After mourning the loss of our fallen brethren, we were able to replenish some of our losses. Ajax remembered that he could somehow activate the giant statues we’d seen upstairs! They came to life and were pledged to fight by our side. I thank Com Durak for this incredible gift.

We searched the lower level, but every room appeared to have been thoroughly looted. The furniture was thrown about with disregard. It’s sad to see such finery treated as trash. And in a sacred temple! Whoever did this has no respect for the Gods. In one of the rooms, I found a peculiar little figurine. It was a man with wings! He looked like he was wearing a harness with wings attached to it. It intrigued me because I’d never seen men attempt to fly in such a fashion! I think I’ll keep it, and see if I can find the meaning behind it.

After this, we encountered a most… Disturbing enemy. It was a man dressed in black robes. When he laid eyes on Bingo, he thrust forth his fingers and shot a bolt of deathly energy at him. Luckily, he missed, and Gi’ Kar cut him down immediately. But when he pulled his blade from the man’s chest, it was not covered with blood, but some vile black thing. I can’t imagine, and I really don’t want to know, what ran in this man’s veins. His other hand was clutching a piece of paper when he died. It read: Dru Te’Pa. Ajax confirmed it was in the language of his God, but he was not sure what it meant.

When the time came to head down again, Ajax told me the power word for the stone because we couldn’t fit everyone on it. He went down with Bingo, Gi’ Kar, and one of our stone friends. I took the last of us and stood on the stone, but though I listened carefully to Ajax when he told me the words, I just could not seem to get it to work! I was becoming frustrated beyond belief as my small party was stuck sitting on the stone, trying to will it to work. Finally, I rethought the way I was saying it, and the stone took us down to the lower level. As soon as we were down we could hear the sounds of battle. I rounded the corner and saw my brothers in the heat of an intense fight. Just as I got there, Ajax was speared through the middle, and fell in a bloody heap in the corner. I rushed to him and spoke the words of power. Luckily, some of his wounds closed up, but he was still hurting. I turned to see Bingo make a spectacular maneuver off the wall to cleave one of our foes in half. Only after did I realize that Bingo had been on the wall! He’s a wall crawler! Spectacular! I’d heard stories of Sol Kal who could do this, but I’d never seen one in real life.

Eventually, we prevailed in this battle, but we paid dearly with our blood. I’ve tried my best to heal our team, but I just feel so drained. I’m not sure how much more help I’ll be to them for a while.

From where we stood in the temple, there were three doors along the far wall that looked like excellent places to begin our search for the stairs. We chose the middle and proceeded to search each room along the hallway inside. Or rather, Bingo and Gi’ Kar did. I was stuck in the large room making sure no harm came to Savantha. I know I need to make sure she’s safe, and I will do my best toward that end; but it kills me to be left out of the adventure. Fortunately, I was able to peek into the rooms after they were cleared by the other two. Fascinating! Huge structures of solid rock were inside each room. Large man-shaped statues as well as altars which were once considered holy. And waiting behind is not all bad. I was able to speak at length with Ajax about Com ‘Durak and the temple. His knowledge is limited, but still, it is much broader than mine. The stout God of the Earth intrigues me. And it’s strange, but I feel as though I am gathering strength simply from being in such a consecrated place. Truly remarkable.

Some of the rooms we found included a library full of books in the ancient language of Com ‘Durak. Not even Ajax could read into the old pages though. We also discovered what appeared to be a forge of some sort. I have no experience with forgery, but I have heard and read about them. Rarely on Orb is there enough metal in one place to warrant a fully supplied forge, but it appears we have found one! I suppose no place is more fit to hold one, either. All kinds of interesting and wonderful devices were to be found in here, but since we didn’t find the stairs, Gi’ Kar was eager to move on. I would like to return here someday.

We also found a large room similar to the others in layout, but it had a very large circle design on the floor. It appeared to be made by master artisans, and seemed to depict the sun, the moon and stars, surrounded by runes. There was also a large purple stone set in to the wall. Ajax moved towards that immediately and snapped his fingers. He said the rock was made of amethyst and remembered that this stone is called a portal stone, and is used to transport people up or down, depending on which stone is used. He thought it was very unusual though, that the stone for going up was here, without the accompanying stone going down.

After some searching, we were able to find another portal stone pair. Ajax muttered some word of power and we found ourselves in a new place. Apparently under where we just came from. How strange. Bingo and Gi’ Kar each took one of our warriors and set off in different directions down the hallway. I heard sounds of fighting in both directions, but wasn’t able to help because I needed to stay back. And then it occurred to me: No one said I needed to stay put. They only said I needed to watch the girl. I can do that.

I chose the direction Gi’ Kar took, but I didn’t see him. There was a fork and I must have chosen the direction he didn’t choose. Even though I didn’t see him though, I did find some interesting rooms down a hallway. There were two rooms which each looked as though they had been sacked, but what was left appeared to be very high quality. The furniture was amazingly well crafted. Each room also had it’s own personal portal stone, with room for only one person. They each went up! I wonder to where. We also found gold. Gold! As in gold pieces which would be used to buy things. My tribe always bartered, so I’ve never even had any gold in my possession. Whoever lived here must have been very wealthy!

Back in the hallway, the sounds of battle were getting closer. Suddenly a horrible scream reached us and I almost retched when I found the source. A minotaur ran past from another hallway. He seemed to be wearing a… crown… One of my Gru’ Dwari soldiers was impaled on his horns, obviously dead. The minotaur’s head was covered in blood, and he stopped in the entrance to our hallway and worked furiously to remove the poor guy from his head. The two soldiers with us charged him, and actually managed to shoot him once before he turned his attention our way. He cut them down promptly, one after the other, then turned towards us. I drew my bow, but Ajax was quicker. He reached down and seemingly pulled pieces of earth from the ground. He then hurled them with all his might at the minotaur. At first he seemed stunned. Heck, I was stunned. I’d never seen the power of Com ‘Durak displayed in such a manner. He repeated the process, and the force of his rocks brought the beast down.

