The Vanishing Stone glimmers brightly. It's ancient and rough, no bigger than the palm of your hand -- but the cosmos shine and spin deep within it. Galaxies, stardust, suns and planets stretch on infinitely through the lens of this single stone. Your hand stretches out. The moment the cool stone touches your fingertips, the galaxies rush toward you; your vision fills with spinning stars of impossible color. The ground is gone from under your feet. The breath is knocked out of your lungs, and a profound silence stifles your ears.

. . . Until a freezing wind chills you, and you find yourself standing among mountains in the billowing snow.

---

You are standing on a wide platform of snow-covered stone. Above, only a jagged streak of snowy sky is visible between the mountains that tower around you. Below, a deep howling chasm gapes wide. The only thing that stands between you and that deadly fall is a flimsy rope barrier.

The wind bites cold. Snow swirls all around and hisses on the ice.

A wooden house stands on an opposite platform, creaking with age and heavy with snow. Lights flicker behind its windows, and dark smoke curls up from its chimney. The only way to reach the house is to cross a rickety wooden bridge that swings gently above the chasm.

Behind you there is only the sheer rock face of the mountain, glistening with ice and pocked with snow. Carved into the rock is the serene face of a meditative tiger -- part of an ancient bas-relief that had long ago been smoothed down by the wind and snow. Embedded in the forehead of the rock tiger is a Vanishing Stone, placed there long ago by a culture centuries gone.

The chatter of voices outside the chamber door were unrecognizable. As soon as the cultists had pressed him into the room they had swiftly locked the door behind him. It was narrow but the roof was several feet above his head. A comfortable proportion seeing as his size made a humble residence look like a child's playhouse. Morrian's bare, scaly feet slapped against the ground with his stride to the altar.

"Is this how I am to be ended? Reduced to a thrall to be thrown at idols?" The hum and turmoil outside the chamber door grew as the worshipers began chanting.

"Ulakah! Ulakah! Ulakah!" The chorus grew in volume. These fanatics really meant to give him to their god. Morrian looked around for a semblance of the only thing that had drug through the blood and gristle of the arena. A weapon. Anything would help. It would be better to die fighting than lay over like an ignorant farm beast to be slaughtered for another's gain.

The crocodile-kin growled in frustration. All that was in here were tomes, tiny valuables strewn everywhere, and a stone resting upon a gilded cushion on the altar. He would be better off fighting with the tools he was born with. Despite the din of chants the stone drew his attention. It was the only object placed so meticulously upon the altar. Morrian slunk forward, investigating more closely. It was as if the void had been captured in a small stone for observers to see. Countless flecks of light shining within. Touching it would definitely be dangerous. This was perhaps the very thing they worshiped and made as an artifact to their god. Nothing good is waiting outside that door. What could it hurt? He reasoned, pressing forward with a hand to clutch the stone from its perch.

It was as if the stone had enveloped him. The specks of light trapped within burst outward. For a moment there was a great feeling of euphoria and vertigo. Morrian tried to withdraw his hand but there was no longer anything to withdraw it from. It was as if he were trapped in a great nothing surrounded by the stars. This cult god had taken him. They had won. Panic set in. Everything was upside-down and wrong, spinning, bright and then dark. No air, no ground. Only light.

Finally. A chilling embrace took him and his feet were set upon firmer ground. Morrian stumbled to the snow covered floor and drew in a long, painful breath of cold air. His bare extremities were vulnerable to the sharp wind. Were he to have normal skin like a tiny human this would be even worse. Morrian flexed his hands and looked himself over. Nothing had changed. So he wasn't dead yet. Good.

The view would be more interesting if he wasn't so damned cold. The most striking thing he could see was the flickering of light beyond the hazardous-looking bridge. Where there's such light there would be greater warmth. So he moved forward to test the bridge. The encumbered thing likely wouldn't welcome his weight added to it, so he took caution in hand.

-dun-

"Hiya, big guy!" Sounded a cheery voice from behind. His inspection interrupted, Morrian turned about to face the beaming creature.

"Who are you?" The crocodile's eyes naturally drifted to the blade on the cat creature's side. He was armed. The little cat was unlike anything he had yet seen. He'd seen the cat-kin but this thing more closely resembled a human. Morrian's orange eyes pierced at him with suspicion. "Where'd you come from? Were you sent here by Ulakah?" The cat certainly didn't seem threatening but Morrian didn't live this long on trust. Anything could be a threat.

