To Regain What Has Been Lost.

[Sylus Kurgen]

The portal opened before him to show a towering structure that pierced the clouds as far as his eyes could see. This ancient Keep caused a gentle stirring within his soul, as if he had been here before, but that just couldn't be. The vampiress's word could not be trusted no matter what she claimed, all vampires were not to be trusted. They are perversions of nature and go against the natural order of the world.

Redemption pulsed gently in her sheath at his right hand,warning Sylus about entering this ancient place. He would normally have heeded the wise blades's note of caution, but the weapon on his right,Retribution, offered a gentle ressonance of agreement. Rarely if ever did Retribution agree with Redemption. Something about this place put both swords on edge. And something that could bring out such a reaction in them obviously meant they didn't want him to know something. Ever since the two blades had come into his possession they had become two of his closest companions. A swordsman viewed his weapon of choice as an extention of his own being. He had learned long ago that when both blades agreed, there was trouble in the water and proceeding with caution wasn't always the best path to take. To others it may seem a perverse logic, but when you know how two people, for that is how he saw the blades at his waist, think it is easy to know when and when not to heed their words.

Booted steps echoed across the draw bridge with a hollow sound to move beneath the open portcullis. Though the ancient Keep had a feel of abandonment, there were still traces that it was in current use by someone. And according to that Rhaine woman, he was the occupant. He couldn't find a lie in the vampiress's words, he would have smelled it but his own instincts screamed at him to leave this place. Ever since being brought to Rhydin, after supposedly having been found wandering through the halls of his family's temple a raving beast, his mind seemed to be clouded by a fog when he tried to remember the last several years that appeared to have vanished from his memory.

The last he remembered, his path was taking him from Kelvar on some rediculous journey that served no other purpose than to oust him from the kingdom so that a pompous fool who would be king could manipulate the council into nothing but a bunch of paid off minions. Any time he tried to focus on something new that felt familiar, a blinding flash of light and blurred his vision as pain seared through his mind and drove Sylus to his knees.

Path stopped in the courtyard then as he paused to removed that figurine the vampiress had given him. One that she said belonged with him. The one that showed him with a silver haird elf, though beautiful beyond measure, he felt a kindred pull towards. Yet he couldn't think of who she was for the life of him. Something was definitely wrong with his memroy. It was usually perfect. No faces forgotten, all names remembered. His line of work counted on silent movements, quick sword skill, and a perfect memory.

"Who are you? And why does your image bother me so?"

Figurine replaced to the pocket of his vest it was through the giant double doors he went. Seeking that which he had somehow lost.

[Sylus Kurgen]

The entrance hall was quieter than any tomb he could remember, the air held a stale taste to it causing the hair on the back of his neck to raise on end. The Keep was indeed as old as it looked on the outside. A stirring in the air brought a faint whisper to his keen hearing, but it wasn't from an earthly voice. There were spirits in this place. That wasn't unexpected by him, but this close to the entrance was rather rare in most haunted environs.

Left hand slid nonchalantly down to touch Redemptions hilt with familiarity upon moving straight down the hallway, the voice ignored for now as it wasn't in the direction he was going. Quiet steps followed the more recent footprints on the dusty floor leading him to a winding staircase at the back.

The faint scent of leopard, drow, and something darker tingled the air about his nostrils. He really needed to proceed with caution now and drew the twin scimitars from their sheaths. Up the stairs he moved silently with blades raised defensively.

Before long he reached the first floor landing and his eyes looked down the hall to the door barring the way, four other doors dotted the lining walls. Nothing had gone that way, the scent continued up to the next floor. Obviously only certain parts of the Keep was in current use. That troubled him. To the second floor then and there was some minor signs of life on that floor, mostly the small trails along the walls of where rats and other rodent signs to mark what to expect here.

"This place is big, old, and barely used. I find myself in some kind of cliche? All old castles and keeps seem to be the same way when no one has an interest in them."

Still that feeling of familiarity stirred in his heart, the feeling of home. Or what should be home to him though Sylus still knew he had never been here before. More investigation was needed, so to the third floor he went.

