Gunther and Marer didn't want to keep going. The two dworfs where getting tiered from traviling for two straight days and nights. The traveling wasen't very taxing on their bodys it was the lack of sleep they had indured. For something on the hurizing pushed Nicolo onword. The feeling creeped all over his body, like a chill creeping into your bones that you couldn't get ride of.

 

"When can we stop to rest Nicolo?" Marer asked as he stumbled a little.

 

"Stop your wining Marer. You sound like a little girl." Nicolo said as he stoped. A coy smile apered on him face as he began to walk again and said : "I can put a dress on you and let the halflin put some makup on you as Mugwart holds you down. Would you like a twin sister Gunther?"

 

"You would not dare?!.... Thats out rayguse!....." Marer said with a humph. He crossed his hands over his chest. "Take that smerk off your face Brother of mine. Or should I wipe it off for you?"

 

"Come on Marer you will look good in some pink ribons in your beard." Barton said with a gigle. Every one laught at Bartons joke except for Marer. He just rolled his eyes and gave Barton an angry smile, Like he was saying I'll get you type of smile.

 

After a half an hour of travil they reached they area where Nicolo and Mugwart say the dim shimer before,(area32 on the main map of Elmshade).

 

"Ok guy's I think we found it. We can stop for a bit before we go any farther." Nicolo said as he sat his pack down on the ground 39 feet from front of the old house. "I'll take first watch. Get some sleep if you wish."

The party made a litlle encampment a few yards from the old house's front door. They made a small fire to cook a small breakfast (Halflings size of small breakfast).

 

As Nicolo eat his meal, he watched the door of the house like he was waiting for some one to exit the house, no one did. He washed the dishes as every on e dozed off to sleep after breakfast. After he had finished the dishes he sat down by the fire, crossed his legs and begain to meditate, but he still was lessening for any one who was come upon their encampent. He sat there for an hour when he heared a twig snap, then foot steps on the porch and the door creak open.  He opened his eyes to see a childesh figer going into the house. The figer had turned to per out of the door just for a moment to look at him. Then all of a souden a hand reached arround and graped her. The hand covered her mouth, and then she was gone. A childs voice ecoed in Nicolo's head it said: 'Please help us?'. A par of yellowish eyes peared out of the door, then the door slamed shoot. With out any hesitation or considering to wake up any one. Nicolo picked up his sword as he got to his feet. He ran full bore twards the porch. When he tryed to step onto the first step of the porch, he hieght a force feld. With a sound of thounder and a flash of lighning, Nicolo flew back a few yards. He was knocked out cold. When he awoke, he found that his friends where looking doun at him.

 

"Morning." Barton said with a smile.

 

As Nicolo tryed to sit up, he rubbed his sore head he asked: "How long have I been out?...... That's smart." Nicolo rubed his head.

 

"We don't know. We all were asleep untill a few moments ago. When we found you laying there asleep and smoldering. You where mumbling something about having to save them. Who do you have to save?" Marer said

 

"I have no clue, but their in that hose some where. What time is it?" Nicolo said as he tryed to stand up. He stumbled a bit. Marer cought Nicolo and let Nicolo lean on him to steady himself.

 

"Come over here, sit down. Is it your head again?" Marer asked as he lead Nicolo over to the campfire. Marer poored some hot water into a cup then he poored in some pouder for headakes and placed a tea bag into it. "This will help." He said as he handed the cup to Nicolo.

 

"Thanks." Nicolo said as he took the cup. He was greatfull for some relefe from the pownding in his head.

 

"It's high noon." Maug wart said as he nelt on the other side of the campfire from Nicolo.

"Are you having that same dream about that little girl?" Mugwort asked what every one else was thinking.

 

Nicolo just looked up from his cup of tea and said: "Well it was the same girl but this one was different." Nicolo closed his eyes then took a sip of the tea.

 

"How differnt?" Gunther said as he sat down beside of Nicolo.

 

"Well, this time it seemed more real then any other dream, (well it felt real), I had ever had before with her in it." Nicolo said after a moment. Then he looked down at his scorched cloths after the last statment to make his point.

