|
"Muse" The dream used to be the same, but now so much has changed. The village was still burning, and the screaming was still there, but there were 4 new shadows in the middle of it all. Two with capes and swords, one larger shadow with a sword, and the smallest shadow with a staff. She tried to scream, but the wailing was too loud to overpower. The mountains around the village began to collapse, causing an avalanche to run through the small town. Then thunder shook the sky, as a dragon’s roar pierced her ears. No this wasn’t right, this wasn’t her normal dream it was worse. Then a piecing black wave overcame her. “Lorelai, it’s alright, you were unconscious” Just one look before she awoke. She had to know. A flash of yellow. “Lorelai, wake up.” She awoke to find herself in some kind of infirmary. There was a doctor, wearing glasses, with long flowing black hair standing above her. “You had some fairly nasty wounds there Lorelai, you’re lucky to have made it. It was touch and go for a ACK!” The doctor found his voice cut off by a knee to the windpipe, as Lorelai leapt from the bed and assaulted the physician. Lying on his back, Dr. Huan decided to be quiet for a second after seeing the crazed look on the face of the woman who was currently pinning him. “How do you know my name? Where am I? Who are you? Why am I here?” There was nothing but confusion running through her mind now. Where had she woke up this time? Falfena? Toran? Highland? She had to know. “LORELAI!” A young boy she knew to be Yori had walked in the room. “What are you doing to doctor Huan?” She lifted her knee off the doctor’s throat. These dreams were really starting to get to her. “I said, where am I?” Huan coughed. “Muse. You were badly injured. I was up all night tending to your wounds.” “Wounds huh? She looked down and saw her waist wrapped in bandages, with some dry bloodstains. She began to unwrap the bandages, giving Huan a scowl before he could protest. Every one in the room looked amazed to see she had no wounds. “So, Dr. Huan, where are these wounds?” The doctor simply looked up in shock. “I assure you, you had three arrow wounds in your back, two of which went completely through. It’s a miracle you survived the horse ride into Muse.” “Horse ride? I don’t even have a horse!” She knew it. That brat Yori had probably set this whole thing up, just to get her info on the Sindar. She rose to her feet, twisting so she was looking at Yori, while still holding Huan down with her foot. But she was met with a surprise, as there was another man there with Yori. He stood there, clad in black armor with red highlights. His helmet only had a big enough slit to see his eyes, which were an ice blue. He also wore a red cape that flowed down behind him like a crimson river. “I believe he meant my horse.” The man said in a monotone voice. Now she remembered. Her mysterious savior, who conveniently had arrived near the end of the fight. “I don’t recall asking for your help in any of this.” Lorelai glared angrily at the two men, finally stepping off of Huan’s chest. “You didn’t ask for my help. You seemed a little preoccupied with bleeding to death.” The man made no movement to betray any intentions he might have had. “Your friend Yori told me and Huan your name, in case you were wondering. Now let me introduce myself. I am Zareth. Perhaps we should discuss the past night’s events over a drink, Hmmm?” Great, the guy was already hitting on her. “Sorry, I’m a little busy for that. I have much to do in Muse.” Lorelai walked past Zareth and out of the doctor’s office. “Very well. If you change your mind, I’ll be at the inn.” Zareth threw some potch on the exam table as he was leaving. “Buy yourself a drink and calm down doctor. It’s on me.” This left Yori and Huan alone in the doctor’s office. Yori looked at the doctor and shrugged his shoulders. “Lorelai! Wait up!” Yori yelled as he ran out the door. The doctor fell into a chair, exhausted from the night’s work. He had never seen such a miraculous recovery in his life. This deserved to be investigated. "Tuta. Come here for a second will you?” A young boy dressed similarly to Huan ran into the room. “Do me a favor and follow Miss Lorelai. Report anything you see…. Suspicious.” “Yes Dr. Huan!” The child ran out of the office, obviously happy to be of help. Later that day, at the Runemaster’s shop. The runemaster peered over the rune in Lorelai’s right hand meticulously. “Hmm, very interesting, yes, very.” The old man looked up with a gleam in his eye. “I’ve only seen two other runes like this one in my life, miss, they are pretty rare.” The runemaster began to flip through an old book tracing the lines with a finger. “It would appear that the rune is Sindarin in origin, at least hypothetically.” “What do you mean by hypothetically?” Lorelai seemed intrigued by the statement. After all, if it was a Sindarin rune, it meant she was well on her way to finding the power of the Sindar. “I mean there is no sure way to tell. Even I’m not old enough to remember the Sindar hehe.” The old man seemed amused with himself. “And the rune in your weapon is like nothing I’ve seen before. But you might want to take it to the blacksmith, he might be able to identify that script engraved on the weapon” Lorelai looked around the shop to see if she needed anything, and spotted Yori running through the door. ”Thank you sir. I have to be going now.” She then turned back toward Yori. “Maybe you should have your rune checked too? He really is one of the best.” “Nah, that’s ok Lorelai. I know exactly what this rune does. It’s a light rune, it lights up places. It used to belong to my dad, who got it from his dad, who got it from his dad, who got it from his dad…” “Whatever. Just trying to be helpful.” Lorelai cut in. The pair began to head for the blacksmith’s shop when they happened across a tall, attractive blonde while crossing through a back alley. The blonde seemed to have grabbed Yori’s attention, but Lorelai stopped him from talking to her. “Don’t bother. She’s probably looking for a handout, or something else we don’t have time for.” Lorelai smirked at Yori as she said this. “Yeah, you’re right. She’d probably just get me into trouble anyway. No telling what kind of crowd she would attract.” Yori followed Lorelai into the blacksmith’s shop. The blacksmith quickly started to work on analyzing the weapon. After about an hour he returned with his results. “Well it definitely ain’t like anything I ever saw before. It might be Sindarin, but you’d have to find someway to translate that script. Maybe you should try Greenhill, they got lots of books and stuff that might help with that.” Of course! The guy in the ruins mentioned Greenhill! “Thanks!” Lorelai snatched her scythe from the smith and felt a cold chill run up her spine. “Tower, the weapon’s name is Tower.” She left the blacksmith’s shop with Yori in tow. “How did you know?” Yori looked confused. “I don’t know. Come on let’s go to the inn. I need to speak to Zareth.” “But I thought you didn’t want anything to do with him?” “I changed my mind. I’m entitled to do that you know.” Lorelai laughed as Yori followed her down the street. Tuta stepped out of an alley with a smile on his face. Huan would like to hear this. The young boy began to run for the doctor’s house as fast as he could. When he arrived he saw Huan thumbing through some books. After retelling Lorelai’s day trip to the doctor he fell quiet. The doctor appeared to be in deep thought. “A Sindarin Draining Rune hmm. That might account for her healing. And you say she’s headed for Greenhill?” The young boy nodded his head. “Well that’s the end of that. You had better rush home Tuta, your parents will worry.” Huan watched the boy leave as he shut the book and placed it on the shelf. “I have a bad feeling about this.” Tuta ran in suddenly. “DR. HUAN! There’s been a mugging. The guy’s hurt pretty bad. You better hurry.” Dr. Huan looked at the boy and nodded. No time to worry about it now. Others need my help. A doctor’s work is never done.
| ||||
