Maeko left Arakan that same night, realizing she could not face Brother Sugnar right away. “I need some time to think, to set my mind straight”, she thought as she left the town of Arakan behind. She knew travelling at night wasn’t safe, so she went to the nearest place where she knew she would be safe, the Templar’s tower. As much as she disliked Sirisar, she felt it would be best to ask for their hospitality again and see if they would let her spend the night there.

The early spring nights were still cold and thick drops of rainwater fell on her face from the forest canopy. It didn’t take long for her to reach the Templar’s tower, with its spire piercing the canopy high above her. She was about to knock on the door when it opened by itself. “Come in, warm yourself by the hearth, of course you are welcome.” It was Sirisar who had opened the door. Maeko thanked him and stepped inside wondering how Sirisar knew what she was thinking. “I know it’s late, but would you care for some tea?”, he asked. Maeko sat down in a comfortable chair in front of the hearth and before she had answered his question Sirisar sat down too, putting two steaming cups of tea on the table.

“How did you know I wanted tea?”, she asked. “Can you read my mind?” Sirisar sipped from his tea and looked Maeko in the eye. “I’m a wizard, but I’m not a mind reader”, he answered. “I just pay close attention to my surroundings and can often guess what someone wants or needs. Not by using a magic trick, but simply by observing.” This was not a satisfactory answer for Maeko. She leaned towards Sirisar. “Explain this to me please”, she insisted. Sirisar smiled, “With pleasure. I asked if you wanted tea, and I noticed a faint smile on your lips and a glimmer in your eyes while you were rubbing your hands. You probably didn‘t notice this yourself, but they were signals that convinced me your answer would be yes.” Maeko thought about this. “But how did you know I was coming and wanted to spend the night here wondering if I would be welcome?” Maeko looked at Sirisar and was sure he couldn‘t talk his way out of this one. Sirisar threw some more wood onto the fire. “That wasn’t so hard. Of course you were wondering whether you were welcome here, because you don’t really like me and thought you might be unwanted here. And I knew you were coming because I saw you walking this way. I just came home myself from Arakan. You see, nothing magical, just logic and observations.”

Maeko smiled at him as she took her cup, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so suspicious of you Sirisar, thank you for your hospitality.” Sirisar waved her apology away, “Don’t worry, most people dislike me and find it hard to trust me. It’s because of what I am. People in general fear what they do not know.” They both stared into the fire for a while. Maeko noticed Sirisar’s face was actually very gentle and friendly, “He is not arrogant, I perceive him as arrogant because of what he is. It’s just his way, who am I to judge him for being who he is.” Maeko was pleased with this insight and promised herself that in the future she would think twice before judging people just by their looks and the way they act. Sirisar refilled their cups and stuffed his pipe. “I hope you don’t mind my asking, but when I was in Arakan I saw you following a funeral procession. My curiosity was aroused. I followed you and observed you while you were visiting the grave of those two people. I saw blue flames engulfing you and you were floating. What happened?” Maeko shuddered, but did not judge. At least he was honest. “What you saw was probably the visual manifestation of my spirit and mind becoming one. We call it enlightenment.” Sirisar was looking at her in awe. “Enlightenment”, he repeated, “I thought you were practicing magic.” Maeko recognized the genuine interest he had in her enlightenment, and could not deny him an explanation. Sirisar memorized her every word and was very happy learning about the Dragonmonks and their ways. When Maeko finished, he simply stated, “What a beautiful world, after all these years I still find new things to learn. Things I had no idea existed.” Maeko smiled at the childish joy in Sirisar’s eyes for learning something new.

Early next morning Maeko was getting ready to head back to the monastery. She felt well rested and looked forward to hiking back home. She said goodbye to Sirisar, who thanked her for sharing her story last night, and set off into the forest. The fresh spring leaves colored the trees green again and birds whistled all around her. The air smelled fresh and new. Soon the forest gave way to the magnificent rolling hills and grasslands of the Emerald Reach. Maeko felt reborn and by the time she walked up the steep narrow path leading to the monastery she had already forgiven Brother Sugnar. She realized his difficult situation, with on one side the will of her parents, on the other side their own relationship. She simply could not let this one issue, this one painful conflict, wipe away twenty-eight years of trust, friendship and love. She was mostly grateful that she had never been put at the heart of such a dilemma.

