Wizard's Guardian Tower

"I would like to see the top of the tower."

Daris nods at Esejef. Most of what the mage had to say about the higher floors did not interest him. It made sense that people would not traipse around them without supervision or reason. Still an impressive view sound nice. The undead receive a curious glance at his reaction, but it is not Daris's place to comment.

Then it was time for the last section of the tour. Esejef would lead the group up another flight of stairs, and another, and another, and a few more. It wasn't until the tenth flight up that Esejef finally revealed that he could have just carried everyone to the top in a psionic bubble, which he proceeded to do. (According to him he was busy thinking about where he should retire next century...).

They would speed passed many floors now, occasionally stealing glimpses of some very odd floors indeed. There were mages holding strange seances, labs with glowing artifacts floating about, at least one floor dedicated to large reptilian beasts, etc. Of course these were balanced out by additional libraries, empty meeting halls, and full meeting halls full of wizards. There was at least one room that contained a brilliant glowing being whose body was completed obscured by a cloudy aura. ("Don't mind him. His name is Lee. He gets like that when he's hungry.") Then finally they made it to the very top. The sky would break above them, and they would be on a a large flat roof surrounded by crenellations.

Like the Council Hall in Elder's Valley, the top floor featured several crystal statues of some powerful looking beings. The ones with older dates looked more fantastical and mythical than the more recent ones, and the most recent was Lynx of the Celadine, Slayer of Dragons and Necromancers, who looked like a perfectly ordinary young woman. These statues were all facing out towards the horizon, as if they were guarding the expanse before them.

Speaking of which, the view. If one looked to the north, they would see the beginnings of a mountainous region, dotted by tree life. Even further beyond that were snow-capped peaks, on the southern face representing the furthest one could find Saskatoon clan settlements. What lay on the other sides of those peaks was anyone's guess...

To the west and east were large expanses of forests. To the West were the Celadine stone towers and the various fields their people employed. To the East were fewer forests and more fields, many more fields. If they were lucky they'd catch a view of a flock of wyverns heading north to nest after feeding in the forests.

Finally to the south was the river that ran through Elder's Valley, the elder's Council Hall, the Badger Clan farms, and more fields, many more, interspersed with trees. The most prominent color through all of it would be green. Green green and more green.

"We may not be the strongest nation, or the most advanced, but I do believe we are by far the most alive nation in the overworld. This is the legacy that the guardian tower watches over..." Esejef said proudly.

If they looked above, they would realize they were only a stone's throw away from the clouds themselves.

Mihael whirled around trying to see where the voice is coming from. Seeing no discernible source he is forced to conclude it is magic. Well at least the voice is friendly. Catching Moon's hand in his he gives it a reassuring squeeze. He could tell she was nervous given how she kept trying to hide behind him.

"Hello I am Sir Mihael Làidir, I am on a quest. I am looking for the mystic blade An Dli and it's wielder the last of the Arach bloodline. I have heard the blade is powerful enough that mages can sense it from a great distance. I was wondering if you have felt it in your lands?"

The location of the presence would suddenly shift directly in front of them. A few seconds later Esejef would appear as heavily garbed old man. Esejef was in a yellow mood today, so he wore bright yellow.

"Ah, forgive me, I was in a yellow mood today, so I wore yellow." He grinned. The man walked at an unexpectedly rapid pace towards the two and opened up his eyes as wide as they would go. He noticed the changing hues in Moonflower's eyes. "Oooh, yes, that's very interesting. I can do that too, see?" Esejef's eyes suddenly flashed a bright blue before fading back into their pale glassiness. "Mihael, please step a meter to your left."

If Mihael complied, he'd narrowly avoid a slimy white bird dropping splattering on his coat.

"An Dli, An Dli... Is it? About yay big?" He held his hands apart a certain length. "Black, possesses unfathomable magic power? Blessed by many races and promises to unite your continent under a single banner and a single king? Is it the only hope of your continent and the most precious artifact imaginable to your people?" His voice escalated with enthusiasm as he continued to describe the wondrous object.

Mihael blinked in surprise digesting what the odd old man had told him. An Dlí was in Tursachan? That is what it sound like. If that was true then... well he hadn't failed his quest exactly. His quest had just been completely pointless. He wasn't quite sure how he should feel about that.

"I guess... that means I can go home?"

The normally determined and self assured knight sounded rather confused. For the first time in years he was without a purpose. Normally this would not have bothered him, but it was too sudden to unseen and he was lost.

"I..."

Mihael looked at Moon when he felt her squeeze his hand. Her words cut through the the fog of confusion that had clouded his mind. Of course! Even if he failed to find what he was looking for he had found something better. He pulls her into his arms and sways slowly from side to side.

"This isn't the end I expected for this quest. I didn't find my king, but I didn't fail either. I suppose I will get heckled when I return home for wasting my time, but..."

Mihael pulls back a bit and then kisses her. He pours his love his desire and his need into the kiss. She was his reason now to live now. Alban got its king without him, but he had gotten her and that was all that mattered. After a moment he breaks the kiss and say's with a grin.

"I found you and that means it was worth every second. Let's go home."