Wos: Chapter 8

The Gate of Worlds stood before them, glimmering in the dim northern sun. It stood higher, much higher than the two of them. "Let us find the Rose of Sanctuary." said Saffyre before taking off and hovering above Malkuthe. "With pleasure" Malkuthe replied.

The two began to fly toward the east, Malkuthe couldn't help but ask "Where exactly are we going? "To the Liberum Eternum, the eternal library" replied Saffyre. "What exactly would a rose be doing in a place full of books?" asked Malkuthe, puzzled. "My years of searching have pointed me to this place. I now know that there is an underground labyrinth underneath its floors." replied Saffyre. "But the library has long been abandoned, no one even knows where it is anymore." said Malkuthe.

"I have a clue, it happens to be on the page after the one you solved in the book Solen brought. The book is called the Codex of Ages, the other pages are blank. No amount of revealing spells would yield anything. I had a suspicion that you must solve one problem after the other to decipher the whole text." said Saffyre. "But when did you get your hands on the so called Codex of Ages?" asked Malkuthe. "When you were sleeping..." replied Saffyre, evidently ashamed.

Malkuthe looked down and saw a brilliant green field below them, he didn't know where they were anymore. "Saffyre, where are we?" asked Malkuthe. "I have no idea..." replied the female. "Let me see that clue you speak of."

xqghu wkh vwdu vwuhzq vnb
iroorz wkh olqh ri fulpvrq qljk
xqghu wkh vklpphu ri wkh prrq xs kljk
brx vkdoo ilqg wkh grph ri urvh

Orvh wkh vwduv
Orvh wkh prrq
Orvh wkh olqh
brx orvh wkh grph

III-VII-I

What on earth?!

exclaimed Malkuthe.

Meanwhile back at Erithe's cave, Kali was getting tired of waiting. She had followed jade, using her magic to conceal her as her magical friend, Lamia, had taught her. Walking in, she noticed the two female Ceree, holding one another. "Enough of this," she said abruptly.

The two girls stood up looking to the doorway where she was standing, embarrassment on their faces. Obviously they hadn't heard her come in. "There is a place and a time for everything. Now would you rather sit here wishing for your friends to come back knowing full well you could be out there doing something to help? Saffyre may be lost now in her own selfish desires, but Malkuthe still may be saved"

"What can we do?" said Erithe "We've already failed to see that one of our fellow chieftains was the master, and at the same time we lost two of our friends. We failed to save Sylfe. There's nothing to do now but lay down and accept our fate."

"What kind of talk is that from the chieftain of one of the five great tribes? *cough* I mean four, four great tribes. You can still save Sylfe, and if my research these past thirty years has proven correct, you may be able to save Billions of other worlds as well. The Gelendrian Bloom can slow her ability to spread evil and can stop her from growing her army. I need you to protect us while we create another Bloom. This may be our only chance to stop her, and if I am correct she needs the original Bloom since it was magically bound to the gate."

"Ok," said Jade, "we'll help you. But first we need to know a couple of things. First of all what is this gate you talk about? Second what was this fifth tribe you spoke of? You didn't actually think we'd miss that? And, finally who is this 'we' you spoke of when you said that me and Erithe were needed to protect you 'while you created a new Bloom'? We need to know you're on our side. After we've been decieved so much in the past it's hard to trust anyone."

"That is wise of you. But the first two questions I cannot answer. I have taken a vow of silence. The answer to your last question is, obviously, myself, I am told I have the best control of magic of all current magae [OOC: for those of you who do not know Latin, Magae = female mage] since the archmages of old, and my friend. Lamia, of Hecate's grove, show yourself."

Suddenly in the corner a shadow of a shadow, half hidden in the dark, materialized into solid form. It was a tall and menacing, black, humanoid snake. "I am Lamia, of Hecate's Groves, born of the ancient ones Noundele and Maldia, first creation of Sylfe. Since it is such a long title I will allow you to call me Lamia as my friends do. I assure you I mean no harm."

