"Well, I have absolutely NO idea where we are, to be honest." Mouseglove, the Lord of Intrigue sighed as he looked at his companions with a slight blush and shrugged. "This is definitely someplace new, and although I *think* I know how to get back, I'm no longer sure."

Smiling at her husband, Azurel Sunhawk motioned for everyone to gather around her. Mouseglove gazed around, looking closely at the faces of his companions, Cyng Swiftwind, Athos the Earthlord, and Jizmak T. Gusher, and sighed again.

"What's wrong, my friend?" asked Athos, looking slightly concerned.

"Bah, he's just repressed." smirked Jizmak. "Not enough time alone with his sweetie." Jizmak grinned lustily at Azurel.

Smiling gently, she replied "Now Jiz, be nice."

Cyng, however, was mysteriously silent, as if concentrating on some problem, and he did not look happy.

"I'm just wishing," Mouseglove replied, sitting down next to his wife. "and not for the first time, that Lord Vall hadn't limited the number of mortal avatars we may take at any one time to two. I mean, I understand why he did so, but..."

Cyng nodded sharply. "It doesn't make it any easier, eh Mousers?"

The assembled group answered with a weary shaking of heads as each took a seat around the small campfire. Suddenly, Cyng snapped his fingers.

"That's it!" As everyone looked on with eyebrows raised, Cyng got up and began to pace agitatedly as he spoke. "Ok. Vall, may his smelly feet give him a serious case of indigestion, told us WE had to go exploring this damned forest, and that we couldn't use our mortal avatars, right?"

Acknowledging everyone's nods, he continued. "Well, we've been wandering through this maze for some time now. We've encountered a wolverine," He began counting off on his fingers as he spoke. "a winged serpent, a wyvern, a huge band of gnolls, a pond with barracuda in it, and that clearing with the pegasus."

Nodding but loooking impatient, Jizmak said "Right, we know all that. Get on with it." Shaking his head, he muttered "Storytellers..."

Grinning, Cyng replied "Just like Jiz: get it over with, eh?" Ignoring Jizmak's attempt at protest, he continued. "We've fought them all down easily, but has anyone tried using any of their...um..." Cyng appeared to be struggling with a concept.

Azurel offered "Non-mortal abilities?"

"Exactly!" Cyng replied. "Observe." Cyng concentrated, the assembled people waited, and nothing happened. "I just tried to return to the depths of my mind,"

Jizmak muttered, "That's a scary place I'll bet."

"And although I could see it," Cyng continued, "I couldn't get there."

Jizmak immediately leapt to his feet, and, looking around momentarily, dove headfirst into Athos' groin, smashing into him with a loud <THUD> and bouncing off.

Looking only slightly amused, Athos said dryly "Sorry about your head, Jiz, but you know, I _am_ called the earthlord for a reason." Knocking on his chest, he grinned. "Hard as the rock of the earth I am."

Rubbing his head, Jizmak grumbled "Remind me to use Az next time to test that. She's much softer."

"No, Jiz, somehow I don't think so." Mouseglove replied, putting an arm protectively around his wife's shoulders.

"Gentlemen," Azurel said, rising to her feet and dusting herself off, "It's obvious that this is yet another of Lord Vall's 'tests' for us, to see if we're capable of working together as a team." Looking rather pointedly at each other person, Azurel smiled. "We _can_ do this, we can explore and get out, but we'll have work together. Cyng," She said, turning to the pixie lord. "You said you couldn't get to your mind," There was no little snickering at that statement, but Azurel ignored it pointedly and continued. "But you could see it, right?"

Cyng nodded, looking interested.

"Alright then. We've lost most of our divine abilities, but not all of them. Plus, I still have all the accumulated skills and spells of the mortal world available to me. Do all of you?"

Everyone nodded again.

"Well then," Azurel said, grinning fiercly, "Do you REALLY think this will be all that hard then?" Looking directly at her husband, she said "If it does turn out to be _that_ difficult, I don't think we'll want to find a way for the mortals of Aurealis to enter here, do you?"