 

"Tell me about the dream you have had with that girl again." Barton said

 

   Well with all the excitment you droped the map and I pick it up. We where all going the same town for some thing or another, so I keeped it for leverage. I had a dream about that girl a big battle and a flash of light that night. Just before the flash of light I saw the over lay of the town and the out lay of the sorounding towns, it was the same as the map you had droped Barton. So confronted every one to go on a little side trip instead of going to town. I showed you all the map and told you all about my dream. You powted a bit, but got over it after giving you the map back. We've been trying to find the town on the map for the past mounth. Not knowing if we where in the right town, only to find out that here was a bounty on our head for the some of 500 p.p. for each of our heads, made by the Drow. Each town we been to turn up nothing untill now." Nicolo said as he turned to look at the old house.

 

"So this is the house in your dream?" Mugwort said Has he turned as he stood up. He looked at the old house.

 

"Well, this is the place, but there was a castle in this spot in my dream." Nicolo said as he stood up and began to walk up to the porch. He stoped a few steps away. Barton walked up beside of Nicolo, pased for a moment then took a step fowered. Nicolo placed an arm in front of him to stop him. "Wait." Nicolo said as he picked up a stick. Nicolo trew it at the porch. With a zapp the stick vaporized. Barton gulped at the stick vaporized. "OK guys, Mugwort get you scolls of detections out. Detect for Illutions, any kind of psion powers being used here or regulare magic. HaveMare help you, For the rast of use we pack up camp." Every one went on their tast with out question.

When the camp was taken care of and Nicolo walked up to Marer shaking his head

 

"What is it Marer?" Nicolo asked

 

 "It's an illution all right. The bad news is the force feild will not let use get in threw he front door right here." Marer said as he pointed at the door on the porch.

 

"Whats the good news?" Barton asked

 

"Theres a basment door over here, but lock with a whole bunch of vary difficalt looking locks. I don't think Barton can even pick them all with out a lot of time to over come his fear of the undead." Mugwart said with a gloomy face.

 

Every one walked over to where Mugwart was standing. To every one seprize, the basement door had a carving of an army of undead on it. The carving was moving like it was a live. With one look at it Barton freak out and begain to run. He ran right into a tree a few yards away. "Marer go tend to him." Nicolo said as he shook his head. Marer went over and tended to Barton. As Marer leaned Barton up agenst the tree, that Barton ran into, Marer saw a glison of metal under some leaves beside Barton. Marer cheacked Barton once over and desided that Barton was ok, just knock out for a bight. he rumiged threw the leaves and found a key, with a smale human skull on the top of the key. He walked it over to where ever one was at and held it up.

 

"Found something." Marer said as he waved it in the air.

 

"It can't be that easy." Nicolo said as he grabed the key from Marer. "You and your brother get Bart. Hall his sorry kinder butt back over here." As the two Dworfs picked up Bart Nicolo turned to Mugwart and said: "Here goes nothing."

 

Nicolo placed the key into the main lock of the door and turned the key. There where screams hisses of termoil and with a loid thoud a puff of white smoke seaped out of the doors crakes. Nicolo was tackuled by Mugwart, just before the doors flew open, leting out a heavy cloud of white smoke flew into the air.

"That was close one." Mugwart said looked up to see that the white smoke disapear. As they got up mug wart looked down the dusty steps that lead off into the darkness and asked: "Wounder where thoise go to?"

 

"Only one way to find out." Nicolo said with a smile. "Let's go. At least before some one finds out we're here."

The doors closed behind them as the last one past through and the key fell out. "Well we're stuck now. I guese the only way now is down." Marer said As the desended the stars, Mugwart fumbled through a poch on his belt for something. He smiled a crued smile when his fingers found what he was looking for. The party marched down the stars for what seamed to be for an eturnity, but only 2 hours had past. When they reached the bottom of the stars they marvaled at the size of the room. One by one torches light up, starting with the closest one to the party. As the torches light up the room, it become more aparent that there was more than just a room, it was an underground forest.

 

"Put Bart over here." Mugwart said Marer and Gunther placed Barton up agencet the wall by the stars. Mugwart pulled out a small white bag (smelling salt). Mugwart swiped it under Barton's noise. With a jolt Barton woke up.

 

"Did some one get a good look at that run away manitar?" Barton asked as he brushed Mugwart's hand.