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Miles away in a cave two dragons frightened screams were heard.

"Events are proceeding faster then we thought? Am I wrong?"

As Seraph reached the frozen north, he roared in pain for the mark in his chest gathered all the negative emotions in him. The darkness within him was expelled in a cloud of black smoke, and Seraph felt much better. He then realized that he reached the Gate of the Worlds. He knew of this. It would be the gateway to the plane of Aznala, the home of the Great Ancestors. " Could she try to... no, it's impossible. They need those three things, and one of them was already destroyed. If they would actually try to open this gate, would this mean that the Gelendrian Bloom can be remade? I must hurry." He knew they would find the Rose of Sanctuary, so he went to find the Blossom of Life. It was a race to find the keys to the Gate of the Worlds. He left the gate and flew as fast as he could. There was little time left.


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Meanwhile, the elf observed what was happening in Sylfe. " Should I go yet?.... no, its not time."

....

"What on earth?!"
exclaimed Malkuthe.

"mhmm., hey makulthe., solve it."
saffyre said..

"huh?."

"solve it., u did the other one on other page already ryt?. so u can easily solve that thing.."

"ok., soo.. u wudnt even help?.."

"weve got little time left., i know some dragons who know about this gate., im sure theyre also now making their moves.. So while u try to fine this Rose., ill go find the blossom of life.."

She then flew without even a clue on where to find this blossom of life..

"hmm... If I move the letters to the right by one, then to the left by seven, then to the right by three, Aha!" said Malkuthe. He had cracked the code again, sure enough, the codex of ages flipped to the fourth page and revealed another riddle, but Malkuthe knew it was to be solved at a later time.

under the star strewn sky
follow the line of crimson nigh
under the shimmer of the moon up high
you shall find the dome of rose

Lose the stars
Lose the moon
Lose the line
you lose the dome

By then, the moon was rising, when it was casting enough light to enable sight. Malkuthe saw a glimmering line of crimson stretching as far as the eye can see. Malkuthe followed the line, searching for any sign of 'the dome of rose'. In the distance he saw the line end, he landed and walked toward where it ended abruptly.

The moon was covered by clouds, where it shined no more, the line vanished without a trace. When the clouds cleared the sky completely a dome of deep red was revealed before him. An oak gate directly in front of him. Engraved in a plate of burnished gold hung above the door were the words

Liberum Eternum

Makulthe was about to enter when a dragon landed behind him..
He immediately blocked the door., and turned around..

"why makulthe?.."

"solen?.."

"why?.. why betray ur tribe?. ur friends?. ur ppl?."

..............
...................
......................

"Betray them?" asked Malkuthe, "Was it not you who left your people? You who stood idly by as the Dark One rose?" He continued.

"How dare y--?!" Shouted Solen, enraged

Malkuthe cut him off mid-sentence. "Answer the question, whose actions are worse? Yours or mine? I have not killed, nor have I abandoned. You, what have you done?"

Solen looked around, unable to answer.

"You left your tribe in the ruins of the old city, the Selenadre needed you, but you left them. I ask you now, do you know how they are faring?" asked Malkuthe in an emphatic tone of voice.

"I... Don't know..." answered Solen. "We are not going to do evil, we only wish to go home. Do you not feel the yearning to discover from whence we came?" said Malkuthe. "Strangely enough... I do..." Solen replied.

"Why come here then?" asked Solen. "To search for the rose of sanctuary" replied Malkuthe. "Then, you mean to open the Gate of Worlds?" asked Solen. "Indeed, we aim to do so." answered Malkuthe.

"Then you have my help, I will lead you to the blossom of life." said Solen.

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hahaha...

Hahahahaha!

HAHAHAHAHA!!