Shaking his head, Mouseglove stood up. "She's right. Look, Cyng, why don't you go up and see if you can get above the treetops. Try to get some idea where we _can_ go."

Grinning mischievously, Cyng stood up and extended his wings. "Oooo, Mousers! Taking charge, callin' the shots," he said as he began to rise towards the ceiling of tree branches, "Makin' the decisions, ordering us around, gettin' his head out of his..." And then he was gone, above the tops of the trees.

Shaking his head, Mouseglove grinned. "I think I'm glad I didn't hear that last one."

"I can tell you what he was gonna say..." Jizmak began.

"No," Azurel said, "I don't think that will be necessary."

Cyng returned shortly, looking pleased. "There's a HUGE mountain off to the northeast of us, just begging to be looked at. I say we go there."

"Right." Mouseglove stood up and turned to the Pixie Lord. "Since you know where it is, you lead. But," he paused, turning to Athos. "When we get there, I think Athos should lead."

"Why me?" Athos asked.

Smiling, Azurel said "If I may? Because Athos is most closely tied to the elements of the earth, and rock is a primary one."

"Exactly." Mouseglove said, smiling at Athos. "Face it pal, you're needed and useful. Get used to people depending on you."

Blushing slightly, Athos simply nodded.

"Ok Cyng, lead on." Mouseglove went to stand next to Cyng, as did everyone.

The trip to the base of the peak took only a few minutes, thanks to the Pixie Lords directions. When they reached the base of the peak, Athos took the lead, even though he tried once again to protest that he was not worthy.

"Not worthy my ass." Jizmak finally said. "Who the hell discovered the workings of Shamanistic magic in the realms, and brought it before Lord Vall? Hmmm? Was it Cyng? Mousers? Az? Me? No." Looking the massive earthlord straight in the eye, he continued. "It was you. Only you could do that, and only you can do this. Now get to it before I smack my head into yer rock again."

Smiling, and again blushing slightly, Athos took the lead of the small group. At first, it seemed rather simple to climb the mountain, but after several forays into the cloud bank that shrouded the mountain in gloom a few thousand feet up, called for a break.

"It's like....a maze." He said, shaking his massive head. "It's almost as if this mountain was grown specifically to make it difficult to get to the top."

"Why would anyone do that?" Azurel asked.

"Heh, either to keep people from getting to whatever is at the top, or to keep whatever is at the top from getting down." Mouseglove replied.

"Well, either way, we're going up." Cyng said defiantly. "Nothing stops us in our own realm!"

"Well said." Azurel replied firmly. "We go up."

Once again, they set out, trying to find their way up the mountain. In the course of their long exploration, the found a small way-station with bedrolls and food, and a large barrel full of clear water. After resting there for a while, then continued upwards.

They searched for hours. Finally, Athos said "I think we should go back down and try again from another side. Maybe the different sides have ways to different areas of the peak."

After returning to the base of the peak, they decided to try ascending the northern face. After climbing into the clouds once again, Athos held his hand up, stopping them.

"I hear something." Athos said quietly. "Sounds like a large group of people, maybe a few animals too." Pointing to a cave to the south, he said "It's coming from in there, but whoever they are, they're not actually in _that_ cave. It's like...that's a connecting point of some kind."

Grinning slyly, Mouseglove said "Well, if you want a scout, that's my job. I mean, they don't call me 'Mousers' for nothing, right?"

"I thought _I_ started calling him that." Cyng muttered to Jizmak.

"Whatever." Mouseglove said, smiling innocently at Cyng. "I'll be right back." Speaking a word of arcane power, Mouseglove suddenly began to sizzle with energy. With another, he began to move much more quietly, and with a third, he disappeared from view."

"Be right back." Someone said. "This shoudn't take long."

Everyone settled in to wait while Mouseglove went scouting. Suddenly, the sounds of combat rang out from above. Leaping to their feet, everyone was preparing themselves for battle when Mouseglove came running back in from above.

