Something pounded out of the shadows of the Dark forest, the only forest in the land of Kern and stopped suddenly in a flurry of wind and leaves blown off branches.The thing looked out at the green,blue and orange landscape and grunted disapproval loudly.It stared for the longest time at a deer that was happily munching on some grass at the base of a large Mountain and did nothing.Then suddenly the deer noticed the thing staring at it from the edge of the forest and it jumped when it saw what was looking at it.The deer looked once, put his mouth down to grab one last mouthful and then ran as if possessed away from the thing that stared at it from the forest. The thing glared at the deer for a moment as it ran away, then turned and stomped back into his Dark forest causing several trees to fall in his wake.

The Deer ran and ran until it reached its safe haven, a small cave it had found for its family at the base of a steep cliff.Once it had reached the inside of the cave the deer suddenly shifted and morphed into a young elven girl about 13 or 14 karons old. "Mom! Are you home?" she said walking to the back of the cave where they had set up a small eating area for the family. "Yes child, what is it?" the mother said coming out from behind a heating machine. "I saw something come out of the Dark Forest!" the girl said, knowing her mother wouldn't believe. "What? that forest has been long dead child for years...nothing can come out or go in, you know that.A wizard cast a spell on the forest a long, long time ago and no has ever been able to lift it, but you know that I told the story to you years ago." the mother said, mentally worrying.What she said was correct, the evil archmage wizard Raistlin had cast a death spell on the forest in order to curse his army of death knights that had failed him. The spell had killed everything in the forest and created an area where nothing grew,nothing lived,nothing moved....just complete nothingness. "Mom I saw something, I know I did....it, it stared at me.....I couldn't tell what it was because I was in my deer form....I could only smell it and it smelled bad really bad." "You Probably just thought you saw something.....I remember your Dad telling me about a deer shapechanger he knew when he was young....she had this annoying habit of seeing things that weren't there-" "I know who you're talking about and she was just a senile old elf! I am not senile and I'm not Old! I saw something come out of that forest Mom!" "Well if you did, you did hun" the father came in shifting out of his sphinx form smoothly carrying a handful of rabbits. "Dinner," he said handing them to the mother,"Now what is this about seeing something?" "I saw something come out of the Dark Forest and stare at me.I jumped and ran back home because it smelled bad, really bad and what I saw of it wasn't good." "What did it look like?" her father said, genuinely concerned. "I don't know I was in my deer shape....I could hardly see anything...just a big huge black blob." "Well I'll go and look tomorrow, for now I'm tired and I would like to eat the evening meal in peace.If you did see something child, it is logically dead and won't come out again for a long, long time.So don't worry you're elven head about it alright? I've heard stories from the town drunks about some creature that comes out every once and awhile but it never does any harm....so again don't worry child okay?" "Okay father, but-" "No buts child that is the end of the subject.I will look for your creature in the morn and if it is harmful I will take care of it.Now-No worries alright?" "No worries" she said and went back to the washroom to ready herself for supper. What might of brought her more worries then she could of handled was the very real look of fear and terror her parents shared after she left to wash up.

This town, Gwildin its called is a small town with a relatively small human population and a large population of every other race on kern including elves,dwarfs,kender and unfortunately gully dwarves.Keeran,looking down upon the town from a hill he always liked to enter the town from after a long journey, thought.He saw the old inn was still there looking like a piece of petrified wood sticking up from the ground with a sign that was hanging by one hinge that said simply 'Inn'. Alot of old memories he had of the place, some good, some bad.He folded his long bow up which he had been using for a walking stick and placed it in his backpack, knowing that the townfolk disliked Maji and his bow would announce that to everyone, something he didn't need and headed down the hill into the town.

'Clank,clank,clank' the hammer sounded as it hit the hot steel of the sword.John pounded away as he always did trying to attain that fine sheen he always did when making a sword.John was the towns blacksmith, one of the best in the land which he prided himself on-so much so his sign read 'The Best Of the Best BlackSmiths'. He had been the town smith for over 30 years and created thousands if not not millions of swords,horseshoes and plumbing fixtures for the town. He had also seen alot of change in the town, especially with the last great war and his participation in it. The war, something he didn't often think about except when he made swords-something he rarely did nowadays but it had been a special order.A gift for one of the towns councilman's son on his eighteenth birthday.Dragons,lances,dwarfs,elves,humans and every race on Kern had been involved all fighting for one thing-Kern's most powerful magic that of shapeshifting.The war had lasted ten long years, and in the end the elves had prevailed something that John disliked greatly being a dwarf.He had fought alongside the humans in the campaign against the elves when they attacked Gwildin, the last town that they had to go through to get to the magic.In the end John had lost his right arm and the elves collected Kern's Magic and split the town of Gwildin up amongst everyone so as to further "peace".As to whether it worked or not, John still had his doubts but to be true another war hasn't erupted since.

Now pounding away at the sword with his silver arm that he had made himself and attached by an elven maji the possibility of war again entered in his mind as he saw the young maji enter his shop. "Yes, what can I do for you son?" he asked tentatively. "Do you make metal collapsible walking sticks?" the maji asked looking around the shop and not at him. "No, sorry I don't.Now please if you aren't in need of anything else, leave" John said and turned back to his work.

'clank,clank,clank' the hammer sounded loudly in the silence that was left. Keeran just stood there for a moment looking at the little man with the silver arm wondering why the man didn't recognize him-or maybe he did. "Are you sure?Nothing in the area of walking sticks?" he shouted this time looking directly at John. The hammer stopped suddenly,"NO YOU PIECE OF NON-MAJI CRAP NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF MY SHOP BEFORE I KICK YOU OUT!" He recognized me, Keeran thought and ran out of the shop hoping noone heard the dwarf which was futile since dwarves have the loudest voices on the planet.Everyone stared as he walked quickly to the inn, hoping he could get a room for the night.

The three priest's of the high council of elven maji stood before the Dark forest and waved there magical staff's in a circular motion and mumbled a language the father had little understanding of.He was standing behind them, far behind them because he had a very real fear of what his daughter had seen and had no intention of dealing with whatever it was.He had woken early in the morn and set out for the high council's tower flying as fast as he could in his sphinx form determined to stop whatever it was in the forest.

At first, no one would even see him but after he mentioned the Dark Forest and 'creature' as he called it they let him in to a small waiting room where a crystal ball sat atop a clawed staff.The Mages had addressed him one at a time through the ball and asked him questions of what his daughter had seen.Then after what seemed an eternity the three of them appeared out of smoke in front of him, nearly knocking him off his feet and said in unison-

"We must see the Forest For Ourselves and Cast a spell of Guardianship across it."

