The Story

The world had seven gods. Carah was the guardian of Life and Death. Nissa controlled the weather. Elish was the mother of all nature. The twin souls of Luci and Ail battled over the elements. Kaell was the protector of knowledge and culture. Cilla was the lady of luck. And finally there was Naila, the goddess of Magic.

Long time ago, in an elven village, the daily happenings of late springtime were distracted by a wounded man carrying a woman's body and a small bundle. They had apparently been attacked and the woman killed, the man only half so. He collapsed to the ground. Someone, who was first to come there, noticed that the basket hold a baby girl. With a question on her face, the firstcomer turned to the man. He was breathing very heavily and he was dying. Still, with his dying breath, he managed to say, “Elayla”.

“Neya, why don't I have mom and dad?”, asked a little blond-haired girl. “Sit here darling”, said the woman called Neya. “You know you're like my own child to me dear, and you always will be. But your real mother and father died when you were just a little baby.” “Like lil' Nessa?”, the girl asked. “Smaller even. You couldn't even crawl. Your father and mother had been attacked in the forest. Your dad won and saved you, but your mom and he were lost. He still somehow managed to carry you and your mom to this village and here, he too died. He left you with me.”, Neya told the girl. She pondered this a little. “Then you shall be my mom.”, she stated happily and ran away to continue her play with all the other girls. Neya smiled, “Thank you, Elayla”.

All the young boys were anxious, they had heard that old master Derin was coming to the village, and that he wanted to have an apperentice or perhaps even two. Magic ran strong in this village, almost everyone knew a trick or two, but they were mostly that, tricks. A few knew real magic, but with appropriate training, they would become good bards, rangers few even sorcerers and maybe even one wizard. Finally master Derin arrived. All the boys formed something that, if one was kind enough, could be called a line. And the girls formed a giggling mob near by, of course. Master Derin walked the length of the line, turned, went half a way back and stopped by one young lad, who was smiling his face in half. But suddenly master Derin turned and pointed his finger towards the mob and said “You. Only you.” There was silence everywhere. “Me?”, said a little voice from the mob. Master Derin shook his head “No. You.” There was a sigh. “He means me”, said Elayla.

“Fireball?”, said master Derin. “Ermh. That's.. that's quite creative, if a bit overkill, if I do say so myself”, he continued while dusting of his robe from the little bits of whatever that it used to be. A small, young elven girl was smiling widely beside him. She was about 20 years old, which, in human terms, was close to 9. She found it extraordinary that just by saying some incomprehensible words, she could summon fire and brimstone if she wanted. Granted, fire and brimstone wasn't always the needed or even wanted solution, but it was, most of the time, the easiest way out, and made the most noise. Sometimes she acted a bit more mature and came up with truly clever solutions, but usually her young age got the best of her, and things went kablooie.

Master Derin smiled to her a lot and made it quite apparent that she was the best apprentice he had ever had. Also, he had become a lot like a father to the little elf, and she in turn a daughter that Derin never had. She was quite different from the other apprentices Derin had had, since he usually thought them for a year or two and then sent them on their way to universities of wizards or other schools that would suit them. But it had now been eight years since Elayla came to live with Derin. And the lessons never seemed to stop. Most of the time they concentrated on Sorcery, but Derin tought her about the other kinds of Magic in the world; Alchemy, Songs, Priests, Nature Mages and Wizards. Derin was a sorcerer himself, but although he couldn't exactly do any magic of the other kinds, he knew enough about them to teach his pupils. Elayla absorbed all this knowledge with the thirst of a young scholar.

They lived under the same roof in a small one-room hut on the edge of a small town. The town folk supplied them with food and clothes and they helped them whenever they could, and in whatever they could. A friendly mage is always a handy thing. Sometimes Derin went away for a day or two to help some old apprentice and manage another kind of magical phenomena.

On these nights, when Derin was away, Elayla stayed up late and read on the other kinds of magics from his books. She dreamed of being able to do all kinds of magics and being the most powerful sorceress in the world. But, Elayla did have a secret she hadn't told anyone. Not to Neya when she was a wee kid, not to Master Derin. She could do magic of her own kind. She could make things do what she wanted, or make water or fire out of thin air. Or move things the way she wanted them to move. It wasn't any kind of magic she had found out in the books. It didn't require formulas or prayers or spells. Nor did she have to sing or call anyone by their name. She just wished, and it happened.

On one of these nights, Elayla found an old book. A very, very old book. The pages were yellow with time and filled with dust and scratches. The writing was pale and most of it was in letters or runes Elayla had never seen. But a few pages were written in a rune-like language that she could read. At that time, she thought she must've seen the runes in some other books and thus could read the text. The pages were about a different kind of mages. A kind not talked about in the world she knew. It told about mages of immense will, that could bend the world as they saw fit. With a single thought, the world was within their grasp. The pages told about Channelers.

