“For the hundredth time, no” Adoian started turning away from his parchment-covered table. “I am not allowing you to cross the boundary and search for the missing Sentinel.”

“Why not?” The white-masked figure behind him sighed with displeasure. “Nothing happens around here and I need something to do.” Gathering several parchment piles off the table Adoian walked across the room, coming to a stop in front of a cluttered bookshelf. Pulling a book from the middle shelf he placed the parchments inside and returned the book to its place

“Annika, it’s been two months since she went missing.” He said turning back towards the figure standing inside the door. “You’re not going to find anything that the other scouting parties couldn’t.” Walking back to his table the door slammed shut behind him, angry footsteps pounding down the stone stairs. Adoian shook his head. Sentinels. A close-knit bunch the lot of them. Though you had to admire this one’s determination. Ever since she had received the news she had climbed winding stairs of the boundary tower every day to ask permission to cross the barrier and search for information. It was a shame his answer to her would not change without a direct missive from her leader allowing the crossing and she was not likely to let a lone Sentinel venture across to look for what even her best could not find.

Adoian tried to return to his research but found his heart was no longer in the task. With a sigh, he turned away. He might as well head up now, it was about that time anyway. Crossing his study he pulled his staff from its stand next to the door. Made from a solid piece of elven sung-oak the staff was a symbol of his rank as a tower mage and master of his primary affinity. Atop the staff, a four-pronged clasp held a large fire-ruby that pulsed quietly with an inner fire. Leaving his study, the door shut quietly behind him, glowing for a split second as the wards on it activated. Turning in the landing, he ascend a set of stairs to his right until he reached a second landing. The stairs continued up in front of him with a second door set in the wall to his right. Touching his ruby to it he traced a complicated pattern on its surface and the door unlocked with a click swinging open.

Adoian stepped into a room of polished stone. In its center a large crystal sphere sat atop of a short column. Symbols ran down the column spiraling outwards across the floor. Where the floor met the wall the symbols ascending upwards spreading across the ceiling of the chamber, mirroring the pattern below. Adoian stepped into the room, the door shutting behind him. Walking up to the crystal sphere he pressed his hand to it the crystal warming at his touch. The symbols in the room glowed for a second and the crystal vibrated underhand as he did a check of the barrier and the tower’s wards. Everything was in order as usual. The sphere lit up under his hand with a blue light and Adoian let out a small sigh.

A feminine laugh filter through the room and woman in blue robes, sitting in a high backed chair appeared, hovering in the air above the sphere. “Adoian, it’s good to see you. It’s been a while since we last talked. You won’t believe what’s been happening here with the council.”

Ignoring the woman Adoian traced a rune on the sphere and pulled his hand from it. The crystal’s glow dimmed and the woman disappeared her image replace with that of the tower and its surroundings. The angle of view shifted as Adoian walked around the sphere showing him different angles of the surrounding forest of WinderVal. Adoian studied the image, namely a series of white lines that crisscrossed around the tower symbolizing the wards around the tower and the barrier. Frowning he noted several wards in the overlying regions of WinderVal that seemed to be missing. Making a note of their location he was about to send a message down to Annika when the crystal pulsed blue again.

Placing his hand on the crystal again the woman appeared again still speaking as if he had been listing the entire time. “Carnda.” he cut her off. I am very busy at the moment and I have neither the time nor the interest to listen to the latest gossip and rumor floating around the council.”

“But it’s been so long since you have participated in a meeting. Much has happened in your absence.” Carnda pouted. “Besides I have no one to talk to in this dusty old tower and you were always such a good listener.”

Adoian shook his head. “Goodbye Carnda. I have work to do. If you are as starved for conversation as you claim to be I once again suggest you find an apprentice.” He smiled up at the women. “Or you could try talking to the Sentinel assigned to you. I’m sure she would love to hear all about the council’s doing.” Shrugging as Carnda opened her mouth to reply Adoian continued. “If that doesn’t help you could always petition for reappointment from the council.” Pulling his hand from the crystal He cut off Carnda’s snipe reply walking towards the door. It sealed behind him as He headed back towards his study.

