The Kristel Letter

[Maia]

The wheel of Lady Luck will always continue to turn. The strange and almost profound statement was slowly beginning to become Maia's motto. She had first heard it playing cards with some of the other student at Istien University. The spear, a boy and despite a century of life, was trying to play off losing so much with pretty words. Maia still ended up leaving the table that night with most of his gold, as well as learning quite of few elvish obscenities.

Appreciating how the girl's current situation fit her motto was a little beyond her capabilities as she ran. The city of Eluriand wasn't far, but the girl wouldn't be able to make it in time with her pursuers. She did take a small comfort in knowing the undead army would not attack for a small time, leaving a window of opportunity that Maia had every intention of catching.

Maia was on a small holiday, effectively disguised as a school trip for Istien. Her main plan, as her teachers heard it, was to try and directly study some of the flora and fauna in Raiaera, recording her findings and then returning. The Necromancer's arrival ruined Maia's hidden vacation, but Maia was careful. Instead of returning straight to the city, she decided to wait and watch the undead army. She studied the Forgotten One's magic and his servants, focusing only on how they worked and in as many circumstances as she could. The details of the report shed little light on the source behind Xem'zûnd's enormous power, but how to combat the effects and how to prevent infection were documented nearly perfectly. Maia was proud of herself for the work, and knew that Eluriand might stand a chance if she got it back in time.

Of course, she didn't expect the beings chasing her now. She had single handedly destroyed several scouting parties, using her knowledge to make it seem almost easy. However, her chasers were not Xem'zûnd's thralls. For one thing, one of them had been able to catch up to her and tackle her to the floor.

“Goddamn little elg'caress,” the man panted, slipping into what might have been his native tongue. Maia squirmed to no avail. Her golden hair, normally as lustrous as the metal, was mussed and dirty. A thin film of sweat covered her body, but even with the lubricant she was unable to wriggle free. The man, plain looking but dressed in a noble's silks, was strong and held her fast. Even her wings couldn't help; they would snap under the man's weight the second she tried to unfurl them. “Going to be worth it though, I'm the one who got you.” Something sharp nicked Maia's ear, though nibble might be a more accurate description.

“You do taste nice,” The man continued, breathing into her ear. The footsteps of his two, slower, companions came nearby, and Maia had some small idea of what might happen. She whipped her head back, a sickening crunch softly caressing her ears. The girl wouldn't be a victim that easily.

Several distorted curses, of a myriad of languages, came from the man's mouth. It sounded as though he had broken his nose from the back of Maia's head. He still held fast to the squirming girl. For a moment Maia though she felt his grip loosen, but lost sight as she felt two pin-pricks on her neck.

[Call me J]

Other than Lady Luck, Jame hadn’t seen a single attractive woman since arriving in Eluriand. True, he had only been there for fifteen minutes, and practically every civilian had already been shipped off to Valinatal, but the half dragon thought a few more curves would have lightened the place up. It wasn’t that Jame was shallow, just after the escape from Carnelost, he needed every distraction he could get. Now, as he sat in a makeshift infirmiry, getting his wounded forearm sewn back up so he would be ready for the battle, Jame tried not to think about the quickly approaching war in Eluriand. The sewing was not going well. Though the dur’taigen bite had been a severe cut, the half dragon had deemed his makeshift bandages better than the work being done by the field medic.

“Couldn’t I get a Lissillin mage?” he asked, cringing as the medic poked him again with the sewing needle. “We’re in the same city as the schools of magic…”

The medic shook his head. “The mages are reserved for the fatal injuries,” he said. “This one isn’t, and it won’t be as long as you stop that squirming…”

Jame just rolled his eyes. Before he could think of a witty or bitter retort, he was interrupted by a young elven woman.

“Excuse me…” she said. “Are you Jame Whitizard?” she asked.

The half dragon smiled. She was a sign for sore eyes. While she was a bit shorter than Jame would have normally been interested in, the mere presence of a female was enough to lift his spirits after the brutal battle at Carnelost. “That depends…” he said with a flirtatious smirk. “Are you a Lissillin mage?”

Neither the elf nor the medic laughed. “No,” she said evenly. “Aglarlin.” She waved her wand, and seconds later, the stitches had fallen from Jame’s forearm and the wound had healed. “And now that your arm is healed, can you stop joking and listen?”

Jame frowned. If this was the way women in Eluriand were going to treat him, he wanted none of them. “Sure,” he said.

“You were the hero from the line?” she asked.

Jame winced at that. He didn’t like being considered a hero for running and not dying. However, Tel Aglarlin didn’t expect any survivors from Carnelost. The fact that Jame had lead four people to safety had spread through the camp like wildfire. “Yeah,” he replied. “You could say that I guess.” He felt he wasn't going to like the next question, whatever it was.

