Autumn 1372

Ashara blushed and cleared her throat.

"Hmm...that would make the summer festival in Evereska even more awkward! Though I suppose it is an elvish festival and it's not like I'd be the only one wearing scraps of what would have been an already salacious costume. I'm sure no would even notice," she laughed. "In fact, they'd no doubt take greater exception to the fact that I'm human!"

She wondered to herself if a half elf in their city would offend certain elvish sensibilities more than a mere human would. Judging from some of Elric's memories, it wouldn't be a surprise. How blessed they were to have a few good friends within the city that judged a person by their heart rather than their heritage!

Smoothing the fabric over her husband's broad shoulders, Ashara smiled up at him affectionately before turning her attention back to the priest standing on the ceiling.

"If it does have a horde, than it's got to be close," she finally called out her response to Jorelon. "If this thing was meant to be the guardian of the piece than it wouldn't have been kept far from him... Actually, had I been responsible I would've required the hopeful collector to pass through the ward and wake the behir to get it since putting the vambrace elsewhere would've rendered the guardian pointless.

"Perhaps it's like that naga the other day..." Ashara pursed her lips in thought. "It is snake-like. Maybe it just swallows its horde? I suppose we can check while I look around for that gland of Kaldric's, otherwise we're going to need to give this place a more thorough search."

"Eats it?" Jorelon shouted back in disgust. He glanced around the room. The ground was fairly clear of debris, so the searching wasn't that difficult. "I don't know... but I'm not seeing anything from up here..."

Suddenly the beast trembled. the pillars and wood started to shudder... and then rise.

"LOOK OUT BELOW!!"

Elric was in the doorway in a flash. He was feeling much better, or at least the skin had all scabbed over by now. As Ashara and he ducked inside their safe room, all the things on the ceiling came CRASHING back to the ground, kicking up dirt, dust and wood chips.

Coughing Elric looked back out into the behir room. The dust stung his eyes, but he could still make out the shape of Jorelon slowly floating down.

"You alright?"

"Ummm... Yeah, I think I will be." came the disembodied voice. "I began to have my doubts staring that thing eye to eye... but Yeah! Another win for us!"

When the dust cleared, the great, blue reptile lay belly up and broken in the center of the room. Ashara grimaced. This wasn't going to be pleasant but with no signs of magical auras anywhere in the area and the urgency of their mission, it behooved them to be thorough.

The priestess reached into the Haverssack for her knife then set the pack down against the wall with her cloak before clambering up onto the behir.

"I think I'm going to need your help getting through this hide," she called out to the half elf. "Looks like your sword did some damage here but I'm going to have a heck of a time opening up his belly with only this measly thing!"

Between the two of them the job was accomplished without too much fuss. Unfortunately it was as Ashara feared... Nasty business. A forty foot long lizard has a stomach of significant size and apparently whatever powerful stasis ward had kept this thing frozen for all these years had also preserved the remnants of its last few meals. The smell alone nearly knocked her over!

The young woman kept her mind on unicorns and fuzzy dragons as she sifted through the rotting and liquefied meat inside of the behir, ignoring the occasional sight of a partially in tact limb that she pushed out of the way in her search.

"You know.... " Elric said gasping through the stink. "Maybe next vacation... somewhere with a beach."

He grimaced as the two of them dug through the mush that had been inside this creature. Twice he nearly gagged up his breakfast, but managed to keep it down.

"Somewhere warm... Peaceful... Fewer ruins... No giant snake dragons at all... " He winked at as he poked around the insides. "Maybe some fish monsters. I mean... I wouldn't want you to get too bored." A muffled clink caught his attention, and with undisguised excitement started fishing aroun in earnest.

Soon he found what he was seeking, a snake... easily the size of the naga, long dead but still wearing a solid piece of adamantine like a collar. A few quick cuts later and the final piece was free.