Despite trying to prove intimidating it was just too damned cold! Morrian crossed his arms over his bare chest to reserve some semblance of heat. Behind the cat two others had literally arrived from nowhere. A feat that was apparently common here. Regardless, he needed to get inside that building. Now! Talk would have to wait.

The bridge had thus far been holding possibly hundreds of pounds or more of snow for who knew how long. Dangling such a distance it would need to be strong. More stared at it hesitantly. Mustering courage he moved onto the swaying planks and started forward.

The hooded boy walked slowly through the dim forest. As he trudged down the little-used path, the brush nearby shifted as unknown creatures scurried about. The tall trees loomed overhead, only letting scant shafts of sunlight through. The boy walked walked through, taking each step with deliberate purpose. He occasionally and took a moment to survey his surroundings, as if to search for something. He continued walking, taking slow, steady steps, going deeper into the dark forest.

A faint twitter made the boy stop once again and look to the skies, visible through a clearing in the trees. The twittering became a little louder, and a small red bird soon appeared in the sky. The boy manoeuvred his gloved hand out of the folds of his thick brown travelling cloak. He brought it up to his face and pulled off his hood, the fabric falling back easily to reveal the boy's shiny blond hair and bright blue eyes. The blond boy looked up and held his hand out to the sky. The little red bird flew low and gracefully landed on the boy's hand.

"Welcome back, Robin." The boy said, smiling. "How was your search?"

The bird twittered to the boy, as if it was talking to him. The boy listened quietly, as if he understood. The little red bird seemed to finish and the boy smiled brightly.

"Great, we're almost there." He said. "Thanks, Robin."

The boy brought his hand up to his shoulder, and with a little flap of its wings, the little red bird hopped off of his hand, settling on the boy's shoulder like it was at home. The boy smiled as the little red bird settled in, once again appreciative for its company. Next, the boy brought his other hand out from under his cloak and cuppped both around his mouth.

"Blade! Robin's back, and I know where we're going now!" He called out.

A nearby shifted and a small, sleek black shape hurtled out of it, landing on the ground covered in leaves. The boy laughed cheerfully and went to retrieve his dark friend. The small black shape got up to its thin feet and shook off the foliage attached to its feathers before letting out a hearty caw! The boy chuckled, crouching down and offering his left hand to the crow.

"Come on Blade, we're almost there, I promise." He said, smiling.

The crow huffed and hopped onto the boy's open palm before jumping onto his gloved wrist. The boy rose, smiling while the little red bird twittered a greeting and the crow responded with deep warbling.

"Let's go, guys, the exit's just over there." The boy said.

The birds cooed in response as the boy started walking. The boy smiled contentedly, happy to be on a journey with his friends.

---

As Levi and co travelled through the forest, they made some light conversation. It was perhaps ill-advised to do so in an unknown forest, but the creatures in the forest were mostly solitary, and they knew not to try fighting two magical birds and a human. It was mostly due to genetic fear. The great war of ages past had long since instilled a fear of man and bird in the beasts that remained. This was a great boon for the group, as they were weaker than they appeared. A young boy travelling with his young bird friends. Robin and Blade hadn't the strength of other birds yet, and Levi himself was quite young. It was a blessing that the creatures of the forest avoided his group, solely for their membership to an opposing species. The same could not be said of the creatures that weren't of the forest...

As Levi walked, the brightly lit exit soon emerged from behind the countless trees.

"Look, it's right there!" Levi said, pointing it out with his right hand.

Robin twittered cheerily where she stood on his shoulder while Blade warbled contentedly on Levi's left arm. But as Levi began walking to the exit, he suddenly noticed a small shrine just off the path. Curiosity got the best of him, and he went to investigate. Robin twittered nervously and blade warbled his disapproval.

"Don't worry, it won't take long." Levi assured them.

Levi walked softly up to the shrine. It was a ramshackle affair, covered in moss and plants. The design was intriguing, like nothing he'd ever seen. It was quite out of place in the dark green forest, it seemed to be made of light gray stone, the likes of which couldn't be native to the region. It was curious, as there had been no signs of any ancient civilisations that might have put the peculiar shrine there, nor were there signs of any humans having ever lived in the dark forest. However, the most curious thing was the rough stone in the center of the shrine, as if the entire thing was dedicated to the single curious, bumpy stone. Levi reasoned, however, that if any stone had reason to be enshrined, this particular stone might just be the one to be so.

