It was nearly six when he woke up again. As was normal he nearly always woke up as a guy, despite what form he was in when he went to sleep. He quickly got dressed, and gathered all the things he had unpacked. Once he had collected everything, he left for the center of town to meet Maji.

He was surprised to note the place they were supposed to meet, was a shrine to Erollisi Marr, goddess of love. He sat on a nearby bench and began to wait, ten minutes had passed when he saw a figure in a brown traveler's robe approach the shrine. He stood up and walked next to the figure. Maji turned to look at him a moment before turning back to the shrine. She bowed her head and began to speak quietly for a few moments. When she seemed to be done, he asked her. "So you worship Erollisi Marr?"

Maji shook her head. Seeing the confused look on his face made her smile. "Tell me, would you not show respect to the dwarven king, Kazon Stormhammer. What about the barbarian high prophetess Wila McLish? Would you not show her respect despite the fact she isn't royalty?"

Aeril nodded his head. "Well ya. I mean they're still kings and rulers, so I guess you should pay respect to them."

"Then should not the same be done to the god's themselves?"

"Ya I guess you're right. I never thought of it like that."

"Besides, it makes for a great cover up. No one would ever think that the person in the traveler's robe, with their head bowed before the shrine, would be a Dark Elf. The irony of it is simply mind-boggling. Imagine a Dark Elf, children of the god of hate, worshiping the goddess of love!"

Maji walked over to the bench he had just been sitting on, and sat. Aeril could tell that none of this was new for her. Her brown traveler's robe was a bit big on her, which helped hide her royal blue skin. She had her hood low over her face, so that the only thing that could be seen where a few strands of snowy hair. He approached the bench. "Mind if I sit next to you?"

Maji scooted over a bit. "Sure go ahead. I'm just really tired. I've been on the go nonstop for the last couple of days and I haven't really had the chance to rest yet. I had planned on resting a bit in Freeport, but when Salvin arrived as usually he couldn't stop talking."

"Who is that guy?"

Maji chuckled. "Salvin is my crazy, odd, and very eccentric friend. I guess you could say he's one of my best friends. Though heaven knows, he has his fathers mouth. Witty remarks, stories or lectures, he's the classic bard who simply loves the sound of his own voice."

Aeril hesitantly asked her. "Um I don't mean to be rude or sound stupid, but what kind of elf is he?"

"He's a hybrid. Half-Dark Elf, half-Wood Elf. His mother is the Dark Elf Kallimah. Wait let me guess you've never heard of her? She's a Dark Elven warrior, who was accused of treason, because she didn't complete a quest that was given to her. Instead she went to Kunark, where she met a Wood Elf druid, who managed to worm his way into her heart. I'll tell you the whole story later, when we're on the road."

"So where exactly are we going?"

"Well since I've already picked up the first set of runes from Freeport, here's what I was thinking. From here we head west toward the wizard pyramid in Commonlands. Then we'll take the port Toxxulia and head to Erudin. After we finish in Erudin we head back to the Toxx spires, so we can next goto Greater Feydark. Likewise once in Gfey, we'll head to Felwithe to pick up the runes and return to the spires. Finally we'll head to Neriak, after porting into Nektulos. By that point we should both have finished our quests, if not we'll head back to the Commonlands to finish up. Sound good to you? If not we can change some things."

"How are we going to going to afford all those ports?"

Maji gave him a flat stare. "That was almost insulting. I am both a Dark Elf and a wizard; I have my connections in the league. All we have to do is wait and we'll have our free port." She paused a moment to laugh at her unintended pun. "The way I figure it, two weeks to the commons pyramid, three weeks to and from Erudin two weeks to Felwithe round trip, and finally about a week and a half to Neriak. So it'll take us about two months, give or take a few days for resting and hunting. Any objections or is that good with you?"

Aeril shook his head. "No that sounds good I guess. So when do you want to leave?"

Maji sat up from her bench. "Well seeing as how you brought your things with you, we might as well leave now."

"Now?" Aeril asked, clearly surprised. "But you said you're tired and that you haven't rested yet. Why don't we rest here for a bit first, and leave when you're more rested?"

Maji stood up. "No, its best we rest on the road. We'll take turns resting and staying guard. Fire beetles and bandits like striking at night. Firebeatles are drawn by the light, while bandits like to attack while their prey is asleep and defenseless. Though that doesn't exclude the Orcs or the willowisps, so we need to stay alert at all time."

Aeril shrugged. "Alright if you really want to go, I was willin to stay and let you rest some. I don't have any idea where the pyramid is, so you can go ahead and lead the way." Taking her queue, Maji began walking down the road leading further west into the Commonlands, with Aeril following closely behind.

*****

Varlon walked home from a particularly hard day of training, both his own and that of his students. The first thing he noticed upon arriving at his home, was the solitude. The sun had long set and by this time Aeril would usually be either at home finishing a late dinner, or at the theater talking with Kryn. But today he was neither greeted with the smells of diner nor the distant laughter the two teens would often make.

