Viola Paember's Story

Viola smiled down at her stone as it seem to vibrate from being so near it's sibling. "Guess that's another way we'll be able to tell," she said, closing her fingers over the stone and returning it to her pocket. "Their vibrations I mean." She looked over at him and noticed the sadness on his face. Though she worried for the princess, she was someone she hardly knew. Did the boy also know her? She opened her mouth to ask, when she noticed something further down from them. It was a large black stoned building. Strange white bursts were carved into the stone and surrounded small white carvings of animals. Up close, the amount of detail was breathtaking, but from afar it looked almost like... "Is that a map of the stars?" She asked him, tilting her head in wonder.

Something on the rooftop of the building moved and she took a fighter's stance, flames licking up her arms. "Don't shoot! I don't want to be fried owl!" came a familiar screech. Archimedes made himself visible now as he stood on the edge of the rooftop. "Don't startle us like that!" She scolded. "What is this place anyway?"

"It is the mausoleum of the arch-mages past and this is where Majesty had hidden the stone." He hooted.

She stood in front of the doorway, a seemingly harmless wooden door painted a soft brown. She wasn't entirely sure that she trusted the small building, but she felt the tug of the stone on her and the vibration of the stone in her pocket. Weird, the vibrations weren't so strong before when it was just Clive's stone around. She turned back to him, uncertainty on her face, but if they were going to continue, they had to open the door. "You ready?" She asked.

"Ready!" he said right before she opened the door. He expected some kind of trap or monster to come out to play, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. It seemed as if the door hadn't been opened in awhile because it was difficult to open and the simple fact that once Viola did have it open dust was introduced into the air. Based on what the owl had said and what the vision had informed them, it hadn't been long since the shard was separated from its complete form. Viola and Clive looked at one another and Clive made it clear that he wanted to go in first. The prince put his hand on his sword just in case and stepped over the threshold. Despite the torches on the walls the room was still quite dark. It took the prince a second to adjust to the low visibility but when his eyes adjusted he took in everything at once. Bodies lining the walls in their stone prisons. Jewels and expensive items of all kinds lining the shelves. There was a very interesting and familiar looking sword alongside an extravagant mirror. In the center of the room was a stone sarcophagus of the most recently deceased arch mage. This stone wasn't ordinary stone, instead it was the same kind of stone the tower was made of. It, like the tower radiated power. The sarcophagus was masterly etched to the exact shape and size of the person within except the prince thought the crown on the arch mage's head was odd. Logically the arch mage shouldn't be wearing a crown, but this one was. He took another step into the room, forgetting to tell Viola it was all clear and took a closer look at the crown. It was very intricately designed with a brownish looking jewel engraved within. Clive felt it before, but the vibration his stone was making intensified immensely as he stepped closer to the jewel. Just two steps away now and he knew that it wasn't just a jewel. It was the shard they had been looking for.

He realized he had his hand out and was about to touch it when he recoiled. He remembered the last time he touched a shard and he wasn't planning on doing it again. He looked around and for the first time remembered Viola was still outside definitely anxious to come in. Right when he was about to tell her it was clear, she was already coming into the mausoleum. "Oh well," he thought to himself. He ignored the shard for the moment and walked over to the sword. Clive looked at it long and hard. Where had he seen it before? It was gold and blue with a sapphire jewel on the hilt. It was about three feet long tip to hilt, with a comfortable hand and a half blue leather hilt. He knew looting from the dead was disgraceful, but there was something about the sword that screamed it was meant for him. As he looked at the sword, the crystal in his pocket vibrated more so then ever before. Clive put his hand in his pocket and fished out the crystal. As soon as it touched the air he saw some kind of vision. At fist all he could see was darkness. He felt a cool mist and could smell the ocean. The first thing he could see in the darkness was a man controlling the uncontrollable ocean. He was using the ocean to take on an armada of ships. The man had greyed hair and the prince could tell he had been fighting for a very long time. His cloths were tattered and soaked and his hair was plastered to his head. He was standing on the water, forcing it to be calm beneath his feet. Everywhere else the waters were as savage as a storm could be. With every swing of the gold and blue sword the waves would follow, crushing several ships. The men on the ships had two choices, abandon ship or go down with it. After a particularly damaging attack, he could see a kind of sadness in the old man's eyes, as if he didn't want to be doing what he was doing. Then for a scary moment the old man looked right at Clive. The old man bowed and said one simple phrase. "I trust Earth Shaker to you!" Clive instinctively looked around, but saw nothing behind him but water. "Was the old man really talking to me?" he thought out loud. As he looked back the man was gone and there was nothing but darkness again. Just as quickly as the vision came it was gone and he was back in the mausoleum, holding the sword. "Earth Shaker?" he said as he partly unsheathed the sword.