It was beautiful. Levi had seen the best gems the country could offer, and every single one paled in comparison to the one before him. Not only was it visibly completely pure despite its roughness, but it also had a seemingly impossible depth to it, bringing a feeling of flying through distant skies, simply while one was studying it. As he looked in it, the colours shifted like the movement of thousands of stars. Levi got the feeling that he was looking at something few people would ever see, and as he tilted his head, he could see even more. It felt like he was looking at something far away, similar to when he looked through a telescope, only so much bigger. It felt like he could look at it forever, studying the dark surface, counting each pinprick of light like the stars in the night sky.

"CAW!" Blade screeched.

Blade's screech had snapped Levi out of his trance and he glanced quickly around, surprised at Blade's sudden outburst. Robin twittered a warning as figures burst forth from the undergrowth of various shapes and sizes. Levi cursed his inattentiveness and backed up towards the shrine. Blade jumped off his arm into flight as Levi reached to his back for his crossbow. Pulling the ornate gold-plated weapon free of his cloak, he quickly pointed it at the approaching shapes who outnumbered him heavily. The figures stopped, completely surrounding Levi, revealing themselves to be roughly dressed men with crude weapons.

Bandits! Levi thought.

Blade hovered at Levi's side, waiting for orders. Things didn't look good for them. A large man with an eyepatch and axe walked out from the crowd and turned a gap-toothed grin towards Levi's group.

"Lookie here, boys!" The bandit leader said, grin getting wider as he spoke. "Looks like we got a big catch!"

Levi took aim at the approaching bandits, but he only had one light arrow. Robin twittered nervously while Blade eyed the bandits around them. There was only time for one shot, and if he took care of the leader, maybe the others would leave...

"Give up! There's 20 of us and one of you!" The bandit leader said, reading Levi's expression. "Kill him, boys!"

Levi took aim at the bandit leader, preparing to shoot as the bandits charged. He only had one shot, so he had to make this count. Robin twittered in alarm and Blade prepared to strike, but Levi called to them.

"Robin, Blade! Fusion!" He yelled.

Robin and Blade turned to streaks of red and black, vanishing into Levi's gold plated crossbow before it emmitted a blinding flash of light and stopped the bandits in their tracks. The light faded off to reveal the boy and the crossbow as before, but the crossbow had a large metallic crow mounted there, as well as what appeared to be a red telescope.

Got to make this count... Levi thought.

As the bandits backed up in trepidation, Levi took aim at the bandit leader and stepped back to make the shot, just as he was about to fire. As he put his foot down, however, it slipped on a stray rock, forcing Levi off balance. Then everything slowed down. Levi turned as he reached back to grab something to regain his footing. The bandit leader roared in triumph and sent his men to attack. Levi's hand reached something hard as his head turned. When Levi's hand grabbed the hard object, Levi's eyes saw it. It was the stone.

---

Suddenly, the all too far-away scenes in the stone sped towards him. The forest and the bandits disappeared beneath the stone's dark countenance and the ground flew away from Levi. The lights sped past his eyes, some close, some far. They were gone in seconds, and despite Levi's attempts to see them, he could barely glimpse things as they passed him. As Levi sped through the stone's space, unsure of where he was going. He shut his eyes at the glare of a particularly close star when the air was sucked out of his lungs and the pressure in his ears reached their zenith. All too suddenly, it stopped, and Levi was met with complete silence. Even then, Levi was afraid to open his eyes.

It was only until he felt a fresh freezing wind did he realise that he felt the ground beneath his prone body. Levi slowly opened his eyes, finding an unfamiliar area. He quickly rose to a sitting position, hoping his eyes were just playing ticks. What greeted his eyes was a worn mural of a strange creature, in the eye of which was the stone that had started it all. And snow. Snow as far as the eye could see. He glanced around, trying to get his bearings, but found he couldn't. The land was different, the ground was different, even the sky was different. While it was possibly just the weather, Levi felt like it was more than that. The sensations he felt when he touched the stone and the thing she saw... Levi knew that he wasn't home.

Levi got on his feet, pulling his arms free of the snow drift piled on him. His right arm came up, still holding the crossbow, but the crossbow was normal. Levi panicked when the crossbow came without his friends and frantically glanced around.

"Robin! Blade!" Levi yelled desperately.

For a few worrying moments, Levi heard nothing but the echoes of his voice before -

"CAW!"

Levi heard a familiar cry and turned around to the welcome sight of a familiar black shape, with another equally welcome familiar red shape on its back, coming in from the sky. Levi cried out in relief, dropping his crossbow and opening his arms wide. Blade flew into Levi's open arms and Levi wrapped them both in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you guys are alright!" Levi said, smiling in relief.

