The Gaze of Eternity

[Yui-chan]

The sound of Gyrfalcon's alarmed shout brought Kaleyra's blonde head snapping up from the texts she'd been pouring over, her eyes wide. Whatever she'd intended to do, the choice was stolen from her when the ship suddenly lurched, tossed to the side by the wake of a huge, silver-scaled beast. She'd have gaped at the creature if not for the suddenly-pressing need to gather her reading material and cap her inkwell. It was with great relief that she stowed her books and secured the water-tight bladder around her entire pack, all under the shouting and mayhem of motion that had erupted on the vessel.

 

Only then did the rampaging sea serpent warrant her attention. The gaping commenced.

 

Jutting from the water like a newly-shined sword, the monster's head stood even with the top of the ship's mast, its massive jaws open as it bugled another challenge into the clear air. And what jaws they were. Lined with two alternating rows of vicious-looking, serrated teeth, its open maw was of such size that it looked more than capable of swallowing the crow's nest in one bite. Behind its head three membranous, spined frills stood stiffly out from its skull in decreasing lengths, ringing it like an ornate lace collar. In contrast to its pure-silver body, the membranes reflected the bright sunlight in a rainbow of colors, almost like a pearl crowning a silver pendant. Sparkling in the fair weather, the creature was an impressive and beautiful sight. When it let out another blood-chilling roar, though, the Avian winced and reminded herself that this pretty 'pendant' seemed rather intent upon doing them all grievous bodily harm.

 

To prove the point, the sea serpent chose that moment to lunge at a sailor rushing along the deck, its massive body slamming against the ship's port side. The vessel lurched, throwing her roughly against the crates stacked beside her, and she looked up to see the frightened deck hand scrambling to back away from the snapping jaws. At the stern, on the other side of their assailant's body, she saw Gyrfalcon notch another arrow into his bow. With an audible whoosh, it flew through the air and shattered itself on the creature's scaled snout.

 

The doomed arrow had served its purpose, however, for it distracted the sea serpent's attention towards the half-elven mage, allowing the beleaguered human to scramble to safety. Unfortunately, Gyrfalcon found himself trapped at the stern of the ship with very little room to maneuver when the serpent lunged at him. With a hair's-breadth to spare, he leapt out of the way of the first strike, leaving the creature with a jaw full of planked deck, which it ripped away with a deafening snap. Tossing the debris into the ocean with a flick of its massive neck, it turned back to the mage with rage in its eyes and a broken tooth. Gyrfalcon looked around for his next route of escape, dismayed to find himself disastrously limited on options as the sea serpent reared back for its next strike.

 

Recognizing his plight, Kaleyra reacted with a little less thought than was her usual, and leapt up onto the crates beside her. In a split second, she'd grabbed a small harpoon laying conveniently on top of the rotting wood and leapt into the air, her powerful wings defying the pull of gravity. Timothy felt the rush of wind against his head and looked up in surprise, but his shouts fell on deaf ears. Instead of heeding the man's warnings, the meek scholar drew her arm back and heaved the spear with all her might towards the monster.

 

In all truth, it's a miracle she even hit the thing, but any chance she had of doing any real damage was ruined when the spear started spinning end over end in its flight. The wooden butt bounced off the scales on the side of the serpent's neck, and the harpoon splashed uselessly into the sea. Hovering in the air, the scholar winced, but the expression switched in a heartbeat as the massive head came to bear on her. She'd failed at doing any real damage to the creature, but at least she'd distracted it from her trapped companion.

 

Kaleyra grinned and almost started to congratulate herself until she realized that she was about to be eaten.

 

" YIPE!", she actually shouted the word as she threw herself to the side, feeling the breeze from the serrated teeth as they snapped together around the air she'd just been occupying. When the creature swung its head around for another bite, she was already moving, cutting through the air with the agility and grace of a falcon. The second snap of those massive jaws missed her by a much more comfortable margin, but she wondered with fright just what had possessed her to try such a stupid stunt.

 

At least the aquatic serpent is no longer sabotaging the structural integrity of the ship, she rationalized, dodging yet another attempt to rip her fragile body to shreds. As it became obvious that her aerial maneuverability was superior to the creature's reactions, the scholar's confidence grew to replace her fear. At least for the moment, she could keep the thing busy enough for the others to find a way to defeat it.

 

Nodding to herself, she swerved to avoid another strike and spared a glance at Timothy, who watched in alarm from the deck. "I can keep its rudimentary -- " With a flick of her wings, she spun left as the silver-scaled snout shot by. " -- attention distracted from you and the ship, if any of you can find a way to dispose of the creature!" A quick dive slipped her under the range of the serpent's strike, and she quickly circled around behind it, regaining altitude as it roared its rage.

 

As the monster turned, she found herself staring into a pair of feral, slitted eyes and hoping that her companions would come up with something quickly...

[Gyrfalcon]

Gyrfalcon growled to himself as he took careful aim and loosed his next arrow, only to watch it shatter against the scales surrounding the sea serpent’s eye as it turned its head to look at Kaleyra. It began to turn to attack the annoying insect that was firing barbs at it, but Kaleyra darted across the easily distractible creature’s field of sight, and it struck at her, missed, and wound up for another strike. Gyrfalcon distracted it once more with another arrow, though he was becoming annoyed at not being able to do any real harm to the sea serpent. It was just moving its head too quickly for Gyrfalcon to manage to sink his arrow into a small, moving target a fair distance away. Still, between his arrows and Kaleyra’s aerobatics, the sea serpent was totally distracted and was making no further moves to harm the ship.

 

“Gyr, why don’t you hit it with magic?” Timothy asked as his hands tightened and relaxed on the handle of his sword. Several of the crewmembers had out crossbows but were holding their fire, not wanting to turn the beast’s attention on themselves.

 

“Because-“ Pause as he releases another shaft, this one bouncing off the bridge of the creature’s snout, right between the eyes. Damnable scales, that one might have hurt it without them. “Most of the spells I have memorized are fire magic. The rest are personal protection or summon creatures. Land-based creatures, which are no good on a ship.”

 

“So? It’s a water creature, fire will probably drive it off!” Timothy said, impatient with the half-elf’s apparent slowness.

 

“Timothy, what are we standing on?” Gyrfalcon asked calmly, adjusting his aim to the rocking of the ship as the sea serpent thrashed its tail in frustration.

 

“A ship, of course. What does that-“

 

“And what is a ship made out of?”

 

“Wood. Why are you asking-“

 

“How far away is dry land? Six, seven days? Can you swim for that long with the sea serpent, sharks, and all the other wonderful creatures of the ocean?”

 

“No, no one can. What’s the point of all these questions?” Timothy said, starting to become angry from the constant interruptions.

 

“So, you concede we’re standing on a highly flammable ship at a great distance from dry land, fighting a creature that happens to be fairly immune to fire, due to its ability to go underwater and come back up slightly scorched and extremely angry.” Gyrfalcon said calmly, then released another arrow at the sea serpent. Like the others, it merely bounced off the creature’s protective scales.

 

Timothy fell silent, not having much to offer against Gyrfalcon’s logic. Above them, Kaleyra still dived and swooped, adrenaline allowing her to ignore the slowly growing aches in her flight muscles as she kept the sea serpent’s direction on her.