Viola opened the door to the mausoleum and allowed Clive to walk in before her. She waited a moment for him to look around, but when he said nothing, she followed behind him. She gazed around the room in amazement. Treasures glittered beside the bodies resting within the walls. An impressive looking sword next to a beautiful mirror. In the center of the room was a stone sarcophagus made of the same stone as the mausoleum. In the middle of his forehead, placed in the center of a crown, was a gemstone about the same cut and size as the stone that sat in the pocket of her cloak.

In fact, that stone was vibrating. She reached for it, and noticed she was alone in doing so and pulled back. She looked around the room and found him reaching for a sword. As his hand grasped the grip, his eyes seemed to lose focus. She walked towards him and waved a hand before his eyes, attempting to get his attention. "Clive?" He didn't seem to respond. "Clive!" Her foot slipped on something on the ground and she fell back into the mirror. The glass seemed to ripple at the impact. "Clive!"

Suddenly, he came back. "Earth Shaker?" He said, unsheathing the sword. "What? Where did you go?"

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The princess's head snapped up as a name reverberated through the mirror world. "Clive!" Her lips parted in a silent and disbelieving o. She ran towards the sound. There was a loud bang to her right and she turned. There was a body, a girl with dark hair, slammed into the surface. When she pushed off, she saw a pair of incredibly familiar blue eyes. Clive. She pressed her hands to the mirror and knocked. She hoped he could hear her. No. She prayed he could hear her.

"Where did you go?" he heard and for the first time he realized he was staring at the sword. It was beautiful, but that wasn't why he stared. He knew the power the sword held and he knew it wasn't normal. "Clive!" he heard her say coming from a long ways off. He thought she was just messing with him or something, but her lips never moved. "Did you say something?" he asked, sure he heard something. Clive looked around the room but saw nothing out of the ordinary. The prince then heard a small thud coming from Viola. What reason did she have to mess with him? The only problem was that when he looked her way and heard the thudding, she wasn't moving at all. "That's weird." he thought. Clive took a second to look around the table she was standing by where he found the sword. He was sure Viola was wondering what he was doing, but he had a gut feeling he needed to find whatever was making that noise. It didn't take him very long until he was face to face with the love of his life. Arwen was staring at him through the mirror! "What?... How?" He tapped the mirror. "Can you hear me?" he said as he stepped back a step.

Viola watched Clive move about the room, with a raised eyebrow. Then she heard it. She turned quickly and saw the face of the woman from her dream. The one that started her whole journey. The princess of Hanivall. She opened her mouth to comment on the appearance of the girl in a surface that should reflect their faces, but the look on his face made her pause. His guard was down and there was so much love in his eyes. "What?... How? Can you hear me?" He said as he tapped on the glass.

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The princess pressed her hand against the glass as if she could reach through it, there were tears of relief in her eyes. "Roderick trapped my soul in the mirror realm!" She explained. "I followed the sound of your name. I'm so glad you're alright! Not that I doubted it, but it gives me hope." She smiled softly at him, all her fear shining in her eyes. "Where are you? She asked, her pale eyes gazing at the room behind him.

"Roderick!" he cursed. Clive saw the fear in Arwen's eyes and wanted to rip it away and make it wish it didn't exist. The only way he could go about doing that was by releasing her from her prison, if that were even possible. "We're in a garden inside a place called the Glass Tower!?" He said with the slight hint of a question on his voice, silently asking if she had any idea what it was. "I had no idea this place even existed, let alone how huge it was." He looked around at his surroundings and realized she could only see the inside of the mausoleum. "This room is the place where the previous arch-magi rest and this," he said as he gestured towards Viola."This is a friend of mine that is going to help find the shards." He didn't know weather or not she knew he had been sent to help with the quest, but if this could help him save Arwen then there was no shard that could hide for long. After the two introduced themselves, Clive looked at the glass a little closer and asked,"Is there any way to get you out?"

