Chapter 26
It was so dark, darker even then the deepest reaches of the Underdark. She felt nothing, heard nothing, saw nothing, remembered nothing. Slowly, she started to panic, but the energy was wasted; why should she panic? There was nothing there to worry her.
Eventually there was a great bright blur instead of a dark one. But with her refound sight came the memories, but they were by no means recent.
Oh god, it's all been a dream, Donnia thought to herself. I'm still a damn statue, that's why I can't move. Everything has just been a dream. The unexplained immense sadness overcame her at the thought that she had just made up everything, from her travels to Waterdeep to the love she felt for Valen. But they don't exist, she chided herself, how can you be sad over losing something you never had?
Slowly, recognition took over. This was the same brightness she always experienced in her dream. She had no idea why she was having it now. There was nothing out there that needed her. She had been standing watch over the Anuroch Desert for countless years already and apparently was going to do so for the rest of eternity.
She waited for the voice to come to her, directing her to its source, but it never came. Instead, there was another sound, this one much sadder than the calm voice of someone who needed her help.
The first thing she heard was Nathyrra singing. It was a sad and mournful song of a lost love that was still haunting the left lover. The song reached out and grabbed Donnia's heart, letting any emotions she had left come to the surface and bleed out. But she was too exhausted to do anything.
She just wanted to stay as she was, with the sad notes of Nathyrra's song wrapped around her. In this place between awake and asleep there was no cold, no pain, no memories. She clung tighter to whatever she was holding on to.
That was when she started to wake up, with the feel of cold, hard armor wrapped around her, protecting her. The cold came back brutally and she clung even tighter to that armor.
With the cold came the memories; at least all but one. She had no idea what had happened to get her to where she was now, wherever that may be. She remembered talking to Aribeth about the last days in Neverwinter and she remembered talking to Arden Swift briefly, but that's where it stopped. What had happened?
She started to rise but a strong force kept her in place. "Let me up, we have to hurry or we'll be too late," she spoke to the unseen force. Donnia had yet to open her eyes to the fierce cold.
The barrier holding her down relaxed and Donnia moved away from what had been holding her. She sat back and stared at Valen and nearly wept. It was true, it wasn't a dream, and she was not a statue anymore. His bright blue eyes were fixed on her with worry and concern. Apparently something important had happened.
"Valen, why are you looking at me like that?"
His expression became even more concerned, "You don't remember what happened?"
"Apparently not."
He reached out a hand to her, softly caressing her cheek, "You scared me, badly, my love. The way you were sleeping just now I was unsure if you were ever going to wake up. But you truly don't remember what happened?"
"No, the last thing I remember was talking with that Arden Swift character for just a moment and then it just stops. What did I do to scare you? Valen, I don't understand what could have happened." She reached her hand up to his, clasping it in her own, and pulled it down to hold onto him with both of her hands, knowing something bad had happened but didn't care. He was real, not someone she had made up in her utter loneliness, and she was not about to let him go.
Valen lightly squeezed her hand and told her what had happened with Arden Swift, what she had said, what she had done, and then what had happened afterwards. "I had to carry you out here, I couldn't get you to walk, but we had to get out of there. After sitting out here for a while you simply passed out. Nothing anyone tried could wake you, but we were afraid to move you. You were so cold and limp that I feared the worst though I could feel your heart beating. You were gone for so long."
Donnia was getting worried herself, "What do you mean? How long?"
"Two days. That was two days ago when you stopped crying. You didn't even move until just a few minutes ago." Valen squeezed her hand tighter, "I was afraid that I had lost you, that you were truly gone though your heart kept beating. I was so afraid of living without you now that I had found you. Though I've only known you a short while you've come to be everything to me."
Donnia smiled, "And you to me." She leaned forward, removing her hands from his to softly trace his cheek, and pressed her lips to his. Within moments the cold was banished from her body to be replaced by a fiery warmth that spread throughout her entire being, inside and out. She threaded her fingers through his hair as she kissed him.
