Syr stretched seductively on the piles of furs. The calculating dark haired half elf knew she wasn't the prettiest girl around, but she felt like a gleaming diamond before the chiseled young knight before her. She was too thin, her breasts were too small, her face was too hard. None of that seemed to matter while she was in the presence of her young hero.

"I have to report back to my patrol.", said the young man as he strapped on his armor. Syr smiled at him hungrily as he dutifully dressed himself. She guessed the youthful human knight was 15 maybe 16 years old. Making him similar in age both physiologically and chronologically to the twenty one year old half elf ranger mage.

"Arl...thank you for last night. ", commented the glowing young girl nervously to her handsome suitor.

The warrior stopped and paused. Syr half expected her illusion to end at that moment. She could well imagine the muscular boy laughing in her face and chalking her up as simply another conquest. Despite her fears, the young man smiled nervously back.

"No my lady...Thank you. I..I...half expect us to be all dead soon. King Huk's forces are poised to strike. I'm ashamed to admit but you were my first. You made me a man last night. If I shall die, then at least I can enter Rawk's halls able to hold my head up high.", the boy said with a nod.

The half elf was flattered by his revelation and didn't want to seem dismissive of him. However, his standard of manhood seemed silly and although she tried to suppress it , Syr giggled at the foolish notion. "Don't be silly Arl! A man's worth isn't judged by the women he's bedded. It's by the fire in his heart, the steel in his fist, the fear in his foes.", the half elf recited.

Arl paused and considered her words, "I've heard that before. The battle chant of the Lion. Am I correct? ", noted the boy with a glint of pride in his eyes.

Syr nodded,"Yes..my mother taught me that. Don't bother asking how she knows that, I don't like talking about her. ", sniffed the thin half elf.

"Perhaps another time then. On a more serious note, Syr...I want you to take shelter in Fort Danilus tonight. As I said earlier , I suspect that the hordes of King Huk will attack soon. That is the safest spot in our defenses. I..I want you to be protected, survive . You can even bring your brother. ", pleaded the young knight.

Syr shook her head. " I've already looked into it. The fort is too small to hold everyone. Hey the last thing I want to do is die, but we have refugees and camp followers to get to safety. The mercenaries I work for were hired mainly for secondary combat roles. The heavy fighting is left for you front line types. Don't worry , we'll be safe. ", commented the half elf quietly. She knew her chances were slim, but she didn't want the handsome Arl to worry.

Arl sighed ,"This whole task force was poorly planned to begin with. Everyone thought it would be an easy mission to scour the Shattered mountains of King Huk and his allies, especially with several companies of the Dwarven Hearth Guard, legions from the First Army, a contingent of Knights of the North, and all the mercenaries that Grom could hire. Too bad our ranks are divided, we don't have a clear leader and we seriously underestimated the numbers and tenacity of our foes. Its just so frustrating. I could see all the signs before we even started, but no one listens to a young whelp. ", the knight said in frustration.

"You will have a command of your own someday. You were born to lead, that's one of the reasons that I'm so attracted to you. You radiate power and leadership, even though no one else sees it. In the mean time you will always have my ear, my eyes... my lips...", purred Syr. Before she could finish, the chiseled muscular Arl abandoned donning his armor and threw himself back towards his willing companion.


Syr watched her knight finally leave her tent. It was late in the morning , and she was sure there would be rumors spread about them now. The half elf didn't actually care what others had to say, she half expected they would all be dead soon anyways. The hobgoblins and their allies under King Huk were amassing around them. Already their shamans had erected totems to bar travel magic, and their siege ballistas were in place to deter skyships. There was rumors of a relief force, but the half elf ranger knew they would never make it in time. She smiled at the thought of Arl generously offering her a place in the over crowded fort, but she knew that just delayed the inevitable. Despite her impending doom, the half elf couldn't recall being happier in her life.

*Whistle*

"Wow, look at him. Its hard to believe I bagged someone with those sexy rock hard abs in my youth.", commented a strangely familiar voice.

Syr spun and saw a woman that was attired in a tight elaborate green leaf robe. She had long dark hair and a shallow face, she was very thin and had fine but hard elven features. She couldn't be described as beautiful, but there was something haunting and aristocratic about her. The most shocking aspect of this stranger was that regardless of her dress and age , Syr recognized her face as her own.

"Doppelganger!", the ranger shouted. Like a cat she quickly rolled to the side and grasped her bow. In a fluid motion, she rapidly fired two arrows at her twin unerringly and with aim that surprised even herself.