 

"No, sorry. He ran to fast. you should look at this veiw it's wounderful Bart." Nicolo said as he walked up to the cavern edge. A large globe of light started to get bright. The glob of light eluminate a four mile radious of forest in all direction. In the center of the forest a large castle was sat there in all its glory. There where four towers, one for each corner of the castle.

As they marvaled at the sight of the under ground forest Nicolo moticed that there where no bird sounds at all in fact the air was quite to quite. He looked down the edge (where he stood) to find a way down. To his surprize there was a stair case running down the edge of the wall. "Well were not getting any younger. we should get going." Nicolo said as he started the decend down the stairs. Every one followed him down the stairs. As Nicolo steped off the last step, he noticed that there was a small path leading off twords the castle. So he started to followed the path slowly.

 

"This is weird. Nothing arround, no sound coming from the woods. I have a bad feeling about this." Bart said as he looked arround, a cold shiver ran up and doun his spine, that made him shiver time to time.

 

"You always a bad feeling about everything. Even when your mother comes over." Mugwart said with a smile.

 

"Where is she.. where is she?" Bart asked as he hide behind Mugwarts leg.

 

"She's not here." Mugwart said as Gunther and Marer chuckuled.

 

"Good, I didn't want to give her a peace of my mind." Bart said as he came out of behind Mugwart.

 

"Will you give a peace of your mind before or after she thumps you over your head?" Gunther asked with a smile. Bart just gave Gunther an evil look and wlked away.

 

"OK, enugh fooling around. Stay on your gard, who knows what we will find beyond thoise doors." Nicolo said as he looked at the group as he stood on the first step of the stup of the castle. He turned and went up the rest of the stairs. As he came closer to the big doors of the castle, he extened his walking stick out and taped the door as he was knoking on the door.

The door opened just before Nicolo tooched the door. He jumped back a step bracung for the wearst, not knowing what was going to happon. Nothing did, just a small cloud of dust swearled arround  Necolo's feet and down the steps twords the others. They moved back, out of the dust cloud at their feet. Nicolo moved forwerd a step as a deep voice coming out of the Doorway and said: "Enter and let the gods judge you as a friend or foe." Nicolo gulped once and wincet as he went in through the door way as he tryed to Gard his mind from any intrutions. "Your a friend Master Psion. Don't worry all is well." The doors slambed shut looking Nicolos friends out and Nicolo in. No matter how much any one tryed no one could get through or open the door. Nicolo Just Sent a mesage to the group: "I'll be fine. I'll just find another way out of here."

 

"We'll like too." Gunther said mentally to Nicolo.

 

"OK. Where to go from here?" Nicolo said outload.

 

Torchs began to light up the masive room. In the Middle of the room was a table with a 10 year old Female elven looking child sleeping on the table. A blue haze sorounded her. Standing at her head stood two Statues looking down at he with loving eyes. Their arms where around each other. One stachue was of a Half-Dragon and the other one was of a winged Elf.

Nicolo stood at the foot of the lying girl woundering who she was and why she pleaged his dreams. Why is she is in a suspended animation sleep.

 

"Who are you?" Nicolo asked out loud.

 

All of a sudden a flash of blue light engulft the whole room, blinding Nicolo for a few moments. When he could see again, he saw that the girl was waking up. He walked over to the right of the girl, she looked up at him with a puzzle look on her face. Then it washed away when she noticed who it was. "It's you. Thank- you for coming." She said in a come heavenly voice. She sat up and hung her legs over the edge of the stone bed.

 

"Who may you be?..... And why did you ask me for help in my dreams?" Nicolo asked with a puzzled look on his face.

 

"Well My name is Lillian Starfire Silver-Wolf. And why I asked you to help me out is that I need a champion to gard me from the gods minions........." Lillian said. Nicolo just looked at her with a expretion of why me. She smiled at him knowing full well what was going through Nicolo's mind. "I know you think your not qualified to be a Champion to gaurd me. I can see in your hart and soul that you are a champion. You don't know it yet." Lilian said

 

"Who are you really. Whitch gods are after you?" Nicolo asked after composing himself.

