The Tale of Two Worlds (IC)

[The Imposter]

Click....‘Hello?’
‘Hmph...What business do you have calling me? I’ve cut my ties.’
‘Do you honestly believe that I’d just leave this all at his beckoning?’
‘I’m not the foolish one; I’ve made my choices and will stay by them.’
‘Ha! I’d like to see you try....despite what comes I will protect my family till the end.’
‘Hm? He’s willing to guarantee that?’
‘Indeed, seems we will be talking again soon.’....Click
---------------------------

Abel woke up in a cold sweat yet again. It had become a common thing most mornings, dreams really bad dreams of the accident or of things he considered even worse. He sat up and pulled the sheets off of him; he shuffled off his small cot like bed and walked out of his room down the hallway. The light was shining through the intricate hallways of his grandfather’s temple. It was a historic location on the outskirts of town that ran in the family for generations. Abel made his way into the kitchen and dining area only to see his grandfather sitting on a mat on the floor with eating off the small table.

‘Good morning my boy you feelin’ alright this mornin’ you don’t look to good. Guessing you had another rough night of dreams and what not. It’s a beautiful day today, you should take the day and explore the city some more! You might even make some friends or something.’

‘Hey Grandpa...yeah it was another rough night. I agree with you though I think it’ll be good to get outside and enjoy the day.’

Abel spoke while rubbing his hand where his right arm used to be. Grandpa didn’t stay very long once Abel got there. He was always keeping the temple in good shape and giving tours of the more historic side of it. Abel appreciated his grandfather but always considered him to be on the strange side....maybe strange wasn’t the word, eccentric. As he left the room he turned back and spoke towards Abel who was eating his breakfast.

‘You get in any mischief today while you are out and I’ll beat you with my cane.’

Abel looked a bit shocked at his grandpa’s comment but shrugs it off and finishes his breakfast. Over the next two hours Abel gets ready doing the things he usually does. Struggling to get dressed and such became the norm for Abel. Once he was ready he made his way into town to spend the day getting his bearings.

It was pretty fun checking out the markets on Ring Street and passing the school he would be attending on High Avenue. He was making his way back from the school back and turned onto Demolov Street which led to the city park. He could see the green grass and trees in the distance. Something caught his eye as he passed an alleyway and peered down. He could’ve sworn he had seen a weird black shape but there wasn’t anything there.

Dismissing it Abel made his way to the park where he tried to avoid a lot of the stares from people. He tried not to take it personal knowing it was just because he looked a little different. Not too many people were missing an arm.
----------------------------------

In the empty plains a dark shape walked isolated from everything else. It grinned menacingly as it swiped one arm in the air. The arm seemed to split the air itself creating a large rift in the plane of existence. It continued walking through the rift and coming out into an alleyway off of Demolov street. As it passed through the realms its body began to change shaping and solidifying. When the transformation had finished a strange figure stood. A man wearing a mask in a long trench coat walked away as the rift closed onto Demolov Street. He looked back towards the park his mask with the permanent smile and disappeared turning off of Demolov onto the main street.

[Mordecai]

It was a gorgeous day in Llystra. Or, rather, it was as gorgeous as that world ever was. The morning light casts red streaks across the sky, and the orange sky shyly peaked through the clouds, and then retreated behind the fluffy veil. In Llystra, there were no planes or flying vehicles to disrupt the air. No modern buildings casting smog over cities. But today, there was one particular trail of smoke in the distance.

Arecio.

Father had taken Arecio and Nobu, her older and younger brothers, respectively, and a few other male members of the village on a mission. There was a rumor of a few Shade that had made an appearance. It had been two days since they left. If the rumor was true, then they would be home soon with a trinket.

In her village of Manya, it was tradition that, with every Shade killed, the warrior who displayed the most bravery would receive part of that Shade as a token of victory. It was similar to the Latin saying. Ad victorem spolias. To the victor go the spoils. Naturally, that piece of the Shade, or whatever the victor had kept, would remain in that person's possession forever. When they died, the Shade token would burnt with them, and their ashes would be placed into a clay pot and buried on the banks of Soncti Fl'men, the Holy River.

Rarely did any one give away a Shade token. Only males could possess them, for only males went to battle. The only reason that a man ever gave away his Shade token was if someone they loved died. That’s what father did when Kieran's mother died. That was ten years ago.

The Shade weren't fortuitous in the world of Llystra. While it was not an extremely populated civilization, there were villages, just like Manya, that housed great warriors. Those warriors were the sole protectors of Llystra.

At a young age, the boys of Manya were taught how to handle weapons. Sticks and sling shots. Those were the toys children played with. After age 5, they were given wooden swords and they were then taught how to create their own make shift arrows.

Kieran's little brother, Nobu, was almost ten years old. It was such a tender age... in most societies. Most boys were learning how to build their own spears and arrows. Nobu had mastered that skill two years ago. He was a fast learner. A genius. A prodigy. He would be a great warrior, just like his older brother, Arecio.

Nobu was already going on missions. To protect Llystra. To fight the Shade. To victory, as Arecio would say. More like, to danger! Kieran's eyebrows made a small crease in her forehead as she frowned. Don't be so pessimistic, she told herself. Nobu will be just fine. The female took a deep breath and then went inside the small, circular hut that she shared with her brothers. Her hunting sack was resting on the pile of grass and fur that was her bed.

Her hunting sack. The last trinket she had received from her mother. It was a conical object that resembled the shape of a rhino's tusk. A large, leather rhino tusk with a hollow inside. It was neatly stitched together with expert hands, and it came complete with pockets on the inside and outside, as well as a flap that could fold over the top. That bag could hold everything Kieran needed, from water to weapons to small game. That was her mother, planning ahead. Rin was always so knowledgeable, so full of wisdom. If there was anything Kieran loved most about her mother, it was that she could stay calm, no matter what.

"Don't worry about Little Nobu," Kieran told herself. "Soon, everyone will come home with a Shade token and when they do, you'll have a great dinner waiting in honor of the kill."

[The Imposter]

It was still morning and the sun was on the up and up. It penetrated the little bit of tree cover in the park and filled the area with a wonderful atmosphere. Abel was sitting on a bench enjoying himself and was watching all the different people walking by. It was a pretty nice town his grandfather lived in. Things seemed pretty nice, there would still be adjustments for him but that wouldn't be anything new. Abel had been adjusting for quite some time now and he wasn't there yet.

Suddenly Abel was shaken out of his wandering thoughts by an incessant barking when he looked he found a breed of collie bark at him. At least at first he thought so, it seemed like it was really barking at where his right arm should be. Abel reached out with his hand only to be met by the dog jumping back and growling at him. He now remembered why he wasn't a dog fan, they weren't a fan of him.

'West stop that right now! Leave him alone!'

Abel followed the voice and saw a girl about his age frantically running towards him and the dog. She stopped and tried to catch her breath. She bent over and grabbed the dog's leash. She smiled and bowed again apologetically.

'Uhh...sorry about West he usually is nice to everyone, must be something wrong with you.'

The girl then noticed that Abel was missing an arm and her eyes widened. She blushed and bowed again speaking extremely fast. Abel hardly caught what she said but it was an apology.

'I'm soo sorry, it was suppose to be a joke...uhh I didn't mean anything by it, I didn't notice your....uhhh...difference. Ah! I probably sound so horrible, it was suppose to be a joke.'

Her apology made Abel uncomfortable he knew she didn't mean anything by it. He didn't need someone to exploit his lack of an arm especially so repeatedly no matter how innocently it was done.

'Yeah...it's alright. I've never gotten along with dogs anyway so no hard feelings. I'm Abel by the way, what's your name?'

'Oh...nice to meet you Abel, I'm Ally. Sooo...you must be the transfer that will be starting at the school in a few weeks. I mean I haven't seen you around before. If you'd like you can come with West and I, we usually do a few laps around the park.'

The rest of the day was spent just walking and talking. Abel seemed to get along with Ally quite well despite the annoying dog and the had fun. As evening came Abel said his good byes and made his way back to his grandfathers temple. There were a few lights on when he had arrived and Abel called out letting his grandfather know he was home.

The old man shuffled into view and began telling him a story. Abel didn't really pay much attention when his grandfather got into these stories. Tonight was about the guardian of the family generations ago. Some thousand handed demon or spirit. Abel waved goodnight and made his way to his room for the night.

[Jacogos]

"Mr. White, your two o'clock is here."

"Two o'clock already? My, how the hours pass..." Kevin White laid down his book on Vlad the Impaler. That was always a good read. The man was a GENIUS.

"Um... Yes. Should I send her in, Mr. White?" his secretary/butler, a thin, hawk-like man by the name of Jorge Jameson, had never quite adapted to his master's personality. After assuming the persona of Kevin White, Gröndan had fired the previous man and hired this one so that he would not have to assume the starkly contrasting image of the true Mr. White at all times. He rather disliked the previous owner's knack for being... kind.

