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Stranded Beyond Hope

Prologue: Lost

A warm and cheery beam of sunlight lazily streamed through the burgundy drapes in an extravagantly decorated bedchamber. The walls were swathed in beauteous tapestries; each individual weave lovingly stitched by an artisan's talented paw and depicting mystical sprawling forests that promised wanderers a journey into mystery. The chamber itself was home to a wide variety of similarly mastercrafted furniture, a dwelling fit for royalty as was indeed the case.

The expansive and wondrous chamber was home to a single royal occupant, the crown princess of Cerinia. Long, has the line of Xúrinath watched over the noble kingdom and its subjects, bringing countless years of welcomed harmony and prosperity throughout the generations.

The princess herself had lived such a peaceful life, spending many a pleasant day with her father and mother, the king and queen. War had not touched the land since Xúrinath, the ancient hero, overthrew the primeval corrupt leaders of the old kingdom. That is not saying that they were completely without strife.

Cerinia always had need of its guardians; the skilled and honorable defenders kept order across the land and watched over those in need. To be a guardian was to enjoy the admiration and prestige that came with such a title. Each was a hero in the eyes of the people and revered by all. Many aspired to such a lofty goal, but to become one was no easy task. Years of training, meditation, and a kind gentle soul were what one needed if they truly wanted to reach their dreams and many were either unable or unworthy of becoming a guardian.

And today was to be her day.

Krystal had worked hard all her life training to become one of the noble elite. Her days as a kit had mostly been spent with her many tutors and the vixen had endured hundreds of hours of rigorous drills and hard lessons. Many times she had been close to breaking and would have given up without the support and encouragement of her family. But, despite all of the hardships she had doggedly trudged through, she did it.

This day was the culmination of everything she had ever worked for, all her suffering, pain, and tears lead up to this one moment. The vixen could hardly restrain her excitement as she dressed in the traditional garb of a female guardian, a golden brassiere and lustrous pearly white loincloth accompanied by intricately engraved gold bracers and greaves. Fixed firmly on her elegant shoulders was a pair of decorative shoulder pauldrons. The rest of her lithe body left exposed, allowing anyone who looked upon her form to see the results of her lifetime of training.

The cerulean furred vixen was as graceful as she was supple. Krystal's years of preparation for her role as a guardian had gifted her with smooth sinuous muscles and a lean elegant frame. She was not the strongest, but she was by far the fastest. Her speed and agility were her key strengths and she played to them excellently.

Her viridian eyes held softness to them, bellying her great inner reserves of strength. While almost gentle to a fault, she was by no means helpless, as anyone who had seen her with a staff would testify to.

Krystal had beaten every one of her instructors with skill and cunning. She was said to have the potential to be one of the greatest guardians that Cerinia had ever seen.

To her, it seemed like everything was starting to piece together. She had finally passed the last greatest hurtle in her life and now she could begin to truly start it.

The vixen had a satisfied grin as she slipped on a pair of silver tail cuffs and picked at her revealing outfit a little longer before leaving her chambers and stepping into the marbled hallways of the palace.

The first step to finally accomplishing her goal was to speak with her mother and father. Once she had officially received their blessing she would be on her way. All that would be left after was the traditional celebratory feast and acceptance ceremony where she would officially earn her title as guardian and at last stand amongst them.

Just the thought of that moment filled her with giddy excitement.

'So close...just a little longer.'

The vixen's sandals clapped repeatedly against the stone floor as she hurriedly blazed a path to the throne room where her parents awaited. Her chamber was close so it took little time before she was allowed in by the guardians on watch. The two males wore the shining plate of their order and held stylish blue and gold spears in their pawed grips, both smiling softly at the one who would soon be joining them.

Krystal happily returned their grins as she glided into the throne room and sedately approached the pair of golden thrones, walking down the deep blue carpet. Sitting upon the royal seats, a male and female fox gazed at her with loving eyes.

Randorn son of Arathorn was the twelfth king to sit upon the throne. Middle-aged, the dark blue vulpine was still very much in his prime, muscles still flowing with vigor and strength. His broad muzzle was forever crinkled into a slight grin and his turquoise eyes contained a well of mirth. Many of his subjects had lovingly named him, The Laughing King.