Brother Kalerac was the first brother she saw when she arrived back at the monastery. He jumped up in joy at the sight of Maeko and ran towards her, arms stretched out. Maeko smiled and they gave each other a loving hug. “Where were you, you had me worried.” Brother Kalerac asked. Maeko looked at him seriously. “Later Brother, I really need to see Brother Sugnar“. Brother Kalerac sighed, “He has been meditating for two days straight in the Great Hall. When he came back from this funeral he had attended, he seemed different. He went straight to the Great Hall and entered a deep state of meditation. We haven ‘t been able to talk to him and decided it best to leave him alone until he has found what he is looking for.” Maeko nodded, “I understand, but I think he will want to see me as well. Do you mind?” Brother Kalerac didn‘t oppose her so she made her way into the monastery and straight into the Great Hall.

Brother Sugnar was meditating in the center triangle of the mosaic floor. He was floating a few inches above the ground and his body was engulfed in blue flame. “So that’s what Sirisar saw”, Maeko thought. She approached Brother Sugnar and at the moment she reached the Dragon mosaic Brother Sugnar opened his eyes. She saw his eyes glowing with light that quickly faded as did the blue flames. Gently Brother Sugnar came back into contact with the floor. He looked at Maeko and stood up. They stared at each other for a minute without saying a word. Maeko sensed the guilt and sadness Brother Sugnar struggled with. Finally Maeko broke the silence. “I understand now”, she whispered, “there is nothing to forgive.” Brother Sugnar felt a tremendous weight lifted off of his shoulders. He stepped out of the circle and gently embraced Maeko. “I wish there could have been another way”, he whispered back. Maeko replied, “I know, but there wasn’t. This is the truth and it has no alternatives. That is the essence of truth.”

Brother Sugnar looked Maeko in the eye. “You have changed, I feel a connection. Your mind and spirit, they…” “They have brother, I am Maeko the truthful now.” Saying that reverberated through her entire being. Brother Sugnar smiled while tears rolled down his cheeks. “Oh Maeko, I am so proud of you. We must gather our brothers and sisters. And tonight we will celebrate. You had best change into your formal attire.” They presented each other with the formal greeting, and Maeko sensed they were no longer student and mentor. They were equals, Brother Sugnar could teach her nothing more. Maeko washed herself and changed into her formal attire. She was combing her hair when a strong vibration passed through her body. The Great Gong was sounded, something she had never felt before in all the years she had been a Dragonmonk. She wasn‘t quite sure what it meant, but knew it was sounded for her, and signaled a gathering of all her brothers and sisters in the Great Hall. The Gong was sounded again, vibrating through the air. Its sound could not be heard, only felt. Brother Sugnar knocked on her bedroom door. “Join us in the Great Hall Sister Maeko, your brothers and sisters await your arrival.”

Maeko felt nervous as she walked down the stairs while the Gong was being sounded again. She entered the Great Hall. Her brothers and sisters had formed a line leading to the center of the mosaic, where Brother Sugnar was standing inside the golden triangle. Her brothers and sisters were wearing their formal attire, but Brother Sugnar was dressed in an angelic white robe with red hemlines on its sleeves, collar and at the bottom. The black silhouette of a dragon chasing its tail was woven into each of the robes’ shoulders. He wore a black belt around his waist embroidered with red fists and a white band at each end. His legs were slightly spread, making his stance firm like the foundations of the monastery.

Maeko formally greeted her brothers and sisters, and walked towards Brother Sugnar. The Gong sounded again, and as she passed each Dragonmonk they formally greeted her shouting “Hiaa!” to strengthen the respect they were showing. Their voices echoed through the Great Hall seemingly synchronizing with the vibrations caused by the Gong. She reached Brother Sugnar and formally greeted him. Brother Sugnar stood still as a mountain, then formally greeted Maeko at the exact same time the Great Gong sounded again. Without saying a word he took a step back revealing a mahogany box he had been standing over. The box was inlaid with gems depicting the circular dragon and golden triangle just like the floor mosaic. He stepped further back and joined the other brothers and sisters who had formed a circle around Maeko. The Gong sounded and they all kneeled and crossed their arms in front of their chests. Brother Sugnar started the monotonous hum she had known all her life. The monks joined him as they all closed their eyes. The Gong sounded again and the ten huge statues, made in the image of the founders of the monastery, slowly opened their granite mouths and eyes. They joined the Dragonmonks in their humming, while their eyes lit up with the same blue fire that had engulfed her and Brother Sugnar before. Maeko felt the sound resonating through her body, mind and spirit, and saw the box opening in front of her. Her formal attire seemed to become ethereal and slowly faded away until she was fully naked. A blinding white light started rippling from the box until it fully encompassed her and everyone around her. She felt a soft material forming around her body. The Gong sounded again and the light started to fade. Slowly the box closed as the statues closed their eyes and their hum faded. Maeko was dressed exactly like Brother Sugnar now. The Gong sounded one last time. The Dragonmonks opened their eyes and let their humming fade away with the last vibrations of the gong. They all rose and Brother Sugnar stepped forward.

