"What.Zera, what is it?" Maizah rushes over to her friend.
"Can't you hear it?" Zera groans. "It's so sad. I can't bear it. Can't
you.can't you hear it?" Zera slowly uncovers her ears and stands up.
"Okay.okay.it's getting better.I can stand it now."
"What is it? I can't hear anything."
"The song.It sounds like a voice.except it's not a voice.it's something
else.it's so. haunting.you really can't hear it?"
Maizah looks at Zera strangely. "Noooo.maybe it's a toxin from that
creature's scratches. I heard it has a poison in its claws. It probably
got to your head."
"Maybe.never mind.wait.what's that over there?" Zera points to a tower in
the distance.
"Ahhh.that's the temple of Khayyid."
"It's beautiful."
The tower reaches for the sky. It seems almost fluid, the black marble
shimmers in the moonlight. At the spire is the large, intricate carving of
a cloaked figure. It holds a staff in one hand. The other hand is
stretched out to the sky and holds what looks like a ball of green light in
the other. The combination of the statue and the eerie music in the
background is too much for Zera. She feels tears slip down her cheeks, but
manages to hide it from Maizah.
"Well, I'll take first watch.we have a long day tomorrow."
Maizah looks over quizzically. "Are ya okay? Ya don't look so good. I'll
take first watch tonight."
"No, really, I'm fine.just a little dazed by it all." She smiles. "You
really treat me like a little kid."
"Well, how old are ya then?"
"Guess."
"Fifteen?" Zera stamps her foot. "Come on, be serious." "Would ya kill me if I told ya that I was being serious.OUCH! I was kidding! Let's see. I really don't know." "Almost seventeen." "Really! Now guess mine." "Fifty." Zera ducks Maizah's staff. "Haha, no really.I would say.nineteen?" "Hah.twenty one.five years older than ya!" Zera scrutinizes her companion. "For a drunk, you've kept yourself pretty well. Consider me officially impressed." "Don't get smart.tomorrow we go through the dark forest. Sharpen your blade tonight. During my watch, I'm going to see if I can remember any useful spells.Oh! Here I almost forgot." She slides a large amulet around Zera's neck. "This is a replica of an amulet of Khayyid. On my watch, I made these fakes. They won't let us pass unscathed through the forest like the real ones will, but other than that they'll do." "Okay.I'll wake you up on your watch." Maizah nods and goes to sleep. Meanwhile, Zera thinks about the song coming from the forest. The melody is so familiar, but she cannot place where she has heard it. It does not hurt her as much as it did when she first heard it; In fact, it now has a soothing effect on her nerves. She smiles to herself and puts her chin in her hands. "Well, I've made it this far.Oh, Art if you can hear me, I miss you so much, and I hope you understand.what I did.if only I knew that you could hear me." she thinks. She sighs and looks into the forest. The next morning while Zera is eating breakfast, Maizah rushes forward excitedly "Zera." she giggles. "look." "What.I'm eating." "I remembered some spells. Okay, here's the first one." Maizah moves her staff around and mumbles some words. Suddenly small black darts fly out of the staff, one which sticks into Zera's arm. "OOOWW!! You idiot!" Maizah falls over laughing. "I'm sorry.it's really not that funny.it's just the look on your face." Zera rolls her eyes. "You really are a pashkudniak, aren't you?" "Pashkudniak?"
"It's Drauvan for shithead, appropriate don't you think?" Maizah spins her staff around again and a soapy liquid shoots out and into Zera's mouth. "Mmmumph." Zera spits out the liquid. "Now look, you've ruined my breakfast!" Maizah giggles. "My mom.she used to do that when I was bad.or when I said naughty words.now that's appropriate, don't ya think?" Zera shakes her head and smiles. "Come on.we have a forest to cross and a stone to steal." ~~~ For Zera, the forest is a paradox within itself. It is the only place in the world where she has seen pure beauty and terrible evil within one place. She wishes that the mission was not so urgent, as she would have liked to take her time exploring its many secrets. They travelers make it through uneventfully, which surprises them both. "Well," says Maizah. "I guess I overreacted.it isn't so bad. Ya know, I ." Her words are cut short by a rustle in the bushes. Before either woman can react, they are engulfed by a stream of hot, sticky webbing. Zera tries to wriggle free, but she is caught fast in the sticky material. Maizah also seems to be having little success. A large creature steps from the shadows and hisses at them both. Zera cringes in fear. As a child, she used to play in a swamp near her village. There were always mosquitoes around, but she learned to ignore the annoying pests. This creature looks like a seven or eight foot tall mosquito. Zera isn't quite sure she can swat this one so easily. The creature approaches them and places its feelers on Maizah's face. She squeals and tries to wriggle away, but to no avail. If the situation was not so deadly, Zera is sure she would have laughed. The creature moves over to Zera and proceeds to move its feelers down her body. When the creature reaches the bloody scratches on her stomach, it rears on its back legs and its mandibles open and shut. Gastric acids flow from these mandibles, giving the women the distinct impression that they are on the menu. The creature approaches Maizah first. A patch of acid falls on the edge of her cloak and burns right through. She squeals again in terror and shuts her eyes. Before the monster can do her harm, a familiar scream erupts from a nearby tree. A jet-black blur crashes against the insect and knocks it to the floor. Before the insect can arise, the creature locks its jaws around the head and gives it a quick twist. With a sickening crunch, the insect falls limp to the forest floor. The creature moves toward Zera, and in doing so, into a patch of sunlight. Zera's eyes widen as she recognizes the very same panther that attacked her days before. Maizah still has her eyes shut and is unaware of the fact that she is not to be eaten. "Maizah, open your eyes!" Maizah obliges, hesitatingly. When she recognizes the panther, she starts to squeal again. "See, I told ya.I told ya to kill it! Now we're in more trouble.I told you that." "Maizah, will you shut up! It saved us. It flew out of a tree and killed that.thing. Look! It's licking my hand!" The panther bites through the webbing that ensnares Zera. When she is freed, she cuts Maizah's bonds as well. "Well," says Maizah eying the panther, "I guess it isn't so bad." She frowns at zera. "Don't ya even dare say 'I told ya so'!" She gives the panther a quick pat on the head. "Eeww.a wart! Ya could do something about personal hygiene, ya know!" The panther growls and gives Maizah a look. Zera bends down and looks into its eyes. "Maizah, do men pass through the mountains often?" "Only the acolytes." "Do they kill panthers?" Maizah shakes her head. "Why would they?.WAIT! I think they do. as sacrifices to Khayyid. Yes! I think they catch them alive and kill them as special sacrifices." "Well, well." Zera hugs the panther around