The story begins...

[IronCretin]

The three rode on through the Kingdom, stopping at inns where available, and camping away from the road at night.  The shifter hunted effeciently, and Dravis set snares before they camped each night.  There was a somber air to their travels, but the three men soon began to trust each other, as great men do when forced together by fate.  Dravis and the Priest agreed that Lamia must, indeed, be beyond the shores of the Great Sea of Durage, and they discussed how to obtain transport.  The Priest was sure that they would let a Holy man aboard, for it was a good omen to provide passage to a Father of the Discipline, and a bad one to expect cost, or worse still, to refuse him passage.  Few ships sailed into the deep waters of The Sea, for it was said to be infested with great beasts, ones that could swallow entire ships whole.  However, the three men knew the superstitions of sailors and, thus, took a grain of salt into their plans.  Dravis felt he could pursuade his way onto the ship, either through charisma, or, if need be, force and, of course, the Shifter could occupy a great many forms, and follow the ship from the air, from the sea, or from the galley. 

They arrived in the port city of Carroll's Locks around mid-morning and were greeted by the smells of the sea.  Fish, freshly caught, were being hurried off to the markets.  Small urchins of the human variety, searching for bulging pockets from which to steal.  The suns cast a glorious glow over the ocean and, from here, it looked placid, as tranquil as a still mountain spring.  Boats dotted the horizon, most of them small fishing vessels, although the occasional warship was present, should raiders attempt to ransack the city.  The men scoured the docks, searching for a great ship to take them well into The Sea.

~The (HUNGRY!) Cretin~

[The One]

Meanwhile, the wizard and the shaman decide to look upon where the young one saw the dragon the night before.
"No traces of a dragon, except for the few burnt trees, but could have been messy campers, such as yourself" said the shaman.
"You seem to think that I made this dragon story up for my own amusement" replied the wizard.
"People your age use to do that, but well... Where did the foul creature fly to?" said Odenetl
"Erm... I paralized it for a moment with a spell and ran away... I expected to find it in slumber today and well, perhaps ask the creature what it knows... I've heard tales of dragons being to be quite wise and having the ability to speak" replied Carth
"As I can see you believe in stories too much, dragons that had the ability to speak are a long extinct species..." explained Odenetl "Today's dragons are not much smarter than the goats you see in the mountains or the Leviathan that inhabits the Sea of Durage"
He continued: "Hm... The pattern in which these trees were burned coincides with the fields..."
"Pattern?" asked the young one
"Yes, all dragons have a unique pattern in which they spit out their flames, it is like their fingerprints, only a distance of 6 generations can have two dragons with similar patterns" answered Odenetl "As for the fields, we've found out the responsiblie one..."
"What do we do now?" asks the wizard
"We cannot track it down now, so I believe we have to invistigate more about your vision" said the Shaman
"What of it, where would this Lamia be found?" asks the wizard
"Well, let me meditate about it, let me have my own visions... Let the spirits of nature tell me what they know" said Odenetl. He sat down under a great pine tree and started chanting, until his voice started fading out and there was complete silence, he sat still for hours...
Until he suddenly said out loud: "The sea... The witch lies beyond the sea"

[IronCretin]

It was no easy task, but eventually the Priest convinced a sea-hardened man named Tisk to provide them passage on The Albatross.  A small demonstration of the Shifter's power gave the captain all the incentive he needed to set sail.  She was a sturdy vessel, The Albatross, with no luxuries, but a sleek design.  She creaked as well-worn ships do, and her decks glistened with shine and care.  Tisk talked lovingly of her, and with a crew of twenty men (not including the captain, and the three others), they set sail.  The men talked anxiously behind the Shifter's back, nervous of him, and of the sea.  It was true that the darkened waters were dangerous, but it was equally true that men could harvest a fortune within a small amount of time.  Many exotic fish lived in the depths of The Great Sea, and their numbers matched their diversity.  Tisk knew he was risking his vessel, and his men's lives, but he was one of the best, and these three men promised safe travel.  The Paladin was certainly equipped for war, even without his horse (which had to be left in the port's stables), he seemed a force to be reckoned with.  The Shifter's powers were not in doubt, and the Priest, well, none should refuse a priest, regardless of their beliefs.  It was well into the second day when they finally reached the drop, an underwater cliff that led to the darkened waters.  The men grew silent and the ship grew still.  They drew the sails taught, attempting to travel as quickly as possible across the darkened waters, and to the Isle of Sanctity, a place of refuge that few travelled to, and even fewer made it to.  It was this island where the three men hoped to find Lamia, where Dravis hoped to find his answers, the Priest to find his enemy, and the Shifter to find. . . well. . . lunch!

