"Greetings, my dear,", a silky voice whispered out of the darkness. Baele was standing (floating?) in a void of blackness. A shadow detached itself from the Void and coalesced into the shape of a mid-sized human, cloaked in black velvet, eyes shining a brilliant green. "I trust your Void-travel wasn’t too bumpy?", again, that whispering voice came, seemingly emanating from the figure.
Baele found her voice. "Who are you? Why am I here? Why can’t I feel my magical power? Send me back to my friends!" a distraught Baele pleaded.
"Calmness, my dear. I mean you no harm, quite the opposite in fact. But your questions first. I am Nematar, Mage of silence, time, and shadow. You are here because your type of magic was most compatible with the Void. Your friends would have had a rough time of it had I borrowed their consciousness instead. You can’t feel your magic power because only those of the discipline of Shadow magic who have mastered the Void can control and manipulate it’s energies. And have no fear, you will be with your friends soon, with no recollection of this conversation save my name, and the lesser geas I will put on you.
"Now then, this is why I brought you: I know what you and you Companions are planning. And I can tell you that if I am not with you, you will fail. When you reach the Empire, there is a very powerful mage there who will destroy you.", finished Nematar.
"But we have Tyric. He is powerful," said Baele.
"Yes, he is powerful indeed. As powerful as I, and better trained. But his magic is not the type which can stand up to the mage. Mine is," said Nematar.
Baele nodded. "I understand. And I trust you. My innate magic tells me you are good... I sense no negative energy at your core." said Baele.
"Thank you my dear. You are correct. I am your friend. Now, go back. And remember these words: ‘It is imperative that the Companions come to the town of Argothinus, south of Juristein. Seek the mage named by the townsfolk as Silent Shadow, there I will be, and then I will join you," whispered Nematar.
"Now, Go!" said Nematar, the first time Baele had heard him raise his voice above a whisper. He outstretched his fingers, and a ball of grayness Baele could only think of as pure silence flew out from his fingers and hit her in the chest with a forceful, but not painful impact. Baele felt her mind speeding backwards, back to Sifune forest...
"Baele, are you OK?" said Tyric, worry in his voice. " You blacked out, and wouldn’t come to for a good three minutes. What happened?"
(Writer: Tyric) Baele stuttered.
"Nem... Nematar?" Tyric was perplexed. "Wha?"
Baele shrugged. "I don’t know... There was something else as well."
Tyric, still looking at Baele, spoke again. "Um.. Anyway, the Guardians will stay here in the forest, while the rest continue to Juristein."
Baele’s face lit up. "It is imperative that the Companions go to the town of Argothinus, south of Juristein. Seek the mage named by the townsfolk Silent Shadow. There he will be, and there he shall join us." Tyric’s worry face came back.
"Baele, exactly what happened when you were unconscious? Do you remember?" Baele shook her head no. Tyric, realizing that was no regular nap she had taken, examined the energies around the girl. A few strands of magic lay loose around her head, and Tyric was about to trace them when they dissapated and sank docilely into Baele’s aura.
"Is everything alright?" said Alita. Tyric decided that no further worries were needed, and nodded. "Nothing’s amiss. What do you know about Argothinus and this Silent Shadow, though?"
Rhia spoke up. "What the lady says is correct, it is a town south of Juristien, in the hill lands of the Empire. I know nothing of this Silent Shadow, however." She then pointed on the map to its location, and the rest made note of it.
"I suggest everyone rest up, pack what little we have," Tyric paused to grin at Hopp’s mock-glare, "and get to know each other better. Tomorrow, we separate, and we have a long journey ahead of us."
(Writer: Bolt) The Empire of Deras was far separated from the forest of Sifune. According to the group’s best guesses, it could take anywhere from two weeks to a month before they arrived at the border. Bolt and Hopp were adept enough at living in the wild, and there would be enough villages to restock their supplies. The journey would be long and tiresome, but as Tryic had suggested, they would certainly get to know each other better. With mixed emotions of excitement and worry, the adventurers set off.
