[Raeslyn's Story] 2.12: Visions of Shyla Danced In My Head

     I headed down the road to the west at a steady jog, able to go long distances even before Ascension without trouble. Now I had no problem. I wasn't even breathing hard when I reached the Wayward Thicket. What a wonderful gift the gods bestowed on me!
     Dalin Erst was an older elf in long green robes who blended in almost perfectly with the greens and mossy colors of the nearby foliage. He was sitting in the grasses under a green canvas with a Guardian defender standing nearby at alert. The woman's eyes immediately zeroed in on me as I approached. She tensed minutely, before relaxing as she noticed the Vigil sigil necklace I had bought in Sanctum and adorned before leaving the city. The older elf reached over and picked up a large oaken staff that had been laying beside him. Using it, he levered himself to his feet and I could just picture the creaks his bones made as he stood and stretched. I shuddered. I wonder if I'd get old, or has Ascension locked my age where it is now?

  "The forest whispered to me that you would be coming, young seeker." Dalin's voice was soft and kind, but his eyes were full of fire and wisdom. I blinked. "You knew I'd come here? The forest whispered to you? But how--" Dalin waved off my words with a hand.
     "That is not important, young elf. Many have sought my council over the years and I shall help you as I helped them, for your task is a noble and righteous one and your heart follows the Vigil." I blushed and glanced down. I never know what to say to compliments. "But be forewarned!" Dalin said, voice sharper, and I instantly jerked my head up, eyeing him questioningly. "This vision quest will be fraught with danger, as all vision quests are. It is the nature of the forest to test those who come seeking. Others have failed, finding death or injury instead of answers. Prepare yourself." I bit my lip. Okay, that didn't sound very pleasant. Death? Well...I was Ascended after all, so I should be immune to death. I wonder if that meant I'd just not die....or if I'd die, and than be resurrected....that sounds painful. Oh gods, should I do this? Dalin stood there patiently, as if he sensed my inner turmoil, while I considered my options. On the one hand, I obviously needed more information on the Aelfwar and the Fae than what I already knew. I knew they were planning something big, but I had no idea what. I could torture it out a prisoner, but that is not Tavril's way, and I felt uncomfortable with deliberately causing cold blooded harm to another being. It was different in the heat of battle and defending one's life. On the other hand, I've been pretty lucky so far in avoiding any serous injury. I reallllllly didn't want to end up dead. Or undead...or whatever it would be for Ascended...re-dead? I rolled my eyes at myself. Now you're just being silly, Rae. In the end, I didn't really see that I had much choice, so I sighed and nodded, shoulders slumped in dread. Was it wrong of me to fear death? See, I have all these questions but I'd learned at Quicksilver College long ago that no one appreciates someone who questions the gods' will and vision. So I just wonder to myself.

     Dalin turned and shambled over to a round table he had set up under the canopy without a word or change in expression, as if he knew I'd accept all along. I stuck out my bottom lip for a moment, feeling sulky. I hate being predictable.

     "For this ritual you will undergo, we'll need the unfocused eyes of a Fae-bound creature at the exact moment of death, when the eyes see in to the beyond. We'll also need lockflower sprigs and gritshell pods, to grind up and make into a special potion of insight and induced unconsciousness."
     I wrinkled my nose. "That's disgusting, no way am I drinking anything like that!" I blurted out without thinking. Dalin chuckled in amusement. "Don't worry, you only need to drink the powders and herbs. The eyes you must hold in your palms after you drink." He grinned at me as he said this. Is he serious? He is, isn't he? I scowled. The things I do for my land and people.

     "So, do you have this stuff, or do we need to go hunting for it?" I demanded, irritated. Dalin hummed to himself in response and glanced around his little area.
     "You are in luck, young elf." he finally replied, turning back to me. Somehow I didn't feel very lucky to be experiencing this..."I have everything except the lockflowers. And they should only be a matter of fetching them from my saddlebags. I left my horse at Sanctum Watch though."
    
     "Let me guess, you want me to go get them for you?" I asked sarcastically, ready to take off. Dalin shook his head. "Oh no, that's quite alright, I'll send Valiora to go get them." I blinked. "Who?" He turned and nodded at the Guardian standing at alert nearby. At the sound of her name, the Guardian woman swiveled and tilted her head, studying us. Dalin shambled over to her and had a quiet conversation. I could tell from here she didn't want to go play fetch, but apparently he was either very charismatic and convincing, or she'd been given orders to obey him, for she trudged off with a glare at me like it was my fault. Hey, if there was any other way to find my answers that didn't involve eyeballs, I'd totally be all for it. Meanwhile, Dalin started pulling jars and flasks out of a bag sitting under the tree, setting them down on the table and mumbling to himself. Feeling ignored, I plopped down on a protruding tree root and set about sharpening my daggers.

