In the beginning

The warming rays of sun began its climb on the horizon, pushing out air and heat from my skin to force any moisture off that was left from the storm.
The earth still gave off the faint aroma of wet soil.

I gave the new sights of the horizon brief, flickering glances, taking in everything in sight, storing it in a temporary memory.
The river, now slightly sparkling, would look like glitter when the sun had rose properly from here.

"That town will give the best chance of crossing the river, without too much of a detour up or downstream." Dathyn pointed to the smoggy blot on the landscape, to which my eyes focused on while he spoke, a faint hint of powerfull energy eminated from what looked like a reasonably large settlement. "It's somewhat larger than Weirleigh, so we shouldn't need to disguise ourselves. Especially as we are simply passing through.

I nodded in silent agreement while pulling my gloves back on, i flexed my hands, disspelling any moisture from them.
Then i reached out, seemingly from the air i pulled out my cloak, pulling it back around me like a lost friend, it moulded itself against my frame. I smirked slightly, the bonuses of magic.
I decided against pulling the hood up, at least till we got the the settlement, no point from hiding from Dathyn now.
Giving the horizon one last look i gestured towards the woods, " Ready?"

I was walking around the house sorting Dougal out with some dinner and a cup coffee, also remembering a thought I had earlier. “Hay Dougal, I’ve had this great idea in my head for a while you want to hear it?” with out waiting for Dougal to reply I say “Obviously we would need to ok it with Zebadee and the others” As I paused to see a reaction from Dougal which was looking very excited at this point, knowing that normally Florence’s ideas were very good no matter what they were. “Yes, go on Flo,” said Dougal looking even more surprised and panting heavily all over Florence’s lap. “Well this idea is…Well you know that Forest near where we got separated by?” Dougal nodding his head with a slight frown “Thinking about a doing a free party down there, they have loads of mushrooms which is quite cool, What you think?” Dougals ears perked up, leading him to jump around actively “Yea lets do it, go on Flo!” Dougal excitedly ran round the room chasing his tail.

“Ok Dougal we’ll just chill out tonight and see Zebadee and the others tomorrow, how does that sound?” I smile happily; I’ve always liked my ideas, well… until they go wrong.
“Ok” went Dougal grinning away.

The rains are welcomed, they are a little later than usual this year, but the seeds will have spread in the wind, the rain will push them in to the ground and will provide them with the water to activate growth.

The meeting ended seconds before the rain started, since then I have been sitting here not even doing anything, just letting the consideration of nothing consume me, letting myself be at one with the environment.

Everything is unsettled, the animals, the whole vibe of the place is unsettled, I can not blame then, the disappearance and reappearance of beings is discomforting, and there has been a lot of it, not to mention the drain on our resources with the hole.

The longer I am sat here tuned into the land the less solid my physical form is becoming. Doing exactly what I have thought of as disturbing the balance of nature. At least I have been doing it as a gradual shading out of this world.

A wave of energy passes through me, and like the waters of the sea when its tides are ebbing in, the energy as weak as it is does not subside. I would love to go and investigate this new being that has appeared however I am going to have to wait here.

Again I do not want to have to get up, due to my lack of physical form I do not have the same pressure or weight to lift and so it is easier but I have to visualize how I am getting up, as if I do not have a clear picture of how I am when try to solidify again I wont be able to.

Once I am out of my home I start to solidify, walking towards the first elf I see, respectfully she turns to me when she notices I am wanting to speak with her, a silent nod of her head indicating she is ready to talk to me.

There is a long thin stick on the floor, which probably got old a snapped off, as much as my back aches it is nice to bend forward, pain and relief. I do not show my discomfort. The first sign of discomfort and my people would think of me as getting old and unsuitable to rule. I cannot be having that yet.
“Do you know where the new being is?” I ask straight after I am stood up straight again.
“Yes” there are few extra words passed between my kind
“Can you go and check the danger of the being?”
“As you wish, ill get some supplies and be gone promptly” I nod my thanks, releasing her to do as bid.

We had been walking for a couple of minutes before we came to an alley I vividly remembered, the only difference being the fact that it had lost it’s deep shade of red and the three bodies which caused it. The alley was darker than last time as the moon had not raised enough to spill its luminescence into the alley. We walked past the old kitchen door; the smells of freshly cooked stew wafted out and clung strong in my nostrils. I saw Moira take in the smell in a deep breath, an excited look replaced the one already there. Her pace increased ever so slightly, as a hungry wolf would, closing in on the kill.

I glanced into the bar through the windows as we made our way to the front door; it was relatively empty compared to the night I first entered. Only a few tables were occupied with small groups enjoying a bite to eat, one having a quiet game of cards. We came out of the dark alley and into the lantern-lit street when a strange and sudden bout of dizziness struck me. I rested a hand on the wall of the bar and clasped the other against my forehead. My forehead felt hot and wet with little beads of sweat. ‘Are you ok?’ Moira asked with a thick tone of concern. I subtly wiped the sweat from my face, wiped it against the side of my shirt and somehow managed to squeeze out a half convincing smile at her. ‘Yes, I’m fine. I’m just a little low on energy at the moment. I’ll be fine once we have eaten’ I softly replied, trying not to cause alarm. The medicine must be working. I reluctantly let go of the wall and regained my balance. She gave me a small smile before ushering me towards the door.

She pushed it open with a high-pitched creak and stepped in, surveying the room for a quiet place to sit. As I gingerly stepped in, I expected eyes to again be pinned on me, as if I had the plague or something worse. But no, no one was interested in me for much more than a glance. Moira pointed over to the table in the corner than we had previously been seated. ‘I’ll see you over there, I’ll go and pick up some food and get one of the other waitresses to bring over a drink,’ she instructed before making her way to the archway of the kitchen, giving a small wave to the large balding man stood behind the bar, probably the owner. I reached the table with little difficulty and sat down, untying my cloak from my neck and folded it before placing it on the chair next to mine.

I leaned back on the chair and gave a small sigh of relief, wiping the droplets of sweat that had congregated on my brow. I glanced round the room, taking in the atmosphere. Many people were having conversations about what crop to grow this year or the local news about the town. They have no idea of the bigger picture, what is going on around them. Most of them will complete their circle without ever being more than a few miles from their birthplace and concerning themselves only with annual routine. The life of a simpleton. Perfect for some, I thought to myself.