“Welcome, Maeko the Truthful, Monk of the Manyfists.” Her brothers and sisters repeated in unison, “Welcome, Maeko the Truthful.” That night they celebrated the rebirth of Maeko, the first one in over fifty years to become a master in the Way of the Manyfists. The festivities were happy and joyful, but in her heart Maeko felt her time at the Ten Dragons Monastery was coming to an end. She knew she would have to find a new road to walk down. It didn’t sadden her or frightened her. It was simply part of the Way of the Manyfists, and it felt right.

The next morning Brother Sugnar asked Maeko to come with him to the library. Sister Niru and Brother Kalerac had already sat down there. Maeko got comfortable in her favorite armchair and looked at her most beloved friends. She was well aware of the reason she was brought here, but waited patiently for Brother Sugnar to start talking. “Maeko, I have nothing left to teach you. You have taken all of my lessons to heart and made them part of your being. I have always respected you, but I’m afraid the time has come where our paths diverge.” Brother Kalerac and Sister Niru had serious expressions on their faces. Maeko smiled at them, “I agree Brother Sugnar, and I have studied the Way of the Manyfists extensively. It is time I go my own way, and teach others what you have taught me.” Brother Kalerac and Sister Niru sighed in relief. Maeko turned to Brother Kalerac. “Brother, worry not because you will be with me always. I have seen you age, yet you are still as beautiful to me as the day we met. I know on that damned day when Jarod’s father died, a piece of you died with him. Do not flatter me by doing the same when I turn the page to a new chapter of my life. I ask you to rejoice as this new page will be filled with stories like the ones you taught me to read and write. For that I am deeply grateful, as well as for your everlasting and unwavering good mood.” She noticed Brother Kalerac’s lower lip trembling and tears welling up in his eyes. He looked at her, and through the tears she saw that same joy and lust for life she cherished so much in him.

“And you Sister Niru, who was there for me in my darkest hour. Not only were you my sister, but in a way also my mother and best friend. You were there for me when I needed you most. Not once did you let me down, teaching me that friendship and loyalty are something no living soul can do without. You have inspired me and continue to do so. Know that when I am in a faraway place, that shall be my lesson to all who choose to follow me.” Sister Niru couldn’t stay seated any longer. She flung her arms around Maeko‘s neck, quickly followed by Brother Kalerac and Brother Sugnar. They held each other tight when Maeko started talking to Brother Sugnar. “My mentor, my father, there is nothing I can say to describe the gratitude I feel for you. I do not only carry you in my heart, you carry part of my heart in you. No matter how much time and distance is between us, we can never be untwined. You have been everything a child could wish for in a father. I love you deeply.”