Robin twittered a happily within Levi's arms while Blade made a muffled warble. The trio's reunion was cut short, however, as another cold wind made Levi shiver. The birds hopped onto his shoulders as Levi pulled up his cloak. As soon as it was up, Robin dashed into the snug cloak, pressing against Levi's neck. Blade squeezed in the opposite side, turning to poke his head out next to Levi's face. Levi brushed both of them with his hands, their bodies pleasantly warm against his head.

Despite the added body heat, the cold wind still chilled Levi himself. His clothes weren't made for the cold temperatures. He certainly wouldn't freeze to death, however, and the clothes were warm enough to serve quite comfortably. If it got much colder, however, it would be another matter.

Levi refastened his crossbow to his back and shut his cloak up as tightly as he could. That done, he looked around and realised that there were others around him, a little ways out. They looked strange, and Levi had certainly never seen them, nor anyone like them. He was in an alien world, with no idea how to get home.

"Where in the world are we?" Levi asked.

Robin twittered nervously and Blade said nothing. They didn't have any answers either.

-dun-

A sudden jolt knocked the air out of his lungs. He felt the ground give way and he could see nothing but pitch black.

Felix tried to scream. One hand clasped over his throat while the other swung out, reaching for anything to cling in that nothingness. The gem that he held, slipped from his grasp.

And in that instant his hand gripped something and his vision returned. He gulped in a huge breath of air, and violently coughed as the chill rushed to his lungs.

Wheezing, he looked with wide open eyes at the frozen mound of ice in his hand.

His vision began to swim. He could see figures, blurry figures all around him. In the distance he swore he saw a cabin, smoke rising from the top.

As he fell to his knees he noticed the gem had vanished.

"Bloody... hell," he coughed out and fell prone onto the snow, drifting into unconsciousness.

Celadon squinted at the harsh white of the snow as he trod through the deep snow, all the while bitterly cursing the freezing temperature with the names of all the gods he knew of. There were many reasons why he lived in a tropical climate and not having his paws freezing off was one of them!

Teeth chattering through the freezing wind Celadon then began to ponder how he had even gotten onto this accursed mountain top. As far he knew he had been sleeping for much of the day so sleep walking might have been a possibility, if it weren’t so absurd as the nearest climate like this was at least a few weeks walk away. No wait, there was something else.

Celadon paused mid-walk for a moment to take another look over his surroundings (white snow and buildings on platforms, how interesting) as well as focus on the little memory he had found.

He had been woken up by the Children at some point during his nap, and so of course the memory was very fuzzy and felt more like a half forgotten dream, to show him this odd stone they had found. It was very pretty and looked as if the stars and been captured within it. Of course being half asleep at the time Celadon had simply nodded and smiled before going back to sleep. But now Celadon was wide away because it was absolutely freezing and he was certain that any minute now his tail was going to fall off!

Stepping carefully onto a creaking bridge one thing Celadon knew was the he wasn’t anywhere near Kiengry anymore, being unable to feel the comforting swell of power surrounding him which meant he was less powerful than he was used to. Still, he could probably summon a very small storm and give someone a nasty shock.

His ears twitched, picking up the sounds of a conversation, and his attention was drawn to his left where on another platform a number of humanoid people had gathered. All of them looked to be very different but he was relieved to have at least found someone else up here none the less with only a snow covered bridge between them
.
“Hello there” Celadon called over to the group through chattering teeth. “Nice to see someone else up here.”

He stepped onto the bridge which protested beneath his weight, but Celadon was too preoccupied to notice.

“Don’t suppose any of you know where I am?” The bridge whimpered quietly. “Only I’m a bit lo-” The low ominous noise of braking ice cut off the rest of his sentence.

He stood there in a mixture of surprise and fear whilst the bridge beneath his paws groaned and shifted. The clock tied around his neck ticked twice. Celadons stomach did numerous flips and he yelped in surprise to find his back end suddenly sink through what he had thought to be a bridge. Front paws clawing desperately at the snow and back paws flailing in the abyss below Celadon had discovered for the first time in his life that bridges made of ice were, unfortunately, a thing.

"So i'm definately no... Uh... What did you call them again? Ulakan? Questioned the little oddball.

"Ulakah. It's a fallen god. No more than an idol. Or so I thought until it sent me here..." Morrian was skeptical of both magic and godly things. Magic was fickle. It often had drawbacks and didn't always work the way you meant it to. In his land witches and sorcerers often needed to make certain sacrifices for a spell of significance to work.