It had only been one day since Aeril had left to start his training trip, and already it seemed like months. Sighing deeply he entered his dark and lonely home and set about to prepare some food. He had just finished preparing his diner when he heard a knock on his door. After placing the food on the table, Varlon answered the door. He was quite surprised to find Velan Torresk, a senior trainer of the Ashen Order. "Velan, what a surprise, please come in."

Velan smiled and entered the house. He immediately smelled the freshly cooked food. "Mmm, something smells good here. I see you've just finished cooking."

"Yes I have, and you came at the perfect time. Please join me, I accidentally made more than was necessary. I've gotten used to making more than seems necessary to satiate Aeril's hunger. Here please sit."

"Sure, why not. I've just finished helping one of my most needy students. Ran'en has been doing a good job keeping control of his emotions, but is lacking in his martial skills. We've been training for the better part of the day, so I'm fairly famished. Thank you for offering. It smells wonderful."

Varlon went to retrieve another plate and set it on the table. "You give me too much credit. I merely prepared steaks with sauce, and vegetable stew." Once seated, Varlon served him a portion of food. Sighing deeply, Varlon sat and began to serve himself. "Believe me my friend, I know how you feel. All I can say is I'm glad this day is over."

"Bad day?"

Varlon nodded. "Yes, indeed. I had both Haeliin and Tohic."

Velan winced in sympathy for his friend. Haeliin was the youngest daughter of a wealthy merchant widower, and it was evident how much her father spoiled her. Tohic was simply impatient and allowed his emotions to run rampant. Both were the lowest of their respective classes, a fact that served to further anger the already upset youths. "Well as you said the day is over, at least it can't get any worse. Sometimes Quellious allows us to be tested, to help strengthen our faith and discipline. Tell me about it. Perhaps it will serve to lighten your emotional burden."

After taking a bite of his food Varlon started. "Well first I had Haeliin. Honestly, the girl is improving. She's slowly coming to understand that not everything in life is going to be served to her on a silver platter. Tohic is the real problem. I have exactly the opposite you do. Tohic shows tremendous promise in his martial abilities. He's improved quite a bit in the last couple of years, but he still lets his emotions rule his life. He is completely out of balance and all attempts to help him restore it are all but ignored. His anger and impatience are his biggest downfalls. If he could only keep his anger in check, he could reach a level like that of Aeril." He sighed once again and began rubbing the side of his head where he felt the onset of a headache.

"Cheer up my friend. I bring news of Aeril. It would seem young Aeril has already been able to discern the hidden lesson of his quest. We feared his quickly growing skill, and notoriety may have blinded him of own limitations. Which is why the quest given him was one that could not practically be done by oneself. But our fears seem to have been unfounded."

At the mention of Aeril's name, Varlon perked up. "What? Already? I don't understand how could you have news of him so soon, it has only been a day."

Velan smiled at his friend and fellow trainer. "This afternoon while you were attending to your students, I was approached by a bard while I was instructing my own students. He was looking for you, but I told him you were currently occupied elsewhere. He didn't seem too happy about that, so I assured him that I would deliver the message to you. He seemed reluctant about it, but he eventually consented and gave me the message."

"A bard? How could he afford to do so? Sending mail via a bard may not be all that expensive, but he knows he would need the money for food and water."

"Ahh, but that's not the most fascinating part. The bard who brought the letter was no ordinary bard. Do you know what kind of elf has skin as blue as the summer sky if not lighter?"

Varlon's eyes widened in recognition. "You don't mean --"

Velan nodded his head. "The bard in question was none other then Salvin, son of the Teir'Dal warrior Kallimah. He has made a quite reputation for himself, not to the extent of his mother, but an impressive one none the less. How young Aeril managed to acquire the services of the elven troubadour, is beyond me."

"What did the message say?"

Velan paused and chuckled to himself having realized he hadn't yet relayed the message. "Salvin told me that Aeril had told him that he would be joining a girl named Maji, and that they were going to be helping each other complete each others quest. So there was no need to worry if he hasn't returned by the time we expected him back. I must say we weren't expecting him to look for help so soon. It would seem not only does he surpass his peers in his martial skill, but he seems to show a greater deal of wisdom as well. You know as well as I that it takes many young orange sash aspirants several weeks to realized the challenge given them is just beyond their level of capacity to do alone. Many would rather quit or die trying than to humble themselves to seek help." He would have continued but he noticed the look of consternation on his friend's face. "Is something wrong? I would have thought you would be quite pleased."

Varlon wasn't sure what to think. On one hand he felt proud that Aeril wouldn't let his pride the better of him. The test of the orange sash was often called the test of humility by the trainers, as nearly no one could pass it without giving up their pride. It was deceptively easy at first glance. The actual mark was within the student's ability to handle, but there was always something else not initially thought of that would complicate matters. In Aeril's case killing the Orc legionnaire would be challenging but not impossible. What made the task impossible were the several centurions that the legionnaire commanded. For the deathfist Orcs this would be no more than four, as they had fallen to a mere shadow of their former strength ages past. Then there were the magically protected Willowisps, and the band of cutthroat bandits he would have to face to get one of their famed insignia rings.

