Deep within the Hedge Maze.

Locke was sitting alone on a bench under a gazebo inside the hedge maze which surrounds his estate. He should have been aboard his flagship but his illusion could take care of the business dealing with the war, which he would speak about through his illusion while he sat silently thinking about his life and wondering how he could change the one thing about his life that was a empty void. All of his family were lost to him, gone with the blink of an eye. He was the last of the Desmoste family line, and it would probly end with him. It was saddening to think about what had happened to him in such a short period of time. For all his greatness there was nothing he could do to stop what had happened.

What made it worse was he knew about it ahead of time but no matter what he could have done there was nothing he could do. Tai'mira survived for the most part but he was left with an empty void deep down inside himself, which he could not fill on his own.

Tika had been walking for awhile now ,every since she had left the taveren pretty well drunk.
She remebered the bar maid had given her some directions to a hotel before she had wondered out of the taveren but some where she had taken the wrong turn and ended up in this odd maze .
As Tika makes another turn she stops walking leaning all her weight onto the wizarde staff she then looks forward and back becoming frighten as she begins to feel trapped inside the maze she again begins to move forward wondering if this maze would ever end .

Locke was almost lost within his thoughts but there was something that kept nagging at his mind as though it was trying to point something out to him. "Hmm?" he said looking towards where his attention was drawn. It seemed someone wandered into his hedge maze and got lost. Not that it wasn't normal for someone to get lost within the maze, though they usually found their way to a open area like the one Locke was sitting in.

This was different though. He could tell the person really wanted to leave the maze and didn't even know how she ended up inside. "Well I guess my pondering will have to wait." said Locke standing up to go help the person lost inside the maze. Waving his hand slightly he fades away from where he was appearing seconds later infront of Tika. "Greetings, it would seem you got yourself lost inside my hedge maze. I am Locke Desmoste High Lord of Tai'mira, and I would be more then happy to guide you out of my maze." he said with a comforting smile.

Looking at the man appear in front of her she jumped and almost tumbled backwards.
Her hurt ankle almost giving out even though she hardly weighted a thing, her eyes widen at the man who had given his name as she recovers herself
And says politely still very tipsy" my name is Like my lord ,and I'm very sorry didn't mean to wonder into your home land I was just looking for the hotel so I could sleep this drunk off."
As Tika talks her ankle begins to throb she shifts her curvy hips trying to remove pressure from her ankle " could you please tell me where I accidentally messed my directions up?"
As she awaits her answer she studies the handsome man in front of her and begins to compare him to her ex love Cam..Shaking her head pushing her thoughts of him away she awaits his answer telling herself Tikka shame on you ...shame you know men are nothing but trouble and pain , but she couldn't help liking the man standing in front of her there was just something about him which was very bother some to Tikka ...

"Well it would be a very long walk from here, one which I don't think you would be able to make with that sprained ankle, while I could open a portal to the Inn for you I don't belive you would enjoy the effect it would have on you while drunk nor would I think of putting someone through that torment. No you would be better off letting me help you over to the bench nearby so I can take care of your ankle, and I might still have a potion around to neutralize that tipsyness." said Locke with a warm smile while he simply shook his head.

"I am guessing you came here all the way from the Hirandel tavern, which means you must have unknowingly stepped through the travel nexus portal." Locke said moving to help Tika over to the bench he mentioned. "I am rather suprised that the city guards didn't offer to help you before you ended up within my hedge maze." he said making a note to speak with the city guards later.

Letting Locke help her over to the bench she sits down and tilts her head sending a few long blonde locks over her big dark forest green eyes.
"Gaurds ?" She laughs lightly" I haven't seen a soul on these streets since I had gotten directions and left the taveren."
As he reaches for her injure ankle Tika jerks it back from him shaking her head at him " my lord it's ok my ankle isn't that bad ...really it's not."
The only reason she didn't want him touching it and helping her was she knew what was under that wrap and it was no sprang ankle it was a draconman claw mark and she really didn't feel like explaining it to a man she had just met.
Espeacially to a one she kind of found herself likeing.

"Hmm they must be preparing for the war still then, which is understandable Tai'mira hasn't gone to war for several centuries. The city barrier should be forming over Tai'mira soon after that the only way out of Tai'mira will be through a Order of the Arcane transport portal. Seems you came to Tai'mira at a interesting time m'lady. " said Locke seconds before the city barrier shield began to form over Tai'mira.

