Disclaimer: Magic: The Gathering is copyright Wizards of the Coast. All original characters belong to me.

Chapter 22-Alaysia's excellent adventure

"Have you come to a decision, Daughter of Rashnak?"

Alaysia felt her heart beat faster as all eyes turned to her. The assembly held its breath, awaiting her verdict.

A day had passed since Alaysia's powers had become known to the village. The rumor that Alaysia might be leaving for Taj-Nar to serve the Kha had spread through the settlement like wildfire and everybody was anxious to hear what she had decided. The council of elders was once again assembled in the Council Hut, but this time, the entire village was crowded around it.

"I have, Elders," said Alaysia. She paused for a moment to look at her family. She could see the fear in Argoth's eyes at the possibility of losing his sister. Rashnak looked calm, but Alaysia could see signs of anxiety in the old cat's face. "I have decided to abide by the council's request and go to the Den," said Alaysia. The assembly immediately burst into excited chatter and one of the cubs who'd managed to sneak in, ran out screaming, "She's going! She's going!"

"SILENCE!" roared Monyan, attempting to quiet the assembly so he could speak. Once the chatter had died down to hushed conversations, he turned to Alaysia. "Are you certain of your choice?" he asked.

"Yes, Elder," said Alaysia. "I wish to learn more about my gift and help my people."

"Then so be it!" said Monyan "You will depart for the Den tomorrow at dawn. The journey across the Razor Fields is perilous, so you will have an armed escort to protect you."

"Elder, may I make a request?" asked Argoth.

"Speak, young one," said Monyan.

"I ask that I be permitted to accompany my sister to the Den."

"The council cannot grant your request, Son of Rashnak," said Monyan, after a quick deliberation with the rest of the council. "Alaysia must make haste and in your condition, you would only slow her down."

"She is my sister! Elders, I beg of you…"

"The matter is closed, Argoth," said Monyan sternly. "Alaysia, this council recognizes your decision. Go now, and prepare for your journey."

"Thank you for your aid, Elders," said Alaysia, bowing to the council.

"This council is adjourned," said Monyan. The elders stood and filed out of the hut, the crowd parting to let them pass.

"I cannot believe you are going to abandon your pride!" said Argoth. The two Leonin had returned to her tent and Argoth was venting his anger at Alaysia's decision.

Alaysia sat on her cot, staring at the floor. Her brother's words pained her, but her mind was made up.

"I cannot believe you are being so selfish!" continued Argoth. "Think of Father and me!"

"Stop it!" yelled Alaysia. "You are the one being selfish! Why do you always hold me back? You're always forbidding me to do anything even slightly perilous! Let me make my own choices for once!"

Argoth was shocked. He had never seen Alaysia lose her temper and it was frightening to see the usually calm and demure Leonin glaring at him with burning eyes.

"Do as you wish," he snarled, storming out of the tent. Alaysia wanted to run after him and apologize, but she did not feel as if she had done anything wrong. Argoth couldn't go after the Elders had approved

Lying down on her bed, she still felt a great wave of sadness overtake her. What if something happened to him and the last memory she had of him was this? Turning over, she quietly sobbed into her pillow until sleep overtook her.

The next morning, Alaysia had awoken before dawn, unable to sleep any longer. She knew that from this day forth, her life would be forever changed. As she sat outside her tent, watching the moons of Mirrodin sink below the horizon, a sense of dread overcame her. She was leaving everything she had known behind for an uncertain future. For a brief moment, she considered going to the Elders and telling them she had changed her mind and wished to stay in the village, but she pushed this away. As much as she feared the thought of leaving the village, she could feel this was the right decision. Somehow, something was pushing her to leave; perhaps this was why she always enjoyed exploring the Tangle.

"It is time." said Rashnak, stepping out of the tent and placing a paw on his daughter's shoulder.

"Father, do you agree with my decision?" asked Alaysia.

"I do not wish to lose my daughter, but it gives me great pride to see you taking control of your destiny. I knew the day would come when you would leave us, but I am glad you have chosen your path of your own will."

"I only wish Argoth saw it that way," sighed Alaysia.

"Your brother is still young. He will grieve your departure, but in time, will come to realize that perhaps you were meant for greater things than what our village has to offer."

"This isn't goodbye forever; we will see each other again, yes?"

"Of course," chuckled Rashnak. "I may be old, but the time has not yet come for me to leave you. Now come, you must be off."

Nodding, Alaysia returned to the tent and grabbed her pack, which contained her clothes, rations and a few personal items.

"I have something else for you," said Rashnak, rummaging through a trunk. He pulled out a long dagger in its sheath and presented it to Alaysia. "I pray you never have need to use this," he said "It belonged to your mother; may her spirit watch over you."

Taking the gift, Alaysia drew the dagger: it was a finely crafted, two-edged blade, approximately a paw and a half in length.