Valen smiled against her kiss, for both the fact that she was okay and that she returned the strong feelings he had for her. He ran his fingers lightly down her cheek and traced over her neck where he could still feel the strong beating of her heart matching the beat of his own.
Valen pulled back from the kiss and gently kissed her forehead, "We should get going, if you feel up to it."
Donnia smiled at him and nodded, taking the hand that he offered her to help her stand up. "Where are Nathyrra and Lady Aribeth?" She remembered hearing Nathyrra singing when she woke up, but she saw no trace of the Drow woman now.
Valen kept her hand in his as they walked off, "They went back into the tavern to buy some more velox berries. We ran really low these last two days so they went for some more."
Just as he had finished speaking Donnia heard Nathyrra singing again, the song sounding even more melancholy now that she was fully awake. They came around the corner and both Nathyrra and Aribeth stood there shocked to see Donnia standing there. Aribeth held more shock in her expression at seeing her hand joined with Valen's.
Donnia had not failed to notice the look on Aribeth's face when she had noticed her hand joined with Valen's. She hoped that it was a good shock and not something that would trouble her friend. Donnia knew well Aribeth's feelings on love, and had spent a long time picking up the pieces of the destruction Aribeth left in her wake. Yet despite this and her worry over her reaction, Donnia could not make herself break the contact between herself and Valen. Now she knew why she had despaired over the thought of him not existing; he was everything to her and she could not think of her life without him.
Nathyrra rushed over to her friend, thankful she was awake, "Thank the gods, Donnia! You are awake! Are you okay? What happened?"
Aribeth was not far behind her, "We all feared the worst when we could not wake you."
Donnia smiled at her friends, "I'm fine, really, I am. I'm not sure exactly what happened or why it did, but we really must hurry now. We have all five answers to the sensei's questions. Let's go talk to the Sleeping Man."
The sensei had let them pass, having answered the questions all correctly. She had given Donnia her amulet that would let her communicate with the Sleeping Man as he slept. She thought to herself, I hope he can help us. If not, we're stuck here forever and Mephistopheles wins.
The four of them continued on down the hallway to the chamber where the Sleeping Man had been sleeping for countless years. At least, the same location; the temple had been built by the sensei and her pilgrims to keep him safe while he slept.
They reached the end of the hallway and slowly Donnia pushed open the door. The room was cast in a deep green glow, giving everything an odd, dream- like aura around it. There was something, a soft sound playing at the edge of Donnia's mind. It was too soft to understand but it almost sounded familiar.
Before Donnia entered the room, Aribeth stopped her, "Donnia, do you have a moment?"
Donnia turned to face her, "Sure, Lady Aribeth, what is it?"
"Do you feel it? There is an aura of goodness about this place, surrounding this man. You can't help but succumb to it and feel at peace here." For the first time in gods knew how many years, Donnia saw Aribeth smile, an honest smile that was not borne out of torture and death.
She could feel it herself as well as hear that ever-beckoning song. She knew she had heard it before, but could not recall where. The tune was familiar, now if only it were louder so she could truly hear it. "It makes me happy to see you smile again, Lady Aribeth."
"I cannot help but smile here. But this is not the time to dawdle; we will speak again later."
Donnia nodded and turned to walk toward the prone form of the Sleeping Man. With each step the song grew louder, more distinct. It did not take long for Donnia to now realize where she had heard it; it was the song that Nathyrra had just been singing, the song that had woken her from her deep sleep earlier that day.
Donnia looked over at Nathyrra, but she gave no notice that she could hear the song. She looked at Aribeth and Valen, but they too showed no signs that they could hear the mournful song. That was when she remembered the amulet she had hanging around her neck; perhaps that was why she could hear it.