     I stopped paying attention completely to what the old elf was doing so when he suddenly exclaimed loudly I nearly sliced my finger open in surprise. Ugh, how embarrassing. I glanced over to see that Dalin's bodyguard was back.

     "Ah! Smell these lockflower sprigs? The more pungent the ingredients, the more effective the brew. This will be one of my strongest meditative potions yet! Come here young elf, I've prepared all the reagents and distilled their essence. Now that the lockflower sprigs have been added, it is ready. This tonic will open your mind to the echoing whispers of the forest. However, I can only provide the means to enter a trance. I've not the preparations required to care for your body while you are in it, or how to deal with issues that might arise. Go back to Maris for that, I don't want blame for your death, young thing." I swear, every single time he said the words 'young elf' I felt like punching him. I'm not that young. I'm of age of maturity, for Vigil's sake! But I held my tongue and simply nodded.

     "Thank you sir, for preparing this for me. I really appreciate what you've done." I said carefully, inclining my head to him. "May the Vigil watch over you." Dalin waved a hand. "You better hope the Vigil watches over you instead, young elf. This isn't some jaunt in the park." I gritted my teeth. It's like he says it on purpose! I turned around, ready to leave, when Dalin cleared his throat and duh, I didn't take the potion. I sighed, turned around again, grabbed the potion from the elf's outstretched hand, murmured a hurried thanks, and dashed out of there. I took a short cut through the woods back to Sanctum Watch, using the physical exercise of climbing over and around trees and avoiding any dangers to help clear my mind on the way.

     Maris was pleased when I handed her the tonic and explained about what it should do. "Ah yes, this tonic is potent indeed. It's certain to open your eyes to the truth of what's going on here in Silverwood. Are you ready?" She gave me a serious, searching look. I hesitated, than shrugged.
     "I guess so. I have no choice after all. I need to know." Maris rubbed the flask between her fingers thoughtfully.
    "Yes." She glanced away into the forest. "You know, for centuries, Prince Hylas led the fight against the Wanton cults. Now it seems he is consumed by the conflict. He claims to protect Silverwood, yet I'm afraid he will end up destroying it instead." Her eyes drifted down to me and she blinked, looked sad and regretful. "Prince Hylas was a great man. Now...? You must be pure of heart and powerful of spirit to withstand the trauma of a vision Raeslyn. But I have faith in you." She handed the tonic to me and I held up, grimacing.

     "Bottoms up." I joked. I uncorked the flask and drank it all before I could think about it. It actually didn't taste that bad. Kind of like flower petals actually. Than it felt like someone kicked me in the stomach and head at the same time. With a groan, I sank to my knees, clutching my head. By the Vigil, that hurts! Vaguely, I heard Maris talking in a hurried tone. I was pushed into a sitting position. Someone placed my hands on my knees, palms up. For every second that passed, I felt like I was drifting farther away from my body and reality. Oh, I am so not doing this again. No way. I fought dizziness and disorientation. Something squishy was placed in my hands, but I had not the presence of mind to understand what it was. With a flash, I was elsewhere. I was standing on a grassy hill overlooking Silverwood. I blinked and glanced around. I felt strange; light and distanced, like I was watching myself through a mirror or something. Beside me stood a beautiful red doe with large shell ears. The Spirit Guide. She turned liquid gold eyes to me, and in the vision quest I saw more than just a deer. I saw a spirit so powerful that looking at it directly would strike you blind.

     "It is time to see what is and what may be. I will guide you along this path, Raeslyn Ascended, but you must have faith and your footsteps must be sure. Protect the Vigil's chosen and you will remerge unscathed" The Spirit Guide seemed to be waiting for something, so I felt myself nodding, although I couldn't feel myself nod....definitely not liking this. The Spirit Guide reached out, and even though she was about as high as my hip, she suddenly seemed much taller. She touched her nose to my forehead, and with a white flash, I was suddenly somewhere else. I stumbled back in shock.

  "Lady Shyla? Wha-?" I was again on a hill, but things looked different. Shyla Starhearth stood before me. She looked older, more careworn. And across from her was Prince Hylas. I stared in confusion. They appeared to be arguing. I stepped closer, wanting to understand.

