'It's doesn't look much good' Tei'jal said as Mel finished narrating their adventure and the inscriptions at Naylith. 'It looks like you'll have to find this broken key somehow before you can get there'

They were in the study of the Darkthrop Keep. The lone window was barred and absolutely no light entered, making it safe for the vampire couple. Edward was seated near the empty grate, Stella by his side. Galahad was standing near the door, looking into infinity while Tei'jal paced around. Mel looked on, seated in the old armchair, tending to her wounds.

'We probably can get to Istir or Dragthor' Edward said. 'As they are on the main lands, it shouldn't be much difficult. Venwood and the Orc kingdoms will be difficult, to be optimistic. You can't get to Venwood without a ship at all and the Orc kingdom's eastern gates are sealed, so we can't approach it directly from the Naylith route. I asked my father about it and that's what he said'

Mel suddenly realized she had forgotten something.

'Hang on' she said, straitening. 'You didn't tell me how you knew we were coming here'

'I don't know, actually' he said sheepishly. 'I had a vague intuition...'

Mel looked at Stella, who seemed as surprised as her.

'Anyway, I would have reached much earlier if I had not had a bad accident in the mountains. My horse slipped down into the valley and... then these... vampires... whom we just killed... found it'

'How did you escape?' Tei'jal said sharply.

'I didn't. I hid in the ledge on the cliff and two came forward followed by another red cloaked one...'

'Gyendal' Mel and Tei'jal said together.

'Yeah, well he looked like their boss and stopped their quarreling'

'What were they quarreling about?'

'I don't remember exactly, but it was about someone being trustworthy and that this person had great power. By the looks of it, they were talking about this red... about Gyendal'

'That's strange' Tei'jal said slowly. 'I didn't know there were chances of mutiny'

'Well, they stopped talking about that soon and one said something about the area being unnaturally barren ... O yes, then Gyendal came and explained that my horse had drunk water from some important stream that caused it's blood to be harmful for them'

'The white stream...?' Galahad said, slowly turning around.

'That's what it was. What is it anyway?'

'It's a legendary river that few believe exists. The water is enchanted, just like the streams of Aveyond. It's never been found, but it's power has known to have resurrected the dead long back, when a lone traveler returned from the lost world. No one knows where it is now'

'Well they said it prevented them from smelling around'

'That's stranger' he said. Tei'jal had stopped pacing, Mel noticed. 'Even if it did have drunk the waters, that shouldn't happen'

'Something I can't believe I missed till now' Tei'jal said suddenly. 'I can't smell you either. It's simply indistinguishable from everything else. It all seems blotched by something'

Galahad ran his hand over his hair.

'That would need sorcery, and very powerful at that. It is incomprehensible. Have you been to any shrine or place of magic?'

'No' Mel frowned. 'We directly went to Naylith from Thais'

'We did meet someone, actually' Stella said suddenly. Everyone looked at her. 'In Alur'

'Yes, I wanted to ask you about that' Mel said. 'This man comes to me on my table and asks me if I'm haunted by a ghost. Then he says it's a corpse, because... well he said it's a corpse anyway. Then without answering any question about himself, he throws around hundreds of things from his bag and gives me this'

She held out the small vial Stella had just passed her below the table. In a flash, it was in Tei'jal's hands. She examined it closely, shaking the contents and looking again.

'Was the man cloaked?'

'Yes' Mel answered.

'Did he sound pleasant?'

'Do you know him?'

'Was there a gash near his right hand?'

'There was!' Stella said, something that Mel had missed.

'Who is this man?' Mel asked again.

Tei'jal smiled, slowly turning it to a grin.

'He's a wizard, who is very popular among us' she said. 'I can't believe the old man could actually complete it!'

'So what is that?'

'Were you carrying water from the Alusa?' she asked, ignoring the question.

'Yes' Stella said, taking out a water skin. Tei'jal took it hastily, her eyes looking greedy.

'What are you doing?' Galahad asked as she emptied the vial's contents into the water.

'You try it first, husband' Tei'jal said. Without warning, she splashed the water onto his face. He screamed loudly before looking up again.

'Are you crazy?' he said, though he looked normal.

'No, I'm generous' she said, splashing the rest on her own face. The three others were looking at her apprehensively. Looking satisfied, Tei'jal walked up to the end of the room. Everyone gasped. In a swipe of her hand, the boards have way and the bright morning sunlight streamed inside. There she stood, unafraid, looking outside after hundreds of years.

'I think your quest just turned a lot easier' she said, turning to them. 'He did owe me this small favor!'

Galahad slowly walked to the window and looked out. He seemed to be sensing something heavenly.

'I don't know who he is' he said, fire in his eyes. 'But surely, I do owe him a lot now'