A light clinking of glass next to me awoke me from my thoughts. A human woman, possibly in her forties placed two large glasses of an amber liquid down in front of me, one behind the other. She gave a bitter smile before turning sharply and walking away. My eyes followed her back to the bar before noticing Moira making her way past the bar at to our table with two large bowls. She placed one of the bowls in front of me and placed the other in front of the seat opposite before taking a seat in it. I waited for her in case she wanted prayer or grace as some people called it. She picked up her spoon and started to eat her stew, burning her mouth with the first spoonful. ‘Mind out it’s hot,’ she warned, fanning her mouth with her hand before taking a swig of her drink.

The bowl was full to the brim with thick gravy and a mix of diced vegetables and chunks of meat. I took a spoonful and blew on it a few times before taking the first bite. It was delightful. Basic, but delightful. I took spoonful after spoonful, quenching my need for food. In no time at all, my bowl was empty. Only the last remnants of gravy remained. I reached over for my glass and raised it to my lips. It tasted sweet with a slight after-tang of apples. I took several huge gulps before placing it back on the table and wiping my mouth with the back of my hand and subtly checked my forehead again as I did; still hot but luckily the sweat had slowed considerably.

Moira stopped mid-spoonful, shocked at how quickly I had finished, as she had only eaten nearly half of her stew. She placed her spoon back in the bowl and had another quick swig of her drink. ‘Umbrae. Yesterday, before you left to go help Sven and Greg you were telling me about your home, Eryll.’ She paused, pondering how to ask such a question, ‘Could you… Would you… I would love to hear more about it.’ She smiled her inviting smile.

‘Certainly. What point did I get to?’ I asked, trying to remember exactly. ‘Davignon knocked you unconscious and you were just waking up in the shelter your friends had made.’ She replied excitedly. I searched my memories and puzzled together the next part of the story, ‘Ah yes, I shall continue from that point.’ Moira continued to eat as I told the rest of the story.

‘I still remember it clearly, even this many years ago…’

Mayra’s customers are not in here for long, as they close the door, the little girl waves and Mayra sighs, our signing has stopped, she is stood next to me facing out of the shop, after our departing customers. “I have never understood that women, she uses jargon I don’t understand, like size 8?” she looks at me, but I can not provide an answer, I know what size eight means in my world but I don’t want to assume she comes from my world, nor do I want to scare my employer by talking about it. I shrug and look confused at her “well she is wealthy and spends a lot in our town, supporting most of the business’s in the area.” With that she falls silent, turns away from the door, gathers the cups together off of the table.
“Where would you like the table put?” I received no reply to this. I am again left stood in the middle of the room with out a clue of what to do now.

Breathing in the fresh air, the happy relaxed aroma of my people, the animals and mother nature herself, the rain has been hammering down for some time and off to the west I can see the blue sky, which should make a clear night and a bright sky this evening. Until the trees branches gain leaves we will be able to see the sky with very little interruption. The branches trance the sky in lighting spikes minus the glow jutting against the sky.

There is a deer about 50 yards away, just chewing on the bark of a tree, you can always tell when food is scarce at this time of year, the flowers are not growing, he leaves have not sprouted, there is no vegetation for them, leaving them with stripping the bark. This is not something we like to see but we will not stop them of this action, they are mothers too and have as much right to the bark as everything else.

"Ready?" Kitsune gestured languorously towards the distant woodland.

"Of course." Dathyn strode off as he spoke, once more taking the lead. "It has been a while since I last passed this way, I don't know whether they have built a bridge yet. They may well still use a ferry."

As the pair walked towards the riverside town, the weather brightened and the sun started to dry the land. Drawing close to the settlement, the familiar signs of habitation appeared. First the rolling grassland gave way to hedges and walls, segmenting the landscape into bare earth fields, the harvest bounty still dormant in the ground. Next came smaller fields, this time with animals grazing on them.

Huts stood messily by the fields, clumped together haphazardly as though concerned about being left alone. Beyond the huts stood a stone wall topped with a wooden palisade. The road led between and past the hovels and into a gap in the wall, a road running along it, heading towards a sumptuous mansion. The pair drew near to the gateway as the sun moved into the second quarter, denoting mid morning. Guards stepped out from the gatehouse, where they were warming themselves against the last vestiges of the morning chill, and made to bar the two strangers way.

"Halt!" The guard sergeant (obviously marked by his cloak of rank) held up a hand, in the universal gesture indicating a person to stop. "State your name and purpose. Lord Davril does not allow strangers to idly pass." His voice held the same sneer that was carried on his face.

Dathyn stepped forwards, revealing empting hands, in a placating gesture. "Good day, officer. My name is Eldrik, and this is my sister Kiria. We are simple travellers looking to make use of your lord's generous means of crossing the river."

The sergeant looked the two up and down scathingly. "None fare across Lord Davril's bridge without paying the toll. It will cost you a tell each." The soldier's hand moved from palm out to palm up, changing the meaning from 'stop' to 'pay'.

Dathyn reached into his cloak and pulled out two small, tarnished gold coins and placed them into the guardsman's palm. "There you go, officer. A good day to you, and your men." He bowed and led Kitsune past the largely uninterested guards.

As they passed the group, one of the guards called out. "How about letting your sister work some of that toll back for you?"

Before anyone else reacted, the sergeant span and cuffed the guard round the back of the head, with a chain-mailed fist. "Gersh! You have been told before. No rutting on shift. Another night in the brig for you, my boy." The sergeant turned his attention to the two travellers. "My apologies. Lord Davril expects a higher level of professionalism from those in his employ. Please, be about your business." He turned back to his troop and started bawling about proper conduct of a guardsman whilst on duty and wearing the lord's livery.

Dathyn and Kitsune walked into the town, the bustle of the crowd never quite touching them, although no one actually seemed to notice them.

As they passed through the town, Dathyn noted that most of the buildings inside the walled section were made of stone, and the roads were cobbled. A sign of wealth. The close buildings opened out suddenly to a great wide expanse of cobbles that was almost entirely covered by cobbles. In the centre of the square was an impressive fountain adorned with a life size statue of a young woman bearing a large amphora in a style centuries out of date. The statue was carved in agonising detail, so lifelike that it almost seemed to breathe and about to step down from its plinth.

Eventually Dathyn and Kitsune made it through the heaving crowds and followed the road to the river, once more.

