Reports
Xyruvial rushed into the council chambers of the matrons, ignoring the protests of the guards at the doors. Matron Thandysha glared at her and demanded, "What is the meaning of this intrusion? How dare you enter these chambers without a summons!"
Xyruvial bowed low and murmured, "I fear that what I have to say could not wait until I was summoned; if the matrons would please here me out and then decide what my news merits is all I ask."
Xyruvial proceeded to detail to the matrons just what had occurred at Cendriane: how at midnight the city had become as dazzling as the day, and the scavenging party's subsequent retreat. After she finished, the room was silent for a few minutes.
Matron Ana'Shrinarrean stood up. "This news is disturbing. It appears that Xyruvial witnessed something no one ever expected to see." The Council looked at her expectantly. She sighed and continued, "If what has been described is what I think it is, Cendriane is being reborn; an eladrin is performing the ritual to become the heart of the city! This will effectively put an end to scavenging in the city. There is, however, the possibility that the ritual will kill whoever the eladrin is, and the city will die again." Ana'Shrinarrean sat down, and immediately a hubbub arose from the council.
"Lady Shandria! High Wizard!" cried Erevan, as he rushed into the throne room. Lady Shandria and Soveljinn were the only ones in the room, as the court had disbanded for the day. The two glanced up and Erevan continued, "We went to Cendriane as you ordered, but the strangest thing happened there."
"Go on," said Lady Shandria with a wave of her hand.
Erevan told his tale: how a booming noise had echoed through the city, of the locked door that could not be opened by any means, of the chanting behind the door, and of the return to Astrazalian. After he had completed his report, Erevan stepped back to allow Lady Shandria and Soveljinn some privacy.
Soveljinn spoke quickly, "Well! This is news indeed. For it appears that Erevan has found the stolen staff and the mysterious wizard!" Shandria looked at him quizzically. Soveljinn sighed and said, "The staff which Erevan retrieved form Cendriane was, I believe, the one necessary for the ritual to bind Cendriane to an eladrin. Now we know why that wizard stole the staff, he is performing that ritual."
Lady Shandria nodded and said, "Then it would probably be for the best if we did not send any more ranging parties into Cendriane and also set a guard around the city. This will ensure that we know when the ritual is over, and the wizard's power strengthened." She beckoned Erevan over. "Gather a group and go back to Cendriane. I want you to set a watch around the city and report back if anything happens."
"At once Lady Shandria," murmured Erevan.