Welcome back, true believers! Remember, if you keep reading them, I'll keep writing them.

Disclaimer: For the love of Pete, I don't own Everquest or anything in it! I just own the main character, his family, and some extras. Draylin's on loan...for now. Bwahahahaahahahahaahahaaaa!!!!!!

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Day 3, Year of the Asp, Month Firiona

Light. It's all I could see at first. Then voices. Voices seemed to come from everywhere, just like the light. I couldn't feel anything, not even my body.

Down...

A new voice entered my thoughts. I couldn't tell where I was, where the voices were coming from. This new voice wanted...down?

Tain....look down.

I didn't know who the voice belonged to, or how It knew me, but I willed my consciousness to do what it said. What I saw was...my home. The living area...with people in it. My mother, father, and...a young human? Were these the other voices I'd been hearing? That human...she seemed familiar. Her name is..

"Draylin." She said, as she shook hands with my family. They introduced themselves to her as well, stealing furtive glances at a body lying on a nearby bench. That body looks familiar, too, I thought.

"Where was he? Will he be okay?"

"He should be fine. I patched up his wounds as best as I could."

Wounds, I thought. Who had wounds?

"We've asked Tunare to help. We're glad you were there. Are you sure he was fighting a necromancer, Draylin?"

"Quite sure. A tough one, at that. I haven't fought too many before, but...there was just something..." Draylin's voice trailed off.

"What?" My mother asked.

Draylin shook her head. "Probably nothing." She occasionally glanced at the body as well. Why do I think I know that body? Green and tan tunic. I've seen that someplace before, recently.

"Well, that's it. I'm going to go talk to Heartwood Master today and ask that Tain be allowed to do less dangerous work," said my mother. "I didn't expect him to attack a necromancer, of all things, on his second day as a druid."

"It didn't look like he had a choice." Draylin looked at the body again. "He's a tough little guy, for a druid." She hid a small smile after that last comment. "I think that necromancer was looking for an easy target. Random. I don't expect them to meet again." She looked back at my family. "You have to do what you think is right, of course, for your family. But I don't think asking for a different Path is the answer, or that it would even help. Besides, I think it should be up to him."

My parents looked at each other. My mother closed her eyes, sighed, then looked back at Draylin. "How did you decide on your Life Path, Draylin? Surely you had some hard times. You say you're from Freeport?" Draylin nodded. "That's where my husband is from, where we met. Maybe we know your parents."

Draylin visibly stiffened at the mention of her parents. She turned her head away. "No, they...I.." her voice cracked. "I need to go." She got up and walked toward the door.

"Wait," said my mother. "So soon? Can't you stay for a bit longer? Until Tain wakes up?"

Until I wake up? Then...wait...the tunic...the necromancer...the body...Draylin!

I bolted upright on the bench. I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I looked at my mother, my father, and my rescuer.

My mother ran over and hugged me. "Tain! You're finally awake!"

My father came over as well. "Good to see you up, boy. We were getting worried. We just met your friend, here." He pointed at the spot where Draylin was standing a moment before. "Now where.."

"Wait, Draylin!" I shouted. I escaped my parents, told them I would be back, and went out the open doorway. When I got outside, everything seemed normal. People going about their morning routines. I saw the high trees, the swaying bridges...everything except the one thing I wanted to see most.

"Looks like you made it through the night, kid." I whirled around and saw Draylin sitting on the low roof of my house. "Good to know."

"So you were just going to leave without saying goodbye?"

She looked across Kelethin. "Family gatherings aren't my style. Besides," she smiled at me, "how do you know this is goodbye?"

I looked inside the house, watching my family get the table ready for breakfast. I looked back up to where Draylin was, but she was gone again.

Fishing grubs. Again. Well, I thought to myself, what do you expect to find at the side of a river? Fruits and vegetables? After my near-death experience last night, my parents didn't want to let me out of their sight, and there was no way they were going to let me go on the Crushbone raid today. So I found myself fishing at the small river running through Felwithe while my parents visited some "old friends." I didn't know they had any high elf friends. The only high elves I've met seemed less than happy to see me.

As cities go, Felwithe isn't bad. The buildings are tall and the streets are clean. The streets are also empty most of the time. At least it seems that way, when you compare it to an open city like Kelethin. There, you can see all sorts of good races walking across the bridges and platforms. All going somewhere. It might not be as busy as the human cities, or even the Bazaar, but you can tell it's alive. Felwithe? Well, most good-natured races are tolerated, but the populace seems to prefer elvenkind. From what I understand of high elves, they consider themselves to be royalty, and wood elves, at best, are their servants. Half-elves, like my sister and I...to be honest, I don't know where we stand. I know some try to blend in, and others do their best to stand out. Half-elves don't have their own city, but there are many cities that are open to us. I suppose I can be glad about that. Unlike Iksar, we're not universally hated. Not that I've ever met one. I suppose I'm more like a high elf than anything else right now. Felwithe's streets seem empty because most of the high elves are indoors, studying spells. Many wood elves are busy protecting nature on Faydwer or out exploring the world. I'm more like a high elf in that I spend more time indoors studying than outdoors with nature. As a reluctant druid, it's hard to know where I fit in. Inside studying magic, or outside with nature?

"There must be something really interesting in that water." I jumped at the voice behind me. Like a ghost, Draylin was next to me again. Something about that sent a shiver down my spine. "Afraid I don't see it, though."

I turned around to face her, trying not to show my surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Well," she walked over to the edge of the river and nimbly balanced herself along the bank while she talked, "you've been staring at that water for quite a while. Haven't even been using your pole. Expecting the fish to come to you?"

"Just thinking." I replied.

Draylin paused and questioned me with her eyes. About what, pray tell?

I looked away. "Nothing important." When I looked back, she folded her arms.

Tell me, her eyes said.

"Just trying to figure out where I belong. Some druid I turned out to be."

"No shame in being defeated by someone out of your league. Necromancers are trouble."

"Sounds like you know them." I said.

"I've had...experience dealing with them. More than I'd like." Her hand went to her side as if it hurt, but she quickly moved it away.

I figured she wanted to change the subject. "So what are you doing here, besides spying on me?"

With fake indignation, she said, "I wasn't spying!"

"Then how do you know I've been here a while?" I asked.

"Well...it was a guess. When people fish, they usually do it for a long time."

"Right. Well, that still doesn't answer my question."

She smiled coyly. "And who said I was going to answer it?"

I sighed. "Ok, have it your way miss monk-e." I went back to fishing.

Still perfectly balanced on the bank, she walked over to me. "Don't get me wrong, kid. I like you, but it takes me a while to trust someone. Long story."

I locked my eyes with hers. "Tell me?"

She bent down and put her face inches from mine. "Impress me, and I'll tell you." She gave me a cryptic smile.

I raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"Tain?" I looked around and saw my parents, back from whatever business they had in town. When I looked back at the spot Draylin had been, she was gone again. "Who are you talking to?" they asked.

"Ah, just the fish, I guess. Everything done?

My parents looked at each other, then to me. My father handed me a sealed letter. "This just came for you. You can go, if you're careful. Somehow, it was delayed until tomorrow. For you."

As I slowly opened it, my eyes widened. It was an invitation to the Crushbone raid.