The corner of the princess's mouth quirked up a bit as the prince let out a frustrated curse. It didn't happen often and she found it comical. She didn't comment on it though. The pain in his eyes was enough to keep her from joking. That and the fear in her heart. Her eyes widened as he talked about where he was. "The Glass Tower? The Glass Tower? How in Khadian did you get there?" When he told her who he was with, a smile broke across her face, "You saw me! You're going after the shards!" Her heart almost gave an audible crack at his question. Her smile fell from her face and she looked away from him. "Not until the shards are united and my body is nearby, but," She nodded to the other side of the room where she had spotted a small reflective object. A hand mirror made of silver no bigger than her palm. "You can take that and carry me with you. I will help you in anyway that I can."

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Viola watched and listened as the princess and the boy talked. They were definitely familiar with each other and she could tell that whatever their relationship, they cared deeply about each other. When the princess pointed out the mirror, Viola began to urge the boy towards the stone. "The only way to help her is to keep going. Get the mirror and lets go!"

Clive walked over and grabbed the mirror. He waited until he could see Arwen in the mirror before he continued on. The prince strapped the sword he newly acquired to his waist next to his trusted blade. He didn't have the heart to replace the sword he always used and he had a sneaking suspicion he wasn't ready for Earth Shaker just yet. Something inside told him it would quickly sap his strength and possibly kill him if he wasn't careful. He tucked the mirror away into the bag at his side. Clive wasn't sure how this teleporting magic worked exactly, but there was no way he would lose that mirror. He walked on the opposite side of the sarcophagus as Viola and readied to touch the stone along with Viola.

Viola waited until Clive was with her before she dared reach for the stone. She looked up at him with her blue-brown eyes and asked, "Ready?" Then she reached for the stone. She winced as the muscles of her arm seemed to lock up painfully. In fact her whole body felt hard as if she had been made into a stone statue. It lasted only a moment and then it was over. She looked around them, nearly losing her balance. She was glad they had teleported there because if she was meant to climb up to where they were, she would probably have not fared well. They were just outside some sort of cave high in the mountains. From this distance, she could see the castle from here, off in the distance. It was hazy and just barely visible, but it was enough for her to understand where they were. She was home in Donnally.

But they were up so high.

She started to sway a little on her feet and her knees buckled so she fell to the rocky ground of the cliff they stood on. She pushed herself back until her back was against the rock of the mountain and she instantly felt better. She couldn't see the ground from here. That's when she realized she had let go of the stone. Clive, standing next to her, was holding it. "Do you know where we are?" She asked rhetorically. "We're in the Forbidden Mountains. Although, only people from Donnally refer to them as such. The people believe that there are powerful creatures of magic and myth that live inside the mountain's many caves. That to enter, would mean certain death." Her eyes were distant as she stared at the castle, a place she had always wanted to visit, but never dared. The moment she sat foot in the capital city, she would be tossed into the dungeons. She chuckled ruefully, "Although trade still exists between Terrowen and Donnally through the cave systems. Only the bravest and greediest of travelers pass through though." She pushed herself up until she was standing. Her eyes darkened and filled with sadness. "Did you know magic is forbidden here? That those who use it are sentenced to death and anyone who aids a magic user is executed as well?"

She shook her head, shaking the sadness from her face. She decided to change the subject. "What power do you think the stone holds?" She asked the boy who was still clutching the small mirror.

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The Princess waited until Clive had a hold of the mirror before she moved from the one she stood in. She gazed at the room of mirrors around her until she saw his face once more. When she appeared, a look of determination crossed his face and she felt hope--also worry--rise in her chest. It would be a dangerous quest, but this boy is no ordinary boy. He is a prince, a warrior, and she would help him every step of the way. "I'll be right here, Clive. Go ahead and touch the stone." she said softly.

There was a small flash and then absolute darkness. For a heartbeat she feared the mirror had been broken and she would not see her beloved until he found another mirror and called to her. Then the light returned and she could see the beautiful blue eyes of her Clive once more. Her eyes searched the world behind him and she couldn't help but ask, "Where are you? Can you tell?"

