MagiStream

From somewhere ahead of me, I could hear the echoes of stones and earth materials rolling onto the ground. I continued to walk cautiously toward the source of the sound, hand brushed against the crystals that protruding from the wall of the Crystalline Cave. Behold the sight! These crystals were casting their own light and illuminating the cave in faint multicolour light. With each step I took, I was a few steps closer to the sound. After squeezing through a narrow tunnel, I emerged on the other side of it where I saw a young woman beating the crystals with a pick.

“Um… Hi there.”I mumbled softly, not sure if my presence would disturb whatever the woman was doing. The woman who was about to swing her pick stopped in mid-swing when she heard the soft murmur. Lifting the goggles from her face, I recognized her as Anita the Accumulator.

“Oh hello Mage, I wager that you want to go on a journey.” The young woman said and smiled.

“I got just the thing for you.”Anita added even just before I could say anything else. I stared at her, baffled by what she had said. My feelings had all jumbled together, mixed with excitement but at the same time worried on what she would ask.

“Many secrets lay in the Forest of Silvia, ready to be unearthed by curious Magi. Would you be willing to make the discovery? You will be aided by a creature feared by most so you don’t have to worry about not surviving in one piece.” She continued.

“Are you really….erm…sure about it?” I asked, fiddling my fingers together. It sounded exciting alright and with my desire for another journey, I had already made up my mind.

“Certainly. Follow me please.” Anita beamed, slinging a knapsack over her shoulder and walked toward the tunnel. She beckoned me to follow before disappearing into the tunnel.

Her journey have been long and dangerous. The black Enox mare landed safely on the ground without making any unnecessary noises that could cath the dragons attention. The mare shook her head in worry and rolled her eyes in fear when she saw the big, green wywern open her left eye. Her rider Electra jumped off her back and stroke her strong neck to calm her down; she needed the enox`s help. Those crystals Anita wanted was right there… deep in the cave behind the wywern.It would not be easy to go past this enormous beast that was lying in the way for them. Whatever those crystals was for she needed them; if she didn’t she would never get the new egg. A egg so rare that people started to belive it was a legend…

The mountains they was in was close to the Silvia Forest. Forgotten and almost impossible to find if you didn’t have a ancient map who pointed them out you would not be able to get to the caves. There was a lot of magical powers that was protecting the way that was leading all the way up here. The power around the place make them forget what they was doing for the moment and when they finally understood where they where and why they discovered that they had lost the way and was heading back.After several attempts of getting up they tried to fly up but the wind got the Enox almost fly straight into the mountain and crash them both to a fleshy pancake.
-What are you doing in my cave human?
The deep voice made the entire cave shake; the wywern hold his head up and looked at those small creatures that have entered his cave and woke him up from his deep sleep. His scales was dark green as the deepest part of the forest; the eyes was lighter, shining like stars in the night.
-We came to get the crystals… we will leave you alone when we are done-said Electra and got a fast and light bite in her arm. The mare didn’t liked the idea of going around the wywern,not either did she liked Electras almost disrespectful tone in her voice. The young magi had no knowledge of what respect to enemies was about.
- Don’t snap at me youngling or you ill end your days right here right now. I do not allow you to pass after such rudeness from your side. This crystals is not meant to be in human use.
-Oh. Im really sorry for the disrespectful reply sir. But we really need those crystals… it is a matter of dead and life.
-Is that so? Isn’t it more a matter of your own desire young magi? Isnt those crystals something you need to exchange for something?
-Look dear lord. I don’t have time to chit-chat with you here- Electra raised her voice with made the Enox bite her in the arm again to make her be quiet.
- Just move your…big…tail away and we will not disturb you anymore.
-You already are disturbing me; you woke me up from my sleep. Be glad to be alive.

Electra bite her teeth togheter to not snap at the wywern. Her darkblue was sending some kind of strange,lightblue aura and her deepblue eyes was now shooting electrict sparks. She could just use her power againt this litte beast…but it was way to big to even feel some pain from her strongest attack.And the attack itself could accidently kill her if she used to much of her own strength…
The wywern saw this as a sign of upcoming attack.His tail raised up several meters up in the air before it started to fall down with a cobras speed…
-Whats going on here? Are ya upset again my pretty boy?
The wywerns tail hit the caves ground a few meters away from Electra and the Enox. The mare jumped backwards, dragging Electra with her away from the danger.
-Don’t be upset little one.. they don’t do ya any harm see?
The man with pink jacket that have white, fluffy stuff around the neck and hands area, pink jeans and a pink cap on his head… his sunglases- why he even wear them when the sky was cloudy was a mystery for Electra- was also… pink.
-Listen honey, I give ya that small damn crystals. But you will have to help we with something after that… but what it is you will find out after you get the crystals.
Electra got a weird feeling when she heard the last line. It could be dangerous to accept this but…
-Okey.I PROMISE to help you with whatever you want…
The man in pink cloths smiled and disappeared for a few minutes.When he came back he had a small bag filled with the required crystals.
-here little one.Take them.Now… to the point..wanna know what ya have to do?
Electra nodded even if the enox tried to make her change her mind by shaking her head, dragging in her darkblue cloths and scratching the ground with her hoof.
-I need you to kill the Enox. Her furr would be amazing as a gift for the Christmas…
He opened his arms with a big, warm smile on his face. Whatever he trough this was not what Electra have expected; she hurried up and jumped on the Enox with the bag safe on her shoulder. There was no chanse that she would kill the mare.
-Santa needs a huug… and the skinn.
- Im not hugging you. Ever.Stay.AWAY.from me AND the Enox or I kill you!
She let the Enox fly out of the cave faster than ever before. The mare was frightened by the mans acting; he was not older than Electra and he was probably joking…but that was not fun…
-I know I know- said Electra with a sigh
- I should have been more careful…you don’t need to tell me. Just…
A roaring behind them make Electra look back. The green wywern was flying after them in high speed with the pink man on his back…
-You have to be kidding me…
-Okey that about hug was a joke! But I still need her skinn! You promised!
- Get lost!

The man in pink followed her for a long time. They crossed the mountains twice in a try to loose him but the wywern was way too fast for that. Electra started to get tired of that pink santa or whatever he called himself for…
-Leave us alone!
-NOBODY. Brakes promises…especially the one you make for santa! You promised a cookie; I want it NOW. It is a metaphor by the way..
Electra looked back over her shoulder and her eyes got wide open; the Santa took out a big, plastic toy-pistol filled with something that looked like…
-Faster Faith!-she shouted to the Enox and lied down as much as possible,holding to the mares long hair.
- Faster!
The enox tried to accelerate but she was already flying as fast as the wind let her to do. Electra opened her mouth to say something…. But no words left her mouth. The koifisk-egg hit the back of her head and made her see purple kois flying around her head; the Enox got hit by the spiky crystalwing –egg. She could feel how they both started to falling down towards the big pond below them…. Everything was spinning faster and faster..cold water surrounded them both…and everything went black.

-How is the enox doing?
-She will be fine; her wing is broken but she will heal soon.
-And Electra?
-Small concussion and some strange scars that looks like koifish-eggs… don’t ask me about them…….
Pink man…wywern…koifish eggs…falling…
Electra jumped up with a scream. They crashed into the koifish-pond… but they where…
-Where is he!?
-Who?Electra calm down!- her best friend Soya shouted before she ran over and forced Electra to lay down. The Enox was lying by Electras side and watching what was happening.
- The pink Santa-f….!
-ELECTRA! Don’t call santa that! He will get pissed and not bring the egg! Anita got happy about the crystals… I ride over there with Faith and left then before I returned. WildWing was protecting you under the time I was gone.
-WildWing? Seriously? You left me with that oversized, brainwashed gryphon!?

WildWing was not a normal gryphon. His feathers was light grey and his bodysize a little smaller than the others… but it wasn’t what made him that “special”. He acted as a cat. He could hunt butterfly, small rats, climbed up on the trees, hissed as a cat… he acted as a cat every little moment of his life. His parents got killed in a battle and her friend found the gryphon in one of the shops; nobody wanted that small gryphon that have been raised up by a black Tienko so Soya got him for free.
- He isn’t that bad! And his not brainwashed! You crashed in the pond Electra….you had some smaller injuries but the crystals must have protected you both… we have the egg.
Soya looked at her with a weird look in her lightgrey eyes.
-What santa?
-The one who hunted us the hole evening yesterday…he was riding a wywern and shot at us with koifisheggs and crystalwingeggs! Seriously..he was completely nuts…wanted to skinn Fight alive! Why isn’t she with Anita by the way?
Soya laughed.Her friend must have hit her head really good..pink santa on a wywen with a egg-pistol? That was just too much..
-Honey, you hit your head really good when you crashed into the pond. Nobody was following you. I would see a wywern trust me…Anita let Faith stay with us.The mare don’t want stay in the caves anymore…she want to be free.
Electra sighed and laid back. She maybe was dreaming..but the marks as koifish-eggs…
“Nah…its time to sleep” she trough and fell in a deep, long sleep.

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Magi Yummyquik smiled and waved at the crowd as she accepted the accolades due her for finding an entirely new species of companion. Cheers and congratulations wafted up from her fellow magi in front of her…and were suddenly and rudely interrupted when a heavy weight landed on her sleeping body.

“BLERF AAHHH! GETERROFF - I can’t…breathe!” Yummyquik flailed under the cotton throw, as she tried to move her Keep Guardian’s huge paw from her face. Prowl just purred louder and proceeded to try to crawl under the blanket.

“Prooowwwl, nooo,” Yummyfquik whined, trying to push the big cat away towards the wall. “Get down. I told you to wake me, not suffocate me.”

The berthroom door banged open as Glissade slithered into Magi Yummyquik’s room with a breakfast tray. “It’s uppy, uppy time,” Glissade said in a cheery singsong, as she placed the tray laden with muffins and chocolate milk on the side table. “Good morn, Prowl. At least someone besides me is doing their job this morning. Come on Yummy, you must get up. I’ve taken the liberty of packing your things and I’ve gotten our traveling companions fed and ready to go.”

“Aw, I don’t want to go, Gliss,” Yummyquick whined into her pillow. “I’m just getting ready to breed another Nesquik, and I need to supervise….”

