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I knew for a fact that Krolaun would not have proceeded to Tybis without me. I glanced around our little make-shift camp. We went to sleep last night and he wasn't here this morning when I awoke...then where? My keen eyes caught sight of a broken sapling yupon tree, bent as if something had been dragged away. I knelt, further inspecting the foliage. There was a small puddle near it, and I touched it, assuming it was sap from the tree. I sniffed at it carefully, and the salty scent was one I recognized. Blood.My heart drummed against my ribcage, and I looked frantically down the trail for any further signs. I continue to follow the broken foliage and droplets of blood, and they eventually led me to a clearing. I knelt in the dense leaves of a huge fern, watching for any sign of life. However, nothing met my eyes save for a crumpled lump of clothing in the center. Cautiously, I broke cover, making my way to the article. As I picked it up, my heart sank. It was not just any piece of clothing. It was a cloak; just like the one he always wore.
If anyone would know his scent, it would be me, I thought, bringing the still-warm garment close and taking a breath.
Nights by the fire. Laughter. Joy. Contentment. A hand in mine. A chilled glass of wine. Friends. Those captivating grey eyes...
I knew in an instant that it was Krolaun's Cloak of Elvenkind. I searched for anything further and found many items. A set of lockpicks, several smashed vials, a small elven crossbow, now ruined, as well as several broken bolts scattered around the clearing. There is some light rope and several other leavings, but nothing of any true value. I clutched the cloak to my chest and resolutely resumed my search.
I began to blindly follow the trail, trusting to my instincts and some deeper feeling within me. Spots of blood, bent blades of tall grass, any clue that would lead me to him. I eventually broke cover of the forest, coming out onto a stretch of steppe. Smatterings of blood were scattered along the grassy fields, and as I knelt, touching one drop, I noticed it was still freshly spilt. I rose, continuing forward onto the plane.
Abruptly, the ground rushed up to meet me as I fell headlong over an obstacle hidden by the grass. I squirmed as I fell, landing on my side as I turned to see what I had tripped over. A strange, but familiar green glow greeted my eyes, but a screech filled the air as did ominous, thundering laughter. I pressed myself into the dirt, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. I crawled over to the thing I had tripped over and found it to be the breastplate of the Armor of Bast, but it was ruined beyond all repair. As I reached out to touch it, I could feel a surge of familiar magic. Not the magic of Bast, but that of WildMagic, an art known only to Krolaun alone.
I withdrew my hand quickly as the magic reached for me. It enveloped me in it's unseen hands, filling my mind with voices.
"He is with Bast, so unusual. Do you think he may be useful?" says one, a voice unknown to me.
"No," my gut twisted at the vile familiarity of Sharidia's voice, "He will die. He need not be concerned with having Bast with him for long--"
The voices end abruptly at that point, leaving my mind whirling. I paced the area, carefully scrutinizing every detail. As I wandered too far away from the remains of the armor, the feelings of familiarity weakened and ended. I stood in the center of it all, my green eyes subdued in thought.
"Here. They caught him here," I murmured softly.
My mind cast about for some sort of answer, but I could come up with nothing. My heart began to beat painfully as worry and panic began to settle in. I clenched my hands into fists, regaining my composure. Fretting will not help him. Think, Katja! Think!
I crossed the steppe, returning to the broken armor and kneeling beside it. I debated my intentions, and found them to be unerring. So, carefully, I reached for the Power of One, filtering the power through the Amulet about my neck. I honed it, shaped it to my will, and when I had mastery over it, I commanded it.
Show me. Through the Powers of Time, show me what happened here!
The Power fell away from me, racing through time to fulfill my orders. In the space of a few heartbeats, it returned, assaulting my mind with a vision.
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© 1999 E. Angeli Mansfield