Present time
He started again with just a crumb of magic. A tiny piece of raw energy danced in front of
him, waiting. He reached for it and tried to disassemble it into its original parts. It resisted.Once complete it did not want to cease to exist. Nio tried harder and harder. It seemed so easythat night by the campfire, but without the anger that fuelled it, dismantling the synergyproved to be a difficult task. He threw it on a nearby tree, and the tree was gone. Destructionwas easy. He tried again.In the meantime, almost everyone returned to the hideout. Only Ia stayed in Canestor to
oversee the transportation of the goods and to wait for their signal, but Jon came back, Laracame back, and Ghtraht came and went. It was obvious to everyone that Shieena and the warchief had grown closer. Even Jon admitted to Nio that he was happy for both of them. He wasstill a little jeHigh shamanAfter sending shamans to kill Shieena and the other Tei woman, the high shaman retreated to one of the northern temples, out of reach of the southern war chiefs. He now sat in the main room of the temple and listened to the reports. Not only did the shamans fail to kill the women but they botched the auxiliary plan also. Shieena was almost in his grasp but still managed to escape. To make matters worse, one of his would-be assassins pointed the finger at him, publicly. The day really couldn't have been worse. Except it got worse. His shamans were killed and expelled everywhere in the south, and the last straw was the blood feud that targeted him personally.He was furious. The audacity of these simpletons, challenging his spiritual guidance. Northern war chiefs started to gather around him. More simpletons. What he needed was a quick and decisive attack. But looking at thei
Present timeNio met with the war chief of the Mui tribe. There were eleven large lakes and four larger rivers in his lands. His people had by then already received the food from the dwarves and famine had diminished, but those supplies would not last forever. The war chief banned fishing throughout Mui because Nio needed to inspect several live specimens. They reached the first lake surrounded by hundreds of goblins waiting for a miracle. Nio felt a rush of anxiety. He had been very confident in himself until now, but now, as all those goblins watched, his confidence turned to fear. Still, from the outside he remained calm and cool.He approached the shore of the lake and one of the goblins pulled out a fishing net. Within the net were three species of fish and a pair of crabs. He asked the goblin to submerge the net back in the water and ordered everyone around him to move away. Very far a
Velas north hubQueen Nioob paced up and down the room. The first meeting with lady Sif was successful. Not only did she agree to provide safe passage through her lands, but she offered her elves to move food to Mui land. Furthermore, she offered elven supplies and help if needed. Nioob had a strange feeling that if she asked for Sif's dress, she would take it off in front of her and give it to her. She didn't like it. Elves usually did not care about other races. Sif wanted something, something big. No, Nioob didn't like it at all. For a moment she wished Lara was here. Lara always had a flawless nose for lies and deceptions. Nioob was supposed to leave the day after the meeting, but Thea Sif requested another audience. Nioob was sure that Sif would then show her true face. Apprehensive, she waited.The two women met again. After the initial pleasures, lady Sif became direct.Her ton
Present timeBefore they headed back for their base, Nio healed the wounded. There were a lot of them. He ordered them to be left on the battlefield and healed them all in one fell swoop. Friends and foes alike. He didn’t have much experience with healing and life magic, but he instinctively knew what to do. His exercise in the hidden valley taught him so much about synergy that he felt that the smaller elements were just toys for children. He reached out and established a balance in each of them. It was that simple. Lately, it seemed to him that he was looking more and more with his mind, not his eyes. Everything around him was just energy. Like when you try to make out the trees in the distance from the bottom of a waterfall. Due to the sheer amount of water you can’t actually see the trees, just the shapes. Still, you know they're there. And you know what they look like. The sh
Present timeThe rain outside his window embraced the world in a blurred mist. Thousands of lost souls pouring their tears onto the land, crying for a way back. Just like him.Grabbing the worn grey cloak from the bed, Nio headed for the door and descended the narrow wooden stairs.It was early morning and yet the central room of the inn was still full of people. Old, half-rotten beams creaked and squeaked menacingly but no one seemed to mind. Smoke clouds drifted through the room like ripped and torn patches of fog.Nio headed for the nearest empty table, but before he could reach it a small woman slammed into him and a pair of pleading eyes looked up just as an empty jug flew through the air, aiming for her head.The small creature was a goblin, no
Velas and Malfer, a long time agoOnce upon a time Velas was a land like any other land in Raal. The sun would rise in the south and lazily crawl to the north. And once the ever-fierce globe disappeared beneath the tall north mountains, lush green forests all over Velas would wake up from their slumber, growing and giving life.On sapphire coloured meadows the proud elf cities stood, tall and beautiful. Almost as beautiful as their builders. Almost. Few were brave enough to set out into elven lands. For thousands of years they thrived, while their might and hardened silver weapons repelled all invaders.Then came the disease. The bright-eyed silver-skinned warriors turned into bloodthirsty monsters. Almost a third of the population succumbed to this new illness. The monsters hid in the dark and waited for night in search of their next meal. They were hunted at every turn, but it wasn’t enough. Nights became a source of fear, menacing and u
Present timeHe had the same nightmare again. He was falling. The sky grew smaller and smaller until only darkness remained. And somewhere in the distance, he heard her voice. And her laughter. Nio opened his eyes. The bitterness in him receded and the echo of Thea's laughter grew quieter and quieter. His thoughts turned to Teria'n. The very thought of him made him growl with hatred. He took a deep breath to calm himself and smelling roasted meat he turned his head."I hear your stomach from here": Shieena said smiling.A big rabbit was roasting on the fire and the woman cut a piece and handed it to him. While Nio was eating, the little goblin took the rest of the rabbit off the stick and cut it. She divided the meat into two parts using large fleshy leaves as plates, took a smaller part to herself, and laid the rest in front of the elf."How did you get the slingshot? Considering you were a prisoner.": Nio asked curiously."The sl
Canestor and Zanestor, a long time agoWest of Velas lay the most inhospitable land in Raal. Canestor, the rocky land. Canestor was a harsh country, devoid of most life. The only thing that was in abundance there were rocks, from small piles of polished grey stones to gigantic razor-sharp mountains. The sparse tufts of sickly grey grass made the whole land look even gloomier.Yet, as in all things in life, nature found perfect tenants. Trolls. They were huge creatures with thick grey skin that you could easily mistake for a stone and with big shiny diamond shaped eyes. They looked scary, and yet there was some inexplicable beauty in them. But the trolls were not the only inhabitants of Canestor. Deep underground there were whole cities decorated with gold and jewels, cities of the dwarves.Dwarves, a short, hardened race of warriors and builders who dug tunnels deep in the bowels of the earth in search of precious metals and gems,