Sitting beside him, was the jewel of Cerinia, Queen Vera. Krystal's mother was petite and somewhat frail. She had been plagued by a sickness for the past year but was on the path to recovery. Despite this she still had strength in her and was far from infirm. Before she had been queen, the russet furred vixen had been a guardian and that strength still flowed through her. The queen regarded her daughter with a bright shine to her azure eyes.

Krystal loved her parents dearly. Although they had many duties to the kingdom they had always made sure to make time for her.

The vixen stopped just in front of the duel thrones and bowed, smiling widely at them as she rose back to her full height. She could see the pride swelling in their gazes and Krystal knew that they could not be more proud of her then they were at that moment, that knowledge lifted her heart to touch the skies with joy.

"Mother, father...." She greeted in her slightly musical tone.

"Krystal, my beloved daughter..." Randorn began as he grinned. "Today sparks the arrival of a momentous event." The large vulpine's speech was resonant, filling the vast and regal chamber with his mellow vocals.

"We know you have been waiting long for its arrival." Her mother added with a tender interjection.

Krystal's muzzle shook up and down quickly in confirmation. "I want to be just like you were mother!" She yipped excitedly.

Her father chuckled at the young vixen's enthusiasm. "Your mother was just like that at your age." Randorn turned to his mate with a knowing grin. "My little spitfire..."

Vera batted her tale at him playfully. "You didn't seem to mind all that much if I recall correctly."

Krystal giggled at her parents' loving banter. "Mother, Father, please..."

Randorn sighed.

The young vixen was eager to get to the center of her business. Being so close to her goal, she was getting impatient. But he could not fault her for getting excited with her life's dream.

"Very well my daughter. Kneel."

Quickly complying, Krystal kneeled in front of the two thrones and her father rose from his, striding down the marble steps to tower over her. The king was a rare specimen of a fox. He had a stark blue coat with the markings of the royal bloodline and stood on his hindpaws at seven feet. To his subjects he was the very image of a great king, but to his enemies he was a fearsome sight to dread.

As Randorn began to utter the beginning of the sacred oath, Vera watched on proudly. Seeing her daughter turn into a woman almost brought the vixen to tears. It seemed just yesterday that a little Krystal had been running through the halls, an unstoppable force of vitality and mischief for the unfortunate guards and palace staff. Now here she was...a spitting cerulean image of Vera herself on her own induction day.

"Do you, Krystal, princess of Cerinia, swear to safeguard the Cerinian people? To guide and nurture them, like the florist does the rose, maintaining this kingdom's purity and beauty?"

"So I swear." Krystal affirmed assertively, a sharp gleam of determination in her jade green eyes.

"Will you pledge to uphold and preserve the ancient commandments on which our society is founded? Thwarting any and all threats both within and without?"

"I will."

Randorn nodded slowly with an air of satisfaction.

"Do you swear to remain loyal to these tenants, only using your power and influence to achieve noble and moral goals?"

"I do."

Randorn turned to signal his mate and Vera rose from her throne, holding a long cylindrical object in her paws, wrapped in a purple cloth.

"Then, it is with great pleasure that I, King Randorn son of Arathorn, welcome you to the ranks of the noble guardians." He took a step backwards and Vera replaced him, holding the enclosed item out towards Krystal, beckoning her to take it.

The younger vixen looked up and hesitantly grasped the wrapped pole, feeling the unforgiving surface of the item underneath the pliable fabric. It was heavy, heavier than she expected and she almost had a brief clumsy moment.

Once she had tightened her grip, she reached a paw to the top and pulled the cloth away to reveal a lengthy staff topped with a jewel encrusted orb. Realizing what she held, the vixen gazed up at her parent's in shock.

"This is our gift to you, Krystal. This staff has been passed down our line since it was first created for Xúrinath by the foragemaster's of old. It is a powerful and ancient relic. Treat it as a trusted companion and it will do the same. The spirits of our ancestors lie within the staff and will help you in times of great need."

Vera explained this to her daughter, having used the very same staff herself before she returned it to the royal vaults.

Krystal was stricken speechless. Never had she thought she would be worthy enough to use the sacred weapon. Such gratitude could not be explained with mere spoken words. The vixen opened herself to her parents and let them feel the true depth of her appreciation through their familial bond.

