[Evil Agent]

"I'll tell you soon enough" Stolos said shortly, with a brief glare directed towards Gilean and Amyria.
"You don't trust us?" Gilean asked haughtily, as he tried to catch his breath. Deflecting Magenta's fire had taken all his power and concentration.
"If I didn't trust you, you'd both be dead right now. Kaz is an unforgiving beast, and it was not by accident that she only knocked you off your horse".
Kaz let out another growl as she dug into her kill. Stolos' horse whinied nervously, but relaxed when he placed a hand on its neck. "My role is far too important to be jeopardized by two bumbling apprentices."
Gilean looked furious, but remained silent. Amyria cast her eyes down in shame.
Stolos continued, "And I knew you were following us the second you set foot outside the Guild Caverns. Nemon and Kendo are very powerful Masters, more powerful than Madry ever gave them credit for."
"Be careful how you speak of Madry! She has many ears," Gilean said, but Stolos merely laughed and spurred their horse into motion.
"Young Gilean, you still speak loyaly of Madry though you have betrayed her."
"I betrayed no one!"
"Oh no? Then why are you here, helping Magenta escape from Madry's grasp? As I said, my co-conspirators are skilled, and I know your mind. You would not have survived more than a few seconds after revealing yourself, had I not been clear of your intentions. You have betrayed Madry for love...and it may yet cost you dearly. Oh yes, you thought you came to reclaim Magenta, but now you know you were lying to yourself. You're one of us now. One of the New Guild. As is Amyria, who came to help Magenta." He paused and looked up at the moon. "But the knowledge of our destination is still for me alone. There will be war now, between the Old and the New Guilds, and when it comes to war I take no chances." He spoke now to his horse, "Ride, Mallor, ride swift, for enemies have picked up our trail and hunt us even now".
They rode into the snowy night, Stolos and Amyria on dark Mallor, and Magenta and Gilean on the silver mare behind them.
As they rode, Gilean realized Stolos was right. He had followed them in the belief that he was doing Madry's bidding, but once Magenta began hurling light and fire at him, he realized the truth. Even though she had attacked him, he loved her. He loved her and he would not oppose her again. His arms encircled her waist before him, and he pressed his face against her thick auburn hair. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Me too," was her reply.

[Icemant90]

They were riding along in a field, about three miles from where the fight began. To the left of them was a forest that looked foreboding. The right of them was just plains of grass. They were riding parallel to the forest, with Stolos in the lead.
"I can detect any dangerous creatures, for I still am a master at beasts." That is what he said. Magenta's ball of light lit up the path ahead. A whole lot of green grass.
"When are we going to get out of this field? It seems to just go... on and on." said Magenta.
"We are on the Unknown Land, which is not on the maps,"
replied Gilean grimly.
"Why is that?
"Because no-one has dared go here." he suddenly changed to a whisper. "All Madry's bidding, of course. Making up a lot of old rubbish. So she could be on her own I don't doubt."
"Madry? She could be here right now! Why are we going this way! Turn around! Turn around!" Magenta shouted frantically.
"Take no heed, I know a place no other being knows. We shall set up head quarters there."
Suddenly, Magenta turned to face Gilean.
"Did you hear that?" she asked.
"Hear what?"
"That noise: katrumpy katrumpy katrumpy."
"What did you say?" said Stolos, whipping around.
"I heared sounds."
"What sounds?"
"It went like this, sort of like music: katrumpy katrumpy katrumpy."
There was a silence, then Stolos asked:
"Where did it come from?"
"Over there." Magenta pointed to the forest.
"We've got trouble. Everyone, keep calm and follow me. I think we've got trackiths chasing us. Hopefully, we'll be able to get to that enchanted swamp over there."
"That's my secret area! I enchanted it. How did you see through the barrier?" asked Gilean.
"I see lots of things, Gilean. Accept it."
The trakiths were wird creatures that looked like bones that walked on scythes. A bit like monkeys, two legs in front, pull, put them back, pull. That's hpw they walked.
"They're afraid of water. Die when they touch it." Stolos informed them.