"It is Darksteel," said Rashnak, as his daughter examined the dagger. Alaysia gasped: Darksteel: a powerful, rare metal that was indestructible. Not even the corrosive mists of the Mephidross could consume this metal. Due to its rarity, pure Darksteel was seldom used to smith weaponry. The dagger she now held must have been worth a fortune! It was rumored there was a way to alloy Darksteel with other metals to render them more resistant.

"Father, it is beautiful. Thank you," said Alaysia.

"I am glad you like it," said Rashnak. "Now, we must see you off."

Tucking the dagger into her travel robes, Alaysia followed her father out of the tent and to the outskirts of the village where the tribe was gathered to see her off. Monyan and the Elders were there as well. Her escort, four of the village's best warriors was waiting, ready to accompany her on her long journey. When the crowd saw Alaysia, they began applauding. Alaysia blushed from the adulation, but continued walking until she reached the Elders. She bowed to them, as did Rashnak, and Monyan raised his paw to silence the crowd.

"A member of our pride leaves us today," he began "Alaysia, Daughter of Rashnak is bound for Taj-Nar to serve the Kha. We will lament her departure, but rejoice that one of us may prove to be a valuable asset to our war against the Nim!" The crowd roared in approval. "May Alaysia's journey take her safely to the Den and may we all live long enough to see her return one day. May her courage and dedication to her people be an inspiration for generations to come, and may her name and deeds be retold until the end of time!" Again, the crowd roared.

"Go forth, Daughter of Rashnak," said Monyan, this time to Alaysia. "May the Gods watch over you."

"Thank you, Elder," said Alaysia. "I will make our pride proud."

Embracing her father one last time, Alaysia shouldered her pack. Amidst triumphant roars, the party set off across the plains, the villagers remaining assembled until they had disappeared on the horizon. As she left the village, surrounded by her escort, Alaysia felt a shiver of excitement pass through her. Never before had she traveled so far away from home and the thought of what lay ahead thrilled her. The only cloud that came to dampen her spirits was her regret that Argoth had not been there to bid her farewell. Their fight the previous night troubled her, but she still would have liked to embrace him one last time before leaving.

The first three days of the journey were uneventful. The party would hike across the Razor Fields all day, set up camp when night fell, and resume their trek the following morning. However, on the fourth morning, one of the Leonin guards noticed some of their rations were missing. He didn't think much of it, assuming somebody had gotten hungry during the night and helped themselves to some extra, or that it had been some wild animal during the night, but it happened again the following day, and after inspecting the area near the camp, they found a large patch of flattened grass, indicating something had slept there. Whatever it was, they were now sure of one thing: it was following them. They said nothing about their discovery to Alaysia, so as not to frighten her, but they remained vigilant and kept a close eye on their ration bags. With the increased surveillance, the ration thefts ceased, but the possibility of being stalked still remained.

A week after their departure there was no indication of how close they were to their destination. The first few days had been difficult for Alaysia. She was not used to traveling long distances, and had been unable to sleep for the first night, due to how sore she was. The limited food was also a problem for her. The Leonin guards had been trained to survive on little, but Alaysia had a hearty appetite and the lack of food left her always hungry. She found herself looking forwards to their ration breaks, whereupon she would gobble down her share eagerly, even though it did not satisfy her hunger. However, after a week of this regime, she discovered her body had begun to get used to the long walks. She now experienced no trouble in keeping up with the Leonin guards and slept as soundly on the ground as she would have in her own bed. The lack of food still bothered her, and the first thing she planned on doing when they reached a settlement was to sit down to an enormous feast. Little did she know how soon this opportunity would present itself.

It was midday and the suns beat down on the party from above. They had settled down for a break, but Alaysia was restless. Something felt wrong. As they sat there, chewing down their meager rations, it happened. With a thunderous crash, a gigantic metal beast charged out of the razorgrass and towards the group. The Leonin barely had time to scatter before the creature trampled through, crushing their supplies beneath its feet.

Alaysia was separated from the guards in the confusion. Her first instinct was to run. The other Leonin were trained in combat and could defend themselves against the creature, while she wouldn't stand a chance against it. As she ran, Alaysia could hear the cries of pain of the guards, and she found she could not ignore their plight and turned back. She was frozen in horror by what she saw; one of the Leonin lay on the ground, agonizing in a pool of blood. The three remaining Leonin were locked in battle with the creature. One of them managed to spring up onto the creature's back and drove his sword deep into its neck. The monster roared in pain and grabbed the Leonin with a clawed hand, tossing it aside. The Leonin fell to the ground with a sickening thud and did not move. The creature was only further angered by its wound and charged at the two remaining guards. They fought bravely, but soon met their end in the claws of the creature.

Having dispatched its prey, the creature looked around to ensure no predators were lying in wait, ready to steal its kill. It noticed Alaysia, who was still in shock, and reared up, gave a triumphant roar, and charged the Leonin. Alaysia was rooted to the spot and could only helplessly watch as the creature approached at an alarming speed. Closing her eyes, she awaited her death, praying it would be quick and painless. Her last thoughts went to Argoth; how she wished she could have seen him one last time.

