[Magus]

Her torch flickered, its small circle of light wavering within the oppressive darkness. Aerie forged ahead, scouring the room for hidden panels, buttons…anything. The air of the crypt was damp and moldy, and she felt sick to her stomach. Even empty as it was, she never felt comfortable in such places. The dusty scent of decay made her want to gag, but that was only half of it. She hated being underground…closed in on all sides like some trapped animal. The avariel needed to spread their wings…

She shook her head, dismissing the thought. Now was not the time for such musings. She ran her hand over the wall, and something clicked. The wall opened before her, revealing some moss-covered stairs leading down. She was almost there…

She reached the end of the stairs. Looking into the room, she saw she was not alone. A fire burned in the hearth on the opposite wall, and in front of it stood a man with his back to her. He was dressed in shimmering blue robes that seemed to shift before her eyes, the fabric sparkling with otherworldly luster. Fine pale blonde hair hung to his shoulders, and there was a certain dignity and majesty to his manner, evident even in the way he stood. He held an elaborate staff of fine wrought silver, topped with a magnificent gem that must have been worth a small kingdom alone. It glowed eerily as he grasped the staff, its prismatic colors at once dazzling and beautiful.

No…it couldn’t be…him. Could it? Could her long search be finally over?

“Magus?”

She whispered it, tentatively, as if upon uttering the name the scene would fade and disappear, and she would be alone once again.

The man turned, and she found herself face-to-face with the hideous skull of a lich. Glowing red eyes pierced her from the depths of bleached white eye sockets, bony taloned hands sliding along the luridly glowing staff. As she watched in horror, thick clumps of sickly blonde hair fell to the ground, piece by rotted piece. The monster grinned at her, its smile terrible as death itself.

AERIE…

Aerie awoke with a small shriek. Her heart pounding, gasping for breath, she lied her head back on her pillow. Tears streamed unchecked down her cheek, glinting in the silvery moonlight.