Placing the tray on the side table, Glissade interrupted Yummyquik before she could finish the sentence, “I think the bunnies know what is expected of them in order to breed. They do not need any supervision.” She sniffed and continued, “Unlike a lazy, slug-a-bed mage that we both know and love.” Glissade smiled to take the sting out of her words and scratched Prowl’s aft, exactly how the big cat liked. “You promised Magi Anita you would undertake her journey. And, if you delay the start any longer, you will run the risk of traveling during sandstorm season while in the Etain Desert. We all don’t want that, now do we?”

Yummyquik sat up, stretched her arms above her head and yawned. “All right, all right. I guess I’m outvoted this morning,” she said. Swinging her legs off to the side, she squealed like a little girl when her feet hit the cold floor. Unfortunately, her bid to get back under the covers was thwarted by her Keep Guardian, who had settled into the abandoned warm spot while Yummyquik’s back was turned.

“You said the Companions are ready? I don’t need everybody on this first trip, you know,” Yummyquik said, giving Prowl a rub on her soft, upright ears. “We’re just taking the hummers, talvar, alphyn and quetz, right? The sooner we get going, the sooner we can get back.” She stood, grabbed a sparkleberry muffin from the tray, and went to the closet to change her clothes.

Glissade looked guiltily at the floor for a moment before saying, “Yes, we discussed who is going, not only once, but multiple times. And…I have been meaning to tell you…there is only “we” for the first leg of the journey.”

Popping her head through her lucky shirt, Yummyquik swung around to look at her Naga Ally and good friend. “What are you talking about, Gliss? I thought we were doing this to-geth-er. You know, both of us? Taking a little learning trip. What has changed?”

“I will travel with you to the Jungle of Raza, but once we have gathered the items Magi Anita requires, I must stay and visit with my family. My second cousin, twice removed, brother’s aunt’s stepchild is having a bonding ceremony. It is to be a large celebration and I am required to attend. I simply cannot decline. I am required to stay because of family obligations.”

“...!” Yummyquik cocked her head. “Your - let me get this straight - second cousin, twice removed, brother’s aunt’s stepchild? Gliss. Why does that sound like you made that up just to get out of traveling with me?”

Glissade tossed her head back with a laugh. “No, seriously. I told you our families are extended. Very extended.”

“I guess so.”

“If you didn’t have other tasks to fulfill,” Glissade continued, “I would have asked permission for you to attend as my guest.”

“Aww, don’t make me feel any worse about this trip,” Yummyquik said from within the closet. “I’m just about ready, why don’t you go down and I’ll meet you in the stable in a few klicks.”

“That is acceptable.” Glissade slithered out the door, and issued a warning from the hall. “If you are not down shortly, I’ll send The Delroch up to get you!”

“Yeah, yeah. You are so demanding,” muttered Yummyquik from the interior of the closet. “I’ll be there, when I get there. Hmm, now where are my favorite black boots?”

Yummyquik emerged from the closet with her traveling satchel over her shoulder. Popping the last bite of muffin into her mouth, she made her way to the door. Hand on the doorknob, Yummyquik turned and surveyed the room to make sure nothing she needed on this trip was being left behind. Smiling at her Keep Guardian snoozing in the warm berth, she said “Goodbye, Prowl, we’re off. I’ll stop back in a couple weeks, once we’re done in Raza. I’m counting on you to take care of things while I’m away and keep everyone in line. And, if you’re a good little kitty, I’ll bring you back a present. Maybe a little pink collar with a bell – how’s that sound?” Yummyquik could barely keep the smirk off her face as a low growl erupted from beneath the cover.

Prowl opened one eye to watch as Yummyquik quit the room, leaving the door ajar. She gave a great yawn, and burrowed her head further under the pillow. ‘Time to get some serious napping done around here.’


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Excerpt from Naga Glissade’s memoirs:

… And that Yummyquik, what a time we had together! I recall one adventure undertaken for a fellow Magi. Anita the Accumulator she was called to her face. Behind her back they called her Pack Rat. But, she showed them, oh yes she did. But, that is another story for another time.

Anita and Yummyquik got along very well, as Yummyquik had a predilection for…pack rat-ery herself. Heh. In fact, Yummy was very much the hoarder of all sorts of trinkets and toys. She was particularly fond of feathers. And, she had one room in the Keep lined with shelves, in which she displayed at least a thousand carved robot toys that she had found in bazaars and markets during her travels across the land. It was quite extraordinary. She played with them almost as much as the children did.

Ah, those were the days. But, I digress.

Now, at that time, Anita had sent Yummyquik on a journey to collect specific items – eggs and crystals and such – from different parts of the world.

The Raza Jungle was our first destination. Oh, I was so very happy to be able to return to my native soil. But, I was only able to accompany Yummyquik on this portion of the quest. Family responsibilities required me to stay behind when she had to leave Raza and continue onward. Thank Primus that Yummy had reliable companions to escort and help her.

Even so, I was so glad to be home. I hadn’t had a chance to visit with my family for over a year - what with my studies at the Keep being foremost in importance at that time. Plus, I was young and impressionable, and Yummy showed me so many wondrous things. But, nothing can compare to the wonder of Home.

I did enjoy showing Yummyquik all my youngling haunts and hideaways, and introducing her to my family – my very extended family – and friends. Yummyquik was a bit nervous about spending the nights out in the open at first. I told her, if a person cannot be safe in the middle of a Naga village, they cannot be safe anywhere! We shared a good laugh, and had such fun telling stories and tall tales well into the nights. But, it was not all play, oh no. We had our list from Anita to acquire.

Besides the Raza Quetzalcoatl eggs Anita required, we also searched for medicinal plants. Some were common, like the aloe. Others were much harder to find and acquire. It took us six days to collect every specimen, but for one. We played a waiting game, and on the eleventh day, Lady Fortune smiled upon us.

We were looking for a specific flower that bloomed only once every hundred years. Amusingly enough, we Naga call it ‘The Daily’. No one ever said we as a people were without humor! But, this plant is reported to have magical properties, and we only had a single day to gather as many blooms as possible before they faded and died, never to be seen again for another hundred years.

The Quetzalcoatl and hummingbirds Anita presented us with proved invaluable, since these particular blooms were situated at the top of the rainforest canopy. Although Naga are exceptionally skilled at climbing, both Yummyquik and I were both too heavy to scale to the very tops of the trees where the blooms were sighted. But, the hummers scouted out the best and biggest blooms, and the Quetzalcoatl was able to just fly up and neatly pluck them from their stems. We were finished in record time. What was that beast’s name? For the life of me, I just can’t recall.

But, my youngest male offspring has one of the descendants from the original Etainian Quetzalcoatl that traveled with Yummyquik and me. Apparently, the naughty little thing found an unattached female Raza Quetzalcoatl, and nature took its course. My family will always care for these descendants, as long as we live in the forest.

Mission accomplished, Yummyquik took her leave of the jungle to continue on her journey. I gave her my solemn promise to see her back at The Keep in three months time.

So, let me describe to you, the bonding day celebration of my second cousin, twice removed, brother’s aunt’s stepchild….


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Magi Yummyquik’s Journal – Fifteenth Day of the Third Month, Fifty-eighth Year.

No rest for the wicked, as the saying goes. I must be very, very wicked ‘cause I am so very, very tired.

It is now well into the evening, and I’m on my way to the Callisto Islands, and ultimately, Rone. Anita needs a specific coral found on Rone’s Eastern shore under the sea. I was able to get a message to Salome, and she will meet me on the shore at midnight in one week’s time. This should be the easy part of the task, only because I’m lucky enough to have a mermaid ally.

I barely had time to restock provisions for myself and exchange companions before I had to leave The Keep once again. I’m not going to be able to return until I have completed all the collections Anita has asked of me. So, I am basically traveling with a small army of companions. As steeds, I have my solar hippogryph and ‘The Delroch’. [I always call him ‘The Delroch’. Like it’s a title. He thinks it’s funny. But, he’s a strange one.] No rest for my Etainian Quetzcoatl either. Poor Mirage is going to do most of the scouting, along with Phoenix Pete.

We set off Southeast from The Keep, and I’m barely a quarter of the way to the coast. I want to make sure I skirt the edge of the Etain Desert. We are going to be in that little piece of hell long enough on the next chapter of this little journey. Sometimes I wonder why I can’t say ‘no’ when people ask me for favors. Ah, I am just too nice. Excuse me while I pat myself on the back. Ha, ha, ha. I amuse myself.

Tonight is particularly beautiful evening. The fire is burning brightly, and gives off just enough light for me to write this in my journal. Everyone is bedded down except for Harley the hippogryph. He’s on watch tonight. I can just see his red coat reflecting in the edge of the firelight. Mirage is already cuddled in the sleeping bag. There has to be something wrong with his nasal cavity – he is definitely snoring. Albeit quietly, but that is still a snore. Makes me smile. And, I had to laugh earlier as my anaugi, Godzilla, carefully and slowly clambered onto the hellhound’s rump to sleep in soft comfort. Hellboy is such a sound sleeper, I don’t think he will make a move all night.

And here’s one more odd thing. For some strange reason, I couldn’t get some of the beetles to stay home. I returned a bunch of them to the garden twice before I left, and guess who I just found hidden when I unrolled my sleeping bag? Yep - twelve Vasants. Maybe they know something I don’t know.

=O=

Twentieth Day of the Third Month, Fifty-eighth year.

One more task completed for Magi Anita, and we are back on the mainland, heading toward Voltar to undertake the next.

Traveling overland from The Keep to the southeastern shore was tedious. I couldn’t fly, as I was traveling with companions who were ground-bound. Someday, someone is going to have to invent a teleportation spell.

No problems in arriving at the Callisto Islands. Harley could have flown me twice as far! I love traveling over the sea. It is so pretty. As long as the weather cooperates, of course. I left everyone else but the beetles and crabs back on the mainland shore. I was afraid that they might wander off and get lost. They are so small.

Upon arrival, I came across an old mariner who lived just off the beach. He was very helpful in pinpointing the exact location of the Rone coral site. Apparently, he was unafraid of being cursed. According to him, the fact that other fishermen avoided the area just gave him an edge in getting the best catch. It almost seemed to me that he was hinting that he started the rumor of a curse in the first place.

I met up with Salome on the far East tip of the main island. She was very pleased with the red crystal necklace I gave her as a…well, as a bribe, really. I had no hope of getting the coral by myself. Salome was accompanied by a group of creatures I had heard of but hadn’t seen before – caeralis. Beautiful and friendly, it was a joy to see them frolicking in the water.