Thereafter, every change she got, Elayla read the book. She absorbed the drawings, the old texts, the stories. Bit by bit she learned to understand the other runic texts and read about the ancient world that was filled with channelers. She read about the demise and fall of the ancient art, that channelers all but disappeared from the face of the world, and that it was almost lost to time, as no known channelers had been born in ages. Elayla figured that if the book itself was that old, there haven't been a single channeler in almost ten thousand years. Then, on the last page, she found a piece of paper. It was written later, but in the same recognizable handwriting. It said:

Once there was power.
Once there was war.
Once, we failed.

Then, darkness.
Then, destruction.
Then, shame.

In Time, there will be Another.
In Time, she will succeed, where we couldn't.
In Time, she will stay.

Once again shall the channelers walk the streets and plains of the world.
Once again shall the power of the world flow freely.
Once again, there will be war.

Then, darkness.
Then, destruction.
Then, resolution.

One shall lead.
We will follow.

The world will break.
The world will mend.
The world will be new, and
The world will be no more.

One will die.
One will be reborn.
One will be reawakened.

Elayla hid the paper under her pillows, so she could read it whenever she wanted. She read the text over and over and over again. So many times she could remember it by heart, at any time. It sounded like a prophecy, as it was cryptic, didn't make any sense and told about the future. But it was about channelers and she was one. It was the only thing in the world that didn't dismiss the channelers as mere myth.

As time passed, Elayla begun to understand her inner gift much more clearly. The book helped, but so did the fact that she matured. The mind of a child is a happy and curious thing, one that did not fit a scholar. A mind more mature can understand and break apart things that are impossible for a child to understand. As a child, she had just “made” things do something, out of necessity, or plain luck. As she got older, she gained power over her talent. Many a time when master Derin asked her to cast a difficult spell, or cast harder spells quickly, she cheated. Not bothering with sorcery, she mumbled something just almost like she should, and then just made it happen with her will.

As Elayla's sorcery studies progressed, she noticed she could also do some wizardry. When master Derin had showed her how wizards drew runes and made them “work”, she had tried it and it had worked. Master Derin had been surprised, but pleased. She wasn't that good in it, but could do a few simple runes now and then that really worked. She and Derin also worked in Alchemy once in a while. Master Derin was quite good at it, but Elayla lacked the patience to follow the formulas exactly, and usually made a mess out of it.

On one spring day, when Elayla was walking in the nearby forest, she had a realization. What she had thought was an elven gift - the power to understand and talk to nature - was not that, but nature magic. Elves could understand the feelings of a beast, or soothe a plant. But Elayla noticed she could do more. She lay on the grass and she could hear it grow, hear it's life flowing. She could feel the wind high in the sky, know it's secret name and call it. So many powers. Elayla wasn't sure if that was a good, or a bad thing. What was she? Why could she do these things? And what should she do about it? And she found out that being able to do something, isn't the same as knowing how to do it. Although she could cast sorcery spells, write wizard runes, call nature to do her bidding, and even brew potions, she wasn't any good at any of it. Only thing she was any good at, was channeling. She made a mental note to learn more about nature magic, and to train harder at all of them.

A year passed, and then it was followed by another. Elayla turned 25.

…

Elayla woke up in the morning, and noticed a paper beside her bed. Master Derin was nowhere to be seen. Assuming it was a note from him telling he had to go on one of his trips, she read it. Or tried to, as it didn't contain any recognizable letters. Puzzled, she turned the note around in her hands. On one side, it seemed, slightly, to be filled with the ancient runes she had found in the old books, but on the other hand, it looked like something a child would draw if she got hold of a quill…

Master Derin wasn't outside either. Elayla headed towards town to see if he'd gone there. On the way, she bumped into a large-ish stone, straight in the middle of the road. It had a carving on top of it that was very similar to the one on her note. She scratched her head. There was something… Comprehend Languages, a spell she had learned early in her life, popped in her mind. She cast it and tried making sense of the note and the stone. The markings looked marginally different but she still couldn't make any sense of them. Feeling a bit stupid, she took the rock with her.

She arrived at the town marketplace and asked around for Derin. Some people hadn't seen him for days and some said they'd seen him walking the fields and the edge of the forest just a few hours ago. Master Derin rarely walked just for walking's sake, so that must've meant there was something to do there. Elayla took a path that lead to the fields and ultimately to the clearing in the middle of the forest where she had laid so many times on the grass, thinking about things.

On the way, she met a farmer that, scratching his head, wondered aloud where in the world was Elayla going with that stone. Smiling sheepishly, she just answered “to the forest”. Once she neared the edge, she noticed a strange construction. It consisted of a few planks, some wire and a rusty-looking pair of blades.