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Cael went to Erithe's cave where he saw them converse with a stranger. Expressions turned from laughter to suspicious looks. Moments later, a snake-like creature appeared out of nowhere. Cael said

Could it be?

"If we are to create this Bloom we need two thing's" said Kali. "The first we already have. That would be your protection. Second is an amulet of great magical power found at a strange library I once came across. I believe it was called 'Eternal Library' or something along those lines. I was a fool at the time, not to pick it up when I saw it but I was afraid of it's power. One of the books I was reading in this library, a library that is where I got most of the knowledge I now possess, told that this amulet could transfer magic from one being to another in a controlled stream. Lamia will lead us there if you are willing but I am afraid we will have to find our own way back."

"We'll do it. though we still don't trust you you seem like our only chance." Jade said.

"But JAAAaa-"

"No buts about it Erithe we can do this. I believe we need to do this. Kali, Lamia, when do we leave?"

as the two were talking Kali heard lamia whisper "Yes m'lady they are going along with the plan"

Kali whispered back "Let's just hope we embark on time to stop this before it can begin. I want the Bloom to be our LAST option"

Finally after a brief pause Lamia answered "We embark immediately. The elf hiding outside can ride me. Don't be shocked, even an elf's hiding, after the centuries I have lived, is nothing my magic can't pierce"

The door opened smoothly, the ancient hinges acting as though they were newly oiled. Stepping inside, the two noticed the cold, stagnant air. The dome itself was translucent and allowed moonlight to shine through. The crimson line continued on.

The two followed the line until it reached a staircase leading into a dark basement. Malkuthe was gripped with a feeling he knew all too well. He looked gingerly back to his own tail, remembering what was hidden behind the bandages. "uhh... Solen, I think you should go get the rose yourself..." said Malkuthe, ready to bolt out of the library if he had to. "Why? Afraid of the dark?" asked Solen. "Mhm..." said Malkuthe, nodding. "Don't worry, we'll have a light, trust me." said Solen reassuringly.

The two proceeded down the stairs. When they reached the bottom, Solen invoked a sphere of white light. A pool of light was cast around them and they began walking. They were in a long, winding corridor. Whenever he looked around, Malkuthe felt as though the walls were compressing and imagined himself in the cave again. He was living in a cave, but it was spacious and well ventilated and illuminated. This place, however, made him feel like he was going to die.

When they reached the end of the long hallway they heard the sound of a small waterfall. There was a door blocking their path. Solen effortlessly knocked it down. Malkuthe was struggling to breathe properly.

In the room they entered, moonlight filtered through the roof. It illuminated a small waterfall that fell into a small pool at its base. There, growing upon the rocks of the waterfall in an almost miraculous way was a single rose. It gave off a soft red light under the moon. Solen and Malkuthe marveled at its beauty. Malkuthe took it in his mouth and walked toward the door.

Once outside, Solen and Malkuthe settled down for a moment. They marveled at their prize. Just then, the flapping of magically created wings alerted them to some unwanted presence. "Solen?!" came a shocked voice from above. It was Erithe and Jade. When they landed, the snake-like creature that once appeared before Malkuthe and Saffyre materialized beside the two females.

A crack was heard and beside the snake-like creature appeared the dragon it had been with before.

"Why solen? Why?" said Erithe, voice burdened with sorrow and loathing. With the whip of a tail and the crack of thunder, Solen fell beside him. Malkuthe glared at the four in shock, but his instinct kicked in and he found himself running toward the east, The Rose of Sanctuary in his mouth. He felt something searing hot hit him in the head. He fell to the grass and saw blood pooling beside him. He spoke a few words and the Rose of Sanctuary vanished in a plume of smoke, it was headed for Saffyre. Before everything was lost, the wind blew around Malkuthe and he whispered.

Saffyre, I have failed you...

The cold embrace of the void enveloped him.

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Cael sat alone in Erithe's cave. He had begun to regret having declined Kali's offer. Then again, he was not one for hunting things down. He simply wanted to be where things happened.