So that was where they were now standing just a few feet from the edge of the forest and trying to cast their spell.Trying in the sense that each maji's glow(his magical aura) came and went,came and went over and over.This was something only the father could see, something only fellow elves would have been able to see and this would have worried any one of them.These three were, after all the head of the High Council of Maji the most powerful group of Maji on Kern.

The Father stared for what seemed like an eternity at this pulsing glow and then, suddenly one of them disappeared!The other two paused and looked at the space between them but only for a second and continued.The father thought he should help, but he was after all only a lowly shapeshifter common to the elven race and of little use to Maji this powerful.

The chanting continued, the glow pulsing more intensely around the Maji as they begin to sway towards one another.Something began to shake the earth suddenly, violently as if an earthquake were erupting.Then a black outline of a figure began to walk from the forest towards the two Maji.The father stared, terrified for this was the only thing he could do-he was frozen and could not move.The figure approached the chanting Maji, whose eyes were completely closed having to concentrate on their spell and had no idea of its approach.A ball of white, pure light erupted from the black figure and engulfed the Maji, still chanting.The Father wanted to run,wanted to change shape so badly but he couldn't something had frozen him in place.

The ball of light grew and grew until it reached the father and expanded beyond the hillside until it engulfed the entire valley.The people of Gwildin even saw it but only a few, most were inside consuming there morning breakfasts and had little idea of the light.

Then, it was gone taking the father and the two Maji left with it quietly and without a rustle of a leaf or branch or blade of grass.

Keeran ran to the Inn dodging stares as best he could and entered hoping to find a room quietly and without too much trouble but alas his past always followed.The Inn was still as pungent as ever in its smells-ale,urine,vomit and of course gully dwarf smell the worst eminated from every pour of the walls it was made of.People loved the place though, it had been a meeting place for all races for a long time and noone complained of the smell, because the food was good and the service,well not too bad.

Keeran approached the bar seeing the Inn's owner, Caradin look at him with distaste and suprisingly a little respect. "Have any rooms?" Keeran asked, staring him straight in the eye. "Aye, 50 silvers a night for one bed,one bath." he said simply "50...Okay fine I'll take one." "Hmph.I'll have to go get the keys.They're in the back." he said and walked through the swinging door that led to the kitchen.

Keeran turned around and leaned his back up against the bar, trying to look insignificant as he could but that didn't work too well.A Human approached him, tall and muscle bound looking as if he had lifted a few horses over his head in his time.The man carried a large sword and a large mace was stuck to his back that hung over his right shoulder that shone silver light back in Keeran's face when he turned to face him.

"U look a little young to be traveling alone boy.Where's your pappa?" he said looking distastefully at Keeran. "Young I am not sir.I've probably seen alot more then you have and as for my 'Pappa' he is quite dead as I'm sure you Know." Keeran said staring back at the man as best he could with the sheen of the mace blocking his vision. "Yeh I know who you are, everyone does and they're all wondering why you came back?Everyone in this town wants you dead boy, including myself." "I know.I came back because of this." and with that Keeran pulled out his staff and said loudly-

"Nios Kallos Vieran Tok!" and he was gone. "Here, Mace man, here I am" Keeran said looking over from accross the crowded Inn's floor. Everyone in the Inn stared, amazed at the boy with the Magical powers something that no one would have believed of Keeran.Especially those that knew his past.

"I am Maji Now, one of you-so none of you have any right to impinge upon my rights here.I came back for one reason-to Know what has become of my family and my inheritance-the lady Ariana's star necklace too which she gave to my Father during the war.I want it Back and I will not rest until I find it.If any of you have a problem with that, I welcome the challenge," he paused looking around at everyone in the Inn,"for I doubt very much you could do harm to me now, with your own laws protecting me." No one said anything in the quiet that followed.The InnKeeper came out from behind the swinging door and placed keys to a room loudly on the bar making sure the sound resonated.Keeran walked through the tangle of tables and grabbed them walking toward the door to the second floor. "Test Me, I dare you." he said and with that he walked through the door and climbed the stairs to the Inn's second level.

The InnKeeper stared after the boy, amazed at what had become of him.He looked at his customers who were all staring at him as if asking-What should we do? and he just shrugged and went back into the kitchen.The new gully dwarves he had hired the other day were sitting near the grill and munching on dead rats that they had apparently caught themselves.He grunted disgust and kicked at them to get them away from his grill.No one messed with his grill.They scuttled off towards the garbage room to finish their dinner and probably sleep. Gully Dwarves were good for two things-kicking and garbage eating.They helped keep his costs down by not having to hire a garbage hauler and he didn't have to pay them a dime.They were disgusting creatures but, hey you gotta make a profit somehow.Only problem was, the things died alot probably from all the garbage they ate. The Innkeeper went back to his work scraping off the grill for the evening's next rush, hopefully-business had been slow lately and he had no idea why.It was fall getting close to the winter solstice and people usually got cabin fever for food, so they came to the Inn.People in Gwildin liked his cooking, had for over forty years even before the war and he simply had no idea why everything was slowing down.Keeran was the only roommer he had at the moment and that was even more unusual.Pagans from the south usually came to Gwildin to pay respects to the magical force of Kern this time of year and they of course stayed at the Inn.

Something was hanging over the town, something he just couldn't put his finger on and that worried him.He was old and gray, but he was wise and saw the patterns of darkness easily and they were all over.

The dark figure stared at his three prisoners hanging from dead trees in front of it.It was amazed at how the two powerful ones had escaped dying and even more so the third, not so powerful one.The weak one had awakened, screamed several times and struggled with its bonds but then it got tired and fell unconscious again.The two powerful ones were however fully awake and both continued to do something with thier mouths-silently though, the dark thing had silenced them permanently fearing their power.

The dark figure did not understand why these things had attempted to place him in a prison but from what it understood that was what the Mother told him they had tried to do.It stopped them instinctually for that was not something it could allow.It knew only one thing-that it must be allowed to continue and grow without restrictions.It did not know why, only that it did. The Mother watched over it and kept it on its track, allowing it to go out of the Dark Forest when it deemed that it was the time.Every time though it went out, the Dark Figure returned rapidly, the natural light being something it was not used to.....yet.