With both Arwen's and Viola's words of encouragement, he touched the stone. Teleporting this time was less annoying then it was the last time. Maybe it was because Clive had been expecting it or maybe it had something to do with his new sword. He could already feel it amplifying his power, even though he was only carrying it. There was also the shard that he still clutched in his hand. The two combined with his shard seemed to hold more power then he had ever felt. Clive had no idea what power would come out of the shard they had just found or how it would work, but he was a bit hesitant to find out. Once he took stock to figure out everyone and everything came out in one piece, he looked around. They were next to a dimly lit cave on a mountain. Clive would know these caves anywhere, they were distinct to Donnally. He often went along with ambassadors whenever they came to any of the major kingdoms and the ambassadors always used these mountain trails. Despite the possible danger, It was actually quite a bit safer then other routs. Most bandits were afraid to go near the mountains and Clive's father had learned that fact long ago. Thanks to his father, Clive had something like a diplomatic immunity in Donnally to where they would not be able to arrest him just because of his magic. Despite that, most of the time Clive followed their customs and tried his best not to use his magic. He was trying to think of what to say to Viola to tell her where they were transported to when she spoke up.

"Do you know where we are?" It didn't sound like a question.

"We're in the Forbidden Mountains. Although only people from Donnally refer to them as such. The people believe that there are powerful creatures of magic and myth that live inside the mountain's many caves. That to enter, would mean certain death," She said.

"You have no idea." He muttered under his breath as he looked towards the cave to try to find out exactly where they were. He remembered not only that she came from Donnally, but also that she didn't know who he was. "Maybe I should tell her," he thought to himself.

"Although trade still exists between Terrowen and Donnally through the cave systems. Only the bravest and greediest of travelers pass through though," she continued.

And Diplomats, he almost said aloud.

A sad look crossed her face. "Did you know magic is forbidden here? That those who use it are sentenced to death and anyone who aids a magic user is executed as well?"

At this he actually did speak. "It's truly a tragedy." he said with experience.
"Where I come from anyone can use magic and nobody is discriminated against." Clive said while shaking his head. "Donnally needs to change." He said as if it was an actual option. He knew there was little he could do, but he hoped together with Arwen they could slowly change the world.

He pulled the small mirror out of his pocket and saw Arwen staring back at him,
"Where are you? Can you tell?" Arwen said without missing a beat.
"Thanks to Viola we know." He said with a smile, still not wanting to let Viola know just yet who exactly he was. "It looks like were in Donnally, near the Forbidden Mountains." He said into the mirror.

"What power do you think the stone holds?" Viola said. Clive looked down at the stone in his hand. "I have no idea but I'm sure we'll find out very soon." Just as he put the stone into the pocket opposite his blue stone, he heard another voice coming from a bit behind the group. In a harsh almost violent tone, the voice said,"Who are you and how did I get here?" Clive whipped around and immediately drew his non magical sword. As he turned, he looked the intruder over. She looked like she was dressed for a party. She wore a silver dress which went all the way down to the floor along with a skirt that was littered with gem stones. She had her heels in her hands, ready to use as weapons and a silver tiara type thing on her head. (He was never any good with jewelry) Clive had no idea what was going on. All he could say to her was, "Umm?" He looked over to Viola and that's when it hit him. "Do you think it was a shard?" he questioned Viola.

Viola stared off into the distance, watching the castle. Her mind began to wander back to her home. "Donnally needs to change." The boy said. His words snapped her back into reality. She opened her mouth to say something to him, but his attention had turned to the princess in the mirror. She had to admit she was a little envious of the boy. He found someone he was so devoted to. She had no one. No mother, no father, no siblings. No lover, no friends beyond her boss at the seamstress's shop.

There was a small flash of light, and when Viola turned towards it, she saw a girl dressed elegantly in a sparkling dress and heels. She gazed at them in a moment of confusion before she ripped off her matching sparkling shoes, and held them up like weapons. "Who are you and how did I get here?" she asked angrily. Viola laughed. "I think it's comical that you suspect us of bringing you here." Beside her Clive response was a single sound. "Umm?" He looked over to Viola who shrugged. "Do you think it was a shard?" He asked her.

