Maizah takes out her ale and downs it in one giant swig. She winces
in pain and heads over to the small bed in the corner. Zera notices tears
forming in the corners of her eyes as she sits down.
"Do you need anything? Water? A blanket?" She asks.
"No.not right now.the ale.when I'm drunk.I can't go into a
trance.but.I didn't drink fast enough," Maizah wheezes in pain. "If ya
could.when this is over. ...give me a wet cloth.for my face.it helps.until
then.just stay back. ."
Suddenly Maizah's body becomes poker straight and she screams. Her
face is ashen and sweat drips down her forehead. She cries out in pain
again and her body goes into convulsions. Zera wants to do something, but
is helpless. Maizah is still groaning and breathing in short gasps. Her
cries sound so painful that Zera wants to shut her ears and run out of the
room. The torment goes on for several hours, and Zera can only wait.
Then Maizah sits up. Her breathing is still shallow, but she opens her
mouth, "The dark night has come once again.those that were two.are now one
and one. The third wants.. to control.blood and suffering are its
cause.the green one has suffered.unknowing of her path, she
seeks.retribution against .that dark, but will be.consumed by it.only when
one and one.once again are two.can there.be any chance.."
Maizah's body starts convulsing again, and she gives once last cry before
falling onto the bed, limp. Zera, breathing hard, finds a cloth, wets it,
and sits on one corner of the bed. She tends to Maizah all night.
********
Zera wakes up with a start. She had fallen asleep in her chair. Maizah is
awake, but her face is still ashen. She looks at Zera and manages a smile.
"Well.how're ya doing?" "I guess I should be asking you the same question.is it always like that?" Maizah laughs, "I only wish it were, sweetheart. That was fast.it can take days, sometimes weeks.there was a prophet a long time ago who took years.." "Years!" "Years.it was thousands of years ago.they put him in his own chamber and saw to his needs.for two damn years.I guess I'm lucky in that sense." "Well.it was pretty scary.you said that." "NO! Don't tell me..I don't want to know..I never like to know my prophecies" "Oh..Can I ask you a question?.you don't need to answer it." "Sure." "What do you feel.. Why does it hurt you so?" Maizah shakes her head. "I don't know too much. I know that there is a life force in everything.sometimes, this force.it comes together, it surges.because when things are going to happen, whether it be to a single child or a whole kingdom.there is a surge in the life force.prophets are..gifted.if ya can call it a gift.we can link to these surges. They enter our awareness and connect to our being.that's the pain.the whole connection process. That's why when I'm drunk, it can't connect, so I don't go into a trance. Then this force seeks to use our being to make itself known. That's pretty much it in a nutshell.I'm pretty sure that's what happens.it's been a while." ".since you've given a prophecy?" Maizah chuckles. "No, since I've been sober." "So.. what do you do now?" "That depends on you." "Me!" "You're out for revenge and so am I. It's a lonely road for a single village girl to make her way in this type of world. I can help you.if you want it, of course." Zera grins. "Of course you're welcome. We'll pack up and head down.I'll even try out that weapon you were talking about.and you'll need something too.I have some spare clothes and an extra dagger for now if you want." They pack their belongings in half an hour. Maizah has recovered from her trance and is eager to be back on her feet. Zera pulls up her hood, Maizah pulls on the spare clothes and they leave the inn.
***********************************************************************8 "Well? What is it?" Maizah hops from foot to foot excitedly. "I found a contact.he's a lieutenant in the dark forces. I guess they plan to siege the southeast city of Khayar. The walls are protected by a life force shield. Have you heard the legend of the two brothers?" "The ones who tried to destroy evil?"
