"Why shouldn't I use my sword? I'll slice you up. But that's not my quest.
So the woman will be allright? I'm unable to be of any assistance. "
Dulartus felt helpless, but also he felt not ot worry. "You do your fancy stuff, I'll inspect the area," said he while turning his head he's jaws dropped wide open. "Wow, a dragon? It looks quite different from the books" mumbled Dulartus, he doesn't look freigtning at all, he's actually kinda cute.
With one hand close by his sword the other in front he slowly walked towards the creature, wich didn't seem to move even one muscle.
He must be scared of me figured Dulartus so he sat on his knees mumbling "not to worry little fella I'm not to hurt you"

"Eren... danger... animals frightened - camp - Feraila... danger... great danger", she whispered painfully.

The elf bent down.

"Death... comes". No use, she couldn't speak clearly, the effort of holding back the blood in her lungs was too great in her weakened state. She tried again.
"Eren... take my hand..." the elf crouched on the ground beside her and gingerly touched her left hand. "No... not...this," Mari's bad habit of getting impatient came up again"... both hands..."
At last, he understood, cupping his hands around hers; now she could try something else.

"Now... listen... listen with ears and heart...".
He nodded slightly.
Fighting back the urge to sink back into merciful black depths again she focussed on her heart, where her right hand still rested. Scraps of pictures and visions popped up: A vast black shadow growing over the land - coldness - hatred - looking for life to kill.

"See?" She opened her eyes, the elf nodded silently as if not wanting to believe what was happening.

"Shadow - death - coming here - sucks life - gets larger -... Animals know... listen to the breath of the wood...Feraila, camp people, all will die. GET...HER...OUT!"

This time she formed a picture of herself: Showed Erendirill her health state - her pierced lungs, the broken ribs.

"See?" His eyebrows raised. "I'm of no use now...Get Feraila, gooooo..." He pressed his lips together. "Honour? ...Preserving life?... Listen, you stubborn elf...", no, not a good idea at all to get excited, Mari.

"Eren, Feraila ... save her... leave me here... no use ... otherwise all in vain."
If she had the strength to shake her head and if sighing would not cause her to cough up blood, she would have probably done both.
"EREN, GO!!!".

Mari's conscience drifted away; her gift came back - soothing blue surrounded and filled her, she felt she could breathe more easily. A part of her was lifted up and carried away - up over the treetops. "Wow, flying..." she whispered, a faint smile on her face, bathing in a vision of being part of the dancing sunrays, part of the gentle breeze free to come and go where it wishes.

As I awoke I heard a female voice saying: "Eren, Feraila ... save her... leave me here... no use ... otherwise all in vain... EREN, GO!!!”

I tried not to tense; I didn’t want them to know I was awake. I opened my eyes just enough to try and see what was going on. I saw the elf; his name must be Eren, holding both of the human female’s hands. The other human was out of sight, but I could tell by the scent that he was still there. I just couldn’t see him. Something else was there that I couldn’t see too, but I couldn’t identify it by its smell; it was just different.

“Now, now is the time to try to sneak out before anyone pays attention to me again.” I thought. Quietly, I started backing slowly into the bushes. I stopped and tried to control my breathing, it was so loud I was afraid it would give me away. Surreptitiously, I peeked up again to see where everyone was ….

You there, hero with the sword!! Stay with her and protect her with your life !! And you !! I don't know what you just did, but it seemed like you could help her, hey, don't run away !!! This woman needs help !!

His last words where screamed when he was already on his way, there was no time to see what they did, there was no time for anything. All the planning from the previous days was in vain, it had to happen now or it wouldn't happen at all. But the camp was still heavily guarded, and if he couldn't get Feraila out, she was an easy prey for the ... All this thinking rushed through his head, he barely noticed where he put his feet down, all he knew was that he had to be fast ...

The captain nodded and came 5 minutes later back with 2 horses. I gace him my last instructions so that he would know where to find me. "Also watch your back and make sure nobody follows, if necessary split the group up in 2 creating a diversion."

Vuldaran left with that elf woman tied to the second horse...

I glanced at the human female and could tell that she had taken her own healing in hand – she would decide if she would make it now or not. I might be able to help her; but, I knew my knowledge of the camp would be even more help in saving the lady, Feraila, if it was possible to save her at all.