     "You can't do this, Hylas! All of the Telara will hunt you down!" Shyla pleaded, so much compassion in her voice I wanted to weep for her.

     "It's too late." Hylas scoffed, glaring at her." You and your Guardians have forsaken the forest! Nature is life itself. I made my choice Shyla."

     My eyes darted between the two, feeling like I was eavesdropping on a conversation I had no right to hear. But the vision quest sent me here, so it must be important.

     There were tears in Shyla's eyes. "It's never too late! Rejoin the High Elf Council in Sanctum, Hylas! Welcome the Vigil back into your heart! Please, Hylas!"

     Hylas snorted, shaking his head before she'd even finished speaking. "The gods never lifted a finger to help me or Silverwood! I will defeat my enemies on my own. I have a new ally now. The power of Greenscale, Dragon of the Wilds, has sworn to champion my cause if I prove strong enough." Shyla stumbled back, face paling, and I felt myself mirroring her. By the Vigil, he had actually done it. He'd allied the Aelfwar with Greenscale! Couldn't he see?? The Blood Storm were destruction incarnate. They cared nothing for our world.

     "I'm sorry Shyla, I won't allow you to interfere with my work. This is where you end and my reign begins!" Hylas suddenly shouted, and I focused back on the exchange. That didn't sound good.

     Prince Hylas lifted his arm in the air abruptly, holding out two fingers. Then he dropped it to his side. Two large, heavily armored Aelfwar sprang out of the foliage, heading into the clearing with weapons drawn. Hylas nodded at them, before turning his back on Shyla and walking away. Shyla gazed after him with such a desolate expression. I glanced between her and the two charging Aelfwar.

     "Lady Shyla, look out!" I called, springing forward without thinking. I didn't think I'd be able to do anything, this being a vision and all, but Shyla startled, looking at me with wide eyes. I danced through the shadows to appear in front of her, effectively blocking the first strike.

     "The Vigil has answered my prayers! Thank you!" Shyla exclaimed, wiping quickly at her eyes. I pretended not to notice. Shyla quickly cast a spell of protection and focused her attention on the left attacker, so I shifted my focus to the one on the right. He was an agile one, dodging my dagger thrusts. I'm not as effective in frontal attacks as I am at sneaking through the shadows and stabbing things in the back, but I wasn't a slouch either. I feinted high and when the man fell for it, I twisted my left hand, changing the angle of my dagger mid swing and thrusting up through his ribcage before he could retaliate. The man gave a grunt of surprise as he slid sideways. I glared at his body. "Traitor," I muttered venomously. How dare he attack the High Priestess! My attention was drawn to Shyla finishing off her opponent with a powerful spell. She may look delicate, but she can pack a good punch when threatened. She glanced at me, sorrow and gratitude and hope and despair all reflected in her eyes. I opened my mouth to say something when the world fell away. I felt weightless, and my vision faded to black. Next thing I knew, I was blinking dazedly up at Maris, who's frowning visage was way too close for comfort. I ducked away from her and scrambled to my feet, swaying a moment.

     "That was the most.....never again!" I finally blurted out after the world stopped spinning. When I felt the urge to toss up breakfast subside, I relayed all I'd seen to Maris, who looked grim by the end.

     "That is grim news indeed. To imagine Hylas using the forest in hostility against the Guardians is appalling. If this is true, Telara is indeed in great peril. I cannot believe Hylas would consort with the Plane of Life, and attack his beloved Shyla. I pray to the Vigil that this vision does not come to pass. Tristan Alecourt, a good friend of mine, has experience with visions and prophecies like this. Maybe he can help us find a way to prevent this from happening."

     I nodded. "Good, I don't want to find out what would happen if I hadn't been there to protect Shyla. You should have seen her. I don't know if she would have defended herself without my interference. Where is this Tristan?"

     Maris pointed down the road. "Last I heard, Tristan was studying the Fae up at Highglades Lookout. Just follow the road down to Argent Glade but take the fork that leads north."

     I thanked Maris and headed out immediately, even though the sun was fading. I knew that this needed to be dealt with right away. No more delays. I passed quite a few military patrols on the road to Highglades, which led me to believe that the problems in the wood were escalating. I reached the fork in the road, where the Highglades bypass met the Argent Glade road, and headed up to the Lookout.

