p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"They get into Defiance Bay, making their way through the crowds easily enough - kith tend to get out of the way when there's a fox following you obediently./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Sagani's eying Cera carefully, like she's not entirely sure whether or not to believe the elven woman when she says she's a Watcher. Hard to believe at first, but the sheer amount of staring at dead things and out into space quickly convinces people./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Or the nightmares she keeps getting, those are just as effective. Aloth's shaken her awake from four of them since leaving Caed Nua, and none of them seem to be anything but worse than the last. She won't talk about them, but she's got dark circles under her eyes by now and is getting twitchy - the last part is not so surprising, considering the fact that they get into trouble on a regular basis with wilders, beasts, and such./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Kana says "She seems to be holding up alright, for now anyway."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Aloth nods, eying the elven woman as she weaves around strangers easily enough. "She's holding out for now. But the sooner we find the Leaden Key, the sooner we can get her some help, or even just answers, and she won't have to be holding out."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Sagani nods, and says "I didn't see Maerwald, but your description of him doesn't sound like a good way to go. Little wonder she wants to avoid that fate."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Aloth nods, then realizes Cera has simply disappeared in the crowd at some point while they were talking. Eder and Aloth share a look, and then they spread out looking for her - between the fact that she can already hear people's voices whispering in her head because she's a Cipher, her being a Watcher, and the fact that this district is big enough on its own, she's more likely to wander around until she stops dead and stares at something for another twenty minutes rather than find them./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"She's not watching the performance up on stage, nobody in the Goose and Fox inn has seen her - they can only hope she didn't leave the Copperlane District just yet./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Aloth finally finds her in the marketplace, talking amiably with a woman she calls Lora. She gets a large smile on her face when she sees him - a lot more relaxed than he's seen on her yet, and not at all unpleasant - and quickly makes her way over to him./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"The fact that she looks entirely unharmed and unbothered helps him relax just a little, and Iselmyr's voice sounds in his head emYe daft nitwit. Ye'll worry yersel' to death o'er a lass tha' can more than han'le herself an' anyone fool enough to cross her./em/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"He doesn't have any time to make up a retort to Iselmyr's words as Cera gets over to him. "I got some directions to an old temple to Woedica from Lora. And…I may have gotten you something to."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Aloth raises an eyebrow at that last part, noticing the blush spreading across her face rapidly, and asks "What is it? And where's the temple?"/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""In First Fires, near the entrance to Brackenbury. As for what I got you…hold out your hand." He does, and she drops a golden ring into it. "Lora said it was useful to Wizards, the enchantment…increases the number of times you can cast spells in a day? I didn't really understand it all that much, but…"/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Aloth's eyes get huge when he realizes what she's talking about - this ring must have cost a fortune! "Cera, where…how…"/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"She shakes her head, and says "I wanted you to have it. As a sort of thank-you for not just dumping me after hearing about…about what's going on. And about me in general. Most people either think I'm digging up every secret they have or just call me a freak and leave."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""Never. You can just do different things than me. That doesn't…who called you a freak?"/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"She puts on a smile, though he can tell it's fake and there's some pain hidden under it, and says "Doesn't matter. They're far away anyway."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""Cera…I'd have stayed anyway. You didn't have to get me this."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""But I wanted to. Besides, what else were we going to do with two dozen Xaurip spears anyway? Between that and the stuff from the looters we found in Caed Nua - along with that monstrous spider - it wasn't too much. And…" She trails off and looks away, there's something she's not saying - doesn't want to remember maybe./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"He gently prods "And?"/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""And I may have started out with some money beforehand. When I left home in Aedyr, well, I didn't plan on ever going back. So I took some food, my crossbow, and enough money to get me to wherever I thought was interesting, and then I left."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"He incredulously asks "And you picked emGilded Vale/em as an interesting place?"/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""He offered a free home to anyone willing to come. It's not like he was advertising the tree in the middle of the town or anything." She shrugs uncomfortably, and says "Besides, it was somewhere my parents wouldn't think to look for me. A little village full of superstitious farmers that still hold a grudge against Aedyrans, they wouldn't think their…daughter would go there to live."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"The way she paused at the description of herself, like she was about to say something else but thought better of it - Aloth can relate all too well, thanks to his father. "You don't sound like you got along very well. You and your parents."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""We didn't. So I left. They're rather ashamed of me, and to be entirely honest, the feelings are mutual. They'd rather I never existed, I'd rather deny that I share a drop of blood with them."