Welcome to Gaia! ::

"What does it matter what use I use it for? If I need to fight him for it and win, I can do what I wish with it. Or is it that our presence here is disturbing to some?"

"I shall go and take Feather, but I want some more questions answered. Why did he make it for only one and how does he know who the one is?"

Her eyes narrowed a bit, "Is what you told me all you know about this? That is not much...."

[ Message temporarily off-line ]

Radergeist shook his head. "No I don't," he said. "I was unconscious when we came through. When I woke, your friend Feather was standing over me. As to what's going on, I will explain briefly when you have told me exactly what happened when I came through. Now what I want to know is this: I left this place with two companions, an old man, David, and a werebeast named Kaniput. Did they come through with me, and if so where are they?"

Radergeist sat down, or rather collapsed into a chair. He blinked slowly.

"Well," he said, at length, "It's a long story. But this is how things stand. I am, or I was, a sorceror of no small power. Now, from first coming into power my skill has been to walk between Planes, to travel from one world to another, to breach the barriers between universes. It is a rare thing among mortals, very rare indeed, but I have had a gift for such magic. And having walked through many worlds, I became aware that the ether, that is to say all the Planes everywhere, are reeling from the collapse of an empire that once controlled everything that is. The empire fell, but its rulers, some of them, are still in existence. Among them is a being known as Micheal.

"He believes that he is the one to restore the Empire, with himself as Emperor. I resisted him, first in the service of another being known as Dryth Umbur and then alone, when my master was destroyed. At the time I fought only to preserve my own power, for Micheal was determined to anhialate all those whose power threatened his own. Now, I fight for different reasons.

"I was therefore at the head of an army, against Micheal and his servants. Now, critical to this war, in recent times, has been the being known commonly as Ghost. He is the son of Micheal, though he does not know it. In order to draw Micheal away from him I had to attack his fastness at Helyth. I took my best people, and I struck hard and fast. I blew apart half the eastern wall before Micheal got back, and penetrated right to the throne room. It was slick with white blood before he burst in. We fought. He won. I fled. I didn't have time to find a safe world, I ran blind. I took my surviving warriors with me. So I arrived here.

"The girl you brought here was possessed by Micheal himself. Possession is a painful process, of course, and he was quite incoherent, but I gathered that he is going to try to hurt me somehow. I don't know how, he can't get into this world without weakening himself to a dangerous extent, as I did when I came here. But if I am to be attacked I will need my people with me, and I must know where they are." He turned to look through the door at the sleeping Feather. "If you do not know, then we must find some way to make your friend remember." He turned to the healer. "Is there a way, beyond the jacket, to bring back her mind?"

"I can't fight him," said Radergeist simply. "You?" he asked Nienna, his eyes swiveling to her."

"I shall come, though I shall not be of much use at present. The recent struggle has weakened me. You should come too," he said, turning in his chair to face the healer. "We will need someone who knows the country, and our destination." He blinked, and sat up straighter in his chair. "And there is one last thing to be done before I leave this place. Is there a skilled smith here? I have a task that must be carried out skillfully and swiftly, and required metals that are not common. Is there a suitable man in the Dojo?"