Her father gave her his trademark grin as he spoke through their telepathic connection. 'You are welcome daughter, use it well. I know you will make us proud.'

Krystal smiled at her mother and father before sweeping them both up in a white knuckled hug, squeezing them tightly as she buried her muzzle in the comforting and familiar softness of their fur, a slight purr emanating from her breast.

Her father pushed away slightly and spoke aloud. "Now, your mother and I are going to prepare for the celebratory feast. You my dear are not completely free today. Your old spell instructor has need of you this morning. Please go speak with him. When you are done come meet us in the banquet hall."

"Yes father, I will go right away!" Krystal yelped happily, clutching her new staff in her paws tightly and rushing for the door. The vixen was now even more eager for the coming evening. That was when it would be made official.

'Oh how wondrous it would be!'

She could see it all now. The lights! The people! A banquet hall buzzing with cerinians from all over the kingdom, and they would all be there for her. The vixen was rarely egotistical, but this was her exception. After all, she was about to achieve her life's dream! First, the food, the palace chefs would whip up all manners of delectable treats, smoked talera, fresh from the Henro River, balarian_sweat cream, and succulent _kiro steak with mashed tubers covered in gravy. Krystal's muzzle was watering just at the thought of it all.

The entertainment would be next. No doubt her mother and father would request the finest musicians and entertainers. Soft tranquil melodies would flow, complementing the stately performances of talented acrobats and graceful dancers.

Yet, she was most excited for all the attention she would get from the males. Perhaps she would find her soulmate today, a strapping cerinian warrior or maybe a dashing and roguish noble. He would ask her to dance, and how they would dance! He would hold her close and whisper sweet serenades into her ear as they twirled through the hall for all to see.

Krystal longed for that special someone, a kind, brave, and considerate soul, two likeminded hearts beating an identical tune. He would be a loving protector and her closest friend.

The vixen shivered at the possibilities.

It was hard for her to refrain from skipping as she skated through the grandiose marble corridors and to the lab of her instructor.

Varaduke was the King's magister and a wise old fox. His once bold blue fur was greyed with age, but his eyes still held their youth and charm. The elderly vulpine had taught her everything she knew about the more mystical aspects of their world, training her to draw on the eldritch powers that suffused the land and air around them. With his guidance she had learned the arts of healing, as he was reluctant to impart any harmful spells to her. Although, he did teach her some of the broader aspects of magical combat, how to cast a ball of flame or summon a bolt of lightning. She was not very adept at those skills and had to use a staff as a catalyst.

Krystal idly wondered why he had been so hesitant as she stepped down the extensive and intricate spiral staircase leading to the elderly magisters' laboratory. As she neared her sensitive nose picked up on the spicy odor of spell components and the musty aroma of ancient tomes filled with the knowledge of magisters long past.

At the end of the staircase was a thick wooden door reinforced with iron bars. The stairwell was illuminated with dim torch sconces that gave it a slightly foreboding atmosphere. Shadows flickered against the stone walls, tendrils of withering darkness.

Krystal hurriedly scampered over to the door and rapped her paw against the oaken barricade.

"J-just a moment!" A scratchy voice muttered distantly.

She waited for quite some time before the door finally creaked apart, revealing the magister himself.

Varaduke wore a simple yet officious white robe that concealed his elderly frame and protected him from the faint chill that always seemed to permeate his abode. The vulpine held a sturdy oak staff in his paws, both for his magic and means of support. Balanced on his muzzle was a pair of spectacles in front of his hazel eyes that aided his fading sight.

"Ah, Krystal my dear, I've been waiting for you." He greeted her tenderly, opening the door wider so that she could enter.

The two vulpines briefly touched thoughts, each expressing joy at seeing the other, a customary greeting amongst friends and loved ones.

The magister was like an uncle to her, having helped raise her for as long as she could remember. The vixen loved him dearly, although he could be quite absent minded at times. His long stints in his magical workshop often made him forgetful of the outside world. And even of his bodily needs. When he became absorbed in his work he would oft forget to eat and sleep. Krystal had come down here many times to bring him his meals and make sure he slept regularly.

