a more formal kind of training, and signed him up at a school for warriors and explorers. Eric couldn't believe it when he heard the news.

"That's great! I'll be a true warrior!," he cheered blissfully. "I didn't know there was a school like that in Harland."
"Not in Harland," his father corrected him, "but on the lurian village of Urthum."
"A lurian village?," Eric queried, puzzled. "But lurians are little spots of light. How can they have a training school?"
"It's actually outside the village. lurians don't fight by themselves, obviously, but they are excellent teachers, guides and trainers. The village of Urthum is famous for all the warriors and explorers who came out of their school."
"And why hadn't I ever heard of it?," Eric inquired.
"Maybe because epic stories are the only kind of books that don't burn your hands," his father joked. He had never been an avid reader himself. It was Eric's mother who always insisted that their son should read more.
"Ok, it's strange, but I'm not missing it for anything," Eric declared. "I'd really like to see how lurians can train an elf."
"You'll see," his father assured.

The village of Urthum was so well hidden in the forest that anyone who passed by would take it for a group of rocks if they didn't look carefully. At least when the lurians were inside their homes. When they got out, it was impossible not to notice them. They were spots of bright colorful light that floated in the air, sometimes calmly, sometimes moving swiftly from one side to another.
"They move so fast!," Eric commented when the lurians started spinning around him.
"Lurians are the fastest creatures in the world," his father informed him.
"And what are they doing now?," he asked.
"I think they're inspecting you," was the answer.
Soon, a spot of turquoise light came out from behind the stones and all the others stopped moving.
"I'm sorry they bothered you," it apologized with a female voice. "They're young and excited. They're the new students of our teaching school and they had never seen a young merial like you before."
"Teaching school? You teach them how to teach?," Eric asked her.
"Yes, basically," the lurian replied.
"But I thought many merials had trained here. Why hadn't they seen one before?," Eric inquired.
"We've trained many, that's true, but it has been long since someone as young as you has entered our school. None of these students has turned 30 yet."
"That means I'm strange," Eric concluded.
"It means you're talented," she responded. "Oh, by the way, my name is Auna. What's yours?"
"Eric," he replied.
"Good. Let's see how much you already know, Eric. Follow me, please."
Eric looked back at his father.
"I'll wait for you at home," he said.

Eric was nervous, but he tried not to show it. He followed Auna to a wide clearing.
"Have you ever seen a sphere of light?," Auna asked him.
"Yes," Eric answered. He had seen Mariel cast that spell many times.
"Can you defend yourself from them?," Auna continued.
That question caught Eric by surprise.
"Defend myself? What do you mean?"
"Spheres of light can hurt you if they're intense and pass through your body at a high speed. You must learn to deflect them."
"I can block attacks," Eric affirmed. "I've been training with my father for a year."
"Then we'll see how you fare against this kind of attack. Don't be afraid, the light won't hurt you. It won't be that strong. But you'll have to do your best to deflect it and stop it from touching you."
"Ok," Eric said, still unsure of what he was about to go through. It looked like a test.
"Take out your sword," Auna advised him.
No sooner did Eric comply than he was surrounded by lurians of many different colors.
"Ready?," Auna shouted out. "Go! Shurin!"

A ball of green light came straight from the green lurian in front of him. Eric barely got the time to react and stop the sphere with his sword, making it bounce away.
"Taulen!," Auna called out, and a bordeaux light spot on Eric's left side released another sphere, forcing Eric to turn around in order to deflect it.
"Yolker!," another order came. Eric didn't see anyone attack, so he instinctively turned around, just in time to stop the blue light ball that was heading to his backside.
"Very good!," Auna commended him. "Let's try something else. Nayra! Pura!"
Two lurians attacked Eric, both ahead of him, a red one from the front-left and a light purple one from the front-right. Eric stretched out his right arm and brushed the air from right to left with his sword, making both light spheres bounce away.
"Einy!," Auna shouted while Eric was still holding up his sword.
This time Eric felt something hit his back before he could turn.
"Alright, stop!," Auna commanded.
Eric let his arms fall. He was breathing fast. The test hadn't lasted long but everything had been so fast that he was now agitated. Had he passed?
"That was impressive," Auna said as he floated to his side. "You'll have to learn not to get so agitated, that way you'll fight better and endure more; but no one had ever performed like you in their first training session. You handled the combined attack so well, and even the first shot from behind! We will be proud to have you in our school!"

Eric had never been more excited. Of course, as soon as he got the chance to see Mariel he told her everything about the lurians' training school. She was impressed. She was also very interested when he told her that the lurians used the spheres of light as an attack. She decided to try that out for herself, and getting a good shot out took her about... 2 seconds.
"How could you do that so fast?!," Eric asked her.
"I think I've found my element," Mariel replied.
After that, Mariel had to explain everything about the 6 elements and how an elvin sorcerer could get to master one of them.
"Wow, that's amazing!," Eric exclaimed. "It's decided. I'll learn some magic too. Earth magic would be great. I could control the ground under my feet and make my opponents fall."
"Unless they're flying," Mariel pointed out. "I don't think Earth magic would help you much against the lurians."
"Nothing would help me against the lurians. They're just light. But I still think using Earth magic would be great."
"Then you should find someone who can help you learn it," Mariel said. "I would, but I don't know how to use that kind of magic. Only light, connection and recovery."
"Then I'll have to learn on my own," Eric sighed.
"But I can help you train with my spheres of light if you want," Mariel suggested.
Eric accepted, and from then on training together became one of their regular activities, along with talking, playing and exploring the forest. While they were not together, they went on with their normal lives, only that it seemed much more exciting than it had been the year before. And they both worked hard to fulfill their dreams. There came a moment when Mariel's achievements were too big to go unnoticed (more precisely, her parents found her reading a magic book at Midnight with a magical light floating over the book), and decided that she needed the guidance of someone with more experience than Primrose. However, none of the sorcerers of Ayrus were willing to take an apprentice at that moment, let alone one who was only 12 years old. So Mariel had to content herself with studying with Primrose and doing research on her own; deal which suited Primrose just fine, as it made her feel important. Eric continued training with the lurians and his progress was also notorious. He even caught the attention of a lurian sorcerer named Aren, and had him teach him a little Earth magic. For Eric, everything was going his way.

One day, after his class, Eric decided to walk the other way for a change. He had been told many times that a warrior should know the territory he was on, and he'd finally decided to do something about it. As he walked, he ended up in another clearing, only this one was smaller and darker than the one he normally trained in. He heard noises just before walking into the clearing, as if something was being hit again and again. He then heard something like a bag of seeds hitting the ground, and an adult female voice shouting "dammit!" When he walked past the trees that were blocking his sight, he looked around to find the source of the sounds and found a faerie tying a thread to a branch of a tree on the other side of the clearing. Something was hanging from the thread. It looked like a small bag made of cloth and filled with something (probably seeds judging by the sound it had made before). The faerie didn't look like any creature Eric had seen before. She was about 8 times smaller than him, like a neini or just a little bigger, but her wings were transparent, not green. And for some reason they didn't look fragile. The wings of neinis could be easily shaken by a soft breeze. This faerie's wings stood firm as if nothing could move them but their owner's will. And their points were rounded, once more unlike a neini's wings. Her body didn't resemble a flower, like the body of a dassel which was always covered in leaves and petals. She almost looked like an elf, only much smaller and winged. She wore a tight golden dress which left most of her legs uncovered, and golden shoes to match. Her shoulder-length orange-ish golden hair was barely wavy, and the muscles of her legs looked firm and strong. And if she had been the one who had recently spoken, she didn't have the thin voice most faeries had. Nor did she look as delicate as them. Eric wondered what species she belonged to, but he couldn't even make out what her element was, if she was an elemental being at all. She was definitely unlike anything he had ever seen. Soon his thoughts were interrupted by the faerie's strong voice.

"You don't have to stand still in there. I've already heard you, so you can move now."
"Are you talking to me?," Eric asked, surprised.
"Who else?," the faerie retorted.
She finished tying the thread, turned around and hovered to Eric's eye level. She floated in the air like there was nothing to it, only her wings doing the job of keeping her in the same place. Her brown eyes had a look that Eric couldn't decipher, but they were intense. More so than any eyes he had ever seen. Now Eric was really intrigued.
"Who are you?," he asked her.
"Someone who's training here, as you must have realized," she said. "And you?"
"I'm Eric Eatan from Harland," he replied. "I'm a merial."
"Yes, I can see that," she remarked. "And I can't say I haven't heard your name before."
"Really? How?," Eric asked, even more intrigued.
"The lurians keep talking about you. The lurians from Urthum talked to the ones from Isthum and the rumors were spread. They're so excited about you! I must say I'm pleased to finally meet you."
"I don't know what rumors you've heard, but I'm not sure if they're true. Many rumors are not."
"You don't have to tell me," she laughed. "I've been around much longer than you have. I know a few things about life."
"How old are you?," Eric asked.
"Never ask that to a woman," was the puzzling reply.
"What's your name?," he tried.
"Erin," she answered.
"Really? It sounds almost like mine!"
"Yes, except for the ending. Nothing to make a big fuzz about."
"What are you?"
"A faerie," she responded.
"Yes, that's obvious. But what kind of faerie?"
"The kind that won't say no to a good challenge. The bag over there has already taken enough of a beating. How about we have a little training session together? That way I can see if the rumors are true or not."
"Hmm... sure, but you didn't answer my question."
"What question?"
"What's your race?," Eric rephrased it.
"No need for you to know."
"Why?!"
"Because if you can't find out on your own, then why should I tell you?"
"I've never seen anyone like you before."
"I'm not from around," she told him.
"Where are you from?," he inquired.
"The lurians from Isthum found me years ago on the eastern side of their city. I live with them now."
"You live with the lurians? What is that like?"
"Not bad," she answered. "They're nice beings once you get to know them. They keep my secrets and I keep theirs."
"The lurians' secrets? What secrets can they have?"
"Telling you wouldn't be a good way of paying them for their hospitality, don't you think?"
"Right," he accepted. "But why are you so secretive anyway?"
"I have my reasons," yet another puzzling response came.
"Will you at least tell me what your element is?"
"You love asking questions, don't you? What makes you think I even have an element?"
"Then you're not elemental?," he deduced.
"I didn't say that," she told him. "Would you like a battle or not?"

Eric agreed to have a battle with the mysterious Erin, even when he couldn't imagine how someone her size could take on someone like him. But his experiences with the lurians had shown him that appearances could be deceitful. Maybe she had some special attack like the lurians' light balls. Maybe he'd see what her element was if he confronted her.
"Take out your sword," she instructed him. "I must warn you, I won't hurt you but I won't give you a break either."
"Good for me. Same here," Eric replied.
He held up his thin sword and waited to see Erin's first move. What he saw caught him completely by surprise. She lifted her hand and a sword much thicker than his and just as long appeared from nowhere. She held it as if it had no weight and charged against Eric. Eric barely managed to react in time and block her attack, not without having to step back due to the force of the impact.
"A good warrior is always prepared for the unexpected," Erin told him while flying around him. "And keeps their feet on the ground while fighting."
While she was saying this, she landed and picked up Eric's right foot, making him lose balance. He used his left hand to stop his fall and resorted to the little earth magic he knew to send a shockwave through the ground to the spot where Erin was standing.
"Unless, like me, they can fly," she finished taking off into the air, unaffected.
She prepared to charge again, but Eric used his brush move, this time from left to right, to push her aside. Once on Eric's right side, Erin described a hook with her sword trying to get Eric's sword out of his hand.
"I won't fall for that. My father has done that too many times," Eric said, pulling back his sword.
"But he mustn't have done this," she concluded, using her chance to reach Eric's body when it was uncovered. Eric reacted fast and, closing his left fist, pushed Erin's sword up before it could touch him.
"Yes, he has," he told her.
"That was only the first part," she informed him letting the inertia take him right above Eric's hands, lifting her own hands to have her sword disappear into thin air and quickly plunging down to get a grip on Eric's sword and pulling it out of his hands.
"I win," she declared, pointing at Eric with his own sword.
"Had my sword been sharper, your hands would be in pieces now," Eric told her. He'd noticed she'd touched the edges of his sword in order to lift it up.
"I'm a warrior. I act according to the circumstances, which include the kind of weapon my opponent is using," she pointed out. "And I won't cry over a few scratches," she added, leaving Eric's sword on the ground and blowing on her palms.
"You got hurt!," Eric exclaimed. "This was just training! You didn't have to hurt yourself!"
"That was my decision, and I consider that a way of training too. If you're not willing to take some risks in a training session, how will you be ready for them in a real fight?"
"You're strange," Eric commented.
"I know," she replied.
"Why are you so strong?," he asked her.
"Some kinds of faeries have the strength to lift up to 500 times their own weight. A few other beings too. Plus I've been training hard for years. So be happy; you've found out something more about me."
"Wow! And how did you do the sword thing?"
"What sword thing?," she queried, once more testing Eric's ability for precision.
"You know, the way you made it appear and disappear."
"Molecular dispersion. A nice treat that comes with this kind of sword."
"What does that mean?"
"Let's say I just formed a bag of air and stored my sword inside," she explained.
"That's amazing. You're full of surprises!"
Erin grinned.
"I must admit you're something too. It's hard to find an opponent who reacts so well to surprises. And I could see you're quite well trained for your age. It was nice to kick some stress out with you. You definitely make a much better training partner than the punching bag."
"Can we do it again someday?"
"Sure. I'll be here whenever you want a match."
They both smiled.
"Will your hands be ok?," Eric asked her.
"I'll live," Erin joked. "Actually, they'll probably be fine by tomorrow. Come back when you can. I'll make sure not to take you lightly next time."
"Me neither," Eric assured.
As Eric parted, thoughts of the recent events wouldn't leave his mind. Erin was the most puzzling creature he'd met in his life, yet she'd turned out to be nice in the end. And there was surely a lot more to her than she showed. He had so many questions! She was weird, and overly mysterious, but he had the feeling he'd enjoy getting to know her.

[Gabi]

No replies? Ok, at least I got an ACK from llearch... let's try another chapter.

Chapter 4: The blacksmith's anvil

"When am I going to get a reinforced sword?," Eric asked his father one day.
He had already turned twelve and his old training sword was proving to be less than enough for the constant use he gave it. It had broken for the umpteenth time and, as usual, Eric had had to ask his father to fix it.
"You'll get a reinforced sword when you learn to make one," was the reply Eric got.
"But I'm a warrior, not a blacksmith!," Eric complained.
"It is essential for a warrior to be able to take care of his own weapons, just as a blacksmith can only make good swords if he knows how to use them. And experience has taught me that the sword you can wield the best is the one you have made with your own hands. So if you want a sword for a true warrior, you'll have to make it for yourself."
"Can you teach me, then?," Eric asked.
"Watch me and you'll learn," his father proposed.
That's how watching his father at work became a part of Eric's semi-formal education. Fortunately for Eric, his father did answer all his questions in detail, happy to see his son interested. He couldn't say the same about Erin, who became friendlier and closer to him as time went by but wouldn't let out a single word about her identity or her past. Her first name was all she was willing to reveal, and she considered that to be enough for everyday life. Eric thought that if she hadn't had the need to talk to others and have them call her some way, she wouldn't have even let them know that. Mariel was completely different. Eric felt he could trust her completely; like she would always be there for him and would always understand him, even at the moments when no one else did. It was always comforting to be by her side.

Mariel was growing at an incredible rate; not so much in height -or at least not as much as Eric had initially expected-, but in power and knowledge, and even in wisdom. At 13, she already seemed more mature than her 290-year-old teacher Primrose, and had already surpassed her abilities for light and connection magic. She no longer had to arrange meetings with Eric. She could feel him at the moment he set a foot out of his house to see her, and meet him before he arrived. It is true that she couldn't sense everyone as well as Eric, but she was very good nonetheless and those who knew her couldn't help but call her a prodigy. Some were even considering taking her as an apprentice. That would have gone to the head of many elvins she knew, but not her. She kept her angelic smile and her idealistic innocence; only that she was now more balanced and patient that she had once been. She was one of those who had started out well and gained a lot more from growing up.

It was Mariel's connection magic what once made her cut her morning meditation abruptly and run out of her house, and out of her city, without stopping to say a word to anyone. She ran to the east as fast as she could, wishing she could run faster; wishing she had Eric's speed, or at least that Eric had her magic. She got to Harland in about 20 minutes that seemed eternal and entered the city in such a rushed race that no one dared to stop her. Just like no one understood who she was, nor what was going on with her. No one but Eric. She knocked the door of Eric's house desperately; she'd never been there before, but she knew she was at the right place. No one responded. She took some time to catch her breath and then shouted out: "Eric, please open! It's me, Mariel!"

Only a few seconds later, the door in front of Mariel opened to reveal a pale-looking and scared Eric.
"Mariel!," he exclaimed, out of any other words.
"I felt it," she said. "I don't know what it is yet, but I felt it. Please tell me what's going on."
"You ran all this way for me?," Eric asked.
Mariel nodded. She was still agitated from the long run.
"Come with me," Eric asked her. "And please don't get scared. I can't handle the two of us being scared."

Mariel nodded again and Eric guided her to the backyard of his house. Mariel couldn't help but scream when she saw the brown-haired merial, about 1.40 m. tall, lying on the ground covered in blood.
"Please don't. He needs your help," Eric said, stopping Mariel's screaming with his right hand. Mariel understood, and nodded quietly.
"What happened?," she asked, kneeling down at the lying merial's side and inspecting him.
"He was fixing a sword on that anvil, and all of a sudden the sword launched itself to his stomach! I managed to pull the sword out straight, but he fell unconscious. The two sorcerers are out of town; my mum is on an exploration trip. I didn't know what to do."
"When did this happen?," Mariel asked.
"I don't know. I was so scared that I feel like It's been forever, but it was already morning."
"It must have been at the same moment I felt it. He hasn't lost too much blood yet. I think I can stop the bleeding. Maybe seal his wounds. But he'll need time to recover."
"Do what you can, please. I'm counting on you," Eric begged.
Mariel placed her hand on the wound and, from Eric's point of view, she stayed motionless. But he knew her well enough to know that she was using her magic. After five minutes, Mariel let out a long sigh.
"Will he be fine?," Eric asked her.
"Yes," she said, exhausted. "We must let him rest now."
"I still don't understand what happened," Eric wailed.
"I can try to find out," Mariel offered. She examined the blood-stained sword, and then walked to the anvil Eric had pointed to.
"Magic," she concluded after staring at it for a few seconds. "Someone cast a spell on this anvil."
"Can you reverse it?," Eric asked.
"Reversing spells is hard when they were caste by others," Mariel explained. "You have to know the spell very well, or at least have a good control of a domain that allows you to cast it. A spell like this would take either a good control over the earth domain, which I know little or nothing of, or a superb control of the connection domain, which I have experience with but not that much."
"I know some earth magic," Eric stated. "Can you... like channel it or something?"
"I've began to learn how to channel magic, but for now I can only channel magic from domains I'm familiar with. Besides, your ability for earth magic isn't strong enough for this yet. It would take a lot to neutralize the spell. I think it would be best to just stay away from that anvil."
At that moment, Eric's father woke up.
"Who is she?," he asked with a thin thread of voice.
"She's Mariel. She's a friend," Eric replied. "And she's a sorceress too. She has healed you."
"She's... an elvin," his father noticed.
"She's the best friend I've ever had. I've known her for 2 years now, but she never came here before because we were afraid you wouldn't like her. Just like I have never entered her city. Everyone says so many things about elvins, but they're not true. Mariel is the kindest being in the world."
"I... can't argue when... she saved my life."
"Please rest now," Mariel urged him. "You're not fully healed yet."
The blacksmith took a deep breath and closed his eyes again.

"What shall we do now?," Eric asked Mariel.
"I think we should stay here and look after him, and wait for one of the sorcerers to arrive," she suggested. "They will know best."
"You said it takes a lot of power to cast a spell like that," Eric reminded her. "What if it was one of the sorcerers?"
"I hadn't thought about it, but it could be. How well do you know them?"
"They come once in a while to get metallic staves or amulets fixed. They don't usually talk much; they only get things done. Kharchek was here yesterday and Selinur came here the day before."
"Weird names," Mariel commented.
"Those are their last names. I don't know their first ones," Eric told her.
"So either of them could have done it. What did they do when they were here?"
"Well, Selinur left a silver-colored staff for my father to fix it. Kharchek came to pick up a reinforced sword."
"Why would a sorcerer want a sword?," Mariel wondered.
"They channel magic through them. The lurians told me that long metallic objects are good for channeling spells. I've been thinking of a way to channel earth magic through a reinforced sword once I manage to make one."
"You're going to make a sword?," Mariel asked.
"Yes," he confirmed. "It will be my own sword. Made and wielded by myself."
"I bet no one will be able to stop you once you have it," Mariel commented with a smile.
"I hope so," yearned Eric.
"Did any of the sorcerers act strangely? Did any on them get close to the anvil?"
"If you ask me, they always ask strangely," Eric commented. "Oh, how could I have forgotten!"
"What?," Mariel asked.
"Kharchek sat on the anvil to examine his new sword. He also looked at Selinur's staff in a strange way."
"Well, that doesn't prove he did it, but at least we know he had the chance. Is Selinur's staff still here?"
"Yes. Follow me," Eric said, and guided Mariel to a storage room where lots of metallic object were lying in as good an order as was possible. He picked up the staff among those objects and showed it to Mariel.
"This staff has channeled a lot of magic," Mariel declared. "I can feel it's still holding strong magic inside."
"Dark magic?," Eric asked, rather scared.
"Dark magic is only light magic used backwards," Mariel informed her. "Darkness is only the absence of light. It's not an entity in itself."
"Alright, but is it evil magic?," he tried to specify.
"It's not meant to cause harm by itself," Mariel answered as precisely as she could. "But it could be used for it. It all depends on the holder."
Right after she said this, they heard knocks at the front door.

"This is not a good time for a customer to come," Eric sighed.
"It doesn't feel like a customer," Mariel told him. "I sense connection magic at work."
"Do you think it's the one who cursed the anvil?," Eric consulted her.
"I don't know," she said. "We'd better check for ourselves. Someone who could do something like that can easily force his way in. We can win some time if we open the door and watch him."
"I'll have my sword ready, if it helps," Eric decided.
"I'm too worn out to cast a good protection spell, but I'll be ready to shoot a million light spheres if it's necessary," Mariel supported him.
The knocks returned.
Preparing themselves for anything, Eric and Mariel walked to the door and opened it. A short, platinum-blond-haired merial with deep gray eyes was standing on the other side. The solemnity of his face and his blue and purple robes gave him an air of authority that overly made up for his short stature.
"Selinur!," Eric exclaimed.
Mariel was surprised when she heard him. She had been expecting Kharchek. Selinur looked straight into Eric's eyes.
"Where is your father?," he asked him.
"He's safe, and I won't let anyone hurt him," Eric bluffed. He didn't really think he could take on someone like Selinur.
"I don't want to hurt him, kid. Nor you," the sorcerer assured. "Something's wrong in this house. I need to fix it."
"How do you know something's wrong?," Eric inquired.
"I sensed it as soon as I came back to Harland," he replied.
"Connection magic," Mariel explained.
Selinur took a closer look at the elvin.
"Who are you?," he asked.
"I'm Mariel Shimmer," she answered.
"Shimmer," he repeated. "Any connection with the Shimmers from the Ayrus council?"
"I'm their daughter," Mariel replied, surprised that he had heard about her parents.
Selinur and Mariel stared deeply into each other's eyes. Eric didn't understand what was going on, but Mariel seemed to calm down.
"He didn't do it. He's here to help," she told Eric.
"How do you know?," Eric asked.
"Connection magic... again," Selinur and Mariel replied at the same time. They both smiled.
"You're a very special child," Selinur commended her.
"I'm no longer a child," Mariel calmly remarked.
"We shall see that," Selinur stated, as he walked into the house.
Eric was still reserved, but he trusted Mariel more than anyone, so he let him in and followed him to the backyard. His father was already sitting with his back against the wall.