[Wyvern]

"Ya mangy sea scoundrel, how dare you attack my ship!!!?" yells an enraged Captain Wallace while pushing what appears to be a large cannon across the deck with the help of three of his men. "Stand aside you idiot rookies!" Wallace cries while shoving Gyrfalcon and several other crew members to the side "I'm taking care of this!"

 

After the Captain and his assistants have rapidly positioned the cannon as best as they can in such rushed circumstances, one of the crew members loads a large iron ball into the cylindrical tube while another one lights the fuse. As they do so, a third crew member helps steady the cannon while Wallace does the aiming...

 

There is a resounding " BOOM!" as the cannon is fired that immediatly catches the attention of the enormous serpent and simultaneously deafens all of those on board not wise enough to cover their ears. The backlash friction from the cannon knocks several of the crew members back, including Timothy... but Captain Wallace firmly holds his ground.

 

As the sea serpent turns it's head towards the source of sound, it is hit directly in the face by the speeding cannon ball and roars in a mixture of pain and rage... Fortunatly, Kaleyra is out of range when this cannon ball hits... the startled avian suddenly realizes the course of action the crew has taken, and her eyes widen in disbelief. What are they trying to do, kill me?!

 

As the crowd on board still standing cheer at the site of the sea serpent shaking its head and hesitating, Gyrfalcon suddenly comes to the realization of the imminent danger Kaleyra is in. He shouts a warning and quickly rushes to stop Wallace, but not before another round is fired from the massive cannon...

 

This second cannon ball is aimed even better then the first, and soars through the air directly towards the serpents forehead. In it's course of collision, the projectile very narrowly misses Kaleyra and catches her balance off guard, sending her spinning in the air. Thoroughly exhausted from her previous maneuvering and worn out from excessive flying, this is all it takes for her to lose control of her wings...

 

As the silver sea serpent takes a devastating blow to the forehead and slowly submerges back into the depths from which it came, Kaleyra dizzily plummets to the raging waters below...

[Gyrfalcon]

Gyrfalcon heard a startled scream as he picked himself up off the deck, still trying to shake the ringing from his ears. When he looked up, he had time to glimpse Kaleyra plummet into the ocean, wings flapping awkwardly but not doing anything more then slow her fall.

 

Through the ringing, he heard Captain Wallace crow in victory. “Ha, that showed that scaly son of a pile of seaweed not to mess with the Lunging Lobster!

 

Timothy wheeled on the Captain, murderous anger etched across his face. “And does that ‘scaly son of a pile of seaweed’ include the woman who saved this ship from being snapped like a twig?” he demanded, “You nearly killed Kaleyra with your first shot!”

 

Timothy turned to scan the skies for Kaleyra, instead, he saw Gyrfalcon racing for the railing, shedding his cloak and sword, quiver and bow. His boots were left where Timothy had last seen the half-elf standing.

 

“Wait, what are you doing-!” Timothy cut off as Gyrfalcon dived over the rail without bothering to slow down any.

 

“Man overboard!” Came the cry from the crow’s nest.

 

In the cool water of the ocean, Gyrfalcon ignored both the voice overhead and the one inside his head, berating him for being so impulsive. Instead, he turned his attention to swimming towards where he saw Kaleyra splash into the ocean. Gyrfalcon wasn’t the best swimmer in the ocean, and surely not swimming in the middle of the ocean, but he was good enough to make fairly steady headway against the swells. Finally, he reached where Kaleyra had splashed into the ocean, but he couldn’t see her floating there. Sucking in a deep breath, he dived down into the water.

 

The ocean was clean and clear this far out, and the sun lit the depths down farther then Gyrfalcon had ever though possible in the ocean. He kicked his way down, looking for Kaleyra or any sign of her presence. As he began to surface, his lungs straining, Kaleyra found *him*, crashing into him as she struggled towards the surface. Gyrfalcon grabbed onto her shoulders and kicked for the surface as hard as he could, hoping Kaleyra would remember to hold her breath.

 

The two broke free of the water gasping in sweet air as they bobbed in the water, Gyrfalcon showing Kaleyra how to stay afloat. A quick learner, Kaleyra soon began managing for herself, despite the bulk and drag of her waterlogged wings. Gyrfalcon took the opportunity to look around for the ship, and hoped someone would come up with a plan to rescue Kaleyra and himself.

[Yui-chan]

"Um... Gyrfalcon?" The soft sound of the Avian's voice very nearly didn't carry over the din of the water around them, overshadowed as it was by the slap of another wave against the back of his neck.

 

"Hm? Did you say something, Kaleyra?" With a few flicks of his hands and his usual grace, the swordsman-mage turned in the water until he fully faced the young woman, and there he bobbed, his curious expression deepening into a worried frown. "What's wrong?"

 

"I just... uh... I ju-" An illtimed wave interrupted her, and Gyrfalcon put out a hand to help steady her as she spit the salt water back out. She managed a small smile in thanks, though her pale features and drawn expression were not lost on her companion. Gyr's frown only darkened in response.

 

Something is wrong.

 

"I wanted to thank you, Gyrfalcon." She would have bowed humbly, but in the water all she could manage was a slight nod of respect. "I owe my continued existence to your bravery and attention."

 

The half-elf nearly gave her his usual smile and simply brushed away her thanks, but something in those steely-blue eyes of hers warned him that her honor rode closely with her words. Instead, he nodded back with a grin. "I'm just glad that I found you. You had me worried there for a minute!"

 

Again, he only managed to evoke that thin hint of a smile. "Rest assured that... I had myself quite amply concerned... as well. I have determined that... I am unfond of swimming."

 

His chuckle was cut off by a curse as he surged forward, grabbing her elbow to keep her from sinking once more. The winged woman's eyes had drifted shut, and she moved only sluggishly, leaving him no choice but to bring her closer so that he could better support her weight. Without her effort, though, he found himself uncomfortably close to submerging, and he knew his tiring limbs wouldn't support the both of them for long.

 

"Come on, Kaleyra! Don't let go on me now!" He shook her slightly, evoking a wince and a garbled protestation from the scholar. Her eyes blinked open to regard him blearily. "That's better. Are you hurt?"

 

For a moment, he feared that she wouldn't answer, her glazed eyes starting to drift shut, but she nodded, forcing her hands into the small motions he'd taught her to push against the water. "I... My wing. I-I'm very sorry, Gyrfalcon, but ... but it hurts so much. I... I cannot- "

 

"You can! Just a little longer, Kal. Timothy will be back for us any sec--"

 

" GYRFALCON!" The man's voice was the sweetest music to their ears. " Where are you?"

 

Sharing a quick smile with his Avian companion, the half-elf turned his head toward the sound. " Over here! Hurry, Timothy!"

 

Not three seconds later, a dinghy bearing the historian and three of Captain Wallace's crewmen crested the waves that formed their horizon, and Gyrfalcon raised his arm, waving it until he'd gotten Timothy's attention. As the prow swung towards them, he was trying hard to convince himself that he didn't want to kiss the man.

 

...

