(M) Unexpected Encounters of the Knights (IC)

[GodlyD&D]

The Code required ten knights for the station to guard the prominence at the strait, and a fort with a tower was built there. The Killiput, the enemy on the far shore across from there, would use this part of the land that was the closest for a threatening approach, even though, from what was known from many accounts, there were monsters in the deep around there, that could attack vessels arbitrarily at any time.

Alastair Hylton was next to chief of the knights stationed here. He was in charge of assigning the watches and rearranging them in cases of special need. Yet he still had to take the longest watch. It could not be skipped. Anything could happen at any time.

And after a few watches after all had been stationed there, something did happen!
..........................................

Valeria Segrave hurried down the dirt path eager to arrive at her favorite spot. Just a few more steps and there it was. She finally stud in a beautiful meadow that was filled with yellow and white wild flowers as far as her eyes could see them. As Valeria stud there she drew in a deep breath, relishing the sweet scent of the flowers around her. Since this was one of her favorite places to come she had grown to love it because she knew she could get away anytime she wanted to just think and enjoy the day and this just happened to be that that kind of day for her. Today the sun was high up in the sky when she got there for it was a nice spring day to be out in the meadow. Valeria planned to enjoy each moment she could spend here.

After a while of walking she soon came up to an apple tree. Seeing it was giving a little bit of shade she decides to stop and rest. “This looks like the perfect place for me to sit and play my flute.” she murmured. As Valeria took a seat under the tree she then pulled out her flute that she had been carrying in a canvas tote. She then slowly raised it to her lips and started to play a song her father use to sing to her when she was young child. But now that she had memorized it she loved to play it over and over when she was alone here in the meadow. After playing it a few times she put her flute back into the canvas tote. Then looking around to see if anyone was there watching her she then stood up and started to walk through the meadow again.

As Valeria walked along she soon stopped to pick a few flowers. Picking them reminded her of the times she had picked them for her mother. She missed those days since she had to leave home on the night of her twenty six birthday after a wicked wizard cast a spell on her and turned her into a mermaid, because she refused to stop singing when he told her to and he wanted her to come with him so he could take her lovely voice away from her, but of course she refused that. So to this day she has learned to live in the water as a mermaid. After the wizard cast the spell on her he told her as long as she returns to the water after dark each night she would be able to keep her legs. But if she forgets to return to the water after dark she would then lose her legs and have to live the rest of her life in the water with fins. Valeria was so glad that she was able to spend time out of the water during the day especially in the meadow.

As the sun started to set Valeria had already walked back to the apple tree she had been at earlier. She knew it was probably about time to be heading back to the water but she wanted to watch the sun set first. After she leaned up against the tree she watched the sky change colors first it was a bright pink with some red then it soon started to turn orange. She loved seeing how all the colors soon mix together as the sun got lower in the sky. Then as she was about to turn and start to walk again she looked up and saw someone standing in distances watching her. But she could not really make out who it was at the time. As she slowly walked closer to the path she soon saw it was a man. Could it possibly be the wicked wizard that cast the spell on her? No it couldn’t be him, for she had not seen him since the night of her birthday. But as she got closer to him she soon saw it was him. As she grabbed her canvas tote and dress in her hands she started to run but she could not get far enough ahead of him before he grabbed her by the arms and held her up against him. As she screamed out and tried to pull away from him. He just held her even tighter. When she finally stopped screaming he then started to talk to her. “Ah, Valeria Segrave we meet again. Have you changed your mind about what I asked of you to do?” Valeria closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, but when she opened them again all she could do was shake her head at the wizard for she was too scared to answer him. As the wizard started to shake Valeria hard he said. “Answer me now girl or I will cast another spell on you and you will be wishing you had answered me.” As Valeria was about to say something the wizard started to raised his hand in the air but stopped when she screamed out. “Oh please sir don’t hurt me, for all I was doing was trying to make my way back to the water after spending the day in the meadow.”When she was finally able to say that she then lowered her head to look to the ground. Then hearing the wizard started to laugh at her answer he then said. “Ah, I see. Well you better not have been singing while you were there. For if I had caught you doing that I would have taken your voice away from you for sure.” Valeria’s eyes grow wide when she heard him say those words. “Oh please sir just let me go now for I was not singing in the meadow today but just playing my flute.” As she said that he then grabbed the canvas tote and pulled it off of her. As he held it up in the air he started to saysome funny words that Valeria had never heard him say before.“WING WONG TA NA BO.” Which meaning: Make this tote disappear now. When he said these words the canvas tote then disappeared. Valeria then screamed out saying. “Please not my canvas tote.” As she said that the wizard let go off her and pushed her to the ground and as he did that he also disappeared.

