Elemix was dreaming. It was a pleasant dream. He was showing off his new tower, complete with newly buily outbuildings and the like to Baroness Rivanon and Magus Gillian – both of which were his close friends and on a first name basis. It was a good dream as each were completing with offers of power to have the right to be his wife. Others still were outside with gifts and offers. He was looking forward to Magus Ocean\u00e9 Calvet\u2019s, who was next at the door. Sitting on the stairs and looking down at the two beauties, he was having a tough time choosing. \u201cBeauty and magical power, versus beauty and temporal power? It is a hard decision to make,\u201d a silky smooth masculine voice said in Eterian from behind him and slightly up the spiral staircase.<\/p>\n
“Who are you,” said Elemix? The voice was unfamiliar to him. And where did it come from if this was his dream?<\/p>\n
“I’m right behind you.” Looking around, the man was sitting on the stairs. He was dressed in a black tunic and cloak with his hair long and pulled back. He was older, perhaps in his early 50’s, but not showing any sign of going grey. The rest of the people in the dream disappeared. “I am John.”<\/p>\n
Elemix turned. “Have we met? How did you get here in my dream?”<\/p>\n
“We just did,” John replied. “As far as your other question, you brought me here – it is your dream after all.”<\/p>\n
“That makes sense,” replied Elemix. “But why would I dream about you. No offense but they are much more appealing.” Elemix turned to face the ladies and only then realized they were gone.<\/p>\n
Hey! “Where did they go?”<\/p>\n
Elemix stirred a bit in his sleep. This had started as such a nice dream.<\/p>\n
“No offense taken,” John replied nonchalantly. “Perhaps I’m a forgotten memory? An old friend? A teacher? I suppose none of those are familiar. You don’t happen to have an old staff, a wicked wand, or an odd artifact do you?”<\/p>\n
“I did just aquire a wand,” said Elemix. All thoughts of the ladies disappeared as his focus changed.<\/p>\n
“The wand is ancient Eterian. It belonged to the head of a group of sorcerers I think.”<\/p>\n
As Elemix thought the wand materialized in his hand.<\/p>\n
“Nice. Looks tough as well.” said John, “may I?” he added, gesturing to the wand.<\/p>\n
“Why not,” replied Elemix? He mentally floated the wand over to John.<\/p>\n
He was curious what this John would have to say about it.<\/p>\n
“Thank you,” he said. Looking over the wand he said, “I know something you don’t know – which of course means you know something you don’t know you know.”<\/p>\n
Elemix smiled. “I suppose so. I have spent so much time at study it’s possible I’ve forgotten some of what I learned. Though that isn’t like me.<\/p>\n
So what is it that I know that I don’t know?”<\/p>\n
“Well, it is fairly obvious that you have gathered a wide variety of artifacts from Old Eteria. I wonder what that many objects of ancient power brought together will bring?” mused John.<\/p>\n
“You mean aside from fanatical tyanites bent on taking them for themselves so they can eventually use them to bring chaos to civilization,” returned Elemix.<\/p>\n
“You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that would you?”<\/p>\n
Elemix eyed him knowingly.<\/p>\n
“Tyaanites? Sure, evil bitches they are. Always ruining someone’s day. But I was thinking more logical, not primal. I mean, you are near the Hattani Gates, the Demon’s Horns so to speak, when you sum it up you carry a great deal of power of ancient origin into a known place of ancient power. What do you think occurs?”<\/p>\n
“Whose to say? Something of significance I should think,” returned Elemix. “It’s why we are going. To learn.”<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t know who he was dealing with here. He was certain this John was not a manifestation of his mind.<\/p>\n
Was this some influence connected to the wand? Was this the as yet unseen tyanite who bore a resemblance to Tuderic Drask? Was this some manifestation of the malevolent force that had attacked Emmilines mind and later his? Something else entirely?<\/p>\n
“You said you knew something I haven’t recalled. What is it?”<\/p>\n
“There…is…a price of course. There always is.” John smiled while not answering directly, “well,” he slapped his hands against his knees and then rose up to leave, “you look busy fantasizing about women of power. I’ll let myself out.”<\/p>\n
“There is always a price to be paid for knowledge. Most don’t think of it in those terms but the fact remains. One thing before you go,” asked Elemix?<\/p>\n
“Why did you come? We both know you are not part of my subconscious.”<\/p>\n
What did John have to gain or lose in their success or failure? Why did he care, Elemix wondered.<\/p>\n