Several leagues away in a mirror image of the room Adoian had just left Carnda sat staring incredulously at a similar crystal. She sat silently for a moment before tracing another symbol causing the crystal to brighten again. “Theratra,” she said with a smile. “How are the elves treating you?” A deep sigh escaped the sphere as another woman’s image appeared above the crystal. “Really Carnda? The woman asked do you have nothing better to do?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Alpha stumbled as she exited the portal, White clouds of powder billowing into the air as she plowed face-first into the snowy ground. She had felt her destination shift the second she had entered the portal as the planer bridge she had forged to the throne room was shattered sending her tumbling between planes. The portal closed behind her with a snap and an angry roar shook the air.

Struggling to stand in the waist-high snow something heavy struck her, batting her into the air. Sky and ground spun around her in a dizzy spiral. The second she struck the ground, blasting a wave of white into the air, she stabbed downwards with her armor. Spikes sprouted from it digging deep into the frozen ground bring her to a jerking halt. Rising to her feet she faced her attacker. A massive white-furred beast charging through the snow towards her.

The creature reminded her of the massive bears of her home plane as it charged, its six massive legs making the ground beneath her feet to tremble. Alpha clenched her fist, her frustration returning. She couldn't safely open another portal until the disruption between planes dissipated. It would take at least a minute for it to dissipate and if whatever had broken the bridge was still present she would run the risk of again falling to another plane. She would be having words with Kalyin about this. She had been assured the bridge was unbreakable. The creature roared again, this roar a challenge, as it closed the distance and Alpha wished she had brought the Warhammer she had left in the armory hall with her. At the very least she could have prolonged the fight a little and worked out some of her frustration. But she hadn’t and now the poor creature would not even have a decent playing field.

There was a blast of snow as she moved, the white powder exploding outwards in a cloud from where she had stood. A trail of afterimages blurred behind her. There was a flash of shock and confusion in the creature’s eyes as Alpha suddenly appeared in front of it. Her hand slammed into the side of its head with a crunch as she back handed it. The creature spun sideways slamming into the ground with a thud. It continued to slide pushing up a drift the snow around it turning red.

Alpha wiped her hand off in the snow. Reaching out her arms starting to glow again as she fed mana into them. Stabbing her hands forwards she sent her magic out across the planes in search of the loadstone. Her mana connected with it and she created a pathway to the throne room establishing another bridge. The new portal rippled in front of her. Alpha let it sit for a second. Everything looked to be stable so she stepped through, leaving the snowy expanse behind.

Stepping into the familiar black Stone of the throne room, she surveyed the messy interior. Puddles of mud and water were scattered here and there across the floor with Small dunes of sand swept up against the guard’s podiums. Various Chunks of meat and segments of severed limbs were strewn about in various locations. Beta stood around the throne his helms turning towards her as she looked up to the throne where He sat. The throne sat empty, the soul chamber dark.

“What Happened?”

Beta took a step forward, the statues at his side shrunk back a step, as Alpha advanced on him.

“He was taken. There was…”

“So.” Alpha fumed, her hand slicing through the air as she stalked towards him. “That’s the whole reason for the throne. So he can’t be taken.” There was a smash as the back of her fist slammed into Beta’s visored helm knocking him sideways and down on his knees. “Your job is to protect him while he recovers. What! Happened!”

Beta looked up at her a long crack running down his visor. “He awoke just as unstable gate opened here. A set of Soul chains pulled him from the throne and our first attempts to intervene failed. We managed to halt his entry into the gate but he instructed us to release him lest we damage his soul." Beta looked back to the ground "We told him you would not be pleased. We failed in our duty and accept your judgment.” One of the statues off to the side stepped forwards a blue sphere held in its palms. “He told us to give you this.”

There was a snap as a portal opened in the middle of the throne room and a simultaneous crash as Alpha tossed Beta’s body to the side, the statue slamming into the opposing wall. Beta slumped against it as a well-dressed man strode from the portal, arcs of lightning snapping off his sopping wet body. His brown hair was plastered to his head and strands of seaweed draped from his shoulders and were wrapped around his neck and arms.

“Where is he?” The man shouted. “I was told, “The Bridge is virtually unbreakable. That nothing short of an entire planer shift could break it.” The man threw his hands up in the air. “I was also told that I would not have any problems traveling to or from one of THE most important places I know of. ALL THIS I WAS TOLD AND IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A LIE”

Alpha reached forward and pulled the sphere from Beta’s extended hands staring into the statues blue, flaming visor. She pointed to the statue that was struggling to its feet. “You will keep the damage as a reminder. Our Lord will pass judgment. Understood.” The statue nodded as she turned towards the man the blue sphere cradled in her hands. “Hello Pyriel. Care to explain how you seem to have received the news of our lord’s awakening before me. Especially after I left explicit instructions to be informed first and foremost?”