…

“I will send a note to Master Derin then”, said the head priestess. “And I have a rather important request for you too, Elayla. I wish you'd take part of preparing the scroll.” Elayla lifted an eyebrow. “Just call it a hunch”, said the head priestess. Grinning, Elayla waved to the priestess and trotted down the path back home. It had been a great day. It was not every day you uncover ancient mysteries and turn 30.

It was two weeks after her birthday when the note arrived. It said to prepare the scroll for the Head Priestess and listed ingredients and formulas to make it. It should be completed and delivered to her before the end of the month, preferably exactly two weeks from now. It said a new servant would enter the service for the church and the scroll was a needed part of a ceremony. Derin and Elayla got to work.

“I know, I know Master Derin.”, Elayla said standing in the doorway to Derin's hut. “I have the list here, it has all the ingredients and places I have to visit.” She closed the door and trod down the road towards the town. It was a nice summer morning, no clouds in the sky and the sun was gently warming the air. “Now, let's see, first some apples, then to the alchemist to get some sulfur and crystals… Then, visit the Church of Naila to give them the scroll and meet the new servant.” She picked up some apples from the marketplace, got the ingredients from the alchemist and arrived at the Church gate. “After this, it's just pick up the meat and spices and head back home…”

Elayla knocked on the door and opened it gently. The familiar dim inside of the church greeted her with a cool breeze. She made her way to the living quarters and knocked on the head priestess' door. “Just a second Elayla.” came a voice inside. How the priestess always knew who was behind her door, remained a mystery. Elayla believed Naila had granted her some extraordinary powers. “All right, come on in now darling.” the head priestess called. Elayla opened the door and stepped inside. It was a rather barren room, with only a rough bed, a small table and some shelves accompanied with two chairs. The priestess was sitting on one and beside her, dressed in all-white robe was, Elayla presumed, the new servant, her hidden beneath a large white hood. “This is Ninel, our latest addition to our little community.” the priestess said and nodded towards the robed figure. It was a rather slim and short figure, and Elayla figured it was a girl, which in itself was sort of out of the ordinary, the servants usually were boys eager to join the Knights or something. Ninel raised her hands to her hood, and Elayla noted they were quite slender and pale for an outlander like the rest of the town. When Ninel dropped her hood, Elayla's heart skipped a few beats.

“An elf? Like me?” Elayla almost gasped. She were right to, though. The sight of her long ears was not uncommon in the lands further north, but so far south there weren't really any elves at all. All these years living here, Elayla had spotted just a couple of travelers that were elves. And what an elf! Her hair was brilliant bright white, her green eyes almost glowed in the dim room. And she was beautiful to look at, in the greatest sense of the word. But in her deepest of hearts, Elayla knew there was more to this. In there, she knew this was a one of those moments that defines a being. Like the one so many years ago at her home village, when Master Derin had come for her.

She held out a hand and touched Ninel's. From history's viewpoint, the touch lasted for a second or two, and the two figures said “Hello” to each other. From the priestess' point of view, it was a brief moment of importance that seemed to last more than it did. From the viewpoint of the two girls, and perhaps a god or two who happened to be watching, it was quite a longer period of time…

“Well, erhm. eh.” said Elayla, drawing her hand back and feeling the redness rising to her cheeks. “I came to deliver this scroll to you, High Priestess.” she continued, handing the scroll over. “And.. . and to meet the new one. We'll.. we'll see later, eh?” she tackled.

“Later.” said Ninel, with a gentle trembling whisper. The head priestess grinned so much she though her ears moved and said goodbye to the fleeting back. “My, my. Whatever happened here?” she said quietly to herself. Inside her white robe, Ninel went red.

The summer turned to autumn, autumn to winter. Elayla and Ninel had become very close friends, spending much of the summer together. Autumn brought in merchants and farmers from further away places. This meant more work for the girls, so they couldn't hang together as much as before. They stole away many a minute still.

Winter turned it's back and let spring come in. A year went past, then another. Then another. Life in the little town never much changed, except now the villagers had something to talk about. In the years before there hadn't been much to talk about, now they had two pretty elves around, who found small adventures everywhere they went.

Master Derin watched as the years made him older, but Elayla seemed not to change at all. She was 40 now, which was just a little more than 16 in human terms. Ninel was almost 30, which made her on terms with a giddy 14-year-old human. The years had been kind to Derin, but he was 78 already, which was a lot for a simple human. He could hope for a couple of decades more, but he knew he could never see the day of Elayla's “Coming of Age” Day, which the elves had set at one's 100th birthday. They were fully grown by the age of 50, but the elven mind and culture itself took much more time to mature then it's human equivalent.