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"He knows enough to know that such a conversation as one about her parents like this is best not done in a crowded marketplace - chances are she'll have a story to tell much like his but without the Awakening part. Strict parents, being forced to follow certain rules or be something you're not, etc. At least, if the way she was awkward about the hug they shared was any indication, they possibly had similar childhoods./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"And if that's the case, then her parents would likely foam at the mouth at the idea of getting a friend something just because you can - which makes it worth all the more. He smiles at her after a moment, putting his hand on her arm after slipping the ring on, and says "Let's go find the others. We all split up to look for you when we realized we didn't see you."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Cera nods, and says "Maybe we should keep ahold of each other so we don't get split up again."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Aloth nods, seeing the practical wisdom in that, and slides his hand down to hers before they set off. They get more than a few looks heading through the crowds, one drunk man gives them a look that says a lot of things and none of them appropriate, until they find Eder and Kana - Sagani's a lot harder to find, they eventually resort to Cera tracking her down via her mental powers. Turns out those come in real handy for a lot of things./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"And Edér immediately comments on the fact that Aloth and Cera's hands are clasped together - resulting in a bunch of flustered stammering about the crowds and trying to stick together, making the farmhand laugh./p
hr style="background-color: #a0a0a0; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" noshade="noshade" size="1" /
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"In Ondra's Gift, which is apparently the beating heart of Defiance Bay's trade, Aloth sees a Vailian merchant with a rack full of items. Cera's finished talking with the unique woman who stormed out of the building in one bad temper, and is inside at the moment./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"One of the items, an amulet that seems to be carved from a ruby and is held on a chain by a silver clasp, catches his eye./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"The merchant sees his look at once and says "Ah, you sir have good taste!" He takes the pendant off its holder and says "This, good sir, is known as the Brîshalgwin Mindmarker. Supposed to enhance the abilities of Ciphers. Its story traces back to the Glanfathans, when they gave it to a Cipher who was very gifted at what they do. And they believe it to be a relic from the Engwithans themselves. Whether that part is true or not, the stories all say this amulet enhances a Cipher's abilities - how, I don't actually know. Never had the misfortune to run afoul of one, and I'm not itching to."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Aloth nods in agreement, he's seen Cera's powers in action enough times to know Ciphers aren't really to be trifled with. "How much?" She got him a ring that must have cost a good few thousand coppers, if not more, why not get her something useful as well?/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"emAye, an' the fac' that it's a right fetching trinke' has noth'n to do wit' it, eh lad? /em/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"emShut up, Islemyr./em/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""A hundred and ten coppers, sir." Not terribly expensive, considering the prices in Aedyr he's seen for something that looks nearly the same./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Cera walks out of the door right beside them just as he puts the amulet in his pocket for now - the merchant's eyes widen and he smirks at the wizard when he realizes he knows the very pretty elf woman beckoning to him. He gives the merchant a look that says 'Not a word' and heads over./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Seems they're playing delivery for a few minutes, an hour at the most, and dropping off a bag of 'medicinal seeds' to a buyer. Cera wasn't too sure that she was getting the whole story here - who needs to contract a company to deliver something in Defiance Bay when you're emin/em Defiance Bay, for instance - but agreed to do the delivery as it seemed simple enough./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Of course, the guy that they're delivering the seeds to tells them House Doemenel is heavily involved in stuff like this - Verzano is actually budging in the business where he really shouldn't be - and that they just completed an illegal transaction./p
hr style="background-color: #a0a0a0; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" noshade="noshade" size="1" /
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"After the whole incident with Verzano is finished, the feathered woman, Pallegina she's called, agrees to join them. She's also got a mission of her own now, broker a trade agreement with the Glanfathans./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Pallegina, for one, thinks that might come to be a mistake in the long run - given the Dyrwoodans' treatment of a man claiming to be Eothas, it's not unlikely that they might make a war over the Vailian Republics stealing their trade. They blew up a guy claiming to be possessed by a god, and one of the more popular ones at that, going to war with another nation isn't entirely unthinkable./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"After they get out of the Vailian Embassy, they head to the temple literally in eyesight of them - the ruined temple. Luckily, apparently there's a ghost in it that tells them the easiest way into the true sanctum is the entrance in Copperlane./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Pallegina and Sagana both give her questioning looks about the sudden information, until Kana and Eder explain about the habit she's developed of staring at what they see as nothing for minutes on end and coming away from it with new information./p
hr style="background-color: #a0a0a0; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" noshade="noshade" size="1" /