Shaking his head slightly, the new Kevin waved Jorge off. "Tell her to come back tomorrow. I have more pressing matters to attend to today." This didn't seem to surprise the other man at all, as he only sighed and lowered his voice slightly in deference.

"Sir, you have sent her off two days in a row before now... She will not be pleased at this." Scoffing slightly, Kevin waved him off again, engrossed in his book yet again. Bowing slightly, Jorge exited the room. After a few moments, Kevin stood slowly and stretched, looking around his little office within his mini-mansion. It was clean, as expected, all the books his assumed identity had read filed alphabetically on the shelves behind him. To complete the charade, he had of course read those books, but he didn't really enjoy most of them. Classics. Hah!

He moved out of the room by the side door, the one Jorge hadn't used, and entered his private library, where his extensive collection of vampire books and other mythology related readings were displayed. Of course, no one ever came in here to see them, which is why Gröndan allowed himself to display them. It was quite a display, considering that very few of them were actually his. More to the point is that they couldn't be tracked to him, so why worry?

Gröndan took out his pocket watch (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51iXIuBNM%2BL.jpg) and nodded slightly. 2:07. At least she had been punctual. Perhaps tomorrow, if she bothered to show up again. Jorge had been correct, he had sent her away the past two days before, claiming more pressing matters. He truthfully hadn't been in the mood for meetings lately. Perhaps it was his slowly growing want for contact with other Shades. He wondered to himself why he had heard nothing from his kind when he had been here so long. Perhaps his ruse was so well that even the others couldn't find him.

Kevin grinned slightly as he entered his own bedroom (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2367/1582831862_be450cc41f_z.jpg?zz=1) (add a matching bed), redecorated greatly from the previous inhabitant's taste. That probably wasn't it, but it gave him a slight sense of accomplishment at the thought of so completely eluding sight that not even his own kind could see the façade.

He spent the rest of the day reading sprawled out on his bed. Late that evening, around 10:30 according to his pocket watch, he rose from the sheets and laid his book down, informing Jorge to keep watch as he was going for a stroll. This was a normal happening for Jorge, and he just bowed and said 'As you wish'. So that's how Kevin White, formally known as Gröndan, found himself walking down the street of the city, completely ignoring most that attempted to hail him down for 'spare change' or 'a nice flower for your lady?'

[The Imposter]

It had been a few days since Abel had run into Ally in the park, he had been spending time helping out his grandfather run the temple tours and other such things. Mostly dusting off the old statues and other relics that had been preserved for 'thousands of years' as his grandfather said. The two were sitting at the small table making small talk and discussing plans for the day when they both stopped to hear the radio.

'....this marks the 12th disappearance in the last week. Police officials still have no leads but have now negotiated talks on instituting new laws for the safety of the town. Rumors of curfews soon being put into effect and also the involvement of the military have been widespread. There are others yet saying that the media and populace are being kept in the dark as to what is really going on. We here at 108.3 'The Jump' promise to keep the citizens of Gnatut informed with any developments as soon as we get them....'

'Seems like things are getting pretty intense, eh Grandpa?'

'Able did I ever tell you the story of the guardian of the temple, how our great ancestor built this temple as an gift to the woman he loved, or the tale of the splitting of the worlds?'

Abel sat almost in shock at his grandfather's lack of interest in the news. He scratched his head recalling the stories.

'Yes, Grandpa I remember them...I mean you tell them all the time so how couldn't I. OUCH!'

His grandfather's cane smashed the tender area of where his right arm once was. He nursed it slightly as he glared at the senile old man.

'Don't give me lip...today is a special day for you. You are going to go on a journey today. Something that has been passed down through the ages and is now your turn....'

Abel's eyes widened as his mind began to race to all the potential things his grandpa was talking about. The old man kept rattling making this journey sound quite extravagant.

'....here's the grocery list. Go into town and get everything on it. Be careful, the radio says someone is kidnapping people and you look like an easy target with only one arm.'

Abel sat there not knowing what to say. He couldn't believe that his grandfather talked up going to get groceries so much and that he totally called him an easy target for the crazed kidnappers and was still sending him out to get stuff. He took the list and puzzled over the contents wondering if this was actually the stuff he ate for normal meals. His grandfather wandered off getting ready for the first bunch of tourists and left Abel to clean the dishes up. He cleaned them up while trying to figure out why his parents let him choose his grandfather's to attend school.

'What was I thinking in coming here.'

His voiced echoed down the hall way and a small head peeked out from around the corner scowling at him.

'Ah! Sorry Grandpa, just thinking out loud.'

After getting the dishes clean and ready for the day, Abel ventured into Gnatut to get everything on the list. Admittedly Abel enjoyed going into the city and getting the groceries. He hadn't really been in the city much yet and the last few days were all focused on temple cleaning so it was pretty nice. Is Grandpa actually a genius? In some sort of senile way did he know I was going to enjoy this? Abel spent most of the day picking up the groceries, traveling from store to store and getting his bearings. On the way back home he noticed a group of people huddled around in the street. His curiosity easily pulled him towards the group to check and see what was going on. He stood with the few groceries he had in his only hand trying to get a glimpse through the crowd.

In the center of the crowd stood what appeared to be a man, his face covered by a smiling mask. He eloquently was telling a story while moving his hands. He was holding a small cross in each hand and from them dripped almost invisible string that was attached to puppets. The puppets danced around a hat that held some change in it. People clapped as he continued telling stories. At one moment the masked faced made contact with Abel. A strange feeling came over Abel, it wasn't fear but it didn't seem right. It was almost as though the man deliberately locked on to him if only for a moment.

Able shuddered slightly and shook it off. In a panic he realized that his grandfather was probably waiting for him so he hurriedly began to make his way out of the city.

[Wattz]

Kalani took a deep breath, the luscious scent of salty air passing through her nose. She watched intently as the crew members began to dock the boat, handling the ropes with care. Most of her wears were strapped to her back with others tucked firmly in her arms. She’d have to make at least two trips, what with all she brought to sell at the festival. Kalani had considerably less to sell than other vendors, but she often made do. Her blue and purple dyes were exotic, her balms and panaceas rare. She had beautifully embroidered clothes of a new shade of blue, rich and royal, that she was excited to try selling. Hopefully she could get a pretty sum for them.

She followed the crowd, picking her usual spot beneath her favorite tree, the light filtering through the leaves. Her island didn’t have these kinds of trees, with the big flowering branches and green, oblong leaf shapes. The dead orange leaves crackled between her toes, tickling them and making her giggle. She placed her packs down on the ground before making her second trip, then gently laid a blanket on the grass.

Kalani began setting up her supplies in neat, organized rows. Her section was usually a terrible mess, but not this time, no sir! Well, at least until she got distracted by all the others. Their supplies glinted beautifully in the sunlight, they were almost impossible to not admire. Kalani began to haphazardly arrange her items the more distracted she became. But it was enough, she supposed, and she’d most certainly make due.

[Mordecai]

"Kieran? Kieran!"

The girl recognized the voice instantly, and tried to sneak away behind the hut before attracting attention.

"Kieran, there you are, girl." The teenager, who had been about to make her escape, sighed in exasperation before turning around to smile at the old woman who had tracked her down.

"Elder Zawya," Kieran greeted. "How are you doing t-"

"There's no time for formalities, child!" the old woman scoffed. Kieran held a snappy comment to herself. "Do you know what time of year it is?" Before the girl could open her mouth in response, the white haired old lady waved her hand, as if to dismiss the question. "The Festus Foro is today."

Kieran turned her head slightly to the side. Was it that time of year already?

"As you know, usually, the most recently wed woman attends, but Oriana has fallen ill..." Oh no. "...and as the youngest capable female in the village, I think it would do you good to attend the festival."

"But Elder Zawya..."

--

Less than an hour later, Kieran found herself with a large, leather pouch in which to hold her food and, later, the spoils acquired from the festival. The day was still young. Noon was still hours away, and besides, the festival lasted until nightfall. Trade and hunting secrets, new weapons, herbs, and, if she had any extra money, perhaps a new knife for herself... But that would have to be her own secret.

In Kieran's eyes, the annual festival was pointless. It was usually just a bunch of merchants gathering together in a small trading city. The greatest thing it had was a beach and port that took regular trips to a nearby island. Kieran's mother, Rin, had previously been responsible for keeping good relationships with other women who were sent to the festival. There were males there, occasionally, mostly sailors and merchants, but any male with skill would be out hunting. All in all, this trip seemed to be a big steamy ball of estrogen.

One thing that kept bothering Kieran were her brothers and her father. They were due to arrive to the village today, and because of this, there was a large chance she could miss them. She didn't want their trip to be delayed at all but... The white haired girl took one last look at what remained of the previous smoke trail and headed in the opposite direction.

