Going Home

"It should look like a big, burning fireball, just like Tarin's ever burning globe in the sky.", someone said. "We are the Dawnbringers, neither the Sunbringers not the Fireballers", replied someone else. There was a big discussion going on in the Fortress of Light, as the immortals had granted the pledge of the clan Dawnbringers for a clan insignia. Amidst all the discussing adventurer's and hero's to be I sat, a young glandar girl. Looking around she saw yet not so familiar faces, in her mind matching them with yet strange sounding names. Only recently had I joined them, for it was the perfect choice, to be part of the enforcers of the path of light. "Dawn's Necklace", someone suggested as the discussion went on to the official name of their insignia. "Amulet of Sunrise", another, quiet, voice said. "Hm, I like that, I take that into further consideration", Sandoz said. I smiled. I had found not only a clan, not only helpful friends, but a protective and caring family, a real home.

She heard noises coming from the war room. Magically peering over she saw Geseg coming home. He did stock up the supplies of greyroot once more. He certainly knew the secret spots of that herb, but what else would you expect from a ranger of Geseg's calibre. She stood up from her meditation blanket and walked into the adjacent room. there was no trace of the swift and silent ranger anymore. 'Probably gone hunting dinner.', she thought to herself. Feeling her own stomach growling and complaining she went out of the fortress and went up a few slopes into the Kithan mountains. There is nothing like roast goat when you are really hungry. The soon spotted goat fell quickly to her two fireballs. Slicing off the meat she remembered, head shaking, her bad habits of killing her dinner with an acetum primus, spoiling half the meat with the acid. Finished she wrapped the meat into clean cloth and put it into her backpack. She then let her mind flow to the Pardor Mountains, looking for one of it's inhabitants, a hill giant, and having found one let her body follow. Slipping by the giant unnoticed she made her way to the top of one of Pardor's peaks. She sat down beside a small fire and began to roast her meat. The first one was devoured in almost no time, since she was hungry like she had not eaten for months; well, she hadn't....

"I want you to be my number two.", Ganat said. I didn't know what to say. I usually had my mouth open babbling like a waterfall, yet in situations like this the shy person I am shows. "I...I pledge my life to you and the clan..... I will give my best to ..... fulfill the task. Your trust in me will never show up as a mistake....", I finally managed to say. Ganat and Barset stood before me grinning like only rangers can do. They looked like they finally found a victim to 'rangerize'...

Snapping out of her trance a shocking idea struck her: If ever a dragon would offer some kind of promotion to her during a fight, and her tongue would get stunned.....well, hopefully no one ever tells them. Just then she recognised, that she was still sitting on top of Pardor Range. The fire in front of her was gone long, the meat on her stick gone as well. Only a small piece of coal on the ground told if its miserable fate. She was worried. Pictures of a moor came into her mind, as if she had spent lots of time there. Yet she had not moved it seemed.
Taking a look over the realm, which was the fact why this peak was one of her favourite spots to be actually, she noticed that spring must have passed...With that in mind and with her stomach telling her she came to the conclusion that she must have been away for a very long time again, but where? In trance? In the void? In a moor? She got up, a shiver running through her body. 'Some warm place', she thought and concentrated on the sandy Beaches of Barude. There she spotted it: her lunch! A seagull, just beside the docks, picking up some breadcrumbs. She transported herself right in front of the bird, uttered a few syllables and.....the seagull was enshrouded in an acid cloud. Bonking herself strongly on the head she sacrificed the corpse and hunt down another sea-bird. 15 minutes later she lay in the sun at the beach, stomach filled, reciting to herself a nearly forgotten masterpiece of poetry: Oh, where have all my troubles gone, That worried me most every day? Instead I hear the ocean's song, While turtles pass where I still lay, Before my seaweed pillow crude, Made on the beaches of Barude.
And with that she lost the battle against her sinking eyelids and she...

..yawned. I rubbed my eyes and listened carefully. "...and because of this I lay the fate of clan Dawnbringers in your hands.", a very shimmering and blurred Ganat said to a Barset, who was shimmering and blurry himself. At least out of my sight. That was probably less my future telling abilities, but the fact, that rangers tend to get up VERY early to strife through the woods and do things only rangers like to do, while us mages tend to strife through the dreamland instead at that time, because we buried our nosy noses way to long into old books and magic tomes the night before. "I hope you will be my right hand, my number one.", Barset said smiling at me. "Of course I will!", was my imminent and joyful answer. "I once more pledge my life, soul and power to the Light and to my beloved Family of Dawnbringers!" I declared, saluting my new leader. Barset prevented my mocking bow to come with a hug, a big grin on his face. "You two will do good as leaders' Ganat said joining in. "If not, I will have to come back and have some heads rolling", he continued with an innocent 'girn' on his face, that would make any mother in the realm hide their daughters.

