Nirael awoke again to an empty bed.  But this time he was greeted with the scent of ripe fruit in his nostrils as opposed to combat in his ears.  Following the smell downstairs he found Lunari alone in the kitchen drying out fruit over coals.  She smiled at him, her standard garments donned, and offered him some for breakfast.  She pointed at the drying fruit and explained<strong>“Trail rations.”</strong><br/><br/>They spent a little bit together before he prepared for the day and then retired to the study upstairs.  The more time he spent with Alher’s spellbooks, the more he gleaned of how powerful the man was as a wizard.  Not world shakingly powerful, but certainly more so than he currently was.  What was also more interesting was that he found some more information in Alher’s magical notebook that pertained to their current situation.  First reference to Liralla the magical staff.  A single sentence that spoke of the ‘magical binding ritual’ that ‘mated’ the staff to him.  But also the following sentence about how it changed him, made him more at peace with others, and a better but also more needy lover.  It was confusing to say the least, written by the hand of a man who knew exactly what he meant, but confusing for someone who didn’t know his trials.  The other bit of information that sounded intriguing was reference to when he had confronted ‘the demon.’  He spoke of the demon Marada’zakaizei.  But in his reference it didn’t so much sound like a battle as it was a test of will.  Though he did admit in his own writing that he split the artifact in half and escaped with his half while Marada’zakaizei pursued the other.  It continued that if his magical shielding ever faded, keeping the artifact half hidden from the demon’s sight, it would be able to find the other half no matter where it was on the planet.  This wasn’t exactly new information, but it did cast what Nirael knew into a new light.  Maybe Lunari hadn’t been given the full story, or had misunderstood it.  Nirael doubted she would have lied.<br/><br/>Drawing forth his artifact half he studied it for a good long while, comparing it to the notes that Alher had left.  But there seemed to be little more than speculation.  Again he let the artifact dangle from the chain, and again it rose into the air.  Again the artifact pointed to the south west.  Nirael wasn’t familiar with this continent or what lay beyond the village to the south west, and so he was unable to tell where it might be pointing.  He knew that the center of town lay in that direction, but beyond it, beyond the town, beyond the forest around it, he had no clue.<br/><br/>Frustratingly, he pocketed it and decided that it was time to head in that direction anyways.  Sirana was waiting for further instruction.  He found her not at the inn, but instead with Mara at a grand stone set near the center of town.  She explained that it was known as the ‘mourning stone’ and that the elven people creamated their dead under the moon lit sky.  This stone, covered with elegantly carved names, was a massive reminder of those who had passed.  As a necromancer she felt a draw to it, but was eager to learn under Nirael.  Along with Lunari, the group returned to the inn.  Mara and Lunari chatted quietly while Sirana and Nirael went over more of the concepts of the primal spells.  But finally she admitted she was ready to try adapting some of his spells to her own divine magic.  Gathering Mara and Lunari, the four retreated to the bedroom upstairs, and the ranger and the rogue stripped down to be ‘test subjects.’<br/><br/>Several orgasms later, Sirana kissed Nirael and said she would stay and practice with Mara.  Who did nothing but look up from the bedsheets, sweaty and smiling, as Lunari got dressed again.  She whispered in Nirael’s ear that maybe next time the two of them could practice together in private if he’d like.  She was eager to see how her working of primal magic affected him after all.<br/><br/>After that, Lunari took a few minutes to clean up and refresh herself before the pair went for a long leisurely walk about town, talking to several people.  The sight of the human guised male was no longer quite as shocking but he did seem to draw lustful glances.  Still Lunari was armed, even if her blade was stowed magically in her bracer and everyone was polite and kind.<br/><br/>The tour ended with a stop at the temple, where they sat in on a worship service, but did not participate this time.  However the Matriarch did smile at Nirael and gesture him over afterwards.  Lunari smiled and stayed at a distance as the matriarch guided him into a garden along the back wall of the open air temple.  Trellises of climbing vines and blooming flowers all but hid them from view and gave quite a nice illusion of privacy even though guardswomen stood not thirty feet away.<br/><br/>She spoke to him for a while and they conversed about his history and what he’d learned before she finally revealed her reason for wanting to speak with him.<strong> “I feel I can trust you and that after your dance the other day you’ll believe what I am about to say.  