He knew from the start that there was strange power in Elayla, but he had never dreamed that she would learn so much in so little a time. It had taken Master Derin a better part of a century to become the sorcerer he was. But it had taken Elayla less than two decades of on-and-off studying to reach almost the same point. He could see the power in the young sorceress's eyes when she practiced, and the adoration when she watched Ninel doing hers. Ninel wasn't doing so bad herself, being brought to the priestess only some 20 years ago and she was way beyond the capability of the head priestess already. Ninel had taken the post of healer and resident priestess from her and had allowed the head priestess to fade back to the background, only doing official jobs. The head priestess would turn 90 next spring. Master Derin knew she would like Ninel to stay as the new head, but he also knew that day wouldn't ever come. Ninel would go anywhere her blonde elf friend went. And Derin guessed that that might be quite far.

Two years from that, Master Derin sat on his bed one afternoon, they had just come from the old head priestess' funeral. She had just barely reached 91, but she had no regrets, save for her follower. It was an open spot for know, Ninel did the official duties, but refused to accept the position, saying that it wasn't her place. It was two weeks since Derin's own 80th birthday and he was feeling quite well. Quite unexpected, Elayla and Ninel walked in with serious faces.

“Master, have you heard?”, Ninel burst out before Elayla had had time to open her mouth. “A couple of villagers have been missing for days now, and someone saw a black-clad stranger on the outskirts!” Derin glanced at Elayla, who nodded, “Ninel speaks the truth. I've seen him myself. He wears a black cape and some kind of a large amulet hangs on his neck”.

Derin tried to act nonchalantly, but he guessed he had been had. “Just some bandits trying to scare us, I say. Give it a week and he'll go away.” he said. “But, tell me, who's been missing and how long?”

…

“I can't go on anymore, child.” Derin said wheezing. “I'm 97 years old. I've had a good life. I don't have any regrets” A small tear fell down Elayla's face. “But.. Master.. You've been the father I never had. You've been my guardian and teacher. What am I going to do then?” “Now, now, wipe your tears. See, I don't shed any. It is not a bad thing. And I'm sure you'll do fine, just keep that young elf away from mischief and you'll make a nice couple.” Elayla felt her ears going red. “I.. I.. Yes, Master. I know it's a bit weird, but I love Ninel so much it hurts to even think living without her.” “Then don't”, said Derin. “I believe there isn't a force in this world to tear you two apart. After all, she's powerful priestess by herself.” Then he winked. “And, I believe the world can do nothing to stop a channeler in her footsteps.”

There was a small pause.

“You- You knew? Since when?” Elayla managed. Derin lifted an arm an reached up from his bed to touch her cheek. With a gentle smile, he spoke “Since all these years ago. Since I, for the last time, walked down a slightly trodden path to a small elven village in the outskirts of the great forest. Since I walked in front of the expecting faces and I couldn't ignore the bright glow from one little elven girl's eyes.”

“Why didn't you ever say…?” whispered Elayla. Derin smiled at her. “And told you what? I'm no channeler. I couldn't teach you in that. I just made sure you learned as much as I could teach you about magic in general. I've noticed I haven't failed in that, you're quite a proficient mage yourself. How you do that, is beyond me though, but nevermind.” A small shiver went across Derin's frail body. “I have one last task for you, my girl.”

“Anything.” said Elayla. “You've done so much to me already, there's nothing I wouldn't do for you.” Derin smiled. “Your words warm my old heart. I haven't even told you, but I'm not from around here. I was born in the distant North, in a small village called Terena. My last wish is to be buried there. I want to rest in the soil of my old homeland.” He coughed and his whole body shook. “That, and that you, always, follow your heart. I see great things coming to you. I believe this is not the last time we meet, in some sense of the word.” Derin closed his eyes for few seconds. “But now, I wish you'd bring Ninel here with you and find a away to transport me to Terena. I do not wish you to see me go like this. Remember me as I remember you, for the years we've been togehter…” his voice trailed to silence.

Tear falling down her cheek, Elayla rose, whispered goodbye to Derin and closed the door behind her, heading towards town.

From inside the hut came a tiny eerie glow and a muffled quiet voice went to say “I told you that wasn't the last time. I see you've grown. Alright, Let's go then, Elayla.”

It had been a year since they traveled to Terena and laid Master Derin to rest in the soil of his homeland. Elalya turned 60 and was feeling more adult than ever before. This didn't seem to effect Ninel much in an direction. The now-50 years old elf was as giddy as always. Physically, they had grown much since that fateful day years ago in the church when they first met. Elayla was almost a head taller than Ninel, but Ninel had a much more womanly figure than the thin blonde.

They sat at the table in Master Derin's old hut, which had passed along to Elayla, who had been the last apperentice Derin ever had. Ninel was half through her stew when she noticed Elayla hadn't really eaten anything. Instead she was staring at the ceiling, apparently fallen so deep into her thoughts she had forgotten about the food. Her spoon was half-way to her mouth, the stew in it already cooled.