"Yep, that's it.when they set out on their quest, the prophets warned them not to continue. When they became twisted, the first thing they did was to have all the prophets executed in retribution. According to a legend, one of the prophets.I think his name was Adeben.well, he was in love with a woman from Khayar. He knew that the brothers were too powerful and would find him, no matter how well he hid. So, he pulled all his life force from his body and merged it with an emerald. The woman he loved placed the crystal into a temple and it powered the city walls, protecting it from the invasion of the brothers. In this way he protected the woman he loved and her city from attack, even now. The crystal must be removed from the temple for the city to be penetrable. That's where we come in." "Wait a minute.what happened to the prophet.Adeben?" "Errr.well he would have died.pulling the life force from a body is very painful and difficult. That's why it is a legend. It is almost next to impossible to pull the life force from your own body." Zera frowns. "Well.if the city has the stone, how can it be a legend?" "Because there is another, more probable story. One of the brothers had a lover from Khayar. She hated the prophet Adeben for some reason I don't know. As a gift, he pulled out Adeben's life force and presented it to her. The city of Khayar was and is an evil place. A long time ago it belonged to a race of creatures that were not human.but I don't know too much about that. But all the dark magic structures are still there, and they were not built by humans, I can tell ya that. The woman placed the stone in the tower where the fire demon, Khayyid, is worshipped. The evil of the structure and the pure force of the crystal make an impenetrable shield." "And we're supposed to walk in there and get it?" "Can you speak Khayarese?" "Only a little."
"Okay.well, I have some robes. The crystal is tended to by acolytes of the demon Khayyid. These robes I have are the ones worn by the acolytes." "How the hell did you get two of those? Maizah blushes. "Errmmm.well a certain pair of acolytes of Khayyid sometimes come to Veldrin to buy potion ingredients.I uh.well.one of them.err.I was hired to.entertain them.if ya catch my drift.." Zera rolls her eyes. "I 'caught your drift'. So.we wear these robes.then what...? "The gate can open for a few seconds when an acolyte needs to pass through. We don't have the special amulet key they have.but we have me. There aren't supposed to be any prophets left. But here I am. A prophet can crack the spell for a few seconds, which is enough time for us to sneak in. Keep you dagger in your sleeve. Khayar is a dangerous place, so stick by me and keep your mouth shut. We need to enter the temple, grab the stone and head out. The army will attack as soon as the protective wall comes down." "One more question.this is the temple of a fire demon.what was its name.Khayyid? Well, won't it just come and flash-fry us if we take the stone?" "Nope..a demon lives in another world. It can only be called into our world by a Summoner. A Summoner is a prophet who has gone through intense training. Since all the prophets are dead, there aren't any Summoners. The acolytes worship the demon, and his world, for that matter, because they wait for the 'renjevari', which translated means, 'night'. They believe that the world of demons, Rakhshana, will come and take over this world. They believe that they, the faithful, will be rewarded for their devotion to this world of evil. I have been to Khayar once, in a prophetic trance. It is a terrible place, so be prepared." Zera sits down. "You know, I really am a simple village girl. All this history and legend, and I didn't know any of it.." "Oh yeah.I meant to ask ya a question.you're from a village.what language did they speak there? This one.Bhungari?" Zera nods. "In that case.how come ya can speak some Khayarese? It's a very rare language." "Ummm.well.it's a long story." "Well.we have two hours until the rendezvous with the lieutenant." Zera sighs. "I haven't talked about it in a long time.but if you really want to know.some monsters attacked my village a long tome ago.they were really tall.black and hairy.long sharp fangs and claws.Ar.a villager tried to attack it, but his pole passed right through.I don't really remember what happened next.I started speaking something funny. some light flashed.. and the monsters went away. After that, I found myself able to speak a little of this strange language.it just.appeared in my head.I didn't know what it was until I came here..." Maizah has a strange look on her face. "The language you spoke during the fight and the language that you learned later.were they different?" "Yeah.I spoke one language to make the monsters go away.and when they went, I found another language in my mind.it was beautiful.but sad sounding..." "Where are your parents from?" "I don't know.I'm an orphan." "You're a strange one, sweetheart. There is more to ya than meets the eye.." Zera sighs. "Frankly, I don't want to know.I just want to do this mission.meet that leader.stick a knife in his gut.and go home." Maizah shakes her head. "I don't know, sweetheart. Somehow I don't think it'll be that easy.but never mind now.that lieutenant is waiting for us.remember.you're a warrior, your father was a mercenary.and I'm a cleric of Bleyyid, another demon of Rakhshana"