She knelt beside the Sleeping Man, seeing the words "She will meet you at the gates of Cania" engraved near his body, just as Aribeth had said. She turned her attention toward the man himself and was curious as to all of the different forms planetar's come in. Like the rest of the room, his skin was a soft green. His well-muscled chest rose with each deep breath he took as he dreamed. His wings were relaxed and wrapped around him. On his face was a peaceful smile saying that his dreams brought him great joy. Perhaps he was thinking of his one true love, Donnia thought to herself. She wondered who that person might be, but now was not the time for idle thoughts.
Donnia tried using the amulet as the sensei had told her, but her mind would not relax as was required to peer into his mind. She was terrified as to what could be happening back in the Underdark, what had been happening, as she lay asleep for those two days.
Swearing softly under her breath, Donnia put the amulet back around her neck and stared at the Sleeping Man. The only option left now was to wake him up. She tried poking him, but he did not move. She tried pushing him, he did not move. She tried shaking him, but he did not move. She did everything she could think of but the Sleeping Man still slept.
She was just beginning to wonder if there was anyone else who might know anything enough to help them if even just a little when Valen knelt down beside her. "Valen, he's our only chance of getting out of here to stop Mephistopheles. I can't get him to wake up and this damn amulet is useless."
Valen smiled at her, "I'm sure there's some way of getting him to wake up." He pulled a small trumpet out from his pack and handed it to her. "Try this, I'm sure he'll hear it...provided the building doesn't collapse around us."
Donnia looked at the trumpet in her hands, recognizing it as the trumpet that that bastard Arden Swift had told them about. It did not look to be as powerful as he had said, but this was their last option and she was ready to try anything.
She placed the trumpet to her lips and began blowing air through it. No sound came out and she began to wonder of maybe she was doing it right when a low sound started coming from the horn. It started very softly but quickly rose to a great volume causing the walls of the chamber around them to shake as though they meant to collapse. Just as the sounds faded, the Sleeping Man stirred and slowly rose from the floor. But before Donnia had the chance to say anything a great light from a magical portal was opened and the sensei came charging through it from the other side of the temple.
She ran at them screaming, "No! You musn't wake the Sleeping Man!"
Donnia figured that the woman was just a little obsessed over this man, but quickly ran out of time to think about it as she saw how the sensei had begun casting some spell over the four of them. Nathyrra quickly started chanting her own trying to dispel whatever it was the sensei was doing as Donnia rushed toward her to try and calm her down.
As Donnia approached the sensei removed a long sword and moved to attack Donnia, swinging it wildly in her direction. Donnia moved back a step, then another quickly as the sensei continued her charge, still swinging the sword violently.
Donnia tried to explain her actions, why she had woken him up, but the woman would not listen. She kept screaming the same phrase over and over again. Eventually, Donnia had had enough and moved to take the offensive, pulling her own sword from her side.
The fight was short. Donnia wondered if it was due to the sensei's inexperience at battle or just from her spending more time on raving like a lunatic about the Sleeping Man than in her own defense. Either way, the sensei was dead. Donnia hated to think about it now. The woman had seemed so calm and peaceful when they had spoken earlier and now she lay dead at her hand. But this was not the time to wonder about it. There was something else more important.
As Donnia turned to face the Sleeping Man, she noticed the song had stopped. She wondered if it was because of the death of the sensei or because the Sleeping Man was no longer sleeping.
"What happened?" the Sleeping Man asked to no one in particular, but because he was facing Nathyrra when he said it, it was she that answered him.
"We woke you with the Trumpet of Pandemonium. We did not wish to wake you in such a manner, but there was no other option left to us. We are looking for the Reaper's True Name so that we can return to the world of Toril to defeat Mephistopheles before he turns that world into a tenth hell. Can you help us?" The entire time that Nathyrra spoke the Sleeping Man never shifted his gaze from hers. His attention was so complete it was as if the other three of them did not even exist to him. However, as she finished speaking, he seemed to be brought out of his trance and looked around at the other members of the party.