"Good morning," he said as soon as he saw the sorcerer. "Please forgive my position and excuse me. I haven't been able to finish repairing your staff yet. I've had... some problems."
"I can see that," Selinur remarked. He kneeled down and helped him up. "Now to see what's wrong in here."
"It's the anvil," Mariel informed him. "It has a spell on it."
Selinur stopped moving for a moment, and then, after examining the anvil, he looked at Mariel.
"This will be a hard job," he said. "Do you think you're ready to work with me on this?"
"Me?!," Mariel asked, shocked.
"I normally wouldn't expose someone so young to this kind of magic, but I could feel you have a strong power; and you said you were no longer a child."
Mariel couldn't believe what was happening. And experienced sorcerer was asking her to help him?! And what if she couldn't do it?
"Don't be afraid, everything will be fine," he promised. "Take my hands."

Mariel held both of Selinur's hands and they stood each on one side of the anvil. She then felt him guide her into the magic that surrounded the anvil. They both felt it, and slowly began to untie its threads. It would be impossible to tell how much time passed. But with every passing moment Mariel achieved a better understanding of that magic. She was impressed at Selinur's ability to guide her; just as he was of her ability to follow him. In the end, the last threads of the spell were cast away, and the enchantment was broken. Mariel was about to collapse, but Selinur held her firmly.
"We must go back slowly, so that we don't hurt ourselves," his voice spoke into her mind.
Mariel was appalled, but that didn't stop her from following his advice. She slowly let reality settle down in and around her. Once she could see Eric, his father and the house, and feel the wind stroke her skin, she asked the sorcerer how he had done that.
"We had to become strongly connected in order to undo the spell together," he explained. "In that state, physical barriers don't exist, and nothing can cloud communication."
"I'll remember that," she promised.
"I must admit I'm impressed," Selinur commended her. "You did an amazing job. I'm surprised that I hadn't noticed you before."
"Have you been to Ayrus?," Mariel asked her.
"Yes, but only on business. And I can never seem to get out of there without getting involved in an argument with an elvin sorcerer or five."
"Then why did you trust me?," she wanted to know.
"Because you trusted me," he told her. "You had seen what had happened here and had all the right to suspect me; but as soon as I opened myself up to you, you saw through me and knew I was on your side. Someone whose mind is open enough for that definitely deserves my trust."
"Then it was Kharckek who cursed the anvil?," Eric joined the conversation.
"I am afraid so," Selinur said. "I was attacked by him today. He told me he had something important to show me and had me follow him to an isolated spot in the forest. Then he suddenly attacked me with his sword, channeling lightening through it. I managed to evade him and then we had a duel. When he saw he couldn't win, he escaped to the north. I thought of following him, but then I thought he must have had a reason to drive me away from town. I searched for his magic and found out that I was right, so I decided to come here before I was too late. I wasn't counting on someone else doing the most urgent job before I arrived, however."
He looked at Mariel when he spoke the last words. The elvin blushed.
"But why did he do that?!," Eric inquired.
"I think it was because of the staff," his father theorized. "He looked very interested in it last time he came here."
"How important can a staff be?!," Eric complained. "It can't be enough to hurt someone like this. I could have lost you today!"
"Kharchek has been jealous for a long time," Selinur affirmed. "He tried to hide it, but it consumed him from the inside like poison. He was jealous, not just of my staff or my power, but of everything he didn't have and everything he couldn't do. I believe he was even jealous of things that didn't exist. Those sick feelings must have grown so much that now he wants to destroy all the things he hates so much, and everyone who relates to them."
"And someone like that is on the loose?!," Eric shouted, altered. "We must get to him and stop him before he gets to harm anyone else!"
"We will," Selinur said. "But we need to rest first. Even if we find Kharchek, we can't confront him in our current state."
"I don't need to rest, I'm going for him," Eric announced, heading into the house.
"Don't go. It's insane!," his father warned him. "You're not ready to face him."
"I'll do what it takes to stop him," he blared, determined. He was reaching the front door when Mariel called him.
"Eric, wait!," she shouted.
Eric turned around and looked at her.
"Don't try to stop me," he told her.
"Then I'm going with you," she offered.
"No, you must stay here. You're exhausted," Eric remarked.
"I'm not letting you go there alone. Besides, it will be hard for you to find him without me. I can help you track him down."
"Alright, but don't try to drive me away from him."
"You know me well enough to know I wouldn't do that," she confronted him.
"Then guide me," he accepted.

They both left the house and headed to the north.
"This is ridiculous!," Selinur protested and ran after the young ones.
He reached them, but was unable to dissuade them, so instead he decided to follow them and protect them.
That turned out to be unnecessary, though. The three of them walked a long way at the fastest pace Mariel could muster, but they found no trace of the rogue sorcerer. Eric wanted to keep up with the search, but Mariel's legs gave in and he realized he couldn't put her through so much strain. When Selinur knew they wouldn't go any further, he looked around and decided to return to Harland.
"You'd better look after your father, boy," he said to Eric before leaving. "And Mariel Shimmer... pay me a visit when you can."
He then turn around and left.

"I didn't get to thank you for what you did today," Eric realized. "I owe you big time."
"You owe me nothing," Mariel responded. "I know you'd do the same for me anytime."
He nodded, noting that she was right.
"I wonder why Selinur insisted on following us and then left us alone," Eric commented.
"Maybe he knew that you wouldn't be alone," a voice came from above.

Eric and Mariel looked up and saw 4 bright spots of light. One was red, one was green, one was yellow and the other was light violet.
"The lurians!," Eric exclaimed.
"What's going on?" the yellow lurian asked, descending to their level.
"What's not going on?," Eric sighed.
"A merial sorcerer named Kharchek attacked another sorcerer and Eric's father," Mariel explained. "We were trying to find him, but he seems to have vanished away. You haven't seen him, have you?"
"No, sorry," the green lurian replied. "But we'll tell you if we see him."
"When I get him, I'll make sure he never hurts anyone else," Eric assured.
"And how are you planning to do that?," the red lurian inquired.
"I don't know, but I'll find a way," Eric affirmed.
"I'm sure you will," the violet lurian told him in her very thin voice. "You're a little big guy."
"Was that phrase supposed to make any sense?," the red one teased her.
"Well, yes, it was," the purple one confronted her. "He's still very young but has already done great things and I can see a bright future ahead of him. If he works hard, hell be able to do just about anything."
"We'll see," the red lurian replied.
"Was anyone hurt?," the yellow lurian wanted to know.
"My father was," Eric told her. "But he's better now. Mariel healed him."
"Would that be..." the green lurian began, examining the elvin. "You?"
"Yes, I'm Mariel," she answered. "What are your names?"
"Oh, sorry we didn't introduce ourselves," the green lurian apologized. "I am Tirena. My red friend over here is Nayra. The violet one is Pura, and the naughty yellow girl is Einy. We're currently in the first class of the teaching school and we're all graduating this year."
"Einy?," Eric repeated. "I remember you. You were the one who shot me on my back on my first training session!"
"You still remember that?," Einy giggled. "Sorry, please forgive me. I only did what I had to."
"I know, it's ok," Eric accepted. He was already feeling much more collected.
"I'm offended," Pura, the violet light, shot out. "You remember Einy but not us? Nayra and I were also there. Several times, actually."
"Yes, I was the only one who missed your first training session," Tirena told him. "I heard it was great. My brother Shurin was there. He told me he had the privilege of the first shot."
"I'll make sure to remember you from now on," Eric promised. "It's just hard for me to distinguish between you, though. The ones who have the same color look exactly the same."
"You may learn some day, little big guy," Pura giggled.
"Or maybe not," Nayra countered. There was a slight tone of anger in her voice.
"In any case, you can tell us from each other from our voices," Tirena intervened.
"And for our sparkling personalities!," Einy chirped.
"Thanks, friends. You really know how to cheer me up," Eric praised them.
"I'll have to learn how to do that too," Mariel reckoned.
"When I said friends, that included you," Eric told her.
Mariel smiled.
"I just wish that worked on me as well," she let out. "I can't shake the feeling that something's wrong."
"Of course it is, Kharckek got away," Eric reminded her. "But he won't get far. As soon as he makes a move we will hunt him down. He'll now have all the merials of Harland after him."
"It's not just Kharchek. He's a part of it, yes, but I feel there's something bigger. Scarier. Like there's something wrong with the world."
"You're scaring me," Eric told her. "But whatever it is we'll find a way to sort it out. We'll protect each other."
"That's big talk," Pura pointed out. "But the kind of big talk I'm all in for."
"We'll be on the watch," Tirena promised. "If anything happens, you can always count on the lurians to help you."
"Thanks, I'll be on the watch too," Mariel responded.
"I think you can skip class today," Nayra told Eric. "You've had a much tougher training, and your father must be worried sick. Let me follow you home, if only to show him you're not alone."
"I can go with him," Mariel offered.
"No, you should go back to your own home," Tirena advised her. "I'm sure you're being missed right now. We can meet again tomorrow, or any other time when things have calmed down."
At that moment, neither Mariel nor Eric felt like things would calm down any time soon. But they understood it would be best to return home and let their parents know they were alright. They had no reason to stay there anyway. So, they let the lurians follow each of them to their places.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Interesting things going on.

[Gabi]

Thanks, llearch.

Now the accidentally skipped chapter 5, and chapter 6 below it.

Chapter 5: Growing up

Mariel didn't get in trouble for her little adventure. Her parents were used to her leaving home for hours, and she skipped her class with Primrose telling her that she had exhausted herself from using too much magic, which was actually the truth. The only elvin who noticed any change in her was Jasmine. Mariel kept visiting her out of habit and not to leave her alone, but Jasmine could see that she wasn't quite the same.
"What's the matter with you?," Jasmine asked her.
"What are you talking about?," Mariel tried to know.
"You used to laugh and talk a lot. Today the last thing you said was 'hello'. You look up and sigh all the time and you don't even complain that you're bored. Because I know many of my games get you bored stiff."
"Oh, sorry, Jasmine. I'm just worried."
"Worried about what?"
"You wouldn't understand."
"Try me. I'm 9 now, I understand a lot of things. I even know where babies come from."
Mariel almost laughed at the last statement, but the weight of what she was about to say stopped him from doing that. She paused for a moment, trying to find the best words.
"I've been... feeling things lately," she finally said. "I don't know what it is yet, but it's not good. And I feel it's coming this way."
"Magic?," Jasmine asked her.
"Probably," she replied.
"I hate magic!," Jasmine ranted.
"Why?!"
"If it wasn't for magic, you wouldn't get worried, you wouldn't be feeling things and you would still be my friend."
"But I am your friend," Mariel assured, holding Jasmine's hand. "I will always be your friend. Bad things happen in the world. It's not because of magic. It's because of... I don't know. But they happen. And sometimes we can't stop them from happening; we can only do our best to make things better. And that's why I get distracted. I'm trying to figure out what I can do. But that won't ever make it care for you any less. You and I will always be friends."
"Promised?," Jasmine urged her.
"Promised," Mariel confirmed.

Eric had taken things even worse than Mariel in spite of not feeling what she could feel. Up to then, being a warrior had been a beautiful dream filled with colorful promises of strength and glory. Now he had found another side to it, and it was a side he wished he had never known. As an elf, death was something he didn't normally face. He hadn't seen anyone die before, except for some insects and a little bird once; now being on the point of losing his father had shaken his world like nothing ever had. And he didn't fear death nearly as much as the hate that could push someone to cause it. He became determined to stop Kharchek and anyone who followed his steps, and for that he trained harder than ever, both in the fields of fighting and crafting of weapons, pushing himself so much that the lurians had found themselves in the need of urging him to stop before his raged consumed him. And even their efforts had short-lived results. Plus, the repeated news that the local explorers had found no signs of Kharchek wasn't helping.

In order to discharge his rage without hurting anyone once the advice from his friends had begun to sink in, Eric ran into the forest and started dealing blows with his sword to the biggest rock he could find. Until a familiar voice interrupted him.
"That sword is going to need a lot of maintenance when you get back home."
Eric turned around to face the ever so mysterious faerie.
"If there's still anything left of it," she added.
"Erin," he let his lips utter. "How did you find me?"
"Do you really need to ask? You're making a lot of noise. Even the worms must be shaking under the ground right now."
"Sorry, I didn't think I'd hurt anyone by hitting a rock," he apologized.
"You haven't hurt anyone," she comforted him. "But you've managed to scare me, and I'm not easily scared. You're beginning to look like..."
"Like someone you know?," Eric inquired, jumping at the opportunity to find out something about Erin's past.
"Someone I know since I was born and I could never run away from," she half joked. "Believe me, being like that will only hurt you. Don't lose yourself like that."
For the first time Eric looked at Erin as if he was looking at a mirror, and knew that any questions would be out of place.
"Thanks," he said to her, sheathing what was left of his sword.
"You're welcome," she responded. "Keep your innocence. It's one of the best things you have. And... you'll have to do something about that sword."
"I'm already making a new one," he revealed.

After the meeting with Jasmine, Mariel reckoned that she would need the advice of an expert. She still believed that most sorcerers in Ayrus were too full of themselves, and Primrose didn't have the knowledge she needed. Actually, the last classes had been spent in refining what Mariel already knew and creating a new potion together. Mariel had the feeling that she wouldn't be able to learn much more from Primrose, unless her teacher started to learn some new things herself. So, Mariel decided to take Selinur up on his offer and look for him. She didn't feel very comfortable entering Harland -she had only done it once in an emergency-, so she stood outside the town limits and used her connection magic to call for him.

Selinur walked to Mariel's encounter and welcomed her with a smile. He insisted on her following him to his place, and in the end she accepted. His house was old and poorly lit, with books lying on top of every piece of furniture. Not what Mariel had expected of an experienced sorcerer's home, but she already knew life was full of surprises. He offered her something to drink, but she politely refused. Her attention was hoarded by the piles of magic books. Selinur noticed that, and offered her the chance to take a look at them. Mariel immediately picked up a book with a black cover from the table in front of her.
"The principle of opposites," Selinur spoke up. "Interesting book for someone who's walking the path of sorcery or trying to master a domain on its whole. If you ask me, you cannot fully comprehend an element unless you know both of its polarities well. Some tend to forget about the reverse polarities, thus never reaching their full potential."
"Do all elements have reverse polarities?," Mariel asked him with curiosity. She knew about darkness, but hadn't thought about the polarities of the other elements.
"Darkness. Cold. Vacuum. Drought. Erosion. Death," Selinur recited.
"There's death magic too?," Mariel asked, scared.
"Understood as the absence of life, yes. It is possible to suck life out of a living being; though death magic by itself is hard to master, as souls normally tend to cling to their bodies and taking them out against their will is not something anyone can do. Other than shadows, I haven't heard of anyone capable of doing that. Those with enough balance, knowledge and self control to stand a chance, wouldn't do it for the same reasons that would allow them to."
"Shadows?," Mariel asked him, holding the word in her thoughts.
"Pure life beings with no material form. They have the ability to take a soul out of a battered and unconscious body and possess it. That's the only way they can interact with the material world. Though I'm only telling you what I have read or heard. I have never been in contact with a Shadow, and none has been found in this region."
"Why would nature create something like that?," Mariel wondered.
"There's a theory that suggests that Shadows aren't natural, or in any case they were not born like that. Some say they are a product of life magic."
"I didn't know life magic could be so harmful," Mariel admitted.
"All magic can. It always depends on who uses it and how. Any element can be used to make life better or worse."
"Doesn't nature find its balance?," Mariel asked him.
"It tends to, but it's a slow process. And you must remember we're all part of it. The world is what we make from it."
Those words stuck into Mariel's mind like fire carvings.
"I'll make sure to make the best of it," she promised.

Time passed. Mariel split her time into meeting Selinur, Primrose and Jasmine, experimenting on her own and being with Eric, which was increasingly becoming the best part. Having no news of Kharchek, their worries slowly began to fade to a second plane, and they were able to enjoy each other's company like before or even more. Eric finished forging his reinforced sword - made of the hardest alloy known to elves, thick, sharp-edged and with a shiny golden hilt-, and was very proud to show it o the young sorceress, who immediately knew the sword would never be separated from its owner. He also told her that he would soon finish his training in Urthum and would be assigned a guide to assist him on his first journey.
"That's the way with everyone who finishes the course," he explained. "I'll be the youngest merial who has ever achieved that!"
"Congratulations!," she cheered. "I just wish I could go with you."
"You can," he told her. "There are no rules against that. It would be great if you came with me."
"It would be hard to convince my parents to let me go," she said. "They still think I'm too young to stay away from home for more than a day, and it will be hard to think of a good excuse. Besides, I have to tend to my studies."
"Too young?! You'll be fourteen in a few days. And you're the best sorceress I've ever met! Well, the one who learns the fastest anyway. You can continue learning and practising your magic during the trip. I'm sure you'll find things you'd never find at home. Anyway, I think it will be some time before I actually leave, so you have time to show your parents that you can take care of yourself."
"We'll see," Mariel told him. "I'll try not to miss it."

Hmm... I've just reread this chapter. Shurin is a good lurian. Not that that comment has much relevance, but he's good with words.

Chapter 6: Black fire

Eric was sitting outside Urthum after his class when a bright spot of green light approached him.
"Tirena?," Eric tried to guess.
"No," a male voice told him. "But close. I'm Shurin, Tirena's brother."
"Oh. Sorry for mixing you up," Eric apologized.
"It can happen to anyone," Shurin conceded. "So, how's your training going?"
"Good," Eric replied. "But you must know that. You've seen me train many times."
"True, but I wanted to know how you felt it."
"Are you on the teaching course too?," Eric took the turn to ask.
"I've already completed it," Shurin informed her. "Now I help around at school. Which is the same thing Tirena's planning to do when she graduates, so I guess many will be mixing us up in the future."
"Then I guess neither of you is going to be my guide," Eric deduced.
"No, we're not the journeying type. But there are plenty of lurians among the graduates and the ones who are graduating this year who would gladly take on the opportunity. You're likely to be assigned someone you've already had contact with."
"Like Nayra, Pura and Einy?"
"Yes," Shurin laughed.
"What are you laughing at?," Eric asked him.
"Just some old memories. When Einy entered the teaching school, no one thought she would be able to finish it. She was so undisciplined and was always getting in trouble. But with time she proved everybody wrong. Before the tests she locked herself in her room and studied so hard that no one could believe it, and she passed every test with excellent grades."
"Wow!," Eric exclaimed. "And what about Pura and Nayra?"
"Oh, they are both great," Shurin replied. "As long as they're not together. They can't seem to get along. Nayra always things she knows best and Pura just can't stand it. She likes being herself whether others agree with her or not."
"I think that's a good thing," Eric commented. "I'm like that too. I've been frowned upon many times for not thinking like others, but I've held to what I believed in and with time things began to work out."
"That's great to hear," Shurin commended him. "Though I must admit I find Pura a little weird."
"Yeah, she calls me 'little big guy'," Eric laughed. "But it's alright. I think they're all good in their own ways. Nayra's always trying to do things right. Einy can give courses about having fun. And Pura's the most direct and honest. And Tirena, even if she won't be my guide, has always been helpful and understanding. And Auna has taught me so much! Just like Sofrim, the sorcerer. Everyone in Urthum has been great to me. And you're all so different! When I first saw you, I thought that the only differences between you were your voices and the colors of your light."
"Then you have learned the importance of looking close," Shurin pointed out. "Just don't look too close or the light might hurt your eyes," he joked.

Things were finally going on the right course, and it didn't seem like they could change for a while. Until they did.
Eric didn't notice anything out of ordinary. He was heading to the training school as usual, when he was met by a sight he hadn't expected to encounter there. Actually, he was surprised not only by what his eyes saw, but also what his mind made of it. He knew who she was, practically as well as he knew himself. But either his eyes were playing a trick on him, or she had suddenly become extremely beautiful. Everything, from the long threads of gold that fell gracefully down to her young breasts, to her soft skin which was all white except for her ruby-like lips and her cheeks that trapped the sun in them, and the shiny fragments of clear sky that rested peacefully on her face, was all perfect. Even her long white dress decorated with small glittering stones which had once seemed like an excess of elegance to Eric, looked completely different as the wind formed soft waves on its surface. The merial didn't understand what was going on, but he didn't do anything to stop it.

"Is everything alright?," Mariel asked, bringing him back to reality.
"I think so," Eric responded. "I was just remembering how you were surrounded by light when I first met you. And now..."
"And now?," Mariel wanted to know. Eric did his best to find the words.
"Now it looks like the light is inside you," he finally finished.
"I hope so," Mariel sighed worriedly. "I feel we will need all the light we can get."
"Why, what's wrong?"
"I don't know yet."
It's amazing how those can be the scariest words, especially remembering the last time Eric had heard her pronounce them.
"Where?," he asked.
"Somewhere between Urthum and Isthum, I think," Mariel replied.
Without the need for further words, both elves ran to the place Mariel pointed to. What they found was a large burnt area which seemed to have held crops in the past. That, and a large group of lurians floating over the burnt land, and a motionless Erin kneeling down on the blackness.
"What happened here?," Eric asked.
"We shouldn't have let our guards down," Mariel lamented.
"What would you have done?," a red lurian they recognized as Nayra faced her. "This is something no one could have predicted nor prevented."
"Screw us!," cried out an enraged Pura. Everybody turned towards her. "After all these years of being so careful... What have all our precautions served us for?"
"Well, they didn't attack us," pointed out Yolker, a male blue lurian who had also assisted Eric in his training. "Only our crops."
"But we'll starve without them!," complained a pink lurian who was unknown to the elves.
"We will work hard, and we will get them back," Tirena decided.
"But we must find a way to stop this from happening again," her brother pointed out.
"We'll cast protection spells," suggested Sofrim, the gray lurian sorcerer. "We won't take our safety for granted again."
"That won't be enough," Erin finally broke her silence and stood up. "I saw what happened here. It was black fire. It struck overnight and consumed everything. I tried to stop it, but I couldn't."
"Why didn't you ask for help, then? For all we know you could have caused the fire!," a light blue lurian accused her.
"I did ask for help," Erin defended herself. "Many lurians from Isthum came to help me. Most of them are here now, so you can ask them. It's not my fault if you were sleeping too deeply. I can't believe after all these years you can lay such an accusation on me! I thought you knew me better than that."
"Please forgive him, he didn't mean it," a maroon lurian begged her. "You've always helped us and protected us. You've never given us any reason not to trust you."
"Besides, this was black fire," Erin continued. "Caused by magic. I consider myself able to fight many kinds of magic, but I can't use it myself."
"Do you think it was Kharchek?," Eric suggested, worried.
"I feel traces of magic here," Mariel said. "But not his magic. This is something else."
"Then we're being attacked from more than one front," he concluded.
"This is what I've been fearing," Mariel revealed.
"What are we going to do now?," asked Pura.
"You, work on restoring your crops and protecting yourselves," Erin instructed. "I'll get to the source of this and finish it off once and for all."
"What?! It's too dangerous! You can't do it on your own!," Eric warned her.
"Thanks for your concern, kid, but I can't stay motionless while someone or something is trying to take over the world. I'd rather die fighting than watch everything I hold dear crumble in front of me."
That was a side of Erin he had never seen before. He had always thought there was more to her than she cared to show. Now he was finding that to be an understatement.
"I'll go with you," Eric offered. "I'm finishing my training soon. I was going to go on a journey anyway, so I'd rather go with you and do something right."
"I'm going too," Mariel said. "Over the last year I've been feeling something was wrong. I can't live with that feeling unless I try to do something about it."
"You two really are something!," Tirena praised them.
"I've always known it," Pura remarked.
"That must mean one of us is going too," Einy deduced. "Who will it be?"
"Auna will decide that," Shurin informed her. "She'll talk to all of you before the journey begins."
"I just hope things turn out right," she sighed.
"We'll make sure they do," Eric promised.