Mayra is not a chatty person; she has been busy the entire day sorting paperwork.
The sun is setting and I am anticipating that the end of the working day will commence soon, when the door opens and in steps a greying man, he stands about an inch shorter than myself, but is not as broad set as me, he has an air of Authority and barely looks at me. “Good Day Sir, How can I help you?” at this he stops and he looks at me with utter confusion on his face, he does not seem happy, “And WHO might you be laddie?” none of the words were spoken with the friendly endearments you would expect from such a sentence structure. I am put on a back foot here; I had not expected such a hostile response from trying to assist someone. This man must have a strong way of asking even the nicest of things, his authority being something he is used to being respecting or at least knowing why he has it or who he is.
I have been stood silent for a few minutes, when this man asks in a very demanding tone “WELL? Who are you?” ok so patience is not his strongest feature either. I don’t want to tell him I am called Gusano, but then is he after my name or the purpose of me being here?
“I am the Tailors’ Mayra’s Assistant” I am thrilled I finally found my voice, I was starting to feel quite childlike standing here and not knowing what to say under the hard stare of this unknown man. To this a slight look of shock and then disappointment flickered onto his face before it hardened again, he moved to walk around me, muttering so as I can hear “women’s work!” once he had passed me, I did move slightly out of his way, he bellows “MAYRA!” striding over to her counter he places a hand on the counter and leans into it.
No pleasure for seeing Mayra appear shows on his face. He speaks to Mayra in a harsh whisper that I can still hear “What are you doing? Hiring a man?” not waiting for her to respond “this is exactly the sort of thing we spoke about last night” I don’t know what I expected Mayra to say but it was not the strong women standing up to a bully “no it’s what you spoke about, if I remember correctly I did not manage to get a word in edgeways.” To this the man stood up, made a fist with the hand he had been leaning on, pointed a finger from this extended hand at Mayra “Fine, I am going out tonight and you are not invited, when your attitude improves we can try again.” He holds the pointed finger at her for a few seconds. Mayra’s response of a very cheery “ok” seemed to de-masculinize him more than he was happy with, so much so he stomped out of the shop slamming the door.
“I am sorry about that, he has never been good at socialising.” This is all I get towards an explanation, it does not bother me, but I am concerned for Mayra. “If you want to lock the front door and turn the sign around we will go and get some food before we go out dancing”

It seems that as soon as food is mentioned my stomach turns into a little monster, it growls with such ferocity I am starting to believe there is a monster in my stomach. How I have been surviving on such little food I could not tell you. In my home world I would have had at least 3 meals a day. If you had an active job you could be seen to have 5 or more a day. I worked on a in the summer holidays from school, I would get up at 4 30 in the morning, have a slice of toast on my way to the farm, we would work from 5 until 7 30 and then we would get a breakfast that could feed the homeless for a week, it would consist of 2 slices of toast, 2 eggs, 2 rashers of bacon, 2 sausages, 2 black pudding, beans, 2 hash browns a slice of buttered bread. We would then work until 12 when we would get a lunch of sandwiches and fruit, we would then work until 1700 when we would get a dinner which was usually Sheppard’s pie or similar, before finally at 2300 at night I would get home to have a beer and some crisps or cheese crackers or similar.

Since having left my world I would be surprised if I had eaten that much food.

Mayra had her back to me and was walking away, she shows no signs of having heard my stomach, but I doubt it will be long before she does.

She has collected her handbag and coat from behind the counter; I have been stood by the door waiting for her. My stomach is getting louder and louder the more I am thinking of food and the glorious things I could be putting in my mouth.

The succulent sweet taste of strawberries, the smooth creamy taste of chocolate, the buttery taste of mashed potato over minced beef and vegetables.

I lick my lips noticing that my stomach is now making the biggest growl I have ever heard, even cartoon characters don’t have stomachs that growl this much.

Mayra who has been rummaging in her hang bag for her keys looks up at me, “ready when you are young man”. Grabbing the handle I pull the door open for her.

I barely heeded the change in scenery, instead i concentrated on the ebb and flow of energy, syphoning off the minimum amount need to keep my supplies to the max.

The engery randomly kept spiking, as soon as i turned my full attention to it, it drifted back to normal.
I assumed my expression was bland, as if i was bored, or dim in nature.

My gaze drifted over the guards, dismissing them instantly, no threat.
The brief glint of gold caught my attention, damn sparkly things always held some form of attraction.

However, as soon as the words "How about letting your sister work some of that toll back for you?" drifted over, a deep reasonating growl echoed within my mind.
I blinked in surprise, it was a rare occurance that he would wake, let alone rumble out a growl.
A brief glance around to ensure no one else heard him, but i felt him test the link to Dathyn. Going through my memories, comming up to speed on what was happening.
I mentaly reached out to sooth him back to a more submissive state, still wondering why he choose now to wake.

Time seemed to fly forwards once more as i surveyed my surroundings, now a river was beside me.

‘..I softly chuckled to myself before the darkness finally consumed me, for what I thought may have been the last time.’ I yawned deeply, stretching as I did so. I took a few seconds to look round the emptying room at the last few people still finishing their drinks, before the long dark trawl back to their loved ones, some possibly coming back to an earful for being out too late or coming back in an overly intoxicated state. I looked over to the large oak grandfather clock in the corner, which at the level of quietness; I could hear ticking its endless stream of rhythmic heartbeat, now audible as only ten remained in the large bar-room area.

The clock gonged just once, one o’clock in the morning it seems. The large landlord gently swaying as if caught in an wash of waves ebbing up and down the waterline due to the large amount of drinks consumed, mainly to hold his temper with some of the droning clientele, each expressing their dreary lives and experiences to any unfortunate enough to get caught in its flow. The cook had left hours ago, about the time that the habitants of the table closest to the clock were holding their ears in discomfort due to the ten or more deafening chimes. He had stuck his greasy head round the corner of the archway and called last orders on the food, receiving mainly taunts and jeers as he did, from mainly what seemed to be the regulars.

The last waitress teetering dazedly from empty table to empty table, cleaning up after the animals that had set up temporary camp at one of these table-top watering holes. Moira had finished her stew and cleared away the table, apart from our glasses much earlier, about the time when she said her shift was about to begin, but the landlord had been most generous and given her an alien looking smile and given her the night off. We spent the next few hours talking about each other’s pasts and the dangers of the north. Over the time our glasses had been refilled three or four times and the effects of the alcohol seemed to start to show on Moira.