     The Lookout was pretty heavily guarded for an out of the way outpost. In the center of the camp was a large stone statue with floating rocks. Strong magic emanated from it. Very strong indeed if even I could sense it. Maybe this one of the Wardstone anchors around Silverwood. Oh and what do you know, there was a large, arched Porticum gate there too. I wasn't too trusting toward something that used the planes for transport, but it would come in handy for getting back quickly. I glanced around at the people performing various tasks about the camp. A few Mathosians stood together, having an animated discussion about something wooden on the ground, while two bored sentries swapped war stories. The only High Elf stood in the back, sporting bright orange hair and carrying a pretty tall staff. He was staring avidly at a tree, as if it held all the secrets in the world.

     I walked over. "Tristan Alecourt?" I asked of the elf  loudly. Who knew how distracted he was.

     "The rifts and tears are getting more numerous by the day. I fear our lovely forest won't even be recognizable in the near future!" Tristan said without turning his eyes from the tree.

     "Tristan Alecourt. Listen, I need your help."

     Tristan continued as if he hadn't heard me. Or maybe he had and just wanted someone to listen to his lecture. "This used to be a tranquil grove. We made offerings to Tavril here. But than those accursed Fae came and corrupted this place with their foul rituals to Greenscale. They grew a terrible hedge maze full of abominable creatures that attack at night! We sent in rangers to investigate, but none have reported back. We must put a stop to these faeries before Greenscale gains further influence in Silverwood, if it's not too late already."

     "That's why I'm here." I said pointedly. Tristan looked at me for the first time, interest shining in his eyes. "Well, not really." I admitted after a pause. I explained my vision and what it could mean.

     "Yes, you're right, your vision quest is related to our Fae infestation. If Hylas is somehow exerting control over the Fae now, that could be why they are suddenly attacking rampantly. We need to uncover the deception that has tempted House Aelfwar and fix the shame that was brought to my bloodline." I blinked, taken aback. He was Aelfwar too? I eyed him more closely, but didn't say anything.

     "Ok, so how do we break the Fae's ties to House Aelfwar?" I asked, a bit impatiently.

     "Well, we need to figure out what hold he has over them. The Fae have always been led by a Lord Twyl. If we can draw his attention, we might be able to discover a clue. But it's too dangerous to venture into the Hedgegrow Court, especially at night. Even for an Ascended." He added the last on as I opened my mouth to object. I frowned, than turned and eyed the towering walls of green that made up this "Hedgrow Court" at the base of the northern mountains. It was a giant, obscene eyesore that seemed to pulse with Planar energy as I looked at it. The walls of green seemed to extend for miles. How had no one discovered this in time? Were we all too busy with our own little problems, with the Defiant, with Aedraxis, that we had just let Hylas have free reign back here in Silverwood? It would seem so...

  "Okay, your logic is sound. May I rest here for the night?" I asked, more calmly. It seemed I wouldn't get any more done tonight anyway. Tristan nodded, than brightened. "I have a few spare supplies; blankets and such. Why don't you get settled and I'll explain to you more about what happened here and about Highglade." I groaned inwardly. Great, a history lesson. So not my thing.

     As I settled in for the night, I couldn't keep my eyes from wandering to that tower of pulsing green foliage. Tomorrow, I would tackle that maze and see if there was some way to tear it down. It had obviously been erected magically. There was no doubt it was a malignant presence in Silverwood and needed to be destroyed.

     I fell asleep soon after and didn't dream.

[Raeslyn's Story] Chapter 1.2: Ardenburgh

Location: Ardenburgh city center
Time: What seems to be late afternoon
Date: Year 1489, 8th moon
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     When I got closer to the fountain, I noticed that a few of the defenders were giving me cautious looks, as if wondering what kind of threat I posed, and I realized that of course they weren't expecting reinforcements or aid of any kind so they had to be thinking I was perhaps one of the enemy.

     I smiled as I approached, hoping that would soften my unannounced arrival. However, it seemed it wasn't needed. An older looking dwarf who was hammering something on an anvil happened to turn his head and catch sight of me. His mouth formed an "O" of surprise and he gasped. This caused Lady Shyla to look as well and her look of weary relief caused me to relax my guard.

     "An Ascended! Thank the gods your here, we need your help desperately!" She called. Well nice to know I'm appreciated...I guess.