[Tapewolf]

So far so good.  Is this chapter 5 or 6, though?

[Gabi]

Err... it was chapter 6, sorry. Chapter 5 is up, and so is chapter 6 since you've already read it.

[Gabi]

New chapter up!

Chapter 7: The journey begins

Erin didn't like the idea, but she agreed to stay for a few more days until Eric graduated from the lurians' school. Before meeting him, she wouldn't have thought she'd ever wait for a kid to follow her on a dangerous journey, but there was something special about Eric. He somehow reminded her of the way things should have always been. And deep inside, though she wouldn't admit it to herself, she wanted to believe in him. She wanted him to be right, to be able to make a difference.

Eric's parents were ok with his going on an exploration trip. His mother had done that many times, though she hadn't started at such a young age as her son's. But if Eric had proved something in his life, it was that he could take care of himself. Mariel wasn't as lucky. She went straight to her parents with the truth, telling them that she'd been feeling something was wrong and urging them to go to the council and take action. She was too worried to rely on her little group alone. Eric and the lurians had only seen small parts of the problem, but she'd been sensing magic at work for the last year, and it was getting stronger. She talked to her parents about all of this, and they said that if there was ever a threat to Ayrus, the city would be protected and there would be nothing to fear. Other places beyond Ayrus didn't even cross their minds, let alone searching for the source of the problem and taking it down before it became too strong for anyone. And, of course, they wouldn't listen to Mariel's ideas. Why would they? She was only 14 after all and they'd been around since like forever; they had to know better than her! Despite knowing this, she mentioned the thought of going to the council herself, only to be told that she wasn't old enough to present an issue to the council or attend their meetings. Mariel didn't know what to do. All her ideas were reaching dead ends. Finally, she came up with a good one, but the only way to get it to work would be allowing her parents enough time to dismiss the subject.

All the lurians from Urthum had gathered around the training school for Eric's graduation ceremony. Even some from Isthum were there, acknowledging the importance of the event. Erin stood out among the crowd, as of course did Eric's parents. Eric was the center of attention as he stood by Auna's side while she pronounced an emotive speech. Well, emotive for Eric, at least, who felt like he couldn't hold his heart from jumping out of his chest. For as long as the ceremony lasted, all his worries faded away. He felt like the dream he'd worked for during his whole life was finally coming true. Even though Auna warned him that he still had a lot to learn and that facing the outside world would be his real trial, Eric felt he was finally a warrior; and nothing could be better than that. Well, nothing except having Mariel by his side, watching him achieve his greatest dream. He couldn't understand why she wasn't there; her absence was the only thing that stopped him from feeling complete.

When Auna's speech concluded, Eric's parents handed him a backpack with a shield, clothes, a small and old book and some vitals which, along with his sword, would conform his equipment on his journey. Then came the time to announce the name of the lurian who would become Eric's guide. Eric was nervous. He hoped it was a lurian he'd already talked to; that way it would be easier to get along during a long trip. He hoped Shurin had been right about Auna choosing someone who was close to him. In the end, those worries disappeared when Auna called out Pura's name. The light violet lurian soared above the crowd and reached Eric's right shoulder in a split second. Eric smiled.

"It's good to see it's you," he said.
"Really? Well, now I'm flattered!," she chirped.
"Did you want to come with me?"
"You bet, little big guy!," she laughed. "I wouldn't have missed it for anything. I want to watch you become what I see you can be."
"But this is no ordinary trip. This could be dangerous," he warned her.
"As dangerous as staying," Pura pointed out. "We've already been attacked, remember? Anyway, I'm not an easy target. I'll be proud to watch your back and guide you as I was trained to."
"Can you tell me something?," Eric asked her.
"Sure, what is it?"
"How did they choose you? I mean, did you pass a test or something?"
"I passed all my tests, just like everyone else," she told him. "Then Auna talked to us one by one. I think that's how she made up her mind. She asked me what my relationship with you was like, and how I felt about you and about going on a journey like this. I guess she liked my answers."
"And what were your answers?"
"You already know. It's not like I'm not telling you all the time, right?"
"Right," Eric laughed.
"For a moment, I thought that I was too excited and that they would look for someone who was more balanced, like Nayra," she began to say, when Erin interrupted them.
"Are we going?," the faerie said. "I've already waited long enough, I'm not waiting until you decide to finish your endless conversation, which you can continue as we move, by the way."
"Just a second," Eric said, looking around.

He began to walk slowly, as if searching for something. Pura and Erin didn't understand what was going on, but they followed him past the nearest trees, away from the puzzled crowd, where Eric finally found the one he had been missing.
"I was afraid you wouldn't come," Eric admitted to her.
"Sorry, I had some problems," Mariel apologized. "My parents wouldn't let me go on a quest to save the world; I had to convince them that I was going on a trip to explore the forest and improve my knowledge of nature and magic. Which I'll probably be doing anyway. I tried to catch up with you at the ceremony, but I see I was too late."
"You hate telling lies, don't you?," Eric observed.
"It's not the way I am," she told him. "But well, I've managed to have them let me go. Them and Jasmine; she didn't want me to leave, but I promised her I would return and said it was important, and in the end she accepted. I can begin to do things right from now. Oh, they gave me a shield, by the way, in case I need protection."
She handed Eric a shield she took from her own backpack and he examined it. It was flat, with a plain silvery face on which you could see your own face, golden borders and a handle.
"It's quite thin and its shape is not the best," Eric diagnosed. "It won't endure many strong attacks. But at least it will offer some protection."
"Thanks for the information," Mariel replied. "I'll try to use some magic on it to make it better."
"The shield is not the biggest problem," Erin commented breaking into the conversation.
"What else is wrong?," Mariel asked her.
"Are you really planning to go on a journey dressed like that?!," Erin scolded her. "That pretty dress of yours will tear apart as soon as it gets stuck on the first thorn. And it won't be good for running either. Maybe if you could fly, you could afford that luxury; but even so, I wouldn't go out to a possible confrontation wearing something so uncomfortable and fragile."
"I know it won't last long," Mariel told her. "And I don't mind. I'm willing to take much bigger risks than ruining my dress. But think about it. This is a day we will all remember forever. We will now walk our first steps into something I'm sure we can't even begin to imagine. If we succeed, and I trust that we will, everyone who sees us now will remember the moment when we headed off to start our journey. So I think it would be best to offer them a nice image to remember."
"Nice thoughts!," Pura praised her.
"You must be kidding me!," Erin cried out. "I should have expected that from a 14-year-old elvin, but Pura, you're supposed to be the voice of wisdom here!"
"There's nothing wrong in looking good," Pura defended herself. "And she has already stated that she doesn't mind ruining her looks along the journey, so why don't you just relax and let each of us have it our own way?"
"It will be hard to relax among a bunch like you," Erin complained.
"Don't be so rude!," Eric demanded. "If we're going to do something together, we will have to get along. So why don't you make a little effort and start out right?"
Erin sighed. She had no arguments against that logic.
"Ok, but be warned. This is not a game."
"We know that," Mariel assured.

They all went back to Urthum, where they got to say goodbye to everyone and receive their good wishes. Then they headed to the north and, as they passed by Isthum and left it behind, they began their journey into the unknown.

Everything went well until Eric picked up his book and began to browse it.
"What is that book?," Mariel wanted to know.
"It's some kind of catalogue, or manual. It gives information about all the creatures ever found on this area."
"Let me check," Erin said getting on the book and turning its pages until she reached the index. Then she looked at it for a while and left the book. "It only has data on the creatures from the southern half of the forest," she commented.
"I guess it was the best book my mum could afford not to return," Eric sighed.
"I know about some beings from the north," Pura stated. "I studied them at school."
"I know more about some creatures from the south than the book says," Erin replied in a loud voice.
"That was uncalled for," Pura claimed.
"I was just doing the same as you, so if my comment was uncalled for, so was yours," Erin shot back.
"I don't know much about you, but I know you've been living in Isthum and I think I know where you're getting to. I won't let you cause more trouble than we already have."
"I'm not getting anywhere," Erin assured. "I just said that I know about the creatures from the south. So if anyone's causing trouble, that's you. If I were you, I'd rather watch my... oh, wait. I'd rather not be you at all."
"WILL YOU PLEASE STOP IT?!," Eric shouted out. "Why can't you two just get along?! You're arguing over nothing! How are we supposed to stand a chance against an enemy if we can't even stay together without fighting? If Pura knows about the north and Erin knows about the south... well, perfect! Together you both know everything we can find!"
"It doesn't work like that," Erin sighed. "We can come across things we'll never expect. We must be prepared for anything. But you're right about one thing, we mustn't fight amongst ourselves. Besides our knowledge is not something to argue about, right, Pura?"
"Right," Pura agreed.
Neither Eric nor Mariel could understand where that had all come from, but they were glad it was over. Well, at least it was until lunchtime.

When the group began to feel hungry, Pura suggested looking for food in the forest, so that they could save their supplies for a time when food was not at hand. Erin offered to make a fire for the things that needed to be cooked, and the problem came when Eric offered to help Erin.
"I can do it alone. Go help your friends find something to put on the fire," Erin insisted.
"Why can't you ever accept help?," Eric asked.
"I accept help when I need it," Erin affirmed. "Right now I don't. And when I don't, I work best on my own."
"I'm trying to help you, not to hold you back," Eric remarked.
"I know. Holding me back is just an unfortunate side effect. Just think about it, I could have almost finished getting the wood by now."
"You don't have to be so rude, you know," Eric told her. "What's going on with you? You're acting so strange today!"
"I always act strange," Erin pointed out.
"True, and I don't know why you do it. But still, you've never been like this before. Why is it? Are you mad at Pura for something?"
"No, I barely even know her," she confessed.
"Then why are you treating her like that? She's good, she doesn't mean to hurt you. It looks as if you were trying to push everyone away from you!"
"You know what? You make the fire. It will serve you as practice," Erin decided. "I'll go and find something to eat for all of us."
Before Eric could reply, the faerie flew away, leaving the merial with the thought that he would never get to understand her.

After lunch, they went on, not knowing what they were going to find, nor when they would find it. Every now and then Pura would fly up and check how things looked ahead of them, but she never found anything out of ordinary. At least Erin and her had stopped fighting for the moment.
"I must admit I thought this trip would be more exciting," Eric commented.
"Get used to this," Erin told him. "Warriors usually have to travel long distances without anything 'exciting' happening on the way. It's better this way. It means we're not being considered a threat yet."
"By whom?," Eric asked.
"Whoever we're up against," Erin answered.
"How do we even know we're going on the right direction?," Eric questioned.
"The perturbed sorcerer escaped to the north. The black fire came from the north. Whatever's going on, it's coming from there."
"But they could have moved by now. They could be anywhere. We don't even know who we're after. Is Kharchek working with someone else or did the black fire have nothing to do with him?"
"I feel we're on the right way," Mariel informed him. That seemed to calm him down a little.

An uneventful day came to its end, followed by an also uneventful night in which the travelers set up a small camp and took turns to keep guard. They resumed their activity with the sunrise, and kept moving until a wall of vines blocked their way. Countless vines were linking each pair of trees for as far as they could see on each side, pressed tight against each other forming a solid structure.
"This can't be natural," Pura stated the obvious. "And no creatures form something like this for their everyday lives. The dassels may use a similar construction as a dam, but we're not anywhere near a river now."
"I can cut through it with my sword," Eric readied himself.
"So can I, but we'd better not destroy what others built without a reason," Erin advised him. "We don't know what this wall is for. It may be some kind of protection."
"You're right. Sorry," Eric apologized. "What should we do, then?"
"I think we should go over it," Erin suggested.
"It's so high!," Mariel noted. "I think I'll need help to climb it."
"I'll help you," Eric offered. "You start climbing and I'll go right behind you."

Mariel and Erin began to climb the wall of vines, while Erin and Pura flew by their side. Pura would go up and down and tell Mariel how much closer she was getting. Mariel's main concern at that moment was how she would make it down after reaching the top. However, when he set her foot on the other side of the wall, getting down was the least of her problems. One of the vines suddenly wrapped itself around her ankle, while the others began to shake making her lose her grip. She managed to find another spot to get her hands on before falling, but then all the vines of the wall untied themselves and began to move, hitting both elves and throwing them from side to side. Until Mariel finally slipped. Erin managed to hold Mariel's back up and slow down her fall so that she got to the ground unhurt. Eric jumped down evading as many vines as he could and slicing the others with his sword. Pura flew down right behind him.

"What's going on?!," he asked when she reached the ground.
"Dassels," Pura responded. "But if you're asking why they're attacking us, that I don't know."
As soon as Pura said this, a dozen of small plant faeries came out of everywhere and surrounded them. They stared at the group with rage, and all the plants around them turn towards them backing the dassels up.
"Why are you doing this?," Mariel asked, trying to avoid a confrontation that was inevitable to everyone else's eyes.
"We won't tolerate any trespassers," one of the dassels spoke.
"But we're not trying to hurt you. We're just trying to move ahead," she explained.
"That's something you're not going to do," another dassel said, stretching out an arm. At that moment, one of the vines hit Mariel from behind.
"Ok, if you're looking for trouble, you don't know what you're getting yourselves into," Erin warned them, taking her sword out of nowhere.
She pressed her hands against her sword, and as a branch threw itself against her, she sliced it in two as if it was thin air.
"Are you three going to do something or will you just watch?," Erin called out.

As the dassels kept attacking, Eric put his own sword to use, while Mariel and Pura shot light spheres at the dassels.
The faeries were hit by the light attacks, but they resisted. The plants they used to attack were turned to pieces, but they kept coming. There wasn't much Mariel could do when some of the vines caught her by her waist and wrists and began to press against her.
"We're not doing anything to them!," Pura complained. "Dassels feed on light. We need more power to defeat them."
"We have more power," Erin affirmed. "I haven't sliced any of the dassels yet, but I will if they force me to."
Saying this, she made for the vines that were trapping Mariel and cut them down.
"Thanks. I'll try something different now," Mariel announced. "Everybody close your eyes."
Her companions did as she instructed, even if that put them at a disadvantage. Eric trusted her completely and Erin wanted to find out what she had in mind. As for Pura, they didn't know if she even had eyes to close, but in any case not many things could hurt her. Even through their eyelids, the bright light that suddenly appeared was annoying. To anyone who had been looking straight at it, it would have been blinding. When it faded away, they all opened their eyes. The dassels were lying on the ground, and the plants had stopped moving.

"Are they..." Eric began to ask.
"They're dazed," Mariel told him. "The light was too intense for them. Even plants are hurt when they're exposed to too much light."
"Then we'd better go before they wake up," Pura suggested.
"Better for them," Erin blared as she started moving. "This wasn't a real battle. It was just warm-up. No dassel would stand a chance against my sword, and you're all stronger than you think. This means our enemies are still disorganized. Otherwise they wouldn't have let dassels attack us. They would have picked a bigger threat."
"What do you mean?," Eric asked her. "Are you saying those dassels and Kharchek are connected?"
"Maybe not directly," Erin reflected. "Not yet, but I think that the same force is driving them."
"What force? And how did you come to that conclusion?"
"I haven't figured everything out yet, but I'm working on it," Erin said. "By the way, nice trick you pulled out, Mariel!"
"Thanks. It was hard; I hadn't been able to test it before. It was Glare, a level 3 spell. I only managed to make it this strong because light is my element."
"What's a level 3 spell?," asked Eric.
"Most magic books have spells sorted by difficulty level. The higher the level, the harder it is to learn them and cast them. They also tend to be more powerful. Most magic users start by learning low level spells, both when they begin their training and when they start exploring a new domain. Level 3 is not very strong, but I'm still learning; and I can make light spells stronger than they normally would be."
"It's good that we have a strong light user in the group," Pura sighed. "I should learn some magic too. Otherwise I won't be able to help much in battle. I'm a light being, I should be able to harness light as well as you do."
"And better," Mariel added. "I still have a lot to learn. But I can try to teach you what I know."
"That would be great," Pura accepted.
"So, what are we going to do now?," Eric asked.
"Keep moving," Erin replied. "And prepare ourselves physically and mentally for what lies ahead. Then see what they throw at us."

[Tapewolf]

Aw, have they stopped bickering already?  I kind of liked the idea of a party where the members hate each other 

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

No, I think they just stop bickering when attacked. Given a bit of time alone, they'll start bickering again...


:-)

[Gabi]

You're both right, in a way... It's not that they hate each other (sorry to disappoint you), but there's some tension between them, mainly due to the fact that one of them talks too little and the other talks too much. Add that to the fact that they're both keeping secrets but Erin knows what Pura's secret is... and there you have it.

And now... the begining of a side-quest. Because all adventures have at least one of them.

Chapter 8: The mermaid

The encounter with the dassels, as brief as it had been, had affected the group. Not a word was said for hours, and when Eric finally broke the silence, Erin wished that he hadn't.
"I kept thinking about what you said," he told her. "That you hadn't sliced any dassels yet, but you would if you had to."
"I said what I had to say," Erin replied, anticipating his question. That didn't stop him from going on.
"Would you really have killed them?," he questioned her.
Erin sighed and thought for a moment.
"Believe me, I'm not one to kill first and think later; I don't take life lightly. But sometimes... more often than not... things don't turn out the way they should. If they leave us with no choice, then I will. If it's our lives or theirs, I'll choose ours."
"Have you ever killed anyone before?," Eric inquired.
The silence that followed made the merial really scared.
"Have you?!," he insisted.
"No," Erin finally replied, allowing breath to return to her friend. "But I should have."
"What do you mean? How? Why?!"
"Trust me this time. You don't want to know."
"Don't push us aside like this," Mariel joined the discussion. "We'll never be able to understand you if you don't open up yourself."
"I don't need you to understand me," Erin groaned. "I don't need anyone to understand me."

With this, she began to fly faster, putting as much distance as she could between her and the rest of the group. It didn't help: Pura was much faster than her, and reached her in a second.
"Go away, lurian!," Erin shouted. "Go back and protect the young ones."
"They're not the ones who need me at this moment," Pura stated.
"I don't need you either," Erin rejected her. "You may know more about me than they do, but that doesn't give you the right to interfere with my life."
"I don't know that much about you," Pura admitted. "I know you arrived in Isthum about 8 years ago, but that's all. Whatever the Isthumi knew, they've kept to themselves."
"And that doesn't bother you?," Erin inquired.
"You'll open up when you feel you're ready," she answered. "I know why secrets are kept; it's for protection. And I don't intend to threaten whatever it is you're protecting."
"I guess having a lurian in the group is not that bad after all," Erin chuckled. "But if you're not trying to find out the story of my life, then why did you follow me?"
"To bring you back," Pura replied. "We need you, Erin. You're the only one in the group who has real fighting experience, and you've seen through your own eyes many of the things I've only read in books. Besides, Eric cares for you. He suffers a lot when he sees you're hurt."
"How do you know that?," Erin queried.
"The little big guy is quite transparent," Pura replied. "Since the first time I saw the two of you together, I knew he considered you a good friend. And he takes friendship very seriously."
There was a moment of silence, in which Erin seemed to be having an inner debate.
"I guess I've been unfair, haven't I?," she concluded. "How can I go on a quest to save the world if I can only think about myself?"
"Does that mean you're returning?"
"Yes, I'll go back with you," Erin confirmed. "But please, don't tell the kids anything about this conversation. Something like this could easily give them a wrong idea about me. I don't want them to think I'm fragile or anything."
"Whatever you say. Though I believe having feelings is a strength, not a sign of fragility."
"Hold on to your innocence, Pura," Erin smiled. "You as much as the kids."

Not much happened after Erin rejoined the group and the elves gave her a warm welcome. The curious thing was that the mysterious faerie didn't engage in an argument with anyone else for the rest of the day. But she was far from relaxed. She was still alert, trying to detect any threats before they were caught in them. Nothing seemed to come, and so she considered the possibility of the attack from the dassels being an isolated incident. She considered it, but didn't find it very likely. Her mind was still juggling with the theory of a web of evil forces, full of threads with ends that were distant from each other and rather disorganized, but with a core... a common origin somewhere. If that theory was correct, it would be some time before they reached the core, but the threats would start coming more often and being tighter and more refined as they advanced in their journey.

Erin had accidentally let her mind wander, and only became aware of it when the sound of flowing water became too strong to go unnoticed.
"We're heading towards a river," she announced.
"That's great!," Eric exclaimed. "That way we'll have as much water as we need for as long as we follow it."
"That's not great," Erin contradicted him. "While having water is a good thing, no place is as exposed as a river. No trees grow over it, so we'll be easily spotted from the air. And the creatures who live in the water can be very treacherous. Some of them can blend with the water and you can't see them until they're onto you. And if they manage to drag you into the water, you're lost. It's much harder to fight in the water, and your need for air becomes a great disadvantage against the creatures who can breathe underwater. If they decide to attack us, let's not give them the surprise factor and the advantage of fighting in their own territory."
"You know," Pura began, "as dangerous as that may be, we don't know if any water creatures are going to attack us; and we do know that we need water. Being spotted from the air won't be a problem if we go near the river, but not right on the shore. And that way whatever is in there will have to come out of the water to reach us."
"I think she's right," Mariel supported her.
"Then you all agree," Erin sighed, beginning to fly towards the river. "I can't argue with that, but I still have a bad feeling."
"No offense, but was there ever a moment in which you didn't have a bad feeling?," Eric questioned, following her. The others began to move.
"There were some," Erin replied. "And those moments turned out to be right before disaster stroke."
"In that case maybe your having a bad feeling now is a good sign," Eric joked.
"That doesn't make any sense," Erin argued.
"But it's logically correct," Pura remarked.
Erin stared at her with a look that demanded an explanation and it had better be a good one.
"Well, if you stick to pure logic and don't try to make any sense out of it," Pura conceded.
"I can't make any sense of what you just said, but if you call that logic, then your logic is useless," Erin protested.
"That's Erin for you. Always so visceral," Pura commented to no one in particular.
"I don't think my internal organs have much to do with your senseless babbling," Erin countered.
"Don't tell me you don't even know what 'visceral' means in this context!"
"Please don't start it again!," Mariel cried.
"I think I shouldn't have said anything at all," Eric reflected.