It was hard to tell at first if they were helping or hindering Salome as she was beneath the surface of the water gathering my coral. Quite comical, I could see them very easily through the clear water, and they were bumping and swimming around Salome as though enticing her to come and play with them in the open waters. Made me wish I knew how to swim. I wanted to join the fun. But, I am afraid of the water, you know. I believe I drowned in a past life.

Salome promised me that she would send some caeralis to me at The Keep, then I could have my own little pod. Maybe they could teach me to swim. I thanked her profusely, and promised to visit again soon with a matching crystal bracelet.

Back at the mariner’s hut, he shared a surprisingly bountiful meal with Harley and me. In thanks, I left him the Vasant beetles and a few Viridis Crabs to help in the garden and preserve certain foods that spoil quickly in the heat. He was very pleased with the gifts. Canny little man. I just figured out that by keeping the other locals away, this meant (besides good fishing) that he was the one to deal with visitors. I wonder how much extra gold and special gifts he receives for his services?

=O=

Twenty-seventh Day of the Third Month, Fifty-eighth Year.

We are halfway to Voltar, our aim is to pick up some special spices that Anita requires for something-or-other. Also, items she needs to make what she called a ‘ham samitch’. I’m not exactly sure what a samitch is – I know I have heard the Cehual boar called a ‘ham’ in slang. So I am presuming a samitch somehow involves a boar. Hmm. I guess I shall find out once I get to Voltar.

In addition, Anita wanted some wild phoenix eggs for new breeding stock. Hellboy should be able to sniff them out easily. I might even try to get a couple for myself.

It’s almost time to switch our sleep schedule, so we can travel during the cooler hours and sleep during the heat of the day. I certainly don’t want to suffer heat stroke.

Oh, and I saw my first mirage today! No, I’m not talking about my quetz named Mirage. I mean the illusion of a pond of water in the distance. No matter how far we traveled, the water stayed the same distance away, until if finally faded with the setting sun. It was quite fascinating.

I am looking forward to perusing the market at Voltar. I need a few items for myself – jewels, and maybe I can find some new toys for my special collection. Plus, I did promise Prowl something special. And I need to buy some exotic gifts for my special friends. I am so excited, I’ve heard so much about the market.

Enough for now, time to sleep.

=O=

First Day of the Fourth Month, Fifty-eighth Year.

Oh, Holy Primus – will this trip never end?!

If Hellboy doesn’t stop antagonizing Harley by following too closely to his heels, I am seriously going to do something regrettable. I don’t know what, exactly, but I shall think of something. It’s like babysitting two four year olds. AARGH! I didn’t have any children just for this reason. I have no patience.

I haven’t written to update this journal because absolutely nothing of any importance has happened. We walk, we rest, we eat, we walk some more, we eat again and then we sleep. Repeat as needed. We changed our travel schedule about five days ago so we could sleep during the day and move in the night. I estimate we shall arrive in Voltar in a day and a half. We are so close that we can see the reflected glows of the volcanoes in the distance as we walk at night.

Please let the time fly by. I fear for my sanity.


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Portion of a sales receipt from Euclis’ Magi Market in Voltar

. . .
Phoenix gloves, teflon coated
Hippogryph treat mix
Spices – Cinnamon
Jo Jo Bar pepper
Puvia flakes
Basilisk leaves
Gingersnap
Rosemarie leaves
Ground Owie pepper
Cumulous powder
Nutmeg
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
4 cured hams
2 ten pound bags of Hoagie flour
3 cases Red Stag Whiskey
Belled necklace (links added to fit Delroch at no charge)
Catnip-filled toy ball – size large
Egg wrap – 4 lengths
Jade ball
Sunscreen

Total – 3,057,210 gold
PAID IN FULL ***

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SAVE THIS RECEIPT FOR 10% OFF YOUR NEXT PURCHASE

AT

EUCLIS’ MAGIC MARKET

WE’RE HERE FOR ALL YOUR MAGICAL NEEDS!




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Yummyquik's Journal - Fifth Day of the Fourth Month, Fifty-eighth Year.


All I have to say is – Voltar really knows how to throw a party.
And ham sandwiches are food of the gods. *burp*


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Etain Desert Oasis - Story handed down from Storyteller to Storyteller in the Tepes Gypsy Camp

Let me tell you children, of the time a magi from The Keep journeyed here to our little corner of the world. What makes this magi special was the circumstances of his arrival and what followed.

Traveling with his magical companions, this magi had been on a quest to find fantastical items from all over our beautiful world - from the green, green Raza, to the frigidly white Arkene, to dark and sinister Silva, to the extremely mysterious Rone and finally to our own little paradise here in the warm south. He had medicinal plants, strange new bugs, snowflakes frozen in crystal, seashells as large as your head the color of the rainbow, and fire captured in a cylinder. Many were the treasures he carried.

And his companions! I have it on good authority that a herd of proud Delroch consented to be pack animals. Strange red and green beetles traveled in clusters of thousands, tunneling beneath the very sand. With an anaugi on each shoulder, the magi himself rode a solar hippogryph, twenty-five hands high! Thirteen alphyns frolicked and played as they traveled, watched over by a flock of fifty fire gryphons trained by the magi’s own hand to form complex flight patterns in the sky. And guarding the caravan on the ground was a ferocious hellhound almost as large as the bulls. But the fierceness was only exhibited to enemies, as children climbed and played all over the beast while he was at rest. Inside, he was surely made of sugar.

After partaking in Voltar’s monthly Carnival, the magi was on his way home with his treasures and purchases when misfortune befell him.

Traveling on the borderlands, he was distracted by a distant sleuth of those terrible nandi bears – always hungry and always on the prowl. He didn’t notice a great sandstorm rapidly coming from the south, and he and his companions were soon engulfed in the blinding, choking winds. Thrown off course, the caravan was headed straight to Death Valley, where they surely would have been lost forever – magical powers, notwithstanding.

However, the gods were smiling upon that magi, and my great-great-great grandmother was the one who found them wandering lost in the desert storm. My grandmother had an affinity with the winds, and was able to calm things down just enough to lead the entire caravan from the brunt of the storm and back to our camp situated at the Iacon Oasis.

Our people made the magi welcome, fed and played with the companions, and exchanged small gifts. In thanks for our assistance, the great magi left us with some of his magical beetles to help keep our oasis fertile. And you can see they have done a splendid job. Iacon Oasis is the envy of many a rival tribe. As an added bonus, everyone in camp was treated to a ride on the imposing hippogryph, which thrilled adults and children alike!

Grandmother left with that magi to travel to The Keep to learn how to better control of her wind talent. That is how we finally acquired a shaman of our own, who has passed knowledge down through the generations. And, Grandmother’s adventures are worthy of an exciting story of their own….


0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


Yummyquik’s Journal – Twenty-ninth Day of the Fourth month, Fifty-eighth Year.

Holy slag. I am beat. I need to sleep for a week, at least. My faithful companions and I have finally returned. I am officially calling this quest, ‘Anita’s Journey to the Pit and Back.’ And to think I complained about the quest to the Caves of Nareau being too difficult. Little did I know.

I think I hit all four corners of the known world – and three corners of the unknown. Ug.

I’m gonna get that magi who attacked me under cover of a sandstorm in the Etain Desert. We seriously almost died, and if it hadn’t been for that gypsy teen…I don’t even want to think about it.

I have an idea who was the culprit, but I need conclusive proof. Look out Merion, I’m watching you!

But, I made some good friends and that gypsy has quite an amazing talent with the weather. I think I will pass her on as a student to Campari. They should get along famously.

Along with completing Anita’s tasks, I learned quite a bit (and brought back some fabulous feathers for my collection). Very disappointed that I never came across any new and magnificent companions to show the world, but there’s always next time.

Everyone’s fed and bedded down for some serious, well-deserved rest. A more detailed journal entry shall have to wait, along with gifting the treasures I found for my friends.

And as for me, I am off to berth.

Wake me at your peril.

yummyquik

When Kate got back to the Keep, the first thing she did was track down Master Rykian. As was usual for the time of year, her mentor was near the shore of Lake Lakira, leaning back against Kestrel, his brown gryphon, and enjoying the warm summer sunshine. Deeply engrossed in a book, he glanced up as she approached, his annoyance at the interruption fading a little when he saw who she was. "So, what did you get yourself into this time?" he said. "Another ghostly magi needing closure? Or is it something straightforward this time, like subduing a renegade bone dragon."

Kate laughed, knowing by now not to take her mentor's irritability personally. As the youngest Master by a considerable margin - scarcely older than Kate herself, though, that being said, she was rather old to be a new student - he'd been struggling to be taken seriously for years, so it was no wonder he'd developed a tendency to snap at people, much like his beloved gryphon. "Either trivially simple or impossibly difficult, depending on what you make of Anita's note." She handed the scrap of paper over to Master Rykian, who regarded it intently. Kestrel craned her neck as if she were trying to read over his shoulder, which, Kate reminded herself, she probably could. " 'Egg of the creature that never was' could be so many things, especially with all the new discoveries that have been made recently."

Master Rykian nodded, and began ticking names off on his fingers. "Abaia, piasa bird, winter kirin, peacock phoenix, and others that aren't coming immediately to mind. Yesterday's legend becomes today's incredible new discovery and tomorrow's commonplace sight. Well, the library's never failed me before." Master Rykian closed his book and stood up. "You'll find that surrounding yourself with books and looking studious is a great way to stall for time, if nothing else."

***

Some time later, both were surrounded by books and scrolls, and Kate had a short list of possibilities, even if most of what she wrote down got scratched out five minutes later, either for being not so impossible after all or for not really being best suited for someone who traveled as much as Anita did. At last, Master Rykian shut "Wildlife of Alasrae" with a snap, the annoyed expression on his face (combined with his untidy brown hair) giving him a striking resemblance to Kestrel. "Take her a chimera. I seem to recall someone in my year doing research into new varieties, though of course I couldn't immediately tell you where he ended up." He glanced behind Kate. "Oh, hello, Tobran," he said, his voice immediately much gentler. "Sorry to make you come looking for me. We'll be done here in a minute."

Kate glanced over her shoulder. Tobran, Master Rykian's partner, was standing there, looking vague and somewhat lost, as he generally did. He wandered over to the table and stood there, gazing at the papers in front of Kate without truly seeming to see them. "It's a shame oblivion pillagebeast eggs are so hard to come by nowadays," he said at last.

