Krystal rose early in the morning with anticipation. It was the she was supposed to begin her journey. Almost a month had passed since the Brazells had received word of Kristoph’s, Krystal’s twin brother, disappearance. It had been a week since Krystal had finally convinced the council of elders to allow her to go and seek him. In a short while she would set off to search for him.

Krystal walked out of her room and into the family’s living/kitchen/dining room. She held in her hands her short bow and quiver of arrows. Her mother and father were already waiting for her with a small breakfast prepared. “Come and eat,” her mother called looking up from the table as she heard the door open, “you will need your strength for the journey ahead of you.”

Krystal remembered Kristoph’s breakfast the day that he had set off on his journey. There had been much rejoicing and celebrating his “coming of age.” A few tears were shed, of course, but it had been a much more glorious meal than this. Everyone sat in silence picking away at their food.

“Well it is time,” Krystal said in a hushed voice as she rose from her seat. Her mother let out a small sniffle without even rising. Her father crossed the room and picked up something wrapped in cloth. With a tear in his eye he held it out to Krystal.

“I gave the only two swords from the days when I was young and gallivanting across Arda to your two brothers (Krystal had an older brother who was on his own adventure, somewhere along the eastern coast.). All I can offer you from my youth is this. May it bring you home safely.”

Krystal took it from him. She knew what it was before she pulled the wrappings off. As the strings fell to the floor the cloths slid off to reveal an old rune shield with a glorious pattern of red and blue. Tears rolled down Krystal’s cheeks as she embraced her fathers shield. A small “thank you,” escaped her lips as she bowed her head.

Krystal left her father and mother’s side walking into the dimly lit dirt road. A younger looking man, appearing to be in his thirties, was waiting on her outside. “Hello, Olan,” she said spotting her older cousin, “have you come to see me off?”

The man, named Olan, nodded as he picked up something from the ground behind him. “I wanted to give you this,” he said holding out a spear, “the world is a dangerous place. I will rest better knowing you hold the same weapon that protected me through it. Please take it.”

Krystal nodded as she accepted the token from her cousin. “I know Kristoph is safe somewhere,” Olan said choking on his breath, “I am sure you will find him and bring him back to us. You should go now. Good luck.” The two hugged and parted ways. Krystal walked toward the eastern side of town; Odin walked toward the west.

“Leaving already,” came a voice from the shadows as Krystal reached the edge of the town, “I havn’t even said my good byes.” It was one of the elders, a great uncle to Krystal. He held in his hands the reigns to a young black horse. “You know it is custom that we (the town) provide one of our own with a horse before they set out on their journey. You would not want to be breaking tradition would you?”

The two smiled awkwardly at each other as the approached each other and embraced. “He is a fine stallion. He only need but a name.” The elder took her hand and placed the reigns into it. “Now I must go. I have many chores to do. You take care and come back safely.”

Krystal bid the man good bye as he walked away. She turned to the open valley ahead of her. She had never left home before and had never intended to. This was a moment she had never thought would come to her. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she mounted her new horse.

“Well, I guess this is it. Just, you and me now,” she said patting the horse’s head, “I guess you will need a name. How about I call you Fuego? Would you like that name?” The horse let out a grunt as if approving and kicked the ground with its front legs. “Very well then Fuego, let go.”

The two sped off into the distance leaving their homes behind. The trotted along well into the morning going father than either had been before. Krystal sang to her horse as the rode, trying to pass the time. They were headed for the sanctuary of angel’s. It was custom for the men in her family to go there and pray for guidance as they began the journeys. Krystal thought she might as well honor the tradition even though she was not a male.

Her family’s village sat on the northern part of the weastern coast, so Krystal needed to pass through the Tuarerosa Rainforest to get to the sanctuary. It was late in the afternoon on her second day out when she arrived at the edge of the jungle. The air around her was already humid. She dreaded how bad the humidity would be when she was actually in the rainforest.

Slowly she led Fuego forward into the forest. The forest was home to the biggest bugs Krystal had ever seen, blood-sucking, skin poisoning ugly bugs. Snakes and other slimy creatures crawled, or slid, across the wet forest floor. It was not a place that she wanted to make her home.

She heard odd noises and saw strange eyes glowing at her from the darkness. Things seemed to run past her in the shadows making the whole forest seem spooky. I wonder what else must live here.

Ethari was soaring in the night sky. He started his flight in a small village. He was headed to the sanctuary of angels to visit his Mother like paladin teacher. When his parents was killed she took him under her wing and taught her everything she knew about basic paladins. He learned most of his aerial combat moves.

The night sky shone with beautiful stars. His element was stars so he loved to soar in the night skies. He even named his dove Cataraza after his family star. Right now he could see it in the distance over the horizen. Sweat beaded on his forehead as the humidaty increased. To avoid heat he banked and landed about a half a mile from the edge of the rain forest. He broke a few branched off and made a small fire. He gathered larger logs to fend off any beasts who intended to feast on his helpless body. He rest down on his bed mat and slept.

Time passed as Krystal rode through the forest. Her voice wafted through the trees. She had begun singing to distract herself from the moving creatures in the bushes. Her song calmed her nerves as well as Fuego’s who was no longer whimpering about every little motion in the distance or sound that crept about.

It was now late in the day. Krystal did not like the idea of stopping in this place, but it looked as though she would have no choice. She continued riding deeper into the forest until she found a nice clearing where she and her horse could rest. After a short meal, she began her evening prayers as was custom in her family.

“…please,” Krystal prayed to the gods, “guide me along my journey. Help me to find my lost brother, Krystoph, alive and well,” she was unable to finish her prayer because she heard something large moving close by. By the sound of it, it was a lot larger than anything else that had been creeping about all day.

She reached for her bow which lay beside her. She strung it quickly and knocked an arrow. She strained her eyes to pierce the darkness, but she could not see anything stirring. Krystal remained silent and still, watching the direction from where the sound had come.

After a while she saw something flickering in through the trees. A heavy smell of burning logs floated through the trees to her. She shifted closer trying to see what was going on. She still could not see anything moving, but there was with out doubt a fire burning through the trees. She saw the tongues of fire dancing upon the dead wood.

She threw her arrow back into her quiver and flung her bow onto her back. She quietly crossed the clearing to her horse and gathered her shield and spear. “Be quiet,” she whispered into Fuego’s ear, “I will be back in a second.”

She took off into the forest heading for the fire. She kept her shield in front of her body and held her spear lowered in case any wild beast ambushed her. She crept close to the clearing where the fire was coming from. She hid in the shadows trying to see into the clearing but saw nothing. ‘Is anyone there,” she questioned the darkness.

" Wha.. What!" Ethari awoke to a women crouching towards him spear drawn. Instinctivly he unfolded his angel wings and rocketed a few feet in the air. Even though it was instinct in a surprise sitituation he would be heavely wounded.

His bow and arrows were in his tent but he always wore his belt and sword on while he slept. His dove, Cataraza also awoke with a start and flew away, as Ethari had told her to do in the past. He didnt want any one to harm his only family.

He cast detect evil to see if she was evil, and found that she wasnt. He didnt want to waste his energy so he made the radius extermly short, short enough to at least reach her.

He drew his sword and said cautiosly " I am Ethari Xilophent, Angel and paladin of the stars, soon to be cetsial paladin in the Order of the Istari."