~~~~~~~ Two hours later Zera and Maizah are traveling south. They are equipped with new horses, weapons and dressed in acolyte robes. Zera has a huge grin on her face. "Let me see here.this looks like a pole with bladed ends.but if I pull it here." She twists the pole in the center. "It splits into two shorter swords .cool." Maizah laughs. "Don't expect to use that too much. We want to be in and out as quickly as possible. This staff they gave me is pretty neat, though.I like the horses too." "You know any spells?" "Only a few.I never practiced hard enough. I really regret it now." "Can I ask you a question?" "Sure." "Where are you from.I mean.how did you get here?" "I am from the north.the city of Haraji. It is all rubble now, destroyed by the dark army. My parents were prophets. I don't know how they kept hidden, or who their parents were or how they met. They taught me about my ability and some spells that a prophet can use. They taught me how to meditate and focus my skills. I don't remember too much.One day some soldiers appeared at my house. They accused my parents of being prophets, and took us all in to a meeting of elders. My parents swore that they weren't and offered to take the Gorava-Jahi to prove it.The Gorava-Jahi is a special type of poison. It is harmless to prophets but means death to everyone else. If they died, the elders would spare my life. My parents pretended to die of poison. When their bodies were burned.they were alive.they didn't even cry out in pain.they did it so that I might live.and look what I have done with their gift.that is why I must do this.to avenge my people and make my parents proud." "I understand.don't worry Maizah. We will succeed.you will make them proud, I know it." Maizah gives a watery smile. "Thanks, Zera."
******************************************************************** Five days later, the travelers find themselves at the foot of a long, colossal mountain range. "Well, here we are.the Durgam Mountain Range. Khayar is right on the other side.first we need to." "Right on the other side!!! Look at that! Those are huge.it'll take us weeks to cross that!" Zera exclaims. Maizah laughs. "I still forget that ya come from a village.it'll take us a few days to cross this range. Ya should see the mountains near Haraji.I will show ya them sometime, eh? For now, keep that cloak tight and your weapon ready.lota bad creatures hereabouts. Khayar attracts the worst of the worst. I can keep some of them away with my staff.but for the others, I'm depending on ya." "Creatures?" Maizah sighs. "Come on.let's rest here for the right. I'll explain once were settled." The two women tether their horses and unroll the sleeping bags. Maizah pulls out some food as Zera starts a fire. "Well.here we are.ya nervous?" Maizah asks as she settles into her sleeping bag. "Nah.I guess I'm kinda excited.and scared.I've never done anything like this before." Maizah nods. "I know the feeling.now where were we.oh yeah.the creatures. Ummm.let's see...The story says that a long time ago, Khayar was built by creatures other than humans. I don't know what they were, but it was very long ago, eons before the story of the two brothers. These people, the legends call them the Tivonians were said to be very beautiful, in an exotic way. Everything about them was so.their language, their buildings, their magic.Khayarese is a language that is said to have descended from that of these people. Ya described Khayarese to be beautiful and sad at the same time. Imagine what the original language was like. These people worshipped the natural world.trees, lakes, forests, mountains. They built temples to praise these natural wonders. Near Khayar is a forest. It is very large. Khayar itself was surrounded by this forest, but now most of it has been cut down. Once we cross these mountains, we will hit the forest. After the forest comes the city. When the Tivonians lived, the forest was supposedly filled with strange creatures, half-men- half-horses, unicorns. even dragons were said to have come there. But something happened. The people became corrupted; legends say it was a strange disease. They killed their own people and burned their own forests. Temples that once praised natural life were used to revere the demons of Rakhshana. I don't know what happened next. But all the Tivonians disappeared. I think they must have killed themselves out. Soon after, men came to the city and took over the temples of Rakhshana. The once-beautiful city became perverted and evil, although it is still beautiful. The woman, the one who received the stone of Adeben.she was a cleric of Bleyyid, which makes the story of Adeben falling