She was sure this was just one of Tobran's non sequiturs, but Master Rykian was looking chagrined. "I call myself an expert researcher and miss something that obvious. Of course that's what Anita wants."

Kate regarded Master Rykian dubiously, sure that he and Tobran were having a joke at her expense. "You expect me to believe there's actually something called an oblivion pillagebeast? That's not a creature, it's a punchline to a joke." She glanced at the two men, especially Tobran - Master Rykian might be able to carry off the joke without laughing, but she doubted the other man could. Both were looking quite serious, though - well, serious yet vague, in Tobran's case.

"It's both, actually," said Master Rykian. "and if you don't stop glaring at me, I'll make you read up on them yourself - that's better. So, a few centuries ago, the Stream was flooded one morning with strange eggs, said by the magi who put them there to grow up into creatures unlike anything that had been seen before. All the magi at the Keep flocked to the Stream, grabbed as many as they could carry, and waited for them to hatch - which they never did, as the whole thing was just a prank. The eggs were a work of art, though - each mottled in a slightly different orange pattern, with protruding bat-like wings that fluttered like the real things."

Kate grimaced. "That sounds more than a little creepy. I can't imagine anyone wanting something like that around." It would be bad enough having to carry one around in her pack until she found Anita again.

Master Rykian nodded. "Most people didn't, which is why they're so hard to come by now. Master Belmos wound up with a few, but I've haven't heard of him selling one in years."

"So, I guess I'll return these creatures to Anita and thank her for the loan," Kate said with a sigh. She'd grown quite attached to her new friends, especially the solar hipppgryph (though Helios and Flare hadn't been too pleased to acquire competition). "I don't have enough gold left for something that rare, even if I could find one."

"I said hard to come by, not impossible to come by," said Master Rykian. "A few of the older magi might have one around - I'd suggest trying the Callisto Islands, as I know of a few magi who have retired there over the past few decades. As for payment, well, you do have some souvenirs from your last adventure. Enough cursed wood to make a wand or a few charms would be a reasonable exchange for an oblivion pillagebeast egg."

"Well, you have been saying I shouldn't be afraid to travel more," said Kate. "If no oblivion pillagebeast eggs materialize, perhaps I can get in some vacation time."

***

Getting to the Callisto Islands proved to be the easiest part of the whole endeavor, even with as much trouble as she'd had picking creatures to accompany her (Helios and Flare had continued to object to the new solar hippogryph, the new alphyn hadn't taken to the cats, and the hummingbirds had annoyed everyone). Finding the egg, though, was a different story.

Two days into Kate's search, the optimistically long list of magi that Master Rykian had kindly compiled for her had dwindled alarmingly. Most people thought she was trying to pull some sort of belated April fool's prank, and those that had actually heard of an oblivion pillagebeast didn't have one to sell. At least the quetzalcoatl Anita had given her had been helpful - he could fly high enough to spot the houses Kate was looking for, thus saving her from spending hours making sense of directions like "turn right at the second funny-looking tree."

Branwen, the next name on the list, lived far away from the nearest town, and it was late afternoon by the time the quetzalcoatl (still nameless, as Kate had yet to think of a good one) spotted her house. Kate resigned herself to having yet another door shut in her face, though with luck, Branwen wouldn't be as bad as the magi who'd answered the door brandishing a sword. She hadn't even lingered long enough to ask her question that time, as the man's glare made her wonder if he'd be tempted to use the sword on her.

Kate knocked on the door, resigned to a long wait, but it was opened almost right away by a gray-haired woman, who regarded her with a mixture of anger and contempt. "So, after all these years, you dare to come back."

Understandably taken aback, Kate couldn't help looking around to see if the woman was by chance talking to someone else. "I'm sorry, but I believe you've mistaken me for someone else," Kate said, trying to keep her voice calm. "I've never even been to the Callisto Islands before."

Branwen smiled, though there was no warmth in it. "Oh, you know me quite well - I haven't changed that much since the last time we met. I'd given up hope of living long enough to see you receive just punishment for your crimes, dark magi." Before Kate could run, or even try to defend herself, the woman had cast a paralysis spell over Kate. The last thing she heard before she passed out was Branwen saying "Now, may you suffer as your victims suffered."

When Kate awoke, she was near the edge of a large forest, completely alone. Her pack was nowhere to be seen (back with Branwen, she knew), and she soon discovered that one of the spells Branwen had cast had removed her ability to work magic (and, despite herself, had to admire the other magi's technique). As it was now well after dark, there was nothing for Kate to do but climb a tree and wait until morning.

Dawn brought, if not signs of civilization, at least enough light for Kate to make her way out of the forest. Wherever Branwen had stranded her, it was far from any signs of human habitation, and Kate knew Branwen intended for her to wander until she perished from lack of food or fell victim to the local wildlife. Still, unless Branwen had worked a teleport spell while Kate was unconscious, she was still on the Callisto Islands. If Kate could just make it to the ocean, perhaps she could flag down a passing ship or an amenable leviathan. She picked a direction, and started walking.

The sun was well overhead and Kate was starting to tire when the calm of the morning was broken by a shriek overhead. Looking up, Kate spotted her quetzalcoatl friend. Dipping a wing to acknowledge having seen her, he flew off, to return a short while later with Helios (who was carrying her pack, Kate was glad to see) and Flare. Flare nearly knocked her down in his concern to make sure she was unharmed, and crooned worriedly until Kate reassured him that, aside from her current inability to work magic, she'd survived unscathed.

By nightfall, the four of them had arrived back at civilization, and as luck would have it, were not far from one of the names on Kate's list. That this person proved not only to have an oblivion pillagebeast egg but was also willing to accept the pieces of cursed wood in exchange was decidedly anticlimactic, but Kate wasn't about to complain. She'd survived her adventure, she could keep her part of Anita's bargain, and she'd have quite a story to share with Master Rykian when she got back to the Keep.

The Crystalline Caves were said to be a remarkable sight, clustered with crystals of various colors from blues to greens to reds, and sporadically placed all over the walls and floors of the deep passages so that one could venture into them without a light of their own. This is where you find yourself, carefully stepping over rocks and squeezing through tunnels.

It’s not long before you hear the echoes of gentle tapping. Upon rounding a bend, you find who you are looking for. A woman is beating at the surrounding crystals with a pick. She’s dressed in brown trousers, heavy boots, a loose tunic and leather jerkin with a multitude of a tiny bags and pockets wrapped around her waist and legs. Atop her head is a mass of curly brown hair. You clear your throat to gain her attention, and she stops in mid-swing to peer at you from behind large, circular goggles. She lifts them from her face and smiles.

You’ve heard of this woman from time to time in the Keep. Anita the Accumulator. Or, for those less inclined, Anita the Pack Rat. She often sends magi out into the world to collect samples of her discoveries, and in return she’ll award them with creatures. However, she is not what you expected.

“Hello, mage,” she says quite cheerfully. “Here for the journey, I wager?” You nod. “As I tell many of your folk, it’s not a pleasant journey if you’re not careful, but I give you creatures to help you with the trials. You keep them, too…long as you survive it in one piece.” You hesitate, staring at her warily with thoughts of whether or not this is a good idea after all.

She smiles wider and says, “Having a bit of fun, is all. You magi are so serious.” She wipes a handkerchief across her face, succeeding only smearing dirt. “It shouldn’t be so bad, and you get my little lovelies in the process. So,” she leans on the handle of the pick, smirking, “are you willing to go on the journey?”

---

“I am,” you reply, and she claps her hand in glee. Briefly, you wonder if you have been rather too hasty in accepting because the gleam in her eyes is a little too disconcerting, but that thought is quashed as your logical side asserts itself. As a student of the Keep and fledgling member of the Dark Brotherhood, you are no stranger to superiors with devious minds and equally twisted ideas on what constituted a ‘simple training mission’. The burns you received during your previous assignment are still tender to the touch, though perhaps they were worth it as you’d managed to come to an understanding with the Bone Dragons before they razed another village to the ground.

Anita, at least, hands over her payment upfront – unlike several other Questors you’ve had the misfortune to assist – and her gifts will doubtless aid you greatly.

“Far to the south, beyond the Etain Desert,” she tells you, “lie plains upon rolling plains of a land uncharted save by the most enterprising of merchants, and the most adventurous of Magi. You shall depart for this place and return with something precious for my collection.”

You nod in response, pondering over her cryptic words. Riddles are common among Magi as tests of skill, knowledge and worth, so this comes as no surprise. Questions and possible answers flash through your mind, but then Anita speaks up once more, snapping you out of your reverie. Inviting you to follow her, she swiftly strides towards a branch in the tunnel. A few twists and turns later find you both in another sparkling cavern, whose walls are studded with crystals of every colour imaginable, and then some. Rainbow-hued shards wink at you invitingly, and the gemstones closest to you flare up when you pass, lighting up the space with their incandescent glow. You can feel the magic here responding to your presence, and it is like taking a breath of cold, fresh air, suffusing you with a lightheaded sensation.

Anita the Accumulator chuckles, “Strange feeling, isn’t it? I lived here for half a year before I got used to the magic levels in these caves. Like the Caves of Nareau, elemental magic is very concentrated here, but that’s where all similarities end. I suppose that could make an interesting study for a scholar, but that’s not why I brought you here.”

She reaches out and places her hand gently on a green crystal protruding from the wall at shoulder-height. Suddenly, there is a blinding flash of light, and when the dark spots in your field of vision have cleared you see Anita with a Crystalwing in her arms, its scales the same verdant hue as the crystal from which it emerged.

“Your journey will lead you to mysterious and unknown lands. Take the Crystalwing who can fly with great speed and take you across the world in the blink of an eye.” Anita laughs again, and adds, “Well, maybe not that fast, but she is a good guide and will lead you to where you need to go. Her name is Yu Qing.”

You dutifully repeat the unfamiliar syllables, and the Crystalwing thrills delightedly, flapping out of Anita’s hold to land splayed across your chest. Automatically, you raise both arms to catch her, and she uses your limbs to clamber up to your shoulder, where she headbutts the side of your face affectionately.

‘Yu’, you recall, is the name some Eastern traders have for a form of green jadeite that is commonly used as a material in jewelry. And ‘Qing’ is just simply ‘green’. You say as much to Anita, who nods her head in approval.

