Chapter One
Karthay, City by the Sea
Trudging wearily along the Shores Highway, the elven man looked south, and saw in the distance the gates of the city. The entire city seemed built to please the eye. Genuine seaside architecture decorated every building. The harbor's edge swept southwest along the city's border, massive merchant ships, some bearing the quite obvious signs of being Minotaur ships, docked securely, their sails ruffling in the sea-side winds. He continued down the road, finally arriving at the sign:
"Welcome to Karthay, City by the Sea."
As soon as he was up close, he began to see why many looked upon this city with revile. Despite it's beauteous atmosphere and appealing architecture, the entire city had a dark feel to it, like evil was crackling in the very air. The elf watched through the gates at the people, coming and going, going and coming, as normal people, except for that slight fear he detected in their movements, the occasional glance over the shoulder, the tense atmosphere. There is evil here, he thought to himself.
Looking to the southwest, he could see the highest peaks of the legendary Seamist tower, his destination. Under Lady Rubina he planned to study the Arcane, and learn the ways of the Wizards of High Sorcery. His intentions were not to follow in his hated father's footsteps, but to prove once and for all that he could be and would one day be more powerful than his father. Better than his father. To this elf the name of Jenivarillios Bloodmoon was a name that produced bile in the throat, a name he hated, hated as the man who denied him the right to study Magic, forced him into Ranger training, all while showing infinite favoritism toward the younger brother. Damn him, Fenixlyonis thought angrily, Thank Lunitari he's dead.
Stepping up the guards, expecting them to demand his reason for entry, he is shocked when they say nothing, completely ignoring him. The security here is so loose, he realized. Small wonder the locals are as jumpy as a bunch of kender in a dragon's lair. He entered the city, and began walking south down what the signs indicated as "Shores Lane." The road took him past the docks, and he found the road he was searching for, branching off to the southwest near the Fish Market.
"There's Seraco Lane," he told himself, rather loudly.
A rather large blustering woman moved close to him and said loudly, "Sir, new in town? I highly suggest you get to wherever you're going soon."
He could tell she was quite edgy, just by her tone.
"Why?" he asked. "What's going on?"
"Just please, get to wherever you're going, and quickly!" she said hastily before hurrying off, as if afraid she'd be seen. Fenixlyonis shrugged, and continued walking, turning down Seraco. He wasn't the slightest bit frightened by the woman's vague warning, the natural arrogance of the elven race still prominent within him, but he did quicken his pace slightly.
Suddenly the road opened up into a large square. He'd seen this Square drawn on maps before, but he never imagined that Seraco Crossing would be quite like this.
It had every making of a typical big-city marketplace, with bustling bazaars, merchants shouting to drown out of the others' own, and droves of people all practically fighting to get at the goods. However, like the rest of the city, it wasn't without that same dark feeling, and Fenixlyonis continued to detect the cautious glances, the way the merchants didn't get too loud and flinched when they did.
"Is it always like this?" he asked himself aloud.
He continued walking down Seraco Lane, the Seamist Tower growing ever closer. He saw then, for the first time in his life, a dwarf! He was a burly dwarf, dressed in heavy armor and wielding a wicked-looking halberd. He glared around at passersby, and Fenixlyonis detected the similar edginess even in this strong warrior that he felt throughout the rest of the town.
At last he reached Sandstone Lane, and just a few hundred feet away was the gate to the courtyard of the Tower! He had arrived at last! He practically ran to it's gates, and disappeared within.
For the last four months he had been traveling. He had deliberately avoided Kalaman, though he passed within fifty miles of it as he rounded the Estewild Mountains. The route had taken him through the outskirts of Solamnia, where Magi were disliked quite severally, and along the Merchant's Highway through the Estewild Mountains to Istar.
Istar! Jewel of the world, in every regard. It's towering buildings were made of beautiful white stone, smoothed to absolute perfection and vaulted with golden linings. Truly, for a moment Fenixlyonis had dreamed that he was looking on the very home of the gods themselves! He had stayed there for three weeks, and was almost unwilling to leave when he did, but he had no place at the Tower of High Sorcery in Istar, and was seeking out Lady Rubina to teach him in the ways of the Conclave. While he was already able to at cast spells, having graduated already from the small school of magic in Qualinesti(after his father vanished, his mother allowed him to attend), he still had a great deal to learn about the Magic and the ways of the Three Moons.
The remaining month of his trip had been donated entirely to the final leg of his journey, the trip north along Dragonscale Highway, which took him to at least the Shores Crossing, where he began the sixty mile trip west along the coast before finally turning south into Karthay. If it hadn't been for his intense hate of his father, he might have thanked his father's memory for forcing him to train as a Ranger, for those skills aided him greatly on the journey.
But next time, he told himself, I'm buying a horse!