"Oh please!", commented her double as she held out her hand. The arrows were both aimed directly at her head but they bounced off as they seemingly struck an invisible barrier. Her duplicate then raised her other hand, and Syr found her bow torn away from her with an unmatchable strength and soon found herself floating helplessly in the air.

"Look,me from the past , the doppelganger theory is pretty good, but let's use our head now. If I wanted to replace you for my own nefarious ends, why would I show up wearing a robe and jewels that are way too fabulous for you . ", the double said while stretching and showing off her fine dress and accessories.

"Secondly, doppelgangers are known to dispose of their victims. As you can see, I am a master of magic. If I wanted to , I could easily tear you apart. So let's drop with the shoot first to the face act, and behave civilly. We both know , we like to think first and act later.", commented Syr's duplicate.

The helpless, scantily dressed half elf nodded in compliance and soon found herself back on solid ground. "If you aren't a doppelganger, who or what are you?", inquired Syr cautiously.

"Why...I am you of course! A future version. I won't bother you with all the details, but I am you roughly thirty years from now. That's right take a good look, get use to wearing a training bra for the rest of your life , honey. ", answered a smiling Surry.


"So let me get this straight, you are a future version of me. You've come back into the past to glean some wisdom for a future dilemma?", probed Syr , half believing the tale from this stranger.

"That's roughly correct. It's only happened a few times recently, I'm not sure why it does, but something transports me to a time in the past. I have the feeling that I'm suppose to learn something, but I usually just end up getting drunk with a past version of myself .", shrugged Surry.

"Aren't you afraid you'll alter future events. Your mere presence could cause a paradox or something, and disrupt the time stream. ", commented Syr. Although primarily a ranger, the half elf was also very skilled at magic and its associated lores. Syr always believed her true vocation was to become a wizard, but financial burdens hindered her from studying under trained tutors or enrolling at the Great Wizard Academy in Grom City.

"Change the time stream? Alter events? Hah! Only father can do that! ", snorted Surry as she found a half empty bottle of wine and poured herself and her duplicate a cup.

"Wait...our father? You've met our real father! ", replied a stunned Syr.

Surry smiled, "Yes I've met Fetch. He's a good guy. He's nothing we ever expected. On one hand , he has the power to move mountains and has mastered the powers of creation. On the other hand ...he's a big dork and doofus. ", chuckled the older half elf.

Syr shook in amazement. She knew very little of her father, save that he was an adventurer that bedded her whore of a mother when she was in heat. She always suspected he was some loser , but Surry's revelations brought joy to her. "A true adventurer? That bitch Brita must be green with envy !", smiled Syr .

Surry's mood grew dark. "Look, don't talk about Brita...mother like that. I know you feel abandoned by her and you have every reason to hate her, but she had her reasons. Despite what you think , she really cares for you and Agni. Give her another chance ok. "

Syr was livid, but she kept her anger in check. She was not about to challenge future version of herself again. "I see you have made your peace with mother. I guess that's a good thing."

Surry nodded. "Trust me , it is. Look I don't want to brag or anything, but in the future you become an archmage, a sacred Treekeeper, and Leader of the Ice elves. However , I would gladly trade all that prestige and power compared to the bonds I have with my true family and extended family. Brita, Fetch, Tyris, Fyrisvellir, Sharliss, Sarin, Agni and Sasha. That's true power girl."

Syr grew suspicious at the last comment. Her alleged future self was beginning to sound like some Sunday school fable. Also the thought she would become an archmage, and more incredibly a sacred tree keeper seemed outrageous to say the least. Leader of the ice elves seemed probable though, she always considered herself the smartest of her diminishing people, and it would be logical if they appointed her in charge.

Suddenly Syr stopped, "Wait..wait...Sasha? Sasha that cleric of Linel ...she becomes a part of the family?", asked the half elf as she fully processed Surry's comments.

Surry giggled,"Yeah that Sasha. The one in this camp right now. I'll tell you a secret. You know how our seemingly innocent brother is always supposedly praying with her for strength in battle the last few weeks. Well, sistah...they ain't praying !", declared the older half elf with a playful smile.

Syr was in shock, "How..how could I have missed that. ", she wondered in amazement. She didn't doubt her double, the more she thought about it the more the pieces fit together.

"I'm guessing our own little little liaison at this time clouded your vision.", smirked Surry.

Both half elves erupted in laughter together. The joyous pair's mirth was a strange sound in the grim war camp, and attracted a few curious observers.

"Syr! Are you alright ? ", asked a tall and noble warrior as he hopped into the tent. Closely following him , was a stunning woman with short platinum blond hair wearing heavy clerical armor.

The pair looked at the identical elves and were stunned.

