"Where are your staff, Dardan?"
Morwen climbed her steed slowly while carefully looking at Dardan. He smiled at her and showed the staff that he held in his hand. Beside him stood Martin IX and Dardan could see the worried look he had. Morwen climbed the horse and looked at the staff for a brief instant before she let out a little smile. She threw out a hand in his direction and Dardan could feel the binding power that flowed from her being. He could sense it strike against his defences and rebound back towards the witch sitting on the horse and her being struck still by the power of the spell. He stood there for awhile completely dumbstruck and did nothing but stare at her. After those short moments of hesitation, Dardan started running with his head reeling and his incoherent thoughts trying to understand what just had happened.

After only a few short steps the weight of the robe made his legs ache with tiredness and the breath burned in his lungs. It was too warm, too hot for him to do this, the only thing that was cold and still, almost waiting for release was the staff. When he concentrated on his left hand holding the staff everything else slowed down to a crawl and all he could sense was the stillness of the staff, almost as if it was content where it was. From behind a tree, the elf Elv'eng stepped and when Dardan saw that he held a bow in his hand he changed course and ran towards the smithy. He hoped that he could get enough time to summon the powers of transportation when he entered the area around the smithy, crowded as it was by crates and chests filled with things from the smiths work.

He could see the arrow shoot towards him only moments before he had completed the spell. Elv'eng had aimed for his legs to stop him from fleeing but the transportation was already done and the arrow hit nothing but the wall behind where Dardan's legs had been.

Chapter II

He finished the sealing of the staff, securing it to the floor with a shield to prevent the stability from changing while he was gone. The powers of the staff had been cool and calm throughout the ritual even though he had used fairly strong magics to bind it. He was confused by the staff being so reluctant of absorbing the magics when it was so eager of doing so that very morning. He removed the large orange hat and wiped sweat from his forehead. It was too warm. Even more confused was he by the fact that they had tried to attack him in Deepwater.

"'Tis strange indeed. If I only knew why they did that."
Dardan shook his head and looked down on the staff, then he put on his hat and concentrated on the rune to transport him to Deepwater once more. The village met him with the stillness before the storm. Noone was there and not a trace of the ones that hunted him only moments before. He walked slowly and cautiously to the front of the tavern and there he could see Telor Gorn standing. Telor stood dressed in black in front of the tavern with clenched fists and every muscle in his body tensed. He looked like a large cat, standing over its prey and waiting to take the leap. A little ways away from them sat Flora Riboflavin on her horse, noting everything that happened around her. She was a skilled travelling woman and Dardan had seen her fight the most powerful monsters and now her silence and careful observing of the area made him cautious. Something was amiss, both Telor and Flora was prepared to make a quick move.

He reached out his senses and searched the area for disturbances and the screaming chaos that met him made him stagger backwards. Telor was constantly battered down from outside, the forces had corrupted him and he felt that a part of him already had become infected. Telor had invited the beast and had been afflicted willingly by the sickness. Now they tried to weaken him even further to fully embrace him into their society.

"Telor, oh Telor!"
He took a few steps towards his former friend and put a hand on his shoulder. The wild stare that Telor gave him made him want to take quickly remove his hand but he willed himself to stand firm. He could not show him the weakness he felt inside. Another old friend had fallen prey to the evil spawns.

"Ye can fight the disease, Telor. I know ye and ye are strong. Use that strength!"
Telor hissed towards him only to turn into a horrifying smile.

"So, you trust me?"
Telor took a little step towards Dardan and looked on the veins in his neck. Dardan could feel every little hair on the back of his head raise when the smiling Telor approached him. He took a short step backwards only to end up in the bearhug of Elv'eng who stood there pinning him firmly to the spot with his strong arms.

"Me neih let gu. Neih until Morwen says su!"
Dardan glanced quickly over his shoulder and looked into the determined face of the elven warrior. Elv'eng dragged him two steps backwards only to keep him away from Telor who had seen his opportunity while Dardan was stuck. The strong elf turned sideways and kicked towards Telor to keep him away. A brave young knight that had stood beside and watched took two quick steps forward and grabbed the large Telor to keep him away from Dardan and Elv'eng.

Chapter III

Morwen leaned forward on the saddle of his horse and looked down on Dardan and Elv'eng. Around her stood some of the others from the RuneLords. Martin IX, Morgaine, Elenwe and Grim Xuri had all come with her and stood a few steps away, watching.

"Where is the staff, Dardan?"

"What are ye to do with it, MiLady?"

"I have seen you with the staff and I have sensed that you are not strong enough just yet. Martin is and I think you should hand it over to him."
Martin stood beside her and nodded while carefully observing Dardan.

"If you could only allow me to look at it for a moment, Dardan."

"Yes, you have seemed a little obsessed with it lately."
Morwen straightened without removing her look at the elf and the mage in front of her. Then she turned shortly to Martin and gave him a little smile.

"Do ye really think that I carry it with me after ye have attacked me like that, MiLady? No 'tis safe and secured from any other attacks that will make it unstable."
Dardan frowned and glanced back at the strong elf that stood silent and holding him firmly without any chance of him escaping.

"Well, no. It is probably hidden down deep in one of the dungeons ... "
The witch giggled only to dance around with the horse a few steps.

"... but admit to it being dangerous."
Martin that didn't look away from Dardan nodded slowly.

"What if it becomes unstable, Dardan?"

Chapter IV

Martin stepped out from the blue gate outside the stone hut where Dardan lived. After him followed shortly another man, dressed in all orange clothing. Dardan walked straight up to the door and opened it only to let Martin in first. Martin walked straight in and looked at the magical etchings on the floor. In the corners of a square stood fore large crystals, glowing with a dull white light. Inside the square the staff was placed aligning in a straight line from the north to the south. Martin looked around the hut and observed the magical patterns of the binding spell that was placed to hold the staff in place safely. He crouched down and felt the surface of the staff.

"Its odd, I cannot hold it. I cannot take it from the floor."
Dardan nodded and looked back at the grandmaster.

"Aye, I have secured it." He leaned forward and touched the staff shortly.

"Watch this."
Dardan gathered the powers of a blessing and directed at himself, he could feel the now familiar hunger from the staff absorbing the magic directly. The staff began glowing a little brighter when the spell was released and fully absorbed into the staff.

"'T absorbs everything. 'Tis nay evil. 'Tis magic."

"But what shall you do with it, Dardan?"
Dardan took a quick step backwards and straightened himself.

"Oh, hm. I will try something."
He scratched his beard slowly while watching the skilled mage in front of him. Dardan felt uncertain of what to do.

"I will ... make an experiment."