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"Seek and Destroy" (Forest near the Wind Cave) "Son........you're half Sindar" The words his father had spoken hit Pesmerga like a sledgehammer. He had heard rumors of the Sindarin race while serving the High Preist, about their strange rituals..worship of the true runes as gods, the many strange things they did. But never..EVER would he have guessed he had Sindar blood coursing through his veins. He stared up at the spectre of his father..eyes wide in both confusion and..even a little bit of fear. Why would his father hide this from him? Were the Sindar evil? If so..was he destined to follow Yuber's path of destruction as well? A long moment of silence passed between the two.. father and son..decendants..one was a general for Harmonia..the other a tortured outcast seeking vengeance, one had lived a life of love and battle..the other a life of sorrow and revenge. Neither could muster the will to speak..Pesmerga shocked upon learning he was a halfbreed partly from a race no-one knew anything about..and Kahlran overcome with sorrow that what he had to do was causing his son even more pain. Meanwhile... The sun shone brightly over the grassy knolls of Harmonia, causing the pure white mountains of the Crystal Valley to shine a brilliant silver. Things were going normally in the small village of Ketzah, which lay close to the Harmonia/Highland border. Townspeople were milling about, doing their usual buisness, cleaning homes, children playing or shopping with their families. It was only natural that no-one paid much mind to the teenage girl walking through the shopping district, never stopping to inspect the wares of the peddlers, simply going along her way. Unfortunately, the morning crowd in the marketplace was a bit noisy..so noisy in fact, that she almost didn't hear the voice calling out to her from within a crowd of shoppers. "Krysta! Krysta!," the mysterious voice called, desperately vying for the teenagers attention, " KRYSTAAA!!! GET OVER HERE!" The young girl stopped and turned to look in the direction of the voice, and noticed a man with brilliant shoulder length silver hair desperately trying to squeeze through a wall of shoppers. Raising her hand to stifle a giggle, she cheerfully marched over and took him by the hand, yanking him out of the crowd, and almost off his feet. "My my," she chided, desperately trying to stop the giggle slidding up her throat," how unusual to see you out in the marketplace Chamek. What brings you here this time of day?" Chamek sighed..he really hated having to go hunting for the girl every time a new job came up! "Look Krysta," he began, in his most serious voice, "you are to report to the headquarters of the Guild immidiately...we have a new job open and we want you to handle it." One of Krysta's pale blue eyebrows arched slightly, "A job?" She wasn't sent on many jobs..not for her lack of ability, but because of her young age. She was only eighteen summers old, and still wasn't an official member of the Howling Voice guild. Membership was only permitted to men or women upon reaching the age of Twenty-One summers, so she still had a while to wait. Then again..she was allowed a lot of free time between the one or two odd jobs the guild gave her..usually easy stuff. "Yes," Chamek droned," So stop by the Guild office in Crystal Valley..it's of the utmost importance." Krysta sighed and brushed a few strands of hair out of the way of her emerald eyes," Alright Chamek..i'll stop by." She smiled at him before trotting off to get her horse and head for Crystal Valley. This was going to be fun..she hoped. "Father....why is it so important that I know I am part Sindarin?" Pesmerga was far beyond confused..he desperately wanted to understand why his father deemed it important that he know this. Kahlran sighed.."Son..i'm afraid I don't have time to awnser you're questions..all I can tell you is that being part Sindarin, you have extrordinary power over, and knowledge about, Runes. There is a set of Sindarin ruins near here..to the east by the Wind Cave. I want you to go there son, I will appear to you there again, and all will be explained." Pesmerga stood up, what did father mean by not enough time? "Father," Pesmerga took a step forward, reaching out to his father," Please..tell me about the Sindar..about myself.." Kahlran stepped back,and began to vanish, bit by bit. "Son," his voice began to echo as he passed back into the spirit world," go to the ruins..there I will explain everything..please..change son...don't deny your emotions any longer..please..do it for us..you're family.." Pesmerga ran forward, tears still flowing, trying desperately to cling to his father, "FATHER! NO! Don't leave me please! I'll change! I really will, I won't deny myself any longer..just please don't!!!" Pesmerga ran forward, and then passed through his father's spectre, and the ghost of the man who raised him returned to the grave. "Leave..." Pesmerga took another step, knees faltering. "Me..", he dropped to his knees, "alone....again..". Pesmerga hugged himself tightly..his sobs growing louder. He was alone again....but..if it meant finding out about his heritage..his powers..and seeing his father again..he would change..he would go to these Sindar ruins..he would no longer be the cold, bitter man he was, he would change everything. But for now..all Pesmerga could do was sob. And call out for his father. Clack! Clack! Clack! The rhythmic drumming of horses hooves on the sweet grass of Harmonia's plains echoed into the evening light. Young Krysta Maldaine, on the back of her steed Slaipnier, was about halfway through the journey to Crystal Valley. She didn't know why she had been chosen for a job that, as Chamek put it, was of 'grave import', but if it meant some good money, and a chance to show the Guild how valuable she was, she was all for it. All she knew was she was getting sleepy, but she wanted to get to Crystal Valley before nightfall. Suddenly, she sat bolt upright in the saddle...eyes wide open. She wasn't shure if it was the drowsiness fogging her brain or what..but she could just swear that someone, perhaps deep in the recesses of her mind only..but definitely someone, had just called out for his father. And whoever it was...she did not envy them right now.
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