They maintained the course until the river became visible, and then turned to follow its flow. The argument eventually died down and the forest was once more filled with its own sounds, out of which the sound of the water predominated. That was until a new sound became audible. It was a high-pitched sound, like a screech, which as the group got closer became a desperate cry.
"I will investigate," Pura proposed, flashing towards the origin of the sounds.
In a blink, the lurian was back.
"It's a mermaid," she announced. "She's trapped in a net of algae and trailing plants, and she looked hurt. Who knows how long she's been struggling to get out!"
"We must help her!," Eric declared.
Waiting no longer than a second for a response, the merial rushed to the site where the mermaid lay.
"We need to do something about his impulsiveness," Erin commented, following him.
Mariel followed quietly, but as fast as she could.

As soon as they got to the river, they could see the mermaid. Her long, platinum-blond hair was so tangled in the water plants that they seemed to be the same thing. She had trailing plants wrapped around her arms, waist and neck, and all around her long fish-like tail, which had some visible cuts probably made by the branches. Eric took out his sword and the mermaid screamed.
"Don't be scared, we're trying to help you," Mariel assured.
The screaming stopped, allowing Eric to cut the branches one by one. Mariel took out her small knife from her backpack -the one she used to cut herbs for her potions- and helped him.
"I wonder how she does it," Erin commented.
"How she does what?," Pura asked.
"Get everyone to trust her," Erin explained.
"Oh. It must be because she distills honesty," Pura concluded.

Soon, the mermaid was free of her vegetal prison.
"How can I thank you?," she spoke in a thin voice.
"You could tell us what happened to you," Eric said.
"Oh. I was assaulted by a group of dassels and heerynauts."
"Heerynauts?," Eric asked.
"Small water creatures. They can manipulate the water around them," Pura explained.
"Who are you?," Erin inquired.
"I'm Mirna from Asyrann," the mermaid replied.
"Asyrann?," Erin asked, looking at Pura.
"Never heard of that place," Pura replied.
"Asyrann is a city built on the bottom of the Heelim lake, downstream from here," Mirna informed them. "Or at least it was. Now that our pearl has been stolen, the city will die unless we manage to find it."
"How can a whole city depend on a pearl?," Eric inquired.
"It wasn't any pearl. The Pearl of Asyran holds an immense magical power. It provided us with light in places so deep that the rays of the sun can't touch them, it kept the whole lake at an ideal temperature all year long, and those who were ill or hurt would heal immediately upon touching it. I don't know when or how the pearl was created, but the whole city was built around it, and we may not survive without it."
"How was it stolen?," Mariel queried.
"It was so strange... we had never been attacked before, but one day a large group of heerynauts entered the city and did something to the water. Suddenly everything became black, and not even the light from the pearl could cast the darkness away. Everyone was confused. We didn't understand what was going on, but the first thing we all thought of was protecting the pearl. However, a loud screeching sound came in from everywhere and we became dizzy. I remember being hit by something, but I can't tell if it was a weapon or a wall. When the sound stopped, we tried to find the pearl, but we couldn't. A few minutes later the water cleared out, and we saw the pearl holder was empty. Many scouts were sent to find the heerynauts. I was one of them. But as you can see, I fell into a trap."
"That's awful!," Eric exclaimed. "Is there any way we can help you?"
"Maybe," she said. "Who are you?"
"Oh, sorry we didn't introduce ourselves," Mariel apologized. "My name is Mariel. He's Eric, and these are Erin and Pura. We're on an initiation journey, but we're also trying to find the source of the evil forces that have been affecting the world lately."
"Tell everyone, will you?," Erin scolded her. "Why don't you send a flare signal so that our enemies track us down, since you're at it?"
"I'm sorry, Erin, but Mirna seems reliable," Mariel defended herself.
"She does," Erin agreed. "But appearances can be deceitful."
"Give her some credit," Eric supported Mariel. "She's a powerful sorceress. She knows who she can trust."
"You're a sorceress?," Mirna asked Mariel.
"Yes, but not as powerful as he gives me credit for," she told her. "I still have a lot to learn. But I do have a good intuition to judge the intentions of others."
"It looks like you're a group of heroes or something," Mirna commented. "You can help me, then. Come to Asyrann with me and help us recover the pearl from its captors."
"Why go to Asyrann?," Erin questioned her. "The pearl must be miles away by now. It will probably be somewhere away from the water, where your people can't reach it."
"If the pearl is so powerful, then its magic would be felt from a long distance if it were out of the water," Mariel theorized. "We would be able to see its light from here. The air is harder to darken than the water and darkness magic wouldn't last, especially not against that pearl."
"According to everything I've heard about light magic, she's right," Pura backed her up.
"The pearl must be hidden underground, or inside a deep cave," Mariel deduced. "It must be surrounded by something that blocks the passing of light. Still, if we get near it, I should be able to sense its power."
"Let me get this straight," Erin stopped her. "You're not suggesting that we explore the soil under the water, are you?"
"I think that's the place where we're most likely to find it," Mariel affirmed.
"It's the place where we're most likely to pass out," Erin contradicted her. "If we're going to confront heerynauts, we'll be at their mercy down there."
"What happened to the brave fighter I met two years ago?," Eric asked her.
"She's still here, but she doesn't want to commit suicide," Erin shot back. "There's a line between bravery and recklessness. We have to come up with a different plan."
"So you do want to help?," Eric tried to confirm.
"I never said the opposite," she replied. "But we must make sure we can at least breathe while we try to get the pearl back."
"Oh, if that's the problem, I have the solution," Mirna declared. "I've brought along some bubble leaves. If you chew them, they can provide air for you for up to a day. Maybe more for you and the light creature, since you're smaller."
"My name is Pura," the lurian corrected her.
"Oh, sorry, Pura," she apologized.
"Fighting underwater while chewing leaves for air sounds like one of the most uncomfortable situations I can imagine," Erin remarked, "but I don't want you to think I'm inconsiderate. I'll go with you, but I'll stay above the water until I'm needed. And I suggest we try to lure the heerynauts out of the water if we have to confront them. As a general rule, try not to fight in your opponent's territory."
"Like we've done with the dassels, you mean?," Eric asked her.
"Well, I think a desert or the top of a volcano would be ideal places to fight dassels," Erin pointed out. "But they're bad fighters anyway. At least those we found. They'd even lose a battle in the middle of a jungle."
"The dassels who attacked me were quite strong," Mirna remarked.
"I didn't mean to offend you," Erin stated, probably trying to apologize. "If they were, I'd like to see them. It would be interesting to see a dassel who can touch my sword and still want to fight."
"I thought you'd said something about recklessness," Eric reminded her.
"Give me a break, will you?," Erin laughed. "Ok, so I was bragging, but it's true that I'm yet to see a dassel who can hold itself in a battle for more than 10 minutes."
"I'll get into the river and start searching for the pearl," decided Mariel, putting an end to a conversation that was bound to cause nothing but tension among her partners.

[Gabi]

No comments? Ok, the side-quest's ending anyway.

Chapter 9: The pearl of Asyrann

The search for the pearl began with Mirna and Mariel seeking for signs underwater, while Eric, Erin and Pura followed them on the shore. Eric asked why they had to go underwater, and Pura explained that energy spreads in all directions under the water and it would be easier to feel the magic from the pearl that way. As it took time for them to find anything, Eric decided to check his book for information on the heerynauts.

"It doesn't say anything about the screeches Mirna mentioned," he commented after a few moments.
"That book is quite incomplete, if you ask me," Erin remarked.
"The book can't say more than the author knew," Pura pointed out. "Maybe the author didn't get to hear that sound."
"I thought those books were written by professional explorers," Erin said.
"But sometimes not even an explorer gets to see everything," Pura noted. "For example, what would an explorer say about you?"
"Nothing," Erin replied. "I would kick his butt before he got to write my name on a book. If I can't talk him out of it, that is."
"See what I say?," Pura chuckled.
"You're getting worse by the minute!," Eric complained. "Are you sure those evil forces are not affecting you?"
"Don't worry, I'm clean," Erin responded. "I was just kidding about the butt-kicking part. Pura and I have made it a habit of testing each other's limits. Right, Pura?"
"Well, you can put it that way," Pura conceded. "It's true that I'm not mad at you anymore, and I don't think you will do anything to hurt me intentionally. And you can say the same about me."
"Yes, you're too blatantly honest for your own good, but you know how to keep a secret if you have to. I'll just make sure not to give you too many secrets to keep," Erin commented.

"Hey, I've just noticed something!," Eric exclaimed.
"What is it?," Pura asked.
"We're 5 now and I'm the only male!"
"We should give your boy a prize for his observational skills," Erin joked, directing her look at Pura.
"I'm sure he didn't mean he's only just noticed that," Pura defended him.
"No, I knew, but... why am I surrounded by females?"
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?," Pura asked him.
"Don't worry, I'll never act like a typical female, so you're safe," Erin assure.
"What does a typical female act like?," Pura dared her.
"Like the stereotype. You know... all sweet and corny and defenseless... always waiting for a brave guy to save her," Erin described. "Just like... you know."
She pointed with her head to the water, where Mirna was swimming.
"Why do you have to be so aggressive?," Eric questioned her.
"Sorry. It's nothing personal, but I feel disgusted by that kind of attitude. I think everyone should have the means and the courage to do something for themselves. What kind of life would you have otherwise? Just float wherever the river takes you and hope that you won't crash against a rock on your way?"
"I still think you're being unfair," Pura argued. "You barely even know her. Give her a chance. Everyone has something good to offer."
"Not everyone, but I can't blame you. I used to think that way too, when I was younger," Erin confessed. "It feels better to think that. The world looks nicer and simpler."
"How old are you?," Eric inquired.
"2 years older than I was the first time you asked," she said.
"But you didn't tell me that time," Eric reminded her.
"Then what makes you think I'm going to tell you now?"
"Well, we're friends now," Eric pointed out.
"Ok, friend, I'm older than you and Mariel and probably older than Pura, but that's all you're ever gonna get, so please stop asking."
"You have an incredible talent for responding to questions without answering them, did you know that?"
"Thanks, I'm flattered," Erin smiled.

Fortunately for everyone, the argument came to a stop due to Mariel coming out to the surface, followed by Mirna.
"I've felt something," Mariel announced. "Powerful magic. It must be the pearl, or maybe what's holding it."
"Great!," Eric exclaimed. "Where is it?"
"A few steps ahead, there's a tunnel going down from the left side of the river."
"On the other shore, you mean?"
"Yes, under the shore. That's where the energy's coming from."
"Oh, great!," Erin exclaimed sarcastically.
"What's the problem?," Eric asked her.
"Nothing, nothing. Let's go and get this over with."

Mirna handed out the bubble leaves and everyone took them in and got into the water. Erin stayed behind for a moment, fighting her own thoughts. Her muscles tensed when the cold water touched her skin, but she knew she couldn't allow herself to be slowed down by a minor annoyance. If she was going to reach the center of the web, the 'core' as she called it, then she would have to endure much worse than whatever she'd find now. This was only the first test. She had an air supply to last for a day or more and the chances of the tunnel collapsing were small unless someone caused that intentionally. She'd have to make sure that didn't happen. And yes, the water would offer resistance to her moves, but she had the physical strength to counter that effect. Her friends wouldn't be so lucky, but she'd help them if they needed her. The only problem left was her sword. But she'd deal with that when the time came.

The tunnel was long and silent. Too silent. The only sounds they could hear were the ones they made while swimming and releasing the worn-out air from their lungs. Until Mirna heard something, and stopped. The others, who were behind her, stopped to look at her.
"They're close," she informed them, being the only one who could speak underwater.
Erin got closer to her, but didn't find a way to get more information. In the end, she took the front and swam forward.
Erin and the others began to hear the sounds a few seconds later. Many voices, all speaking at the same time. It was impossible to make out what they were saying. Not long afterwards, they took a turn and found an opening. The walls of the tunnel parted from each other, forming a spherical area the size of a small house. Many small, blue-skinned beings were gathered inside, chatting loudly. A white light came from behind the crowd. It had to be the pearl. Naturally, they couldn't stay there contemplating it. Light travels in all directions, and just as the group saw the heerynauts, the water creatures spotted them. Of course, that would have had to happen sooner or later, and there would have been no way to discuss a plan underwater. There are times when you just have to improvise.

The heerynauts stopped talking and looked at each other, confused. Apparently they weren't expecting an intrusion. Finally, one of them came out from the crowd, floating right in front of the furthest wall, and issued a command.
"Get them!"

The heerynauts turned to the intruders and closed their fists together in front of their mouths. Not the kind of action the pearl seekers were expecting. Actually, no action seemed to follow. This was really awkward. Until Mirna began to scream and cry. The others looked at her, and saw she was covering her ears with her hands and twisting her body uncontrollably. That explained many things. Among the creatures who inhabited the forest of Lumms, mermaids had the most acute hearing. Probably the explorer who had written Eric's book hadn't been able to hear the heerynauts' sonic attack. But that wasn't the time to think about those things. It was the time to act.

Eric took out his sword and launched himself forward towards the heerynauts. The blue creatures were caught by surprise, but reacted fast, clinging to Eric's arms and legs and hindering his moves more than the water could. Mariel and Pura began to shoot light spheres at the heerynauts, trying to open a path in order to reach the pearl. They were succeeding. Well, at least until a dart was shot at Mariel's back. She fell, and when she tried to stand up again her body was all covered by heerynauts pressing her against the ground, like ants on a fallen piece of fruit. Pura moved up, and kept shooting her light balls at Mariel's attackers, but they were too many for her alone. That was when Erin came in their aid. Her fists managed to set enough heerynauts apart for the elvin to stand back on her feet. However, Mariel tumbled and immediately noticed that something was wrong. She took the dart out of her back and looked at it, worried. She couldn't smell it under the water, but she didn't have to. She was already experiencing the dizziness and clumsiness that came as the first symptoms of poisoning with several substances that Primrose had taught her about. She didn't know what kind of posion it was yet, but she knew she had to heal herself before she fell unconscious. If that happened, it would most probably be too late. Luckily for her, elves had a natural resistance to most toxic substances, so her body would be able to fight the poison for a while unless more darts came her way. She walked slowly, trying to make for the pearl.

Erin instantly recognized Mariel's condition and her intentions, and made it her task to protect her from further attacks. Of course, that was easier thought than done. She could have easily blocked attacks with her sword, but there wasn't enough air to summon it. It was incredible how something so valuable could be taken for granted most of the time. She looked around, searching for the heerynaut with the darts, and found him in time for stopping him from taking another shot. She moved faster than she'd ever thought she could under the water, and broke the heerynaut's blowgun in two with her bare hands. The heerynaut seemed to be as surprised as she was; but the shock didn't last long. The blue-skinned being opened his hands, stretching out the membranes between his fingers, and a strong current of water blew Erin down, sticking her to the ground. She tried to get back up, but more heerynauts surrounded her and the water began to press harder. She couldn't move; and what was worse, the pressing stream didn't leave enough room in her neck for the little air that came out of the bubble leaves to pass. The only thought that crossed Erin's mind at that moment was "I knew something bad would happen".

Eric had his hands full with heerynauts attacking him from all directions. He used his sword to blow away their attacks, but there was only so much he could do. And, all his old friends being out of sight, he couldn't turn his back on Mirna, who now lay immobilized on the ground, her eyelids tightly closed and her hands pressing against her ears. He couldn't begin to imagine how much the sound was hurting her. He had to find the heerynauts who were still making it, and stop them.

Mariel had almost made it. She could already see the pearl in front of her. Its pure, beautiful light invited her to get closer, giving her the strength to walk the next step, and the following one... but the heerynauts surrounded her before she could reach it. Before she knew, she was trapped in a whirlpool, spinning out of control. She was in pain, and the dizziness forced her to close her eyes. Although inside the whirlpool she would have seen nothing but blurs anyway.

"I can't let them win," she thought. "I'm so close, I have to do something!"

She felt a strong pain run up her spine. As a reflex, she let her shoulders and head fall forward. One second later, an idea came to her mind. She stop struggling against the water, letting her whole body fall.
"She's out," one of the heerynauts said. The water around Mariel stopped spinning, and instead deposited her slowly on the ground. The elvin lay motionless, confirming the heerynaut's thoughts. The water creatures closed in, ready to deal the final blow and get rid of her forever, but all of a sudden an intense light came out from the apparently inert body, blinding them. The light pierced through their flesh, or at least that was how they felt it. All the cells in their bodies began to vibrate. It was a kind of energy they weren't used to, and they couldn't stand it. The ones who were closer to Mariel fell unconscious. The others fled as fast as they could, leaving the elf alone. Mariel opened her eyes, letting the light guide her, and slithered on the ground. "This is the last effort," she told herself. "Then everything will be fine."

Pura watched everything from above, trying to come up with the best course of action, her own mind being her worst opponent.
"I can't be so worthless," she scolded herself. "How did I ever get to graduate? I wasn't that bad at the practices, but I'm useless when real trouble comes. My friends cannot count on me when they need me the most!"
Her thoughts were beginning to irritate her more than her enemies ever could. If she didn't react to them, she would sooner or later react to her own rage against herself. She could launch herself against the heerynauts just to shut her thoughts up. Of course, that wouldn't help much. She would have to control herself or else the heerynauts would be onto her in no time.
"Now that I think of it, why haven't they attacked me yet?," she wondered. "They have seen me, and they have felt my attacks before, so why didn't they react? Do they consider me too little of a threat to worry about me, or is it that they haven't figured out how to hurt me yet?"
Those thoughts sounded promising. In either case, she had an advantage. Whether she was being underestimated, or thought invulnerable, she stood a chance to go back into the battle without receiving any attacks, at least for some time. That should be enough to do something helpful once and for all. Sometimes it was good to be a lurian.

She crossed the battlefield trying to find the place where she was needed the most, and soon found Erin, who was still being crushed by the water attacks. She did her best to make her light balls stronger than ever, and shot them at each of the faerie's attackers. The heerynauts were thrown off-balance, allowing the winged warrior to get up and swallow the air contained in her mouth. She would have thanked Pura if she'd been able to speak. But things being as they were, she contented herself with dealing some bone-crashing blows with her fists, repaying the favors she had received.

Eric finally managed to reach the screeching heerynauts. He was learning to handle himself in the water, and it didn't take him long to neutralize them. All he had to do was pin his sword into the ground and send a shockwave through it. The earth below the heerynauts ascended, hitting them and making them fall. That didn't really hurt them, as the water cushioned the impact, but at least it was enough to make them stop screeching. Now Mirna was able to get back up and swim towards the pearl. She was a really fast swimmer. More heerynauts tried to block her way, but they were pinned down by Pura's light balls. The lurian had turned out to be a better fighter than she'd given herself credit for. Eric followed the mermaid, and soon encountered Erin on the way. Once together, both warriors set themselves to block the way for any attacking heerynauts. They had already assembled themselves as a team. No words were needed.

When Mirna reached the pearl, she noticed the wall in front of her was undulating. She wondered what was going on, but she knew she didn't have the time to investigate it. She took the big pearl in her hands, and its light became stronger.
"I am now protected by the Pearl of Asyrann," she declared. "There's nothing you can do to hurt me."

She then noticed Mariel lying on the ground, and brought the pearl down to the elvin's hand. Mariel touched it, and felt its life-giving energy surge through her. It felt as if time had stopped to help her heal. Everything was silent. Soon, she was able to stand up. She offered Mirna her most grateful smile, a poor gesture for the help the mermaid had offered, but the only thing she could do at that moment. Then she turned against the heerynauts like her friends.
"Leave now," Mirna ordered. "And never come back."

Erin shook her head, unbelieving. Could Mirna really be so stupid? Well, maybe she had an excuse. Maybe she had lived away from any threats all her life and had never learned about the danger of the words she had just pronounced. That was, unfortunately, a lesson that could only be learnt the hard way.

Most heerynauts were already out, but the ones that remained weren't quite eager to comply with Mirna's command. They launched their most powerful currents of water at her, pushing her against the waving wall. The mud began to pull her in. She made her best effort to come out and to keep the pearl away from the wall, but the wiggling mud was too strong. Erin rushed to help her, and caught one of the mermaid's wrists in her arms. She began to pull with all her strength. Eric helped her pulling the other arm, and then her shoulder, while Mariel and Pura used their light attacks to stop the heerynauts. Mirna finally made it out of the wall, and swam for her life when the whole place was engulfed in a huge whirlpool. She embraced the pearl firmly, and Pura clang to her hair. Eric and Mariel held each other's hands and struggled to get out, while Erin pushed them to make them move faster. The water lifted up all the fallen heerynauts, and caught even the ones who were still swimming, pulling everyone and everything into the undulating wall.

"What's going on?," Mirna shouted, holding the pearl with all her strength.
No one could reply, but even if they had been able to speak, that wouldn't have helped much. They were all clueless. All they knew at that moment was that they had to get out. They held on to each other firmly and pushed forward with everything they had. Eric requested the soil to help him, using the little earth magic he could muster. After minutes that felt much longer than they were, the group finally made it to the tunnel where the currents were weaker. Once there, Erin began to hit the walls around the opening to cause them to collapse. Just the opposite of what she had originally thought she would be doing. Everyone had to swim away from the falling walls, but soon the opening was sealed. They swam out of the tunnel as fast as they could, and once in the river they rushed to the surface.

"That was close," Eric sighed, as soon as his head came into contact with the atmosphere.
"Tell me about it!," Erin retorted, flying out of the water and shaking her wet wings.
"Why didn't you use your sword in there?," Eric inquired.
"Remember what I told you about the bag of air?," she reminded him. "I can't form it under the water, so it was impossible to take my sword out."
"Why didn't you tell us before?," he complained.
"I'm not keen on showing my weaknesses," she responded. "That leaves others the chance to exploit them."
"But we're friends!," Eric claimed. "I would never exploit your weaknesses. I would only use my knowledge to help you."
"I trust you, Eric, but there's no way to know who else can hear us," she said.
"Don't you think you may be getting a bit paranoid?," Mariel remarked.
"Don't hold your thoughts, I know I must look like a complete nuts to you many times," Erin stated. "But you can feel evil forces lurking. You have seen some of them in action by now. The heerynauts didn't know much about us, and that helped us a lot. It may have even saved our lives today. Still, there was another force at work down there. That strange wall and the whirlpool... the heerynauts were trapped by it, which means they didn't cause them. There's still too much we don't know about our enemies, so let's make sure they find out as little about us as possible. Oh, that reminds me. Thanks for helping me out down there, Pura."
"You're very welcome," Pura replied.
"I think we should all thank each other," Mariel suggested.
"Well, thanks everyone," Eric laughed. "I really thought I could hold myself better in the water. I never thought it would be that hard."
"Maybe one day you will learn to listen to me," Erin scolded him.
"But we found the pearl," Mirna pointed out. "And we got it back. Now will you please follow me to Asyrann to help me take it home safely? It's not far from here."
"I'm not putting one more bubble leaf into my mouth," Erin declared.
"You won't have to," Mirna assured. "You can follow me from the air until we get to the lake. Then I'll call for a sorcerer to cast a spell to help you breathe underwater."
"If there are sorcerers in Asyrann, then why didn't they go for the pearl?," Erin questioned.
"They had to stay to protect the city," the mermaid explained. "They couldn't leave their people when they needed them the most."
Erin sighed.
"Ok, let's go," she accepted. "Let's put an end to this whole thing so we can continue on our journey."

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I -could- say "yay, good story" every time you post another chapter, but you know that already. :-)

[Gabi]

As a matter of fact, I don't. I'm not a good judge of my own writings, which is one of the reasons why all well-intentioned comments can help me. But thanks.