in love with her even less probable. The parts of the forest that still remain are dark and twisted.the creatures that live there now are horrible and dangerous. That is why few can make the journey.that is why we must be careful." "How do you know all this?" "My parents.they said that I must know the story of my world, even if they were just folk-tales and rumors. Even if they aren't true, the stories are interesting.It .it gives me hope in a strange way.as if I could dream of something better than the now, the present...well.back to the real world. Ya can sleep now. I'll take first watch." "Are you sure? I don't mind." Maizah shakes her head. "No, sweetheart, I'm okay. I'll wake ya on your turn." " Alright then." Zera pulls herself into her sleeping bag and falls asleep. A few hours later she is awakened by Maizah's staff prodding her side. "Zera.Zera wake up. Dammit Zera wake UP!" she hisses urgently. "Mmmmm.what.what is it.oh.my turn," Zera gives a loud yawn, which is cut short by Maizah's hand. "Shut up! There is something.in the trees.There usually aren't any beasts on this side of the mountain.my staff didn't ward it away." Zera gets up and clutches for her double-blade. She leaps out of her bag and crouches in readiness. "Where?" Maizah points with her staff. "Over there. I have a bad feeling about this." A loud scream erupts from the bushes and a large creature charges from the shadowy glade. Zera gasps in repulsion. The creature looks like a large panther. It has the same sinewy feline build, and the glowing yellow eyes. But unlike a panther, its long, shaggy black fur is covered with warts and growths. Its fangs are yellowed and its large yellow eyes are covered with a film. The creature screams again and lunges for Maizah. Maizah raises her staff and shoots a bolt of magic, which stuns the creature and pushes it aside. With a yell, Zera leaps forward and thrusts her pole into its side and vaults over to the other side of it. The twisted panther screams, this time in pain, and lunges for Zera again. She quickly side steps the attack and flips to the creature's other side. The animal continues its attack and Zera continues to evade. She cannot risk making an attack while the creature is on its feet. "Uh, Maizah.a little help would be nice.RIGHT ABOUT NOW!!!" Zera looks over and sees Maizah in the midst of a spell. She is oblivious to Zera's predicament. The glance comes at a cost. The creature swipes Zera across the stomach and knocks her to the ground. The creature growls and makes a lunge for the fatal attack. All of a sudden, a powerful flash of light knocks the creature on its side. It growls once, but does not rise. Zera gets up. "Surprise!" Maizah is grinning. Her grin fades when she sees the three bloody swipes across Zera's stomach. "Oh no.you're bleeding!" "Never mind now." She motions her head toward the fallen creature. "What about that?" "I hit it with a stunning spell. Sorry it took so long.I haven't used it in a while. We should be on the move.it only lasts for around five hours." Zera walks over to it. "We can't just leave it here." She crouches next to it and starts to stroke its fur. "Eeeewww! Zera, get away from that.it's nasty! Eee, eew, eew.what are ya DOING? It tried to kill ya!" Zera continues to stroke its fur. "I don't know Maizah.when it was standing over me.for a split second.its eyes.they looked so sad.and look at it.it looks like it was once so beautiful.we can't leave it here.it'll be killed." "And good riddance, I say. Ya have to fumigate your hands now. I can't believe you're actually touching it. Aren't those warts on its fur?" "Oh.don't be such a baby. Here we go." Zera rips off a piece of cloth from her clothes and wraps the panther's injury. "Oh poor baby.here we go.all better.now where can we put you?" Maizah rubs both hands down her face. "I can't believe what you're doing.it's an animal.a dark one for that matter." "What the heck do you have against it?" "Oh you're right.nothing much.it only tried to KILL US!" Zera gets up. "I know! That cave nearby. You said you have a temporary warding spell. We'll put him in the cave and you'll put a spell over it. When it wakes up, we'll be long gone." Maizah rolls her eyes. "Okay, fine. If it makes ya happy, I'll do it, although quite frankly I think I'm wasting a good spell on a vicious killer.oh no.do I have to touch it? Eww, eew, eewww." Zera laughs. "You have such issues. No, I'll put it on the extra sleeping bag and drag it there." Zera drags the panther to the cave, and Maizah places her spell over it. The two women return to the makeshift shelter where Zera's wounds are dressed. Soon, they are back on the trail. ~~~~~ The mountain journey is tough, but both women have suffered worse and make it through relatively easily. They stop for a break on a part of the mountain overlooking the forest. "Look, Zera. That's the forest of Khayar. Isn't it terrible?" Zera heads over and takes her first look at the legendary dark forest. Suddenly, she doubles over and covers her ears.
