Proceeding into the canyon, Zelgadis looked about himself, he could sense no immediate danger, nor could he sense any other living beings. Looking up at the sky he noticed the first of many strange things, the sky was no longer the color that it usually was when it was midnight. He could see the bright light of the sun peeking over the steep cliffs of the ravine. He shook his head slightly; to him it didn't really matter, day or night.
As he past a boulder he heard a cracking noise, out of instinct, Zel unsheathed his sword and whirled around to confront what ever it was that was following him. On the ground in front of him were a couple of beetles scrambled quickly under a boulder. Zelgadis rolled his eyes and returned his sword to its scabbard, turn and continuing forward. Ahead of him there were several small branches sprouting out from cracks in the stone wall. One of them was branched across the path and Zelgadis, a little annoyed, brushed it out of his way as he passed. He had expected the branch to swing back and hit him, but when it didn't, Zel turned around to see that it hadn't sprung back into place. It was frozen in the same position that Zel had moved it to. This occurrence or lack of expected events caused Zelgadis to be rather confused.
After blinking a few times and rubbing his eyes in disbelief, Zel crept towards the 'magical' rock branch. He reached out his hand, picked off one of the fresh green leaves, and then released it. It didn't surprise him in the least to find that the leaf did not budge from where he had let it go.
"So the rumors are true. " Zel said to himself, backing up a little to observe the leaf. " Nothing here moves but those that are from the outside." He scratched the back of his head a bit and turned around; proceeding down the path.
He hadn't traveled but 20 paces when he saw a faint glimmer among a pile of rubble not far from him. He kneeled down to investigate what it was. Taking his hand he fished thought the tiny pieces of rock until finally he found a small ring. Getting to his feet, Zel brought the ring closer to himself inspecting it carefully. The ring was constructed of gold and was graced with runes of an unknown origin. Holding the ring in the palm of his hand Zel frowned, "Lliganid," he sighed, " Lina would know what it said . . . ." Lliganid was a form of rune structure understood by few people, Zel knew for a fact that Lina was one of them. Unfortunately, Zel knew nothing of the Llingan culture, much less their language. He shrugged and pocketed the item, it was far too small for him to wear.
It was then that Zel sensed a presence, a distant one, someone or something was watching him. Slowly he turned scanning the area for anything that looked out of place or different. After a few moments the feeling went away and he began walking again, his hand not straying far from his sword handle. He was beginning to realize just how rare noise was in this place, he also noticed that he hadn't heard a single bird chirp. His eyes wandered from one rock formation to the next admiring them, yet at the same time his mind never wandered from the fact that his life may be forfeited at any moment.
The sky was a little darker now, Zel noted that it was beginning to smell like rain. He now came into an area where he walls of the canyon were farther apart and in the center of this 'opening' was what resembled a stone well. He eyed an interesting rock formation that was jutting out of the wall nearest to him, " It looks a little like a wolf.", he said, stopping to observe it further. He saw that it's stone frozen eyes and the shape of it's head closely resembled that of a wolf. It's jaws were wide-open ready to snap at what ever had frozen it. Zel reached out touching the wolf on the nose. His fingers tingled and he jerked his hand back, a little afraid that his hand was about to be frozen just like the wolf. He backed away from the wolf quickly, almost falling into the well, but he regained his balance. He decided to rest a while and sat down, cupping his cheek in his hand. From time to time he would glance at the wolf, it would remain still, it's eyes glaring back at him.
Finally Zel stood up and walked over to the wolf and knelt down by him. The wolf looked so real. He thought back to some of the spell books he had rifled though, just looking for a cure. He had read about a petrifying spell, he just couldn't remember how to cast it. Thoughtlessly he placed his hand on the wolf's back. He was too busy to notice the bits of rock, which had begun to crumble off the wolf . . .
As he past a boulder he heard a cracking noise, out of instinct, Zel unsheathed his sword and whirled around to confront what ever it was that was following him. On the ground in front of him were a couple of beetles scrambled quickly under a boulder. Zelgadis rolled his eyes and returned his sword to its scabbard, turn and continuing forward. Ahead of him there were several small branches sprouting out from cracks in the stone wall. One of them was branched across the path and Zelgadis, a little annoyed, brushed it out of his way as he passed. He had expected the branch to swing back and hit him, but when it didn't, Zel turned around to see that it hadn't sprung back into place. It was frozen in the same position that Zel had moved it to. This occurrence or lack of expected events caused Zelgadis to be rather confused.
After blinking a few times and rubbing his eyes in disbelief, Zel crept towards the 'magical' rock branch. He reached out his hand, picked off one of the fresh green leaves, and then released it. It didn't surprise him in the least to find that the leaf did not budge from where he had let it go.
"So the rumors are true. " Zel said to himself, backing up a little to observe the leaf. " Nothing here moves but those that are from the outside." He scratched the back of his head a bit and turned around; proceeding down the path.
He hadn't traveled but 20 paces when he saw a faint glimmer among a pile of rubble not far from him. He kneeled down to investigate what it was. Taking his hand he fished thought the tiny pieces of rock until finally he found a small ring. Getting to his feet, Zel brought the ring closer to himself inspecting it carefully. The ring was constructed of gold and was graced with runes of an unknown origin. Holding the ring in the palm of his hand Zel frowned, "Lliganid," he sighed, " Lina would know what it said . . . ." Lliganid was a form of rune structure understood by few people, Zel knew for a fact that Lina was one of them. Unfortunately, Zel knew nothing of the Llingan culture, much less their language. He shrugged and pocketed the item, it was far too small for him to wear.
It was then that Zel sensed a presence, a distant one, someone or something was watching him. Slowly he turned scanning the area for anything that looked out of place or different. After a few moments the feeling went away and he began walking again, his hand not straying far from his sword handle. He was beginning to realize just how rare noise was in this place, he also noticed that he hadn't heard a single bird chirp. His eyes wandered from one rock formation to the next admiring them, yet at the same time his mind never wandered from the fact that his life may be forfeited at any moment.
The sky was a little darker now, Zel noted that it was beginning to smell like rain. He now came into an area where he walls of the canyon were farther apart and in the center of this 'opening' was what resembled a stone well. He eyed an interesting rock formation that was jutting out of the wall nearest to him, " It looks a little like a wolf.", he said, stopping to observe it further. He saw that it's stone frozen eyes and the shape of it's head closely resembled that of a wolf. It's jaws were wide-open ready to snap at what ever had frozen it. Zel reached out touching the wolf on the nose. His fingers tingled and he jerked his hand back, a little afraid that his hand was about to be frozen just like the wolf. He backed away from the wolf quickly, almost falling into the well, but he regained his balance. He decided to rest a while and sat down, cupping his cheek in his hand. From time to time he would glance at the wolf, it would remain still, it's eyes glaring back at him.
Finally Zel stood up and walked over to the wolf and knelt down by him. The wolf looked so real. He thought back to some of the spell books he had rifled though, just looking for a cure. He had read about a petrifying spell, he just couldn't remember how to cast it. Thoughtlessly he placed his hand on the wolf's back. He was too busy to notice the bits of rock, which had begun to crumble off the wolf . . .
