SoI Chapter 5: Proper Quest!

A/N: To DannyJames- Martin will be playing a very important part in the plot soon :) and thank you so much for the review (I was beginning to think no one would ever review this)!

As of 9/2/2015 this chapter has been edited for grammatical issues. Some funny stuff happens in this one so as always read, review, and enjoy!

The climb down the winding steps of the staircase of Fumblemore's tower seemed to take an eternity. Xephos was caught between worrying about falling off into the abyss below ad whether or not the tower was going to explode, and at the same time trying to remember exactly what items had told them to get. Five dirt, five gunpowder, five dirt, five gunpowder he mentally repeated Fumblemore's list on the way down. I wish I had a bit of paper to write this down Xephos thought with some irritation.

Fortunately, the regrouped fellowship made it to the bottom of Fumblemore's tower out onto the stone bridge Honeydew had constructed without injury. Lysander mumbled something about how hideous the solid stone looked but the group made a safe crossing to the main part of the bridge.

"Oh hell." Martin said breaking the silence. Xephos turned looking in Martin's direction and then he noticed the source of the problem. Three guards blocked the crossing to the bridge, which led to their way down.

"Hm? Ah, allow me to deal with this heroes." Lysander said moving to the front of the group.

"Hail! Stop!" one of the guards called as the fellowship drew closer to them. The two groups were now a mere meter away.

"Looks like we have some visitors." The lead guard said with a nasty smile, giving an especially nasty look at Martin, who's enormous and beat up pack wasn't doing him any favors in the appearance area. Xephos surveyed the guards carefully - they were all in full iron garb with blue tunics supposedly for the color of the sky.

"Skylord Lysander, what do you mean by bringing vagabonds into the upper city?" the guard asked.

"They are not vagabonds!" Lysander said indignantly. He gestured to Xephos and Honeydew "these two are heroes. You owe them your allegiance."

"Heroes?" another guard asked curiously.

"Yes!" Lysander said almost exasperatedly. "They saved the town of Terrorvale from the evils of Israphel!" the guard's eyes widened at this revelation, everyone in the countryside had heard of the incident at Terrorvale and so had the guard fortunately.

"Do not say that name!" the first guard hissed, "Saved the town from Terrorvale? Ha! A likely story!"

"Do you doubt my honesty?" Lysander snapped.

"What about him then?" the guard gestured to Martin "He's a hero too then, I suppose?"

"He is my companion!" Xephos retorted. Martin nodded,

"Yeah um – I skipped a bath this morning."

"We shall trust your word Skylord. Let them through!" another guard said stepping aside and beckoning them forwards. The lead guard glared at him and begrudgingly stepped aside. The fellowship passed silently following Lysander closely as he could best justify their credibility and safety in the more restricted parts of the city.

It was only when they were out of the hearing of the guards when Lysander spoke,

"The security hasn't always been this tight…"

"What's it like usually?" Xephos asked.

"Ah hero, there has rarely been the need for many guards before. This sudden increase in security means something is amiss." Lysander explained never breaking stride.

"No bloody kidding." Honeydew muttered.

I wonder what's going on around here Xephos thought first Peculier falls ill and now increased security at Mistral? Are they connected perhaps? He pondered this as Lysander led them past two more equally armed checkpoints and down the winding stone stairs to the lower city.

"Are the guards always that grouchy? They're worse than my Aunt Trudy." Honeydew surmised. Lysander shrugged,

"Some of them are a little under the weather from time to time…"

"A little?" Honeydew said "More like hostile!"

"Yeah I've received better welcomes from the monsters …" Xephos agreed.

Once the fellowship had reached the bottom of the tower and into the lower city they found themselves on a quiet, well lit part of the city which was clearly very well catered too. Houses and apartments lined the lane while young spruce trees shivered in the winds – and even more surprising was that there was hardly a pedestrian in sight.

Lysander gestured to the left towards the far less pristine part of the city, "This way heroes."

"Where are we going?" Martin asked curiously.

"To the Church of the Holy Apple." Lysander explained.

"That's where the Gold apple is right?" Xephos asked.

"Correct hero!" Lysander said. "But until we get there, stay close, lest we get lost in the crowd!"