"To know the Reaper's True Name you must find the Knower of Names."
This time it was Donnia who replied to him, "Might you know where we could find her?"
"No, I do not, but I do know who does. Her sister, the Knower of Places, will be able to tell you how to find her sister. When you meet her you can ask all of the questions you wish but only one can be of where. I made the mistake of asking her the wrong question. Do not make the same mistake as I did. You will be able to find the Knower of Places by a ring that I forged but then broke into three pieces. When you wear it the way will be laid out before you. I will open the portal to take you to it. Oh, and I do apologize for the guards, they were just another form of security."
"Thank you for your help. You cannot know how much I truly appreciate your kindness," Donnia spoke to him as the portal opened.
"There is one more thing before you leave, only three people may pass through the portal. That too is another safety measure I took when I placed the ring there. One of you must remain behind."
Donnia turned to her three companions to ask who would wish to stay behind, but before the question had even formed on her lips, Nathyrra spoke up, "Donnia, I would wish to stay here, if that would be okay with you."
"If that is what you want then I'm not going to stop you." Donnia nodded her head in the direction of the portal for the other two to go on ahead. Aribeth, followed by Valen disappeared into the portal. Donnia once again thanked the Sleeping Man for his help as she too disappeared into the portal, also thankful that she was awake, not a statue in the Great Desert, and that she had found love when she never knew she had been looking for it.
[A/N: Sorry for the long time between posts. I had to move home from school and am just now getting my computer put back up. I know I don't usually say anything in my chapters, nor do I want to be one of those people who beg for reviews, but I would like to know that people are out there reading this and I'm not just posting it to take up space on the internet. Even if no one is reading it currently as this is being recently posted, I will still write this out, I'm only now getting to the good stuff, so if this is being read at a much later date and there aren't any chapters after this one and you would like to keep reading it, just send me an e-mail. But I may continue to post it depending on how many people are out there reading it and enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoy writing it.]
It was so dark, darker even then the deepest reaches of the Underdark. She felt nothing, heard nothing, saw nothing, remembered nothing. Slowly, she started to panic, but the energy was wasted; why should she panic? There was nothing there to worry her.
Eventually there was a great bright blur instead of a dark one. But with her refound sight came the memories, but they were by no means recent.
Oh god, it's all been a dream, Donnia thought to herself. I'm still a damn statue, that's why I can't move. Everything has just been a dream. The unexplained immense sadness overcame her at the thought that she had just made up everything, from her travels to Waterdeep to the love she felt for Valen. But they don't exist, she chided herself, how can you be sad over losing something you never had?
Slowly, recognition took over. This was the same brightness she always experienced in her dream. She had no idea why she was having it now. There was nothing out there that needed her. She had been standing watch over the Anuroch Desert for countless years already and apparently was going to do so for the rest of eternity.
She waited for the voice to come to her, directing her to its source, but it never came. Instead, there was another sound, this one much sadder than the calm voice of someone who needed her help.
The first thing she heard was Nathyrra singing. It was a sad and mournful song of a lost love that was still haunting the left lover. The song reached out and grabbed Donnia's heart, letting any emotions she had left come to the surface and bleed out. But she was too exhausted to do anything.
She just wanted to stay as she was, with the sad notes of Nathyrra's song wrapped around her. In this place between awake and asleep there was no cold, no pain, no memories. She clung tighter to whatever she was holding on to.
That was when she started to wake up, with the feel of cold, hard armor wrapped around her, protecting her. The cold came back brutally and she clung even tighter to that armor.
With the cold came the memories; at least all but one. She had no idea what had happened to get her to where she was now, wherever that may be. She remembered talking to Aribeth about the last days in Neverwinter and she remembered talking to Arden Swift briefly, but that's where it stopped. What had happened?