“I need you to go fetch my student,” the elf replied. “Her name is Maia Kristel, and she is coming on important business. With Xem’zund rising, I would prefer that someone went out to get her. Eluriand can’t spare any troops, but apparently they can spare you.”

“Good to know I’m disposable,” Jame interrupted. His voice was slightly hostile, but only because he didn't like the idea of being called a hero.

“You haven’t been assigned anywhere yet,” the elf shot back. Her face seemed to show she was not pleased by Jame’s interruption. “I am giving you your assignment.”

Jame thought for a moment. He didn’t want to go back out into the countryside, even for a girl named Maia. Then again, he didn’t want to be involved in the Eluriand war either. He had seen enough carnage in one day, and the idea of being put in charge of an artillery unit again scared him more than anything else. At least if he was sent out to fetch a girl, the worst that could happen was that he, and a girl doomed to die both died. The best was that he actually saved a life instead of taking one. He smiled.

“That’s fine,” he said.

“Then it is settled,” the elf agreed. “My name is Uruviel, and I’ll be back with a horse and supplies shortly.”

Jame exhaled. He wondered when he’d get a moment’s rest and some food, or even what generally passed in Tel Aglarim for a hot meal.

-x-

Soon Jame was out in the open country outside of Eluriand. He rode on an older horse, one that’s experience seemed to be a good match for his novice riding ability. He didn’t know much about his steed, other than its name was Astaldar. The two covered ground quickly and systematically, and it wasn’t long before Jame stumbled upon the girl in question. She was attractive and blonde, but she had gotten herself in a terrible situation. Jame didn’t know why, but she was being attacked by three strangers, none of whom were actually undead.

For a moment, the half dragon wondered if the girl was actually Maia. However, he soon concluded she had to be. There couldn’t have been many other women in skirts running around Eluriand right before battles. Either way, Jame whipped the reigns of Astaldar to ask the steed to go faster, and they went barreling towards the men trying to catch her.

Right before Astaldar reached the men, Jame leapt off the horse. He drew his sword, and thanks to his unorthodox movement, managed to catch one of the three hooligans by surprise. Astaldar’s hooves took care of another. The third, shocked by the sudden arrival of a competent and armed half dragon, decided it best to begin running. However, Astaldar was not going to let it happen. The horse cut off the man’s path, and Jame did the rest with a quick blow from his sword.

“Wow,” Jame muttered. He was genuinely surprised at his own ability. Outside of orcs, he had never killed before, and these three victims were men; men with strangely longer canines than average, but men nonetheless. Had it not been for how trying the battle in Carnelost had been to his psyche, Jame would have dwelled on the thought for longer. However, a morning’s worth of disastrous command had hardened his emotions a bit.

As he wiped his blade clean, Jame turned to the girl and offered her his free hand. “You’re Maia?” he asked. “Some woman at Aglarlin sent me for you… I think her name was Uruviel. We need to get back to Eluriand” Despite the girl’s obvious attractiveness, Jame was blunt. They were caught in the middle of nowhere and they needed to get back to Eluriand fast. While he was in no hurry to get back to war, Jame didn’t want to be caught out in the middle of nowhere with Xem’zund’s army out on the loose.

[Maia]

Maia awoke on the ground snapping back into focus so quickly is was jarring. Her body was a little sore, though her memory knew what to account for that. The man who had tackled her was easily the cause. Her body healed quickly though, and the soreness was going away. One of her hands shot to her neck quickly, feeling smooth and creamy skin. She let out a sigh of relief, accepting that whoever had saved her probably wasn't going to kill her now. It was a nice change after living outside of safe walls for nearly three weeks.

The girl shuffled to her feet, adjusting her clothes a little as she did so. She enjoyed to be presentable, a very far cry from her life even a year earlier. It was amazing what actually deciding to try and learn could do to someone's view on life. Though her clothes had several things that Maia required. A small key that would unlock her home back in Eluriand, as well as the pen she used to write her report. Her hand stopped as it held the key in her hand, and without even acknowledging her savior she tore off her pack. several sheet went flying out, as well as half eaten pieces of bread and pouch recently emptied of gold. She didn't even hear the string of curses that began to fly from her mouth as her digging became more and more frantic, even turning the entire pack upside down and dumping the rest of its contents onto the ground. The report wasn't there in her pack.

