A game fic (I don't know if that is the right term ) about Ting Tir'ent, Anania Fettias, Darien Kal'len, and Shade Lochuen. Chapter one basically covers the prelude until you receive Aribeth's key, with some changes. As I re-play the game more chapters will be posted (hopefully every other week). Please R &R! Thank You.

Amari

June 13, 129

Whew! Today was rough... After morning drills on the track the Rangers had 2 hours of training with Captain Herban... I hate the man. All he can do is scream, 'Ting run here! Ting run there! You stupid elf! Acting like that is not going to get you any closer to Aribeth!' Grrr... Well on the better hand this is my last night here at the academy. My graduation ceremony is tonight. Yeah! My date (should I call it that?) is an elf named Shade Lochuen ...

Ting

Anania tapped me lightly on the shoulder, "Ting could you tie my bodice?" I glanced up from my diary and looked at Anania, who was evidently struggling with her back lacings.

"Fine..." I sighed deeply and shut my journal. Standing up slowly I yanked hard at Anania's bodice lacings, grinning at her startled scream.

"AHHH! TING!" She turned around glaring at me, "Don't you dare do that again" I stuck my tongue out at her, pleased at the effect that the tug had done to her. Anania waggled a finger at me, play scolding. She stopped to look at the clock, "Oh, Ting you should get dressed, the guys are going to be here in a few minutes."

I shrugged, "Do you think they would mind if I was naked when they walked in?"

Anania snorted, "Ah you're right... Hahaha, that would hilarious." She started laughing, her signature snort appearing every few, Ha ha's. I stood up and walked to the dresser and threw it open, glaring at Anania over my shoulder. My dress was, even in my eyes, beautiful. It was burgundy, with angel sleeves that tied on at the shoulder. The sleeves and hems where trimmed by a silver knot work. The whole affair went over an ankle length cream colored chemise. I slipped in to the chemise and took the dress of its hanger and slipped into it. I reached around back and tightened the back lacing slowly, stopping when my breathing started to be confined.

As I tied the lacing in to a bow, someone knocked on the door. Anania stood up and opened the door, "Hello, Darien! Shade!" I blushed as Shade walked into the room.

Shade bowed low, "My dear Ting, you're looking lovely today," He paused for a moment, "or should I say tonight." I laughed lightly and kissed him softly on the cheek. Darien stood in the door way fidgeting slightly. Anania grabbed his hand and led him into the room.

"Darien, this is Ting Tir'ent, Ranger; Ting this is Darien Kal'len, Paladin under Tyr." I curtsied and shook Darien's hand.

"It's a pleasure."

He bowed and kissed my hand, "Nay, the pleasure is mine." I grinned at Anania.

"Shall we get going?" Anania slipped her arm into Darien's, "lets go!"

I curtsied deep to Lady Aribeth, "My Lady, it is a pleasure to meet you."

She bowed and took my hand, "Are you Ting Tir'ent?" I nodded, "Good, Herban has told me a lot about you."

I pointed to Herban slapping Arcane Arts Master Jaroo heavily on the back, "That Herban?"

Aribeth smiled, "Yes young one. Now please take a seat," She glanced over the table, "Everyone, please take a seat!" All the graduates scuttled over the table, evidently enamored by the Lady's charm.

Aribeth raised a hand to silence the light chatter going on between students. "Tonight marks the end of a year! The end of, for all of you, your time here at the academy. All of you will be graduating after tonight's feast. You all have done a magnificent job training here, and are all ready to move on to fighting of Never Winter!" A murmur of approval followed this statement, "Now we feast!"

There was a loud scraping of chairs on the floor as everyone sat down. Shade turned to me, "Ting," he pointed to a strange circle on the ground, "What the hell is that?"

"Looks like some sort of teleportation circle to me... Strange..." I stood up and moved my way to the Lady's side.

"My Lady Aribeth, my partner noticed a strange magic circle on the ground," I pointed to it, "What is it?"

Aribeth glanced at it then stood up fast, "Ting, thank you for showing that to me... Do you have any means of fighting with you?"

Bewildered I shook my head, "No my Lady..."

She cursed under her breath, and then turned to me, "I will notify Herban, Jaroo and the rest of the instructors about this. Don't—" Aribeth was cut short by a scream as a student slumped into her plate.

A score of masked men had appeared out of the magic circles. One of them pointed to Aribeth, "Get her!" Herban stepped into the man's path.

"Aribeth leave them to me!" Herban cried as he threw himself at the nearest.

Chaos broke out as with the masked men rampaging through the audience room killing anyone who stood in their path to Aribeth. I looked for Anania and saw her wrestling one of the men to the floor. Darien was engaged with another and Shade was no where to been seen. "Se Leno Sol Lata Ka!" I stepped aside just in time to dodge a ray of ice as it whizzed past my head. I swung my fists at the caster in a ball breaking his jaw as my hands connected with it. He stood dazed then slumped to the floor unconscious. An ice beam struck the man's head killing him. I looked up puzzled; did one of his companions kill him?

My question was answered as a gnome waved at me. His attention wandered as he looked me over. He mouthed are you Ting Tir'ent? I nodded. He smiled then turned away.

I blinked rapidly, 'That gnome stopped time for a second... Weird...' The gnome's magic left my mind as one of the men fell on me. I screamed and pushed him off me, kicking him in the face. He roared in pain and grabbed my ankle. I tried to pull my leg free, but he pulled it out from under me, causing me to trip. My head hit the marble floor hard making me black out for a moment. When I came to seconds later the man was sitting on my stomach, his hands reaching for my throat. I struggled until my hand was free then hit him hard in the temple, a move Herban had taught me. The man's hands relaxed their grip on my throat, allowing me to breath. The man slumped over and in seconds my hands were grasping his throat. He struggled to get free but I slowly choked the breath out of him. When the struggling stopped I stood up and winced as I took in a ragged breath of air.

The chaos had calmed down a little bit with all the masked men dead of unconscious, save for one that Aribeth was questioning. I looked around the room for my companions. Anania had a limp and Darien's arm was hanging limply at his side. Shade was sitting on the table nursing a seemingly broken wrist.