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Steel Dragon's "Tales of Orea"
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<blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 5759209" data-attributes="member: 92511"><p>Alaria's invisiblity faded even as the lights of Farthing Cross were fading into the night behind them.</p><p></p><p>Maintaining her levitating state was taxing enough than to try to remain invisible also. She also wanted her hands free should she have to begin casting. The magical winds could only carry her about as quickly as she could run, herself. So the cart with her companions, gained quickly on her position and was soon on the road beside her. Erevan had decided against loading the down further and was easily maintaining pace with the cart along the side of the road.</p><p></p><p>She turned in midair, continuing to float "forward" to see if she could glean any sign of pursuit.</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, it was not long before she could. A dark shape, cloaks and robes flailing behind it, was speeding over the buildings of Farthing Cross and heading straight for them.</p><p></p><p>"He's coming!" shouted Festus from the cart. He and Fen and Haelan had similarly been watching their backs in hopes of a "clean getaway."</p><p></p><p>Just then, her mind became hazy.</p><p></p><p>"Llllllllllar.......ahhhh.....iaaaaa..." the strange sensation but somehow familiar voice was subtly brushing the corner of her mind.</p><p></p><p>Alaria halted in the air for a moment...not moving took significantly less effort, she noticed. Alaria reached into the small pocket in which she kept a few magical components. She withdrew the small teardrop shaped emerald Rhea had given her. The gem pulsed with an inner light, shining green in her palm.</p><p></p><p>Almost immediately, Rhea's voice came through clearly and an image of the Green Witch's face swirled into her mind's eye.</p><p></p><p>"Ahhhh...laria. Alaria! Ah good. There you are. How do you fare? I regret we've been waylaid in Evandrial. But the Dragonmage-apparent has informed me that there is a dark power moving deep inside Daenfrii. Have you made it to..." the Emerald Tear initiate's telepathic voice seemed to trail off.</p><p></p><p>Even as the thoughts were forming in Alaria's mind to "say" what was transpiring to the telepath, Rhea's face took on a visage of fear and concern. </p><p></p><p>"OH! Oh no!" her voice rang loudly. "Hold fast, child! Help is on the way!" Rhea's face seemed to swirl out of existence again.</p><p></p><p>In the corner of Alaria's pride, she took offense to the reference of "child." But her conscious mind couldn't care less. She was all but out of tricks and didn't know what she could do to "hold fast."</p><p></p><p>Determined, Alaria cast the wind behind them at the fast approaching wizard. </p><p></p><p>Tresahd was momentarily halted by the gusting winds but easily dipped beneath them and continued on.</p><p></p><p>Alaria redirected them, but such fine control was quickly tiring her. She was forced to land.</p><p></p><p>Erevan halted and Coerraine pulled up the cart, unwilling to continue on without the R'Hathi before them.</p><p></p><p>"What're yeh doin', Goldilocks! Drive! Drive! He's coming!" Duor shouted and turned in his seat to look back at the dark mage's approach.</p><p></p><p>"Oh, Magess Alaaaariaaaaa!" Tresahd called tauntingly. "I believe I've acquired something of yours, now." The wizard made a throwing motion with his right arm and a ball of milky white light shot forth to land half on the rear of the cart, half on the ground.</p><p></p><p>Fen and Festus were ensnared, as was the left wheel of the cart, in the milky white strands of webbing. The cart was fully pulled to a halt.</p><p></p><p>"Holy..." cried Duor. To everyone's surprise, the dwarf jumped out of the cart and began slicing at the webs ensnaring the cart wheel with his green glowing blade.</p><p></p><p>Erevan stopped, raised his bow then lowered it, unwilling to risk one of his enchanted arrows on so nimble a target as the free flying wizard. Instead he spoke the words he knew best, but with a "twist" in his mental casting.</p><p></p><p>"<em>Seriz verik og theran.</em>”<mage spell:<em> Floating Disc</em>> the elf thrust out his hand in the direction of the approaching mage with a distinct flick of his wrist that Alaris did not recognize from the spell's "official" casting.</p><p></p><p>Immediately, a disc of amber colored light coelesced, vertically, directly in front of the wizard's path.</p><p></p><p>Tresahd smashed into the suddenly solid light disc. Stunned, the mage began falling for earth before regaining his wits and staying his fall. A hand over his face.</p><p></p><p>"HAH!" burst Haelan. "Take that, meany! Nice job, Erevan!"</p><p></p><p>"Gotta give it to ya, point-ear. That was good!" Duor admitted with a chuckle, despite his feeling that they were facing their impending doom.