Part VII: Now and Then...

Disclaimer: This story is based on the world of Everquest 2, created and owned by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). This is just fiction created as I role played a character in this world.

Yurika starts slowing down as they get closer and closer on The Reefs. Thinking and observing in all the places were the orcs could mount an ambush for her and the party. It has been years since she was here last. Artica and her used to hunt for bear pelts around this area.

She breaks the silence with a warning, "If for some reason we get separated, make your way north, there is a beach head on the other side of the mountain. Keep yourselves low, and we'll meet there."

Betrix replies, "Sense something, Lady Yurika?"

Yurika shakes her head negatively.

Yurika stops her horse. She dismounts, takes whatever she deems necessary in a backpack. She looks to the path ahead. The path is a quite thin, it hugs the mountain by the west side. It would be nearly impossible to pass a horse by such stretch path.

Yurika says, "The Reefs start here. Is not dangerous, just not suited for horses. Leave the horses and let's continue."

Xillis smells the air, something familiar basks the surrounding area. He kneels on the floor, touching the ground with the palm of his hand. Sensing a fluctuating vibration in the ground. He murmurs to himself, "Not troops or horses... There is something else here." He closes his eyes concentrating in that feeling. For a second he visualizes an Iksar being cut down by an orc. His eyes open in that same second. "Master! One of the Iksars accompanying Artica is just ahead."

Yurika nods. "Let's hurry." They go one after the other by this path through The Reefs.

Syae asks with curiosity, "Why is it called The Reefs?"

Without turning to her and continuing walking forth Yurika responds, "If you look down, it looks like a oceanic coral reef. If you take into consideration there is no water here. There is nothing that will stop you from death if you fall. No water to slow to you." Atrixya responds, "But if it was plain land you wouldn't survive either." Yurika says, "Depends how you land, you have a chance of survival, however with The Reef there is not."

Syae and Atrixya look down for a moment. Syae sighs in relief. Atrixya just tightens her determination to go forward. Betrix doesn't even looks down.

Xillis is just too concentrated on his vision to even think about looking down. He takes a couple of sniffs. "It's just after the path." Yurika asks him, "Close to the Cave of the Wanderer?" Xillis confirms with nod.

The path commences to widen as they turn in that long curve around the mountain skirt. There are pine trees in this area, a dense forest of pine trees. Impossible to see what lies ahead. The only option lies in trusting fully on Yurika's memory.

Yurika says, "Don't walk astray off the walls of the mountain, there are paths above us. If there are orc scout parties, they might see us." Syae nods.

Betrix walks a few paces forward with a hand on her blade's hilt. She trips on what seems to be a rock. She rolls in the floor, quickly recovering her composure looking at what she tripped.

Yurika turns fast as she hears Betrix' plate when she rolled. Her eyes widen at the sight.

The lower part of the thorax and legs of an Iksar. Xillis rapidly kneels beside the body placing his palm on a leg. Using his sense to look forth. "This is not the same Iksar than my vision, but it is indeed another of Artica's guards. With the one we encountered earlier, this, and the one in my vision. Artica is now alone. No blood too. He didn't die here. Probably tossed from above."

Syae says, "We gotta hurry, she might be in danger and needing help." Atrixya tries to calm Syae placing her hand on her shoulder, "Calm down, she knows how to take care of herself. She has always adventured solo back home." Syae responds, "But Trixy! This is no longer a normal circumstance. Fighting gnolls back home is not the same that fighting an orc. You should be well aware of that by now." Atrixya responds looking into her eyes, "I know, but we have to keep ourselves calm to be the most effective, and trust in Artica's ability to survive."

Yurika takes a closer look, "This is a clean cut. Impossible for an orc. Orcs use thick and dull blades. Is just sheer force, no technic. Mhmmm... Something is not right here. This was a clean cut through the plate armor. This is actually.... Xillis interrupts, "Bad! This is worst than we thought."

Xillis continues with the analysis, "Trolls and Ogres are to stupid to do this... Erudites, not agile enough. The only ones left would be Dark Elves." He looks at Yurika.

Yurika says, "Maybe... Let's continue." Yurika stands and walks through this sea of trees.

As they advance the density of the forest sparse, soon they can see the entrance to the cave lying ahead. Xillis eyes widened as he looks at the Iksar sitting by the cave.

Quickly, Xillis moves to him, placing his palm to the fallen Iksar's chest. "Still going friend?" The Iksar panting heavily, "Not for long... Fast... Too fast... When I notice them, Xentar's body... blew up... I turned around." The Iksar points to the left of the entrance to the cave, slowly lifting his arm. "We... Are not prepared... to fight those..."

Yurika turns to the left, she sees several trees cut. She closes in to take a closer look. "A heavy blade cut the trees. It was certainly in one swing." With a farther look she notices several bodies. "Betrix! Come, examine those bodies." Betrix rushes to the corpses. All of them heavily mutilated. Blood spread all around. "Some of these are missing body parts. This was no fight..." Looking somewhat worried of what they are going to encounter, she finally stops hesitating. "This was a massacre. Yurika! Since when does orcs have purple skin?"