[Lacelette]

“Patrick…Patrick! For the last time I’m telling you that if you can’t move the meeting to this Thursday than our deal is off.” With a delicate click of her finger, she switched off the virtual projecting screen from her handphone and places it back on her office desk. She sighed and leaned back on her chair, rubbing her temples. Just then, a rapid tap on her door made her look and she smiled, “Priscilla, you may come in.” A stout woman in her mid 40’s appeared from the door and she made a quick walk further to stand in front of Sophia's desk only to bow her head and say,

“Ms. Bender, I am deeply sorry but Sir Kevin White simply refuses to see me these last few days. Not even when I stress the importance of my discussion with him.”

Still maintaining her smile, Sophia motioned for the lady to sit down. As the woman name Priscilla made herself comfortable, Sophia picked up a key and unlocked one of the drawers on her office desk. She took out a silver envelope with a red seal and handed it to Priscilla.

“I know that everything’s all modernized this century but I can’t shake the feeling that this letter would be paid more attention by our friend, White, than any e-mail notification” she said with false humility.

Priscilla took the envelope and examined it as if it was the most peculiar thing in the world. Licking her lips, she ventured a look at her employer. Priscilla has worked with Ms. Bender for a long time now and always, she was assigned with the weirdest task. She recalled how Sophia had approached her for a book before. A book with an elaborate title and an even more intricate content. It was only after Priscilla purchased it from a quirky pawn shop did she notice that it was a Grimoire. In another time, Sophia had asked for her company to a black market because she wanted to "buy some special ingredients". She saw what Sophia had bought from the black market and it made her want to run and puke.

But after all that she's been through, she still hasn't plucked up the courage to resign from these dark deeds. Sophia is almost like a daughter to her. Priscilla couldn't bring herself to believe that the woman has a bad heart. She has seen the way she works in her father's company. Diligent. First one to start working, last one to leave work. Persistent. How she always demands the best from everyone and never backs away from a project. Kind. It was the little things that she did like slipping in a good word or two of a company's employer to her father just so he or she wouldn't be fired. Stuff like that.

“What game are you playing here, Ms. Bender?” For a moment, they were playing a staring contest but reluctantly, Sophia stood up to look through the beautiful view outside her glass wall.

"Life is like an hourglass, Priscilla. Everything hits the botton eventually. Every grain of sand, every hope that a person can bear. Every life that is suddenly snatched away. It is only when someone comes along to turn everything around. I want to be that someone. I want to move on with my life and to do that I need to know."

Priscilla watched the figure of the woman she worked for. She knows that under all that bravado was a sorrowful girl who misses her mother. Priscilla stood up, thanked Sophia for her time and made her way out of her office with a newfound understanding of why she was chosen to do this particular task. She knows people. Or rather, she knows Kevin White's people. And so she would definitely find a way for this letter to end up on top of Kevin White's desk as soon as possible.

[Jacogos]

Kevin White, or the Shade known as Göndan, came home late and was sprawled on his bed before 2:00 A.M., barely even taking the time to change clothes. When he woke that morning, he went into his kitchen where his simple egg and pancake breakfast was already made for him. He ate in silence and thought about what he was going to do that day when his maid came in.

"Mail for you, sir." She placed the stack of letters on the table next to him and left without being told to do so. Answering with a grunt, Kevin flipped through some of the letter before the address on one of them caught his eye. Tearing it open, he smirked slightly at the handwritten letter enclosed. Well well well, Ms. Bender... You have indeed caught my attention... Now what do you want..."

His curiosity spiked at the mention of 'dark creatures'. What did this woman know...? He read and re-read the letter a few times, then stood and downed the last of his milk. The Temple of Gnatut... Well, if she insisted. Kevin White made his way towards his room and changed into a nice blue vest and white undershirt, then informed Jorge that he would be going out for a while. With that, he exited his house for the second time in 24 hours, and made his way down the street towards the temple of Abel's grandfather.

Kevin couldn't help but admire the beauty of this historic temple, as he approached the large building around midday. He entered the hall through the front doors and felt a peculiar tingling sensation on his spine. How odd, he thought. Looking around for his 'mysterious friend', Kevin stood near the entrance, ignoring most anyone else.

[Lacelette]

“Why, Mr White, how splendid it is to see you again!” Sophia approached the man in blue and white at the temple’s entrance. Sophia, though, was wearing a pink floral blouse with a brown skirt and, of course, her favourite viridian coat. She took every chance to observe her business acquaintance and noticed that nothing much has changed in his appearance except that there appears to be a renewed exuberance in him than she last remembered. Guess the years passed has been good to him. From habit, she extended a hand to him.

“I hope you can tell from our location that this isn’t a business meeting, well....not quite”.

She chuckled to herself and looks at the picnic basket she’s carrying on her right shoulder. Sophia wasn't able to sleep peacefully the night before from all the nightmares that are haunting her. So this morning she took the trouble to prepare some special homemade chicken salad sandwiches, egg and tuna bread. She also brought grapes and apples for Abel and his grandfather since she’s expecting to make a request from them.

"You know, I've heard a lot of stories about how this temple used to be a bridge where our world touches the world of Llystra”. She looked at her Kevin’s face for any reaction.

“Llystra”, she spoke “is as real as any existing book makes it to be. Have you heard of the old legend? Of how our world was once whole but a great darkness corrupted man. That was the cause of all the war, the butchery and plague. So the mystics of old found a way to split the world and lock up the great darkness in it. I know it sounds all hokus pokus, Mr. White. But I can sense it. I have proof to show you why I believe in all of this nonsense."

Without noticing, she touched her picnic basket again. Sophia allowed a good sum of worry to show on her face and closed her eyes as a strong breeze flows by.

"I can feel like something big is about to happen and a lot of it that we can't understand. I'm asking for your help to keep an eye around here. Of course, you can say your price. But for now can we come inside the temple to continue our discussion?"

[Wattz]

Her wears sold rather well this year, if Kalani did say so herself. Her puffy cheeks turned red whenever she managed to sell something, reveling in her successes. It did her heart good to help a fellow Yondle in need, and she couldn’t help but feel as if her medicines were changing the world one buyer at a time. Every year she was floored to see all the people in need and all the people buying gifts for their loved ones or even for themselves. She smiled extensively at the strangers and took up hurried but warm conversations with her usual customers. She even smiled at her neighbors as they sold items, feeling warm and fuzzy inside knowing they were making profit as well.

A girl clad in warrior-like clothes strolled near her wears. Her serious face was framed by wild white hair. Kalani waved, in a slight state of flustered ecstasy at all the excitement.

“Enjoying the festival?” she asked as she exchanged money with another customer, handing off one of her special blue blankets. Kalani gave a sincere thank you as the hurried patron hurried away with the bundle in his arms.

“So much going on! I don’t think it’d ever been this busy, has it? Seen anything worth- whoops!”

Kalani had been hurrying about, rearranging her things as she spoke, failing to realize her hands were full of medicinal pouches and other assortments. The one-sided conversation had distracted her, and they fell from her arms. Luckily only two of the leather pouches had opened, spilling their contents. She chuckled nervously but moved quickly to clean them up.

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry. Not the first time it’s happened though, it’s quite alright!”

[The Imposter]

'Another night, another dream but this one seemed a lot more ominous and clear. I mean if it was you that had had it, I have no doubts that you would have made up some silliness about seeing the future and such. You even were in it Grandpa, you and some man I've never laid eyes on before. Him and those puppet strings were connected someh....OW!'

'If you say it is silly than stop talking about it. Why even bother to speak on something you think is 'silly'. Where is the wisdom in that boy? Sometimes I worry for you, perhaps that accident claimed more than your arm.'

Abel sat in shock slightly by his grandfather's statement. It was normal for him to drop such tactless comments but he never got use to them. He uncomfortably rubbed his shoulder as his grandfather kept lecturing him. The old man's voice rising. Another one of his grandfathers rants on a lack of wisdom and understanding of the world around him. Abel's expression quickly became disinterested in his grandfathers tirade until he mentioned something about a meeting.

'Wait? What?! There are people coming today to the temple to meet with you? You mean people actually know you outside this place? Are they friends?'

'Slow down. They aren't friends, just a lady and her friend interested in the Temple. You and I will meet up with them when they arrive....'

Before his grandfather finished his instructions a strange feeling fell over Abel, he noticed that perhaps his grandfather also felt it as he paused.

'Actually Abel you are the only that is going to met them...and it looks like they have arrived. Take an offering plate with you boy and now go.'

Abel walked the hall towards the temple entrance with an offering plate. He was always amazed at his grandfathers keen sense on who would bring offerings and who wouldn't. As was custom he stood at the entrance with the obligatory service smile. Abel managed to pull his off without it being fake. He actually enjoyed the temple and doing tours. He hadn't been there long when two silhouettes approached.

[Jacogos]

And there she was. Apparently Mr. White had met with this woman before Gröndan had began to observe him, which left him at a slight disadvantage. He probably should have asked Jorge what he knew of the woman, but hindsight, of course, is 20-20. "Ahh, Miss Bender. It's been too long." He took her hand lightly and, forgoing the flourish of kissing it, kept it business and simply shook.