The barrier shield had a soft golden glow to it and would prevent unauthorized teleportation in and out of Tai'mira besides protecting the city from any siege attacks made against it. "Here its the last potion I have brewed up right now. It should clear your head of that tipsyness." he said handing the potion over to Tika. "Now if you won't let me take care of your ankle for you then I guess I'll atleast give you this so you can take care of it." Locke said handing Tika what seemed to be a damp cloth, though it was anything but a damp cloth. It would at first feel cold then slowly start to heat up to drive the pain away.

Tika takes the potion and drinks it feeling slightly better as soon as the photon hits her stomach she takes the cloth from him next .
As Tika is unwrapping her ankle the wrapping falls off showing really deep claw marks that were red , infected and very deep.
Her eyes widen slightly as she quickly wraps her ankle in the healing cloth Locke had given her.
She then looks away and shut her eyes to the pain she still felt coming from her ankle."Thank you lord Locke , you been very kind.I'm sorry I don't have anything I can really repay you with at the moment ."
But I promise my lord when I do get cash I'll repay you."
She then turned away knowing he was probably going to question her about her ankle she shuts her eyes and sucks in a deep breath .

"That ankle isn't going to heal with just that cloth, now that I can see what happened to it. Its infected and you could loose your leg from that." said Locke placing his hands over the ankle. He began to chant in a language unknown to Tika, but as he chanted his hands became surrounded by a white light which began to cleanse and heal the ankle.

The light had a warm feel to it and as Locke continued to chant the claw marks began to disappear, healing without leaving any scars. "There is no need to repay me m'lady I don't ask of it nor do I require it. The knowledge of having helped someone in need is enough." he said moving his hands away from Tika's ankle which was healed completely now.

As Locke healed her ankle she nods and shuts her eyes taking in a deep breath she then opens her large dark green eyes and smiles at Locke .
" Then my lord you got my deepest thanks since you don't want no payment from me .
Tika then yawns and looks around the beautiful maze before looking back to Locke"So my lord do you live here by yourself?" Tika was just tryng to make small talk becuse she was lonely but she became very embarrass by what she had ask .
Her face turning red she looks away from Locke trying to hide her embarrrassment.

While it wasn't a matter he normally spoke about and would instead try to avoid, for some reason Locke felt inclined to speak. "Well with such beautiful grounds blessed by nature, it is hard to say that I live here alone. But yes I am the only one who lives here m'lady though it was once not so, though that is perhaps a matter best not discussed." said Locke. He almost looked distracted and perhaps he was, after all he was trying to be in two places at once which would put a strain on anyone else.

Locke could see that the question she had asked him embarrassed her, but he didn't know what he could do about that more then ignore that she was embarrassed. "In truth I have the occasional company of friends or members of Tai'mira's governing council over here but for the most I am the only one here." said Locke no longer distracted.

Tika smiled as she listens to Locke talk and nods " I see my lord "She lowered her eyes and looks at the ground.
Then looks back up at him her dark green eyes had a lost look to them when she looked back into Locke's eyes .
" I guess my lord I owe you an explanation about my ankle and why I'm even here in Tallendon."
Though I don't think either well make sense to you ,
but hear it goes ,,I am from a place called Thor bin and right now Thor bin is in a great war its self , but not for power or land ..
It's for freedom."
You see all my sister's kingdoms and are neighboring kingdoms are fighting off the black queen Tikissahe who wishes to in slave all the humans, dwarf's, elves,and every other creature of the light she can get her hands on.
She even wishes to in slave dragons for she has a few but others stand strong against her, her demons , her dracoman and other very frightening abominations she has created and thrown at my sister's lands.
There's only a few of us left against her now days."
Tikka sadly looks back to the ground before going on with the feeling of home sickness washing over her."Now how I came to Tallendon my lord, there was a great battle at the base of Thorbin which is a great city in the mountain. Picture a city 5xs bigger then Tallendon then you well have Thorbin ,anyways there was a big stand off there are warriors ,wizards , elves,dwarves, kenders and other light beings against her dark beings .
We were winning when a horrible storm blew in there was lightening every where and I was fighting beside Laurana when a draconian grabbed my ankle and threw me off the base of Thorbin but just before I was grabbed and thrown I grabbed Raistlin wizard staff .
As I was falling there was a big flash of blue light sort of like lightening and when I hit the ground I was here well not here but right out side of Tallendon unhurt except for where the draconian had gotten my ankle."
Tikka keeps her eyes to the ground as she finishes her story of how she had gotten her to Tallendon.
If Locke could look into her eyes right now he would see her pain and home sickness for her home land .
But she hid her face and eyes from him as she fought back her tears of loneliness...