Valeria lay there on the ground for a few minutes, then slowly sitting up she looked around to see if the wizard was still there. When seeing he was not there she cried out when seeing it was almost dark. She then jumped upand started to gather her dress in her hands and then she took off running as fast as she could to get back to the water. When she finally got to the water she quickly jumped in and when her feet touched the water herlegs started to disappear and her fins reappear again. As she started to swim in the cool water little did Valeria know that someone was standing there watching her. But it was not the wicked wizard this time but someone else she had never met before.

Alastair had gone through a significantly longer watch, as others could not accommodate a gap in watch duty. When he had another knight finally come to watch duty to replace him, he was rather tired, but wanted air, and importantly to him, remove the foot coffins to let his feet breath. After a bite of bread with nut spread he liked on it, and some water, he went out as close of that day came and the sun was sinking. The feeling of cool grass on his feet was pleasing to him just as the cool air on his face was.

It was shortly after that he heard something, like someone far off shouting something, but Alastair could not be sure. But he wandered beyond the clumps of trees growing in spots along the way in the direction of what he seemed to hear. His feet were strong and he knew they could handle anything wherever he would go.

Just as he thought he saw a figure some way further surrounded by more trees and growth near that one inlet from the sea, the apparent figure vanished. It was a strange thing to Alastair, he felt pretty sure someone had been there. And hadn't he heard someone? He wandered further toward where some figure seemed to have been seen. Then he finally saw someone. It was someone right at the shore. Not someone like the figure he thought he had seen. Someone with clothing in hand hurried into the water, and suddenly dropped lower unto it. Just then that one turned, and looked toward him. Then that one he was just seeing then dropped fully in the water. And did not come right back up! Was it someone trying to die by drowning?? He hurried over, worried he might not make it to save someone who would drown, even from giving up on life. When he got there, with the light remaining while the sun had been down already, he saw no evidence there had been someone there! What was going on? He looked still frantically.

[DreamDragon101]

It felt good to Valeria to be back in the water after a long day in the hot meadow. But when Valeria lay there in the water all the memories of the day started to run through her head. From the first step she took into the meadow, and when she rested under the tree to play her flute, and then to pick wild flowers. But the memory that what she could not get out of her head was the wicked Wizards words to her. " would he truly take my voice away from me if he ever get caught me singing?" She whispered to herself. But she could not believe he had taken her flute away from her. For she really enjoyed playing it and she knew she would miss doing it now that it was gone. As Valeria swim around for a little bit longer she thought about other things she missed. Then as she finished swimming she made her way over to some rocks that lay in the water, she then swam up onto them and laying there in the coolness of the night. As she lay there she watched the full moon rise high in the sky. She smiled as she saw the reflection of it in the water and it it reminded her of the time her father and her first slipped out under the stars one full night when she was a small child. Now that she lived out under them all the time it made her long to be at home with her family again and she knew one day maybe that would happen. But right now she was tired and wanted to go to sleep. Not long after that she did finally fall asleep and stayed asleep the rest of the night.