The next couple of days Maeko prepared for her departure. She said her goodbyes, tied up loose ends and made sure to share a thought with each end every one of her brothers and sisters. On her last night in the monastery she sat in the library for one last time. “How I am going to miss this place”, she thought as she gazed into the dancing flames of the central fireplace. Her eyes looked at the bookcases, the paintings on the wall, the floor and ceiling. “I will always remember this as my home, as the place where I was…raised.” Brother Sugnar walked in and sat down next to Maeko. “I thought I’d find you here on your last night”, he kindly said. “So what are your plans for tomorrow and every day after that?” Maeko gazed into the fire again reviewing her decision, then nodded as if confirming what she was thinking. She turned to Brother Sugnar. “I will go to the Templars of the Arcane for a while, they have an extensive library.” She paused. “I want to learn more about the Emerald Reach, and what lies beyond its green fields and rugged mountains. The world is at my feet, and all I have to do is take a step to discover what is unknown to me. I will find a place to make new friends and create new bonds, and I look forward to it. And once I have found a place I wish to call home, I will pass on the Way of the Manyfists to all those who are willing to learn what I have learned.” Brother Sugnar felt intensely proud of his former pupil. “I know you will find that place, I can feel it in my heart and my spirit. And they have never lied to me.” They sat in silence enjoying each other’s presence for one last time.It was already past midnight when Brother Sugnar stood up to get some sleep. Maeko asked him to wait. “There is one more loose end I need to tie up”, she said. Brother Sugnar looked at her wondering what that might be. Maeko took a scroll from under her robe. “Do you recognize this?”, she asked. Brother Sugnar walked over to her and nodded, “I do dear, I do to well. It’s the scroll your father left when he placed you in my care. Countless times I have cursed its existence, but I could never find the heart to destroy it, because I felt it contained your truth.” Maeko took his hand and placed it on the scroll together with her own. “Can you find the heart to destroy it together with me?”, she asked. Brother Sugnar was surprised, but in a second understood what she meant. Maeko continued, “It has served its purpose, I don’t think either of us needs it any longer, because we both know the truth.” Brother Sugnar nodded. Together they slowly moved the scroll over the fire. “It is time to let go of the past, and look to the future.” They simultaneously let go of the twenty-eight year old parchment and watched the fire consume it until no trace of it was left. They put their arms around each other and walked up to the bedrooms, their tread lighter than a feather. “And so the chapter ends”, Maeko thought as she closed the bedroom door behind her.

Maeko left very early in the morning, it was still dark. She had said all there was to say and decided to leave before her brothers and sisters would wake up. She crossed the training grounds and walked up to the great gate. She turned around and looked at the monastery one last time. She knew every nook and cranny of this place, still she was awed by the beauty of it, especially in the light of the moon. She looked to her right, to the shed where she was placed by her parents almost twenty-eight years ago. She walked to the narrow path, turned around one last time and gave her brothers and sisters a last formal greeting. “And now off to my future”, she whispered to herself and turned the corner down to the northwestern passage.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Maeko spent almost five weeks with the Templars of the Arcane, though she made sure not to get acquainted with any of its members. Most of her time was spent on the second floor of the tower, where they had an extensive library. She read a lot about the Emerald Reach and its history. Most of it was nice to know, but none of it seemed to really give her an idea of what was to be found outside of her homeland. There was a story that seemed promising, about an ancient portal leading to a faraway place called Harata, but it offered no real clues as to where this portal might be. She was about to give up hope when her eye caught a small tome with silver lettering on its spine. “Trade routes of the eight Realms, The Emerald routes”, she read out loud. She opened the book and a folded piece of paper fell out. She picked up the paper and carefully unfolded it. It was a large piece of parchment, worn by time. She couldn‘t believe her eyes. It was a map of an enormous land, divided into eight different regions. She quickly found the Emerald Reach, then looked at the other places. They all had interesting and enticing names, but one caught her attention, an area called Paradise Lost. It was situated to the northwest of the Emerald Reach.

She started reading the book and discovered that ages ago an overland trade route stretched from the Emerald Reach, leading west along the northernmost border of a region called Midreach. From there the route continued northwest crossing the forests of Tweenwood, and finally reached Paradise Lost. There was also a trade route to Paradise Lost by boat ending in the continent’s most northern parts. The book gave an insight into the amounts of emeralds that were transported to each of the regions, and mentioned a place in Paradise Lost called Spirehold. Maeko was amazed when she found out that over eighty percent of the exported emeralds from Fer were send to this place. She decided to look for more books about this Paradise Lost, and she found one. The book was called ‘Paradise Lost, the Pillars of Creation’. A particular part of this book described the origin of civilization and the birth of good and evil.

~

The Pillars of Creation

From eternal darkness the Gods created the Ancient Dwarves and the Race of Creators. At the same time they also created angels and demons to serve as the guardians of their creation. Both angels and demons attempted to gain the favor of the Gods. The angels held dominion over the Creator Race and gifted them with Sapphires of Souls to power their constructs. The Demons ruled over the Ancient Dwarves and gifted them with Sapphires of Souls too, to power their pillars.

One of the Gods did not approve of this. The souls of mortals were supposed to ascend to heaven or descend into the Abyss, and not to be stored inside a Sapphire of Souls to be used as a power source merely for the purpose of fueling a competition between the angels and the demons. The other Gods ignored this blasphemy, but this one God stepped forward and tried to force the angels and demons to end their strife.

