Prologue Part II

The party stared at the demon they had just killed a moment longer, and then began discussing their next move.

Gem, a young girl with red hair and green eyes, had been hurt during the battle with the creature, having been caught unawares. Her arm was now riddled with canine-shaped puncture holes, Jue, a women with whose features were very much related to Gem's, had bandaged Gem's arm before to much blood was lost.

Plain-Walker, a tall, silver haired man, who wore a long sword, spoke first.

"We need to find the staff."

Jue spoke up after this, "I can track whatever took the staff."

"Good."

After this, they rested for the night, and Gem had a dream…

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A dark creature, with the aura of decay surrounding it, stood before a river. The river was surrounded by sand, and bones. The creature attempted to cross, but could not. The creature turned, and walked away, intent upon locating another way across……

Book II: Prologue Part I

I must say, I am happy to be going to Sun's Song, it has many a happy memory for me. I wonder if the dryads are still there…

Ah, but I don't have time to see their festivals, even if they are still there. The Tri have given me the duty of taking the heir of the sun to the temple of the sun, Sun Blade's Rest, and have given me orders to take him there today.

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Lux and I have left the desert, and entered Sun's Song, the most beautiful territory on this side of the river…

I remember when a colleague of mine lived here, protected this place, but that time is over.

I suppose I ought to show Lux the temple…

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Birch, an old alchemist, and Lux, a Blighted-One warrior, entered the Sun Blade's Rest.

"So, this is an elven temple, eh?" Said Lux. "It's so… Elegant…"

"Yes" Birch replied.

They entered the main chamber.

It was a circular room, with paintings of white birds, and giants on the walls. The floor was mostly plain white marble, but in the center of the room, there was a sword with a golden-red hilt, with a hand guard on one side, and a silver blade with white adornments in a pedestal.

"That sword is why I brought you here" Birch said. "My lord has deemed it necessary to involve the elves in the devil-hunt."

"Then why have you brought me, a Blighted-One, here, instead of an elf?" Lux queried.

"Don't be foolish, the Blighted are just as much elves as the Elves of Hig Haven" Birch replied. "Anyway, you are the heir to that blade, and my lord's chosen champion. You will unite the Blighted-Ones and the Forest Elves, and when the time comes, you will lead them into combat with the devil hordes. My lord has ordered it."

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After that conversation, Lux took the blade, known as the Sword of Petlex, or the Sun's Sword, and the two headed back to the desert to begin uniting the elves.

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Greetings. We at Pondering Maundering Inc. are happy to announce that Pondering Maundering is back in business. We hope that you enjoy book II!

Sincerely, the Maunderer.

An Important Announcement

Greetings, dear readers! I am here today, to tell you that Book I of this story is now complete. I will be writing the second book and cleaning up this one privately, and will not be posting any new chapters of this story until I have completed it.

I hope that you enjoyed Book I, and I hope you will enjoy Book II in the future!

Until next time, dear readers!

The Devil's Maw

The group went up to the artist's door, and knocked, with no reply.

They knocked again. No reply.

Jue, getting impatient with the painter, kicked the door, causing it to collapse. The group, cold from the rain went inside.

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The house was covered in dust. Dust on the paintings, dust on the furniture, dust on Vlat Hogmen's skull.

It appeared that the man had been dead for some time, apparently killed. His body was ravaged, shredded to bits, bones were scattered around the house, many with teeth marks, and the rod was gone.

Gem was sifting through the rubbish in Hogmen's bedroom, when a deep growling noise began.

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The creature was hungry. It hadn't eaten in weeks.

It lusted. It lusted.

It smelled blood. Fine, pumping blood.

It lusted. It lusted.

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Gem looked up, and stared down the throat of a devil.

Tension in the Party

Why don't we just break in and take the rod?" asked Jue.

"No, that is no way to act." answered Plain-Walker.

"Oh? How so?"

"Please don't get nasty, our task does not leave room for petty bickering."

After this, Gem left the camp, uninterested in listening to them bicker, she decided to practice her blade skills.

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When she got back to the camp, Jue and Plain-Walker were settling their dispute in the form of a duel.

Jue appeared to be a very balanced fighter, striking, blocking, counter striking, stabbing, striking, whereas Plain-Walker was geared towards the defensive, parrying, blocking, dodging, striking, missing, dodging, blocking, parrying.

Eventually, Jue was able to get Plain-Walker on his knees. She had a wild look in her eyes, and Gem worried that she might hurt Plain-Walker.

Then, in a sudden burst of skill, Gem knocked the blades out of both of the fighter's hands.

"How about we simply ask for the rod?"

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Greetings, dear readers! I am here today to tell you, my faithful readers, that I will now be posting one chapter per month.

Farewell, dear readers!

Artists and Undead

Jue and Plain-Walker were pooling over a map, and discovered that they were on the same shore as the man they were seeking out, an artist by the name of Vlat Hogmen, well known for his fish, pixy sprites, and nymph artwork. According to Plain-Walker, he is also the guardian of blood peak, an area haunted by demons and ghosts, as well as an artifact capable of banishing the vile beings that commonly enter the land of the living in these days.

This artifact was to be collected, so that they might banish the undead Brain-Eater horde.

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Pain. Unending. Horrible pain. The wretch twitched, slowly returning from the void which it had been pulled from. It could feel it's soul slowly, painfully being devoured. Destroyed.

In a sudden lurch, Void-Wind's blood-drained body became the undead host of a dream-flayer.

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Life, Death, and Yellow Fish.

Void-Wind was in a strange place.

He was floating in nothingness… A barrier between two realms. At his right, a beautiful city, built out of living gemstones. At his left, a burning pit of darkness, boiling blood filling it's caverns, agonized wailing coming out of it like prying hands.

He was then pulled towards the city, and a feeling of peace came upon him. As he was about to enter into the city, a horrible shriek was let out.

He was being pulled away from the city, back to his original position, between the two places.

He began to fall……

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Gem awoke to the sound of water, hurling itself at the shore. Confused, she looked around for a few minutes, and then remembered where she was.

They had built a raft, and used it to ride the river coming down from Uger Zikgefet, in order to bypass the Brain-Eater hordes -who apparently could not go into the river- as well as to speed up the journey down.

After this, the trio sailed their raft along the river for three weeks, when they hit a rock, which shattered the previously strong raft, and sent Gem and her companions towards the shore.

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That evening, the group had built camp, and had a dinner of Yoliyggr*, after which, they set up guard, and went to sleep.

*(Yaw-lee-grr) a fish with yellow scales, it's flesh is considered to be very tasty by the people of Kove.