Anethandez Adventure

Karana sat next to Luna.

"Was that...magic?" she asked, embarrassed at her ignorance.

"Yeah. Why?" Luna nodded.

"Um...could you...teach me how to do that?" Karana hoped she wasn't being too bold to ask that.

Seeker kept above Luna, which gave him a good excuse to keep an eye on her.

Deception and treachery would come naturally to a switchling. If she turned on him, it would be hard to kill her. He didn't particularly suspect that she would do it in the air. Gryphons were lords of the air. He had taken a dragon out once a long time ago, they were well armored but their wings weren't.

There was one consolation to dealing with switchlings. No matter what form they took, they wouldn't be as good at it as the real creature. So he wasn't worried about her taking him on as a gryphon.

Tyrin

I looked up at the newcomer suspiciously. I didn't know who anyone was and didn't trust a single one of them, but something was up with this gryphon. He hovered over the shapeshifter like a wasp, just waiting for the oppertune moment to sting. Now I didn't care about any of them, but I needed they're help, and I knew that if the gryphon, or anyone, attacked anyone else, they would have to be delt with quickly, or the whole group would fall apart. I had captured their interest with the mostly true tales of the library, but I could tell that it would not take much to make them simply continue on their way, wandering off to who knows where and not helping me a bit. This could not happen! I would watch the gryphon.

Julia

"Would you stop that?" Warren demanded.

"Stop what?" I asked with an innocent smile.

"Holding on like that," He replied, averting his eyes from my hands. I grinned again and phased them back out of Ryouku's body.

"Okay, then I suppose I'll hold onto you."

"No, no, that's alright," Warren protested hurriedly. Ignoring his outburst, I phased my right hand all the way through his right side and then wriggled my fingers when they came out the other side. I soon tired of the game though and extricated my body from his before leaning back and gazing up at the Gryphon who was above and to the left, flying over Luna.

"Hello there," I called up to him. "What's your name?"

Karana's gaze was instantly diverted to Warren. He was very ill tempered towards the girl sitting behind him. Of course, she was trying to hold onto him as if her life depended on it...

She must have an enormous crush on him, to be that eager to hold him. She scoffed and shook her head.

Seeker decided to answer truthfully.

"I'm known as Seeker."

Julia

"That's a strange name. I'm Julia. Do you know much about the library?"

"The library?" He asked.

"Yeah. That's the reason you're following us, right? Or was you just looking for company on your flight?"

"I've heard of it," Seeker replied cautiously.

"Great," I replied, tucking a stray lock of red hair behind my ear. "Is it much further, Tyrin?"

"No. Not far now," He replied.

(Sorry for my absence, 4 day long camping trip. The wave pool and water slides were fun.)

Ryouku made sure Seeker wasn't paying attention before whispering over his shoulder, "Julia, there is something odd about that gryphon."

Julia replied in a hushed voice as well. "What do you mean?"

"I've been watching him. The way he holds himself while flying, how his gaze shifts from person to person when he thinks nobody is watching. I think he's planning something at our expense."

"What are we going to do then?" she asked.

"For now, all we can do is keep an eye on him."

Julia

"I'll help," I whispered back and then looked up at the Gryphon again.

"My friend wants to know what you like to eat. Only we're stopping for lunch soon and we thought you might be hungry," I called out.

"I've eaten," Seeker replied simply.

"Okay. We'll stop here," Tyrin decided. "The entrance to the passage I told you about is just around the corner and it might be dangerous so a meal wouldn't hurt." Ryouku and Luna landed gracefully but Seeker stayed in the air, beginning to circle the group like a vulture but making no move to strike.

"Would anyone like a sandwich?" I asked, taking my rucksack from my back. "They're a few days old but I have loads. There might be some fruit left too."

Note: I'm going to be gone for a week or so, (sorry) so...ya.
Tyrin

"Listen all of you!" I yelled, and everyone looked at me. "The library of Aranu is about two days mark from here. As soon as we enter the tunnel things will begin to get dangerous. It is also small at times which means no flying, and there cannot be any noise."

I glared at Warren and continued, "we must be serious about this...it is a serious matter."

"Now, most of you people seem to be battle worthy advantures, but if you are afraid to fight you must go now."

