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  38. It was an unusually warm and balmy morning in the town of Giran. My house, being located near the town square, is never truly quiet. People are constantly buying and selling items acquired from all over the lands of Aden. But this particular morning, it was the silence that had awakened me. Dumbstruck, I made my way along the cobblestone path towards the square, rubbing my eyes and attempting to clear my head in spite of the insufferably steamy weather. It was there that my jaw dropped and full consciousness came to me. Giran was empty! To be sure, there were the usual bums and drunks, begging and clawing for an adena, but no more than ten people stood about in the square. Now alert, I wasted no time and made my way to the nearest person, the sorceress Esmelda, asking the obvious, “Where have all the people gone to?” “Have you not heard”, she replied? “Haharhahe?well, there be new land discovered. East and north of the Valley of Dragons. A hard and cruel land. One of rock and lava, and beasts made of fire with death in their eyes. It has drawn every brave heart and curious mind in Aden. Who knows what treacheries and treasures can be found there. Have you not felt its touch here in Giran?” I swallowed hard. Visions of fire danced in my mind. “I must seek out this new place at once!” “Hahahar, you’ll die if you go. Engulfed in flames and ash you will be”, she screeched. Paying her no mind, I quickly made my way to the nearest store to buy supplies for my journey. It was there I learned of the dwarven settlement Werldern, located at the base of this new land. And talk of a dragon seen flying high over the mountain passes. My curiosity was insatiable.

    Youngblood felt especially daring today. He had safely made his way around the outer edges and into the troubled land of Valakas. Deep pools of bubbling lava played fifth’s with hissing geysers in a choir of chaos. Wiping sweat from his brow, he made his way up a narrow path, his dog Razor loyally at his heels. “C’mon boy, just a little further. I gotta see what’s over this next pass.” This was the furthest Youngblood had ever ventured into the craggy lands of boiling lava. For some reason, he felt especially lucky today. And he had learned to trust his instincts. A few moments later, he reached the crest and with it, the landscape unfolded. Huge spires of rock tipped vicariously over vast pools of lava. Steam rose in thick columns as permanent as the mountains around them. All seemed veiled within soft cotton, the only thing that was soft about this place. Taking a deep breath, he started down the rocky path. Razor’s growling gave him only an instant’s warning. He slammed up against a huge boulder and felt a tremendous pain in his side. Throwing pain aside and quickly quaffing a potion of healing, he turned to face his adversary. It looked like a huge bull with a single long protruding horn. It was wreathed in flames and smelled of burning flesh. “Taurveros?” he muttered under his breath. He set his shoulders and joined Razor in the wild battle. It’s horn gauged and slashed with incredible power. Forced to retreat a few steps, he drank another healer and screamed defiance at the beast. He ran as it came, allowing Razor to continue attacking it from behind. Suddenly it turned on Razor, slashing and stabbing. Rushing to his dog’s aid, he quaffed a potion of bravery and laid into the beast with all his strength. For a moment, it seemed his dog must certainly die, but finally the beast pitched forward and landed heavily on the ground. One last flame licked its way up that dreadful horn, and then all was still. “Good boy Razor, thought I’d lost you for a second there. What you got there boy?” A piece of folded parchment lay at Razor’s feet. It was burned around the edges and spotted with holes, but the writing on it was clear enough. “What the heck is this? Some kind of diary or something?” The sound of nearby movement brought him back to his surroundings. “Let’s get back to town and have a closer look at this.” Pulling a scroll out of his belt, he and the dog vanished.

    “I’m tellin’ you Apack, this guy has been lost up there for a week now and we’re the only ones who know he’s missing.” “Oh? How do you figure that Young? If he’s so famous, won’t other people be looking for him too? Hell, he’s probably been dead for days. It’s not like there’s a peach orchard up there to sustain him”, replied Apack. Youngblood knew he had to win this fast or forget it. “He’s gotta be alive. And I doubt anyone is searching for him. He’s been known to go off on long trips. You know how mages are. Just disappear and be gone for months. His journal says he found a cave that seems deserted and was holding up there. He’s described the landmarks around it. We can find this place, I’m telling ya.” Apack ran his hands through his hair in stubborn defiance, “I don’t care if this guy was Lord British, you’ll have a better chance of finding death by searing pain than you will finding him. He’s just some doddering old mage whose curiosity got him killed!” If stubborn could be shown with a picture, it would be Apack’s face at that moment. Youngblood knew his friend well enough to pick his next words carefully. “Look Apack, he was Court Wizard while Prince Gerard held Giran. They held the castle against eight sieges before it fell. He’s worth a lot to the right people. His house is right off the town square for god’s sake. If you and I could bring him back to safety, the reward would be incredible.” The hesitation in his friend’s eyes told him he had won him over. “We’ll split the loot 50/50 and then we can both really start thinking about making our tsurugis.” Apack stood stiffly for a moment, then dropped his shoulders in defeat. “Arrrrggghh, why do I always let you talk me into these foolish quests of yours? Just how far into the mountains is he supposed to be anyway?” Youngblood smiled that victory smile, “Not to far bro, not too far.”

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