The angels and demons envied the Gods who were superior in all ways, and their lust for power was no match for this one God’s will. In an unholy alliance the angels and demons created a special Sapphire of Souls and captured in it the soul of the one God who opposed them. In doing so they created the Oracle, imprisoned by a riddle of knowledge. The other Gods witnessed this and dared not intervene fearing for their own freedom.

This led to the Gods abandoning this part of the world and the angels and demons took it upon themselves to govern its fate and its people. The creator Race and the Ancient Dwarves kept using the Sapphires of Souls. With help of the angels and demons they added ever more souls to their sapphires feeding their lust for power and expansion.

The Creator Race, through their constructs, brought law into the world. At the same time the Pillars of Power from the Ancient Dwarves brought chaos into the world. This inevitably led to the rise of civilization. But as law and chaos are opposites, the world could not exist the way the angels and demons had planned it. The opposites of law and chaos led to strife, segregation and disagreement among mortal men and ultimately gave birth to the concept of good and evil.

~

What aroused Maeko’s interest specifically was that Gods apparently had abandoned this land, and she figured that was why it was called Paradise Lost. “A land without Gods, I wonder how that works”, she thought. Maeko did not worship any deity, but was well aware of the influence the Gods had on the inhabitants of the Emerald Reach. The second thing that had caught Maeko’s attention was the part about souls being trapped inside a sapphire. She found it hard to believe this was possible, but remembered Sirisar telling her that her mind had built a cage around her soul when she was being drained by the Mindstalker. “A godless land and a great injustice, what better place than that for me to start a monastery of my own”, she thought.

Maeko walked down to the room where she had first met Sirisar. There were only two apprentices in the room who were busy creating some sort of potion. Their work had spread a pungent smell throughout the room and Maeko felt compelled to hold her breath. “Sirisar?”, she asked while trying not to breathe in. “He is on the rooftop”, one of the apprentices answered. Maeko turned around and quickly closed the door behind, gulping in a breath of fresh air. She made her way to the top of the tower which was decent exercise considering the amount of steps that lead to the top. She opened the door that led to the rooftop terrace of the tower. “You should check out this view”, Sirisar said without even having seen who was behind him.

Maeko stood next to him, gazing into the distance. Beneath them a sea of green leaves formed by the treetops of the Darkwood Forest, beyond that the green hills and the Mirianir mountains. Sirisar pointed at a white mountain top far beyond the Mirianir mountains. “Do you know what that is?”, he asked. Maeko took a wild guess, “One of Mount Drassa’s snow covered peaks.” Sirisar laughed, “It’s called the Frozen North, though that is actually not quite true, it’s just the mountain tops that are frozen. It’s what lies beyond Mount Drassa.” Maeko was awed as she tried to imagine the distance between them and that tiny white triangle on the horizon. Sirisar looked at Maeko, “So you have made up your mind?” Maeko kept staring into the distance, “I have”, she replied, “Paradise Lost is where I will go.” They stood in awe for a while watching the sun set over the Emerald Reach, which was a spectacular sight from atop the tower. They walked down the stairs and sat down in the library. Sirisar noticed the small book about the emerald trade routes on the table. “How do you plan to travel to this place, you are aware that the trade routes in this book no longer exist?” Maeko hadn’t thought about that. “What do you suggest?”, she asked Sirisar, “I was hoping to travel by boat. I have never done that before. But then again, who would be crazy enough to sail that far just for me?” Sirisar stood up and started pacing the room. Suddenly he stopped, “Aha, yes. That should work. I will be right back.” He raced off, leaving Maeko guessing as to what he had planned for her. More than twenty minutes passed before Sirisar came back waving his hand in front of his face while coughing. “Those bloody students of mine.” Maeko laughed as she realized the living room must still be smelling pretty nasty.