The vixen slipped past the large door and gazed around the room as he ushered her deeper inside. Bookshelves lined the walls, each packed with yellowed volumes written in enchanted script. A colossal iron chandler hung from the center of the lofty chamber, providing a warm light from hundreds of wax candles. A few oak tables were scattered about, cluttered with phylacteries and vials of glowing liquids where the scent of magic was strongest. It was all a familiar sight she had seen many times before.

But she did notice a strange circle chalked into the center of the workshop, peculiar glyphs inscribed around it and candles with blue flames were placed in patterns along the interior of its curved white lines.

_'What's that?' _She wondered curiously.

"Come, come, I have something to show you!" He mumbled in excitement, heading right towards the strange circle, the bottom of his staff clacking against the burnished stone. "After thirty years I have done it!"

"Done what, Magister?" She asked in confusion. All she saw was a circle on the floor.

"It was here, right under our muzzles all this time!"

"What was?"

He lifted his furred arms in the air grandiosely. "I have found a means of crossing worlds, Krystal my dear!"

Now she was even more confused. "Crossing worlds?"

He jabbed his staff in her direction. "Yes precisely! Our ancestors were capable of reaching into other worlds, something thought lost after Xúrinath's rebellion."

"But...how?" All thoughts on her future were put on hold. What he said did not seem possible. Perhaps he had finally gone senile? He was an older fox after all.

"I recently uncovered a strange tome deep in the royally library. It is written in a language I have never seen before, or so I thought." He reached into his robe and pulled out a thick black leather-bound volume, holding it out to her. "But there was another, an almost exact copy right here in my lab."

She accepted his handout and glanced down at the heavy book. There were runes on it, but she could not make heads or tails of them. They looked like claw marks from some great reptilian creature. Most were composed of three gashes and a dot, this simple configuration managed to make a complex pattern that she could not decipher with a quick glance.

"The difference between the one I found in the library, and the one I found here, is simple but groundbreaking. The one I found here is a cypher of some kind, from which I was able to glean vital information!"

She flipped through the tome as she looked back up to the ecstatic vulpine, still trying to grasp what he was spouting. The vixen was still several steps behind. "Cypher...?"

"Yes, a means of interpreting the strange runes. And what I found is simply amazing! If it is to be believed, the creators of this language...are dragons!"

"But they're just myths." Some believed that dragons had existed, but most cerinians considered them a kit's fable.

"Maybe they are now, but not a thousand years ago! This changes everything my dear. This book goes into detail about Xúrinath's rebellion. And it is quite fascinating since the history behind it has been mostly lost!" The bespectacled vulpine fixed his glasses as he continued. "It would seem that the despotic regime he overthrew was in fact these dragons! They had enslaved our people and with the help of a few noble and kindhearted ones, he was able to overthrow their leader. Subsequently, the surviving dragons left from whence they came, a strange world called Tameriel where they were planning on liberating the inhabitants there as well. But before they did, they gave Xúrinath these tomes. I can only assume he decided to let this information fade with time...but why I wonder?"

Krysta was uncertain what to take of this. All she wanted was to have her special day. She didn't need all of this to be dumped on her lap. "Why are you telling me all of this now?"

'Why did it have to be today, of all days?'

"I need your help, Krystal. One of the tomes told of a rite that once completed, would allow us to visit the other world. But, I am not strong enough to complete it on my own. You were my most powerful pupil. With your assistance I will be able to open the rift." He turned to her with a pleading gaze.

"I don't know, Varaduke." She murmured uncertainly, scratching at the fur on her left arm. "I don't think it would be wise. Perhaps we should consult my father first." She was certain he would know what to do. He was the wisest fox she knew.

"I don't want to risk him saying no. Please, Krystal! This means so much to me! I've spent thirty years of my life on trying to do this. I can't afford to lose it now, not after being so close. Will you help me?"

The unfortunate vixen was torn with indecision. She wanted to help him, but she was worried that something might happen. She had no idea what opening a rift to another world would do, what the effects might be. But she did not want to say no to the vulpine that had guided her throughout her life, helped shape all that she was today. 'Why does it have to be so hard?' Surely doing it just once would not do any harm...right? All they would be doing was seeing if it worked.

The more she thought about it, the more she was leaning towards helping him. She had to admit she was also curious to see if it worked. The thought of a whole other world to see intrigued her. At least if she helped him, she could go back to planning for the banquet.

"Alright, I'll help."