Locke didn't need to look into her eyes to see what she felt. It was all too clear to him. "M'lady if it helps any I in a way know how you feel. Tai'mira once knew the world of Eldari as its home, until a unspeakable evil forced all who lived on Eldari to perish or flee. I lost all dear to me that day, and to make things worse I knew it would happen yet I was powerless to stop it no matter what I did. All that was left for me to do was save those I could and what was left of Tai'mira." said Locke shutting his eyes as the memories of that day forced him to relive what happened.

Seconds later he forced himself out of the nightmare that his mind tried to force him to watch again. He sat down on the bench removing his cloak while he did placing it over Tika just as it began to rain, rain which fell over Tai'mira mourning the ones who's memories would not be forgotten. "Perhaps it would be best to move from this spot M'lady, There are a couple of benches two hedges over under a gazebo that has a fireplace and I wouldn't want you to fall ill from the storm that just blew in from the ocean." Locke said motioning with his hand towards the hedge infront of him, causing a opening to appear in it and the hedge beyond it.

"Perhaps I could find a way for you to return to Thorbin if that is what you want. There might be something in the ancient tomes and scrolls I keep that could help. I've kept a very extensive library over the years and there very well could be something in them. Unfortunatly I cannot guarantee that there is anything but I have suprised myself with what I've uncovered in there." he said standing up, offering a hand to Tika to help her up. "With luck I will find something though if I don't you are welcome to stay in Tai'mira for as long as you like." said Locke with a warm smile doing his best to cheer her up.

Tika followed Locke to the gazebo and seats herself on the bench closets to the fire place as she listens to the rain hit the gazebo's roof .
She pulls Locke's rob tighter around her as Tika stares into the fire .
Thinking about what he had said about maybe being able to send her home, and if he couldn't she would be welcome there as long as she wanted.
"Sighing " Tika looks back up at Locke ,"but what if I go home and there's not one there and everyone I love is dead and gone my lord?'Or worse yet there slaves ?"
She turns back to the fireplace looking back into the flames .

"Thats the risk of returning so it would seem, if it is possible to return you there it would likewise be possible to bring you back. Still it would be your choice to return if a means was found." said Locke in reply. "There of course there is always the possiblity of minding a way of simply looking at your home without going there if that was found then that would help you decide. Still i could just be getting your hopes up for nothing." he said with a sigh.

In truth Locke didn't know if there could even be a way of returning Tika to her home. He would check through the tomes that he had but he knew that it might come to nothing. "Then again there might just be a chance that the place she spoke of has a travel gate hidden by time somewhere." he thought.

"M'lady have you ever heard of something called a travelgate or travel nexus where you were from? If such a thing exists then it is possible to send you back and travel with you as well. To my knowledge these travelgates were built on the worlds that the elven races dwelled on most becoming forgotten over time. Such a gateway exists within Tai'mira and could be used to travel there." said Locke hopeing that this would be of help.

"I still could be getting her hopes up, with any luck there might not even be a travelgate there or it could have been destroyed by time." thought Locke with a sigh. "It may take me anywhere from a few hours to a week to find a means of sending you back if there isn't a travelgate or if there is one, there is the chance it has been destroyed by time. I hope that this hasn't destroyed your hopes of returning if that is what you want to do. All I can tell you is that there may or may not be a way that I can return you to your home, perhaps if I was a planeswalker I could but sadly I am not." said Locke sitting down on the bench next to him.

He wanted to help her but he didn't know if he even could. In the meantime while he pondered over this the rain grew worse till it became a downpour out from under the gazebo. "Well this is quite the odd bit of weather today." said Locke looking at the rain pour down from the sky which had darkened quickly. "Oh well it will do my gardens some good I suppose." he said with a chuckle trying to brighten things up for himself and the one whom he had just met. "Atleast I thought to light that fireplace when I did, wouldn't find any dry firewood now." said Locke taking a log from the small pile he kept in the gazebo to place it on the fire.