</p><p></p><p>"'Nuv waughs. Gehvus outta here!" called Festus from beneath the magical webs. The satyr then began coughing and choking on the webbing that had magically slunk its way into his opened mouth.</p><p></p><p>"rrrrrRRRRRRAAAAAAHHHH!" burst the dark wizard. Arcane energies seemed to spark and flare around the wizard's floating form.</p><p></p><p>He held his staff over his hovering form and shouted words of power Alaria did not recognize.</p><p><em></em></p><p><em>"Imberil zarex korantho!" <mage spell: Lightning Bolt></em> The tip of the gnarled black wood immediately sparked, seemingly drawing lightning out of the still air into it before Tresahd pointed the staff toward the party.</p><p></p><p>A huge bolt of lightning crackled forth, followed by a rolling thunderclap, very similar to how Alaria's old wand had done. But the bolt was huge! So bright in the early night. It shed light across the open fields to either side as it jaggedly reached for the party before, about halfway toward them, splitting in two! </p><p></p><p>One ranch of the lightning crashed into the back of the cart sending chests and sacks and coins and half-elf druids, satyr rangers and daelvar priests in all directions. </p><p></p><p>Duor was able to dive away from the cart in time.</p><p></p><p>Coerraine, who had begun climbing down from the cart to protect their rear was fling aside by the blast like a rag doll.</p><p></p><p>The other fork of the bolt struck directly on the space Erevan had been inhabiting. Only the elf's enhanced reflexes stayed the full force of the blast, as he dove away. But still, the elf was sorely scorched and flung far into the field (on the opposite side of the road that Duor and Coerraine flew into).</p><p></p><p>Not knowing what else to do, Alaria invoked another of her second tiered spells.</p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><em>“Shaiir shahiir shaiiris” </em>cried the R'Hathi magess through a shakey throat<em>. </em>She was utterly </span>despondent over what had just happened, unsure of the status of any of her fellows and completely at a loss as to what else to do.</p><p></p><p>The woman immediately split into three distinct images of herself. She gripped another of the force beads on her bracelet.</p><p></p><p>Treshad "stood" upright in mid-air. He floated at a menacingly slow pace toward where the shattered cart and her companions, some groaning and rising, some unmoving, lay scattered about the road.</p><p></p><p>"You could have just given it to me. You could have been on your way. But now, you and all of your menagerie of consorts shall perish. Such a shame. Such a waste of obvious talent, my dear." </p><p></p><p>"Consorts?!" Alaria burst in disapproval.</p><p></p><p>"I assure you, dark one. The Magess Alaria has no consorts." came a booming voice that was both there and not there.</p><p></p><p>In a flash of emerald green light, Rhea hovered in the air, slightly above Tresahd and between the party and their would-be executioner. A corona of green light shone from her statuesque form. Her high collared cloak billowed out about her. The emerald teardrop upon her brow flickered with a ferocious light that seemed like an emerald fire. </p><p></p><p>There was a momentary pause as the Green Witch and dark wizard had some unseen battle of wits. A bolt of green energy finally burst from Rhea's forehead.</p><p></p><p>Tresahd swatted it away with another shroud of shadow that spread out from his hand.</p><p></p><p>"Begone mind-witch! You can do nothing here. The orb is<em> MINE!</em>"</p><p></p><p>"Oh," said Rhea's voice and thoughts calmly to all in the vicinity. "It is not me you should be concerned with, Tresahd. It is <em>them</em>." Rhea's head turned ever so slightly to look into the empty air beside her.</p><p></p><p>The air was only empty for a moment before a great golden light seemed to "slash" threw the very space itself.</p><p></p><p>The light flared into the image of great reptilean or bat wings spreading to either side. </p><p></p><p>In the center of the light was a figure, a great dark cloak billowing to behind, what appeared (Alaria thought) to be a "him."</p><p></p><p>Suddenly, from behind this new figure, two other figures leapt out of the golden flaring energy.</p><p></p><p>One, Alaria thought a moment to be an angel. A short bob of red hair flew above a blazing yellow tabard covered chainmail that sparkled silver, a shield upon her arm and beneath flickering sparks of white light surrounding a peculiarly shaped head of a mace could be seen.</p><p></p><p>The other did not share such a divine like glow, but moved with amazing speed, in a violet tabbard, also over chainmail, a great mane of golden flowing hair behind him and an immense two-handed sword that Alaria just caught the flashing violet light off of two huge jewels in the swords hilt.