"Well.how're ya doing?" "I guess I should be asking you the same question.is it always like that?" Maizah laughs, "I only wish it were, sweetheart. That was fast.it can take days, sometimes weeks.there was a prophet a long time ago who took years.." "Years!" "Years.it was thousands of years ago.they put him in his own chamber and saw to his needs.for two damn years.I guess I'm lucky in that sense." "Well.it was pretty scary.you said that." "NO! Don't tell me..I don't want to know..I never like to know my prophecies" "Oh..Can I ask you a question?.you don't need to answer it." "Sure." "What do you feel.. Why does it hurt you so?" Maizah shakes her head. "I don't know too much. I know that there is a life force in everything.sometimes, this force.it comes together, it surges.because when things are going to happen, whether it be to a single child or a whole kingdom.there is a surge in the life force.prophets are..gifted.if ya can call it a gift.we can link to these surges. They enter our awareness and connect to our being.that's the pain.the whole connection process. That's why when I'm drunk, it can't connect, so I don't go into a trance. Then this force seeks to use our being to make itself known. That's pretty much it in a nutshell.I'm pretty sure that's what happens.it's been a while." ".since you've given a prophecy?" Maizah chuckles. "No, since I've been sober." "So.. what do you do now?" "That depends on you." "Me!" "You're out for revenge and so am I. It's a lonely road for a single village girl to make her way in this type of world. I can help you.if you want it, of course." Zera grins. "Of course you're welcome. We'll pack up and head down.I'll even try out that weapon you were talking about.and you'll need something too.I have some spare clothes and an extra dagger for now if you want." They pack their belongings in half an hour. Maizah has recovered from her trance and is eager to be back on her feet. Zera pulls up her hood, Maizah pulls on the spare clothes and they leave the inn.
***********************************************************************8 "Well? What is it?" Maizah hops from foot to foot excitedly. "I found a contact.he's a lieutenant in the dark forces. I guess they plan to siege the southeast city of Khayar. The walls are protected by a life force shield. Have you heard the legend of the two brothers?" "The ones who tried to destroy evil?"
"Yep, that's it.when they set out on their quest, the prophets warned them not to continue. When they became twisted, the first thing they did was to have all the prophets executed in retribution. According to a legend, one of the prophets.I think his name was Adeben.well, he was in love with a woman from Khayar. He knew that the brothers were too powerful and would find him, no matter how well he hid. So, he pulled all his life force from his body and merged it with an emerald. The woman he loved placed the crystal into a temple and it powered the city walls, protecting it from the invasion of the brothers. In this way he protected the woman he loved and her city from attack, even now. The crystal must be removed from the temple for the city to be penetrable. That's where we come in." "Wait a minute.what happened to the prophet.Adeben?" "Errr.well he would have died.pulling the life force from a body is very painful and difficult. That's why it is a legend. It is almost next to impossible to pull the life force from your own body." Zera frowns. "Well.if the city has the stone, how can it be a legend?" "Because there is another, more probable story. One of the brothers had a lover from Khayar. She hated the prophet Adeben for some reason I don't know. As a gift, he pulled out Adeben's life force and presented it to her. The city of Khayar was and is an evil place. A long time ago it belonged to a race of creatures that were not human.but I don't know too much about that. But all the dark magic structures are still there, and they were not built by humans, I can tell ya that. The woman placed the stone in the tower where the fire demon, Khayyid, is worshipped. The evil of the structure and the pure force of the crystal make an impenetrable shield." "And we're supposed to walk in there and get it?" "Can you speak Khayarese?" "Only a little."