He told himself a day before that he had to get rid of his rebellious streak and childish antics. Although, blowing an Agile Talon's cave up wasn't the least bit childish, it was fun. Okay, so he had a few issues, It wasn't like he was going to kill anyone. Although, he almost did, as his mind drifted fondly onto a specific memory of his.

It was raining, raining hard. The wind was howling, but, the elven children were still training in the way of the sword. His nemesis approached him and challenged him to a duel. They were equally matched, but the other dealt a backhanded blow that sent Cael's sword spinning into a tree. The other kicked him in the shin to knock him down after knocking his sword away.

Cael glared at him and unwillingly evoked a spell in his mind. This set his enemy's silver mane on fire. Luckily, it was raining, else the damage would have been worse. While the other's hair was burning Cael rushed home without a word and hid in his room.

Many people thought of him as an annoyance, but he had changed, a lot. Compared to what he had been doing before, he was doing less damage now. In fact, he had developed a sense of pacifism that surprised even him. He didn't want to get into fights, but his immature side always gets the better of him.

He had begun to consider following the chieftains. He decided not to, a question still plagued his mind though. He was wondering why the other two tribes hadn't chosen a new chieftain yet.

He was lying on a cot on the floor of Erithe's cave, he was directly facing the entrance. Outside, he saw storm clouds gathering, a flash of lightning was seen in the distance. When the sound of thunder reached him, he felt a strange tingle, as though something was wrong. The wind began to howl and the forbidden peaks started to hum a sinister melody.

He heard the cries of the Ceree, when he looked to the forbidden peaks, he saw that a massive fortress had begun to take shape at its peak. The pool of lava underneath it bathed it in a sinister red glow. The earth began to shake, and the ceiling began to crack above his head.

Erithe's advisor appeared at the mouth of the cave and beckoned to him. To the sea, he saw countless Ceree swimming across. He realized how accomplished the Ceree were at swimming, although he wondered how much work it would take to clean their fur. The advisor quickly took him to the sea, arriving just as the last wave of Ceree were ready to leave. He saw some that carried elves on their backs. He had not noticed before but he saw some Syllithe among those that were leaving.

Cael asked one Syllithe that swam beside him and the advisor "Excuse me, but where are the other Syllithe? There seems to be a lack of you." "The others refused to leave the city, they say that the libraries must survive this crisis." answered the other. He pondered what he had just heard, wondering if it was a good choice for those that remained. Whispering to the wind, he let the topic go.

Sacrificing your life for the sake of knowledge? Is it right or wrong... I guess it's a noble cause...

Seraph searched all around Sylfe finding anything that he could to find the Blossom of Life. he searched every book, but found nothing. Just then, he had an idea. " If I find the Rose of Sanctuary, maybe it will lead me to the next key, the Blossom of Life." He flew as he could to the Eternal Library. He knew that Malkuthe would be there so he cast a masking spell upon himself. As he entered he felt as someone very close to him just died. As he reached the heart of the library, he found Erithe, Jade and even Solen. He noticed two new faces. One was a serpent like creature and another was a member of a Highwind tribe. He was suprised to find the Rose of Sanctuary gone. But what really shocked him was to find Malkuthe dead. " What happened to him!?" Nobody said anything. He didn't know what to say or what to do. He was just shocked on what he saw. Just then, Seraph felt a very strange pain coming from his chest. It was the same pain that he felt when he got the power from the five races. " What is happenning?"


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Meanwhile, the elf hurried to the Sacred Wings tribe. " It's time I help with this situation."

Kali was still surprised at what had happened. Had her magic bolt destroyed the rose when she killed Malkuthe? Of course there was always a second option. It was possible the Highwind chieftain had used a reverse summoning spell to send the rose to his mistress. She would hunt down his evil master when they were done and destroy her once and for all.