"Well what else would it be?" She replied. She fished into her cloak pocket for the stone shard she had originally found and held it out to the girl. It was reddish-orange in color and about the length of a finger. "Do you have something like this? We were brought here to and we can explain why you were probably brought here, but you need to put down the shoes."

She waited until the girl did so before she asked, "Did you have a vision of a girl in a white dress and a stone?"

Rowas gripped her shoes tighter as the girl spoke. She has even laughed at Rowas for trying to defend herself at being thrown into a different place with strangers. She was offended, but as the girl continued to speak, she pulled out a shard that was about the size of a finger and glowed red and orange. It was similar to the black and yellow one she held in her palm. The boy still had his sword pointed at her and she wasn't sure what he could do with it if provoked.

"Do you have something like this? We were brought here to and we can explain why you were probably brought here, but you need to put down the shoes," the girl spoke to Rowas and glanced at the shoes held in her hands.

Lowering her hands, she released her shoes and they made a small 'thump' as they landed. Once they were on the ground the girl spoke again.

"Did you have a vision of a girl in a white dress and a stone?"

Rowas almost took a step back, but she didn't want the strangers to know that they scared her with the knowledge of her dream. The piece of stone she had still radiated tingles throughout her body and she slowly opened her palm to show the others. In a less hostile tone Rowas said, "How do you know about the dream? And how did I arrive in these mountains? I was in a garden."

Viola visibly relaxed. She tucked the stone back into her pocket and sat before the girl. She looked back, noticing that Clive still had his sword drawn and motioned for him to stop and join her, more for the comfort of the new companion than her own. She looked back to the girl and motioned for her to sit as well. It would be easiest to explain if they were all where they could see each other and she would not be interrupted by worries about being attacked with a sword or shoes. Once everyone was sitting around her, she began to explain to the girl their journey so far:

"I'm Viola and this is Clive." She glanced at him, making sure he was okay with her giving away that much information about him. She could tell he was a secretive person considering he shared very little with her. Then she looked back at the new girl and continued. "Last night..." She paused. Was it really only last night they had seen the princess? That only this afternoon they had found the stones? She shook her head and continued. "Last night, Clive and I--and a few others--found ourselves locked in a dream occupied by a woman in white who revealed herself to be Princess Arwen of Hannival. Earlier today, we found these stone shards that transported us by means we didn't originally understand to The Glass Tower in the middle of Marsden. There we met a mage who explained his theory that we were chosen to bring the stone back together. To protect the world from those who wish to use the Everstone, the stone that gives the world magic, for terrible deeds.

He also told us that there was one shard in the tower and Clive and I set off to find it. The others stayed behind for whatever reasons they had. We found another stone that Clive now possesses and it took us here, to the Forbidden Mountains just inside Donnally's boarders. Each stone holds a specific power that was granted to the world by the Everstone as a whole. For example," She closed her eyes, and snapped. A small flame bloomed on her hand, but did nothing to harm her skin or her clothing. "This is the power my stone grants. And if Clive so chooses, he can show you his. We have yet to discover what the new stone does and I'm sure you are unaware of what yours does."

Dark clouds were forming in the sky and the air rumbed with thunder as lightning struck not too far from their perch on the cliff. The sun was also beginning to set on the horizon and it would be dark soon. There was no time to seek refuge in a town or village and there was no guarantee that they would be able to find this cave if they left for other shelters. So they would have to stay in this one and prey there was nothing inside that would harm them. She looked to her new companions and said, "We need to stay in the cave tonight." Her eyes rested on Clive and said, "I know it's not ideal, but we don't have much of a choice." She stood and made her way into the cave, creating light with her fire to aid their vision.

"By the way," she added, "Care to tell us a little about yourself?"

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The Princess watched and listened from her mirror. Thankful that it seemed Clive's companion, Viola, knew where they were. She was probably more knowledgeable of their surroundings than the others. Others because it seemed they were joined by another. It was growing late, and soon they would need to sleep. She felt more awake than ever in her life and she wondered if, as a spirit, would she even need to sleep?