She started to rise but a strong force kept her in place. "Let me up, we have to hurry or we'll be too late," she spoke to the unseen force. Donnia had yet to open her eyes to the fierce cold.
The barrier holding her down relaxed and Donnia moved away from what had been holding her. She sat back and stared at Valen and nearly wept. It was true, it wasn't a dream, and she was not a statue anymore. His bright blue eyes were fixed on her with worry and concern. Apparently something important had happened.
"Valen, why are you looking at me like that?"
His expression became even more concerned, "You don't remember what happened?"
"Apparently not."
He reached out a hand to her, softly caressing her cheek, "You scared me, badly, my love. The way you were sleeping just now I was unsure if you were ever going to wake up. But you truly don't remember what happened?"
"No, the last thing I remember was talking with that Arden Swift character for just a moment and then it just stops. What did I do to scare you? Valen, I don't understand what could have happened." She reached her hand up to his, clasping it in her own, and pulled it down to hold onto him with both of her hands, knowing something bad had happened but didn't care. He was real, not someone she had made up in her utter loneliness, and she was not about to let him go.
Valen lightly squeezed her hand and told her what had happened with Arden Swift, what she had said, what she had done, and then what had happened afterwards. "I had to carry you out here, I couldn't get you to walk, but we had to get out of there. After sitting out here for a while you simply passed out. Nothing anyone tried could wake you, but we were afraid to move you. You were so cold and limp that I feared the worst though I could feel your heart beating. You were gone for so long."
Donnia was getting worried herself, "What do you mean? How long?"
"Two days. That was two days ago when you stopped crying. You didn't even move until just a few minutes ago." Valen squeezed her hand tighter, "I was afraid that I had lost you, that you were truly gone though your heart kept beating. I was so afraid of living without you now that I had found you. Though I've only known you a short while you've come to be everything to me."
Donnia smiled, "And you to me." She leaned forward, removing her hands from his to softly trace his cheek, and pressed her lips to his. Within moments the cold was banished from her body to be replaced by a fiery warmth that spread throughout her entire being, inside and out. She threaded her fingers through his hair as she kissed him.
Valen smiled against her kiss, for both the fact that she was okay and that she returned the strong feelings he had for her. He ran his fingers lightly down her cheek and traced over her neck where he could still feel the strong beating of her heart matching the beat of his own.
Valen pulled back from the kiss and gently kissed her forehead, "We should get going, if you feel up to it."
Donnia smiled at him and nodded, taking the hand that he offered her to help her stand up. "Where are Nathyrra and Lady Aribeth?" She remembered hearing Nathyrra singing when she woke up, but she saw no trace of the Drow woman now.
Valen kept her hand in his as they walked off, "They went back into the tavern to buy some more velox berries. We ran really low these last two days so they went for some more."
Just as he had finished speaking Donnia heard Nathyrra singing again, the song sounding even more melancholy now that she was fully awake. They came around the corner and both Nathyrra and Aribeth stood there shocked to see Donnia standing there. Aribeth held more shock in her expression at seeing her hand joined with Valen's.
Donnia had not failed to notice the look on Aribeth's face when she had noticed her hand joined with Valen's. She hoped that it was a good shock and not something that would trouble her friend. Donnia knew well Aribeth's feelings on love, and had spent a long time picking up the pieces of the destruction Aribeth left in her wake. Yet despite this and her worry over her reaction, Donnia could not make herself break the contact between herself and Valen. Now she knew why she had despaired over the thought of him not existing; he was everything to her and she could not think of her life without him.
Nathyrra rushed over to her friend, thankful she was awake, "Thank the gods, Donnia! You are awake! Are you okay? What happened?"
Aribeth was not far behind her, "We all feared the worst when we could not wake you."
Donnia smiled at her friends, "I'm fine, really, I am. I'm not sure exactly what happened or why it did, but we really must hurry now. We have all five answers to the sensei's questions. Let's go talk to the Sleeping Man."