However this was not the current issue, first they needed to find the Phylacterium socius (Rough translation - amulet of sharing) . Finally she looked up saw another dragon coming. This one bearing the mark of the ancients. "What happened to him?" she heard him say. she was wondering who he was talking about when finally she understood it was Malkuthe. She said nothing. Suddenly the mark on this new dragons chest began to glow and a light like a thousand suns shot out to the same place on Malkuthe joining the two dragons. When the light was gone and she could see again Malkuthe was passed out, alive on the floor.

"Oh great one who has the power of the ancients please help us, I beseech thee. We need to find the Phylacterium socius Please can you show us where it is. it may be our only chance now to stop these events."

As this was happening Lamia slid over to the gravely wounded Solen. No one seemed to hear his howls of pain. "Why my son? You were my first creation but I gave you all the potential able to be squeezed into a Ceree. And then you go and do something like this?" Why, why, why?" Slowly she tended to his wounds. the rate was to punish him rather then because she couldn't go faster if she wanted to.

Suddenly Kali appeared over them. apparently she was done her conversation with Seraph. "Move aside, let me kill him now. You shouldn't have wasted your magic. We will soon do the bonding, the amulet is here and Seraph claims he knows where it is."

Standing in front of Solen and growing to an enormous size Lamia blocked Kali. In a booming voice that drew the stares of all the Ceree she said "He is not to be touched. I am his his creator, protector, and his mother. his failings are my failing, so before you may kill him you must kill me. He was led astray by the darkness but his true test is yet to come. This, I have envisioned.". Finally with a burst of magical power, the last of the tail wounds on Solen's back were healed. Lowering her voice she said, "that goes for you're family too Kali."

Seraph stood there, trying to recall what had happened. He was shocked to see Malkuthe dead. Just then he felt a very strange pain. Just then he heard the five races say in unison " It is time you learn the abilities of your newfound powers." Seraph then let out a burst of light. That light made Malkuthe live once more. He heard the voices once more " We will give you the wisdom you and your companions need. Use this wisdom well Seraph." Just then the Highwind ceree approached him and asked if he knew where the Phylacterium socius is. Seraph knew of this. It was the key to creating a new Gelendrian Bloom. " I know where it is. But we must not waste time. Let us hurry." As soon as the conversation ended, the Highwind ceree appraoched Solen. It looked that she was about to kill Solen. Just then the serpent like creature defended him and even healed him.
"We must find the Phylacterium socius as soon as possible. After that we must find the Blossom of Life. The Master wishes to open the Gate of the Worlds to enter the plane of Aznala, the place where the Great Ancestors first lived. Let us go as soon as possible."


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Meanwhile as the elf reached the Sacred wings tribe, he immediately went to the elders. "Elders, the time is near. We need to act now. If we don't, we might be too late for Sylfe." " Just who are you?" " It's not important right now. What's important is that we act now and join the battle against the Dark One. Seraph is doing the same thing, why shouldn't we?" The elders conferred for a few minutes. Just then one of then excalimed " He's right. Let us act now!"

A rush of cool air filled his face, he was a child again. Looking around, he observed a grassy meadow, and a large tree. Underneath the tree's shade, he saw his mother. Filled with joy, he ran to her, not noticing that the light was omnipresent.

"Mother? Oh, how I've missed you" said Malkuthe, tears in his eyes. "Malkuthe? You're not supposed to be here... It is not yet your time..." answered his mother. "She is right, you can't stay..." came a gruff voice from behind him, he looked and saw his father standing there. "Father?..." Malkuthe said, voice quivering with joy. "Yes, my son... You cannot stay... They still need you..." said his father. "But father... I'm scared..." said Malkuthe.