I jumped up and was running toward camp, I knew I’d never catch Eren – he was both faster and stronger than I. It was suicide what he was attempting to do, but maybe I could prevent the worst from happening. He would do the lady no good if he was dead; however, if I could free her while he distracted everyone than his death would not be in vain.

Vuldaran went as fast a he could and his horses gave everything they could. When he looked back he saw the camp dissapearing behind the horizon. I'll stop in a few hours, he thought by himself. The elven woman seemed to be unconcious and he was satisfied that she kept on staying on her horse so that he could keep on thinking about his plan, even his master didn't know what he was up to, he alone knew about the artifacts and their powers, the only one missing was that orb of which he heard about since he was a little boy. The other 2 he was wearing around his fingers, they were rings, one made of the rare red-gold and one made of the rare green-gold.

A large tree stood in a clearing, it had seen many years come and go, many winters and had grown very old. It had outlived its comrades by growing larger and depriving them of the sun so it could enjoy all the space on its own.
The leaves rustled by a breeze passing through. This breeze caressed the raw bark going up and down, teased and tickled a single leaf until it lost hold and fell on the ground where the breeze played with it for a short while until it got bored and looked for something new.
Over the treetops again the breeze looked at the land below and saw the pattern of life and death, of coming and going, of fear, hunger, illness and decay - the natural circle of life shown in colours, forms and outlinings, know to humans as aura. This old tree for instance seeming mighty and healthy for the eye, but already having the orange-brown aura of decay and death in some of its branches, showing the green parts of growing and new life of sprouting saplings near his roots.
The breeze moved on and noticed darkblack spots and swaying streams of illcoloured parts in the land below, distorted and twisted. It moved down a bit and had a closer look. Yes, there was a pattern, these streaks seemed to come from one direction: the mountains far away. The breeze moved up again and soared on its way to the mountains, where the dark came from. On its way it noticed those little streams getting larger and flowing together to one large flood: its origin came from a cave.
The breeze howered in front of the opening, noticed the icy chill of hatred and something else: a sort of call, a whisper: "Coooome to me... I can give you power and immortality... Jooooin me, you will be invincible. Freee me, we will rule the world..."
The breeze had seen and heard enough. It was wonderful to roam the land in its present non-material shape, free to come and go - but now it knew this is the time to return and warn... Speeding up, without its usual playful delay the breeze returned to the place where Mari's body lay and slipped back into her, filling her feverish conscience with what it had learned, burning the cave's location into her memory.
Mari coughed...

Feraila opened her eyes again. From the moment they left she had been faling in and out of conscience. They were still speeding forward, and the sun was still shining, although it seemed like it had moved a bit. But the sun didn't warm her up on this winter-day, especially not when they were riding this fast. Her memories were blurry, it all happened in a rush ... all the hope she had gained in the last few day was crushed under the heel of the man next to her, in just a few minutes. She never thought she would admit this in her life, and she never felt like this before, but she knew she hated this man. The only hate she knew, all the hate she knew ...

“There were no plans to move this morning,” I whispered. “They must have decided to do this in the last hour or so.”

I looked at him hesitantly, “I feel the lady going from us. I… I can try to steal some horses if you wish. It will be dangerous, but with all the commotion in camp I can probably do it.”

As I waited for him to answer, I turned to look back at the camp where the humans where and I felt a chill run down my spine, I could have sworn I “heard” or “felt” something whispering “Come to me… Come”.

Now only the hut needed to be prepared for her leaving . The floor was scrubbed and the cupboards were cleaned. Provisions were placed in a gray bag and a convenient outfit layed down on the small bed. The only thing that needed to be done was talking with the donkey . The old witch hadn’t time to undergo the capers from the animal during her trip and she wanted to be sure that it knew it also . Before she took off she asked the elements of the wind to give her something of their speed and the elements of fire were asked to protect her against the circumstances of the environment. With a last look behind the old woman took with a self-assure gesture her bags filled with provisions some extra clothing and of course her herbs . Eandrae sighed silent , she wished she could be also so sure in her inner self like she was on the outside .

