It was slowly becoming clear to me what this Crystal Tower was for. Taltros had been built under such great security and secrecy that few even knew its name, and only a few new its true purposes. I had heard that an accident had occurred during its first, and only, test. Since then the island had been under heavy security and had never been openly discussed in Council as far as I knew. After all that had happened on my way to the base of the crystal tower I was ready to take a guess as to what the Council had been hoping to achieve with this weapon. For it could not be anything other then a weapon.

     They had hoped to change history, or to at least alter a good chunk of it. Perhaps they had simply wanted it as a way to see what the Alliance was going to do in the future, or change its creation. Perhaps start a war between the dwarves, humans and elves which made up the bulk of its forces. I can only guess what they wished to do with it, but the results of that one test were still obvious. Time and space was warped around the island, becoming progressively worse in proximity to the Crystal. It was so bad at the base of the crystal that alternate histories and timelines overlapped each other for brief amounts of time. The effect was confusing and disorienting to say the least. As I searched for a way up the crystal I was assaulted by more and more of those headaches, some so bad they sent me to my knees in pain. I could only hope that it would not get worse as I climbed the crystal.
There were, unfortunately, no openings at all in the base of the crystal which I could find. Which left only one way to climb the crystal to its peak, and a way which I was not at all confident I could accomplish. The crystal, upon close examination, was not as perfectly smooth as I had thought from a distance. It was striated, with small gaps here an there in those striations where I could just barely wedge a blade and pull myself upwards. I was simply unsure if I could make the entire thousand foot climb in my current state. It seemed, however, that I had no choice in the matter. There were a few things I could do to help myself on the way, but it was going to be a long climb either way.

     Slowly I began, pacing myself so that I didnt push too hard. Easing my way up the vertical side. Every few feet were a struggle. I had both of my daggers and wedged there blades into those occasional slits in the crystal's side, and pulled myself up hand over hand. On more then a few occasions there were no slits on my side of the crystal and I had to make my way back down a ways, cross over, and then start back up. More then once I had to hang from one dagger as I swung myself back and forth, trying to reach far enough to dig the other one into the crystal's surface. I refused to look down, instead simply gazing upwards towards where the top of this monstrosity was. I had made several hundred feet before another headache nearly caused me to release my hold on my daggers. Thankfully such an act would probably not kill me, since the necklace I wore would enable me to use Feather Fall, as long as I was conscious enough to activate it that is.

-----------------

     Laureine's grip loosened and nearly slipped as the waves of pain crashed through her mind. The world seemed to tilt and her stomach did uncomfortable things for a moment or two. When the pain slowly passed she was less then shocked to find that she was no longer alone on the side of the crystal. A few feet to her right, clinging to the side of the crystal with a quizzical expression on her face, was another Laureine. This one wore a black form fitting silk suite, and had a harness of some sort buckled on. From which hung various tools, and instruments. Attached to her feet and hands were climbing claws, with which she was climbing the crystal much the same way that Laureine herself was. Probably a lot easier that way though, Laureine thought with a touch of envy.

     "Not another one." The stranger with her body groaned as she looked back at herself. "What in the name of Mask are you doing up here with daggers? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

     "I'm not used to climbing things, only flying over them." Was Laureines terse reply as she managed to wedge the blade of one dagger a few feet above her and pull herself upwards while the stranger watched with an amused expression.

     "You'll never make it to the top like that you know, your barely a third of the way up and I can see your already tiring. Here, take this." Leaving her left arm and both feet attached to the crystal's surface the black clad elf drew another set of climbing claws from her belt and tossed them across to Laureine, who barely managed to catch them before they tumbled down. "When you get tired you just have to speak the word that's on the inside of them and they will stick to the surface letting you rest." The woman's words slowly faded out towards the end as the, by now familiar, waves of pain crested over both of them. When the pain was gone, so was her climbing companion.