Varaduke released an explosive sigh of relief and grinned widely. "Thank you, Krystal. I knew you would!" His robes fluttered in the breeze that his cheerful tail created.

"So, what do you need me to do?" She wondered.

Now that she had agreed, he seemed even more excited than before, gesturing animatedly towards the circle he had created. "Yes, yes, it's very simple! I see you already have you staff. That makes this even easier. Just follow me, yes, and sit here, yes very good. Now, place your staff firmly in your grip and plant it into the floor in the slot."

Krystal hesitantly did as instructed, placing the bottommost part of her staff into the niche between her sandaled hindpaws.

"Excellent." He praised as he kneeled down at the opposite end, striking a similar pose with his staff. "Now, close your eyes and concentrate. Just as I taught you when you were first learning, feel the energy within you, let it float to the forefront of your thoughts."

The vixen closed her eyes, seeing nothing but darkness. However, when she concentrated hard enough, she could feel the power lying dormant inside her, a flickering blue flame of potential energy. The vixen coerced it, beckoning the fire to grow from a faint intensity to a blazing beacon. The magical vitality flowed through her, sending a steady rejuvenating current that refreshed her body and mind while stimulating her nerves. It was almost erotic in a way, the heady rush of power, the heightened senses; it was enough to make anyone giddy.

She did not see it, but the blue gem atop her staff lit brightly with bourgeoning power, absorbing any excess from its owner.

"Well done. Channel your power into your staff, as much as you can manage." His voice sounded slightly strained to her ears. He must be putting a lot of his strength into his magic.

Krystal did as she was told, guiding her fire into the staff, the process was draining and as the time dragged on, she was starting to feel exhaustion creep into her. Yet there seemed to be no change that she could hear. The staff was ravenous, devouring the magical energy as fast as she was giving it.

The vixen's ears flicked.

There was a faint hum suffusing the chamber, and it was building. Her staff began to vibrate in her padded grip and she could feel the tremors traveling down her arms and into her chest. Krystal was beginning to feel uneasy.

"V-Varaduke...."

"Don't worry my dear, its fine. A little discomfort is to be expected. It should even out soon enough."

She was not exactly confident in his explanation, but she pressed on nonetheless, syphoning more of her power into the staff. The glow from the orb was increasing, to the point where she could see it underneath her eyelids, a bright and shining blue light.

Now the floor under her began to tremble as the humming in the air changed pitch, now a deep rumbling buzz.

Krystal inhaled heavily, she felt as if she had just finished a few laps in the palace pool. How much power did this actually take? She was beginning to falter in her efforts.

Her curiosity got the best of her and she opened her eyes to see the chamber, and gasped.

The lab was in disarray, books were falling off the shelves and phials of liquids were tumbling off tables to smash against the stone floor. But what was most startling, was the huge flickering oval of azure light in the center of the circle. An unnatural breeze flowed through the room, the temperature dropping to the point where she could perceive the water vapors she exhaled from her lungs.

It was happening! A portal to another world was opening, something long believed to be impossible was occurring just in front of her.

At the moment it was erratic and uncertain, but every second brought it closer to a more stabilized state. The flickering was evening out and the ambient buzz in the room was softening.

"It's working!"

Varaduke opened his eyes at her excited announcement and grinned at the glowing portal. "Yes! I knew it would!"

The portal's disordered wavering ceased and the room stopped shaking almost immediately after, it finally having reached its equilibrium. Varaduke bounced to his hindpaws and grabbed his staff, slowly approaching the blue and inky threshold. Nothing could be seen through the murky gateway, although, small particles of white floated through to the lab. The magister held out a paw and let one of the white specks land on his padded palm.

"Snow...its snow!" He announced happily as he watched the snowflake melt and trickle into his fur. "Winter in midsummer..." The vulpine chuckled softly in amusement.

Krystal grabbed her staff and joined him, noticing the peculiar warmth imbuing the rod. She held out her paw as he had and let a flake land on it, giggling lightheadedly. She had not seen snow since she had been a small kit and her parents had taken her to the Merion Mountains.

"This is...it's just incredible!" She turned to her mentor with a grin, tail wagging eagerly.

"Yes it is indeed something." He agreed, staring intently at the result of thirty years of planning and work. "What do you think it is like on the other side?"