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"strongAN: Ok, so the ring Cera got Aloth is called 'Telda's Ring' it gives Wizards one extra first and third level spell each. They got the Xaurip spears and stuff from the Endless paths, Kana having insisted on taking a look - rabid historian on the loose! PS. the view count is frozen at 14, so I'd really love to know how you all are giving accurate reviews. Anyway, enjoy! More chapters coming soon enough! Hope nobody gets too confused about the timings for stuff - trying to keep from going insane just seems like one of the bigger priorities compared to some of the other side quests. /strong/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Sagani's eying Cera carefully, like she's not entirely sure whether or not to believe the elven woman when she says she's a Watcher. Hard to believe at first, but the sheer amount of staring at dead things and out into space quickly convinces people./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Or the nightmares she keeps getting, those are just as effective. Aloth's shaken her awake from four of them since leaving Caed Nua, and none of them seem to be anything but worse than the last. She won't talk about them, but she's got dark circles under her eyes by now and is getting twitchy - the last part is not so surprising, considering the fact that they get into trouble on a regular basis with wilders, beasts, and such./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Kana says "She seems to be holding up alright, for now anyway."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Aloth nods, eying the elven woman as she weaves around strangers easily enough. "She's holding out for now. But the sooner we find the Leaden Key, the sooner we can get her some help, or even just answers, and she won't have to be holding out."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Sagani nods, and says "I didn't see Maerwald, but your description of him doesn't sound like a good way to go. Little wonder she wants to avoid that fate."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Aloth nods, then realizes Cera has simply disappeared in the crowd at some point while they were talking. Eder and Aloth share a look, and then they spread out looking for her - between the fact that she can already hear people's voices whispering in her head because she's a Cipher, her being a Watcher, and the fact that this district is big enough on its own, she's more likely to wander around until she stops dead and stares at something for another twenty minutes rather than find them./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"She's not watching the performance up on stage, nobody in the Goose and Fox inn has seen her - they can only hope she didn't leave the Copperlane District just yet./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Aloth finally finds her in the marketplace, talking amiably with a woman she calls Lora. She gets a large smile on her face when she sees him - a lot more relaxed than he's seen on her yet, and not at all unpleasant - and quickly makes her way over to him./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"The fact that she looks entirely unharmed and unbothered helps him relax just a little, and Iselmyr's voice sounds in his head emYe daft nitwit. Ye'll worry yersel' to death o'er a lass tha' can more than han'le herself an' anyone fool enough to cross her./em/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"He doesn't have any time to make up a retort to Iselmyr's words as Cera gets over to him. "I got some directions to an old temple to Woedica from Lora. And…I may have gotten you something to."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Aloth raises an eyebrow at that last part, noticing the blush spreading across her face rapidly, and asks "What is it? And where's the temple?"/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""In First Fires, near the entrance to Brackenbury. As for what I got you…hold out your hand." He does, and she drops a golden ring into it. "Lora said it was useful to Wizards, the enchantment…increases the number of times you can cast spells in a day? I didn't really understand it all that much, but…"/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Aloth's eyes get huge when he realizes what she's talking about - this ring must have cost a fortune! "Cera, where…how…"/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"She shakes her head, and says "I wanted you to have it. As a sort of thank-you for not just dumping me after hearing about…about what's going on. And about me in general. Most people either think I'm digging up every secret they have or just call me a freak and leave."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""Never. You can just do different things than me. That doesn't…who called you a freak?"/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"She puts on a smile, though he can tell it's fake and there's some pain hidden under it, and says "Doesn't matter. They're far away anyway."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""Cera…I'd have stayed anyway. You didn't have to get me this."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""But I wanted to. Besides, what else were we going to do with two dozen Xaurip spears anyway? Between that and the stuff from the looters we found in Caed Nua - along with that monstrous spider - it wasn't too much. And…" She trails off and looks away, there's something she's not saying - doesn't want to remember maybe./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"He gently prods "And?"/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""And I may have started out with some money beforehand. When I left home in Aedyr, well, I didn't plan on ever going back. So I took some food, my crossbow, and enough money to get me to wherever I thought was interesting, and then I left."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"He incredulously asks "And you picked emGilded Vale/em as an interesting place?"/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""He offered a free home to anyone willing to come. It's not like he was advertising the tree in the middle of the town or anything." She shrugs uncomfortably, and says "Besides, it was somewhere my parents wouldn't think to look for me. A little village full of superstitious farmers that still hold a grudge against Aedyrans, they wouldn't think their…daughter would go there to live."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"The way she paused at the description of herself, like she was about to say something else but thought better of it - Aloth can relate all too well, thanks to his father. "You don't sound like you got along very well. You and your parents."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""We didn't. So I left. They're rather ashamed of me, and to be entirely honest, the feelings are mutual. They'd rather I never existed, I'd rather deny that I share a drop of blood with them."