Jade green, you think, while looking at your new companion, is the exact shade of her scales in the mage-light.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries and thanks on your part, you politely take your leave and turn to ascend a path that will take you back to the scorching desert above. The Accumulator only spares you a small wave before returning to her fossicking.

Her mining pick’s steady and rhythmic ‘plink-plink-plink’ is the only sound that accompanies your footsteps as you exit the Crystalline Caves.

---

Eight days later finds you at the border of the Etain Desert, with the last charted oasis an hour behind you and Voltair a long-vanished spot beyond the horizon. Sand gives way to hardened earth, which cedes reluctantly to wispy grass and stunted shrubs that increase in lushness the further south you travel. You pull the coarse material of your hood lower to block out the glaring sun, and secure its cords to ensure that it does not get blown off by the wind buffeting your face. An inquisitive nose peeps out from the folds of your cloak, and you poke it lightly in admonishment while keeping one hand on the reins of your steed. Curiosity may very well kill the Jerboa Rat if he falls off a Noctis Enox flying at an altitude of several hundred meters above the ground. Luckily your companion decides to be cooperative and snuggles back into your pocket. You can feel the warmth of his small, furry body and he curls up, most likely to take a nap.

The Green Crystalwing you received from Anita speeds ahead, eager and graceful in her natural environment. In the sunlight, her scales shimmer like an exquisite piece of jewelry rather than their usual solid green colour. Savage Nymph, your Noctis Enox, follows at a more sedate but steady pace, powerful wings slicing the air with each stroke.

Abruptly, the Crystalwing darts left and right before winging back to Nymph. She chirps at you expectantly.

“Found something, Qing?” You shout over the turbulence and the avian bobs her head up and down excitedly. Folding her emerald-hued wings, she shoots through the cloud layer and you send your steed descending after her immediately.

---

In hindsight, you should have known that something had gone wrong the moment Qing crumples and tumbles out of the air without warning. Her slender form stiffened, as if she had crashed into an invisible wall, before resuming her downward course, plummeting head-over-heels in a mockery of her previous controlled dive. At that point, you ought to have told Savage Nymph to gain altitude and performed the detecting tests for strong or malicious magic. Yu Qing, as a Crystalwing, possessed scales as hard as diamonds and the withered trees on the ground would have at least broken part of her fall. She had dropped too fast for you or your magic to reach her; there’d been nothing that you could do to help.

But of course you had to be so confident of your abilities that you instead urged Nymph into a faster dive, your outstretched hand glowing with gathered energy and a levitation spell on your lips.

And that was when everything went black.

---

The ground is hard and sandy, with many small rocks that are poking into you. Your mouth feels gritty and scraped as though you have swallowed a handful of glass shards. Pain blossoms down you back, shoulders and sides when you try to move. Something is restricting your hands and feet.

“Wake up, Stranger.”

Someone roughly hauls you upright and shakes you vigorously. Groggily, you crack open your eyes, trying to make sense of the situation. Blurred shapes resolve themselves into men, all of whom possess muscled frames and an assortment of farming tools in their hands. And none of them bore expressions to suggest that they were on their way to the fields to do a bit of ploughing or planting.

The one who had grabbed you tightens his grip around your shoulders, and says something to you in rapid, short syllables. The words sound vaguely familiar, but you are still too dazed to think beyond the fact that firstly, something had gone wrong; secondly, you have met up with native inhabitants who look less-than-friendly; and thirdly, your magic seems to be gone.

That last realisation causes a shock akin to that produced by a splash of icy-cold water, and your mind jolts into action. Seeing that the large man in front of you seems to be getting impatient, you shake your head and lower your eyes meekly, while surreptitiously taking stock of yourself. You don’t seem to be physically injured beyond some superficial scratches, but your weapons and pack are gone, your companions are missing, and your limbs are bound tight with strong rope. There is also the looming, disquieting exhaustion that pervades your entire body, no doubt caused by the absence of the innate magic that normally helps to sustain a Mage’s body.

The large man before you, whom you place as the leader of the villagers, gestures briskly and a figure steps out of the circle of men surrounding you. He is as well-built as his fellows, with the same dark hair tied back in a topknot and dressed in clothing made of coarsely-woven fiber, but his eyes are alight with interest. While the leader and his band look at you with suspicion and hostility, the newcomer is the only one who displays open curiosity.

“You are from the north, Stranger?” he asks you in the tradesman’s tongue – a conglomeration of languages from various parts of the known world commonly used by merchants and explorers. His tone is stilted and cautious, just like his stance.

Seeing you nod, he continues, “I am Shin. I speak to you for our village chief. He asks who are you, and why are you here. Your caravans do not come during the planting season.”

You think better of revealing yourself to be a Mage, especially considering your current inability to use magic, and reply in the same language, “My name is Silflame, and I am a traveler and explorer of sorts. I was sent here to search for something and am only passing briefly through this area. I apologise if I have unknowingly trespassed on your land.”

Shin translates what you say to his leader, and they exchange some words before he turns back to you. “Who sent you? How did you find this place?”

“I was told to come here by someone who collects unusual objects like rocks or plants.” Your voice is hoarse, but the words flow more easily now. “The directions she gave me ended here, and I was told to bring back something for her collection.” - Conveniently omitting the point that the one who sent you also collects all manner of magical oddments and not just strange stones, as well as the fact that your directions only ended because you had lost your guide, which incidentally happens to be a magical creature that these villagers have likely never seen.

“The directions end here, in this place?” Shin presses. “Why were you collapsed when we found you?”

“Yes, they do. I rode here and got off my steed to begin my search, but something must have spooked her because she suddenly reared up and broke free. I remember trying to stop her, and she must have struck me a blow that caused me to lose consciousness.”

“This special thing that you are supposed to find – do you know what it is? How it looks like?”

“No,” you say, and not without chagrin. You have gotten no closer in making sense of Anita’s riddle despite more than a week of analysing it, and now it looks like you will not even have the chance to even search for it. “What I do know is that it can be found by a plain, or maybe farmland or pastures. Do you know of such a place nearby?”

The chief frowns at you, which makes you think that he does understand some parts of your conversation. He says something sharply to his translator, who responds with a tentative question. A firm shake of his head silences Shin, and the latter returns his attention to you again.

“I am sorry, but the chief has ordered you to return with us. He suspects you of having committed a crime against our village. Please do not resist; it will only go badly for you.”

You’re pretty sure that part of you registers shock at this pronouncement, but your mind is still abuzz with the unexplained loss of your magic and the whereabouts of your companion creatures. The villagers have you surrounded anyway, and refusing to cooperate now is tantamount to an act of extreme stupidity and will achieve nothing. However your lack of violent reaction does not stop a few of the men from jostling and shoving as they surround you and lead the entire party in what is presumably the village’s direction. Fortunately, they have loosened the bonds around your legs just enough for walking as long as you do not take large steps.

Shin falls in beside you and gives you a sympathetic look. You shrug slightly. There is nothing you can do about the situation for now. “Would you tell me my crime, at the very least?”

He casts a puzzled glance at you. “You have no idea?”

“None whatsoever.”

“The place we found you at,” the translator gestures absentmindedly behind him, “is the wellspring, a place sacred to our village. Our fields are fed by its streams, and when the tree on its central island buds it marks the start of planting season. By the radiance of its blooms, we can tell that our harvest will be bountiful.

“You asked just now if we knew of any places with fertile land and green plains. The land surrounding our village was once as you described, but for the last few seasons things have not looked very good. Now, the wellspring has dried and its tree withered. Our crops do not grow well no matter what we try, the water in our wells is growing less, and it has not rained once since the start of what used to be planting season. Today the chief ordered a party of men sent out to investigate, and we found you on the road leading down from the wellspring.”

He shakes his head and sighs, before continuing, “What else could we think but that you had something to do with this? Also, you said you were sent to our village for a reason that no one knows about.” He narrows his eyes at you, “and it is clear to one who knows how to look that you are hiding something. I believe that you are not the cause of our village’s troubles because you have obviously never been here before today. However, the chief will not let you go until he is convinced of your innocence, which may take a long time in coming.”

“I see,” you reply. Something niggles at your thoughts. “The drought started before the wellspring dried, you said?”

“Yes, about two seasons before. It was mild at first but now the rain has stopped coming altogether.”

The both of you walk on in silence. Your mind races with the implications of Shin’s words.

“An unexplained drought, the drying of the village’s wellspring and the loss of your magic when you entered the area - these must be related. But how?”

You think back to the moment Yu Qing fell from the sky. Recalling the moment you cast the levitation spell, you remember experiencing a sudden drop in your strength, as though your magic is being drained out of you by some unknown force.

Yes, these events are definitely related, and you are determined to get to the bottom of it, inconvenience of your present situation aside. There was also the small matter of Anita’s request, which you still have no clue as to how to complete.

The silhouettes of short, straw-roofed huts emerge in the distance, and you steel yourself for the inquisition.

---

“Well, that went better than expected,” is your first thought as you are pushed into a small but sturdily-built hut. ‘Hut’ is probably an overstatement though, as your temporary abode is barely the size of a small shed. Its interior is dingy, with straw scattered across the earthen ground.

Settling down for the night, you turn your thought back to your first moments on entering the village. Word had likely been sent by the chief of the party’s return, so most of the villagers were congregated at the gates. There’d been shouted accusations and arguments which were silenced by the chief, and you were once again questioned. You stuck to the bare facts of your quest without revealing anything about you being a Mage and offered to help to find the source of their problem, but you could tell that they were not satisfied. Thankfully, nothing more violent than words were exchanged, and upon closer observation you realise that most of them are thin – not dangerously so at the moment, but clearly the look of one who has to go through the whole day on minimal amounts of sustenance. You’d missed this before, but even the men who had escorted you back have pinched faces, with the same haggard expressions.

That was the face of a village that was barely holding together. You doubt that they can last through another lean harvest, which makes finding the root of their problem all the more pressing. You wonder why Anita had sent you to this bleak and desolate place, and if it even contains what she seeks when the villagers look as if they have barely anything to their name, much less anything precious.

The door of your hut creaks open, and Shin steps in. He hands you a bowl containing two small brown objects, which you eye doubtfully.

“Eat,” he says shortly.

On a second look, you realise that they are a kind of fruit – probably your only meal for the day. While only fitting in the palm of your hand and slightly wrinkled, their green flesh is sweet, and the juice is relief for your parched throat. The translator waits until you are done before speaking again.

“The chief sent me to find out anything you know. If you want to go free, talk.”