Early the next morning just before the sun was to come up Valeria woke up. Then sitting up on the Rock she yawned and stretched as she looked around then after a little bit she dive into the water and swam over to a little covering in the rocks. This was where she kept her belongings at. When she reached the rock she started to look for her hair brush when finding it she then swam back over to the Rocks where she was before. When she got to the Rock she jumped up on it and started to brush her wet hair out. As she did this she started to hum her favorite song to herself and then she soon started to sing it. " Early one morning just as the sun was rising I heard a young maid sing in the valley below." But this was singing that would quiet a crying baby and withdraw a crowd of people to listen. For Valeria truly had a beautiful voice and she was not afraid to let people hear her singing. As she continued to sing she started to braid her hair and then putting it up in a bun. But she stopped singing as she put the last clip into her hair before she saw something moving near the trees off in the distance.

Valeria sat there on the rocks for a few more minutes just staring out at whatever it was in the trees. As she sat there she built up enough courage to leave the rocks, for she knew if she stayed on the Rocks she would never know what it was at near the trees. Then turning around she then dived into the water and started to swim up to the shoreline. When getting there she rolled out of the water and up onto the sand and as soon as her tail left the water the sun started slowly drying her tail up and it disappeared and her leg started to form in place of her tail. Once her legs appeared Valeria men stood up and turning to look back at the trees, her eyes then went right back to the trees where she had seen the thing earlier. Then slowly walking towards the trees her eyes searched, she felt pretty sure something had been there watching her and she was not going to give up until she saw what it was. As she walked up to the place where she had thought she had seen something earlier she called out. " Hello is there anyone here?" She said as she listened carefully. Then she jumped when she thought she heard a branch snap nearby her. Then calling out again. " Hello!" She hoped if there was anyone there that they would answer her and come out from hiding from her. As she stood there she leaned up against a tree and waited.

[GodlyD&D]

Alastair stood over where the water touched the shore, in this inlet. It was not so deep, even in the twilight as it dimmed he could make out the bottom some way from the shore. But no body lay there at the bottom, which there should be if that person had drowned that quickly. But where did that one go, then? And why would someone, right after looking at him, go into the water, and never come up again? Was he losing his mind? Wasn't someone really there?

It was starting to get dark, so he wasn't going to solve this, let alone save someone, who couldn't be found. He despaired of that, and turning to go he walked then the way to the towered fort with his very troubled mind, as it grew darker, and the stars stood out distinctly.

Others in the fort were around the table in the dining area. Alastair sat down, and stared at the table in silence. This was not what the others were accustomed to seeing from Alastair, who often spoke with an air of authority. Gerargon, next in charge to Alastair, asked him what was going on.

Alastair said, "I might be losing my mind. I was out there, not far from the inlet, after my shift. I heard something, maybe like a very distant call. I went that way where I thought I heard it. I saw a figure some distance away after I had gone in that direction, and then it just vanished just as I noticed it. I went near to where I had seen it, and when I was right about there, where I was nearer to the inlet, I saw another figure just then stepping from the shore into the water. That one looked at me, and then dropped into the water. I ran over because it looked like that one would not come up again. I was right there and it looked like no one was there."

Gerargon said, "There are monsters, and supernatural beings, that can appear and disappear. So it would not just be human people you would see, if that happens."

Terrell said, "I heard merman and mermaids dwell in the sea, and they might come into the inlet, any of them might be seen."

Dodger said, "But there are great seamonsters out there! Merman and mermaids could not dwell among them!"

Eriold said, "I learned from my family the merman folk are immortals, they cannot just be killed. They will regenerate, and if seriously hurt they vanish from there to another place safe for them in another realm."

There was more discussion of what had possibly been out there. Alastair said he would need to be excused from his shift the next day, others were then assigned times they would cover for the watch.

The next day, early, Alastair returned to where he had seen those things. And he noticed something was happening.

[DreamDragon101]

As Valeria leaned against the tree she started to think about her childhood days when she would sit on her father’s knees listen to him tell her stories about princesses. He would tell her she was his little princess and one day she would fall in love and marry a handsome prince of her own. This made her laugh when he told her this, but if he was to tell her this today she probably would not laugh for she knew no prince would want a girl like her that had to live outside in the water all the time. Oh how she longed to be a normal girl and not have this spell cast on her, for she was not one bit happy with the way she was now.