"Hey, are you all cold?" Morrian didn't bother to respond to this one, his very annoyed expression, if it were recognizable on his grizzled maw, was a clear response. It was pretty obvious that he was under dressed for the weather. Thankfully he was somewhat attuned to colder weather due to living in the harsher climates of the northern savage lands as a slave. Though his cell was in a warmer area of the stronghold it was nonetheless blistering cold outside. Being a slave, his value to the barbaric overseer was as a gladiator, an unwilling killer. As such he was not afforded comforts. Only tools to kill and entertain.

Morrian did not even consider Mayonaka's offer. Magic was out of the question! "No! Keep your magics to yourself." He responded abruptly. The cat's distraction held him from crossing the bridge when he intended to. All of the arrivals created an annoying situation. Who was he to be a helper? He paused a moment in deep thought, the cat drifting away from importance. The group gathering beyond starting to draw his attention. Particularly the man who had appeared and fallen down. Mayo was not peering in the right direction and couldn't see it happen but the crocodile could.

Trudging over was no problem, though he grew colder by the moment and time was of the essence. Morrian glared at the others imposingly as he passed his way to the unconscious figure in the back. An out of place tiger was about to fall into the abyss, yammering something he couldn't understand over the wind. He looked to the others and commanded. "Help it, it speaks." There's no way he would prove helpful there. If a cat couldn't rightly walk in that direction without issues neither could he.

The human on the ground was in shock from the travel. However bad of shape he was in would need to be determined later. Right now he needed to be saved from a chill sleep. No warrior should die from the cold. He bent over and slung the man over his shoulder. Holding him firm he galoshed through the snow. Their path to safety seemed treacherous but necessary. Morrian paused next to Mayonaka. "If you insist on using magic, listen. Should this bridge fail save this man." He afterward gestured a free thumb to his chest. "I'll save myself."

Morrian took the first few steps onto the stuttering bridge. It swayed back and forth like laundry on a clothesline during a windy day. It would be very awkward if the man woke up right now.

Everyone in Gaillimh knew that their own native girl and moderately famous mystery writer Lugseach NicAonguis NíTuathail liked to stop by her hometown for a hike in the nearby hills and clear her mind from the stresses of life. A deadline not more than a week ahead and threats from her publisher to drop her entirely if this book flops. Ugh, things didn't look to good. Lugseach sat herself upon a nearby stump and lit up a cigarette as she looked around.

Gaillimh changed so much since she was last there. Manannán Mac Lir had blessed the city with gold and furs among other things in the olden days when the New World was found. It remained an important city for Éire, allowing them to control the western seas and keep Dál Riata away from supremacy. That made Lugseach feel good, knowing that Neither the other Ireland nor their Saxon allies would ever threaten them again. With Cymru back on its feet and the Lords of Engeland at its mercy, all she had to worry about was rent.

Right, that was why she was here after all. Lugseach stamped out the cigarette and went to continue her hike until a glimmering stone caught her eye.

"By Danu, what is that..." Lugseach spoke to herself as she inspected the glimmering item. It wasn't very large, but it stood out like a sore thumb in the forest. "I'm suprised no one has taken this yet" the girl said with a smirk as she went to pick up the rock. "With my luck the damn stone will be a stolen treasure" she giggled as she wrenched it free of the tangled grasses.

With that, everything suddenly began to go dark for her. Sickness took hold as her stomach wrenched and a ringing and her own heartbeat as all she can hear. The darkness gives way to brilliant light that rush forward ever faster and faster before blending into one burst of shimmering gleam before Lugseach finds herself on the ground, sick to her stomach and dizzy as all hell.

"aaa....mo cheann.." the writer uttered as she lifts herself, the free hand cradling her own head as she waits for everything to blur back into normal. "An bhfuil duine éigin liom anseo?" she utters out, still a bit dizzy to quite make out anyone around her aside from vague shadows of what would likely be people. It was cold, but she was lucky to be in her favorite jacket, dating back from her days with the Army when they were invading Engeland. It still fit just right, she didn't feel so drowned in it like when she was in Caerdydd. That being said, the snow hurt her face, and the cold winds weren't helping much to ease the stinging. Starting to get here bearings straight, Lugseach began walking towards the figures and what looked to be a cabin of some sort. Smoke was good, smoke meant someone was inside.

