Queen Shieba's Alliance

"Where is Zender you ask?" Smiling at the Knight Initiate as she tucked the last of the recall scrolls she was working on into a pouch, Queen Shieba motioned for him to be seated. Taking a seat beside him, "Zender is anywhere we choose it to be."

The Knight, now more confused than before, adjusted the sword at his side, and comfortably eased back into the velvet seat eager to know more of this Zender and his Queen.

"Zender is a land, a person, and even more. To me, Zender is a spirit that drives me to protect the innocent and overcome evil." Passing him a plate of cookies, Shieba waited and motioned for him to take one before she continued.

"I grew up in a large happy family. We lived in a town called Luskan...in a very magical, but nonetheless, forgotten realm known as Neverwinter. I was a very young woman when forces of evil, beyond my own comprehension, raged wars in spiritual realms that invaded our land. Some battles were lost, some won, but in the end my husband of only a few short weeks was taken from me."

Looking up into green eyes that seemed to reflect the glow of the amulet, the knight noticed the queen was now fingering the illumined stone in its center as she spoke.

"My husband, everyone called him ‘Priest,’ was the founder of a group known as the Guardians of Light. Priest fought in a terrible battle...not of this world...to save his mother...a Priestess that suffered a wrongful death. He had given me this amulet before we were married."

Fingering the amulet fondly, "I knew its power then was to enlighten. By the color of this stone that glows..." Tapping the huge moonstone in the center of the other rare gems imbedded in the gold. "....I could always tell who did and did not have pure intentions on my behalf."

"When my husband died in this battle, he became immortal. That I cannot explain...only to tell you I know the amulet took on even more magic. The fall of Neverwinter was approaching and my husband’s men whisked me away. I remember we traveled through a mist...to the land of West Lienster and settled there. It seemed almost daily I would come upon an old friend or family member that had safely made it through the same mist I had. My amulet would glow so that it seemed like a compass, guiding me to those I needed, or that needed me."

Holding her amulet out for the knight to view, he nodded hoping to hear the rest of the story, wondering still where or what Zender actually was.

Dropping the amulet to let it rest again on the chain around her neck, Shieba continued. "One day, while seeking to buy new armor, I met a man called Lord Zender. My amulet began changing colors and glowing so brightly it actually made me dizzy. I do not remember much about that day except that I seemed to wake up from some long sleep...in the biggest bed you have ever seen...dozens of folks were scurrying about claiming their queen had been found."

"Much to my surprise they meant me...Kidnapped at birth by the wicked witch of the Barrens...mark of the queen, they said...I was told I had a 'duty' and needed.... What was that!?"

Before she could finish her story, the castle walls seemed to vibrate. Chimes....something similar to a fog horn....bells....a loud clatter.....then the smell of smoke...

The old wizard so loved to make an entrance. Laughing, Shieba turned to the knight initiate, who knowingly smiled and announced, "Your majesty, I believe your brother has come to call."