[Wyvern]

The small yet sturdy-looking dinghy swiftly makes its way through the unsteady Ocean waters, and as soon as it reaches the floating forms of Gyrfalcon and Kaleyra, Timothy and the three crew members accompanying him immediatly help the two waterlogged adventurers on board. After they've managed to get Gyrfalcon and Kaleyra onto the dinghy, which takes a considerable amount of effort due to their combined weights and Kaleyra's wing span, the crew and adventurers both breath enormous sighs of relief. The sense of joy and accomplishment is so overwhelming that Gyrfalcon, Timothy, and Kaleyra find themselves in each other's arms for a brief moment, hugging one another and laughing abruptly...

 

Their laughter is suddenly interrupted, however, as the dinghy trembles slightly due to the gigantic silver sea serpent gliding past them underneath the water... Suddenly realizing that they shouldn't be celebrating their victories quite yet, Timothy and the three crew members immediatly begin rowing back to "The Lunging Lobster" as fast as they can. The presence of the serpent makes the few minutes it takes for the adventurers to get back to the main ship seem like an eternity...

 

After they've boarded onto "The Lunging Lobster" again, Gyrfalcon, Kaleyra, and Timothy are surprised to find that there are no cheers of victory like those that occured when Captain Wallace got two direct hits with his cannon. Instead, there are a few smiles from members of the crew and some noddings of heads, but otherwise very little celebration...

 

At the sight of Gyrfalcon and Kaleyra back on board, Y'Tren turns his steering over to Captain Wallace momentarily and runs over to the main deck to greet them. Exhausted from his steering yet very happy to see that Kaleyra and Gyrfalcon have survived, Y'Tren wipes some sweat from his brow and exclaims:

 

"Excellent work Gyrfalcon! Are you both well?! You must be freezing!"

 

Y'Tren turns to Myth for a moment and signals to her with a hand.

 

"Myth, if you could go to the lower cabins of the ship to fetch blankets for Kaleyra and Gyrfalcon, it would be greatly appreciated!"

 

Myth, who had decided not to involve herself with the entire sea serpent ordeal, shrugs and nods her head to this statement. Turning towards the staircase leading to the lower levels of the "Lunging Lobster", she wanders down the spiral stairs and enters the storage area of the boat in search of blankets...

 

Within the cargo hold of the ship, Myth passes through a variety of poorly labeled boxes and fishing nets, brushing a cobweb to the side ever so often as she makes her way through the dimly lit area. Eventually, she finds a box which is slightly less dusty labeled "sleeping supplies", and turns to open it... No sooner has she touched the lid, however, then she suddenly notices a strange sound coming from the interior of the box. It was a munching sound of some sort... one that suggested eating, and directly pointed towards the presence of a stowaway...

 

Frowning to herself, Myth grabs her dagger and quickly slams the lid of the box open, catching the stowaway completely off guard... She is slightly surprised to find that the culprit is none other then Reyn, the very person she had failed to kill earlier at the inn! Reyn's jaw drops and he lets go of the biscuit he was munching on, backing up against the wall directly behind him and finding no immediate escape routes... The sneaky thief had realized he was going to be discovered eventually, but why'd it have to be by her...?

 

"H-hi Myth..." stutters Reyn, pressing his back up against the wall as much as he can in fear "L-last time I saw you was at that inn, right? L-look, this is not what you think..."

[Gwaihir]

edit, author's note[it was probably temporary insanity that made Myth agree to run errands for Y'Tren, but she thought she was running for the captain, who she needed to please so she ran]

 

I don't know why the stupid, rude captain sent me off to run errands in the hold. Maybe he thought that because I didn't feel a need to fight their stupid sea monster (what would I do against it), that I was free to be worked. Whatever, I just nodded agreeably, because it is his ship. I didn't get to sleep till like four last night, because the sailors were all partying very very loudly. Early in the morning the stupid captain woke us all up. And now, I get distracted from my burnt lunch to find that there's a sea serpent attackign us! What a day.

Anyway, so I went downstairs to the hold. There were spiderwebs and mold around. It all smelled really musty and unused too. I wonder what does this captain usually do with his ship that he doesn't need to use the hold much. Regardless, the whole business was annoying because I wasn't given any instructions or information about where the blankets were. I didn't think to ask though, because Gyr and Kaylera looked so cold and miserable I hurried to help. So, I bummed around the hold, and finally under a shelf (that I knocked my head on quite hard) I found a dingy trunk labeled sleeping supplies. That's when I heard the crunching, munching sound coming from inside the trunk. "God! A stowaway, that's the last thing I needed" I thought. Well, this was as good a time to handle the bastard as any-I grabbed a knife, and flung open the trunk. Now, who woudl it be but Reyn? The lousy bastard who escaped me in the inn. I could have killed him, maybe it would have been easier, but I didn't. He started stuttering something at me. Scared shitless obviously. I didn't even listen to him, I just grabbed him by the collar, and ordered him to pick up two blankets (dagger still ready and obvious). Obviously the wimp did, and we walked up the stairs. When I got near the top, I grabbed hold of Reyn's collar in my knife hand, and yelled for Gyr to come. When he came, a bit annoyed that instead of being given a blanket for himself or the hurt avian he was beign summoned. I hissed at him that we had a sneaky, wimpy, idiotic spy who'd come as a stowaway probably hoping to rob us of our goal in the end. It's not as if he could, but... I concluded by asking him "Gyrfalcon, do you want Reyn? I don't."

[Gyrfalcon]

Gyrfalcon forced his stiffening legs to propel him down the stairs, clutching the walls to prevent himself from tumbling down the stairs. His legs hurt, and he shivered constantly in the cool sea air. He really, really wanted a blanket.

 

Finally, the dripping half-elf made it down the stairs and walked to where Myth was standing at the entrance to the hold. He scowled at Myth and opened his mouth to ask her why she hadn’t just brought the blankets up. Before he could say anything though, she pulled the last figure he had expected to see out from behind her and shoved him forward with her knife laid along the side of his neck. Reyn tried to smile, but it came out as a sickly grimace. He was clutching a pair of blankets to his chest.

 

Quickly, Myth explained the situation and concluded in a chilled, calm tone. “Gyrfalcon, do you want Reyn? I don’t.” Gyrfalcon sighed and plucked a blanket from the pile Reyn had in his arms and began to dry his hair. He let the towel fall across his face and grimaced into it. He didn’t want to have to take charge of the sneaky little rat of a man, but he knew that if he didn’t, either Myth or the captain would kill him.

 

“Reyn, any reason I should let you live?” he asked the thief as he dragged the towel from his head. Reyn gulped and started back, then stopped as Myth pressed down with her dagger.

 

“Um... er... my charming wit? Um... I promise to be good! Don’t let her kill me!” Reyn said, beginning to panic as Myth began to bear down on his shoulder with her dagger.

 

Gyrfalcon sighed and shook his head. As much as he might like to, he couldn’t let Reyn die in cold blood. “Bring him along, will you Myth?” He asked the assassin as he started up the passage with the blanket wrapped around him.

 

Up top, he turned and took the blanket from Reyn and went over to Kaleyra’s side. He wrapped the blanket around Kaleyra’s shoulders, and she tugged it the rest of the way around her with a quick smile.

 

Gyrfalcon gave an answering smile before turning and finding the captain.