Pyriel took a step back at her growl dropping his raised hands in surrender. “Oh, that.” He chuckled nervously. “I was on my way here when I intercepted Beta’s message to you. I told him I’d let you know and notify the others. Then the bridge collapsed and I found myself at the bottom of a goddam ocean. By the way, there’s a dead leviathan on the front stairs. Any idea what I should do with that?”

“Handle it.” Alpha started turning away, not sparing him a second glance as she turned her attention to the sphere.

‘Figured you say that.” Pyriel muttered walking towards her as another portal snapped opened in the space he had just vacated.

A woman with a head of flaming red hair walked from it her armor hissing as she stepped into a puddle. Feathers framing the sides of her face spreading bckwards towards her ears. A brilliant pair of ruby red wings closed against her back. She walked over to where Pyriel stood several feet from Alpha who was staring intently at the orb in her palms. “He left again didn’t he?” She whispered to him.

Pyriel threw an arm over her shoulder kissing her on the cheek and sighing in relief. “Ahh. Your warm honey, and no. Beta said he was taken.”

The woman raised an eyebrow and Pyriel winced as the seaweed around his arm snapped and started smoking. “I find that hard to believe.”

Beta joined the two, the statues circling around them. “Pyriel speaks the truth, Maya. We were able to halt his abduction but he ordered us to release him.”

Maya frowned in confusion. “Why”

Beta shook his head as he ran a finger down the crack on his helm. “I don’t know. He left something for Alpha though.”

“She cracked you good,” Maya noted seeing Beta's helm.

“A surface fracture. This statues integrity is still functional. I’m lucky. It could have been worse.” Beta said in resignation. “

The group turned as a third portal opened in the center of the throne room. Two needle-sharp, spiked forelegs stretched through the widening the portal. A spider pulled itself from the portal, its lower body a dark metallic grey. Where the head would have sat extended the upper torso of a woman. Dark green Chitinous plates covered her upper body, garbing her in a suit of natural armor. Razor-sharp claws extracted from her fingers as she flexed them. Three horns protruded from her forehead, one arching backward above each ear with the third arching back over the top of her head. The metallic tapping of her eight legs on the stone floor ceased as the spider half shivered. It twisted as she walked forwards the shifting, changing from grey to green as it folded in upon itself lowering the woman to the floor until she stood on a pair of human legs.

“Maya” the woman shrieked pushing through the ring of statues wrapping the woman in a hug. “It’s been so long.”

Maya hugged her back. “Azi. It is good to see you again. I was going to take a trip out to see you but I have been busy lately.”

Azi smiled up at the women she had just towered over. “That’s ok nothing much has happened on ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Eonnatria. I’ve just been eating, sleeping, and traveling. Like normal. But He’s back now. Have you talked with him yet?”

Maya shook her head. “Beta said someone took him.”

Azi spun towards Beta and winced and the sight of the crack. “Oof. Alpha smacked you good this time.” She patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t feel bad. No one takes Him anywhere unless he wants to go.”

Beta cocked his head thoughtfully at her. “He did order me to let him go.”

“See” Azi exclaimed “Take it from someone who’s tried. Now, why are we all standing around? Are we waiting to eat?”

Pyriel shook his head a smile spreading across his face “No. We’re waiting to see what he left behind. Beta was told to give it to Alpha. He shot Azi a grin. “Where’s my hug or shoulder pat.”

Azi glared at his smiling face. “Are you going to shock me again?” Pyriel cocked a questioning eyebrow at her and Azi turned away. “Not risking it.” She turned towards Alpha who stood staring at the blue sphere in the palms of her hands.

“What did he leave behind?” She asked in a quiet voice.

Alpha pulled her eyes away from the sphere and looked over towards them. Turning she walked up the steps in front of the throne and placed the sphere in the hole in the throne’s back. As she stepped to the left of the throne the sphere melted into the chair. The circle flared to life and the lines engraved in the throne shifted. A translucent image of a tall blacked haired man appeared on the throne. A black circlet wrapped around his head six large spikes rising from it. He surveyed the throne room with a pair of brilliant blue eyes.