[Sylus Kurgen]

The third floor proved as empty as the first two with even less signs of life than anyhting else he had seen thus far it and truly began to look as if the place had been abandoned for some time. Through his entire search of dusty rooms, moldy closets, and rubble strewn corridors the entire building resounded with a familiarity he just could not place. And more than once he pulled that strange figurine from his pocket to let that image play through his head. The image of that elven woman clinging to his back as a pack of wolves loped around them. For an odd reason that image brought him comfort in such an empty place. He truly hoped that someday he could meet the woman in that image and find out who she was. But another part of him seemed to scream at the idea, screat that it would be wrong to do so. Such thoughts were neither here nor there and his task in coming to this place was far from over.

It was on the fourth level of the Keep that interesting events began to take place. Unlike the rest so far, this floor was clean. Nay, spotless. Green marble lined the floor with gold tiles boardering the walls. The walls themselves were a bright alabaster. The combination was a bit unusual for a decoration scheme, but in his time at court, Sylus had seen far worse, and could not truly make any mental commentary on the lay out.

That faint touch of leopard tickled his sense of smell once again and he followed it to the second door on the right, the only unlocked door up till that point. Sliding Retribution into his sheath, he opened the door carefully before moving inside. The minute he had cleared the doorway, the thick barrier of red oak slammed into place behind his back. Pivoting in place his hand tried the handle and found it locked, yet the bar had not fallen into place. Apparently something didn't want him to leave.

Eyes moved back to the room before him then and took in the area he now found himself in. A carpet of rich blue covered the floor from wall to wall along with curtains of the palest sky blue he had ever seen tied open before the large window off to his immediate left. A four poster bed covered in some floral pattern blanket made him cringe as it didn't quite go with the burgandy satin sheets peeking out from underneeth nor the matching pillows. "No accounting for taste as they say. Now to figure out how to leave this place."

Redemption finding her place back in the sheath at his left hand he moved about the room carfully and started going through different things, perhaps some kind of a key to unlock the door. He tried the dressar first but didn't find much. A few articles of clothing, some small green orbs in a box, and a leaf inside of a small pouch were in the top drawer, but a small sense of recollection at the leaf made him put it into the pocket along with the figurine. "I don't know what the hell is going on, but if it feels familiar I should probably trust it."

Nothing was turned up in the rest of the drawers. Only some old newspaper clippings and something about Sylus being the first male to ever win some rediculous tournament called the "Talon of Redwin". The more drawers he went through the more he saw that he had indeed been a busy man over the last several years. But none of it explained how his memory had been wiped as clean as it was though on occasion the two swords at his waist hummed softly as if talking to one another. "There's more here than I'm seeing. Still a lot to check out, but first I need to find something to eat. I don't know how far away that Rhydin place is, or if there are any towns nearby."

Everything was returned to just the way it had been when he found the room and steps took him back to the door with a small prayer sent up to Fenrir that he'd found what he was looking for. Fingers curled around the knob hesitantly before turning. With a soft click the red oak barrier swung open and back into the hall.

[Sylus Kurgen]

Each of the other doors located in the fourth floor hallway were locked and barred from the inside it appeared and he was left with no choice but to go out into the stairwell again and continue his way on to the fifth floor. Redemption and Retribution drawn once more Sylus walked quietly up those spiraling steps and paused to carefully inspect the door that would either lead to another dead end or his next clue as to what had happened with his memory.

Hand about to crash the knob to open the door leading him to the fifth, when he felt something draw him up the steps to the next floor. The pull was strong and Sylus didn't fully understand what called to him, but part of it sang to his blood. "When everything else in this world lets you down. Your friends, your woman, and even your steel. You can always count on the blood to see you through."

The words of old Sparhawk whirled through his mind genlty to remind him that blood would always be there for you. You could only rely on two things in the world. Yourself, and your blood. He stood by those and despite the resentment he sensed in Artemus's heart whenever the two crossed paths, Sylus remembered those words and understood the true meaning. Blood is thicker than water, to forsake it is to forsake everything around you.

Shoulders squared he moved on, following that pull right passed the sixth floor and onto the seventh. With each step it got stronger and he followed it willingly, sensing he would find something invaluable at the end of the rainbow. For his own sake he hoped it led him to more answers on what had happened to him and not another trinket he had no idea of what it meant. Only time would tell that to him. Time, and what urged him on, all the way to the eighth floor.

[Sylus Kurgen]

"When everything else in this world lets you down. Your friends, your woman, and even your steel. You can always count on the blood to see you through."

The words played through his mind again and again with each step down the corridors of the eight floor. This level above all the others sang to his blood with a familiarity he just couldn't place. It even smelled of home and safety from a world that always tried to control of harm him. Could that vampiress have been right? Had he been a citizen of this strange city for the past handful of years?