Atrixya responds a bit shocked for their finding, "They don't. The orcs I have seen in my travels are for the most part dark green or dark brown. Not purple. Probably they are rotting." Betrix shakes her head, "No, this injuries were very recent. Bleeding hasn't stopped yet."

Xillis asks the Iksar, "Where is Artica?" The Iksar says with the last of his strength, "She... went... into the cave..." The Iksar finally fades. Xillis stands, "Master! he died."

Atrixya says, "He deserves a warrior's burial." Yurika smiles, "No! He will join us." Yurika walks slowly to him, kneeling beside him, placing her hand on his shoulder. Before her chant begins she sense something getting closer and fast. She pushes herself with her staff back to sit on the floor, covering her face with her arms. A fireball strikes the Iksar decimating the body to ashes.

Atrixya and Syae look up, searching for the culprit. Two archers are seen on the path on top. Arrows coming their way. Syae readies her fists for battle. Atrixya unsheathes her sword. Betrix shows up between them fast enough, looking like a blur. She unsheathes with such speed moving the blade in a circle right in front of them creating a small vacuum. The arrows point down and stick on the floor. Atrixya seems surprised by this Shadow Knight's skill.

Yurika looks up at them pointing with her left palm points her four fingers up and her thumb to the center of her palm. Chants in Thexian. A dark ball of energy forms in front of her hand. She moves her hand back and then forward pushing the ball to take flight against the archers. As soon as the ball of darkness touches one of the archers it expands the size of his body, engulfing half the body of the other archer then implodes leaving nothing of the target and the gushing and bloody half body of the other archer.

Syae turns around toward the cave, looking above, she feels a presence from above. A shadowy figure appears throwing yet another ball of fire. With the power and confidence in her great skill, Syae, shields the fireball with her arms crossed in front of her face. The fireball explodes engulfing her in flames. Without even thinking, Syae throws a fast punch pressing the air out of the flame creating a path between the flames for her to jump out. She rolls on the floor as soon as she hits the ground outside the flames in case her clothes caught fire. Then kneeling in the floor with her elbows to the ground, panting lightly just grasping in her mind what she just got out of.

In a blink of an eye the shadowy figure disappears from a top and appears a few feet beside Xillis, as if he was levitating, then lowering himself to touch the ground with the tip of his right foot and then lowering some more until both feet touch the ground. Showing off speed and tremendous magical power. This Teir'dal dressed in light clothing, unarmed, but still a very dangerous fellow.

He looks down on everyone. Then chuckles as he begins to speak, "Another Iksar scout party. Fools! Just thinning your forces little by little." He levitates his feet just enough to slide towards where the Iksar was lying, now just a black mark from the fire. "Don't you understand? This is just the tip of the Iceberg." He kneels on the spot, he samples the ashes. "She just gets better and better with each spell." He chuckles once more. "What is this? Never expect to find one of our own involved with the Iksar."

Atrixya shocked by this individual, quickly remembers why they are here. "We are not part of the Iksar expeditionary force. We came looking for a friend. She..."

The Teir'dal interrupts her, "Ah! The Berserker!" He chuckles. His eyes emanate a chill down the spine of pure madness, pure evil. "She was a tough opponent." He let's go the sample of ashes in his hand, pouring it as if it was a magical dust.

Atrixya opens her eyes in great surprise, "WAS?!"

Syae looks down to the ground thinking the worst, with tears in her eyes.

Yurika continues to look at him, without lowering her guard. Listening, not believing his insinuations. Betrix assumes a battle position.

Xillis hasn't moved from his spot unsure of what he'll do if he does move.

Atrixya says frantically, "What did you do to Artica?!"

The growling of a group of orcs is heard from behind the dense forest which is behind them. They are advancing fast towards them.

Yurika says, "Let's move into the cave!"

The Teir'dal says, "Oh! No! You won't go anywhere!" He starts to charge another fireball between his hands. He suddenly disappears. Appearing on top of them with a fully charged fireball and shoots it directly down.

Xillis takes Syae from the waist leaving the backpack he had behind and runs toward the cave. Yurika moves as fast as she can inside the cave's walls. Atrixya and Betrix run soon after. The fireball hits the floor engulfing the area and entrance to the cave in flames.

They run within the cave to safety.

Part V: A Journey into the Past

Disclaimer: This story is based on the world of Everquest 2, created and owned by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). This is just fiction created as I role played a character in this world.

Yurika watches as the Iksars perform their rites of passage. As they say farewell to the late Commander Xillis The Third. He died yesterday on an orc raid. She tilts her head forward in respect to those fallen together with the Commander.

In the voice of Yurika deep within her thoughts, 'Iksars tend to change their names when they reach a certain rank. He named himself as a Commander that gave his life for his people 2000 years ago. He was the second to do so, and thus receives the acknowledgment of being The Third.'

She raises her head as Xellious addresses the remaining forces of the Iksar, and listens.

Xellious says, "I'm the new Commander, Noz you'll take my former place as Lieutenant!" Noz nods respectfully. Xellious proceeds to enlighten their spirits with a series of cheers in the Iksar tongue. Morale has been dampening in these last few days. There is no word from the main force, and the orc attacks seem to gain more precision with each new attack.