She sat for a second, chewing her lower lip before beginning to shovel the rest of her things into the back. She grasped her savior's hand and rose to her feet. Maia was a tall girl, at least based off of most of her friends. What she didn't expect was someone who's shoulders' were taller then her eyes, and she certainly didn't expect to be rescued by one. It gave the girl pause for a moment, but she recognized his uniform for what it was. It was tough, since it looked like the clothing had gone to Hadia and back and met with a couple tigers along the way. Maia's clothes weren't clean either, but they fit snugly onto her body and were durable enough for what she had done. She wished she brought her normal outfight for the trip, but she had planned on merely relaxing the whole time.

"Yeah, I'm Maia, and thanks" the girl replied. Her voice was fairly steady despite the worry that was in her. She had one back up of her report, one that may also be tampered with soon. Her original report was written in a book connected to the other one. Whenever a word was written in one book, it was also written in the other, but the enchantment could be broken. She contemplated trying to force the man back, but he looked like her could pick up the girl in one hand. Still, Uruviel's name brought a ray of hope for the girl, and with luck her back up report would be safe. She grinned a little sheepishly, and it may have wavered on her face. She wasn't really all the way up for joy right now.

"Come on, we need to get out of here soon," the girl said, speaking slowly. She was scared, and each word was carefully inspected before she spoke it. "I have something there that I need to get. I lost something out her in the wilderness, and we just need to get back to Eluriand now."

[Call me J]

(bunny approved)

The sound of the Horn of Velicë Arta could be heard emanating out from Eluriand. Jame shuddered. They didn’t have much time. “The hell I’m taking you anywhere else,” he said. Without a moment’s hesitation, the half dragon grabbed Maia by the waist and foisted her up onto the horse. He leapt on behind her, and Astaldar needed no further prodding to race back to the sound of the call. The veteran warhorse had rushed towards the sounds of war its entire life, and this would be no different.

Jame, however, was not like the horse. As Astaldar rode on both briskly and smoothly, the half dragon could see the beginning of the battle. Xem’zund’s forces seemed greater now than they had seemed in Carnelost. The half dragon didn’t know if it was his imagination or whether Xem’zund had managed to raise that many more forces, but he could practically smell the undead.
“We’ll take the entrance to the West,” Jame said. He had no intention of getting back into battle any sooner than he had to. He didn’t know much about Maia, but given way that the Aglarlin mage had been so concerned about her, Jame doubted that she could handle herself well in battle.

That was not the only reason that Jame was trying to make a detour from the battle. He understood the duties that he had sworn to when he had been inducted into Tel Aglarim, but he had never imagined that the battle could be this arduous. Not only had he been asked to fight harder than he’d ever fought before, but now, after surviving some of the closest calls of his life and serving as a spectacular failure as a commander, he felt that he needed a reprieve from battle that lasted longer than half an hour.

Jame only hoped that Maia wouldn’t sense those fears in him. He almost felt guilty now about coming out to find her. It seemed that it would end well, but it almost had resulted in Maia getting assaulted by three men. Jame couldn’t help but to think if someone who wasn’t a fraud had been sent, someone more like his friend Caine Raienbark, then they would already be back in Eluriand safely.

“Don’t worry though,” Jame said, in a way that seemed like he was assuring Maia though he was truly assuring himself. “We’ll be safe once this is over. There is no way General Findelfin and the Cora’Lindstra give control of our city over to Xem’zund. It’d just be impossible!”
He didn’t know if that was true, everyone in Carnelost had been abuzz with chatter about the ramifications of Eluriand being overtaken by the undead again, and the chatter had not been mere idle speculation. The half dragon had been confident when he’d first gotten to Raiaera that his stay in Tel Aglarim would be a short. He had figured that they were going to end up victorious after a few short battles. Now, as he had begun to doubt himself, he was also doubting Tel’Aglarim.

The only thing that made Jame happy, in as much as he was happy, was the fact that he was sitting so close to an attractive girl upon a horse, with a perfectly legitimate excuse to hold on to her waist. He smiled at the thought, sure Maia couldn’t see him. However, as they rode into the city, Jame was glad there was one distraction he could still count on even in times of war.

Pretty girls somehow always remained pretty.

[Maia]

Their respective steed was an old horse, and it carried its riders smoothly. For a moment, Maia wondered why she was placed in front of the man, but his height and size allowed him to control the horse even from his position. Even with the experienced hose, it appeared that Jame's arms were the only things that kept Maia from falling onto the ground. Of course, the saddle itself was not the most pleasant thing for Maia to sit on either.

All of them helped the girl to try and ignore the fairly uneventful journey back to her home of Eluriand. The saddle sores and gentle rocking all helped keep the fear that all of her work had been for naught. It also helped that Jame's arms were fairly steady, strong enough so that Maia could even hold onto them at some point so she wouldn't fall. Still, it helped enough.