So he was in fact, very proud that Aeril had been able to pass the hidden test so quickly. What troubled him was his choice of a traveling companion. He only knew three things about Maji, none of which made him feel any better about. The first was that she was a dark elf, the second that she would frequently sneak into the city through the hidden tunnels beneath the city, and the third was that she attacked him the first time they met. He knew how naive Aeril could be, having never truly been exposed to the dangers outside of Freeport. "I am very troubled. The girl, who accompanies him, is a dark elf spellcaster. The two have fought before. I'm not sure what to make of this turn of events."

Velan looked surprised. "A dark elf you say. That was most unexpected. I must say though your child is quite the missionary. First ogres and now dark elves. I wouldn't worry about it too much though. If the girl is a dark elf after all, that could explain Salvin's involvement. Which means the girl couldn't be that bad. Am I right?"

Varlon sighed. "I suppose you're right."

"Don't worry. You're just being a father. Soon I too will be mistaking scrapes and bruises and gaping wounds. It's a father's job to care and protect for his family, doubly so for you since you don't have a wife to share to work with. Try not to worry, Aeril's martial skill is unmatched and he's got the aid of a teir'Dal caster to fill in where his martial skills are lacking. Honestly I feel sorry for the Orcs and bandits they'll be facing."

As Varlon walked him to the door, he couldn't help but smile, despite his worry. "Thank you Velan. You've helped put me much more at ease."

"It is I who must thank you for this delicious meal, which you seemed to have barely touched. Eat your food and relax Aeril is fine. Oh yes before I forget we'll have to talk later about our students. Together perhaps we may be able to find a way to help them to overcome shortcomings." Having done what he set out to do, Velan stepped out the door and with a wave goodbye headed towards his home.

********

For hours after leaving Nearfield, Aeril and Maji continued to their journey west. During the first hour and a half of their journey they had the sun's light to illuminate the path before them, but as soon as was reasonably warranted, Maji dug out a lantern from her adventurer's pouch. She gave it to Aeril, as it would serve him more use then it would her. She bought the lantern when she was in Freeport, because she knew it would serve a dual purpose on the trip to come.

The first was the obvious use, to illuminate the darkness that surrounded them. As a human Aeril would desperately need the lantern to see, as he had proven the previous night. In his elf form it wasn't as necessary since elves and many other races had much better night vision the humans. Their vision not only allowed them to see about twice as far as a human could in equally dim light, but they could also perceive the heat generated by living warm-blooded creatures as a red glow of light. The luminosity of the light shed by their own bodies, only allowed them to see at a distance of about twenty feet. The lantern then, in conjunction with Aeril's infravision, would effectively triple the area she could see at night. And while Aeril's body would shift naturally to help compensate for the loss of light, Aeril had virtually no control over the changes and could be left blind at a moment's notice.

The second was the firebeatle. Unlike most animals, firebeatles were drawn to fire. One could always find several swarms of fire beetles surrounding settlements of people all over Antonica and Odus, though always a respective distance. Sages believed that they would confuse the lights from these settlements as other firebeatle and were thus drawn to them. But they were warded away by all the activities that would naturally occur at these settlements. And while many tended to congregate near civilized settlements, many more were found in the open planes. Young adventurers were typically warned not to leave campfires or lanterns on overnight, for when they awoke they might find firebeatle chewing on their belongings. This of course is exactly what the two adventurers were hoping for.

Although the journey began quite awkwardly since neither of the two youths was quite sure what to say to the other, the awkwardness did not last very long. Maji having gotten tired of the endless silence began to tell him the tale that she had promised earlier. With the ease of a practiced bard, she spun for him the tale she had heard many times from many a bard. It was easy to see how much she was enjoying herself, as her blue eyes all but glowed, while she meticulously wove the story of the two lovers.

Aeril was captivated by her astonishing way with words and her animated style of storytelling. It was only when she finally stopped, due to exhaustion and lack of sleep, did Aeril realize how much time had passed. Aeril took first watch that night while Maji slept, and switched at about dawn.

He was quite happily surprised, when he awoke to find breakfast already prepared. There laid out on a blanket, was what looked like two loaves of black bread, and a ball of water. Before he had a chance to ask, Maji told him it was food that she had summoned up. "It's not the best food," she said "but it easy to make, will never spoil, and you don't have to carry it around with you giving you more space and less weight in your packs. Best of all we should have enough food to last us until we reach Farfield next week, so it's also very efficient."

Not sure how it was going to taste, he took only a small piece of bread. To his amazement it had absolutely taste or smell. The globe of water was stranger yet. To drink the water, you had to bite into the globe of water as if it were an overly large apple, and once separated from the globe it came from it became liquid. He was quite happy that at least the water tasted like water, if not the food. Maji simply laughed while she watched him eat and "drink" his food, as she remembered having a similar experience, the first time she had a magically summoned meal.