"A little boredom is okay now and then," she grinned. "Sledding in the Snowflake Mountains... Hanging out at the Manticore and listening to the new songs Bradwen picked up in the past season's travels... Sitting in front of the fireplace at the Champions' House with a tea cup in hand..." Ashara's voice trailed off for a moment lost in memories as she sloshed through the slurry of stomach contents. Actually none of those things sounded particularly 'boring' to her... Relaxing, but hardly boring. "But you know," she continued, "there's honestly no where in the Realms I'd rather be right now than here in these ruins up to my elbows in behir beside my husband and brother in the faith! Oh!"

The priestess looked up see Elric wiping gak off a vambrace of blue-black metal. "You found it!"

Minute vibrations hummed through the Arm of Valor as the final piece was buckled on to her forearm. The newly reunited family now fused into a single unbroken plate of adamantite and understanding lit in Ashara's eyes. She knew how such a creation could help protect the city. She knew why it had been broken into pieces and hidden. And she knew why, once its mission at the Dawnspire was done, it would have to be hidden and protected at all cost!

None worthy, so hidden let it be.

Considering the amount of power one person could wield with this artifact , if it ever got into the wrong hands, it could be devastating!!

Ashara looked down at the Arm with bare-face incredulity. Not only did it protect her better physically, she was now immune to enchantment and charm magics, Holds, Sleep spells, Psionics, Fear, Polymorph spells, Petrification, ESP, spell-like powers and on top of that she was more resistant to magics and harmful effects in general. But that wasn't all... The power of the Arm allowed her to punch with the strength of an ogre, blast an opponent with a sphere of force, Jump like Elric's boots, Feather Fall like the wristlet Jorelon was wearing, hit harder with Dawnspeaker, Dispel Magic, use Magic Missiles, Minor Creation, and Wizard Eye...and one last thing...

"Babe," she choked out in amazement, blinking up at her husband, "I can Fly."

Elric stared in wonder as she listed it's powers and his eyes just got wider. It just got more powerful!

"By Corellon..." he whispered in awe. What would it have been like if this had made it in the war? Would the city have been saved? Would the demons have claimed it? What would have happened THEN??

Now... through luck or fate, it was needed again. Something, needed them to find an artifact of this power to save the Dawnspire. Only one question needed to be asked.

"Ashara... What have we gotten in the middle of now?"

"Welcome to Myth Drannor!"

Jorelon slung his pack over his shoulder and clapped the half elf heartily on the back.

"Anyone who's ever come stumbling through our walls and every soul we've rescued from the ruins has said exactly the same thing. You can try to prepare for all the dangers in the city, but one thing's for certain. No one is ever really ready for it! Myth Drannor rises to every challenge that chooses to walk through her streets and for you two...that's saying something!

"And the search for the Arm was probably the easy part," he added with a grin. "We still have to figure out who or what is threatening the Dawnspire and find a way to stop them, so the Abbess will probably appreciate it if we can get back post haste!"

"Not a problem." Ashara called out from the other end of the behir where she'd cut it open farther in her search for that organ for Kaldric. "I'd rather not dawdle in the ruins with this thing on my arm and risk this kind of power falling in to the wrong hands. Just let me..."

The priestess grunted in exertion as she tugged some unidentifiable innards out of the way. "By the gods I think that's its gall bladder! Um... Just a sec guys, it's got to be around here somewhere..."

The priest just blinked at her and leaned in to whisper to Elric.

"So this is what you two choose to do on vacation??"

"Well... they're not all this exciting." he said with a grin. "There was... ummm... No Siege doesn't count... ummm Dragons... wizards.. ummm...." His brow furrowed as he tried to recall the last time they weren't in danger for their lives.

"Ok, yes! This is exactly how we spend our free time!" He chuckled as Ashara wiped off Behir mess and her newly found gland. She looked so pleased Elric just burst into laughter despite the disturbing gore.

"We ready to head back now?"

"What about tentacle 'thing' up there?" Jorelon asked with a hint of concern.

"RIGHT... Forgot all about that..." Elric looked back towards the way they came. "Do we want to climb the rope, Or see if there's another way out of here?"