"Dafuq?", asked Agni and Sasha in confusion.


"Ok...ok...Let me get this straight. You are some insanely powerful version of Syr that has come from some rosy future timeline.", asked Agni.

"Well, you got the insanely powerful part right, but I wouldn't say the future is rosy . The future is plagued by wars, demonic foes, and currently a gigantic host of Frost giants.", sighed Surry.

"Ragnarok?", asked Sasha. Both Syr and Surry were always jealous of the cleric's clean natural good looks and her sickening popularity with the troops , but both found it hard to hate the kind and demure cleric. The fact she had saved their lives on many occasions made her a person they could call a friend .

Surry considered her comment and wondered if it was the wisdom she was possibly seeking. As she considered her suggestion she finally shook her head, "I doubt its Ragnarok, no Norse gods and no fire giants, but I thank you for the input, and I will definitely look out for them."

"So besides drinking the rest of my wine, why are you here again?", asked Syr as she poured another round .

Surry shrugged, "Since I've become Treekeeper , I have experienced these flashbacks. I'm transported into my past, where I suppose I'm suppose to find an answer to some current dilemma. Most of the time the journey proves fruitless, but I did find where I put some old keys I lost once. "

"From the scout reports, I heard we will face the brunt of Baron Og's ogres tonight. Maybe you will find an old tactic you've forgotten. ", asked Agni.

"Or remember a tactic to avoid. ", noted Sasha.

Surry sighed, "Don't worry...we win this one, but the price is high. However I don't think I'm here to observe tactics. I remember clearly what we did tonight. Besides ogres fight very differently then Frost Giants. Ogres are predictable and fight using brute force only, Giants are even more powerful but they employ subtle diverse tactics and often employ unexpected feints."

Sasha nodded in agreement. " She speaks the truth about our foe. I am curious why you are telling us this. Isn't there some rule against letting the past know about the future, won't that change things.", pressed the cleric.

Surry sighed again, "Well to tell you the truth, I'm not 100% sure if I am actually in my past or if I'm experiencing some elaborate Treekeeper dream. You know me, I like to experiment. In one of my past excursions , I tried to directly change the past to see if it would affect the future. After failing to gleam any wisdom , I partook in one of my drinking binges. In a drunken moment of clarity , I had matching tattoos placed on Agni and my own buttocks.", commented a grinning half elf at her suddenly uncomfortable brother.

"I have no doubts she is the future me now. ", chuckled Syr.

Surry smiled and continued, "Sadly when I returned to my time, there was no trace of the brand, nor did anyone remember me visiting them. That lead me to believe I might just be dreaming this whole affair. Therefore if it is a dream I can affect whatever I want in it with no repercussions to the future. "

Syr shook her head, "Look , future me, I can assure you that I'm not a pigment of your imagination. Perhaps our perceptions of reality are different, but even if I strip away all my sensations and senses, the truth remains that I still have cognitive functions. I cognate therefore I am. Now, from your point of view , I may just be an elaborate phantasm in your mind, but every fiber of my being tells me that I am real and not an illusion conjured from your mind."

Surry nodded, "Oh , I've considered that. Since you are in effect me, of course you are the part of my mind that is most active. I've noticed that in my visions that whenever I encounter a past version of myself, that she is the most active and real to me. It could be because since you are me you are the strongest and easiest to conjure up in my mind, or it could be I am naturally chatty .", shrugged the thin half elf.

Agni and Sasha seemed overwhelm by the pair debating and silently sat back and continued drinking their wine.

Syr snorted at her future self's logic. "That is indeed a possibility. Have you ever considered that you might be in an alternate dimension?"

Surry nodded, "Yes I thought of that too. That's why I don't over indulge myself. I don't want to wreck or cause mayhem to some helpless world , just cuz I'm bored. Not only am I an Archmage, but I'm specifically a master Evoker. That means I like to blow stuff up. I don't get too many chances to cut loose in my world, and I won't take the chance of destroying crap just on the off chance its someone else's reality. I figure there is a 70% chance that this is a dream, a 20% chance that I'm in an alternate timeline or parallel world, and about a 10% chance this is actually the past, and some special tree magic is fixing whatever I'm changing. Whatever the reason I see no reason to obscure the future from you , because it would either make no difference, or something makes you forget it anyways. Also I might add, that I normally return to my own time in my own bed. That just screams dream sequence to me. "

Syr smiled, "Well , regardless if you consider us real or not, thank you for the information you have revealed to us. I can piece together from what you've told me that Agni, Sasha and myself all survived this. That makes my heart lighter."