Tika turned her head quickly to Locke as he asked about a travel gate then nods her head "yes my lord I've heard of a travel gate you see where I come from women aren't allowed to practice high magic or um what you call mage magic .
But we do practice something called wild magic which is kind of like high magic or mage magic .
"Sighs sadly" though if your into the arts of wild magic the mages look down on you and your not aloud in there city."
She turned and looked back towards the fire lowering her head a little shamefully knowing he was a high mage himself.
Swallowing hard Tika says barely in a whisper" you see my lord I am a healer in the arts of wild magic , the only reason I hadn't healed myself is when I do use my magic there's always a price you must pay or other's must pay.
Now about those gates my kingdom only has four left one to the east ,one to the west, the other to the south and the last north.
Though the mages has destroyed all but one of them which is the north one and only because they couldn't find it , but does it still work hm that's a question no one knows the answer to not even are elves."
Now I got a question for you how is it that your king and other elves in this realm do magic?
I thought all elves gave up there magic in the first great war against darkness to save the human race then regretted it during the second war?'
Her face was so full of confusion as she waited her answer .

"Perhaps the histories of the elves of your world and those of this world are different M'lady. There were no records of how the elves of Tai'mira arrived on Eldari, which was perhaps to keep those who would try to go back from doing so. The elves of Tallendon however have always lived on this world from what I have gathered. How it is we are able to do magic is simple, there are those of us who are born with a affinity to magic and there are those who while not born with the affinity have been taught the ways of magic. Not everyone is able to learn magic however be it through impatience or choice." said Locke pausing to let his words settle in before he spoke again.

"It is quite possible that the enviroment which both the elves of Tallendon and Tai'mira live in has always supported the use of magic on both Eldari and this world. There are several fonts of magical energies which would support this theory, as well as the existance of crystals fromed from the physical manifestation of mana which is the same energy that those fonts emit. I would not be suprised if the mages of your world use magic in a way that thinks of it as a tool instead of a friend and ally. This would be why there are prices to pay for using it in such a way that abuses its true nature." he said hopeing that what was said made sense to Tika.

"Before you speak though I must clear up a misunderstanding which some who have traveled here to Tai'mira have made. Those who live in Tai'mira are governed by the High Lord of Tai'mira which is the name given to all of Tai'mira's rulers and has always been since our ancestors first arrival to Eldari and now that we have been forced from Eldari. Tai'mira is a seperate kingdom just as Tallendon is, though both kingdoms share this world and its resources." said Locke putting another log on the fire to keep it going while it continued to pour down rain out from under the gazebo.

As the rain poured down from the dark sky's Tika thought over what lord Locke had told her .
She watched the flames dance in the fire registering the things he had said then turning to him"wow my lord Locke I understand what you are saying it's just very odd and strange how two different worlds can share the same realm and time but are totally very different , it's just very mind twisting and kind of frightening."
She then turned back to the fire before and says more to herself then to Locke "And does the spells and magic very or do they follow the same rules ?"
Tika falls silent again and waits for his answer.

"Life can be a very frightening thing, as can magic." said Locke. "As for rules of magic, there are only guidelines of how it should be drawn upon. It exists in five known realms. Arcane, Druidic, Temporal, Holy, and finally Black. Arcane deals with the elemental forces of magic and powerful or complex spells of non-elemental properties, which can fall under any of the other realms. Druidic calls upon the natural powers of the world to aid those who are intune with nature. Temporal deals with spells which effect time and most fall under Arcane as well. Holy spells call upon the power of a righteous deity or force of righteousness. Black simply put deals in all manner of evil and corruption, which when used will consume the soul of the one who called upon it." he said explaining as best he could how he understood magic to be. Meanwhile it seemed the rain wasn't going to let up which drew Locke's attention towards it but he didn't say anything about it.

As Tika listened to him explain magic her eyes begin to feel heavy she hadn't really slept in days finely giving into sleep she laid her head upon Locke and feel into a deep sleep .
Her chest falling up and down in slow movements as she dreamed of her home and of Carmon's betrayal to her.
Off and on she would mumble words , move slightly and cry out her family's names.
Then she would fall silent as tears would pour down her cheeks and she would be suck down further in to her dreams .

It didn't take long for Locke to notice that Tika had fallen asleep, perhaps it had been his explaination that caused her to fall asleep though that he realised wasn't the case. This woman had not slept for sometime and the state of her fatigue was apparent. It was still raining outside though the storm had died down from what it had been several minutes ago. "Well she can't stay out here and the inn is certainly full with this weather as it had been." Thought Locke. "She will just have to use one of the guest rooms then." Locke said silently to himself as he picked up Tika careful not to wake her.

