Watching the mage storm out of the hall, Korgan narrowed his eyes. They narrowed further as he saw gouts of flame flash from the courtyard outside. He grunted and resisted the urge to spit.

"Mages... Pah."

Turning back to his plate, he continued to carve up the rare steak that lay in front of him, swigging from a flagon of ale as he did so. Turning to the small Oktra that he had seen talking to Bombur earlier, who now sat next to him, he dropped his voice in a mock-conspiratorial tone, though he still remained suspicious of the little creature.

"Say what you like about these humans, they know how to feed a warrior."

As Paldo proceeded to stuff a massive peach into his mouth that was easily the size of his fist, when another Oktra, to his surprise, popped up onto the seat near him. The fellow began, "If you don't mind my asking, what brings you both into these human lands?"

Forcing the peach down his throat- which was a little painful- Paldo replied, "I was minding my own business, wandering the road when I was swept off my feet- literally! To be honest, I still think that kingly fellow picked the wrong person."

Reaching across the table to great a handful of grapes, another dwarf leaned in at the same time, a suspicious smile on his face. He muttered his words into Paldo's ear, evoking a small grin in response. "They know how make a good pie, too, trust me!" He winked and, grabbing a fistful of large rosy grapes, he fell back into his seat and began to nibble on them, taking two bites for each massive juicy fruit.

Looking to both Korgan and Erir, he choked a minute on a particularly large grape before choking out his name for them and anyone else curious enough to hear. Wiping a hand on his vest, he turned to Erir- the closest- and shook his hand vigourously before returning happily to his food.

"They know how make a good pie, too, trust me!"

Korgan noted the little man's grin and gave a small smile, despite his usually dour appearance. Even though the Oktra was magically charged like most of his kind, Korgan thought he seemed like a decent enough person. For an upworlder. He watched as Paldo choked slightly on a peach.

"I shall have to try some of this pie sometime, though one thing I do miss from home is a plate of roasted grox."

Korgan sighed, pushing his thoughts away from those of home. He looked towards the Oktra again.

"So where do you come from, upworlder?"

Chuckling at the title of 'upworlder', Paldo turned to Korgan and forced down another mouthful of food before answering.

"There is a forest, very very far south of here. It rains often, but on the days when the sun shines through those impossibly tall trees, it's... a stunning sight, truly!" He reached to place more fruits and nuts on his plate, leaving a noticeable absence of meat. His movements were a bit slower, as he seemed to be filling up a little.

"But my trees are probably no match against your mountains, are they? Now those, I hear, are tall!"

Korgan chuckled as he listened to Paldo's description of his homeland.

"I've still not got used to this water of yours that falls from the sky."

He took another mouthful of steak and washed it down with a swig of ale, smiling as he heard a mention of the mountains. Setting down his flagon, he burped.

"Ah, you speak truly Paldo. The Durnhold mountains are truly a sight to behold to any upworlders who travel to them - the writings of my people tell us that the Gods of Stone raised them as their spears in their wars against the Gods of the Upworlders in the time when the world was void, and even now they stretch high enough to pierce the sky. The scriptures tell us that the peaks of the mountains are still rich in diamonds and precious metals left there by our Gods when they forged their spearpoints in the great depths of the world. But it is deeper that you will find the things that truly awe you - great cities carved into the rock, inhabited by countless numbers of my people. The mountains are truly wondrous places when the Dwarves are present. Immovable, timeless, with hidden depths and wealth beyond measure..."

Korgan jerked himself out of his reverie.

"I apologise my friend, speaking of home often leads me into a maudlin daydream..."

Bombur grabbed two pieces of bread, if the opportunity ever arose, a sandwich would be made, he sat beside his fellow dwarf and across from Paldo who he began to talk to,

"Now let me tell you something boy, one of the most important parts of a sandwich is the bread, the crust should be firm, yet not stale and perhaps a few nuts as well!" Bombur looked around the table and realized he would have to make his own special sauce, he grabbed some horseradish and some mustard and spread them with a knife, "Any sandwich worth eating needs a sauce of some sort, doesn't matter what it is but it needs something. Now, you need some veggies of course, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, any one will do. And now, the cherry on top of the cream, the snow on top of the mountain, the MEAT!" saying that word he held up a juicy turkey leg and began carefully ripping the meat away, being careful to leave the skin on and select only the juiciest of meat, he placed the other piece of bread on top and handed it to Paldo, "Now take a bite of that and tell me I don't know how to make a sandwich!"

