Ezra tossed a log on the fire; sparks leaped into the dark sky, little, fiery, beings, then disappeared into the wind. Ezra leaned back, putting his hand reassuringly on the worn hilt of his sword. Elben, Ezra's employer and a magician, sat pouring over a cracked piece of parchment; Alnon, the guide to the area, sat with his bow at the ready, gazing into the blackness surrounding their sphere of warmth.
Ezra looked at his companions. "So, Friends. Where to next?"
Elben looked up from his scroll and Alnon switched his hawk-like gaze from the trees to Ezra. Elben pulled a map from his pouch. Ezra and Alnon scooted closer.
"We're here," the middle-aged wizard pointed to spot in the north of Silverthin Woods, "and I need to go to Heniva on Huron Mountain, here," Elben traced the route to Huron on the map.
"I'd say about five days, six max." Ezra said, leaning over the map.
Elben shook his head. "I must get to my employer sooner. We'll go through here." He touched a pass in between the Amaranthine Peaks. Ezra looked closer at where the magician had indicated.
"The Pass of Kalorin!? You must be joking!" Ezra looked at his employer imploringly.
"No. I am not joking. We must to Heniva within three days."
"I wasn't paid to get killed in that godsforsaken pass." Ezra scooched back onto his bedroll, sword lying next to him.
"At least I don't have to go through the Pass." Alnon sighed gratefully. Ezra continued grumbling as the three of them fell asleep.
Ezra, naked sword in hand, rode behind Alnon, who led them all through the forest, following some obscure game trail. Ezra was looking at the trees, when he spotted something up head; reining in he raised his sword.
"What's that? A skull?" He said to his companions.
Alnon looked on at the cracked skull, a rusty pike spiked through it.
"Halfling skull. Must be gorrlocs nearby." Alnon took his bow off his back. They all continued at a cautious pace.
The Amaranthines were near indeed by noon. Ezra kept rubbing his hilt nervously, Alnon plucked on his bow string and Elben spoke incantations to himself. They reached the Pass around one and a half hours after noon, a great crack nestled among the bases of the mountains.
"Good fortune to you both, but..." Alnon turned to leave.
Ezra grabbed the back of the man's cloak.
"If I'm going into that accursed pass, then so are you." The mercenary growled.
After some hours of slowly trudging through snow and over rocks, Elben stopped.
"Behold," he announced to his companions, "the Rock of Kalorin, the most magical site in the Empire."
Ezra and Alnon looked up; fifty feet above the rocky path was a small outcrop of rock jutting from the rough sides of the mountain; it glowed with an eerie blue light. Four hundred and seventy-five years ago, Kalorin, Archmage to Asdoriin V, destroyed the invading Ullanis army, standing on that very rock.
As they stood admiring the Rock, orcs crept up behind them.
Ezra looked at his companions. "So, Friends. Where to next?"
Elben looked up from his scroll and Alnon switched his hawk-like gaze from the trees to Ezra. Elben pulled a map from his pouch. Ezra and Alnon scooted closer.
"We're here," the middle-aged wizard pointed to spot in the north of Silverthin Woods, "and I need to go to Heniva on Huron Mountain, here," Elben traced the route to Huron on the map.
"I'd say about five days, six max." Ezra said, leaning over the map.
Elben shook his head. "I must get to my employer sooner. We'll go through here." He touched a pass in between the Amaranthine Peaks. Ezra looked closer at where the magician had indicated.
"The Pass of Kalorin!? You must be joking!" Ezra looked at his employer imploringly.
"No. I am not joking. We must to Heniva within three days."
"I wasn't paid to get killed in that godsforsaken pass." Ezra scooched back onto his bedroll, sword lying next to him.
"At least I don't have to go through the Pass." Alnon sighed gratefully. Ezra continued grumbling as the three of them fell asleep.
Ezra, naked sword in hand, rode behind Alnon, who led them all through the forest, following some obscure game trail. Ezra was looking at the trees, when he spotted something up head; reining in he raised his sword.
"What's that? A skull?" He said to his companions.
Alnon looked on at the cracked skull, a rusty pike spiked through it.
"Halfling skull. Must be gorrlocs nearby." Alnon took his bow off his back. They all continued at a cautious pace.
The Amaranthines were near indeed by noon. Ezra kept rubbing his hilt nervously, Alnon plucked on his bow string and Elben spoke incantations to himself. They reached the Pass around one and a half hours after noon, a great crack nestled among the bases of the mountains.
"Good fortune to you both, but..." Alnon turned to leave.
Ezra grabbed the back of the man's cloak.
"If I'm going into that accursed pass, then so are you." The mercenary growled.
After some hours of slowly trudging through snow and over rocks, Elben stopped.
"Behold," he announced to his companions, "the Rock of Kalorin, the most magical site in the Empire."
Ezra and Alnon looked up; fifty feet above the rocky path was a small outcrop of rock jutting from the rough sides of the mountain; it glowed with an eerie blue light. Four hundred and seventy-five years ago, Kalorin, Archmage to Asdoriin V, destroyed the invading Ullanis army, standing on that very rock.
As they stood admiring the Rock, orcs crept up behind them.
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