After finishing their meal, they once again began walking. A few hours later, they once again stopped for food and rest before they continued. They finally stopped their walk for the day a couple of hours after it had gotten dark. This time instead of the summoned food they ate some of the real food that Aeril had brought with him. After setting up camp, Aeril began to practice as Maji went over her spells in her spellbook.

Sometime later, when both were finished, they talked for a little while around the campfire, before Maji suggested that she take first watch. Aeril began to protest, but she pointed out that she could see much better in the dark and would do a much better job at keeping watch. Realizing she was probably right, Aeril relented and went to sleep. Maji woke him at about the same time as he had woken up the day before and like the day before when Maji woke up, she was greeted to a blanket with food waiting to be eaten.

This became their pattern for the next several days, until Aeril noticed a small group of houses far off in the distance. "Is that Farfield?" Aeril asked pointing it out to Maji.

Maji shook her head. "No, I shouldn't be. We should still have a few more days until we get there. Hold on a minute let me check my map." She quickly pulled her map from her adventurer's pouch and unfolded it. "Ok let see . . . If I'm not right, we should be about . . . Here." Moving her finger further to the left she found a dot and said. "This is Farfield, which means we're about halfway there. I'm not sure what city that is, it's not on my map."

"What about this city here?" Aeril pointed at a city to the north of the place Maji had said they should be."

Maji shuddered. "May the gods help us if it is. That's plague town!"

"Plague town?" Aeril asked curiously.

"Yes plague town. It's called that, because few remember its real name. Bards say that a long time ago a human necromancer of Bertoxxulous came to the town to convert its residents. But the people became angry and hung him. In anger the Plaguebringer himself inflicted the town with plague and disease. It is even said, that those gods, who normally oppose the Plaguebringer, did nothing to prevent it, since the people held a celebration over the death of that necromancer. At least that is what Salvin's told me is the local myth around here. I don't think anyone knows what really happened, but I definitely don't want to go there and try and find out."

Not knowing what to say to a story like that Aeril decided he'd rather not even think about anymore as it was starting to make him feel sick. "So then what city is that?"

Refolding her map and placing it back in her pouch Maji then began to start casting a spell. Aeril watched in amazement as the magic completely surrounded her, and she slowly began to change. Her body began to grow and expand, and dark blue skinned paled until it was lighter than even his skin. Her long white hair shortened, as did her long pointed elven ears. Her face became less angular and her eyes, which seemed to be seemed to be constantly changing colors, lost a lot of their almond shape, taking on a human-like roundness to them. Within six seconds he went from looking at Maji to a strange half elf with short white hair and yellow eyes.

"Well, what are you waiting for, come on. We're still a few hours away from that town, so we better hustle if we want to make it there before dark." Said the half elf speaking in Maji's voice.

"Maji? Is that you?"

Yellow eyes turned red with exasperation. "Of course it me! It's an illusion. I'm an enchanter remember? Illusions are one of our specialties. Have you never seen anyone cast an illusion before?"

Aeril shook his head no. "I've heard of it. I've even been tested for it, but I've never actually seen someone change like that. Its looks so real! You even grew a few inches and everything. If it wasn't for your voice and your eyes, I don't think I would have been able to guess it was you, if I hadn't seen you change yourself."

Maji nodded her head. "There are certain limitations on the spell. For the most part eyes, voice, hair color, and sex don't change. There are a few exceptions, but those are usually non-humanoid creatures whose features are extremely different or the more exotic races like ogres, trolls, iksars, and frogloks. There are more advanced spells that allow one to change all those things, but that is much too advanced for me to cast. Of course those are really only useful for masquerading as someone else or for hiding from someone who knows you, neither of which we need at the moment. All we need is to fool whoever lives there, that I'm not a Dark Elf and we should be fine."

"Ahh so that's why you changed, I was trying to figure out why you did that. Though wouldn't it be smarter to be a human or something?"

"Well it might get us a warmer welcome, but there's no way I'm illusioning myself as a human."

Aeril gave her a hurt look. "Why not?"

Maji sighed. "No offence, but humans might as well just walk around with their eyes closed at night for all they can see. The suns already setting and by the time we get there it'll be what you humans call dark, and I am not about to walk into an unknown village blind. Even your own body knows I'm right, why else would it turn elf when it gets too dark?"

This time it was Aeril who sighed. "Ok I guess you're right."

Her eyes momentarily flashed green. "Oh come on, lets go. You can sulk on the way there." Maji saw Aeril about to protest and quickly grabbed his hand and started dragging him towards the group of houses.

*******

Since nightfall Aeril had been getting curious about the strange lights that surrounded the city, which seemed to be in a state of constant flux. It was almost as if there was a group of people with torches, searching for something or someone. It wasn't until they approached the city that he found his answer. All around the city was a circling mass of knee high bugs with glowing eyes. "Wow! I've never seen so many Firebeetles in all my life. With this many Firebeetles around we should easily be able to get the fire beetle eye I need."

