Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2010 00:09:26 -0500
From: Daniel Enns <lunarboy4@live.com>
Subject: Tales of the Lost Souls 1

The usual disclaimers apply. This is a work of fiction, so any resemblance
to real people, living or dead, is completely coincidental. This work will,
eventually, contain graphic descriptions of sexual relationships between
two of-age men. Also, if you are under the proper age to view this material
in your area, you are offended by male on male action, or you have any
other obscure reason to not be viewing this, you should probably leave
now. I do not own the ideas behind the races and classes of my characters
and the world's pantheon, but I own all other rights to this story, so any
reproduction of it without my expressed permission is illegal, and not very
nice.

Anyways, this is a new tale loosely set up in the realm of Dungeons and
Dragons. This means that it is set in a world separate from D and D, but it
has the same races, classes, and pantheon, so it's similar yet different at
the same time. I hope you enjoy it, and don't be afraid to email me at
lunarboy4@live.com.

Tales of the Lost Souls

Part One: Melodic Beginnings

	A gentle harp melody washed over the forest clearing as Feylinna
practiced her haunting tune. Then, she began to sing along with the melody,
reciting words that even she didn't anticipate fluttering from her mouth.

	"So begins a tale of lost souls,
	The first of many tales to come.
	Like all good fables,
      This one begins with blood.
	Five souls join as one,
	Defying old hatreds to begin anew."

	As Feylinna strummed the last note, she immediately recognized her
song as a prophecy. She packed up her harp and she prepared her bow for the
short trip back to the village. She heard a rustling in the bushes and
reflexively drew her bow, aiming it at the source of the noise with the
beginnings of a spell on her lips.

	"What's got you so jumpy?" asked a light, male voice as a young
eladrin stepped out of the bushes into the clearing.

	"Arandel, you need to stop sneaking up on me like that," breathed
Feylinna as she lowered her bow.

	"But then I don't get to surprise you, Linn," laughed Arandel as he
gave her his famous mischievous smile.

	"You do realize that surprising a tiefling could be the last thing
you ever do, right?" She teased.

	"I can take care of myself," he retorted as he walked up to her and
gave her a hug. "So, how was music practice today?"

	"Um... I made a prophecy," she meekly muttered as they began to
walk back to the village.

	"Really, what about?"

	Feylinna repeated the prophecy, but just the words. She learned a
long time ago to never play the song associated with a prophecy. If she
even misplayed one note, she could start reciting another prophecy, which
would make things more complicated.
	"Wow, I wonder who it's talking about?" he wondered aloud, like
usual.

	"I don't know, but it's the `beginning with blood' part that
bothers me. I think someone's going to get really hurt," she worried.

	"Probably, but it also sounds like some serious business. I think
we need to head over to the elders. Maybe they'll be able to make some
sense of it," he firmly stated as they reached the outer edge of the
village.

	Meanwhile, in another small village outside of the forest, Ella,
Nalklyr, and Helja returned from their daily education in their chosen
fields to their small cottage. Upon arrival, they were greeted by their
elderly foster mother, Hope.

	"Hey, Mom," Ella happily shouted in her high, squeaky voice.

	"Hello, my dear Ella," Hope replied as she bent over to hug her
gnome foster daughter.

	"Mom, Nalk still won't tell us what he's studying at the temple of
Sehanine!"  Helja bellowed, again.

	"Again, if I told you, I'd have to kill ya'," Nalklyr shouted at
Helja, reaching for his weapon.

	"Both of you, that's enough. Don't make me get out the belt. Helja,
you know that Nalklyr does NOT have to tell us everything about his
studies, just like you don't. Nalklyr, you KNOW that I do not allow drawn
weapons in this house, so get your hand away from your sword," Hope sternly
stated, scolding her children as she settled their usual argument.

	"I wasn't going to draw it," Nalklyr sulked.

	"All he had to say was no," Helja sulked as well.

	"I've said no a million times already!" Nalklyr shouted, taking a
step toward his much shorter, dwarf foster sister.