~The (mmmmm LAMB-ia) Cretin~

[Markus]

After the ship had passed the drop, after it had passed into the deep dark waters, the journey stayed calm. The days passed almost leisurely. The men were gazing out at the sea, towards that distant line where dark blue sea met bright blue sky and hung to their thoughts. The shifter shifted into many forms and haunted the waters they were crossing and forgot what "hunger" means.

As calm as the days were the nights. Calm was the first night after the passing of the drop, and calm was the second night. Calm was the third night - until the priest woke up with a start, screaming words in an ancient language, hearing which was enough to make one's throat ache:

"Rachk! Rachk! Rachk te'emach habala. Emosh habala, tumosh mulu'ach, a temosh - cham unu'uku!"

Then again, the priest fell asleep. The morning found him in a gloomy mood, not willing to explain the nightly incident.

Around noon the "Albatross" passed another ship which was a most strange sight. Its sides, that should actually be made from solid wood on any decent ship, were littered with cabin windows. Where was the space to transport goods on a trading ship, or sea food on a fisherman's ship? Colourful flags were flapping in the wind. The Shapeshifter, who had turned into an enormous seagull and flown over the other ship, reported that there was a basin of water on the upper deck - dozens of people were swimming in or sitting around a small pool of water while swimming in the vast ocean. Many of them seemed to be very drunk even though the sun had not even crossed the meridian yet.

All the seamen on the "Albatross" found this sight amusing, if not ridiculous, and so did the Paladin and the Shapeshifter. Only the priest reacted with a most gloomy frown, for he had seen that ship less than twelve hours ago.

[IronCretin]

The captain steered well clear of the strange vessel, and the men aboard the Albatross joked with him that he feared the women aboard it and preferred the company of men.  Naturally, the captain responded by directing them as a good captain should.  They saw other strange sights that day, a gleaming dragon, roaring in the skies, and moving stars in the night sky.  However, soon, these visions faded, and again a stillness descended upon the sea. 

However, there was nothing tranquil about this lull, rather it clung to the men, making their flesh sticky, and causing them to sweat, despite the overcast sky.  The men began to grow superstitious, and their former mirth was quickly forgotten. 

The fog descended not long afterwards, a dark fog, the kind in which one soon loses himself, forgetting that he even has legs.  The ship itself grew dangerous, and one knew not where the deck fell away to the water.  The captain quickly grew fearful, but, although the men called for the anchor to be dropped, he pressed on.  He posted two men at the bow, constantly testing the depths.  The sails drooped uselessly from their masts, and the men took shifts to row her, simply to maintain their course.  The Priest was silent during these days, and few of the other men held conversations.  It was eerie, the fog, the silence.   Even the creaking boards of the ship fell silent, so all that was left was the sound of the oars entering the water.  Day in and day out, the sounds of oars.  The fish had stopped biting.  The men grew anxious and worrisome. 

It was on the seventh day when the compass began to spin sporadically.  The captain gasped and called for the Priest to provide a blessing on the instrument, the ship, and her crew.  They pulled the oars in, for they knew not which direction to row in.  It gets so that no way is forward, and one ends up rowing too hard to the right, or too hard to the left, circling endlessly.  The men put their faith in the sea, and their gods, if they had them.  They no longer sailed, only prayed.

~The (Drifting. . . Onnnnn and Onnnnnn, The Lonelinesssssss of the Long Distance Runnnnnner) Cretin~

[IronCretin]

