A few minutes of reading the ancient text wtihin the scroll, and Azriel gathered whatever information was needed at the moment on where to go. The locations were all in riddles, as the tasks given by the Guardians of the Life Orb will be. He could not afford to overlook anything. The Monk knew, from reading the first riddle, that the first stop would be at the main river home of the Fresh Water Merfolk. His research told him that they were not particularly hostile, though they often hid whenever an outsider came near. Putting up the scroll in his backpack, Azriel looked up at Cristiana and Lynara with a small grin.

"Our first clue to the whereabouts of the Temple of the Life Orb is from an Orb Guardian near the Merfolk River. I have a feeling the individual we are looking for is one of those Fresh Water Merfolk who often hide from outsiders. I know of a way to get merfolk's attention, but i will save that for when we are there."

Lynara's lips spread into a wide grin as she knelt on the ground next to the two. Her eyes had been able to see some of what Azriel had been looking at, but she hadn't been able to decipher it. That didn't mean, however, that she wasn't up for the adventure. Standing, Lynara stretched her lithe body and allowed her limbs to crack and pop as she'd been kneeling down for quite some time whilst Azriel figured out where it was they were supposed to go.

"So, tell me Azriel, why are we going after the Life Orb? Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to leave you. Can't have a handsome human like yourself getting lost or worse along your journey," she winked at him slyly as she finished stretching and let her limbs fall back to her sides. Putting her hands on her hips she cocked her head off to one side and watched him intently. Lynara was quite excited about the adventure, looking forward to having something new to do rather than all of the stealing and running she'd been doing for many years. Of course that didn't mean that she was going to stop stealing... Oh no, there was always something to steal, and most times those items were relics from Elven tribes. She wondered idly if this 'Life Orb' was one such item. If so... well then, she'd be taking it back to it's rightful owner.

Azriel shrugged when Lynara made the compliment, then went on to explain his reasoning. "The Life Orb, according to the scroll, is an artifact made by the Divine Father, himself, as a way to store healing energy for future use. It has been collected ove the years and anyone in possession of it can support entire armies. The scroll also goes into detail about the weapons linked to it. An individual who wields such a weapon can heal oneself by using some of the healing energy inside the Life Orb. Of course, it is possible it is just a legend or myth. There are not many people who believe such items exist. That is why I am looking to find them and conduct examinations to separate myth legend from reality."

He picked up a stick and drew on the loose dirt as he spoke about the rest of what he knows. "The Life Orb is protected by beings called Orb Guardians. They can range from immortal merfolk to unique beasts who highly intelligent. They are all rather docile, from what I read. Each will give a travellor who wishes to find the relic a riddle which tells us what the task is they must perform to receive a clue as to where the resting place of the Life Orb is. These tasks test certain qualities of character which come the Divine Father's wisdom. Once the task is complete, the Orb Guardian who gives the task will tell another riddle as a clue to the whereabouts of the Temple of the Life Orb. Keep in mind that we will be tested again on those qualities when we reach the Temple, meaning it would be a great idea to review what we learn in our minds along the journey. When we do reach the Chamber of the Life Orb, after passing the trials, there should be a library at one side of the room, and a an armory at the other. The library wil be full of scrolls and books about previous wielders of the orb and the weapons linked to it. The armory has several weapons that are linked to the orb, one of which is a sword. The others, we will have to see when we get there."

Cristiana listened intently as her two comrades spoke about their adventure that was to come. The "Life Orb" seemed like a useful object for any adventurer, but Azriel didn't seem like an individual that would tamper with precious artifacts willingly. When he discussed his reasons for the search, the young elf found herself biting her lip in anxiety. She wanted nothing more than to study the object and unveil its mysteries, but couldn't suppress the feeling that such power was best left undisturbed. She peeked over at her friend, trying to determine her opinion on the matter, only to see that Lynara looked simply amused at the mention of adventure. Sighing, she decided that the reward would be well worth the risk and joined in on the conversation.

"So you said we need to perform three tasks before we can reach the orb? Then after that, we have to face more challenges once we actually reach the temple?" She asked curiously, "You've done some research on this." She peered down at her feet for a moment before peeking back up at her companions. "I have to warn you that I'm not really much of a fighter. I'm sure figured that much by now though." Her bow was the only weapon she'd ever been able to use proficiently, not to mention that she just so happened to be the only individual in the group that couldn't perform any sort of magic whatsoever. Although this was indeed true, she wouldn't let her weaknesses define her usefulness.

"Well, I didn't say three tasks. I'd have to read the scroll some more to know the exact number of Guardians we must see." Azriel placed a hand on the ranger's shoulder. "There is no guarantee that we will have to confront anyone or anything in battle as part of a task, which should give us all some piece of mind. There are alternatives to fighting." Somehow, there was something he felt about Cristiana that he could not decipher. Whatever it was, he would need time to think it over. For now, it was time the trio head out on their adventure. The young Monk began hiking in front of the elves. "It is time we begin."

((Out of respect for the victims at Newton and from Indianapolis (specifically, Richmond Hill), I suggest we avoid violence for at least a week. Don't worry! I'll still come up with ways to make events entertaining! :P ))