The sensei had let them pass, having answered the questions all correctly. She had given Donnia her amulet that would let her communicate with the Sleeping Man as he slept. She thought to herself, I hope he can help us. If not, we're stuck here forever and Mephistopheles wins.
The four of them continued on down the hallway to the chamber where the Sleeping Man had been sleeping for countless years. At least, the same location; the temple had been built by the sensei and her pilgrims to keep him safe while he slept.
They reached the end of the hallway and slowly Donnia pushed open the door. The room was cast in a deep green glow, giving everything an odd, dream- like aura around it. There was something, a soft sound playing at the edge of Donnia's mind. It was too soft to understand but it almost sounded familiar.
Before Donnia entered the room, Aribeth stopped her, "Donnia, do you have a moment?"
Donnia turned to face her, "Sure, Lady Aribeth, what is it?"
"Do you feel it? There is an aura of goodness about this place, surrounding this man. You can't help but succumb to it and feel at peace here." For the first time in gods knew how many years, Donnia saw Aribeth smile, an honest smile that was not borne out of torture and death.
She could feel it herself as well as hear that ever-beckoning song. She knew she had heard it before, but could not recall where. The tune was familiar, now if only it were louder so she could truly hear it. "It makes me happy to see you smile again, Lady Aribeth."
"I cannot help but smile here. But this is not the time to dawdle; we will speak again later."
Donnia nodded and turned to walk toward the prone form of the Sleeping Man. With each step the song grew louder, more distinct. It did not take long for Donnia to now realize where she had heard it; it was the song that Nathyrra had just been singing, the song that had woken her from her deep sleep earlier that day.
Donnia looked over at Nathyrra, but she gave no notice that she could hear the song. She looked at Aribeth and Valen, but they too showed no signs that they could hear the mournful song. That was when she remembered the amulet she had hanging around her neck; perhaps that was why she could hear it.
She knelt beside the Sleeping Man, seeing the words "She will meet you at the gates of Cania" engraved near his body, just as Aribeth had said. She turned her attention toward the man himself and was curious as to all of the different forms planetar's come in. Like the rest of the room, his skin was a soft green. His well-muscled chest rose with each deep breath he took as he dreamed. His wings were relaxed and wrapped around him. On his face was a peaceful smile saying that his dreams brought him great joy. Perhaps he was thinking of his one true love, Donnia thought to herself. She wondered who that person might be, but now was not the time for idle thoughts.
Donnia tried using the amulet as the sensei had told her, but her mind would not relax as was required to peer into his mind. She was terrified as to what could be happening back in the Underdark, what had been happening, as she lay asleep for those two days.
Swearing softly under her breath, Donnia put the amulet back around her neck and stared at the Sleeping Man. The only option left now was to wake him up. She tried poking him, but he did not move. She tried pushing him, he did not move. She tried shaking him, but he did not move. She did everything she could think of but the Sleeping Man still slept.
She was just beginning to wonder if there was anyone else who might know anything enough to help them if even just a little when Valen knelt down beside her. "Valen, he's our only chance of getting out of here to stop Mephistopheles. I can't get him to wake up and this damn amulet is useless."
Valen smiled at her, "I'm sure there's some way of getting him to wake up." He pulled a small trumpet out from his pack and handed it to her. "Try this, I'm sure he'll hear it...provided the building doesn't collapse around us."
Donnia looked at the trumpet in her hands, recognizing it as the trumpet that that bastard Arden Swift had told them about. It did not look to be as powerful as he had said, but this was their last option and she was ready to try anything.
She placed the trumpet to her lips and began blowing air through it. No sound came out and she began to wonder of maybe she was doing it right when a low sound started coming from the horn. It started very softly but quickly rose to a great volume causing the walls of the chamber around them to shake as though they meant to collapse. Just as the sounds faded, the Sleeping Man stirred and slowly rose from the floor. But before Donnia had the chance to say anything a great light from a magical portal was opened and the sensei came charging through it from the other side of the temple.
