By the Will of the Gods Pt. 01

Feeling a little foolish for treating the young woman like a child, the cloaked man apologized, "I didn't mean to insult you, Tempest. I guess I just wanted to protect you from things that a girl your age shouldn't be a part of. It's just that..."

"And just how old do you think I am?" The young woman asked as she placed her hands on her hips. When she saw the man shrug, she replied, "I am going on thirty-nine."

Zofiel's eyes opened wide. "Thirty-nine!? Are you kidding me? You don't look a day over twenty!"

The dark elf looked down and kicked at the sand a bit. "Well, by human standards, I would be roughly nineteen and a half. Dark elves age differently, though. My body is in the prime of its life, but dark elves can live to be over two hundred years old, so even though I am nearly thirty-nine, I am still technically in my youth."

The hazel-eyed man nodded his understanding while realizing that his new friend was in fact still young for her age. "That's right," he mumbled as he remembered his knowledge of the elven culture. "The elves in the south can live to be as old as three hundred, and there was even a time when the high elves could live to be almost five hundred. I had forgotten all about that..." His voice trailed off as he had a faraway look in his eyes.

Tempest glanced at the mysterious man and noticed that he was sweating profusely. Abruptly ending the conversation about her age, the dark elf exclaimed, "Zofiel! You look like you are ready to faint! Take that infernal cloak off before you pass out!"

"But it's all the more to carry..."

"I will carry it!" The dark elf replied, and walked over to the blond man after setting her bottle of water down. Grabbing the cloak near his arms, she began tugging it off him. "Give it up!"

Struggling at first with the bottle of water he still had, Zofiel gently called out, "Be careful or you'll make me spill my water!"

"Then do not be so stubborn!" The girl playfully shouted as she pulled at the fair-skinned adventurer's outer clothing. While trying to pull the cloak off Zofiel, Tempest felt a burning desire in her chest to see more of the man she was traveling with. She was anxious to know as much about him as possible.

After setting the bottle of water down, Zofiel let Tempest remove his cloak. When he then asked her to hand it to him, he saw her shake her head.

"I said I would carry it, Zofiel."

"I can carry it, Tempest. Besides, not only is it mine, but I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I had you carrying my things for me."

"But you need a break," the dark elf voiced her opinion. "You carried most of my bags all morning, and now you are wandering through a desert fully clothed!"

"I guess I should've prepared a little better," Zofiel tried to sound cheerful. "For some reason, though, I always wear a little more than necessary."

"Yes, you do!" The young woman commented with a smile on her face, and then quickly covered her mouth when she thought about the words she had spoken.

Zofiel couldn't help but chuckle as he asked, "What was that?"

"Nothing! I, uh, nothing!" The faltering girl fumbled for her water.

Zofiel continued to laugh a bit while pointing out, "It is kind of foolish on my part to wear a cloak over a long-sleeved shirt and leather leggings." The sweating man paused for a moment before adding, "A black cloak that absorbs more heat, nonetheless."

With the aforementioned cloak draped over her right arm and her bottle of water in her right hand, the dark elf used her free hand to reach for the other bottle of water. When she leaned down to grab it, she was surprised to see Zofiel kneel down next to her...and she was even more awed when he laid his left hand over hers. She glanced up and met his warming, gentle gaze. "Zofiel..."

Running his hand over hers, the mysterious man kindly said, "You can leave my cloak out here, Tempest. We can either get it on the way back, or I can purchase a new one. But please...don't carry that thing all the way to the temple."

It was the young woman's turn to start sweating excessively. She felt it first on her forehead, and then more on her upper chest. Before she knew it, her whole body was covered in perspiration as the beating rhythm of her heart increased.

Since the girl wasn't saying anything, Zofiel somewhat repeated himself by saying, "We'll just leave it, Tempest. If I'd dress a little more appropriate for the weather like you do, I wouldn't have this problem."

The young woman still didn't respond. She found that she couldn't. For some reason, she was mesmerized by the man's touch.

"Aisha Temple is probably only another hour or two away, Tempest. As long as the wind stays calm and doesn't blow any sand in our faces, we should be able to make it back to Norburgh an hour or two before nightfall." Finally, Zofiel lifted his hand. When he did so, he took the cloak off Tempest's arm and left it in the sand. "Shall we keep going?"