A day passes by.

Xellious asks for Yurika's attention in the town square. He sits in what was a fountain. Yurika walks slowly limping with her right leg. With a heavy Iksar accent, Xellious asks, "Why is that berserker so adamant? Sentries say she is heading north through the mountains."

Yurika responds, "This was... her land. She was born here. Orcs took this place from her. The blood that has drenched this land was of her brethren. She is in all her right to come for revenge..." Stops for a moment to reevaluate what she is thinking, then interrupted by Xellious.

He says, "When she arrived, she lift up this barrier and helped on the defeat of Commander Groul of the Orc force. I have never seen a berserker with a magical affinity before."

Yurika continues, "It was 78 years ago, it was the first days of winter when I arrived to this place. I was traveling toward this refugee island I heard so much about. This town had many Feir'dal and Koada'dal, both living together.... They were repulsive towards my presence in their land."

Xellious interrupts, "What does this has to do with anything at this point..." Yurika raises her right hand silencing the Iksar. "Let me finish Xellious, this story can help you. Just listen." The Iksar nods to her.

Yurika says, "One of the guards asked me to leave immediately. Of course, I was not going to. I finally convinced the guard, that would not harm anyone. They allowed me to talk to their elders for permission. I simply asked for supplies to continue my journey, I was not to linger. The elders decided to give me a day and then to leave the next morning." Yurika walks around telling her story. Looking at the ruins remembering those details.

She continues, "I heard a commotion during the night, I kept ears in attention. For a moment I thought they were going to betray me, and slay me. But then, a woman said to the elders that some other woman was about to give birth. Something related with the high mages in the village."

She continues after a short break, "This village's government was composed of four elders, two Feir'dal and two Koada'dal. Is hard to imagine both races living together, mind me, feir'dal are liberal in nature and koada'dal are conservative. To my surprise. They were living along just fine. The next rank, after the elders, would be the high mages or sages. Then you had everyone else." She stops for a moment thinking as she walks around the ruined fountain, remembering. "The sage's ancestors created the barrier. It is a powerful spell that holds a warmth inside making it look as spring or fall, and kept the cold outside. It also camouflages the town from any outsider that would venture into the forest. It was difficult to accomplish such a powerful spell, it takes a quite heavy toll on the caster; so in order to make it possible, they needed more than one. They decided in five. The spell also needed a source to create the cold membrane, and thus they combined their magic with the first arctic winds that travel southward from the mountain. That is how the spell came to be. To have the best effect, the spell was to be casted on the first day of winter, when the first winds flew."

She continues with the events that transpire afterwards, "The next day, I noticed that the woman that gave birth, died in the process. To make matters worst, she was one of the five high mages. I knew this town was doomed if they didn't lift that barrier. I went to the elders and offered my power to cast the spell. That night, being the third day of winter we casted it. And for the first time I saw this barrier. After that, their attitude towards me was friendlier. I remember one of the elders, a koada'dal to that, said 'A Feir'dal can be snobbish, and Koada'dal can be wild, and now this Teir'dal cares.'"

"I painted a smile for him, he smiled back. Then, I went to see this child. She came into this world, with no one to guide her. Her father was training to be an elder and thus had no time to teach his child. So I took her under my wing. Her mother left a letter behind, that this child born in the third day of winter. One of the highlights in such letter, 'This child will protect this place and thus will be called Artica.'

And for your knowledge Xellious, the name of the spell protecting this town, the name of the barrier, is Artica."

Xellious looks somewhat surprised. A thought crosses his mind. 'There is no such thing as coincidences in this world. Fate has determined this battlefield, this girl has come for revenge, or... did she came to protect?'

"We lived here for 74 years, until the arrival of the orc invasion. They attacked, and we never saw them coming. When I woke that night, the town was up in flames. I raised those dead to open a path for those that lived. Not many survived. It was more of a slaughter, than a battle."

"I have been in the losing side many times, but never so awfully..." Xellious interrupts abruptly, "What about those powerful mages? Where were they when the invasion hit?" To which Yurika responds, "I don't know. My first action was to get Artica alive from there. She had no combat skills back then. And I am not the reckless type. So we fled."

Xellious interrupts again, "What if she can handle the orcs?" Yurika responds, "She might, she might not. I'm still worried about her."

Xellious murmurs as he turns to Noz, who is looking at him waiting for him to let him speak, "Just like a Mother." Turning to Noz, "Need anything?" Noz responds in a tranquil tone, "Betrix boat is in sight, they'll be here in a couple of hours."

Xellious turns to Yurika, "I'm wondering, why do you need them? I don't really know what you spoke with Xillis before me." Yurika grins, "He said, he had no people to spare."

Xellious turns to Noz again, "Prepare to receive them. And send a messenger to Kunark, we need to know when they are coming."

Yurika leaves the fountain area, walking slowly. Using her staff as a walking stick. Xellious looks at her and thinks, 'I better prepare horses for them, she wont get far fast in that state.' Yurika continues on to the beach. Looking at the vast ocean and a boat in sight just on the border line where the earth bends.