"Umm, three things: First, this is not the way to the top. Secondly, there is a huge tribe of bandits living up there, and Third, remember this: Invisibility doesn't work when dealing with a canine sense of smell." Turning around, everyone could see the teeth marks in the hem of Mouseglove's robe.

"Bah, you shoulda just killed 'em and been done with it, Mouse." Jizmak grated out. "I could go do it for ya if ya want..."

"No Jiz," Cyng said with mock sadness. "We don't have time to play with the little banditskies. We gotta get home. You can come back later."

Shaking his head and gesturing wildly, Jizmak walked away, muttering curses and grumbling about never getting to have any fun.

Returning to the base, the group began ascending the southern face, Athos once again in the lead. After climbing for several thousand feet, Athos's face suddenly broke into a smile.

"There are some of my children on this mountain!" He said, grinning fiercly.

"Heh, sure Athos." Cyng said, grinning teasingly. "They're called 'rocks' pal."

Bonking Cyng on the head with obvious care, Athos grinned. "No, I mean there are giants on this peak." Sniffing the air, he smiled. "Close too."

Leading them slowly upwards, Athos continued his search for his children. As they crested the edge of a ledge, Athos smiled and waved the others upward. There, walking sentry with an enourmous, rock-encrusted canine of some sort, a stone giant looked on with wary disinterest as the team scrambled to their feet upon the ledge.

"Greetings, my child. I am Athos, Earthlord and Tale-Spinner."

The giant gaped at Athos, then immediately turned and ran to the east, dashing off into a gap in the mountain to the north.

"Wow, if only I had that affect on _my_ people." Cyng replied, smirking. "They see me, and they run _towards_ me, not away from me."

"I don't understand it." Athos replied thoughtfully. "Why would they run?"

"Maybe he's going to tell the rest of his tribe" Azurel said.

"Perhaps." Mouseglove said thoughtfully. "But he didn't look exactly happy to see Athos. We'd best be on our guard."

Jizmak grinned. "What? There may be trouble?"

"Yes, Jizmak." Athos replied sadly. "You'd better lead now."

Jizmak strutted into the lead, to much snickering from Cyng, and lead the group off in pursuit of the fleeing giant. After turning north, they saw a ledge to the east, and a cave to the west. Looking at the cave, Jizmak gestured for Mouseglove to scout on ahead.

After a few moments, Mouseglove appeared in front of them, shaking his head.

"Athos," he said grimly. "I figured out what the problem is. Thanks to that Ritual of Heartsight you discovered, I was able to see the moral disposition of the giants. Most are fairly indifferent, but the chieftain's wife seems obsessed with her own looks, they have a Shaman of their own with them, and the chief seems to have fallen into some kind of madness. He fairly reeks of evil now, and his tribe are following his commands."

Nodding sadly, Athos said, "Anything else?"

"Unfortunately." Mouseglove replied. "They're under standing orders to kill anything and anyone that comes across their path. _And_, they're appearently no longer worshipping you, although they don't know that yet."

"Why? Who are they worshipping now?" Azurel asked, sounding concerned.

Looking Athos straight in the eye, Mouseglove said "I wish I didn't have to be the one to tell you this, but the chieftain has converted to the worship of Cauchemar, the Nightmare King."

Frowning, Cyng shook his head. "It must have been the chieftains own idea then, 'cause I know Cauch, and he would never subvert one of our worshippers."

Nodding in agreement, Azurel sighed and slipped her arms around Athos' massive shoulders. "We will investigate this, but we _must_ finish our exploration and get out of here before we can do anything else."

Wiping a crystaline tear out of his eye, Athos nodded mutely and led them away from the cave, off to the east to continue their trek to the top of the peak.

After several more wrong turns and a few forced backtrackings, they finally discovered the path to the summit of the peak. Strangely, for the last few hundered feet, ladder rungs had been carved into the face of the mountain.

"I can see the top from here!" Athos yelled down to his companions as they climbed up the rocky ladder. "It's some kind of massive plateau."