Lysander had a very clear point about the crowd as it was truly massive. Xephos had not been in the city for a full day yet was amazed at the sheer number of people in Mistral. It was still early wintertime and snow lightly coated several roofs of the city, but the roads were largely void of snow, and pools of water dribbled into the nearby gutters. As curious as Xephos was to observe the scenery of Mistral he was also very aware of the dangers of getting lost. Currently, he had not lost pace with Lysander or any of the other companions to his very great relief. He looked to his right to see Martin was there with his bow slung over his back and his quiver stuffed into his enormous pack. Martin glanced back at him,

"Alright there? Taking in the sights?" Martin asked, gesturing grandly above the bustling crowd to the medieval looking houses and apartments that lined the streets.

"It's amazing." Xephos replied. It was true; he was in sheer awe over the sheer size of Mistral not to mention the sheer number of people in it as well as the sky city, which had certain majesty of its own.

"Eh you'll get used to it. Frankly it's pretty smelly to me more than anything else." Martin laughed, "You know all that body odor. It's terrible!"

"Ah! Come heroes, the Church is open!" Lysander called. Xephos looked over past the burly shape of the Skylord to one of oddest sights he had ever seen. The Church of the Holy Apple was a grand old white stone building and had been painted a neat shade of white. Around the church there was a grove of pleasant red and yellow flowers, and what appeared to be a bonsai tree. Suddenly a bell rang announcing the end of the service as a few parishioners began to stream out of the church. The fellowship waited by the door for a few minutes as several minutes later worshippers were still streamed out of the church, many of them well dressed in their Sunday best. At last the crowd from the church thinned and the last of several parishioners who were altar boys exited.

"Be good children!" a kindly voice called after them.

"Yes Father!" they said in unison. Xephos smiled at this sight, as he watched the boys passed by.

"Good afternoon Father!" Lysander boomed as the reverend appeared at the entryway of the church.

The reverend flashed a pure white smile at this greeting, "Ah! Lysander! Good to see you here."

"Father Braeburn right?" Honeydew asked uncertainly.

"Yes Dwarf! What can I do for you?" Father Braeburn said proudly, "You have quite a group with you today Lysander!"

"Yes Father, you see these are two great heroes of this land, may I present Xephos and Honeydew!" Lysander said gesturing to the two heroes.

"What about me?" Martin asked.

"And Martin, he helped show me the way here." Xephos said.

"Ah! Well good to see all of you then! I never expected to see heroes such as you at my humble abode! But I suspect things must get busy when you're doing Notches good work eh?" Father Braeburn said as he shook each of their hands enthusiastically – he shook Xephos' and Honeydew's with particular enthusiasm. "Let me tell all of you something, I haven't gotten this many new members at once in a year! You know the people here aren't quite popping the coffers if you know what I mean." Honeydew suppressed a laugh – making an odd burping noise instead.

"Sorry Father. We – uh, know exactly, exactly what you mean!"

"Yeah, it's a bit of a struggle isn't it?" Xephos agreed. "Um… getting people to come to church…"

"My apologies Father, we're here for a different reason I'm afraid." Lysander said.

"Oh?You don't wish to enroll in our membership roster? We have an excellent program!" Braeburn said curiously, "Ah well, forgive me heroes," he said to Xephos and his companion "people just don't seem to come to mass much these days…"

Xephos almost laughed at this statement, it was difficult not too. Braeburn had the sort of face that one would certainly have a difficult time forgetting. Braeburn sported very neatly trimmed black hair - which had been carefully brushed back - and a very thin black beard, which ended on both sides of the upper jaw of the his face. He was wearing a white priestly robe with a gold apple embroidered into the back and two small half-moon crescents - which were apparently golden apple slices - on the front side. He looks, Xephos thought with a hint of amusement, a bit like a disco fan…

"We require two golden apples Father! So, um could we borrow the um…holy apple?" Xephos asked awkwardly. This isn't going to end well. Father Braeburn's expression turned as if from day to night at this very unholy request.

"B-but…no!" he cried – his sunglasses nearly falling off his nose in the process. Braeburn had a quick, deep, muddled voice, which made his reaction somewhat comical.

Honeydew scratched his beard, "So we take it that's a no…?" Braeburn gave him a withering look, and pulled out a small, gleaming gold apple from his robes,

"This… is a sacred symbol." He said sternly, as he pocketed the apple again.

"Honestly, Father we'd ask you for such a thing only in great need." Martin started up.

