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[Sylindrii Na'rea]

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The aquamarine pane of sea spread in waves before her, given glint by the afternoon sunshine. Across the panorama, gulls and other harbor birds wheeled and dove for morsels swimming in the tides below them. She could just make out the outline of Marble Island anchored in the distance. The air was heavy with the smell of sea salt and lurking below that aroma was the moldy stench of various debris dragged ashore by the waves, left to bake and rot in the hot midday sun on the sandy expanse of beach.

She breathed deeply to take in the richness of the atmosphere and then held the breath in for several seconds to savor it, before finally exhaling on a contented sigh. It was a beautiful day. It was a beautiful land. But, it was not home.

As she heard the footsteps of Kathar approaching to stand beside her, Sylindrii spoke her next thought aloud without tearing her gaze from the scenic view.

"It is time for us to find a new home."

@}~'~~,~~

Sylindrii was excited that they were following in the footsteps of Dath'Remar Sunstrider. They were seeking out a new elven home, something that she had longed to do for the many years since she had first arrived in Sosaria. But she had never felt as ready as she presently did, as if the timing was just right, somehow. For so long she had been a migrant, moving from place to place in the foreign land in an attempt to know it better. She was eager to find a permanent home from which to help her cousins, the various elves that resided in Sosaria. Kathar figured largely into this motivation, his confidence in her had bolstered her own decision.

The plan seemed simple enough- pick a ley line and just follow it until they found a suitable place to build their home. The forests of Yew were lush with primal energies. There was evidence enough of this in the massive yew trees that gave the city its name. She felt that there must be some large source of power beneath the soil, enriching the flora. Ley lines are lines of energy that are often harnessed for magical purposes, and she was certain they would find one at the doorway to the great tree. Why else would the Heartwood have been connected at this particular place? Ley energy was often used to power portal magic in her homeland. So many similarities existed between there and here that she felt confident this would be no different.

So now the two elves stood at the portal to the Heartwood as they opened their senses to the energies in the environment around them. In her hand, a branch covered in carved runic symbols. Sylindrii was cheating, she knew, but she wanted to test the divining rod she had created. If it worked properly, then the enchanted branch would glow when it was over a ley line and dim when it was unable to tap into a source. At her side, Kathar used a more traditional approach. His eyes were closed as he reached with his mind to the source of energy below them.

She smiled as she watched him concentrate. She had her own hypothesis about his origins that led her to trust his instincts. He was very closely tied to the beasts of nature, more so than she could ever hope to be, no matter her dedication to returning to the ways of their ancestors. He was also a quick study, picking up the language of her kin with ease and he was always eager to assist her when she needed it. In her homeland, he would have been the perfect image of a kaldorei ranger, with his green hair and mahogany eyes, and an animal friend ever present at his side.

After a few more moments, Kathar opened his eyes and Sylindrii tucked the glowing branch behind her back and out of view. She would follow his lead and simply monitor what the divining rod read as they walked.

They traveled northwest, following the line of power past the various city buildings and homes. The path seemed to be leading toward the Court of Truth, which amplified Sylindrii's curiosity. Over the years there had been a good number of magical occurrences there. Perhaps the events were unknowingly guided by the flow of energy from the land?

The energy continued onward leading them to the prison island, where they could follow it no more. The line extended far into the ocean, and water walking potions hadn't been created here.

In her hand, the rod was growing warmer to the touch, as if it detected a strong surge of energy from a point on the small island. Following this new lead, the elves discovered a stone altar in the store room of the prison. Who would put such a thing here among the dried goods and clothing? Driven further by their curiosity, they stepped onto the carved stone and were instantly teleported.

They found themselves in a short tunnel which ended in a room with a ladder. Sylindrii set to work climbing the rungs, eager to see where they had ended up. Soon she was standing in what appeared to be an ordinary bedroom. Kathar joined her and they both headed toward a lone door in the wall across from them. After a shared look and a nod with Kathar, they pushed open the door and stepped outside.

Sylindrii shielded her eyes, unprepared for the bright sun that reflected from the sand below the porch they were standing on. It overlooked a rocky beach, upon which a young wyvern was playing. Suspicion dawned on her, and she pivoted about to gaze back at the building they had come from. Tilting her head back to peer further up, her mouth lifted in a lopsided grin. They'd been teleported to the lighthouse north of Papua. It was a lovely spot, but not very useful as an elven home.

@}~'~~,~~

Back at the Heartwood gate, they decided to follow the ley line in the other direction. Heading south, Sylindrii noted that they passed several farms. She wondered if the farmers yielded better crops from the plants grown directly over the ley energy.

In all, the second trek wasn't nearly as exciting or curiosity-driven as the one prior, but it soon yielded better results. They emerged from the woods into a clearing not very far from town. A few houses were in the glade, but what they found the most interesting about the location was the remains of an old building, left to age and collapse. It had long been conquered by nature, as trees had taken it upon themselves to grow up through the actual foundation of whatever architecture had once stood there.

Sylindrii found herself in awe as she wandered between the crumbling pillars of what might once have been a vast patio of some sort. Broken statues gave silent testimony to the former occupants of the ruin, their expressions locked in marble smiles as they seemed to greet their visitors with outstretched, eternally welcoming arms. She smiled to herself as she noted their elven features.

At the end of the ruined walkway they discovered a pool of softly glowing water, further proof to confirm the feeling of certainty within her. Sylindrii turned toward Kathar with a smile.

"This will be our new home. This will be Tel'thalas."