Valeria’s thoughts were then interrupted when two brown squirrels ran down the path and past her as they chased each other up a tree. She laughed as she watched them. “Oh those silly little squirrels, what fun they are having with each other. How I wish I could be having fun just like them.” she said out loud with a little sigh as she looked to the ground. As she looks down her eyes grow wide when she sees a small bush of wild blackberries at her feet. Then kneeling down to the bush she picks a few and starts to eat them, when she finishes picking all she could eat she then stood up and starts to look around.

Seeing the sun was just now coming up she knew it was probably time to go for her morning walk before it got to hot. But where would she walk today? She had been in the meadow the other day and the day before that she had walked the shorelines. Today she wanted to go somewhere she had never been before. Now she knew about this path that took you deep into the woods but she had never been on it before should she go there and see where it took her? Yes she would do just that today.

After walking for a little bit Valeria started to sing, but not her favorite song this time, but a little ton her uncle had taught her a long time ago. This is how it went: “As I was walking down the street, down the street, down the street, A little friend I chanced to meet, Heigh-o, Heigh-o, Heigh-o. As I was walking down the street, down the street, down the street, A fairy piper I chanced to meet. Heigh-o, Heigh-o, Heigh-o. As I was walking…..” But as she was about to sing the last verse of the song she stopped for she had come to a dead-end in the path. Where was she to go now? Then as Valeria was about to turn around she sees another path off to the right in the trees some. Then biting her bottom lip she slowly starts to walk into the woods. Not sure where this path was going to take her at so she then started to look all around her.

Then after walking a little bit down into the woods the path started to get wider in front of her and the trees got farther apart, she then come to an opening and as she stepped out into the opening her hand goes to her mouth, for there stud out in the front of her was a big fort with a tower on it. Now Valeria had never seen one before and knew little about one. So she studied it closely for a few minutes. Then remembering that her uncle use to be a knight and had worked at a fort and now her own bother Daniel had gone off and was now becoming a knight. Valeria wondered if this was the fort he was at and if so was it the one her uncle had told her about. Then a thought came into her mind. Should she go and try and find her brother, for it had been a long time since she had seen her brother and she missed him dearly.

Then thinking about it for a minute she shakes her head. No maybe she should wait and come back another day, now that she knew where it was at. But she did want to get a little closer to it for she wanted to take it all in. After moving a little bit closer to the fort she then stands there behind a big oak tree watching. Then as she stands there she sees men leave the fort. Valeria then starts to wonder what goes on in a big fort like that, for her uncle never really told her much about that. As the sun rose high in the sky Valeria stated to get hot and deciding it was probably time to start head back into the woods. But as she started to walk back to the woods all of a sudden she sees a big grizzly bear standing in the path in front of her. Valeria froze when she saw it standing there and she knew there was going to be some trouble now for her. What should she do now? For she did not want to have to mess with the bear.
As Valeria stood there watching the bear an idea came to her mind. What if she was to turn around and run to the fort and see if she could get some help there, or should she try and get past the bears somehow? No, she did not think she could get past the bear fast enough and she did not want to fight the bear. So all she could do now was run to the fort for help. But as she was thinking about it the bear saw her standing there and started to run right troughs her. Valeria screamed as she saw the bear coming at her. Then grabbing her dress up into her hands she quickly started running as fast as she could over to the fort. Once she got right up in front of the fort she started screaming out for help. For the bear had caught up with her now and was right behind her. As she kept screaming she hoped someone would hear her and come out and help her. For she did not want to be dinner for a big grizzly bear.

[GodlyD&D]

On this day the great wizard Bolemolo had been sent to the fort of the knights to check on the defense and leave any improvements he saw might be needed for being effective against the Killiput and against any monsters that came to that shore. As he discussed with the head of the knights what he would be doing, there was a scream they both heard from beyond that front door of the lobby where they were meeting.

The wizard said, "Someone out there must need help!"

The head of knights said, "We shall see," and went and opened the strong door. They both saw the frantic young lady in flight. Bolemolo the wizard waved his wand with the glowing tip and uttered what no one could repeat. Just then the young lady disappeared.

The head of the knights said, "What happened? Where is she, that young lady we just saw?"