In the dimension of the wind was a lonely wanderer , followed by a donkey , walking . It was strange to see a person in this dimensions because it was ages ago that mages of all different races entered this dimension . Nowadays the forces of the elements were a forgotten power that was only used by the ‘Gifted’ onces . The elements of the wind were looking and wondering when the wanderer suddenly collapsed .

What was that ? Eandrae felt a heavy sting in her head . Someone was crying for help , mentally . No , no ! . She hadn’t time for that , her mission was going to the halls and reporting to the eldest . The witch didn’t want to get entangled in human problems . There it was again . With her head in her hands Eandrae screamed soundless . Who had such a power to reach her so intense . Although it was the last thing she wanted to do a sixth sense told her to leave the dimension and search for that helpless cry .

It didn’t took her very long to find the group because it was a very mixed group and to many emotions were floating in the air but she couldn’t find any indication to the person who called for help . Eandrae watched a minute before she stepped out the dim and walked to the woman who was lying on the ground . It didn’t look very well . With her usual self-assure tread she went to the other persons to ask them what happened .

Its dark and cold shadow cast on the ground, grew bigger very fast as the giant beast floated down with its wings wide spread, towards the river it had spotted between the green. It hit the ground with an earsplitting sound of breaking branches and uprooting trees and clumsily moved its plump body towards the water, crushing and pounding bushes on its way. It aggressively moved its head to check the environment, but there wasn't a single living creature nearby. It snuffed loudly and then drank from the water for two minutes without interruption.
Then, in a fraction of a second, the dark holes that were his nostrils doubled in size as the beast sensed the smell it had been looking for, it had picked up the trail again! The giant body rose ferociously and released a savage roaring that made the ground judder as if to warn its prey: the beast was coming for it and nothing could stop it! Swirling leaves and branches in the air marked the trace of its rough take-off, and the dark shadow covering the treetops continued its search for the one target its feral mind was obsessed with.

Why should I want to use an animal to move, when my own feet can still carry me?
He said quietly And why do you care ... who are you?

I narrowed my eyes at him, and said, “I Don’t care about you! I care about the lady! And… and it isn’t any of your business “Why” I care!”

To tell the truth, I had no idea why I cared. I just did. Well, I wasn’t going to stand around waiting for him to decide if he would help me or not; I was going to get some horses and supplies too, if I could.

I looked at him and said, “If you want to help, I’m going to go get the horses now. You wait here and I’ll bring them to you.”

With one last look in his direction, I boldly walked into camp. I spotted one of the soldiers who actually didn’t kick me around as much as the others, “Jorban, what’s going on? Why are we packing?”

He grunted and said. “Orders, orders to move north. Better get busy and get your master’s horses and supplies together! That’s if you want to stay in one piece!”

I almost laughed. It was perfect, he was right! I had the perfect excuse for getting everything together, and then I‘d just have to make it out of camp without being stopped.

I went to where my master’s four horses and pack mule were hobbled and started bridling them. One was a beautiful black stallion that I had coveted for myself; the others were all mares: one a beautiful little appaloosa, one a headstrong roan, and the other a beautiful black long legged beauty we had just captured during our last raid. The mule was a big, sturdy beast with a pretty good nature; I quickly loaded our supplies on him.

I glanced around the camp, now for the tricky part, taking them into the woods without getting stopped. I started walking toward the nearest opening into the woods and almost screamed when I heard “Boy! Boy, where are you going with those horses?”

I looked around and almost sighed with relief, because it was Jorban. “I thought I’d better take them and get some water from the stream! No telling how long before we get to fresh water again.”

He just looked at me and grunted, “Hurry then. Don’t want your master to be angry!”

I quickly circled the camp and went back to where I had left the elf…

My eyes hurt even before the blazing sun stabbed at me through my slitted eyelids. I could tell that I was lying on my back in warm wet mud, but didn't remember how I got here. Every inch of my body throbbed with pain, and I could tell even without trying to move that parts of my body were not going to listen to my brain if I tried to move.

As I faded back in to unconsciousness, I heard the distinct sounds of marching feet on a nearby gravel road, and inhuman voices arguing about the best way to kill a dragon ... .