 

"Well it's hard to explain really, I'll try to explain who I'm in time. But for right now my mother right there, was, an a palion that protected one of Thor's children. She was deseved by them and she was traded to surved an evil master untill my dad there killed that master. My mother was a mindless servent to evil when she was freed.  My dad didn't reolized who she was, and asked every palidon and high wizzared to help her to gane her memery back. A high Claric and Palidon restrored her memery. With the grace of Thor, my mom regan all her memorys, with one draw back that she could not retern to the hevens to serve. She was exsialed to the earth to live out her life with my father. In the same token my father was changed to a half gold Dragon, in his travels of finding a cure for my mom. The ones that are after me are the evil ones." Lilian said

As Lilian was talking Nicolo looked arround the main area of the building he reolozed that this was some kind of school of some sort. Lilian  tuged on Nicolo's pinky finger to get his atention. "Are you lisoning to me?" She asked.

 

Nicolo looked down at Lilian and said: "Yes, I am. Was this building a school of some sort Lilian?"

 

"Yes, sort of. It mostly was a safe haven for the ones with the gift you have and I do. My Mother and Father started this place to help thoise who where different than the others. There was only a few who lived here, but meny come and went over the years as I grew up. Then one day my parents put me in a deep sleep in hopes that no one will find me. It sucseded untill the wizzards started to dig in the runes up above. Thats when I started to find some one to help me. I hope you can....." Lilian said as some of the uper levle torches flickered on, on the uper levels to eluminate the boucony above them. "Will you help me, Please?" Lilian asked

 

"I will. I don't know how much help I can be. If I do this, will you let me open up the doors again to others like us on a limied bases?" Nicolo said looking at Lilion.

 

With a Great big smile Lilian ran up to Nicolo. She gave him a hug as she said: "Sure thing. I won't mind, But.... I see that we need to leave for a few weeks first. I feel that there's something coming here. There will be a small group leaving for an adventure tomarrow. I would like you to go on it." Lilian said

 

"What about you. Didn't you just say that I need to protect you?" Nicolo asked

 

"Don't worry I'll be taging along unseen." Lilian said

 

"What about my friends? Will they be safe here?" Nicolo asked

 

"Yes they will. Lets let them in shale we?" Lilian asked as she walked over to the door Nicolo came through.

 

"Sure." Nicolo said as he follow Lilian over to the door.

Lillian waved her hand into the air, The doors trembered once then with a creek the doors opened up slowly. Mugwart was on the other side of the door. He just stood there for a moment with a domb founded look on his face. Not knowing if the doors oppened because of what he had done. Then he saw Lillian standing in front of Nicolo. "Are you ok Nicolo?" He asked

 

"Yes I am. I would like you to meet Lillian. Lilian this is Mugwort." Nicolo said with a smile. " Were are the guys, we have a lot of work be fore I will be leaving in the morning. This place with be a new begeining for us."

 

" The guys are aroun some where. Were are you going, are we all going to go too?" Mugwart asked as he looked down at Lillan.

 

"I'm going to take a little trip on my oun with Lillian here. It may take a few weeks or more. I'll be back after that. As for you guys, you all need to take care of this place. This place is a school once and I would like to start it up again." Nicolo said as he steped out side with Mudwort.

 

Nicolo whistled a bird call as he steped to the edge of the porch. The others came running to the bottem of the steps of the porch. They all smiled to see to see that Nicolo was OK. Lillian steped up next to Nicolo and smiled at the others. "It's a pleaser to meet you all. My name is Lillian. I would like to welcome you all to my Humble home, I want you all to make your selfs comfertable." Lilian said

 

"Is she the one?" Bart asked

 

"Yes She is Bart. She has asked me to help her out, But she and I need to go some where, for a few weeks. I need you all to stay here and take care of this place when we're gone. There is something on the harizone I can feel that will come to this town and this place here, The castle maybe a last stand for the town, Maybe. So I would like you all to help me propare this Castle for the posible of a last stand. Marer, Mugwort you Two Invitory all the magic books, posions in this place. Barton invitory the the kitchen. See if its up to your standerds. Gunther, I want you to take a walk threw this place to see how it will stand up to a sige and invitory the Items that you find." Nicolo said Every one went off to do their thing. Nicolo turned to Lillian and asked: "Is there a Treasery room in this place?"

 

"Yes there is, I'll show you." Lilian said, she took Nicolo by the hnad and lead him to a small door behind a suit of armor. She oppened the door amd whent in.

 

When Nicolo whent into the room he couldn't boleave his eyes. The wounders that he saw went beyond his imagination. (The list will take some time to come up with.)