Alastair, who had just returned earlier to the fort, had walked into the lobby just then, and saw what happened. He said aloud, "She's gone! She is the same figure I am sure I saw who disappeared from me at the shore before!"

Bolemolo answered, "She was transported to the safest realm I know of, there would be no large animals there which would threaten her."

Alastair said, "But where is it, where she went?"

"She went where she was sent, to a realm where she is between mountains and where the dwelling of the phoenix is located."

"Is there anywhere there that she will get food and drink she needs?"

"She would find the dwelling of the phoenix, where there is food and drink that would be shared to her."

"But does any water flow through there?"

The head of the knights asked, "Why are you asking about that, Alastair?"

"Because she would be who I saw before, and if what some of the other knights told me to explain what I saw is right, she is a mermaid! What water is there?"

"Well, there is a creek running through the area between the mountains, but it is kind of a dry area."

"A dry area?! You must send me to her at once, I must find her and have you bring me back with her, at once! This is important, it may involve saving her life!"

"Very well. I will use the same power to send you where I sent her. Get her and bring her to the same spot where you arrive in that place. Five minutes later I will bring you back, with her if you are holding onto her."

Bolemolo used the same thing then on Alastair, and a moment later he was gone too, to that same place the young lady was sent to."

[DreamDragon101]

All of a sudden when the bear was about to attack Valeria someone opened the forts doors. As Valeria looked in she saw two men standing there. Valeria then tried to say something, but as she did one of the men started to say something and then he wave something at her. Then the next thing Valeria knew was she was standing in a new place she had never seen before. This place had a small creek with lots of rocks laying around in it; it also had a small waterfall at the far end of it. There were a lot of dead bushes lying all over with a lot of dirt.

When Valeria looked around she started to wonder how she had gotten here. She did not remember seeing anything strange back at the fort that may have sent her here. But all she remembered was that man saying something, so he must have made her come here somehow. As Valeria stood there looking around the sun beat down on her for this place was very dry and hot with little shade to stand in. Then as she walked over to the waterfall she then kneeled down and put her hand into the water she then started to splashing water onto her face. After she did that she then lean down and put her mouth into the water and started to drink it.

When Valeria had gotten enough to drink she then stood up and looked around for a place that had some shade for her to sit down in. When seeing there was no place with shade she then decided to start walking around to explore to see what was around her. But she also knew she would have to come back to the creek before nightfall. As Valeria started to walk she did not see much of anything. How could anyone ever live here she wondered. Then off in the distances Valeria saw two tall mountains standing side by side. Now she had never seen mountains before so she stood there looking at them for a minute, then she started to walk again.

After a few more minutes of walking Valeria decided it was time to start to head back to the creek. But as the creek came in sight she stopped all of a sudden. Was she dreaming or did she really see two big bushes of blueberries sitting next to the creek. Then rubbing her eyes she looked closer and sure enough there were two bushes there. Valeria then started to run over to the bushes. When she got to them she quickly started to picking the blueberries and putting them right into her mouth. Now she was really hungry because she had not eaten anything since this morning. The berries were so good Valeria kept eating them until she could not eat any more.

When Valeria had finished eating the blueberries the sun had already started to set. Then as Valeria looked around the creek she noticed a few big rocks sitting deep in the water not far from the edge of the creek but right next to the waterfall. Then smiling she started to walk over to the edge of the water then stepping on to some of the smaller rocks that lead to the big ones she then made her way over to the big rocks. When she got to the big ones she sat down on them, and then slowly she put her feet and legs into the water. As she did that her feet and legs started to change back into her tail. Once her tail had appeared she then lay down on the rocks.

As Valeria lay there on the rocks she started to think about the day’s events. She never knew so much could happen in one day and now here she was in this strange place and she did not even know how she had gotten here in the first place. But she did wonder how long she would have to stay here or was her new home here now? She did not want to think about it anymore right now for she was really tired and wanted to go to sleep because it had been a long day for her. It did not take her long to fall asleep and the sun had not even gone down yet.

