Shaana spent the last four hours walking from one side to another of the room. She was very impatient and worried. How many days they should wait for some news about them? They had left several days ago, and after paying attention to Xavier’s story, she decided to go after them. But she didn’t. Shaana feared for Mythran’s life, but she -knew- that an inappropriate use of the Recall Pad could endanger her, and she decided to wait. But now, she is tired of waiting.
“I can’t bear it anymore! I am going, ladies!” She grabbed her axe and opened her bag.
“Are you serious?” Asked another woman, still dressed like a barmaid. She looked excited after hear this, and grabbed his longsword, which was at her belt.
“Shaana, we can’t go! It is very dangerous out there, and there are fire mushrooms all over the way! And even if we succeed in reaching the entrance to Lost Vale, we don’t know what is waiting for us out there!!!” Said a woman wearing a beautiful white dress, with a tone of fear in her voice.
“Do you want to be stucked here without a clue about your loved one? Remember that Devon is out there, Aramina. And my dear Cyrrus is in some dark place... without me... oh, I can’t stand this! While he was at Argentrock Island, it was okay, because the island used to be a “safe” place. But THIS place isn’t! I cannot stay here, conscious that I can do something for him, and for my father as well, although I know that he can defend himself.” Said the woman with the longsword, while she was looking at the sword, analyzing its conditions.
“I know Jenna, but... oh... you are right, after all... I would not stand to lose Devon... I must go with you... but I don’t know how to fight!”
“You can cook for us, and I think that Jenna and me are enough to handle with a few monsters. Let us go to the Teleport Point.” And then, Shaana started to walk upstairs, followed by Aramina. Jenna was concerned about Gwillim, and paid him a visit before. She arrived at Mythran’s small room, where Xavier was, at Gwillim’s side.
“How is he? He is fine now?” Asked her.
“He is improving every day... I think he has a good chance to survive, but he need to rest” answered Xavier.
“Cough... cough... I am fine, Jenna... don’t worry about me... I can see in your eyes that you are leaving... don’t you?” Asked Gwillim, in very poor health.
“Yes... Shaana is going to use the recall pad, an item that Mythran gave to her, just in case of she needs him, but now it is going to be used to a different purpose. We want to know how they are, and we want to help, also. I promise...” She held his hands and looked inside his eyes “that I will bring Cyrrus back, and safe.”
“Cough... I believe in you, Jenna. You always have had potential, and only your father was blind to this reality. Oh, how I would like to have you as my daughter-in-law... cough, cough... but I don’t know if I will live to see this day...”
“Don’t say such things! Xavier is taking care of you, so, concentrate on improving your health. I will bring your son back to you.” And she looked to Xavier. “Xavier, I’m going. Take care of Gwillim during my absence.” She was about to leave but Xavier called her back.
“Jenna, wait. Look, take that backpack” He pointed his left hand at a small backpack in a corner of the room. “Inside there, there are some potions of many sorts, and it can be helpful. I will not need it as much as you’ll certainly will, so, leave it with Aramina, since she has no combat skills. Good Luck, Jenna. May the winds of Stratos bless you”
“Thank you, Brother Xavier... goodbye” She took the backpack and followed the other girls. When she arrived at the Teleport Point, Shaana was there, as well as Aramina, and they were ready to leave.
“Why do you always waste time talking with that stupid healer? He has an irritating narrow-minded argument in each sentence he speaks.” Said Shaana, very angry by Jenna’s “waste of time”
“It proved to be very useful, Shaana...” She showed the backpack and gave it to Aramina. “Take care of it. It is full of potions, and we’ll certainly need it in the future.”
“Okay, shall we go, then? I picked up some supplies also... food and water, you know. Oh... I am very afraid of it... something tells me that it’s not going to work...” Aramina looked terribly astonished with the idea of entering a place of dead Zealans, but a disapproval look of Shaana was enough to silence her. Then, the three young ladies walked into the Teleport Point, and Shaana took the Recall Pad, which was something like a small blue piramid-shape glowing item. Then, she speaks the last words before everything turn into black. “An Kas Wis!” And the three faded, to somewhere...