Rowas sat across from Viola and listened to her story and how her and Clive arrrived in the mountain range. After she finished the story, Viola rose and said " We need to stay in the cave tonight. I know it's not ideal, but we don't have much of a choice." Her flame powers that came from the shard and began to move into the cave.

As she walked farther in, she asked, "By the way, care to tell us a little about yourself?"

Deciding that they were in the same situation as she was, Rowas started to tell them a little about herself.

"My name is Rowas and I am a dancer in Xayen. I was at a party before I noticed a stone and when I touched it, I was transported here by magic. And you two are dressed much better for this than I am."

Following her farther in the cave, Rowas kept kicking out the dress so she didn't trip. She wished that she wasn't at that party when she found the shard. She would've been dressed more sensibly. She would feel less embarrassed and less useless. She only had her shoes and her fighting skills but she never had any magic and she wouldn't even begin to know how to use her own shard.

Viola listened as Rowas introduced herself. "Wow, Xayen. I've never been there. I've heard there's so much to do and see. Being a dancer must be exciting. More exciting than living in a wa--uh--being a seamstress." She nearly told them more about herself than she had meant to. She didn't want their pity when they found out she was an orphan who stole for most of what she needs besides working with the seamstress. "I'm from Donnally. In case.. that wasn't clear."

Rowas made a comment on her dress and she thought for a moment. Then she had an idea. She took a dagger from her boot and took a step towards the girl. "How about we cut the hem? That way it allows you to move around better. Then we can wrap your feet in the excess so you don't cut your feet on stones from the cave."

Once she had the girl's permission, she went to work on the dress. She was used to cutting fabric when she worked with the seamstress so the cuts were smooth. She even cut a slit up the sides a ways and kept the fabric from fraying by heating them with her fire. When she was finished, she stood back and admired her work. "There. How is that?"

Rowas was amazed as Viola worked with her dress. Her hands were steady, as she expected due to her working with a seamstress

"Thank you. It's much better. Can you tell me where we are? I do not get many opportunities to explore the kingdoms."

Rowas was still following Viola through the caves, only illuminated by the fire that was summoned by her. The caves were daunting if you looked too far ahead, not knowing what was just ten feet in front of you. Rowas enjoyed Viola's company and that of Clive, even though he had been silent throughout most of the time she was with them. As he followed them, sometimes Rowas felt like he was more daunting that the caves, not talking, just watching the area around them.

Viola seemed like a nice person, albeit a person with secrets. She stopped herself from saying certain things and Rowas could see her thinking everything over before speaking. And Rowas felt a connection to her, but she didn't know what kind of connection. It just felt like being with her was right, like it was destiny that pulled the group together.

Shaking her head, she stopped those thoughts in their tracks. She wasn't sure about destiny or fate or anything like that. All she knew was that she had to strive to get where she was a dancer and destiny might have given her an extra push, but she was the one who got herself to succeed.

The storm was vicious. The wind whipped around, making howling sounds float towards them and the smell of rain as well. She enjoyed that smell. The howling grew louder as the storm raged on and as they went further into the mountains, looking for a place to stay the night.

Viola moved further into the caves, hoping that there would be an end and they wouldn't have to watch their backs as the slept. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. She sighed and came to a spot she figured would be both dry and yet close enough to the front of the cave for a quick escape. When she sat down, she explained, "We're in the Forbidden Mountains." She felt a twinge of annoyance considering not long ago she had explained it to Clive, but quickly realized that Rowas hadn't appeared yet and, therefore, missed the entire conversation. She felt bad for the feeling but she was exhausted. She did leave out the fact that monsters were known to roam the mountains. No use scaring the girl since they would be saying inside them. She turned to Clive and said, "You go ahead and rest. I'll take the first watch." She didn't know why she offered, but she just felt it was right. She wasn't entirely sure she trusted the girl, and was still unsure about Clive even though they had shared a little more together than with Rowas.

Maybe after a night of watching his back, he would be more inclined to watch hers.