[GodlyD&D]

Alastair had appeared into this other place that lady he had seen must have been sent to, so that now he was, such a dry place too, that he knew he would have to save her from! But, where was she? Did he not get here right after her? And he was sent to the same spot? Looking around he saw it was just what Bolemolo the great wizard said it was. Further away at some distance he saw where a small creek would be. There were mountain ranges on either side, sheltering this dry place from whatever was beyond. There were no creatures here he could see. Further on from this place in that one direction the mountain ranges seemed to draw nearer with a narrowed valley there, and high peaks over it.

There was not enough time. He should have seen her. He hurried toward the creek, thinking the one he would find to save would try to be at the creek for water she would need. He came as quickly as he could, but he knew the minutes were winding down! The creek here looked deeper than he expected it would be. Maybe it would be enough water for the mermaid, which it seemed she would be. But he saw her nowhere, on the land around here, or in the water where she might be, as the mermaid she would be.

But if she did not need to be saved, why would he be here to save her? He could not be sure, but he could not do anything to bring her back if she was not in sight though he had come right after her. And, he must go back to that same spot, right away, to be where he would be summoned back, even though without her, or else he would be stuck here himself, separated from all the knights, then.

He came right back to that spot, which he had made a point to recognize from small features there. Did he make it? He still looked all around him, not seeing that lady, whichever form she might have. But she was no where in sight. But how did she move away from where she could be seen from there, so soon?

And he waited. After some time, he became aware that it was longer than it should have been, for him to just wait and then be brought back. He had not been in position. He missed it! He had come here to save some woman who he couldn't even find, because she disappeared from there so soon, and because of that he was now stuck here! This overwhelmed him, he was cut off from all the other knights and what he was living for, there, to be in this dry, empty place. He dropped to the ground, feeling broken, putting his hands to his face.

He must have been like that for a while. He was close to sobbing. Everything he had worked for and achieved was gone. But then he heard a voice.

"You came for that woman who appeared here, didn't you? I have seen her. She did not know where she was going, but stayed near the creek. I had hoped she would come to my home a little that way closer to those peaks, and near the creek. I could provide things there. But she did not go so far to yet see it, but came back to a small waterfall she had found. So I made a bush with fruit she really likes appear there. She then entered the water and stayed there. I put a sleep on her, that I might come and speak with you who know about her, for I had seen you, so that I would know what I need to do with her."

Alastair looked up to see the one speaking with him. He saw in surprise a creature, and it must certainly be the phoenix, which appeared as a bird with legs that were about as long as those of any storks, and still more muscular, a neck almost as long, and a bill about as long. But the being appearing as that bird had the appearance of flames of fire being displayed where the feathers were. It was more than bright colors of red, orange, and yellow, the colors were moving like flames would be.

Alastair said, "Please then, take me to her, she must be a mermaid. She was sent here to be safer than where she had been, but this is not a good place for one like that, and I came to bring her from here. But now when I could not see her I lost the way back, and I am stuck here as much as she is."

"Very well. Follow me and I will lead you to the falls where she has remained."

[GodlyD&D]

The fiery bird that would be the phoenix flew ahead remarkably with grace, and in a back and forth path for giving Alastair time to follow not far behind. It was well along the creek further than Alastair had looked, and Alastair really wondered how this woman could have gone so far away within the moments until he came to right where she was sent to bring her back from this place, to the fort where there was shelter.

But when he reached the falls to which he was led, he found that it was still deep but wider here. The woman was there with the water all around resting asleep against the rocks there, and indeed the finned tail like that of a very huge fish which she had as a mermaid was in view. So, she changed back and forth, as it seemed she had done.

Alastair said. "She is asleep. She needs to be awake for me to speak with her."

The fiery bird said, "She is now awake. Go ahead and speak with her."

Alastair saw that she was awake and had become alert. He called, "Lady, I am Alastair, a knight from the fort that you had approached. A high wizard visiting there saw you fleeing to the fort from immediate danger to you, and teleported you right then to this place for your safety. But he did not know about your need to be where there is a lot of water. I came here to bring you back to the fort where it is secure, but you were not still where you were sent, where I came to bring you back. Now I do not have a way for either of us to be brought back there."