Part of Sylus wanted to say yes but his instincts told him to hold out for just a while longer till he had undeniable proof. Anything else could be the work of sorceries out to decieve him. Magic wasn't a thing to be trusted unless it was used under the strictest circumstances. It was a gift to all beings not meant to be used lighlty or for pointless reasons. But then as he'd once heard a court magician say ... "Magic is like intelligence, on some people it's a wasted gift." Ol' Jessep, that man could always put a smile on his face. Too bad that leech Varad had him executed for treason. 'Supposed' treason anyway.

Mind pulled back to the here and now, Sylus followed the pull towards an unadorned door at the end of the corridor. It seemed slightly cliche but then this was life, sometimes life had its actual cliches. As he pushed the door open Sylus automatically had his eyes looking around the room for anything out of the ordinary. All he found was just another simple room with a bed along one wall, a desk and some dresser drawers. Same as the last one he'd been drawn to.

Moving quietly from spot to spot, he rooted around and found many things he had collected through the years. So many he could remember leaving them in safe keeping back in Kelvar, the capital city of Millenia. These items only lent more weight to Rhaine's argument. Perhaps she was telling the truth. But if so, what would remember all that happened change? Obviously he'd lost his memory of those events for a reason. And he had a feeling it was more than likely for the best.

[Sylus Kurgen]

Sylus had his proof that he had lived in this realm for a couple years; but once again any clue pointing to why he lost his memory was absent from the room. He scanned over the room once again for anything that might have been passed over in his first search. Good thing Sylus chose to look a second time. Dark amber hues found their way to a small chest peeking out from under the bed.

"What's in the grab bag? Survey says!"

Dropping to his knees, Sylus pulled the chest from its resting place and felt his heart skip a beat. There engraved onto the dark redwood was his personal seal. A wolf wearing a crown of roses and thorns in the hollow of a crescent moon. It wasn't the seal that made the Kurgen's eyes widen, but the knowledge of what was inside. Undoing the clasps, Sylus held his breath and raised the lid.

"I don't beleive this..."

The words were a breathless whisper that passed from his lips as he looked upon the contents of the chest. Resting in two hollows of crushed velvet sat two stones Sylus knew contained immense power. If you knew how to use them anyway. IOUNE stones. Closing the lid quickly he looked around in disbelief.

"These stones do not belong here. What happened, Ren?"

This knowledge troubled Sylus deeply as the only person he knew that held such objects in his posession was in another dimension. So how did they get to this place? Yet another riddle for him to ponder over. IOUNE stones are not something to be taken lightly or ever to be used. Sylus only knew the base scripture about the stones power.

When placed in a twelve sided glyph, the twelve stones give the holder the ability to subjugate the twelve main races to his or her will. But the power to do that is beyond most beings as it takes a tremendous amount of magical strength and will power to keep the control constantly in place. From the story he got from Ren, it took a dragon to actually do it.

Sylus opened the chest once again to look at the bluish black stones in simple amazement. It was a brief moment as that sense of compulsion came to his blood again and he removed the stones from the chest to place them in his belt pouch.

[Sylus Kurgen]

More riddles and still not enough answers. Sylus was beginning to feel like the proverbial mule being led around by the carrot dangling before its nose. Only moving forward because of the object of a singular focus. And he was beginning to get mad.

"Something isn't right with all of this. These stones, the sense of compulsion, and so much more than I can put my finger on. It's moments like this where life is most bothersome"

Chest shoved back under the bed, Sylus rose and walked out of the room, his mind working now on what all of the little trinkets with the addition of the IOUNE stones actually meant to the situation he was in. He couldn't see how, but that only added to the mystery of it all. The green orb, the figurine, the leaf, and now the stones, he knew the ties they had to him, but their combined meaning eluded Sylus completely.

"All this thinking is giving me a a migraine."

The very second Sylus came back to the stairwell the sense of compulsion came again, only this time it was down. Why have him come up then go down? That was a real question. But whatever he thought to himself and shrugged. [/i]Better to follow a feeling hesitantly than ignore it and miss something that could be important.

The advice went something like that, though he couldn't remember the exact wording. Close enough anyway. His booted steps took him back down the winding stairwell right passed the entry hall. Pushing open the large iron door at the bottom of the steps just made Sylus groan inwardly. He seriously wanting to flinch at how corny everything was starting to turn out.