Keeran awoke to the sound of hundreds of footsteps outside and a pounding on his door.Sleep hadn't come to him very well last night, but he had eventually fallen three hours later then he would of liked.He got up from the bed, a old feather filled(least he thought it was feathers) drop down one and went to the door. "What is it?Who is it?" he said, cautiously grabbing his mage's staff. "The InnKeeper. Breakfast. You have 15 minutes to get it, then I'm giving it to the gully's" the old Man said gruffly. "Oh alright.Just give it to the gully's, I don't have the stomach for it this morning." He heard steps and a low grumbling noise after that, apparently the InnKeeper mumbling his disapproval. Keeran went to the small window to look out and see what all the footsteps had been.He saw a large group of people-elves,dwarves,humans and even a few kender looking towards the North where the last forest of Kern existed.The Dark forest.It wasn't so Dark anymore though, he could see a huge bright flare of light coming from it which is probably what everyone was looking at he thought.

He grabbed his backpack and put on his leather's quickly and ran down to join them.He had heard stories of the forest but never anything like this.

"What's happening" he asked a human when he got close enough. "Don't know, never seen anything like this." he said not even turning to look at Keeran. No one was saying anything, just staring at it as if they were all frozen.Keeran looked directly at the light over a few heads, and he felt transfixed by it.....as if something was keeping him there.It lasted for he didn't know how long, and then suddenly it was gone. At the same moment everyone sprang to life, some running, some yelling and some even pulling there swords and bows to point at the light. It was gone though and everyone with extended swords and bows withdrew them once they realized how foolish they were being, including Keeran.

He looked down and saw his Bow in his hands with an arrow ready to fire.He didn't realize he had done it but he had.He put the bow away and saw an elven girl approaching him that looked to be about thirteen or fourteen. "Are you Keeran?" she asked him, almost daring him to say no.

"No" he said,"Why do you ask about him? He's been long dead child, killed by the elven Mages in the last war." "You are him! I know you are because my brother told me he saw you in the Inn last night! Why are you lying?" "I am not child. Your Keeran is dead, long dead. I am here for my father and my mother and that is all. I have no interest in taking up the 'science' again and causing no ending of trouble here.Now go.Leave me." he said and turned to head back to the town's center.

When he got to the center, he looked to the North to get his bearings and headed down the town's central street to a small fountain.Around the fountain as he knew he would find were several of the town's "seers" as they were called.They never really saw anything, just talked about every little incessant detail of the town to death.Being Human that's all they could do was talk, unlike the elves who were telepathic from the magic.

Just as he was about to approach one of the ladies, the girl from the gathering that morning appeared in his face again.He growled internally.

"What do you want girl? I have no time for you." he said trying unsuccessfully to push her aside. "You are Maji aren't you?Read My Mind!" she said and put his hand on her forehead. He suddenly got images of the child's friend and where she lived, out beyond the forest and another image of the girl disappearing and her parents also appearing and then disappearing.Of some kind of Dark Figure that the girl had seen and where she had run from.Then the girl removed his hand.

"You see." she said defiantly. "Girl, why do you come to me with this? This is something your town law should handle.Not me.I am only a sixth level Maji as it is, no use to you in finding your friends and whatever that thing was she saw I did not get a good feeling off of it.Tell your town elders, they can go to the high council." "I did already.They said that the high council had already sent three of their high priests to the forest hours ago and they had not returned.That light must of been their end." "Child you do not know that, that was probably just the three priests finishing a spell of guardianship," saying that he knew even that was wrong.Spells of Guardianship never gave off that kind of light."besides what can I do?Why bother me child?I'm an outcast from this town and barely a Maji of any power." "You know science, something Maji and that thing could never deal with." she said plainly. "That was a long, long, long time ago child.I hardly remember any of it. Frankly I doubt it would be of much use against this thing whatever it is." "What if I got you help?" she asked, smiling sneakily. "No! Do no such thing.I will not have this town come down upon me again-Now I mean this child.I am here for only one reason, that of my parents and my inheritance.Do Not Go Looking for people to 'Follow' me-I need to do this and I ask you from My pure elven heart, please don't.Alright?" "Alright I won't, but won't you at least go and see if you can see what it is?" she said the smile completely gone. "If I have the time child, I will.For now though I think you should get your elders to go back to the council and ask for a man named Durolin.He is first level Maji and second only to the High Priests.He will help.Now please go, I have research to do." he said turning away from her and wandered over to where three women were chattering away. The girl stood, nonplused for a while and then ran off to find the town's elders, he hoped.

'What are the thoughts from the high priests?' Durin thought to the others in the small meeting chamber of the High Tower.The others all came back with the same thought- 'Nothing' 'The elders of the town of Gwildin say they have witness's to a light that outshone the sun this morning eminating from the forest.If this is what is blocking us from our elders, then what are we to do.Our elders are the most powerful of us, and if they cannot contact us through the link of the earth then something must be stronger then them that is blocking us.We have no defense against something that strong, have we?' he asked again, and again the same response- 'Nothing' 'Is this the coming as was foretold by elder Corillon? I remember him teaching it to me, that one day a creature would come, a creature that knew magic and yet did not know.A creature that was black and yet white all at the same time.It was a riddle among many that he taught to me, but I never figured this one out....if this is the time then what are we to do?' There were numerous answers he received from the thirty or so Maji in the room but none of them were satisfactory and as 2nd High Priest he had to make the decision as to what to do.He had no idea.He suddenly received a message from the doorkeeper of the tower saying that there was a young girl from Gwildin that wanted to speak to someone of "Importance" immediately.He sent a message back telling the keeper to take a message from the girl, he had no time for such interruptions.The doorkeeper replied back quickly, almost too quickly through the link that the girl kept saying something about a science master that had returned to the village. This made Durin pause a moment, science? he thought back to the keeper.

'Science Master, lord I have heard of such things in the past.They say science is more powerful then any great magic we command, but I would not know.' the keeper thought 'Send her, but only to the crystal room, I shall speak to her thru the ball.' 'Yes, Lord immediately' the keeper thought and closed the connection albeit the priest usually closed it first, a small matter of respect, but then Durin was not one of the High Priests and the DoorKeeper was also a high Maji. The crystal room had been established just after the end of the Great War to protect the Priests from any race that might still have a wish to regain the magic of the earth for their own race.One time, just days after the peace signing a human mage had entered the tower and with the last of his strength had killed 15 maji by fire, the lowest spell anyone could cast the ultimate irony to the elven people.Who had just gained all the mighty powers of the Magic earth something they had not had for centuries. And so the room had been created by the great elven Maji and a gold dragon that had used its fire breath to create a shield that no maji,dwarf,human,kender or any race on kern could break through.