Now, onto real 'business'. He allowed the woman to talk, since he for one had no idea why she wanted him here. At the mention of Llystra, Kevin half-way froze. Luckily, he hadn't really been moving much in the first place, so only the slight tensing of his shoulders might have given it away. He liked her little theory, though. "Yes, I know the old legend. I always found it fascinating. However, I never tied the legend to the existence of Llystra." She mentioned proof, and Kevin frowned only slightly. What might this woman have...?

At her mention, he opened the door for her and went inside, speaking as he did so. "Now Miss Bender... I can give my word that I'll keep an eye out, but enlighten me... What am I looking for? And maybe... you could show me this 'proof' of yours? I have to admit, I'm quite curious." His tone, as it had been the whole time, was kind and sincere, just like the old Kevin. His impersonation was flawless. Well, if you never noticed how his golden eyes flashed red when she mentioned darkness.

[Lacelette]

Sophia felt a slight relief when Kevin White approved of the old legend. She was half-expecting him to refuse her, to warn her not to meddle in affairs out of her control and understanding. She was expecting him to tell her not to drag her into this demise. But this is a good sign. The further in they walk through the temple hall, the clearer a figure of a young man could be seen at a distance.

For some reason, Sophia's heart suddenly starts pounding and she felt an anxiety within her. She tries to remember why she is in this situation and her memories flashed back to that night many years ago in her mother's bed chamber. The room was dark and cold as no lamps were switched on. Just one candle flickering beside her mother's bed because she loved the smell of flame.

At first, that room was occupied only by two bodies. One was a younger Sophia Bender, another is a thin, weak body curled among the bedsheets. Her mother has been suffering from a rare insomnia for almost 2 weeks and it has driven her to the brink of insanity. Sophia could hear her mother's deep, rasping breaths as she beckons for her daughter to approach her. With the sound of heavy rain knocking on the windows, Sophia tried to catch the faint whispers of her words. An advice? ...A warning?

Sophia could not remember at all except the images and sounds of a glass shattering. Someone has broken in from one of the larger windows. A scream ensued after that. Not a normal scream but an almost inhuman screech coming from her mother as a a dark, oblivion shadow cast upon her body. She couldn't make sense of what was happening, only that she knew she had to make whatever it is that is her mother go away.

Panic-stricken and desperate she called out for help and started throwing glass shards at the black form. The stranger didn't seem affected at all and when her mother looked paler and paler from the stranger's enrapture, Sophia grabbed a handgun from the cupboard and fired 3 bullets at the stranger. Now this caught its attention and as it looked as if it was going to attack Sophia, the sound of footsteps drove it away. It exited from the same window it broke in just as swiftly.

A few seconds later, her father and a couple of their neighbours burst into the bedroom far too late. Still clutching the gun, Sophia was too paralyzed from the encounter to realize that her mother has already passed away. Hours after the police and paramedics reached their house, Sophia found a black rock not far from her late mother's bed. She vividly recalled that something dropped from the stranger when she shot it.

"Of course-of course I have proof Mr. White but have patience. I can only show it to you when we talk to the keepers of this temple". She and Kevin are now standing in front of a smiling young man who must be one of the keeper's of the temple.

"You must be Abel. It's nice to meet you. But may I know where your grandfather is? I know this seems sudden but there's something important I wish to speak of to both of you."

[Mordecai]

Kieran walked around, her leather pouch nearly stuffed with wares. Mainly herbs and potions, but she decided to splurge and get a few delicacies, such as food that didn't grow within hunting range of her little village called Manya.

She had been walking idly around, looking at stalls with nothing going through her mind until a nearby voice distracted her.

"Enjoying the festival?" Kieran turned to her right to watch a girl trade off a beautiful blue blanket to a man. The merchant was very young looking. She had a round face and her tanned cheeks held traces of bright red, almost as if she were embarrassed about something.

“So much going on! I don’t think it’d ever been this busy, has it? Seen anything worth- whoops!”

The girl, who had previously been tinkering with her wares, dropped various containers, some very similar to Kieran's. The Manyan female quickly bent down and managed to save three pouches - one in each hand and then one in between them. A few fell to the ground, and Kieran helplessly watched a small pouch with crushed herbs mix into the dirt.

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry. Not the first time it’s happened though, it’s quite alright!”

Kieran smiled and set what she managed to catch back on the girl's counter.

"It's fortunate that not much spilled," she said optimistically. "You have such a beautiful stock..." Kieran murmured, stroking a beautiful dark blue wrap. How did she miss this stall? It was filled with cloth and medicines, and at a cheaper price than she'd gotten most of her items.

"Excuse me," she said suddenly, looking at the girl. "I'm Kieran, of the Manyan village. Where are you from?" she inquired. Something about the girl made a distant memory resurface.

[metaL_winG13]

A black kitten sat near the entrance of the temple, it's eyes flashing a brief red before they resumed their natural golden color. She had finally found him, the other Shade. Aislinn had not been in Wynn for more than a few months, still trying to adapt to her "family" - it consisted of nothing more than her parents asking how school was and such - but she had been looking for Grondan ever since she'd arrived. Still considered a newborn, the others were hesitant to let her even go to Wynn, but she had shown them. She had earned her way here, but that didn't mean she could get into trouble right away. First she needed to contact Grondan and catch up on the inhabitants' history.

Easy enough.

Disappearing behind one of the trees, she quickly shifted into her human form, dusted her clothes off, and stepped onto the path just as the aforementioned Shade and a woman with him approached the temple. Ash simply skipped into sight, carefully bowing around the boy, Abel, as she flashed a wily grin at "Kevin". It wouldn't take long for him to recognize her, but for the time being, they could not speak until he was... unattached. So, for the time being she wandered into the temple, running a hand along the walls as her eyes flashed red again.

[Wattz]

"It's fortunate that not much spilled. You have such a beautiful stock..."

“Pft,” Kalani sighed, puffing her cheeks out and waving a hand modestly, though the action made her stumble a bit with her hands filled with jars. She set them down onto her blanket with care, realigning them into some amount of order. “You’re too kind, really. I mean, way to make me blush,” Her giggling voice was as playful as her manner, looking like a plump and jolly elf.

"Excuse me. I'm Kieran, of the Manyan village. Where are you from?"

“Nice to meet you, Kieran.” Kalani reached out and took the girl’s hand, shaking it vigorously. Only afterwards did she think she was being a bit too abrasive in an attempt to be friendly and released Kieran’s hand with a light tap. “Manyan! I think my mother’s been there before. We get a few visitors from there, too for the festival. I’ve never been there myself, but I’ll bet it’s just lovely, if it’s as pleasant as its people.

“Oh goodness, where are my manners, I’m Kalani, from um… ‘Yelai,’” she said with a bit of a wink to herself, her eyes upwards as if in jest. She never enjoyed calling the island by that name, but outsiders were more partial to the naming of their tribes. To her, her home was far too precious to name, too pure, too wondrous. But it would have to do. “It’s a little island a bit aways from the coast of here.”

[The Imposter]

When the two approached Abel's eyes widened in surprise, the man was the man from his dream! He tried his best to keep his composure realizing the lady was talking to him. Important to speak to us? Where is my grandfather? What is with this lady? He scratched his head with the offering plate trying to recall if Gramps had said where he would be at. He then remembered his grandfather saying something about Abel being the only one to meet them. Which wasn't unusual in itself but with this lady specifically asking to meet them both it did raise a flag in his mind.

'Heh...that is a good question Miss. Grandfather said that I would be coming to meet you two and then I left so I have no idea where he went to. I'm sure he is here somewhere in the temple. So I'll be your guide through the temple, and you are right the name is Abel.'

Just as he finished speaking a young girl about his age skipped by him into the temple. It was nothing new but he hadn't seen anyone so cheerful coming to the temple for quite sometime, it was kinda nice. He watched her as she made her way further into the temple. Turning back around he looked at the two and smiled once again.

'If you just follow me we can look for Gramps. Do you have an offering by any chance? Grampa gave me an offering plate so I can take your offering and then you can follow me in.'

[Jacogos]

As Sophia led him towards a rather uninspiring young man, Gröndan suddenly sensed a darkness nearby. He resisted the urge to spin around and face this other Shade, simply turning his head casually to look behind him as he continued forward. He blinked once at the other Shade's appearance. A girl? Truly? Hm. He figured it must be easier to slip by unnoticed as a teen then as a prominent figure. No matter. He met the "girl's" eyes for a moment, then returned his gaze to the woman and this boy.

"Do you have an offering by any chance?" Kevin was only slightly taken aback by the boy's forwardness. The temple probably did need an income to keep it in such shape. What was the usual for offerings in church again? He remembered reading somewhere about '10%'. He did a quick summation of his daily earnings and dropped a fifty into the plate.

He noticed an odd look in the boy's eyes whenever they fell upon Kevin. He had a feeling he was being recognized for something bad, or evil. He faintly hoped it was the latter. Smiling slightly to himself, he turned his head again to make sure he kept track of where the other Shade was, then followed the boy and Sophia.