It had been twelve days since the thickened fog had descended, the men were discontent, weak with scurvy, and utterly drained of morale.  The shifter had suggested searching for land, but all knew that that was essentially a death sentence, there being no guarentee that he would find the ship again.  However, fate had plans for the men, for it was on that twelfth day that they heard the scrape of wood on sand.  The ship gave a lurch beneath their feet and they ran aground. 
At first they knew not how to respond, merely staring towards the bottom of the ship.  Soon, though, the fog began to lift, and they found themselves staring at a beach.  They began to chatter nervously, and quietly, fearing what may, or may not, reveal itself.  The air cleared, revealing trees and ferns, then the edge of a lush forest, which was part of a greater jungle, receeding into the distance.  The sun stabbed through the last of the fog, burning it away, revealing a mountain towering over the land.  The sky was finally a crisp and shining blue, save for a few clouds hovering near the summit. 
At first the men were simply stunned speechless.  Soon their talk grew more and more boistrous, until the point where they were clapping themselves on the back and hollering out loud, joking of island maidens, and shipwrecked merchant ships.  They began to dive overboard and paddelling to the shore.  Inward, they were all sharing the same thought, land, finally, land.

~The (Date-less) Cretin~

[The One]

The shaman and the wizard did not report back to the Queen's court.
Instead, they decided to go towards the sea, a journey of 13 days, with little sleep and food. Finally, on the last day, they arrived at the port city. They entered an inn, and sat there to eat something and to rent a room to sleep overnight.
"Well, what do you think we will find beyond the sea, Odenetl?" asked the young wizard as he bit off a chunk of bread.
"As I have said before, I do not know..." replied the shaman "But what I tell you, the journey across the sea will be long and dangerous"
"So, what kind of vessel should we take?" asked Carth
"I'll tell you that even a fishing boat could do, but of course I believe we can afford something better" replied Odenetl
"Uhh... Well..." said the wizard with hesitation "I.. guess we could, but I really don't have much on me, the food and the room will probably make me spend most of the money I have..."
"Oh great! And didn't you ask for money to the Queen?!" asked Odenetl in an irritated tone
"I never thought it necesary, I mean, some fileds just a few miles away from the city..." said Carth
"You youngsters... I guess we'll have to steal a ship..." whispered Odenetl so he could not be heard by the sailors.
They finished their supper and headed for the docks. There was no one to be seen, and all the ships were there, docked and ready to sail, save one, the "Albatross". Odenetl picked a large fishing vessel, that went by the name of "Carcinos". Odenetl thought the name did not suit the ship, but that it was good enough to carry him and Carth across the sea.
A man passed by, and spotted them. Carth paralyzed him with a spell, and Odenetl took him by the neck. "Finally you do something right, youngster" he said.
When the man was out of paralysis, he noticed he was tied to a tree, with the wizard and the shaman in front of him.
"Do you know how to pilot a vessel, such as the "Carcinos"?" asked Odenetl
The man did not answer, until Odenetl hit him in the ribs with his staff. "Yes, yes..." he said "In fact I piloted that ship before you tried to kill me"
"We need a passage through the sea, can you help us?" asked Carth
"After you attempted to kill me when I found you trying to steal my ship?! What are you, insane?" exclaimed the sailor
"Well, listen, we don't want to hurt you" said Carth "We just need to get through, and we have no money to rent a ship"
"Oh well, maybe a bottle of rum on you could resolve this entire thing... But not of the cheap one, get me the good one. They hide it in the storage of the inn" said the sailor
"Fine" said Carth "I'll go get it"
"I'll keep an eye on him" said Odenetl
Carth left running as quick as he could. He foud the back door to the inn in which he had been just about an hour ago. It was locked, but he could over come that challenge. He burned himself a small entrance with a fire spell on the lower part of the door, through which he crawled to get in. It was dark but he was in the storage room in question, and he could tell what rum the sailor wanted, he climbed up some shelves to get it. But then, when he reached for the rum, he heard some footsteps approaching, someone then put in a key to open the door to the kitchen. Carth grabbed the rum and let himself fall. When he landed on the dusty floor, he found himself being looked upon by a cook. He crawled as quick as possible through the hole on the door and ran away. The angry cook alerted the entire inn there was someone who had stolen rum and who perhaps had more to steal.
As quickly as possible, Carth returned to Odenetl and the sailor, they untied him and gave him the rum. The three men ran with haste toward the ship, and boarded. But right before leaving the port, an angry mob began aproaching the vessel. Carth quickly cut the rope that kept the ship docked with his knife.
The vessel escaped the angry mob, eventhough some of the men in it attempted to jump into the ship. (They failed and fell into the water) For the next few minutes, curses and screams could be heard from the shore.