As soon as Locke stepped out from under the Gazebo carrying Tika, the rain that would have hit them both curved away. The rain would not touch him unless he willed it to, though nature itself would never harm the one who was destined for some great purpose. His steps were careful as he walked across the soaked ground to the main door of his mansion. All on its own the door opened for him as he drew closer to it. He felt sorry for the woman whom he carried in his arms, he could tell that she had been though alot in only a short time.

Once inside the enterance hallway of his mansion, Locke stepped through a doorway which really went to nowhere except a tiny closet but instead of just entering the closet he stepped into one of the guest bedrooms. Any door in Locke's mansion was capiable of being used to step through any other door within the mansion by way of the enchantments he could make use of. Locke carefully placed Tika on the bed within the room, waved his hand towards the fireplace inside then stepped out of the room closing the door behind himself. "May your dreams be peaceful." Said Locke as he walked down the short hallway from the guest wing slowly fading towards his workshop within the mansion.

Tika slept pretty calmly except for the disturbing dream she was having as she begins to awaken she is confused to where she is at.
Her dark green eyes studies the room as she slowly sits up on the bed and slightly stretches still trying to figure out where she was.
Finely fully awaken she swings her legs over the bed then stands and heads towards the door.
Opening it and walking out of it into the hall way she begins to call out as she made her way down it "Hello!!
She then calls out again louder this time " hello , is there any one here!"
"Sighing" she turns back around and heads towards the room she was just in if she could remeber what door it was.[url]

While Locke was nowhere to be seen there was a small white glowing orb which floated around in the hallway towards Tika, stopping infront of her for a second before it moves around to get her attention. The orb was surrounded by a soft white mist which flowed around it. Thinking that it had her attention the mist around the orb formed in to a arrow pointing towards the door to the guest bedroom Tika had been in. After pointing out the door the orb went back to its previous state, returning to the task it was given to do. The orb danced around in the air moving from metal fixture to metal fixture leaving them bright and sparkling as it cleaned the tarnish from their silver surfaces.

Finally the orb disappeared around a corner as it continued to clean the silver light fixtures and anything else that was made from metal. Meanwhile Locke was inside his workshop tending to the potions he had brewing.

Catching Tika's full attention she watched the orb of light dance around then point to a door by becoming an arrow.
Figuring that it was showing her the way back to her room she walks to it and opens the door to the room then stands in the door way for a few minutes watching the orb dance around cleaning she watches it until it leaves her eye site in complet aw.
She then enters her room again and shuts her door sighing , and goes back to the bed and sits back down on it as she looks around the room she see's the staff beside the bed and glares at it slightly wondering if the stupid e staff had anything to do with her being here.
Though the mage Locke thought it had to do with gates maybe it was both of them together the staff and the gate ?
Ah well Tika then dug deep into her pockets and pulled out a purple and gold leather bound book which was a very old book she begins to study it for there was nothing else better to do .
As she studied she read over the old words BoetK istalri which could cause an explosion of fire.
Garjzla cause a red ball to come out of your right palm and when it hit could kill your enemy. Then there was the word Brisinger and so many others .Sighing deeply as she studied the Ancient Language she then turns to the old notes that told the meanings and begin to read .
Boetq istalri- broad fire
brisingr- fire
Deloi moi !- earth ,change
Aiedail- the morning star
arget- silver
delois- a green leaf plant with purple flowers
dras- city
draumr kopa- dream stare
garjzla- light
Moi stenr!- stone, change
Nagz reisa - blanket rise!
seithr- witch
As she reads on for awhile her eyes become heavy again and she lays the book upon her chest before falling back to sleep.

Locke stood there watching Tika read. She wouldn't see him of course since his presence was hidden from her sight, though it was possible she might sense something different about the room. What was he doing though? Why was he standing there observing her? Locke really didn't know why he was doing that. He would go to leave but couldn't. It was as though he was held in place by some force which he was powerless against. There was more to his being there then was apparent, Locke knew this but what was the reason?

The answer would come to him in time but for now Locke would have to be content to wait and see. Perhaps this was the reason for his being there, then again that could just be part of the reason. Even still he was suppost to be searching for a way to send her back to her own world. There was something about doing that which nagged at his mind though. What it was he wasn't sure about yet.