At the quarter past chime of the clock we both finished our drinks and began to set off. Almost forgetting, I put my hand into my pouch and pulled out the three gold coins, walked gingerly up to the bar and placed the coins on the bar in front of the landlord and gave a nod in greeting. ‘For my tab from tonight and the one previous,’ I graciously instructed, the effects of the ale had barely affected my persona. The large man looked down at the coins on the bar and pushed them back across to me before I had turned to exit. ‘Yer tab is paid kind sir, Sven an’ Greg paid it n’ ten times more,’ the large man replied, giving his, now less alien like smile.

I took the coins off the bar and pocketed them in the pouch again before following Moira out the door, tipping my head to the landlord out of respect on the way.

Outside to Moira it was pitch black, as the moon had taken refuge behind the clouds, with large patches of flickering light burning away the darkness, but to me I could see it all, the cobbles, the grass and even the barrel that Moira had not and nearly tripped over. We were walking along the river edge when out of the blue Moira turned and asked, ‘Why are you here?’ I looked at her with a seriousness, which sobered her up slightly. ‘I am here of duty, not of leisure or want. I have been sent by….’ I fell silent, divulging in this sort of information could be deadly for both parties. ‘I was sent to end the life of your lord, Lord Davril, for great heinous crimes against all whom live free.’ I replied. She gave a small bittersweet smile.

I looked deeply into her eyes, deep into her, but saw no evidence of psychic ability; not any physical signs showed anyway. I asked my own question that I had wanted to ask for some time now, ‘How did you know I was up there? In the tower I mean and in need of help?’ cocking my head sideways in intrigue, raising one eyebrow.

Moira looked almost confused by my question, as if she had been asked about a topic she had no idea existed. ‘No idea,’ she replied, shrugging her shoulders. ‘You had left your belongings and hadn’t returned after saving Sven and Greg. A couple of hours later Sven and Greg came in for a quick drink, I asked them what happened and they told me everything. How you killed the three guards and they said that you asked where the manor was. It didn’t take me long to twig what you were up to. You hadn’t returned by the end of my shift so I told Lex, the landlord, that if you returned for your belongings that he should sent someone to get me. But no one came. I went to bed later than usual last night, just in case you had gotten lost or something like that, I don’t know. I awoke before daybreak at the sound of a herd of horses galloping away, I thought that someone had broken into the stables and taken them, but when I looked out the window they were all dressed in Davril’s personal guard uniform. There were at least fifty on horseback, another fifty or more on foot and five large horse drawn carriages, each large enough to take a dozen men at least.’ She stopped, seeming to be trying to make any sense of the past events and the possible altercations of such a mass of weapon efficient group.

We were less than a hundred yards from Moira’s house, close enough to see the flickering light of the fire that I had previously build through the windows. I looked around and across the river, seeing only a few nocturnal animals going about their nightly business. In the thick brush I made out a pair of large eyes, whose owner was much larger, probably predatory. I softly placed a hand on Moira’s shoulder and gently lead her towards her door. ‘It may not be safe out here, let us continue our palaver inside.’ I instructed, letting go as her pace quickened.

As we neared her front door, her key was already in hand which subsequently found its passage into its hole. In next to no time we were inside and the door had three different sturdy locking mechanisms attaching it to the doorframe; it would need a battering ram to open it. I sat down on the tattered rug in the centre of the room, in between the bed and the fire. ‘Please continue, if you may,’ I asked softly, the chain of events had made complete sense up until this point so far.

Moira took off her heeled sandals and sat heavily on the edge of her bed, which gave a groaning creak as her weight crashed into it. ‘So where was I….’ she began, the alcohol starting to cloud her again. ‘Oh yeah. So at that point I was unsure of what to do. I decided to wait a little longer before making my way back to Lex to see if he had news of your return. After being told by Lex that you hadn’t returned, I was about to leave when Sven and Greg turned up for breakfast. To cut a long story short, a few extra sausages will make just about anybody scout for you.’ I joined her in her almost childlike giggles. ‘So I sent them both off for the manor while I came back here and suited up, just in case any trouble did start. They came back after about an hour. Apparently the whole place was deserted. Before leaving I took your sword and pack, in case you needed it. I took Gwen round the town wall and up the hill. As I reached the gates I saw that my informants spoke true, the place seemed dead. I made my way through the kitchen and saw the pantry door hanging off its hinges, smashed from the inside. At the sight of splinters strewn across the kitchen floor, I drew your sword and made my way round the building. I like what you did with the painting in the dining room, very artistic,’ she joked. I gave a very stern glare towards her, not meaning to show anger.

‘So um, yeah then I made it up the stairs to be greeted by lerch, well both halves of him anyway. Then I saw you standing there. Aaaand you know how the rest of the story goes.’ She let out a deep yawn, ruffling her hair after she finished. ‘I think a good night’s sleep is what is needed now’ she suggested, starting to remove her piny. I turned round to the fire. I could hear her clothes sliding off of her body and falling to the floor, landing with a soft puff. The bed started creaking; I almost instinctively turned but stopped. I heard a soft patting of the covers. ‘Are you coming to bed?’ she asked suggestively. ‘Thank you kindly for the offer, but I do not wish to chance my wounds on your sheets. Here will do just fine.’ I replied, turning to see her half disappointed face. ‘Ok, as you wish. Did you need anything?’ she asked. ‘No, I’m fine,’ I smiled once more before laying my head to rest on the rug. I heard the crumpling of sheets as she did the same on her pillows.

‘Good night Moira.’
‘Good night Umbrae, sweet dreams.’

the moon is rising on the eastern horizon and my people are ready, we are all in our homes by the doors, our armour adorned, our long golden locks tied back in to buns.

Earlier todasy i spoke with the whole town, we are all ready for what ever could happen.

Dathyn should have noticed by now.

we shall sit and wait.

Dathyn and Kitsune walked along the road following the river and presently reached a large stone bridge that easily spanned the width of the swift flowing water to allow travellers access to the forest beyond the town.

Another hour of walking saw the pair pass several farms and woodcutters cottages before reaching a smaller bridge that seemed to represent the limits of Davril's fiefdom. Once over the tributary-stream, the forest lie unbroken on either side of the road for mile upon mile.

