Episode 2: Already So Far From Home

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Rikkard looked up and down the hallway. No one could be seen. In all of the rooms that were open, he had found nothing of any real interest, but most of the rooms in this tower were locked.

What do you have to hide, foolish gnome? he wondered greedily. Something of value, perhaps? Or something of power, mabye..

Rikkard quietly chanted the words of his spell, reaching out again to the void. This time, however, he did not summon forth his henchmen, but rather the creature that would be his eyes.

With a small flash, a tiny fairy appeared in front of him, hovering in front of his face. The impish look an impatient stance always puzzled him; he couldn't understand why it always had a disagreeable attitude.

Rikkard cast a second spell, and his world appeared to shift and shrink. In a moment, he found himself staring out of the eyes of his servant, looking at himself in a peculiar mirror.

"Go under to the door," he commanded it, "and show me what secrets lie within."

The fairy looked at the small gap between the door and shook its head. "Too small!" it gestured.

"Don't talk back to me!" he said angrily. "Get down there!"

The fairy grimaced, but flew down to the gap under the door. After several seconds of tiny grunting and groaning, she squeezed into the room. Blinky and looking around, Rikkard saw -- nothing!

Rikkard cursed. The room had no windows, and was not lit. The fairy could not see in the dark, and tried to find something to light her way. From the crashes and knocks heard through the door, she wasn't having much luck. He dispelled the creature, and walked over to a window.

Through the window, he could see the turmoil of a storm below him. He stared at it, fascinated with the perspective. Dark specks darted around the clouds. Birds, probably.

Lightning split the sky, startling him. Not again, he thought, worriedly. The lightning struck the flock of birds below, sending many of them tumbling into the clouds. The remainder began to swirl around the cloud bizarrely. The swirling gathered the flock together, and they flew higher, a giant corkscrew climbing, spinning, coming straight at the window.

Rikkard swore and reached for his troop cannon. He wore the thing under his cloak as a precaution, especially in these accursed Southern lands. He swung it out the window at the circling birds. Lightning cracked up and down the assembled birds. The accuracy of the weapon was best at a close range, so he held his shot until it was just right..

The shot tore into the birds, scattering a line of them. The bodies fell down into the maelstrom below. Many more of them continued on, and Rikkard pulled the weapon back in to reload. The birds, as one, let out a shriek.

The shot -- and the shriek -- were heard throughout the building. Isobel turned and bolted down the stairs, fearing the worst.

Rikkard's nervous fingers dropped the shell he was loading. The birds would be upon him before the gun was reloaded. He huddled down and threw his hands over his head to protect himself.

Just when he thought the flock might be upon him, Rikkard heard instead low thuds, scratches and the sound of bones cracking. He lowered his arms to look out the window.

A few feet from the window the birds were stopped. They crashed into an invisible barrier, not more than a foot outside the window. The birds did not stop, however, and Rikkard felt himself horrified by the sight. They crushed each other into a red pulp, their bodies held up briefly by the weight of those behind them.

After a few seconds, it was over. The birds had all destroyed themselves, and Rikkard felt a chill as a roll of thunder carried an inhuman, low scream of frustration.

The others, awakened by the cannonshot, ran up the hallway. "What is it?" shouted Narine, who weilded a short pointed dagger. She looked at Rikkard and his smoking troop cannon suspiciously. "What did you do!?"

"It was not my fault!" he yelled back, his temper rising. "The birds! They--"

Narine looked furious. "You were shooting at the birds!?"

"Listen to me, you --"

Isobel stepped between the two. "Calm down, both of you! Now, Rikkard, tell us what happened."

"Birds!" the shaken Rikkard said. "Crazy, insane birds! They stopped -- before they came through the window they hit something, but they kept trying... Crushed themselves against the barrier!"

Narine spoke up. "The tower is protected by an ancient magick. Only friends may enter with ease."

"Is there anything below us?" Isobel asked her.

"Yes! There is an observation post! Follow me!" Narine ran off to the front of the builing, Isobel close behind.

They climbed down the open staircase on the outside of the tree, down to the observation post below. On the roof of the post and at the bottom of the stairs they could see the tiny, devastated bodies of the birds littered around.

Narine put her hand to her mouth. "What could have done this?" she asked.

Isobel bent down and picked up one of the bodies, gently cradling it in her hands. She appealed to the Guardian for wisdom, and could sense the power slowly dissipating from it. The power had been very strong, and very ancient. "I don't know," she whispered. "I don't know."

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