"Danaiya..." said Malkuthe's father when his mother stirred. "Graaun... you must convince him..." replied Malkuthe's mother. "Malkuthe, you cannot be afraid... find the strength to go back..." said Grauun. "But... father... I've only spent so little time with you again... I don't want to leave anymore!" cried Malkuthe's tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Malkuthe..." said his parents in unison. "You cannot stay..." they continued. They held each other in an embrace that lasted an eternity for Malkuthe, until a flash of blinding light came. When it subsided, he was alone, in the darkness of his mind. He cried

Mother??

Father?!

where are you?!?!

For a moment, his gaze drifted upward and he saw Saffyre through a translucent wall. He cried out but she didn't hear him. In the wink of an eye, he drew a gasping breath as he felt himself return to his corporal body. A wall of extreme cold hit him, shuddering he faded into unconsciousness.

When he awoke, he saw that no one was around, he had been bleeding, the blades of grass around him were crimson. He looked toward the library where the door stood ajar. A strange lethargy crept up his limbs, when he tried to stand, he collapsed once more. There was a sickly wound that stretched from his lower jaw to the base of his neck. The flesh around it was swollen and it throbbed painfully. It bleeded continually, and he knew he would as soon die again if it were not stopped.

He heard a flapping above him and strained to look to the skies. He saw Saffyre, slowly descending through the clouds. Trying to look around, he winced as the wound throbbed painfully. He saw that the gray of dawn was present, the library wouldn't remain for long. Those that were inside it stepped outside quickly and shouted something incoherent to Malkuthe's ears. Saffyre supported him as she took off, fleeing their pursuers. Malkuthe lost consciousness from the loss of blood.

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Saffyre carried Malkuthe as best she could. Her wings flapped heavily and slowly. Exhaustion almost overtook her, but she refused to give in. She looked back and saw that no one had followed her. When exhaustion exacted its heavy toll upon her, she crashed at the foot of a mountain. The last image she saw before she lost consciousness was the sun rising over the distant horizon.

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"Look! It's Saffyre, don't let them get away!" cried Seraph.

No, we must leave them be...

hissed Lamia.

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Insolent fools...

" Look it's Saffyre, don't let them get away!' cried Seraph. They left the library with the amulet and went to find the Blossom of Life. Serpah then had flashbacks of when he was younger. He was with his friends when a messenger came and said that his father had been killed. As he assumed the position of chieftain, he didn't know what to do. He was confused. The responsibilities that he carried nearly drove him insane. He ran away. He went to a nearby lake and there he rested. As he rested, he wondered why they chose him as their leader. There were numerous better than him. Just then he realized that his father trusted him with this responsibilities. His father knew that he could do it. So he returned to his village and resumed his responsibilities. As he remembered those, he realized that everyone trusted him. As he seized them, Lamia blocked him and said " No, we must leave them be." " Why then?" Lamia didn't say anything.

When Saffyre regained consciousness, the sun was a little above the horizon. She looked at Malkuthe and saw that there were numerous wounds on his side. He was still bleeding, Saffyre knew that he had only moments left, else he would die. She mustered all of her remaining energy and used it to heal Malkuthe's wounds.

Saffyre knew that Malkuthe had a low tolerance for pain, he could faint under an average amount of pain. She stopped the bleeding, but the wounds remained open. She conjured some bandages and wrapped them around the wounds. It was evident from their appearance that they were caused by strong magic.

Saffyre knew that Malkuthe would be unable to walk for a while, although he could fly. When she finished tending to Malkuthe's wounds she collapsed from exhaustion.

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After a few hours of traveling across the sea, they finally saw land. They were overjoyed and rushed towards the land. That was when Cael looked up and let out a gasp of astonishment. The sky above the land to which they journeyed was dark. Hovering overhead was a spectacle so strange yet beautiful. The sky looked as though torn between night and day.