"Indeed." Lysander followed up, "Peculier is ill Father and it is essential that we have the apple to make him well again! I am sure you are aware of its healing properties..."

Braeburn fidgeted for a moment nervously as he digested this information, "Peculier? I remember him, Karpath's son?" Lysander nodded affirmatively, "How ill is he?"

"Peculier is in great danger Father, he is striken with taint!" Lysander explained.

"Yea, an old man could die!" Honeydew chimed in.

Braeburn sighed, and gripped the nearest pew very tightly, his face showing his clearly conflicting emotions. "I must think on it." He said solemnly. You do that, Xephos thought otherwise we're going to have to steal a religious symbol!

"Shall we come back later Father?" Lysander inquired. Braeburn looked up distractedly,

"Yes, yes. Please! I must think on this some more… nice meeting you all," then clearly shaken, Braeburn turned and walked down the aisle towards the private access area of the church and disappeared. All was silent for a moment in the church save for the sound of a crackling torch near a portrait of St. Appleton, the church founder.

Lysander paused and looked out one of the church windows - it was late in the afternoon outside. "Well heroes, let's adjourn until tomorrow!" the rest of the fellowship nodded in mute agreement.

"Yeah I was getting tired anyway." Honeydew yawned.

"You know Braeburn's always been a bit too fond of that apple." Martin said tactlessly. Lysander shot him an icy glare. Xephos sighed, there's got to be somewhere else we can get an apple that's not a religious symbol...

The fellowship left the church dejected but not entirely disheartened as Braeburn had not outright denied their request but would at least think on it. As they left the church Martin bade them his farewell, he had a couple things to take care of at his place after all.

"Farewell heroes!" Martin said offering a brief wave as he turned the corner of the church and headed towards the dingier part of the city.

"Farewell!" Lysander called. Martin offered a final wave and with a flash of his blond hair he turned the corner and disappeared.

Xephos lowered his hand, until we meet again, he thought.

After the group's departure from Martin and the Church of the Holy Apple, they followed Lysander on a beeline towards the Elysium.

They passed by a group of water pools at one of the city squares. Water filled each of the man- made pools to the brim and each one was well lit with torches placed at every end. It was all too well known about the tendency of foul things to spawn even in such a pure thing as water.

The square's the best lit part of the city! Xephos observed, and it was undoubtedly very aesthetically pleasing to boot. Each pool had a name, which was carved into the sides of them; one in particular was classically named the Pool of Hygiene. There were a total of seven pools in the square with the largest, by far, being the Pool of Hygiene and each one's water was continuously resupplied by waterfalls that flowed down from the upper city.

"Wowww…" Honeydew murmured, glancing around the square.

"Hey Lysander, isn't this the place where Fumblemore told us to get that water from?" Xephos recalled as the three moved through the square.

"You're right about that hero." Lysander mused.

"Really? Ohh all right then… so where's the Pool of Life?" Honeydew asked stopping to look at the pool names. "I don't see it anywhere!"

"Oh – um it's that one." Lysander said pointing at the enormous pool labeled the Pool of Memory. Honeydew looked at Lysander suspiciously, stepped towards the pool, and took a quick look inside.

"Ahhh!" he jumped back in fright "Jebus Lewis! There's a dead squirrel in there!" Lysander pursed his lips at this,

"Yes… I was going to explain that…"

"Yeah, well go on then why are there a bunch of um… dead things in there?"

"Well... we had to rename it after there were some drownings I'm afraid. It is now the Pool of Memory" The two heroes laughed nervously at this revelation that explains it then!

"Oh –er uh that's ironic… I mean it's uh – unfortunate very unfortunate…" Honeydew said, trying extremely hard to control his mirth.

"Right, well… maybe we should get some of the water we need while we're here." Xephos interjected as he set his pack down on the cobblestone.

"An excellent idea hero!" Lysander said "Dwarf! Do you have a bottle?"

"Right…I've got one right here." Honeydew murmured checking his belt

"The more ingredients we collect the sooner we can help Peculier!" Lysander said excitedly as Honeydew pulled out an old water-skin and slowly began to fill it up.

"Lysander are you sure Fumblemore knows what he's doing?" Xephos asked as Honeydew went about his business.

"No – not really, but we better hope he does!"

After their stop at the pool the trio adjourned to Lysander's Elysium which, although it did not offer much in the way of comfort was exceptionally well heated by steam vents that ran through the place.