its neck. "I think it thought we were acolytes.we were in disguise, how could it know? Are you hungry, big guy? You want some food?" Zera pulls over some dried meat from her bag and offers it to the panther. It growls appreciatively and proceeds to eat. Zera walks over to Maizah. "Look at it. I know what a panther looks like.and they don't look like that. Maybe it's a curse. Could you check it out?" Maizah eyes the panther. "Urrggg.look at those warts. Okay. But only because I owe it one." After it eats, Zera coaxes the animal to lie still for Maizah to look it over. She looks at its eyes and then inspects its fur. "Aah-hah! I know what this is! This is Gorava-Jahi!" "The one your parents." "Yep.the very one.it affects forest animals differently.this is how those acolytes catch them for sacrifices. These animals are too strong to catch and their bond to the forest repels most magic.I'll bet the acolytes poison them and then catch the weakened creatures. Well.good news is I can cure it. Bad news is that I'll have to shave off its fur." At that statement, the panther surges to its feet and gives Maizah a pathetic look. Zera starts to giggle. "I don't think he likes that idea. Is there any other way?" "Nope.he'll have to suck it up." "Hear that big guy? Just be brave okay?" Maizah gives her friend a withering look. "I'm only shaving its fur.eeeewwww.there's so much of it too.wait. the insect acid!" Maizah walks over to the carcass and scoops up some of the gastric acid onto a piece of metal. "I can dilute this.then we can spray it on him and .whoosh! The fur will just fall off." The women collect and dilute a sufficient amount of insect acid. Just as Maizah predicts, it works extraordinarily well as a depilatory. After only a half-hour, a five foot tall, seven and a half foot long panther stands completely hairless before them. Maizah then hits it with a spray of soapy liquid and the poor panther's misery is complete. Maizah is overcome by a fit of giggles and collapses to the ground. "Look at that.a hairless, soapy, panther! Oohhh.I'm never going to forget this." She collapses in another burst of laughter. Zera towels the creature off with some spare cloths. "Look.all the warts are gone! The film on its eyes is gone too! You did a good job Maizah." Maizah props herself up on one elbow. "Mmmm.never doubt the prophet, eh? Well.panther.it looks like ya owe me one.." She starts the giggle again. The panther growls at Maizah, then pointedly walks over to her sleeping bag and falls asleep. Zera cannot help but laugh at the look on her friend's face. "Hey! Get off! Ya stupid panther." ~~~~~~~ The rest of the journey goes uneventfully. The presence of a large panther eases the tension of being attacked. They soon reach the edge of the forest. "Well, here we are," says Maizah. "Before we go in, I have to do a few things." She pulls out a small bag. "Acolytes use black kohl to line under their eyes. Let's see.there we are.wow! You have pretty eyes.such an unusual color.the kohl really makes them stand out!" Zera shakes her head. "Too unusual.almost freakish.I wish they were brown.anyway.let's go." "We can't take the panther with us. He'll be taken for sacrifice immediately." Zera sighs and crouches down to the animal. "Well, big guy.I guess this is it. Stay here and don't attack anybody, okay?" She throws her arms around its neck. "Oh.you feel so funny without any fur.don't worry, it'll grow back. I'll miss you." She gets up and walks toward the gates. "Well...panther.ya did save my life, so I owe ya one.even if ya tried to kill me.Oh, what the heck." Maizah crouches down and hugs the panther. "Take care of yourself, ya hear?" After one final pat, she gets ups and leaves the forest. ~~~~~ The city of Khayar is surrounded by a shimmering wall. The only entrance is a small gate on one side. "Okay, Zera, stand back, and watch a master at work." Maizah steps up to the gate and murmurs strange words while moving her hands over the gate. After a few minutes, they quietly open. "Quick, we're in! Keep your hood up and let's go." The two women hurry inside the city of demons. Towers and temples rise from every corner to the sky. Merchants, clerics and acolytes traverse the narrow streets that crisscross through the city as eerie music of demon worship plays in the background. Shops that sell everything from simple food supplies to torture instruments do business in the background. Zera stands enthralled at the city's sheer magnitude. "Don't stand there with your mouth open.we have a job to do." Maizah hisses. The two women make their way to the tower of Khayyid. Before they get too far, a man's voice behind them calls out, "Ekh dho me fayyid sekhar? Meshi cayaril me dho tera?" "Oh shit." Maizah mumbles. She turns around. "Mera dil. sekha hai. Curoyii meshi dha tera murawi. Curshi. negaru hain." The man nods and beckons for them to follow. Once his back is turned, Zera looks at Maizah. "Did he say something about a sacrifice?" Maizah looks worried underneath her hood. "The tower is empty except for a few high-ranking clerics. There is to be a sacrifice today.all acolytes must attend.I have heard their rituals are horrific...I don't want to see this.but if we don't go, we will be caught." Zera frowns and steps forward. "Thoyaris guruya meshki hai? Durvi toloya hyanu burki meshka. Tempu Khayyid curoyi sepu hai." Zera pulls the fake amulet from under her cloak and holds it up. "Phulan furey hain." The amulet starts to glow emerald green. "Vurit lelay rufura hai. Khayyid folari jetamia hain." The man steps back and bows. "Huya mera namke hai. Khayyid satak nuvari." Zera nods. "Khayyid satak nuvari" The man steps away and leaves. As they head back toward the temple, Maizah turns to Zera. "Ummm.translation?" "I thought you spoke Khayarese" "Not like that! What happened.your amulet.how did ya do that?" "I told him that I was a high-ranking cleric of Khayyid, and you were my apprentice. I made the amulet glow to make him believe me. I don't know how I did it.I had this funny feeling, and.it just happened. I just did it." "Listen, we don't have time to discuss this now, but when we're out of here, we're gonna have a long chat." "I scared you, didn't I." "Sweetheart, I know there's something special about ya. Your eyes, the magic, the song in the forest, the way ya handled the panther.you're not hiding anything? "No! How could you even say that! I mean we've known each other for." She widens her eyes. "ONE WEEK!" Maizah giggles. "No need to be dramatic.anyway, here we are. They stop at the doors of the temple of Khayyid. The doors stand eight feet tall and seven feet wide. Intricate carvings of a forest scene decorate it. Zera runs her fingers over the door and it springs open. She hops back. "Whoa.was it supposed to do that?" Maizah eyes are wide. "No.we're supposed to hold an amulet to it.ya sure ya haven't been here before?" "Yes.I swear it." "Well," Maizak nods to the open door. "Let's go." The temple is very dark, but very warm. Zera can feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead and resists the urge to remove her itchy robes. Despite the lack of light, ivy and flowers grow all