[Lacelette]

She gave Kevin an enquiring look when he offered his money but said nothing. Not wanting to make him feel out of place, she dropped a good sum of money onto the offering plate as well.

"'If you just follow me we can look for Gramps. Do you have an offering by any chance? Grampa gave me an offering plate so I can take your offering and then you can follow me in."

"Oh good. Thank you. We've brought some grapes and apples as offerings too," she lets the boy see the inside of her basket which is filled with fruits and sandwiches "So maybe you would like it to be put in a different offering plate?"

With that question in the air, she hopes that Abel would at least lead them to a private discussion room so that she could ask him or anyone of the right knowledge about this thing that has been haunting her. Ok, so now how do I start this? She took a glance around the temple as they walked. There weren't so many people and the most interesting person she could see was a teenage girl being all jolly and whatnot. Hmph...must've been ditching school, that girl. Shouldn't kids be kept at close watch now with all the mysterious dissapearings?

[The Imposter]

The surprised expression on Abel's face was not easily hid when the man dropped money onto the offering plate even stranger the lady followed suit. He quickly turned and began making his way down the hall just as the woman made a comment about another offering plate for some of the fruits. Now that was a more common offering, something they would put in front of the shrine. It wasn't as though Abel himself believed in good fortune, spirits, or temple guardians but it meant a lot to some people that visited and to grandfather as well.

He continued on down the hall and disappeared into one of the side rooms leaving the offering and then coming out and getting the food and placing it at the bottom of one of the shrines. He then motioned with his hand for the two to continue along with him. The three walked around the different temple passages until finally spotting his grandfather. The entered the connecting hallway and Abel shouted out down the hall towards the back of his grandfather.

The old man turned to reveal another figure, hardly distinguishable from the distance but seemed familiar to Abel. As he pondered his grandfather made his way to the trio. He grinned and looked at the two, focusing more on Kevin.

'So what can you do for you Ms. Sophia? I'm afraid that I have other matters to attend shortly however Abel will be able to handle most of the responsibilities.'

[Lacelette]

"Sorry to bother you, sir. But..." Sophia fumbled in her basket for the cursed rock, clearly aware that Abel's grandfather is occupied with different matters of the moment. She took out, what would seem like an almost-circular object wrapped in cloth. She unwrapped it to reveal a glittering black stone, the same size of her palm.

Although, the moment she did so, she couldn't help but let out a sharp gasp. Her whole body suddenly felt very weak and her arm shook as she offered the stone to the old man. It was the rock that fell from her mother's murderer when she shot at it. The same rock that has been haunting her dreams since her mother's death and Sophia is determined to find out exactly what it is and be rid of it.

"It would help me a great deal if you could tell me more about this stone," Her eyes flicked towards Kevin White as she recalled her previous conversation with him about Llystra.

"You see, I was...given this stone by a man with various...talents. Since I am unable to locate him for some time now I figured that a person more in tune with his spiritual side could do so," she said to him, choosing to be blunt about it. Its either he helps me or not.

[metaL_winG13]

Ashlyn hadn't wandered too far in front of the now-trio; she kept close enough to listen in on their conversation in the event that something interesting came up. There was the usual process of donating to the temple; "Kevin" had given a sum of money, which appeared to have startled the boy, but the woman, called Sophia, had brought food. The grandfather soon arrived, and she disappeared into a nearby corridor, seeming to blend with the shadows as he began to speak.

Just when she thought it couldn't have been any more boring, the object the woman pulled from her pocket received Ashlyn's full attention. The glittering black stone was the pure essence of a Shade, but why did she have it? A shade must have attacked her some years ago, and the only explanation for it having been left behind was that it had been physically injured. Whoever it was, they were foolish, and she scowled as she shook her head.

[Jacogos]

Gröndan waited patiently for the woman to finally reveal her big secret. He thought it would be some artifact that was brought over from Llystra, or maybe some information about a Yondle. It was an interesting puzzle, wondering to himself about the contents of Sophia's secret, but he contained himself. It was only when the woman produced the object in question that Kevin lost a little bit of his cool.

His eyes widened at the sight of the Shade stone. But that... There was no way that this woman could have gotten the pure essence of a Shade!! He stopped himself from bursting out, in a desperate attempt to find out how she had gotten it. He knew her story was far from the truth. She must have seriously injured one of his brethren to have obtained that... or picked it up after someone else had done the deed.

He could feel the power emanating from the stone. The purity of the taint (Hah, there's an interesting phrasing, Kevin thought) was enough to, by the looks of it, weaken Sophia's muscles. She shook, and Kevin felt obliged to ask her if she was alright. "You're shaking... Is there something the matter?" His feigned concern sickened him inside, but it must be done.

He considered putting in that he, too, would like to know what this stone was, but he doubted the old man was concerned with that. He would tell them. One way or another.

[The Imposter]

Abel was perplexed at all that was transpiring around him. Was all this for real? The lady even seemed to be physically effected by the rock she was holding. He was just about to try to back away and hide in his room when his grandfather spoke. His eyes were wide in the pleasant surprise of the lady's stone.

'Well now, that is surprising! My dear do you know the legends and folklore of Llystra? It is said that in another world evil was sealed from this one however over time evil crept back into our world. I believe what you have in your hand is a piece of a creature known as a Shade. All the monster from stories and fairy tales of old are just the manifestation of the Shade in this world....'

Abel could no longer bear listening to his grandfather string the two guests along any further.

'Wait?! These are just stories, there is no way that there is any truth to them. My deepest apologies for my grandfather, he shouldn't have just played along like that. I don't think we can help yo......OW!'

The strike came suddenly against the tender area of his right side where his arm use to be. His grandfather casting a ghastly glare towards Abel and in the same motion addressing the visitors.

'It is the naivety of youthfulness that must be apologized for. I believe you are wishing that we see if we can do anything with the stone yes? I have another guest that needs to be attended to first but if you follow Abel here he can take you to a larger room where he can begin to perform a purification ritual.'

He smiled a rather toothless smile and whispered towards Abel that despite his lack of faith in tradition he would follow through with the ritual just like he use to practice. Abel was still nursing himself when he followed his grandfather's eyes to the stone. There was a awkward pause before Abel realized that he should take it.

'Oh right, I'll take that off your hands.'

He reached out and grabbed the stone definitely not showing as much caution as he probably should. The hint of revenge from his recent encounter with Grandfather's cane. He began walking towards the hall, strangely the stone didn't seem to have any effects on him at all. Probably because this is just some sham! He thought looking back and motioning for the two to follow him.

It wasn't long until they were in a larger room together. Abel hurriedly moved around the room getting things ready for the ritual while making small talk.

'Oh yeah, I remember hearing about those disappearances on the news. Grandfather told me that I have nothing to worry about though, no one would kidnap a disabled kid. It's weird though seems like this is the first big news event to hit Gnatut in awhile. Suppose you two believe it to be aliens or Shade creatures right?'

Abel realized his tone was slightly condescending towards the two and apologized as he finished preparations for the ritual.

'I'm sorry, I shouldn't be so judgmental. You actually believe all this stuff? Whenever you are ready I'll start the ritual, just let me know!'

[Lacelette]

Perhaps all the time that she’s spent researching about Llystra is finally paying of. It actually exists! Up until now she's been the only one speculating about this particular world with the possible exception of Mr. White.

But now, having heard another human being utter the word itself sounds too good to be true. And if it wasn’t for the fact that a fellow businessman is here with her, she swore that she would have burst into tears of joy and hugged the old man. But Sophia pushed whatever gleeful feelings she had back down in the depths of her heart.

Her eyes were still transfixed on the stone as Abel’s grandfather talked about the legends of Llystra. Suddenly, she heard Abel’s youthful voice interrupting the elder’s explanation. A rapid movement of a cane being used to hit the young man made Sophia jolt with surprised. For a moment, she was horrified of the whole situation---the boy is handicapped for Lord’s sake! Instead of saying anything about it, she bit her tongue and helplessly stared at Abel, wondering if this is something normal for the boy.

She watched as he exchanged a few words with his grandfather before following him into a larger room. She hadn’t a clue how this ritual is going to go but seeing how far she’s gone, she’s willing to find out. Abel, despite his disadvantage, looks like he doesn’t need any help preparing for the coming procedure. So she just stood in the middle of the room, looking around as the youth chatted away. Clearly, the boy doesn’t hold the same belief as his grandfather does regarding Llystra. At the boy’s last remark, she folded her arms and gave him a somewhat hostile stare.

'I'm sorry, I shouldn't be so judgmental. You actually believe all this stuff? Whenever you are ready I'll start the ritual, just let me know!'

“Nope. I was bored today so I decided to drag my friend here along and give your grandfather my rock as a present. Nothing that you should be worried about, though. But we're ready to proceed when you are," she replied in a steady, calm tone.

Sophia never liked people who apologized too much. There's always that nagging feeling that they're trying to hide something. But looking at that boy, she wonders why his grandfather insists that he be the one to conduct the purification ritual. Surely, from the way he treats Abel, it doesn't look like he puts much trust in him...?

