Beginning or End?


 * Dungeon Cell 


 * This chamber is six feet wide and deep, and about eight feet high. It has a musty pile of hay and a ratty gray blanket that passes for a bed. A grimy-looking wooden bucket serves as a toilet. A similar bucket contains brackish drinking water. Take care to know the difference.
 * ''Iron shackles and manacles are affixed to the wall, and can be used to neutralize troublesome prisoners.

This cell's lone prisoner has gotten a bit... gross. Kallyn's red hair is filthy, greasy, full of knots. Her clothes are in much the same condition, with the addition of a month's worth of sweat and other bodily filth. The bucket used for excrement has been recently cleaned out, however, so the smell in the room isn't quite as bad as it could be. Right now the girl is doing push-ups, the state of fresh sweat and shaking legs suggesting that she has been working herself for a while now. Her pace, however, tells that her arms have just been started on. In addition to her state of filth, it might be noted that the girl has packed on a little bit of extra muscle and lost some weight. Not much, but enough to be noticable. The redhead bobs down, then up, muttering her count and continuing as if she does this every day.

The sound of footsteps approach-- Not just the heavy booted tread of two guards, which are also present, but the lighter soft tread and scuff of slippers. Sahna Nillu, clad in a black robe, strides down the corridor with two of the dungeon guards. She wrinkles her nose in general at the smell that seems to overtake most dungeons, but her eyes are full of sheer mirth.

The footsteps catch Kallyn's attention, steely grey eyes widening as they catch sight of Sahna. She falters in her movement, arms giving out and dropping her to the floor. "By the Light," she blurts out as she scuttles away from the Duchess (and, one might note, also away from the hay that serves as her bed), "Your... I... What are you doing here?!"

Sahna gestures to the guards. One of them unlocks the door, and Sahna Nillu pulls it open, grinning at Kallyn. "Hello, Lake. Grab your things, we're leaving." She answers, adding, "Tor tells me you were going to try something stupid.. So, just saying in advance, no need for last ditch escape attempts."

"Wha...?" Kallyn's fear is now laced with confusion, "I... Would you mind telling me what's going on, at least?" The redhead is literally shaking. Apparently their last encounter left quite an impression. The girl stands, slowly, and is already wearing all of the things she would be taking with her.

"I'll tell you on the carriage ride to Light's Reach." Sahna answers, stepping back and gesturing to the hallway. "As for where you're going, you're going to Crown's Refuge. Ach, don't they let prisoners bathe?"

"Crown's Refuge?" Kallyn asks, tilting her head and quirking an eyebrow. And then the comment about bathing causes her to sniff at herself. Even she cringes, "No, they don't, although I do pour some of the drinking water on myself after I exercise... That'll probably be one of the first things I do, actually, I feel about as nasty as I smell..." She seems to have calmed down a bit, stepping carefully towards the door and keeping an eye on Sahna.

After the long walk out of the palace, conducted mostly in silence, Sahna settles into one seat of the carriage. She rests her hands in her lap and regards Kallyn for a moment, then speaks. "There are several conditions to your release. The first condition is that I do not want it widely known that I had a hand in it." She leans back in her seat, adding, "The gargoyle attacks have stepped up in your time in prison. Did Tor tell you anything about it?"

"Not really... I got a bit hung up on the giving up children bit...," Kallyn replies quietly, "I'll keep my mouth shut about you. Please, fill me in. Do get to actually help out this time?"

"It's not been a very good month for Fastheld." Sahna answers, quietly. "We need to change carriages here. You are being remanded into the care of Taran Songbird, officially on loan from Fastheld to find out if evocation magic does good damage, average damage, no damage, or heals gargoyles. Taran will not spend your life cheaply, of course, so you stand a good chance of surviving the encounter.. But we need to know."

"Fair enough," Kallyn replies, "I've been wanting to take on those stone bastards ever since I first heard about them..." A thought crosses the girl's mind as she steps out of the carriage, "Are Kael and Meian and them all right?"