I rushed to my men, and thankfully one was still alive. Unfortunately, my Kaa’ Jah Kushani companion had been killed. I brought Ajax, Savantha and the last remaining soldier with me around the corner to try and find our friends. After rounding two corners, we found them. Bingo and Gi’ Kar were steeped in blood and surrounded by bodies. I gave them what aid I could, but sadly, of the ten soldiers who accompanied us out of Kon’ Te Kel’, only one was still standing. I will grieve for them with their brethren when we make it back to the village.

Gi’ Kar is going to kill me. I’m thoroughly convinced that sooner or later he’s going to lose his patience with me, and introduce me to his new blade. Unfortunately, I feel it might be sooner rather than later. I just thank Kiefieh that I can fly and he can’t.

Outside the temple, Bingo had a most amazing experience. He suddenly began seeing things. I think Gi’ Kar thinks he’s crazy, but I believe him. If my goddess has bestowed such amazing things on me, what do the Gods have in store for the rest of our party? Bingo seems to have developed the ability to read auras. I’ve never met an Aura Reader before, but my mom used to tell me stories about them. I’m not sure exactly what it means to read auras, or even what they can tell him, but I value the chance to be friends with one. From what she told me, they are almost as rare as Markers. I don’t know if Bingo realizes how special this is…

It was decided that I would stay outside with Savantha and Ajax (along with two of our other warriors), while the rest went inside to be sure of the temple’s safety. I’m glad I kept her back. It wasn’t safe.

After a few minutes of waiting, I heard sounds of battle coming from inside the building. I took the five of us to the door, and ordered the others to wait while I checked on my bond-brothers. They were battling some ugly half-man, half-bull creatures. But more important than that, some of my men were down. I rushed to their aid, healing two of them quickly. They were so badly wounded that even after healing them, they laid unconscious. But at least they were alive. Bingo also looked hurt, so I ran to him. I got a little too close though, and the creature was able to land a blow. Miraculously though, the hammer slid right off my armor, as though it were… Well I don’t know what. But it was amazing. I pulled my pistol and shot in retaliation, but I missed. Circling around to Bingo’s back, I was able to heal him also, and helped distract the creature while he put it down.

After the fight, Gi’ Kar accosted me. He is a study in contradictions. He seems to want nothing more than to kill the demon-child and eat her, or burn her, or kill her in any of a dozen horrible ways. And yet, when she comes into the slightest possibility of harm, he threatens me with death. He seems to be either ashamed to actually care about something, or insane. I can’t decide which yet.

Brushing off his comments, I took the chance to ask Ajax where we go to now. He mentioned that the most holy part of the temple was three levels underground. Apparently, this temple has been standing since before the wizard wars. Ajax told me that at the bottom of the temple, we’d be able to activate the “guardians”, as he called them, which would protect the village. I wonder… The giant statue back at the village could be a guardian. I really hope it is; it intrigues me to no end. Talking with him helped lighten my mood. Just spending time in this ancient, once sacred place raises my spirits, even if it has been desecrated for some time.

Gi’ Kar began to explore the rooms adjacent to the big one. I fear he must have awakened something nasty. Coming from the direction opposite to where he was, several skeletons approached us. We barely could arm ourselves before they attacked us. During the fight, one of the skeletons broke through our line and moved directly towards the girl. I saw it happen, but was engaged and just couldn’t get to her in time. Gi’ Kar appeared out of nowhere and cut the creature down before it could harm her. When I turned back to the fight, my opponent had been killed by Bingo. I ran to Savantha to check her for wounds. She was fine, but my brothers were not. I watched helplessly from my location as my men were torn apart. Literally. The skeletons were ruthless as they dismantled my companions. Two of our brave soldiers lost their lives there, and there was nothing I could do. I swore there that I’d never let a man die again if there was any possible way to prevent it.

We began our trek up the mountain towards the temple. We decided to bring Savantha along to see if the seers at the temple might be able to discern her spirit. The three of us (Bingo, Gi’ Kar, and myself) were accompanied by 7 other warriors. Good men, all. The first was a shaman of Com Durak named Ajax. He seems strong of body as well as spirit. And it’s refreshing to have another shaman in our ranks. One who knows the touch of the Gods. Although even he will admit he doesn’t yet know much about his God. He was only chosen a day before we left! I look forward to being able to spend time with him on this short trip. There were also 5 other Gru’ Dwar soldiers as well as one Kaa’ Jah Kushan.

The first few days passed without incident, and the only thing of note on the third day was that Bingo and I spotted a mysterious archway starting in the forest. We checked it out but chouldn’t find any way to activate it or anything. Stepping through produced no effect at all. Bingo thought I was crazy for not giving up, but I swear there was something strange about that place. It seemed to be a *one-way* door from somewhere. There were plenty of footsteps on one side, but none on the other. Definitely unusual.

We made camp that night, and I elected to take the first watch. I was chatting with the other guard we had posted (the Kaa’ Jah Kushani) when we were jolted by a terrible screeching coming from up the mountain. We awoke the others and suddenly battle was upon us. There were ten of those “Necrogoblins” as Gi’ Kar and I had taken to calling them. Our men performed well, and we put them down quite handily. But I must take a moment to point out that Gi’ Kar is a walking example of the Lobite reputation as battlemasters. It seemed that whenever his sword flashed, and enemy fell. And his sword did quite a lot of flashing.