I am the matriarch of my people for more reasons than you might expect.  I am the oldest among us, and have seen more than six centuries pass.  I remember a time before our people were cursed with the lust, and I remember the transition through it.  Many of the men and women of the villiage carry at least a drop of my blood in their veins.  I’d say at least one out of ten is related to me at least distantly.”</strong><br/><br/>She leaned in and whispered the next part,<strong>“But also one of the reasons is because our goddess whispers to me.  She guides me, my people through me, and she’s told me that someone like you would come to save us.  For years I thought that Alher was the one we had been waiting for, he fit every aspect of the whispers of Eilistraee.  But obviously he was not who we were waiting for.  But now, our time grows shorter, if it is not you, I fear that we have waited in vain, or missed our chance.”</strong><br/><br/>She shook her head,<strong>“I speak in riddles, I know this, and I apologize.  But know that the fountain, the river’s head, it is more than just a magical water source, it is more.  But we wait for the right man to unlock it.  If you stay true to your beliefs, and if you are a good man, you may save my people from what is coming.”</strong><br/><br/>Nirael tried to get more information out of the Matriarch, but she became illusive, and then they were both distracted by shouting from the temple.  Calls for the Matriarch led the two of them back to the temple proper.  There Anju stood glaring down at a small blue skinned creature.  Nirael recognized it as a kobold, though he’d never seen one so clean or calm.  She stood as if nothing could touch her, despite the drawn swords and spears leveled at her.  Despite standing no more than three feet tall, she stood proudly and watched as the Matriarch approached.<br/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/Wzu0qbu.jpg)</div><br/>Anju was the one to speak,<strong>“This beast walked out of the forest, directly towards our village.  I would have slain her, but she carried weapons and as soon as she was aware of us, she threw them aside and began that barking yapping that they do.  I’ve checked her for any other weapons or magic and can find none.  We debated slaying her, but even with blades at her throat, she seemed unconcerned, simply continuing to yip in her strange language.  Since we know you speak it Matriarch, we brought her to you.”</strong><br/><br/>The matriarch nodded and spoke in a very gutteral and ‘dirty’ form of draconic, one that Nirael knew was used by kobolds,<strong>“Who are you and what do you want?”</strong><br/><br/>The blue skinned kobold reached down to her belt and pulled off a small string of semi precious gemstones and held them out,<strong>“Life debt, you let me live, I pay.” </strong>But the matriarch held her hand out and shook her head no.  The kobold continued,<strong> “My name, Pooit.  I sent with message.”</strong><br/><br/>The guards around tightened their grips on their weapons, but again the kobold, Pooit by name apparently, continued,<strong>“I sent with message.  Purple elves leave magic water.  Warn you that before next full moon, you all die.”</strong><br/><br/><strong>“Is that a threat?” </strong>The matriarch asked.<br/><br/>Pooit clicked her teeth and turned her head, her eyes narrowing slightly.  Nirael realized it was the kobold equivalent of shrugging her shoulders.<strong> “Many swords come. Many of my people come up from ground.  Many fire casters burn trees.  You have little chance.  My people, three claw for each of your people.”</strong><br/><br/>The matriarch looked at Nirael and explained,<strong>“They have three fingers and a thumb.  Three claw means twelve.  She’s saying there’s twelve kobolds for each elf in this villiage.”   But then she turned back to Pooit, “Why do you come to tell us this?”</strong><br/><br/><strong>“Pooit was shaman.  Pooit tell chief that elf magic dangerous.  Pooit not want hatchlings fighting elfs for many turns.  New shaman come.  Shaman talk to pink men above ground.  They say they help us take magic elf water.  Pooit not trust pink men, Pooit not trust purple elf either.  But say we stay down in caves where best food is.  Stay safe in our holes.  Chief call Pooit a coward and cast Pooit out.  Pooit not know where else to go.” </strong>She snapped her  teeth again and turned her head.<br/><br/>The matriarch seemed to think about this for a while, then translated all that had been said in draconic to the elves around her.<strong> “She says that the kobolds are going to attack within a week’s time.  That there are thousands of them, and they will take our village.” </strong>Nirael noticed that she left out the information about the ‘pink men’.<br/><br/>Anju spoke first though,<strong>“Forewarned is forearmed, shall I kill her now Matriarch?”</strong><br/><br/>The matriarch grimaced and turned to Nirael and spoke softly,<strong>“These diggers are our enemies and have killed many of our people.  I feel like it would be foolish to let her live, what do you think?”</strong><br/>