</p><p></p><p>"Die, villain! Taste the Mother's Mercy for the likes of ye!" called the yellow clad woman and she made swing at the wizard in mid-air as she descended.</p><p></p><p>Tresahd flew back away from the swing with great alarm. The white flickering mace-head had narrowly missed him.</p><p></p><p>The violet-clad golden-haired swordsman landed softly on the ground beside her, swung his sword over his head. A bolt of purple energy sparked up across the blade and shot forth into the wizard.</p><p></p><p>Alaria could see now, her golden-haired savior was an elf. Broad-shouldered and muscled, moreso than Erevan, less-so than Coeraine, but an elf nonetheless.</p><p></p><p>Tresahd cried out in disbelief at the attack and floated back as trails of smoke smoldered off of his robes. Could he?...Should he?...</p><p></p><p><em>"Everx imberil rex!"</em> the mage called out.</p><p></p><p>Black and purple flames shot forth from his outstretched hand and flew down at the woman and elf.</p><p></p><p>The yellow-clad female simply raised her shield and the magical flames burst upon a momentarily visible dome of silver light.</p><p></p><p>"Next time, Alaria of Ablidon." Tresahd said quickly. "Next time." With a wave of his arm, the wizard's form became enshrouded in a globe of darkness.</p><p></p><p>"HyAH!" cried the red-headed woman and threw her mace at the ball of darkness.</p><p></p><p>The mace flew up to pierce the inky cloud.</p><p></p><p>The darkness immediately dissipated as the silver light of her weapon passed through it.</p><p></p><p>Tresahd was not there.</p><p></p><p>The silver-lit weapon quickly returned to the woman's hand. She scowled and muttered something under her breath that Alaria could not discern.</p><p></p><p>First Rhea, then the blue-cloaked blond-haired man in a white tunic and blue breeches floated down to the ground beside the devestated scene of the cart.</p><p></p><p>The emerald cloaked psychic came up to Alaria with a reassuring smile. She laid a comforting arm on the awe-struck but still shaken magess. "Don't worry, Magess. You are safe now."</p><p></p><p>Alaria just shook her head dumbly. </p><p></p><p>"Lela, see to the fallen." said the blond man to the woman. Alaria could now see the brightly blazing white budding rose of the goddess Gilea upon the woman's shield.</p><p></p><p>To the magess' surprise, he did not appear to be any older than Alaria was, herself. And quite handsome.</p><p></p><p>He turned to Alaria and smiled reassuringly. "I suppose you are this Magess Stormrider I've heard so much about?"</p><p></p><p>Alaria gathered her wits and bowed her head. "Rhea, I can't...my lords...I can not hope to thank you enough for your assistance. But, my companions? Our cargo is most important...I do not know where to begin to explain or express..." Alaria just stopped, fearing to bumble in front of this apparent master of the magical arts...if he was who she thought he was.</p><p></p><p>Answering Alaria's thoughts, as usual, Rhea smiled and said, "Montor, may I present to you the Magess Alaria Staver...also known as 'the Stormrider.' Alaria, our Lord-prince, Montor Dragonwing, heir to the secrets of Wyr and Dragonmage-apparent."</p><p></p><p>Alaria bowed much deeper then fell to her knees. "My lord...I cannot begin..."</p><p></p><p>"Rise, Magess. I am not Dragonmage yet...and I detest such formality." he extended a hand to help Alaria to her feet.</p><p></p><p>"My dear, Alaria, you are exhausted. Let us just get you back to the Vale." Rhea said, throwing an arm over the very fragile-feeling wizardess.</p><p></p><p>"Yes...yes...but my friends. The treasure! I hate to sound so vulgar, my lords. But we need that treasure." Alaria practically wept. She was choking back the feeling she could simply fall apart. She maintained her consciousness as best she could.</p><p></p><p>"Not to worry." Montor said. With a swipe of his arm over the area of the cart, silver and gold coins, chests and sacks, jewels and the few weapons which had been packed up in their cart began to hover and float about the area. The riches began to swirl in the air as they got closer eventually forming a veritable tornado of treasure that seemed to easily flow into a dull grey sack on Montor's hip.</p><p></p><p>Erevan, Duor and Coerraine were back on their feet as the Protectress, Lela knelt beside the form of the satyr.</p><p></p><p>The elf warrior was talking in hushed tones with Erevan, who had also knelt at the gold-haired elf's approach and introduction.</p><p></p><p>When everyone was, at least, conscious and a step away from death's door. Montor again rose into the air and spread his arms. Alaria couldn't even blink as with apparent and awe-inspiring ease the young Dragonmage again summoned the golden wing-like corona about him and with a hug-like motion, the wings of light swept down to gather up all of the companions.