The fourth day we finally arrived at the temple. The sight that greeted us waas not pleasant. There seemed to be an entire party of Gru’ Dwar soldiers who were, for all intents and purposes, dead. Yet they were not. I’m sorry, but I have no better way to explain it. They were walking around the front of the temple as though keeping guard. We saw them before they saw us, though, and had time to prepare. We decided that a firing line would work the best. We had all 7 of our soldiers and Bingo standing in a line with Gi’ Kar slightly behind, while I protected the child behind him. I took to the air so I could survey the field and shoot my bow from above. When we felt prepared, we all moved forward as a unit. When the dead soldiers saw us, they charged. We held our line admirably, and our men fired as soon as the enemies were in range. A large battle followed in which our troops were more than doubled by enemy numbers.

Once again, I must point to Gi’ Kar’s exceptional battle skills that carried the day. He waded through the enemy numbers as a Black Whirlwind, dealing death to all he touched. Once, one of our Gru’ Dwar companions fell. Before I could even get to him to heal the fallen soldier, Gi’ Kar had jumped into the breach, spinning. He took down three enemies in just seconds, using his blade, claws, and even tail to cut them down. He wounded a fourth, but it took a second blow to kill it. I walked among our men, healing them, and shouting encouragement. And to my amazement we came away with a stunning victory. None of our men fell, while we won a battle worthy of song.

I immediately felt like an apparition upon our entering the town. True, any Seraph is an unusual sight, especially in a Gru’ Dwar colony. But this was different. People were watching me from all angles, inspecting me; as if trying to decide whether to run or riot. We were quite a ways into the village before two of the tribal leaders came to us. One was a Kushani, Kim Talemain by name (and a shaman by trade, I spied his symbol). The other was a very large Gru’ Dwar named Kru’ Degar. They halted us and demanded to know - of all things - why we traveled with Savantha. It turns out that the tribesmen were not in awe of me or my companions, but the girl! They called her a Demon, a term I took offense to. She is most definitely NOT demonic in nature. But they did spin a strange tale.

She had apparently been missing from the village for 14 years. When she heard this, she pulled me aside and whispered that she’d only been gone for five days. Who do I believe? Even the shaman claims this strange tale. He said she is, in fact, his daughter! But I cannot help but rely on the innocence of the little girl I rescued. I’m not sure what’s going on here, but I intend to find out.

Thanks entirely to some smart and quick talking by Bingo, we were granted an audience with the tribal leaders; and spared a fight. In talking to the elders we discovered that the same evils which had attacked us had also been attacking the village. Our journey is on the right track! The Elders at The Gathering had asked us to find out why the Kon’ Te Kel’ tribe had not been to the Oasis in some time. They’ve been held up here for three years. Three years! What a hardy people. Staying in any one place for three years would drive me insane, I’m sure of it. They had just finished the outside walls that I noticed on my way in and could finally start committing manpower to other endeavors. They had, however, sent a few parties up to the temple of Com Durak, none of which have returned. They were hoping that they could contact Com Durak to get help against the Necrogoblins and other evil creatures, but since no-one had returned, they feared none even made it there. Since Gi’ Kar and I wished to contact the seers in the temple to divine Savantha’s true nature, we agreed to head up a small party to the temple, four days up the mountain.

I also want to note that among the elders was a very large Cha’ Or named Bora ‘Tak Kal. It warms my heart to see a Cha’ Or. I’ve missed my Kalim’ Dori brethren, and seeing one now, even though we do not know each other does much to lighten my spirits. He carried a massive metal thing he called a “rifle”. I’d heard much concerning these guns, but I’d never seen one before. He also carried a much smaller version of it called a “pistol”. He even offered to show me how to use it, and after some practice, I was granted a pistol of my own. It’s heavy, but I carry it with pride.

It is also interesting to me that right in the middle of this town sat a large statue. I appeared to be the shape of a man, also he was half-buried in the earth. It looked as though he was climbing out of the earth. In one of his hands he carried a massive red stone. Knowing that this settlement is governed by Gru’ Dwar, I wonder if maybe Com Durak himself had a hand in the construction of this statue. Whether divine or not, it is still an impressive sight to see.

Before we left, I asked the chief if he could have my armor inspected by an armorer in town. The Kon’ Te Kel’ tribe are reknown for their metal work, after all, and I’m eager to learn the origin of my armor. When the armorer arrived, he asked if I had runes on the inside of my collar. I’d never look before, but sure enough, there were runes in the language of Kiefieh ringing the shirt. How marvelous! He told me that if his suspicions were correct, the armor once belonged to a legendary Seraph general named Ben-something who was a great leader, and was known for walking among his men, healing them as they fell, as well as fighting valiantly. He was well beloved and respected by his soldiers. I have truly been blessed by Kiefieh to have recieved such a marvelous gift from her. Praise be to the Goddess!

We tried to find a way around the army below us and found a path winding through the mountains. Thankfully, it still led in the general direction we needed to travel in. After another day of walking, we got some much-needed rest. That morning both Mykal and Kan’ Vi’ Don Lu had received the same surprising revelation. The two of them were to take their camp and head to a village which I’d never heard of. Eastward, away from us. I know full well how dreams come from the gods, so I knew better than to question them. We bid our brothers farewell and took our own leave of the area, heading North. I can feel them still in the back of my mind. I pray the Goddess will watch over them as she has me, but I still can’t help but wondering… Where are they? And what were they called to do? Success and glory, my brothers; success and glory.