HEr thoughts became grounded the moment that they entered the city however. Even over the clopping of the horse's feet on the ground, Maia could hear soldiers trying to get ready. More then a few of them were weaving and singing Aglarlin music, trying to keep the morale of the troops up. Maia swallowed, holding her bag close to her chest. Her report wasn't there, and she could feel its emptiness. the report itself was written in an enchanted book. Every line of scrip within it was instantly transferred to a second copy in Maia's room. However, if the report really was captured by the enemy, ten all fo her work might be ruined.

Their steed carried them to the Aglarlin tower, and Maia was relieved. She climbed off of the saddle, grunting in an unlady-like way. She rubbed her backside, her regeneration barely able to keep the painful sores from hurting. As she once described to Uruviel, "There's a reason why my callipygous butt does not touch saddles." Still, the familair stones steps were welcome, as well as solid ground beneath her feet. Maia truend towards her savior, smiling a little hesitantly as she did so. He was still much taller then her, and a little bit intimidating.

"Th-Thanks for saving me back there," she said. Her voice was clear, and sounding more like her usual angelic voice then it did back in the forest. She puased a second, then hugged the tall Tel Aglarim solider tightly. The embrace was quick, and Maia blushed a little at it, though she seemed to be a lot more sure of what she was doing now. "My room is on one of the upper floors. I need to grab something important from up there quickly. Are you going to wait here or do you have orders to return to the front lines or something?"

[Call me J]

Jame had no orders. Even if he did, he might have been tempted to disobey them after the hug. The way that the voluptuous Maia had wrapped her arms around him had stirred something inside him, and not just of the sexual nature. He felt fulfilled, for the first time in his admittedly short history as a soldier, he succeeded at something. “I’ll be waiting,” Jame said, unaware of just how cheesy of a grin he had on his face as he said it. “Or I’ll go freshen up a bit or something…”

Aglarlin was about the nicest place that the half dragon had been all day, and given all the dirt, river water and blood that he had dealt with, he was eager to get a bit clean. He knew he was going to end up back in battle soon enough, but Jame wanted to look good when he parted ways with Maia.

On his way to the lavatory, Jame ran into Uruviel again. The Aglarlin bard looked at him expectantly, as if he had no right being anywhere around the school of magic without Maia in tow. “And where’s Maia?” she asked curtly.

“She’s upstairs or something…” Jame said. “She said she wanted to go get something… I was just going to the bathroom while I wai-”

Uruviel’s face lightened slightly, but it seemed that she still had nothing but coldness for Jame. “And you let her go up by herself?” she asked, as if that was clearly unacceptable. “You are aware of course there is a war going on?”

Now, all the warmth that Jame had been feeling dissipated under the knife of Uruviel’s cold sarcasm. “I barely survived it this morning…” he replied snidely. “Go see her now and leave me alone…” With that, he paid no more attention to the Aglarlin mage and headed off to the bathroom, where he figured he’d be alone.

However, right before Jame could enter, he heard voices inside. There were two of them, and strangely enough, they were speaking in dragon tongue. Quickly, the half dragon tried to remember if there had been any recruits to Tel Aglarim other than him who had any dragon blood in him. However, their conversation soon answered his question. As he pressed his ear against the door, he could hear the sound of two raspy whispers, as a pair argued amongst themselves.

“Keep the dragon tongue, no one here should understand it,” one of them said. “As long as we act quick, and stay discreet we should have the girl and the report within minutes.”

“There is no way she’s getting out of here,” the other replied. “Our master says Xem’zund will have a quick victory, he has all but assured it.”

Jame shuddered. He wondered who their master could be. A corrupt member of the High Bard council, some high ranking Tel Aglarim Captain who was colluding with the Forgotten One, or perhaps even her teacher Uruviel. For a brief moment, Jame hoped it was Uruviel. He hadn’t cared much for Maia’s brusque teacher.

He soon got his answer. “The Patriarch has laid it all in plans, we only have to do this to enter the inner circle…” the first one replied. “If we let someone else get the report, then it won’t be us that they’re celebrating in Salvar, but whatever stranger the Patriarch has happened to bring over to his side today…”

Jame listened raptly, trying to piece together what he could about this Patriarch from the conversation they were having. For a moment, he contemplated busting in on the bathroom and attacking the two strangers, but he soon thought the better of it. There were two of them, and one of him, and he knew he wouldn’t have the element of surprise on his side. Still, the half dragon knew he couldn’t let these men get to Maia. After everything he had done to get her safely to Eluriand, he couldn’t let her die now that she’d arrived. He wasn’t going to let his one success be undone. He had no plan on how he was going to save Maia, but that didn’t alter his resolve.