...and coughed and coughed. Mari felt a burning pain in her chest and opened her eyes slowly, only to see everything in a blur that did not clear. Her mind started to work, at first in a confused way but getting faster and faster every second.
"There... was something important... I shouldn't forget," she groaned silently to herself and then a picture slowly formed in her mind - the picture of a cave and a voice she had heard in her fever dream. A cave that was of vital importance for this world, her life and probably every other living creature here.
She tried to lift her head and take a look around, no use - it fell back, she had no strength due to her loss of blood. "Nevertheless, I have to do something," she thought, angry with herself and her carelessness finally leading to her vital wounds. She sensed there were intelligent creatures but how was she to contact them?
"Come on, Mari, concentrate yourself - there's more to a human than a weak body, [b]think[/]!" She saw her archmage standing before her, tapping impatiently with her right foot and glaring at her. Mari nearly laughed, that old hag was right - she had to come up with something. Taking a deep and very careful breath Mari focused on her mind, clearing it of all pain cobwebs and making it wide and clear - and then her gift came back: An icy blue streak formed and sent its groping, searching fingers into the near surroundings, touching, groping and feeling for a creature nearby to her her mental call: "Come - come - come."

I rushed back to the camp, and saw the human male still guarding the woman. When I looked at her, I knew it was she doing the calling. I threw the horses leads to the man and said, “Hold these and be ready for anything!”

I rushed to her and said, “Hush, hush, be calm. You must call no more! I will help!”

I heard a noise of branches cracking under a foot fall and looked up to see an old woman coming toward us. My first instinct was to grab my knife to protect us, but something stopped me. A feeling of power and wisdom, and yes “good” radiated from her. I looked at her and said, “Help her… please. My skills are too small. Please?”

Vaguely, I remember lying in warm mud, blinding sunlight, and my body wracked with pain. Now, I seem to be hanging from iron manacles around my wrists, knee-deep in what can only be an underground sewer. The dried mud on my back feels like hard leather armor, except for a warm wet throbbing pain below my left shoulder blade.

How did I get here? Probably had something to do with the marching feet connected to the inhuman voices I heard just before I passed out last time.

How did I get there -- in the mud? I honestly don't remember anything. Not even my own name.

These questions, and others, echoed back and forth in my aching head for hours -- or was it just minutes -- before they waded into my sewer prison. Their bulbous eyes, crud-encrusted tusks, and crude garb did not put me at ease, and the yellow glow from the top of the staff one of them was carrying revealed one even more ominous detail ...

Bignor owns Glow Staff. Glow Staff makes Bignor's magics more stronger. Glow Staff makes Bignor hear things, too. Glow Staff only works for Bignor, 'cause Bignor knows the Glow Staff workings. Bignor is clever.

But Bignor is fierce, too. Always know where weak victims hide, Bignor does. Weak victims make easy prey, make quick eating, make fun battle-play.

Each day, Bignor tells peons, "No one eats until Bignor eats!" They listen and obey. Bignor laughs.

Today I found three manlings. Made peons put them in my sewers to ripen. Me think: "Maybe two or three days, I'll eat one of them, maybe make battle-play. "

But when Bignor goes to tease manlings and gloat, Bignor hear Glow Staff sounds. Sounds like manlings or same-kinds, saying "Come!". Sounds like weak victim noises. Make Bignor think. Must find victim, pleading sound makes Bignor's back all itchy and feet twitchy.

So, Bignor decide to follow "Come" sounds and take one of sewer manlings along as bait or maybe trail-snack.

I quickly came to the conclusion that the group was grocery shopping and I was on the menu. Somewhere deep within me, from a nameless shapeless place, an urgent feeling sparked to life. It was the animus of a warrior, gilded with a sense of spirituality that defied mortality. The spark quickly became an inferno, a vortex of Will, that chided my pain and my chains. It cried out with a deafeningly shrill scream that burnt the image of righteous carnage into my very eyeballs and summoned visions of supernatural bolts of force flying from my fingers, tongue, and eyes.

Meanwhile, the staff-wielding brute regarded me and two other shackled prisoners as if browsing a salad bar in search of a favorite morsel. I took the opportunity to use the light to quickly examine and memorize my surroundings.

To my left was a limp, probably dead, human male. City dweller, upper class (judging by the remnants of his clothes), middle-aged, overfed and a chronic alcoholic. To my right was a quivering, wild-eyed teenager, probably a boy, also a human -- although halfling blood showed in the eyes and complexion. His furs and leatherings, rough haircut, and calloused hands indicated a mountaineer's existance.