"Okay.well, I have some robes. The crystal is tended to by acolytes of the demon Khayyid. These robes I have are the ones worn by the acolytes." "How the hell did you get two of those? Maizah blushes. "Errmmm.well a certain pair of acolytes of Khayyid sometimes come to Veldrin to buy potion ingredients.I uh.well.one of them.err.I was hired to.entertain them.if ya catch my drift.." Zera rolls her eyes. "I 'caught your drift'. So.we wear these robes.then what...? "The gate can open for a few seconds when an acolyte needs to pass through. We don't have the special amulet key they have.but we have me. There aren't supposed to be any prophets left. But here I am. A prophet can crack the spell for a few seconds, which is enough time for us to sneak in. Keep you dagger in your sleeve. Khayar is a dangerous place, so stick by me and keep your mouth shut. We need to enter the temple, grab the stone and head out. The army will attack as soon as the protective wall comes down." "One more question.this is the temple of a fire demon.what was its name.Khayyid? Well, won't it just come and flash-fry us if we take the stone?" "Nope..a demon lives in another world. It can only be called into our world by a Summoner. A Summoner is a prophet who has gone through intense training. Since all the prophets are dead, there aren't any Summoners. The acolytes worship the demon, and his world, for that matter, because they wait for the 'renjevari', which translated means, 'night'. They believe that the world of demons, Rakhshana, will come and take over this world. They believe that they, the faithful, will be rewarded for their devotion to this world of evil. I have been to Khayar once, in a prophetic trance. It is a terrible place, so be prepared." Zera sits down. "You know, I really am a simple village girl. All this history and legend, and I didn't know any of it.." "Oh yeah.I meant to ask ya a question.you're from a village.what language did they speak there? This one.Bhungari?" Zera nods. "In that case.how come ya can speak some Khayarese? It's a very rare language." "Ummm.well.it's a long story." "Well.we have two hours until the rendezvous with the lieutenant." Zera sighs. "I haven't talked about it in a long time.but if you really want to know.some monsters attacked my village a long tome ago.they were really tall.black and hairy.long sharp fangs and claws.Ar.a villager tried to attack it, but his pole passed right through.I don't really remember what happened next.I started speaking something funny. some light flashed.. and the monsters went away. After that, I found myself able to speak a little of this strange language.it just.appeared in my head.I didn't know what it was until I came here..." Maizah has a strange look on her face. "The language you spoke during the fight and the language that you learned later.were they different?" "Yeah.I spoke one language to make the monsters go away.and when they went, I found another language in my mind.it was beautiful.but sad sounding..." "Where are your parents from?" "I don't know.I'm an orphan." "You're a strange one, sweetheart. There is more to ya than meets the eye.." Zera sighs. "Frankly, I don't want to know.I just want to do this mission.meet that leader.stick a knife in his gut.and go home." Maizah shakes her head. "I don't know, sweetheart. Somehow I don't think it'll be that easy.but never mind now.that lieutenant is waiting for us.remember.you're a warrior, your father was a mercenary.and I'm a cleric of Bleyyid, another demon of Rakhshana"
~~~~~~~ Two hours later Zera and Maizah are traveling south. They are equipped with new horses, weapons and dressed in acolyte robes. Zera has a huge grin on her face. "Let me see here.this looks like a pole with bladed ends.but if I pull it here." She twists the pole in the center. "It splits into two shorter swords .cool." Maizah laughs. "Don't expect to use that too much. We want to be in and out as quickly as possible. This staff they gave me is pretty neat, though.I like the horses too." "You know any spells?" "Only a few.I never practiced hard enough. I really regret it now." "Can I ask you a question?" "Sure." "Where are you from.I mean.how did you get here?" "I am from the north.the city of Haraji. It is all rubble now, destroyed by the dark army. My parents were prophets. I don't know how they kept hidden, or who their parents were or how they met. They taught me about my ability and some spells that a prophet can use. They taught me how to meditate and focus my skills. I don't remember too much.One day some soldiers appeared at my house. They accused my parents of being prophets, and took us all in to a meeting of elders. My parents swore that they weren't and offered to take the Gorava-Jahi to prove it.The Gorava-Jahi is a special type of poison. It is harmless to prophets but means death to everyone else. If they died, the elders would spare my life. My parents pretended to die of poison. When their bodies were burned.they were alive.they didn't even cry out in pain.they did it so that I might live.and look what I have done with their gift.that is why I must do this.to avenge my people and make my parents proud." "I understand.don't worry Maizah. We will succeed.you will make them proud, I know it." Maizah gives a watery smile. "Thanks, Zera."
