Shara woke to a shift in the calming aura of the glade. It seemed to invigorate, to call "Wake up! There will be a meeting in the central chamber!" In fact, given how they were called here, it could just as well have been a similar message. Reluctantly leaving the marvelous bed that seemed to be some sort of shaped moss. Shara marveled at the room once more as she gathered her possessions. She had never dreamed that magic could be used for such things. Most tales of magic seemed focused on it's destructive powers, and the evils wrought by them. Likely had something to do with centuries living under Grinnoc. An author writing the merits of magic and the wonders it could make - like this haven in the forest - would likely be treated rather harshly by the Inquisition. 

The meeting didn't seem to have started yet, but there were still quite a few mages seated at the large tables in the center, eating or chatting or reading or practicing whatever magicks they had. Suddenly hungry, she sat at one of the tables and began enjoying the strange fruits until the lord - evidently it really was Deliah Eternus, harboring a centuries old grudge - gave his ultimatum. Many mages eyes lit up at the proposition of citizenship. The power and protection alone would likely turn most of the mages here into his willing servants. As the daughter of a noble, even an obscure noble, Shara had that protection already. What won Shara over was the aspect of the hidden knowledge and artifacts. The fortress they were headed for couldn't have had it's libraries purged of magical thoughts either, which seemed good enough reasons to go along. 

As a queue formed and people began joining Deliah's cause, Shara thought of the other things the lord had said. It was also meant to be a fight, and while the end result was desirable, what unintended consequences would there be? Deliah had mentioned that he had underworld connection, what had they been promised for their aid in making this new Meldiniar? So when Shara came to the front of the queue she gave her name as Danicia Alera, hoping to prevent becoming beholden to Deliah Eternus. Having two conflicting citizen documents could cause issues if searched, but she could worry about that later.

---

Shara entered the portal to Velstrach fortress in the middle of the line of mages. They were quite excited as they surged through, but then the crowd hushed at some motion towards the front. The cry of 'Demon' came and was echoed through the crowd. Then it seemed as if the ground itself was rising up to fight them. Shara stood rooted to the spot watching with a mixture of amazement and horror as the beast rose. As it reached its full height, a massive rocky humanoid sporting occasional shrubbery, it was restrained by the Witch who had called them here. The two locked in a power struggle, magic against magic.

[i]"Destroy the husks so I can destroy the demon. I can hold it in place, but it requires my full attention."[/i]

The call shook Shara from her reverie, and she now noticed other things rising. They were smaller, looking almost human but deformed, and seemed to be feeding the larger one. The battle was already raging, the mages throwing their might at the beasts. A brown haired mage flew past her, the remains of spectacles dangling off his face as he hit the ground with a sickening crunch. What an odd detail to notice, spectacles. Yet she could recall the image so clearly. 

[i]It's just a cadaver.[/i] She thought to herself, breathing quickly to try and calm her rising panic. [i]Heavy impact to the upper torso, multiple ribs and neck appear broken. At least it was a quick death.[i] Someone screamed in the distance - it seemed miles away, yet so close - and then suddenly stopped. [i]That was not a quick death.[/i] 

Something roared to her left, and Shara turned to see one of the husks charging towards her. Someone screamed again. Very close this time, as instinct took over. She felt herself channelling her power, far more than she had ever dared tap back at the university, and a blinding light shot outward in a cone towards the husk's head. It reared back, blinded by the light. When it came down, an unnatural darkness was covering it's face. Shocked by the sudden light and now blinded with an illusion, the beast flailed around, attacking madly at the air, or sounds. Eventually it found itself attacking another husk - it's victim was blinded in a similar fashion. A mage was fighting a husk with a rapier, - that had always been Jerem's favourite weapon - a gash in her shoulder. That husk was blinded as well. Then another after that, until blinded husks raged on all sides. 

Finally, that drive fled Shara, and she was left standing, her hands shaking uncontrollably and a horrible, burning taste in her mouth and throat. Odd, she didn't remember puking. And why was the world spinning? The ground shouldn't be that close. It seemed almost like it was rising up to meet her. 

Then the cool embrace of unconsciousness took hold of her, and all worries melted away.