     "I've been waitin' to crack some skulls in." Said the dwarf as well, nodding at me. I grinned at his friendly tone of voice. Stepping up beside Lady Shyla, I suddenly felt quite awkward. She had to find me at least familiar and I was dreading explaining that I was one of the Aelfwar nobility who had turned away from her offer of aid to Mathosia. I know she must think it a grave betrayal of the Covenant, what we had done.
     But I had thought we Aelfwar were in the right! We've never allied ourselves with the other races before. We've always kept to ourselves, patrolled the byways of the world, and stayed distant from the petty wars of the lesser races. Instead of mentioning it though, Lady Shyla just smiled at me benevolently. Now that I'd found the defenders, I felt much more sure of myself. We needed to push back the tide of undead that had overrun the town and then move out onto Thedeor Field itself. Oh, that reminds me. Quickly I turned to the dwarf and handed him the Sourcestone-imbued sword shards that I'd collected off those knights. "Hey, I found these on knights of Aedraxis who ran across me; figured they'd be of some use to us and I didn't want to leave Sourcestone in their unholy hands." The dwarf fingered the shards.

     "Well well," he muttered thoughtfully. I bit back my impatient first words, and instead tapped my fingers on my sheathed dagger. Finally, he said, "Despite bein' the king of Lord's Hall, I know a thing or two about weapon craftin'. And Sourcestone is somethin' I've studied quite a bit young missy. Here, let's see if I can't work something out eh?" He laid the shards out on an anvil nearby as I blinked in awe. A dwarf king? I'd actually met a dwarf king? I stared openly as he worked over the shards, wondering how best to ask the myriad questions I had about dwarves and their culture. I've always loved learning about different peoples and I'd never had the chance to travel to the far off delves to visit the dwarves. As I stared, one sword fragment got caught in his beard and he started swearing in a thick dwarven dialect. I grinned. I liked this dwarf king. Shyla caught my eye and I pointedly glanced around. 
     "What happened here lady Shyla?" I asked grimly. The dwarf was the one who replied though.

     "Borrin Gammult's me name. When I heard Aedraxis had lifted the ban on the study of technomancy, I was horrified. The fool was going against the Vigil and everything the Mathosian Empire stood for. Than when I heard he had begun weakening the Ward with this technomancy, I knew I had to act, especially when Shyla and the High Elves joined with Prince Zareph to try to stop the mad king. I mobilized my entire dwarven army at Lord's Hall in Scarwood Reach and brought them here to stop the Tyrant." Borrin gave a gusty sigh and although he didn't show any outward sign of it, I heard the deep sorrow and self-blame in his voice when he said, "sadly, my men are all dead now. When Aedraxis summoned that death rift onto our plane over Thedeor Field everyone was slain, including my people. Now they roam these fields as soulless undead. I've had to kill my own people!" He glanced at me with a stricken expression and I felt renewed hatred towards Aedraxis. "But the Vigil brought us back...as Ascended. Aye, I can sense yer one too lass. Now we have a new goal. Stop Aedraxis and end this madness or die tryin'. I'm a king without a people, but my hammer is dedicated to the service of the Ascended. Just the say the word, and I'm your man."

     I nodded because it seemed like the thing to do, although I wasn't quite sure what I was supposed to think about a dwarf king seemingly pledging himself to my cause. Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? I'm just one of many Ascended. No one special, right? Turning to Shyla, I tilted my head to look up at her. She was quite tall, even for an elf.

     "Lady Shyla, what can I do to help get rid of Aedraxis?" I asked politely. Well, politely for me

anyway. She may be the High Priestess of the High Elves, but I had my dignity. Shyla studied me a moment, before nodding. "We need to gain back the sanctified sphered that are being used to power the Ward at this location. Minions of Aedraxis, shadowy fiends, keep stealing them for their own uses. The more we get back, the better our defenses will be." That made sense, although I was looking for something a bit more aggressive. Eager to prove myself, I quickly got a description of the spheres and these so called minions that had them, I went about searching the village for them. Upon leaving the secured area around the fountain, it didn't take long to find the spheres. Of course, retrieving them proved to be another matter. Large shadowy creatures with eldritch-blue eyes were carting around golden objects that glowed with holy power. The creatures flew madly from house to charred house, snatching up spheres from holy altars and placing them on strange mechanical devices.

     The horrifying thing was that these machines were attached to people! Electrodes and wires snaked around the hapless individual. I had no problem with killing these abominations to get back the spheres. Crouched in the shadows unseen, I mentally grinned as I tensed myself. A flutter of anxiety went through me before I was able to fully concentrate on the task at hand. Except for the battle that resulted in my death, I'd not had much experience with actually killing someone. These creatures being abominations of the plane of death helped in that regard. The other souls inside seemed to surge up and surround my mind, honing my intent and thoughts until I was completely focused. When I had a moment to myself, I'd love to study myself and my Ascended souls. I stealthily crept along the building behind the wraith, a dagger in each hand. Earlier I'd coated the blades with a special poison I'd made myself. It felt good to know I was strong, capable; immortal.