The dark elf broke out of her trance and nodded. Both she and her traveling companion stood up at the same time, and she took a second to wipe away some of the sweat from her brow.

Taking a few steps, Zofiel was quick to point out, "Once we go a bit further, we'll be able to see the temple on the horizon. It won't be long after that."

Nodding again, Tempest began following as she reached down into her right boot and pulled out a small item. As her traveling companion watched her, he realized it was a piece of string. She used it to tie her hair up in a ponytail. "All right," the determined girl finally shattered her silence, "Let us conclude our journey."

* * *

By the time the adventurers stood before the temple constructed of solid, brownish limestone, they knew that the day had to be at least half over. As long as they didn't take too long speaking with the Seeress, they could quite possibly make it back to Norburgh before early evening.

Standing in front of the granite steps that had to be at least a few hundred years old, Tempest found herself examining the archaic symbols written above the entryway. She didn't know if they were ancient hieroglyphs with some kind of meaning or just simple drawings. Either way, she knew the temple housed a woman who could very well tell her what she hoped to hear about Zofiel.

"Pretty interesting place," the seasoned adventurer spoke up as he gazed upward at the top of the structure. Shielding his eyes from the sun with his right hand, he tried to determine how tall the actual building was. "What would you say, Tempest? Do you think this place is at least two hundred feet tall?"

Gazing up at the top of Aisha Temple, the dark elf also held a hand over her eyes as she tried to estimate its height. "Yes, I would say it is two hundred feet tall...easy! In fact, it may even be going on three hundred!" Excited since she had never seen anything like it, the young woman realized she had a rather interesting question about it. "Zofiel, since this building is so tall, why could we not see it from further away? Should it not stand out a bit more?"

"I think it's just a trick of the sand," the knowledgeable man explained. "The sand in the desert is usually blowing, so from a great distance away, the temple is not visible. It's kind of like viewing rain from a few miles away."

Tempest nodded and then asked, "We got away from the subject earlier, so I never heard about this quest you and the others are on."

Zofiel nodded upon remembering and told the young woman, "We're out collecting the Byblos."

The girl looked confused, so she said nothing in order to hear an extended explanation.

"The Byblos are these small, violet gems, and for some reason, they seem to have some kind of potent magickal properties. When all twenty-four of them are collected, it's said that something of enormous mystical proportions is supposed to transpire."

"Like what?"

"That's a good question," Zofiel said as he placed his hands on his hips. Keeping his eyes on the temple, he told the dark elf, "Hobbs should've asked that when he came here nine years ago."

"Hobbs came here?"

"Yeah," Zofiel answered the girl, and ascended the first step of the temple. "He came after his family disappeared. His intentions were to ask about his wife and kids, but instead, he asked what he needed to do with his life. The Seeress answered by telling him to find the Byblos." Scratching the back of his head, the mysterious man went on, "Then again, I guess he couldn't have asked about what the Byblos do since he only had one question and he had just heard about them for the first time himself."

Ignoring the man's last sentence, Tempest decided to ask, "So Hobbs and the rest of you have been looking for these gemstones for the last nine years?"

Zofiel nodded.

"That seems like a very long time to be looking for some gems. How many of these Byblos stones have you found thus far?"

The mysterious man didn't even make eye contact with the young woman as he answered, "We have five pieces of the Byblos in our possession right now."

"Only five?!"

"Yeah," Zofiel sighed since he knew the number seemed low. "These stones are scattered all over the world, and they're not the easiest things to track down. They're only a little bigger and wider than a gold piece, and they're not exactly out in the open."

"So is that why you are out here?" Tempest asked the mysterious man. "Are you going to ask about the locations of these gems?"

"We know most of the locations," Zofiel informed the young woman. "Actually, I should say that it's Hobbs who claims to know the locations of most of them. I think that tracing the whereabouts of each individual gem is probably what took him the longest."

"Then why are you here?" The young woman asked. "I mean, if you know where to find the bulk of them, why would you need to come here?"