When we made camp that night, I chose to give the second watch. A fool idea, but in the end, I’m very glad I did. Part-way through my watch, I began to hear an unusual noise, but not one that I was unfamiliar with. It was the sound of quiet whimperings. Upon closer inspection, I found a little Kaa’ Jah Kushani girl huddled under a tree some ways away from our tents. I tried to speak to her, but she refused to even acknowledge my existence. She kept staring off into oblivion, silently sobbing all the while. A twig snapped in the brush somewhere behind me, and I turned to find two men walking in my direction. I peered past them and saw three more heading straight towards our campsite. Two of the three were… Unusually tall.

I could tell they meant us harm from the way they walked. Quickly calculating the distance and wind, I took off and flew over the camp, shouting my warning below. “We have incoming!” I yelled, and Bingo looked up at me. He’d already seen them. I flew back in the direction of the girl and landed between she and them before they could even cover half the distance. As I drew my bow and fired at the nearest, my gut twisted. The arrow sunk in deep; He didn’t even break stride. The only thing that broke was the shaft so it didn’t impede his progress. As they closed, I realized I didn’t want to fight them hand to hand. I grabbed the girl and flew. I retreated back towards camp, and went to set the girl down and fire again. Before I could touch the ground though, I felt Kiefieh’s familiar whisperings spread through my whole being. As though of their own accord, my wings and mouth moved in unison. I uttered words I’d never spoken before, and my wings swept forward in a grand motion. At the moment they touched, I brought them backwards again, and with them, a massive jet of heat issued forth from them, hitting the men. They appeared stunned from the blast. I knew the Goddess had given me a new weapon. I quickly reviewed the events of the last few seconds in my mind and replicated the actions. I whispered “Prae E’scar” while whipping my wings forward and then backwards. I could feel the power surge through me much stronger than before, and I knew She was approving. Immediately the two men’s skin began to boil, and they couldn’t even scream in agony as their bodies were melted from the inside out. Their crunchy husks hit the ground, lifeless.

While I was descending with the girl, Kiefieh inspired me again. I touched her shirt and spoke the words “Pra’e Radix” A vision then opened before my eyes, which I’ve recorded in the back of this book.

I was so taken aback by what I saw that I forgot to keep flying. I stupidly dumped us on to the ground from about four feet up. Nothing injured but my pride, luckily. I’m just glad I didn’t drop the girl. After checking for wounds, I carried her over to where my brothers were building a small pyre. They had dispatched the other nasty-looking beasts, with ease, apparently, and were burning their bodies. I introduced them to the girl (which wasn’t easy since I didn’t know her name, and she wouldn’t speak), and after some argument, we decided to keep moving. Gi’ Kar is frustrating. He’d as soon eat the girl as take her with us! Thankfully Bingo was on my side (and apparently the side of “humanity” as I so stupidly let slip. What was I thinking? The only “human” one among us is the girl!), and we talked Gi’ Kar down. He only agreed on the condition that I be solely responsible for her. It’s a relief! I wouldn’t want him to be responsible for her, anyway.

Unfortunately, a lot more headache comes with that responsibility than I’d thought. Because she’s been so traumatized, she has constant nightmares whenever she tries to sleep; screaming her terror into the night. A couple sleepless nights passed (for her and the rest of us too), until Bingo found us a solution. He found a plant that he’d recognized from his canyon-home. It was a strong enough sedative to knock her out every night, thank the Goddess! At the same time, he found a huge rat nest. Somehow, the rats were delicious, despite the disturbing Sol’ Kal tendency to eat their food live and whole. But more importantly, it was enough food to last us for a while. I also finally got the girl to talk to me! Her name is Savantha. She doesn’t remember how she got to where she was, but she does remember that her family was attacked while traveling to an Oasis. They were attacked by the same beast-creatures that attacked us, and she ran away. She couldn’t tell me much else without crying. I decided it was best not to press her about it. But I think I may have gained a small portion of her trust, if nothing else.
A few nights later, Gi’ Kar woke us with a start. The camp was again beset upon by the same strange creatures. This time though, we had them outnumbered. There was a very large one, and a smaller one. And the smaller one was staring right at me. I drew my bow and pulled a maneuver that I’d been taught back in the Kalim’ Dor. I nocked an arrow and pulled back, but dropped the arrow. It worked! The thing was distracted, staring at the arrow I’d just dropped. Quickly, I nocked again but this time I released. My arrow miraculously punched straight through his head and came out the back, while he fell like a sack of meat. The larger one had been killed while I was shooting, but my brethren wanted me to scout for others. I lifted off the ground and as I rose, I spotted another, like the one I’d killed, trying to escape. I wouldn’t let him. Folding my wings back, I dove on him. Unfortunately, he heard me coming and dodged my landing. He got up more quickly than I did, and struck me with his claws.

The world began to move in slow motion. I realized that he didn’t have hands, but claws, and I couldn’t really concentrate on anything else. It fascinated me. But at the same time, as I tried to block his next blow, he was moving extremely fast. My hands got nowhere near close enough. It knocked me to my knees, and he pulled back for another strike. I remember seeing a sword flashing around, for what seemed like forever. By the time I realized something was very wrong, I couldn’t even open my jaw to call on Kiefieh for help. The only thing I could do was fall. I fell for ages. The thud of my head hitting the ground was echoed by the creature’s. Besides my eyelids, I couldn’t move a single muscle in my body. Then I was dragged for what seemed like forever across the grass, as my limp body just dragged.

It was Gi’ Kar who had killed my enemy and dragged me back to camp. I suppose he isn’t quite as disagreeable as I’ve painted him. They told me it took about five minutes until my body regained some muscle usage. From my point of view it was eternity.