"Eli!" Lysander boomed as the three entered the Elysium, "How is Peculier?"

Eli turned to him, a goblet of wine in hand. He was sitting in one of Lysander's lounge chairs near the mantelpiece; he took another sip of his goblet before responding,

"Lysander! A pleasure to see you – I had a feeling you would get back before I turned in."

"Of course Eli, of course!" Lysander beamed "It is fortunate that you did not leave sooner. But first, Peculier – is he stable - ?"

"He's still alive with time I reckon he should be alright." Eli said taking a sip of his wine. Eli was a shaggily dressed man who looked like a man kicked out of the house a couple years too early without a shaver let alone a decent haircut. This assessment was well shown by his choice of dress - shaggy pale green coat - and his very long black hair which nearly reached to his shoulders. In fact, nearly every bit of Eli looked old or tattered in one way or another, as if he had begotten basic hygiene.

"Ah thank Notch for that!" Lysander smiled. "What other news of his condition?"

Eli set aside his emptied goblet and tipped his head back in the chair, "Let's see… well… the stroke passed a while ago, he's sleeping like at the moment."

"Where is he?"

"I put him in the guest room Skylord."

"You have a guest room?" Honeydew blurted out. "And I was sleeping on that bloody lopsided, glorified stone tablet all last night - ?"

"Thank you Eli." Lysander interrupted. Eli laughed,

"No problem Skylord, it's always a pleasure to help out… especially when free drinks are involved in the equation..."

"You have a bar? WHAT!" Honeydew exclaimed. Xephos laughed, while Lysander shot Eli an indignant glare.

"Eli…" Lysander started but he waved him off.

"Sure Dwarf, it's right here." Eli stood up out of his chair, moved aside a floor rug, and then a set of loose planks to reveal an underground alcoholic storage.

"Oooh, Lysander please…" Honeydew started looking longingly at the many flasks in the tiny underground storage compartment near Eli's feet.

Lysander sighed, "Go ahead hero, there's enough to go around."

Honeydew didn't need telling twice, within a few moments he had his pack set aside and was heartily popping the cork of Lysander's best beer.

Eli laughed "Careful Dwarf! You want to make it last, savor it a little."

"Mmmmmmm!" Honeydew agreed sucking the dregs out of his first bottle, then burping loudly causing all of them to laugh.

Xephos leaned over and picked one up from inside the mini cellar and examined it curiously, the label read:

M &Mmmmm Ale, The best stuff on Earth.

"Is this Bode's?" he asked curiously setting himself down neatly in one of the armchairs.

"No, but this is just as good as you might have noticed by the label." Lysander said taking a bottle for himself.

"Oh yeah. It is called M & Mmmmm Ale isn't it?"

"For a reason." Lysander smiled.

"So," Eli said taking another sip from his goblet "what brings you to Mistral? And, we haven't been introduced… who are you?"

"Oh, sorry – I'm Xephos and he's Honeydew." Xephos said gesturing to his friend who was sucking the dregs out of another emptied bottle. "Peculier and Lysander are our companions. And we have flown – er I mean we have traveled with them for many weeks."

"Have you?" Eli said interestedly, "What for - ?"

"The beer! This is great stuff Lysander…" Honeydew said as he began chugging his third bottle. Xephos laughed, even Lysander managed a small chuckle although it was obvious that Honeydew's rapid depletion of his stores was more than a little unnerving to him.

"We are here to treat old Peculier, Fumblemore's the only one who can help." Lysander explained.

"Ah!" Eli's green eyes brightened at this, "Your friend must be in some major trouble if you need his help! Have you considered all other options?"

"Believe me, I did." Lysander said tiredly. Eli whistled,

"What's his problem?"

"He is sickened with taint. He had a stroke on the way here… of course he was quite feeble beforehand…" Lyander explained.

"And you thought that it sounded like a job for Fumblemore eh?" Eli asked. "Sounds a bit questionable that."

"Agreed!" Honeydew and Xephos said at once.

"I admit it; I have had doubts… about his ability." Lysander said.

"Yeah well, if you need someone to blow shit up he's your man." Honeydew muttered. Eli smiled and shook his head at this,

"What fetch quest did he send you on?"