Taking a torch from the wall just inside the door he dipped it into a small oil barrel that sat precariously in an alcove nearby. His focus then turned inward to produce a small flame in the palm of his hand. Sylus wasn't strong with magic, but he had some ability. Just not a whole lot. Torch in hand, he began the long walk down the dark steps.

[Sylus Kurgen]

The long walk must have lasted miles as the downward spiral of stairs went on seemingly without end until he finally reached the bottom and found yet another long hallway lined with doors. But unlike any others he had seen thus far, each of these doors had barred windows. This was the prison level of the Keep.

The scent of death and decaying flesh hung like a heavy miasma in the air as he moved passed the multitude of doors. This was not a place that any living creature belonged and the soft scratching sounds and low groans revealed enough. Those inprisoned here so long ago, were still captives waiting to be free. However, Sylus wasn't about to open up any one of those doors and let the things out. Not by a long shot.

He brought a gloved hand up to cover his mouth and nose from the smell. Didn't matter how used he was to it, Sylus was disgusted by the smell of death though he was acutely aware of it more than any others he'd met. It was a grim fate to be someone accustomed to battle. He could not only smell death, but sense the wicked spectre's presence. Sound was something that did not exist around death. His echoed steps only gave added weight to the eerie surroundings making the elder Kurgen's hackles rise up on end. In truth he didn't need the torch, but there were things in deep places like this that didn't like the light. Old beings that had lived in the shadows since the birth of the realm.

Still Sylus followed that pull in his blood to the second to last door in the hall way. From this side he could see just how different the door was from the others. The markings on the outside were old, much older than the rest. This had been the first cell constructed, and it was designed to last a long time. Along the left jamb he counted twelve locks, each he guessed were deadbolts and some other fun toys.

He was just glad that undoing the locks wasn't going to be a task as the door was of a design to keep something in. Not out. Torch placed in the sconce near the door Sylus began turning the nobs and pulling back crossbars till he finally had the door opened.

To any other it would have taken possibly two or three men to pull open this door as Sylus grunted and pulled the three foot thick metal door adjar. Some days being a meta-human had its perks. Aside from the overwhelming rage they usually had to push back while shifting. Too many thought all were-creatures were these mindless beasts that only knew how to hunt and kill.

That behavior doesn't last beyond the first full moon when the animal spirit within them took full control. As it was born. The rush of newfound life coming into existence under the purity of a full moon. That first touch of nature brushing ones soul during a wild flight through the forest. Being linked to something greater than yourself as you sense everything around you with newfound clarity. It was an ecstacy unrivaled by anything in this world.

The large circular room was empty for the most part aside from the typical shackles hanging from the walls. The only thing that seemed out of place was the chill in the air. A chill that didn't belong here. Eyes closing briefly, Sylus spread out his senses and found a spirit floating against a small niche in the wall. The specter stood tall and proud in its prison.

"Only those of the blood may move on from here." The raspy voice sent a small chill down his spine. As Sylus was quite sure the sound was meant to do so.

"Only those of the blood, eh? So. What's the test for seeing if I'm allowed to move on." Sylus hated such tests. They always wound up being so ridiculously simple.

"All you must do, is extend they wrist mortal." Its spectral hand rose up to take ahold of his tanned flesh.

In the instant that ghoslty touch curled around his wrist Sylus felt pain like never before flair through his whole body and could only watch as beads of metalic crimson burrowed out of his skin to go into the ghosts fingers. Mentally he was kicking himself. It was a ghost, should have expected something along these lines. The spectral being released his hand abruptly and simply faded from view, the chill in the air remaining though.

"Only those of the blood may move on from here." That raspy voice echoed through the room quietly. "You may proceed, Master Kurgen."

Slowly the floor at his feet began to low into yet another spiraling stair case.

[Sylus Kurgen]

"Into the dragon's lair he strode, what lurked in the dingey gloom unknown. Sword in hand and shield on arm daring all manner of things to do him harm. Fore Gailley Bedight was a galant knight in sunshine and in shadow."

The small excerpt slid from his lips as Sylus neared the bottom of the steps. The old prose brought a smile to his face for the shear sound of it in his current situation. Walking through a dark dungeon where what lay ahead was masked in secrecy and shadow; it was something all too much like something out of a work of fiction. Bad fiction at that. Would-be hero with a dark past walking through a cavern with some tie to a hidden treasure that was invaluable to him. Definitely bad fiction.

