HISTORY

Prologue
– Vadanya! – A woman with shoulder lenght red hair shout to the young girl who was playing with
other children – Get ready, we will be departing soon!
The young tanned girl with deep grey eyes turned her head back, to the source of the shout – Yes
mother! – She replied while her long straight and bright hair, black raven in colour as an obsidian,
fleow in the air until it rested, once again, along her back.

Because of my mother's position and skills, none within the tribe dared to face her by mocking me,
the spring of an unwilling intercourse with a templar. The price she paid to avoid to face the
decimation of the tribe as the new next gladiatorial show-to-be.

Neferit Wavediver was a tall and slim elf woman with a very imponent figure. She cared her body,
which was shaped and toned for the hard work of being a respected member of the tribe, a tribe of
roaming nomads moving from one city-state to another to trade with pelts, bone weapons and any
other items found on the way.

I prepared my items, and I helped my mother to pack her goods too – Could you help me lift this
pack? – And as she bent to pick it from the opposite side were I was, a blue pendant slad from her
neckline. I couldn´t resist it – What's that? – as I pointed to it. It was the first time I could feel
some unease in my mother – Nothing honey, just a pendant. – She hid it again and then she
smiled to me – One day I'll explain it to you in deep, now we have to pack up, ok? – I nodded
back, excited about the discovery and the promise of a tale about it.

Once everyone packed their things in the mekillot we were ready to departure towards Tyr, to sell
those handcrafted weapons and goods we have on us. Athas is harsh and everything we can get from
the trade will help us to endure these extreme temperatures.

We departed with the first lights of dawn, to cover some miles before the hot sunlight raised the
temperature of the arid desert in front of us. Ayrian, our explorer, made a gesture with his hand from
nearly two hundred miles away whilst mounted in his Erdlu.
At that moment Zern, the caravan guide, my tutor shout – On the move! – The sign for the whole
of the tribe to start moving, once again. Ayrian waited until the caravan started its movement before
he went ahead once again.

Nothing but blurred mirages where our companions along the first hours of our journey.
– How do you convince people in the bazaar to sell our goods? What do you say? – I enquired
Zern, trying to understand the tricks of the trade.
– It is not easy, even when it looks like! – He laughed openly for a moment – Look Vadanya,
elves are treated worst than animals in cities. Because we are travelers, they do believe that we
want to steal from them and they disdain us for that reason – I was ready to ask something, but
before I could articulate a word, Zern kept talking – Yes, I know. You are going to ask me why,
am I right? – He smiled to me – Because we are very agile and we are not bound to a
determined place. Also they think so because some of our kind have the tendency to lighten
others' pockets. Is it not right that anyone would do anything to survive? – I shrugged and
nodded – Of course my dear Vadanya, and who are the easiest to blame for? The wandering
elves! – The corpulent elf of dark olive skin, was holding the reins of the mighty lizard which pulls
the caravan's heavier loads.

Several hours passed since the last time we had any notice from our trailblazer and we did approach
an area where huge rocky boulders flanked the pass.

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Those huge rocks, now closer to us, were eroded for the action of the wild sandstorms that affect
this area from time to time since centuries ago.
We were 30 yards from the pass – I don´t like this – Zern said from his privileged position at the
top of the mekillot while he used his hands, big as obsidian hammers and shaped for the hard work
of loading and unloading the huge beast, to scrutinize the horizon from side to side – Ayrian should
be back by now to inform us about the situation up ahead – I pulled the left side of the leather
tunic that was covering the physically fit body of the muscled guide. He looked at me with his
brown eyes – Perhaps he his ahead, scouting the other end of the pass – I told him – Maybe, but
this is not his style – Zern sat back down, took the reins once again and made a sign to the others to
move carefully.