[Thagirion]

While... In a distant and magic land a warrior starts to fight with another, just because there was no reason to have peace in that day, a warrior who borns in the fire of a dragon spell, a legend start to get vanish... A new world where nothing was know, different kind of plants, different trees, everything was different... Everything...

He starts to walk, waitin for something, or someone that can give him an answer, he´s concient that if he appears there is for a reason, for a purpose, but he needs a signal, his sword it´s getting heavy in that place, his steps have doubt... he´s looking for answers, waiting for someone tripping who can help him out... His name is Kragher, and he doesn´t know how can be usefull in that world... And he´s just waiting

[Lady Sa'iltu]

A prophetess has been riding an unicorn for 3 days. This week she's been shown several signs, and with a help of her magic runes she's found out strange events in the Queen's dominion. But still she's never seen these event clear enough for somebody has been trying to hide the truth from the very begining.
---
After several days of riding she's before the Queen's court. She doesn't know of the Queen's deseas.
"Who are you? What do you want here?" - she's asked by 2 knights.
"I'm a prophetess who was born out of the depth of the deepest ocean... I'm a wanderer and a fortuneteller. I want to see your Queen, for my runes tell me a sad story of your land, I'm here not to harm but to give a wise advice. Let me come in!"
"Why should we trust you? What if you're the one who brings us troubles, death and despair!"
"Ask the people - they'll tell you of my fame! I have seen every part of the world and have never brought anything bad! My fate is the fortuntelling and the forecasting! I can hurt neither a hero nor a bastard!"
"Wait for a minute!" - the prophetess is replied.
Knights are leaving and she's waiting for their return.

[The One]

Now, after a long while we decide to return to our story.
Navigating through the sea, the "Carcinos" tumbled back and forth, the nights were long and harsh, filled with storms, high waves and intense rainfall. This was a nuisance for both the shaman and the wizard, but it was nothing compared to what lay ahead.
"We are soon to enter unexplored territories" said the sailor fearfully one night.
"Good, for our destination lies beyond the explored areas of these seas" replied Odenetl.
"Well, old man, I have no clue on how you will get to that destination of yours without a goddamned map... Well, like it existed anyway" argued the sailor.
"Look, we got you your expensive rum" replied the shaman "So you better do what we tell you. You know we could just stun you and throw you off your ship. Well, not like it was our initial intention, but we cannot risk mutiny"
The sailor stood silently for a second and then went back to the steering mechanism that controlled the ship's direction with angry looks. "Well, at least I hope Notessomes help me leading you pair of lunatics to wherever you are headed." he sighed as he sat down.
"It will, and so will the ancient spirits of nature that guide us" said the shaman "Now, turn a few degrees West"
Meanwhile, the young wizard lay on a small bed under a small cloth roof built especially for the captain (and usually only member of the crew) to rest. He looked up outside at the stormy night and how the two other men argued under the rain. "I guess I shouldn't have looked through the window" thought he as he traced back to a few days back, before anything serious, or kingdom-related had occurred. "I probably could be playing cards at the inn right now, or going out with some interesting girls from the village... Man, I regret looking through that window!"
As this thought passed through his head, the ship turned violently.
"I think we have hit the place where the big ugly bastard lives!" screamed the sailor.
"The Leviathan you mean?" Inquired Odenetl.
"Whatever you want to call it, old man. We better get out of here soon before it gets us"
Carth rose and picked up one of the sailor's harpoons.
"What are you doing kid?! Are you insane?!" He said as the smacked the harpoon from the wizard's hands. "Are you trying to get us all killed?!"
"What? You have to be ready for confrontation whenever it is necessary" argued Carth.
"Well, that bastard will eat the harpoon, and with it, you and the entire ship! Keep that damn thing down and don't pick it up. And don't even think about firing it. The creature will see an unusual and sudden movement, it will know we are here and eat us alive" replied the sailor in anger.
"So what do you suggest us to do?"  asked the wizard.
"Well, if I was you, I'd go back to where I was and let me slowly get us out of this monster's grip." Said the sailor.
He steered the mechanism, and the ship moved. He slowly maneuvered it, making sure the ship did not move too fast. And suddenly, right behind the "Carcinos" a giant fin rose from the sea and went in back again. Then came another, and another. Always returning back into the unknown depths. Fear was in the sailor's heart, but he knew that if the beast did not see them, they would not be unfortunate victims of the horrendous sea monster.
And then, the scaly head of the monster rose from the sea. It was large, like that of a whale, and shaped like one as well, however its jaws were filled with long and pointy teeth, its eyes white and pale as snow. It opened its humongous jaw and let out a screech that could probably be heard on the other side of the sea. And its head returned into the waters.
"This is not good" said Odenentl. "It is calling for a mate... Apparently we are in that season of the year for marine beasts' mating. And this is when they are most aggressive"
"I'll move slowly, so it does not detect us" said the sailor.
"They are most aware of their surroundings at this moment as well" replied the shaman. "So, it must have seen us as well... I believe we are being offered as food for the female this thing will mate with"
"Oh man, we are doomed" said fearfully the wizard as he heard the shaman's words.
"What do you expect me to do now?! If I go fast, the thing will notice it, catch us and kill us" said the sailor.
"It cannot, or the female will kill it. It can catch us, but cannot eat us" replied Odenetl. "Now, I suggest you put that machinery at all power."
And so, hastily, the "Carncinos" sailed across the violent waters, jumping on waves, not stopping for anything.
"Turn the thing a few degress West!" screamed Odenetl to the sailor. "The spirits are telling me there is land not too far from here, and we will be safe from the beast there"
And so the sailor did. Five hours of intense rains and violent waves filled their journey. And they could view the beast rising from the sea at times. The chase was intense, and lasted until sunrise, when the ship crashed against high rocks and stopped moving. It was not far from a sandy shore. The three men were thrown off the board by the force of the impact and fell into the sea.
As they rose from the sea and unto shore the shaman said "We are here."
"Here, where?" asked the sailor.
"Our destination" said Odenetl "Now, relax, about your ship, you will receive a payment from the Queen for your heroic actions and will be able to buy at least ten more like that"
"What kind of nonsense are you speaking old man?!" exclaimed the sailor in anger. "We don't even know how to get back to the kingdom!"
"I think that Notessomes will safely lead us back" said Carth. "It didn't let us die back in the sea while chased by the sea monster."
"We had luck kid... But do you have any clue of where are we?!" screamed the sailor as he walked to towards a barrel from his ship that had been moved to the shore by the waves.
"Look, I know this kid is foolish" said the shaman "But he does speak the truth. Now you are stuck with us, so you have no other choice but to follow."
"Old man, you are insane! I have to follow you?! You don't even know where we are! How the hell do you expect me to follow you. And if I did, where would you lead me to?!" asked the enraged sailor.
"Lamia the witch" said Odenetl as he took out a small pipe out of his wet cloak.