******************************************************************** Five days later, the travelers find themselves at the foot of a long, colossal mountain range. "Well, here we are.the Durgam Mountain Range. Khayar is right on the other side.first we need to." "Right on the other side!!! Look at that! Those are huge.it'll take us weeks to cross that!" Zera exclaims. Maizah laughs. "I still forget that ya come from a village.it'll take us a few days to cross this range. Ya should see the mountains near Haraji.I will show ya them sometime, eh? For now, keep that cloak tight and your weapon ready.lota bad creatures hereabouts. Khayar attracts the worst of the worst. I can keep some of them away with my staff.but for the others, I'm depending on ya." "Creatures?" Maizah sighs. "Come on.let's rest here for the right. I'll explain once were settled." The two women tether their horses and unroll the sleeping bags. Maizah pulls out some food as Zera starts a fire. "Well.here we are.ya nervous?" Maizah asks as she settles into her sleeping bag. "Nah.I guess I'm kinda excited.and scared.I've never done anything like this before." Maizah nods. "I know the feeling.now where were we.oh yeah.the creatures. Ummm.let's see...The story says that a long time ago, Khayar was built by creatures other than humans. I don't know what they were, but it was very long ago, eons before the story of the two brothers. These people, the legends call them the Tivonians were said to be very beautiful, in an exotic way. Everything about them was so.their language, their buildings, their magic.Khayarese is a language that is said to have descended from that of these people. Ya described Khayarese to be beautiful and sad at the same time. Imagine what the original language was like. These people worshipped the natural world.trees, lakes, forests, mountains. They built temples to praise these natural wonders. Near Khayar is a forest. It is very large. Khayar itself was surrounded by this forest, but now most of it has been cut down. Once we cross these mountains, we will hit the forest. After the forest comes the city. When the Tivonians lived, the forest was supposedly filled with strange creatures, half-men- half-horses, unicorns. even dragons were said to have come there. But something happened. The people became corrupted; legends say it was a strange disease. They killed their own people and burned their own forests. Temples that once praised natural life were used to revere the demons of Rakhshana. I don't know what happened next. But all the Tivonians disappeared. I think they must have killed themselves out. Soon after, men came to the city and took over the temples of Rakhshana. The once-beautiful city became perverted and evil, although it is still beautiful. The woman, the one who received the stone of Adeben.she was a cleric of Bleyyid, which makes the story of Adeben falling in love with her even less probable. The parts of the forest that still remain are dark and twisted.the creatures that live there now are horrible and dangerous. That is why few can make the journey.that is why we must be careful." "How do you know all this?" "My parents.they said that I must know the story of my world, even if they were just folk-tales and rumors. Even if they aren't true, the stories are interesting.It .it gives me hope in a strange way.as if I could dream of something better than the now, the present...well.back to the real world. Ya can sleep now. I'll take first watch." "Are you sure? I don't mind." Maizah shakes her head. "No, sweetheart, I'm okay. I'll wake ya on your turn." " Alright then." Zera pulls herself into her sleeping bag and falls asleep. A few hours later she is awakened by Maizah's staff prodding her side. "Zera.Zera wake up. Dammit Zera wake UP!" she hisses urgently. "Mmmmm.what.what is it.oh.my turn," Zera gives a loud yawn, which is cut short by Maizah's hand. "Shut up! There is something.in the trees.There usually