Mythran wakes up. He looks around and notice that he is in a cave. All his clothes are wet, he finds out, also. Then, he start to remember what happened after the fall. He had used the Feather Fall spell on everyone before he fell, but, before drowning, he was able to cast another spell, with an incredible speed, that prevented him to die by drowning, before he got unconscious. It’s name is “Water Shell” and provides invulnerability underwater, as well as the ability to breath without air. Then, the old mage laughed of his fortune, because that spell wasn’t even tested before, and he took a risk by casting it, but he was succeed. Then, he checked all his equipment and stated that all was there, except by his staff. “Oh, crap... it was made of fine wood... hehe... my spellbooks are here... yes, I am very lucky to be alive... ahhn...” He started to explore the cave, that followed after the small lake where he was. Soon, he found out that there was an exit to that cave just ahead. He walked outside and experienced something unique. He stared at the place. He was paralyzed by the vision of the vale that he was seeing. It was a large vale, surrounded by a mountain chain, but not an ordinary mountain wall: These mountains were yellow-fire colored. And the vale itself was very hot, at least if compared to Pagan’s weather. Despite of the hot weather, that land was blessed. There were grass, trees, flower fields, and even animals! Some birds could be seen, as well as lizards and small rats. An impressive nature sanctuary, that amazed the mage. He turn yourself again to the mountain, and started to analyze the yellow rocks. “Aye... it can only be one material, if I am in Morgaelin yet... and this one is Brimstone. So, I conclude that I am in a vale, in the midst of Brimstone Cliffs... but how I got so far from the others?” With these wonderings, he started to walk around again. Then, he thinks for a while and grab a book that was inside your backpack. He start to read it calmly, and, after a while, he pronounces some words.
“In Ort Des Mani!” And he invoked the powerful Revelation spell, that was similar to Divination spell of Theurgy. Soon, the magic started to take effect, and a voice came to his ears, saying, with a melodic voice.
“Mythran, the time is Bloodtide, and the place is Lost Vale. To west, east, north and south, are the Brimstone Cliffs, and to far east is Vengeance Bay. To far south is the volcano. To far northwest is the Titan’s Sanctuary. To far southwest is Traustumbrae, and to far West-Southwest is the Land of Trolls. This vale was sealed by Lithos ages ago, and Pyros used his flames to turn that hills in an powerful barrier, but Hydros built a underwater way, so that she could visit this place when she liked to. In somewhere here, there is an ancient gate to the Zealan God’s Ethereal Realm, but it is sealed. Only you can enter it” And the voice faded. Mythran was very impressed with the amount of information given to him, because the Revelation spell was used to give only time and a precise position in the world, which do not include, obviously, the history of the place, nor additional places of his interest. It sounded very strange to him, but he started to look after the temple. If the voice was correct, this temple could be the same as the one where the Zealan lesser Gods were imprisoned. And so, he remembered the words of the three other Gods, and gave a smile.