Maji grabbed his arm. "Don't!" She ordered. "These aren't the giant firebeetles that you need, the ones you're looking for are about four feet tall and a good four to six feet long. Don't you know attacking a fire beetle with an entire swarm nearby is practically suicide? Firebeetles tend to be loners, but they will always assist another beetle that has been attacked, even if it's dying itself itself."

"I'm sorry I didn't know that."

"I'm surprised though, don't you know about the fire beetle perimeter?" Aeril shook his head. "Goodness! You need to tell Varlon to let you out of the house more often. You humans call this the city firewall. These beetles provide an excellent source of protection at night by illuminating the area surrounding the city, so it's illegal in most human and erudite cities to kill Firebeetles at night. Well, at least Firebeetles in the firewall, if they wander away then they're free game. As soon as we get within the light shed by the beetles, you can bet any nearby guard tower is going to be pointing their spells and arrows at us."

Aeril looked really embarrassed now. He absentmindedly reached back and scratched the back of his pigtail. "Sorry."

"Don't worry, just let me talk." Letting go of his arm, she strode towards the living wall. Seeing them, the beetles moved away, opening a path leading to the village.village. Having stepped into the light provided by the city firewall, Aeril could now see the much more easily. He could see most of the houses had not yet been completely finished, which would explain why it wasn't on Maji's map. Along with the city walls and the guard towers, Aeril could only see three buildings that had been completed. As Maji had said, when they entered the lit area several of the guards immediately tensed as they quickly readied their weapons. The polished and gleaming weapons seemed odd to him though, as it didn't seem like they were made from normal steel.

Maji lead them slowly toward the city and past the guards. Or she would have if they hadn't blocked her way, weapons at the ready. "What business do you have here?" Asked a tall female human with short black hair.

"We are journeying westward and were hoping to rent a room in the inn -- that is if you've even built an inn."

The man next to her bristled at the comment but the woman raised her arm quickly to quite him. She silently studied them for a short time, looking them both over from top to bottom. Finally she lowered her sword. "Follow the road it's the large building you can see from here."

Nodding her head, Maji motioned to Aeril that he should follow her. She took several steps before she stopped and asked the girl in the short black hair. "How scared should we be of a werewolf attack tonight?"

Both guards turned to face her with a wide-eyed expression. "What was that?"

"Werewolf. A big hairy wolf thing that bites you and turns you into a big hairy wolf thing? Why else would you be manning the gates with silver weapons? I'm also pretty sure that the moon was nearly full last night, so how scared should we be of a werewolf attack?"

"Well there will be a full moon tonight," the lady explained "but there shouldn't be any reason for worry. Werewolves typically don't wander out this close to Freeport."

Maji nodded her head at them. "Well thank goodness for that! I saw the silvered weapons and I automatically assumed the worse. So I must thank you -- what is your name again?"

"Mechigia" answered the woman. "And this is my husband Zagorn."

"Well goodnight to you then. I hope we'll see you tomorrow before we leave. Perhaps if we do, we could talk a bit more. But we really must be getting to bed, we've had a long walk today, and we still have a long way to go. Goodnight"

Aeril said his good-byes to the guards and headed off to the inn after Maji. He arrived there just as she was paying the innkeeper; She took the room key from the innkeeper and began walking away towards the appropriate room. Aeril followed her until she reached the door and asked. "So Umm, where am I gonna stay?"

Maji gave him a flat stare. "Here of course. Tell me you didn't think I was going to rent a room for each of us? These rooms do cost money you know, and while it may seem that way, I don't exactly have an infinite supply of platinum." Aeril followed her as she entered the room and headed for a small desk in the corner of the room, where she sat and opened her spellbook. "Now if you really don't want to stay with me, feel free ask the innkeeper for another room."

Knowing he couldn't afford another room, Aeril sighed and sat at the foot of the large bed. "Ya I guess you're right. It probably is a waste of money getting another room." When she didn't respond, he began looking around the room. Looking the room over he concluded that there was nothing really special about the room. There was a desk, a large bed, two nightstands on either side of the bed, a full length mirror that hung on the wall between the desk and the standing closet, a few candles on the nightstands and desk, as well as a few small candlestands along the walls of the room. Not finding the room all that exciting, he turned his attention to focus on the dark elf girl seated at the desk. He watched intently as she flipped page after page only stopping to briefly scan a page before moving onto another. He decided he was too tired to practice, not that he would have been able to anyway considering the size of the room and the various candle stands in it. Since he didn't have much else to do, he began to do some stretches before going to sleep.

While doing his stretches his curiosity got the better of him, and he asked. "Why do you keep flipping through the pages like that? You don't normally do that."

"I'm trying to prepare some spells, but I can't decide which ones to prep." She said as she continued to flip through the book.

Aeril's eyebrow shot up at that. "Why not? You're not usually this indecisive about your spells. Is something upsetting you?"