He heartily laughed and took a bite of the turkey leg.

Paldo smiled at Korgan, feeling a fondness for the dwarf as he recognized a bit of himself when Korgan spoke. In fact, everyone who spoke here about their homes abroad referenced them with such beauty and grandeur, that the Oktra had come to the conclusion that they all were homesick, too. This comforted him a great deal, and as he listened to the description of these mountains, his legs swung freely and comfortably beneath the table, far from the floor.

"No need for apologies!" Paldo chirped as Korgan finished his tale. He had found himself just as transfixed, the images in his head wondrous. "I understand how you feel. Your home sounds spectacular to me, but it must be ten times as spectacular to you!"

Reaching for a cup of water set near his plate, Paldo found himself watching Bombur create his 'masterpiece', licking his lips as the dwarf made mounds of vegetables, nuts, and other assorted goods. Just as he was reaching the end, Paldo raised the cup to his lips and took a deep sip.

"And now, the cherry on top of the cream, the snow on top of the mountain, the MEAT!" Paldo choked and spat his drink in a wide spray, then stared in horror as Bombur ripped apart the turkey leg, sending chunks of cooked flesh and gobs of fat flying.

The poor bird...! he thought, before Bombur slapped the sandwich onto his plate. Taking a good look at the streaming juices of turkey and a piece of jagged bone, Paldo's eyes rolled up into his head and leaned forward as he fainted. His face landed square on the top of the sandwich.

Korgan raised an eyebrow as Paldo passed out onto the sandwich. Stepping down from his chair, he walked around the table to the Oktra's place and hauled him upright in his chair. Peering at Paldo, Korgan lightly tapped him a few times around the face.

"Come on little man."

Glancing onto the table, he reached over with one hand and devoured half of the sandwich that Bombur had lain on the table. Chewing it and swallowing it quickly, he nodded in appreciation.

"Truly a fine sandwich my friend, however I fear our little companion here has a problem with eating flesh."

Glancing at the Oktra's plate, Korgan's eyes fell upon a small pile of almonds. Scooping them, he wafted them under Paldo's nose, seeing if the sweet scent would stir him.

"Muh... Yuh... Oooh!"

As the almonds floated about beneath his nose, a bit of colour returned to his face and his eyes snapped open. He seemed a little confused and looked from the nuts in Korgan's hands, to Korgan himself, to the others, to the sandwich still sitting before him. He seemed to process what had happened for a moment, before emitting another "Oooh!" and straightening in his chair. He looked to Korgan and smiled brightly.

"Thank you! I haven't seen... food, like this. You're sure it's... healthy?" He prodded the meat of the turkey, which he was barely able to distinguish as a turkey at all. He pulled a slightly disgusted face, like a child with a pile of unwanted vegetables on their plate.

Keeping his mouth shut tight, Paldo pushed the plate away from himself, then turned to Bombur. Instead of scolding or reprimanding him for cooking the animal, he laughed, and said, "Perhaps we ought to cook for other people, friend!"

At that moment, he felt something eerily cold drip down his cheek. Reaching into a pouch on his belt, he pulled free a small white handkerchief and wiped the sandwich juices from his face. He added to Korgan in a muffled voice, "Those almonds, though; those are delicious!"

Eiravel watched with disgust at the uncivilized dwarves and there eating patterns, gobs of meat and spittle littered about the table, fat grubby hands sifting through the food.

"I know what you mean Arri, i couldn't eat with these slobs and hope to keep my food down." He pushed his plate foreword and calmly placed his folded flag over the plate, "The food was delicious, can you please send the chief's my regards?"