[Lady Sa'iltu]

The prophetess were waiting for 5 hours. "If it's a minute I'm a goddess of the universe!" - she thought and turned on her astral sight. "Oh, hell!"- she was shown an unclear incident: these knights have disappeared and haven't reached the Palace. She was unable to see where they were. Tried to look at future... There're only 2 ways: 1 - to find the wizard and the shaman, the only ones who would return 2 knights; 2 - if the knights stay where they're now, they'll be led astray and become 7-headed evil creations who will burn the Palace and the Queen with only one breath! So she asked the golden Tarot of these 2 man and was replied:"They're as far away as it's possible - on the another continent!", despaired she ran to the Palace and found out the Queen's been being ill for the last weeks. So the prophetess converted to her younger sister and contracted with her to lead the wizard and the shaman back home and to find the way of salvation for the Queen, and was promised to get the title of the Queen's ambassador if she'll save her.

She saddled the unicorn and rode into the morning fog...

[Dead Symphony]

I have watched the transpirings of this noble Queen's realm from afar. Of first note, I thought to myself, "Is this Queen inept to let this renegade Wizard run rampant, charring fields as he sees fit?" Surely this story has more sides. I continue to spy from my far off Tower Black. Then other stories abound, to this latest tale of a Shaman and Wizard, then of a Prophetess. From perhaps my boredom of looming over my own snowy mountain realm, I decided to sojourn to this kingdom. Then from my sprying mirror, I saw it! I must have it... a tooth from a dragon. For my own purposes, I set out, more urgent then ever to reach this destination...

I arrive on my black steed, bellowing from outside the castle walls: "Allo the Castle! I am called Jenevra, and for I am a Wizard from a far of land, I come to offer my staff and services to your beck and call"