She stopped flipping through the book and turned to face him. "I don't trust this place. There's something wrong about this village."

"How can you be so sure? It could be just a new village. It'll probably just take a little while before it shows up on the maps."

Raising her hand, She lift three fingers. "First. The guards seemed more on edge than they should have been, especially the male one. Second. They were wielding silvered weapons. The only reason someone would be using a silvered weapon is to use against a werewolf. And thirdly, she only said that werewolves were uncommon in the area. She never answered my question, neither by confirming that there was, nor by denying it. If she wasn't trying to hide something, why would she be so evasive about such a simple question?"

He thought about what she said for a few minutes, Maji not once looking away as she waited for her answer. Although pessimistic in nature, what she said did make sense. Still, he didn't like thinking pessimistically. It always left you feeling gloomy and depressed. After thinking a little while, he came upon a few possible answers. "Well they did seem pretty young for city guards and the city is still being built and all. Maybe that's why they were so jumpy."

"And the silvered weapons? I know enough about smithing to know that, silvered weapons are not worth the cost to make them for normal use. So they're only good for fighting werewolves or for use as an ornamental weapon."

Aeril frowned. "Ok, what if they came from a place where they're lotsa werewolves? That could be why they have them. I spent that much money for one, I would still be using it, even if I didn't really need it anymore. Wouldn't you? In fact -- " He started as an idea suddenly came to him. "What if that's why they moved here? Maybe the place they used to live at had lots of werewolves and so they decided to move somewhere safer. It makes sense, doesn't it?"

With a hesitant nod Maji agreed. "Ok, I suppose it does. But that still doesn't explain why she was being so evasive."

Aeril shrugged, as he finished his stretching and sat on the corner of the bed again. "I don't know. I'm just guessing here. Maybe your right, maybe something really is going on here. But it could just be that these guys moved out here cuz there's a buncha werewolves where they used to live. You should try to relax a little, maybe then you wouldn't be so paranoid."

"I am not paranoid, I'm cautious." She said correcting him. "The problem is, you are too naive. You don't have a clue about how treacherous the world and the people in it can be. Most dark elves wouldn't think twice about using you for their own needs and dumping you when you're no longer need. Whether that's just abandoning you, betraying you, or killing you would most likely depend on the mood he was in at the time. Everyone whether dark elf, high elf, or anything in between, is inherently selfish. Even those closest to you will eventually hurt and betray you at sometime or another."

Aeril frowned deeply at that comment, and the bitterness, passion, conviction, and certainty in her voice as she spoke it. "Not everyone is like that. The last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt or betray anyone. Not you, not Varlon, not Kryn, not Boomba, not anyone. Varlon has taken care of me for over seven years, ever since he found me, and I've known Kryn and Boomba for a long time too. None of them have ever hurt or betrayed me."

Maji looked down at the floor and spoke in a much more subdued voice. "It always happens -- always. For one reason or another, at on time or another, you're always hurt by those closest to you. Sometimes it's done in malice, such as when you're abandoned by your parents as a child in the forest to die. Sometimes it's simply a choice of you or them, so of course they choose themselves. And ironically enough, it's done by people who just want you to be happy. But in the end, whether it was for good or bad, it will happen. For all you know you they might have already betrayed you, and you just haven't realized it yet."

Aeril followed Maji's example and began to quietly stare at the floor. Was she right? Did his real parents abandon him? Did they really leave him to die at the hands of the Orcs, wolves, lions, or bears of the Commonlands? And why? Was it because of his change? Was that the reason they left him for dead in the Commonlands forest? The very same forest, that just a few days past, he and Maji began this sidequest?

As he thought about it more, his mind led him down another familiar path. While it was very likely that his parents did abandon him to die, it was also just as likely, that they could have fallen victim to an Orc raid like Maji nearly did. Orcs tended to attack in groups, yet there was only one Orc that had attacked him all those years ago. Was it because that Orc followed him as he tried to escape, while the rest stayed behind to kill his parents and anyone else with them? Aeril sighed and shook his head to clear his mind. For seven years he has asked himself which was it and why? He knew better than to continue that line of thinking, all it would do was depress him. He absently heard Maji tell him something, but was too distracted to understand what she had said. Looking up he was about to ask Maji what she had said when he suddenly froze in fear.

Maji had finally dropped her illusion. Though that wasn't surprising. It was actually more surprising that she had waited so long, considering how much she complained about "barely being able to see." What surprised him and had him scared half to death, was that she had taken off her robe and was in the process of continuing to remove the little clothing she had left. "W-what are you d-doing?" He squawked.

Maji gave him a flat stare. "What does it look like? I'm getting ready for bed, like I just told you." She said as she removed the already tight and provocatively cut red top she was wearing, allowing him to see what had been hidden underneath. Seeing the boy quickly turn away as he went into a full body blush, confused and angered the dark elven girl. "What?!" She demanded indignantly.

"Y-y-your -- " He paused, feeling confused and very uncomfortable. "Y-your n-naked!"