-dun-

Morrian took the first few steps onto the stuttering bridge. It swayed back and forth like laundry on a clothesline during a windy day.

Walking along the bridge proved to be a most difficult act. The well-maintained planks did not crack nor bow under his weight; the ice-sharp wind that swirled up from below was the greater threat. The bridge wobbled and shuddered, but promised a safe arrival.

"You.... may wanna just throw that guy across, muscle man! Would be a lot easier!" Mayonaka spoke, before the youth ran toward the bridge, and with a stunning leap, flipped forward no more than three times before the nimble cat boy landed on the otherside of the bridge, waving his hands with a beaming grin.

"Ta-da! Throw em over!"

Behind the Ruby Magician, the door of the house creaked open. Warm light illuminated the snow from within.

In the doorway stood a rusty little robot.

It was a bit shorter than Mayonaka, and looked to be made out of scrap metal and spare parts, with dim round lights for eyes that blinked curiously -- possibly due to a malfunction. At the center of its chest was a compass that gently pointed toward the stone in the mountain face.

The robot whirred and clicked. It stared at Mayonaka, then cast its blinking eyes across to the bridge at Morrian. With a shy shuffle, it opened the door wider and stepped aside to let them in.

Inside, the room was bare except for a wide hearth burning warmly at the far wall. A faded magic circle had been painted on the floor many years ago, and had since been worn deep into the floorboards.

Beside the hearth, a woman in green stood serenely. She had strange sweeping horns and long pointed ears, and though she smiled with a youthful face, her robes were old and frayed.

She had been expecting company.

"You.... may wanna just throw that guy across, muscle man! Would be a lot easier!" Mayonaka spoke, before the youth ran toward the bridge, and with a stunning leap, flipped forward no more than three times before the nimble cat boy landed on the otherside of the bridge, waving his hands with a beaming grin.

"Ta-da! Throw em over!"

Morrian shook his head at the spry catling. There was no way he was going to chuck the man. It would be like tossing wood in a furnace. The untold damage the man could suffer wouldn't be worth it.

The frosty bridge held his weight. It was built strong. Morrian's real struggle was against the fierce wind the chasm blasted him with. Unsteadily the bridge swayed but held firm with each focused step. In moments he was across and he took the unspoken invitation by the junky automaton.

Heat in the room made his cold extremities tingle. Morrian placed the man gently in a sitting position against a wall. Speaking was much easier now in the warmth. The sharp cold didn't assault his hairless nostrils anymore. "Thank you." He said gently. He sat upon the floor, the furnishings of the room appeared humble but lasting even as the bridge was.

The crocodile's eyes peered around the room longingly, searching for something before his sight returned to the lady in green. An air of magic seemed afoot, maybe she was the source. He was still cold, so he scooted closer to the hearth and muttered. "Do.. do you have a blanket I could use?" Morrian looked a little defeated as he asked, almost embarrassed that he needed something.

"Don't let him get away!"

"He's dead if I get my hands on him!"

Port Chastine was hailed as one of the largest seaside cities in its region of the Qrehn Sea and it was by far the most impressive settlement on its island. Ships docked there out of necessity to reveal or to drop off cargo whether it be merchandise or passengers. It was a popular hub for commerce as well. Surrounding its docks was a vast marketplace where buyers and sellers exchanged goods of all varieties. Naturally, as Port Chastine was a capital for economic practice, crime was to be found admit its fair business. The tourists were chief targets for thieves and it was no secret that the crime families had their hands in the pockets of the city's stock companies. In Port Chastine there were many who preyed on law abiding civilians. Then there were those who preyed on those predators.

But don't mistake them for just individuals.

"Excuse me, oops, my bad...not really!"

Shoving people out of his way as he charged to safety was a young dark skinned man who was dressed fashionably. Also barging through the patrons of Chastine's marketplace were a trio of large, burly men. Leading the pack of brutes as a much shorter and scrawnier man by comparison. While his thugs were dressed rugged, their shirts sleeveless so they could flex their muscles in the open, the man wore a nicely tailored suit which displayed his wealthy status. The young man they were pursuing was adamant to escape with the object in his hands. So adamant that he pushed a vendor's cart of cabbages into his pursuers, causing them all to topple into a heap. This agitated their leader who waved his fist at them angrily.

"Darn it you piece of street trash!" The rich man hissed. "Looks like I'll have to handle you myself!"