Dathyn and Kitsune talked as they strode along the ancient road towards the far-distant Abandoned City, topics coming and going as fancy caught them until the sun grew low in the sky and fell beneath the western horizon, momentarily setting the forest ablaze in glorious reds and orange from the dying light of the sun.

As the moon lazily rose above the mist-choked forest Dathyn felt a strange pulsing on the edge of his senses, as though a child were pawing for their parents attention. It was as though some part of himself had gained a will of its own and desired to move to another place.
Irritated at this unwelcome intrusion to his business, he quickly isolated that part of himself that had unwittingly been linked to another and sought the source. His mind raced down the subtle connection, reaching its destination of the elf-city of Orome. A flash revealed the visage of the female elf that had spoken to him at the tree-healing.

A rare scowl fleetingly crossed Dathyn's face as he considered his options.
It would be simple enough to just sever the connection, disperse the tainted energies and continue on his path. However, he felt sure that this would be only the beginning of a long line of nuisances to his business. He resolved to have some stern words with the Alchemists who had made the amulet, once he had settled the issue of Orome.

"I have sudden, pressing business in Orome." Dathyn stated to his companion. "You are more than welcome to come with me, but I feel I should warn you that it may well be a hostile atmosphere. Will you accompany me, or shall I join you when I have dealt with the issue?"

The day passed with easy, walking, conversation flowed with apparent easy, taking in the changes aas we walked onwards.
As the day slipped into night, i felt more at ease as the the moon bathed me with her soft light, a slow relaxation of the body, movements becoming more languid, more of an animals grace that human.
The mist only amplified those feelings, another reminder of home.

Tugg, a mental tugging.
It wasnt directed at me....A scowl settled on my face as reached for the link to Dathyn.
A blink, flash of an image, so brief it was hard to make out who or what it was.

"....Elwe?"

As i uttered the name, Dathyn spoke. "I have sudden, pressing business in Orome. You are more than welcome to come with me, but I feel I should warn you that it may well be a hostile atmosphere. Will you accompany me, or shall I join you when I have dealt with the issue?"

I contemplated his words, hostile atmosphere? What could a bunch of Elf's, so young in comparison, do to one as myself?
I nodded once in agreement, felt the answering rumble deep inside myself, he wanted to go to?
"We will come, We will watch"

"We will come, We will watch." Something about her tone let Dathyn know that Kitsune was not using the 'royal' we.

With her confirmation, Dathyn Shadowjumped the pair back to Orome, not caring that his otherwise untraceable mode of travel would be given away by the little connection forged by the Alchemists synthetic Shadowstone.

They appeared before Folias' tree-home and Dathyn raised his hand, the reconfigured amulet reappearing like a filigree glove. The Aether crystal on his palm pulsed and Folias' tree exploded, wooden splinters raining down on the forest like shrapnel.

"Folias." Dathyn's voice was as quiet as it always was, little more than a whisper, but it carried unnaturally on the still air, ensuring that all in the elf city would hear his words. "Come out. I know you survived that. I made sure of it."

The trader-elf stepped out from the ruin of his home, visibly shaken by the casual display of power. "Shadowsoul. Understand, I was simply doing what I must. I am loyal to my people..."

"Save me the self righteous babble, Folias." Dathyn's quietly loud voice cut across the elfs, rendering him silent. "I told you, I expect professionalism from those I trade with. You attempted to deceive me, to lure me into a trap. No doubt you appreciate how much this displeases me. Think of this as a final way to help your people. You can show them what it means to displease me."

Dathyn moved forward so quickly that all spectators viewing the events saw only a shadowy blur, his actions to swift for any eye to follow. He grabbed Folias by the throat and threw him across the clearing, the elf travelling more than a hundred feet through the air. Folias landed heavily and, before he had even the chance to regain his feet, Dathyn stood before him, his hand raised to Folias' face, the Aether Crystal mere inches from the elfs eyes.

"Before I do this, perhaps you would be kind enough to tell me the name of the elf that knew my name, last time I was here." Dathyn's voice was calm and mild, completely at odds with his actions. Dathyn conjured a phantasm of her, to clearly demonstrate which individual he meant.

Folias blinked as the phantasm disappeared and swallowed before speaking. "That is Elwe." The elf gave only as much information as he felt he could get away with.

"Thank you." Dathyn nodded his gratitude even as the Aether crystal once more began to glow.

Folias went rigid, his face filled with horror. He could feel the power from the crystal flowing out into him, fixing him in a solid state. No more would he be able to slough of his corporeal form and run through the forest as a spirit. Worse than that, he felt his senses diminishing, as his physical form closed him off from the world. No longer could he sense the energies around him. Was this what it was like to be human? The thought sent a cold chill through Folias and he looked up at his tormentor imploringly.

The glowing Aether Crystal pulsed even more brightly for a moment then returned to a dormant state, leaving a blood stained crater when Folias had once been kneeling.

Dathyn spoke again, in his strangely carrying voice. "Elwe. I think you had better explain yourself."

Dathyn’s appearance was just as expectly sudden and joined with the one he departed with.

On arriving into the village he demolished the home which Folias had resided in, demanded Folias to show himself and proceeded to torture him, throwing him a great distance across the village, as soon as Folias was thrown everyone in the village transformed into their natural forms.

This generated a light from each of us which penetrated the trees we were linked to, using the energy from the land we grew quickly lighter and lighter, everything matching the intensity on light we elves emited, no shadow was cast in Orome. No Human would be able to see in this light, just as they are unable to look at the sun without losing their sight.

Not wanting to created too much of a disturbance within the world whilst trying to protect it we have been sending our silent commands to the living beings, to land, hide and close their eyes. They have been doing as so for the last half an hour and by now are all safely away from this disturbance with little knowledge of what they are doing or why. They will merely believe that a predator was after them and that is why they hid for so long.

Folias is actually very practice in his abilities and can create a very strong light, he can in fact completely disappear into the earth, as much as I have never known anyone to return to their solid form once they have absorbed into the earth I believe if any could it would be Folias.

Staying where he was holding the Aether Chrystol Glove, which looks like the ones which had encased the shadow stone, glowing around his hand he calls out to me "Elwe. I think you had better explain yourself." I stay where I am, we are all getting brighter and brighter, the power the earth and all on it is more than required, we are now so bright there is nothing visible, our light being part of everything, our light coming from everything ensures all the light is equal and no shadow is cast.