"And your point is?" She asked. "What, am I not GOOD enough for you? Is that it?" Demanded the enraged girl.

Aeril couldn't understand what was making her so mad, it wasn't like he was trying to peak on her. Yet the more he tried to explain the more incensed she became. "No! No way! It just wouldn't be right! That's all, honest! I mean you're a girl and all. Its just wrong, you know?" He cringing, as if expecting to be hit.

Maji's scowl dissolved as she thought she began to understand. Rolling her eyes, she said. "Don't tell me you humans are actually scared of looking at a person naked. How stupid can you humans be?" She said still quite a bit angry though not nearly as much. "I hope you know that what you just did, was one of the biggest insults you could ever give a dark elf."

Aeril turned to look at her in surprise and fear, before noticing she was still topless and looked down this time instead of turning away. "An insult? How? I mean I wasn't trying to insult you or nothing. I mean it, honest."

Maji took a deep breath to control her emotions. "As with all elves, dark elves highly appreciate beauty, and to the dark elf the body is nearly unparalleled in beauty. As such dark elves fashion their attire to exploit the beauty of their bodies. And although we lavishly flaunt our bodies, nakedness, even partial nakedness, is reserved. Just as one would not lend a prized possession to just anyone, so too is the full and unfettered view of one's body withheld from all but those we are especial to."

"Although this isn't done only for the aesthetic value alone. In a society rich in deceit and betrayal, it is quite dangerous to leave yourself vulnerable and unprotected. Being naked is the ultimate vulnerability to a dark elf. Our attire serves two non-aesthetic purposes: to provide protection, and to conceal weapons. By being naked, we are setting aside those defenses for the benefit of another. "

Aeril's eyes grew wide in horror, as he understood the meaning of both her action and his response. "So by looking away, I pretty much said you're extremely ugly and I snubbed your show of trust." He very slowly raised his vision and after confirming that she was far from ugly, tried to maintain eye contact with the offended girl. He noticed as he looked into her eyes, that ironically they were blue; the same eye-color she had when she was happy. He took a deep breath and solemnly said. "I am so sorry. If I woulda known, I woulda done it. I mean it. I'm really sorry."

Maji held her eyes shut tightly. Never in her entire life, had she felt such an intense feeling of hurt and betrayal. Not even when her parent's betrayal had hurt her this much. She thought wryly how ironic it was to have been betrayed so quickly after having just been told that he would never hurt or betray her. Although technically, he didn't betray her, since he was unaware of the significance of the actions either of them had committed.

No, the only one she had to blame was herself. She should never have done something so intimate, with a human who could hardly understand the meaning behind it. In her arrogance, she thought she completely understood humans. After all she having been taught how to successfully infiltrate human cities, and then living as she currently was in two of them, who wouldn't. Of course no dark elf teacher would see fit to mention it. Surely no dark elf infiltrator would ever feel secure enough to do so, in a city full of people who would happily kill them without a second thought to the contrary. Yet she had, after only having traveled together for about one week no less! It wasn't even that she had done it intentionally. That for her, further showed her just how much he had so quickly come to trust him.

As a whole, dark elves were nearly always in a hyper state of alert, as one never knows where and when someone one might attack. Because of this all dark elves were naturally light sleepers, extremely agile and quite skilled in the art of not being seen. This of course went doubly so for non-Innoruuk worshiping Dark Elves like Maji, who were often hunted and killed for sport. That she had let down her guard as she did, would be unbelievable to anyone who knew her well. Yet it didn't even seem all that odd to her now that she thought about it.

Between the first time they saw each other and right now, they had seen each other many times on her frequent trips to Freeport. And in all that time, even after she had attacked him twice, she had never felt any ill will or fear from him like most humans did. In fact he had even risked himself to help her out, unsolicited. But it was the first night they traveled together, that he earned her trust. That night she had asked him to setup camp for the both of them, because she was too tired. Soon thereafter she pretended to have fallen asleep against a tree and began to carefully observe what he would do when he thought she was asleep. After he had finished setting up their camp, he knelt besides her and checked to see if she had actually fallen asleep. Convinced that she was, he moved back to his bag and began rummaging through it. When he returned, he gently picked her up and carefully laid her head down on the pillow. Then he wrapped her up in his blanket and made sure she was comfortable, before moving back to fire to eat and keep watch.

Having spent most of her hurt and anger, she took one last deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. She had no idea how long she had been lost in her thoughts, but she could tell Aeril was both extremely worried about her and upset with himself for his inadvertent slight he made to her. "It's ok. There was no way you could have known the significance of both your action and mine. Tell me though, why is it you humans are so scared to look at someone naked."

"Well you see, it's not that we're scared to look, it just -- well we just don't. I mean we do, but not by just anyone. I mean -- I guess it's ok if you're married, so I guess it's kinda like you said. It's so special that you're only supposed to show your husband or wife. You get me?"

"Then why do your women often bathe naked together?"

"Uh -- well . . . it's ok for girls to see another girl naked, just not guys. And its ok for a guy to see another guy, but not girls."