Ashara fumbled with the slippery gland but managed to tie a respectable knot in the duct so the two fluids wouldn't mix. No one wanted a lightning bomb going off in their midst! Satisfied, she hopped down off the mangled behir corpse and trotted over to her gear with a marked bounce in her step.

"Now normally I'm all for exploring you understand," she replied as she stashed the organ in the Haversack. "Path less traveled and all that... But, with the completed Arm I'm less interested in taking chances when the fate of the Dawnspire might be on the line. We know what's up the rope...well sorta, but at least that it didn't attack us on the way through the hole, and we don't know what might be lying in wait down another path."

Covered in ick and worse, the young woman walked over to stand beside her companions. "So, my vote is for the rope... This time. There are definitely some things I'd still like to check out lat.... What?!" She chuckled at the disgusted looks on the faces of the two men and held her arms out wide. "Well done team! Group hug!"

"AHhhh... Ummm... How about a raincheck?" Jorelon asked awkwardly. "As for routes.. I'd agree Ashara. For all we know the cellar here leads into a nest of Behirs... The longer you stay in Myth Drannor, the less eager you are to blaze new trails."

"That's a pity..." Elric said with sincere regret. While they weren't wrong in this case, he really did feel bad for people surrounded by such excitement who could only see it as 'danger'. He hoped they never became so used to danger that they lost the thrill in it.

"Ok then, Rope it is." He looked back at his wife and grimaced. Slick with ick, he wondered if she could even climb a rope. Then he grinned as he remembered.

"You may be getting a chance to try out that flight sooner then expected!"

"Awww shucks," Ashara winked, poorly hiding her enthusiasm. The relic would certainly be turned over to the Abbess as soon as they arrived and that was just fine by her. Still...the opportunity to try out some of those powers was more than a little tempting!

The trio left the enormous corpse to whatever dark denizens picked the bones of the deceased clean, and made it back to the previous room to find that the rope still hung where they'd left it. It was a good sign. Maybe their passing had gone unnoticed to all but the strange creature hovering above.

A thin stream of light shone down through the hole in the ceiling but the angle of the shaft made it impossible to see what that tentacle thing overhead might be up to.

Ashara picked up the rear guard this time. The unencumbered half elf slithered up the rope and through the narrow passage with little difficulty, skittering under the creature that guarded the entrance. Jorelon went next, but with not nearly the grace and Dexterity. Climbing a free hanging rope while wearing fifty pounds of armor is even more difficult that it sounds and while he could've managed himself, the priestess used the Fly ability to give him a boost. He too squeezed beneath the tentacle without issue.

Using the rope as a guide, Ashara Flew up through the shaft, slicking the walls with gore as she went. Falling through the hole was significantly more difficult than coming back up it seemed, as her gear kept getting caught on old roots or chunks of rock, and by the time she was free of the narrow confines she'd forgotten how quickly she could move with that Fly ability. She shot up and out of the hole and nearly ran face first into the spinning tentacle before cutting the spell.

"Huh," she blushed, crawling out from beneath the creature. "Looks like I'll need more practice with that particular power!"

The two men shoved the plaza's tile back in place while Ashara coiled up the rope. The tentacle writhed in agitation the whole while but otherwise tolerated them until the group moved back to the south out of the wide open plaza and toward the Dawnspire.

"A little different then riding the bees?" Elric asked as he helped her to her feet. He kept a close watch on the giant tentacle as they quickly left it's area. Once he thought it moved towards them, but it must have changed it's mind and gone back to... doing... whatever it is that giant tentacles do.

"What's it like?" He asked with a bit more excitement in his voice then he intended. "What's it like to 'be the Bee?" One look at Jorelon's confusion started him laughing much too loudly for walking these dangerous streets.

"Yeah... Yeah, I gotta ask..." the priest said slowly, always scanning the sky and shadows. "What 'Bees' are you talking about??"

"Bees... Y'know... buzz buzz?! " he made a little flapping motion by his head that was a truly terrible impression. "Bee's fly. We ride them!"

Jorelon opened his mouth to dismiss that out of hand, but suddenly closed it again. Considering the other things he took as a fact he was hesitant to doubt anything!