The pass wasn´t excessively long, perhaps forty feet, like the length of two medium mekillots.
By the time our mekillot passed half way out of the two massive pillars of rounded sandstone. Zern
pointed to the front where the body of our guide was lying down. The body of the large flightless
and featherless bird that used to be his mount, now agonizing under the sun, was by his side. Its
light ochre colored scaly skin contrasted with the dried blood flow which manated from the mortal
wounds that three wooden arrows pierced its skin. – It's a...! – Zern shouted, but a well aimed
arrow shattered his warning yell. His chest was pierced with a bone arrow and a crimson stain
dripped down his leather tunic, the one I pulled not long ago in joy. He tried to hold the beast, his
maneuver was fast, but it was a futile movement as he exposed himself to the aimed shot of another
two arrows. The brittle and sun-bleached sharp projectiles reached his chest and his throat.
For the very first time I felt fear, my muscles tighten at the time that the horror of the scene
paralyzed my mind, and Zern felt down the thick shell of our massive mount, lifeless... The
unbalancing movement of his body falling from the riding sit threw me to the hot sandy surface.
The falling hit of my body against the loosen pebbles of the road was considerable. My body was
aching but my will kept fighting to remain conscious. I started to crawl close to the huge beast by
my side, expecting that its enormous body could protect me from the deadly arrows.
A thought came to my mind – Mother... – With all my force and my body covered in bruises and
sand I shouted – Mother! – I could manage to see someone who resembled much like me running
across from where I was towards the location where Neferit Wavediver meant to be.
And the huge mekillot went down under the rain of arrows flying from both sides of the pass. It was
Dessalia 4th.

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Chapter I: The Great Road
I'm Vadanya, a female half-elf, that was part of an elven tribe wandering along the harsh plains of
Athas. We were attacked by a horde of savage humanoids who raided all our possesions after they
killed all the members of my tribe. I was given for dead because I stood really quiet under the legs
of the mekillot we had as a transport. The beast couldn´t resist the fire of a miriad of arrows from
the distance... I was 9 years old.

After the raiders left the area, I took the few items I could manage to retrieve: a cloak, a wood pole
and the pendant that my mother had around her neck, one with circular shape, in tarnished bluish
colour and with some swirling patterns on it. I put it around my neck and I dig a hole near a rock to
bury my mother´s body, to avoid the wild beasts to feast on her. I prayed for her soul, holding the
necklace with my hands – May your spirit rest in peace dear mother, far from any beast to
disturb you in your new journey – and I departed following the Great Road, without really the
direction I was taken.

Dehydration and hunger were haunting me but nothing I could do but pray for a miracle or a quick
death. Neither my will nor my determination were enough to take me anywhere safe and my legs
shook, unable to follow my wish of keep moving. I drop to the arid sands of the road at the same
time that my blurred vision couldn´t distinguish more than a few shadows in the distance –' A
mirage?...'– I thought to myself and I tried to yell for help, but my throat didn´t emit any sound, as
it was as dry as the sunbathed skull of the erdlu we found few miles ago. By the time I tried to raise
my arm to ask for help I couldn´t see more than darkness around me, and I collapsed unconscious.

I woke up in the arms of a woman, a well dressed human in leather armor who was holding a piece
of cacti close to my mouth. – It´s fine, calm down, we won´t hurt you. Just drink for now. – She
told me, I smiled and kept drinking.

Chapter II: Nowadays

Now, 13 years later, I´m here telling you my story because Tara Stel was kind enough to spare my
life and embrace me in her family, in her house. I owe her my life, she rescued me and she taught
me the ways of the trader whilst I worshipped the element of life, alone in solitude, and far from
others. It was my past, my inheritance, my present and my secret.
My past because my mother revered it, as I discovered with time, listening the auguries, words and
prophecies of those hermits, those dressed with different colours and wearing various types of
materials. Ones proclaiming be the executioners of the bright sun whilst others trying to convert
followers with the excuse of being messengers from other city-states, swift as the wind.
But only once, the first time I went with the caravan to the Ringing Mountains, I could see that
symbol in one of those little and fearsome creatures, so curious and unpredictable in nature.
It was the one that brought me to live again, water, the same my mother revered, as I discovered
time after I was saved by the members of my now family, the House Stel. Because they are so deep
linked to war, I made my life along other trades in the family, because ceramic was other branch of
the business.

Really I only rely on her but anyone with a least interest in trade, because anything could be trade in
this arid planet, even treachery could be a good trade, so anyone careless of that “demon” could be a
potential ally.

As I always said: “It's not other true that life, and even when war can bend states, psionics
minds and greed hearts, only patience and a fair trade will bring flourishment to Athas and
their inhabitants”.

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