Karthay, City by the Sea
Trudging wearily along the Shores Highway, the elven man looked south, and saw in the distance the gates of the city. The entire city seemed built to please the eye. Genuine seaside architecture decorated every building. The harbor's edge swept southwest along the city's border, massive merchant ships, some bearing the quite obvious signs of being Minotaur ships, docked securely, their sails ruffling in the sea-side winds. He continued down the road, finally arriving at the sign:
"Welcome to Karthay, City by the Sea."
As soon as he was up close, he began to see why many looked upon this city with revile. Despite it's beauteous atmosphere and appealing architecture, the entire city had a dark feel to it, like evil was crackling in the very air. The elf watched through the gates at the people, coming and going, going and coming, as normal people, except for that slight fear he detected in their movements, the occasional glance over the shoulder, the tense atmosphere. There is evil here, he thought to himself.
Looking to the southwest, he could see the highest peaks of the legendary Seamist tower, his destination. Under Lady Rubina he planned to study the Arcane, and learn the ways of the Wizards of High Sorcery. His intentions were not to follow in his hated father's footsteps, but to prove once and for all that he could be and would one day be more powerful than his father. Better than his father. To this elf the name of Jenivarillios Bloodmoon was a name that produced bile in the throat, a name he hated, hated as the man who denied him the right to study Magic, forced him into Ranger training, all while showing infinite favoritism toward the younger brother. Damn him, Fenixlyonis thought angrily, Thank Lunitari he's dead.
Stepping up the guards, expecting them to demand his reason for entry, he is shocked when they say nothing, completely ignoring him. The security here is so loose, he realized. Small wonder the locals are as jumpy as a bunch of kender in a dragon's lair. He entered the city, and began walking south down what the signs indicated as "Shores Lane." The road took him past the docks, and he found the road he was searching for, branching off to the southwest near the Fish Market.
"There's Seraco Lane," he told himself, rather loudly.
A rather large blustering woman moved close to him and said loudly, "Sir, new in town? I highly suggest you get to wherever you're going soon."
He could tell she was quite edgy, just by her tone.
"Why?" he asked. "What's going on?"
"Just please, get to wherever you're going, and quickly!" she said hastily before hurrying off, as if afraid she'd be seen. Fenixlyonis shrugged, and continued walking, turning down Seraco. He wasn't the slightest bit frightened by the woman's vague warning, the natural arrogance of the elven race still prominent within him, but he did quicken his pace slightly.
Suddenly the road opened up into a large square. He'd seen this Square drawn on maps before, but he never imagined that Seraco Crossing would be quite like this.
It had every making of a typical big-city marketplace, with bustling bazaars, merchants shouting to drown out of the others' own, and droves of people all practically fighting to get at the goods. However, like the rest of the city, it wasn't without that same dark feeling, and Fenixlyonis continued to detect the cautious glances, the way the merchants didn't get too loud and flinched when they did.
"Is it always like this?" he asked himself aloud.
He continued walking down Seraco Lane, the Seamist Tower growing ever closer. He saw then, for the first time in his life, a dwarf! He was a burly dwarf, dressed in heavy armor and wielding a wicked-looking halberd. He glared around at passersby, and Fenixlyonis detected the similar edginess even in this strong warrior that he felt throughout the rest of the town.
At last he reached Sandstone Lane, and just a few hundred feet away was the gate to the courtyard of the Tower! He had arrived at last! He practically ran to it's gates, and disappeared within.
For the last four months he had been traveling. He had deliberately avoided Kalaman, though he passed within fifty miles of it as he rounded the Estewild Mountains. The route had taken him through the outskirts of Solamnia, where Magi were disliked quite severally, and along the Merchant's Highway through the Estewild Mountains to Istar.
Istar! Jewel of the world, in every regard. It's towering buildings were made of beautiful white stone, smoothed to absolute perfection and vaulted with golden linings. Truly, for a moment Fenixlyonis had dreamed that he was looking on the very home of the gods themselves! He had stayed there for three weeks, and was almost unwilling to leave when he did, but he had no place at the Tower of High Sorcery in Istar, and was seeking out Lady Rubina to teach him in the ways of the Conclave. While he was already able to at cast spells, having graduated already from the small school of magic in Qualinesti(after his father vanished, his mother allowed him to attend), he still had a great deal to learn about the Magic and the ways of the Three Moons.
The remaining month of his trip had been donated entirely to the final leg of his journey, the trip north along Dragonscale Highway, which took him to at least the Shores Crossing, where he began the sixty mile trip west along the coast before finally turning south into Karthay. If it hadn't been for his intense hate of his father, he might have thanked his father's memory for forcing him to train as a Ranger, for those skills aided him greatly on the journey.
But next time, he told himself, I'm buying a horse!