"Well he gave us a list of ingredients for his potion – to cure all ills – we uh need five dirt, two golden apples, five feathers, and some water, from the Pool of Life, I mean Memory." Xephos recalled. Eli burst out laughing at this,

"Oh yes the Pool of Memory… I remember that place, the one with all the drownings right?" he asked raucously. Lysander glared at him,

"People died in there Eli!"

"It's the irony of it Skylord, gets me every time." Eli replied, "So, dirt eh? Typical Fumblemore with his silly ingredients – I can tell you that those apples are the only thing that's going to do any good for him."

"So are the other ingredients bad for him?" Xephos asked with very legitimate curiosity.

"Well… sorry who are you again? I forgot your name." Eli said causing Honeydew to laugh,

"I'm Xephos."

"Well, Xephoz let me ask you this, when did drinking dirt, not to mention a bucket of gunpowder do anyone any good?"

Xephos smiled, "Fair point."

"If it saves Peculier from taint then this may be another first." Lysander pointed out. Eli raised his goblet to Lysander,

"Aye Skylord, it may be. But if you cure his ailment with all that rubbish I'll be out of a job!" Eli pointed out, "Oh anyone remember that one healer – Eli? Well we don't need to see him anymore, because the senile old wizard will make us better!"

The company laughed at this and raised their glasses in agreement.

"So have you got any of the ingredients so far?" Eil asked curiously.

"Well we've got a bit of water from that pool…maybe a gold apple, some dirt, and all of the feathers." Honeydew tallied as he reached for another drink.

"Maybe a gold apple?" Eli asked. "You can't maybe have a gold apple. Those things are rare, either you've got one or you don't."

"We need an apple from the Church of the Holy Apple, and Father Braeburn told us he would… what was it again? Oh yeah that he would think on our request." Xephos explained.

"Yep we just need the one item that's a sacred symbol…" Honeydew said. Eli smiled at this,

"Brilliant! Wonder what the look was on Braeburn's face at that one!"

"Not very pleased." Honeydew replied.

"Really?" Eli guffawed.

"It is the Church of the Holy Apple after all." Lysander replied icily, setting his half-emptied wineglass aside.

"True Skylord, true. Ah well I wish you luck getting that one."

"Yeah… just curious but do you know of another place where there's um an unholy apple, or something?" Xephos asked.

"Let's see, there's Granny Bacon's Tea and... Whoopie Parlor, hero." Eli informed him. Whoopie Parlor? Xephos thought whimsically. "She might be able to help you but it will be a great cost, the last I heard she only had a few in stock!" Brilliant, Xephos thought, so we've got to get a sacred symbol from the reverend and an apple from the bloody Whoopie Parlor…

"Really? Oooh! Let's get that one Lewis!" Honeydew said excitedly. Eli laughed,

"Sure you can if you have ten diamonds."

Honeydew nearly choked on his beer once he heard this, "TEN DIAMONDS? That's a terrible deal!" Eli shrugged and took another sip of his bottle,

"Don't blame me dwarf, I'm just the messenger."

Xephos sighed, "I wonder if we trade something for the holy apple?"

"Hrm… maybe, maybe we could bribe him with beer!" Honeydew started, "You know, maybe we could give him a few casks of ale and make it the Church of the Holy Happy Hour or something." All of them except Lysander laughed at this,

"The Father's a T-totaler hero except for an occasional sip of sacramental apple juice now and then." Lysander said stiffly.

"Sacramental apple juice?" Honeydew guffawed "Oh that's classic."

"I hear he's a big fan of music." Eli mused.

"That's it!" Xephos interjected, "That's what he looks like - a disco fan!"

"What kind of music? Disco?" Honeydew asked drunkenly.

"Well, I'm not sure. All I know is, Braeburn likes his music; after all you can dance to the hymns in there! Maybe you could get him a really good hymnal or the like?" Eli said wryly as he drained his goblet. "Well Skylord, heroes thanks for the drink and the conversation." He finished as he stood up and staggered to the door "By the way Skylord, I tried sleeping on that bed up there - for a nap - while you were gone and it was absolute murder. You really out to get that checked out you know, could cause some serious back trouble later." He said as he struggled to balance a rather ugly feather-duster on his head.

"Must've lost my hat." Eli muttered as the three companions burst out laughing at the spectacle.