[Jacogos]

Gröndan had to smirk at his description of the Shades. He was correct, actually, though slightly naive about the full concept of pure evil they were. What surprised him was how the man treated his obviously handicapped grandson when the latter spoke out against the so called 'stories'. Kevin approved, of course, it simply surprised him.

Kevin followed the boy with Sophia, watching the boy curiously. The stone didn't seem to sap him of strength as it had Sophia, which Gröndan found interesting. He'd have to look into this child when he had the time, after he was done with the girl Shade...

The boy prepared the ritual as Sophia and him stood in silence, though the child insisted on attempting small talk. Kevin didn't answer, pretending to be lost in his thoughts as he studied what Abel was doing. He was truly curious as to what this ritual was, and what it would do. Sophia answer for him, anyway, leaving him to peruse the ritual's possibilities.

Making sure the others didn't see, Kevin chanced a glance behind him to see if the girl Shade had followed. He hoped her patience wouldn't wear thin, as he doubted he would be able to find her again if she decided to up and leave. Nonetheless he didn't see her, so he turned back to the boy and waited for the ritual to commence.

[Mordecai]

As the shorter girl grabbed Kieran's hand and eagerly shook it, new thoughts dawned on Kieran. At first glance, she thought that Kalani was a cute girl. She was adorable looking, of course, but, thinking about it, she was plump and clumsy, but she seemed to be a master when it came to herbs and weaving. It made Kieran a little angry to meet a girl outside of her village that was everything women were supposed to be. Sweet and humble.

I’ll bet it’s just lovely, if it’s as pleasant as its people.

"I wouldn't say that," Kieran said, a small, bitter smile gracing her features. Her village was full of women who liked to gossip and make clothing and worry over their men, but all she could take note of were the egotistic, misogynistic, I'm-better-than-you attitude bearing men. "We have a village of care takers and warriors, and that's about it."

Kieran's hard, brown eyes squinted as she looked in the general direction of her village. She couldn't see much above all the huts and houses, but she could have sworn that her sight was true. The weather today was absolutely lovely. There was little breeze and there were few clouds among the bright blue sky. The only thing that bothered her was the darkness rising from the ground. A puff of dark grey smoke. A pause. Another puff of dark grey smoke.

That's a distress signal.

[The Imposter]

Another door in the temple slid open and an elderly figure approached another. The second turned and greeted the old man in mere formality. It was quite strange to see such a disturbing masked man make conversation with the old man. Their tones gave hint to their familiarity with each other but what they spoke about was for no Wynnite to know by any means. The elder of the two spoke calmly but did not try to hide the nervous perspire on his forehead. Their words quickly became pointed in an argument, their debate unclear but they definitely stood at opposite ends of the spectrum. At its climax the strange masked man glared at the older man beneath his mask the twisted smile painted reflecting the delight he was about to have. Abel’s grandfather hung his head for a moment as fate was decided.

-------------------------------------------

Abel had everything in place for the ritual. All the incense, spices, and other paraphernalia that was needed were gathered to their appropriate areas. Abel thought back to the lessons his grandfather had taught him.

‘The key is meditation Abel, to be able to focus no matter what else is going on.’

He repeated the words softly to himself remembering the swift hit that came soon after. Quickly he began to repeat the proper mantra for purification. The one his grandfather would make him recite over and over only to break his concentration at the last second with a bucket of water or some other outrageous act. Abel’s mind began to clear and focus and suddenly he felt a strange feeling overtake him. Continuing to recite his body began to quiver and he entered a trance like state. The area around the stone began to change, it was hardly noticeable at first but a change was there. It was something unlike anything Abel had ever seen. He couldn’t explain the change but knew it was happening. Panic began to overtake him with the rush of emotion that he was losing control being taken further into the trance.

He felt almost lost in the trance or whatever it was and didn’t even notice his grandfather enter the room and make his way towards him. It wasn’t until his grandfather appeared in the corner of his eye and a force knocked him away from the stone. Shocked he looked at the small old figure that stood only feet away. His grandfather walked strangely towards him. As if he was struggling with every step.

‘Grandpa! What is going on, you asked me to do the ritual! I didn’t even
see you come in.’

Abel wasn’t even sure if the others had notice him come in either, perhaps they were as caught up into the results of the ritual as he was. As Abel stood up that is when he noticed it; small trickles of blood running down his grandfathers wrists and from his ankles making small puddles on the floor. With great effort the elderly man spoke.

‘Abel keep doing the ritual, you must complete it.....it...isn’t safe here. There is too much to say and too little time to explain now. You need to flee to Llystra and warn them there of what is happening....’

‘Wait?! What?! Do you mean?!’

Abel had more questions but didn’t get time to say them the old man lunged forward push Abel to the ground again. As he fell that is when he noticed it. Was it....thread? He wondered as his eyes followed the nearly invisible line starting at his grandfather and winding to the entrance of the room. His eyes widened as he saw the figure. It was the puppeteer from town! Things were making less sense than they ever had now. Abel struggled to his feet and did his best to try to snap the threads sticking into his grandfather.

‘Still so naive!!! Finish the ritual!’

The old man’s voice halted Abel and he obeyed beginning to recite the mantra once again. With great effort Abel’s grandfather turned back towards the two guests and the puppeteer behind them. The old man’s demeanour suddenly changed. His back straightened and he looked as though he was no longer struggling.

‘Ms. Bender, allow me to enlighten you a bit more on Shade culture if you would call it that. Some of them come to Wynn for truly evil deeds: killing and the like, others search for more vain pursuits: to be recognized, worshipped, or even just to make someone’s day a little more terrible. Better yet there is some who have even loftier goals: to recapture what was taken from them. For instance the guardian god of this temple for thousands of years has been sacrificed to and worshipped ever day, the deceit is simple enough but satisfies the evil desires of the Shade. It was enough for him.....but other Shades have encroached and now pressure him to do the bidding of another. There is far more evil Shades then the one that is worshipped here, ones with more terrible dreams......’

Abel had become too focused on the ritual he was performing and had once again lost himself to it. He could hardly catch anything that was being said, a strong whistling had developed in his ears and the stone began to pulsate. The puppeteer laughed and jumped around using his hands to keep the threads attached. Beneath the crimson smile painted on the mask a voice spoke out towards Mr. White only loud enough for him to hear, while the old man continued his discourse.

‘Hey after this old man gets done talking, give me a hand with bringing this show to its conclusion. Do it and I’ll talk you up to the boss hehehe....don’t and it’ll be your curtain call too.’

‘...and if those dreams were realized the Shade here would lose the very thing it desires most. To be worshipped and praised for its own power. I know not what cards fate has dealt you to bring us altogether today but I’m putting Abel in your care for the time being. No matter what happens always remember Abel as the child he is, a wounded pup that needs care.’

As he finished speaking the stone cracked as Abel’s focus came to its climax rupturing forth was a tear in the world itself opening a place into Llystra. In the same moment many hands shot forth from Abel’s grandfather all in different directions. Some began to clap causing great distraction and noise that disoriented Abel more than anyone while one grabbed him and tossed him into the portal. Another lashed out towards Ms. Bender coaxing her to follow Abel into the portal. Others went after the puppeteer. The puppeteer laughed hysterically at the old man’s tirade. He was but a pawn to be moved and if he would be snuffed out another would come. Their goal would be realized....even quicker with the two surprises that happened into the temple today as well.

---------------------------------

Abel could feel himself pass through the portal and come out into a new area. The first thing he noticed as he spiralled out was he was in the air. Gravity took over bringing his head straight into contact with a table. Everything went black as the contents spilled all over the place and the table crashed. The force definitely was enough to knock Abel unconscious leaving him at the mercy of anyone who was around.

[Lacelette]

The boy had lapse into a complete silence as he began taking out more equipments for the ritual. Sophia settled for looking at the boy running around to complete the preparation. No, she does not trust the boy. He seems to go out doing this simply because he was trained to do so. This implies that he is ignorant of the otherworld.

Then of course, there’s Mr. White, a business associate she barely even know personally save for the fact that he’s the first human being to ever admit to her there was a world like Llystra. To her, he’s been solemnly quite throughout the meeting with Abel so she approach him, words forming at the tip of her mouth. Before she said anything though, she noticed that the man seemed to be thinking about something—or someone—else.
“…Mr. White. Mr. White? I just want to thank you for accompanying me this far,” she told him with a straight face. “You don’t have to join us for this ritual. Heck, I don’t even know how it’s going to go. But it would please me if you stay,” she said with a helpless smile and made her way to the centre of the room, sat down opposite of Abel just as he started muttering a long strand of incomprehensible sounds.

She guessed that this ritual has started. Sophia placed her basket on her right and closed her eyes, trusting Mr.White to join her in the bizarre undertaking. It wasn’t even a minute later that she heard a door being open and a very loud thump in front of her. Startled, she opened her eyes to see Abel’s grandfather in the room. It would seem that he was the one who interrupted the procession. A bit dizzy, Sophia began to stand up.