 

“Captain? There’s a man I’d like you to meet.” Gyrfalcon said, and Myth shoved Reyn forward. “This is Reyn, a man who’s been following us. He’s also a stowaway.” Gyrfalcon said.

 

Captain Wallace’s face darkened and his first mate pulled a dagger with an ugly expression. Stowaways generally had their throat slit and were thrown over the side unless they could talk fast and had money. Sometimes, they still had their throats slit.

 

“Unfortunately, I don’t want his throat slit. I’m sure you have chains and manacles, or at least enough stout rope to tie him up well. Keep him below decks and fed, and I’ll pay his way.”

 

Captain Wallace looked disgruntled, but the thought of profit appealed to him. He brightened up slightly more when Gyrfalcon allowed that most likely any money the little rat had on him was stolen and that it should be ‘liberated’ until it could be ‘returned to its proper owners’.

 

Just to drive the idea home that Reyn was to live, Gyrfalcon quietly spoke as Captain Wallace began to walk away. “Oh, and please speak to Y’Tren if you happen to forget that Reyn is supposed to stay alive.” He said. Even though the man was facing away, his stance gave away his fear.

 

“Thank you.” Gyrfalcon said before returning to where Kaleyra was sitting to help Timothy and Kaleyra decide if anything was broken or damaged.

[Yui-chan]

As they poked and prodded, the Avian scholar fidgeted unhappily, mumbling objections to the worst of the painful examinations. Had he been a bit less worried, Timothy probably would have been amused by the contrast between the woman’s reckless bravery and her apparently-low tolerance for pain, but as it was, he was a bit too angry to notice. She’d nearly gotten herself killed! With her back (and wings) presented to him, Kaleyra was spared his brooding scowl, but Gyrfalcon didn’t have much choice but to notice it as he walked up. His frowned mirrored the human’s, and he resolved to speak with him when there was a spare moment.

 

In the end, they determined that their companion had not broken any bones, but had severely strained a muscle in her right wing with the rough impact of the water. The pain as Timothy bound her injured wing to her back was great, but at Gyrfalcon’s suggestion, Kaleyra distracted herself by speaking to them. “I count myself fortunate that I only injured the supracoracoideus rather than my pectoralis muscle,” she commented, wincing as the human pulled the knot tight on the first binding strip. “The former is far smaller, and heals much faster than the latter, and since we will reach the Pool of Eternal Reflection soon, I will need to be able to fly.”

 

Timothy smirked a bit, wrapping another piece of torn sailcloth around her ribs. “You’re confident, aren’t you? What makes you so sure we’ll find it?”

 

The woman frowned, “Well, I am relatively - ouch! - … relatively assured of the accuracy of our information, and certainly we have come a long way. Why should we not find it? Certainly, our causes are worthy, and we have each worked hard and traveled far to earn the knowledge. Whatever intrinsic forces control our fates and fortunes should see that, shouldn’t they? The gods that created the Pool will guide us there. Won't they?” She craned her neck to look at the cynical human, but he merely shrugged, uncertain yet of where his doubts came from or why they consumed him. At Timothy’s skeptical expression, she looked at Gyrfalcon, her face uncertain. “… won’t they?”

[Wyvern]

Y'Tren frowns upon hearing the slight sound of doubt ringing in Kaleyra's voice as she questions whether or not they'll ever find the Pool of Eternal Reflection... Clearing his throat and placing a hand on Kaleyra's right shoulder, the veteran adventurer mutters:

 

"Kaleyra, there's no reason we should even be considering such an outcome... We've come far in our travels, we've gathered sufficient evidence that the Rainbow Vale exists, and even the winds seem to be acting in our favor... The Pool is within our reach, I can feel it..."

 

Having said this, Y'Tren takes his hand off of Kaleyra's shoulder and looks up at the clear blue sky for a moment, taking in a deep breath of ocean air before continuing his speech:

 

"Either way, we'll know if our efforts have paid off soon enough... Our destination grows closer by the minute... In fact, if the weather continues to be this nice, I would say we have only about two days of travel ahead of us before we discover if our hypothesis about the Rainbow Vale is true..."

 

Y'Tren then frowns and stares at the ocean horizon.

 

"Of course, then again... if we run into more creatures like the one we did today, it could could prove to be tough going from this point onwards..."

 

The other adventurers nod solemnly as Y'Tren sighs, turning his head towards the front of the "Lunging Lobster".

 

"Speaking of despicable creatures, I should really get back to steering the ship... I don't quite trust Wallace at the wheel, since he and I haven't been at the best of terms on this voyage. He wouldn't admit it outright, of course... but I'm certain you've noticed some bitterness in his attitude."

 

Having said this, Y'Tren points a finger towards Kaleyra's wounded wing and says:

 

"Rest up and try to heal the best you can, I'll have another crew member aid me with the navigation for the rest of the trip. I doubt you will have fully recovered your ability to fly by the time we reach our destination, but at the very least perhaps the pain will have subsided... I'll be needing your aid once we reach the destination, of course, as you're the one most knowledged in the workings of the crystal..."

 

With that, Y'Tren heads off to the wheel of the ship once again...

[Yui-chan]

Kaleyra pondered Y'tren's words, watching his back as the elderly man strode towards the helm. He seemed so assured that she couldn't help but feel relieved to some extent, and yet ... She shook her head, turning her gaze back to Timothy and Gyrfalcon.

 

"He certainly is confident in his optimism, isn't he? Y'tren seems to me to be quietly but deeply pious. ... um... I think." Gyrfalcon nodded thoughtfully, but Timothy just screwed up his face as if he'd eaten something sour.

 

"If you ask me, it's more like a delusion..." he grumbled, standing to regard the makeshift bandage that wound around the scholar's torso. Her wing was well-immobilized, and he nodded curtly in satisfaction.

 

"I cannot profess to comprehend the subtle difference between delusion and faith," she muttered, gingerly standing up from the crates she'd been forcably seated on long moments before, " but I do believe that it's there. Not all who have great faith in their gods are deluded to do so."

 

Turning to the quiet one of the trio, she inquired, "What do you think, Gyrfalcon? As a mage king, surely you must have great faith in the gods that provide your power and prosperity..."

 

As the half-elf pondered his answer, Kaleyra peered at him curiously, gathering her blanket tighter against a chill.

[Gyrfalcon]

Gyrfalcon smiled, a bit bitterly. “I try not to discuss religion very often, as it is a touchy subject.” He paused and sighed. “The gods exist- the miracles and spells of the priests and druids are proof of that, even if the occasional avatar of a god or goddess wasn’t enough already. However, New Muriska has risen *despite* the Gods, not because of them and their help. Personally, I could do without the most powerful of that lot.” Gyrfalcon said.

 

Kaleyra looked at the half-elf in surprise. “But... why?” She said, shocked.

 

“They’re cruel, capricious, greedy, self-serving, double-crossing, and grasping.” The half-elf said bluntly. “Their priests only dispense their blessings when vast sums cross their hands, and usually not even then. The money goes to the temple coffers and languishes there- it does nothing for the poor, the sick, the homeless and all others in need. Instead, it is used to raise more gaudy monuments, bedecked with jewels and gold to the point where the statue or alter loses all meaning as an object of worship to a god, but instead becomes an object of worship to wealth.”