"Cold...?" She chanced a guess.

The magister laughed. "I imagine it is."

"What do we do now?"

"Now, you can go back to your parents. You have a big day today my dear."

Krystal was surprised. "You remembered?"

He smiled. "I never forgot."

The vixen hugged the robed fox with a similar grin. It meant much to her that even in his absent minded state he had not forgotten about her special day.

Varaduke spluttered slightly in embarrassment. "Y-yes well don't let me hold you back any longer. I'll speak to your father on this portal later tonight at the banquet."

Krystal made to say her farewell when the room darkened. She looked over the magister's shoulder and towards the rippling portal.

Hadn't it been blue before?

The portal's hue had altered to a more ominous red and the chamber was once more beginning to shake.

"Magister....something's wrong with the portal." Concern laced her voice.

The older vulpine maneuvered his muzzle over his shoulder and noticed the odd discoloration, frowning worriedly as he did. "That's not right. The book said nothing of this."

Suddenly, there was a loud pop and everything flashed white.

*****

Krystal was freezing.

She must have forgotten to put on her comforter. The vixen turned over and reached her paw out to correct that error in judgment when she gasped in shock.

'C-c-c-cold!'

Krystal shot up in a daze and looked about in confusion. "W-where a-am I-I?" The vixen stuttered in shock as she clutched her furred arms together for warmth. A quick look around her answered the previous question, but not in the way she had hoped.

For some reason, Krystal found herself plopped down in the middle of an extensive snowy meadow, the glacial white powder piled up to her shins. Trees lined around her, like oaken wardens, each covered in a thin film of frost. This perplexed the young cerinian vixen to no end. She should be home, not...here, wherever here was.

A frigid gust of dry wind slithered its icy way into her bones and Krystal squeaked, wrapping her bushy tail up against herself for more warmth. It seemed as if the very air was dead set on sucking any trace of heat left in her. At this point, the vixen was regretting the minimalistic nature of her apparel.

"W-what...." She muttered in consternation.

Krystal was more than a little disorientated by her rapid shift in environment. Where's Varaduke and his lab? She had just been speaking to the wizened magister what seemed like moments ago. Everything had been going fine...although, she remembered that brief moment of confusion just before she arrived here.

The portal.

Something had happened to the portal.

That odd red light, the portal must have collapsed or exploded. This meant that if she was not in Varaduke's laboratory....

Oh no...

Krystal scrambled to her hindpaws and whipped her muzzle back and forth in panic, taking in the wintery landscape surrounding her.

She was in the other world!

Where was the portal? She had to find it. It was her only ticket back home.

But as the frantic vixen scrambled around the clearing, the familiar blue glow of the threshold was nowhere in sight.

'No. No. No. No....'

This couldn't be happening! Not to her, not on her day! She had so much planned, so much she wanted to do. She was about to achieve her life's dream! It was to be her moment. Krystal couldn't be here, not now.

The morose vixen collapsed to her knees amidst the gentle drifts of snow and felt tears threatening to break past her turquoise eyes and mar her creamy perfectly white muzzle.

'No....not like this. It can't end like this. There must be a way to fix it!'

Yet there was nothing she could think of to solve her terrible issue. She wouldn't even know how to recreate the process on which Varaduke used for the portal, nor would she have enough strength to power it. She was effectively stranded on this alien world.

As she realized this, all her hopes and dreams were rendered null and void. The vixen could no longer hold back her tears. The first made its lonesome journey down her fuzzy cheek, but would not be concluding its forlorn trip alone.

Everything she knew was back in the other world. Her life was back in the other world. This was not how it was meant to be. She was supposed to become a guardian and serve her people. One day she was going to be queen, ruling alongside a just, noble king and loving mate. She was going to raise a family.

Now....

Now that was all just an intangible dream, as impossible as her chances of getting home were.

The vixen cried amidst the falling snow, wrapped up in a bundle for warmth as she sunk further into depression. She had lost the will to move. What was the point? She had no hope of getting back. Perhaps she should just sit here, waiting until the extreme cold claimed her.

"Ont Zu'u faan hi zeymah, Alduin! Nu hi los naught nuz riil. Vis hi ni koraav fos hi lost meyz, rud do hin vorohah?"