Personally, even I doubt there's much to say about chapters 8 and 9, except maybe for the subtleties of Erin's inner dialogue. Chapter 10, however, will introduce the much-dreaded song, as well as a character whose interaction with Erin won 2 Golden Pen awards on TPM (I'm only boasting because I can hardly believe it myself, if I really thought my work was so great I would have no need to say it).

[Secateur]

I like reading your story. Have a cookie.

[Gabi]

Oh, thanks! Sorry I didn't notice your reply earlier.

And also sorry for the delay in posting this. It's fun for me to reread this and notice how much everyone's changed since this chapter. Well, Timper hasn't changed that much (ironically?), but I think everyone else has... or will, seen from the perspective of this chapter.

Chapter 10: In and out

As soon as the group made it to the lake, Mirna dived into the water with the pearl to emerge, minutes later, with another mermaid. This one had silvery blue hair, adorned with a crown of small, star-shaped stones, and her irises were golden.
"So you're the brave warriors who rescued our pearl," the mermaid praised them in a sweet, soothing voice.
"Technically, two brave warriors, a sorceress and a teacher," Pura noted, immediately getting stared at by her friends. "Oh, sorry," she apologized. "As you can clearly see, I'm the teacher. We're all very glad we could help."
"Thank you for all your help," the blue-haired mermaid replied. "My name is Nuray. I'm a sorceress. Will you please come down to our city to receive the gratitude of our people? It would mean so much to us!"
"It will be great to see an underwater city!," Eric cheered.
"It will be an honor," Mariel considered.
"And a pleasure," Pura added.
Erin simply sighed. All her friends were so excited... it wouldn't have been fair to go against them. Plus she was running out of good arguments to reject that kind of invitation. The fact that she had nearly drowned a few hours earlier didn't sound like a powerful enough reason; they wouldn't be in danger in Asyrann, and if she let the thought of the recent events stop her, then she'd never be able to put her head under the water again. Not that being underwater could ever be an important part of her life, but she hated the thought of being hindered. To her, that was the next worst thing to being useless. So she accepted.

Nuray took her hands out of the water, revealing some kind of silvery powder contained in them. She spoke some words the travelers couldn't understand, and blew the powder at them.
"It is safe to go down now," she announced. "The spell will work until you get out of the water."
With that, she disappeared into the water. Mirna followed her, and after her went Pura, Eric, Mariel and finally Erin. The water of the lake was warmer than the river, and as they went under the reflective surface, they found that it was also clearer. It took the group some time to get used to breathing. The water was denser than the air, and it felt strange to take it in. But after a few minutes, it felt almost natural. Mirna and Nuray allowed them the time to get comfortable before leading them to the city.

The lake was much deeper than it looked from the outside. Barely any sunlight reached its depths. But, as the light from the sun disappeared, a new source of light took its place. Following it, they discovered the hidden city. Its crystalline constructions were a sight to remember. Nearly everything was built out of white stones that reflected the light from the pearl, which now lay in the center of the city, providing even the most remote corners with perennial light. Right behind the pearl, there was a construction that resembled and amphitheater, with white columns forming a semi-circle that delimitated the stage. That was were Nuray headed, and the others followed her. Mermaids and mermen came swimming from all directions, gathering curiously around the crew. Nuray did her best to organize the crowd, directing them to the seats, and then spoke to them about the brave heroes who had saved their city. Now Erin was not the only one who felt slightly embarrassed, but fortunately the speech was short. An old merman floated out of the crowd and instructed everyone to bring their best foods to make a banquet for the heroes. Erin said they didn't have much time, but Mirna pointed out that they would have to eat anyway, so why not let the Asyrannians express their gratitude?

The banquet took less than 10 minutes to be formed. Everyone brought the best dishes they had, which consisted mainly of fish and algae, some other water plants, a few crustaceans and some small round berries. The travelers tried a bit of everything and nobody complained. It wasn't the kind of food they were used to, but it wasn't bad. And it was offered to them with such passion that rejecting anything could be seen as an offense. In the end, Mariel concluded that they would have to thank the Asyrannians now, for the treatment they had received. That was when the lake people decided a celebration was in order.
"I think it's time to go," Erin suggested.
But then music came from everywhere and Nuray started singing. Her voice was too beautiful to turn away from it.
"Did you know that mermaids had such a wonderful voice?," Mariel asked Pura.
"It's one of their best attributes," Pura replied. "They have used it as a tool to avoid confrontations; though it doesn't work when their opponents are truly determined. It is said that they can also kill air-breathing beings by luring them into the water with their voices, but I haven't heard of any real cases."
"Just like magic," Mariel concluded. "It can bring bliss or torment, depending on how you use it."

Mariel closed her eyes. Nobody noticed it, but the concentration of salt in the water around her face raised slightly.
After Nuray, other mermaids sang, including Mirna. When she left the stage, she swam straight towards her new friends and asked them if any of them wanted to sing.
"I can't sing," Eric said. "I have a terrible voice."
"I heard that elves had beautiful voices," Mirna claimed.
"Not this one," Eric insisted.
Mirna turned to Erin.
"Forget it!," the faerie turned her down. "I've already had enough for today, singing would be too much. Besides, I'll do you all a favor by staying quiet. I don't know what Eric's singing voice is like, but it can't be worse than mine."
"Don't ask me," Pura said. "I'm too shy to sing to a crowd of mermaids. And I can't think of any good songs right now."
"No one will criticize you," Mirna assured.
"Still," Pura insisted. "I only sing to myself. I'm not ready for such an audience."
"I'll do it," Mariel offered. "I have a song I wrote on the day we parted. I've never been able to sing it before, so... it may not be very good, but I'll be happy to share it with you."
Mirna smiled with satisfaction. She had always wanted to hear an elf sing, and the audience would certainly be delighted at having one of the heroes sing to them.

As Mariel stood on the stage, silence fell all around. She warned the audience that her voice wasn't as sweet and inviting as the voice of a mermaid, and that the song had been written by a young elf who still had a lot to learn, but none of that diminished their eagerness to hear it. So, she began to sing, and a soft, sweet music came from around her, like magic, accompanying every beat with perfection. And so, she sang.

Magic's all around us;
every place I reach.
I hear its voice, it's telling me
to fight for what I need.

Now it's time to take the chance.
Find the strength within.
Take my hand and don't look back.
We'll share an endless dream.

Look inside your heart,
you'll see.
Magic's all around.
Trust me.
With our wills unfurled
we can change the world.
All you need is to believe.

Look into my eyes,
reach me.
We do have a chance;
believe.
Set your soul to fly;
aim it for the sky.
Call my name and I'll be here.

Let's chase our dreams.
Let's make them real.

"It's corny," Erin commented.
"It's beautiful!," Eric swooned.
"She has a lovely voice!," Pura commended her.
The lake people seemed to agree with the last statement. They were, indeed, delighted by the sound of her voice. They surrounded her and complimented her so much that her face turned red.
"Thank you! It means a lot to me coming from you!," Mariel thanked them.
"These are the corniest creatures I've ever seen," Erin declared.
"Well, you may not like the lyrics, but you must admit her voice really is something!," Pura remarked.
"Thank you so much for everything," interjected Mirna, directing her words to Mariel first and immediately to the others. "We'll never be able to pay you for what you did today."
"You already have," Eric told her. "I'd never been treated this way in my whole life! And thanks to you I got to see another bright side of Mariel I didn't know. How many virtues can a single being have?"
Mariel heard him, and her blush became stronger than ever.
"You tell me," she said, turning to him. "You've already shown more than I could count."
"The last thing we needed!," Erin ranted.
"Oh, come on, they're so cute!," chirped Pura.
"If I see one more sign of cuteness today I'll faint," Erin declared.
"Even you must have a soft side somewhere in there," Pura confronted her.
"If I do, I hope I never find it," was Erin's reply.
"Take this as a token of our gratitude," Nuray offered, facing the group again and handing Mariel a crown of stars just like hers. "And I must tell you, you have a wonderful voice."
"Thanks," Mariel smiled, taking the crown in her hands. "Thanks so much!"
"The crown isn't just for decoration," Nuray informed her. "It will also help you focus your magic abilities and increase their power. I take it you're the sorceress of the group."
"Your assumption is right," Mariel said with a smile, placing the crown on her head. "Thanks again. You have all been great to us."
"You're the ones we must thank," Nuray replied. "I hope we meet again."
"We will," Mariel assured. "We will come back to Asyrann after our mission is complete. Will you be alright?"
"We will be more careful from now on," Nuray affirmed. "We'll be working on protection spells to shield ourselves from sonic attacks and prevent the pearl from falling on the wrong hands again. We'll also take other defensive measures. Don't worry. We'll be fine."
"I guess this is goodbye," observed Mirna. "The river ends here and I can't move freely out of the water like you, so I'll see you when you return."
"You've been great company," Eric assured.
"I know I've been nothing but a heavy load to you," she contradicted him. "But thanks. It's good to know you care about me enough to try to make me feel better."
"Don't forget you were the one who reached the pearl," Eric reminded her. "And you saved Mariel's life. Nothing I could do would be enough to thank you for that."
"You would have done better without me," Mirna assured. "But it was a pleasure to be with you."
"It was great to be with you," Mariel told the mermaid. "Take care, and stop bringing yourself down."
"I'll try. Good luck on your journey!"

The good-byes were long, but before night came the group was back on the road, figuratively speaking. They made up for the lost time by staying up late, Pura and Mariel providing the light to see where they were going. At one moment, they heard something moving among the bushes, but it turned out to be a mouse. Having found no threats, they set their camp when they were too tired to keep walking, and took turns for keeping guard, as usual. During Erin's turn, she spotted a pair of eyes watching her from a tree. She first looked around, to make sure the camp was safe, and then flew close to the tree to see who the eyes belonged to. She was half relieved and half disappointed when she found out it was an owl.
"The kids may be right," she thought. "I may be getting a bit paranoid. But better safe than sorry."

The four travelers got up with the sun and resumed their march. Everything was alright, or so it seemed. At least until Mariel made a curious remark.
"Have you noticed that eagle has been flying above us since we left?"
Everybody looked up and saw an eagle hovering right above their heads.
"I hadn't, but thanks for pointing it out," Erin told her. "It seems I was right last night, we're being watched."
"By an eagle?," Eric questioned.
"Things aren't always what they seem," Erin remarked.
The eagle described a circle in the air and then turned right and flew away.
"It's gone now, I think you were jumping to conclusions," Eric suggested.
"I think it was too much of a coincidence that it left just now," Erin observed.
"I second her on this," Pura told her charge. "We should be careful."
They were about to leave the place when Erin turned around and stretched out her hands. Her sword appeared between them, pointing at a short cane.
"That plant wasn't here before," she denounced. "Show yourself, shifter!"
Much to the surprise of Eric and Mariel, the cane took the form of a small man, about Erin's height or a centimeter taller. He had shoulder-length black hair, brown eyes, white skin though not as white as Mariel's, and he was wearing quite unusual clothes: straight, black trousers and black boots, a sleeveless black jacket with golden lines on all its borders and high shoulder plates, which left the long sleeves of a tight, white shirt visible. The small man was lifting his arms to the level of his head.
"Hey, hey, easy! Don't kill me with that look!," he begged.
"I see your clothing's not the only weird thing about you," Erin commented. "I would have thought you'd find my sword more threatening than my stare."
"That's because you haven't seen the way your eyes look now," he retorted.
"He doesn't look dangerous," Eric stated.
"I am," the strange guy corrected him. "But only to those who want to cause trouble."
"You're quite cocky for someone who has a sword pointing to his chest," Erin remarked.
"I can always turn into diamond," he told her.
"I wouldn't give you the time," she shot back. "Who are you?"
"I'm Timper Wayworth. I'm an explorer. The best you'll ever find. And a shifter, as you have already noticed."
"Why were you spying on us?," Erin interrogated him.
"I wasn't spying on you!," he claimed. "I was just... observing you."
Erin made a slight pressure with the point of her sword on Timper's chest.
"Well, you must admit you're an interesting sight," he said. "I mean, you all, as a group. You're quite an unusual crew. An elvin, a merial, a lurian and... I must admit I haven't figured out what you are yet."
"Let's leave it that way," Erin suggested firmly.
"Your temper doesn't match your looks," Timper told her. "But who am I to say that? Anyway, I saw you come out of the lake yesterday and that attracted my curiosity. And hearing you speak drew me in even more. I've been on exploratory journeys for nearly all my life and not many things have caught my attention the way you all have. I heard you say something about being careful, and I've heard some awful things have happened lately, especially in the north. I thought you might know something about it. I was going there to find out what was going on and see if I could do something to help."
"Why would and explorer want to help strangers?," she questioned him.
"What else does an explorer live for?," he replied. "Well, apart from seeing the world and everything. The life of an explorer is lonely. Sometimes too lonely. You get to know lots of beings, but you never stay with them for a long time. That kind of life would be meaningless if I couldn't at least do something for others."
"He seems honest," Mariel observed.
"I am," Timper affirmed. "I can prove it to you. I'll tell you everything I can do, so you'll have nothing to fear from me."
"How can we know you're not keeping secrets?," Erin pointed out.
"Strange question coming from someone who won't even let me know her species, but you'll have to trust someone some time. The price for closing yourself from everyone is too high. You may think you're protecting yourself, but you might end up with nothing to protect. Fear and suspicions can consume the strongest spirit. I've seen that happen to some beings I've met."
To everyone's surprise, Erin made her sword vanish.
"Thank you. I'll make sure you don't regret it," Timper said, relieved. "As for my abilities, as a shifter I can turn into any living being or any solid object; but if I turn into living creatures I can only do it well if I've already seen the species before. Otherwise I'd have to put too much imagination into it and it wouldn't come out right. When I transform into something, I gain all its physical properties, but not other special abilities. So if I turned into a heerynaut I would be able to breathe underwater, but not control the water around me. Now, as an explorer I have great knowledge of this area, I adapt easily to my surroundings, I am a good observer and I'm good at improvising. And personally, I like inventing things, I don't know a thing of magic but I can find ways to defend myself against it, I have a good memory and I'm a fast learner. Well, generally, at least; it didn't work when I tried to learn a magic spell, but nobody's perfect."
When he saw the faces of the group, he added: "I know modesty is not one of my virtues. If it were, I'd be practically perfect."
He winked, making the elves laugh.
"Well, it seems we're going in the same direction," Eric pointed out. "If you want, you can come with us."
"I would be good to have an explorer in the group," added Pura.
"It would be a pleasure to join you," Timper accepted. "If you don't mind, that is," he turned to Erin.
"Whatever," Erin replied, expressionless.
"Welcome aboard," Mariel greeted him. "Please excuse Erin. She may seem rude, but she's actually a good person. I'm Mariel, he's Eric and the lurian is Pura."
"Pleased to meet you," Timper responded. "And don't worry. I trust that there's more to her than meets the eye. Erin, right? Getting to know you will be an interesting challenge. I just hope you give me that chance. And to the world too."
"Don't set your hopes too high," Erin warned him. "You could be disappointed. Even if you do succeed."
Timper was puzzled. Actually, everybody was. Erin was acting too strange. Even more than she used to.
"I have the feeling you're the one who's going to be surprised," Timper replied. "You don't strike me as someone who can live inside a shell for ever. And when you come out, you'll amaze even yourself."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Erin sighed. "But come on, start walking. We're missing the day's best hours."
And so, Timper joined the group.

[Gabi]

I'm posting this from work and nobody knows...   Ok, here's chapter 11. Hopefully I'll get a reply... an ACK at least to know that someone's still reading it. This chapter contains the first revelation about Pura, and something that was once criticized as redundancy, but the truth is they don't get to choose so these things can happen. (I like being cryptic sometimes. You may understand it after reading this chapter.)

Chapter 11: Making connections

As the travelers moved on, a conversation took place among them.
"What does shape-shifting feel like?," Eric asked Timper, curious.
"It's natural to me," the shifter replied. "Just like walking or kneeling down. It doesn't feel like anything in particular. Normally, I keep my original shape, unless I have a reason to change it."
"But when you walk you feel the pressure of your feet on the ground, and the weight of your body change from one foot to the other," Eric pointed out. "When you kneel down you feel it in your knees. You must feel something."
"Well, yes, you feel your body adjust to the new shape, and sometimes get harder or softer, but that's all," Timper replied. "It only feels different when the shape you assume has a noticeably different perception, like an eagle's sight or a mermaid's hearing."
"And what if you transform into a plant or an object? What are your senses like, then?," Eric queried.
"They don't change," Timper replied.
"Where are you from?," Mariel asked him.
"I was born in Passing Port, by the river Bell, but it's been long since I've last been there. Very long," Timper answered.
"Why?," Eric inquired.
"No one ever stays there," he responded. "It's just a small settlement for explorers who don't like attachments. They stay there for a few days to rest and eat abundantly until their energies are restored, then leave. I was born there only because my parents happened to be near the place when I started trying to come out. Then they decided to stay until I was capable of surviving by myself, which was more than many others did. They taught me the basics to become an explorer like them, and then they left too. They sad I would never reach my full potential if they took me by the hand all the time. They may have been right, but I must admit I missed them. Then, when I was 10, I left too. My first exploration trip. I got back a year later, but the place had changed completely. No one I knew was there."
"That's so sad!," Mariel exclaimed.
"It's life," Timper sighed. "I have learnt to be alone just like hundreds of others have. An explorer can't afford staying on a fixed place, and I really don't want that either. I love travelling and seeing the world. Though it feels best if I have someone to travel with."
"Has that happened before?," Pura joined the conversation.
"A few times," Timper answered. "Never for too long. It's easier to meet others when visiting towns and villages. I've sometimes spent weeks in one place where I felt welcome. But I've always returned to the wide world. I've never found a group like yours before. What brought you all together?"
"Don't tell," Erin warned her friends.
"Hey, what's the problem?," Timper complained. "Why don't you trust me?"
"You have no fixed shape, no fixed home, no fixed friends..." Erin began. "How can we trust your loyalties to remain in one place?"
"You offend me, miss," Timper claimed. "I am honorable and loyal. And you already know much more about me than I know about you, so I should be the one complaining. This has happened too many times. So many tend to associate shape-shifting with falseness and say we shifters can never be as good as the real thing! Well, you know something? I'm as real as anybody else, and I'm fed up with that stuff!"

Eric and Mariel didn't know much about shifters, but seeing someone confront Erin was a sight to remember.
"Sorry, didn't mean to hit a nerve," Erin replied in a half-smile. "You're quite a strong character."
"You're a strong one too, that much is clear," Timper responded.
"Oh, she's strong indeed," Eric remarked. "Not just her character. Her body too."
"You mean strong as in strong faerie?," Timper inquired. "Like massennes, faerfliyes, nassukuns...?"
"Are you planning to name all species until you hit mine?," Erin tested him. "Yes, I'm as strong as all those you mentioned, so you can stop now."
"Are all those names of strong faeries?," Eric inquired.
"I've heard of massennes," Pura pointed out. "They're non-elemental faeries. They live on the east."
"Yes, and they have 3 pairs of wings, unlike me," Erin added. "I've heard of them too."
"I've seen a few," Timper said. "The only race of strong faeries I have seen face to face. I heard faerfliyes were stronger though."
"Fireflies?," Eric asked.
"Not fireflies!," Pura laughed. "But... they are fire faeries, right? I think I read about them once. They're from the... north?"
"How come you're a teacher and I know more than you about most species?," Erin questioned her. "They're fire faeries, true. Their hair turns into flames when they release fire."
"Indeed," Timper confirmed.
"And what about nassukuns?," Pura queried. "Please excuse my ignorance, but I've never heard about them before. I want to learn and do my job better. This is my first trip too."
"It's understandable that you don't know them," Timper conceded. "They're light faeries, but they're linked to the opposite polarity, so we could say they're darkness faeries. They live in dark caves or in underground tunnels and never come out during the day. It is said that the light hurts them. Their eyes are very sensitive, and they see very well in the dark. I guess the presence of a lurian would repel them. They're quite rare, I once met an explorer who claimed to have seen one, but I never have."
"I thought you'd said you were the best explorer around," Erin reminded him.
"I am," he affirmed. "Though maybe not the luckiest. Finding a nassukun has never been my priority anyway. I'm more into enjoying what comes to me rather than tracking something down. But if I really want to find something, it doesn't take me a long time. Normally."
"You were right about something," Erin admitted.
"About what?," Timper wanted to know.
"You tend to brag a lot," Erin retorted. "How did you become the center of attention?"
"Did I? I thought that was your role," Timper laughed.
"Very funny," Erin told him, her lips not arcing up in the least. "Why don't you change to a faster shape now? You're slowing us down!"
"Sorry, I'll move faster," Timper apologized. "I'll keep up with the rest of you and shift if I get tired. I can use some exercise for now."
"Watch what you wish for," Erin warned him. "Stick with us and you'll probably be getting more exercise than you can handle."
"Well, at least it seems you'll be giving me a rest now," Pura commented.
"For as long as you manage to remain silent, fair Pura," Erin replied.
"Wow, I'm surprised! I thought it was just me you treated like that!," Timper exclaimed.
"No, it's not just you," Erin answered. "Pura and Eric have been trying to figure me out since we first met. So far, all their attempts have failed, and I doubt you'll be any luckier. At least Mariel knows enough to let me be."
"I'm careful not to hurt you," Mariel responded. "But I do wish you were more open. Perhaps I could help you if you let me."
"So it's the world against me," Erin sighed.
"I'm not against you!," Mariel claimed.
"No one is," Timper assured. "Ok, I get it. I won't insist. I don't wanna hurt you. But for your own sake I hope you learn to trust others one day."
Erin sighed, and soared past the crowns of the trees.

Nobody went after the flying warrior this time. They thought it would be best to let her be alone for a while. She ended up coming down on her own, about half an hour later. Her only words as she descended were "it's going to rain."
Everybody looked up to the sky. Timper assumed the shape of an eagle once more, took into the sky, and got down after a few seconds, turning back into his old shape.
"Looks like a heavy storm's on its way here," he announced. "It could be a thunderstorm, we'd better find shelter."
"I'll check if I can find a cave or something," Pura offered. "I'll be back soon."
The Lurian flew away like a flash, and came back only 5 seconds later.
"I've found a cave!," she announced.
"I'll have to learn to do that," Timper decided.
"Could I ask you not to do it before we have a little talk?," Pura said to him.
"Sure, but why?"
"It's complicated. I might get in trouble if you transform into a lurian, so please don't do it."
"Does everybody here have secrets?," Timper inquired.
"I don't," Eric assured.
"Neither do I," Mariel concluded. "Well, at least none for you, but I did tell my parents I was just going on an exploration trip."
"Few know what we're after," Eric explained.
"And I'm not among them yet," Timper pointed out. "What are we after?"
Mariel looked at Erin and, receiving no reply from her, she answered.
"An evil sorcerer named Kharchek and the source of all the recent attacks. Though we don't know if they're related or not yet."
"Then you've heard of those attacks too. That means we're not only going in the same direction, but we're also doing it for the same reason," Timper deduced.
"Where's the cave?," Erin asked Pura, changing the subject abruptly.
"Oh! Follow me," Pura instructed the group.