over the walls. Magic orbs of light placed sporadically on the walls, illuminate the hallways for passing acolytes. Zera leans toward her friend. "You know, for a fire demon, Khayyid sure has a thing for the forest. This place looks like a jungle." Maizah shakes her head. "A forest is a very powerful place. It can withstand the force of nature such as storms and earthquakes, or the rages of mankind in war. Fire is its only weakness. The jungle is grown here to assert Khayyid's superiority over this natural world. In this way, he projects his dominance." Zera nods in understanding. The craftsmanship put into the temple is exquisite and the indoor forest seems to accentuate it. The walls are filled with detailed carvings. One in particular catches Zera's eye. It depicts a large panther with its head reclining on the knee of a cloaked figure while the figure's wrists rest near the panther's jaw. "Maizah, look at that one! It looks like our panther." Maizah scrutinizes the carving. "This means something. The panther's head is on the figure's knee. It's presenting its neck to the person - a gesture of complete trust. Likewise, the figure rests its wrist near the jaw of the panther - a complementary gesture of trust. Interesting." She waves her hands over the wall. "This is very old.probably done by the Tivonians.I wonder if they had an.alliance of sorts with these panthers.it's a pity these are never studied. We could gain an incredible insight to the truth about the people." Zera nods thoughtfully and continues walking. The hallways are deserted as most acolytes are at the sacrificial gathering. They find a stairwell and proceed to head up the tower. Maizah talks as they climb. "The tower of Khayyid is the most powerful temple in Khayar. When the Tivonians disappeared, most of the buildings in their city had fallen to ruin. As demon-worshipping men arrived, they rebuilt upon many of the original structures. This tower is the only structure not touched by man. It is entirely as it was during the time of the Tivonians. If it is rebuilt upon, much of its original power will be lost.thus, it is left alone." They climb stairs for what seems like hours until they reach the top. At the top, Maizah drags Zera into a hall. "Ya must come this way.ya have to see this." At the end of this hallway is a large set of doors. Maizah pulls Zera over to it. "Open this." Zera runs her hands over the carvings, and just like before, the doors spring open. Zera gasps. What seems like doors are actually a set of giant windows. The tower is the tallest structure for hundreds of miles, and the view is incredible. "The Tivonians believed that there were three plains in the natural world: the water plane, the earth plane and the sky plane. They built this to speak with the spirits of the sky plane." "This is amazing..Maizah, how could a people who appreciated natural beauty so much just kill themselves off? It's strange that we know so much about their beliefs and customs, yet nothing about the people themselves.Maybe if we succeed in our task, we can come back.I would love to see this again." "Yes, but now we have to go.I just wanted ya to see it." Zera turns and hugs her friend. "Before we go, I just wanted to say thank you. I don't think I would ever have come this far without you. " Maizah smiles. "And same to ya too.now let's go get that stone!"
~~~~~ "This is the hallway of ancients. There are three sets of doors to go through until we reach the stone. Each set of doors is protected by a pair of Guardians. A Guardian is a worshipper who gives their soul to the demon world. The clerics strip their mind of fear and pity. The result: vicious killers with no conscience. When a soldier is wounded, it is said that half his pain is from the wound, and the other half comes from fear. Because these Guardians have no fear, they continue to fight, even as they are wounded. But I think we'll be okay.you've fooled the temple itself, so I think ya can fool some bone-headed brutes. Remember, keep your head up, walk straight and tall.you're a high cleric of Khayyid.act like one." Zera nods and continues into the hallway. Just as Maizah foretold, there are two Guardians at the first door. They are big, tall men, armed with large swords and shields. One seems to be wearing a garland of human ears around his neck, while the other appears to have a collection of human scalps tucked into his belt. Both their eyes glow with evil intent. The women swallow hard and continue. Just before they pass into the next hallway, a backhand across the face smashes Zera to the floor. The Guardians pull out their swords and point them at her. "Khayyid belezer nahi hai. Yehe huyit dil mera." [A cleric of Khayyid you are not. Identify yourself, false one.] Zera shakingly pulls out her amulet and makes it glow. "Khayyid belezer pudya hera tulezca?" [If I am not a cleric, why does Khayyid favor me with his light?] Maizah steps forward. "Um.Khayyid pudyam matyamti jufari em foru.belezer hazra pashte!" [If his cleric does not pass, Khayyid will unleash his wrath upon you.the cleric must pass!] The men laugh and swing their swords up at Maizah. "Sim ekh belezer nahi hai, tuyu nahi hai apreyi." Their eyes widen. "Kiphori hai.jemo matyamsi!" [That is no cleric.and you are no apprentice. You are a prophet.all your kind must die!"] As the Guardians were threatening Maizah, Zera had been scrutinizing their bodies for a weak spot. She found two.the eyes are weak, but she is on the ground and cannot strike that high.as for the other. When the guardians pull back their swords to attack Maizah, Zera is ready. She flexes her feet and rams them as hard as she can into their crotches. They drop like flies. Zera flips over onto her feet and pulls out her blade. Maizah retreats into a corner and prepares her spell. Zera has fought before, and instinctively knows how to size up her opponents for a weakness. These men are strong.one blow could severely hurt if not kill her. Additionally, they are heavily armored and resistant to pain. Her only advantage: they are slow. These enemies will have to be cut down piece by piece. As a sword swings at her, she sidesteps the attack. She spins around the first attacker and slices her blade across his Achilles tendon. As he goes down, she turns around, only to be greeted by a punch in the face from the second attacker. She falls to the floor, blinded by her own blood streaming in her eyes. She can hear their heavy footsteps approaching her and tries to move away. She can hear two sword blades rising in the air, two attackers preparing for a fatal swing. Suddenly a soft whooshing noise comes from a corner of the room, followed by two heavy thuds. Zera quickly tears the hem of her shirt, wipes the blood out of her eyes, and gets to her feet. The Guardians are on the floor, trying to pull something out of their eyes. Zera smiles grimly. Maizah has used her dart spell to put out their eyes. Before they have a chance to recover, Zera plunges her pole into the throat of the nearest one. He gurgles for air before falling back, dead. With some difficulty, she pulls the pole out and sets herself for the other guardian.