Others who saw him followed his gaze upward and reacted in much the same way. As soon as they got onto dry land, Cael felt a part of him being drained. He saw the perplexed expressions of the others who felt the same thing. The Ceree seemed unaffected, they even seemed joyful. He asked his companion, Erithe's adviser, why the Ceree were overjoyed. "We are such, because it has been a long time since we last set foot on this land. This is Malleithen, land of the ancestors." answered the other. "I know this is not the right time, but may I ask your name? And I just want to ask, why do you look different from the other Agile Talon?" said Cael "I'm Asphent, daughter of Nyad, daughter of Madua. I look different because I am of the Highwind. All advisers of the chieftains come from a tribe other than their own." the other replied. "Come, ride on me, we must join the council of elders" she continued. "Of course." Cael replied.

It took them a while to find the council. The council had decided to become the leaders of the mass exodus, with each tribe and race having a representative among them. The Grand Master Syllithe, Dorue, The Elven queen, Danaya, Asphent of the Highwind, Galar of the Swift Tail, Nicxo of the Agile Talon and Mythra of the Bright Scales.

The exodus had moved on to a large forest near the sea on Malleithen. The elves set up tents made from woven grass on the side nearest to the forest. The Syllithe dug burrows as far away from the trees as possible. The Ceree went every which way and went to sleep on the grass.

Cael lay beside Asphent, not knowing what to do. He thought back on the events that had transpired so quickly, there had been no room to think. He dwelt on fond memories of his childhood, he knew his age made him a child by elven standards, but he was confident that he was a man. Events were taking them closer and closer to the end.

Great ancestors... help us...

He whispered in the darkness.

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Tracing his hands across the walls of black stone, the Dark One smiled evilly. Soon, his plan would be fulfilled, but he had to make sure that nothing could stand in his way. Beckoning to his steed, a great black dragon, he mounted it and it took flight, swerving to the east. His faithful servants, the klakkra were not far behind him.

He stroked the dragon's neck, as he marveled at her muscled frame. Her wings were not like that of a bat, but feathered like a bird. Her coat and plumage black as night. She had not always been this way, once, long ago, he had ordered one of his servants to fetch him the perfect example of grace and strength among the Ceree. The Ceree were his sworn enemy, for locking him inside the mountain. He was unable to leave, nor could his magic work outside the confines of the hollow mountain.

One day, his servant had returned, carrying a limp white dragon in its talons. The Dark One made sure that she was dead before he removed her soul and sent it to the void. Working his magic, the dragon's body changed, become more feline and graceful, yet stronger and better built than it was before. Its coat turned black. Weaving his spell stronger, he extracted a pair of wings from her back and they came out like the rest of her, black.

The sun was setting over the horizon, night was dawning, and just in time.

The library shall be no more!!

hahahaha!!

Hahahahaha!!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Seraph then remembered the nature of the Ceree. And as he saw the two unconscious, he decided to leave them be. " Let us go. We need to find the Blossom of Life as soon as possible." As they left the mountain Kali asked Seraph " Tell me, what is the Blossom of Life?" " Asidefrom being one of the keys to The Gate of the Worlds, I don't know much about the Blossom of Life. All I know is that we need some help in getting the Blossom." " Where excatly are we going to get this help?" " The Selenadre." "Who are the Selenadre?" " Why don't you ask the one who separated them from the ceree." " Who is that being?" " It's me." said Lamia. " As Seraph saw me protect Solen he knew that I was the one who hid the Selenadre from them because Solen was the chieftain of the Selenadre." " So now we must head to where there is perpetual moonlight, for there are the Selenadre. We must hurry, for Malkuthe and Saffyre know this as well. It is a race to the Selenadre then." Just then Seraph's eyes glowed. " My tribe is in danger!" He hurried as fast as he could to his tribe.

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Meanwhile, as the Sared Wings tribe prepared themselves for battle, they felt a very powerful presence approaching... " Who is that being?" They murmured to themselves. Little did they know that it could completely destroyed their tribe. The elf then said " Prepare for battle! We must defend ourselves against that being."

The moon shone gently upon the two unconscious dragons. The pale blue stirred from his pained dreams. Tail whipping about as the nightmares took over.

