Parcival flew through the air lading hard onto the balls of his feet on the grass.

He rolled on his right side and bumped into the steps of a large building. 

Glass shattering ahead, he ran up the stone steps.

Han was sitting on the floor near a broken window, groaning and rubbing a bump on his head.

"Good thing that window broke your fall." 

Han glared and groaned. "Your jokes suck, that wasn't funny at all you'll just tick her off." Han stood and brushed the glass shards off of his fur.

"I'll try again later. Besides, aren't you forgetting something?"

"I haven't forgotten. I've got a plan to find her."

Where is it? He pulled open several pouches, before a small gray potion bottle tumbled out into his palm from the last pouch. He handed it to him.

Han sniffed it. "This is?"

"Mild injury potion; drink it."

Han shrugged, gulping it down, and gave the bottle back. 

Parcival recorked it and put it away. They went back outside.

"We will need to find a sorcerer or buy a flight speed spell," Parcival scratched the stubble on his chin. Need a shave stone too.

"It's expensive." 

"Leave it to me."

"We are corked." Han shook his head. 

"It's not that bad." Parcival laughed.

Han snorted. A few feet away was a frayed shop entrance, it's banners faded and threadbare. 

"I want to see what this little shop has."

"We really don't have time for this," Parcival smoothed back his hair and stretched out a back kink.

Sardis City was busy merchants had set up booths all along the cobbled streets. Many of finer quality then this ratty one. As to what he saw in in it? Who knows.

This city had less guards then most. Han came back out and they turned the corner and headed south. At the city's heart it burst to life. A huge temple of Olenus towered over the shops and homes. 

Han crossed the street to a small building with multi colored curtains hanging on the doorway. 

"We don't have time to browse."

Han ignored him and pushed the curtains aside; entering.

"Han!" What has got into him? He sighed and searched for him in the gloom of the shop.

A exotic reptilian merchant with blue and gold scales bowed behind a large table. 

"You looking for the feline? Yes? He is in next room." Then his tail swished, curled under him and he sat on it.

Han with his rump in the air was half inside a large chest as big as he. 

He struggled with an object inside.

"Help me, would you?" 

Parcival yanked on the shiny object and it almost went flying out of his hand as it popped loose. 

Han grinned at him.

"So why? How did you know it was here?"

"I had Gork watch over it for me. Too bad I can't play it well." He held it out. "Take it."

"You're really confusing me."

Han dusted off his jerkins. "Terribly sorry, but there are many ears here. I'll tell you later."

He held it up in the faint light from a small window above. The flute was made of all things, iron it had decorative symbols inlaid of pure silver. It wasn't much longer then his hand.

Back out of the room, Han thanked the Merchant.

"For your people? This a small survace and I did it with joy," said the merchant. His black slit eyes glittered.

He went outside and walked down the street.

Parcival crammed the flute into a large pouch and closed it. The bulging pouch shifted larger then with a pop shrunking back down. 

They passed by several nimble children playing a game of Orb Ringer, next to an open plot between the temple and the guard's housing.

Four children were at the north end and four at the south. The south end ones pushed a floating red orb to the middle of the plot. Then the children on the opposing team did the same. They crashed the orbs together. 

Every year this city held a competition, which ever team won would be then trained by the Elders top mages, it was a good chance for laborers to rise in rank.

Further into the city past its middle he arrived at a smaller, but no less important temple. This one was better, it was quieter here.

"Are there any mages who are free today?" He waved at a priest who was bandaging a mousy woman's arm.

"Let me look in the registry for any, just a moment." He finished wrapping her arm and patted her hand.

"Thank you, sir." She bowed and left.

The priest went into a small room to the right, his white robes swishing around his feet. Not much later he returned.

"Yes, go find Cory, she is about four houses south of here." He went back in the temple.

It took a bit of dodging and time to get through the throes of people to find it.