Before Jame could decide on what he was going to do for Maia, fate intervened on his behalf. The sound of a third voice emerged from the bathroom, and it was the voice of Jame’s questioning crossbow.

“Who is the Patriarch, and what end does he serve?” it asked.

There was a moment of silence. “Answer it,” one of the men hissed to the other, though this time he spoke in common instead of dragon.

The crossbow spoke again. “Who is the Patriarch, and what end does he serve?”

Now, the target began to blubber. “He- he’s one of us. Just a guy. He has nothing to do with anything I swear.”

The next two sounds were the crossbow’s trigger being released and a corpse falling down to the ground. Now, seemingly discontent without an answer, the crossbow turned to the second of the two men. “Who is the Patriarch, what end does he serve, and what are his powers?”

This time, there was no hesitation. The would-be assailant blubbered like a schoolchild. “I- I- I uh… mean he… he’s our leader! Yeah, he can bite people and make them do as he says, only some people at a time, and he’s waiting in the shadows, he can see through the eyes of the people he controls. Now- now he’s trying to make sure Xem’zund wins so he can come in with his army. Yeah, believe me please. He wanted that cute girl’s report so it wouldn’t end up in Alerar or somewhere…”

Jame frowned. He could tell by the man’s panicked tone that he was telling the truth, and it was a very scary truth. This Patriarch, whoever he was, was much more powerful than Jame. The half dragon thought of ambushing the stranger as he left the bathroom, but he realized that folly immediately. If the man in the bathroom saw him, that was as good as being found out by the Patriarch. Jame knew that if that happened, whatever minions the Patriarch had elsewhere would attack him whenever they had the chance.

However, time was running out for Jame. The crossbow, pleased with the right answer, faded away into nothingness, and now Jame knew that soon enough, Maia’s assailant would be leaving the bathroom. Jame knew his only hope was to attack quickly. If the man’s back was still turned to the door, Jame could stab him in the back and remain unseen. It would be risky, because if the man was already facing the door, then Jame would be dead, but he didn’t see any other option.

For a moment, he thought about going up to grab Maia and running, but he soon decided against it. When he thought of her pretty face, all rational thought escaped him. Thus, without an more hesitation, he kicked the door open and charge right in, ramming his sword through the back of the second would-be assailant before the man could turn around.

Shocked, and just a bit overwhelmed, Jame watched the man collapse and then went over to the water bucket to wash his face and regain his composure. Everything he had heard was just now beginning to sink in. There was a report that Maia had, and that it was important to their victory over Xem’zund. He had also got the impression that Eluriand was doomed. If that was the case, then it would be important that he leave with Maia immediately.

Jame cursed the bathroom for having no windows and then began to rinse his blade. He figured Maia would still be busy with Uruviel, and that would give him enough time to get himself back together before they escaped back out through the west gate. “Just splash some water on yourself and think this through…” he reminded himself. Given what had just transpired, Jame could barely finish a thought before another bout of panic took over. “Come to your senses man,” he told himself. “Maia’s gonna need you!”

It was right then that Jame was interrupted by none other than the Headmistress of Aglarlin, Itarildë Vanimedlë. She entered serenely, and though it was clear by the way she looked at Jame she was less than pleased to find two corpses lying on the floor in one of the lavatories in her school. “I would appreciate it if you gave me your reasons here,” she said. “It isn’t every day that I find Tel Aglarim soldiers in building cleaning their weapons after murder in the bathroom. Especially when there’s a war going on all around us.”

Jame shuddered. He wondered how in the world he was going to explain what had happened. More than anything else, he wondered if Tura Vanimedlë was under the Patriarch’s control. It was only now that Jame realized that the most logical thing for the Patriarch to have done after finding his men slaughtered would be to have sent someone else. Figuring that he was doomed either way, he decided he needed to talk.

“It’s the Patriarch…” Jame began. As he finished the syllable "arch," he cringed noticeably.

[Maia]

The Aglarlin tower was still a beautiful building, though Maia paid little mind to it as she raced up the stairs. Her legs burned from the effort by the time she finally reached her small home. She fumbled with the door lock before finally getting the key to turn and the door to open. It was a fairly small room, though Maia was lucky to have gotten her own.Being human had its advantages in a nearly all elvish school, and one was not having to share two rooms with three people. Still, her room was a mess. Clothes, both those decent and others not meant for public, books, papers and even sheet littered the floor. The only bed in the room was almost bare, as well as the only desk.