"Ummm... How? uhhh.. Hmm.....How many does it take??" He asked quietly.

Elric chuckled. "Just one... got to make 'em big firsts though... We used to fly beetles, but the wings and the shell... it wasn't comfortable. Bees are fluffier, and we had saddles made." His mouth twisted in disappointment. "Well... we HAVE saddles, but haven't gotten to use them yet. Need our druid friend for the whole experience."

As Jorelon tried to wrap his mind around the process, Elric turned his attention back to Ashara. "Of course... that's not the same as flying solo! How was that?!?

Ashara's light laughter was stilted with tension as she kept an eye out for any movement in the ruins around them. "Can't say I rightly know yet, Melamin... I don't think jumping up, getting slightly airborne before squeezing myself through a narrow shaft and almost taking a tentacle to the face is enough to fully grasp the experience of solo flight.

"So after my sad attempt, I believe it's your turn next! Hopefully we'll get the opportunity to give it another test run once this threat has been put down because I'm really looking forward to seeing what you could do with it!"

The priestess shook her head in wonder. Even without wings her husband seemed to defy gravity while he fought...she could hardly imagine what an airborne salk-sirra master would look like in combat!

"Elric's always been a bit of a daredevil," she explained to Jorelon as a continuation of her thought. "Pushing himself just a liiiiiiiittle farther than he knows he should. A little faster, a little higher, a little longer... Gives me heart palpitations he does. Pretty sure that's why he decided to marry me," Ashara laughed freely this time, "because he knew there was no way he'd see thirty if he didn't have a priestess to look over him!

"But the flying thing especially, he seems to have a knack for, though I can't say why. Ever since Eddick...that's our druid friend," she clarified, "first enlarged those beetles for us to ride, he's taken to it like he was born to it. I think I almost died twice on those things... Thank goodness for Feather Fall!"

"Still better than Therogeon though.... " Elric added in. "Our wizard is a terrible flyer!

Seriously... I've never seen the like." He shook his head in amazement. Modesty not withstanding, even he had to admit that he'd taken to the aerial mounts as if he was born to it. The entire time he'd been practicing, he'd only had one fall. The wizard on the other hand... Try as the warrior might, he couldn't remember if the elder half-elf had ever successfully held on!

"He keeps trying though, I'll give him credit for that..." He shot Ashara a wink. "Still... I'd say thirty may be pushing our luck!"

Jorelon just shook his head and grinned.

"Ok... I don't know how you two do it... I live in Myth Drannor. Yet, by the dawn... SOMEHOW, Your making jealous! How in the world does your life sound more adventurous than mine

"We're making you jealous??" Grinning, she shoved Jorelon's shoulder playfully. "This from the guy that met Lathander!? MET him!! Not only that, but lived and worked beside him!!! Jealous?! Are you kidding?!"

The volume of Ashara's voice increased in direct proportion to the excitement she was feeling at the thought of being in the physical presence of the Morninglord. She took a deep breath to calm down. Swooning there in the middle of the ruins would not only be embarrassing, but dangerous...

"I'd trade you all the giant bees in the world for that particular experience, brother, but you're right we've had an exciting two years...and I have a feeling," she added, turning her eyes toward the Dawnspire in the distance, "that it's going to get a bit more exciting very soon!"

Elric grinned as his wife's giddiness shone through. Light conversation and wary eyes got them through the ever present dead magic zone. Twice they spotted patrols that could have caused problems. One a patrol of hobgoblins, that he was certain they could have overpowered. Though not quietly enough to guarantee not bringing in worse trouble.


The other a patrol of Fifteen demons led by a Cornugon. A massive winged beast that was a contender for ugliest monster he'd seen yet, though his minions seemed to be runners up. Wielding a jagged whip Elric gasped when he saw the angry taskmaster flay demonic flesh from bone of a smaller Abishai and leave it for dead.

Hunkered down behind a broken pillar he looked to his companions. "Ok... I'm not usually one for letting demons run freely, But it looks like they haven't seen us yet. What do you two think? Surprise them now? Or leave them for some other time?"

