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Guest
Guest
It was early again, Joram Soulrift yawned as he looked round to see what had disturbed him. The room was bathed in a golden hue and the first rays of dawn came through the stone window.
The door shook violently on it's hinges downstairs as someone was banging furiously on it. Thinking there must be trouble brewing Joram dressed quickly and headed towards the door. He had given Bringwen, the barmaid from the Taverna Stratica, the day off to visit her family, how he regretted that now.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming" he yelled as he took the tower steps two at a time.
He flung the door open to see not a messanger as he had expected, but his friend, Lord Hunter McCinley of the Guardians of Honor. Hunter was looking excitedly at Joram, and stepped through the door.
"Morning friend" he said bouyantly, "Ready?"
"I'm about ready to flamestrike you!!" replied Joram, with a smile, "What the hell are you doing waking me at this hour?"
"Oh you didn't get my messenger? I sent him last night to tell you to be ready early this morn to head to Ilshenar".
Joram leaned back on the bar of the Taverna, he knew where this was leading. Pretty much most mornings when both of the men were available there would be the usual hurried sending of messages before both of them prepared themselves for another trip to Terot Skitas, the Temple of Wisdom of Ilshenar.
No thought of returning to sleep was in his mind now, Joram grabbed a pack of reagents from one of the chests by the table, and poured two large mugs of ale. He turned to Hunter, one in each hand, Hunter smiled appreciatively.
"I knew you wouldn't let me down" he said with a grin.
Both men threw the ale down their necks and walked outside. The air was crisp and fresh, though still slightly chilled because of the hour. After quickly double checking their equipment, Hunter uttered the words Vas Rel Por and the pair vanished into a blue void.
They arrived at the Valor Shrine in Ilshenar in seconds. There were crumbling ruins all around the once great Shrine. This was a land of monsters, humans time here had passed.
As was usual practice they spurred their horses to a gallop and ignored all the creatures they passed. Hurtling through the jungle undergrowth at a frightening pace they saw an Elder Gazer on the horizon, without a word to each other they split either side of him and flew past, the beast did not even have time to register what had happened and they were gone again on the horizon. Still onward they went, across open grassland with the scattered remains of fallen men on either side of them, until they reached a bridge.
The bridge was carved beautifully out of white stone. It was smooth as marble and cool to the touch. Perhaps this was testament to bygone times of Ilshenar when craftsmen could ply their trade without fear of the monsters that now roamed freely.
The men trotted across the bridge then turned sharply to the south-east. Again at full gallop they hugged the river bank, until breaking on the horizon they got their first glimpse of it.... Terot Skitas.
A huge mountain of rock, protruding straight up in the sky from the flat grasslands around, shielded their view of the temple from this side. They skirted round the base of the mountain until they had a better view point.
Now, standing in front of a huge arched entrance way under the mountain, they looked up. The sun had now cleared the horizon and was shining brightly. The rays hit an awe spiring building above them. It rested snugly in the side of the mountain, and, like the bridge they had crossed, was crafted of smooth white stone. It cast an impressive scene, the sun reflected off the smooth walls and gave the impression of an aura about the place.
Both men paused to take in the magnificent scene, then turned to each other.
"No time like the present" grinned Hunter. Joram nodded in agreement and they headed towards the archway.
The arch was at least three stories high and made of dark blue stone. Underneath it the entrance to the myriad of corridors under the once great building could be seen.
In Lor, Flam Sanct, In Jux the men incanted.
They rode boldly through the entrance. The marble corridor they entered gave the sad impression of fallen greatness. There were still artefacts of a past era. The men's reminiscience was cut short. The clanking of bones could be heard in the distance.
"We don't have time for you to stare at all these shiny things" chuckled hunter.
"Bah!" grinned Joram, "Let's get down there quickly then."
[To be continued.....]
The door shook violently on it's hinges downstairs as someone was banging furiously on it. Thinking there must be trouble brewing Joram dressed quickly and headed towards the door. He had given Bringwen, the barmaid from the Taverna Stratica, the day off to visit her family, how he regretted that now.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming" he yelled as he took the tower steps two at a time.
He flung the door open to see not a messanger as he had expected, but his friend, Lord Hunter McCinley of the Guardians of Honor. Hunter was looking excitedly at Joram, and stepped through the door.
"Morning friend" he said bouyantly, "Ready?"
"I'm about ready to flamestrike you!!" replied Joram, with a smile, "What the hell are you doing waking me at this hour?"
"Oh you didn't get my messenger? I sent him last night to tell you to be ready early this morn to head to Ilshenar".
Joram leaned back on the bar of the Taverna, he knew where this was leading. Pretty much most mornings when both of the men were available there would be the usual hurried sending of messages before both of them prepared themselves for another trip to Terot Skitas, the Temple of Wisdom of Ilshenar.
No thought of returning to sleep was in his mind now, Joram grabbed a pack of reagents from one of the chests by the table, and poured two large mugs of ale. He turned to Hunter, one in each hand, Hunter smiled appreciatively.
"I knew you wouldn't let me down" he said with a grin.
Both men threw the ale down their necks and walked outside. The air was crisp and fresh, though still slightly chilled because of the hour. After quickly double checking their equipment, Hunter uttered the words Vas Rel Por and the pair vanished into a blue void.
They arrived at the Valor Shrine in Ilshenar in seconds. There were crumbling ruins all around the once great Shrine. This was a land of monsters, humans time here had passed.
As was usual practice they spurred their horses to a gallop and ignored all the creatures they passed. Hurtling through the jungle undergrowth at a frightening pace they saw an Elder Gazer on the horizon, without a word to each other they split either side of him and flew past, the beast did not even have time to register what had happened and they were gone again on the horizon. Still onward they went, across open grassland with the scattered remains of fallen men on either side of them, until they reached a bridge.
The bridge was carved beautifully out of white stone. It was smooth as marble and cool to the touch. Perhaps this was testament to bygone times of Ilshenar when craftsmen could ply their trade without fear of the monsters that now roamed freely.
The men trotted across the bridge then turned sharply to the south-east. Again at full gallop they hugged the river bank, until breaking on the horizon they got their first glimpse of it.... Terot Skitas.
A huge mountain of rock, protruding straight up in the sky from the flat grasslands around, shielded their view of the temple from this side. They skirted round the base of the mountain until they had a better view point.
Now, standing in front of a huge arched entrance way under the mountain, they looked up. The sun had now cleared the horizon and was shining brightly. The rays hit an awe spiring building above them. It rested snugly in the side of the mountain, and, like the bridge they had crossed, was crafted of smooth white stone. It cast an impressive scene, the sun reflected off the smooth walls and gave the impression of an aura about the place.
Both men paused to take in the magnificent scene, then turned to each other.
"No time like the present" grinned Hunter. Joram nodded in agreement and they headed towards the archway.
The arch was at least three stories high and made of dark blue stone. Underneath it the entrance to the myriad of corridors under the once great building could be seen.
In Lor, Flam Sanct, In Jux the men incanted.
They rode boldly through the entrance. The marble corridor they entered gave the sad impression of fallen greatness. There were still artefacts of a past era. The men's reminiscience was cut short. The clanking of bones could be heard in the distance.
"We don't have time for you to stare at all these shiny things" chuckled hunter.
"Bah!" grinned Joram, "Let's get down there quickly then."
[To be continued.....]