 

“What about the lesser gods?” Kaleyra felt compelled to ask.

 

“I’m on better terms with them- they don’t demand a lot of money, they use what money they do get for good works, and are willing to wait for worshippers to come to them, not try to convert by threatening divine intervention if you don’t start paying them immense amounts of money.” Gyrfalcon said with a wry smile. “Really, the higher pantheon is like organized crime when you get down to it. Pay your protection fees or the enforcers will be by to make your life miserable.” He chuckled wryly, and Timothy laughed sourly. Kaleyra looked between the two and shook her head.

 

“But the gods protect and guide us! If we live good lives, we will enter a state of grace when we die- or at least, that’s what the priests say! But both of you seem to think they’re wrong!” Kaleyra said, her passion for the subject giving her boldness and stopping her normal stutter.

 

Timothy shrugged, his expression speaking volumes of his belief in the gods. Gyrfalcon shrugged as well. “Protect us? Perhaps. Guide us? I hope not. If we are guided by the gods, how much? Are our lives channeled to their whims? Which god controls each of us? Are we marionettes, spinning out our lives in an endless play to amuse these beings?” The half-elf shook his head, a fierce light burning in his eyes. “I am a free being. My life is my own while I still live. Once I’ve died,” the half-elf shrugged, “Once I’ve died, then the gods may do as they wish with me.”

[Wyvern]

As Gyrfalcon, Kaleyra, and Timothy continue their discussions of faith and Y'Tren takes the place of Captain Wallace at the wheel of the ship, a bound and gagged Reyn rests humbly near the front of the main deck. The barbaric theif had gone through quite a day, and was currently being watched over by two half-sober sailors that seemed to growl menacingly at him every time he made even the slightest movement. Never the less, after the events that had transpired that day, the unfaithfull theif was contemplating whether or not he should begin believing in miracles... He had not only survived an encounter with the merciless Myth, but had also been saved by the very person that had promised to do away with him the next time he laid eyes upon him... In fact, Gyrfalcon had even paid for Reyn's passage aboard the ship, which seemed almost incomprehensible to the theif who had caused so much trouble previously... Feeling sharp pangs of guilt for his past actions, Reyn silently vows not to bother the adventurers in their quest any longer...

 

Constantly pushed onward by a powerfull ocean breeze, the "Lunging Lobster" continues in it's steady path northward through the rest of the day and night. The next day of travel also passes by rather peacefully, though there is a false alarm at one point as a crew member believes he see's a shiny spot on the ocean that bears a resemblance to that of the giant serpent encountered previously. Fortunatly, this assumption proves to be false, as the shine is actually due to several coral reefs deep under the water that happen to harbor many shiny pearls...

 

Although there are no new encounters with hostile sea creatures, it is apparent to the crew and adventurers that this area of the ocean seems to be bustling with life... Many strange birds fly above the ship and let out their peculiar calls over the course of the day, and ever so often the sound of merfolk singing can be heard faintly in the distance. Fishes of several shapes, sizes, and colors swim in packs around areas nearby the ship...

 

Eventually, night falls upon the ocean horizon once again, and with this nightfall comes what the adventurers hope to be the end of their long journeying... Indeed, they had traveled far and wide, and now, finally, they had reached what was hopefully their final destination... Y'Tren signals to the crew members to lower the sails and set the drag sails on the ocean to prevent drifting. Taking a deep breath of night air and looking upwards, Y'Tren is pleased to see a full moon shining brightly in the cloudless night sky...

 

Abandoning his place at the wheel and making his way to the other adventurers, Y'Tren takes another deep breath, clears his throat, and then declares:

 

"Well... it's time to see if our hard labors and faith have ultimately paid off! The Rainbow Vale should be located in the proximity of this area, I suppose it's high time we test our hypothesis... Kaleyra, I leave you in charge of the testing, and wish you the best of luck..."

 

As Y'Tren says this, Captain Wallace and several of his crew members watch the happenings from the other side of the deck. Joking to his crew and pointing to the adventurers, Wallace rudely calls out:

 

"Excuse me, Y'Tren and company, but why in the hell are we trying to stop in the middle of the ocean!? Ain't no land anywhere near here, I can assure ya! If ya wanted to go fishing, you should have chose another boat!"

 

At this comment, several of the crew break out into gales of laughter...

[Yui-chan]

“Oh, ye of little faith…” The soft-spoken admonishment did not carry to the men who deserved it, swallowed instead by the raucous sound of the crew’s mirth. Rather than press the point, however, Kaleyra shook her head and turned towards the ship’s stern. There, the half-elven ranger stood quietly at the railing, eyes on the water and thoughts thousands of leagues away. Still, he heard her surefooted tread approaching over the rolling deck.

 

“Is it time?” He didn’t turn, enjoying the sparkle of the silver moonlight on the undulating waves.

 

“Yes. Y’Tren has verified our coordinates.” Her unbound wing rustled slightly in the night breeze as she smiled. “We are, indeed, at anchor beside a small island. It’s difficult to conceptualize, isn’t it? Our eyes reveal only water.”

 

“Yes. It’s very difficult…” Gyrfalcon turned to regard his learned companion, his face half-buried by shadows. “The past few days would seem to have restored your confidence, Kaleyra.” The comment earned him a slight blush and a sheepish grin.

 

“Well, I cannot claim to have any more substantial justification than I did when we held that particular discussion, however…” She shrugged slightly, feeling helpless to convey what she felt. In the end, all she could do was quote, “As our clergy are fond of saying, ’Faith begins where logic ends.’ It is not rational, but my intuition tells me that we are where we should be. The Pool of Eternal Reflection is here, Gyrfalcon.”

 

He could not help but smile at her sudden conviction, enjoying the rare display of the spark that usually hid securely beneath her layers of timidity and self-doubt. “Let’s find out.”

 

Her response was to quietly offer him the smooth, milky-white crystalline form of the Vishari Veil and turn to walk away.

[Yui-chan]

Timothy slipped into step beside the pair as they made their way through the milling sailors to the forecastle, where Y’Tren and Myth stood waiting for them. There, the moon’s light shone bright and cold on the well-worn wood of the deck, and the shadows that plagued the rest of the vessel were blessedly absent. Gyrfalcon took his place in the center of the empty space and held the crystal as Kaleyra had instructed, so that its rough-carved eyes peered out into the darkness before them. The artifact glowed softly from within with reflected moonlight.

 

As the others watched in silence, the half-elven mage closed his eyes and cleared his mind, bringing forth the lovely song that he had spent the past few days practicing. The sounds of the ship and her sailors gave way until the entire world was silent except for the magical weave of his rich, smooth baritone.

 

"Verdant, rainbow hues the weave,

Fields aroll ‘neath wings conceive,

Lights and lives of innocents,

Scamper, scurry, nose-to-scents.

Flow’rs fragrant, silken, sweet,

Heavy fruits and nuts and meat.

Soft, cold trickling, flowing, run,

Tumble, split, mist spray in sun.

Essence and soul.

The cradle in which gods’ infant lies."