Jorelon swallowed audibly. "I would advise against it... If the Seekers attacked every contingent of devils we came across in our forays into the ruins, there would be none of us left! We have to pick our battles. This..." he jabbed his thumb in the direction they'd seen the deadly patrol, "This is not a battle I'd pick!"

Ashara noted that though he made his opinion known, the priest's hand moved to grip the haft of his borrowed mace and she couldn't help but smile. This brother they'd only just met was willing to charge into all but certain death if that's what they decided to do. Bravery, self-sacrifice, unshakable faith... Many could talk a good game, but here in the face of it was a different matter. Jorelon was the real deal.

Not to mention he was absolutely right! The priestess' eyes locked on those wicked barbed tails of the abishai and cringed. She'd failed to provide the Heroes Feast this morning and if any of them were struck solidly...actually Jorelon with his wristlet would be okay, but if either of the Everdawns were hit by that poisonous spine, there would be no time for her to Neutralize it. That could end the fight very quickly. To say nothing of their devilish abilities that could be twisted by the Mythal or the sheer number of them! One Going Down ceremony tonight was enough...

"I agree with my stalwart brother here," Ashara whispered to the warrior. "This is not a fight we want right now. The Arm needs to get to the Dawnspire and if we chose to send these guys back to the hells we'd risk allowing the artifact to fall into their hands. That just can't happen."

She rested a hand on Elric's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Let's let them pass and put some distance between us before we continue on."

Elric nodded in agreement. "Ok then, we're all in agreement. Today, Save the world. Tomorrow slay demons. Everything in the proper order."

He hushed up quickly as one of the Abishai spun toward the hidden trio. Guttural orders called out and the sharp crack of the whip sent the devil scurrying back into line with a squeal.

The half-elf held his breath till he was sure that they were gone. Peeking out from the rubble he sighed in relief.

"I think we're clear now..." he whispered a bit embarrassed. "Should... ummm... Probably watch the volume a bit."

As the devils marched off, Ashara's heart finally continued its regular rhythm and she allowed herself to exhale.

"We probably all should," the priestess smiled weakly, "and save the stories for a safer time!"

Little was said after that near encounter and the three companions slowly and warily picked their way back through the ruins as silent as the city itself.

Before long they found themselves approaching the now familiar sight of the Dawnspire. The guards quickly let them in questioning if there was a reason they were back so soon. Elric glanced to the sky and with a touch of surprise noted the sun wasn't quite past midday yet.

"Wow... It seemed like longer."

"Sometimes." Jorelon said clapping him on the shoulder. "Sometimes you lose whole days and find yourself out after dark. Those... Those are bad days."

"I'm not sure I agree with that..." the half-elf said with a wistful grin. The scene of the city glowing in the dark with fairy fire and blue moss... He'd take that image with him the rest of his days.

"Anyone seen Kaldric?" Jorelon was asking his fellow seekers. "What about the Abbess?"

"I think the Abbess is inside with the Dawnstone right now." A young woman answered from the growing crowd. "Haven't seen Kaldric since he went to his lab yesterday..." A quick survey of the crowd seemed to concur with the young priestess' statements.

"He'll come out when he's ready," Jorelon told his companions. "I'd say we should try to track down the Abbess and tell her our success."

"Where's the rest of it?" came a voice from the crowd.

"Rest of what?" Elric asked curiously.

"The armor!" A chuckle seemed to ripple through the crowd. "Y'all didn't just go huntin' for only an arm did ye? Where's the rest of it!!"

The joke may have been just that but there was a hint of frustration and nervousness that sharpened the edges of those words. It wouldn't come as a surprise if some were doubting the worth of a quest to find a few pieces of armor. Outside of a few high ranking members, the other Seekers had been kept largely in the dark about the search for the Arm of Valor and the power it held, and it was in that search that Durlan was lost to them. A high price to pay.