Maia cursed, breathing hard before getting on her hands as knees and throwing debris to either side trying to find her report. It was around her somewhere, and it was written in a fairly distinctive, leather bound book. The heavy songbooks and some of the papers served as little more then obstacles than the tomes of learning they pretended to be. Several minutes of fruitless searching, with Maia's lower lip increasingly painful from her chewing it, finally became worth it. Her report, an unremarkable book in all respects, was buried under several papers, a few of them little more then doodles created during a boring lecture on the Coronari a Winyar Dacilea. The irony of it flew over the girl's head.

A moment later and Maia broke the enchantment that had linked her two reports together, and she opened the pages of her copy. Every line, every letter, and every word was still there in Maia's curvy handwriting. She had gotten grief that her handwriting was almost too common, for while it was neat, it was nowhere near as flowery or as beautiful as any elf's. She sighed audibly, hugging the book to her chest and realizing just how dirty she really was. The girl had been effectively living in the wild for nearly a fortnight, and her only change of clothes was in a city sacked by the Necromancer's forces some time ago.

Maia changed quickly, throwing her old clothes into a hamper. After that, she dumped out her bag, packing her report carefully within. Along with it, she also put in a book of Aglarlin's song magic, one of the most core books of magic that the student had ever seen. Anything about Aglarlin could be learned from it, though other books were often needed to merely explain some of its concepts. The girl packed few clothes, only those she knew would be able to last some time. She wore her new clothes that were far more likely to survive trips as well.

"So the 'hero' did manage to save you," a voice exclaimed behind Maia. The girl jumped, and was greeted by Uruviel's clear laughter as Maia tried to keep her balance. The elf was smiling as she offered a hand to help Maia up. "I was a bit worried that your little vacation wasn't going to end well."

Maia stuck her tongue out at her friend. Even with a situation as grave as this, it felt good to be a little silly. "Thanks anyway Uru, I almost got a good sun tan too."

"Good job then," Uruviel replied. She sat down on the empty and clear chair, waving her wand to make room for her feet. Maia frowned a little at the pile that was made, but it wasn't a big concern now. The elf's face began to turn serious. "I got some orders from our headmaster. You need to get out of Raiaera soon. Before the battle starts."

Maia nodded, kicking her bag to emphasize that it was there. "I'm ready at least. But aren't you going to come?" Uruviel sighed, but didn't answer Maia. The student's face quickly matched Uruviel's grave face. The silence was almost palpable as she realized her friend would need to fight in the battle coming. The girl picked up her bag, stuffed with what she needed to survive.

"Here," Uruviel said suddenly, rummaging for a moment in her robes. she produced a small brown package, giving it to Maia and almost forcing it into her hands. "It's a little present that I'm going to get back when I see you again. Keep good care of them."

"Spectacles?" Maia asked as she opened part of the package. Uruviel smiled for a moment, closing her hand over Maia's. She put a finger to her lips and shushed the younger girl. Maia grinned a little, thankful for the gift.

Uruviel hugged Maia briefly, then turned and left, leaving her friend without even a chance to say goodbye. She sighed, her good mood from finding the report in as much disarray as he home was. He closed and locked the door behind her, mostly out of habit. There was only one real exit from the Aglarlin tower, and that was down a very large staircase. The girl, bag bouncing with each step, began to make her way towards it, clutching Uruviel's gift in her hands.

[Call me J]

Itarildë Vanimedlë’s serene expression faded almost immediately when she heard the word “Patriarch.” She knelt down for a moment and inspected the teeth of the two slain men and then looked back up at Jame. She sang two notes, one sounded brave and uplifting, and a second that boomed with the thunder of battle. An orb appeared in each of her hands. Jame cringed visibly. He looked around the room, but there were no windows to escape from. He also knew he had no chance in a fight against the Aglarlin headmistress, regardless of whether his Questioning Crossbow came to his aid.

However, Itarildë seemed to have a more elaborate plan in mind. “Let me see your teeth,” she said. Jame, not knowing what else to do, obliged her.

“Half dragon?” she asked, though it was clear she was thinking out loud. She hummed another note. It was another uplifting note.

“Uhh… yes…” Jame began, only to find that one of the two orbs was careening towards him. The half dragon didn’t even have a moment to dodge, and the orb hit him straight in the middle of his chest. He screamed, in panic and in pain. With what he was certain were his last thoughts, Jame cursed his fate, only to have him survive the battle at Carnelost only to have him die in a bathroom in Aglarlin. His muscles tingled, and his entire body shook with excitement. He could feel a sudden warmth collecting within his chest.

Itarildë merely shook her head. “Oh quit whining…” she said. “It shouldn’t hurt that bad. You’re going to need that if you’re going to fight The Patriarch after all…”

Even though very little of the sensation had subsided, Jame immediately went mum with surprise. “I- I’m not gonna die…” he asked.