She ran at them screaming, "No! You musn't wake the Sleeping Man!"
Donnia figured that the woman was just a little obsessed over this man, but quickly ran out of time to think about it as she saw how the sensei had begun casting some spell over the four of them. Nathyrra quickly started chanting her own trying to dispel whatever it was the sensei was doing as Donnia rushed toward her to try and calm her down.
As Donnia approached the sensei removed a long sword and moved to attack Donnia, swinging it wildly in her direction. Donnia moved back a step, then another quickly as the sensei continued her charge, still swinging the sword violently.
Donnia tried to explain her actions, why she had woken him up, but the woman would not listen. She kept screaming the same phrase over and over again. Eventually, Donnia had had enough and moved to take the offensive, pulling her own sword from her side.
The fight was short. Donnia wondered if it was due to the sensei's inexperience at battle or just from her spending more time on raving like a lunatic about the Sleeping Man than in her own defense. Either way, the sensei was dead. Donnia hated to think about it now. The woman had seemed so calm and peaceful when they had spoken earlier and now she lay dead at her hand. But this was not the time to wonder about it. There was something else more important.
As Donnia turned to face the Sleeping Man, she noticed the song had stopped. She wondered if it was because of the death of the sensei or because the Sleeping Man was no longer sleeping.
"What happened?" the Sleeping Man asked to no one in particular, but because he was facing Nathyrra when he said it, it was she that answered him.
"We woke you with the Trumpet of Pandemonium. We did not wish to wake you in such a manner, but there was no other option left to us. We are looking for the Reaper's True Name so that we can return to the world of Toril to defeat Mephistopheles before he turns that world into a tenth hell. Can you help us?" The entire time that Nathyrra spoke the Sleeping Man never shifted his gaze from hers. His attention was so complete it was as if the other three of them did not even exist to him. However, as she finished speaking, he seemed to be brought out of his trance and looked around at the other members of the party.
"To know the Reaper's True Name you must find the Knower of Names."
This time it was Donnia who replied to him, "Might you know where we could find her?"
"No, I do not, but I do know who does. Her sister, the Knower of Places, will be able to tell you how to find her sister. When you meet her you can ask all of the questions you wish but only one can be of where. I made the mistake of asking her the wrong question. Do not make the same mistake as I did. You will be able to find the Knower of Places by a ring that I forged but then broke into three pieces. When you wear it the way will be laid out before you. I will open the portal to take you to it. Oh, and I do apologize for the guards, they were just another form of security."
"Thank you for your help. You cannot know how much I truly appreciate your kindness," Donnia spoke to him as the portal opened.
"There is one more thing before you leave, only three people may pass through the portal. That too is another safety measure I took when I placed the ring there. One of you must remain behind."
Donnia turned to her three companions to ask who would wish to stay behind, but before the question had even formed on her lips, Nathyrra spoke up, "Donnia, I would wish to stay here, if that would be okay with you."
"If that is what you want then I'm not going to stop you." Donnia nodded her head in the direction of the portal for the other two to go on ahead. Aribeth, followed by Valen disappeared into the portal. Donnia once again thanked the Sleeping Man for his help as she too disappeared into the portal, also thankful that she was awake, not a statue in the Great Desert, and that she had found love when she never knew she had been looking for it.
[A/N: Sorry for the long time between posts. I had to move home from school and am just now getting my computer put back up. I know I don't usually say anything in my chapters, nor do I want to be one of those people who beg for reviews, but I would like to know that people are out there reading this and I'm not just posting it to take up space on the internet. Even if no one is reading it currently as this is being recently posted, I will still write this out, I'm only now getting to the good stuff, so if this is being read at a much later date and there aren't any chapters after this one and you would like to keep reading it, just send me an e-mail. But I may continue to post it depending on how many people are out there reading it and enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoy writing it.]