“Aye... I am a lucky old man, surely...” And so, after walking for a while, he began to feel a intense etherical energy emanation, coming from east. He walked for two miles or more, and saw a cave, sealed with rocks, probably caused by an earthquake. Then, he invoked one of his spells, the Call Destruction, and bolts of lightining struck in the rocks, shattering it into pieces, allowing him to enter. The temple was exactly as Beren had described to him in the vision he had had, and the three imprisoned lesser Gods were there too. Also, he found an staff lying in the altar. It had a green emerald in his edge, and many runes along it’s “body”. When Mythran touched the staff, the emerald started to glow, and soon a huge shine was spread along the room, blinding Mythran for a moment. After he had recovered his sight, he had a vision, which was much like Beren’s vision, but with more events occurring. He could see what happened with Sargon-Poh after he had sealed the powers of the lesser gods. The people became sad quickly, as the feeling of joy could not be felt anymore, and grief was not a big deal anymore, so, adding these facts to the absence of fear, many of them started to look for battles, as Odion increased in power and influence. Also, more borns occurred, because of the intense passion that Zealans felt for the others and they began to show no care about the trolls anymore, and became self-centered. Soon, in a few years, the Zealans had increased considerably in number and fighting skill, and more and more they had selfish desires, and the trolls started to be seen as obstacles in their plans of greatness. And, of course, a war raged. The trolls had no intentions to attack the Zealans, but they were attacked first, and sent a reply, which almost destroyed Traustumbrae. The Thaumaturgy of the trolls always was feared, because it was very powerful. But the Zealans never gave up, and sent other attacks, which were, as well, replied by the trolls. And it lasted until Sargon-Poh confront Pothos, leader of the trolls. In this epic battle, Pothos defeated Sargon-Poh, that died. So, he took the shield of the Zealan Gods and, using his tremendous powers, he opened a gate to the Zealan Ethereal Realm and sealed the half of the shield away. The other half would remain with him, for security. Many years passed and Lord Traust-Nagirrek became the Lord of Traustumbrae. Influenced by Snik-Poh, Sargon-Poh’s descendant, Lord Traust demanded the half of the shield that belonged to Pothos, in order to avoid another war. Pothos, then, in your tremendous wisdom, delivered the half of the shield, without complaining, since the other half was sealed forever, or so he expected to be. So, the war was avoided, and peace was made. But Pothos knew that Snik-Poh would try to recover the other half, to assure that the Zealan Lesser Deities would be sealed forever, then, he came to the old Shrine, using his magic, and left his staff in the altar, in order to protect the unique gate to the Zealan Ethereal Realm, and only himself or one man that he had seen in his visions could have the innate ability to remove the seal. This man would be considered as a Zealan prophet who would play a major role in the fate of both Zealans and Trolls’ existence. And the man that Pothos saw was Mythran. Then, the vision ended, and Mythran found himself in that splendid sanctuary again, but now he was holding the staff, and the staff was responding to him naturally, as if it was of his own. Then, Mythran took a breath, inclined the staff to a wall, and invoked his spell of Dispelling Magical Portals. It worked as it ever did before, and a secret passage was revealed, right behind the god’s statues, and in front of him. It was an arc passage, that leaded to a white gate. When he crossed it, he faded and , after a moment, he found himself in a plataform above the clouds, and the plataform itself was made of clouds! Ahead lied a cloud stairway. He was wondering about these new events when he was surprised by a noise, and, when he turned around, he saw Shaana, Jenna and Aramina right behind him.
“Wow, then you are alive, old man...”, smiled Shaana
“Ahhhhh!!!!! WHAT IS THIS PLACE????”, screamed Aramina
“Ahh... it’s so high up here... I am scared...”, cried Jenna, looking down to the ground
“Why are you here? I remember I told you not to follow me! Fools! Now there is no way back!”, complained Mythran, seemed to be furious with their attitude.
“Oh, come on, grandpa, do you think I was not worried about you? And, after all, my axe was rusting... and... uh... what the hell is that?” she looked to her feet and became astonished.
“Ahhhh!! I will fall!!! I will die!!! Ohh... my...”, and Aramina fell unconscious, and if Jenna hadn’t caught her with her arms, she would have died in fact.
“Ah, by the Gods... you are crazy... crazier than myself. Sit down, all of you. I need to rest, and, as there is no way back, you’ll go with me, but you -MUST- obey my orders. We are in a hostile land, a rough one, and there are many dangers around here. I have a mission to accomplish, and I want you to help me, not to prejudice me. I will tell you all I know.”
And so, Aramina woke up, after a few hours resting. Mythran told them all that he experienced, but the girls became sad when they were informed that Mythran had no clue of the whereabouts of Devon, Cyrrus and Darion, but a flame of hope kept burning, because Mythran was not sure if they were dead, and, maybe, they would still be alive. After many hours talking, and after many questions, they started to walk up alongside the stairway.