</p><p></p><p>Alaira watched in amazement as the air around her seemed entirely filled with "rain" of bright sapphire-blue and diamond-white light-drops. She perceived no motion of the air, no movement beneath her feet. Just the momentary "light shower."</p><p></p><p>When the lights twinkled out of existence before her eyes, she found herself and all of her companions and their four saviors standing within a great open hall of white and silver-grey marbles.</p><p></p><p>"Welcome to Dragonwing Keep." Montor smiled at the R'Hathi magess.</p><p></p><p>Alaria smiled back, weakly, at the handsome young wizard. </p><p></p><p>"Thank you, my lord." she managed to say...before she feinted.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="steeldragons, post: 5759209, member: 92511"] Alaria's invisiblity faded even as the lights of Farthing Cross were fading into the night behind them. Maintaining her levitating state was taxing enough than to try to remain invisible also. She also wanted her hands free should she have to begin casting. The magical winds could only carry her about as quickly as she could run, herself. So the cart with her companions, gained quickly on her position and was soon on the road beside her. Erevan had decided against loading the down further and was easily maintaining pace with the cart along the side of the road. She turned in midair, continuing to float "forward" to see if she could glean any sign of pursuit. Unfortunately, it was not long before she could. A dark shape, cloaks and robes flailing behind it, was speeding over the buildings of Farthing Cross and heading straight for them. "He's coming!" shouted Festus from the cart. He and Fen and Haelan had similarly been watching their backs in hopes of a "clean getaway." Just then, her mind became hazy. "Llllllllllar.......ahhhh.....iaaaaa..." the strange sensation but somehow familiar voice was subtly brushing the corner of her mind. Alaria halted in the air for a moment...not moving took significantly less effort, she noticed. Alaria reached into the small pocket in which she kept a few magical components. She withdrew the small teardrop shaped emerald Rhea had given her. The gem pulsed with an inner light, shining green in her palm. Almost immediately, Rhea's voice came through clearly and an image of the Green Witch's face swirled into her mind's eye. "Ahhhh...laria. Alaria! Ah good. There you are. How do you fare? I regret we've been waylaid in Evandrial. But the Dragonmage-apparent has informed me that there is a dark power moving deep inside Daenfrii. Have you made it to..." the Emerald Tear initiate's telepathic voice seemed to trail off. Even as the thoughts were forming in Alaria's mind to "say" what was transpiring to the telepath, Rhea's face took on a visage of fear and concern. "OH! Oh no!" her voice rang loudly. "Hold fast, child! Help is on the way!" Rhea's face seemed to swirl out of existence again. In the corner of Alaria's pride, she took offense to the reference of "child." But her conscious mind couldn't care less. She was all but out of tricks and didn't know what she could do to "hold fast." Determined, Alaria cast the wind behind them at the fast approaching wizard. Tresahd was momentarily halted by the gusting winds but easily dipped beneath them and continued on. Alaria redirected them, but such fine control was quickly tiring her. She was forced to land. Erevan halted and Coerraine pulled up the cart, unwilling to continue on without the R'Hathi before them. "What're yeh doin', Goldilocks! Drive! Drive! He's coming!" Duor shouted and turned in his seat to look back at the dark mage's approach. "Oh, Magess Alaaaariaaaaa!" Tresahd called tauntingly. "I believe I've acquired something of yours, now." The wizard made a throwing motion with his right arm and a ball of milky white light shot forth to land half on the rear of the cart, half on the ground. Fen and Festus were ensnared, as was the left wheel of the cart, in the milky white strands of webbing. The cart was fully pulled to a halt. "Holy..." cried Duor. To everyone's surprise, the dwarf jumped out of the cart and began slicing at the webs ensnaring the cart wheel with his green glowing blade. Erevan stopped, raised his bow then lowered it, unwilling to risk one of his enchanted arrows on so nimble a target as the free flying wizard. Instead he spoke the words he knew best, but with a "twist" in his mental casting. "[I]Seriz verik og theran.