Sirisar sat down again placing a strange metal cube on the table, then took the old map from the small book. He spread it out on the table, lifting his hands over the parchment. A series of strange sounds passed Sirisar’s lips and slowly the map turned black as night. Then a few bright dots appeared on the map. Sirisar stopped his incantation and the map regained its original color, while the bright dots remained visible as black markings. Sirisar pointed at a black marking on the east coast of the Emerald Reach and looked at Maeko. “Have you ever heard of the shadow sailor?” Maeko shook her head. “I haven’t.” Sirisar sighed, “Well, let’s just say he is like a normal sailor, except he does not sail the normal seas.” Maeko looked confused while Sirisar continued. “Are you familiar with the planes of existence that weave the fabric of reality?” Maeko shook her head again, “I’m sorry, I have never heard of any of this.” Sirisar put his hand on Maeko’s arm. He gave her a very serious look. “Do you trust me Maeko? Do you trust my willingness to help you reach your goal?” Maeko thought about this for a moment. “I do”, she answered. “Very well, then hear me out and accept what I am going to say as truth, even though I can’t explain it to you. The Shadow Sailor sails the sea of shadows. This sea is located on another plane of existence as ours, the Shadow Plane. Time behaves differently there, it moves faster.” Maeko remembered her fight with the two Iron Brotherhood soldiers, where time appeared to slow down. “Without going further into detail, the bottom line is, the Shadow Sailor can take you where you need to go in the blink of an eye.” Maeko didn’t exactly understand what Sirisar was saying, but decided to accept it as truth like he had asked. Sirisar turned his attention back to the map. “The markings on the map, the black dots, are places where our plane and the Shadow Plane intersect.” He pointed at the marking on the coast of Paradise Lost. “Take this map to the Shadow Sailor and he will know the way. All you need beside this map is payment for the journey.” Maeko looked worried, “I haven’t got much gold I’m afraid.” Sirisar laughed. “Gold is worthless to the Shadow Sailor. You need a soul to offer as payment.” Maeko was startled, “I’m not going to sacrifice anyone just to reach my goal, that is appalling.” Sirisar calmed her down. “You don’t have sacrifice anyone, don’t worry. Actually you provided just the right thing to me that can serve as payment. You remember how I used my powers to cure you of the Mindstalker?” “How could I forget”, Maeko replied, “But how will this help me acquire payment for the Shadow Sailor?” Sirisar clapped his hands, “You really have no idea. My spell didn’t destroy the Mindstalker. It only turned his attention to something even more interesting than your life force.” He pointed at the metal cube on the table. “The Mindstalker is inside of that cube.” Maeko held her hand up as if wanting to push away the cube. “Don’t worry, it can’t escape the prison I put around it.” Maeko calmed down, “Are you telling me that thing has a soul.” Sirisar nodded, “Yes, it is perfect as payment for the Shadow Sailor. And I doubt you will have any problems with this cube disappearing from this plane entirely.” Maeko looked at Sirisar in gratitude, “I sure don’t.” Sirisar stood up from his chair, “It’s settled then. You will take the map and the cube to the Shadow Sailor and travel to Paradise Lost sailing the Sea of Shadows.” Sirisar looked very pleased with himself. “Travel to the village of Wheaton, just south of it lies the Old Jetty, an abandoned dock. The Shadow Sailor will reveal himself to any who are willing to sail with him“. Maeko simply nodded, trying to hide her anxiety about this endeavor.

Maeko said her goodbyes to Sirisar early the next morning, and wandered off into the Darkwood Forest. Her hike to Wheaton would take two days, which passed without incident. In her mind she had already left the Emerald Reach, so she went straight to the abandoned pier Sirisar had told her about. She stood on the docks looking out to sea, and took the map and metal cube out of her backpack. “I seek passage to Paradise Lost, who will take me?”, she said doubting anything would happen. But then the air before her started to shimmer, dark waving strands slowly started to form the outline of a ship. A dark, slender figure appeared on the pier, its body a transparent shadow. Blue eyes lit up in his otherwise formless face. A hollow voice spoke to Maeko. “Hail the dead.” Maeko shivered, “That doesn’t sound inviting”, she thought. The Shadow Sailor stretched out his long thin arm, opening his hand to receive payment. Maeko felt a light pull on the map and cube. She gathered her courage and stepped towards the dark figure. She could feel cold radiating from this entity. “Can you take me to Paradise Lost?”, she asked while placing the map and cube in the Shadow Sailor‘s hand. The hand closed and the Shadow Sailor gestured her to walk the shadowy plank leading to the ship’s deck. Maeko walked aboard placing her trust in Sirisar’s wisdom. The plank and Shadow Sailor disappeared, then the Shadow Sailor reappeared at the helm. Maeko did not feel any breath of air, but still the ship started to move. The sea beneath them and the sky above started fading to black as the ship picked up speed and turned north, at least it felt like north to Maeko. Within minutes all light had disappeared, and they were moving through intense darkness. Maeko felt her head growing weary and decided to rest for a while. She didn’t feel unsafe or threatened in any way, and realized there was no turning back. She fell asleep while leaning against the ship’s single mast.