The travelers followed the violet light until they found a large wall of earth and stone. The ground level changed from that point, as if it were a step on a giant ladder. There was a hole on the wall, big enough for an adult elvin to fit through it. The sky was already dark, and thunders were making their presence noticed.
"Let's go in," Eric suggested.
"I don't like this," Mariel warned him.
"What don't you like?," he asked her.
"I don't know. Something just feels wrong. Like... I can't tell exactly what it is. Something feels wrong, and I could say it feels almost familiar, but I'm beginning to get confused. I know it doesn't make sense."
"If something's wrong here, then we're on the right place," Eric told her. "We'll sort it out. Don't worry, I'll be with you."
Mariel nodded and smiled, following the others into the cave. She was still unsure of her own perception, but she couldn't wish for better company than she had. Erin and Timper looked experienced and knowledgeable. Pura specialized in giving everyone surprises. And Eric would do anything for her. Just as she would for him. They were a team that couldn't be set apart. Together, they could do anything. Just like her song said. Her song... Magic's all around... magic...
"Hey, wait!," Mariel shouted, noticing the undeniable presence of magic inside the cave, which couldn't be darker than it was now. She heard no reply but the echo of her own voice. She looked around and saw nothing but darkness. She tried to grasp Eric's hand, but it wasn't there. She was alone. Alone. And afraid. She summoned a level 2 light sphere and made it float in front of her, hoping that it would reveal her surroundings, but the light shone empty in the middle of the blackness. Still, Mariel didn't let it fade away. She needed to have at least her small light by her side, even if nothing could be seen behind it. At least, with the light, she didn't feel completely alone and helpless. It reminded her that there was still something she could trust.

"How did it get so dark?," Eric asked, turning to look at Mariel. She wasn't there. Neither were Pura, Erin, nor Timper. It was so dark that he couldn't even see the mouth of the cave. He gave a few steps back, probing the space behind him with his left hand, hoping to find any of his friends, the exit or at least a wall. Any point of reference would be better than nothing, which was what he had now. His steps didn't seem to lead him anywhere, but his mind did get somewhere in the process. He finally began to make sense of the last words Mariel had spoken. The fact that she had been confused about it puzzled him, but he knew so little about magic... maybe it was more complicated than he thought. In any case, this was clearly dark magic. And now he had used the word correctly; it couldn't be darker. He could only think of one being who would use that kind of magic against them. His suspicions were confirmed when his image appeared right in front of him, as if his thoughts had been materialized. He looked a bit taller than Eric remembered him, but it could be a visual effect caused by the surroundings and his own anxiety. His pointy chin, black hair and green eyes which looked almost red with hate, his macabre smile, were unmistakable. Many times had Eric dreamed of his encounter with Kharchek, but he hadn't expected it to come so soon. And he hadn't thought he'd be alone either. What would he do now?

The others weren't having a good time either. They were also separated from each other and surrounded by the same impenetrable darkness. Each of them was kept occupied by a different opponent. Erin found a big red demon with a large spike on its right hand, who moved swiftly and evaded most of her blows. Timper had to face a floating ball of fire, which shot energy projectiles at him. How do you fight pure energy? He just did his best to evade the attacks until he thought of something, but he soon realized he'd need a faster shape to prevent the shots from reaching him. Mariel soon came face to face with a horrible zombie, who kept a thick and sharp sword pointed at her and moved much faster than she ever could. Her light balls were a poor protection, as the zombie easily cast them aside them with a move of his sword. As for Pura, she had to face a living skeleton with incredibly sharp-looking claws who, much like Mariel's opponent, somehow managed to dodge all the light spheres she shot at it. It looked small at first, but that was an advantage. A big creature was most likely to miss Pura or, even better, to dismiss her. A small one could get a better aim at her and, if it managed to see past her light, it could even slash her to pieces. Things became even worse when the small skeleton kneeled down and changed... transforming into a huge spider. What would it do now? Trap her in a web? Shoot acid at her and dissolve her little body to nothing? What an awful way to reveal one of her carefully concealed secrets! She was not invulnerable. No lurian was. There was more to her than a spot of light. She could be hurt. She could even be killed. If the word was out, it wouldn't be long before Urthum and Isthum were attacked. She would be indirectly responsible of the doom of all those she cared for. No, she couldn't let that happen. She had to fight. She pushed her light out to make it more intense than ever, and pulled out a new light attack she didn't even know she was capable of.

Erin was finally managing to measure her opponent. It moved fast, but in spite of its appearance, it wasn't very strong. Its spike was its main weapon, accompanied only by the ability to blow strong gusts of wind at her. She was caught off-guard the first time and was blown against a wall, but she could endure much more than that. She flew below the next current and reached the demon's back, dealing a strong blow at it which made the monster lose balance and fall. Her enemy rolled over and got up soon, but she was already aiming at its spike. With a quick move of her sword, the long pointy weapon was sent away, leaving the monster disarmed. But then, things changed. The once solid demon suddenly disappeared into thin air. The spike floated up, lifted by a small tornado, and in a matter of seconds the demon had rebuilt itself.
"This might be an interesting challenge after all," Erin spoke out. But her opponent didn't hear her. It just stood there, pointing at her with its spike, waiting for her to make a move.
Mariel was being overwhelmed by the zombie's incessant attacks. She made a desperate move and blocked his sword with her backpack, which was instantly torn apart but its content saved by the shield inside it. She had been working on a spell to increase the shield's protection. It seemed to have worked at least partially. The shield took some damage, but it didn't break. She used her chance to try her glare spell. She wasn't sure if it would work in such a dark place, but it was worth a try. Releasing all the light she could muster, she ran around the now blinded zombie and shot a light sphere at its back. Surprisingly, the zombie stopped moving.

Timper's new arthropod form didn't help him escape from the light storm that suddenly fell upon him. countless needles of light were launched to the ground at an incredible speed, some of them piercing through his body. He had to turn into a silver stone in order to deflect the rest of rain of light. When the rain stopped, Timper used his chance to shift back and escape. He needed a safe spot while he came up with a plan. And he needed to find his friends.

Pura's enemy suddenly vanished from sight, so she did the only thing she could think of. She made use of her best physical attribute and dashed away right before the spider came back into scene. She didn't know what threats she would find deeper into the cave, but she would at least escape the current one and maybe find Eric and the others. Much to her surprise, the spider didn't even try to follow her. It turned away!

Eric had thought of asking questions to buy some time, but he had to scratch out that plan when Kharchek released a light attack at him. The light was dark purple, but it moved just like all the other light balls he'd seen before. Too fast for anyone who wasn't experienced in fighting them, but that wasn't Eric's case. Apparently, Kharchek didn't know much about him. He was beginning to agree with Erin that one of their biggest strengths was the little knowledge their enemies had of them. He avoided the first attack reflectively, just like the following ones. His sword deflected the light balls to the sides, just like it had done in his many training sessions with Mariel and the lurians. It was easy. Too easy. Kharchek didn't move nearly as fast as he had expected. He barely managed to avoid Eric's sword. Until Eric tried aiming the sword straight to his chest and something blocked it.
"I knew it couldn't be that easy," he thought. "He's playing around. But why? Wouldn't it be easier to just use his strongest attack and get rid of me? Is he measuring me or what? And where's his sword? Something's wrong here."
Eric's suspicions were confirmed when a blinding flash forced him to close his eyes. He took too long to guess the following step, even though many of his practice sessions had ended that way. It only made sense once he felt the energy ball hit his back right between his scapulas and surge through his chest. He immediately stopped attacking. It was the only thing which he thought could work. The only thing that would make Mariel become aware of the trick just like he had now.

Mariel was even more confused that she had been when she entered the cave. The monster who had attacked her now stood motionless in front of her. She watched him carefully and, against the warnings of her senses, she tried to establish a connection. She needed to understand what was going on. She needed something to make sense. She felt the magic barrier and finally understood its nature. It was a mixture of light and connection magic; how ironic, the two domains she could handle best. The first move her opponent did was slow, and no longer unexpected. He lifted the arm that held his sword, but only to put it back into its sheath.
"How could I have been so blind?!," she exclaimed, finally greeting the one sight she's longed for the most.
"I can't blame you," Eric's voice replied. "It happened to me too. If you hadn't acted so much like yourself, I wouldn't have reacted."
"Good thing you know me well, then," Mariel smiled. "Another zombie?"
"Worse. Kharchek," Eric replied. "I can't believe someone set us a trap like this."
"I can feel his magic," Mariel told him. "He's involved in this."

All of a sudden, the connection was broken.
"Mariel!," Eric shouted, losing her to the darkness.
He fought hard to get her back, straining his mind to the limit, holding to the thought of her. He didn't know how to use connection magic, but he had to find a way to reach Mariel again.
"Look into my eyes, reach me," he whispered.
"We do have a chance; believe," Mariel grinned, resurging from the darkness enveloped in an aura of light. "Thanks for being there. And for remembering."
"What happened?," Eric asked.
"I'll tell you later. Now we need to bring the others back and cancel this spell."
"How?," Eric wondered.
"I'll try to set a connection. Just follow me. Connection magic isn't hard to use if you're being guided. If we all work together we'll break the spell. Kharchek isn't here anymore, so we should have no opposition for now."
"How do you know he's not here?," Eric inquired.
"I felt him leave. I mean, he wasn't physically here at all, but a part of him was. Then he left when you and I found him out. Now help me and concentrate on the others, please."

One by one, they were called. Pura was the first one to respond, already suspicious of what her senses showed her. Once more, she proved to be better than she gave herself credit for. Knowing nothing of connection magic, she channeled its force like an expert and boosted it incredibly. That way they reached the large spider who soon took the more familiar form of Timper Wayworth. Timper joined the group, not without publicly admitting he felt like a fool for having fallen for a trick like that.
"Don't blame yourself," Mariel told him. "You didn't know much about us, and you said you didn't know how to use magic, so we should all congratulate you for snapping out of it."
"So only Erin is left," Eric pointed out.
"That will be a tough one," Pura sighed.
"Don't give up now," Mariel encouraged her. "We've almost made it! I can feel the confusion magic fading away as we speak."
The group focused their thoughts on Erin, doing their best to reach her. But she was absorbed by the fight she was in. No one could penetrate her. She swung her sword from one side to another, making her opponent lose his weapon again. And before he could dissolve, she launched herself into him, bringing him down with a slam. She stood on the red monster's chest and prepared her sword for the final strike, but at that moment she hesitated, against all her expectations. At that moment, Eric's voice finally reached her.
"Don't do it," the Merial begged.
The demon disappeared from under Erin's feet and turned into a strong gust of wind that pushed her up to the roof of the cave. The impact blew the air out of her lungs, but only for a moment.
"Tell me why I shouldn't kill that monster," she demanded, still lost in the spell but reaching for Eric.
"It's all an illusion," he said. "A spell. You must stop fighting it and come back to us, to reality."
"It hits too hard to be an illusion," Erin told him, evading a new blow of the quick sword. Was it a sword? It had looked like a spike before. "Well, maybe something is wrong."
"We were made to fight each other," Mariel informed her. "You may be fighting an innocent who was trapped in the cave just like us."
"Try to reach for him," Eric advised her. "Whoever he is, he'll probably be easier to reach than Erin."
"Anyone would," Timper commented while Mariel began to seek for the stranger.
"I heard you, shifter," Erin shouted out.
"Really?! That's great!," Timper exclaimed. "I thought it wouldn't work, but if you heard me, then you can fight the illusion and come back to your senses."
"I don't like the way you worded that," Erin told him. "Maybe I should leave this opponent and fight you instead."
"I'm beginning to believe you have a sense of humor hidden in there," Timper smiled. "Though I've seen your last moves, and I'd rather have you on my side. I've already received some awful light attacks today. Of a kind I hadn't seen before, even."
"Sorry," Pura apologized. "I don't know how I pulled that out. Nor how I managed to channel Mariel's magic. But I'm glad I achieved the latter and sorry about the former."
"Pura pulled out a new trick? I wish I had seen that!," Erin exclaimed, turning around and facing her friends. "Ok, good job all of you. I'm no longer being attacked, so I'm guessing your spell worked. And yes, 'real guy', you can be proud. You brought me back. But don't make it a new subject to brag about."
"Never, Milady," Timper smiled making a funny reverence.
"It's giving way," Mariel announced.

A few seconds later, the walls of the large cave were visible, as was the being who stood right behind Erin. He looked like a young boy, not much older than Eric and Mariel. He had light gray hair and pale greyish skin. Even his clothes were a light tone of grey, nearly white, and he was carrying a white leather bag. Only his eyes didn't match the rest of him. They were dark brown, with a touch of purple on the borders. He was holding a light sword in a superficially wounded right hand, and looking at the group in astonishment.
"Who are you?," he asked them when he found it safe to talk.
"We're a group of travelers," Eric told him. "Two warriors, a sorceress, a teacher and an explorer."
"I'm an explorer too," the stranger revealed. "My name is Gallead."
"A ferwill," Timper noticed.
"What's a ferwill?," this time it was Mariel who asked.
"An air-elemental creature," explained Pura. "They can summon wind and transform into wind themselves."
"I could see that," Erin confirmed. "So, Gallead, how did you get caught in this mess?"
"I was trying to find shelter from the storm and I was suddenly attacked by a flying creature who blew the hardest punches I've ever felt."
"Come on, I didn't hit you that hard!," Erin claimed.
"'I'm sorry' would do better," Eric told her.
"Ok, I'm sorry," she complied, faking indifference.
"Your hand is hurt, let me heal you," Mariel offered.
"It's ok, I can do that," Gallead said. "I know a couple of physical enhancement spells, but thanks."
"Physical enhancement," Mariel repeated. "Interesting. That's a domain I haven't explored yet. I use direct healing spells for that. I also use light and connection magic, and I'm trying to work on protection but it's not working as well as I hoped it would. Maybe I should find a way around it from another domain."
"Why don't you just publish a book telling everyone what we can do?," Erin complained.
"Wow, that's a lot!," Gallead exclaimed, ignoring the last comment. "I can only use spells to boost my agility and heal myself."
"That's more than I can do," Timper pointed out. "But I have other ways of boosting my agility."
"Yes. Some scary ones too," Pura remarked.
"Why should you be scared?," Eric asked her.
"Nevermind," she replied.

"Where were you going?," Mariel asked Gallead.
"Nowhere in particular," the ferwill replied. "I'm just out to see the world and hopefully write a book someday. Though for now all I've managed to put on paper were some illustrations."
"You draw?," Pura asked, excited. "I'd love to see your drawings."
"I have some here," Gallead said, opening his bag and taking out some sketches. Mariel held them in her hands and showed them to everyone.
"They're amazing!," she commented.
"Easily some of the best drawings I've ever seen, and I have seen many," Pura stated.
Timper turned into a neini to fly above the drawings and take a look at them. The green wings made him look weirder than usual.
"Wow, if I could draw like this, I wouldn't need words to describe what I've seen!," he exclaimed.
"If you could get such a compliment from a braggart like him, you must be something," Erin declared. "Let me take a look."
She flew up to Timper's side and examined the drawings.
"Not bad," she concluded. "Not bad at all."
"Then we all agree," Eric stated. "If you ever get tired of being an explorer, you can have a good life as an artist."
"Thanks, everyone. I'm glad you appreciate my drawings. I just needed to let them out. But I'm not planning to give up my way of life for now. There's still much I want to see, and I haven't found a place to call home yet."
"Does that mean that you don't want to be an explorer for the rest of your life?," Timper inquired.
"I don't know. I guess time will tell. I like traveling and seeing new places, but I'd also like to have a place to return to. And call me crazy, but I'd like someone to share my experiences with."
"I guess I understand you," Timper said. "Though to me, the world is my home."
"So our two explorers are quite different from each other," Mariel concluded.
"Oh, no!," Erin scolded her. "We're not taking in another explorer. Let alone a romantic one. We already have more than enough. It would be... redundant."
"He can help," Eric told her. "The more we are, the better our chance will be to defeat our enemies."
"Enemies?," Gallead queried.
"The sorcerer who enchanted this cave and some others. We don't know who they are yet, but I've been feeling the presence of evil magic lately... well, for the last year. And there have been many attacks already."
"Shadows?," Gallead asked.
A tingling feeling run up Mariel's spine when she heard the word. She remembered it well.
"Not that we know of," she responded. "Why? Have you heard of any attacks by them?"
"I heard some cities had been attacked by shadows years ago. When I left the Valley of Winds, I was warned not to go into that area because shadows still lurked there, and no living being could be safe from them. I heard they could do horrible things."
"Like strip someone's soul out of their body and occupy it, yes, I've heard it too," Mariel replied. "I guess it's more than a myth, then."
"We should be careful," Timper said. "If they're a part of the problem, we're probably heading right into their nest. We must be prepared."
"We will," Erin assured.
"Will you join us?," Eric asked Gallead.
"If you didn't think I was crazy before, you will now," the ferwill replied. "But I will. If there's something I can do to stop others from causing suffering, then I will do it. Some of my people have gone to the wastelands and never returned. I'd always wanted to do something about it, to help them or at least stop others from being hurt. But I knew I couldn't take on the shadows on my own. Maybe with you, we will stand a chance."
"Maybe you should be a warrior, then," Eric suggested.
"I don't think so," Gallead disagreed. "My Swift sword is the only weapon I can wield, and I'm not even good enough with it. I think I'll make a better explorer. Or an artist, eventually."
"I can help you with your sword if you want," Eric offered. "We can train a little during our stops."
"While the rest of us make lunch or dinner?," Erin said sarcastically.
"I'm not a good cook," Eric admitted. "I'd better do something I can be more useful at."
"I can help you cook if you want," Gallead offered. "That way we'll be even. I know some special recipes with herbs which are original from the Valley of Winds. You've never tried anything like them."
"I know why Gallead and I are so different now," Timper reflected. "Apparently he did grow up in a decent place."
"Yes, your past can make a difference," Erin sighed. "But now we're here to forge our future."
Timper didn't reply. He'd already learnt to recognize the moments when Erin was best left with her own thoughts. He contemplated her in silence, while the others finished making the proper introductions and welcomed Gallead to the group.

[Tapewolf]

I must say I really did like that chapter.  It actually made my spine tingle when I figured out what was happening in the cave.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

SYN+ACK

:-)

[Gabi]

Thanks, both of you!

And I'm glad you liked it, JP.

[Gabi]

One more chapter!

Chapter 12: The earth trap

The group continued their steady march, one member stronger. Hours passed without them encountering anyone, or anything other than plants and rocks. This gave most of them a chance to relax and engage in light talk, but Mariel stayed out of the conversation. Her mind was wandering through places she'd rather not go to at all, and that showed in her face. It looked unnaturally pale, and devoid of her usual heartwarming smile. Eric noticed this, and asked her what was wrong.
"I'm worried," she replied.
"Well, I'm not saying you don't have reasons to be worried," Eric conceded. "But why now? I mean, things seem to be ok right now, we're moving and no one is stopping us. What has changed? Are you sensing evil magic or something?"
"No, it's not that," she told him. "It's..." She looked up and then continued. "Do you remember that moment at the cave when our connection almost broke?"
"Yes, but it didn't," Eric replied.
"It didn't. But something happened at that moment."
"What was it?"
"I heard Kharchek's voice inside my mind, right before he left," she revealed. "He let me know it was him. He knows about us; and he's not afraid of us. He said: I am only one of many; you kids will never prevail."
Mariel lowered her head and Eric put his hand on her shoulder, comforting her.
"You shouldn't be worrying like that," he said. "We're strong and we'll get stronger. We're together and nothing can set us apart. You said it, we can change the world. Whatever's wrong, we'll sort it out."
"I wish I could be so confident," she sighed. "I don't want to be pessimistic or anything, but I felt his power at the cave and it was strong. I'm not sure if I would have made it without the crown the mermaids gave me, and I do know I wouldn't have made it without the rest of you. If it wasn't for you, Eric, I would be still trapped in that cave, confused by Kharchek's spell."
"But you were with us," Eric reminded her. "And we'll always be there for you. I'm not stupid, I know we're up against something big and none of us can quell it on their own, but none of us is alone. We'll work together. Know this, Mariel: I'll never leave you alone; not for a second. You can always count on me."
"Thanks," Mariel smiled, recovering her colors. "You know how to make me feel better. Everything you've just said goes back to you. You know that, don't you?"
"I know," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. The gesture only lasted a few seconds, as they needed freedom of movement to keep advancing through the forest.

"The vegetation is growing thicker," Gallead observed, looking at the others. "We'll have to slow down, and maybe cut a few branches to make our path broader."
"We could stop for a while," Eric suggested.
"What for?," Erin inquired.
"Well, we've been walking steadily for days and we haven't stopped for anything other than eating or sleeping. But now with all these trees and bushes all around, I don't think anyone will spot us for a while. We could use this chance to have a training session."
"Hmm... it doesn't sound like such a bad idea," Erin reflected. "It will slow us down a little, but we'll also be better prepared for whatever comes to us. We should get to know each other's abilities and improve them, so that we can work together when we need it."
"So you're going to participate too?," Timper tried to confirm.
"All of you have seen me fight," she told him. "I'll watch for now; but I may join later if I feel I'm needed."
"So much for learning to work together."
"Watching you will help me know you better and adjust to you. I'll see more if I watch from the sidelines than I would if I were in the middle of it."
"Whatever you say," Timper conceded. "I still think you're unfair, but have it your way, it will probably work best for you."
"Why do you think I'm unfair?," Erin demanded.
"You expect from others what you're not willing to give them yourself," he sentenced.
"You don't know me well enough."
"You won't let me!"
Erin meditated for a second.
"Go ahead," she concluded. "I'll join you later. I have some things I need to think about right now."

By that moment, the others had already began their training. They had divided in pairs. Eric and Gallead were testing their skills with their swords, while Mariel and Pura were trying to make the best of their light attacks. It took Pura some time, but she managed to summon her Light Rain again. Mariel had to resort to her shield to block the incoming energy, and only a second later she decided to end her part of the session.
"You've just given me an idea!," she announced, walking away from the training field. "Thanks, Pura!"
"Umm... you're welcome, I guess," the lurian replied. "Tell me when you're done, I'd like to see what miracle I have inspired."
"You'll be the first one to know," Mariel promised.
"Lost your partner?," Timper approached Pura. "I can train with you if you want. Let's make up for the embarrassment we caused each other in the cave."
"Sounds good to me," Pura accepted. "Just don't..."
"I won't turn into a lurian, don't worry," he interrupted her.
"I was going to ask you not to throw acid on me, but thanks."
"I can't throw acid on you," he informed her. "I'm not carrying any. Anyway, this is just training so we won't cause any serious harm to each other."

Things went well between Timper and Pura. He evaded most of her blows, and she was too fast for him to reach her without breaking his promise. Plus he couldn't use any long range attacks, so Pura was untouchable. That was until she shot a light ball at him and Timper, instead of blocking it, transformed into a mirror and returned the attack to its owner.
In the meantime, Gallead was fast becoming overwhelmed by Eric's dexterity. He could only avoid the merial's closest attacks by turning into wind and materializing beyond the reach of his sword. He could barely get a hit in. After a few minutes of watching this, Erin decided to intervene.
"That's embarrassing!," she shouted. "Gallead, you're swinging your sword the wrong way, no wonder you always lose it."
"I don't always lose it," he defended himself. "And I'm an explorer, not a warrior. It's natural for you and Eric to be more skilled with your swords than me."
"So when your next enemy slashes you to pieces, what will you do? Tell him it was natural?"
"Erin, I can't believe how rude you can be!," Eric yelled. "I know you mean well, but you were just way too aggressive. Gallead is doing his best."
"Apparently his best is not enough, but that can change; that's exactly what training sessions are for. I can help you if you want."
"Will you apologize?," Eric asked her.
"Did my words hurt you?," she asked Gallead.
"They didn't exactly make me feel comfortable," Gallead told her.
"Ok, sorry, then."
"No problem. Perhaps I can help you improve your skills with words while you help me get better with my sword."
Erin laughed.
"What a bunch I've run into!," she exclaimed.
She gave Gallead a few instructions which the ferwill didn't take too long to assimilate. He was clearly not a warrior, but after an hour he was able to block most attacks and look for uncovered spots on his opponent's body, though Eric didn't give him many. After that, Eric and Erin had a match of their own, and everyone else sat down to watch them. They were both good, but in the end the faerie prevailed.
"It was a close match," she commended him. "You're tough for your age. When you reach mine, you'll probably be better than me."
"And what age is that?," Eric inquired.
"You never give up, do you?," Erin guffawed.