She wanted to demand why they were suddenly interrupted until she saw the blood spilling from the elder’s wrist. What is happening? Soon enough, Abel’s grandfather turned his gaze towards Sophia and Mr. White. A bit confused and scared, she forced herself to listen to him telling her about the Shade and their characteristics. What is this about greater Shades; of worshipping them? Her mind screamed in protest and it disgusted her. She though that Shades were mindless, instinct-fulfiling beings that consume and kill of their victims because they can.

The last thing she remembered him saying was that she should take care of Abel. Everything that came after that was just more noise and a spiral of twisted images being formed.
And after that---darkness.

[Jacogos]

Gröndan smirked as the ritual commenced. Now he recognized it... This was similar to the Yondle's way of getting here, to Wynn... Which meant it would take them to Llystra. Kevin backed up slightly, knowing the portal would have a strong pull, only to nearly run into the old man from before as the latter entered the room. Something was different about the man, though, and it took Gröndan a moment to realize what it was.

Turning, he faced the puppeteer. Yet another Shade in Wynn? He had been beginning to think he was the only one, and now there were two all in the same day. Interesting. Turning back to the old man, Kevin listened to the man's explanation of his kind. Then he heard the man behind him speak into his ear.

"Hey after this old man gets done talking, give me a hand with bringing this show to its conclusion. Do it and I’ll talk you up to the boss, hehehe.... Don’t and it’ll be your curtain call, too."

Kevin smirked and watched as the ritual came to its climax, the portal opening to Llystra and the old man the one to throw them in. The child and Sophia were grabbed and tossed in, and it seemed the other Shade would be, too. "Later, friend. I have some things that need to be done here... I shall join you soon." Gröndan turned and exited the room without much difficulty, vaguely aware that the old man was still in this world as well. He was needed, apparently, else Kevin would have killed him. Now. Where was that girl-Shade...?

[Wattz]

“Well that doesn’t sound so bad. At least everyone has a nich-“

Kalani’s natural distractibility found herself following Kieran’s gaze, towards the ominous black smoke in the sky. It marred the beauty of the sunny morning. The look on the tall girl’s face sent a shock to Kalani’s nerves, prompting her to bite her lip. Two puffs of gray smoke wavering in the sky. There was nothing natural about it.

“Is everything alright?” She wasn’t sure whether she should speak or not, the girl’s gaze was so intense. “Is that… your village?” It was a foolish thing to ask, really. Kalani knew where Manyan was, if only vaguely. But the silence between them, the distant chattering of others, created an unbearable tension that she sought desperately to fill. Were the others around them taking notice of the signal as well?

But then... a distortion.

Kalani felt herself caving in, her entire being collapsing in on itself. It didn't take but a second for the moment to pass, but the awful sensation left her immediately disoriented. She had near collapsed directly onto her blanket, knocking over a few more precious items. Kalani stumbled and looked up, feeling as if she were about to vomit. But the moment she looked up, she saw the thing that had caused the air-distortion just begin to evaporate.

The dark portal disappeared in thin wisps, leaving behind the image of a handful of... people. Kalani had been so disoriented by the momentary lapse, however, that she wasn't sure if she should take notice.

"Are... are you alright?" she choked out in a whisper to ask Kieran.

[Mordecai]

Kieran stood, transfixed. First, the ominous smoke stacks, and then a sudden rip in the sky. It was a strange, hypnotizing vortex that contrasted sharply with the bright blue sky. It was like a storm interrupting a beautiful day. The girl paid no attention to Kalani or her stumbling. Kieran, instead, tried to ignore the horrible feelings she suddenly felt. She wanted to curl up into a ball thanks to a sharp pain in her stomach, like drinking too much fire water.

Women and children and merchants gasped and screamed, a few running away from the being, a few crowding around. Suddenly, the anomaly spat what looked like... people. Kieran wouldn't have even believed it had she not witnessed a strangely dressed boy suddenly crashing into a nearby stall. The old woman behind the stall let out a cry as her wares spilled and crashed to the ground.

"Are... are you alright?"

The girl turned to face the chubby little Kalani. Kieran nodded a response. "I'm fine," she said, looking back at the boy. Fascinated, the girl slowly made her way through the crowd until she was staring closely at the boy. He was wearing strange clothing. His thin frame and dark hair made him look frail and malnourished, but the most interesting thing about him was the lack of a right arm. He was so... damaged looking. It didn't help that the stand, made of wood and straw, that he had fallen into was now a pile of rubbish.

"There's nothing to see here, go about your business," Kieran called, shooing people away. The crowd dispersed, grumbling. There were groans and hushed conversation, but they left. Kieran walked towards the boy, picking him up. A few women stared. Females weren't expected to physically strain themselves, but she could care less about what they thought. The girl walked back towards Kalani's stand and laid in him the shade beside it.

"Look at him," Kieran said quietly. A glance up confirmed that, even though she'd dismissed them, people were still staring. "What?" She snapped at an old lady. The woman turned her nose up and promptly scuttled away. The white haired girl sat, cross legged beside the boy, observing him. What was he?

[The Imposter]

Abel awoke with a startle unsure of his surroundings. He first noticed the girl, then the other girl, the stand, and the pile of rubbish that he must have landed on, and wasn't that the woman from the temple in amidst the rubble?!

Abel jerked up and tried to ask for assistance on getting Ms. Bender out of the rubble. It would normally be a pretty simple job of lifting the remains of a table but with one hand and being disoriented Abel didn't get very far. He managed to push part of the table off of Ms. Bender but soon tripped from the dizziness. Abel's mind was still processing the events and his surroundings when a few large men walked towards him and Ms. Bender. Their dress was certainly different than anything he had ever seen before, one picked up the still unconscious Ms. Bender and another picked him up by his left hand. The third beckoned the two girls that he awoke beside.

'Come with us, Wynnite.'

Abel couldn't really argue and wasn't even sure what a Wynnite was. He followed along until the came to a large hut like building with about a dozen men of different ages all around. The oldest ones seemed to be in authority as they told the others what to do. Eventually Abel found himself sitting on the ground outside the hut with quite a crowd of people surrounding him and Ms. Bender.

'Kalani and Kieran is it? You two saw what happened correct? Please give us a detailed account of how these two guests arrived here. Be as detailed as you can because we must figure out if they actually arrived from Wynn.'

The man who spoke seemed quite old but there was gentleness in his voice. Abel couldn't help but notice the immediate contrast between that man and his grandfather. As far as he knew all the elderly were snide and cranky but this guy seemed actually concerned with how he and the lady arrived here.

Abel almost opened his mouth to answer when he figured that perhaps he should wait and see what happened on this side. That is if he and Ms. Bender had actually crossed over into this other world, that they all talked about before. His disabelief had been pretty broken now though, he was aware they were no where near the temple anymore. Could they have really crossed into the other world...Llystra! His mind jolted to the name, he remembered the old story his grandfather use to tell him. Two worlds: Wynn and Llystra and what his grandfather had said what seemed like hours ago now. He was to flee here...but why? It was still too much to process for the time being.

He whispered to Ms. Bender trying not to draw attention to either of them, well anymore than what was already drawn to them.

'I think the ritual worked....we are in Llystra....now what?'

[Mordecai]

Kieran watched curiously as the boy suddenly opened his eyes. For a man with one arm, he had no trouble doing regular tasks, it seemed. Before the two Yondle could react, the boy who had fallen from the sky began to claw away at the mess in which he'd made. He asked that they please help him find a "miss bender" in the debris. Kieran wasn't quite sure what a blender was - besides an odd name - but she quietly walked over to help the boy with his task at hand. After a few moments of this, a woman appeared from underneath what used to be a wooden bench. In a silent curiosity, the white haired girl watched the woman stumble, but no sooner had she fallen did a small group of men began to walk towards them.

Come with us, Wynnite.

In surprise, Kieran's jaw slackened, and she looked towards the cute faced Kalani. The legends were true! The shade weren't the only ones who could travel between the words! A large man in the group motioned for the two females to follow. Unlike the miss bender or the boy, Kieran and Kalani were allowed to walk without aid or assistance. Once they'd reached their destination, Kieran stood in the middle of a semi-circle, joined by Kalani and the men that had escorted them. The bender woman and the one armed boy sat in the center. In front of them, sat an ancient looking man.

A sudden nervousness overcame Kieran. In all honesty, her heart had begun to race at the plume of angry black smoke. In the face of an elder, however, it seemed to beat louder, faster. The girl placed her fists together, thumbs pointing upward and her forearms forming a straight line, as she bowed to them. In her village, it was a sign of respect given to every new elder encountered. Beasts roamed the land; it was up to the men and the male hunters to protect their people. In Llystra, the only way to achieve such an old age is to have mastered some form of art or defense. That in itself commanded respect.