Being at one with the earth, barely having a form on this world I move toward Dathyn knowing he cannot see me does not mean he cannot hear me when I speak to him, even though he has been on this planet less time than me I do not doubt he has fantastic reflexes, nor do I doubt that his eyes are a convenience he does not need.

I am careful as I approach him, ensuring I am silent, not even my breathing will give me away.

As one my people can come together, using all of our strength and abilities to think as one, to act as one. I am a puppet for the collective desires of us. Every desire will be processed by me and acted on by me, but the strength of my people will be passed to me, there thoughts and wishes also, the human saying 2 heads are better than one, this is a silent way, a better way of making a city of elves 1.

Whilst being constantly on the move, not being in one place for more than a couple of seconds, taking care I do not circle Dathyn who is still in the same place, I respond “Dathyn I do not need to explain myself to you, what it is you wish to know?”

We watch while Dathyn made short work of the tree, calling up a brief barrier to protect us form any wayward shards of flying wood.

We followed Dathyn as he took the elf by the throat, launching him across the clearing. Staying close, but not to close to breach any personal space.

We already knew who's name Folias would surrender when Dathyn briefly conjured up her image.

Blinking an giving my constant internal companion a mental push back, i knelt nex to the bloodied crator that was Foias, one gloved finger hovered over a splatter of blood before retracting back into my cloak.

It was barely a few seconds until the hairs of the back of my neck started to raise, the sense of something dead hovering around.
Out of the corner of my eye Folias stood, a spirit, i saw him as if he still was live, no see through spectral others assumed a ghost would appear as, gaping at the mess his physical body now was.

Then he slowly turned, as if he was being called to, he gaze drifted around, searching. A small black sphere gained mass infront of him, emitting a dull grey glow.
One of his soul catchers, sent out to gather the dead to be collected an placed in line. Affectionatly called one of his 'Littles D's'
I placed a mental tagg on Folias stating who he was, what he did and where he came from for future refernce.

Folias promtly vanished, leaving the small sphere to bob once before speeding off, undoubtedly called by another death.

As this was happening i heard Dathyns voice ring out "Elwe. I think you had better explain yourself."

The mental rumble told me this would be something worth staying to watch.

"Elwe. I think you had better explain yourself." Dathyn had barely spoken the words when a multitude of glowing points suddenly appeared, showing the location of every inhabitant of Orome.

Their glow increased, pushing back the darkness like an early dawn. To a mortal, it may have been maddeningly blinding. Soon, the light had pushed the darkness away almost completely. Only Dathyn stood as shade.

One of the elfs moved towards Dathyn, attempting to move silently as if that will somehow conceal its location.
“Dathyn I do not need to explain myself to you, what it is you wish to know?”

"Wish... That is an interesting term to come from an elf." Dathyn's tone didn't chance, but the words were obviously mocking. "Wishes are much more the province of the Djinni, are they not? What I want is quite simple. An answer." Dathyn paused, staring directly into Elwe's eyes from underneath his concealing hood.

"I held no malice towards your people, let alone yourself. So why is it that you feel you must seek to bind and control me?" Dathyn moved forwards languorously, slowly circling the female elf.

"Did you honestly think that a tainted Shadowstone, made by the Alchemists, would be able to ensnare me? If so, you place far to much trust in them." Dathyn looked around briefly.

"The light is a trifle impolite, don't you think? You invited me here, after all. Surely you have the duty of a host to ensure the comfort of your guests? I prefer something a little less glaring." With these words, the small pool of shade encompassing Dathyn exploded outwards, quelling the light of the elfs to a dim glow, each elf stood in their own small pool of light.

Dathyn moved his immediate attention from Elwe and addressed the rest of Orome. "I hope those of you that survive learn something from this."

The shadows of the trees throughout Orome peeled themselves off the ground and wrapped themselves around the trees, changing the very nature of the trees. The forest took on a haunted aspect, as though the trees had become partly Shadow-stuff.
A great circle of Umbral energy opened in a nearby clearing, and dozens of Shadowy forms dripped from it. The Umbrals ran through the forest city with a speed no elf could hope to match. Screams rent the air as the Shadow Hunt feasted on the essence of the forsaken elfs.

Dathyn turned back to Elwe who, along with Kitsune and Dathyn, were the only ones to be left alone by the hounds of the Shadow Hunt that Dathyn had summoned. "You did this. The moment you chose to act against me, you doomed your city and your people. You. So, are you going to tell me why, or am I wasting my time speaking to the puppet when I could be speaking to the puppet masters?"

(Elwe-1 Dathyn-0)

As she steps through the door “thank you” she says with a gleeful tone. The keys are finally in her hand and as I walk through the door I am pulling it closed behind me. Her key is in the door nearly as soon as at it closed, my hand is barely off the handle when the clunk of the bolt drops into place.

The last time I had a feeling similar to this was when I was working at a book shop over the winter. I was 17 at the time and too young to lock up on my own. However I had a fleeting affair with the managing assist, kayley, she was not the best looking, but whenever she was in-charge we would find some work that meant we had to go out to the store room and we would have sex.

We never met up outside of work, she was 6 months older than me and was embarrassed, besides that she had a boyfriend, a real boyfriend, one who took her on dates and met her friends and family. When I found out I was heartbroken, I stopped turning up to work.

The clunk of her locking the shop doors at night was something I dreaded, it meant that our illicit affair was done for the day. Hearing that clunk resonate between the glass fronts of the store which opened up in a V towards the street cause my heart to drop, as it did every night that winter.

As much as I have only just met Mayra the similarity between then and now must have kicked started that memory.

Since arriving here I have had more memories just into my head then I ever did back at home. Don’t get me wrong I did remember things but they did not jump out at me in this way.

Maya is quick at walking, she does not look around the quiet street as she walks, her keys are loosely slung into her bag, I did not notice she was holding a second set of keys in her hand. Her flat hard soled shoes allow her to be quick across the cobbles than most of the adults around her, which includes me, though there are a few children running around bare foot as if the floor is soft and flat. This makes me cringe.

Mayra is stopped in front of a door, her right hand is held up to the door about half a foot above her left hand which is clasping a large golden handle. “welcome” she pushed the door open and stepped inside. I was still a few feet away, almost leaping the last few paces to get my head around the door frame.

The door opens onto a small room which opens to the right, it is dar inside, and Maya is holiding the door open for me and standing with her back pressed against the wall, leaving the main expanse of the room open for me to walk into.

