After five days, our heroes have traveled to the ruins of Elven Dale. Vi looks a little frighten and sad, standing before the crumbled white stone archway of the city. In her childhood, it once stood beautifully, the evening sunlight would give it an golden glow. Now this gate, along with every structure here, was nothing more than a forgotten ruin. Vi sighs.

Faeda: "Are you ready, Vi?" (^_^)
Vi: "That's my question for you, Faeda." (;^_^)
Galen: "It must be tough..." (-_-)
Adie: (o_O)
Oar: (-_-)
Edeline: (>_>)
Galen: "Seeing your homeland like this." (-_-)
Vi: "It happened so many years ago, it's seems like a dream today." (-_-)
Galen: "Even so..." (-_-)
Edeline: "Well, we don't plan to stay long, if that helps." (<_<)
Vi: "It does. Let's find the shard." (-_-)

"Vi." says Faeda, worried. But Vi marches into the ruins, leaving the others to catch up. Our group travel through the ruined city, in silence, a few imagining what Elven Dale must have look like, in it's glory. "I don't understand." frowns Oar. "What?" asks Adie. "Why is Vi so upset?" he continues, "All of her people escaped in time. It's not like someone died." Vi overhears and turns to face Oar, a cold expression on her face.
"I'm sure you wouldn't understand." she said, coldly, "It's something you can't measure or calculate, or anything you can guess from a book. It is pure emotions, something that you've never allowed to enter your very being." "Vi..." gasps Faeda. Adie and Galen looks worried. "You guys..." says Edeline, hoping that these two don't get into a fight. Because who could stop them, one who turns people into stone with an arrow and one who can freeze with one note? Vi backs away, looking towards the ground.
"I'm sorry." she bows, "I didn't mean to say those things, Oar. It's just... this is very difficult..." "No," shrugs Oar, "You are right. I haven't allowed myself to feel. And I'm ever changing now, ever since I've come across you all. I only ask, because everything is new to me. I don't understand why you're so upset. Because, if anything was the happen to my particular cave, I wouldn't care too much. I'd just move on to another one." "Yes," says Vi, "But what would you do, if your whole island was swept into the sea?"

Oar: "..." (-_-)
Vi: "You see, I was wrong. You do have emotions, after all." (-_-)
Edeline: "Okay... I'm not sure that I understand, now..." (o_O)
Oar: "Without my island, I couldn't just move to another cave, because there would be no more caves. There wouldn't be anything, anymore." (-_-)
Adie: "Oh... wow... gee... sorry, Vi." (-_-)
Galen: "Wait, I fail to see how Oar's island and Elven Dale is similar. I mean, Serenity and The Bone Cliffs are still here! Plenty of caves for all!" (>_>)
Faeda: "I think what Vi is trying to say is, Elven Dale was her island?" (;^_^)
Vi: "That's what I'm trying to explain..." (-_-)

Vi explains, "Elven and Elves have been feared, hated, and discriminated against for centuries. So, a hundred years ago, a noble Elven and a noble Elf, both made a haven for our kind. The Elves built Stagmoon and the Elven had Elven Dale. And no one dared to make trouble with either city. The humans were content with us, being separate from them. And neither Elf nor Elven did much interaction with humans and vice versa. As long as we stayed in our tiny corners of Serenity, all was well." "That's terrible." frowns Adie.
"Well..." shrugs Vi, "It's how it's always been." "But it's pretty dumb." says Adie, folding her arms, "Why would someone fear Elven and-" Adie blushes, remembering how afraid she once was of Elves, not too long ago. "Ignorance." nods Vi, "As I said before. We often fear or hate those we don't understand. It's all really dumb, but it's an flaw of most living beings. But getting back to my point, Elven Dale was more than just our home, it was everything to us. And not unlike the villagers of the Yellow Island, we would have stayed and fought for it, til the very end. But our wise Elder decided it would better for us to flee, for without us, the seer would be lost and so would all of Serenity."

Faeda: "All Elven have made the ultimate sacrifice for all of Serenity." (^_^)
Edeline: "Your people are true champions, Vi." (^_-)
Adie: "Yes, you should be proud!" (^o^)
Vi: "In a way, we are all proud of our sacrifice. But we are also sadden to loose our home too." (-_-)
Oar: "That's understandable." (-_-)
Galen: (u_u)
Edeline: "Zev and his army... they've done too much damage to Serenity." (u_u)
Galen: "Wouldn't it be great, if we could destroy them all? Zev and everyone associated with him?" (u_u)

Everyone agrees, imagining a world without Zev. "So," says Edeline, waving away that daydream, "Where is this shard?" "It's hidden in the Elven Temple." smiles Faeda. "Where's that?" frowns Galen. "It's hidden." nods Faeda, "Underground, through a series of tunnels. You can reach it from here only, at the edge of Elven Dale." "A temple?" asks Adie, curious. "Yes," nods Faeda, "It's where we went to worship and where the Elder wrote his scrolls. It's a holy place, a place of peace and reflection, a place where I was trained to be an Bard."
They walk for a while, until they've reached a huge rock wall. Vi taps the wall in different places and a secret door opens for them. "So cool!" cheers Adie. "Shh!" frowns Vi, "This is a sacred place. There has never been humans here, only Elves and Elven. So please, show your respect." "Right." blushes Adie, "Sorry." They enter the dark cave, as Vi lights a touch, showing the way into the tunnels. A single drip echoes, far off into the distance, giving the place a ominous feel. Adie huddles close to Oar, nervous.