The man called the two females by their names. Kieran's eyebrows shot up, but she forced herself to attempt to remain neutral. The old man seemed gentle, caring, and she didn't want to upset that. For some reason, there was something that told her she didn't want to upset this man. In a way, he reminded her of her own grandfather. It gave her a secret desire to do whatever he asked of her.

"Before the hour of the midday sun," Kieran began, her voice much stronger than she felt. "I set off to this small town for the festival. It's tradition in my village that the most recently wed female attend." With a slight shame, Kieran looked down. She was a year above marrying age, yet she refused. "That female was sick, so I was sent in her place." Kieran looked at the old man, her eyebrows pulled closer together as she attempted to remember every detail.

"This young woman, Kalani, motioned me to her shop. A few things had fallen, so I tried to help her." The girl took a breath. "As we began to talk, I noticed something ominous. In the clear sky, a distress signal billowed up from the direction of my village. My father and brothers had gone hunting days ago, and were due to return today, so I was worried." Mentally, Kieran scolded herself. No one cared about her personal ventures, and it was perfectly commonplace for males to hunt and come home tardy. "Suddenly, it was as if a dark tear had marred the sky. I felt... dizzy and awful for a few moments. The next thing I saw, there was this boy falling out of the sky. He landed into a stand nearby Kalani's, and I helped him out of the rubble and laid him down. It wasn't soon after that he woke up and began to shuffle through the rubble, asking us to help us find 'miss bender,' and now... we're here," Kieran finished, lamely. Her brown eyes found her feet, and her head bowed as she began to tinkle with the cloth and fur around her thighs.

[Wattz]

“What she said,” Kalani said. She would have added more to Kieran’s account of the matter, but she was far too distracted by the one-armed boy on the table. Were the stories really true? Was this a real Wynnite? She tilted her head from side to side, as if doing so would reveal the answer to all of her inner curiosities. It was too much to think about, and it had all happened so suddenly! What would she say when it woke up? What kind of life did it live? Kalani even went so far as to poke the stub where his arm should have been, and then she poked his nose ever slightly.

The boy spoke, and Kalani smiled wide. “Are you really a Wynnite?” she inquired. “I mean, gosh, that was incredible! I’ve never seen something like that before. I never thought I’d see another someone from a somewhere else ever in my life! Oh, oh gosh, I’m sorry, are you hurt? I should be taking care of that, right?”

Kalani fled from the hut in a rush, back to her wears. Some of her things had broken in the little mishap, but she had plenty of herbs and potions left. She wasn’t quite sure what the Wynnite might need, though, so she scooped up an armful, one of almost every healing thing she owned, plus a luscious blue blanket that she had to balance on her head.

She ran back to where they’d all been and set her things down. “Now, I’ve got a little bit of everything here, really. Not sure what you need. How are you feeling? What hurts? Do you hurt? I do hope you’re alright, you’re a guest of Lystra, after all!”

[The Imposter]

Abel was overwhelmed wit all that was happening but he tried to stay focus on the girl's recount of the events. It seemed so surreal and then the other girl rushed to him asking what hurt. She seemed to be as flustered as he felt.

'uhh...Other than a headache I feel fine.'

The words poured out rather nervously from his mouth unsure if he should talk to her or pay attention to the elder that adressed the other lady. His mind wandered for a moment at what they must be going through have stangers from another world show up out of nowhere. He was about to comment on it when Ms. Bender writhed in pain, convulsing. Abel's eyes widened unsure what to do. He grabbed the girl that had just asked him about if he was hurting and pleaded.

'Do something for her! Quickly she looks like she is in a lot of pain.'

He tried to force the girl to do something only to be stopped short by the elder.

'Young man she can do nothing for her. She is suffering from portal sickness, and aptly so. Wynnites aren't use to the magic of portals so she would show more severe signs....'

His eyes move towards two men who quickly responded by picking up Ms. Bender and taking her into the hut. Abel couldn't help but fell uneasy, why wasn't it happening to him then. He looked at the old man who grinned.

'..Don't you worry about your friend a few days rest and she'll be fine. The bigger question is why aren't you showing any effects from the portal magic. Hmmmm.'

The mans face changed into one deep in thought. Many of the others that had gathered began to whisper. Their whispers didn't get close enough to Abel for him to make out what they were but he assumed they were about him.

'Please young man, tell us who you are and how you got here.'

The words pierced Abel's mind as he began piecing together everything that had happened. He took a deep breath and began telling the events as he remembered them.

'M...my name is Abel. It all started when Ms. Bender and her friend showed up to the temple to meet my grandfather. Grandpa and I live at the temple just outside the city of Gnatut. She had with her a strange stone. I remember grandfather and Ms. Sophia Bender saying that it was a part of a Shade. She seemed to be effected by it even holding it but I thought it was just for show. I mean when I carried to the ritual site I didn't feel anything. I actually didn't believe any of this quite honestly...I thought Grandpa was just hasseling them for some money or to just play along with her weird fantasy. Anyways Granfather had me start purification ritual and after that I don't remember much. I got caught up into the ritual and trance and kinda zoned out. I remember though when Grandpa came in and knocked me down he was attatched to those strings....'

Abel shuddered at the memory of the event. His eyes began to water and his face flushed red. He could feel the lump start in his throat. What would have happened to Grandpa. He loved him despite he eccentric style and harshness.

'The puppeteer in the back of the room had controlled Grandpa, but I was told to keep doing the ritual. I remember him saying something about fleeing here and warning you about something....I can't remember what though. Sorry....'

The last bit he spoke was choked out. He really didn't want to cry in front of all these people but he couldn't help but think the worse of his grandfather.

'Interesting....it would seem young Abel that for some reason you are able to use the ancient magics as we Llystrians can. However you are much less practiced. I don't believe that it was the ritual that brought you here but the magic you harnassed with the Shade piece. We will send some of our men over to Gnatut to see what is going on. Although I'm not really surprised it is Gnatut there has always been lots of activity there. Nevertheless I'm sure you have questions, many of them. So I'd like you to travel with Kieran back to her village. I can tell she is anxious to go back. Speak with the village chief there, he should have many of the answers you seek.'

Abel was floored, he just spilt his guts and wasn't going to be given any information back. How did he know about Gnatut, what did he mean by activity? What the heck was going on?! Abel stood up his saddness quickly becoming frustration. He almost lashed out but then stopped realizing everyone was watching him.

'Kalani I would like you to go also. If there is indeed a problem at Kieran's village I'm sure your herbs, potions, and knowledge will be of great benefit. As for eveyone else enjoy the festival.'

As the crowd dispersed Abel fell down to his knees. Why wasn't he told anything more, what was this about magic, and why was Ms. Bender so sick? An overwhelming feeling of wanting to be home caught him in its grasp. Pretending he grabbed his shoulder as if he had just been smacked by his grandfather's cane. If he had been acting like this at home that would have already happened. The thought brought a smile to his face and he stood up turning to the two girls. He extended his hand to the one closest to him to help her up off the ground. With the smile still on his face he spoke up.

'Kalani and Kieran right? It's nice to meet you and thanks for the help. Guess we are heading out, just lead the way and tell me what I can do.'

[Wattz]

“Oh, you poor dear!” Kalani scooped down to help the boy up, grabbing his one hand as he offered it forward. She gave him a seemingly unwarranted hug, squeezing just a little too tight, pulling away to brush off his shoulders. Kalani had tears from when he told his story, just a little too sympathetic. She was always this sensitive, and had hardly taken notice of the fact that she’d just hugged a perfect stranger. Kalani had very little personal boundaries.

“It’s alright, we’ll get this mess all sorted out! Your friend will be fine, don’t you fret! My name is Kalani, and this is Kieran. Come on, we’ll get you to a safe place. Are you hungry? Would you like any food? I could cook you up some food!”

But just then, Kieran spoke up, “You two go on ahead without me. I have something to take care of.”

With that, the warrior girl left. Kalani was confused, though this didn’t stop her from leading the boy the rest of the way. She continued on with small talk and other such pleasantries, though she spoke a little too fast for Abel to interject with much conversation. Kalani herself had never been into this village though, so she wasn’t sure if her arrival would be very much desired.

As they approached the entrance, Kalani waved pleasantly at the male guards. “Hello!” she said with her usual pep. “We’re here to talk to the village chief. Is he home? We’re friends of Kieran!” Kalani tacked this last part on in hopes that they would be more forgiving.

The guards stared down at the two with stony eyes. “What is your business?”

“Well you see, this boy, Abel, is… not from around here, if you get what I mean.”

The two guards didn’t budge, nor did they seem to understand what Kalani was trying to imply.

“He’s, er…” Kalani looked around, making sure nobody was within earshot, before leaning in and whispering, “He’s a Wynnite. I mean, can you believe it? A real Wynni – “

“The Wynnite wishes to speak with our chief?”

“Yes! Yes he does.”

The guards looked at each other nervously. Their expressions had changed noticeably, from being stoic and angry to curious and worried. Finally, they nodded to each other and motioned for the two to follow them into the village, towards its center.