“Three hundred and fifty eight.” Ninel said suddenly. The spoon fell to her plate when Elayla snapped back into this reality. “Tree hunted what?” she spat out, her eyes the size of a large apple. “And why would a tree hunt anything in the first place?” Ninel burst into laughter and just managed “nails” and “ceiling” in the midst of it all. “You know you're one mad nut?” Elayla said to her, smiling.

“It's the number of nails in the ceiling.” Ninel said after a little while. “I counted them a couple of days ago when we had nothing to do. You seemed like you were counting them out of boredom too.” Elayla smiled. “No. I was just… I was just thinking of Derin. And us.”, she continued. “Kiella is the head priestess now, Lucina is handling herself quite well on the more earthly matters. There are no more apprentices to teach. What are we doing? We can't just sit here from day to day, year to year.”

Ninel rose up and sat beside Elayla and nodded. “True that darling, true that.” She looked out of the window. “It's beautiful here, but you are right, we can't stay. This town doesn't profit a bit if we stay here, and I have a feeling we have some errands to do in this world, and we are not going to find them here, sitting in front of this table.”

Elayla looked at her friend. Ninel's white hair was almost glowing in the dim hut as it mirrored the sun's shine from outside. She was looking into the distance, her green eyes full of thoughts. She was biting her lower lip, as she had done when thinking hard, as long as Elayla could remember. “Nin?” Elayla asked. Ninel woke up from her thoughs and turned her green stare towards the blonde elf. “Yes?”
…

…

A purple-ish blur in the air and a little thump was all that Sterk could figure out, before he was lying on the pavement face down and somebody's foot pressed against his back. “Dwarf.” came a voice above him. Unlike a voice Sterk had expected, this one didn't sound like it was filled with raw murder and thoughts of slitting throats in the dark, coming from the mouth of a pale-skinned demon. It was a clear, vivid voice, full of youth but still powerful and commanding. It was a woman's voice. Sterk laid unmoving on the ground. “I can hear you from three fathoms away, you pillock.”

“I wasn't aware I was hiding from anyone sounding like you.” Sterk replied. “In fact, ” he continued “I am not aware I was hiding from anyone at all.”

The voice sighed in the darkness. “You are walking a path that is filled with treason, murder, kidnapping and half of every other dark deeds, and you are not hiding from anyone? I didn't count you as a stupid one, dwarf.” There was a little pause. “Yet.”, Sterk said with a small sigh.

There was a little giggle from the darkness and the foot was lifted. Sterk rolled around slowly and carefully sit up. The figure in front of him were not much taller than he was, but quite a bit more slender. While very much clear that it was a she, the figure was clad in purple-ish tunic and a large black cloak that hid most of the detail. She stood, legs apart, in front of the poor dwarf. The moon shone just as bright as the offer the possibility for her eyes to give the slightest glare in the depths of her hood. She offered her hand to him.

Expecting her to hit him any minute, Sterk cautiously took the hand. It was a slim, beautiful dark hand, covered with a purple fingerless glove. Although it obviously belonged to a small female, the grip was firm, and didn't budge a lot when Sterk pulled himself up.

She gestured for Sterk to follow her. He did so, and she led him via a couple of dark alleys to a normal-looking house, which they entered. Once inside, the woman removed her cloak. She was a dark as the brownwooded haft of Sterk's axe. Her hair was black as the deep tunnels of his home. But the eyes; the eyes were the color of the autumn, a brown so warm it was almost orange. She looked deep into Sterk's eyes and he felt like she was reading the insides of his skull. The woman was a head taller than him, not a kid but not old either. Sterk couldn't place her features anywhere on any map, and indeed even her race. She had the ears of an elf, but she was built more muscular than one. And Sterk new of no elf races with so deep brown skin. Woodelf maybe, some distant variation. He wasn't sure.

“Now, tell me.” said the woman, “Tell me the whole story of why you're stalking on my streets, unearthing clues not meant for everybody, walking like an ass to places too dangerous for trained fighters. And most of all, why is a dwarf king following two pale-faced elven lasses around, with a tin-can of a human to boot. And that red-head. For the life of me, I can't figure her out.” There was a lengthy pause. “Dwarf. I can see inside your mouth.” said the brown-skin.

Sterk clapped his mouth shut. He opened it again, and the closed. “How.” he started, a bit out of breath, “did. you. know. that? I- They- erm-” he fumbled on. “Even THEY don't know! I haven't told anyone!”

The woman flashed a wry smile. She produced a thin transparent blade from inside her gloves. “I make a point of always knowing my target, dwarf.” she said and grinned.

