Dollano 19, SP~4,909

Rhonda Floam

Tellin Town

We started the day at sunrise, as usual. We headed down the mountain to the coastline so we could walk on land that was flatter. That worked pretty well except when we had to walk on loose sand. That slowed us down, but there was usually some bit of solid ground we could find.

Our destination was a small coastal town called Tellin Town. After seeing it, I’d say that it barely qualifies as a village. Couldn’t have been more than a few hundred folk there, though I was impressed by the variety. There were quite a few zweyjen (no surprise there), and then a smattering of heola, ishiri, plenty of dwarves (but not from Begkragk’s Kingdom), and some crawn. I think I even spotted a martle ambling away down the beach.

I couldn’t see why Donnessling wanted to get to this place, but I found out shortly after arriving. He approached one of the zweyjen fishermen on the beach who recognized Donnessling right away.  They exchanged a hug and some back slaps. Donnessling knows a lot of folk!

Donnessling pointed over to the rest of us and, after taking a long look, the zweyjen motioned for us to follow him (her? Hard to tell with zweyjen). We were led into a wooden building on top of one of the rocky cliffs above the beach, where we got a large meal. Lots of fish, mushrooms (a strange kind I’d never seen before), and several kinds of seaweed. Delicious! We all had seconds, and some had thirds.

“This is Sheshoffiss,” Donnessling told us once our bellies were full. He was pointing at the zweyjen. “He will help us cross the waters back to Shawmancer Island.”

That’s when Donnessling abruptly stopped and turned his head to listen, as did his nossring comrades. I heard it a moment later. There was a clang of weapons and then sounds of shouting, and battle.

We all rushed out of the building and down on the beach we could see Begkragk dwarves. A lot of them. They were attacking the fishermen, who had taken out nets and wooden poles to defend themselves. It was not a fair fight, but I don’t think the dwarves cared about that.

When they saw us on the cliff, they gave a shout and a number of them headed up toward us. There were too many of them.

I looked over at Donnessling and Sheshoffiss expecting them to be shouting out orders or running, or both. But, they weren’t. They were both as calm as if someone just told them about plans for a picnic.

The two of them held each other’s hands and closed their eyes. It was the strangest thing. I couldn’t take my eyes off them. There was a purple light coming from Donnessling. I of course recognized it right away. He was using the Eye of Zanyr. But, Sheshoffiss was shining, but with a white light, and the two lights seemed to blend and swirl around each other. Things went so quiet. I could hear the crashing of the waves on the shore, water against packed sand, as if my ear was held right against the sand where it met the water. And I could feel a throbbing, like the pulse of a heart.

Suddenly, the purple light coming from Donnessling, streaked out from his body like hundreds of shafts of light, each shaft propelled by a white light behind it. There was a blast across the beach and over the water and the lands around us. Every dwarf was blasted from their feet and tossed into the air. Sheshoffiss’ folk and ours were untouched, but the dwarves lay scattered across the beach. At first I thought they were all dead, but then I could see chests heaving. They had been knocked out by the blast that Donnessling hurled at them, and hurled it he did. I looked over and could see him standing next to Sheshoffiss with his hands on his knees, panting like he’d just run fifty miles.

“We must go,” Sheshoffiss said to Donnessling who nodded in agreement, and responded, “All of us.” Sheshoffiss nodded back.

The details don’t matter at this point. The fisher folk pulled long boats out of hidden caves. They were already loaded with supplies. We all boarded the boats and pulled out into the waters that would take us to Shawmancer Island.

Just before we boarded I heard Sheshoffiss say something more to Donnessling, “Three Eyes have not been in the presence of each other for many long years, and not with Dey.”

I think I saw something completely amazing — three Eyes from the Crown of Drawnwyn in the same place at the same time, with two of them being used, and one of those two was, if I heard Sheshoffiss right, the Eye of Dey, which I’m guessing is a white stone.

Note To Self: Don’t mention this to anyone back in Naldrin City, at least, not until I’ve had a chance to learn more about this Crown of Drawnwyn thing — provided I actually get back to Naldrin City alive.

The sun was setting when we landed at a safe place on Shawmancer Island. Allalling told me we were not far from Berimandry City.

I’m very glad to be safe again. And, tomorrow it’s back to Berimandry — again.