A dark robed figure once more stood in the room of a thousand starlit silverv pools, watching the figure of a young man wreathed in black flames, with out being physically exposed to such powers himself he could not dicern its nature. The power left no Arcane residue, nor the wold bending fluctuations of divine powers, though it was possible for a powerful skilled caster to obscure their spells, the boy however was far to raw and untrained. There was too much wasted energy in his spells, not too mention the lack of control, with out propper guidance he would pose a danger to himself and those around him. It was this that pushed the figure from his passive observations and into action, with but a gesture the robed figure sank into a swirling pool of inky blackness.

Travling through the space between worlds was an action that few mages would ever become powerful enough to achieve, even those that could did not dare travel the void as he did. Unrestrained by the strange mishapen nightmarish monstrosities that lived in the endless black, their pulsing luminescence used for attracting prey the only form of light. Even these near mindless horrors recoiled in fear from the slightest contact with his aura, though slower then teleportation this method of travel was undetectable.

It was in the deep of night as he returned from the world between worlds, it had been a long time sice he set foot in River's Bend. Everything was much as he remembered in the sleepy trade town, even though fifty uears had passed, the only real difference was a few more buildings had sprang up. As he strode towards the town he had to chuckle as he watched a farmer's livestock flee from his presence, he had as usual forgotten to turn off the aura of power he subconsciously projected.

He could feel the presence of the young man not far from the edge of town, the fool was projecting an aura of magically fueled pleasure strong enough to shatter the mental sheilding of an intermediate level wizard. He would have been more impressed if the young man was not brodcasting the effects of his sexual escapades into the minds of every mage in the town incapable of sheilding them selves from the mental onslaught.

Still, he was not so rude as to interrupt their debauchery and took the liberty of sheilding the rest of the town as he decided to wait in the common room of the Drunken Trout. The thought of training such a powerful mage as he had not seen in the last hundred years, it was true that he had a number of talented individuals, though none who he considered worth directly instructing himself.

The brothers Hanz and Karl were as always the first ones up and the last ones to sleep, after their morning exercises ther slipped into the common room for a breakfast. The robed figure payed the pair no heed as he sat idly in meditation, though Hanz and Karl found them selves keeping their hands close to their blades as they ate. Years of hard living had sharpened their senses, who ever the robed figure was, they were dangerous. Tagrid too found himself clutching his belt knife upon entering the common room, he could feel the tension radiating from the men-at-arms. "If those two are on edge, I best steer clear" Tagrid thought as he took a seat opposite the brothers.

Adrian awoke tangled in a mess of limbs of limbs as the two women had wrapped them selves around him in his sleep, he smiled wistfully knowing that such pleasurable mornings would soon come to an end once they were back on the road. Margitte's ears twitched hearing him stir slightly, she looked up at Adrian blushing furiously about showing him her bestial half. Adrian chuckled slightly and scratched her between her pair of wolf ears, Annabelle yawned as she awoke to find her self tangled. The younger woman blushed furiously and burried her head in embarrassment as images of their night played in her mind. Adrian kissed each of them before letting out a yawn of his own. "Good morning my beautiful ladies, a pleasant a situation we are in I fear we must be off" he stated with a jovial tone.

He wiped himself down with a towel from a waterbasin before dressing and taking his leave allowing the women to sort them selves in privacy.

Margitte had to help support Annabelle who's body was left with the stability of jello after their intense night, she herself only faired slightly better having a naturally stronger constituion then normal humans. Neither understood how Adrian recovered so easily, both of them glaring at his back as he left.

He had long since strayed of the path his father had desired for him to follow, still aside from little rebellions in his youth for the first time in his life he felt he was in control of his own destiny. Though, he knew he would one day take his father's position that was far into the future, for now hed do as he pleased. Deep down he knew one thing, he needed to reach the Onyx Tower if he had any hope an controlling his dangerous powers.

Feeling the young man entering the common room the figure awakened from his meditative state, standing up to greet the young man he was met with a pair of swords upon approach. "Brave, brave but foolish, men of Schwarzwald" the figure spoke releasing his aura as he stepped past the two swordsmen whose hearts became gripped with fear. Adrian spun facing the figure dressed in a black silk robe, his own aura creating a small clearing in the vast storm of power that poured off the man before him. If such a figure intended to kill him he could have done so easily, Adrian made no move to reach for his blade.

The man pulled back the cowl of his robe exposing long silvery white hair and skin the color of a moonless night, his long pointed ears marked him as descended from the Fae, eyes red as blood observed even the slightest movement. "Greetings Adrian Black, I am Dalmar Dae' Aldmari, you might know me by another name Dalmar the Dark, Arch Magus of the Onyx Tower" the robed man introduced himself with a flourished bow. "My Lord Aldmari, to what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting" Adrian intoned with a deep bow trying to hide the terror of the unfathomable power that stood looming over him. Dalmar chuckled once more realizing his aura was still active, "I apologize for the nature of our meeting, but you mother mentioned you were headed to the Onyx Tower so I thought I'd save you the trouble of the long trip" he explained his voice was deep but pleasant to listen to.

"I'm very grateful for your assistance Lord Aldmari, as it just so happen we encountered an ambush that dammaged our cart" Adrian explained. "I see, that's troubling news, come seek me out once you've wrapped up any unfinished business" Dalmar spoke to him as if he were an equal. That more then anything unnerved Adrian, how powerful must one be to completely disregard any form of societal norms. House Aldmari was one of the twelve houses of the high lords of the Empire, compared to his lordship he may as well be a common beggar.

"I will come to you as soon as my companions are ready to travel, Lord Aldmari" Adrian stated with a bow. "Please, just call me Dalmar, I find the behaviors and customs of the nobility to be stifiling, also take your time, I too have an errand to run whilst I am here" Dalmar replied placing a hand on the younger mans shoulder, he wondered if he didn't accidentally terrify the young man as he strolled out. "By my ancestors left testicle" Tagrid muttered, even as a being with an unusually high resistance to magic he could feel his bones grinding under that pressure. "Get everything ready, we leave soon as he returns" Adrian spoke flatly trying to still the shaking in his hands.