[/I]”<mage spell:[I] Floating Disc[/I]> the elf thrust out his hand in the direction of the approaching mage with a distinct flick of his wrist that Alaris did not recognize from the spell's "official" casting. Immediately, a disc of amber colored light coelesced, vertically, directly in front of the wizard's path. Tresahd smashed into the suddenly solid light disc. Stunned, the mage began falling for earth before regaining his wits and staying his fall. A hand over his face. "HAH!" burst Haelan. "Take that, meany! Nice job, Erevan!" "Gotta give it to ya, point-ear. That was good!" Duor admitted with a chuckle, despite his feeling that they were facing their impending doom. "'Nuv waughs. Gehvus outta here!" called Festus from beneath the magical webs. The satyr then began coughing and choking on the webbing that had magically slunk its way into his opened mouth. "rrrrrRRRRRRAAAAAAHHHH!" burst the dark wizard. Arcane energies seemed to spark and flare around the wizard's floating form. He held his staff over his hovering form and shouted words of power Alaria did not recognize. [I] "Imberil zarex korantho!" <mage spell: Lightning Bolt>[/I] The tip of the gnarled black wood immediately sparked, seemingly drawing lightning out of the still air into it before Tresahd pointed the staff toward the party. A huge bolt of lightning crackled forth, followed by a rolling thunderclap, very similar to how Alaria's old wand had done. But the bolt was huge! So bright in the early night. It shed light across the open fields to either side as it jaggedly reached for the party before, about halfway toward them, splitting in two! One ranch of the lightning crashed into the back of the cart sending chests and sacks and coins and half-elf druids, satyr rangers and daelvar priests in all directions. Duor was able to dive away from the cart in time. Coerraine, who had begun climbing down from the cart to protect their rear was fling aside by the blast like a rag doll. The other fork of the bolt struck directly on the space Erevan had been inhabiting. Only the elf's enhanced reflexes stayed the full force of the blast, as he dove away. But still, the elf was sorely scorched and flung far into the field (on the opposite side of the road that Duor and Coerraine flew into). Not knowing what else to do, Alaria invoked another of her second tiered spells. [FONT=Verdana][I]“Shaiir shahiir shaiiris” [/I]cried the R'Hathi magess through a shakey throat[I]. [/I]She was utterly [/FONT]despondent over what had just happened, unsure of the status of any of her fellows and completely at a loss as to what else to do. The woman immediately split into three distinct images of herself. She gripped another of the force beads on her bracelet. Treshad "stood" upright in mid-air. He floated at a menacingly slow pace toward where the shattered cart and her companions, some groaning and rising, some unmoving, lay scattered about the road. "You could have just given it to me. You could have been on your way. But now, you and all of your menagerie of consorts shall perish. Such a shame. Such a waste of obvious talent, my dear." "Consorts?!" Alaria burst in disapproval. "I assure you, dark one. The Magess Alaria has no consorts." came a booming voice that was both there and not there. In a flash of emerald green light, Rhea hovered in the air, slightly above Tresahd and between the party and their would-be executioner. A corona of green light shone from her statuesque form. Her high collared cloak billowed out about her. The emerald teardrop upon her brow flickered with a ferocious light that seemed like an emerald fire. There was a momentary pause as the Green Witch and dark wizard had some unseen battle of wits. A bolt of green energy finally burst from Rhea's forehead. Tresahd swatted it away with another shroud of shadow that spread out from his hand. "Begone mind-witch! You can do nothing here. The orb is[I] MINE![/I]" "Oh," said Rhea's voice and thoughts calmly to all in the vicinity. "It is not me you should be concerned with, Tresahd. It is [I]them[/I]." Rhea's head turned ever so slightly to look into the empty air beside her. The air was only empty for a moment before a great golden light seemed to "slash" threw the very space itself. The light flared into the image of great reptilean or bat wings spreading to either side. In the center of the light was a figure, a great dark cloak billowing to behind, what appeared (Alaria thought) to be a "him." Suddenly, from behind this new figure, two other figures leapt out of the golden flaring energy. One, Alaria thought a moment to be an angel. A short bob of red hair flew above a blazing yellow tabard covered chainmail that sparkled silver, a shield upon her arm and beneath flickering sparks of white light surrounding a peculiarly shaped head of a mace could be seen. The other did not share such a divine like glow, but moved with amazing speed, in a violet tabbard, also over chainmail, a great mane of golden flowing hair behind him and an immense two-handed sword that Alaria just caught the flashing violet light off of two huge jewels in the swords hilt. "Die, villain! Taste the Mother's Mercy for the likes of ye!" called the yellow clad woman and she made swing at the wizard in mid-air as she descended. Tresahd flew back away from the swing with great alarm. The white flickering mace-head had narrowly missed him. The violet-clad golden-haired swordsman landed softly on the ground beside her, swung his sword over his head. A bolt of purple energy sparked up across the blade and shot forth into the wizard. Alaria could see now, her golden-haired savior was an elf. Broad-shouldered and muscled, moreso than Erevan, less-so than Coeraine, but an elf nonetheless. Tresahd cried out in disbelief at the attack and floated back as trails of smoke smoldered off of his robes. Could he?...Should he?... [I]"Everx imberil rex!"