When the group resumed their march, the vines and branches forced them to go slower than before. Those who had swords used them to form a path they could walk or fly through. Timper turned into a sword himself, having Mariel hold him in order to help with the task. The elvin's arms weren't very strong, but he added his own force to the impulse she gave him and that, added to a sharp blade, did the trick. Night fell soon, and they advanced with magical light until most of them were too tired. Taking turns to watch had become easier now that they were six. Each of them kept guard for a little over an hour, the first and last shifts being longer than the others to make up for the annoyance of interrupting their sleep. Though, since Eric and Mariel didn't need much sleep, they didn't mind taking the middle shifts.

In the morning, the group reached a large clearing. It was comforting to see the sunlight at its fullest again, and to finally be able to advance without restrictions. But at least one of them didn't like the idea of being in the open. Erin kept advising the others to get out of there as fast as possible, so that no one spotted them.
"It is true that we're more visible here, but we make more noise when the vegetation is thick," Timper pointed out. "So we're actually safer from most attackers here."
No sooner did he say that than a rumbling noise was heard in the distance. It became stronger, as if getting closer, and the ground below them began to tremble.
"What's that?," Erin shouted.
Everybody looked in the direction the noise was coming from.
"Some kind of animals," Eric finally said. "Many of them. Brown fur, more than 4 legs, I think. They move too fast to see them clearly."
"Let me see," Timper said, growing up to the size of a merial. Some of his features changed slightly, especially his eyes and ears. Anyone could have taken him for a merial, but to those who knew him his personal characteristics were unmistakable.
"Trasks," he declared. "A stampede of them. They're not usually so furious. Something must have made them mad. We'd better get out of here before they reach us or we'll be in trouble. They're earth creatures. Light attacks have very little effect on them and it's impossible to calm them down when they're enraged."
"Not even with connection magic?," Mariel asked.
"They don't have the intelligence to understand words," Timper told her, "nor to change their minds. You can either try to fight them or get out of their way, there's no other option. And they're strong."
"Let's get out," Pura urged the group. "I've read about the trasks and we don't want to fight them. Not if we can avoid it."

The group moved faster and made it out of the clearing, but the tremors only became stronger.
"They're following us," Timper deduced.
"But why?," Mariel asked.
"I don't know, but I wouldn't try to ask them if I were you."
"Let's get ready for the fight, then," Erin suggested, turning around. "They may be strong, but they're stupid. We should be able to take them down rather fast."
"I don't think stupid is the word," Gallead told her. "They perceive the world in a different way. They don't need words to communicate what they feel or need. Would you call birds stupid too?"
"Whatever, just watch out," Erin warned him.
"I won't let them touch me," he said. "I can handle earth creatures. They can't hurt the wind."
"Ok, then. Do what you see fit. Eric, have your sword ready. Pura and Mariel, take cover. Timper, if you have any form that can kick Trask butts, we could use it now."
"How about this one?," Timper asked growing 3 pairs of pointy, transparent wings and shortening his sleeves and trousers to make room for bigger muscles.
"Massenn. Not bad," Erin accepted. "Do you know how to use those muscles?"
"Of course. I take my work seriously and explore all the capabilities of each species I encounter."
"Alright, then. You can take the front with me. Eric and Gallead, protect the girls."
"I was supposed to be Eric's guardian, not the other way around," Pura complained.
"Maybe if we have to fight in the water again, which I hope doesn't happen," Erin told her. "For now stay away from the trasks unless you have another new trick which can help against them."
"Stay with me, Pura," Mariel asked her. "No one can do everything. We may be able to help, but not by fighting."
"How then?," questioned Pura.
"I don't know yet. I'm thinking."

The trask stampede arrived. Eric opened a breach in the ground to stop them, but the 6-legged creatures closed it with no effort. Their size wasn't impressive: they barely reached Eric's shoulders when standing on their 6 limbs. But the effects their race was causing on the ground suggested that they were much heavier than they looked. Mariel and Pura hid behind a group of trees, while the others did the best to stop the trasks from pouncing on them. Eric's shield proved to be quite useful against their claws, and Gallead didn't have problems evading them, though his Swift sword could barely scratch their thick skin. Erin and Timper flew from one side to another using their fists as weapons. When Timper asked her why she wasn't using her sword, she told him that she couldn't make full use of its attributes against this kind of creatures.
"Why, what kind of sword is it?," he asked, evading a set of claws from a trask's front leg while hitting another with his elbow.
"I thought you were the one who knew everything," she retorted, punching a trask's stomach. "Don't tell me you've never seen a sword like mine before."
"To tell the truth, I haven't. But I'll do my best to find out."
"Good luck!"
Saying this, Erin charged against a trask but was stopped by a wall of stone that suddenly erupted from the ground.
"What?!," she yelled by reflex.
"Don't tell me you didn't know about the trasks' earth manipulation capabilities," Timper mocked her. "I guess we're even now."
As he was speaking, a trask caught him from behind and smashed him into the ground.
"Timper!," Erin cried out.
"I'm... fine," the shifter replied lifting up the trask's paw. "A little bruised, but I'll live. I guess we'd better not talk while we fight."
"What am I going to do with you?," Erin wondered.
Timper refrained from letting out any of the answers that crossed his mind. It wasn't the time for jokes, nor for putting more strain on the faerie's evidently battered soul.

Eric was wearing out. He'd tried to use earth magic, but the trasks' control over that element was too powerful. He managed to repel most attacks, but they kept coming, and he couldn't stop one of them from slashing his side while he was trying to prevent being trampled by another. Even Gallead was hurt while he was trying to blow a group of trasks away. After pushing away some of them in his wind form, he came down and attempted a stronger attack. He managed to summon a strong current of wind, but he had to remain solid to maintain its strength; and that left him vulnerable to attacks from behind and from the sides. Now most of the trasks were directing their attention to him and Eric... Until something distracted half of them and they turned away. When Eric was given the chance to look, he saw his own image jumping from one side to another. For a moment, he was confused. But then he understood who was helping him, and he kept fighting. It was hard when the ground below him wouldn't hold him and was making efforts to bring him down; but at least the illusion was driving some of them away. He was impressed. He didn't know Mariel was capable of doing something like that. But then, as the trasks scattered, one of them reached the spot where Mariel was hiding and attacked her too. She shot a light sphere right at the creature's eyes and blinded it, but the trask kept attacking. It tried to scratch her and its claw got stuck in her dress. She thanked herself for not listening to Erin's advice of using less noticeable clothes. The lower half of the dress was torn apart by the trask's claw, but the elvin was unhurt. However, the attack forced her to drop the illusion, which required a lot of concentration and Pura's channeling help to remain visible.

"We must flee!," Pura shouted, while shooting as many light balls as she could in an attempt to slow down the trask.
"Where?," Mariel questioned. "There's nowhere to run."
"I don't know, we should find a river or something. Lure them into the water where they can't attack."
"Is there a river nearby?"
"I only know the one we left 4 days ago, but I heard there was another in this region. I can look for it."
"Go, then!"

But even before Pura could acknowledge Mariel's agreement and leave, everything went black. Literally. This caused the trasks to become as confused as their opponents, and they stopped attacking. Everybody stood still. A deep voice came from the distance and pronounced words which were unknown to the travelers. When things became visible again, a barrier of darkness was encasing all the trasks, and a tall white-haired man was standing in front of them. He was wearing shiny white clothes, and there was a small aura of light around him.
"Who are you?," Eric asked, covering his wound with his hand.
"I'm Jor," the stranger replied. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
"I'm Eric Eatan. These are my friends: Erin, Timper, Gallead, and back there are Mariel and Pura."
"This place isn't safe for anyone," Jor warned them. "Why are you here?"
"We're heading to the north," Eric explained.
"You know, it would be best if you refrained from telling our story to every stranger we came across," Erin told him.
"What's the matter? You don't trust me?," Jor asked.
"I don't know anything about you," Erin replied. "I have no reason to trust you yet."
"Well, what do you want to know? I'm a shakast, a being of light. I have been exploring this forest for the last few years, learning its secrets."
"So you're an explorer?"
"No, I didn't say that. I like to explore, but I also cultivate the art of fighting and magic."
"That sounds hard to believe," Erin commented. "No one can do everything."
"And neither can I," Jor told her. "But as long as I live, I'll collect as much knowledge as I can. After all, knowledge is power."
"In that case, do you happen to know what caused those trasks to attack us?," Timper asked him.
"It must have been something they ate," Jor said. "I've heard strange things are happening these days. Why don't we walk away from here so that the trasks don't get to us if they manage to release themselves? I'm good with barrier spells, but I can't hold that many creatures forever."
"Alright," Eric acceded. "Ow... Mariel, do you have any healing herbs left or enough magic to cast a healing spell? This wound's starting to hurt more now that I've stopped fighting."
"That illusion spell wore me out," Mariel said. "It was a level 4 connection spell, and I had to add some light to make it more believable. Connection alone wasn't working. I had to use what I learned at the cave, and Pura helped me channel it; so now I can barely use any magic. Maybe a sphere of light, but that's all. I'll give you my herbs, but I'll have to process them first. Can you hold on for a minute?"
"Sure. But tell me, why did you put so much strain on yourself?"
"You were in trouble," was Mariel's reply. "You needed help. I did the only thing I could do."
"Maybe you're not strong enough for this kind of challenge yet," Jor suggested. "Why don't you go back to your homes? The route to the north only gets more dangerous. Where are you trying to get anyway?"
"We're trying to get to the bottom of all these attacks," Eric told him. "It is important. You can come with us if you want. After what you've done today, we'll probably be much safer with you."
"Speaking of that..." Mariel said while pressing some green and yellow leaves together. "How did you do that? What kind of magic was that?"
"Reverse light magic mixed with a barrier spell," he said. "Quite an effective combination."
"The barrier spell... which domain did you use to cast it?"
"You don't expect me to reveal all my tricks, do you? I worked hard on achieving this power. You should do the same."
"If we're going to work together, sharing our knowledge would help all of us," she told him.
"Well, share your knowledge, then. What domains can you use?"
"Light, connection and healing," she responded. "And I'm trying to explore others too. So, what was it?"
"It wasn't any of your domains," he replied. "You won't be able to cast that spell for now. Leave barriers to me."
Mariel wasn't satisfied with the answer, but she did not insist. She finished mixing and treating her herbs and applied them on their friends' wounds in order to heal them. When they felt better, the group headed to the north again.

As they walked, Jor and Mariel kept watching each other without saying a word. Eric wished he could know what was going on between them. The whole group remained unusually silent. The merial had an uncomfortable sensation. He had grown used to the constant chatter, and even the arguments.
"Why isn't anyone talking?," he finally asked when night was already falling.
"I guess we're tired," Mariel answered, but she didn't look at Eric as she spoke.
"Well, let's stop then," Eric suggested. "If we're too tired to talk, we can't expect to be ready to confront any dangers."
"Wise decision," Jor complimented him. "I'll dig a hole on the ground, it's the safest shelter in this area."
"I'll help," Erin offered.
"Can you use magic?," Jor asked her.
"No, but I have a good pair of arms," she said.
"I can see that. Ok, then, I guess you can help."
"What did he mean by that?," Timper wondered. He spoke in a low voice so that only those closest to him could hear him, those being Eric and Mariel.
"Eric, can you come with me for a moment, please?," Mariel asked. "I'll change your compress. Timper, you can help me."
Timper and Eric followed her to a silent corner.
"What's going on?," Timper asked her once he'd become sure they were away from everyone else's hearing range. "I know you don't need my help to change a compress you've made yourself."
"That's true, you've been acting strangely today," Eric agreed.
"It's Jor," Mariel confessed. "There's something about him. I don't know what yet, but when he used that darkness spell, and then the barrier... I got the feeling that it had all happened before. And then he asked so many questions..."
"I ask questions all the time," Eric pointed out.
"Yes, but it's different. You're as open as you're curious. Jor keeps to himself even more than Erin does."
"And that's saying a lot!," Timper commented. "But do you have any reasons to be suspicious? I mean... you've never distrusted Erin, nor me or Gallead."
"She has a talent for knowing who deserves her trust," Eric told him.
"It's just intuition and perception, enhanced by my knowledge of connection magic. Though it failed me at the cave."
"It worked in the end," Eric reminded her. "I'd trust your perception with my life. If it's telling you something's wrong, then something must be wrong. We'll find out."

Mariel nodded, and that was the sign for the three to rejoin the group. Jor directed a look at Eric when they returned, and then continued his digging work. Gallead was now helping him too. They were using their swords, their arms and a shovel Jor had hidden somewhere in the forest. Pura was watching from above. Eric, Mariel and Timper decided to help. Being there more workers than tools, Timper decided to do the job of a second shovel.
"It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it," he joked. When Eric felt strong enough, he used his earth magic to finish the job.

Jor got inside the hole to measure it. He walked from side to side, testing the walls with his hands.
"This will do," he diagnosed.
Then he got out and invited the group to try it.
"Are you sure it's a good idea?," Mariel asked. "I've never been inside a hole like this before, but it looks quite uncomfortable."
"It's good once you get used to it," Jor assured. "I've spent many nights in holes like this."
"Ok. Come with us, then."
"Now you don't trust me either," he claimed. "What have I done to earn your distrust?"
"Why are you so sure I don't trust you?"
"You didn't change your friend's compress."
Mariel realized her mistake, and was ashamed. She should have done what she'd said she was going to do. Changing the compress would have left some marks on Eric's clothes. Marks someone would have to pay attention to in order to notice them, but Jor evidently was watching them closely. What was he hiding?
"Don't worry, I'll prove myself," Jor offered. "I will enter the shelter first."
He walked into the hole and sat against one of its walls. The rest of the group followed him.
"I guess we can take seven turns now," Gallead suggested.
"Or maybe two of us can keep guard together," Erin said. "I'll take the last shift with Jor."
"I'll take the previous one," Mariel offered.
"And I'll take the one before," Eric said.
"If no one wants the first shift, then I'll take it," Timper decided.
"What do you like best, Gallead? Second or third?," Pura asked.
"It's the same," Gallead replied.
"Then take the second, so I get to wake up the little big guy."
"Okay, second then."

They got organized and spent a not too comfortable but still bearable night. Nothing relevant happened during the first 5 shifts, but when Mariel left her post to curl up inside the hole again, she couldn't get to sleep. She stayed awake as Erin and Jor got out, and heard what they spoke.
"Where did you get that shovel?," Erin inquired.
"I bought it during one of my trips. Do you like it?"
"It's not bad. Though some of its traits are wasted on a digging tool. I'd never seen anyone carry one on a journey before, I don't see why they'd make a self-storing shovel like that one."
"There are many things you haven't seen yet."
"Don't be so sure."
There was silence for a while.
Jor finally broke it.
"I heard the cities of Shantar and Holtar in the north were destroyed a year after my visit. It was a pity; they were homes to brave and powerful warriors."
"I wouldn't use that word lightly," Erin replied, avoiding his eyes.
"Which word?"
"Warriors. Nor brave. Those cities had been engaged in a pointless war for generations. No one even knew what they were fighting for, but still they continued. There were some exceptions, but most of their inhabitants were closer to street fighters than true warriors."
"Oh, so you know," he said. "I wouldn't judge them so fast. They were all working hard on improving themselves and gaining more power. I find that admirable. Don't you? From what I've seen so far, I can tell you have it in you. But it seems their attackers were more powerful in the end."
"You know nothing about me," Erin snapped. "You know nothing about anything at all."
"Why the sudden outburst?"
"That's me. I have sudden and unexplainable outbursts. But I care. I wouldn't make comments on a massacre as if I were talking about a wedding. The others may be immature at times, but at least they show respect for life. What are you doing this for?"
"I guess I made a mistake with you. I'm sorry."

Silence fell over them like lead. They didn't say a word for the rest of their shift. Tension kept building. When the sun rose, Erin turned around without thinking twice and got into the hole to wake up her friends.
Jor used that chance to cast a new spell. The hole became dark, except for the dim light Pura was shedding.
"What?!," Erin yelled. "What are you doing?!"
"Sorry, miss," Jor's voice came from outside. "I've seen you're not going to help me and I won't allow you to interfere with my goals. I've heard enough to realize your little group can become a major annoyance, so goodbye. Enjoy the rest of your life while it lasts!"
"Repulsive bastard!," Erin yelled, hitting a barrier while trying to come out. Her shouts woke up those who were still sleeping.
"What's going on?," Eric asked.
"He tricked us, that's what!! Mariel, undo this spell now! Get us out of here."
"I can't," Mariel told her. "I can't even cast a spell like this, let alone undo it."
"Then what? We can't stay here forever!," Eric complained.
"I know, I'll try to find a way."
Pura dashed against the barrier many times trying to break it, but it was in vain. Not even her light could come out. All physical attacks were also useless.
"The worst thing is I should have realized earlier," Mariel scolded herself. "I guess I was caught by surprise yesterday, but that's no excuse. I should have recognized that energy signature before he cast a spell on us."
"What are you talking about?," Eric inquired.
"This magic... it has the same pattern as the traces I found at the lurians' field. It was Jor who burnt the crops."
"Oh, no! And I've told him practically everything about us!," Eric scolded himself.
"We've all messed up," Erin shared the blame. "But I won't let that happen again. This bastard deserves to be crushed twice. He rejoices in the suffering of others."
"Remind me to never trust appearances again," Pura asked the rest.
"Blaming ourselves is not going to help," Timper remarked. "We need to find a way to get out of here."

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

... is it just me who can see an obvious way of trying to get out?

[Tapewolf]

Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before one of their encounters turned out to be a bad apple.

I can't yet see the escape route Llearch is thinking of, but I'll reread it later and see if I can figure it out.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Did you want a hint?

[Gabi]

You'll find out now...

Chapter 13: The witches of Shadowy Meadow

Jamie Wilmslow woke up with a start. The first rays of the sun were coming in through the window right beside her bed. A part of her tried to cling to her dreams, but couldn't. She tried to remember what had happened. Only the last phrase that had resounded in her mind before she awoke was still there, words spoken by no voice in particular, with no certain origin or purpose: "one day can change the rest of your life". Right after 'hearing' that phrase, Jamie had felt something. That had been what woke her up, that much she was sure of. But exactly what it was she had felt was even more unclear than the meaning of the words. She tried to focus on it; made an effort to understand it. She knew it was important. She sat up in order to think more clearly, and the feeling came again. This time she managed to get a firm enough grasp of it to know it came from the outside, and it wasn't good. Or was it? She had mixed feelings; it would be hard to untie them and make sense of them. It was as if the best and the worst had suddenly come together. It was too hard for her to sort it out on her own.

Luckily for Jamie, she was not alone; or she could stop being alone the moment she wanted to. Mildred, her sister, was sleeping in another bed, only a few steps away from hers. Mildred's sleep, while not as light as Jamie's, was never too deep either; it wouldn't be hard to wake her up. Jamie crouched down next to her sister's bed and moved her body as gently as she could from side to side. The reaction was immediate.

"Hmm?," Mildred hummed, pressing her eyelids tightly.
"Wake up," Jamie told her.
"What time is it?" Mildred slowly opened her eyes to look through the window across the room. "It's sunrise. What's the hurry?"
"Didn't you feel it?," queried Jamie.
"Feel what?"
"I take that as a no. Are mom and dad still sleeping?"
"How should I know? I was sleeping only a few seconds ago."
"You didn't feel them in your sleep, did you?"

Now Mildred sat up and stared at her sister firmly.
"I was sleeping," she said. "Just sleeping. It's something most people normally do, you know. It's good for your health."
"I know, I know. I guess I'm too attached to this world to ever leave it completely."
"Yeah. When you die you'll come back as a ghost and wander on this world forever."
Both sisters burst into laughter.

"You said something about feeling... something," Mildred recovered the subject. "What were you talking about?"
"Oh! Outside. Something's going on, but I just can't tell what. I felt something really bad... but something really good too! I can't make sense out of it."
"Ok, ok, let's go slowly. Where did you feel it?"
"Outside."
"More precision, please."
"In the light. The sunlight, I think. And then the air. The air was disturbed, but it brought something sweet and pleasant. The light was... extremely confusing."
"Let me check," Mildred said, getting out of her bed to kneel down on Jamie's and look through the window. "Darn, I missed it. Whatever the light was carrying, it's gone now. But it's true that the air has something peculiar today."
"I'll check it out," Jamie decided, taking off her night dress and picking a black dress from her closet.

It was a tradition in the Wilmslow family to wear black clothes most of the time, in order to be more receptive to the energies around them (black was a receptive color by nature). White was a color they wore when they felt they needed protection (absorbs nothing, reflects everything). Many times Jamie thought that might be the reason why she, who had shiny black hair, could feel the invisible forces around her better than her brown-haired sister could (times when Mildred would invariably point out that she had more common sense than Jamie, which was probably true).
"Alone?," Mildred stopped her. "It may be dangerous. The forest has been uneasy lately and now this is here... really close and-"
"And we must do something about it. Besides, I somehow feel that I won't be alone."
"You can't live your whole life based on hunches."
"You can come with me. We'll split up to cover more terrain and if any of us needs help, the other will be just one scream away."
"One scream away. You're already thinking of screaming, yet you make it sound like there was nothing to be afraid of."
"I don't know if there's anything to be afraid of or not. I'm already confused, so please don't add to it. Will you support me, or shall I go out on my own?"
Mildred strode to the closet and picked up a dress from the other side.
"I'm with you."