And so you do. You still do not tell them of your magic - without your powers you have no way to prove your claim – since doing so will only cause more trouble if the village comes to hear of it. However, you tell Shin of your studies; of an area’s magical energy that runs underground via a network of channels, helping rivers to flow and plants to grow; of how you suspect the cause of the drought and barrenness of their fields to be the same.

He in turn speaks to you about the village, even from the times before nature shifted from its expected path. It seems that his people are no strangers to magical creatures as you initially assumed, although they have not had a true Mage for a long time. They know about the Shaa, Temple Cats and Temple Dogs of the Etainian Desert, as well as the Alphyns that make their home in the savannah to the west. Gryphons are rare as they prefer mountainous zones, but occasionally some villagers would spot a Fire Gryphon flying in the distance, a bright red blaze against the azure sky.

Of the creatures that they are familiar with, Shin speaks most enthusiastically about the Vasant Beetles. The little red and green insects apparently make this place one of their migration grounds during winter at the Keep up north, and aid greatly in helping their crops to grow.

However, of late no creature remotely associated with magic had ventured into the village’s territories. Even the Vasant Beetles were late in their migration from the north. You are troubled by this information, but the niggling at the back of your mind grows stronger and you think you are beginning to understand the situation. When the fires outside burn down to embers and the space in your hut falls dark, Shin stands up and thanks you before taking his leave, promising to return again.

He stops by the following day as agreed, with another meal of fruits that he tells you are called “kiwis”. You talk, mainly about the drought and the wellspring, but sometimes about your respective lives and experiences. Over the course of three days, you think you have an idea of the situation.

The wellspring is not only one of water, but also the magical source of the village and its surrounding land. For some reason, the supply has failed and now it is draining energy out of every living thing in order to fill the resultant vacuum. While only a slight amount is taken each time, consistent leeching every day for many months has taken its toll on the plants and animals, as well as the people living here. Those with magic, like you and the companion creatures, are more affected, and this is likely why the latter have been avoiding the place. The void has also twisted the natural landscape, which resulted in the drying of the wellspring and the village’s wells.

The area’s influence serves as a damper on your power. You’d unleashed a great burst of magical energy with your spell,and you cannot recover your inner supply with the constant drain on your resources. Qing, as a Crystalwing constructed of enchanted gemstones, was also afflicted to a greater extent as compared to your Jerboa Rat and Noctis Enox. Worry for them flares up in you, and you hope that they are safe and out of this treacherous zone.

There is only one way to get to the bottom of this. Somehow, you have to convince the chief to let you take an actual look at the wellspring.

---

You raise the topic to Shin when he comes in for his daily visit. He is silent for a long time, a pensive look on his face.

“Tomorrow,” he says suddenly and decisively.

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes. I will speak to the chief about your idea tomorrow,” he fixes you with a fierce glare. “I hope, for your sake, that you know what you are doing.”

---

Later that night, you hear a soft, scuffling noise, and a familiar red head pops out from beneath the straw at your feet. You fail to hold back a small cry of joy at the sight of your companion, whose fates you have been stewing over ever since you found yourself alone.

Your companion immediately runs over to chew through the ropes that bind your hands, but you stop him.

“I will stay here,” you murmur to your companion. “Something is suppressing or draining the magic of this place, and it would cause more trouble that we can afford if we were to force our way out.”

Your Jerboa Rat wrinkles his noise, telling you exactly what he thought of your explanation. He clambers up your chest, small claws catching on the torn cloth of your tunic, and noses your cheek. It leaves a damp spot that tingles in the chill of the night air.

“Go,” you tell him softly but firmly. “I need your eyes and ears. Locate Nymph and Qing if you can. I hope to be allowed to investigate the problem tomorrow. If all goes well we can leave in a more peaceful manner than as we came.”

The little rodent gazes at you skeptically, but hops down to the ground nonetheless. He nudges your fingers a final time before scrambling across the scattered hay and slips outside through a hole at the base of the wooden wall. At the same moment, the door swings open and one of your guards steps in. You do not raise your head to look at him, but you can feel his suspicious eyes trained on your unmoving form. He must have heard you talking, despite your attempt to be quiet, and you simultaneously bless and curse the fact that he does not understand your native tongue.

You shut your eyes and shift slightly while making the unintelligible mumbling noises that one often produces in slumber. Straws of hay crunch under his boots as he approaches you and nudges your side with a foot. Fighting back the urge to adopt a defensive crouch, you hold your breath for a moment, and then release it as a gusty sigh before leaning further into your corner to ‘resume sleeping’, complete with occasional mumble. This seems to convince your guard that nothing is amiss, as you hear the noise from his footsteps recede. The door shuts with a dull ‘clunk’.

The next morning, you wake up to bright sunlight shining uncomfortably onto your face and harsh voices outside your door. Someone slams it open – you wince at the noise – and the village’s chief stomps in with Shin in tow, barking orders to your guards. You are brought out and your bonds untied, and brought once again to the gates with almost the entire village at your heels. This time, you are going in the opposite direction.

---

The wellspring still contains water, but it is murky and shallow enough for you to wade across to the central. As you approach the withered tree, the drain is tangible even when you cannot use magic and causes you to reel. Your senses are still intact, so you can tell that it is absorbing energy not only from you, but also from the surrounding land and air. However, you need to know if this is the thing that is causing all the chaos in the area, so you close the distance step by step.

Up close, the wellspring’s tree stands tall even as a dried, brittle husk of its former self. As you suspected, the source of magic is constantly being used up to sustain it even though it no longer possesses life.

Turning back to face Shin, you say, “You have to burn down that tree.”

The chief’s exclamation interrupts what you were going to say, but the translator steps between the both of you.

You shrug and go on, “You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

---

You can barely recount what happened after Shin convinces the chief and his villagers to go with your suggestion. The towering pillar of fire produced as the great tree burned was something that would be forever imprinted in your mind. As was the sudden release of magic that everyone present felt. Your power surged back to you, and instinctively you send it back down into the earth beneath your feet, feeling it respond eagerly. Overhead, a flash of jade green speeds by, but before you can call out to Qing a cloud of buzzing reds and greens descend to the earth. The Vasant Beetles gather on the island, and there is a bright flash of light, before a shoot pokes through the brown dirt. As currents of magic flow pass you and towards the tiny sapling, it rises above your head – a young and healthy tree. Brown fruits grow and fall from its branches, immediately sprouting heads, beaks and legs. The little birds scuttle around the delighted villagers, who are openmouthed with wonder at the phenomenon.

You finally understood when you watched the scene.

You have forgotten that magic is a gift and that ‘precious’ was a relative term. It has been too long since you have lived without magic; the complacence that accompanies the power had crept up on you and wrapped you up in its silken hold.

They say that it is the blind who can truly see. To those without the gift, magic lies within the mundane. It soars with the birdsong in the crisp, morning air; it unfurls with every tentative shoot rising from the soil and with each new blossom in the spring; it shines glorious and gold with the rising sun during the dawn of a new day.

What you had once taken for granted is akin to a precious gift to these people.

---

Some days later, you present a furry Kiwi Bird to Anita in the Crystalline Caves, and she beams at you.

“A precious gift indeed,” she says. "I believe you have more than fulfilled the conditions of our bargain."

A large hall. Wooden panels cover the walls, adorned with burnt-in silhouettes of various creatures in regular intervals. There are no windows in this room, but a large chandelier and several glowing orbs on the walls are ensuring it is well-lit. The room is dominated by a large oak-wood desk that has been set on a raised platform. Nine chairs have been set on one side of that desk, all of them occupied by magi that exude an aura of importance. They face a simple chair and table that stand in the middle of the room, looking tiny against the looming table on its pedestal. The chair is empty, however, as the one who has come before the gathering of magi neither has need of it nor could use it comfortably. While he has the upper body of a man, his lower body ends in a snake-like tail more than twenty feet in length and covered in blue scales . His white hair falls openly over his bare shoulders, the beads weaved into its ends tinkling softly whenever he moves his head. He has placed a staff on the table in front of him, a wizard’s staff that has been snapped into two halves, and he is now looking up at the nine magi, the most influential and powerful of their kind in the Keep. His eyes move over them all one after the other, then they settle on the one in the middle, Archmage Thane, who presides over this gathering.

“My name is Markandeya Das, of the nimnagAsuta tribe. I have followed the river to its source. I have bested the manticore in combat. I have braved the catacombs of bhUchAya and returned. I have slain seven foes in defense of my village. I have sired two clutches for the continuation of my tribe.” His introduction complete, he pauses for a moment. His voice is loud and firm, his tone could almost be called arrogant were he human. In one of his kind, however, it is to be expected. The Naga are an independent people, bowing to no man be he king or magi, and to be addressed as an equal by one is more than one could ask for in most circumstances. Thane and his council are well aware of this and thus take no offense, patiently waiting for Markandeya to continue.

“I was companion to the magi Alandru Snowstrider. I have come before this council today to tell about the journey he undertook, the things he discovered, and the reason why he will never again return to this place. Will you hear my story?” Thane nods gravely, and the Naga begins his tale.

***

Alandru strolled through one of the gardens of the Keep. The weak sun of early spring was barely warming the air and ground, but after the cold of winter, he was enjoying it anyway. Not that he minded cold; his fair complexion made it quite obvious that he hailed from the nomadic tribes of the Arkene, and for those people, the word cold had a whole different meaning. As he walked down the graveled path, he whistled the tune of a common folk song; he missed quite a few notes, but he didn’t let that spoil his mood. Pausing to watch a bird trying to pull something from the still half-frozen ground, he didn’t notice the figure nearing him until it was almost upon him and hailed him with a loud “you,” its finger outstretched and pointing at him. “Me?” he asked somewhat bemused, as he looked up. Standing a few feet away was a portly woman with a round face who wouldn’t have looked out of place behind the counter of a bakery. Her robes, colored in deep green, were embroidered with tangled vines on the chest, proclaiming her a member of the herbalist guild. “Yes, you,” she said. “I’ve been looking for you!”
“Pardon, but do I know you?” Alandru asked. “My apologies, but I do not remember meeting you before, and…” he trailed off as she approached him in a firm stride, gripping his shoulder and looking intensely into his eyes.

“You will go underground,
where the caves are enclosed.
The shadow will wake;
the pattern will break.
Legend will come to life.”