A Crystal Ball had been placed in the room upon a gold staff that was layered by the golden dragon's scales so as to prevent anyone from directly touching it-this prevented a maji from linking into the great link as well and doing harm.Another Ball was place in the high priest's chambers as to which Durin was seated now, concetrating to link his mind to the ball and speak to the girl through it.It took him but a second as his teachers had taught him when he was very young to link as it was called to the great link.The girl was seated on the chair directly in front of the ball and she jumped when she saw his image.

"Ah you scared me!I thought someone was going to come through the big door over there!" the girl said, nearly screaming. "I am sorry to startle you, but for our safety we rarely meet visitors to the Tower in person. Now you said something to the keeper about a Science Master?" "Yes I did, but first are you Durolin? He told me to only talk to Durolin" she said her elven face squinching up as if she were trying to concetrated and see him better, which wasn't suprising as to the smokiness he knew she saw around his face. "Yes but here I am called Durin, 2nd Highest.Who told you to speak to me?" "Keeran" she said simply. He paused, thinking.Keeran....that was a name he had not heard in a long time.No one spoke that name in the tower, no one was allowed to. "Keeran.He has returned.I would think the townspeople of Gwildin would have killed him just for entering the town." "They almost tried, at the Inn but he is Maji now-" "What?How?Why?That is Not Possible girl!We are the only tower that has the capability of granting such powers to an elf, and I assure you he has never entered these hallowed halls to request them." he said just about ready to jump through the ball, which he could do if he wanted. "I don't know how or why but he is....he showed everybody at the Inn.My brother saw it, he said Keeran transported himself magically from one place in the Inn to another instantly. Isn't that one of the Maji's first spells you learn?" "Yes, yes it is-but-" "Well he is Maji and no one in town has touched him because of it and thats how hes alive. I told him about my friend Muriel and her parents but he just said he had only returned to get his parents inheritance and for me to come here and talk to you for help.Muriel told me before she disappeared this morning that her father had came here to get help to fight the forest creature.It was right before that shining light appeared near the forest that my link with her dissolved....I tried and tried and tried over and over but I couldn't get her to talk back to me!I sent a flyer to her cave where she lived and it told me there wasn't anything there!It didn't come back either!I'm scared sir.....I've never had anyone disappear that I knew before....except maybe my dad and he's a low level maji, he can do it all the time with a spell he casts and and.....I need help to find my friend!The townspeople are so scared they won't do anything so I-" "Alright girl alright calm yourself," he interrupted her,"Now about Keeran again-you said he was only here for his inheritance and wanted nothing to do with any of this?I would not fault him for that.If he tried to bring science into this people would remember what he did last time and probably kill him for even mentioning something like that.Girl, what is your name?" "Jillian" she answered. "Alright Jillian, here's what I want you to do," he began hoping that she would follow his every direction, because if she didn't there would be reprecussions from the sea of galo to the ice flows of Qualin for him.

The creature looked across the valley that led to his home and birthplace to the Tower and wondered what it was for.His Mother told him that it was the place he would visit soon and gather more strenght so he would be ready.He only saw a tall obelisk with a few windows at its highest and he still didn't understand why he must grow.He asked his mother and she only replied, because you must, my son.He grunted and shielded what would be his eyes from the setting sun if he had been elven,human,dwarven or kender-something he was none of.

The Mother smiled with pride as her son returned to the grove looking at how well he was developing.His aura was growing stronger by the minute and soon he would be ready.The three prisoners were feeding him even more then what the forest had been and it was increasing his powers tenfold every hour.She looked upon the three, now all unconscious and felt some pity but only a little for she remembered what they were capable of.....a great deal of pain for her.

She remembered the time the elven race had been born and how proud the father, her father had been when they were created from the earth.She remembered what her father had given them, the power to hear over long distance,the ability to shapeshift and of course the ability to draw the magic from the earth.They had done so well for the first thousand years, but then the other races began appearing created from the other father's of the earth and problems appeared, almost at the same time.

The Fathers, of whom there were twelve decided that the first Father's creation, the elves needed help developing the world for which they had created.So the thirteen had taken centuries(which to them was only days) and portioned out different abilities to each race.Humans were given a great physical strength,dexterity,intelligence(albeit not as much as elves),magic(again not as much as elves) and of course an iron will.Dwarves were handed a great strength as well,no dexterity,little intelligence and a very strong sense of will.Kender were at least she thought the most annoying race they had made.They were given a great dexterity almost to the point of invisibility,a modicum of intelligence,an annoying habit of wanting to store everything(this the Father's thought would be good to record the world's past and future),and no fear whatsoever.The elves, they left as they were with the majority of the magical skills,shapeshifting and the hearing.

The only problem that the fathers had not thought of was the inevitabile occurence of war.For the first hundred years or so, there had only been small skirmishes among the races-an argument over land,or water,or who had the right to worship which father and this or that.Then a human Mage, called Raistlin among his kind began to challenge the elven Maji of the land.The Mage traveled throughout the land of Kern finding every elven Maji he could and destroying them.Each time he destroyed an elven Maji, he would gain more power.The Most powerful of the elven Maji heard of this and began to amass an army to protect themselves against him, for they knew he was headed toward the High Tower to claim the ultimate prize-that of the Earth magic. Raistlin heard the same and amassed his own army of humans.Somehow he even got the dwarves and kender to stand by his side....how even the Mother did not know.But she watched as the archmage attacked the Tower and all the Elven Maji defended the Tower.They called every Magic they could from the earth to defend themselves, even the Dragons the most powerful of all and yet the mage defeated every power they threw at him.The war lasted decades but in the end Raistlin and his army breached the Tower's walls and entered.The Elven Maji that were left handed over the powers of the earth to Raistlin and his Human Army.

Raistlin ruled for many years until a human boy brought about something the Fathers and even Raistlin who was reputed to be a seer of some import never saw.Science it had been called.The boy said he could explain magic...and even stop it.Raistlin heard of this and called the boy before him curious but unafraid.The boy appeared per Raistlin's request and stopped Raistlin's Magic, forever.The boy said he had no idea how he had done it and was sorry, so sorry for he loved magic but only wanted to put some substance to it.None of it mattered.

The Elven Race heard of this and gathered an army.They easily retook the Tower, with Raistlin's Magic gone the lower Humans had not the power or the strength to resist the elven maji.To Ensure that the Earth magic would never be taken again, the Elven maji cast a spell, a spell that would contain all of the Magic in one area-that of the Elven race themselves and not the Earth. The Mother was furious-and she tried to beg the Father's to not let this happen, for she was the Earth and having her power spread across the face of kern in every elf was, well it was incredulous to her.They couldn't, they would not allow this.But they did.