 

Despite the strange language in which Gyrfalcon sang, everyone listening understood his words perfectly, feeling the power with which they drew forth the image and essence of a small, beautiful island. Certainty flooded the heart of everyone on the vessel, penetrating the disbelief of even the most skeptical of Wallace’s men. Expectant silence gave way to reverent awe as Gyrfalcon continued the lilting melody of the ancient spell.

 

"Warm in cloak and gently wrapped,

Gathered in, with love, entrapped,

Encompassed light, held tight, conserved,

Pristine, solitude deserved.

Softest touch surrounds, conceals,

Fluid nothing, safe appeals,

Cherished, treasured, protected well,

Encircling powers of holy spell.

 

Lock and latch.

The hand that guards the child of gods.

 

Woven words from gold-pure heart,

Trusted friends, entreat, impart,

Faith wound tight ‘round fragile need,

Bowed head, blinded, devoid of greed,

Weigh and judge, regard within,

Supplicants, despite all sin.

 

Beggar and king.

The eye that beholds the child in wonder."

 

By the final verse, the figure held gently in Gyrlfacon’s hands glowed silver-white, as if the light of the moon had been drawn in and trapped within the translucent crystal. Like the orb that powered it, the light was cold, leaching the heat from his skin even as he felt the artifact drawing the mana from his body and the world around them. Coldness and the unique exhaustion of mana drain assailed the half-elf, but he found he didn’t mind, his mind feeling strangely detached in a way that was usually dangerous for a spell-caster. He heard his voice continue without him, uttering something so utterly alien that only one mind among all of them stood even a chance of understanding.

 

“Ish hadai oreliadi vem yoshirun gahlshiar.” Y’Tren smiled even as Kaleyra frowned, her gaze darting to the old man’s.

 

The question in her eyes never found voice, however, as a sudden flare of light blinded their night-tuned eyes. Wincing, the scholar looked to Gyrfalcon as power exploded from the Vishari Veil, beaming through the eye of the rough-hewn falcon to slice apart the night’s darkness like a tailor’s blade does cloth. A cloudless thunderclap slapped the rolling waves, spreading the light as if by blowing apart the folds of midnight fabric with its very volume. And as the two halves of the celestial curtain fell apart, they revealed the sparkling shore of an island that hadn’t been there before, the holy myth called the ‘Rainbow Vale’.

 

Y'Tren only smiled wider, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. His voice was an awed whisper as he stared at the island and repeated, " 'God has judged and found worth.' "

[Gwaihir]

Myth pulled her cloak more tightly about her

She thought to herself ~Why in the name of ... of anything they're fool enough to believe in aren't these people cold? I have three layers on and this wind is cutting through all of them so that I may as well be wearing much less. Yeah, the island just appeared, but that hasn't stopped this damn wind yet! How can they all just sit and be amazed at it?

I better get a bonus because we got all the way to the island.~

[Gyrfalcon]

Lost in the expectations and suspense of their attempt to unveil the Rainbow Vale, everyone, from Y’Tren to Kaleyra, Timothy to Gyrfalcon had forgotten one important fact- sailors were a nervous, superstitious group. One of their biggest superstitions was about having magic-users on board- the crew of a ship so cursed would face only misfortune for the rest of their careers. Only the royal navies of the great Archmage-ruled countries would take a mage onboard... and then only reluctantly and on express orders.

 

Captain Wallace and the crew of the Lunging Lobster, however, were not aligned with any Archmage, and were more then a little put out by the sudden occurrence of magical events on their vessel, the sure sign of a mage. And the one holding the artifact and who seemed to be doing the magic was... the half-elf.

 

Gyrfalcon slowly opened his eyes and blinked rapidly to clear the tears from them. He had been looking right into the crystal figurine when it had flared with light, and thus could see nothing but floating lights for the moment. However, his ears worked just fine, hearing the rasp of steel sliding from a scabbard in the sudden silence.

 

“A damned sorcerer! We’ve been carrying a sorcerer!” The captain shouted, starting a babble of voices from his crew. The voices started confused but began to get steadily angrier. Myth immediately faded into the shadows, a slender knife coming to hand. She knew trouble when she saw it.

 

Meanwhile, Timothy grasped the hilt of his bastard sword. He knew that to draw his blade would cause an immediate brawl, but he also recognized that one was in the offing unless someone could diffuse the situation.

 

“Keelhaul him! Make him walk the plank! Kill the sorcerer!” various members of the crew shouted. Gyrfalcon calmly handed Kaleyra the figurine for safekeeping, then turned towards the crew, managing admirably to hide the fact he could see nothing in the darkness. Then a few of the crew helpfully lit torches, allowing the half-elf to see once more (and for the crew to see him.)

 

“Yer for over the side, witch!” One crew member yelled, waving a rusted and notched blade.

 

“Warlock.” Gyrfalcon said calmly, hands still at his side.

 

“Wuh?”

 

“I would happen to be a Warlock. Witches are only female.” The half-elf said coolly. There was a snigger from the crowd.

 

“Oh, you’ll be a lady alright when you go over the side!” One crewmember shouted to their laughter, drawing a wickedly edged dagger as he said that. The half-elf’s eyes flared and then narrowed and became ice cold.

 

“This is your last chance, gentlemen. If you wish to face the wrath of a mage, then so be it on your heads...” Gyrfalcon bluffed. In reality, much of his magic was fire-based, and he couldn’t afford to use any of it on the oh-so-flammable ship.

 

Unfortunately, the crew had the same idea. “Hah! If you want a ride back, you can’t use any spells, sorcerer! Let’s kill him and his friends!” Emboldened, the crew pressed forward, waving their weapons. Gyrfalcon likewise stepped forward, stopping at the foot of the stairs leading up to the forecastle. To get to Timothy, Y’Tren or Kaleyra, the crew would have to go through him. The leading crewmen obviously thought that would be no challenge.

 

Gyrfalcon subtly shifted his stance forward, standing on the balls of his feet. He crossed his arms at chest height and waited. The first three crewmen charged suddenly, the big one with the rusted sword leading.

 

One moment, all three were charging, the next, two were dead and the third reeling back, leaving behind his hand. Gyrfalcon had drawn his katana, parried and struck more quickly then should be possible. To many, it seemed that the sword had appeared by magic in his hands. Only Myth and Y’Tren managed to follow the half-elf’s quick moves.

 

Gyrfalcon brought his red-streaked katana to a more traditional guard and smiled grimly. “Just because I use magic does not mean I do not know the blade. Come, if you wish. Come feel death’s touch.”

 

The crewmen stood back nervously. While they may want to kill the half-elf and his companions, they knew that the first ones to come near the gleaming blade Gyrfalcon held would die, and none of them wanted to be the first to approach him. One of the crew towards the back, however, had a different plan. He carefully aimed the crossbow he held in his hands and centered it on the half-elf’s chest. He knew that the half-elf wouldn’t see him, focused as he was on the man’s companions. The half-elf didn’t see him, but Myth did.

 

The crewman slowly tightened his finger on the trigger when he felt cold steel slide through his back and touch his heart. “Silly man.” Myth whispered in his ear as he slowly slid from her stiletto and into the cold sleep of death.

 

Coldly, calmly, Myth slipped back into the shadows and made her slow way towards Captain Wallace.

[Gwaihir]

The sailors fumed and mobbed unsure of what to do, but angry. This was probably Wallace's moment to move, maybe if he had acted immediately he could have rallied his men to run at the single fighter.