“Alpha. Beta. Maya. Pyriel. Azi. I am certain you are all here after feeling my return and that Alpha will most likely show this memory to you. I would like to start by apologizing for rushing off so soon. An opportunity has arisen and I am afraid that I cannot pass it up.”

The man looked to his left where Alpha stood staring at the image “I have made promises Alpha and as you know I do not take my promises lightly.” The man looked forward again. “As for how I know she is standing there Azi. She always stands there.”

Azi, about to ak how he could have known, closed her mouth with a snap while the rest of the group chuckled. The man smiled. “Always the inquisitive one you are.” He shook his head. “The primary reason for my rushed departure is that there is another one of my kind to walk the planes again.” There was a loud crash as one of the statues dropped its sword. “I realize this might come as a surprise to some of you considering my opinion on the subject. My opinion seems to have changed. Therefore the first thing I will be attempting to do upon regaining a body will be to returning to the plane of Reaxiatha. If you wish to head there you may but stay out of sight. You will know my home when you find it. Please do not disturb anything in the lower levels. Be on the lookout for a group of elementals that served me during my time on that plane. I released them from my service but not all of them may have returned to their respective planes.” The image wavered and the figure looked up. “I am running out of time and have so much more I wish I could share but my memories are still a little fuzzy when it comes to specifics.” The image fizzled again and the man looked to his left again. “Alpha. You will hunt me down if I don’t give you something else to do so I want you and Beta to find a demon by the name of Kuth’terak. I believe he was the one of the last people I spoke to prior to my death. He can fill you in on most of my past life. If you manage to locate…” the image vanished as several brilliant orange chains wrapped around the man distorting his words and pulling at him as he struggled to hold onto the throne. “…do not reveal yourselves. Step in only if her life is in danger and only as a last resort. Act as if it was me. Until I see you again.” The image vanished in a brilliant flash of orange and the throne went dark.

There was silence as everyone attempted to process what they had just heard. “Did he just pull a Maya and Pyriel?” Azi asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Pyriel stated. “I’m just trying to wrap my head around the fact that there is another voidwalker out there. Doesn’t that mean that…?”

“Don’t go there.” Maya snapped at him.

There was a crackling as a portal ripped open in front of alpha. “Let’s go Beta.” she said looking over her shoulder. “I want answers.” The six statues stepped forwards towards Alpha’s portal. Maya ducked out from under Pyriel’s arm giving him a quick peck on the cheek. “I’m coming too Alpha.”

“Fine,” Alpha said as Maya strode up the steps and stepped through the portal behind her. It closed behind her leaving Azi and Pyriel in the throne room. Azi turned and sniffed the air. “Something smells good.” She raced off towards the exit growing taller as her human legs returned to their natural form.

“Oh ok,” Pyriel called after her. “I’ll just stay here then. Someone has to think about what this all means for the big man.” Turning he smiled at the empty throne. “I told you it would happen eventually Didn’t I Kalyin.”

Snapping his fingers A portal opened behind him. “Reaxiatha was it.” He murmured to himself. “I’ll have to contact some friends of mine and see if I can’t get those planer coordinates.” He stepped through his portal and It closed behind him with a snap just as Azi stuck her head back into the room. “Anyone want this thing on the front steps? Yes? No? Receiving no reply her squeal of glee echoed through the room as she disappeared the words “More for me” echoing in the empty room.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

The frantic knocking on his study door pulled Adoian’s attention from the aged parchment he was studying in his hand. Carefully setting the old map off to the side he got to his feet, stretching as he walked to the door and pulled it open. He knew who it was before opening it having sent Annika out to check on the downed wards earlier that afternoon. His apprentice, Feron stood just outside the door panting heavily, either from the climb up the tower or the rush down.

“What is it?” Adoian asked.

“Riders.” The boy panted.

Odd, Adoian thought. The supply wagon from WinderVal shouldn’t arrive for at least several more weeks. They were extremely early this time around. “Well, help them unload the supplies and I’ll be down shortly with their payment.”