Now, years later(days to her) she would regain her power to where it belonged.Her Son would be the catalyst that would funnel the power back into the Earth.And Nothing, nothing would stop it.

The Mage looked down from atop his black dragon at the black forest and snorted like his dragon would.The dragon craned its neck around momentarily and looked at the mage, wondering what his friend thought as he looked at the forest he had created so long ago.Friends they had become over the years of trials they had been through-the human elven war the largest among many over the years.

They had had to hide for years from the elves in the hills, moving from one cave to another and he, the dragon having to change his shape in order to fit into some of the caves his friend found for them to hide.After several years, the Mage finally found a cave that he could wield what was left of his magic and create an accident that was sufficient to make it look like they had both died.Suffice it to say, the illusion fooled the elves that had been hunting them and they had lived the past twenty years in the hills and the small town they had found among them.

The Dragon became amazed at how strong the mage became in the town, even after losing the earth magic to the elves.In the town he had apparently found a library that was centuries old and the mage exclaimed Eureka for weeks after.The Mage never told the dragon about the library, though why he hadn't the dragon still couldn't comprehend.The library the dragon later found contained old spellbooks that supposedly drew upon a magic no one had ever heard of and it increased the mages power back to the strength he had had with the earth magic.

The Mage never proposed to retake the tower of the elves however, even though the townsfolk grew to respect and even worship the mage because of his powers.The Dragon asked him one day why he would not attempt to grow another army and take the elven magic back for his own-he got back little of an answer though.Now, though the dragon thought of his question again and wondered why Raistlin had snorted for-they had flew over the Dark forest many times before and he had never snorted.Raistlin's stare also frightened the Dragon, something very hard for ANYONE to do.

The Dragon circled the forest slightly tilting himself so Raistlin could do what he wanted to do-he pulled a small bag from within his black robes and sprinkled it out over the forest all the while chanting a spell the dragon had never heard or used.The Dragon looked at the forest hoping to see some indication of what the spell was for, but nothing happened.

"Home Dragonfriend, and please expedite yourself as quickly as possible," Raistlin said, still staring down at the forest. "Yes, Raistlin.Are you going to tell me what this is all about?" the Black Dragon asked. "Time, my friend.Time." he said and leaned back against the dragonseat to rest.The spell must of drained him. "You are tired.Sleep.I will take us home." the dragon said, worried for his friend-because Raistlin never tired so easily, especially after just one spell.

Keeran was getting hungry, he hadn't eaten any breakfast and he'd forgotten to pack anything to eat in his pack.He'd been roaming the streets of Gwildin for hours, knocking on doors and asking about his parents but no one seemed to know anything of them.His parents had been town elders for a time until the Great War,his father a knight of some honor and his mother the Lady Ariana was reputed to be of royal lineage.No one seemed or maybe no one wanted to tell him about where they lived or if they still lived at all.

He had heard things while studying at the mage's school at Kuriosk that humans had been so angry about what he had done, that they had found his parents and tortured them to death with the last of their magic.Fireball spells,water spells and earth spells-although as he overheard these were the very last and smallest to be used of course since they had lost the magic to the elves.The stories seemed so real to him and his parents were described down to the armor and robes his father and mother wore.So he assumed they were long dead and hoped he could find his inheritance, or at least something of there's so he could bury them both properly.Their deaths, after all were his fault.

Keeran realized he had been walking without thinking where he was going and caught himself before he ran out into the front of a cart passing by.The cart was being driven by a knight and an old lady that amazingly he recognized as a friend of his mothers.

"Hey!" he shouted "Stop, Please!" but the knight hadn't heard him, too late.The cart was already halfway down the street and about to turn. "Ah dragonfarts!" Keeran said, staring at the disappearing cart.Then he remembered-he was Maji! He pulled out his staff and chanted the teleportation words.In a moment he was in the back of the cart, behind the knight and old lady.

The knight did not like this at all, for he pulled out his sword and stopped the horses so he could slaughter Keeran.Keeran ducked quick enough to prevent his head from being chopped off, barely. "Hey!Stop geez I'm not gonna rob you!I just wanted to talk to the Lady-she's a friend of My Mothers,please-" Keeran said holding his hand out as if that would stop the Knights sword from cutting him to pieces.The Knight slowly sat back down but didn't put his sword away.

The lady turned around to look at him slowly and Keeran was sure, it was Turienne-his Mom's favorite dress maker and friend.

"Who are you?" she asked looking strangely at him. "I am Keeran-don't you recognize me?" he said sitting down on a sack of what he thought must be potatoes. "Keeran....Keeran-I don't remember the name...wait-Your Lady Arianna's Boy!I remember now, yes you were the young boy with all those gadgets and gizmos in your room-you always used to steal my sewing needles for some project you had." she laughed, coughing at the end for a bit. "Yes I am.Do you know what happened to my Mother?My Father?" he asked, forgetting he was in a public street.He hadn't noticed the group of people that had gathered around the cart curious as to why the Science Boy had stopped it. "No, No I don't after the war ended I don't know what happened to her.Her messenger's never came to call upon me and I never saw your mother or father at their favorite eating place again."

Keeran's hopes dashed he suddenly realized a large crowd had gathered around the cart and all were staring at him. "What are you all staring at?Go Away!" he shouted and pulled out his staff.He chanted the teleportation chant again, but his time for the whole cart.He miscalculated the postition and landed the cart on top of one of the many houses near the Inn.He had been trying to park the cart in front of the Inn.Oops he thought to himself.Luckily the roof was flat and being a kender home not too far off the ground so they didn't fall to far before hitting solid ground.

A kender that looked as if it had been sleeping crawled out of the rubble just near the cart looking very unhappy. "What in the Name of Kern is This?Is the sky falling?Is it raining carts?Where did you come from?The sky?The tree over there?Wow this is a nice cart-care to trade?I really would like to have my house fixed.Do you think you can trade for some money or maybe materials to have it fixed? Wow what a nice backpack-" "Hands Off kender!" Keeran interuppted while climbing down from the Cart and trying to protect his things from the grabby kender.The knight wasn't too happy and Turienne was laughing but everybody was okay. "You never did have much of an aptitude for Magic young Keeran," Turienne said jumping down from the cart into the rubble, laughing in between breaths. "Yes I know, I know." he said continuing to try and keep the kender's hands from reaching into his pack and taking every little tidbit he could.