"Watch it!" Honeydew exclaimed as he stumbled over to him, "Lemme help you find it." The Dwarf said drunkenly as he started picking up items at random and tossing them away. "That's not a hat -" Honeydew mumbled as he tossed a large wooden stick to the side. "Hey Lysander, where's the hat rack?"

"Oh give it here." Lysander said tiredly as he strode over to Eli and Honeydew who were currently trying to stick their heads in the same umbrella stand, apparently in search of the hat.

"It's not in here either!" Honeydew cried "Oi- geroff, you're messing up my beard!" he cried as he attempted to dislodge his head from the jar.

"It's your fat head that's getting us stuck!" Eli yelled. Xephos roared with laughter at the sight of Honeydew's and Eli's heads wedged together in the same umbrella stand.

"Come on you two…" Lysander said tiredly, holding Eli's hat in hand.

"Maybe you could get out of it if you put your heads together?"

"Not funny! Not funny!" Honeydew whined.

"Perhaps you need some assistance… hero?" Lysander asked awkwardly.

"Er- No! I mean yes! I'm not alright at all!" Honeydew said pushing more violently against the jar in another vigorous attempt to dislodge himself. "Oh bugger it…We're stuck!"

"In Notches name! Spaceman, grab him for me!" Lysander cried as he grabbed hold of the scruff of Eli's collar.

"No problem Lysander." Xephos smiled as the two drunks were now whining in pain. Xephos got up, placed his finished drink aside and grabbed the back of Honeydew's jerkin with both hands.

"Oi watch it-!" Honeydew squealed.

"Be careful!" Eli yelled.

"On the count of three!" Lysander commanded. "One…two…three!" as he and Xephos gave a tremendous tug,

"AIEEEE!" Honeydew and Eli screamed.

"Got you!" Xephos cried as Honeydew's bearded face came out with a loud pop.

"Aaaah… ohhhh gods… thanks for that…" Honeydew moaned as he gently scratched his head. Likewise, Eli groaned and slowly rubbed the back of his neck. "Ooooh… sorry about that Skylord." He burped. Lysander gave him an icy glare,

"I believe sleep is in order." He said sternly as he ushered an apologetic Eli outside. Yeah Xephos thought as they put the main room of the Elysium back in order once Honeydew had vanished to the bedroom. Gods… tomorrow's our last chance to get the apple and the necessary supplies for the potion to save Peculier!

Once they had returned the liquor to its place and had cleaned up the rest of the room they talked a while longer that evening. According to Lysander, Eli's medicines had slowed Peculier's taint but would not cure him of it,

"He will only last so long hero. I fear for the fate of the world if this disease spreads."

"The fate of the world? Why? What's happening?" Xephos asked, "Things don't look too bad around here, from what I've seen." Lysander sighed,

"It is because everything isn't fine hero. There was sand, around your cave – I don't know how it got there but that sand was tainted." Lysander explained "Anyone who comes into contact with it for long enough is at risk as I fear Peculier might have done after the crash near the seaside."

"Unusual sand? Lysander, it was a beach for cripes sake!"

"I know that hero." Lysander deadpanned. "What I mean is, it might have been near that portal. You might recall there was a great deal of sand around your cave."

"Yeah… but it was near a beach – a beach Lysander. If that sand was tainted or something then we should all be sick by now right?"

Lysander sighed and shook his head, "I do not know hero. The best I can do is speculate that it was the case. After all, it was near a Nether portal and you might remember your erm… dwarf friend knocked him into one. Such things have an evil influence."

"What is taint?" Xephos asked.

"It is…a mind disease hero." Lysander replied. A mind disease, a form of mind control maybe? Xephos wondered.

"Where are the sands coming from? What does taint cause? And how did Peculier become ill so suddenly? Did it have something to do with his stroke?" Xephos asked in frustration. Lysander shrugged,

"You ask many questions hero."

"I haven't gotten a lot of answers." Xephos said. "First the cave's blow up, Peculier falls ill and now the world's at stake! There has to be some reason for how Israphel's doing all this!" Lysander smiled at him before continuing.