His eyesight may be gone, but his other senses are just as sharp. He knows where she is by the scent of her blood. He lunges forward and knocks her weapon out of her hands. Zera flips over to the killed Guardian and tries to heft his sword, but it is too heavy. With a grunt of despair, she searches for something else to use on her advancing attacker. Then, she sees the belt. She swiftly undoes the dead man's belt, removes the scalps and turns to meet the last Guardian. He cannot see that she has rearmed herself, and thus is not prepared for the whip like blow across the face. As he recoils, Zera rolls between his legs, retrieves her pole and plunges it into his back. He soon falls to the floor dead. "Well," says Maizah caustically. "Just do that two more times and we're home free. Here, put this on your face.he got ya bad there." Zera takes the offered poultice and holds it to her forehead. "Yeah, it hurts but I'm fine. I wonder why they weren't fooled.I mean, we got in the temple with no problems." Maizah agrees. "I was wondering the same thing. We'd better plan more carefully for the next two. "What do you suggest?" Maizah grins and pulls two packets out of her robes. "Remember the insect that attacked us? Well, I saved some of its venom. Inside the insect's belly region is the area where the venom is produced. During my watch, I slit it open and pulled it out. I used it to hold the venom because nothing else could. I think we have enough here to take out two Guardians, eh? Just walk up, and as they threaten us, we each spray one and run back. " "You actually slit open the insect?.well, consider me officially impressed for the second time.As for the plan.It'll work.it's just so cruel." Maizah sighs. "Think Zera, they don't have any fear. They won't be afraid of the pain. They'll probably keep attacking us until the acid starts eating at their brains. If anyone can 'handle' dying this way, it's them." "Alright.what about these bodies? We have to do something about them.we can't just leave them here.what if someone comes by?" Maizah walks over to one body and struggles to lift it. "Here.give me a hand." The women manage to lift the bodies and prop them upright against the wall next to the door. "Hey..it almost looks like normal..except for the hole in that one's neck.."says Maizah. "Oh...here we go." She ties an amulet around the wound. "Better" Zera agrees. "Okay.well let's go then." They head through the doors into the second hall. Sure enough, another set of Guardians wait. "Remember..get it in the face, near the eyes," whispers Maizah. Zera nods silently and walks to the door. As the Guardians turn to identify her, she empties her acid sack into one's eyes. Before the second one can react, Maizah slides forward and sprays her bag into his face. They run to the back of the room and wait. Both Guardians fall to the floor and try to wipe the stinging fluid from their eyes. Unfortunately, the more they rub their face, the more the acid spreads over their bodies. As the acid eats away more flesh, their struggles grow weaker and weaker. Soon they fall dead to the floor. Maizah and Zera step forward. "Urrggg..it smells horrible." Zera wrinkles her nose. Maizah looks wide-eyed at the mangled faces and gulps. "That could have been us..I'm gonna adopt that panther." "How the heck are we going to cover this up? I mean the faces are gone..urg." "Armor.we can put a helmet over it.that'll cover it up." "Do Guardians wear head armor?" Maizah shrugs. "Who knows? Anyway, it's better than nothing." The two manage to prop the dead men upright and place helmets over their heads. Zera appraises their handiwork. "It's not the best, but it'll work.they still smell bad." "Hold on a sec." Maizah pulls a bottle from her robes. "This'll make it better." She sprays the liquid onto the dead men. Zera grabs the bottle and reads the label. "'Violet Dreams'? Perfume! Are you nuts? How often do you think that these men smell like.'violet dreams', eh?" Maizah frowns and shakes her head. "Better 'violet dreams' than..'acid melted face'! Anyway, these are men. They could smell like this from an encounter with a female companion." Zera grins mischievously. "Are you speaking from experience?" Maizah grins back. "Maybe..it's none of your business anyway." Zera chuckles. "Touché...well, let's go." "Before we go, I have to let ya know..the Guardians at the third door are said to be the easiest of the three.I guess the Khayyid worshipers think intruders won't get through the first two.." "I'll be ready.do you have any quick spells? What if I can't hold them long enough?" "I'll be ready, don't worry." The two women head into the last hallway. Zera steps back. "Where are they? I don't see..."
Out of nowhere, a cloaked figure flies from the corner of the room and slams into Maizah. She falls to the floor and does not get up. Zera pulls out her blade out and spins it in her hands. The cloaked figure turns and laughs. "Nahi belezer, kyura fole hai? Pashto, mundan, byura, mera matate tumari!" [False cleric, why do you come here? Foolish, stupid, one, I will have to kill you.] "Nahi! Mera belezer hai! Khayyid belezer hera tulezca!" [No! I am a cleric! Khayyid favors me with his light!] Zera pulls out her amulet and makes it glow. The Guardian's eyes widen and he approaches to take a closer look. He comes too close. While he scrutinizes the amulet, Zera pulls out her old dagger and plunges it into his chest. His eyes widen in shock and he falls to the floor. But as she turns to check on Maizah, a blow across the face makes her black out. ~~~~~ "Zera..wake up. C'mon, Zera, ya need to get up." Zera opens her eyes. "Wha.what happened? I turned around, then.wham!" "'Wham' is right. Here, look at this," Maizah takes out a small mirror. Zera takes the proffered mirror and sees her large black eye. "It hurts.I'm surprised it was only a black eye." "Ya got a hard head.I could have told ya that." "So what happened?" "As ya know, I was knocked to the floor. I regained consciousness just as ya killed the first one. There was another one waiting in the shadows." Zera nods. "I thought it was too easy." ".anyway, the other one knocked ya on the head, but didn't notice that I was awake. As he lifted his katana to get ya, I stabbed him with that dagger ya gave me..I hid their bodies behind the pillars over there." she motions with her head to the hiding spot. "Still.it seemed too easy.I thought it would be much harder.I have a bad feeling about this.." "Stop worrying! Give yourself some credit! You're pretty good with a blade. Maybe when this is over, I can coax ya into giving me some lessons.." Zera smiles sadly. "I'm not that good.I just learned out of necessity." "Can I ask ya a question?" "Okay." "Who is 'Art'?" Zera's eyes widen. "How..how do you know.." "Ya kept saying his name while ya were out.ya don't need to tell me.." Zera sighs. "After I stopped the monsters in the village, I was put in prison for using 'demon-magic' as they called it. Art, my best friend, tried to rescue me. They caught him, and gave me the choice of having him slowly tortured or me quickly killing him." Her eyes fill with tears. "I think you can guess what I chose..." A strange, closed look comes over Maizah's face. "How many people did the demons kill? "I don't know.a lot..." "..this was not supposed to happen." Maizah mumbles Zera looks up. "What are you talking about? What wasn't supposed to happen?" "..Um.ya should've been a hero.ya saved their lives." She looks sadly at the younger woman. "Ya haven't talked about this with anyone, have ya?" Zera, still in tears, shakes her head. "Come here.." Maizah sits nest to Zera and gives her a hug. "I know what it's like to have a loved one die and be totally helpless about it.have faith.we will succeed." Zera wipes her eyes. "You're right.I haven't talked about this.with anyone.but I should have..it's nice to have someone to talk to....but we have a job to do.I can cry later." "That's the spirit, sweetheart! The sanctum is down this hallway..I'm kinda nervous.I mean, we're about to see the soul stone of a great prophet." "Well then, what are we waiting for?" The two women head through the final set of doors.
