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Paramus Mox turned around one last time to view the castle and his new friends. His faithful mount and companion Damit carefully picked his way through the people and across the sometimes-slick cobblestones of Britain's streets, headed for the bridge. Paramus smiled to himself and held his head up high; the world was once again safe, and he had helped make it so. The steady thud of his mount’s hooves on the wooden bridge marked his exit from the city.
He turned his mount towards the mountains that would take him on a roundabout way to his home nestled deep in the Great Forrest of Yew. It would take several days of travel, but he welcomed the ride and the relaxation. He began to hum an old battle hymn from his youthful days and let his powerful mount take the lead as they put some distance from the city along the dusty road.
As he rode along, he somehow had managed to meander towards the old magical portal to the south. One of several that populated the land, an old magic that not even the wisest of wizards understood or could explain how they worked. Once you entered it, all you had to do is think of one of the other locations if you knew it and you as well as your mount, pets, and gear would all arrive at that location unscathed. Although they resembled the portals that the more powerful wizards could create for only mere minutes, these were a permanent fixture.
Paramus eyed the portal, shimmering blue and enticing. It would take days off his travel, and he could be back home in front of the fire before nightfall with a mug of ale washing down the dust from his travels. He leaned over and patted Damit on the neck, “What do you think old boy? You ready to be home?” Damit, a nightmare, and a powerful foe in his own right turned his head and gave Paramus a look out of one eye. “Okay, fine. Don’t give me that baleful look!” Paramus exclaimed as he chuckled. “Let’s go home then.”
The pair entered the portal as they have hundreds of times in the past, they expected to step out amongst the great Yew trees. Instead, Paramus felt this whole-body shift and twist with a falling sensation. He lost physical contact with Damit and then reached out to his companion with his mind, but no answer. Paramus was a powerful mage after all and he was not prone to panic, but when the darkness was pierced by an orange and yellow fireball, he felt a shiver of fear run down his back. It was beautiful and horrifying at the same time, as the fireball coalesced into a giant phoenix and it roared through the blackness so bright, he had to squeeze his eyes shut before he was blinded. As quick as it came it disappeared and that was the last thing he remembered as consciousness slipped away.
Laid out on the ground face down, Paramus groaned and rolled over; he could feel Damit nudging him. He got to one knee and looked around in confusion, he still wasn’t near the Brit portal nor was he at the Yew one either. Things looked the same, but they were different. He got up, dusted off his leathers and while he stood near Damit, he turned in a small circle, “What in the name of the Abyss just happened?” Damit just looked at him and Paramus grimaced and shook his head.
That was when he saw some of his fellow Rogues on the ground in various positions around the portal as well. He moved over towards Grumpy since he was the only non-combatant in the group and quickly checked to make sure he was okay, then shook him awake. The other three, Ras, Nite, and Alexan he noted, stirred while he helped Grumpy to his feet. “What are you guys doing here Grumps?”
Grumpy true to his name, pushed Paramus off him, “Quit pawing me boy, give an old man a minute to get his senses straight.”
He looked at the others and they had the same look on their faces as well while they gathered their mounts and cast wary looks around. One thing about a Rogue, they took everything in stride and were always prepared to defend themselves.
Paramus heard Ras call his name, “We could ask the same question brother, thought you were in Brit?” to which he replied, “I was, but hit the Brit portal and then everything went crazy from there.”
“We did the same thing in Yew.” Alexan replied, while Nite nodded in agreement. No one mentioned what they saw though, and Paramus wasn’t going to bring it up just yet since he still wasn’t sure of what he saw anyways.
He climbed up on Damit’s back, “I know you can’t answer me, but you are thinking the same damn thing!” Paramus told Damit as he patted his neck. The Rogues sat there for several long minutes and observed their surroundings more closely and the longer they did the more confused they got. The memory, or was it a dream, of the phoenix screaming through the portal haunted him, “Where are we?” he asked out loud. To which no one answered.
He turned his mount towards the mountains that would take him on a roundabout way to his home nestled deep in the Great Forrest of Yew. It would take several days of travel, but he welcomed the ride and the relaxation. He began to hum an old battle hymn from his youthful days and let his powerful mount take the lead as they put some distance from the city along the dusty road.
As he rode along, he somehow had managed to meander towards the old magical portal to the south. One of several that populated the land, an old magic that not even the wisest of wizards understood or could explain how they worked. Once you entered it, all you had to do is think of one of the other locations if you knew it and you as well as your mount, pets, and gear would all arrive at that location unscathed. Although they resembled the portals that the more powerful wizards could create for only mere minutes, these were a permanent fixture.
Paramus eyed the portal, shimmering blue and enticing. It would take days off his travel, and he could be back home in front of the fire before nightfall with a mug of ale washing down the dust from his travels. He leaned over and patted Damit on the neck, “What do you think old boy? You ready to be home?” Damit, a nightmare, and a powerful foe in his own right turned his head and gave Paramus a look out of one eye. “Okay, fine. Don’t give me that baleful look!” Paramus exclaimed as he chuckled. “Let’s go home then.”
The pair entered the portal as they have hundreds of times in the past, they expected to step out amongst the great Yew trees. Instead, Paramus felt this whole-body shift and twist with a falling sensation. He lost physical contact with Damit and then reached out to his companion with his mind, but no answer. Paramus was a powerful mage after all and he was not prone to panic, but when the darkness was pierced by an orange and yellow fireball, he felt a shiver of fear run down his back. It was beautiful and horrifying at the same time, as the fireball coalesced into a giant phoenix and it roared through the blackness so bright, he had to squeeze his eyes shut before he was blinded. As quick as it came it disappeared and that was the last thing he remembered as consciousness slipped away.
Laid out on the ground face down, Paramus groaned and rolled over; he could feel Damit nudging him. He got to one knee and looked around in confusion, he still wasn’t near the Brit portal nor was he at the Yew one either. Things looked the same, but they were different. He got up, dusted off his leathers and while he stood near Damit, he turned in a small circle, “What in the name of the Abyss just happened?” Damit just looked at him and Paramus grimaced and shook his head.
That was when he saw some of his fellow Rogues on the ground in various positions around the portal as well. He moved over towards Grumpy since he was the only non-combatant in the group and quickly checked to make sure he was okay, then shook him awake. The other three, Ras, Nite, and Alexan he noted, stirred while he helped Grumpy to his feet. “What are you guys doing here Grumps?”
Grumpy true to his name, pushed Paramus off him, “Quit pawing me boy, give an old man a minute to get his senses straight.”
He looked at the others and they had the same look on their faces as well while they gathered their mounts and cast wary looks around. One thing about a Rogue, they took everything in stride and were always prepared to defend themselves.
Paramus heard Ras call his name, “We could ask the same question brother, thought you were in Brit?” to which he replied, “I was, but hit the Brit portal and then everything went crazy from there.”
“We did the same thing in Yew.” Alexan replied, while Nite nodded in agreement. No one mentioned what they saw though, and Paramus wasn’t going to bring it up just yet since he still wasn’t sure of what he saw anyways.
He climbed up on Damit’s back, “I know you can’t answer me, but you are thinking the same damn thing!” Paramus told Damit as he patted his neck. The Rogues sat there for several long minutes and observed their surroundings more closely and the longer they did the more confused they got. The memory, or was it a dream, of the phoenix screaming through the portal haunted him, “Where are we?” he asked out loud. To which no one answered.