The rest of them were gathered around a table, in a shady inn that Tayna had called “Meatlocker”, whatever that was meant to mean. “Where did Sterk say he was going?”, said Ninel. Elayla shrugged, Tayna looked around. Jelni muttered something under his breath that sounded like “bring him”, but which Ninel new was not necessarily that. “Drinking?” said Elayla. “Again? I mean- How much beer does it take to fill up a dwarf?”

Jelni bit his lip trying to hold back a roaring laughter. Tayna, slowly, turned her gaze towards Elayla. had half a second too slow reactions and his mead sprouted in a spring from his mouth. “Fill up a dwarf!?” the three of them said at the same time.
…

…

“Bah,” said the Historian as they entered the echoing darkness of the vast cave “rumors! Myths! False stories! That's all those are!” He drew his hands to his sides. “I've lived for a long time, and I've never heard any proof of them. I say they are just some mistranslation or a children's story from longago.” He walked a few feet, the earth rumbled so that the huge emptiness seemed to shudder.

“I'm sooo done with these quakes,” Tayna pouted “They make me feel so small!”

“Erm,” said Sterk “Actually..”

Ninel eyed Sterk.

“Nothing,” the dwarf murmured.

The historian continued his slow trot into the cavern. “I once heard a story that said Dragons live forever! How about that,” he said. “Dragons are just animals, like a horse, even if a bit bigger.” I small gust of wind made a peculiar sound in the unseen heights of the cave.

Ninel stopped.

“THAT was a snort.”, said .

A small quake shook the floor. A hollow, deep and rumbling noise came somewhere up the darkness. “Tell, me… Historian…” it said, and the sound of it made everyone freeze. It was magnificently huge and contained years upon years of age. “If you've lived so long, tell me how did the world get its shape. Or how did the gods first make man?”

The historian gulped. “Who.. who is that?” he said in a small timid voice.

“A Story.” came the answer above, while the colossal head descended from the heights and the one large emerald-green eye looked at them all. “Just a story.” said the Dragon.

…

By Naila! Can this be true? Elayla? Ninel?' Tayna yelled and stood wide-eyed, intensively staring at the great painting on the wall.

'Nea ine geden awerneth gia tagenn Tedec.' Elayla phrased, not even looking at the wall, eyes closed. 'The all-telling great history of how Time arrived.' The most sought-after of all the artwork in the Realms.

Tayna glanced quickly at the door. Jelni signaled everything to be fine. Turning again to look the painting, she saw Elayla and raised on eyebrow. Elayla's lips were moving softly, her hands clenched around her staff. Tayna poked Ninel on the side.

Ninel! Psst! Look at Elayla. What's wrong with her?'

Ninel stopped to listen what Elayla was murmuring.

Exactly this moment Jalnar shouted something from the doorway.

Ninel didn't even notice, she was occupied raising her own defences, “Naila of heavens, grant me the power to…'. She begun to glow soft blue.

Elayla opened her glowing green eyes. Ninel glanced quickly around. Jelni and Sterk were standing at the doorway, weapons drawn. Tayna was holding her swords, slowly walking in circles around the room. Elayla stood quietly in front of the painting. The picture was moving. Ninel stared at it. Orcs marched across the walls, dragons flew in the ceiling. She noticed that her mouth was wide open. Snapping it shut, she turned to Elayla.

'E-Elayla..? What does this mean? I've never saw anything like this. This is not an illusion!', Ninel was trembling visibly.

'The outer defenses of Evernore are still working.' Elayla nodded her head, pointing at the doorway. 'That's now beyond our power to go back that way. Jalnar, Sterk put down your weapons, Ninel my friend, lower your defenses, you should practice Sorcery a lot more, If you want to profit from it. She smiled gently to her. Ninel seemed to turn to red.

Ninel tried to remember the murmuring, 'that means.' She gasped, mouth open, eyes wide, she looked into Elayla's eyes. 'E-Elayla.. Y-You're not g-going to do t-that? No?'

'What's going on there?' Jelni shouted from behind. 'What are you girls again up to?'

Tayna glanced quickly at Jelni, then as quickly drawing her gaze away, sighing. 'What's wrong in me Jelni? Don't you see I love you?' She whispered, too quiet for anyone to hear.

Elayla nodded. 'Yes Ninel, you're a quick learner, I only told you it once.'

'Portal Dimension Walk, am I right El?' Ninel asked a bit afraid. 'You aren't going to just walk into that painting, are you?'

Elaya closed her eyes again. Then, speaking softly, she gently waved her staff in front of the painting. 'My friends, we've come this far in our quest. Do you think I'm gonna quit now? No way, I'll find Time and help her as best as I can, This. this.. evil… It has to be stopped, and there is absolutely no-one else who could even slow it, no-one except Silene.'

Jelni gasped. 'Elayla.. you.. you knew!? How? Sir Anthon himself didn't know it. Where have You learned her True Name?' He blushed. 'I-I don't speak i-in my d-dreams, d-don't I?' He asked carefully.