aren't any beasts on this side of the mountain.my staff didn't ward it away." Zera gets up and clutches for her double-blade. She leaps out of her bag and crouches in readiness. "Where?" Maizah points with her staff. "Over there. I have a bad feeling about this." A loud scream erupts from the bushes and a large creature charges from the shadowy glade. Zera gasps in repulsion. The creature looks like a large panther. It has the same sinewy feline build, and the glowing yellow eyes. But unlike a panther, its long, shaggy black fur is covered with warts and growths. Its fangs are yellowed and its large yellow eyes are covered with a film. The creature screams again and lunges for Maizah. Maizah raises her staff and shoots a bolt of magic, which stuns the creature and pushes it aside. With a yell, Zera leaps forward and thrusts her pole into its side and vaults over to the other side of it. The twisted panther screams, this time in pain, and lunges for Zera again. She quickly side steps the attack and flips to the creature's other side. The animal continues its attack and Zera continues to evade. She cannot risk making an attack while the creature is on its feet. "Uh, Maizah.a little help would be nice.RIGHT ABOUT NOW!!!" Zera looks over and sees Maizah in the midst of a spell. She is oblivious to Zera's predicament. The glance comes at a cost. The creature swipes Zera across the stomach and knocks her to the ground. The creature growls and makes a lunge for the fatal attack. All of a sudden, a powerful flash of light knocks the creature on its side. It growls once, but does not rise. Zera gets up. "Surprise!" Maizah is grinning. Her grin fades when she sees the three bloody swipes across Zera's stomach. "Oh no.you're bleeding!" "Never mind now." She motions her head toward the fallen creature. "What about that?" "I hit it with a stunning spell. Sorry it took so long.I haven't used it in a while. We should be on the move.it only lasts for around five hours." Zera walks over to it. "We can't just leave it here." She crouches next to it and starts to stroke its fur. "Eeeewww! Zera, get away from that.it's nasty! Eee, eew, eew.what are ya DOING? It tried to kill ya!" Zera continues to stroke its fur. "I don't know Maizah.when it was standing over me.for a split second.its eyes.they looked so sad.and look at it.it looks like it was once so beautiful.we can't leave it here.it'll be killed." "And good riddance, I say. Ya have to fumigate your hands now. I can't believe you're actually touching it. Aren't those warts on its fur?" "Oh.don't be such a baby. Here we go." Zera rips off a piece of cloth from her clothes and wraps the panther's injury. "Oh poor baby.here we go.all better.now where can we put you?" Maizah rubs both hands down her face. "I can't believe what you're doing.it's an animal.a dark one for that matter." "What the heck do you have against it?" "Oh you're right.nothing much.it only tried to KILL US!" Zera gets up. "I know! That cave nearby. You said you have a temporary warding spell. We'll put him in the cave and you'll put a spell over it. When it wakes up, we'll be long gone." Maizah rolls her eyes. "Okay, fine. If it makes ya happy, I'll do it, although quite frankly I think I'm wasting a good spell on a vicious killer.oh no.do I have to touch it? Eww, eew, eewww." Zera laughs. "You have such issues. No, I'll put it on the extra sleeping bag and drag it there." Zera drags the panther to the cave, and Maizah places her spell over it. The two women return to the makeshift shelter where Zera's wounds are dressed. Soon, they are back on the trail. ~~~~~ The mountain journey is tough, but both women have suffered worse and make it through relatively easily. They stop for a break on a part of the mountain overlooking the forest. "Look, Zera. That's the forest of Khayar. Isn't it terrible?" Zera heads over and takes her first look at the legendary dark forest. Suddenly, she doubles over and covers her ears.