Keeran looked around and saw a clear spot that would do.He got everyone together in the small space and pulled out his staff.He pulled out a small bag with a concoction he had learned to make back at the school and chanted the spell of reconstruction.The house majically rebuilt itself and they were transported back to the front of the Inn.The cart, though had suffered some damage that the spell didn't fix.It's two front wheels were broken in several places and the harness for the horse had been cracked in even more.

The knight went around to the front all the while mumbling something about half trained maji and tried unsuccessfully to reattach the wheels.He came back to Turienne and said he could get the blacksmith to help fix it if she could wait but a few hours.Keeran almost thought to ask to fix it himself but thought better of it, seeing the knights look of distaste thrown at him every other word.Turienne said that would be fine and the knight ran off to get the blacksmith.

"He doesn't like me too much does he?" Keeran asked her as she walked over to him. "No, no that one doesn't like any kind of magic as it is," she said chuckling to herself,"but he is a good driver and a good protector so he makes up for his lack of social skills that way." "You would like to sit wouldn't you?" Keeran asked pointing over to a couple of rocks near the Inn.She shook her head yes and sat down on the rocks, which luckily were under the Inn's overhang offering some relief from the sun.She looked up at him and began-

"After the war ended and the elven maji split this town up to equalize the races and supposedly split up the magic evenly there were alot of accusations that hung around as thick as my gravy.The humans blamed a dwarven leader for bad workmanship in the swords they carried,the kender blamed themselves and alot of people blamed the town's elders for losing the magic.Your Parents were two of them among many.I heard stories that a large mob of people had stormed the town's council chamber and taken all of them out and hung them.Another one was about just your Father being burned alive by a disgruntled human mage and yet another about how both of your parents were tortured for days by thirteen Human Maji using the last of their powers.I do not honestly know what the truth is and none of my friends do either because the majority of the men in this town won't even talk about it.I have never seen your mother, or your father for years.I'm sorry son.I really am." she said and rested her back against the Inn's wall.

"My house-" he started "Was torn down to make room for some new fangled stadium they put up five years after the war." she answered, almost crying. "Why don't you hate me?" he asked looking in her eyes that were shaking, either from old age or sadness he couldn't tell. "I'm old son, and Magic for me was the birth of my children and watching them grow up.I cared little for Magic all my life and I never did see the benefits of it.The only thing I saw was war, always war fighting for the great Earth magic.I lost my son in the Great War.I'm glad we don't have the magic anymore." "Are you hungry? The Innkeeper here makes good food I here." he asked thinking maybe if he ate something he could drown his sorrows a little at least. "Well, Dwayne is going to be awhile fixing that thing.I suppose we might as well go in and eat something.If you need to cry, keeran I understand." she said taking his hand to go up the Inn's stairs. "Cry, I'm not sure I can anymore Turienne.I'm just not sure." he said and they both went up the stairs to eat something and maybe even cry over a past Keeran would never know

The dragon landed as softly as he could in the small marble town that had been there home for twenty years.Raistlin was still asleep on his back, so he called to a couple of followers to help get him off and carry him to his bed chambers.He bent down as low as he could and the two gently lifted Raislin off his back and carried him into the large building that had become Raistlin's home, the library where he had learned so much.The Dragon, wanting to make sure the followers placed Raistlin safely shapeshifted into his human form and followed them.

The library was the largest building in the town, standing over a thousand feet high with seven pillars all black standing guard to the entrance.The library stood in a small depression at the north of the town apparently having been buried for centuries.How it got unburied, the dragon was unsure of because like every other question he posed Raistlin he only got back a riddle for an answer.Even though the dragon was much older and he thought wiser then Raistlin, he often found himself befuddled by the mage's sayings. The Dragon walked down the small hill and followed the followers into the giant library ducking his head a small amount to enter(without the earth magic to reduce his size, the dragon's human form kept him at a tall seven feet ten inches)and walked back to Raistlin's chambers.The two laid Raistlin down carefully upon the bed and turned,bowed to the Dragon and left quickly.

The Dragon sat in his chair that Raistlin had made during his studies of the library and looked upon the mage.His old friend looked old, older then he had when they had been running from the elves all those years ago and his usual aura was hardly even visible to the Dragon.They both had seen the bright light that had arouse from the valley that morning, but Raistlin had looked the most excited by it.Now though he looked almost near death. The Dragon took some herbs that he always carried with him and cast a small spell of protection over his friend, and then left to the libraries main room.The Main room of the great library was but a few steps from Raistlin's chambers as he had wished it and was the largest.It had shelves that reached all the way up to the ceiling on three sides of the room with rolling ladders attached to each shelf.In the middle was a grand marble table that had swirls of black,gray and white in it-all three colors of the Maji.Gray being for the arbitraters,Black the fighters and go getters, and white for the healers and peace keepers.

All of the books in the library had nothing to do with the Earth Magic though, as far as the Dragon had been able to tell.He had spent many hours beside Raistlin's side studying the books and only gleaned but a sampling of the power within the books.From what he could tell, the books held the spells of a race long dead on kern, called the Titans.The Titans had built the library so long ago as a storage for all their knowledge and power.What or who the Titans had exactly been, the Dragon could not tell from the sayings-it was as if the titans had only one priority one care to preserve there spells and magic for all eternity.

Raistlin had been looking at a spellbook that morning, shortly after both of them had seen the light and it was still laying open on the table.The Dragon went around to it and sat down in the chair which was a little small for him and looked at the page Raistlin had been studying.The language was difficult even for his wise mind but he eventually translated it.The spell that was open was called a magic hindrance spell and it was for stopping any magical spell from being cast within a radius of one mile! The forest itself was hardly half a mile long at its widest if that.

What was Raistlin up to? The forest was dead, lifeless and nothing had been able to enter it for years his own spell causing the mess.Unless he had translated the spell wrong? No, no he rechecked the translation against Raistlin's codebook that was laid out as well, just beside it.He had read it correctly.Maybe the spell worked in the opposite, for he remembered Raistlin saying that some of the spells he had found did the opposite of what they said in the book.But what would be the opposite?