With the formality he rose out of his chair and offered to pull the princess' chair out as well,

"I do believe they said they would show you to your room after the meal, I know i'd like to inspect the room you were in" He said with an awkward smile over laid with formality, "For your protection of course"

Lucidas was leaning against the left side of the door frame of the dining hall, with smoke drifting from his hand as he slowly shook it. He looked around the room, first at the Oktras huddled together and a Dwarf oddly with them too. Then to the Elves, he saw the male acting awkwardly and whispered "Hahaha, some guard you are turning out to be." unsure wether they could hear it or not.

He then saw Fredrick sat on his own as Lucidas was before the incident. Lucidas walked over and sat down across the table from Fredrick, picking up the frozen flames as he went along and relighting the candles. He then put them in front of Fredrick and said "You know, these are rare. They dont melt and the flames never go out, its an annomaly of nature and they sell for a high price. I guess we will be needing money on this little 'holiday', so do you want to keep hold of them?".

"I don't think the Altrin will charge us much money on this..."holiday" as you put it," Fredrick mutters dumping the leg onto the plate.

"But if you wish, you can keep hold of them just incase the king's money doesn't satisfy your craving for it," he snaps rather curtly.

Standing up he turns to face Lucidas' white eyes, "if you'll excuse me, I'm departing now to prepare for tomorrow, the guards here will show you to your rooms when your finished."

He nods to a guard before leaving the dining room and the group in his wake.

Lucidas slides the frozen flames into his pocket and thinks "Clearly he doesnt think we will ever see a merchant again, does he think food will just appear into our stomachs?!", standing and walking up to the guard he says "Now tell me, our rooms... what is their state? And if you mention 'cells' I will blow your leg clean off... But I am not all bad, you can choose the leg!" he finishes as his grin returns.

"The rooms are suitable for the night mage," grunts a guard in return.

"Do you wish to leave the festivity's just now?" he asks raising an eyebrow looking at the misfit of races forming a group under the King. "Or would you rather wait for your comrades to finish ?" he says with a mild hiss in his voice.

Lucidas looks behind him at the group then replies "No, I cant see me fitting in all of a sudden. I shall retire to my room.", with that said he headed toward his room.

Arri watched Lucidas abruptly leave the table. She thought that she had said something to offend him, and made sure that she would apologize later.

Eiravel stood from the table, asking the princess if she was ready to go to her room. She nodded and he pulled her chair out. She stood and said goodbye to everyone.

Arriving in her room she waited for Eiravel to inspect it. "Why do you need to do this? Do you think they're going to try and assassinate me?"

"Why do birds fly?" He replied in a dry tone, "Because it is their job and duty, even if they have no reason to fly they do because its expected of them. IT is expected of me to check and secure your room, to keep you safe, and yes, to expect every one of trying to assassinate you."

He looked threw the assortment of plants, tossed aside the silken sheets on the overly large bed, checked threw the canopy and in the closets, and when he felt certain she was safe he returned the room to it's natural state.

"Do make yourself at home Princess, i will be right outside your door if you need me."

He turned and headed to the door before stopping,

"And Arri, you can't just openly trust every one you meet."

"I know Eiravel." Arri said to Eiravel as he left. She sat on the bed, which was so like her own back home, and looked around the room. It was nice, but everything about the room shouted human. It wasn't a bad thing, but the difference between human art and Elven art was noticeable, to her at least.

She laid down on the bed but soon found herself making her way to the door. Opening it she noticed Eiravel standing guard. "I feel like exploring this place. Lets go."

Arri walked out of the bedroom and down the corridors.

Lucidas stood at his window looking out over the kingdom at night, it was quite a sight and considerably better than the camp he set up in the forest he called home during his exile.

He heard stirring outside of his room and looked to see what it was, as he opened the doors 2 guarss looked back at him from their positions at either side of the door frame. Lucidas shook his head and sighed "So I am not even trusted by other humans, cant say I blame you. Have a good night chaps, feel free to leave if you get bored.", closing the door and going back to the window as he began to cast small spells into the sky.

Glancing at the now recovered Paldo, Korgan clapped the Oktra on the shoulder, nearly knocking him into his plate. Korgan raised his eyebrows.