[Evil Agent]

Suddenly their horses were wallowing through swampy waters, up to their torso. The blood curdling cries of pain from the trackiths rose through the misty air. "Simple as that," Stolos said with satisfaction.
"Stolos," Magenta began, "how is it that we're already in a swamp, and before that we were in a grassy field, and before that it was snowing. What's going on? Is this something like how Madry took us from Grenda's farm to the centre of the Guild in just over a day?"
"Yes, young one. Good observation," Stolos spoke, as the swampy air shimmered almost imperceptibly, and they were in the middle of a thickly wooded forest. "Only the most powerful Guild Masters can travel in such a way. Madry was able, as am I, though Madry has forbidden this method of travel to all but herself. We jump, or shift the paths between the Pillars. That's why I said this area wasn't on the map. Because it's not just one area... In fact, one could say it's a melding of all areas."
"And...you somehow bring all of us with you?"
"Yes. I carry you in my circle of movement, as I did with the trackiths. Now, we've moved far, but we have a long way to go yet before we reach our destination. We could use a little more light, Magenta."
At his request, the circle of light in Magenta's upraised palm grew both larger and brighter. It was getting easier to manipulate the power all around her.

[An8el]

The castle halls were still dark when Madry had been summoned out of bed in the middle of the night.

"Madry, most honorable, the council member Khalion of Fire requests to see you immediately!" Her attendant gently shook Madry, not wanting to awaken her completely too suddenly. All wizards who have devoted themselves to the Pillar of Death must make their meditation bring them gradually out of sleep, because sleep is considered to be so close to death in dreaming consciousness.

Madry was dreaming, reliving when she was a girl in her village. Her mother was afraid she had been born with the gift and was relieved to find that Madry had gained her womanhood without any trace of what her mother considered to be the scourge of her inheritance. In Madry's dream, her mother had just discovered her Pillar as she caught Madry helping her dead dog ascend to sainthood. In real life, that had never happened. Later her mother had thrown her out of the house to "go find your kind," barring her never to return again.

Madry began to bring herself out of sleep with her meditations. She imagined the breadth of her consciousness gathering from the lines of the dead everywhere. She visualized them as water, flowing up the foundations of the castle, crawling into her room...soaking the bedmatt, into her inert body...nourishing herself, giving herself life once again.

Madry's eyes opened. "Tell the councilman Kalion that I will be there shortly." She rose from bed, put on her formal robes and stalked out the door with a determined gait.

Once in the council chamber, she silently confronted Khalion, Lysie, and Nemon. Obviously to meet in the middle of the night meant something had happened that was important to all. Kendo was nowhere to be found, probably out walking alone, gathering shadow, as was her custom.

"We must join together to determine the location of the missing family members who have gone." said Khalion, knowing that the rest of the information would come forth in the reading that followed. Nemon and Lysie were already formed themselves into a circle of the four directions, with their cards in front of them. Madry set down in her place and removed her deck of cards from where they were always kept at her council side.

Lysie intoned the consultation ritual and pulled the first card in the position of significator; The Mouse.

Madry sharply breathed in, controlling herself almost immediately. However, she was sore to do so, as Stolos, Gilean and Amyria's significators emerged from the decks, one by one.

The reading was a difficult one. Emerging from the Mouse's position, here was a grassy field. "This is something that we can deal with, such a neophyte as Magenta," thought Madry, hoping that the headstrong Magenta had separated herself from Stolos.

The council team sent out the trakith team to parry and retrieve...

Once magicians began to stretch Shadow, it was their private universe. Only knowledge of that universe determined access. Stolos was a very private wizard, with many universes linked to the minds of the many animals who were his intimates. It would be next to impossible to determine where he was if he were using his own magic. The council's only chance was when the other younger members would determine the Shadow reality. There was no way for an oracle to determine what had happened, there were only the symbols and the sense the council together could make of them.

The card of Swamps emerged in the position of Gilean's. Now Gilean was someone who Madry was familiar with...

[Icemant90]

MOD NOTE - I have removed Iceman's post because, once again, it didn't fit in with the previous story. The characters are no longer in the swamp, and Gilean isn't the leader here - Stolos is.

Iceman, I have explained the rules of these threads to you already. If you can't take the time to read the contributions of the others, and follow on from their storyline, your posts will be removed.

In future, any inconsistent posts will be deleted without further explanation.

[Evil Agent]

Kendo stood in the shadows outside the Guild Caverns, as was her habit. The darkness melded with her deep violet robes, so that it was hard to tell where the shadows ended and Kendo began. Her exotic angular eyes, violet as her robes, were the only part of her that reflected the light of the moon. It was taking all of her focus and skill to deceive Madry, who was deep within the Caverns conversing with Khalion, Lysie, and Nemon. How Nemon was managing to conceal his own tampering, Kendo could only guess.
Oh, Stolos, how did I let you talk me into this! Nemon and I should have come with you!
But even as she had the thought, she knew it was wrong. Someone had to delay Madry or else Magenta stood no chance.
Kendo pulled the shadows from all around her, melding light and dark. The Master of Shadow was not nearly the same as the Master of Darkness, but much more complicated.
But with seven Masters dead, I guess I'm the closest thing to Master of Darkness now.
The shadows she weaved had to interweave with Madry's own Pillar-manipulations, and obscure them without being obvious.
Finally satisfied with the job, Kendo turned and re-entered the Mountainside in a swirl of violet shadow. She couldn't help congratulating herself; it took a true Master to mess with someone's reading of a Deck.