Warm sea water washed over Maeko’s feet and woke her from a deep slumber. She blinked at the bright sun that was burning high in the sky straight above her. She felt soft sand underneath her hands as she pushed herself upright. Another wave approached and she quickly jumped up, grabbing her backpack and stepping back before the wave could hit her. She looked around trying to determine where she was. The beach stretched out as far as the eye could see in both directions, and the blue water of the sea was unlike anything she had ever seen in the Emerald Reach. She noticed tall branchless trees, which had very large feather shaped leaves in their tops. Strange brown ball shaped objects hung underneath them. She turned her attention from the beach and sea towards the land behind her. A mixture of these strange trees, sandy terrain and unfamiliar vegetation stretched out before her. The only other thing she saw were two mountains in the distance, and a faint shimmer in between them. “The sun is burning like mad, I need to find some shade or I will be fried alive”, Maeko thought. In the shimmering heat she noticed a structure of sorts, and decided to go for it. It was an abandoned wooden shack that was once used by fishermen. There were some nets still hanging from the walls. The heat and humidity were extreme, so Maeko decided to wait until the evening and just rest in the shade this shack offered her. The sea breeze blowing through cracks in the hut’s walls thankfully brought some relief from the heat and Maeko managed to use one of the old nets as a hammock.

At last the sun was setting, its waning strength making the heat much more bearable. Maeko looked towards the two mountains again, and could clearly see a reflection between them, where earlier there was only a shimmer. “There has got to be something there made by people, I had best get moving”, she said to herself. She walked all night, praising the full moon that made travelling a lot easier. She was surprised by the cold the night brought, but still preferred that over the heat of day. By sunrise Maeko found herself looking at a green valley dotted with farms. It wasn‘t long before she found wagon tracks and a road leading her further into the farmlands. “I need to rest, my legs are hurting like mad. Travelling through sand is so exhausting”, she thought. There was a haystack further up ahead that looked really inviting. It was right beside the road at an intersection. “Just a few hours of sleep, then I will find someone to talk to.”

She made herself comfortable in the hay and quickly fell asleep. A few hours later the sound of hooves woke her and a man wearing strange yellow and blue clothing was looking down at her from atop his horse. His face was tanned by the sun and he carried a large halberd. “Good morning, everything alright here lady”, he informed with a friendly smile on his face. Maeko stretched, looked up at the man and nodded. He looked at Maeko’s strange outfit. “You are not from around here I see, may I ask what brings you to Paradise?” Maeko jumped up, “You mean Paradise Lost I hope?”, she asked. The man laughed, “That was a long time ago, this kingdom is now simply known as Paradise”, he said while gesturing at his surroundings. Maeko couldn’t suppress a small cheer of joy. She remembered the man’s question. “I’m here to… I’m going to… Let’s just say I’m on an adventure.” Maeko didn’t want to reveal her plan of starting a monastery just yet. The man laughed, “Well that’s perfect. Can you read?” Maeko nodded. “Here you go then.” He tossed a scroll to Maeko who caught it in a reflex, then turned his horse and moved off further into the farmlands. “Good luck and welcome to Paradise!”, he shouted while turning the corner, leaving a trail of dust. Maeko curiously opened the scroll and read its message.

~

By royal decree King Khalid el Abdhul has called for aid in a matter of the utmost importance concerning the welfare of the kingdom. Those willing to serve under the king’s name are charged to report to the Swift Foot inn at the commoners district of the Jewel of the North. Further instructions will be given upon reporting to the Kings guard in aforementioned establishment. Travel expenses for those that answer will be compensated.

In name of his Royal Highness, King Khalid el Abdhul

Shin, head of household.

~

Maeko did not ponder her next move for long. “This is as good a way to get to know this place as any, and I can’t pass up on an opportunity to use my skills for the greater good.” She grabbed her backpack and decided to ask one of the farmers where this Jewel of the North was located. “I actually made it, thank you Sirisar”, she whispered as she stepped towards her future filled with joy and excitement. “Apparently sometimes the future is simply tossed right at you from the back of a horse.”