"Magical Inducement, my friend.Magical Inducement." Raistlin answered walking out from his chambers. "Inducement? Are you insane? That could have killed you! You are one of the strongest mages on the planet, but even those spells are reserved for my kind and at that WITH the Earth Magic in us!" the Dragon said, staring in amazement at him. "I know my friend, that is why I did not tell you.The light we saw this morning was something I had been waiting for for years.It was the Mother coming back, with her son." "The Mother-and her son?" the Dragon asked....the Mother had no son, couldn't because the Earth was her son. "Yes, she wants her Magic back from the elves.She has come to reclaim it and I intend to help her as much as I can." he said, coughing. "That is impossible! The Father's sanctioned what the elves did....if she trys to reclaim the magic-The Father's will intervene and you may well be caught in the middle when they do! I want none of this Raistlin...none of it I say!The Fathers created me,you, all the races of kern and I will not disrespect them by helping you do this." "Calm yourself, Dragon.You know me better then that, I hope.I have no intentions of bringing the Father's into this and the Mother does not either.Do not worry everything I have planned will do no disrespect amongst or to Our Fathers.You have my word on this." Raistlin said, cutting his hand with a dagger he had pulled from within his robes,"You have my blood oath my friend.I need your help in this, but I cannot tell you what because of the Link the details of what I have in mind." The Dragon stared at the mage holding his hand out, the blood dripping to the floor and looking like death itself for what seemed like hours.Then slowly he moved toward the Mage and cut his own hand holding it out.They both spoke the bond magic spell and shook each others hands.Now, if one betrayed either one he would suffer the worst death imaginable-that of the living death.

"You know what this means." the Dragon said puncuating each word with a breathe of pure flame. "Yes, my friend, yes I do." the mage said and retreated back into his chambers silently. The Dragon stared after his friend still amazed and then, tired from the ceremony laid down upon the table to sleep.

Julienne looked down on the valley from atop the blue dragon that Durin had given her and almost fell off the dragonseat.She corrected herself easily though and grabbed the reins tighter annoying the dragon even more.The Dragon's name was Kuriak and he was supposed to be good with children, at least thats what Durin had said.Ever since the two of them had lifted off from the Tower's dragon lair the Dragon had growled at every sentence she had said so after five or six she had decided not to say anything else to the dragon.

Durin had told her that he wanted her to travel to the megacity of Carillon and find an old mage by the name of Kisad.He said that he was a hermit that lived in the outskirts of the town and all she would have to do was ask some of the locals about him and they should point her right to him.She asked Durin who Kisad was and all he said back to her was that Kisad was once Keeran's teacher and mentor.She asked him if Kisad new what science was and at that, Durin had simply told her to be silent and follow him.They had been walking around the tower talking about what he wanted her to do and apparently Durin wanted privacy for some reason because they walked through hallways that looked as if no one had walked for years. She had asked him how was Kisad supposed to help find her friend and why couldn't he help himself.Again Durin offered little of an answer-he said that is was out of his powers to do so.Durin was so frustrating she had thought but maybe this Kisad guy could help me so she followed Durin out to the dragon's lair silently.

The Tower's Dragon Lair was huge, so huge that she couldn't even see the other side of it.Durin said the majority of it was buried underground for the safety of the Dragons.Why the Dragons needed safety she couldn't understand but didn't ask.It was a huge cave with gold lined walls and about ten levels with each level having several caves where the dragons stayed and made their homes.They walked to a cave on the first level and Durin announced himself through the link, even she could tell.A blue Dragon came from the depths of the cave and bowed his head slightly to Durin. 'Yes, lord I am needed?' the dragon thought giving Julienne a look for but a second and then returning his gaze to Durin.

'Yes great one.This child is under my protection and I would hope that you also to benefit her of yours.She needs to travel to Carillon to find a friend that may help us in the time of the coming.' Durin thought. The coming? Julienne thought hoping neither the Dragon or Durin heard her.I wonder what that is...

'I would be honored Lord.Child, find yourself a dragonseat that fits you and give it to the helpers-over to your right.Walk back the hallway to the chamber, you'll find the room.' the Dragon thought directly to her.She walked back as directed and found the room,selected a dragonseat and gave it to two 'helpers' that fitted the dragon with it.

The dragon had lowered himself as low as he could and she climbed aboard him, careful not to touch the deadly scales.He had lifted off with one powerful swoosh of his wings and carried them up through the large hole in the ground with Julienne holding on as tight as she could.After they had gotten aloft she had asked the Dragon questions about where he came from,how fast could he fly,how old he was-too many for the dragon.He had answered some but he gradually got tired of all her questions, nearly thirty by his count and so she had stopped asking instead deciding to enjoy the view.

They had flew over three lakes,four towns and several mountains so far something she had never in her entire life seen from so high a vantage point.She had been amazed at how small people looked and even laughed when some of them ran when they saw the dragon flying overhead.Few, however saw them because most were all too consumed at living there lives on the ground.Very few people got the privledge of actually riding a dragon and didn't think of the sky.She couldn't wait to tell her friend when she saw her again.If she saw her again.But she didn't want to think about that possibility and returned her gaze downward.

She watched as the dragon flew over several small lakes with a dirt road winding between them and the road kept going past the rivers.It seemed as if the dragon was following the road curve for curve and she almost thought to ask him whether this was so but she decided not to.There were a few horse drawn carts and wagons on the road, even a few people walking alone or as one group.None looked up as the dragon flew overhead, all of them seemed intent upon where they were going albeit Julienne couldn't tell from there faces only from the great link.

'We are approaching Carillon child, I will have to fly through the holding gates they have and you will probably have to duck when I do.Hold tightly when I pass because it will be windy inside the tunnel.' the dragon thought to her through the link.

She looked up from the road they had been following and saw what the dragon was talking about.The city of Carillon wasn't just a town like Gwildin, it was a city-a megacity which it rightly deserved the title.It had been one of the cities, if not the only one that hadn't been conquered by Raistlin during the Great War.The holding gates that the dragon had spoken of were something like aerial canals where any dragon or flying machine entering the city had to enter first before being let into the city.The whole city itself was protected by a dome that some said had been built by the very first elven mages and reinforced with their magic,the earth's magic and dragonfire.Nothing could break the dome, not even a falling star.

The Dragon approached slowly hoping there was no one presently in the gates being checked and luckily there was not.He thought to Julienne to yell at the gatekeeper to get his attention.A small dwarf was manning the gate and had his back turned towards the window that looked out upon the entrance.The dragon did not like waiting because hovering for him took a great deal of energy and his wings pumped furiously to stay in the air. 'Why don't we just land and go in the ground entrance?' Julienne asked the dragon.

'It would take too long child.Look at the line below' She did and there was indeed a huge line of travelers that she hadn't noticed upon their arrival being awed by the great dome and the gates.So she yelled again at the dwarf and he finally turned around and saw them.His eyes grew big at the site of the dragon, apparently not having seen one in some time.He put up a finger to indicate he would open the gates in a second and disappeared from the window.The large iron and silver gates swung wide open and the dragon flew in happy to be moving again.