------------------

Inside the Guild Chamber, Madry shouted in triumph.
"There! In the swamp! Gilean's decided to take them to his little experiment. They'll be sheltering there, as Gilean must think it's safe. Foolish boy, how could he have thought he could betray me and live? He showed so much promise." She paused, and looked around the room. "Stolos has stolen the Mouse, betrayed us all, even travelled the forbidden pathways, and to what end I can only guess. Unless we can bring Magenta back right away, we may all be doomed. Khalion," she looked at the Master of Fire, "You must travel to this swamp now. You have permission to use the forbidden pathways, only for this task. Bring Magenta to me alive. As for the others...they're traitors. See to it that they never leave that swamp again."
Khalion shifted uncomfortably in his red robes, his face showing uncertainty, "But Madry, the girl killed half the council... and Stolos-"
"Stolos has long been insane, and the girl has no idea how to control her powers. If you are a true Master of Fire, you should find this errand simple enough. Now go."
Khalion frowned, nodded, then shifted the paths between the Pillars and disappeared.
He didn't even realize that Nemon had removed his memory of how to come back.

-------------------

In the corridors, Kendo laughed to herself.
Good luck Khalion. Have fun in the swamp with no one but your own angry Trackiths!. I hear they're even nastier when they're wounded.

[An8el]

Old Khalion hurried to his rooms to prepare for the journey, past Kendo. In his distracted thoughts of what was involved in his mission that Madry had given him, he hadn't noticed Kendo in the corridor as he almost ran past her. He stopped and turned to respectfully address Kendo, just realizing that she might not know all of what had been happening inside council.

"Kendo, you have returned from Shadowing." He bowed to her, formally. "I have just been in council with the others. It appears that Magenta has just been kidnapped by our friend Stolos but apparently escaped and possibly was rescued by Gilean and Amyria. They are now in the forbidden paths of Shadow hiding - we know not if they are hiding from Stolos or ourselves. I have been sent to retrieve them. I will certainly need your help to bring them back from Stolos and forstall further calamity. Madry is quite derranged with anger and has imagined all of them are against the council, as Stolos has been for some time."

"I would be most honored to acompany you, Khalion." Kendo bowed with solemn resolve, keeping her secret of supporting Stolos secure in her Shadow discipline. "I am sure that there is much we can do together to help the impasse come to a successful resolution."

"Join me in the stables at dawn." Khalion hurried off to his rooms.

His mind was filled with the speculation of the results of Magenta's Pillar determination, which he had performed for her. It was still unclear exactly how many Pillars Magenta had an affinity for, except Fire; she was talented in Fire, he knew. With this situation, she obviously had an affinity for Beast - this would be an advantage against Stolos and probably why the youngsters had escaped from a practiced wizard. He bustled off to prepare his spells immediately.

[Evil Agent]

Their surroundings shifted faster now, blurring every few seconds. Magenta began to feel dizzy. She knew they'd only been travelling for hours, but it felt like days.
"We're almost there," spoke Stolos from the back of his black warhorse. "We'll be able to rest the horses and eat a decent meal, once we've arrived."
They passed through the world in silence, awaiting their mysterious destination.

--------------

Khalion saw no sign of Kendo at dawn, and grew impatient before long.
I don't blame her, this mission of Madry's is a dangerous one.
Choosing to leave rather than wait, Khalion shifted his way to the swamp. The instant he arrived he knew he had made a mistake. An angry trackith, half dead from the moisture, reared on bony limbs directly in front of him. It slashed him across the face with a clawed appendage. Another trackith appeared behind him and, with a violent shove, sent him sprawling face down in the swampy waters. He regained his feet quickly, and cursed under his breath, as he connected to the paths of Fire, and shot streams of flame from his upraised hand.
It's a trap! It was Kendo!, but the thought came too late. He was alone in the swamps, with a fight on his hands. And he was beginning to feel he had forgotten something important....