As the last of the companions crested the edge of the plateau, Cyng gasped. "It's huge!" He said, looking around.

There before them sat a huge, walled fortress, a single gate looking to be the only way in or out. As they sat and stared, a large, armored figure stepped out of the gateway and crossed his arms.

"Uh oh..." Azurel said worriedly. "I don't think he's gonna let us in easily."

Rubbing his hands together, Jizmak grinned. "Good. I've been wanting to mash someone's testicles since we started this little trip."

Wincing at the though, Mouseglove said, "Hold on, let me go speak with him."

Nodding reluctantly, Jizmak stepped aside to allow Mouseglove room to approach the guard.

Upon seeing Mouseglove, however, the guard, eyes widening in surprise, dropped to one knee. "L..l..lord Mouseglove!" He stammered out. "W..what are you doing here?"

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Mouseglove said, "Ummm...exploring. This forest and mountain appeared recently in our land, and my Lord Vall bid us discover all the we could about it."

Boggling in surprise and struggling to his feet, the guard said, "My lord, this is the Fortress of the Monastic Order of The Fated. We are your loyal servants." Swallowing nervously, the guard ventured, "Have we truly arrived in the Realms of Aurealis?"

Nodding slowly, Mouseglove smiled. "What is this place, my noble friend?"

Relaxing visibly, the guard smiled. "We are a monastic order, devoted to the defense of our keep, and the collection of all knowledge accessable in and about the Realms."

Smiling, Mouseglove turned to call his friends forward, only to see a large, robed man standing between him and his companions.

"Why, Lord Vall. What a pleasant, if not unexpected, surprise." Mouseglove said, grinning.

Motioning everyone forward, Vall said simply, "Good. You all learned to use your minds, not your might," he said, glancing at Jizmak. "And you achieved the goal I set out for you." Waving his hand, they were suddenly transported to a small tavern.

"You have finally seen exactly what can be achieved by teamwork." Vall said. "I am very proud of you all." And with that, he waved his hands again. Each of the companions seemed to pulse with a soft light, which flared briefly and then was gone.

"I have restored full use of your divine abilities to you. But remember what it felt like to have them not. Be sympathetic to the mortals of the realms, but baby them not. Be helpful to them, but overwhelm them not."

"Mak on them, but kill 'em not." Jizmak muttered.

Chuckling, Vall nodded. "Exactly. And now..." He made a strange locking and unlocking gesture with his hands. "The forest you discovered has been linked to the world of Aurealis. A small path has been made, leading to it. However, know this: There is no path out, so perhaps one of you," He looked quite firmly at Mouseglove. "Could create a warning of some sort. A sign perhaps, letting them know to take magical means of exit with them."

Nodding, Mouseglove stood. "It shall be so." Grinning at his companions, he said "Well, it was fun, wasn't it?"

Everyone nodded, except Jizmak. "But.. but.. I didn't get to mak on anything!" And with that, he leapt head-first at Vall's groin, and disappeared.

Shaking his head and laughing, Athos said, "He never changes. I'm going to go speak to the giant chieftain. Quite firmly, I believe." Athos began to melt, and sank into the earthy floor of the tavern.

Turning to Vall, Cyng said "So, have you changed your socks yet, oh mighty lord... where'd he go?"

Looking around, it became quite obvious that Vall had left just in the nick of time.

"Damn, he's _always_ doing that." Cyng grumbled. "Oh well, I'll just have to go find him." And screaming in shock, Cyng flung himself at the heavens, disappearing from view.

"You know," Azurel said, a slow grin spreading over her face, "We're finally alone, this tavern has a wonderful hayloft, and you _did_ promise me a honeymoon..."

Blushing enormously, Mouseglove said "Yes dear, as soon as I make that sign." Opening a flat plane of reality, Mouseglove stepped behind it, disappearing.

Sighing, Azurel ordered a drink from the stunned innkeep and sat down to listen to the bard who had begun to play. "Men." she said, shaking her head.

(written by Mouseglove)