“Well I would hope not,” Itarildë replied. “I was hoping to gain your aid against the Patriarch. Walk with me.”

The two began to head down the hallway, back towards the stairs Maia had ascended. Jame smiled nervously. He felt a different person now, returning to Maia. Before, he had been a lucky kid who was caught up in a battle bigger than him. Now, Jame felt as if he had been given a greater role in a much deeper issue. He didn’t know who this Patriarch was, or why he deserved to be involved in the battle against him, but it was an opportunity Jame knew he couldn’t afford to pass up.

Itarildë spoke in telepathic messages. She was direct, and what she said practically terrified Jame. “What I will tell you stays between myself, the Cora’Lindstra and yourself,” she began. “Not even General Findelfin knows at this point, though eventually he will. The Patriarch has returned, and while no one is sure what his end intention is, it is very suspicious that he has seemed to take efforts to separate himself from Xem’zund. We know he has allies in Alerar, and we’re going to need you to find them. For now, I want you to go to Scara Brae, where you’ll be safe. When the time is right, we will send you to Alerar to investigate things that neither the Cora’Lindstra nor myself could do without attracting suspicion. It will be a difficult, and definitely dangerous task, but given your reputation and what Turlin divinations have said about you, the fates have smiled on Raiaera by giving this duty to you. Will you do it?”

Before Jame could reply, Itarildë and he turned a corner in the hallway. Jame saw that Maia was waiting for him. That made him smile. “I’ll do it,” he said. “I’m not sure why… but I will.” The responsibility he had been handed seemed staggering, but Jame remembered the song a young Turlin apprentice had been singing as he’d first reemerged in Eluriand with Damon after their adventure through time.

With a smile, Jame mumbled one of the lyrics. “We’re all hollow, safe in the hands of God,” he said.

“What did you say?” Itarildë asked.

Jame blushed. “Uhh… nothing,” he said. “Just a Turlin song. It doesn’t matter.”

Itarildë smiled. “Take faith from where you can get it…” she said. “You’ll need it, even with the enhancements I’ve given you…”

Before Jame could ask about the enhancements, Itarildë made her way over towards Maia. The headmaster smiled politely. “I’m going to be leaving with you both,” she said. “I’ll make sure you have horses. Xem’zund’s forces have surrounded Eluriand now, so the best way out is through the midst of battle. Whatever happens here, it’s essential that both of you leave. Your responsibilities are greater than Eluriand. I hope you will both take this as reason for assurance instead of doubt…”

[Maia]

"There are horses nearby in a stable down the road, you will find them easily enough," the headmaster said with a smile. She patted Maia's shoulder, smiling grimly. "I wish the best of luck to both of you."

The headmaster left and began to climb the stairs after she finished speaking. Maia just watched the much older elf past out of sigh. Her attention shifted immediately after, smiling at Jame as she walked past him and down the steps. Her thoughts were on surprisingly mundane things given their situation. Things like how she couldn't really ride a horse, or how she clothes were a bit old and wrinkled, an even thing about whether or not her hair was okay. It was interesting how stupid it all seemed compared to the advice and the war on her home's doorsteps.

The outside was strangely silent as Maia exited into the fresh air. Any hopes that battle had yet to start however were quickly dashed upon the rocks. The specific sounds were not audible, but the crash of rock and mortar falling and the sound of siege weapons. She paused for a moment, sighing as she heard the sounds of battle in the distance. She only took several steps before her ears heard nothing, and everything slowed down.

She had enough time to see the explosion, the building buckling under the force. Her body lifted from the ground, cuts beginning to rip her body nearly everywhere, leaving her clothes in taters and causing a single clear note of pain through the noise. She fell back, slumping as she hit the wall. Debris landed by her, though thankfully none of it was able to touch the injured girl. She shuffled from the pain, her hands gripping her bag tightly as she groaned and the dust began to settle. Her ears were ringing, and her body was sore. She weakly trailed a hand up her stomach, tracing a deep looking gash as it closed and knitted itself back together. All that remained was creamy skin without some much as a hint at the blemish that once ruined it.

She coughed, her mind wandering as her grip remained tight on her bag. Her whole body was sluggish, unresponsive and heavy. She groaned, shifting forward and breathing hard, hand touching something cool as it trailed up her stomach. Almost sleepily, she gripped it and pulled, a large glass shard came before her eyes. She tossed it aside, smiling gently at the crinkle that she heard. She continued to sit though, holding her bag and Uruviel's gift in her hand. JAme would be along soon, she would just wait for him there.

