A
After the long journey the group of her friends took, Talindra curls up in bed one night and pulls out some quill and ink, putting it to the parchment she has set on the table beside her bed. Sunny jumps onto the bed beside her and wags his tail, getting a fond scratch behind the ears before Talindra looks back to her writing.
You would not believe what has happened, Grigor.
I jump ahead of myself, all the lost years forgotten at the moment to write this because it is so amazing. It almost seems a fanciful tale spun by a silver tongued bard and I -lived- it. I can only imagine what you will think when you read this.
Rocky. That name sits within my heart, fond feelings and love for a creature made of stone. He was beyond what one could consider a simple elemental, perhaps a chance encounter turned to life after he ingested Myrkandite, an ore with magical properties to it. Yet the truth I believe in it, given from the lips of Tyr himself to me.
He called me mama, he was like an adopted son I suppose. I knew not how much I cared for him until his death, a death by sacrifice, to save those he cared for. To save me, Ashena, Allestor, Shallyah, Maria, Thanatos, Maero, Luke, Cecil and Arlan.
He was so large, growing steadily each day as he ate more and more ore. Yet he was so tender with his touch for those he cared about, even once giving me a rocky kiss upon the head.
Our task was to release a mage of ancient Raumathar, the one named Thanatos, trapped within a staff of great power. Our journey took us to such splendid places, we visited the land of the fey itself, Avalon. The Queen of this land took offense to the meddling of Silverfang, Jerrick his true name, a druid who resides upon the mountain now forever watching over us. Within Avalon we released Knights, left to a deep slumber in stone, lost to the beguiling ways of the land of Avalon itself for many years. We wished to speak more to them,but we could not, our duty was set before us, a greater evil to be vanquished.
The Queen of the fey would release Thanatos for us if we got some blood from something that lived during his time. Thousands of years passed since Thanatos was flesh and bone, where would we find such. The answer was given, we were to travel to a cavern, there we would find a creature born of that time. We found him, the darkness within him was apparent yet we all could not help but be awed by the sight after fighting our way through his undead half dragon children to reach his lair.
Xaxonatro'zaphyr, a mighty dragon. We exchanged words with the dragon and yet we all knew in the end we would fight, even Xaxonatro'zaphyr himself new this, enemies can still show respect to each other before fighting though and I am glad that my encounter with this dragon went as such.
When the dragon lay dead, we returned to Avalon and the Queen kept her word, Thanatos was released from the staff, the first part of our quest complete. Now we must face another great evil, the demon within the pillars, the only one able to summon it forth was Thanatos himself and so we left Avalon again, bidding farewell to our new fey "friends" and returned to the island we had set foot upon several times already, a new home for our lizardfolk friends if we succeeded, the birth of a demon and the possible end of the land of Narfell if we failed.
Magics woven between Maria and Thanatos, the demon released and it sets upon us. It was so blurry when I now sit and try to think about it, the details I may be missing in this simple letter. Yet in the end, despite Yuan-ti attempting to disrupt the magics, we managed to defeat the demon, it's fiery corpse dropping to the ground and the impending explosion hovering nearby as the air darkened and the heat began to build around it's body. We ran, all of us.. except Rocky.
The eruption of fire that came from this ancient demon was tremendous, breathing became difficult even with the heat it produced and the tremors I feared would collapse the cave upon us. Yet we lived, most of us at least. A solid rock form lay upon the ground near the final resting place of the demon, Rocky, "dead" or as dead as an elemental could be as they do not possess souls. He gave himself to save us, to block the explosion from harming us, a sacrifice that seems odd for a soulless creature. We could command an elemental to do such, yet we had no such control over Rocky, he CHOSE to give his life for us. The tears began as I rested against his lifeless body, then I truly knew how much he actually meant to me, what he had become as he moved beyond a simple elemental to be a trusted and dear friend I call him son despite his origins, but more for his deeds and the feelings I held for him.
Victory turned to grief at the loss of Rocky and as I lay there, a voice within could be heard. "Do not cry mama, Rocky is happy. Take Rocky's body, make weapons to protect others. Rocky loves you." His last gift to us, Ssslithar seeing to the deed of using what remained of our friend to better fight the continuing threat we face.
A sword of Rocky, blessed beyond what I could ever imagine, the hand of Tyr in it's making, a weapon to fight what we face and it will be needed. I can feel him within the sword.. Rocky. I know he is well and he DID find his soul, I know it. Tyr tells me he is within Celestia now at his side and I will see him again someday.
We have much to do still and I have much more to tell you of this, yet my duties call me away for now, as does a dog who needs to go outside. Remember my brother, judge one by their actions and love them as they are, not as they look. Cherish what you have in life, as it can be torn away so quickly.
I learned that lesson now thoroughly for myself and I miss Rocky and I love him, as I miss my family and love them.
With hopes of seeing you soon, you loving sister,
Talindra.