*************************

"I can't believe I fell for such a stupid trick!," Erin roared, delivering punches at the impenetrable blackness above.
The group had already tried looking for a counter-spell, sending light into the darkness, digging a tunnel... but none of their attempts had worked. The barrier was all around them. They were trapped.
"I don't know that much about barrier spells, but I don't think brute force is capable of breaking them," Pura commented.
"Oh, shut up!"
"You know... fighting isn't going to help either," Eric pointed out.
"What do you want me to do, then?," Erin asked. "Stop going through the things that won't help and please tell me something that will."
"I wish I'd managed to conquer the domain of protection," Mariel sighed. "If I had, then I could have a chance of breaking this barrier. It was made by combining the domains of protection and light. But for some reason, I can't seem to connect with that domain. I've also tried to mix light and protection to cast a spell on my shield -that was the supposedly brilliant idea I had during the practice-, but it didn't work."
"Don't get so worked up, it's not your fault," Pura told her. "No one can master all domains of magic. Many live their whole lives without being able to harness any. And some, like me, can use only one. You're already good at 3 domains, so you should be proud."
"Good at 3 domains..." Mariel let out another sigh. "Connection is one of them, and still I couldn't read Jor fast enough to know he would betray us. I just felt there was something wrong about him, but that was all."
"Jor is very skilled with protection magic," Gallead pointed out. "He could easily protect himself from any readings. The fact that you actually found out that something was not right with him says a lot about your skills."
"Talk about saying a lot!," Erin shouted, failing to contain her rage. "He knows so much about us! Now we're really in trouble!"
"We should go after him when we get out of here," Eric suggested.
"He could be on the other side of the world by then," blared Erin.
"Then are we going to the wastelands?," Gallead asked.
Erin turned round and stared at him.
"We know that evil is concentrating there," the ferwill said. "I took it that was where we were going."
"No, that's too obvious," Erin said after thinking for a few seconds. "Jor wants us to go there. It can only be a trap. We need to find where the core actually is. It must be somewhere in the north, because its influence extends from north to south, but not exactly in the wastelands."
"The core?," Eric asked. "What's that? You'd never mentioned it before."
"The source of all the attacks," Erin explained. "What we've been after all along, and if Jor is as important to it as I suspect, then it's after us now."
"Where did all those thoughts come from, Erin?," the merial inquired. "It doesn't look like something that has just come to your mind."
"You've been maturing this, haven't you?," Mariel joined what felt like an interrogatory to Erin. "You've been thinking about it all the time, not wanting to talk to anyone else... not to get us worried? But we were already worried, and any information you shared with us would only help us. You're not alone in this, Erin. We can help. It's true, we're young and inexperienced and all, but we wouldn't be here if we didn't believe we can do something."
"Get out of my head!," Erin yelled.
"What? I'm not reading your thoughts!," Mariel told her. "I can't do that, and even if I could, I wouldn't. Thoughts are private."
"Then how did you know all that?"
"I've been travelling with you for weeks. And I've known you for a long time even before that. I've been trying to understand you ever since I first met you. I just didn't ask questions because I saw you didn't like them."
"So everyone is trying to decipher me?"
"We're not! We're trying to be your friends!"

Erin came down and sat on the ground. She meditated on Mariel's words. Maybe the elvin had a point; maybe she had been too hard on everyone all along. She'd set up her defenses so high, she'd ended up hurting those who cared for her. Maybe it was time to decide who she had to protect herself from, and who were safe company. Mariel was clearly the latter; she wouldn't even step on an ant. Next to her, Eric was probably the most innocent creature on the planet. Gallead looked clean, though she didn't know him well enough to be sure yet. As for Pura and Timper... those were hard ones. Pura was the most open lurian she'd ever met (though she was aware of the oxymoron in that phrase), and had an extremely developed sense of protection; it could be safe to trust her, but then again... she was Pura! Opening up to her would go against her principles. And Timper... he had admitted to trying to figure Erin out. He had confronted her at times when no one else would have dared to, and today had been awkwardly silent during the recent conversation; just looking at her. If there were any signs that could tell her not to trust someone, Timper had them all written on his forehead. But then again, he'd told her everything there was to know about him just to prove a point, he had allowed her to her touch his chest with the point of her sword without offering resistance, he had respected her feelings and even her need to withdraw to herself like no one else had and he seemed to honestly care for her! And the others thought she was the most undecipherable creature ever? No way! Timper was!

"Can I ask you a question and hope for you not to be offended?," Mariel probed Erin.
"Sure you can. I cannot guarantee your hopes will come true, but I'll try."
"I had trouble falling asleep after my shift last night, and I overheard your conversation with Jor. Still, I didn't make much sense out of it. Why did he suddenly start talking about the wastelands?"
Erin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she let it go.
"He was testing me," she said. "He wanted to know which side I was on. I guess he didn't like the answer."
"Is that why you say he wants us to go there?"
"Yes. Either that or leave us trapped here until we starve to death... or die from lack of oxygen."
"Now that you say it, how come we're still breathing normally?," Timper wondered. "This hole is not that big. We should have began to notice the decrease in oxygen by now."
"I share your thoughts, Timper," Mariel said. "It seems that the air hasn't changed one bit. I've been examining the barrier to find a breach, and I'm practically certain it's letting air pass. Maybe he wants us to linger for a long time before we die."
"Are you serious?!," Timper suddenly broke his silence. "Though that would explain why we could still hear Jor's voice after he trapped us. I thought it had been telepathy or something."
"If that's true, I guess I've overestimated our enemy," Erin smiled for the first time that day.
"That's impossible! Someone so powerful would know better," Gallead refused to believe Jor's plan had such a huge loophole.
It was now clear to all the group that at least one of them had a chance to escape.
"Maybe he didn't consider you a threat," Pura suggested. "Those things often happen. Being underestimated can give you a lot of power."
"You can learn that from Pura," Erin remarked.
"Now you shut up!," Pura yelled at Erin. "Some of us have reasons for what we do."
"Are you saying I don't?"
"Oh, did I ever said that?"
"Stop it, please!!," Eric shouted. "I thought we could finally have a rest from your arguments."
"Changing the world would be easier," Erin laughed.
"I'm not the one who doesn't cooperate," Pura remarked.
"Stop. Please. Now."
"Alright...," the lurian accepted.
Erin's silence was taken as an agreement.

"Can you get out of here and look for help?," Eric asked Gallead. "Any kind of help."
"I'll do my best," Gallead said. "I still find it hard to believe that air can get out. Will you be fine till I return?"
"We'll be alright," Eric assured. "Good luck. I hope you find a way to break the spell."
Gallead was still unsure. It was a really hard task he had to take on.
"You can do it," Mariel said, placing her hand on Gallead's shoulder. "Trust yourself, and you'll make it. That's the way life works."
"We're counting on you," Eric told him, shaking Gallead's hand.
The ferwill nodded, and vanished from sight as a strong gust of wind ascended from the bottom of the trap... to the surface.

If anyone had been on that place at that moment, and felt  the fast curling wind that rose up into the sky and then forward into the first direction it could turn to, they would have easily felt that the wind was happy. Though most would have immediately thought that that made no sense, and discarded that feeling. Still, in this case it was true. Gallead was thrilled to see the sun again, to feel the treetops shake as he passed by them... to be free. But he didn't forget his mission. He knew his friends were counting on him, and he'd never be able to enjoy his freedom again - nor anything else - if he failed them. He needed to find something... anything... that could help him break the dark barrier.

During his flight, Gallead found many kinds of birds nesting on the treetops, many varieties of plants, a few clearings and even a river, but none of that was likely to be useful at that moment. Until he saw a dark figure moving slowly across the forest. Gallead couldn't see the figure clearly while flying at such a high speed, so he decided to land (which implied becoming solid again) and hide behind a group of trees to watch closer. What he saw then, was a being unlike any other he'd seen before. It was a female, that much was clear from the curves of her body, which also revealed that their owner was physically mature. Although, unless she belonged to one of the non-aging species, she was still young. She was wearing a long black dress, tight around the chest and torso, and loose below the hips. Her straight, black hair fell down to her chest, plaited in two pigtails. Her light-colored skin seemed to have low pigmentation, as it revealed the tint of the blood running below it, especially on her cheeks, and her lips were of an incredibly perfect ruby shade. She reminded him of an elf in some aspects, but there was something different about her; something Gallead could not put in words as much as he tried. She somehow seemed... closer.

The mysterious being brought her walk to a halt and turned round. Now her eyes were facing Gallead. They were medium brown, the same tone as an infusion Gallead used to prepare back at the Valley of Winds... only the color looked so much better on those irises! They were clearly not the eyes of an elf, but they weren't any less beautiful. The deep, round pupils matched the smooth features of her face, especially the small round nose. If he'd been trying to draw a perfect face, he wouldn't have been able to imagine a better one. She turned around completely, now her whole body facing the trunk that was sheltering Gallead. The ferwill turned away, placing his back on the grey tree-trunk to hide. He needed help, but he couldn't turn to the first creature he saw without being sure he could trust her. He couldn't afford running into another Jor.

"Who's there?," a soft female voice spoke.
How had she found him? Could she see through solid objects? Did she have an extremely acute sense of smell or hearing? Or maybe a psychic sense? Or had he just been too careless and revealed his position while being hypnotized by her image?
"You can come out, I won't hurt you," the voice assured.
A warm and comfortable sensation enveloped Gallead, inviting him to cast his worries aside. It reminded him of the moment when Mariel first reached out to him inside the cave. He somehow felt he could trust her. He slowly turned around and came out from behind the tree.

An expression of astonishment formed on the mysterious girl's face as she saw the ferwill. She took a deep breath with her mouth, her eyes wide-open, and the warm sensation Gallead was experiencing suddenly faded away, and was replaced by a great sensation of curiosity.

"Was that magic?," Gallead asked.
The girl closed her lips and nodded.
"Don't be scared, please," she begged him. "I only want to know you."
"I'm not scared," Gallead said with a smile. "Not of you, in any case. You're the most comforting sight I've seen in a long time."
The girl blushed.
"Are you a magical creature?," she asked him. "Sorry, of course, you must be. It's just... I've always heard of beings like you, and I knew you were somewhere in this forest. I felt your presence, but I never thought I'd actually see you one day."
"You felt my presence?," Gallead asked, confused.
"Well, I felt yours only this morning, but I felt others before. When I was little I dreamed of meeting one of you. You must think I'm crazy."
"I wouldn't call anyone crazy for dreaming," Gallead assured. "But I must admit I don't understand you. Who are you?"
"Oh! Sorry I didn't introduce myself. I'm not usually this dimwitted; it's just... today is a strange day. I'm Jamie. Jamie Wilmslow, from Shadowy Meadow."
"I'm Gallead from the Valley of Winds," he replied offering his hand.
Jamie's hand approached Gallead's slowly and caressed it gently before holding it with firmness. The back of her hand was softer than her palm and fingers, but her touch was pleasant. Her hands were small, but firm.
"Valley of Winds..." she repeated, almost in a whisper. "I've never heard of it before."
"It's among the mountains, north-east from here. It's a ferwill village. It's quite small, but it's a nice place. Especially for the children."
"Then you must be a ferwill," Jamie deduced, and a nod from Gallead confirmed it. "Can you really yourself turn into wind like the books say?"
"Yes, I can," Gallead replied. "But what about you? I've seen many creatures in my journeys, but I've never met anyone quite like you before."
"Really? I... No, I can't believe it. You must have seen other humans before."
"Human? Is that what you are?"
Gallead's expression changed all of a sudden when Jamie gave him an affirmative response. He now looked serious and reflective.
"This is strange. I've heard stories about humans, but I guess they must be just rumors."
"Stories? What did they say?"
"You wouldn't like to hear them."
"I've already heard so much, nothing you can say will scare me."
"Well, I've heard that humans were very dangerous and deceitful. That they had no respect for other species and hardly any respect for their own kind, and that they destroyed everything they touched. But, if it helps, I don't think you're like that."
"It does help," Jamie smiled. "That must explain why you're the first magical creature to ever show himself to a member of my family. I've heard rumors about your kind too. Rumors that said you were naughty and liked playing tricks on people, and other things too; but I never wanted to believe any of it. I wanted to see for myself. I know how misleading a rumor can be, and what awful things it can cause. That's the main reason why my family lives away from the rest of the society."
"Why? Have others hurt you?," Gallead asked, worried.
Jamie sighed.
"Many humans let their lives be ruled by fear, and they're afraid of everything they can't understand. And what they fear, they try to destroy. In that sense I guess the stories you heard were true, at least partially. My family... We're witches. We're constantly dealing with things other people don't understand. That's why the others didn't want us with them. That's why my parents decided to move into the forest as soon as my sister and I were born; to protect us and let us grow safe and practise the craft without anyone trying to ruin our lives. I guess they made the right choice, but sometimes... Sometimes I just feel too lonely."
"I know what you mean..." Gallead said. "Well... except for one thing."
"What thing?"
"What is a witch?"

Jamie looked at Gallead with surprise in her eyes. She had never expected anyone not to know what a witch was. She tried to explain it in the best way she could.
"We dedicate ourselves to exploring magic and the ways of the universe."
"So you're like a sorceress?"
"Hmm... I guess so. Yes, you can call me that."
"That's strange. In all the populations I'd found before today, sorcerers were highly respected."
"I guess we're rather odd... So you're not afraid of me?"
"Why would I be?"
Both Jamie and Gallead smiled, and they both felt something warm and pleasant. Only this time it wasn't magic. At least not the kind of magic a sorcerer can cast.
"I have a question," Gallead said. "If you're the one who works with magic, why did you call me a magical being?"
"Aren't you one? I mean... you can turn into air."
"That's a trait of my species, but as far as magic goes I can only use two spells, and only on myself."
"Which spells?"
"Agility and self healing."
"That's interesting. I've never thought of using a spell to boost my agility. I know some protection and connection spells, and I've been exploring light and healing lately. I have the feeling I'll need them soon; for some time we've been feeling something's wrong with the forest. But we haven't been able to find out what it is yet."
"Something's wrong indeed. Entire cities have been destroyed and many others were attacked. I'm an explorer and I've heard many stories which I wish were just rumors. I met some friends a few days ago; they were trying to make things right, so I joined them. But we were attacked and now all the others are trapped. I was the only one who could escape. Now that you've said you can use protection magic, I think you could help them. Mariel said the barrier that's holding them was made with light and protection magic."
"Mariel?"
"One of my friends. She's a sorceress, but she hasn't been able to open the barrier. Will you please help us?"
"Why didn't you ask earlier?"
"I was... Well, at first I wasn't sure I could trust you, and then I... I was stupid, I guess. Being with you, talking to you, looking at your eyes... it all felt so good, I think I didn't want that moment to come to an end."

Jamie was confused. Too many unexplainable things had happened that morning, and the day was only starting. The one thing she was sure about, however, was that she'd never felt so flattered in her entire life. And, while she couldn't quite make sense of her feelings, something was clear: this was, indeed, a day unlike any other.
"One day can change the rest of your life," she whispered to herself, starting to interpret the words of her dream.
"Do you think today is that kind of day?," Gallead asked her.
Jamie gasped. She hadn't expected Gallead to hear her.
"I was just thinking aloud. I'll do my best to help, but I may need help from the rest of my family. Do you mind if I call them? At least my sister, Mildred. She and I work best together."
"I'll trust you," Gallead said.
"Trust her with what?," another female voice came from behind Jamie.
The speaker showed herself. She was slightly taller than Jamie and the dress she was wearing was very similar to hers. Long brown locks fell below her shoulders, and her wide smile was much like Jamie's. The shape of her body was also quite similar, while the rest of her features were a bit sharper and her eyes had a color between brown and green. Her skin was white (at least what humans call white), but not as light-colored as Jamie's. The pinkish cheeks were present in both.
"There she is," Jamie smiled without turning. "Hi, Mid! How did you find me?"
"If I had been trying to find you, you wouldn't have got away for one second," Mildred affirmed, walking to her sister's side. "I see you've found a new friend. What's his name?"
"Oh. His name is Gallead. Gallead, this is my twin sister, Mildred."
"The one who got the brains," Mildred joked. "Just kidding."
"Mid, Gallead's friends need help. They're trapped by a barrier made of light and protection magic. Will you come with me and help them?"
"Sure!," Mildred accepted. "That must be what we were feeling this morning. What kind of friends are they?"
"Magical creatures, I guess," Gallead said with a smile. "At least according to Jamie's definition. Two elves, a shifter, a lurian and a strong faerie who won't reveal her species nor her background, but I can tell she's good."
"Let's go," Mildred suggested. "If the barrier spell was what woke you up, they have been trapped since sunrise. We shouldn't waste time."

Gallead led the witches to the spot where the barrier was. A wide hole could be seen there, but their eyes found nothing inside - only blackness. The place was silent. Gallead began to wonder if his friends had found a way out, but when he got closer to the hole he heard Mariel's voice calling for him.
"Gallead, is that you? Who's with you? Did you get help?"
"Gallead's here?," Eric's voice joined hers.
"I'm here," he confirmed. "And I've brought help. Jamie, Mildred, what do you think? Can you break this barrier?"
"The spell looks strong," Mildred judged. "But there must be a way to break it. Both types of magic are blended in quite an unusual way, though."
"We must find a way to untie the threads that brought those two kinds of magic together," Jamie remarked, kneeling down on the border of the hole.
"If you manage to make a breach, I can help you untie them," Mariel said. "Are you good with protection magic? If you are, you can hold back the protection part while I pull out the light part. That way we'll keep them separate while each of us undoes a part of the spell."
"That sounds like a good idea," Mildred agreed.
"Is she the sorceress you mentioned?," Jamie asked Gallead.
"Yes, she is," he replied. "She's Mariel. She's an expert in light and connection magic."
"Connection? That will help too. Ok, then. We can make a connection bridge so that we can work at the same pace without interfering with each other. It will also help us see the threads of the spell more clearly."
"True, but it won't work until we make a breach," Mariel said from inside the hole. "I've already tried that. The barrier repels connection magic just as it repels everything else other than air and light. It absorbs light and lets air pass through."
"Thanks for telling us," Mildred said. "We'll try to work with that."

Mildred and Jamie began to whisper words that made no sense to anyone else - not even Mariel -, but whatever they were saying seemed to work. Soon, energy began to build around them. Neither Gallead nor most of the occupants of the hole understood what was going on, other than the fact that the 3 young girls were casting a spell, or rather, trying to revert one. It took them about 2 minutes to open a breach through which connection magic could flow, and another 10 to completely undo the barrier. That seemed like an eternity for those who had missed the first rays of the sun, but an air of celebration filled the place when the morning light made its way into the hole, and those who had been trapped finally came out.

What came afterwards was a mixture of introductions, exclamations, remarks and silence (the latter only from a few). Mariel was impressed at the way the human witches had been able to tap into Jor's spell and break it, but Mildred and Jamie weren't any less impressed by her. Feeling her magic in action, making the task infinitely lighter, and now seeing her in person, brought amazement to both of them.
"Your eyes..." Jamie commented. "It looks as if a powerful light emanated from them."
"Should you be surprised?," Gallead said, getting closer to her, "when the most amazing light is hidden behind yours?"
Jamie blushed.
"Now where did THAT come from?!," Erin exclaimed.
"Note to self: never try a poetic approach," Timper half-joked.
"We should go now," Eric said. "We've lost too much time, Jor could be anywhere by now."
"You don't have to go yet," Jamie told the group. "We can help you. I mean... we've been feeling things lately... maybe we can help you find out what direction your enemy took, and we can also offer you something to eat and a place to recover your energies for a while."
"Why would you do that?," Eric asked her. "I mean, you've already helped us so much today! We'd never be able to pay you back."
"To think I'd always believed that if I ever saw an elf, I'd be the one with the pay-back problems," Mildred commented. "We'll be honored to help you as much as we can. You don't have to do anything for us. Though it would be great if you could tell us what's wrong with the forest, and help us sort it out."
"It would be great if we could all work together," Gallead suggested. "Can't you two come with us?"
"Sorry, we can't," Jamie responded, shadows covering her face. "We need to stay here and protect Shadowy Meadow. If things can get as bad as I think they can, we'll need a strong focal point for good magic. And we'll need to stick together. Our family, I mean. Shadowy Meadow is a spot of energetic confluence; a place where light and darkness come together. If there's anything we can do to prevent the balance between them from breaking, we'll only be able to do it here. But you can stay with us for as long as you can. I'm sure our parents wouldn't mind."
"Could you please translate what she said?," Eric whispered to Mariel.
"Later," the elvin said.
Gallead sighed and shook his head.
"I'm not a sorcerer," he said. "I wouldn't be of any help here. I don't really know what we're dealing with, nor why so many beings have suddenly risen to destroy everything in their wake, but whenever we find out, I'll have to deal with it in the way I can. However, if everything goes well and we make it back, I'll be honored to accept your invitation."
"Take something to eat, at least," Jamie urged the group. "You do eat, right?"
Gallead chuckled.
"Yes, we do."
"What's with those two?," Erin grumbled.
"I think I know, but I have the feeling you wouldn't like to know," Pura giggled.
"I'm not stupid, Pura. But I mean... they've only just met!"
"I tend to think logically," Timper said, joining the faeries, "but I do know logic doesn't work in all cases. Some things simply... are."

*************************

Elsewhere, a secret meeting took place. When the shakast arrived, a small transparent-winged being was sitting on a rock, waiting for him. He had short, straight red hair, and his short beard was just as red. The clothes he was wearing were clearly fire-themed, as if he was trying to give others a warning of what they'd get if they ever got in his way. He was small in size, true, but Jor knew better than to misjudge him. This fiery creature was a dangerous threat to anyone who opposed him, and he had proven that in the past. He combined strategic proficiency, physical strength, knowledge of weapons and firepower in a lethal way.
"What took you so long?," the faerfliye inquired.
"I have traveled a long distance," Jor responded.
"You're always so serious! But that could be a good thing. Someone like you is bound to take the job seriously. Actually, you turned up earlier than we expected. Did you get anything?"
"I don't like the tone you're using," Jor warned him.
"Which tone?"
"A tone of superiority. As if you considered yourself to have some degree of authority over me."
"Me? Oh, no, I always talk like that, you should know me by now. You've proven yourself just as I have. We're together in this. Partners."
"That will have to do," Jor accepted.
"Why so much harshness?"
"I don't like your kind."
"I'm one of a kind. You won't find anyone like me. I think the way I put an end to a millenary war proved that."
"I must admit I was delighted when I saw that. You must have sacrificed a lot. After all, one of the cities was your own, wasn't it?"
"It's not sacrifice unless you lose something that's important to you, and I only lost the things that made me weak. So, let me repeat my question: did you get anything?"
"For a moment, I thought I had. But I seem to have found quite the opposite of what I was looking for."
"That could be a good thing too. We need both polarities for things to work, or so says Haggaus."
"What do you mean?," Jor inquired. "How does he know that? Has he made any progress?"
"He has read the signs," his partner announced.
"Finally!"
"Yes. Finally. We have until the spring equinox."
"That's only a few months from now. Why?"
"A matter of balance of light and darkness. You should understand it better than me, you know magic's not my thing. But he says it's the moment when they both have equal strength. '12 hours of each on that one day,' he said. So, if either side manages to shatter that perfect balance, that side will gain unparalleled power."
"But why this equinox in particular?"
"I'll go on with what he said. Normally any equinox would have done, but now forces have been set in motion and they can't be stopped. It's now or never. 'Twelve must confront twelve,' that's what Haggaus said. So maybe what you found can serve us. It will be good to identify our opponents. We can be better prepared."
"How many are we now?"
"3 fixed, 2 in trial and I think I've found another promising pair. We need at least 5 more."
"Will Haggaus get out and start recruiting now that he's done with the readings?"
"He's one step ahead of you. He's already been working with the candidates, exploring their potential."
"I know one. Who's the other?"
"I heard that it's a she, but I've never seen her. Haggaus says it's essential that we don't disturb her right now."
"And you follow his commands?"
"I don't know if interrupting her treatment would ruin things or not, but it will be better to play his game until we know more. So tell me, who did you find?"
"They were just six, not too well organized, though very determined. Two seemed to share a strong bond, but those were young and inexperienced. Two others didn't seem very dangerous, just a lurian and a weird air creature; but the remaining two were smart and shouldn't be underestimated. I have an idea of what they're weak against based on recent experience, but I suggest we try all elements to be sure."
"Why just the elements? We can do better things," the winged one suggested.
A smile formed in the mouths of both.
"We'll try everything we have," Jor decided. "That way we can test them and our own group at the same time. We'll kill two birds with the same stone."

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

One of the things I like about your writing, Gabi, is the way you drop information into it.

"What took you so long?," the faerfliye inquired.

Look, we now know he's a faerfliye. All without drawing attention to it, and just in passing.

.. and I can hardly wait for the next slice... :-)