The brutes looked orcish, but acted feral -- probably one of the rogue northern tribes or perhaps a band of renegade outcasts. They seemed well fed, but battle-scarred. I guaged that I could probably last several seconds in a fight with them (in my present condition) before they tore me limb from limb.

A voice in the back of my mind wondered aloud, "How do you know these things, when you don't even know your own name or where you come from?"

The glowing staff was pointed at me, one of the brutes pointed the blunt end of his spear at my head, and then everything went dark and silent in a burst of pain.

“There is nothing I can do , even the best medic can’t heal the girl “ . With a somber view the witch looked at nothing in general . She didn’t told the entire truth . There was a way to save the girls life but it was to risky and she wasn’t sure if a simple human life deserved such an rescue operation . But on the other hand , there was something special going on with this group . She didn’t knew yet what it was but she could feel it maybe she could do a proposal to that person who seemed to care a lot about the dying girl .

“Just like I said before , there is nothing that I can do , but maybe the Guardian of the elements will help you “ told the old witch to the boy while investigation his gestures very intensive . If he really wanted to get so far to save his friend’s live he wasn’t allowed to show any doubt because the Guardian would misuse that . She saw again this hopeful glittering in his eyes and decided to explain a little bit more . “If you decide to ask the Guardian for help , be aware that you’ll be bounded to it until you have repaid you debt . If you still want to help the girl I’ll prepare the ceremony to call the Guardian”

“Besides, when have I ever had anyone but myself to depend on?” I thought sarcastically. Nothing new in that!

I looked at the old woman, “I will gladly accept the responsibility. Tell me what I must do.”

Not long after that, Bignor crawled to the surface carrying the staff, convinced that he was a great mage with an army of orcish peons to serve him. The staff had given him this delusion to serve its own purposes, which shall be revealed when the time is right, and then Bignor will be returned to his former mindless state and form. You see, the staff needed to be found, and it needed to be delivered to a time, a place, and a person. But the delivery of the staff would be difficult, because no one must know or even suspect its true nature until all things converged to the purpose of the Ancient Staff of the Elements.

Yesterday, the staff had taken Bignor on a hunt along a forest road near his lair. The lair, under moldering mists in a rocky crevasse, held the treasures that he had looted from various travelers who crossed the bridge above. And, although Bignor was convinced that he had taken, killed, and eaten legions of prisoners taken from that bridge, it was all an illusion. The staff never permitted Bignor, or any of his imagined peons, to harm anyone. Nonetheless, Bignor really did take treasures from the travelers. The travelers, for their part, rarely even saw Bignor or were miraculously rescued, often believing that Bignor and his peons were slaughtered and thrown from the bridge into the ominous mists below.

During his hunt, Bignor had found a manling and brought him back to his lair. The staff had been waiting for this man to appear near the lair, and knew his name to be "Fenrik". The staff also knew that the man would be weak, lost, and disoriented. Care had to be taken with this one, if he was to become the new staff bearer.

The time is rapidly approaching when the Guardian of the Elements will be called forth, and the staff will have only one chance to act when that call comes.

I also remember feeling like death warmed over. Every bone, joint, and bit of flesh ached or throbbed, as if fighting with each other to get my attention. Lying very still seemed to help, but the brutish orcs kept kicking me or poking me to see if I was still alive. And, each kick and poke evoked new arguments amongst my injured body parts.

Apparently we were waiting here at the top of a cliff. Waiting for the stragglers to climb up from the depths. I noticed Bignor (I heard the others call him that name) pacing back and forth impatiently, like a horse chomping at its bit, as if he was late for an appointment.

Suddenly, a pair of horses galloped along the road and onto the bridge -- one of them was a she-elf in some kind of distress. As their hooves clopped onto the first stones of the bridge, Bignor lept to action. He raised his glowing staff with both hands (claws?), horizontally over his head and fixed his gaze darkly upon the riders. A bitter cold wind surged out of nowhere, instantly cracking dozens of tree limbs and blowing several of Bignor's peons over the edge of the cliff, screaming as they fell into the mists below.

In the blink of an eye, the gusts found the horse riders ...