The sun burned down onto her. In an unconscious action she protected herself from the intense heat with a familiar spell and began to pat the sand out of her clothing. The time passed, since she did lie down didn't even shock her anymore. Definitely something was changing. More confusing like the absence was the fact, that she didn't feel upset by it. then again pictures flashed through her mind. Pictures of pixies and halflings, of a castle she hadn't found in the lands. It made her angry, since she usually would try to find every single detail she would yet not know. This time she knew she could not successfully do that. Deep in thoughts she left Barude, since in mid summer it was not a too pleasant place to be, in her opinion: way too hot, even with the proper protection. She recalled to her clanhalls. it was silent, but soft murmurs coming from Koell's office. He sure was studying again or working on a project bestowed on him by the immortals as if he was whole hive of ants. He, as herself, has earned the title of a titan of the Lands. 'Too bad he is an augurer, he would have been a good mage, even for a gnome...' she thought, grinning at herself. She dismissed the idea of disturbing Koell, teasing him with her jokeful prejudices against gnomes and augurers. She left the clanhall using the portal, passed through Windy Bluff and headed for Tatjavia. She had promised Crazy Mae some shells and coral pieces from the beach for her shop, to sell to tourists and she had forgotten to do her that favour. So, after a chat, she headed on to her deities temple. Exhausted she sat down under the meeting tree. She was very tired, despite the fact that she just had rested for months. But her mind already had fallen from consciousness to worry ...

"...about your absence. Time had come to make a decision. Barset's ascension is about a year now." I nodded. I understood and did not understand. "Almost at the same time you vanished. No magic, no immortal power could find a trace of you." I nodded again. It was so true. I knew and did not knew the least. No memories were left of where I had been the whole year. The first thing I knew was, that I opened the eyes and as if not a single minute had passed, I had returned to my clanhalls to find everything different. "Procumerous had shortly after that disappears too. Even now that you have returned, he is missing and so...." I sighed out loud. Procumerous absence had struck me hardest. It was then that I recognised fully the load of changes since my last memory. "Time was right to make a decision, and so we decided. I suggest that you will be..." A few colourful leaves dropped down on her. Autumn had arrived. The kobolds had summoned a demon to... Stopping in her thoughts she recognised her whereabouts. There were no kobolds around, definitely not a demon in this sanctity. But summer really had passed. She winced shortly as the last memories flooded back in her brain and heart. It was not one of the great days you like to remember with joy. She did understand the facts, every detail. Yet it hurt badly back then not to become the leader of the family. But since there was no one to blame but fate, no one could ease the pain, even time failed it seemed. She ignored the stiffness of her limbs, as she was getting more and more used to this 'situation'. She arranged her clothing and hair before approaching Tatianna's altar. Kneeling down she was washed with tranquillity and a feeling of protection not the thickest walls nor beast guarded halls can provide. "Thank you, M'Goddess.", she whispered, "Thank you for your ever present guidance." As she left the temple she decided to refrain from using her magic this time to travel. Instead she looked up at the blue sky and took a deep breath of fresh and cool air, blowing down from the northern edge of Pardor. With a smile on her face she followed the birds, chasing each other, heading towards the Fortress of Light, where she retreated to the office of the current Number Two of the clan. Locking the door behind her she turned around, to be greeted by a vision of the recent past... I watched Revtal as he was hungrily flipping through a book of ogre magic in my...no wait...in his office. Smiling I looked about myself. The room had been my realm for long, my office. The detailed maps on the wall of the realm, my ultimate home. The chest of things I had gathered, treasure of real and of sentimental value. Books and scrolls holding arcane lore and ancient wisdom. Now I was only guest here.

With a warm feeling in her heart she remembered how Revtal looked that day. She though of the glimmer in his eyes, the eagerness to do his best as the new number two of the Dawnbringers. She knew from that moment, that he would do good. With the guidance of Koell, as his old and OLD! and great Leader, and Geseg, as his new and wise Number One, and the blessings of Ganat, his donut think about how old and grand clan deity, he would definitely do a great job. So she stood up, still smiling and knew she was ready.

She took out her gleaming star and holding it in both hands she whispered: 'Lead the way'. the Star began to rise into the air slowly, floating out of the Fortress of Light. Right behind the small glandar girl followed, leaving only a note on the clans message board. The note read:

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