Surry shook her head, "You survived and the refugees were rescued , but the price was high. . You two become cough vagabond mercenaries for the next twenty years. Sasha gets knocked up then locks herself up in her own church to atone for some perceived failure in faith."

The tent grew silent at the grim revelation. They half expected a joyous celebration but the bleak future Surry described grew heavy in their hearts.

"What..what about Arl...", asked Syr.

"Arl abandons his post to come to my aid. He fought bravely by my side, but in the end he falls during the battle. I lost track of him during the fight...I couldn't save him ..or even find a body to bury. One of the many good men we will lose tonight.", Surry said with a deep sadness in her voice. She left out the part that Sasha left her post as well. Even though it didn't matter in the end, she did not want to shame her friend anymore then she already had.

"Why...why did he leave the fort? He's all about honor and duty..", stammered Syr.

Surry closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "He found something more important I guess. He sacrificed himself so you can grow old , powerful , bitter...and lonely.", replied the archmage . Thoughts of her first true love , however fleeting, still hurt even thirty years later.

"I normally wake up in my bed about now, I'm not sure how long I'll still be here. I wish you the best of luck, I'm not sure if I'm dreaming or not, but this is an event that will shape all three of your lives. I'm going to get some air before I return home. ", said a dejected Surry. The half elf normally had no regrets on what she did or said in her random travels to the past since they always had no effect on the present, but she felt a pang of regret at the words she had spoken in that tent.

The remaining three sat silently in the tent . As the group emptied the last bottle, a war horn blew in the distance. The group had not noticed that they sat and talked for most of the day , and found the battle would soon be upon them.

"Ready yourself for battle! Baron Og has sent his ogres directly at the refugees !", cried Sir Arl as he raced into the camp. As predicted the young knight had abandoned his post at the keep.

Syr, Agni and Sasha were already geared for the upcoming battle, as their young knight friend joined them. A seemingly endless horde of ogre warriors poured out of the mountains towards them.

"We're all here...it might look grim, but together we will overcome this. Syr, Agni, Sasha, Syr...wait ...there's two Syrs?", asked a puzzled Arl.

Surry walked up and grasped the shocked young knight and kissed him deeply. To Syr's surprise , she didn't find herself angry at her double's action. It was herself kissing Arl afterall.

"Hmm...just as I remembered. A warm earthy taste served with a side manly dry cracked lips. ", said the archamage sultry, "Anyways, I haven't returned yet. In the back of my mind, I believe that nothing I do in this dream or alternate parallel world will affect me back home, but I have at least a few minutes to kill before I wake up . I told you guys I was an Archmage evoker right? Let me show you guys how we do things back home. "


Surry awoke in her cold empty bed. The dream was so vivid. She could almost taste Arl's comforting lips on her own. The cold didn't affect her but she shivered in the dark. The half elf grasped her blanket and curled up into a ball. Though she was surrounded by her fellow clansmen, she still missed her family and her friends . She didn't have time to be mired in her loneliness though, the final stage of the council would be held soon, and the giants must be dealt with. Her personal shortcomings would have to wait.


Syr could not believe the total devastation and power her future self unleashed before she disappeared. The ogre armies were annihilated by fire and lightning , with hardly a single casualty inflicted on their own side. The most fearsome sight was a glowing black blade that hovered and seemed to disintegrate any which challenged her future self. Surry called the spell Mother's sword, but Syr thought of it more as a terrible black blade of destruction.

The half elf could not believe any version of herself was capable of wielding such power.

As she gawked in awe at the display of destruction , a war horn sounded from the fort. Syr looked and saw that , impressive as the ogre attack was, it was just a diversion or possibly a pinning force . The main hobgoblin attack was headed for the keep. They did not appear to be prepared to siege it , but instead it looked like they would attempt to overwhelm a wall swiftly with their sheer weight in numbers.

"We have to rally and take this opportunity to smash the enemy . They expect us to be crushed by the ogres by now, our foes don't realize they have a fresh company of mercenaries at their flanks. We can catch them between hammer and anvil ." , shouted Arl as his keen tactical mind accessed the situation.

The troops were bolstered by the swift death visited to their enemy. Nothing seemed impossible as they rallied around the young knight.

"I don't know what happened earlier, but we have an opportunity to catch King Huk off guard and crush his forces.", smiled Arl as he helped the ranger mage onto his horse.

Syr hugged the young knight tightly and kissed him deeply. A kiss that mirrored her future or possibly alternate self's kiss earlier.

"I don't know what happened either, but I have a feeling that whether victory or defeat is before us, the future is officially wide open now.", whispered the half elf to her handsome knight.