I take the step inside, ad Maya closes the door and turns the lock, “ooo its is a little dark in here, stay there ill get some lights on."

The sudden influx of light caused my iris to shrink to the size of a pin heads, i reared back pulling my hood down and cloak closer to my body.
A quick hiss escaped as i quickly moved to stand just slightly behind Dathyn, ignoring any sense of personal space i used him as a shield against the light.

However, the large, steady flow of energy was far to inviting, it took seconds to find the flow and start absorbing.
I took large draggs on the energy flow, find more and more comming, i made it a constant draw.
Now i peered around as much as i possibly could against this seering light, any damage to my eyes caused was healed instantly, using the energy i was constantly absorbing and storing.

Elwe however was ignorant of my appearace, being dead did have its advantages to being undetected by sense.
Not however by sight, i clocked Elwe by her energy signature, keeping a tab on her movements as she circles.
The other Elfs where noticed, then dismissed at non-threatening.

To the many onlookers i was stood close to Dathyn, head bowed seeminly submissive, seeking protect from him.
However, my constant internal companion was roaring his displeasure in us being blinded, he wanted out to deal with these pissants.
Metaphysical claws raked me from the inside, i felt the welts spread across my stomach in a red firey line in his displeasure.
I exhaled sharply, then, channeled a large flow of the energy directly to him.
He silenced, becoming full and sated.
Using the small connection to Dathyn, i enquired " What is going on here?"
Then, i gave him a quick viewing of my would-be protector. After all, if i started growling out responses to something he could not see or hear.....

“Djinni is one concept of wish. “ Elwe starts in a calm manor, noticing Dathyn does not require his sight to locate her as she had suspected “to request or charge, I wish him to come.” I pause to let this sink in before I continue with my example “to desire, to yearn for” again another small pause “a request or command.” This time my voice as the smallest hint of enjoyment “this last is what you have done, you have requested in a commanding manor.”

Dathyn hardly gives me chance to finish before he was demanding more again; my patience is not the strongest of things “I held no malice towards your people, let alone yourself. So why is it that you feel you must seek to bind and control me?” Dathyn is showing great power with his ability to move, his languid movements show that the light is holding him for now. But still he is not waiting for a response, not hiding my thought ‘this onslaught is not an effective way to get answers’ this being must have preconceived plans


"Did you honestly think that a tainted Shadow stone, made by the Alchemists, would be able to ensnare me? If so, you place far too much trust in them." Dathyn looked around briefly.

"The light is a trifle impolite, don't you think? You invited me here, after all. Surely you have the duty of a host to ensure the comfort of your guests? I prefer something a little less glaring."

Dathyn seemed to grow suddenly, there was darkness spreading, it was quick enough to supress most of our light, the trees looked hollow, they looked abandoned, the knowledge of people being in them caused the mind trickery of being haunted. The intensity of the light pressed back the shadow restored the normal appearance of the trees.

Dathyn must have spent his entire life not being opposed. I can see that he turns up into people's villages and towns for trade using their fear of him as leverage. They are unused to power; they see the tricks with shadow he can pull. These tricks not even a strain on his abilities, probably not even any harder than a human finds picking up their child to comfort it.

As Dathyn moves I get a better view of Kitsune who was shading herself behind Dathyn, she probably found this had little effect, especially since he has moved, no longer providing protection for his companion. Obviously not one to practice what he preaches about politeness.

Dathyn turned so as Kitsume and I were in his view and his circle of shadow was behind him.

A small circle of shadow grows in the clearing off to my left and his right rising from this shadowy circle like a drip in reverse formed the shapes of dogs, these dogs fought against the light. They were fast, very fast, however their forms being constructed from shadow was nothing against the light. They tried, and tried, seeming to hit a wall with every lunge.

“you did this” he snarls still his voice has not risen, “The moment you chose to act against me, you doomed your city and your people. You.” If he was not so intent on getting his point across he would probably have moved his arm in an aggressive point towards me “ So, are you going to tell me why, or am I wasting my time speaking to the puppet when I could be speaking to the puppet masters?"

The puppet master? Where did he get that idea from? I am not a Puppet I am merely the front, I am the owner of a shop. The workers will give suggestions on the best way to do things, but if I do not like it then I do not implement it.

Now as Dathyn is facing both of us.

“If you had allowed silence to have a moment you might have heard my responses.” I am not angry, I am still calm, and as much as I can feel the drain of power from Kitsune it is not enough to hamper our strength, ability and command of the situation. She must need it; we do not have a problem with excess energy to be used upon need. Keeping my voice as calm and quiet as Dathyn’s “I require talking to you. I know the light is not the politest of way to do it, but I needed protection, you have done exactly as I suspected you would. You have acted prior to thought, you have not allowed a reaction prior to acting.” I stop talking for a moment trying to assess his demeanour.

“I require talking to you. I know the light is not the politest of way to do it, but I needed protection, you have done exactly as I suspected you would. You have acted prior to thought, you have not allowed a reaction prior to acting.” Elwe spoke, as though she actually believed she knew Dathyn. Under different circumstances he might even have been amused at the naivety.

The Umbral hounds of the Shadow Hunt realised that something held them from their prey and reluctantly withdrew from the chase, returning to their master, As they neared Dathyn, they drew from his power, becoming larger and more imposing, until they resembled three dimensional silhouettes of dire wolves the size of cows. To the average spectator, their size would seem at odds with their complete silence. In the next clearing, the portal to the Umbral plane snapped shut, as Dathyn focused his will.

"You should know, the light provides you with more comfort than protection. It may hold my pets at bay, but it has no such power over me." Dathyn demonstrated his point by moving, far faster than anyone else present should follow, from where he stood to the other side of the leader of the energy elfs.

"You talk of protection and lack of thought, yet it is you who has transgressed." Dathyn felt the Aetheric energy pulsing around him as he spoke, his senses constantly seeking its unifying rhythm. "If you truly desired only to talk, you would have used base treachery and deceit to attain your goals." Finding what he sought, Dathyn flexed his will, pushing the light from the clearing once more and holding it at bay, so that it could not return, unless he allowed it.

"You want to talk? Then talk. But if I even suspect that you seek to cause me ill, than I shall leave and you can rest assured that you will not find me unless I will it." Dathyn wrapped invisible strands of Umbral energy around the web of Aetheric energy suffusing the elf city, being sure that, whilst its inhabitants would be able to sense the alien energy, they would be entirely powerless to do anything about it. It would take only a whim for Dathyn to tear apart the web of energy the elfs had created, rendering them powerless and, if weak enough, dead.