With a small sigh, the woman stepped back, adding in a softer voice: “This I foretell.”
Alandru took a quick step back, warily watching the strange woman. “That was certainly interesting,” he said, uneasily adjusting his robes. “Would you mind telling me what it was all about?”
With a sigh, the woman sat down on a nearby boulder. “I’m sorry for this. My name is Anita, and I’m one of those with the rare talent of a seer.” For a moment, Alandru grimaced sceptically, but even though Anita couldn’t have missed it, she didn’t comment on it. “When the foretelling comes over me, I have to do what it makes me do. It can be.. inconvenient at times, but it cannot be helped.”

The magi considered her for a moment. “So let’s assume for a moment you really did foretell my future; what am I supposed to do now? What did those lines mean?”

Anita shook her head wearily. “I do not pretend to know what my predictions mean. Neither would I dare suggest a course of action. The caves I talked about are the Caves of Nareau, that much I am certain of.” She raised her hand to forestall his question. “Do not ask how I know. I cannot answer that, as I don’t know myself. There is one more thing I know, though.” She gave a trilling whistle, and with a rustle, a slender shape separated from the branches of a nearby tree. Iridescent pearly scales glistened in the morning sun as the Quetzalcoatl glided toward them, elegantly landing on the ground between the two magi. “This is Ulamyth,” Anita explained. “She has to be with you, or things will go badly. If there is the slightest bit of belief in what I said inside you, don’t let her out of your sight.”

Scratching his chin, Alandru regarded the winged snake. “I’ll admit to be somewhat hesitant to believe that you just told me my future, even as cryptic as your words were. But I promise I will consider them with all wisdom before I decide what to do. But now I think I better leave. Have a nice rest of your day.” He walked off down the path, glancing behind at Ulamyth who slithered after him, but not commenting on it.

***

The morning sun weakly illuminated the camp site. Alandru wrapped his cloak tighter around his shoulders as he stoked the fire, trying to create a little warmth against the cold mountain air. When the flames started up, he looked at the coiled form of his companion who was just waking up, moving a bit sluggishly in the cold. “Good morning!” he said cheerfully, giving the Naga a smile he knew would not be returned. Markandeya gave him an acknowledging nod. “You’re probably starting to wish you didn’t come with me,” Alandru said. “Your people are not well accustomed to the cold, after all.”

The Naga’s face didn’t show anything as he replied. “My people can endure hardship. We are strong. I have endured cold at your Keep and I will endure cold here. It is all the same.” Alandru smiled as he looked into the fire, having expected an answer like that. “It’s strange; I do not believe in foretelling, and yet I am here because of a cryptic message. But the question is, would I be here if there hadn’t been a prophecy? And if a foretelling causes the events it foretold, is it really prophecy or something else?” He looked at Markandeya’s expressionless face and chuckled. “Sorry, just idle philosophy without answers. We should better get moving, the Caves of Nareau are not much farther from here.”

He rose and started to pack their things, sparing a glance at Ulamyth who was watching him from a branch of the tree she had coiled around during the night. “You too,” he told her. “She said things would go badly without you, so you better come with us.” The Quetzalcoatl gave a screech and flapped her wings as if in response, then took flight. Alandru watched her soaring above them for a moment, then proceeded to break camp.

***

Two days later, the companions had entered the caves through one of the numerous openings that dotted the southern Alasre Mountains. They were moving down a tunnel, the entrance long behind them so the only illumination they had was the torch Alandru was carrying in his right hand. He used the staff in his left hand to support himself on the rough ground while Markandeya slithered comfortably behind him, far less bothered by the uneven floor thanks to his serpentine lower half. Ulamyth glided above them on the small air currents flowing through the caves, aided by the occasional wing flap. It was quiet in the tunnel, except for the clattering of the staff on the floor and the almost inaudible rasp of the Naga’s scales over the rock.

Alandru gave a startled twitch when Markandeya’s voice suddenly broke the silence. “Do you have a destination in mind, Alandru Snowstrider? Or will we walk through these caverns at random until we run out of supplies?”

The magi’s eyes wandered up to the Quetzalcoatl. “I’ve been wondering that myself; I almost think we have our guide with us, she just hasn’t found the way yet.”

“You really think…” The Naga broke off as the Quetzalcoatl suddenly gave a screech, then shot forward straight like an arrow, far faster than the former languished pace.

“Does that answer your question?” Alandru called over his shoulder as he started to jog after her. “Come on, we mustn’t lose her!”


A bit later, he stumbled into a larger cavern after Ulamyth, who rose up and circled above, barely within the glow of the torch. The magi leaned against the wall to catch his breath; he had just recovered and was about to step further into the room when Markandeya came slithering through the entrance. “You are a fool, Alandru Snowstrider!” he proclaimed. “Running off like that without thinking of marking your way. How were you intending to return through those twisting tunnels you just ran through without sparing a glance for your surroundings?”

The magi opened his mouth, closed it again then chuckled. “You’re right, my friend. That was quite careless of me. I’m lucky to have you with me, am I not? But if you’re done scolding me, perhaps we should see what Ulamyth has found for us?” Not waiting for the Naga’s reply, he raised his torch high and walked deeper into the cavern.

“Well, would you look at this,” he exlaimed as he approached the far side of the cave. “This is certainly not a natural formation.” Holding the torch closer, the magi examined a part of the wall, perhaps ten feet in diameter, that seemed to be made of hexagonal stones fitted tightly together. “There’s hardly a seam,” he murmured, stooping to investigate closer and running a hand over the stones to feel the crags. “It seems like someone walled off a passage here. I wonder what is behind it. Perhaps…” He thrust the torch back at Markandeya, who had come up behind him. “Hold the light steady. This stone seems to be loose.”

The magi reached for his dagger and worked it into the crag between two stones, carefully trying to pull one of them out. After a few minutes of silent work, the stone fell out of the hole and into his hand. Alandru held it up triumphantly for a moment, then grimaced at the rank smell wafting from the opening he had created. “Now let’s see if I can widen…” he started, when suddenly the wall in front of him exploded, throwing him back several yards with the force of the blow. He landed on his back, his vision momentarily blackening from the pain of the impact. Groaning, he raised his head, looking to where Markandeya was slowly backing away from a shadowy figure that was moving out of the now open passage. Alandru tried to focus on the shape, but his eyes just seemed to slip off the thing without being able to discern a definite form, like a shadow in diffuse light. A very solid and threatening shadow, the way it was advancing toward the Naga, who was raising his spear defensively.

As the shadow closed in, Markandeya thrust at it, only to find his spear swatted away effortlessly and clattering to the floor several yards away. He slithered back, barely avoiding a lunge by the figure while Alandru climbed back to his feet, wincing from the pain in his back. “Use the torch!” he shouted at the Naga. “It can be hurt by fire!” Markandeya brought the flame around and indeed the thing backed away. Pressing his advantage, he drove it back with broad sweeps, carefully watching for counterstrikes. Alandru sprinted toward a large boulder near the entrance to the cave the creature had come out of. “Get it back inside,” he told Markandeya. “We need to lock it in!” Murmuring a few words, he put his hand on the boulder and was rewarded by a brief pink glow as his spell settled on it.

Meanwhile, Markandeya had driven the shadowy form back toward the opening. He lunged forward, thrusting his torch against it and the creature fell back into the shadow of the cavern, turning almost invisible against the blackness. At the same time, Alandru rammed his staff into a crack between the boulder and the floor and leaned on it with all his might. The staff bent dangerously, but then the boulder moved and started to roll, settling into the opening with a loud crunch. Panting from the effort, the magi stooped to pick something up from the floor, then called to Markandeya. “Come on! We need to get out of here! The spell will hold it for a while, but not forever!” He turned toward the corridor they had entered through, the Naga right on his heels, only pausing to pick up his spear.

***

The little fire barely spent any warmth to the two figures and the Quetzalcoatl huddling close to it, but the magi and his companion couldn’t carry much fuel on their journey and the caves didn’t provide much, either. Still, it was enough to light a bit of the small cavern they had chosen as their resting place after they had fled from the shadowy creature. After sharing a meager meal from their supplies, Markandeya turned toward Alandru. “What was that thing? I have never seen or even heard of anything like it.”

The magi gave a small, mirthless laugh. “A creature of an older time; ancient, powerful and deadly. And I released it.” He pulled something out of his cloak and handed it to the Naga. “This is part of the wall we broke. See the markings?” He pointed to several lines on the stone that looked like they had been chiseled in. “These are part of a magic circle, a spell designed to keep it trapped in that cave. When I removed the stone from the wall, I broke the circle and allowed it to escape.” He looked at the questioning face of his companion and continued. “Let me elaborate. These… things were here, thousands of years before humans existed. There were never many, but they are the enemy of all life. A long time ago, the first magi joined forces and sought them all, fighting them, imprisoning them. Many gave their lives, but in the end they succeeded. The world is a better place for it.”

“Why did they not kill them?” the Naga asked. “It sounds like that would have served everyone better.”

Alandru shook his head. “They cannot be killed. Not that we know of, at least. There are things that can hurt them, like fire, lightning, certain spells. But destroying one has never been done, to my knowledge. This one was weak from its long imprisonment, I gather, or a simple torch would not have sufficed to keep it in check. We were lucky it didn’t have time to grow stronger.”

The Naga’s eyes wandered to the staff lying at Alandru’s side. “In that case, we were also lucky you were able to hold the creature long enough for us to escape. If your staff had broken before that boulder moved…”

Alandru gave a small smile and picked up his staff, running a hand along it almost gently. “Actually, that wasn’t luck.” He held the staff up. “This is a true wizard’s staff, handed down from master to pupil over many generations. It holds various spells, and one of them makes sure it can never break, as long as it is held by a true magi. There was no danger of it breaking while I was alive.” He let it sink again. “It won’t help me against that creature, though. I guess our only hope is to make haste back to the Keep and return with a force large enough to force it into a new prison.”

“So you would leave those who live in these caverns to the mercy of that creature, while you run for help, wouldn’t you, magi?” A strange voice suddenly resounded in the cave. In the blink of an eye, Markandeya raised up from his formerly relaxed coils, his spear in his hand as he looked around for the owner of the voice. Alandru sprang to his feet as well, reaching for a torch to light on their small fire. Only Ulamyth seemed unconcerned, staying coiled up on the ground. The companions heard wings flapping as something descended from the roof, revealing itself as a crystalwing of a purplish hue as it came into the light. “Put down your weapons,” it said, the voice coming from its maw strangely high-pitched. “I am not your enemy.”