Adie: (o_o)
Faeda: "It's okay, Adie. Nothing can hurt us here." (^_^)
Adie: "What if monsters got in? They could be waiting for us!" (o_o)
Vi: "No monster would be able to get in. This place is sanctioned." (-_-)
Edeline: "Hmm?" (o_O)
Faeda: "There are seals, on the walls of this tunnel and the Temple. They are powerful and will keep all monsters out." (^_^)
Vi: "And enemies, as well. Zev and his army could never enter this place." (-_-)
Galen: "Really? Well, why didn't you use the seals on your city?" (o_o)
Oar: "Or any other town in Serenity?" (-_-)
Vi: "It doesn't work that way." (;^_^)
Faeda: "Yes. These special seals only work in places of worship." (^_^)
Vi: "But it would be nice, if such seals could work for everything. With a seal in every town or dwelling, Zev would never be able to harm anyone." (-_-)
Galen: (u_u)
Faeda: "But that was a good idea, Galen." (^_-)

They travel for a while, finally reaching an underground hall, marble floors and silk curtains. Great marble pillars surround them, as Vi lights the touches around them, and that ominous drip is from huge marble fountain in the middle of the room. It had a clam-shell shaped bowl, a small pillar in the middle, with shapes of marble starfish carved onto it. From the top, water was to flow into the bowl, but every few seconds there was only a drop. "This must have been a beautiful sight," sighs Faeda, "Once upon a time." "Yes." nods Vi, sadly, "It was here, along with others, that I had my Bard lessons. Seems so long ago."
Galen places and hand on Vi's shoulder, for comfort. "I'm okay." she says, "It's not as painful as I thought it would be. I am glad that our temple hasn't been destroyed, it just needs upkeep." Faeda listens to the unheard song. "Well," says Adie, hopeful, "Couldn't you and the others come back and rebuild, Vi?" "No," she says, sadly, "Not as long as Zev still reigns. If we rebuild, he'll just attack again, and next time we might not be so lucky." "That sucks!" pouts Adie.

Galen: "Really... would it be too much to ask the Guardians to take out Zev?" (o_O)
Adie: "Yeah! They took care of Sonya. It would be great if they got Zev too!" (^o^)
Vi: "Ask the...? Well... no one has ever asked favors of the Guardians. Only Faeda has been so bold to." (;^_^)
Adie: "Well, why not?" (O_o)
Oar: "I suspect it's because a seer's job is to restore the balance, nothing more. Asking the Guardian for favors, is like an commoner marching into Ivy Castle and asking the Queen for things." (-_-)
Edeline: "I don't know, Queen Raypera seems really nice. She might just listen to many commoners." (;^_^)
Galen: "Yeah, but I doubt a commoner could just march in, just like that. Not with those Royal Guards." (>_>)
Edeline: "Oh, that's right." (^_^)
Adie: "Hmm? I wonder... do the Guardians have... Guardians?" (o_O)
Oar: "Adie, you're absurd sometimes... it's cute." (-_-)
Adie: (*^_^*)

Faeda smiles and reaches into the fountain, pulling out the last shard. "Well," smiles Edeline, "That was easy." Faeda nods in agreement. She takes out the Key and, while it floats in mid-air, she releases the shard. The two connect, in a blinding light, and the Key transforms into white and gold, twice it's previous size. It's white wings are bigger, fuller, stronger. A tiny song of whispers plays for a short second and then disappears. "What was that?" jumps Adie. "Part of the song." nods Vi, "I'm surprise, you heard it too." "We all did." nods Edeline.
"It said," explains Faeda, "That the Key is now complete. I am to visit the mystical gates, now." "Where's that?" asks Edeline. "Hidden," nods Vi, "In the Ice Fields." "Well," smiles Adie, "Let's go find Captain Pete!" Galen and Oar turn pale. "No," frowns Faeda, "Captain Pete's boat cannot brave the icy waters near the Ice Fields." "Aw," frown Adie, disappointed, "Now what are we going to do?"

Faeda: "There is another way. They sail iron ships, from Redport." (^_^)
Galen: "Hey, that's near Rainhaven!" (^o^)
Edeline: "Good. I can check back with my clan. I know they're worried." (^_^)
Galen: "We can spend the night at my place, if need be." (^_^)
Adie: "Woah! Galen's house? I'd like to see that!" (^o^)
Vi: *giggles* (^_^)
Oar: "Probably a house full of funnel cakes..." (-_-)
Galen: "HEY! Are you making fun of funnel cakes?!" W('O')W
Faeda: "But... I have to warn you... it may be dangerous, more now than ever." (-_-)
Edeline: "Huh?" (o_O)

Faeda explains, "I have the Key now, fully restored. If I reach the Golden Soul, Zev's plans will be over. I don't think he'd give up now." "No," sighs Edeline, "He's probably coming up with a plan to get that Key, as we speak." "Yes," says Faeda, "You will be in more danger than anything we've faced so far. If you'd like to stop now, I'll understand. I do have Vi, after all." "Are you crazy?!" yells Galen, "We're your friends! We'll be with you, until the end!" Everyone agrees.
"You're too kind." says Faeda, near tears, "You are the best people in the world!" "Of course we are," waves Oar, "I thought you'd realize that by now." "Yeah, dummy!" teases Adie. Faeda giggles. "Okay," smiles Vi, "Let's go." As they leave, Vi turns towards the fountain, giving it one last silent goodbye...