"The kingdom of Aranu was once rulled by a just king and during his reign it prospered. There were many wars, but the famous General Curr defeated everyone of the king's enemies and rose in fame. When the king died he left no heir, so the city set up a sort of election. General Curr was of great fame, so he ran, but a somewhat famous noble was chosen instead. General Curr suspected bribery and became bitter."

"I do not know what all happened after this, but I know that it took many years of studying (at the library mostly). Curr became an aprentece to an old magician and finally returned to the city. He went to the top of the tallest pinnacle of the palace and turned the three massive gargoles there into living beasts, through which he subdued the whole city. He then turned all the people into (as far as I can tell) somekind of zombis."

"That is what we must face if we are to enter that tunnel!"

"Is there anyway to get into the library without fighting?" asked Ryouku.

"No, but if we were able to kill Curr, all of the zombis would turn back into their rightful forms and probably the gargoiles as well. Problem is that Curr has not been seen since the day he entered the city nigh on one hundred years ago. Who knows where he is, or if he is even alive?"

Everyone went back to their eating, talking quietly amoungst themselves. I retreated a ways into the forest and sunk my roots deep into the ground. I needed to have a good meal and think.

Seeker waited for him to get clear before he spoke.

"This was a lot more difficult than I was led to believe," Seeker said. It was one thing to find a library and enter it, it was another thing altogether when you had to fight your way through gargoyles, zombies, and necromancers.

Necromancers! There were no viler wizards in the world. They weren't terribly strong, but you don't need strength when you have a thousand zombies around. Of course, he could just fly over them and kill him, but where was he and what about the gargoyles?

Seeker just shook his head.

*Okay. That's fine. I'll help you catch up.*


Karana liked adventure but this was too much. Zombies, gargoyles, and who knew what else! Oh, well. she told herself. I'm here now, and someone has to help out with Warren.

Speaking of which, he didn't look too good...

She rose and sat next to him and Julia, and continued to eat.

"I'll ride with Warren next, if you want to..." Karana offered. "We should all help with him."


*That's all I've got, sorry...writer's block again!*

Julia

"Sure," I agreed absently, "That's really generous of you."

"Uh... yeah," Karana replied.

"Doesn't the sky look nice in the evening? Do you think we could spend the night here?" At my words, everyopne else looked up at the sky and watched as the sun sank below the horizon.

"Good idea. Afterall, who's in a rush to fight necromancers and zombies?" Warren said.

"I think it's a wise decision," Ryouku agreed. "Who knows what creatures come out at night."

"Creatures that can't possibly be worse than zombies and necromancers," Luna laughed as she landed and changed form.

"Why a wolf?" Sonya asked curiously.

"They have nice warm fur," Luna replied. "And good, sharp teeth."

Karana was beginning to like this group. So many differences, so many new friends...well, if they called each other "friends," now. It had been a long, very entertaining day.

But, for some strange reason, she longed for her space, for silence, for her privacy. She stood and made her way for a tree as the others started talking, Warren adding occassionally.

When she reached a bough high above them, she sat and stared at the stars. Who am I, really? Why was I, a half elf, raised among pure blood humans? Who are my parents, and where are they?

I have so many questions! I want to know my past, but...I can't remember anything! Not after that attack. I wish I could remember...I wish I knew more than I do already...

Maybe this Library will help me find my answers...if not, maybe one of them, one of my new friends and travel companions. Maybe.

"What are you doing way out here?"

Karana whipped her head around and saw Ryouku. "Oh, it's just you."

Ryouku sat beside her. "What's the matter? You seem a little depressed."

"It's personal."

"I see..." Ryouku looked up at the sky. "The stars are beautiful tonight. You know, us dragons used to call them spirits."

"Spirits?" she asked.

"Well, that's what we called them in our tongue. It sounds much better than it does in English."

"Why did you call them that?"

"Because the stars represent the spirits of our ancestors. There have been great dragons in history, and when one of them dies after living a noble life, a new star appears in the sky."

"Wow..."

"My time will come one day as well, and I too wish to join my ancestors." Ryouku shook his head. "But my sept seems to think otherwise."

"What do you mean?"

"The members of my sept believed I would never join the great ones in the sky because of my infatuation for knowledge about other species, humans especially. That's why they threw me out of the sept and took my horn."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Ryouku sighed. "There are some days when I too believe I may never join those who have lived before me..."