"Faith, brother," Ashara immediately called to the voice amidst the crowd. Any doubt needed to be stamped out before it took hold in others. "The Morninglord directed the Abbess to the location of the Arm because that's all that's needed! It's both armor and weapon. The rest of the armor is already here, in the hearts and minds of the Seekers! You that are the best defense for the Dawnspire as you've always been, but in this case Lathander saw fit to provide you, his most stalwart of believers, a little extra assistance for the trouble at hand."

The priestess took a moment to magically cleanse herself of the behir gore and looked up to the top of the tower which housed the Dawnstone. The windows were just big enough...

"I'll meet you up there," she whispered to her husband, and squeezed his hand with a grin before stepping out into the crowd.

"Have faith in the Abbess' wisdom, brothers and sisters," Ashara continued her address. "Have faith in yourselves. But most of all, have faith in He Who Comes with the Dawn, for he has not forgotten you!"

With that, she took Dawnspeaker, wreathed in brilliant light, in hand and launched herself into the air where she flew off toward the top of the tower to meet Abbess Alaecathra.

"Nice exit..." Jorelon whispered before being besieged with questions. Elric wasn't immune to the curious crowd either and barely had time to whisper a message to his wife. He watched as she soared effortlessly towards the Dawnspire and seeing at least half the crowd's eyes following her too, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Vanima wanye Meleamin... Ananta lle sal'dura lle n'kamaya tura-lindar." He looked at the priest nearby and grinned conspiratorially, "Aiya!! Jorelon weera!" Then he was bombarded by questions. Questions he didn't feel comfortable answering, and ever so delicately tried to maneuver his way towards the tower door.


********************************************************************

Nothing.

The Abbess rose from her knees and looked again at the shining dawnstone. A soft sigh issued from her lips. Visions were rare, but she had hoped. Perhaps the pressure was getting great but she could almost feel the pressure on her shoulders. No small part had to do with the 'Going Down' tonight. The second she'd presided over this week. It was a part of the job, but by far her least favorite.

She shook her head in annoyance. That wasn't it. It was this whole 'Arm of Valor' business. If the Everdawns performed as she'd expected, they'd have the completed arm by nightfall. Then what? She still believed the arm was important, but for the life her she couldn't see where the pieces fit together. She brushed off her white robes and went towards the windows. She loved the smell of Autumn. It usually gave her peace. This time was a little different though.

As she breathed deeply she gasped a startled cry. There floating through the air was the vision that she had sought! At first glance she thought the tower had been visited by an armored deva... without wings... but her smile widened as she realized the truth.

"Sister ASHARA!!!" She exclaimed as she backed away from the window. "You're back so soon... Did everything go alright?"

Her eyes glittered as she looked at the adamantine arm complete and whole on her arm. "You found it...."

Kaldric collapsed back into his chair and expelled a long sigh. As he did so, the letters heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhh scrawled out in neat penmanship across a piece of parchment strung up with three score others upon the wall. He closed his blurry and throbbing eyes for just a moment, allowing them their first rest since long before sunrise. Despite an incredibly long last couple of days, the wizard had found sleep a fitful process at best, though an impossibility more aptly described it. Every time he closed his eyes there awaited Elric and Ashara quipping playfully back and forth in the elven tongue, thankful for one another in even the most direst of circumstances. As his mind replayed their affectionate teasing about tickling and water buckets, it repeated the same question over and over again: "What's wrong with you?"

Often, when watching the Fingers flirt with the many men that called the Dawnspire home or with those who stumbled upon it in their reckless wanderings of Myth Drannor, the Veil Initiate asked himself that very question. Naturally, as he recalled the Everdawns' spirited attentions toward one another, the question had bothered him on a deeper level. Kaldric, too, had a wife, yet unlike the Everdawns he chose to neglect her when he should have been striving to find her . . . to help her. "What's wrong with you?" his mind so often inquired. So very much, he could only reply, but I'll try to do better.

It was as if he were conversing with his Mother those many years ago, and now, as then, his striving did little to ease the pain of his failings.