     A thrill of anticipation hummed through me as I darted around the corner and leaped at the specter. The glowing sphere rested on a metal pedestal behind me. The creature was nearly transparent, flicking and shifting like oily black smoke. The specter fixed its amorphous eyes on me and suddenly it was right in my face. Reflexively I used the plane shifting trick, blinking through space to appear some distance behind it. It whirled around and I snickered. This was too much fun. I was really starting to enjoy my new role. I flipped a dagger around so I was holding it at a different angle and threw it straight at the specter. As ever, my dagger flew true and sank into the creature's eye. It made a hollow, soundless shriek and rushed at me again. I knew instinctively not to let it touch me and twisted out of the way, just barely missing being grabbed by a shadowy appendage. Turning to face it straight on, I raised an eyebrow in irritation. Just how was I to kill something made of smoke and magic? Perhaps the soul with knowledge of plane shifting could help out here. I searched through the memories and knowledge now available to me and came up with an attack that drew on my Ascended powers: Planar Strike. 
    

I just suddenly knew what to do and concentrated on my dagger. It began to glow the telltale color of Sourcestone magic and was only slightly shocked that it worked. I saw the specter warily eyeing my now glowing daggers. Good, it should be worried. I wasn't some poor sod who hadn't ever picked up anything more threatening than a fork. All those poor women and children who were all dead now. It made me furious thinking about it and I gripped my daggers harder. Amazingly they began to glow even brighter. Time to finish this. I darted in toward the specter, my newly enhanced abilities making me faster than normal. My daggers, enchanted with Vigil-given power, sank into the specter as if it was made of real flesh, puncturing deep. I guess the planar strike was actually pretty effective against those creatures. I sent a silent thanks to the gods even as the creature gave an unearthly wail and seemed to vanish into thin air. After I had vanquished the specter, it was quite an easy task to pluck the sphere out of its socket and set it gently in the bottom in my pack. After that, it was only a matter of finding more of those fiends and sending them back to whatever hellspawned plane they came from. I gathered as many spheres as I could carry and brought them back to the fountain.
 
     As I thought, lady Shyla was pleased with my success and set the spheres out so that they could be linked back up to the Ward with a blessing for the Vigil.
     "In the meantime," Shyla commented, focusing back on me, "We need to sever Regulos's hold on the land. In Silverwood as you know, we High Elves  grew wooden walls to keep the evil at bay." I nodded thoughtfully. Yes I remember that. It was one of out duties to the Covenant we swore a millennia ago. Calling on Tavril's power, we would weave trees together to create and impenetrable glade of magic that would repel whatever evil that happened into our wood. But that was countless years ago and the ability to perform that kind of magic was long lost when Tavril stopped walking among us and the Ward was placed around Telara.

     "There is scant wood in these northern lands, I know," Shyla continued, "but Borrin has forged a magical dagger out of the Sourcestone-imbued steel you recovered. If you can solicit Tavril to bless the dagger, the spirits of the forest will hopefully empower you to cleanse this town of Regulos's evil taint."
I blinked at her. She wanted me to perform such a rite? I felt honored. Shyla gestured behind me and I turned to notice Borrin the dwarf grinning at me and holding out a small, slim blade. It was quite the exquisite little dagger, finely crafted as all dwarven made weapons were. Borrin puffed out his chest proudly and held out the dagger for me to take. I glanced around at the crumbling, ash filled town. At the desperate guards, faces gray with exhaustion as they tried their best to defend this last position by the fountain. I saw Lady Shyla, now an Ascended like me, and Borrin, also Ascended. And I realized of course I had to do this. There were no one else. Borrin and Shyla were leaders, needed to keep the army together. There were no others to be spared. Everyone had a task they were required to do. As a chosen warrior blessed by the gods, I had the gifts do pretty much anything. I found myself shuffling my feet and straightened up, nodding at Shyla. She smiled softly at me, gratefulness shining in her eyes.