Clive's first thought wasn't what it should have been. He should have been thinking of his safety or the possibility of Viola's betrayal but all he could think of was how tired he was. Maybe it had something to do with all the teleporting they were doing. Another possibility which was the most likely option was the fact that everything they did in the last several hours was both exciting due to being new and required their full attention. He quickly looked towards Rowas then back at Viola. "Wake me when you get tired or if you need help." he said quietly. Clive didn't want to be overly suspicious but from what he had seen of Viola so far she was a bit too trusting of strangers. He knew this included himself, but you could never be too careful when it came to sleeping. He knew the princess would be with him throughout the night and that would help him relax more then he had before but relaxing too much with a potential threat couldn't be all good. Clive also knew what the princess would say about him being overprotective but he wouldn't be able to hide his thoughts from her. As he walked across the cave he pulled out the mirror. He smiled when he saw Arwen's face staring back at him. "There is so much I want to ask you about but it needs to wait until later, for now I'm just happy you're with me." He said while holding back his sadness. He thought she might have been killed based on what he had seen in the vision but despite that he swore not to stop until he found out the truth. Now the most important questions have been answered and they had their quest. The Quest for the Everstone!

As he looked for a place to rest he got a good look around the cave. He could hear the wind and rain in the background as the group set up camp. (What little they could) The entrance to the cave was battered with water from the storm that raged outside so the group was beginning to set up camp in an area that was a bit more dry. The only problem seemed to be that the cave seemed to go all the way through which meant they could be flanked by the thieves or monsters that dwelled in the mountains. "How nice it would be to control my power over earth again," He thought as he reached for the new shard they had just recovered. Clive fished it out of his pocket and took a closer look. With the faint light of the fire he could see its color. It was a dark brown color which, now that he looked at it closely he could tell it seemed familiar. He brushed the tip of the shard with his right finger and as if on cue it started to quiver. The shard sent some kind of pulse into the earth releasing his power back to him and the next thing Clive knew walls of rock seemed to be sprouting up all over in front of him. The earth effectively blocked the entire cave in front of the group from the elements. He stared at it in awe. He turned around and looked at both Viola and Rowas. "I think I found out what the new crystal does." He said as he held it up for them to see. He finally felt whole again.

The Princess was getting dizzy watching the world move on the other side of the surface. She decided to look elsewhere until she was addressed once more by her handsome prince. Which he did not too long after the spinning stopped. "There is so much I want to ask you about but it needs to wait until later, for now I'm just happy you're with me." She could practically feel him cradling the mirror in his hands as if he were cradling her. Heat rose to her cheeks, but she reached for the surface of the mirror, her palm flattening on the smooth, cold glass. "You know you can ask me anything you want, my love. Although, I would prefer you get some sleep first. You're grouchy when you're tired." Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled at him. Not a soft sad smile, but a bright one. "And I'm so happy to see you again. I was worried what would happen once I released the stone. I wasn't sure Roderick would try to go after you or if you were helping in the caves when the magic stopped and--" She cut herself off, the thought of him possibly dying in the caves because his magic was gone broke her heart and filled her pale eyes with tears. "I'm so sorry.."

His attention was elsewhere now. She could see his face, but his eyes were on something else. There was courteousness glittering there and possible longing. She wanted to ask him, but his eyes suddenly went wide. The mirror was shaking in his grasp and his head turned quickly to the side. "I think I found out what the new crystal does." He said, turning his head the other way, possibly talking to his companions. "What? What does it do?" She asked curiously.

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Viola stood and began pacing once Clive agreed to allow her first watch. "Wake me when you get tired or if you need help." If she stayed sitting she feared she would fall asleep. She was in the middle of thoughts about possibly going further into the cave to see where it lead when the ground began to tremble. At the mouth of the cave, blocking out the moonlight, a slab of earth grew up. Vines and dirt creating a wall against the outside. She stood and stared in awe, her mouth forming a silent o. "What the hell?" She said out loud. She moved towards the wall just as Clive turned to her. The movement caught her attention and she tore her gaze from the wall. The stone was in his hand and his eyes were wide, but there was something like joy on his face. "I think I found out what the new crystal does." He said to her. Earth. He got his magic back.

Rowas had just reached the ground when vines and dirt began to grow and make a wall. She scooted backwards in surprise and looked between the others. Clive had done it with the green shard he held in his hand.

"I think I found out what the new crystal does," he said. Earth. That was really useful.

"Mind making a bed for me to sleep on?" Rowas asked and cracked a goofy smile. The floor was not as comfy as her extremely large bed at home that was covered in hundreds of pillows.