Two days later, we came across a set of gates surrounding a village. Goddess be blessed, it was the first normal faces we’d seen in a long time. Seeing we weren’t disgusting beasts, they let us in. On the long walk to the village, I tried to use the same invocation on my armor as I did on the girl’s shirt. I’m not quite sure why, but it didn’t work. Instead of receiving a vision as I’d hoped, I instead sent out a wave of heat, scorching the grass in front of me and turning the sand into glass. Luckily, no-one was in the way. This is just another reminder of how powerful The Gods’ Tongue is. I’ll have to be better prepared before I try that again.

I couldn’t be more happy that we are finally out of that miserable hole in the ground. It’s funny that I never cherished the sky until I had been without it for some time. I thank the Goddess that I was born a Seraph, and not a Gru’ Dwar. Surely I wouldn’t have happiness if I didn’t have flight. Ah my mother! Kiefieh keep her.

How we got back out to the open air is still somewhat of a mystery to me. After the blessings of the Goddess poured themselves out upon our little band, Bingo was finally able to open the chest that had fascinated him so much before the battle. As soon as the hinges started to give, an arc of lightning flew from the chest and collided with Bingo. I rushed to help him but as soon as I could get to his side he was already regaining consciousness. I examined the chest and opened it warily, but nothing further occurred. I couldn’t concentrate any further and sat down while Bingo rifled through the contents. Was that Kiefieh’s test? Should I have opened the chest instead? And I know the power of the goddess. Couldn’t her test have been more… Deadly? Hopefully she isn’t trying to kill us, but Bingo was barely harmed at all. I suppose I should be grateful! None of us were hurt.

I finally stood and looked over at Bingo. He was clutching his right hand like he’d been bitten but I couldn’t tell by what. I checked the chest and saw nothing more than some equipment. Nothing dangerous at all. Maybe he was suffering aftershocks of the lightning? I grabbed one of the long, elegant blades and joined Bingo in his misery. As soon as my hand closed around the hilt, the blade began to tremble. In fact, it shook so violently that it became impossible to keep my hand shut. I dropped it! Bingo looked at me like I was stupid for trying but all I could do was shrug. How would I know that’d happen? Gi’ Kar bent and effortlessly picked up the blade. It seemed made for him as he swung it through the air to test the weight. He seemed extremely satisfied, but still grunted. I assume it was directed at us - weaklings… I have no idea why it didn’t shock him, but I almost wish it had. Just to be fair!

With his hand still stinging, Bingo rummaged through the chest, avoiding the other blade. He picked up a book and examined it; tossed it over his shoulder. I picked it up, but I figured out why he tossed it. I couldn’t read what was written. The only legible words were “(something) Sarkil ‘Kai” If you call that legible… Mykal was looking over my shoulder and grabbed the book right from my hands, looking at it with great interest. I wonder if he can read it? Maybe he’s a scholar. I could learn much from a scholar! The next item to be discarded was a silver pile of metal. I picked it up and it smoothly flowed from it’s bunched-up shape. It unrolled itself in my hands and after I turned it about, I discovered it to be a shirt! Fascinating! I’d heard of shirts made entirely of metal, but I’d never seen one before. No one in my tribe owned one, because they were too expensive. Plus, that much silver would probably be more useful to trade than to wear. The back of the shirt had two slits, placed just so… Perfectly. In fact… To my amazement, not only was the shirt a perfect fit to my chest, but the slits were in a perfect position to push my wings out and use them! Truely, I have rarely seen something so incredible! This armor is so light I feel as though I am wearing a cloth shirt, even though it appears to be made of pure silver. And though it appears to be very tough, as armor should be, I still have a complete range of motion! It’s as though the shirt and my body are one. How is such a thing possible? Surely Kiefieh had a hand in it’s creation. Something so beautiful and incredible could only have been her doing. And yet she’s no smith. The Gods have surely favored me! I just wish I knew why.

Looking to my other companions, we had all found marvelous items, each seemingly attuned to each individual. We are so blessed! And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that these things all came from Kiefieh’s Box. I am starting to believe more and more that it is not chance that I am here. We have been chosen by the Goddess as her champions, and I must lend all the help I can to her cause.

Our fifth and final bond-brother arrived at this point, and unsurprisingly, there was an item in the box for him as well. What was surprising was the fact that he is a Sol’ Kal. Three in our little band so far. And I can hardly tell him from Gi’ Kar, as he is pure black: Another Lobite. Well, I guess telling them apart won’t be too hard. This one talks. His name is Kan’ Vi’ Don Lu. So many syllables! But he had a tragic tale to tell of betrayal and a nasty burial in sand. I definitely don’t envy him! But I wonder who would be so cruel? Even the thought of being buried alive is torturous! Regardless, he’s here and in a bad mood. It seems Sol’ Kal come in nearly as many personalities as they do colors.

Also in the box was a little bag filled with crystals. There was one for each member of our party, so we each took one. I started to put it around my neck, but this started to annoy me, so I wrapped the crystal around my left wrist and tied it so it sits against my skin. The amulet went to my right wrist. Much better!

We learned what these crystals were for as the door opened up and led us to the room with the mural of Orb on the wall. Curious. I’m sure we didn’t travel in a circle, and yet we’re at the same place. There are mysteries to unfold here, yet. The ghostly man appeared and gave much the same speech as last time, except he added a bit to the end about holding the crystal and saying something to go somewhere if we need to rest. It’s probably extremely important, but for the life of me I can’t remember what he said. I was distracted with the mural on the wall. It was the same as before, but this time the giant black blob on it was moving. A moving painting! Incredible! I took out my journal and added a few lines to my sketch and was able to add some detail here and there. The detail was so beautiful that a giant blob on the surface could only be a bad thing. I know the guy said we’d need to find someone before someone else does, and the bad guy has an army. Maybe the blob is his army. I’ve marked the blob on my map. It seems to be roughly in the direction we’re going. This doesn’t look good.

