Chapter 2
Raija pulled back from the portal, concentrated on using her newly discovered psionic powers, and made the portal into a scrying device. She looked through and saw Minoto and Liz appear on the edge of the Grove. Laurenest was back in Minoto's ring. She watched as a large black rabbit bounded out of the Grove. She watched Nightshade greet Minoto and Liz and teleport two thin black horses out of one of the Grove's clearings. Minoto and Liz mounted up and followed Nightshade as she hopped into the Grove.
The Grove was warm and sunny. It usually reflected the outside weather, though Raija could change it if she wanted to. The shadows of the trees in the Grove and the things in it all stretched toward the center, the Tower. The shadows were also lengthened so the edges touched the Tower. This was how it had gotten its name. Shadowloft Tower, the attraction of shadows. The mist flowed like a thin stream, sometimes on the ground and sometimes in the air. Raija had 'borrowed' a little mist from Count Strahd and tamed it so it wouldn't kill anyone. It trapped intruders in the Grove and confused them. Minoto and Liz rode on the horses, which were attentive but calm. They rode on, occasionally picking cherries, plums, or strawberries.
"Awww, look at the cute little bunnies!" Liz looked at Minoto.
"You know Minoto, those thing aren't bunnies. They're hamsters. And they're pretty cute. I want some skittles. Why didn't I bring any? I'm getting bored. Maybe I can make an earthquake or something fun."
Minoto made a face. "I was joking Liz. Geez, get a sense of humor. As for being bored, we could always make the horses go faster. We would also speed up our travel time, and we'd get to the tower faster."
Liz nodded. "Yes, that sounds good, sensible, and all that stuff. We shall proceed directly. " She leaned forward and spoke softly to the horse, gripping the reins and leaning forward. The horse leaped forward into a smooth gallop. She grinned over her shoulder at Minoto, she was trying to get her horse to run too. "Come on Minoto. The horses are due for a run, so let's let them. You're gonna get left behind!" She called to Minoto's horse and it streaked forward behind Liz's.
Raija sat in a mass of broken oozy burnt things. She frowned. "I hate cooking." After multiple tries at making cheese cake and some fancy meat thing, she gave up. She also had no more food ingredient things. Sighing, Raija summoned a dozen Guardians and instructed them to clean up the mess. They looked unhappy. "Don't forget what happened to Jerky," Raija warned. The Guardians shuddered, remembering the cotton ball covered, rabbit bitten Guardian who had been polymorphed from a Live one/Guardian into a fluffy carrot. The Guardians all started cleaning frenziedly. Raija smirled (something between a smile and a smirk), and set about finding a decent place to order take out.
Minoto and Liz were almost through the Grove. They rode quickly through the tall trees. Soon the tall looming shape of Shadowloft Tower could be seen. Nightshade went ahead to inform Raija, hopping so fast she blurred. Minoto and Liz followed at a slightly slower pace. The rippling blue and white magic barrier that surrounded the Tower parted to let them through, though Nightshade simply hopped through it unhindered. After they passed it closed back into a rippling and pulsing gate. The smooth cherry wood door at the base of the Tower opened and Raija stepped out.
Raija was wearing her usual black clothes. This consisted of a grayish/black shirt, covered by a sleek black vest. She wore loose black pants. Her clothes were all made of a sort of chain mail polymorphed into velvet and silk. It worked like the armor but weighed and felt like the fabric. Part of her black hair fell to the edges of her ears, and the rest fell straight down to mid-neck level. A velvet scarf around her waist served as a belt. A slightly shortened rapier hung on her left side (so she could reach it with her right hand), a black pouch on the right. An arm bracer for daggers was visible on her right arm.She could produce an endless stream of daggers from it, all of which would disappear after they had struck. Raija hadn't quite figured out if the daggers were solid illusion, magic, or just illusion. She'd do research someday.
Raija came forward to greet her friends. "Hi Minoto, Liz. How was the trip through the Grove? Hope the drow didn't attack you. I found a portal from Menzoberranzan in one of the clearings, and those damn dark elves have been popping up everywhere. No sign of them?"
Minoto shook her head. "I saw something that looked like a spider and a dark elf mixed together, but I assumed it was one of your pets."
Liz nodded. "Yes, it hissed at us, but it didn't seem extremely evil or anything. Just…weird."
Raija rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it is weird. Anyway, come inside." She gestured them all in.
The inside was it's usual black color, lit with sunlight from the windows and fire and lighting jewels. Minoto, Raija and Liz walked in. Minoto's dark blue hair shone in the sunlight, and her long blue clothes rustled gently as she walked along the floor. Minoto was about a foot taller than everyone, one of the reasons Raija made her doorways extra big.
"I'll show you guys to your rooms, then we'll have lunch," said Raija.
"Lunch sounds very good. I'm hungry," replied Minoto. Liz nodded. The three walked to the spiral staircase in the center of the Tower. The staircase was so huge that it didn't take long to get there, despite the Tower's size. The two portals at the bottom glimmered gray, black, and blue. They all stepped into them, and vanished.