     Seeing a few treetops poking out above the burnt roofs of the town, I knew where I needed to go. I needed a place that was sacred to Tavril herself to perform the ritual and pray for her blessing. Tavril was of the land, so I needed a place that was closest to her. Dodging homicidal knights was becoming easier was I swiftly walked in the direction of the small grove and I even killed a few more specters along the way. I kept myself alert and my eyes peeled, not wanting to be ambushed or taken by surprise. Finally, the cobblestones of the town gave way to grass and brush and I felt myself sigh contentment as a sense of peace seemed to settle over me like a familiar cloak. I hadn't felt this kind of peace since my resurrection and I didn't realize how much I was missing the forests of Silverwood until now. Granted this wasn't a forest by any stretch of the word. But it was the closest thing to a copse of wood that I'd seen yet and I'd take it. I felt such a burden magically lift off me that I actually laughed, a musical sound in the quiet somber air. I felt so free! I even took off my leather boots and danced in the grass barefoot, letting the natural music of the earth and trees sing through me. We elves are very tied to nature and in tune with its very spirit. I felt the grove's life-force humming through my body, the sensation heightened by my Ascended powers. The energy renewed me, gave me new hope and purpose. By the will of the Vigil I would see Aedraxis defeated and Telara free of the malignant force choking it. This I vow. Then after I perform the Vigil's tasks in putting an end to Aedraxis and his threat, I will be free to venture wherever I please. I think I shall enjoy my newfound lease on life. 

I approached the small wooden altar respectfully, bowing low. The altar was spear shaped, with a small glowing disc on the front. It was made of cherry wood, ever sacred to the goddess, and had been carved masterfully with ancient runes of worship and faith. The ground around the altar was well trodden, attesting to the villagers' diligence toward the goddess.

     Tavril would be pleased I think. I knelt gracefully in front of the altar and bowed my head, readying myself for prayer. Suddenly before I could blink, I felt a strong, abrupt sensation of violence and evil. Quickly I opened my eyes, flicking strands of hair out of my face irritably.

      From behind the altar stepped some sort of undead creature. It looked like it might once have been a citizen of the village, or even a soldier of the army sent to stop Aedraxis. But now it had been twisted and corrupted into something unrecognizable. I shuddered in horror at the sight of the creature. It sneered at me, its gray face and red eyes a testament to the atrocities Aedraxis continues to perform. Without warning, the creature silently charged at me.       I scrambled to my feet and dove out of the way, tucking my legs under me and coming quickly to an upright position not far away. I grabbed my daggers from their sheaths at my side and prepared. The deathbound creature snarled in fury and lunged at me again. It swiped with an old rusty cutlass that seemed to have melded with its hand. I backed out of reach cautiously and searched for a weakness.
      And there were plenty. Clearly lacking the mind and intelligence of a living man, the deathbound creature could not muster anything more than wild swinging of the cutlass, leaving itself wide open to attack. Slipping in under one such wild swing, I slashed the creature's chest open with one dagger, while slicing along the inner arm that held the weapon with the other dagger. The undead shrieked and seemed to turn to ash, collapsing to the ground.
  Taking out the tiny, feather-light dagger, I held it lengthwise in front of me and presented it to the altar, kneeling silently. I bowed my head and whispered words of love and respect to the goddess, asking for her glorious blessing on the humble blade, that I might smite her foes. In answer to my prayer, one of the winged messengers appeared above the altar, snow white wings gracefully holding it aloft. The messenger seemed to peer down at me with approval.
      A blinding white light came from the winged being, engulfing the entire glade. The white light became so bright it was almost hot, and I closed my eyes. I even saw the light behind my eyelids. Slowly, the light faded, leaving spots in front of my eyes when I blinked them open. The messenger was still floating above the altar, but thankfully was no longer glowing. Instead, the dagger I held aloft now had a pure white glow about it.

      Energy seemed to emanate from the blade in waves, washing over my hands and causing vibrations to thrum up my arms. This was real power. I gazed in awe at the dagger, before looking up to thank the Vigil. The messenger nodded at me, as if it understood what was in my heart. I was too choked to answer and felt tears prickle my eyes.

      This was magnificent, to feel the gods' love like this, personally. It wasn't anything I'd ever dreamed of even witnessing, let alone experiencing myself. I trembled with emotion as I clambered to my feet, clumsy for a rogue such as myself. I bowed my head to the messenger respectfully, before turning and leaving the glade, humbled and full of hope. At the edge of the glade I collected my leather boots where I'd left them and after I put them on I headed back into Ardenburgh. Determined, I set off down the street for the main portion of town, where I knew the most fighting had been concentrated.

      Sure enough that entire section of the city was crawling with deathbound thralls. I sneered in disgust, analyzing my options. A blur of motion alerted me to another's presence and I was pleasantly surprised to find someone else here fighting the undead creatures. He was a tall man in gray armor. He carried a large heavy shield with spikes on it and a one handed hammer.