Elayla smiled gently.'No my friend, it's not your fault, though I know something of you too, that I have to tell. Or perhaps you want to tell yourself, Keeper?'

Jelni frowned. ::I've known her only a short time and still she knows my deepest secrets?:: He briefly glanced at Tayna. ::If only I could be a better husband for her. She deserves so much better! Oh Rana, I love her so much!:: 'I'll tell myself, Elayla, or should I say Lady Elayla of Highwood? Or perhaps you prefer Elayla Laien?' Jelni bowed to her, smiling gently.

Elayla let go a gasp. Laien, ancient word meaning a magic-user, but more specifically, channeler. Channeling, the 7th aspect of magic, forgotten so long ago that few even believed it still could be used, few even believed in it, for that matter. Channelers could command so huge amounts of power, that even powerful Wizards would have to bow to them. For countless centuries there haven't been anybody who could Channel. But Elayla could. She had been able to Channel since her birth. Though that was hardly only of her secrets in that field. Till this day, she has not yet understood everything about herself. But letting them know, that she could channel, was only a minor compared to what the truth in fact was.

Elayla lowered her staff. 'Maybe it's time to properly introduce ourselves to others, we've been traveling together for awhile already, so we might as well let other knew who we really are, agreed? Une Tayna of Oginav?, Keeper Jelni?, First Child Ninel? Khzdac Sterk?' She was smiling to them, after all, they were friends, having traveled together for quite a while already. All of them agreed. Elayla put her staff leaning the wall. She formally curtsied to Jelni, one hand holding her skirt, and another stretched forward towards him. 'Qienale Vedeca Jelni. Qienale D'arien.' She said, raising her eyes to meet his.

Jelni took her hand and kissed it gently. Then he stood still, eyes locked to some distant point. He put his other hand to the hilt of his sword while raising the other to his shoulder. He nodded slightly towards her, speaking softly 'Lilliane ille haevel, alanne noya, Elayla Laien.' Then, eyes still watching into distance, he dropped to one knee, stroke the hand that was on his shoulder to the floor. Then quickly stood up again.

Elayla was very impressed. She would never had guessed that someone from 'outside' knew how to properly greet a Laien,and in her own language! Even most of her own kind could not, it was not taught anymore. What's the point anyway, when there was no Laiens anymore? Still; Jelni knew. Then they both stood up, reached hands together, gripping hold of each other's arms shaking them a bit. Both said almost exactly the same time, smiling widely 'Hiya Friend! Praised be Rana that we've met.' This was a common greeting among friends who have grown to like each other's company.

Tayna sighed so quietly that Elayla though she might not have heard anything. Elayla turned to face the rest of the group, 'As you all know, I'm a magician, You've thought me to be a sorcerer, since I use voice when casting. Still, I'm not.' Sterk raised a furry eyebrow. Ninel's face was emotionless, like a steel mask. Elayla lowered her gaze to the ground. 'I'm a Laien, a Channeler.' She raised her eyes again. Tayna gasped, Sterk raised another eyebrow. Jelni was quiet.

'You should at least have told to me' Ninel said. 'For Si'ln's sake, we've been friends for.. for.. what, 50? 60 years?'

Sterk stepped forward. 'Channeler, You say. Aren't they just a legend, or so I have been told for all my life? Channelers, the great magical heroes of children's stories. You're pulling our legs, Elayla, you're a common sorcerer, not a channeler.' Sterk coughed. 'No offence intended, friend. I know any magic-user is not “common” but.. you know what I mean.'

Elayla gave him a big smile,'None taken, friend. And you're right of course, us magic-users are far too few nowadays, not many have the talent anymore.' She sneered, 'Though there are always Alchemists and their Formulas..'

Sterk noticed Jelni staring Tayna, without her noticing him. He smiled and coughed. Jelni woke from his thoughts and look ashamed. Sterk was grinning widely to him. Ninel smiled also. Elayla had to stop a giggle from bursting out.

Tayna looked around,'Hey! What's so funny every-one's laughing their arses off? What did I miss? Sterk? Did ye say something funny?'

Jelni blushed and turned to Sterk, 'So, my friend.. What's your little secret?'

Tayna poked him with her elbow, 'Hey, not so fast! You haven't told yours! You and Elaya just said something in-comprehensive and got us all confused. What was that all about?'

Jelni sighed and bowed to Elayla, 'Elayla didn't quite finish, did You, Laien?'

Elayla turned to Sterk, 'A channeler I say and a channeler I am. I'm not sure how Jelni found that one out..' She scratched her head. 'But, he's right all the same. I've been able to channel for as long as I can remember… She stared some distant point, speaking almost more to herself than to the rest. 'Once again shall the channelers walk the streets and plains of the world. Once again shall the power of the world flow freely.' Elayla turned to face the picture. 'It does say channelers, does it? That means more like myself, but are they all on our side?' She turned again, looked their unbelieving faces. Sighing, she said, 'You don't believe me, don't you? Oh-well, I might as well de- Morgel! Ninel, Jelni, all of you, beware!'

