"What are they talking about?" the mage asked

_________________
Halarond

"Perhaps nothing or perhaps the fact that we aren`t going to leave our task unfinnished"

Edwin answered calmly.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

"The Compass of Feal-thas is granted only to the worthy," the Speaker continued, answering Meneldor's question. "If you wish to obtain the Compass, you must deem yourselves worthy. Have you the courage to enter the Trials By Moon?"

"And what may these pretentious trials be?" Ghyreian mocked.

The Speaker settled complacently back in his throne. "Tests of courage. Tests of valor. Have you the honor, the daring, the purity of heart to succeed?"

_________________

"I guess that rules out you two..."

Edwin said with a smirk as he looked at both Ghyreian and Meneldor.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Ghyreian returned Edwin's smirk. "And if we fail?"

The Speaker shrugged. "Then Paladine preserve your judgement. Do you accept?"

_________________

"We aren`t left with much options here speaker so yes, bring on your tests..."

Edwin said with an expectation about in his voice.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

"Of course we are not left with an option!" the mage snarled. "So let us get on with it!"

_________________
Halarond

They were escorted out of the garden and into another structure. Their guards led them to a crystalline cell, where they were told to wait until the trials were ready to begin.

Ghyreian leaned back against the frozen walls of their prison and groaned. "So we're after the Compass of Feal-thas, a mythical object said to exist by an insane shaman in his last seconds of his life. And this Compass supposedly leads to a hidden hoard of dragonlances that our trustworthy Par-Salian told us to fetch. Oh and did I mention that when and if we return, Justarius, Ladonna, and Ariakas will all want to have our entrails for supper?"

_________________

"And why would that be, black robe?" Meneldor snarled.

_________________
Halarond

"Hmh..."

Edwin seemed rather calm despite the facts thatGhyreian was presenting, it was a shame that he couldn`t burn his pipe here as that would have been teh case, if they were not underwater. He felt tired and surely now would be the chance for it unless he would be disturbed by the two babbling about the dragonlances not to mention some persons whom Edwin himself wouldn`t like to meet. Ariakas mainly because he would die by his hand, Ladonna only because she always tried to appeal to the dark side of his soul and Justarius whom kept lecturing him about balance. He might not have known his path ever in his life, but he adapted the best he could to the situation yet he did have some principles.

He closed his eyes trying to rest yet opened his other eye as Meneldor kept talking.

"Meneldor, she has a name I might remind you and Ghyreian just please shut up about the worries of tommorrow, take one problem at a time because I don`t like to think that we are in a desperate situation..."

Then he closed his eyes and drew his hood over his head as he leaned to the corner of the cell.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Ghyreian folded her hands across her chest, not before shooting a disdainful look at both Meneldor and Edwin.

A sea elf appeared at the door to their cell. "It is time for the trials."

---------

The first thing Ghyreian thought, upon stepping onto the "arena," was. What kind of trial is this? They had been led outside the sea elven city. From all appearances, the area was unremarkable. Water stretched out in all directions around them, with no landmark in sight. Here, the bottom of the lake was flat and, needless to say, frozen.

There was, however, one distinct novelty about their arena. The entire area, perhaps thirty feet in diameter, was enclosed by an air bubble. For once Ghyreian could walk on solid ground and breathe without the aid of a magic. In the center of the arena stood a single pole fifteen feet high. Handhelds led up the pole to a platform with room enough only for one person.

Ghyreian, Edwin, and Meneldor were left alone in the air bubble.

_________________

Edwin examined the arena as did Ghyreian and then looked up to the platform.

"So... any suggestions? Are we to climb up?"

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

"ANd what are we supposed to find up there?"

_________________
Halarond

"You tell me once your up there"

Edwin said with a smirk.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

"Why climb?" he laughed.
He cast a fly spell and starts to float upwards

_________________
Halarond

Ghyreian felt an abrupt jerking sensation, as if her energy were being drained from her. She slumped, feeling keenly the emptiness in her chest... And then she realized.

Her magic was gone.

Alike with Edwin and Meneldor, who was now on the ground again. Then the air shimmered. Before them, appearing from virtually nowhere, stepped five polar bears.

For a frozen moment, there was only silence as the nine-foot tall leviathans blinked at their surroundings. Two seconds later, five pairs of beady eyes focused on the mages. Five sets of razor sharp teeth bared. Ghyreian's first impulse was to make a dash to the pole. With a sneer, she had a sudden picture of herself running like a coward.

Pride coerced her to hold her ground as she whipped out her only dagger and faced the advancing polar bears.

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