"Fifteen?" Zera stamps her foot. "Come on, be serious." "Would ya kill me if I told ya that I was being serious.OUCH! I was kidding! Let's see. I really don't know." "Almost seventeen." "Really! Now guess mine." "Fifty." Zera ducks Maizah's staff. "Haha, no really.I would say.nineteen?" "Hah.twenty one.five years older than ya!" Zera scrutinizes her companion. "For a drunk, you've kept yourself pretty well. Consider me officially impressed." "Don't get smart.tomorrow we go through the dark forest. Sharpen your blade tonight. During my watch, I'm going to see if I can remember any useful spells.Oh! Here I almost forgot." She slides a large amulet around Zera's neck. "This is a replica of an amulet of Khayyid. On my watch, I made these fakes. They won't let us pass unscathed through the forest like the real ones will, but other than that they'll do." "Okay.I'll wake you up on your watch." Maizah nods and goes to sleep. Meanwhile, Zera thinks about the song coming from the forest. The melody is so familiar, but she cannot place where she has heard it. It does not hurt her as much as it did when she first heard it; In fact, it now has a soothing effect on her nerves. She smiles to herself and puts her chin in her hands. "Well, I've made it this far.Oh, Art if you can hear me, I miss you so much, and I hope you understand.what I did.if only I knew that you could hear me." she thinks. She sighs and looks into the forest. The next morning while Zera is eating breakfast, Maizah rushes forward excitedly "Zera." she giggles. "look." "What.I'm eating." "I remembered some spells. Okay, here's the first one." Maizah moves her staff around and mumbles some words. Suddenly small black darts fly out of the staff, one which sticks into Zera's arm. "OOOWW!! You idiot!" Maizah falls over laughing. "I'm sorry.it's really not that funny.it's just the look on your face." Zera rolls her eyes. "You really are a pashkudniak, aren't you?" "Pashkudniak?"
"It's Drauvan for shithead, appropriate don't you think?" Maizah spins her staff around again and a soapy liquid shoots out and into Zera's mouth. "Mmmumph." Zera spits out the liquid. "Now look, you've ruined my breakfast!" Maizah giggles. "My mom.she used to do that when I was bad.or when I said naughty words.now that's appropriate, don't ya think?" Zera shakes her head and smiles. "Come on.we have a forest to cross and a stone to steal." ~~~ For Zera, the forest is a paradox within itself. It is the only place in the world where she has seen pure beauty and terrible evil within one place. She wishes that the mission was not so urgent, as she would have liked to take her time exploring its many secrets. They travelers make it through uneventfully, which surprises them both. "Well," says Maizah. "I guess I overreacted.it isn't so bad. Ya know, I ." Her words are cut short by a rustle in the bushes. Before either woman can react, they are engulfed by a stream of hot, sticky webbing. Zera tries to wriggle free, but she is caught fast in the sticky material. Maizah also seems to be having little success. A large creature steps from the shadows and hisses at them both. Zera cringes in fear. As a child, she used to play in a swamp near her village. There were always mosquitoes around, but she learned to ignore the annoying pests. This creature looks like a seven or eight foot tall mosquito. Zera isn't quite sure she can swat this one so easily. The creature approaches them and places its feelers on Maizah's face. She squeals and tries to wriggle away, but to no avail. If the situation was not so deadly, Zera is sure she would have laughed. The creature moves over to Zera and proceeds to move its feelers down her body. When the creature reaches the bloody scratches on her stomach, it rears on its back legs and its mandibles open and shut. Gastric acids flow from these mandibles, giving the women the distinct impression that they are on the menu. The creature approaches Maizah first. A patch of acid falls on the edge of her cloak and burns right through. She squeals again in terror and shuts her eyes. Before the monster can do her harm, a familiar scream erupts from a nearby tree. A jet-black blur crashes against the insect and knocks it to the floor. Before the insect can arise, the creature locks its jaws around the head and gives it a quick twist. With a sickening crunch, the insect falls limp to the forest floor. The creature moves toward Zera, and in doing so, into a patch of sunlight. Zera's eyes widen as she recognizes the very same panther that attacked her days before. Maizah still has her eyes shut and is unaware of the fact that she is not to be eaten. "Maizah, open your eyes!" Maizah obliges, hesitatingly. When she recognizes the panther, she starts to squeal again. "See, I told ya.I told ya to kill it! Now we're in more trouble.I told you that." "Maizah, will you shut up! It saved us. It flew out of a tree and killed that.thing. Look! It's licking my hand!" The panther bites through the webbing that ensnares Zera. When she is freed, she cuts Maizah's bonds as well. "Well," says Maizah eying the panther, "I guess it isn't so bad." She frowns at zera. "Don't ya even dare say 'I told ya so'!" She gives the panther a quick pat on the head. "Eeww.a wart! Ya could do something about personal hygiene, ya know!" The panther growls and gives Maizah a look. Zera bends down and looks into its eyes. "Maizah, do men pass through the mountains often?" "Only the acolytes." "Do they kill panthers?" Maizah shakes her head. "Why would they?.WAIT! I think they do. as sacrifices to Khayyid. Yes! I think they catch them alive and kill them as special sacrifices." "Well, well." Zera hugs the panther around its neck. "I think it thought we were acolytes.we were in disguise, how could it know? Are you hungry, big guy? You want some food?" Zera pulls over some dried meat from her bag and offers it to the panther. It growls appreciatively and proceeds to eat. Zera walks over to Maizah. "Look at it. I know what a panther looks like.and they don't look like that. Maybe it's a curse. Could you check it out?" Maizah eyes the panther. "Urrggg.look at those warts. Okay. But only because I owe it one." After it eats, Zera coaxes the animal to lie still for Maizah to look it over. She looks at its eyes and then inspects its fur. "Aah-hah! I know what this is! This is Gorava-Jahi!" "The one your parents." "Yep.the very one.it affects forest animals differently.this is how those acolytes catch them for sacrifices. These animals are too strong to catch and their bond to the forest repels most magic.I'll bet the acolytes poison them and then catch the weakened creatures. Well.good news is