Thus, he had locked the door to his laboratory hours before Lathander had peeked over the eastern horizon and set about the work to help his wife. Kaldric worked throughout the day, analyzing the many books and scrolls retrieved from Gemblaunt Isle, logging pages upon pages of hypotheses and theories, but the answers remained frustratingly out of reach. A part of him deplored that he had yet to grow powerful enough in his Art to fully comprehend the answers that resided right there in front of him; another part of him wondered if he could ever grasp the necessary concepts to start with! Answers lay hidden in that spell scroll, he chided his many doubts. I need only crack the code that is a magical form impossible for me to cast!

Kaldric nearly sighed again, but caught it just in time. Instead, he said, "Strike last word." On the parchment, a thick, black line drew though the spelled-out sigh, and the word disappeared completely soon after. "The proof is here," he dictated to the scroll, which obediently jotted down his every word. "It's possible for the corrupted magic of the Mythal to be fixed, even if only temporarily. I have every faith that complete repair is impossible without knowledge of Elven High Magic, but this spell, Weave Mythal, proves that her magic can be touched and formed via the Art as I know it . . . well," he amended, realizing the indicated spell resided in the Alteration school of magic, which he could not cast, "almost as I know it. I believe it possible for me to learn greatly from this spell, however, and through study of it create a unique incantation through another school of magic--most likely divination--that should enable me to contact her . . . my wife . . . the Mythal."

He hesitated a moment, thinking long and hard about whether he had anything else he wished to say. Deciding he didn't, the Veil Initiate ended the dictate spell with a thought.

Rising from his seat, Kaldric's stomach tightened into knots from his hunger pangs, but he knew there would be time for food later. Right now, he needed to digest all the information he had recorded today and begin piecing together more concrete theories while it all remained fresh in his head.

He had three more dictate spells memorized for when those theories started to solidify, and he could think of no reason why any of them should go to waste before he bedded down for the night.

Permitting himself another sigh now that he had ended the magic, Kaldric looked around at his windowless, parchment-strewn walls.

So much to do. So little time.

Twisting sideways in mid-flight, Ashara slipped through the window, immediately falling into a low bow as she touched down before her superior.

"We found it, yes Abbess, in the belly of a behir and by the grace of Lathander we've all returned safely."

Warmth and serenity filled her mind as the presence of the Dawnstone washed over her and the Everdawn blade which glowed brightly on the altar beneath filled her heart with joy. The priestess dropped to her knees before the relic and offered a quick prayer of thanks for safe passage and for the continued success of their mission.

"Please forgive my unorthodox entry... I was looking to inspire a bit of hope to those below who think our search for this thing may have been pointless." Ashara stood and smiled at the Abbess as she began unbuckling the Arm plates. "Elric and Jorelon are on their way up presently.

"I know it's only been a few hours but has there been any more developments with the Dead Magic area? Any further clue as to who...or what is behind this threat?"

Piece by piece she reverently presented the Arm of Valor to the Abbess.

"Nothing, I'm afraid..." The abbess said as she awkwardly took the collection of metal from the junior priestess. "We have scouts investigating the field, but none have reported back yet.

I came to the Dawnstone for guidance, but so far, I know nothing more than I did yesterday."

She looked over the arm carefully as she spoke. It was marvelous craftsmanship but nothing about it seemed special to her. Carefully she examined the vambrace and found another hidden compartment. She raised her glance to Ashara and smiled. Pulling out an old piece of paper she carefully opened it and and her smile faded.

"Same thing as the last note...." the disappointment was obvious. "Same directions even... Well, Almost." She held the note out for Ashara to see.

None worthy so hidden let it be. If the city stands in peril look: Where wind is worshipped. Where song lives. Where your roots grow strong. Where love is worship.

"Where your roots grow strong... My guess is that's where your first piece was hidden originally." She squinted her eyes in thought for a moment before grinning again. "The Parentree. A temple to Corellon Larethian. I suppose it's good that the elves were involved with this weapon too." Her mouth scrunched up as she considered the magic that had flowed through the city in that age.. that something was TOO powerful hadn't escaped her. She only wished she knew what it was for!

"You've worn the arm Sister... Have you any revelations about our next step?"