Sahna continues, "You have heard my condition, and the Regent's condition, which you will sum up the results in a report and send it to me by courier. Third is the condition that Taran set, for the Refuge to take you in. He says you are not to ever lose control of your power in front of an untouched wildlander. In summary, my condition is more of a request. If you fail Zolor's condition by refusing to help Crown's Refuge with the gargoyle issue, Crown's Refuge will return you to _me_. I assure you that you do not want that. If you fail Taran's condition, Crown's Refuge will simply lock you out of the gates and let the wildlands kill you." That particular piece of news delivered, Sahna adds, "If you succeed, you will be free in a place where you never have to kowtow to nobles again or stay trapped and treated poorly, in a small place like Northreach. Kael and Meian are fine. Celeste was attacked, and Duhnen was very badly injured attempting to save her. He may not walk again, we don't know."

"Duhnen..." Kallyn closes her eyes, swallowing hard as a single tear rolls down her cheek. It is wiped away and the redhead steps into the second carriage, "It is truly a cruel world we live in, when a good man like him is put through so much..." A moment's pause and the girl says, "The terms are agreeable. Anything else?"

Sahna shakes her head. "Gabriella's bereft. I sat up with her all last night." She murmurs, voice somewhat hoarse. "No, that's it, Kallyn. It's your life to live, other than that. I think being a wildlander will suit you well. But you know, you can't come back to Fastheld. Outside the North gate if you want to say your goodbyes, but that's it, Kallyn."

"If I can help even a little to protect my loved ones, it will be worth it," the redhead replies simply before falling silent. Kallyn seems to sink into a sort of stony resolve, jaw setting as she mulls over all of the implications in her head. After a long while of this, a small, sad smirk comes across the redhead's face, "My siblings are going to kill me when they find out about this..."

The carriage rolls to a stop and Sahna offers Kallyn a grim smile. "They can kill you all they like, as long as they do it in the wildlands." She answers, then steps out of the carriage.


 * Whitehaven 


 * Known locally as the "Grand Exchange", Whitehaven is considered to be the central-most district of the city of Light's Reach, being little more of unique interest than a collision of overspill from the Noble District of Starmantle to the north, and the Freelander District of Redwater to the south.


 * Thus it is not uncommon to see red-brick and flax-stone estates across from half-timber and white-stucco townhouses, with minor Nobles forced to endure living as neighbors to successful merchants. The social divide is still quite obvious, but suffering the injustice of having to live in a mansion across the road from a family of Freelanders is often considered worth it to by most just to say that they live in Light's Reach.


 * It is the middle of the district from which the term "Grand Exchange" comes, however, for it is here that a large ring-road can be found surrounding the rebuilt Mikin Hall, connecting to the main through-fares that runs from the districts to the north, east, and south. It is around this ring-road that the Whitehaven Stables can be found, as well as the Interdistrict Carriage Hub and the headquarters for the Fastheld Courier Service's cavalry and distribution network.


 * The road heads up a gentle slope as it heads west towards Dawnstar Keep, ascending to the elevated western rise upon which the Keep, the Temple of the White Dragon, and the Southern Aria reside.

Sandrim sits on a fence outside the stables, staring up at the moons. His cloak is wrapped tightly about himself, but despite this, the youth shivers from time to time.

A rather grungy and foul-smelling Kallyn Lake follows the Duchess Sahna Nillu out of a carriage, the redhead exuding a stony sadness as she walks along and seeming a little bit pale. She merely nods and offers Sahna a half-hearted sort of chuckle in response to something said within said carriage.

Sahna trudges along to the west, her breath misting in the cold air. She reaches to her belt as an afterthought. "You'll need a weapon out there. Here, just a moment." She pulls a silver katar from the sheath, holding it out hilt-first to Kallyn. "I suggest learning how to use it, if you don't already have an affinity for daggers."

Kallyn regards the weapon for a moment, "Meh... I was never one for small blades. I'm pretty good with a shortsword, though, if I can get ahold of one. Duhnen took mine when I was arrested..." The redhead turns the katar in her hand, "I wouldn't know what to do with something this light." All the while she is following a half-step behind and to the side of the Duchess.