A booming voice shattered the clearing's silence and filled the vixen's ears. Krystal, partially deafened, turned to find the source.

"Hi los mey ahrk vax Parthanax. Hin widnu rot fent ni seyl zey. Hi los nid pruz wey Zu'u. Daar lein los dii naal viilut! Zu'u fen lost nii!"

A different voice, far darker and menacing, shook the ground underneath her and reverberated through the air. Krystal stumbled to her hindpaws.

Suddenly, she was thrown back to the snowy ground as the line of trees to her left exploded, showering the clearing in splinters and hunks of broken timber. The vixen yipped, feeling a sharp pain in her side as she hit the frozen earth. The world was shaking, and primal roars assaulted her ears, random gouts of flame blinding her vision. She rolled to the side, her training and instincts screaming for her to move.

Krystal clawed her way to the edge of the clearing and leaned against one of the trees that still stood relatively unscarred. She whimpered in pain and glanced down to her injured side, spotting a small shard of wood sticking out just above her waist.

"Ow...." She whined and prodded at the object, hissing as her paws made contact. Gingerly, she wrapped a paw around it and tugged. Krystal gasped and barred her fangs, quickly placing a paw over the bloody wound and mumbling as she called upon her reserve of magic, sealing the deep wound. She was too exhausted to completely fix it, but at least she had stopped the flow.

"Waan hi fen ni aav zey, hi fen dir!"

Krystal turned her muzzle to the snarling voice and widened her eyes in fear and shock. The sight was beyond her belief and terrified her as much as it mystified.

Dragons!

Two of the great serpents were annihilating the clearing she had just occupied moments ago. Both colossal reptilians clawed and snapped at each other, rending scales and drawing blood. One was a deep shade of black, a soulless color that seemed to devour the very light around it. Just gazing at the beast chilled her blood and froze her thoughts with its unnerving visage.

The other was a pale gold color, an ancient looking creature with dull scales, chipped claws and missing teeth. All she felt from this one was sadness and regret, an odd combination that would have made her curious if not for her dire circumstances.

Krystal leapt to the side as an errant fireball collided with the tree she had been resting on.

'Spirits!'

She ran deep into the forest, scrambling behind a rock and curling up into as tiny as a ball as she could manage, hoping that she would be spared from this duel of titans. The earsplitting roars and slavering growls ran unopposed for what seemed like hours, and Krystal did her best to ride it out, huddling up under the cold boulder and clamping her paws over her ears.

'Please make it stop....please.'

Yet it seemed to go on without end, until she drifted off into troubled slumber.

*****

Krystal awoke to the musical tune of birds. The vixen moved to sit up, painfully smacking her head on the rock above her with an aggrieved yip.

'Ugh, how long have I been sleeping?'

She strained her ears for any sign that the fearsome dragons were still out there, waiting for a long time before she was satisfied. Praying that they were well and truly gone, she crawled out from underneath her cover and stretched her cramped limbs.

The vixen held back a yawn as she walked the short distance back to the clearing. Her mind started to reprocess the events of the last day, and she was once more reminded of her situation. Sniveling, she slowly slumped forwards, wondering why she was even doing it in the first place. Why would she even want to go back? Krystal supposed that was easy to answer.

Why not?

She had nothing else to do. She was lost here in this crazy world with nothing better to do. And hopefully, it might keep her mind of that fact.

Krystal passed the battered trees and stepped into the destroyed clearing, instantly freezing.

One of the dragons was still there!

The pale gold serpent laid tattered and broken, blood leaking from numerous gashes in its thick hide. It was breathing shallowly and irregularly and looked to be in great pain. Yet Krystal was still terrified of it. What if the reptilian wanted to make a quick snack of her? It would easily be able to with its massive set of deadly jaws.

But, as she took in its sorry appearance, she could not help but pity the once imposing creature. It was far from the noble and majestic beast she had envisioned.

Coming to a decision, Krystal took a deep breath and hesitantly approached. 'Why am I doing this?'

She could feel the sundered earth underneath her sandals, piles of dirt torn up by powerful razor-sharp claws. Claws that could rend her flesh at any moment she reminded herself. 'Please oh please be a nice dragon!'