Swords in hand he walked forward into the light ready to meet whatever came his way. And for once in his life, Sylus felt a twinge of fear out of the knot of uncertainty that wormed its way through his stomache.

[Sylus Kurgen]

The sound of breathing came from deeper within the tunnel. Down, Sylus felt the earthen path slowing down as he walked on and had to squint from time to time to see the path ahead of him. This far down even his wolven sight was pressed to see clearly, at least while he stayed in human form.

The deeper he moved, the air took on an oppressive heat. Sylus felt small beads of sweat run down his back underneath the chainmail and leather, the feel was cold and made his teeth want to chatter. He brought Redemption up and whispered softly in Sindaran to bring out a gentle light from the inner magicks of the blade.

"Much better, at least now I can stop walking into small rocks that are at shin height."

After some time a faint glow came from a turn in the path ahead of him. But by now the heat had him breathing heavily from the cumberance of his armor and the lack of his skin being able to breath through the folds of cloth, leather, and steel.

Releasing the light from Redemption, Sylus sheathed the twin blades and crept up to the edge of the tunnel and peered out into the new cavern where the breathing had become a dull thunder. Moving toe to heel, Sylus crept out of the tunnel into a large cavernous chamber.

The high ceiling glittered darkly with the eyes of bats and the black glassy image of hundreds of stalactites. The rough stone floor had countless bones and broken stone scattered all over. Knealing down near a pile of bones, Sylus picked up the skull and looked closer at the brittle yellow decayance and had to blink. The skull belonged to a baby dragon. At least it appeared draconic in nature, but something about the structure of the upper jaw didn't seem right.

These bones were from a dragon-kin Sylus had no knowledge of. True there were many hybrids to the ancient beasts, many of which were probably still undiscovered beyond the basic six. But something about this truly sat out of place with him.

It was now that Sylus looked further around the cavern and his eyes fell on the source of the breathing. The massive mound bulk he looked upon nearly made his legs give way. The creature was larger than anything he'd seen before, minus a few giants here and there, but that was beside the matter. Darting to stand behind a large collection of fallen stalactites, Sylus took in the image closer and didn't like it any better from this distance.

Thick chains of a metal he couldn't identify seemed to hold it in place. They looped over it's scorpion-like tail, at least from the angle presented to him. Moving up more to travel along the main body, Sylus found a myriad of other chains criss-crossing the silver-scaled body, hooven hind-legs, and the wings looked oddly like those of a pegasi to Sylus. This was truly a strange abomination.

"What are you...?"

Arms came up to cross over his chest at the curious, yet disturbing creature that lay slumbering in the center of the cavern. It's wolven head shifted oddly as if dreaming, a few streams of smoke coming from the nostrils. Evidently this creature had a form of breath weapon.

"I am you."

Like thunder the voice rocked through his mind, driving Sylus to his knees, hands clutching at his skull. Fighting to stand again after the thunderous mindspeak, Sylus looked sharply at the creature.

"I am nothing like you."

Sylus surprised even himself by keeping the growl out of his voice, his words carrying strong through the cavern. He just hoped the creature would tone down its voice with the next words it chose to impart to his mind.

[Sylus Kurgen]

"Am I not?"

Those words softened as if amused. Still there remained that deep thunder in Sylus's thoughts. This creature was unlike anything he'd encountered. Ever.

"We are both bound by chains of fate and cannot escape lives of blood and death..."

With eyes much too wide the elder Kurgen looked upon the "thing", for he could not come up with a better description, with a feeling of being seen right through. All masks set aside and illusions unraveled. That was a thought he'd never dared whisper to anyone. No the closest of friends, nor even his own brother. It had become a fact of life to Sylus. Just when he put down his blades feeling for the last time, something would come to entangle him again. And always blood would follow.

"Yesss...you see it now don't you child..."

That voice nearly hypnotic with words of gentle triumph, what made that statement worse was the fact that it was true. Sylus did feel that way, and could almost believe it. Almost.

"And I know that out of all the millions of lives in this world. I'm far from alone in that viewpoint. Every career soldier has wished that. Ever king in a warring country. They've all held similar sentiment. You'll need to do better to sway me..."

[Sylus Kurgen]

"Well now, aren't you the resilliant one." Chimara's baritone thoughts took on a thoughtful sound in the mundane silence filling the cave.

"I know. How about your memory? Don't you want to know who that woman is?"