Zofiel had new reasons of his own, but he was quick to come up with a cover when he slyly said, "We need to know what to do next. Yes, we know the locations of a good portion of the stones thanks to Hobbs, but that's not to say that they haven't been moved around over the years by other entities. Also, some are in more dangerous places than others. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when tracking them down...which makes doing so take all the longer. Hobbs asked Sydell and myself to come out here and find out what the easiest route would be for us."

The look on Tempest's face told the man she was traveling with that she didn't understand what he meant.

"Certain pieces of the Byblos are more difficult to obtain than others," Zofiel elucidated. "In fact, we know that one is located in the frozen wastes of Kuran. It's buried in a cave deep beneath the snow, surrounded by the spirits of the dead. Obviously, that's one that Hobbs feels we aren't ready to approach as a group yet."

"So, if I may bother you with even more questions," the young woman continued to quiz her traveling companion, "Why are the lot of you not journeying together now? Why have you all decided to spilt up?"

"There's a lot of things we need to accomplish, and there's only four of us to do the work."

"Wait a moment," Tempest cut in, and waved a hand. "Not including Hobbs, you said there were five of you, did you not?"

Zofiel nodded. "Yes, but Kira never leaves our hideout. Like I said, she delves in the healing arts, and out on the battlefield by herself, she's a liability. Besides, Cygnus wants her to stay behind because..."

"Because he loves her?" Tempest tried finishing the sentence for her friend.

"Well, yeah, but also because...she's carrying his child."

"Oh my!" The dark elf exclaimed. "Yes, I think it is definitely a good idea for her to stay where it is safe!"

Zofiel nodded and looked up to the entrance of the temple again. "We should go inside now. The sooner we hear what we need to hear, the sooner we can leave this infernal desert!"

Tempest agreed with her friend and followed him into Aisha Temple.

* * *

Both travelers were amazed with the elegance of the temple. The floor was composed of a sleek marble, and the stone walls were decorated with paintings and weapons. Spears and swords constructed out of silver and gold were displayed for all who braved the journey to the temple to see, and statues made of ivory stood watch like silent sentinels. There was not a single speck of dust to be seen.

Walking onto a maroon-colored rug, Zofiel took everything around him in before seeing Tempest's reaction to the place. When he glanced back at her, he saw that the dark elf literally looked faint. "Tempest! Are you going to be all right?"

"I am fine, Zofiel," the young woman reassured him. "It is just that...never in my lifetime have I seen a place such as this!"

The mysterious man nodded in agreement before pointing at another huge entryway further down. "From what I recall of hearing about this place from Hobbs, we just need to go in there, up that huge spiral staircase I can see from here, and through a set of giant oak doors. The room beyond belongs to the Seeress."

"Shall we go, then?"

"We can only go one at a time," Zofiel informed the young woman. "The Seeress will only answer a person's question if he or she is alone. I guess the lady likes privacy."

"Okay," Tempest said, showing her understanding. Deep down, she was glad to hear her traveling companion's explanation because she didn't want to ask her question in front of him. "So, which one of us will go first?"

"Why don't you pick?"

Wanting nothing more than to ask the burning question she had formulated within seconds, the dark elf decided she would wait just a few minutes longer. She thought she might have developed cold feet at the last minute. "I think you should go first."

Zofiel nodded and turned to leave. "Just wait here and I'll be right back," the mysterious man told the young woman while walking through the entryway. "And don't worry...you'll be safe here."

Watching the blond man leave, Tempest couldn't help but notice how nice and tight his bottom looked in the dark leather pants he wore. Shaking her head and hoping the thought would leave her mind, the young woman felt bad for ogling him...but she couldn't help but sneak one more peek.

* * *

Walking into the chamber of the woman who seemingly knew everything, Zofiel couldn't help but feel slightly nervous. He looked around at all the decorations lining the walls and the fountain in the middle of the room that sprayed the cleanest water he had ever seen upward before it came back down to settle in the clear pool below. Clusters of ornaments and jars worth a small fortune lined the walls of the vast room.