[Call me J]

“MAIA!” Jame exclaimed. He was shocked by the whole event. He had barely seen the debris until it was too late to do anything about her, and now, he could hear the sounds of people running down the stairs, panicking at the sound of her screams. He fidgeted nervously and looked to find that Uruviel was running towards him.

“I’m great,” he managed sarcastically. “Yeah, I lost Maia before I even got out of Eluriand. How the hell does Itarildë think I’m going to save the world?” He asked the question out loud in hope that someone would answer it.

He ran over towards Maia without waiting for Uruviel. He slowed down as he approached her and placed the white long coat on her so as to cover her up. Then, Jame picked her up and placed her in his arms. He was surprised at how light she felt, but he knew it was only because of the enhancements that Itarildë had given him. “Don’t worry,” he said, looking at her with a few tears brimming in his eyes. “I’ll get you out of here someway now…”

He looked back to Uruviel, who was now standing behind him with a very displeased look on her face. “You want to save the world?” she said, as if she had a bitingly sarcastic reply waiting.

“Uhh… yeah,” Jame managed. He looked at Maia’s face and began to gently brush the dust off of it. “I’m sorry…” he thought.

“Well make sure you save Maia,” Uruviel said. “She’s carrying an important letter. Save Maia, save the world…”*

Jame looked down at Maia’s body in his arms. Her ample bosom, that had been all but still just a few seconds ago, was now heaving normally again. Color had begun to return to her face. Jame smiled. “She’s safe!” he said.

“She’s not safe as long as you’re in charge of her,” Uruviel shot back. “But she CAN heal herself. Get her out of here now…”

Jame nodded. The entire ordeal began to sink in. Carnelost, rescuing Maia, meeting and fighting the Patriarch’s minions, Itarildë and her gifts, and now Maia’s near brush with death. He let out a laugh.

“What’s that?” Uruviel asked. "There's nothing funny here for a ne'er do well like you..."

“If you only knew…” Jame said with a smile. He began to walk off towards the battle, with the battle tested steed he had encountered earlier by his side. Uruviel made another sarcastic reply, but Jame didn’t hear it. He had been submerged with the sounds of war (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=9614)


*With apologies to Claire Bennet

(Bunny approved. Also spoils. Jame gets the lingering effects of Iltrade's spell so that he gains strength necessary to dent steel, and increased speed and reflexes. Maia gains the white lab coat, Uruviel's package (that will be opened later) and the Kristel Letter)

[Christoph]

I won’t waste much time with rambling on. Sorry for the wait, and here is your judgment!

Continuity: 8
The events leading up to this thread were established well enough, so I had a decent sense of what was going on. What really made your points for you in this category is how it felt directly tied in to what happened before and after, making this quest feel like it truly was part of something larger. Nicely done.

Setting: 6
This was kind of weak, sadly. What descriptions there were seemed rather rushed. Jame using the door to spy on two Patriarch agents was nifty.

Pacing: 7
Though it seemed kind of rushed, pacing scored well for the same reason that continuity did. You did a good job of really giving the story a sense of being non-stop, even after it ended.



Dialogue: 6
Not too bad, but nothing spectacular. There didn’t seem to be much interaction between the two characters. There were some good moments, but also some bits that seemed a little odd. Some proofreading probably would have helped, but doesn’t it always? =p

Action: 6
What little there was pretty decent, but I can tell that you were going all-out to make it impressive to the reader.

Persona: 6
This is basically the sum of the two above. It wasn’t bad. Jame’e pimp-ness made me chuckle a few times. Still, it wasn’t amazing by any means.


Technique: 5
I was very disappointed with this. Again, the thread seemed very rushed, and technique tends to be the first thing that goes. As a result, there just weren’t many advanced literary devices and a lot of the writing seemed a bit awkward to read.

Mechanics: 6
Mostly harmless. There were quite a few typos, particularly from Maia. I could poke you both with the “proofread” stick, but I’m sure that both of you know that.

Clarity: 5
There was a lot of confusing moments in the thread where I needed to either go back and re-read something or where something wasn’t described well and I was forced to go to outside sources of information to figure them out.

Wild Card: 7
It wasn’t a great quest, but it wasn’t bad. It was short, and I could tell that the both of you had fun with it. And when you get down to it, that’s why we’re here.
Total: 62!


Spoils:

Maia receives 2574 EXP, 62 GP, and the requested spoils.
Call me J receives 2422 EXP, 62 GP, and the requested spoils. (Note: you’ll need to get the enhancements approved by an RoG mod at your next update, but I’m sure you knew that)

[Karuka]

EXP/GP added! Maia levels up!