Discovery

"You ready for this Lior? I'll try to keep in contact with you throughout your travels to guide and assist you." Reaching into one of his many pockets the old man pulled out what looked like a mini version of my grandmothers orb. Besides the size difference the smaller object glowed a soft silver instead of blue.

"This is a communication orb, I'll contact you if I find out anything that could prove useful to you in your quest to get home. All you have to do is speak into it, however" he gave me a stern look. "I am not here to babysit you, you must figure things out on your own do you understand me?"

I smiled and took it "Of course, I wouldn't want to be a burden to you"

The Captain smiled at that. "Good now we should get going"

We stepped into a basket and it slowly lowered down to the ground, the view was amazing. I could see the village of Ix, an area that the Captain called the temple of Ix... they really need to get better at naming places... and small hut outside of the town.

Pointing to the hut I asked "That's Aldwyn's place right?"

He nodded "That's where you're headed, and here" he stated as we touched down onto the soft grass, handing me a bag of food as we did. "Is where you begin, good luck and safe travel."

I smiled at him and turned to leave when I made a snap decision. I turned back to him, gave him a quick hug and a thank you and took off into the abandoned mines.

Right away I could see why they had been abandoned, some of the tunnels had already collapsed as I looked around a slight glow caught my eye. Walking over to it I found that it was a bottle filled with a softly glowing blue liquid, I think the Captain called it "mana" or something. I felt a strange attraction to the bottle and without a second thought I chugged it down.

"...What... what did I just do?" I stammered "I really hope I don't die from this..."

I looked down at my hands to see in anything would happen, and boy did something happen. I almost wet myself when I saw my skin glow blue for a moment before turning back to normal. I could feel a hum in the air that I couldn't before, it was as if the place was alive with energy. I walked a bit further, feeling a bit dazed by this new sensation. My eyes wandered around and I found myself looking at a really old book, picking it up I took a look at the cover.

"My first Pixie swarm, a spell book... by Morrdwyn. Okay then..."

Opening it up, the book suddenly began to glow. The same eerie blue that the potion I had taken a few minuets before. The book began to dissolve into a fine mist and swirled around me, I jumped back slightly and gasped. Suddenly it rushed into my mouth, I tried to let out a shriek once I felt it enter. I closed my eyes tightly as I felt information run through my head at an alarming speed. Clutching my head I leaned up against a wall gasping for air.

"What on Ear-Nox... was that?"

"Yay she found us!" I heard a voice say.

"I was beginning to think we'd be lost forever" Wait... another one? Where were these voices coming from?

"Oh you're such a pessimist"

"Well you're such an optimist!"

"Oh great... now I'm loosing my mind. What next? Am I going to see pink elephants flying around now?" I muttered.

"Well I don't know what this "elephant" is but nope! You'll just see us pixies flying around you!"

"And to show our thanks for getting us out of that book we'll protect you!"

"That's right! We'll kill your enemies and then disappear until you call us again."

"We will require mana to summon though."

"Mana? Is that that blue stuff that I drank?"

The voices laughed. "Yep! That's the stuff. Now try summoning us, you'll know how to do it."

Before I could protest words popped into my head and out of my mouth. I was speaking some weird language in sync to some equally strange hand signs. It was over almost as soon as it began, two small glowing creatures that I could only assume were pixies came out of nowhere. They looked a bit like dragonflies, well, if dragonflies could glow gold and grew to about a foot long.

"... That has GOT to be one of the strangest things I have ever done."

I was surprised when I got no answer. "Uh, guys? Pixies? Why can't I hear you?"

After a few minutes of waiting for a response I decided to let it be and continued walking. When I had gone a ways the ground suddenly shook. Bracing myself against a wall I looked frantically for a way out, finding an opening in the wall I was just about to make a run for it when a giant Grizzly bear came roaring out of it. Before I could do anything the roof of the cave dislodged a giant rock. I watched in awe as the rock fell on, and crushed the bear... just as the wall to my left crumbled into a pile of rock and dust.

"... What just happened?"

Getting no response from my glowing companions I sighed and headed to check out where the bear came from. In the back I spotted an ancient looking trunk, finding no lock I opened it up.

"...Okay then..." I muttered as I picked up what looked like a piece of leather armour. Shrugging, I pulled the leather breastplate over my head.

"One size fit's all here I suppose" I mussed as the leather garment formed around me.

The rest of the cave was fairly uneventful. I found a few more chests that contained some small sacks of what I could only guess was the local currency, and some more equipment. Besides a few cat sized spiders (I was ever so thankful for not having arachnophobia) and some equally large bats, it was pretty quiet. As I was making my way along the cave I saw some daylight and made a run for it. Just as I made it out the ground shook, knocking me off my feet. Turning to see what had happened I gasped, feet from where a hole had been was now a wall of rock.

"... Well... I'm glad that's over..."

I attempted to stand up, my knees were shaking so badly that I had to wait a few minutes before my attempts were successful. Gazing at my new surroundings I noticed some smoke in the distance.

"Looks like that's where I'm headed, well you two" I spoke to my now silent companions. "Let's go"