"Apologies little man, I think I will retire to my quarters now. It was good to meet you, at least for an upworlder."

Giving a small smile, Korgan left the table and walked to the doors of the hall. Spying Sammael, he asked him to guide him back to his room and departed, seeing Eiravel standing vigil at the far end of the corridor. Once inside his room, he propped Snaga against the side of the bed and lay down, satisfied with his meal.

"I feel like exploring this place. Lets go."

Hearing Arri's words, Korgan's eyes opened and he moved to the door.

Cursed Elves, what are they getting up to?

Opening his door a crack, he peered down the corridor.

"If you insist," He fell in step behind her, "A little restless are we, Arri?" He noticed the door down the hall slightly open, Inquisitive team mate?

He decided to let the eaves dropper feel like his presence was unknown, "Probably just a curiously little Oktra" he mumbled lightly to himself, but he would have to remember to re-inspect the princess' room. The walked to the end of the hallway and took a right descending down a flight of carved stone stairs.

"Even their masonry eaves much to be improved."

"Good night!" Paldo called after Korgan. The dwarf's final words rang in his ears, making him a little confused. ...at least for an upworlder? What could he mean?

After Korgan had left, Paldo looked to the rest of the group with a weary smile. He was beginning to feel the fatigue of his travels, and so slid down from his chair. "Well, friends- I had better go get some sleep as well. Goodnight to you all!" Giving a small bow, he turned and strode out of the room.

...A moment later, he trotted back in, grabbed a handful of grapes in his hands, grinned to the others, and trotted back out.

The pair walked for a few minutes around the castle. Taking in the different sights until finally stopping at a large painting in one of the main hallways. The painting depicted a young man in gold armor. He stood with the human flag by his side.

"They certainly are a proud race." Said Arri.

"Pride is inherent in all races, Arri" Eiravel looked over the painting of the gold clad soldier, "My family was full of it, every generation serving your family with honor. We do not live long Elven lives, but are instead cut down in battle and die with pride. Even the rock munching Dwarves live with there pride draped about them like a robe. Pride is the language of Man, of life." He looked at the picture remembering, "And yet, for all our pride we inevitably die and turn to dust under the boots of the next generation."

The lightening changes to a violent red colour upon the horizon. War drums are heard pounding under the approaching cloud.

Several white banners are seen fluttering in the raising winds, followed by the appearance of tall twisted shells of creatures. Standing as tall as castles with many Altrin on their backs.

Chants are heard even from the distance emanating from the backs if the...giants from the castle.

Prepare! comes a shout from a gate guard upon watching the approaching horde, tell the King! And the group, they may have been found out!

Several guards disperse from the courtyard to try and alert the others to what's happening.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fredrick! The Altrin are here! yells the guard approaching his room, he bursts into the room panting now, You...and...the others need to...leave now!

"What?!" he screams back at him, "how could we not have found out earlier?!"

The guard shrugs, they...appeared as far as we can tell...

Fredrick snaps his hand up, "take the others to the stable we ride out as soon as we can!"

Lucidas wakes as he is being dragged across the floor toward the stables by the 2 guards who were posted at his door, he looks up and asks "Good morning, where are we going?" to which one of the guards replies "There is about to be an attack, you must leave NOW! The others are being told to go to the stables too.". Lucidas scratches his head and says "Okay, now... why are you dragging me? I would have been happy to run away.", the guards pick him up and push him through the door leading to the stables.

Paldo was afraid he had eaten too much that night- which wouldn't have been a first. But he felt ill as he tossed and turned in the very large bed provided for him. Visions of darkness and ravens, harbingers of death, frittered through his mind in a panicked flurry. He wandered through plains littered with corpses like sand on a beach, with nary a living being or plant in sight. Clouds of grey stormed overhead, laced with tongues of fire that trapped him within this hell. He began to run, when he felt a cold hand grip his ankle- no, his wrist!- and wrench him upward. Opening his eyes, a lantern bearing a tender flame hung inches from his face, lighting the face of a guard in his gleaming suit.