[/I] the mage called out. Black and purple flames shot forth from his outstretched hand and flew down at the woman and elf. The yellow-clad female simply raised her shield and the magical flames burst upon a momentarily visible dome of silver light. "Next time, Alaria of Ablidon." Tresahd said quickly. "Next time." With a wave of his arm, the wizard's form became enshrouded in a globe of darkness. "HyAH!" cried the red-headed woman and threw her mace at the ball of darkness. The mace flew up to pierce the inky cloud. The darkness immediately dissipated as the silver light of her weapon passed through it. Tresahd was not there. The silver-lit weapon quickly returned to the woman's hand. She scowled and muttered something under her breath that Alaria could not discern. First Rhea, then the blue-cloaked blond-haired man in a white tunic and blue breeches floated down to the ground beside the devestated scene of the cart. The emerald cloaked psychic came up to Alaria with a reassuring smile. She laid a comforting arm on the awe-struck but still shaken magess. "Don't worry, Magess. You are safe now." Alaria just shook her head dumbly. "Lela, see to the fallen." said the blond man to the woman. Alaria could now see the brightly blazing white budding rose of the goddess Gilea upon the woman's shield. To the magess' surprise, he did not appear to be any older than Alaria was, herself. And quite handsome. He turned to Alaria and smiled reassuringly. "I suppose you are this Magess Stormrider I've heard so much about?" Alaria gathered her wits and bowed her head. "Rhea, I can't...my lords...I can not hope to thank you enough for your assistance. But, my companions? Our cargo is most important...I do not know where to begin to explain or express..." Alaria just stopped, fearing to bumble in front of this apparent master of the magical arts...if he was who she thought he was. Answering Alaria's thoughts, as usual, Rhea smiled and said, "Montor, may I present to you the Magess Alaria Staver...also known as 'the Stormrider.' Alaria, our Lord-prince, Montor Dragonwing, heir to the secrets of Wyr and Dragonmage-apparent." Alaria bowed much deeper then fell to her knees. "My lord...I cannot begin..." "Rise, Magess. I am not Dragonmage yet...and I detest such formality." he extended a hand to help Alaria to her feet. "My dear, Alaria, you are exhausted. Let us just get you back to the Vale." Rhea said, throwing an arm over the very fragile-feeling wizardess. "Yes...yes...but my friends. The treasure! I hate to sound so vulgar, my lords. But we need that treasure." Alaria practically wept. She was choking back the feeling she could simply fall apart. She maintained her consciousness as best she could. "Not to worry." Montor said. With a swipe of his arm over the area of the cart, silver and gold coins, chests and sacks, jewels and the few weapons which had been packed up in their cart began to hover and float about the area. The riches began to swirl in the air as they got closer eventually forming a veritable tornado of treasure that seemed to easily flow into a dull grey sack on Montor's hip. Erevan, Duor and Coerraine were back on their feet as the Protectress, Lela knelt beside the form of the satyr. The elf warrior was talking in hushed tones with Erevan, who had also knelt at the gold-haired elf's approach and introduction. When everyone was, at least, conscious and a step away from death's door. Montor again rose into the air and spread his arms. Alaria couldn't even blink as with apparent and awe-inspiring ease the young Dragonmage again summoned the golden wing-like corona about him and with a hug-like motion, the wings of light swept down to gather up all of the companions. Alaira watched in amazement as the air around her seemed entirely filled with "rain" of bright sapphire-blue and diamond-white light-drops. She perceived no motion of the air, no movement beneath her feet. Just the momentary "light shower." When the lights twinkled out of existence before her eyes, she found herself and all of her companions and their four saviors standing within a great open hall of white and silver-grey marbles. "Welcome to Dragonwing Keep." Montor smiled at the R'Hathi magess. Alaria smiled back, weakly, at the handsome young wizard. "Thank you, my lord." she managed to say...before she feinted. [/QUOTE]
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