       Every once in a while he would call out for the Vigil's blessing, and white hot light would surround his weapon, striking down his foes in seconds. I watched avidly, envious of his strength and physical power. I was small and slight of frame. Carrying such a heavy shield would break me. He turned to smash another creature in the face and caught sight of me staring. I blushed, feeling heat suffuse my cheeks. The tall man grinned at me.
   
    "Aha. I'm glad someone's come along! I was worried that I'd have to fight these creatures myself. Lend a hand will you?" His quiet but authoritative voice had me moving toward him without hesitation. I was amused at my own reaction. His tone of voice suggested he was used to leading armies. I wonder who he was? Remembering the elven dagger, I switched my own customary twin blades for its shining length, and readied myself for combat.

      The taller Mathosian eyed the dagger, raised an eyebrow at me, but didn't say anything. No doubt he was skeptical of how much use a small slip of a girl could be with her toy knife. Hmph, men. A deathbound thrall ran at me snarling and I instinctively thrust out my dagger, calling on Tavril. An interesting thing happened.

      A beam of light darted from the tip of the dagger and hit the creature in the chest. An expression of surprised outrage passed across its rotten face. The golden white light bounced off the creature and coalesced into a strange, tall, gangly tree spirit beside the creature.

      Myself, the man, and the creature, all gawked at the tree spirit. It was ghostly, nearly transparent and I had to make myself cross eyed just to see it properly. It was many different colors of green. It reached down and with no effort at all, seized the thrall by the throat and lifted it up. Than it faded. And the thrall faded too. There was a stunned silence. I looked at the Mathosian male and he stared back at me. Than he looked at my dagger.  "Just who are you anyway?" He demanded, sounding rather sulky. I grinned. He was probably offended that I'd done away with the thrall without even lifting a finger. I shrugged and said in an off hand voice,
   

    "Oh, nobody special. Just your everyday run of the mill Ascended." The man's eyes widened and he kept staring. I batted my eyelashes at him and asked, "And you are..?"

     The man stuttered a bit before saying his name was Carwin. Huh, why does that name sound familiar. I know I've heard it before, but I'm not sure where. Oh well. "Carwin" and I continued taking down the deathbound thralls. He smashed them in the face and I beamed my dagger at them. It worked pretty well. We made a good team.

      The sun began waning finally and the air became cooler. Realizing I'd better get back and report my success to Lady Shyla, I bid the odd man good bye and set off down the many streets. Thankfully Ardenburgh wasn't a big enough village that I was in danger of getting lost on its streets.
    It was now almost pitch black and torches had been lit all along the perimeter of our little defensive line, to keep the undead at bay and to alert us to their movements. I nodded at the guards as I walked past, coming up to stand next to Lady Shyla.

     She seemed as serene and calm as ever and I wondered if anything really bothered her. No that wasn't fair. She'd died, been brought back, and knew now that her beloved Prince Hylas had betrayed her. She was probably putting on a mask to keep up morale. Tiredly, I gave her a return smile and recounted my experience at the altar and the effects of Tavril's blessing on the undead. When I mentioned the man Carwin, she gasped softly in delight.
   
    "What? Who is he than?" I asked curiously. Her expression hinted that he must be someone well known. Why else would Lady Shyla show such a reaction to an ordinary warrior. Shyla beamed at me happily.
   
    "That man was Carwin Mathos. He's the youngest son of King Jostir Mathos, may his soul rest in peace. I had thought Carwin lost after the Death Rift formed. It gladdens me to hear that he is still alive and well. And even fighting the undead in his own way. Perhaps there is yet hope to end this madness."

I stared at her, stunned. Carwin Mathos? I had been fighting beside the Carwin Mathos? No wonder the name sounded familiar! By the gods! If only I'd known. I felt like such a fool now. And I had just readily left him out there in the town somewhere. I hope he had a safe place to rest for the night. I should have asked if he wanted to come back to the fountain with me. Shyla placed a hand on my shoulder and nodded at me.
   
    "You've honored your High Elven ancestors with what you did today, banishing those thralls. I heard the furious voice of the forest calling out across town. It is only a matter of time that the glory of the gods is restored and we expel Regulos's corruption completely. Such is the will of the Vigil."

      After being praised by Shyla and Borrin, I tiredly went to find a place to lay down and rest. I was so tired from the day's events that I only wanted to sleep. Finding a comfortable nook, I placed my pack under my head, kept my daggers in easy reach, and drifted off to sleep.