The circular shadow that could be seen from the corner of Elwe’s vision decreased in size rapidly until it was completely gone. This provided little reassurance; they had been very little in the way of a nuisance. As little as their disappearance has not caused Elwe alarm their reappearance and their growth had not either. There was no change of expression on Elwe’s face as this happened, she stood there watching him play like a bored sibling would watch over a younger one play.

Dathyn has said the light does not provide any protection; it is amazing how narrow minded these shadow elementals can be. They are blinkered, they rest assured by themselves their power is the strongest, the best, rarely in their lives do they cross paths with those that can vanquish, they are allowed to believe what they want.

Elementals can be as foolish as the humans; the humans will rarely play with others who they know are better than them at something. This is in an effort to not be defeated. Yet what they are doing is not pushing themselves to be better. They are like a flower that cannot get the sun. The flower becomes weak and eventually dies. Whereas the Flower that reached for the sun grows big and strong, attracts the bees and finally sheds the seeds of the next generation.

The night sky is dark; the sun has been hidden by the planet. The stars in the sky are millions and millions of years away. Probably even billions for some of them. Yet no matter how dark the sky is and no matter how far away the stars are, their light manages to makes its way through the dark, piercing through it until it touches our eyes. Their light brightens our world, they provide us with light to see by, even when our sun cannot shine on us.

The morning sun rises and always pushes the dark away, as much as in the evening the darkness returns, this is only because the sun disappears behind our planet which is too big to allow the light to shine on us. The stars and moons light up our dark skies at night yet you never see darkness in the skies in the middle of the day.

With all the eyes of her people watching these events unfold, and each person sending there visuals through to Elwe from difference angles, provides Elwe with a picture which updates quicker then she would be able to see with her own eyes. A pigeon can see 75 frames a second; a human is believed to see 25 frames a second. If Elwe could see at the human’s 25 frames a second usually, this connection with her people would be like having a flock of pigeons.

Dathyn seemed to be concentrating much harder now as his ‘pets’ were next to him. “You talk of protection and lack of thought, yet it is you who has transgressed.” He moved a semi-circle of 180 degrees around me, moving with agility and dexterity which implies speed, he may be stood behind me but this does not mean I cannot see him. It appears he thinks this will give him an advantage over me, as with humans when they have their backs to you they cannot see you, nor can they react to what you are doing. This must be what he is after. I do not hold a solid form; I am like a cloud of luminous steam, the whole of me able to look upon this situation as if I was covered in eyes looking out in every direction. His speed in moving around me is not going to benefit him. In fact having my vision being channelled through all of my people means I can see a full 360 degrees of this situation. Another advantage to not being in my solid form means that I do not have a body to move round. I can put myself into any form I wish, I can have this form facing any direction. His intentions behind his movements are not clear.

“If you truly desired only to talk, you would have used base treachery and deceit to attain your goals.” Dathyn who is now stood in the clearing his ‘pets’ were a few moments ago now seems to be showing a strain, though the look of glee of his face is evident, which is odd for there is a solar flare which grabs my people’s attention for all but a second and the huge light which is Orome flickers for that second before returning as bright as it had been.
“The whole reason for my actions lays in my purpose for the apparent summoning of you.” I start however get cut off by Dathyn who does not seem to have mastered the ability of patience
“You want to talk? Then talk. But if I even suspect that you seek to cause me ill, than I shall leave and you can rest assured that you will not find me unless I will it.” Yes of course shadow is untraceable in light, as untraceable in light as a lit torch that is blazing in a dark room.
The Aether glove Dathyn is wearing is glowing strong, the light of the Aether not as strong as the light around it, but it is bright in comparison to Dathyn’s form of which it resides.

There is a thin web cloaking the immediate area of Orome this web is as thin as a spiders, this net is not covering the whole of Orome, there are some of my people on the outside of it. These people send images of them cutting the strands of the web, and it melting back like ice would from a fire. These strands melt all the way back to the glove.

As the web makes its way back to the glove I try to talk again, “You may want to allow me to speak; constantly attacking in this manor is not advantageous to you.” I pause to survey Dathyn, his reaction is critical to how I continue. If he continues to attack us I will have to defend before all else.

Seeing the group of people, angel like in appearance, I called over to them, asking for where I had turned up to. The group, organized like a gang took a look at me, and what a glance it was. Their eyes, something in them, flickering away, like a candle in the midnight sky, telling me that something about them, wasn't exactly, human...

They gazed at me with a mix of bewilderment, excitement, and trepidation. One of the group stepped forward, and stopped, his attention fixed squarely on me, took a long, heavy sniff, and stopped, his expression wretched with confusion. I looked around to see what they were looking at, but I knew now they were looking at me. Why they are looking at me with that of a group of wild animals hesitant of a new creature in their territory I don't know. The group turned away and ran with an unearthly speed.

I ran, as quick as my body would allow me, trailing their movements through the forest, my muscles aching, my heart thumping in my chest, working hard to control my breath, wrestling my body's need to stop, when I had to find out who were these people, and how I'd got here. No matter how much harder I ran, they were always ten steps ahead of me, and the distance grew wider and wider. As I ran around a corner, I see the ringleader, instructing his group to get behind a large tree. Using what ounces of energy I had left, I ran towards him. The ringleader, took one gaze at me, and gave a chilling smirk, and walked behind the tree...

I galloped around the wooden spectacle... to find no one here...?

I looked all round the area, looking for any signs of footprints, anything for a clue, to determine which direction they headed in, but... nothing. Where the hell am I...? Definitely not Camden any more...

I had to get onto a course of navigation and stick to it, and to do that, I need my compass. So first things first, but necessarily in that order. I rummaged around in my pocket, getting out one of my hip flasks, and a compass. Weighing these to objects in my hands, looking at both items, contemplating which one to use first. After much deliberation, I decided to undo the screw cap and take a swig of the wonderful bourbon, its brilliant taste on my tongue, and eventually its soothing effect on the brain, giving it a breather from the events of a very abnormal day. Any way, enough alcohol, I'll save it as a treat for later...

I look to my old compass, its metal housing getting rusty over the years of neglect, but its purpose certainly hasn't diminished despite appearances. Looking on my compass, I found a heading, pointing...