Something came roaring through the door. Something big. Something loud.

…

…

The Runes glowed bright orange; then they glowed fish. blinked twice, then looked up to Tayna's questioning face and shrugged. “I didn't know anything could do that.” he exclaimed. Tayna grinned. “Hey, it's you doing the magic. I bet next rune will explode into butterflies.”

“Oh, ha-ha.” said, smiling. “Veery funny. Okay. Watch this.” He concetrated, draw another set of symbols, and they started to smell like running. He lifted an eyebrow and gazed at Tayna, who seemed to have trouble breathing. She was biting her lips to stop her from bursting into a cloud of giggle. rose and and crossed his arms. I bet there's something fishy going on”, he said.

“Yes, your spell!” Tayna blurted and exploded into laughter – which came out as pink rhinoceros-butterflies.

“Fishy.” said and walked away, leaving the small bard rolling on the floor, laughing her ass off.

…

…

Elayla stepped out of the portal, her eyes were still moist from fresh tears; not of sadness, but from tears of happiness. From knowing an old, old friend was where he wanted to be and that everything was alright. Ninel bowed her head in shared knowledge, he had been a good friend for her too. “Thank you, Ninel” Elayla whispered. “He needed that. We needed to be sure. I needed to see him there. Thank you.”

Pressing a gentle kiss on Elayla's cheek, Ninel whispered “I know. I knew him for the better part of my childhood too. He was a father-figure for me also. I think, in his own way, he was the only human to have two elven daughters. We will always remember Master Derin. He will live on in our thoughts. Forever.”

…

…

“For Cilla's sake!” yelled Elayla “I may be able to use all kinds of magics, but that isn't a guarantee that I'm any good at any of them!”
…

…

“Yes.” came the voice from the shadows. It chilled Elayla to the bones, even if she didn't know whose voice it was. It was a voice that started wars, destroyed kingdoms, annihilated entire races. A voice so old even the Gods themselves had to acknowledge the power behind it. No single being, mortal or god, could ever have any change alone against the bearer of that voice. The skies darkened when it spoke, the earth trembled in fear. “It appears that is the case, for now.”, said Chaos.

…

…

The image of Naila was fading away faster and faster. “Goodbye my child. Always remember yourself, and thus always remember me.” Naila's voice echoed in Ninel's head. Tears were falling down her face like a downpour. “I'll see you again, but I won't see you again. I know it is very hard to comprehend how we function… but do try to cheer up, she will need you soon. And please, try to stay civil with my successor, eh?” the voice seemed to smile. Then, in an instant, Naila, the Greater Goddess of Magic was gone. For a split second, there was no god or higher power for magic. For a split second, the world was severely out of balance. Magic needs a guardian. It cannot function without direction. In the split second, the world changed. Magic chose a guardian where there wasn't one. Magic chose a goddess when there wasn't any. It entered the body of the being closest to the gods. Into the spirit of the one closest to the beginning of all. Into the bones of the one that still had blood-ties to The Creators.

Elayla's wings flew fully open, stretching to limits not seen since the days of the creation. Her eyes glowed brightly as the raw magic burned where blood had been. Without any control of her own, Elayla spun around and rose above the ruins; wings spread across the skies, reaching high heavens. The color of her eyes deepened from light blue to the color of deep ocean and to indigo.

“Become.”, she said; in a voice that rang throughout the universe. In a voice heard by all living beings, felt by all sentient life.

The world had seven gods. Carah was the guardian of Life and Death. Nissa controlled the weather. Elish was the mother of all nature. The twin souls of Luci and Ail battled over the elements. Kaell was the protector of knowledge and culture. Cilla was the lady of luck. And finally there was Anel, the goddess of Magic.

“Welcome.” Elayla said. The voice started as it was a moment before, but ended with her own. “Thank you.” Anel whispered, and then she was gone.

Ninel kissed her staff gently, then laid it to ground. “Goodbye, mother” she whispered. She wiped her tears, and looked upwards. There was a bright glow in the air.

“Hello, my child.” said Anel.

• Elayla
• Ninel
• Jelni
• Tayna
• Sterk
• The Mage
• The Shadow

Pairings	Details
Elayla ♥ Ninel	“love at first sight”, deep friendship
Tayna ♥ Jelni	At first, for a long time, not acknowledged to the other by either one, but known by the rest
Sterk ♥ The Shadow	Almost unknown to others, until much later made public.
The Mage	Has a “mate” “home”

• Derin

• Cult of the Dragon