Raija pulled back from the portal, concentrated on using her newly discovered psionic powers, and made the portal into a scrying device. She looked through and saw Minoto and Liz appear on the edge of the Grove. Laurenest was back in Minoto's ring. She watched as a large black rabbit bounded out of the Grove. She watched Nightshade greet Minoto and Liz and teleport two thin black horses out of one of the Grove's clearings. Minoto and Liz mounted up and followed Nightshade as she hopped into the Grove.
The Grove was warm and sunny. It usually reflected the outside weather, though Raija could change it if she wanted to. The shadows of the trees in the Grove and the things in it all stretched toward the center, the Tower. The shadows were also lengthened so the edges touched the Tower. This was how it had gotten its name. Shadowloft Tower, the attraction of shadows. The mist flowed like a thin stream, sometimes on the ground and sometimes in the air. Raija had 'borrowed' a little mist from Count Strahd and tamed it so it wouldn't kill anyone. It trapped intruders in the Grove and confused them. Minoto and Liz rode on the horses, which were attentive but calm. They rode on, occasionally picking cherries, plums, or strawberries.
"Awww, look at the cute little bunnies!" Liz looked at Minoto.
"You know Minoto, those thing aren't bunnies. They're hamsters. And they're pretty cute. I want some skittles. Why didn't I bring any? I'm getting bored. Maybe I can make an earthquake or something fun."
Minoto made a face. "I was joking Liz. Geez, get a sense of humor. As for being bored, we could always make the horses go faster. We would also speed up our travel time, and we'd get to the tower faster."
Liz nodded. "Yes, that sounds good, sensible, and all that stuff. We shall proceed directly. " She leaned forward and spoke softly to the horse, gripping the reins and leaning forward. The horse leaped forward into a smooth gallop. She grinned over her shoulder at Minoto, she was trying to get her horse to run too. "Come on Minoto. The horses are due for a run, so let's let them. You're gonna get left behind!" She called to Minoto's horse and it streaked forward behind Liz's.
Raija sat in a mass of broken oozy burnt things. She frowned. "I hate cooking." After multiple tries at making cheese cake and some fancy meat thing, she gave up. She also had no more food ingredient things. Sighing, Raija summoned a dozen Guardians and instructed them to clean up the mess. They looked unhappy. "Don't forget what happened to Jerky," Raija warned. The Guardians shuddered, remembering the cotton ball covered, rabbit bitten Guardian who had been polymorphed from a Live one/Guardian into a fluffy carrot. The Guardians all started cleaning frenziedly. Raija smirled (something between a smile and a smirk), and set about finding a decent place to order take out.
Minoto and Liz were almost through the Grove. They rode quickly through the tall trees. Soon the tall looming shape of Shadowloft Tower could be seen. Nightshade went ahead to inform Raija, hopping so fast she blurred. Minoto and Liz followed at a slightly slower pace. The rippling blue and white magic barrier that surrounded the Tower parted to let them through, though Nightshade simply hopped through it unhindered. After they passed it closed back into a rippling and pulsing gate. The smooth cherry wood door at the base of the Tower opened and Raija stepped out.
Raija was wearing her usual black clothes. This consisted of a grayish/black shirt, covered by a sleek black vest. She wore loose black pants. Her clothes were all made of a sort of chain mail polymorphed into velvet and silk. It worked like the armor but weighed and felt like the fabric. Part of her black hair fell to the edges of her ears, and the rest fell straight down to mid-neck level. A velvet scarf around her waist served as a belt. A slightly shortened rapier hung on her left side (so she could reach it with her right hand), a black pouch on the right. An arm bracer for daggers was visible on her right arm.She could produce an endless stream of daggers from it, all of which would disappear after they had struck. Raija hadn't quite figured out if the daggers were solid illusion, magic, or just illusion. She'd do research someday.
Raija came forward to greet her friends. "Hi Minoto, Liz. How was the trip through the Grove? Hope the drow didn't attack you. I found a portal from Menzoberranzan in one of the clearings, and those damn dark elves have been popping up everywhere. No sign of them?"
Minoto shook her head. "I saw something that looked like a spider and a dark elf mixed together, but I assumed it was one of your pets."
Liz nodded. "Yes, it hissed at us, but it didn't seem extremely evil or anything. Just…weird."
Raija rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it is weird. Anyway, come inside." She gestured them all in.
The inside was it's usual black color, lit with sunlight from the windows and fire and lighting jewels. Minoto, Raija and Liz walked in. Minoto's dark blue hair shone in the sunlight, and her long blue clothes rustled gently as she walked along the floor. Minoto was about a foot taller than everyone, one of the reasons Raija made her doorways extra big.
"I'll show you guys to your rooms, then we'll have lunch," said Raija.
"Lunch sounds very good. I'm hungry," replied Minoto. Liz nodded. The three walked to the spiral staircase in the center of the Tower. The staircase was so huge that it didn't take long to get there, despite the Tower's size. The two portals at the bottom glimmered gray, black, and blue. They all stepped into them, and vanished.