Sylus's eyes betrayed him and widened a fraction at the mentally assaulting words. How could this beast know that? Had to be reading his thoughts. Had to be.

"I see. You do want to know don't you? Of course. Why wouldn't you? Two years is a long time to forget a life." The hypnotic words droned one filling Sylus's mind with dizzying cobwebs.

"Shut up. I don't need to remember the last two years. I doubt anything important happened. " More emotion came with the response that he intended. More than Sylus thought himself ever possible.

"Not true child of mine. Not true at all. Try...the death of Illyena and Varad Rovensheaf. You remember them yes? It was by your blades they fell." The words were filled with sweet promises and coaxing. "Don't you wish to know exactly what happened?"

The only response from Sylus came with a clatter of steel as Redemption and Retribution fell to the stone floor of the cavern. That clatter echoing ominously in the void around the two. His knees threatening to follow the blades down to the ground.

"I can unlock your memories you know? If you will do but one favor for me. I can return the years to you..."

Fighting for air and strength, Sylus slowly found his inner supports and looked at the creature defiantly. Not ready to believe it's words. It was impossible he could have killed Illyena. Impossible.

"What "favor"?"

[Sylus Kurgen]

The cold rain fell in sheets of lead as the cloaked figure moved through the streets of Rhydin. Breath like a fog rolled from the dark hollows of the hood, that being the only indicatoin that it was a living creature. Boots caked with mud he came to a stop just outside of a pair of ivory gates and looked up at an ancient home. Her home.

Gloved hands gingerly remove a small figurine from the pocket of his vest beneath the cloak and hold it up to the moonlight as once more a flash of memory fills his mind.

"I have to know."

Holding the figurine firmly in his palm, the cloaked figure sent its thoughts over the distance to that sleeping monstrocity.

"I'll do your favor."

[Sylus Kurgen]

Gathering the Elements

"Get me a sentient sample of the four basic elements. Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. Once gathered, return to me."

The mental information recieved from across the distances, Sylus looked at the city around himself and just sighed. What's with these things and elements? A deep grumble slipped passed his lips sounding closer to a growl, startling a passerby who sped up their steps to vanish around a corner.

"Where to begin?"

Rolling stride found his steps moving deeper into the seedier parts of the city, the area starting to look like the place called Badside, or West End as he had also heard it called. Walking passed a mugging in process, and then seeing a young girl drug down a side alley only steps away, Sylus just shook his head.

"No matter the city, slums are all the same."

Pausing a moment on a cross-section to wait for a carriage to pass by, he felt something catch on his leg. Eyes glanced down to find a flyer. Catching the paper in his hand, deep ambers look over the printing to find an advertisement for dueling.

"The Twilight Isle huh, wonder what I could find there..." His mind all ready going over the small fortune this had given him. "There's a fine line between luck and divine providence."

Quietly, he altered his path back towards the main part of the city and the location printed on the flier. Cloak becoming pulled up higher with the hood drawn, it didn't take long to find the Red Dragon Inn and locate the entrance to the Twilight Isle within.

The transition through the portal was jarring at first, but the feeling faded as Sylus felt his boot touch down on solid ground. Not allowing the sensation to hinder his purpose too much, eyes quickly looked around the place to locate the four structures listed on the flier. All of them were in direct line of sight from the door.

A brief moment to acknowledge the official who apparenlty knew him, his first stop was the Tower of Fire. Pausing at the edge of the magma lagoon, Sylus knelt down and pulled one of the jars Chimara had sent to him. Careful not to burn his hand, the liquid rock was sent away to the lair. Then it was off to the Tower of Water, and thirdly Earth using the same process.

[Sylus Kurgen]

The fourth Tower proved more difficult, and at the same time, more interesting than the rest had. Pausing at the top of the mountin upon which the Tower resided, Sylus felt the winds buffet him from side to side as came naturally to the altitude. Here the air ran free and answered to no one.

"What are you doing up here?"

The voice resounded from nowhere, but held a feminine inflection.

"Research" came his calm reply, since that was in fact basically what he was going.

More words were passed between the pair before the he felt what was no known as an elemental wrap about him offering assistance in the research. And should he need any help to call for Myraleaze.

With the last element jarred, Sylus looked around the mountain top before moving back to the beach and walking right to the portal without a word said to any of the other patrons that looked at him or greeted his returned presnce. Not that he knew any of them to begin with.

"I have your jars Chimara...what's the next task..."