Ever so slowly, the pale blue receded from his unconscious state. His eyes snapped open, seeing the light cast upon the figure that was lying in a hollow in the mountain's side. Trying to stand, Malkuthe hoisted himself up, taking a few steps. He realized that his limbs were too weak. He collapsed once more, but remained conscious, conscious enough to hear a wolf howl in the distance.

Within moments of collapsing, his numerous wounds, created from a flurry of burning bolts, split open in intense agony. Crippling was the pain, that Malkuthe was only able to endure it for so long. His strength once again spent, he fell unconscious under the bright moon.

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Something was tapping his shoulder, he tried to brush it off. It only returned, stronger than before. He heard sounds but was too groggy to make sense of them. As he gained a little more control, he figured out what the voice was saying "Cael! Wake up!" He sat bolt upright, as though electrocuted.

It was Asphent. "What is it now?" mumbled Cael. "Want to go for a walk in the forest?" said the other in an eccentric tone. "Sure, sure..." mumbled Cael, still dazed from the sudden waking. He had to get himself a tent. He had slept in his old garments and they were getting filthy. He visited his parents to ask if they had brought any clothes. To his surprise, they had. Cael left quickly before they could ask any questions.

Asphent beckoned to him from the edge of the forest. When they entered the forest, it was as if they were in another world. Random vegetation gleamed faintly in the light of the eternal night. Walking along the path, the forest began to explode into an orchestra of sounds. The chirping of the crickets, the hooting of owls, the gentle rushing of the wind along the foliage.

When they reached a clearing Asphent lay down beside a fallen tree. Cael sat on the trunk, marveling at the beauty of the forest. Unable to resist, Cael asked "How did you know when to wake me?" "I guess it's because the body of a Ceree can tell time, no matter where it is, we are able to sense if it is night or day, or when to eat, even when underground. It's incredible, really, the only problem is, sometimes, it becomes more of an annoyance." answered Asphent slowly, as though she was picking her words carefully. "Wh--" started Cael when Asphent cut him off "Shh... Look upward."

Cael followed Asphent's gaze and his jaw dropped in awe as he stared at the most majestic night sky he had ever set sight on. "You know... when I was young... my mother and I often lay down in the mountaintops to look at the stars. We even named one" said Asphent, pointing to an empty space almost exactly above them. "That would be where it is if we were back in Alriiea... I always loved those nights with my mother, I loved them so much that I couldn't sleep without once setting sight on our star, but..." continued Asphent. "But what?" asked Cael. "I grew up, I had to leave home... I always promised my mother that I would come back and watch the stars again with her, but now it's too late, she's gone. My father, I don't even know who he is anymore. Ever since mother died, he hasn't been the same." answered Asphent, tears brimming in her eyes.

Cael felt a pang of sympathy for his new friend. He tried to console her, and was unable to fight back images of his own parents. He was lucky he still had them. "Thanks for listening and trying to help me Cael." said Asphent, her face brightening up suddenly. Cael replied

No, thank you, you showed me how important my parents are. You showed me that I musn't waste my time with them, that I must cherish every moment spent with them, because they won't be around forever. Thank you... Asphent..."

As he reached the Sacred Wings tribe, he was horrified to see the lanscape completely destroyed. The ceree where nowhere in sight. " I know where they are. I know where my people are." he went into the lake. Just then Serpah invoked "I, the chieftain of the Sacred Wings tribe hereby allow passage to the hidden cavern." Just then a cavern appeared before him. he entened and went to the center of it. At the center, he saw a whole group of ceree in a hidden village. " Ah, there you are." " Leader!" " He's back!" " What happened here?" " We were attacked by an unknown enemy. So leader, what do we do now?" "We must discuss our next plan of action." " Yes chieftain." As soon as dinner was over, they discussed what to do next...

[OOC: Sorry for the short post. Really in a hurry.]