We exited the cave without any other interruptions and continued our journey across the sands. The time passed mostly uneventfully, with one exception. At one point, a giant beast erupted from beneath the sands. It looked roughly like the wampworms we hunt back home, on the grasslands. But those aren’t much bigger than two meters - This was bigger. Way bigger. It came up nearly under my feet, and my first reaction was to take to the air. Unfortunately I was looking down at it and a flash reflected from the sun off my new armor right into my eyes. I’m going to have to learn how to deal with this. I was blinded for a moment, and as I flew higher and higher until I regained my senses, Bingo was apparently able to kill it. I’m not sure how, but he put three arrows in as tight a cluster as I’ve ever seen, even from the Kalim’ Dor’s best archers. He must have a hidden talent. Or just some extreme luck. Either way, he killed it. The worm was ugly. Our only injury was Kan’ Vi’s camel. It got eaten by the thing before we could even think. Kan’ Vi’s sour attitude recieved a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Personally, I think that our own personalities will be harder to overcome on this journey than anything we might face.

After a bit more travel, we slowly made our way into some sparse grasslands. I feel so much more comfortable with grass under my feet. We approached a cliff overlooking a valley. In the valley appeared to be a huge commotion of men. An army. I feel fear just writing those words. There’s got to be a way around them. We headed on a path around when we were accosted by two… Men? I think they used to be Kaa’ Jah Kushani. But they weren’t any more. Whatever they were, they were dangrous. Our group spilt into an admirable battle formation, taking these two creatures on, with our teamwork. We landed blow after blow, tearing their flesh apart with our weapons. But no matter how hard we struck, they didn’t fall. I have no desire to learn what dark power fueled these men. In frustration, we tried more unconventional methods. Fire, arrows, slicing their tendons. They pushed each attacker back, unscathed and unfazed. Desperately I grabbed the one I was fighting in a bear hug. If we couldn’t kill them, then I’d pick them up and drop them from the cliff. At least they’d be out of our way. But this plan didn’t work either! As soon as I touched his moldy flesh, his entire frame seemed to crumble. Before I could even leave the earth, he was dead (again?). Seeing him fall, the rest of my companions tackled the other en masse. They completely pinned him to the ground and he died in short order. I can’t believe we didn’t think of it sooner. And yet, who of us had faced an opponent that no weapon could harm? I think if this and more like this is what the enemy has to offer, we’d best be on our toes.

I met the fourth of our company today - At least I think it’s today still. we are still in this infernal dungeon. Cave, if you will, but it feels like a dungeon to me. I’ve scarcely had room to stretch my wings. And with the ceiling mere feet away, I feel cramped as though I were in Ka’ Lieth’s cage… But back to our new companion. Mykal is his name, and he’s a Kaa’ Jah Kushan. It’s strange how reassuring it was to see a Kaa’ Jah among us. Not that I bear any ill will against my Sol’ Kal brethren. In fact, I have great respect for them, as they’ve proven themselves far more worthy of the bonding year than I have. Of course, it’s still early in our journey, but I have a feeling I’ll be leaning on them much for support. Still, it’s good to see Mykal. Jathan, my best friend from the Kalim’ Dor was also Kushani. In a sense, it’s like his spirit has returned to support me. I don’t know Mykal yet, but I’m looking forward to bonding with him as I have with Bingo. Gi’ Kar still seems distant, even though he did open up a bit after the last battle. Battle! I can’t believe I’ve left it out this far. But it will have to wait longer yet.

Since my last entry, much (and at the same time, little) has transpired. We left our families and set off across the Kim-Seth desert. I’ve never seen so much sand and lifelessness. The barren-ness of it all left me feeling rather tired and weak our second week into the journey. I recovered a bit when we came across the well the Elders spoke of. It does me good to know that we are still on track. I have almost no ability to retain my bearings in this endless desert, but I trust in the others’ guidance. After the third week, a giant “Keevah” swept the face of the land. I heard the others say this word, and inferred that it meant the sand storm. I’ve never seen Kiefieh’s fury displayed in such a manner. I can only imagine that she meant to guide us to our destination, because I can’t imagine a reason she would cause such havoc. When I saw the maelstrom of sand on the horizon, I uttered a prayer to the Goddess and she heard me. She directed my gaze to an outcropping of rock to our left. We sought the shelter and found a sizable cave. I praised Kiefieh for her foresight and got set to write about what had occurred. I never got the chance though because Bingo couldn’t sit still for too long. He discovered that the cave was no cave at all. Indeed, it was a man-made thing, hewn right out of the rock. He beckoned us towards him so I stowed my book in my pack and went. In the next room we found ourselves face to face with the spirit of some long-dead man.

He spoke to us about how we were the heroes of Koreb or something. I wonder if all of the bonding journeys start this way. Not that I doubt the old man, but I don’t know what Koreb is, or that we’re heroes. I guess time will reveal all things. There was, however, a really interesting design on the wall. It seemed to be of our planet, but different. It was crisscrossed by sizable rivers and green valleys. Forests seemed to be in some parts of the landscape, where now there are none. I caught a quick sketch of it on the back page of this book. Hopefully I’ll be able to study it some more sometime.