"Very well hero, I will try to answer your queries. As to your first question- there originally was a small desert northeast of Lastwatch hold near an abandoned town called Isal. Many years ago a young man lived in that town that used to venture out into the desert regularly. The why, is unknown to me for what I tell you now is legend, long lost from history." Lysander paused and continued, "His name is not known, but it is said his family was brutally murdered by another, a family known as the Angmars. The Angmars were a very powerful and terrible family in their day, although they were not of noble birth they bought off those that were while they terrorized the local populace for their benefit. Many of their victims – or those they quarreled with or who stood up to them were brutally beaten or killed. As for the young man's family, they were murdered and their ravaged bodies were dumped at his doorstep. The murder drove the young man mad; naturally he tried to avenge the death of his family. One day he went into the sands and simply disappeared, never to be seen or heard of again. It is not known what happened to him, as far as history tells us the young man, whoever he was is no more. However, a curious thing occurred after his death, the sand dunes in the desert began to swell and spread. Isal was swallowed up and now is buried many miles underneath the sands- the cause of this terrible occurrence is not known either but one thing is. The last of the Angmar family was killed in a sandstorm shortly after the sands started to spread. So there you have it," Lysander finished "the tale of the spread of the sands. As to what I have heard hero, some say the young man found a way to use the sands to avenge his murdered relatives. Others say it is a curse from Notch for the terrible crimes of humanity. Truthfully hero I do not know if either of those theories is true. Although… I prefer to believe that the second of these theories is false."

"Oh… then the Angmars got what they deserved didn't they?" Xephos asked.

"Indeed, I would agree." Lysander said calmly "The Angmars were a terrible family; they killed many people and ruled the old lands with terror- that is true. But the sands killed many innocents as well. It is unfortunate that anyone died at all, especially the horrible deaths of the young man's family and that of the Angmars regardless if either deaths were deserved or not." Xephos nodded,

"Right, right… so the story, did the expansion, growth, or whatever of the sands have to do with the young man?"

Lysander gazed at him thoughtfully, "There does seem to be an interesting coincidence there, although there is a chance that the spread of the sands was a natural occurrence."

"Yeah but, sand doesn't move that fast." Xephos said. Lysander laughed,

"Of course hero. Again, it is a legend but I agree it is curious that the sands moved so quickly, and killed, of all people, the Angmars shortly after the young man disappeared into the desert. It seems… fantastical though that he was able to use the sands like that…"

"Why? Israphel's doing it." Xephos replied.

"True hero, a fine example!" Lysander admitted, "However I prefer to base any conclusions I draw off of facts rather than an alignment of interconnected events."

Xephos sighed and leaned back in Lysander's chair, "That's well then, but you haven't answered the other questions."

"Ah yes! Of course hero. Skylords and victims that I have spoken to… they claim that taint comes from the sands as I have already told you. Many men and women have traveled into the cursed desert and most have come back raving mad about robots and mysterious machines – these are intriguing but fantastic tales in my opinion." Lysander paused to scratch his beard "However, that is only what accounts of unfortunate adventures by other Skylords tell me hero. As for the circumstances of Peculier's ailment I would guess that it was from contact with the sand at the cave based on what is known of the sands."

"The healer - Eli he doesn't know where it comes from either?" Xephos asked.

"No hero, as you might have noticed from your meeting with him." Lysander said tiredly.

Noticed what? That he's a drunk? Xephos thought. "How does the um… taint thing work?"

"A very good question hero and I do not hold the answer to it. This was why I wished to go to Skyhold, as there is knowledge there that holds the answers to your questions. However I can tell you one thing- there is something that lies within the sands, some kind of machine supposedly but I do not know for sure. What I do know, is that it is feared above all else!" Well that was illuminating. Xephos thought sarcastically.

"A machine?"

"Of some kind, yes." Lysander replied. A machine? Xephos thought, what machine could be buried in the sands that would be feared that much?

"Oh right umm… what was that pink potion you gave him earlier, at the cave?"

"To who?"

"Peculier."

"Peculier? What do you mean - ah you're talking about what I gave him to stop the stroke?" Lysander asked, "Ah yes, that was merely a regeneration potion, one of Eli's brews come to think of it...Well hero, I'd better be off, and it's late. There will be time to pursue the answers to these questions at a better hour!" Lysander said giving Xephos a you-should-go-to-bed -too look.

Xephos yawned, as he glanced at the clock over the mantelpiece; apparently it was one a.m. in the morning. Xephos didn't need telling twice that it was definitely bedtime, my eyelids feel as heavy as stone anyway he thought as he slowly got up out of the armchair, and followed Lysander up to the long night that awaited him.

A/N: Wondering who that young man who was victimized by the Angmars is? You'll find out soon.