“Well, I’ll be…” Alandru exclaimed, lowering the still unlit torch. “I heard tales of some of the younger magi meeting talking crystalwings, but I wasn’t sure whether to believe them. I guess they were not as exaggerated as I believed them to be.” He watched the crystalwing curiously as it landed by the fire. “Are you the only one of your kind or are there more? Is there any lore on how you came to be? I’d dearly like to know, and I could name at least a dozen scholars in the Keep who’d kill for this information.”

“Quite inquisitive you are,” the crystalwing responded, its face twisting into a sneer. “Perhaps we should get to the more pressing matters at hand before we exchange life histories.”

Alandru lowered his eyes guiltily. “You’re referring to the creature I inadvertently freed. I promise, I’ll gather as many magi from the Keep as I can and…”

The crystalwing interrupted him with an angry screech. “How many inhabitants of these caves do you think will be killed by the time you deign to return? It is your mess, magi, fix it yourself!”

Alandru raised his hands helplessly. “You don’t understand; imprisoning this creature is beyond the power of any single magi, no matter how powerful he might be. Facing it alone will mean my death and help no one. I need to get the aid of those who have experience with these matters, or nothing will be accomplished.“

The crystalwing stepped closer to Alandru, staring at him intently. “I have the means, if you are willing to stay and fix your mistake, magi. What say you?”

***

It was dark in the cave that Alandru and Markandeya were waiting in, their torches kept unlit so as not to announce their presence prematurely. Only the gems that rimmed the hole in the middle of the floor shed some light, weakly illuminating the area with a dark pink glow. Throwing a suspicious glance at the colorful shapes gliding slowly above them, the Naga moved nearer, speaking in a low voice: “Is this a wise decision, Alandru Snowstrider? Can we trust these talking crystalwings? And even if we can, do you really think this plan of theirs will work? They are not magi.”

“They have nothing to gain from betraying us. This creature is their enemy as much as ours and I believe they know that. As for whether this will work…” The magi’s gaze wandered over the glowing gemstones. “I cannot say. I do think we have a chance, but it is a high risk.”

He looked back to Markandeya. “If it doesn’t work, one of us has to get back to the Keep. The council must know of what happened here, and if we fail, they have to send an expedition to try and contain what I freed. If things look like they’re going badly, you have to make sure word reaches them.” Alandru grabbed the Naga’s shoulder and looked him into the eyes. “Promise me this, my friend. Don’t die here. Bringing help will be more important than anything else. Do you understand?”

Markandeya looked as if he was about to reply, but then he just nodded once and turned away, patiently watching one of the entrances to the cavern.

It wasn’t much later when one of the shapes above the two companions glided down and alighted near Alandru. He was barely recognizable in the dim light, but the magi still knew it was the crystalwing he had met first, even though he knew he wasn’t the only one of his kind able to talk. All of those flying above were like him, and he suspected there were still more in the depths of these caves.

“They are coming,” the creature, who had refused to give a name so far, told the magi. “They will be here very soon. Be prepared, we cannot afford this plan to fail.”

Not waiting for an answer, he took wing again, and Alandru quickly noticed that the crystalwings started to congregate toward one of the passages that led into the cave. Two shapes flitted through that opening, quickly gaining altitude as they left the narrow corridor. The mage narrowed his eyes as he realized the third crystalwing that should have been with this group was missing; instead, a dark shape followed them soundlessly. With the darkness in the room, it should have been impossible to tell, but somehow the blackness of the cave seemed to deepen as tendrils crept inside, one of them snapping after the fleeing crystalwings and narrowly missing them. Other crystalwings dived down, distracting the thing and drawing it further into the room, while Markandeya and Alandru sneaked toward it along the walls on opposite sides of the cave. One of the crystalwings was swatted out of the air by a sweeping tendril, and Alandru winced at the sickening crunch it made as it hit the floor, sure it would not get up again, but he also noticed that the shadowy creature had come close to the hole in the floor.

His and Markandeya’s gaze met and they nodded to each other. Sparks flew from the magi’s hand as he used his magic to light both his and the Naga’s torch, the fire flaring brightly as they rushed forward to thrust the fire against their opponent. The thing backed away until it was standing right at the rim of the hole, but it moved no further, the tendrils flailing toward Alandru who desperately dived out of the way. Markandeya wielded his torch against the creature again and it spun around, one tendril knocking the torch out of his hand and into the hole. A second tendril whipped toward him, and Alandru’s eyes widened in horror as he saw that his friend would not be fast enough to get out of its way.

Suddenly, a bright light of multiple hues flared up, blinding Alandru for a moment. When he could open them again, he saw several of the crystalwings had formed a line, the gems on their bodies glaring with an inner light as they advanced toward the creature. The thing shrunk back from the light, receding further until it was right at the rim of the hole. Alandru jumped forward, hitting it hard with the torch, then retreating a few steps as the creature slid down into the hole. He turned around with a relieved sigh, when something grabbed his leg and pulled him down. With a gasp of shock, the magi dropped his torch and tried to get a grip on something, but couldn’t get a hold as he was drawn toward the hole. He saw Markandeya slithering toward him, blood dripping from his shoulder where the creature had grazed him before it had flinched back from the light, but the Naga was still too far away. His fingers scraped over the ground but he knew he would not be able to hold on when the creature dragged him down, and he was just about to give up the struggle when he felt a brief burning sensation at his leg and the pull was gone. Turning around and quickly scrambling back from the hole, he saw Ulamyth, his dropped torch in her jaws, hovering where she had burned the creature to make it loosen its grip. The burned member was just sliding down into the hole and out of sight, and the moment it was gone, beams of light emanated from the gems placed around it, extending, and multiplying until they formed a tight lattice across the opening, like a grate radiating in pink.

The Crystalwings landed around the companions as Markandeya reached Alandru and helped him to his feet. The one they had talked to before stepped forward and regarded them with an unreadable gaze. “The plan worked; the creature has been incarcerated again. You are close to redeeming yourself, magi. But there is one thing left to do. Follow me!” It turned toward a corridor, and as the companions hurried to catch up, the other crystalwings gathered around their fallen comrade to mourn. A strange keening rose from their throats, and it followed the magi and a Naga for a long time as they descended even deeper into the caves.

***

It was hard to judge time and distance in the perpetual darkness of the caves, but from how far their torches had burned down, it had to be several hours since Alandru and Markandeya had left the site of the fight. Markandeya had tried to start a conversation once, but Alandru had hushed him and walked on, deep in thought. Now he raised his head as they entered a large cave. He raised his torch higher to get a better view, stepping toward the large platform the crystalwing had landed beside. He gave it a thoughtful look, taking in the four large, slightly curved pillars that were forming a square on the platform, then turned toward the crystalwing.

“I think I am beginning to understand,” he said slowly. “When you said I should stay to fix my mistake, you were not just referring to what we did back there, were you?” He faced the platform again, letting his eyes wander up one of the pillars. “I suspect there is a kernel of truth to the legend of the forgotten race; and this…” he made a gesture encompassing the platform, “is what the legend is based on.”

The crystalwing tilted his head. “Quite perceptive of you. Yes, what you think is true. Here is where my kind originated.”

“Alandru Snowstrider,” Markandeya interrupted, moving closer to them. “You are not intending to do what I think you do, I hope?”

The magi turned around, giving his friend an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid I do. I will not be returning to the Keep after all. Instead I will become one of them.” He pointed at the crystalwing. “Someone has to watch over the prison we created. And who should do it if not the one who is at fault in the whole matter?” He turned and walked up the few stone steps that led up to the platform.

The Naga slithered closer. “What of your duties in the Keep? You are a magi, you have responsibilities. And correct me if I’m wrong, but this does not sound like a choice that can be reversed. Shouldn’t you think about this first, make sure you are certain of your decision?”

Alandru turned around at the top of the stairs, smiling down at the Naga. “I’m sorry my friend, but I have made up my mind. My decision is final.” He held his staff in both hands in front of him, then suddenly brought it down onto his knee. With a resounding crack, seemingly louder than it should have been in a hall this size, it broke in the middle. Alandru looked at the two unequal halves, almost wistfully, then let them drop and clatter down the stairs. “See? I have already ceased to be a magi. There is no turning back for me.”

He slowly walked between the four pillars until he reached the center, and as he did, Ulamyth glided down out of the darkness and coiled around his shoulders. He placed a hand on her head as he closed his eyes, waiting calmly and patiently. Symbols began to glow and pulse on the pillars, symbols that looked like writing in a strange language. They grew brighter and brighter, until the human and Quetzalcoatl were no longer visible. Markandeya watched as long as he could, with his arms crossed in front of his chest, but as the brightness reached its peak, he had to close his eyes and look away. When the light died down, Alandru was gone. In his stead, there stood a crystalwing of pale color, the gems adorning its body the same deep pink hue as the stones that had been used to create the prison. It slouched forward, walking to the edge of the platform and looking down at the Naga. When it started to speak, the voice was unmistakably Alandru’s, even though there was now a strange undertone in it.

“You have been a good friend, Markandeya. I thank you for coming with me, even though none of us knew what was waiting for us. I bid you farewell now, and I ask a last favor. Please return to the Keep and tell the council of what transpired here. No one should repeat my mistake.”

The Naga bowed his head in consent. “I will do as you ask. They shall hear the tale of Alandru Snowstrider!” The crystalwing smiled. “Thank you, my friend. Farewell, now!” With a screech, reminiscent of Ulamyth, the former magi took flight, quickly vanishing into the darkness above.

***

His tale finished, the Naga falls silent, his stoic gaze wandering from one member of the council to another. For a long moment, none of them speak, then Thane clears his throat. “I thank you, Markandeya Das of the nimnagAsuta tribe. It is an important tale you brought us, and one that requires much contemplation. Is there anything we can give you in return for the friendship you gave one of the Keep?”

The Naga gazes at the archmage, his features unreadable. “There is nothing I desire, from you or anyone else in the Keep. I will be returning to Raza now. There is nothing left for me here. Thank you for the offer, though.”

Thane nods. “I bid you farewell, then, and a safe journey.”

The Naga turns toward the door, but before he leaves, he looks at Thane once more. “I trust Alandru’s story will not be forgotten. I would hate to hear his sacrifice was in vain.”

Not waiting for an answer, he slithers out of the door, and so he misses the single word the archmage whispers: “Never!”