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"No, Vhinn," Kiari said in a low desperate tone, her steel grey eyes revealing her fear. Her focus of attention was entirely upon the boy as if Avrie was invisible to her. She glanced about furtively for a moment but suddenly caught the boy's arm in a vise-like grip. There was a sense of power and the taste of metal and blood on all their tongues as the woman broached the arcanic stream and drew from an unfamiliar essence. The room darkened as the spell itself formed. Kiari held her son's fearful gaze with a look of compassion as she murmured in a sing-song voice, "Sleep and forget." Avrie could feel the tension in the boy's body recede as he slumped forward into his mother's arms. Kiari held him and stroked his hair, rocking back and forth with tears on her face. The blade that rested between them seemed aware and Avrie could swear she heard it whisper, "Vhinn'dreja." Curiously there were two simultaneous voices uttering the name; one light and gentle but the other dark and sinister. Then it all faded.
Venn was holding the crucible to the white fire but his eyes were wide with wonder and surprise. His hands did not falter despite the fact they had been transported back to the forge. It was dark outside although they had no idea how much time had passed. "I remember..." he said slowly. "I remember now." A spell had been broken by the magic of the flame and crucible and yet many more questions remained, new mysteries to be pursued. Venn looked to Avrie, his expression appreciative of her presence not only here in the present, but also in his memory.
The vision must have lasted longer than it seemed, for the paladin's back ached and his arms were sore. Venn looked into the vessel containing the molten ore to find that all the dross had been driven from it. So he removed the crucible and poured the golden contents into a large shallow die that caused the liquid metal to lose its brightness and become opaque. As he waited for the metal to cool, Venn fed logs into the fire below the furnace yet again. A large amount of charcoal glowed within the fire emanating and incredible amount of heat. The tall half-teleris closed the black metal doors not only to protect himself from the dry heat, but keep the temperature high within the heart of the forge. Given the brief moment, he went to a large barrel of clear water and filled a pitcher before brining it to a small table. He then poured two cups of water and extended one of them to Avrie. The colours of her vis danced and swirled about her and the music that emanated from her being permeated everything in the stone forge. Venn downed his cup quickly and had several more before removing his tunic, wetting it and dabbling his gills. The heat made his task all the more difficult due to his physiology. They felt extraordinarily refreshed by the water, no doubt drawn directly from the springs to sustain then during the ordeal.
Venn stretched his muscular frame, working out the knots that had formed over the time he held the crucible's guiding chains. Every sinew in his torso was taut from the labour and he needed to loosen them as much as he could given the monumental task still at hand. The only light in the forge came from the furnace itself now and the reddish glow played across Venn's torso and reflected the sheen upon his skin.
Sighing as he heaved a large hammer and took it to where the metal had cooled, he examined the large sheet of silver that had now formed. Taking a ladle, he poured the tears of Carmelya from the barrel over the sheet where it sizzled and evaporated. Where the water touched the sheet, the steel seemed to glow. The process was repeated until the refined metal was unmistakably generating light on its surface. The arcanic structure of the sheet was pure white , even crystalline in form, resonating in a beautiful single note. Venn raised the large hammer with both hands high above his head and brought it down with all his might. There was an explosion of light and dissonance as it shattered.
The swirl of colour and tones dissipated into the mundane sight and sound of the natural senses. The first thing they noticed was the smell. The most distinguishable was that of smoke. Looking about they found themselves in the location to the north along the trails above Natura. It was night and there was a red-orange glow to the south where the outskirts of the town was on fire. There were shouts of alarm in the distance as well as the distinctive ring of steel on steel. Natura was under siege. Avrie found herself alongside a band of six warriors accompanying Dhwae. The archdruidess of Natura had the appearance of a young woman in a white shift with delicate features and yet she exuded wisdom and experience of centuries. She looked deathly pale and was being carried by Venn. The half-Teleris lead the team, receiving direction from his ward as they moved quickly and quietly. Avrie had to run to keep pace with them. The paladin was not dressed in armor; rather he and several of the other paladins were in casual garb. The attack had come as a surprise. The sword he held unsheathed was not ancient paladin's blade she had always seen him carry but a more contemporary design. The group stopped from time to time to listen and circumnavigate points of potential conflict. From the whispers between the group, one could ascertain that they were attempting to bring the archdruidess to the sacred spring. Something had happened to the Tears of Carmelya so that enemies could step foot upon the sacred soil without being affected by the protective magick.
As careful as they were, they happened upon a skirmish not two hundred feet from them. It appeared as if a cohort of goblins and mercenaries had caught up with a group of rangers and civilian families. The outcome of the engagement was already evident. Already half of fleeing Naturans were dead and the horde of goblins were crashing over the others even as the silent entourage watched from the shadows of the trees. "We need to help them!" rasped one of the elves in their band. Several other heads nodded in agreement, looking to Venn. His face looked younger than Avrie knew and there was something oddly absent from his demeanor, until at least this moment. The half-elf turned his charcoal eyes to the scene where fellow Naturans were being massacred with stunned silence. He watched as the cruel looking blades hacked away at men, women and children. He thought he recognized one of the rangers who fought ineffectively against the insurmountable tide of invaders. Shock turned to numbness and horror. He had never seen anyone killed by the sword before, let alone so many.
"Venn!," came the urgent hiss of one of the men who wore armor, his voice bringing Venn out of his state. Dhwae's eyes were closed now as she reserved her strength for whatever it was she needed to do to repair the Spring. "Come on! They are being butchered!" the man continued.
Venn closed his eyes and shook his head. "No," he stated plainly. There were looks of surprise on the face of the others. "We must bring Dhwae to the Tears as quickly as possible or more will fall. We cannot afford to be discovered." There was pain and frustration showing in the faces of those who followed him, but also a grim resignation to the logic they were presented with. And so they turned even as the last of the Naturans they left behind fell under goblin steel.
In that moment, Venn looked to Avrie wordlessly, his eyes wet with tears yet clear. She knew what he was asking her even though he said nothing. "Did I do the right thing?" Their small band had escaped, but not unscathed.
There was a violent rushing wind and they were back at the forge again. Venn had been thrown backwards and lay on the ground. The hammer was still in his hand but it let it drop to put his hands to his soot covered face. He shook as he wept. The metal in the die still glowed but was now broken into pieces.
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