"Up! Wake up, Oktra! The king and Frederick summon you!"

"T-The king? Shouldn't the king be resting? Shouldn't I be resting?"

"Do not waste my time, Oktra," said the man, stern but not rudely, "for then you should waste your life, and mine!"

Still blinking in weary confusion, Paldo allowed the guard to grab his hand and tug him down the halls. He was fortunate to have had fallen asleep in his clothing, and was able to swipe his belt and slip on his boots in a matter of seconds. Still rubbing the sleep from his eyes like a small child, when he opened them again, a wooden door was pulled open and Paldo brought inside. It was a stable, lined with rows of horses that stood tall and dignified, with a regal air that he rarely saw in animals. He was left by the guard within the stables, as the man hurried down the lane and began pulling various steeds from their stalls to dress them in tack.

Bewildered and confused, Paldo remained still, staring up at the horses in fright. There might be a few ponies that would fit his size, but he had never ridden such a beast. He glanced about the stable, wondering what on earth was happening.

As Arri and Eiravel admired a panting a guard appeared. He reached out and spun the princess around, causing Eiravel to react suddenly and sever the mans hand at the wrist. His bloody blade spun back around and found his pale face.

"We are. . under attack. . . get to the stables" He choked out in pain.

" Lets Go!" he cried pulling the princess down the hall. His saber blade glinted in the light as he ran prepared to give his life for Arri.

Arri was beginning to panic. She looked in horror as they began to run towards the stables, the man still lying on the floor, squinting in pain. "Did he say that we are being attacked? Are the Altrin attacking this kingdom?"

When the pair arrived at the stables Eiravel helped Arri her onto her horse. "Where are we supposed to go?!"

Peeling the severed hand from her arm.

"I don't know, But i'm not leaving your side." He jumped on his horse and walked it over to her.

"Hopefully you remember how to use that" He said pointing at her sword.

The sound of voices, fair and delicate, yet strong as refined steel, reached Paldo's ears as he huddled within one of the empty stalls. Glancing around the corner, he spotted two elves- the same pair who had shown their faces at dinner with nary a laugh. They appeared panicked. No... that was the wrong word. Concerned, perhaps, but elves did not panic.

Leaning out of the stall, Paldo looked to the elves as they mounted their mighty steeds with great speed of duty. He took a step toward the closest of the two, the fair elvish maiden. Her demeanor was peculiar, both intimidating but with an air of young curiousity. Gently, he tugged upon the tip of her shining boot, as that was as high as Paldo could reach.

"Forgive me, miss, but I'm a fair bit confused. Are we in danger? Where are we to go?"

Arri looked at her sword and nodded to Eiravel. "Of course I do." Feeling a tug on her boot she looked down. She noticed the small Oktra standing beside her horse.

"I'm not sure Paldo. I just know that we are not safe here. If you do not have your own horse then you can travel with me."

She lowered her hand to Paldo so that she could lift him onto the horse. "Do you know where the others are Paldo?"

Luckily for Bombur, he had not gone to sleep early like some of the others, taking advantage of the fresh bread and meats. He had just finished making his final sandwich, 7 for him, with meats and cheese and horseradish, and 3 for his little Oktra friend, vegetables, spreads and nuts galore.

"Excellent, the sandwiches are made for me and Paldo, now it is time for bed!" Bombur stuffed the sandwiches into his pack, pulling his hood over his head and grabbing his axe, he head out of the dining hall and toward his room when he spotted the intimidating elf pulling the beautiful princess away.

"Now what are you doing elf?" spat Bombur, suspiciously eying the tall elf, "Shouldn't your princess be sleeping and you watching over her like a poor, lost little kitty cat?"

"Quit talking and get to the stable dwarf, there is an emergency and we must escape the
castle!"

"Emergency? Escape? What in the name of Thor's hammer are you talking about?" the human shot back a less than entertained look, "Well what exactly is happening, and what of my new friends?"

"Everyone is accounted for, just follow me!"

Bombur had no choice but to follow the man and the elves, they walked with long strides and Bombur trotted behind them.