He pulled a flintlock pistol from out of his suit and aimed it at the young man. Without any regard for the fact that he was standing the heart of a crowded marketplace, the rich man fired. Fortunately for him, the young man was able to use his environment to his advantage and he whipped the corner just in time to avoid the round. He tore through an alley and finally found safety as he scaled the side of a building and ascended onto the rooftops.

"Hah, morons!" Ellis cackled as he marveled the necklace he had stolen.

He mind fluttered with speculation of its worth. When his hype simmered he leaped to the next rooftop and onward until he found himself at his hideout in Chastine's slums. The inside of the hideout was a total pigsty. Ellis has nowhere else to stash his illegally acquired possessions so all of the junk cluttered in his home into columns and clumps. It was all the stuff he failed to sell off on the black market. Over the years he discovered that a lot of things stolen from other criminals lacked legitimacy. There were a lot of replicators in Chastine who made a living off coating rocks to resemble gemstones. Ellis himself had been fooled quite a bit by these fakes. Thankfully he wasn't the one paying for them. He took one last gander at his most recent acquisition before placing it on a shelf where he could clearly see it. He would take it to his friend later to get its value appraised. Having gone through a lot of trouble to get the necklace, he would certainly be irritated if it were another fake.

As Ellis prepared to leave the necklace alone for the next few hours, a glimmer in its socket caught his eye. Within it noticed a peculiar gemstone - one that he had never seen before. Skeptical about its authenticity, Ellis decided that he give it a personal inspection before even wasting time bringing it to the appraiser. He shimmied out of the necklace and into his palm.

Nothing would ever be the same after that.

When Ellis revived he found that his body was mostly submerged beneath several feet of snow. No longer did he feel the warmth of Port Chastine's tropical breeze. His eyes darted around in shock. Winter was unknown to Port Chastine and since Ellis had never left the city once in his life, he never had the opportunity of feeling such a frost or touching snow. He had heard about it in passing from those who were well traveled while scouring the marketplace for his next victim. The substance felt soft - or at least that was what he thought. The cold numbed him within mere minutes of his regaining consciousness so he wasn't sure exactly what or how he felt. He was dressed improperly for the weather, his loose fitting clothing exposing him. He felt the tips of his unprotected fingers blister. He need not waste time worrying about his toes for he wasn't even sure he still had them. The young man had to get warmth soon or else he would surely freeze to death. He desperately searched for shelter. Luckily, across an untrustworthy bridge, was a house that looked cozy enough to squat in.

Now if only he could make it there.

Ellis forced his way through the snow and across the bridge. It was there he was met with the presence of other entities. Regardless of their morals it was a good thing for a guy like him. If he were bad he could be worse. If they were good they could be used - same as if they were neutral. At his arrival Ellis noted that the door to the house was already opened with some contraption holding it open. Rudely and without permission he weaseled his way inside. He wasn't taking anymore chances with the frigidness.

After entering he heard someone ask for a blanket. He didn't pay much attention to the physical details of those around him, if he did he would find that a rather odd party had congregated within the house. Ellis' only concern was warming up. Never again did he want to dabble in the cold.

"I'd like one to," Ellis requested in addition to the crocodile person. "Does anyone know the quickest way back to Chastine? Can't deal with this no more."

Well, he wasn’t dead. Which in Celadons book was a very good thing indeed.

“Thank you.” Celadon spoke, after escaping from his saviours hug. “If it weren’t for you I dread to think of what might have happened.”

He shivered and cringed, though whether it was from the icy wind or the thought of the drop even Celadon was uncertain. But on the plus side he was alive and with a few others, the one who saved him appeared to be quite powerful despite being quite obviously a child even if just in mind
None of the people around him looked to be from any races Celadon had seen before. But they didn’t appear to be aggressive either, if anything they appeared to be as lost and confused as he was. However as curious as Celadon was, outside in the cold certainly wasn’t the best place to strike up a conversation. The inside of the hut on the other hand was almost perfect.

After a quick shake down to be rid of the snowflakes hiding away in his fur, and sending them almost everywhere else as little droplets of icy water, Celadon too thanked their host.

“Hope you don’t mind us all hiding from the cold in here.” It was feeling a little bit crowded in such a small little shack.

“It’s at times like this I wish I was a fire elemental.” Celadon chuckled politely, looking around the room at each of the strangers. “Could’ve warmed us all up in a jiffy.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know about such a place.” He replied to the newest arrival with a small shrug and a frown. How very rude of them to barge in without knocking, although considering the weather Celadon didn’t blame him. “Not even from around here either, just sort of woke up in the storm. Silly I know but true.”