Once they were in Julienne did have to hold on tighter because the wind increased, some from the dragon's wings itself and some from inside the city.The dwarf that had let them in came out on a small ledge that protruded into the tunnel and looked at them curiously.

"What are ye wanting to enter Carillon for?" he said looking at Julienne and not the dragon. "We are here to find an old friend.Hopefully he will help us to find the child's friend who has been lost for some time.Now can you please let me through these gates?My wings tire of hovering here." the dragon said staring at the dwarf angrily.Something the dwarf with his temper didn't like, even though he was talking to a dragon. "Who's your friend?Frankly I don't care if your tired or not-I protect Carillon and If I don't like what you have to say I am not letting you in." the dwarf said, grunting audibly at the end. "I am from the Tower of High Priests.You see the mark on my left side above my wing.Now let us in!" the Dragon said almost roaring at the small dwarf.

The dwarf, showing no fear slowly walked back into the small room he had come from and opened the inner gates. The gates in front of them opened outward upon the city of Carillon.The Dragon quickly flew threw them almost making Julienne loose her grip on the dragonseat.He flew a little into the city and set down in what looked like the main street of the city.He bowed enough for Julienne to climb down and told her to walk over to the sidewalk.She did, knowing what he was going to do.

The dragon folded his wings, said a few words of magic and shapeshifted into human form using the earth's magic.Several people had gathered on the sidewalk amazed at the sight of the dragon and all of them were befuddled at the site of the shapeshift.He walked over to where Julienne was standing and told the people to quit staring and go about there business.Julienne snickered at his embarrasment.

"I didn't think dragons could get embarrased." she said. "We don't. I simply detest being stared at.Especially when I shift.Now child, lets go find Kisad." he said and started walking away.Julienne followed still laughing silently to herself.

The Dragon headed towards what looked like a bakery and Julienne followed wondering why he picked a bakery to go to first.She almost asked but again decided not to.There was a sign hanging from the door of the establishment that said Carillon's 2nd best Bakery.The dragon knocked, waited two seconds and knocked twice.After a few more seconds the door opened and a very large man opened the door slowly.Once he saw the dragon he opened it wider. "Kuries!So good to see you!Come in, come in before those nosy Marshalls see you.Whose your young friend?" the large man asked.He had a potbelly the size of Juliennes father's cart.Compared to the Dragon, he looked like four men in one.

"This is Julienne.Her Friend has been missing because of the Dark forest.We were hoping to find Kisad here.Is he still living in Carillon?" the Dragon asked as the Man led the two of them into the back of the bakery, past a few customers in the lobby who also looked as big as the Man. The Man led them back into a small room that looked to be a bedroom for him, with two chairs,bed, a small table and a reading lamp in one corner.Julienne and Kuries sat on the chairs while the man sat on the bed looking at them.

"Kisad....boy haven't heard his name spoken too much since the war you know.I think he is.The last I heard he was staying in some house he built way out near the dome wall-something very few people do anymore since all the jobs and entertainment are here in the center.I think if I remeber right-his home is at the southwest point of the dome among a small grove of trees.People say he has some kind of guardian spell around the place, nasty I guess.Supposedly one of the marshalls tried to get past it to serve a paper for tax collection on him, but the thing fried the marshal." "Fried?" Julienne asked wondering if she was going to get 'fried' "Burned, all over his legs and arms so badly that the marshal healer had to take three days to heal him fully." the man said shaking his whole body for effect.

"Ah easily broken.I have encountred those spells before.Thank you my friend.How is your son doing?" Kuries asked. "Oh he's fine, fine.Still with the Knights-he was promoted to General last month invited the whole family up to see it.Very proud of him.He wouldn't be one without you my friend.I thank you again, for everything you did." the large man said, his eyes almost tearing up at the words. "I did what anyone would have, Hurod.I am glad he has progressed so well.Please, say hello to him for me.Now we must be going-Kisad is needed desperately in Gwildin." Kuries said, standing and shaking Hurod's hand as he did so.

"If I can be of help,if my son can-" "I know my friend.I will let you know if we need your help.Come, Julienne we must go." Kuries said with one last handshake and headed out the door. "What did he do for your son?" Julienne asked staying behind. "Everything child, everything.Listen to him-he is one of the strongest and most powerful dragons on Kern.Not to mention one of the wisest.Now go follow him before he flys off without you." Hurod said shooing her out the door.

She caught up to Kuries outside the bakery where he was waiting for her, patiently.

"There is a small park down this block where I can shift in private.I'll change and we can fly down to Kisad's home." "You've been here before haven't you?" she asked an obvious question. "Yes child, a long time ago during the Great War.This was a last base for us.But that was a long time ago and we have the present to worry about.Now-off to the park." he said and begain walking. Once they found the park the dragon found a secluded spot and told her to stand back from him.He shifted into his dragon form and she climbed aboard him carefully.He lifted off and climbed almost all the way up to the dome's top,hovering for a second.The dragon smelled the wind for a moment,turned slightly to the left and flew into the direction that Julienne assumed was Southwest.

Julienne didn't waste time looking down on this trip, she was fascinated at the dome and stared all the way to their destination.The dome was silver colored with small flecks of gold gleaming off of the surface every few feet.It shone with its own illumnation eliminating the need to make a hole in the dome for the sun during the day.Staring at it almost hypnotized her into a trance and Kuries had trouble getting her out of it when they landed. She snapped out of it gradually and she saw she was on the ground beside the dragon in his human form in front of a small grove of trees.She could just barely see the outlines of a small house behind a couple of the trees that looked like it was about to fall down.Kuries told her to stand back and she did not asking why.He stepped forward and pointed his finger ahead of him slowly testing for the 'frying' barrier that Hurod told them about.A few feet before the first tree his finger got a response, a very large response that sent him flying backwards and almost into Julienne.He growled audibly, almost a roar-the famous dragon roar many had heard and ran from many a time and approached the shield again.

This time he was ready.He spoke a few words of magic,drew a circle in the air,grabbed it with both of his arms and threw it towards the barrier.The circle crackled,snapped,exploded a few times and then shaped a doorway out of thin air.The edge of the doorway was alive with orange,yellow and even blue flames eagerly crackling, wanting to close the entrance so badly they almost seemed alive.

"Come child, let us collect Kisad and return home." Kuries said extending his hand to her.She grabbed his and together they stepped through the doorway.
The end, at least for now