“I’m guess you have not figured it out.” he said, looking up in a sense of wonder, then turning to Elemix he continued, “well you drew me here, and you will have to determine why on your own. But I will leave you with this. There is an old saying:\u00a0Bere R’lhora hildako Gaztorak etxe lo zain.\u00a0<\/em>It is both and invitation and a warning from a long, long time ago – depending on your point of view. You can choose how you wish to interpret it.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Elemix was dreaming. It was a pleasant dream. He was showing off his new tower, complete with newly buily outbuildings and the like to Baroness Rivanon and Magus Gillian – both of which were his close friends and on a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":2013,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[3],"class_list":["post-2645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-thalassa","tag-elemix"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8aqU2-GF","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2594,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2015\/09\/28\/the-derrien-conclave-of-447-part-5-conclusion\/","url_meta":{"origin":2645,"position":0},"title":"The Derrien Conclave of 447 (Part 5 – Conclusion)","author":"Tom Welch","date":"September 28, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Magus Elemix approached\u00a0Magus Skona when an opportunity presented itself. \"Magus Skona, would you be free to chat for a few minutes?\" \"A few,\" the gruff dwarf said. \"What do you need?\" \"Magus Titus recommended I speak to you about the possibility of transcribing a spell. I was hoping you might\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2532,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2015\/09\/23\/the-derrien-conclave-of-447-part-4\/","url_meta":{"origin":2645,"position":1},"title":"The Derrien Conclave of 447 (Part 4)","author":"Tom Welch","date":"September 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Alix responded, \"We do not know for certain they are tracking you, the Aquila, or something else Magus. Whatever they are doing it is not terribly accurate as they must still search for you. Let us pivot then to the magic item you carry. Can you present it and give\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2512,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2015\/09\/16\/the-derrien-conclave-of-447-part-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":2645,"position":2},"title":"The Derrien Conclave of 447 (Part 1)","author":"Tom Welch","date":"September 16, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"A cold October rain fell hard on Derrienport. The trip had been miserable, but finally he was almost there. While he was certain he was being watched, Elemix had not been attacked. Travelling with the Baron\u2019s patrols and attaching himself to larger caravans had helped that he thought, but with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3157,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2016\/09\/26\/and-so-it-came-to-pass\/","url_meta":{"origin":2645,"position":3},"title":"And So It Came to Pass…","author":"Illuminatus","date":"September 26, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"They were home. How they did not know, but they were home. The snows still covered the ground, but in the distance, the wyvern Charles flew over the Western Pass to the Lower Calder Valley and Uzek beyond. Hardby a hunting lodge could be seen with much activity. Elemix, when\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2515,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2015\/09\/16\/the-derrien-conclave-of-447-part-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":2645,"position":4},"title":"The Derrien Conclave of 447 (Part 2)","author":"Tom Welch","date":"September 16, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"With that dinner was called and Elemix ended up sitting near Vorn and Xavier, who carried on conversations. Vorn explained his plan to journey south. He and some old friends (as well as new ones) planned an adventure into the Southern Taurian Wilderness searching for some ancient Silurian outpost. Xavier\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2328,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2015\/07\/20\/letter-to-archmagus-revan\/","url_meta":{"origin":2645,"position":5},"title":"Letter to Archmagus Revan","author":"Tom Welch","date":"July 20, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Achmagus Revan, As you may or may not be aware, Apprentice Emmiline and I have embarked on a dangerous journey to the East. To an area known as the Demon Hornes or the Hitari Gates. I know you are quite busy, so I'll not bother with the details. I wanted\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2645\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}