Mertai pulled her old emerald green cloak more securely onto her head, trying to make sure it covered the small pointed ears that along with her tiny stature betrayed her true heritage. She turned down a small alleyway and found the destination they had been seeking for the last hour- The Temple Of Scrye. Mertai called to the others and then began to scrutinize the substantial marble structure before her. It was built of unyielding pearly-white marble so that when the sun struck it at the right angle a myriad of rainbows spread over the surface. It was visually stunning, but she couldn't help noticing that it seemed to be built for a perpetual battle as it had about a dozen defense mechanisms built into each section. Casting her gaze back the way she came she saw Panthera's large form walking towards her followed by Terran and Maraan, who could barely be seen as they were walking in the Alaghi's rather generous shadow. Terran led the way into the large building as he looked for the chamber of the Head Priest. He noticed an eye-catching noblewoman moving through a side door and decided to request the location of the Head Priest from her. He walked into the room motioning for the others to follow him. The woman stood alone, in a small chamber that was sparsely furnished with just an old scratched desk and chair. She had straight black hair that hung loosely to halfway down her back and she was dressed in a brown monk's habit that appeared to be made out of a smooth fabric akin to linen. Terran approached her, only to be blocked by Maraan. "Let me handle this," the ranger asserted.
His paladin companion opened his mouth but was silenced by a touch and mischievous glance from Mertai. She wanted to see how this would pan out. Maraan approached the woman whom everyone else had realized was incredibly powerful and inquired humbly, "Might I prevail upon you for some healing, My Lady?" The female paladin looked at the insect of a forester that approached her. She shook her head and laughed at his feeble request. Moving past him, she laid her hands upon the Alaghi and the other paladin. Mertai watched this woman move amongst her party members and drew herself up tall when she was approached, trying to look every part the proud warrior that she was. The woman smiled at her and placed her hands atop Mertai's tiny head. Instantly all Mertai various battle wounds were gone and her body was filled with a new and not at all unpleasant vitality. Terran cleared his throat and spoke to the woman, his voice throbbing with respect. "Will you please heal Maraan? We have far to go and having him with us in his current state would greatly hinder our journey." Reluctantly the woman turned and laid her hands quickly upon Maraan's head. The party filed out of the room and quietly left the temple the way they came.
As soon as her feet found the road, Mertai turned and grabbed Terran. "What the hell is going on? You STILL haven't told any of us what this quest is that you've been given. I think it is time for a bit of an explanation." She looked at Maraan and Panthera who nodded their agreement. Crossing her arms she moved to stand in front of the two warriors. "Well?" She tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for Terran's explanation. Terran took a deep breath, knowing deep down that Mertai at least would probably never understand. As far as he
knew she was an atheist. "Well, I was lying on the bed in the tavern when all of a sudden. . ." Panthera listened closely to the paladin's story while exchanging skeptical looks with Maraan. Maraan made a drinking motion with his hand and then raised his eyebrows questioningly and Panthera nodded in agreement. It did sound as though Terran had been drinking a bit too much mead. Mertai however seemed completely rapt with the story as she was punctuating Terran's tale with sharp nods of her head. The paladin came to the end of his story and looked around at his party. "Well? What do you think? Do you want to help me?" Maraan opened his mouth to speak. "Don't you think it is possible you had just a little bit too much to drink last night Terran and imagined all this?" He turned to Panthera and the Alaghi nodded in agreement. "And besides we can't just go rushing off on some holy quest to find what? Some high priestess and a silly rod? We have been commissioned to save the princess or did you some how forget that?" "The silly rod you speak of is the Rod of Scrye. We must retrieve it or all existence will be negated," Terran snapped back at Marran. He glared at the ranger in front of him. Mertai began to speak, tapping Maraan and Terran on the shoulder. "It is possible that the two cases are linked. On one hand we have a kidnapped princess and on the other we have a high priestess that was kidnapped by a Death Knight. They are both from the same town. Don't you think it is at all possible, Maraan that they are also the same person? In which case helping Terran with his quest would also benefit the one for which we were hired. Panthera, did you know anything about this princess being a priestess?" He nodded silently in reply; as there had been some rumors to that effect that her family had attempted to keep quiet. "There you go then gentlemen. No problem." She crossed over to stand between them, crossing her arms emphatically over her chest. Terran grinned at her and looked at Maraan over her head. "Is it just me or is she even more annoying today than she is
normally?" He laughed as Mertai tried to jump up and punch him in the head. "Come on then we'd better be off." The party mounted their now well-rested horses and began the long ride out of town toward the Land of the Dead where their destiny awaited them.
Chapter Four
The adventurers rode their horses out of the city gate with Panthera walking on foot and saying a silent goodbye to the town that had been his home for so many years. Terran rode in the lead, his large war horse's hooves clopping over the road at a gentle pace, followed by Maraan on a slightly smaller roan who walked close by Mertai's glossy black riding horse, as their owners talked in hushed voices of what lay before them. Suddenly Maraan's head jerked forward as though an unseen hand had slapped it. He heard the mocking laughter of the female paladin and her voice saying, "Next time have some pride you insect." Mertai leaned forward, asking, concerned, if he was okay but Maraan brushed it off, as his pride would not allow him to make it known that the paladin had got in the last laugh. He knew the elf would tease him for months as she had always done when they were children and Maraan suspected that Terran would join in in his usual dry but witty fashion. Looking in front of him to try and forget the humiliation, he saw a woman standing with two large fire giants, he nudged Mertai and she swore has she looked up to take in the woman. "That's the mage from the tavern." She yelled to Panthera and Terran, "Hey look alive out there," indicating to the mage standing defiantly in their path. The party approached the mage and she made an obscure gesture to the large giants beside her who moved toward the party menacingly. Mertai began loosening her daggers that she held in her belt, readying herself to throw. The giants moved toward Panthera and Maraan, grabbing them and tossing them over their shoulders while the mage tried to distract Terran and Mertai by throwing hastily conjured flame darts in their direction. The mage began to laugh and said, "If you ever wish to see your friends alive again, you will abandon this foolish quest and if you don't I will hunt you down and kill you one by one until you agree." Then with a malevolent snicker, she and the giants disappeared along with Panthera and Marran. Mertai looked hopelessly at Terran and collapsed into tears, knowing that she may never lay eyes on Maraan again. As far back as Mertai could remember, her life had been about training. Recognized at birth as a Spell Filcher, she was different from other children and the only one who accepted her was Maraan. When they had left their very different homes together, each had promised the others mother they would take care of each other. "And now I have failed," Mertai thought, watching Terran stand dumbfounded, alternating looks at where the mage had once stood and at Mertai sitting on the ground, crying as if her heart were broken.
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