Myth grimaced. She would have liked to approach the Captain camoflaged into the shadows, just to decrease the odds of an attack at her, but she had no wish to fight all the sailors if anyone noticed.

Truth be told very few would notice Myth even without her magic when she didn't want to-It took conscious attention.

Some things she was proud of and that was one of them... Silent shoes, a shadow cloak and absolute noiselessness.

Myth smiled as she slid up behind Wallace and put the tip of a knife in his throat.

 

"Brazen fools" she said raising her voice "First person who tries to touch the elf, I kill the captain"

[Wyvern]

As Myth swiftly holds a knife to Captain Wallace's throat, the chaos that had previously broken out in the crowd of sailors immediatly falls to a deathly silence... One of the crew members standing in the far end of the crowd begins drawing a crossbow, but Myth notices it out of the corner of her eye and procedes to press her dagger tighter against Wallace's throat. Wallace grimaces sharply at this and a small streak of blood flows down his neck, causing the agitated crew member to let go of his crossbow immediatly...

 

There is an eery moment of silence onboard the ship, in which nobody moves and the pale moonlight seems to bath the entire deck in it's translucency. Then, one by one, the crew members of the ship begin dropping their weapons to the floor, mumbeling curses under their breaths and casting hatefull glances towards Myth and Gyrfalcon. After they have finished this, Captain Wallace coughs lightly and speaks up from his uncomfortable position...

 

"Well boys... it looks like we got ourselves stuck with some wretched sorcerers, but ain't no turning back now. Seeing what they can do, it'd probably be best to escort them the rest of the way to the island rather than ending up a heap of bloody bodies at the bottom of the Ocean..."

 

Many of the crew mumble and nod in agreement to this, including Myth, who grins slightly and mutters "Sounds 'bout right to me..."

 

"...but..." continues Wallace in a tense voice "... I won't so much as set a foot on the island myself, I'm sure it's tainted with all kinds of wicked magic! We'll escort you there and wait for you aboard the ship, but if it comes down to our having to get off the "Lunging Lobster" onto that enchanted piece of land, we'd prefer death! Isn't that right boys?!"

 

Several of the crew cheer to this statement... Y'Tren wipes some sweat from his brow and smiles, suddenly realizing that two birds had perhaps been killed with one stone... Not only was the crew no longer acting aggresively against them, but the adventurers would also no longer have to worry about Wallace and the others discovering the secret Pool... Quickly heading back to the wheel while motioning to those sailors that had aided him in his navigation previously, Y'Tren resumes his steering of the ship.

 

It takes only about ten minutes of slow sailing before the ship has fully reached the shores of the magnificent looking island. After having set the anchor and fully parked the ship on the shores, Y'Tren excitedly turns to the other adventurers and exclaims:

 

"Well... we've finally arrived at our destination, infinite wisdom and peace are within our reach! It's late in the night now, though... shall we begin our explorations immediatly, or get some rest first?"

[Yui-chan]

Kaleyra barely registered Y’Tren’s question as she wrapped the Veil back into the soft cloth she’d stored it in and tucked it gently back into her pack. By the time she’d finished the task, her whirling thoughts had taken the sensory input and swept it away. She forgot all about answering.

 

Instead, the Avian scholar slipped silently across the deck to stare in rapt attention at the night-blue shore of the tiny island. All she could think about was how impossible it seemed that they should be so very close to success…

[Gyrfalcon]

Gyrfalcon watched with a slight smile as Kaleyra drifted away from the rest of the group with a rapt expression on her face. As she stood in the bow, Gyrfalcon noted the presence of several sailors nearby with some concern- until he saw Myth standing near their winged scholar. While Gyrfalcon knew the assassin didn’t particularly care if the rest of the party lived or died, a hostage situation would not be in her own best interests, and thus she would guard Kaleyra carefully. However, that brought the number of those near Y’Tren to answer his question down to two, and Timothy’s disinterested gaze meant that the decision rested firmly on Gyrfalcon.

 

The half-elf looked the crew over and kept his face impassive, though the glares and hatred in the crew’s eyes spoke their feelings clearly enough.

 

“I think we need some rest, Y’Tren, but I also think that this ship is no place to take it. Let’s get to the shore and up off the beach before we find a place to sleep. Hopefully there are few or no creatures on this island that might choose to attack us, and I think we’ll all sleep more easily without the knowledge that we are surrounded by a crew that wants to murder us.” Gyrfalcon said quietly, making sure that none of the crew was close enough to overhear his words.

 

Y’Tren and Timothy likewise eyed the crew discreetly, not wanting a direct stare serve as a challenge that would reignite the battle that had ended the hour before. One crewmember in particular was glaring daggers at the half-elf’s back, and no doubt wishing he was using a real one. However, the loss of a large amount of blood and his hand kept the man too weak to do anything... yet.

 

“He has a point.” Timothy admitted.

[Wyvern]

Gathering their provisions and making sure they have all of the supplies necessary for venturing onto the island, the five adventurers turn to one another and nod confidently, prepared to embark on the final expedition for the Pool of Eternal Reflection...

 

Gyrfalcon is the first to cross the open plank of the ship onto the sandy shores of the Rainbow Vale, taking a deep breath and observing his surrounding as he does so. An eager Kaleyra follows closely behind him, taking note of the island's many fascinating features while grinning in awe... The avian scholar is quickly followed by Y'Tren, while Timothy and Myth cover the rear end of the party...

 

The first thing the adventurers notice as they cross onto the island is how soft and warm the sand is... The shoreline of the island seemed to be nothing short of a paradise in itself... Numerous diverse and beautifull seashells lay strewn across the sands of the shore in large clusters, illuminated by the pale moonlight. The texture of the sand was also unlike any the adventurers had ever experienced before... very smooth and unnaturally pleasant to walk through...

 

The next thing the adventurers immediatly notice about the island is it's size...

 

Despite their perceptions of the island from aboard the "Lunging Lobster", the Rainbow Vale seemed to be far from the tiny island they had been expecting to uncover. In fact, it was safe to say that the island was quite large... huge, even. Beyond the shorelines, an immense area of dense forest stretched for as far as the eye could see, accompanied by various craggy areas of mountainous regions and foilage.

 

Scratching his head in amazement, Y'Tren mutters out loud to noone in particular:

 

"T-This is impossible... How could an area of land as large as this be concealed for so long...? Surely, even if it were cloaked in illusion, some hapless traveler would have collided into it haphazardly by now...? Some strange magic is surely at work..."

 

Gyrfalcon nods solemnly to Y'Tren's words, then points to the forest area ahead and says:

 

"The best place for an encampment would probably be at the outskirts of the forest... we'd have more shelter there and would be more hidden around that area."

 

Y'Tren and Timothy nod to this statement, and the adventurers promptly begin crossing over the sands of the shoreline to the outskirts of the enormous forest area of the island. The trip is a short one, made rather effortless by the smoothness of the shore's sands, and it's not very long before they've arrived at the outskirts of the forest and have entered a short ways into it's jungle-like depths. The adventurers soon find an ideal clearing to set up their camp for the evening, and get some rest while rotating watch guards...

 

...