I can cure it. Bad news is that I'll have to shave off its fur." At that statement, the panther surges to its feet and gives Maizah a pathetic look. Zera starts to giggle. "I don't think he likes that idea. Is there any other way?" "Nope.he'll have to suck it up." "Hear that big guy? Just be brave okay?" Maizah gives her friend a withering look. "I'm only shaving its fur.eeeewwww.there's so much of it too.wait. the insect acid!" Maizah walks over to the carcass and scoops up some of the gastric acid onto a piece of metal. "I can dilute this.then we can spray it on him and .whoosh! The fur will just fall off." The women collect and dilute a sufficient amount of insect acid. Just as Maizah predicts, it works extraordinarily well as a depilatory. After only a half-hour, a five foot tall, seven and a half foot long panther stands completely hairless before them. Maizah then hits it with a spray of soapy liquid and the poor panther's misery is complete. Maizah is overcome by a fit of giggles and collapses to the ground. "Look at that.a hairless, soapy, panther! Oohhh.I'm never going to forget this." She collapses in another burst of laughter. Zera towels the creature off with some spare cloths. "Look.all the warts are gone! The film on its eyes is gone too! You did a good job Maizah." Maizah props herself up on one elbow. "Mmmm.never doubt the prophet, eh? Well.panther.it looks like ya owe me one.." She starts the giggle again. The panther growls at Maizah, then pointedly walks over to her sleeping bag and falls asleep. Zera cannot help but laugh at the look on her friend's face. "Hey! Get off! Ya stupid panther." ~~~~~~~ The rest of the journey goes uneventfully. The presence of a large panther eases the tension of being attacked. They soon reach the edge of the forest. "Well, here we are," says Maizah. "Before we go in, I have to do a few things." She pulls out a small bag. "Acolytes use black kohl to line under their eyes. Let's see.there we are.wow! You have pretty eyes.such an unusual color.the kohl really makes them stand out!" Zera shakes her head. "Too unusual.almost freakish.I wish they were brown.anyway.let's go." "We can't take the panther with us. He'll be taken for sacrifice immediately." Zera sighs and crouches down to the animal. "Well, big guy.I guess this is it. Stay here and don't attack anybody, okay?" She throws her arms around its neck. "Oh.you feel so funny without any fur.don't worry, it'll grow back. I'll miss you." She gets up and walks toward the gates. "Well...panther.ya did save my life, so I owe ya one.even if ya tried to kill me.Oh, what the heck." Maizah crouches down and hugs the panther. "Take care of yourself, ya hear?" After one final pat, she gets ups and leaves the forest. ~~~~~ The city of Khayar is surrounded by a shimmering wall. The only entrance is a small gate on one side. "Okay, Zera, stand back, and watch a master at work." Maizah steps up to the gate and murmurs strange words while moving her hands over the gate. After a few minutes, they quietly open. "Quick, we're in! Keep your hood up and let's go." The two women hurry inside the city of demons. Towers and temples rise from every corner to the sky. Merchants, clerics and acolytes traverse the narrow streets that crisscross through the city as eerie music of demon worship plays in the background. Shops that sell everything from simple food supplies to torture instruments do business in the background. Zera stands enthralled at the city's sheer magnitude. "Don't stand there with your mouth open.we have a job to do." Maizah hisses. The two women make their way to the tower of Khayyid. Before they get too far, a man's voice behind them calls out, "Ekh dho me fayyid sekhar? Meshi cayaril me dho tera?" "Oh shit." Maizah mumbles. She turns around. "Mera dil. sekha hai. Curoyii meshi dha tera murawi. Curshi. negaru hain." The man nods and beckons for them to follow. Once his back is turned, Zera looks at Maizah. "Did he say something about a sacrifice?" Maizah looks worried underneath her hood. "The tower is empty except for a few high-ranking clerics. There is to be a sacrifice today.all acolytes must attend.I have heard their rituals are horrific...I don't want to see this.but if we don't go, we will be caught." Zera frowns and steps forward. "Thoyaris guruya meshki hai? Durvi toloya hyanu burki meshka. Tempu Khayyid curoyi sepu hai." Zera pulls the fake amulet from under her cloak and holds it up. "Phulan furey hain." The amulet starts to glow emerald green. "Vurit lelay rufura hai. Khayyid folari jetamia hain." The man steps back and bows. "Huya mera namke hai. Khayyid satak nuvari." Zera nods. "Khayyid satak nuvari" The man steps away and leaves. As they head back toward the temple, Maizah turns to Zera. "Ummm.translation?" "I thought you spoke Khayarese" "Not like that! What happened.your amulet.how did ya do that?" "I told him that I was a high-ranking cleric of Khayyid, and you were my apprentice. I made the amulet glow to make him believe me. I don't know how I did it.I had this funny feeling, and.it just happened. I just did it." "Listen, we don't have time to discuss this now, but when we're out of here, we're gonna have a long chat." "I scared you, didn't I." "Sweetheart, I know there's something special about ya. Your eyes, the magic, the song in the forest, the way ya handled the panther.you're not hiding anything? "No! How could you even say that! I mean we've known each other for." She widens her eyes. "ONE WEEK!" Maizah giggles. "No need to be dramatic.anyway, here we are. They stop at the doors of the temple of Khayyid. The doors stand eight feet tall and seven feet wide. Intricate carvings of a forest scene decorate it. Zera runs her fingers over the door and it springs open. She hops back. "Whoa.was it supposed to do that?" Maizah eyes are wide. "No.we're supposed to hold an amulet to it.ya sure ya haven't been here before?" "Yes.I swear it." "Well," Maizak nods to the open door. "Let's go." The temple is very dark, but very warm. Zera can feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead and resists the urge to remove her itchy robes. Despite the lack of light, ivy and flowers grow all over the walls. Magic orbs of light placed sporadically on the walls, illuminate the hallways for passing acolytes. Zera leans toward her friend. "You know, for a fire demon, Khayyid sure has a thing for the forest. This place looks like a jungle." Maizah shakes her head. "A forest is a very powerful place. It can withstand the force of nature such as storms and earthquakes, or the rages of mankind in war. Fire is its only weakness. The jungle is grown here to assert Khayyid's superiority