Hello again everyone. Thank you for all the nice reviews! Fayard's blushing (he's so cute). Anyway, I'm glad I worked on this, Hourglass was being difficult and threw me an even larger writers' block. So, I pulled this back out and worked on it, and I feel so much better. Not much excitement, but you know what, I kinda like this chapter, and that's more than I can say for anything I've written lately so, Ha! Okay, enjoy.

"We lost much time, trekking all the way out here." the Minotaur grunted as he gazed down the mountain slopes.

"True, but Solace should not be too far now, we should reach it in a few days. Besides, I do not know about you Sorz, but I am in no hurry to reach that place!"

Sorz eyed the Draconian warily. "Then why do you travel with the boy? His quest has no meaning to you."

Parting his reptilian jaws into a dark smile, Phaiva hissed, "Nor to you, yet you follow him the same."

"I swore to protect him."

"And I swore I would never return to that army! Where else would I have gone, till a young human meets me on the road, extends his hand and says, 'hello sir, how are you'? The boy has no fear of me, and for the time being, I will use that."

"Harm one hair on his head and I shall throw you into the Abyss myself."

"I have no intention of harming him. It is not everyday one comes across such a bright young idiot."

Sorz's eyes shifted back toward the horizon. "Best we start, make up for lost time." The large minotaur turned as Thistletoe bobbed by, facing their old camp site.

"Majere! We go now," he called.

Fayard lifted his head from the journal he was writing in. Nodding, he tossed it into his pack and followed after Thistletoe. The young teen paused, looking up at Sorz with troubled eyes as he passed. "Please don't call me that," he said quietly.

"What," Phaiva sneered at him, "you do not wish to be part of the legend?"

Fayard held his gaze with the Draconian steadily, unwavering. "I do not wish to be part of the monster."

"You are an odd human indeed," Phaiva laughed, "You keep company with those your kind have always deemed evil, yet you refer to your own flesh and blood as a monster!" He stopped when he saw Fayard wince, and he stood silent, waiting for the young boy's response. He gave none.

He extended his hand, saying, "Poofer, come," and the plain wooden staff flew to his hand. Facing the horizon, his back to the Draconian, Fayard looked up towards the sky, and laughed. "Come Phaiva my friend," he exclaimed, arms open, "it is a beautiful day and we have much ground to cover! To Solace!"

Phaiva had yet to become accustomed to Fayard's odd mood-swings. He would never understand humans.

It finally struck me how far I had to travel to Wayreth as I walked down the road, scanning a small map I had borrowed from the temple library. It would take me forever just to get out of Solamnia alone! Well, too late now.

Rolling up the old parchment and stuffing it back into my pack, I let my mind wander. Maybe this trip didn't have to be so long? Maybe some knights at the High Clerist Tower would help me? I had a sudden mental image of flying across Ansalon on the back of a bright Copper Dragon, or maybe a friendly Bronze! I laughed at the thought, how silly! Still, what fun that truly would be!

Still laughing, I spun around, my arms outstretched like wings, twirling and running about until I was dizzy.

I traveled along the well-used road to Palanthas, the only road through the mountains. I had pondered the idea of getting passage on a boat and sailing south overseas, but like I had the money. Two steels coins, a few near-useless golds, and three or four coppers. I would certainly have to work my way to the High Tower of Sorcery, no doubt about that.

It was a gorgeous day for traveling (this I judged from the many others I passed). The sun was shining through the tall firs, the blue sky poka-dotted with wispy white clouds. It was warm, but there was a cool breeze that would whip up every now and again, gently tossing my hair about most friendly like, making me feel not so alone. I was feeling refreshed and lively. My hand slid into one of my pockets, feeling the heavy coldness of the obsidian marble against my skin. I began to sing to myself quietly, an old tune I had heard somewhere, making up the words as I went along.

"The road is a good one
If the day is very fine.
The sky blue and the air sweet
Like old Elven wine.
The sun shines upon you
And if I were poetic, Love
Then I would leap and sing
Your glory to the Heavens above!
The road is an open one
When the skies break apart.
Crimson flow from earth
Like the blood of my Heart.
All the obstacles surround you
And if I were brave, Beloved,
Then come to you I would
Through fire and…"

"And…hovered? Coved? Oh……drat." I sighed, having cornered myself again. Shrugging, I continued on my way, humming the rest of the soft melody, out of words and rhymes.

Within a couple of hours, I was too tired to take another step. Collapsing on a flat rock a little off the road, I pulled off my boots and rubbed my sore feet. Unaccustomed to hard travel, I was going to have to build myself up. Still, a small voice said to me from the depths of my mind, what if they come after you? You'll need a head start.

"I have one," I muttered, lying back on the warm stone. Mmm, warm…sleep…

No! Stay awake! Only a short rest and then on your way again…so tired…

Oh well, nobody ever said I had a strong will…

I woke up some time later. Momentarily distraught and confused, I sat up and fell right off my rock. When I remembered why I was out in the woods, I decided I had better eat before I continue.

I didn't have much, and I would have to make it last. It was nearly dark, and I would have to camp soon, so I only had a few nibbles from a loaf of bread and a bit of my dried fruit. My feet still hurt, but I ignored it and continued on my way through the blue of twilight, savoring the last bit of light before the night reached out to grasp me.

When I did stop for the night, I didn't make a fire. To tell the truth, I wasn't all too sure how, with my limited materials, that is. I was awfully sure I had packed some flint, but suddenly, digging through my pack, I was unable to find it. Giving up, I decided I probably didn't want to attract unwanted attention to myself anyway.

Using my pack as a make-shift pillow, I curled up in my travelers' cloak, pulling the hood up to protect my face from insects and any other unwanted elements. When I heard the sounds of the nocturnal forest animals stirring, searching for food, I shivered and curled up even tighter, trying to make myself as small as possible. Getting my mind off being munched by night beasts, I tried to assess how much ground I had covered.

Thinking made me realize how tired I was, as my thoughts resembled something similar to a dried up puddle. I gave up.

Muttering a prayer to Paladine, I shut my eyes, silenced the night beasts, and let sleep steal over me.

In my dreams, I was standing on a pedestal, bathed in light. Everywhere else, however, dwelled the Darkness. Shivering, I pulled my white robes tighter about me, noticing that, from my hands, a horrible blood red seeped over me. The pedestal began to break away at the edges, and I stood, my heels together, as the blood of my robes became pasty and black, weighing me down.

I cried out to the source of the light as the pedestal shook beneath me, but the light began to dim. I screamed as the light was blocked completely by a black moon, shedding its own unholy light upon me. I screamed as clawed, skeletal hands grabbed me, by the pasty wet cloth of my robes, by my cold flesh, it didn't matter, and began pulling me down. The pedestal broke, shattering into thousands of tiny stars, and I was falling.

Falling into the gaping maw of Darkness.

I awoke, shivering and bathed in sweat, and began to sob, tears falling warm and wet into my palms. I looked up into the light, the light of Solinari, shining and full, and felt my breathing slow. The red moon was rising now, catching up with the silver. I could not see the black.

Because I was not of the Dark.

I sighed, sudden peace flowing through me. My hands were wet, and I looked at them.

My tears remained where they had fallen in my palms. Tiny stars in the Night Candle's light.