---------------

"It is done," Kendo said to Nemon, in her private chambers. "The fool left without me, and he is battling trackiths even now. I suspect he will be done with them shortly, but he won't be going anywhere... Not since you altered his memory. Nice work, that."
"Thank you," spoke Nemon in a voice like honey. He appeared as a bronze skinned man with sandy blond hair, wrapped in golden yellow robes. He smiled, "I surprised even myself. Never before have I dared alter the mind of a Master."
"Neither had I, until I messed with Madry's deck!" said Kendo.
They looked at each other for a long moment, violet eyes meeting golden ones. Then they laughed.
"Well," said Nemon, "I'd best pay a visit to Gilean's swamp, and see just how much further I can alter Khalion's mind. I almost feel sorry for him, until I remember what's at stake... He's like to be little more than our tool after I'm done with him."
"I think it's passed time that I left too. Madry won't remain ignorant of our moves much longer. I'll be with Stolos and the others when you are ready. You know where to find us."
Nemon blurred and disappeared, then Kendo did the same.

------------------

In her bed chamber, Madry bolted upright out of a deep sleep, trying to disentangle the cobwebs from her mind. She had been dreaming of her childhood again.
Someone's travelling the paths... Someone....She closed her eyes. After a moment's concentration, they reopened.
Kendo! And Nemon! Gods, I've been blind!
She hurried from her bed in search of Lysie, the only one she had left. At least her Master of Light was strong as well as loyal.
The design becomes apparent at last. War has begun, and I am left betrayed. Oh, forgive me Khalion!
Stolos and the others may not believe in the prophecy, but she would not let them plunge the world into darkness. Never in her hundreds of years would she have suspected such folly! If ancient Adrigan, Magenta's own great-grandfather, had lived to see the rebellion of the Guild, he would have died of horror. How had she ever let the mouse slip through her grasp! Magenta was the world's only hope!
She ran through the corridors of the massive Guild headquarters within the mountain. No one was left now but feeble apprentices, foolish old men, livestock, and..... and a horde of magical devices!
Alone, Lysie and I stand no chance.... but with the aid of a talisman, who knows?

-------------------

[Evil Agent]

The scenery sped by now; Forest, meadows, mountains, forest, bog, lake, jungle, forest. And then it stopped. The four travellers found themselves on top of a black mountain. The sky overhead was grey and clouded, and the wind whipped their hair across their faces.
"We are here," spoke Stolos as he dismounted.
"Where's here?" Amyria asked as she, too, lowered herself to the ground.
"The entrance to the home of the New Guild."
"I've never heard of them." Gilean said, as he helped Magenta off of their horse.
"That's why it's called the New Guild. It's New. If you're to be one of its Masters, Gilean, you'd best start thinking faster," Stolos smirked.
"Me? A Master?"
"Yes. The three of you. And with us is myself, Kendo of Shadow, and Nemon of Memory."
"But," Magenta began, "What about the seven Masters I... I k-killed. What about those Pillars?"
"Be at ease Magenta, you did not kill them. They threw themselves recklessly into your battle with Zarina. And they were young, very young. Less than two hundred years old, each one. That is why they died."
"Less than two hundred is young? But then what about us?" asked Amyria.
"You'll be older than that when this training is complete," Stolos spoke ominously. "And I truly believe that, with training, between the six of us we should be able to master all 13 Pillars."
"But... But I left the Guild because I wanted to get away from all this!" wailed Magenta.
"Young one," Stolos spoke, kindness in his blue eyes, "you cannot escape destiny. Madry was right, you are instrumental to the prophecy. But the prophecy was misread. Misunderstood. That's what caused this whole mess. It was misinterpreted.... by Adrigan, your grandfather."

[Amyria]

"Come now," Stolos said and turned away, "Your destiny awaits. Lets not tarry any longer." Stolos urged his horse forward towards the edge of a cliff, but the horse hesitated.
"What are you trying to do?" Amyria exclaimed.
Stolos rubbed the horse's neck and whispered softly, calming the beast and urging it forward once again. The horse easily complied and trotted forward.
All three gasped as Stolos and the horse stepped over the edge and disappeared.
"Well what are you three waiting for?" his voice said.
Magenta whirled around. Where had the voice come from?
"There!" Gilean pointed at Stolos head which was suspended in mid-air.
Magenta walked to the edge of the cliff and put her hand out. A faint ripple spread across the sky as her hand made contact with something she could not see.
"Don't keep destiny waiting, she has a cruel way of making things happen." Stolos warned, his head still only visable from the neck up.
"How clever!" Amyria laughed, "Why, you've hidden the entrance in the sky! How clever!"
Amyria excitedly stepped through and too disappeared into the sky.
"This is absolutely amazing!" her voice was heard saying.
Magenta looked to Gilean and he to her. "Well, i guess we have to trust him." she said and he nodded. She reached out and he took her hand.
"Here goes nothing," Gilean squeezed Magenta's hand and together they stepped off the cliff.