Krystal stopped right in front of the sleeping dragon's snout, gently reaching her paw out. She ran it across the reptile's hide, marveling in its warm and coarse texture. Each individual scale was rigid and any sharpness they would have had was dulled by age. This particular dragon must be primordial.

The vixen gazed at its closed eyes, tracing one of its horns in wonder. Here was a magical beast, in the flesh. A real living myth right before her eyes, and she was touching it! Its wings must have been at least a hundred feet across, maybe more.

"Ahnok til mal Lilmothiit. Zu'u lost ni nun hi reyliik nau daar lein ko pogaan eruvos."

Krystal meaped in surprise and her tail bristled as she leapt back in fright. "Oh spirits please don't eat me I taste terrible I swear!" She fired off rapidly and hid behind her tail.

She felt a deep rumble in the dirt and realized that the dragon was laughing.

"Do not be afraid young one. I have no intentions of eating you. It's the fur you see."

The vixen gasped in shock as it spoke in a language she understood but the dragon took it the other way.

"Was it the joke? I fear it might have been too crude. For that forgive me. I am not feeling well at the moment as it were." His rumbling chuckle held a hint of self-deprecation.

"I-I uh y-you...." Krystal stuttered.

"Ah yes, you are surprised that I speak. I guarantee you I am very literate. Yes, yes, you are very confused, but I am afraid I do not have the time to explain. My...friend, has done too much damage." The dragon coughed and Krystal watched as red blood cascaded past its broken teeth.

"I-I can help you." The vixen did not want the dragon to die; she did not want anyone to die. Not as long as she could help them.

"I do not see how."

She didn't respond, instead placing both her palms on the dragon's hulking shoulder, just under the leathery wing. "Ex udsaodk jfahakj, A Krystal ev Cerinia rojoosx kxoo, fcoujo codt mo 0eih uat. Xocf mo modt kxaj feeh jeicj ret0."

As she prayed, she felt her strength return to her and a faint golden glow rose from underneath her palms.

"Interesting, I have not heard that language spoken since...." The dragon paused, shifting his gargantuan snout in her direction, the scaled crests above his salient eyes raising in curiosity. "Tell me little fox, where are you from?"

Krystal was focused on her task, but was able to answer. "I am from Cerinian, which is nowhere near here. And I can never return again." It was hard for her to keep the pain and desperation from entering her voice. Just talking about it almost made her tear up.

"Cerinia...a name I have not heard uttered in many, many years."

"You know of my homeworld!" She snapped her muzzle back to him excitedly. "Do you know how to get there?"

"It...is not so easily done I am afraid. It is far easier to come from there then to go, especially now with Alduin's return. His power over this world restricts the use of such powerful magic, and without an elder scroll it is rendered all but impossible."

"But there is a chance?" Krystal demanded hastily. She was clinging to the possibility of the chance of the probability that she could get home. She couldn't believe otherwise, wouldn't.

"I suppose. But that would be next to impossible given the circumstances." The dragon huffed, a faint puff of smoke curling out of his nostrils to waif away in the breeze.

Krystal slumped in defeat, her only chance at getting back blowing up in her muzzle. "What do I do know? Where do I go?" The vixen fell backwards as the dragon rose to his claws, armored tail digging a furrow in the frozen dirt.

"You have helped me greatly little fox. Tell me, what is your name?"

"Krystal, my name is Krystal." She mumbled softly as she climbed to her paws.

"Well then Krystal, allow me to be of help. I am Parthanax, grandmaster of the order of the voice. Come with me, I can offer you a place to stay until you figure out what to do. Perhaps I can even be of some assistance with your plight. I cannot fix it, but I may be able to find the one who can."

Krystal was uncertain. Can she just trust this dragon? Was there any reason not too? Probably, but that didn't really matter did it? "I will accept your offer."

"Then it is settled, but before we leave. Is there something you are forgetting?"

Krystal frowned in confusion. She didn't have anything with her. The vixen turned to the clearing and spotted brief shine as the sun glinted off something metallic. Realizing what it was, she rushed over to the mound of snow and dirt, and clawed away at it furiously. She quickly revealed the pole of her staff, shining in the light. Krystal grabbed the weapon and cradled it in her arms, the last connection she had to her home. But how did the dragon know?

'You are not the only one with powers my dear.'

Krystal's eyes widened and she turned to Parthanax.

The dragon was grinning.