The Eyes of Fire

Clementius

Running around with a large amount of unruly children, who possessed great power, was not how Astria imagined things to be going when she finally escaped her chains. When she had first communed with Clementius, the only thing she imagined was going to the Canis isles, the only place that humans and for the most part, the other races refused to go. Two wonderful heavily forested islands, being the birthplace of her race, nearly two thousand years ago. Of course, they only expanded to the mainland a few hundred years ago. Astria learned a great many things from Clementius, who seemed willing to share information and teach her about the world, more then the way Vindicta treated Adameus, like a weapon, a way to spread his destructive influence across the world. In fact Astria may not know the common language in it's written form, but she was almost adept at the old Arkanin script and speech. She was quite the natural in fact and have had plenty of time to learn in her cell.

"Astria!!" Dalet said suddenly, grabbing her and pointing at a large archway, lining the edge of another empty fountain. The arch was speckled with moss and the keystone cracked, but was otherwise in perfect condition.

"Is that what we're looking for? Can we make it work again?" Dalet asked skeptically, peering closely at the arch.
Astria quickly explained how the old relic worked, as well as a little history lesson about the original use of the archway.
"A long time ago, when our people first settled these lands, we expanded far and so quickly that it was more difficult to see the rulers of other cities, so the mageborn, Arkanin born into service to the rulers of each city, helped devise a way to almost instantaneously travel across the distance between each city. An archway, made of stone from the quarries on Canis isle, and enchanted by each mageborn member of that time. All it requires is the touch of someone from one of the noble houses of our race. Unfortunately my noble house has an extensive ritual to activate the archway. So it may take me some time to get it right.

"Okay that sounds great, let me know if you me for anything, I'm going to look around one of these houses, see if I can't find something we can bring with us. I won't go too far." Dalet replied, setting the book of names down on the stone floor right next to Astria. Dalet slowly headed in the direction of an old house that looked as ancient as the archway Astria was working on.

Nodding slowly, Astria approached the arch, she could feel her the approval of Clementius as she approached the relic of the old days.

"I don't know how it works, Dalet. This may take awhile, just keep everyone ready to go, once I do. We can't leave anyone behind." She said turning around, to face Dalet once more.

"You got it, I'll make sure everything is ready, when the archway wakes up." Dalet replied before turning the latch on an iron latch gate and heading toward the door of that house.

Of course, Astria had Clementius to help her, and guide her through the motions of activating the old relic.

Licking her still parched lips, and adjusting a large shirt, that fit like a dress, that Dalet had "found." She cast her eyes around the empty square before started to commune with Clementius.

The houses around them were quite large and stately, though these looked like they had been abandoned for many years. And the fountain wasnt even wet or damp, being emptied long time prior to their arrival. Her people who were looking inside of them, seemed to be not finding anything of use either.

"Child of my heart, place your hands on the stones below my door."
Reaching down, Astria placed her hands on the stone blocks directly below her, each hand on a separate block. The blocks were warm to the touch and dusty with sand.
"Now we must hurry, my child, for time is running short and a predator approaches..."

Dalet pushed aside the door, that was slightly ajar already, probably from one of the others who had already poked around inside. Stepping over broken glass, on the floor just inside, Dalet continued, the floor waxed to shine was covered in a fine layer of dust, so too was all the furniture inside, there was only one other set of footprints besmirching the layer of dust on the wooden floors.
Entering the only room, with its doors still attached to its hinges, the first thing, Dalet noticed was of course, the small pool of water, flowing from two circular pipes that dissapeared into the far wall. The other thing was the other person, kneeling beside it, drinking heavily from it. The room was large, the floors made of white marble, as well as the walls, large windows, lined the top of each wall, windows tinted blue and yellow. Flooding the room with dyed light, Dalet stepped towards the fountain, to drink, his steps sounding around the room.