I couldn’t at the moment, though, cause Gi’ Kar grunted his way through a door at the far end of the room, and found himself in trouble. I’d like to say I rescued him, but really all I did was get hurt. He found himself surrounded by four fiends wrapped in bandages. I don’t understand the significance of the bandages, as I can’t imagine anyone being that injured. Maybe they had religious meaning. Either way, Bingo found that bandages burn exceptionally well. I admire his ability to improvise so effectively and think quickly. I must try to remember skills like these for when I need to lead these men. The thought of leading anyone still scares me, but I think I can learn. Meanwhile, I’ve got to learn to take care of myself. It wasn’t until I saw one of the creatures close up that it appeared to be a man - A dead man. Only Ka’ Lieth would create something horrible like that. Bingo took some spoils from the last’s body, and I tried to call upon Kiefieh to heal me. I mis-spoke the power word though, and all I got was a resounding nothing. It was here that our bond-brother Mykal appeared and we said hello. He seemed hesitant to speak to us. I can understand why, I suppose.

We didn’t get to speak much. Gi’ Kar once again pushed ahead and found himself surrounded - once again. This time, he was beset upon by flying metal. There was armor made entirely of metal (a rarity in and of itself) suspended in the air as if being worn. They had helmets and bracers, and their gauntlets clutched swords. My Cha’ Or brothers would have been proud of me, as I quickly maneuvered my way behind one of the foes and ripped it’s helmet off. As though all life had left it, the entire suit fell to the floor and didn’t stand again. The others looked to my example, and helmets flew through the air from my brethren’s blows. I found a medallion tucked in the armor of the one I beheaded and put it on. It had a symbol on the chest, which I assume to be the symbol of Com Durak. Only the god of the earth could have made such suits of metal. I don’t know what the symbol stands for, but my first kill in the bonding year will always be a thing I wish to remember.

However, I don’t wish to remember what happened next. The ever impatient Gi’ Kar forged ahead. I rushed into the next room, not wanting to miss the action and saw a life-changing sight. Three giant beings, similar to my beloved Tauren, yet with the body of a man and much taller (I guess they must have stood about seven feet tall - and they were muscular too! Truly terrifying things), came out of the walls carrying giant axes. But what was more entrancing was Gi’ Kar. When he saw the one in the middle, which was even bigger than his comrades, he let out a ferocious battle cry and hurled his spear at him. The spear went clear through the giant’s chest, and the force of the hit threw him into the wall, where he was stuck by the spear. If Gi’ Kar can do such damage to a giant, what can he do to a man? I don’t want to be on the receiving end of his spear. I got courage from seeing the leader fall so quickly and formulated a plan myself: slide under the legs of the one closest to me and fly up behind him, slitting his throat from behind. I ran with gusto at the beast and executed my plan to perfection. Almost. He saw me coming and took a mighty swing at me with his axe.

My next conscious thought, I was lying on the ground, lying in my own blood. I almost panicked, but I thank Kiefieh that she granted me the presence of mind to speak the words of healing before I died. After I was sure that she mended all my wounds, I rolled onto my feet and saw that the giant that had attacked me was the only one left standing. The other was beheaded, and the biggest one was somehow lying in the middle of the room, far from where he died on the wall. The floors were slick with blood as my friends battled the last one. None of them looked to be healthy at all, so I decided against joining the fray and instead healed my brethren. I just thank the winged Goddess that we lived through this fight. I know that were it not for her power, my party would be short one Seraph. On considering, I suppose these must be creatures of Du’ Al ‘Sol Ter, as he loves to instill terror in others. I wonder if this isn’t some test from the gods to see how worthy we are. I cannot imagine what my Goddess has in store for us here. I just pray we prove worthy.

We got into the Oasis this morning. I always forget how massive this city is. It blows me away every time I see it. And so many people. I know that many of the older tribe members like to stay in the camp outside the city just because there are so many people. But I can’t keep myself away. It’s just amazing! That anyone can have the vision to see these buildings complete before the work even begins… And there’s so much stone. And yet, while the buildings stick out from the earth as though they were mountains, they fit right in to the earth too. It’s like they belong there. The craftsmanship is just incredible. The Cheraph who own this city certainly have gifts that I could never have. Everything moves so quickly here too. I’ve hardly had time to breathe since I got here.

*****

I don’t have the words to describe how I feel right now. I have no idea who put my name in the drawing, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t supposed to be there. I’VE BEEN CHOSEN FOR THE BONDING YEAR!!! How did this happen? I’m the only shaman in our group (so far… They chose five names, but only three of us were there at the ceremony) and I have no idea how to lead a tribe. I’m still learning from my mother. But I guess you learn while you’re out there, don’t you? And I guess no one said I was the leader. It just seems natural for the shaman to be the leader. What if there had been two shamans? I thank Kiefieh that it worked out the way it did. However, this will be kind of a shift of me, since I’ve never even been in really close contact with a Sol’ Kal at all. And the other two members are Sol’ Kal, so It will take some getting used to. Man, I’m so excited. What am I excited for though? I’ve been trying to figure it out. Nervous might be more like what I’m feeling. And scared to death. The elders announced we had to cross to deserts to the North and find a tribe of Gru’ Dwar which has not been heard of for some time. It only begs for me to ask where are they? And what is so important about them that we need to find them? I know the elders mentioned something about the new gunpowder weapons and something else, but honestly, the whole afternoon is a blur. All I know for sure is that my neck hurts - alot.

But I’ve gotta go, cause there’s supposed to be a feast for us tonight. I can’t get these jitters out of my stomach.

*** Sorry this is so long. It’s meant to be a kinda of character background. The next ones won’t be so long. Plus, I’m still trying to catch up to where we are now.