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"He knows enough to know that such a conversation as one about her parents like this is best not done in a crowded marketplace - chances are she'll have a story to tell much like his but without the Awakening part. Strict parents, being forced to follow certain rules or be something you're not, etc. At least, if the way she was awkward about the hug they shared was any indication, they possibly had similar childhoods./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"And if that's the case, then her parents would likely foam at the mouth at the idea of getting a friend something just because you can - which makes it worth all the more. He smiles at her after a moment, putting his hand on her arm after slipping the ring on, and says "Let's go find the others. We all split up to look for you when we realized we didn't see you."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Cera nods, and says "Maybe we should keep ahold of each other so we don't get split up again."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Aloth nods, seeing the practical wisdom in that, and slides his hand down to hers before they set off. They get more than a few looks heading through the crowds, one drunk man gives them a look that says a lot of things and none of them appropriate, until they find Eder and Kana - Sagani's a lot harder to find, they eventually resort to Cera tracking her down via her mental powers. Turns out those come in real handy for a lot of things./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"And Edér immediately comments on the fact that Aloth and Cera's hands are clasped together - resulting in a bunch of flustered stammering about the crowds and trying to stick together, making the farmhand laugh./p
hr style="background-color: #a0a0a0; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" noshade="noshade" size="1" /
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"In Ondra's Gift, which is apparently the beating heart of Defiance Bay's trade, Aloth sees a Vailian merchant with a rack full of items. Cera's finished talking with the unique woman who stormed out of the building in one bad temper, and is inside at the moment./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"One of the items, an amulet that seems to be carved from a ruby and is held on a chain by a silver clasp, catches his eye./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"The merchant sees his look at once and says "Ah, you sir have good taste!" He takes the pendant off its holder and says "This, good sir, is known as the Brîshalgwin Mindmarker. Supposed to enhance the abilities of Ciphers. Its story traces back to the Glanfathans, when they gave it to a Cipher who was very gifted at what they do. And they believe it to be a relic from the Engwithans themselves. Whether that part is true or not, the stories all say this amulet enhances a Cipher's abilities - how, I don't actually know. Never had the misfortune to run afoul of one, and I'm not itching to."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Aloth nods in agreement, he's seen Cera's powers in action enough times to know Ciphers aren't really to be trifled with. "How much?" She got him a ring that must have cost a good few thousand coppers, if not more, why not get her something useful as well?/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"emAye, an' the fac' that it's a right fetching trinke' has noth'n to do wit' it, eh lad? /em/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"emShut up, Islemyr./em/p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;""A hundred and ten coppers, sir." Not terribly expensive, considering the prices in Aedyr he's seen for something that looks nearly the same./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Cera walks out of the door right beside them just as he puts the amulet in his pocket for now - the merchant's eyes widen and he smirks at the wizard when he realizes he knows the very pretty elf woman beckoning to him. He gives the merchant a look that says 'Not a word' and heads over./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Seems they're playing delivery for a few minutes, an hour at the most, and dropping off a bag of 'medicinal seeds' to a buyer. Cera wasn't too sure that she was getting the whole story here - who needs to contract a company to deliver something in Defiance Bay when you're emin/em Defiance Bay, for instance - but agreed to do the delivery as it seemed simple enough./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Of course, the guy that they're delivering the seeds to tells them House Doemenel is heavily involved in stuff like this - Verzano is actually budging in the business where he really shouldn't be - and that they just completed an illegal transaction./p
hr style="background-color: #a0a0a0; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" noshade="noshade" size="1" /
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"After the whole incident with Verzano is finished, the feathered woman, Pallegina she's called, agrees to join them. She's also got a mission of her own now, broker a trade agreement with the Glanfathans./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Pallegina, for one, thinks that might come to be a mistake in the long run - given the Dyrwoodans' treatment of a man claiming to be Eothas, it's not unlikely that they might make a war over the Vailian Republics stealing their trade. They blew up a guy claiming to be possessed by a god, and one of the more popular ones at that, going to war with another nation isn't entirely unthinkable./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"After they get out of the Vailian Embassy, they head to the temple literally in eyesight of them - the ruined temple. Luckily, apparently there's a ghost in it that tells them the easiest way into the true sanctum is the entrance in Copperlane./p
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"Pallegina and Sagana both give her questioning looks about the sudden information, until Kana and Eder explain about the habit she's developed of staring at what they see as nothing for minutes on end and coming away from it with new information./p
hr style="background-color: #a0a0a0; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" noshade="noshade" size="1" /
p style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"strongAN: Ok, so the ring Cera got Aloth is called 'Telda's Ring' it gives Wizards one extra first and third level spell each. They got the Xaurip spears and stuff from the Endless paths, Kana having insisted on taking a look - rabid historian on the loose! PS. the view count is frozen at 14, so I'd really love to know how you all are giving accurate reviews. Anyway, enjoy! More chapters coming soon enough! Hope nobody gets too confused about the timings for stuff - trying to keep from going insane just seems like one of the bigger priorities compared to some of the other side quests. /strong/p