Feron shook his head pointing upwards. “I was up watching the sunset and saw riders on the plains. Their heading towards the tower. Adoian grabbed his staff from alongside the door and noted that his apprentice had his as well. He must have been practicing his spell craft without permission again when he sighted the riders. His apprentice’s staff was made of a design similar to his but made of normal wood with a smaller gem inset at the top.

“Show me.” Adoian told him. Nodding Feron turned starting to head towards the stairs that lead to the top of the tower. Adoian grabbed him by the shoulder.

“I am not about to climb over three hundred steps. That’s as good a way to kill me as ever. We’re using the door.”

Realization dawned on the boy’s face and he embarrassedly stepped into the study. Adoian closed the door and touched his staff to a rune engraved along the top arch of the door. There were several different symbols each connecting his study door to another door in the tower. There was the kitchen door. The living quarters where Annika and Feron stayed and his own personal quarters. The rest led to various landings on the winding stairwell to the top of the tower.

“You really need to work harder on learning this spell.” Adoian chided his apprentice. “I can’t have you running up and down those stairs for the rest of your apprenticeship.” Feron had an extreme difficulty when it came to using the doors, almost never reaching his desired destination but finding himself at the exact opposite of place he wanted to go. Because of this he almost always used the stairs.

Pulling the door open Adoian stepped out onto the small landing just before top of the tower. To his left sat the stairs he would have had to climb. Motioning Feron forwards he climbed the last circuit of stairs stepping out onto the top on the tower.

Two massive spires stretched overhead, the pale yellow light that was the barrier stretching off into the distance. The setting sun painted the sky with a multitude of orange and reds. The pale green carpet of the WinderVal forest stretched out towards the horizon to his left and on his right stretched empty plains of grass for as far as the eye could see. Feron pointed towards a series of black outlines riding hard towards the tower in the distance.

Adoian cast a Farseeing spell. It was an aptly named spell that enhanced the casters vision allowing them to see farther than was normally possible. The range normally depended on the strength of the mage as the farther the distance the more mana needed to be expended. Feeling the spell slip into place Adoian blinked, his vision tunneling. He took a second to adjust to the sudden itcyness in his eyes, an unfortunate by product of the spell, before looking to the riders.

Starting with the first Adoian noticed that they were well ahead of the others. The rider was clad in a heavy cloak which they kept wrapped tight around themselves stopping him from making out any significant details. A short sword and bow stuck over their shoulder but they rode with little else.

Turning his attention to the riders behind them Adoian froze at the sight of their pale faces and jagged armor. Thralls. Around thirty of them charging towards them led by the cloaked rider across the plains.

Motioning Feron back with his free hand Adoian kept his gaze on the lead rider as he lifted his staff. Starting the incantation for his favorite spell, the gem on his staff grew brighter as the runic circle spread-out on the stones around him.

Leveling the staff at the rider he finished the incantation, a four foot long stream of fire lancing outwards from the gem streaking across the sky. The second the Firelance left the tower he saw the rider’s head come up. Whipping their mount to the side they changed course racing towards the barrier instead.

Adoian had another Firelance prepped and ready to fire before the first had hit the ground. Seeing it would be nearly impossible to hit the rider at a parallel dead run he turned towards the thralls instead. The Firelance raced away just as the rider neared the first ward in front of the barrier.

The Barrier wards were simple restriction wards meant to keep unwanted creatures away from the barriers. Called fear wards by the tower mages they caused anything that passed them to become increasingly uneasy instilling the desire to leave. It worked rather well on the simple minds of animals. People had been known to stray past the weaker outer wards on the inside of the barrier but they never made it very far quickly turning back as they wards got stronger as they progressed forwards. Those parts of the woods were considered haunted by most of the villages and they kept well clear of them.

The second the lead riders horse hit the ward it reared. The rider attempted to bring its mount under control but quickly lost the battle. The rider was tossed, cape flying as their black shape split in two just as the first Firelance smashed down onto the plains.

The group of thralls had turned following the rider and the second Firelance landed among them. The resulting explosion blew several of them apart, setting a large portion of them ablaze. Horses collapsed and burning thralls tumbled to the ground only to jump to their feet and resume running after the rider. Adoian frowned to himself. Normally by now the Enemy would have broken off and retreated having seen the tower manned. Never in his time as a tower mage had they even attempted to pass the wards always retreating seconds after the first spell he cast.