	"Then why won't you," started Helja, puffing up her chest and
pointing a finger up at her drow foster brother.

	"Nalklyr, Helja," Hope sternly stated, giving the two her scariest
look, which is quite frightening, considering that she is a tiefling.

	"Okay Mom," they both groaned, admitting defeat for that night.

	"I swear, you two have been fighting ever since you first laid eyes
on each other. It's because of you that I have these gray hairs, ya' know?"
she muttered as she walked back into the kitchen to finish dinner.
	-Nalk, check out what I learned to do today! Isn't it neat! -
Shrieked a familiar, squeaky voice in Nalklyr's head.

	"What did you learn to do, talk?" Asked Nalklyr, thinking she had
said something.

	"I've know how to talk for a long time, thank you very much," Helja
growled.

	"No, didn't you hear Ella say that she learned a new trick today?"
He asked, dumfounded.

	Helja shook her head as Ella walked into the living room from the
kitchen, giggling.

	"No, silly, I learned how to send messages to people
telepathically," Ella chided. "Joseph called it `Send Thoughts.'"

	"Huh, that's cool. I bet you'll be able to read my mind soon." Nalk
joked as he squatted down to her level, amazed at just how well she is
progressing as a telepathic Psion.

	"Maybe I'll be able to figure out just what you're doing at the
temple," Ella giggled. "But Joseph said that I'm not supposed to read other
people's minds without their permission."

	"At least he's teaching you to be polite," Nalklyr nervously
laughed, fearing her figuring out his secret before he could tell them.

	"I'm giving you permission, find out for me, please," Helja
jokingly stated.

	"No, it has to be HIS permission, not anyone else's," Ella
seriously said.

	"Besides, you don't want to scar her, do you?" Nalklyr joked,
trying to lighten the mood and prevent a fight.

	"Ya, I guess you're right. Who knows what she'll find in your
mind," Helja joked, picking up on the mood.

	"Hey, you three, It's dinner time," Hope sang as the three ran to
the washbasin, washed up, and sat down to the modest dinner provided by
their loving foster mother.

	Back in the Eladrin village of Falarae, Feylinna and Arandel
approached one of the elders, Dayereth. Beginning with the usual,
respectful greeting, the pair looked up to the pale eladrin, gazed into his
emerald green eyes framed by flowing, golden brown hair, and recounted the
prophecy to him.

	"Hmm, sounds as if you two are in the wrong place," he calmly
stated, folding his hands together and sitting back in his chair.

	"What do you mean, where are we supposed to be?" Feylinna asked,
afraid of what he could say.

	"I mean, you two need to find the other three lost
souls. Obviously, since you made the prophecy, you are a part of it. I
would advise packing some things and getting on to move. If it begins with
blood, you must hurry so that the spilt blood is not someone's death."

	"Whoa, who says that I'm a part of this?" asked Arandel.

	"Would you really let me go on an epic journey without you?"
Feylinna said, her inner smart ass surfacing.

	"Who says you have to go. Just because you made the prophecy, that
doesn't mean you're part of it!" he raved, afraid to leave his home.

	"I know, but I have to make sure nobody is seriously hurt. I
couldn't live with myself if someone died because of my prophecy and I
didn't do anything to stop it," she sternly stated, amazed that her friend
was taking this stance.

	"But... I guess you're right. Sir, what will we need to pack and
where do we need to go?" Arandel asked, taking charge of the situation,
which made Feylinna smile.

	Dayereth instructed them on what to take, and they both ran off to
their homes to say goodbye to their parents and pack their things, agreeing
to meet at the city gate in the morning. When they asked again where to go,
the only answer they received was an enigmatic "You'll know it when you get
there."

	The next morning, Feylinna and Arandel set off to the nearest
village from their own, a small town outside of the forest called
Tetherotown. Also, Ella, Nalklyr, and Helja awoke from a restful night and
went off to their teachers. Ella went into Tetherotown to her Psion master,
Joseph, Nalklyr went to the temple, and Helja wandered off into the woods
toward an old hermit who can commune with the primal spirits.