“Perhaps you could tell us where are...um?” Celadon then realised that he had no idea of their host’s name, or even the names of all the others around him. “I’m Celadon by the way, from Kiengry. Not really anywhere near here that much I do know, bit too cold for my liking.”

-dun-

The crocodile's eyes peered around the room longingly, searching for something before his sight returned to the lady in green. An air of magic seemed afoot, maybe she was the source. He was still cold, so he scooted closer to the hearth and muttered. "Do.. do you have a blanket I could use?" Morrian looked a little defeated as he asked, almost embarrassed that he needed something.

"I'd like one to," Ellis requested in addition to the crocodile person. "Does anyone know the quickest way back to Chastine? Can't deal with this no more."

“Perhaps you could tell us where are...um?” Celadon then realised that he had no idea of their host’s name, or even the names of all the others around him. “I’m Celadon by the way, from Kiengry. Not really anywhere near here that much I do know, bit too cold for my liking.”

"S- sorry there! I didn't notice you! And... Uh... Wait... Elvinians don't have horns! Uh... Who are you, miss lady?" Mayonaka then gazed at the glyph upon the floor and stared inquisitively at it, crawling on all fours he scampered to it and gazed with interest, smiling. "Hey, did you carve this Glyph? What's it for?" He asked the horned, long eared woman, perking his head up to look at her. As the boy did, he sat down, wiggling his legs excited at what it meant.

The woman only offered a gently amused smile while the littlest feline made valiant attempts to comfort his fellow travelers, as wet and shivering as they were. She herself had no comforts to offer them -- the room was entirely bare save for the hearth and a single small table beside her that held a book and a box.

The small robot continued to stand in the doorway, blinking brokenly out at the thickening snow, waiting for others to approach via the swinging bridge, ready to assist them if necessary.

"I am sorry," the woman told Morrian and Ellis with a quiet bow of her head. "I have nothing but the warmth of the fire to offer you, but you may stay here as long as you wish. While you warm yourselves, I will answer your questions as best I can.

"I am Elurra. My friend here is Spook." The little robot turned its head around, blinked at the room, and turned back to focus intensely on the snow. Elurra's smile turned to Mayonaka and his intense interest in the rune on the floor. "This is a Circle of Eternity," she told him by means of satiating his curiosity. "It means that time stands still in this room. While you are here you will not hunger, nor thirst, nor sleep, nor age." There was no telling how long she had stayed here, alone in this room where nothing changes.

She raised her eyes to the others. "This is the outpost at the edge of the mountain -- in a world very different from those worlds from which you have come." The wind outside whistled and howled. In the distance, thunder rumbled. "Chastine," she turned her eyes to Ellis, "and Kiengry," she looked to Celadon, "are impossible to return to without the help of immense power. Each of you -- so varied in species and clothing -- is from a different world. A different dimension, if you will. There is no road that will lead any of you home. I am sorry."

Elurra bowed her head again in apology. When she rose, she looked each of them in the eyes, as if assessing their strength.

"Of course, should you choose to take the path of the stones which brought you here, there is a chance you may see home again."

Celadon

Celedon frowned with, understandably, a great deal of concern at this information. While the lack of blankets or anything a warm caused Celadon little concern, while not built for Artic climates his fur did help a bit to keep him warm, it was more of the idea that he was a lot further away from home than he had anticipated.

Although it was slightly distracting to have the small child running about the place, no doubt the others would be finding his antics to wear down on their patience in a little bit.

“Well at least we have some idea of where we are now.” Celadon said to the others with a reassuring smile and a shrug (an impressive feat for a quadruped). “As well as what we should do next.”
“Don’t suppose you have any idea where it is we should go next to find more of those stones that lead us here, Elurra?” He then returned his focus to their host. “Any help you could provide would be most welcome.”

“Even if there is only a small chance I’d very much like to at least try to get home. And what about you, you little Rascal?” Celadon asked whilst reaching for the child and pulling them out of the way, and out of causing mischief.

“Got any houses where you’re from to burn down with that fire magic of yours?” He asked with a friendly chuckle.

Morrian leaned toward the fire. His initial reaction to Mayonaka jumping on his shoulders was to brush him off with an irritated grunt. It was not such a bad thing that he was lost from his world. Listening to the others he couldn't help but not care. There was nothing for him back in Ghurnas. A race enslaved, a culture destroyed. That was all there was left of his people.

"I have no need to return. But I know I can't stay here." Morrian reasoned. He turned to glance toward their host Elurra. She had his attention.