 

All is peaceful and serene.

[Wyvern]

-Part 3: The Tomb of Leviathan-

 

Far from the calm serenity of the Rainbow Vale where the adventurers peacefully rest, across the vast Ocean of Nosgarth and centered above the western regions of Terra's largest continent, dark clouds have begun to gather in the skies... Churning masses of blackness unlike anything even the most ardent of Terrian meteoroligists had ever seen... Thunderheads whose hollow echoing rumbles reverberate through the very souls of those unfortunate enough to be caught in their proximity... whose sounds and powerfull rains cast despair into the hearts of even the bravest of mortal beings. And as the skies continue to darken and the great storm begins gathering momentum, Terra can do nothing but sit in fear and await it's judgement...

 

In the quiet fishing village of Lefaria, located at the south-western penninsula of the Terrian continent, all fishing expeditions are immediatly called off for the day... For the first time in many years, people are ordered by town authorities to stay in their homes until the winds and rain have subsided. Many worried women and children pray for the returns of their husbands and fathers, who had departed earlier on their ships in search of fish. The winds and rain of the storm are tremendously strong, and put the sturdiness of Lefaria's harbors to the test... a sturdiness which would later wear down and collapse in a losing battle against the awesome powers of nature...

 

At the Felleros Cathedril, located a short ways north-east of Lefaria in the city of Felleros, mass reaches it's close for the day earlier then usual... Much to the shock of the audience attending church, Saint Derick is so deeply struck by the menacing sounds of thunder outdoors that he no longer has the will to continue in his sermon. Instead, the elderly Saint calls off mass for the day and immediatly heads towards his personal quarters, where he begins vigorously praying for salvation while shedding tears of remorse. Suddenly recalling the Dreamer's demeanor, the promises that had been made, and the blessings he had bestowed, Derick prays that he did the right thing in advising the adventurers in their journey...

 

In the city of Erindale, a short ways east of Felleros, a number of the priceless antique sculptures lining the houses and streets are utterly decimated. What amounted to centuries of work by the hand of mankind is destroyed in a mere instant by the uncanny forces of nature... People in their homes mourn the destruction of the ancient cultures that they had valued for so long... an aspect of their society that would be reformed after the storm had ended.

 

And as the storm clouds stretch further across the continent, so do the imminent signs of an ill omen...

[Wyvern]

As dawn falls upon the lush overgrowth and golden ridges of the Rainbow Vale, the island is bathed in a beautifull light that only accentuates it's natural perfection. The calls of several seagulls and the chatter of the island's wildlife soon fill the air, and the adventurers slowly awaken to find themselves in paradise. This paradise would be shortlived, however, as with the arrival of man comes those things so often associated with their kind... pestilence and death.

 

On a different side of the island, far from where the adventurers had parked their vessel, there rests another ship which has been hazardously parked amongst several rocks and jagged cliffs. The positioning of the ship didn't truly matter, however, as it's passangers didn't plan to return from whence they came... They had a destiny to fufill... a destiny that would be reached at the very heart of this island.

 

Smiling innocently in the beautifull sunshine while sitting on a rock and admiring the Ocean they had crossed, Jagon adjusts his yellow bandana firmly on his forehead and brushes any signs of dust off of his cloak. Several small birds fly up to the cheerfull scholar and land on his shoulders and hands, not seeking food but rather affection, naturally attracted to his aura. Contrasting with the sweet birds are the other figures surrounding Jagon... Several hideously burnt undead, many former scholars and paladins of churches previously destroyed, had been animated by the Priestess Celestia and now stood guard around their unquestionable master. Many other undead, some mere skeletons of their former selves, were parked around the outskirts of the great forest, silently awaiting the commands of their master Celestia with open jaws and a buzz of carrion. As the Sun fully rises in the sky, an enormous grin spreads over Jagon's face and he jumps excitedly off of the rock on which he sits. Turning to his allies Kraisis and Celestia, Jagon enthusiasticaly gestures to the forest and exclaims:

 

"It's time we made our way to the Pool... let us meet what hands fate has dealt us, though unerring destiny shall never stray from it's path!"

 

Kraisis and Celestia nod to this and rise from where they sit, Celestia signalling to her undead while Kraisis silently rubs his lost eye. The paladin and the priestess turn to each other and kiss briefly, enchanted with one another yet knowing that their love would not last... their final goal rested upon this island, and they would fufill it for their savior at all costs... Jagon grins, admiring the sparkle in the eyes of his minions as they gaze upon each other, and knowing the bonds of love would only strengthen their will. Such bonds had been written, and such bonds had been fufilled.

 

Nodding to one another, the party of three head into the forest towards the ancient temple they knew resided at it's heart, accompanied by several undead while many other undead are told to skirmish the island to capture any living beings.

 

There was not even the faintest doubt in Jagon's mind that they would prevail.

[Gyrfalcon]

Across the island, Kaleyra awoke slowly, luxuriating in the soft warmth of the early morning, feeling almost lazy as she contemplated rolling over for another few minutes of sleep. Shaking her head, she instead wondered why she had not been woken earlier as she turned over and sat up, stretching first her arms and then her wings, enjoying the feeling of her muscles loosening and glad that her wounded wing only twinged a little.

 

Looking around and running her hands through her hair, she saw that a small fire was burning, and that Y’Tren, Gyrfalcon, and Myth were already awake and clustered around it, Y’Tren and the half-elf apparently working on breakfast for the party. Timothy was still sleeping at the other end of the clearing, snoring quietly but determinedly.

 

Pushing her hair back from her face, Kaleyra wandered over to the stream that babbled quietly just out of sight of the camp and splashed her face with its cool water before taking a drink and changing into fresh clothing. Returning to the camp, she smiled shyly at the three in front of the campfire. “Good morning.” she said, knowing it to be a fair description of the morning as well as a greeting.

 

“Good morning.” Gyrfalcon and Y’Tren replied, and Myth stayed silent. Interestingly enough, to Kaleyra at least, the assassin was trying to stay in what little shadow there could be on such a bright morning. Perhaps old habits? the scholar wondered to herself.

 

“Why didn’t anyway wake me earlier?” Kaleyra enquired as she sat down in the open space between Myth and Y’Tren, across from Gyrfalcon. The half-elf smiled as he replied “Y’Tren and I decided that we should let everyone get a bit of extra sleep after everything that happened yesterday. We all certainly deserved it! Unfortunately for most of us, old habits are hard to break, so we were up early anyway. It’s still nice to sleep on dry land, though, and even better to be in a forest, even the outskirts.”

 

Y’Tren nodded. “This is a pleasant isle- I could almost believe that the illusion that we had to defeat to find this place was meant to keep such beauty from the world outside.” He ended the statement with a small smile to show that he was joking.

 

“Perhaps.” Gyrfalcon said, more reserved. He filled a bowl with hot oat meal and handed it to Myth, then filled another one and handed it to Kaleyra. Two more bowls were filled for himself and Y’Tren, and the remainder was left in the pot close to the fire to keep it warm for Timothy, whenever he should wake.

 

“I wish there was a bit more variety for breakfast, but I haven’t had time to hunt for fresh fruit or game.” the half-elf said, his voice slightly wistful for something other then the bland shipboard fare.