[DreamDragon101]

Valeria woke up an hour later. As she sat up she started to look around. When seeing the waterfall she smiled. It brought back memories of the time she was at a park with her family, this park had a beautiful waterfall that she fell in love with. She was even able to walk under the water. But this waterfall here was nothing like the one she had seen before. As Valeria kept looking around she noticed the sun had not started to go down yet. She wondered if it would ever get dark here. But she did not really know what to except since she had never been here before.

After another hour had gone by Valeria started to get bored of just sitting there and doing nothing. Then deciding she would get up and walk around rather than just sitting there. She then lifted her tail out of the water and as she did the sun started to dry it up, as her tail disappeared her legs reappeared again. Then standing up she started to jump from the big rock to each of the little rocks that lead out of the creek onto the dry land.

Once she had stepped out onto the land again Valeria stood there looking around wondering what to do next. She wished there was someone else to talk to, for she was lonely. If she was back at home she would be in the meadow picking flowers. But this place did not have a meadow, Infact it did not have much of anything.

As Valeria looked to the ground she tried to think what her father would be doing right now. He would probably be out looking for food. But Valeria had not seen much of any kind of food here let alone any animals either. She knew looking for food was out of the questions. Now when Valeria tried to think of what her mother would be doing right now all she could think of was her mother saying. Oh Valeria don’t worry about it let your father take care of it all. But Valeria knew her father was not here, and now she had to come up with a way to find herself some food.

When Valeria was thinking how she was going to find food she stood next to the edge of the creek and she just happen to look down into the water, as she did she noticed there were fishes swimming around in it. When seeing them an idea came into her head. What if she was to try and catch some fishes? When she was little girl her father had taught her how to use her hands to catch them and even clean them. Now all she had do to was catch them herself.

As Valeria came down onto knees next to the water she watched the fish swing around for a minute. But as she started to lean forward to grab a fish she suddenly lost her balance and started to fall straight into the water. As she lay there in the water she started to laugh, for she did not know catching fish was going to be that hard of a job.

After she was sitting up she started to crawl out of the water. As she made her way up onto the dry ground she took one more look into the water. Then as she shook her head she started to laugh again. “Well that may have been fun to do but I think I will try again later on when I am dry.” she said as she sat there. Then all of a sudden Valeria jumps when she hears a tree branch snap nearby. As she looks around to see if someone was there she starts to think she may not be the only one there after all. If there was someone else there what would she do?

Then all of a sudden Valeria gasped and snapped her head around at the sound of a man talking to her. She had not seen him walk up behind her. As Valeria listen to the man talk to her she nodded her head. Then when it was her turn to talk she stood up and faced him and said. "Um hello sir I did not see you come up behind me. Oh I see, I was wondering how I got here." She said with a small smile on her face. "It is okay not many people know that I am half mermaid and half human. It is kind of a long story how I become a mermaid.If you want I can tell you how I became one. Oh my please forgive me I did not introduce myself, I am Valeria." She said as she held out her hand to him. "Now you said you were a knight from the fort right? I have a brother that is a knight there as well." She said as she looked away from him for a minute.

Then after a minute she looked up and gasp "Um..What is that..thing?" She said as she pointed to the thing next to Alastair.

[GodlyD&D]

Alastair was then alert to the fiery bird that had led him to this side of the creek near that waterfall. He said, "Valeria, this is the phoenix, whose domain is this place you were sent to. It is a safe place, there are no threatening creatures here, just a few small animals. If you come out, we can speak further, and the phoenix might answer anything about this place you would want to know. But I do not know how we would ever come out from it."

As he indicated the phoenix that bright bird being stepped forward, and said in a fully understandable way, "Greetings and welcome to this domain. You are from another realm and being newly here you are not fully in the same phase of the continuum of reality yet, so that things of space or time that either of you experience might not correspond to the other's. But still as you heard you are fully safe here, though either of you might miss things of what you had elsewhere. I can still answer the things you ask about of this place."