over this natural world. In this way, he projects his dominance." Zera nods in understanding. The craftsmanship put into the temple is exquisite and the indoor forest seems to accentuate it. The walls are filled with detailed carvings. One in particular catches Zera's eye. It depicts a large panther with its head reclining on the knee of a cloaked figure while the figure's wrists rest near the panther's jaw. "Maizah, look at that one! It looks like our panther." Maizah scrutinizes the carving. "This means something. The panther's head is on the figure's knee. It's presenting its neck to the person - a gesture of complete trust. Likewise, the figure rests its wrist near the jaw of the panther - a complementary gesture of trust. Interesting." She waves her hands over the wall. "This is very old.probably done by the Tivonians.I wonder if they had an.alliance of sorts with these panthers.it's a pity these are never studied. We could gain an incredible insight to the truth about the people." Zera nods thoughtfully and continues walking. The hallways are deserted as most acolytes are at the sacrificial gathering. They find a stairwell and proceed to head up the tower. Maizah talks as they climb. "The tower of Khayyid is the most powerful temple in Khayar. When the Tivonians disappeared, most of the buildings in their city had fallen to ruin. As demon-worshipping men arrived, they rebuilt upon many of the original structures. This tower is the only structure not touched by man. It is entirely as it was during the time of the Tivonians. If it is rebuilt upon, much of its original power will be lost.thus, it is left alone." They climb stairs for what seems like hours until they reach the top. At the top, Maizah drags Zera into a hall. "Ya must come this way.ya have to see this." At the end of this hallway is a large set of doors. Maizah pulls Zera over to it. "Open this." Zera runs her hands over the carvings, and just like before, the doors spring open. Zera gasps. What seems like doors are actually a set of giant windows. The tower is the tallest structure for hundreds of miles, and the view is incredible. "The Tivonians believed that there were three plains in the natural world: the water plane, the earth plane and the sky plane. They built this to speak with the spirits of the sky plane." "This is amazing..Maizah, how could a people who appreciated natural beauty so much just kill themselves off? It's strange that we know so much about their beliefs and customs, yet nothing about the people themselves.Maybe if we succeed in our task, we can come back.I would love to see this again." "Yes, but now we have to go.I just wanted ya to see it." Zera turns and hugs her friend. "Before we go, I just wanted to say thank you. I don't think I would ever have come this far without you. " Maizah smiles. "And same to ya too.now let's go get that stone!"
~~~~~ "This is the hallway of ancients. There are three sets of doors to go through until we reach the stone. Each set of doors is protected by a pair of Guardians. A Guardian is a worshipper who gives their soul to the demon world. The clerics strip their mind of fear and pity. The result: vicious killers with no conscience. When a soldier is wounded, it is said that half his pain is from the wound, and the other half comes from fear. Because these Guardians have no fear, they continue to fight, even as they are wounded. But I think we'll be okay.you've fooled the temple itself, so I think ya can fool some bone-headed brutes. Remember, keep your head up, walk straight and tall.you're a high cleric of Khayyid.act like one." Zera nods and continues into the hallway. Just as Maizah foretold, there are two Guardians at the first door. They are big, tall men, armed with large swords and shields. One seems to be wearing a garland of human ears around his neck, while the other appears to have a collection of human scalps tucked into his belt. Both their eyes glow with evil intent. The women swallow hard and continue. Just before they pass into the next hallway, a backhand across the face smashes Zera to the floor. The Guardians pull out their swords and point them at her. "Khayyid belezer nahi hai. Yehe huyit dil mera." [A cleric of Khayyid you are not. Identify yourself, false one.] Zera shakingly pulls out her amulet and makes it glow. "Khayyid belezer pudya hera tulezca?" [If I am not a cleric, why does Khayyid favor me with his light?] Maizah steps forward. "Um.Khayyid pudyam matyamti jufari em foru.belezer hazra pashte!" [If his cleric does not pass, Khayyid will unleash his wrath upon you.the cleric must pass!] The men laugh and swing their swords up at Maizah. "Sim ekh belezer nahi hai, tuyu nahi hai apreyi." Their eyes widen. "Kiphori hai.jemo matyamsi!" [That is no cleric.and you are no apprentice. You are a prophet.all your kind must die!"] As the Guardians were threatening Maizah, Zera had been scrutinizing their bodies for a weak spot. She found two.the eyes are weak, but she is on the ground and cannot strike that high.as for the other. When the guardians pull back their swords to attack Maizah, Zera is ready. She flexes her feet and rams them as hard as she can into their crotches. They drop like flies. Zera flips over onto her feet and pulls out her blade. Maizah retreats into a corner and prepares her spell. Zera has fought before, and instinctively knows how to size up her opponents for a weakness. These men are strong.one blow could severely hurt if not kill her. Additionally, they are heavily armored and resistant to pain. Her only advantage: they are slow. These enemies will have to be cut down piece by piece. As a sword swings at her, she sidesteps the attack. She spins around the first attacker and slices her blade across his Achilles tendon. As he goes down, she turns around, only to be greeted by a punch in the face from the second attacker. She falls to the floor, blinded by her own blood streaming in her eyes. She can hear their heavy footsteps approaching her and tries to move away. She can hear two sword blades rising in the air, two attackers preparing for a fatal swing. Suddenly a soft whooshing noise comes from a corner of the room, followed by two heavy thuds. Zera quickly tears the hem of her shirt, wipes the blood out of her eyes, and gets to her feet. The Guardians are on the floor, trying to pull something out of their eyes. Zera smiles grimly. Maizah has used her dart spell to put out their eyes. Before they have a chance to recover, Zera plunges her pole into the throat of the nearest one. He gurgles for air before falling back, dead. With some difficulty, she pulls the pole out and sets herself for the other guardian.