At first, the enigmatic man thought he was alone in the room, and as he continued to look around, he wondered if things had changed much since Hobbs's visit nine years earlier. However, it only took seconds for a vision to form near the fountain. At first, it looked like a mirage, but then the outline became more tangible. Within moments, the ghostly image of a fair-skinned woman with jet-black hair formed. Her see-through, flowing white robes seemed to billow as if she was caught in a gust of wind.

"Welcome," a bold voice greeted the traveler. "I presume you have traveled across the Xaphen to ask me a question."

Ignoring the fact that the woman's voluptuous breasts could be seen completely through her thin robes, Zofiel nodded and daringly said, "Yes, there is something I must know the answer to...and I've heard that you possibly know it."

Smiling, the all-knowing woman glanced down at the man from where she hovered. She then admitted, "Although many say that I know everything, there are a few things that elude me. Right now, however, I have a certain...feeling that there is something you need to ask, but you are about to instead use your question on a matter of the heart."

Zofiel grinned. "Hobbs sure didn't lie about you."

The Seeress' laugh seemed to echo as the woman recognized the name and told the traveler, "I remember a dwarf by the name of Hobbs. That was nearly a decade ago when he came to me looking for some direction in his life."

"And now we'll see what you can do for me," Zofiel anxiously said. "You see, I have this question that just can't wait..."

"Go ahead, traveler."

Zofiel nodded and looked the ghostly image right in the eyes as he began, "I met this girl just last night, and although I haven't even known her for a complete day yet, I've never felt so strongly for a person in my entire life."

"Are you talking about the one waiting in the room below us?" The Seeress asked the adventurer, and suddenly waved a hand in front of the water falling downward in the fountain. As Zofiel looked closer, he saw that an image was appearing in the miniature waterfall. The picture was somewhat distorted, but he saw the room he had walked through minutes earlier...and a curious dark elf examining some of the decorations. As the bewildered man gazed at the image, the Seeress laughed once more.

Backing away, Zofiel swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded once. "That's her, all right."

Making another hand gesture over the scrying pool, the Seeress made the image she had conjured suddenly disappear. "So, what exactly do you wish to know about this young beauty?"

Lost in his thoughts for the compassionate girl, Zofiel wasn't exactly paying attention to the question he was being asked. In fact, he simply mumbled the last word the mystical woman had said when he repeated, "Beauty...She certainly is a beauty..."

The Seeress laughed a bit more since she could tell the man seeking an answer to a question was clearly smitten with the dark elf. Giving him a moment, the ghostly image decided to wait until Zofiel snapped out of his self-induced trance.

"Oh!" The lovesick man suddenly shivered for a moment when he realized where he was. "I'm sorry!"

The floating Seeress shook her head and reassured the traveler, "There is nothing to be sorry about. Take your time."

"I've taken all the time I need," Zofiel told the mystical woman. Knowing it was the right moment, the man who had traveled across the Xaphen Desert asked, "Is...is Tempest truly a...virgin?"

At first, the Seeress appeared shocked that the blond traveler would actually ask such a question. She then decided to respond with a question of her own when she queried, "Are you sure you want to waste your one inquiry on a matter such as that?"

"To me, knowing the answer to that is not a 'waste.'"

"All right," the Seeress sighed, and simply went on, "You already know the answer to that question."

Not wanting to sound rude, Zofiel watched the tone in his voice as he mumbled, "Excuse me?"

"You were there when Tempest went to the unicorn," the Seeress reminded the adventurer, and waved an arm in front of the water again. An image of the dark elf petting the legendary creature then appeared. "That is answer enough right there, for the unicorn will not respond to the call of the impure."

"But is that always...accurate?" Zofiel inadvertently asked another question. Realizing what he had done, the desperate man reworded his sentence by saying, "Maybe the unicorn made a mistake!"

"The unicorn does not make mistakes," the ghostly image informed Zofiel. "And if you want more proof, maybe you should think back to this morning when you were caught peeping on the girl."

Zofiel couldn't prevent his cheeks from reddening. The embarrassing moment was fresh in his mind, and he wanted nothing more than to forget that it had ever occurred. However, he wouldn't be able to erase it from his mind soon enough since the Seeress was suddenly conjuring up an image of the events that had transpired at the pond.