The fouth house was a nondescript stone house, wedged between the larger ones. It had a awl thin yard, the area gave off a tingling energy, he rubbed his hands until it stopped. 

A freckled young woman sat in a wicker chair beside the house with her head tilted back. The coarse brown robe covered all the interesting parts. 

Mages always wore the worst outfits, at least up here. In the south the fad was as little as possible. 

She cracked an eye open. 

"Go away, I'm busy."

Such a snippy apprentice. He frowned.

"I was told that Cory the mage lived here, is he home?"

"She, not he." She sat up. A pinched expression settled on her face. She sucked in air through her teeth squeeking.

"My apologies. I am in need of your services; immediately." 

"That depends on if you can afford me stud." She stood and put her hands on her curved hips. 

Never mind love the robe. He kept his face streight as possible.

"Will 20 iron suffice?"

"Insulting! I work for no less then 100." She came over and poked his shoulder 

Very, very snippy.

"I don't have a 100!" 

Han gave him a look. What?

"Then go get it, I have things to do." She turned and went back inside, locking the door.

Parcival chewed out several insults and stamped away . Han 

followed.

"Come, let's try again, she got me all irate and, I forgot."

"You like being yelled at?"

He went back and knocked on the door.

She pulled the door open and stood on her tip-toes an unbecoming creese between her brows. She must have been baking, savory bread perfumed about her.

"Yessss?" Cory said.

Unhooking the emblem took a moment, he handed it out.

"I did not realize your rank. I'll create the portal," Her tone curt. 746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuX7yV5SGo

She went back inside and was back out directly.

"To the the wastelands, and are you also a scryer? We need to find one."

Her eyes widened.

"Are you insane? No mages dare to send portals to the wasteland! Not after what happened to this city's High Mage and brought on us a juggernaut of a stone golem!" 

She walked back and fourth waving her staff around, Han dodged one that came too close. 

"No! I refuse!"

Cupping his ears didn't help much as she witched the hell out.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5dAvrvTNE

"If we do not find our friend, then there will be far worse problems to worry about. Make the portal." 

She tossed the emblem back.

He caught it and pinned it back on.

"That's not a good enough reason. That place is unstable, you have no concept of what you are asking!" 

She swung her staff around even more, it nearly hit his head, he jerked away.

He closed the distance.

"Unnamed is back." 

"What proof do you have?" She started chewing on a nail. 

"A comrade carrys its spirit, her aura is of two. One light, one dark, and hers is diminishing."

She guestured her hands in dismissal. "And that proves?"

"Do I really need to drag the Head Elder down here? Just make the portal. I'm a seer that should be enough." So brassy, wonder if their's power to back it up?

"May Rathar protect us from this fiasco." She tapped her fingers together twice. "Give me a moment." 

He silently counted to five, then handed her a small blue pouch. 

"Don't be so literal." She tapped his head with her staff.

"Yeee. You don't have to hit me." 

"Cory lock on the Elvin woman Merryn, please?" 

She went over to a stone bird bath in the middle of the small yard. Tapping it the water rippled on the surface as the ripples smoothed out Merryn's face appeared. 

She gripped the sides staring into the water. The image broke up, and the water rippled again erasing the image.

"She is on a ship; as to were, the image becomes foggy after that."

"Yes, that will be fine." She's alive! This could be far worse then if.... "Send us."

"It will only stay open for a few seconds I can't risk anything else that may come though." 

She pointed the staff at a nearby tree. The crystal on the staff swirled around and then a red beam streaked on it's trunk. In the middle of its trunk a iridescent portal appeared, showing the wastelands in a shimmering oval.

"It is closing hurry." Her harms wavered and she held the staff with both hands and she clenched her jaw. 

"When we are done, I'll call for you. Go tell the elders what I have told you. Be quick."

"I'll be ready. Yes, of course."

"Han, are you coming?"

Han took off and jumped into it, answer enough.

Parcival ran at the portal and jumped though.