The thralls continued their unrelenting rush towards the rider. Turning back towards them, Adoian realized that there was not just one but two riders, one of which looked to be young boy. The main rider had unslung their bow pushing the boy ahead of them as they pushed closer to the barrier. That was when Adoian realized he was not looking at the leader of the thralls. He was seeing what the thralls hunted.

The boy and the rider must have reached the second line of wards as Adoian noticed a decline in their speed as they fought against the wards effects. The thralls showed no sign of stopping their pursuit as those that were still mounted hit the first line of wards, their mounts throwing them. Pausing only to pick themselves up off the ground they continued on foot like their burning brethren behind them, seeming to be barely affected by the ward.

Scanning the pursuing thralls for their true leader Adoian sent three more Firelance’s racing out towards them. The burning thralls were starting to collapse succumbing to the flames several of them reaching so far as the first ward before dying. Adoian’s second volley crashed down blowing two more away and igniting several leaving barely half of their initial force left.

The boy collapsed, the rider swinging him onto his back carrying him piggyback, only pausing to loose an arrow or two back in the direction of their pursuers. Adoian couldn’t understand their dogged determination to reach the barrier. It was true that it would be easier to face the thralls with their back to the wall but at the end of the day neither of the parties would be walking away from the barrier alive. A Thrall fell to an arrow from the rider leaving their number at ten as Adoian prepared to launch another volley of Firelance’s.

His third volley arched out toward the thralls before suddenly exploding midair as three blood red lances intercepted them. Scanning the thralls again Adoian failed to see where their leader had struck from and readied another Firelance. This one he aimed at the lead thralls closing in on the now walking rider as they crossed the third and final ward. There was a ripple in the air as he launched the Firelance. Another blood red lance appeared from seemingly nowhere intercepting it. Adoian had already turned towards where the lance had appeared, pointing and speaking a second incantation. A pillar of fire blasted up from the ground and a purple and black armored individual appeared as they dove through the air, leaping clear. Hitting the ground the creature hissed angrily towards Adoian and lifted its hand, a blood red lance leaping towards him.

Adoian’s vision expanded as he ended his far sight spell, the thralls and rider going back to miniature figures in the distance. A second later the blood red lance shattered into fragments in the air in front of him as it impacted the towers wards. Adoian leaned against his staff as he watched the five remaining thralls reach the rider who stood with his back against the barrier, boy protectively behind him. The remaining five laid burning in the grass. That last spell, Flamegeyser had taken almost all of his mana to cast at the range he had cast it and he needed a minute or two to rest.

From his vantage point on high Adoian watched the figures in the distance fight. The rider held his ground well against the thralls downing two of them with arrows as they neared and holding off the three in melee combat. The tides changed as the Purple and black individual entered the fray. The rider continually losing ground under the individual’s assault. There was a blast of red light and the rider tumbled backwards landing next to the boy against the barrier. Adoian sighed mustering up the remainder of his mana. The second the Black and purple individual moved in for the kill he would cast another Flamegeyser finishing the fight on both sides for good.

There was a sudden silence as the barrier vanished. The rider reacted first grabbing the boy and rolling backwards. The black and purple individual reacted second blurring forwards as it leapt at the rider. The barrier appeared again severing one of its legs as it failed to make it across the space fast enough. Adoian reacted last yelling out the incantation and pouring every last ounce of his mana into the spell. The resulting column of fire incinerated the remainder of the thralls and the lower section of leg left behind. Collapsing to his knees a wave of exhaustion washing over him, Adoian watched as the boy and rider raced towards the tree line of WinderVal. Behind them the Black and purple figure clawed his way towards the trees along the ground.

Adoian looked down at the staff in his hands. “Feron.” His apprentice stood off to the side in a daze as he watched the figures disappear in to the trees. “Feron.” Adoian said again breaking the boy out of his stupor. “Notify the sentinels that the barrier was breached and send word to Annika to return as soon as possible.” Feron nodded turning and dashing down the stairs. Adoian flexed his fingers that were cover with a thin film of red crystal cementing them to his staff. There was a crack and a dusty rain of red crystal that glistened on the stone floor as he broke the crust over his hands. Using the staff to help him to his feet Adoian tried to put order to the questions racing through his mind as he prepped himself for the long flight of stairs that awaited him on his descent down the tower.