Maji looked really confused now. "But you just said that the naked body should only be seen by one's mate, then why is it ok to look at other women, or to be looked at by another woman?"

Aeril sighed not knowing how to explain it. "Well cuz they're girls! I mean it's not like you actually go to the bath to be looked at. It's just ok. I guess maybe it's because seeing another girl naked is pretty much the same thing as seeing yourself naked."

Maji gave him a questioning look. "Well I still don't see the difference, but if you say it's ok for a woman to look at another woman because they're the same, then why did you turn away just now? There nothing I have that you haven't seen on yourself plenty of times right? Or is that change not as complete as it would seem?"

That brought back Aeril's full body blush. "Uh, well -- uh ya it's a uh complete change. Well as far as I know anyway."

"Then why did you look away?" She said pressed.

Somehow Aeril managed to become even redder. "Well that is -- " he said, suddenly finding his index fingers extremely interesting. "Well, you know, I though that since I'm half guy, I should probably, you know, not look. I uh didn't want to get you upset with me or to make you think I'm some kinda pervert or something."

"A pervert?" she asked laughing. "Why would I think that?"

Aeril was now feeling extremely flustered. His face felt like it was on fire, and he couldn't remember the last time he was even close to being as embarrassed as he was right now. "Cuz. Um cuz I uh might . . . you know! Cuz I might . . . "

Maji found it extremely hilarious. "Because you might enjoy what you see? Is that what you were going to say?" She asked guessing what he was slowly trying to get at. His even more embarrassed nod told her she had guess correctly, which of course sent her into a fit of laughter. Seeing Aeril's confusion she said. "Weren't you listening? That my dear boy, was the point! You're supposed to enjoy what you see!"

Aeril looked at her as is if she had just been talking to him on orcish. "Huh? But I -- "

Maji cut him off before he could get any further. With laughter still in her voice she said. "Let's just go to sleep. I'm getting tired. Tomorrow is a new day and we still have several days before we reach Farfield. If you want, we can talk all about the intricacies of our cultures and their views on nudity and social norms as we travel."

"Uh, ok sure, I suppose. I guess you get the bed. I'll just sleep on the floor."

Maji who had turned to retrieve her spellbook turned around to face him, giving him a pointed stare. "You're going to sleep on the floor?"

Aeril smiled nervously. Something in her tone of voice told him, that she was less than happy about his suggestion of sleeping on the floor. Deciding he would rather not risk offending her yet again, he said. "On second thought, the floor doesn't look nearly as comfortable as the bed, and there's more than enough room for the two of us. Ya I think I'll sleep on the bed."

Without saying a word, Maji removed the lion-cloth-like accessory that was attached to her remaining undergarment. Aeril swallowed nervously, afraid that she might continue and remove that last bit clothing that she had on. He sighed in relief when she instead picked up her spellbook from the desk. Turning to look at him in the bed, she asked. "Do you want me to blow out the candles?"

"I don't really mind. But if your gonna read you can go ahead and leave them on. The light won't keep me up."

Maji laughed as she began walking around the room blowing out the candles. "You seem to forget, I can see perfectly well in the dark. I have as much need of a candle for light as you would at noon." Reaching the bed, she pulled back the covers and slid into the bed next to him. She began flipping through the pages of her spellbook again, silently reading and memorizing spells for several minutes, before placing the book on the night-stand next to her. With a yawn she said. "Goodnight Aeril." When she didn't receive an answer, she turned to look at the boy, and found him very much asleep. She smiled to herself and shook her head. If by one week things had already gotten this interesting, she couldn't wait to see how what it would be like in about two months when they finished. "Adventure indeed." She said as yet another yawn over took her and she fell asleep.





Comments for chapters 10 & 11 (the first chapter was the prologue or chapter 0. But fanfiction.net always counts it as chapter 1)



I decided to try placing the comments in the same file so as not to confuse people. That Faydwer trip is being postponed due to Maji's impromptu rune quest. It wasn't part of my original idea for the story, but I think it'll work out. Let me know what you think. Both about rune quest and about the end of chapter comments. Of course it always nice to get feedback. That way not only will I know that someone else is actually reading it, but I'll know whether you like it or not. I welcome all feedback, I'd like to know both what you like about it and what you don't like.

Salvin's parents are characters taken from the EverQuest comic: Transformations. If you'd like to read it, you can try your local comic or bookstore, its actually more of a trade paperback than a comic. I would have suggested going to the official everquest website (www.everquest.com) or Sony Online Entertainment store () but I checked and they aren't selling it at this time; though that doesn't mean they may not eventually sell it there.

Feel free to email and ask me question if you have any. I use a wide variety of sources when I write this story and they don't always agree, so I either choose what I think is most appropriate or make something up. Also for those of you who aren't aware, You can find Chaos Quest and a few other things like pictures, information, and link on my webpage (www.thekirealm.com) so you may want to go there, as you may find I'll add chapters there before I post it here.