The resounding clash of metal-on-metal rang out through the air. Alaysia braced herself for the pain, but there was none. Curious, she opened her eyes and gasped at the sight before her; Argoth was standing over her, his metallic arm blocking the creature's strike.

"Run!" he panted, as the creature, momentarily stunned by his sudden appearance, growled and pushed back against him.

Alaysia couldn't leave him. He would not last long against the monster. The now-dead Leonin had been among the village's best soldiers, and even they had been no match for the creature. Argoth didn't stand a chance. As much as she feared her power, she knew that the only way to save her brother was to use it. She remembered the wound on the creature's back; this was its weak point. If she could attack the wound, she might be able to kill the monster.

She racked her mind, thinking of something powerful enough to take it down, and recalled an artifact she'd seen a Leonin use in a battle against the Nim. She didn't know if it would be enough, but it was her only option. She pictured the small orb in her mind, trying to imagine it in every detail. It was a deep red with a netting of lines running over its surface. On the top of the orb was a golden sun with an inscription on it. It read, "Melt that which was never frozen." As she pictured the artifact, she could feel the rush of power through her body and knew she had succeeded. A small glow appeared in her paw, pulsating to the beat of her heart. In grew brighter and larger until it was about the size of her fist. The glow faded, leaving the orb in her paw.

Alaysia felt slightly winded from her efforts, but knew it wasn't over; she still needed to get the artifact into the creature's wound. She would need to call upon a creature to deliver it there. It would have to be small and agile, in order to avoid the creature's claws. As she tried to think of a suitable creature, she felt the strange sensation coursing through her once again and another orb appeared beside her. It sprouted spindly legs and arms, the creature quickly taking shape.

It was short, approximately the height of a young cub. Its thin arms ended in small claw and it titled its triangular head at Alaysia, making a series on incomprehensible clicks. Somehow, Alaysia knew it was there to help. She handed the orb to the creature, which seemed to understand her intentions. It skittered behind the monster and leapt onto its back. It quickly reached the gaping wound and shoved the artifact into the monster's metallic innards. Giving a series of rapid, high-pitched clicks, almost like laughter, the creature pressed the sun on the sphere. The inscriptions on the artifact began glowing red.

The monster backed away from Argoth, clawing madly at its back and roaring in pain from the intense heat generated by the orb. Alaysia barely had time to grab Argoth's paw and drag him away before an explosion engulfed the monster. Argoth and Alaysia were thrown to the ground from the shockwave, and when the smoke cleared, the charred carcass of the monster was all that remained. The siblings gazed about, still slightly dazed from the explosion and embraced each other.

"What are you doing here?" asked Alaysia, still shocked her brother was here.

"I could not abide by the council's decision; I had to accompany you," said Argoth.

"The elders will be furious you went against their will!"

"I will accept whatever punishment they impose," said Argoth, wincing in pain as he fell to his knees.

"Argoth! Are you hurt?" asked Alaysia, kneeling beside her brother

"It is nothing," said Argoth, clutching his metallic arm. There were deep gashes caused by the creature's claws and a dark, viscous liquid was dripping from the wounds.

"We must get you help!" said Alaysia.

"There is a village nearby," grunted Argoth.

Grabbing her pack, which had escaped destruction during the fight, Alaysia pulled out her blanket and tore it into strips, fashioning a makeshift bandage for Argoth. Helping him up, she draped his good arm over her shoulder, letting him lean on her. The two Leonin set out for the village, their progress severely hindered by Argoth's wound. After what seemed like an eternity, the village appeared in the horizon. This sight gave them hope and they accelerated their pace, the thatched roofs steadily growing closer.

As they approached the front gates, they saw to armed guard keeping watch. The men watched curiously as the two Leonin approached.

"What is your business here?" one of them asked as Alaysia half-dragged Argoth towards them.

"My brother is hurt!" said Alaysia. "We need a healer!"

"Head for the artificer's," said one of the men, after examining Argoth's wounds. He pointed into the village. "Look for the black and red ensign."

Following the guard's advice, the two Leonin stumbled through the street and soon came upon a hut with a back and red checkered sign. Over the colors was a familiar sight: the triangular head of the creature Alaysia had summoned. The two practically fell through the door and into the hut. The room was full of scrap metal and half-destroyed artifacts. On one side of the room was a small forge with an anvil in front of it.

"Hello?" yelled Alaysia. "My brother is injured and we need your help!"

A door on the side of the room opened and a man stepped out. He was fairly short, just a bit taller than Alaysia. He wore white pants with a black collared shirt.

"Hello there," he said in a jovial tone. "I am Arcus Acer. How may I help you?"

To be continued…

Author's note: Arcus Acer used with permission of his creator.