This morning I was woken pretty harshly as sunlight burst through the tent flap and pierced my eyelids. My best friend pushed his way into my room. He was ectatic and his boisterous voice hurt my head - alot. I urged him to go back to sleep, and the absence of pain told me that he took my advice. Sometimes, the threat of bodily pain can make a person think twice. Especially since he knows I’ll follow through with it. I’ve never hurt him, of course, but I really don’t think he knows that I wouldn’t. Of course, he does know that he just woke me up. And he knows he robbed me of whatever sleep I would have gotten. Jerk. Jathan’s my best friend, but sometimes his over-eagerness and just general zest for life has gotten him — and me — into trouble. He’s the curious, inventive one. His schemes have gotten us caught between a rock and a hard place more than once. I’m the smart, cool-headed one. I’m the one that gets us unstuck. Sometimes, though, he makes me think too hard. Like now, when I should be sleeping instead. Whatever… I needed to get up anyways. The tribe is on the move towards The Gathering, and the morning hunt is going to start soon.

*****

The morning hunt was routine. I don’t even know why I go anymore. They say they need me for my eyes. Whatever. But it does give me time to fly and not feel like everyone’s watching me. I hate that. Being the only winged Seraph in our tribe, I guess it’s still a little new for people. In the hunt at least, they expect me to fly; it’s my job. After I’ve spotted our prey, I usually hang back and let the real hunters move in for the kill. I know how to use my bow, but it’s not the hunt that I love. When my part is done, I ride the back of the wind and let Kiefieh speak to my mind. There’s nothing more relaxing and yet so totally taxing as the thrill of speaking words of power as they’re being whispered to your soul. I’m only 19 years old, but Kiefieh has chosen me to represent her will in this tribe. It was designated as her tribe long ago, and now the mantle has fallen on me to carry us. I’ve even taught a few things to Jathan that she’s taught to me. I guess it’s considered sorcery but it’s all the same to me. My mother used to hold this honored position… But that’s a different story altogether. As for me, I’m so glad she’s chosen me. I can’t think of any better blessing.

*****

Ok, three journal entries in one day is a lot, even for me. But I couldn’t just leave a story untold like that. It’s not an easy story for me to tell, being that it’s no story at all, but honest truth, and that it’s so emotional for me. But it needs to be told, just for posterity. I’m sure if my children end up reading this journal, they’d like to know what happened to their grandmother, and why she has no wings. I’d rather them hear it from me than from some other source. But I guess to understand my mother, you’d have to understand my tribe; so I’ll start there.

My tribe, the Kalim’ Dor, are plains-dwellers. We never settle in one place for long, and for the most part, we’re content. We’re also mostly Cha’ Or. It seems strange, I guess, for a Seraph to live in a tribe of Cha’ Or. But the truth is, they’re a very honest, hardworking, and respectable people. They’re deeply sown in tradition and honor. My mother told me that my grandmother and grandfather were on the move away from their own tribe (she never told me any details about why - I never cared to press her about it) when a group of huntsmen from the Kalim’ Dor ambushed them. My grandfather didn’t even have time to draw his weapon before they were surrounded. The Cha’ Or are notoriously bloosthirsty, but the warchief stayed his hand when he caught sight of the platinum feather on my grandmother’s neck. Although their respective Gods were the bitterest of enemies, the warchief had been taught to always honor the platinum tattoo, no matter whose symbol was displayed. They took my grandparents into their camp and treated them as equals. I’ll ever have respect to my tribal elders for that act of compassion. They had a daughter, my mother, who was also eventually chosen by Kiefieh.

It’s important to understand that while the Cha’ Or and the Seraph are technically polar opposites as far as pretty much everything is concerned, the religious practices of the Cha’ Or at the time they found my grandparents  had perfectly represented their deity. Utter chaos. Even the elders bickered on almost every point about the religion. No one knew what was appropriate and what was not. No one could agree, even on how to worship Ka’ Lieth properly. So, even though our Gods hate each other, the elders were extremely eager to learn from my grandmother the proper way to worship. Of course, she taught them all she knew, which happened to be worship of Kiefieh. It seems strange to say that the tribe rather liked the organized way she did things. They found that when all of the elders applied her teachings, the tribe ceased the endless in-fighting that tore them apart. They experienced unprecedented growth and peace. I can only imagine the smile on Kiefieh’s face as she watched a tribe predominantly made of Cha’ Or slowly change from a fierce and bloodthirsty people to one that lives in harmony with each other.

My mother eventually became the shaman as my grandmother passed away. I came into the picture when the elders of my tribe and another arranged a marriage between my mother and father. He moved in with our tribe since my mother was slated to become our shaman. Then he died in a hunting accident. My mother always said he wasn’t much of a hunter.

But that’s not what I’m writing about is it? I started out writing about how I’m the only winged Seraph in camp. I guess I got sidetracked. Anyways, Since my tribe is predominantly Cha’ Or, sorcery is big. I don’t practice it myself, but I don’t need to. It’s more or less accepted as common practice among our tribe members. But some other people around Orb don’t feel that way. Quite a few years ago, we were camped at the Oasis for the Gathering. My mother was travelling from the market back to camp, when she was seized by a bunch of men wearing white cloaks. She found herself gagged, bound, and crying. For a shaman of Kiefieh, there is no greater shame. The men spat poisonous words as they brandished their weapons and brutally cut each of her wings off. The next thing she remembered was waking up in the street, with a searing pain across her back. Back in camp, she found that they had added insult to injury by not only clipping her wings, but also branding the symbol of sorcerers across her back. She’d been tattooed with a spider from shoulder to shoulder, and down to the small of her back. I can’t imagine what animals would do something so brutal. But I promise if I find them, I swear I’ll unleash the fury of the sky upon their heads for the crimes they’ve committed.