His eyesight may be gone, but his other senses are just as sharp. He knows where she is by the scent of her blood. He lunges forward and knocks her weapon out of her hands. Zera flips over to the killed Guardian and tries to heft his sword, but it is too heavy. With a grunt of despair, she searches for something else to use on her advancing attacker. Then, she sees the belt. She swiftly undoes the dead man's belt, removes the scalps and turns to meet the last Guardian. He cannot see that she has rearmed herself, and thus is not prepared for the whip like blow across the face. As he recoils, Zera rolls between his legs, retrieves her pole and plunges it into his back. He soon falls to the floor dead. "Well," says Maizah caustically. "Just do that two more times and we're home free. Here, put this on your face.he got ya bad there." Zera takes the offered poultice and holds it to her forehead. "Yeah, it hurts but I'm fine. I wonder why they weren't fooled.I mean, we got in the temple with no problems." Maizah agrees. "I was wondering the same thing. We'd better plan more carefully for the next two. "What do you suggest?" Maizah grins and pulls two packets out of her robes. "Remember the insect that attacked us? Well, I saved some of its venom. Inside the insect's belly region is the area where the venom is produced. During my watch, I slit it open and pulled it out. I used it to hold the venom because nothing else could. I think we have enough here to take out two Guardians, eh? Just walk up, and as they threaten us, we each spray one and run back. " "You actually slit open the insect?.well, consider me officially impressed for the second time.As for the plan.It'll work.it's just so cruel." Maizah sighs. "Think Zera, they don't have any fear. They won't be afraid of the pain. They'll probably keep attacking us until the acid starts eating at their brains. If anyone can 'handle' dying this way, it's them." "Alright.what about these bodies? We have to do something about them.we can't just leave them here.what if someone comes by?" Maizah walks over to one body and struggles to lift it. "Here.give me a hand." The women manage to lift the bodies and prop them upright against the wall next to the door. "Hey..it almost looks like normal..except for the hole in that one's neck.."says Maizah. "Oh...here we go." She ties an amulet around the wound. "Better" Zera agrees. "Okay.well let's go then." They head through the doors into the second hall. Sure enough, another set of Guardians wait. "Remember..get it in the face, near the eyes," whispers Maizah. Zera nods silently and walks to the door. As the Guardians turn to identify her, she empties her acid sack into one's eyes. Before the second one can react, Maizah slides forward and sprays her bag into his face. They run to the back of the room and wait. Both Guardians fall to the floor and try to wipe the stinging fluid from their eyes. Unfortunately, the more they rub their face, the more the acid spreads over their bodies. As the acid eats away more flesh, their struggles grow weaker and weaker. Soon they fall dead to the floor. Maizah and Zera step forward. "Urrggg..it smells horrible." Zera wrinkles her nose. Maizah looks wide-eyed at the mangled faces and gulps. "That could have been us..I'm gonna adopt that panther." "How the heck are we going to cover this up? I mean the faces are gone..urg." "Armor.we can put a helmet over it.that'll cover it up." "Do Guardians wear head armor?" Maizah shrugs. "Who knows? Anyway, it's better than nothing." The two manage to prop the dead men upright and place helmets over their heads. Zera appraises their handiwork. "It's not the best, but it'll work.they still smell bad." "Hold on a sec." Maizah pulls a bottle from her robes. "This'll make it better." She sprays the liquid onto the dead men. Zera grabs the bottle and reads the label. "'Violet Dreams'? Perfume! Are you nuts? How often do you think that these men smell like.'violet dreams', eh?" Maizah frowns and shakes her head. "Better 'violet dreams' than..'acid melted face'! Anyway, these are men. They could smell like this from an encounter with a female companion." Zera grins mischievously. "Are you speaking from experience?" Maizah grins back. "Maybe..it's none of your business anyway." Zera chuckles. "Touché...well, let's go." "Before we go, I have to let ya know..the Guardians at the third door are said to be the easiest of the three.I guess the Khayyid worshipers think intruders won't get through the first two.." "I'll be ready.do you have any quick spells? What if I can't hold them long enough?" "I'll be ready, don't worry." The two women head into the last hallway. Zera steps back. "Where are they? I don't see..."
Out of nowhere, a cloaked figure flies from the corner of the room and slams into Maizah. She falls to the floor and does not get up. Zera pulls out her blade out and spins it in her hands. The cloaked figure turns and laughs. "Nahi belezer, kyura fole hai? Pashto, mundan, byura, mera matate tumari!" [False cleric, why do you come here? Foolish, stupid, one, I will have to kill you.] "Nahi! Mera belezer hai! Khayyid belezer hera tulezca!" [No! I am a cleric! Khayyid favors me with his light!] Zera pulls out her amulet and makes it glow. The Guardian's eyes widen and he approaches to take a closer look. He comes too close. While he scrutinizes the amulet, Zera pulls out her old dagger and plunges it into his chest. His eyes widen in shock and he falls to the floor. But as she turns to check on Maizah, a blow across the face makes her black out. ~~~~~ "Zera..wake up. C'mon, Zera, ya need to get up." Zera opens her eyes. "Wha.what happened? I turned around, then.wham!" "'Wham' is right. Here, look at this," Maizah takes out a small mirror. Zera takes the proffered mirror and sees her large black eye. "It hurts.I'm surprised it was only a black eye." "Ya got a hard head.I could have told ya that." "So what happened?" "As ya know, I was knocked to the floor. I regained consciousness just as ya killed the first one. There was another one waiting in the shadows." Zera nods. "I thought it was too easy." ".anyway, the other one knocked ya on the head, but didn't notice that I was awake. As he lifted his katana to get ya, I stabbed him with that dagger ya gave me..I hid their bodies behind the pillars over there." she motions with her head to the hiding spot. "Still.it seemed too easy.I thought it would be much harder.I have a bad feeling about this.." "Stop worrying! Give yourself some credit! You're pretty good with a blade. Maybe when this is over, I can coax ya into giving me some lessons.." Zera smiles sadly. "I'm not that good.I just learned out of necessity." "Can I ask ya a question?" "Okay." "Who is 'Art'?" Zera's eyes widen. "How..how do you know.." "Ya kept saying his name while ya were out.ya don't need to tell me.." Zera sighs. "After I stopped the monsters in the village, I was put in prison for using 'demon-magic' as they called it. Art, my best friend, tried to rescue me. They caught him, and gave me the choice of having him slowly tortured or me quickly killing him." Her eyes fill with tears. "I think you can guess what I chose..." A strange, closed look comes over Maizah's face. "How many people did the demons kill? "I don't know.a lot..." "..this was not supposed to happen." Maizah mumbles Zera looks up. "What are you talking about? What wasn't supposed to happen?" "..Um.ya should've been a hero.ya saved their lives." She looks sadly at the younger woman. "Ya haven't talked about this with anyone, have ya?" Zera, still in tears, shakes her head. "Come here.." Maizah sits nest to Zera and gives her a hug. "I know what it's like to have a loved one die and be totally helpless about it.have faith.we will succeed." Zera wipes her eyes. "You're right.I haven't talked about this.with anyone.but I should have..it's nice to have someone to talk to....but we have a job to do.I can cry later." "That's the spirit, sweetheart! The sanctum is down this hallway..I'm kinda nervous.I mean, we're about to see the soul stone of a great prophet." "Well then, what are we waiting for?" The two women head through the final set of doors.