"Trade it for something else, then, when you get there." Sahna answers, with a shrug. "Doesn't matter to me. I have some shortswords, but they're at Sweetwater. Courier networks run through the Aria now too, so any correspondence should be simple for you. Anything else we haven't covered?"

"You never said quite how bad the gargoyle situation has gotten," Kallyn notes, "To let me out of the Imperial dungeons... I'm guessing there's more to it than you've told me."

"Four lairs, as far as we know. Oh, Taran broke himself up too falling down trying to scale the entrance of one. Oh, and there's been some business about them advancing on Crown's Refuge. I'm sure they'll update you when you get there." Sahna answers, shaking her head. "I hear it's worse over there."


 * The Southern Aria 


 * Though identical in design to the Temple of the White Dragon, the monument building that houses the Aria Portal lacks the ambiance of divinity that its northern counterpart holds. It consists of an inner and an outer chamber, with two thirds of the overall dimensions of the monument building belonging to the interior area. It is directly connected to Dawnstar Keep at the northern end, with a projecting "H" of columns forming the entrance in the middle of the eastern side.


 * The inner chamber of the temple is thirty meters long by twenty meters wide, with internal marble colonnades in two tiers, structurally necessary to support the roof. On the exterior, the columns measure two meters in diameter and are ten meters high. The corner columns are slightly larger in diameter. In total, the temple features forty-six outer pillars and nineteen inner pillars in total. The top step of the stepped platform upon which colonnades of the temple columns are placed has an upward curvature towards its center of three inches on the east and west ends, and of four inches on the sides. The roof is covered with large overlapping marble tiles.


 * Inside the temple, the arsenic-shade of stone is blanketed with white-bleached riveroak panels and beams, while the floor consists of black, reflective marble tiles. The contrast between the white timber and the black marble is nothing if not elegant, setting a somewhat welcoming tone for those who arrive here via the Aria. It also seems fitting considering the number of officers from the Imperial Tribunal and the Imperial Watch that guard this area; the latter providing security, with the former working on behalf of the Imperial Office of Census and Excise, checking every returning person for valid citizenship and issuing permits of stay to those who are of a Wildlander description. Suffice to say that while the air tingles with the barely contained excitement of discovery and adventure, the mood remains somber and professional in most parts of the chamber.


 * The Aria itself stands in the middle of the inner chamber, facing north/south. It is an impressive artifact indeed, as large as it is ring-shaped into a near perfect "O". When in use, the swirling vortex that links between here and Crown's Refuge seems to softly sing in the most harmonious of ways, giving rise to the name of the portal: The Aria.

Kallyn hesitates mid-step, "'Oh, and'? You don't sound too concerned about all of this... Taran broke himself up and they're advancing on the Refuge? Light... I'm guessing the odds of survival there are going to be slim." The redhead resumes on her path with a sort of renewed vigor at this last comment, eyeballing the Aria as it comes into view.

Sahna approaches the portal, looking at it with a faint hint of longing. She turns back to Kallyn and asks, "Do you have your citizenship papers with you anymore? Really, it's more of a chance than you had before. You were going to be executed."

"For /what/?" Kallyn asks, momentarily distracted, "I never even hurt anyone."

Sahna raises both eyebrows. "I really don't have the time or inclination to go into the gory details, so let's just leave it at 'you pissed off too many people', okay?" She holds out her hand and adds, "Do you still have your citizenship papers?"

"Um...," Kallyn starts digging through pockets, soon producing said papers, "Here they are." The redhead hands them over to Sahna and then glances to the Aria again. Her stomach churns as the realization of what is happening hits her. Hard. She stares at the portal as her lips part, words never coming to them.

Sahna takes the papers and looks them over, examining the details only for a moment. Then, she grips the paper and tears it, allowing small peices of paper to drift to the floor as she shreds it. "Goodbye, Kallyn Lake. You may go now." She comments, and although the tone is without rancor, it is also without pity.

Nodding, Kallyn steps up to the portal, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. "Goodbye Fastheld..." With that, the girl steps through the portal to start her new life (and possibly subsequent death) in Crown's Refuge. Return to Season 7 (2008)