The region of the Oracle Pool has the illusion about it – to an observer standing on the ground – of being remote and secluded, far from the concerns of the outside world, and the illusion is enhanced by the reduced visibility thanks to low-hanging clouds and a light drizzle that mists the air, calling to mind Envoy's previous visit to an oracle – if, in fact, the event ever occurred at all.

Zahirinee – the governor of this province as well as perhaps the single greatest seer on the whole of Sinai – demands a certain amount of seclusion and time to himself. It is so that he can concentrate upon his magicks, it is said, and it would be only a fool who would deny him that, seeing as the whole reason these people chose him as their leader (whether he liked it or not) was on account of his celebrated abilities of foresight. To deny him that much would be to miss the whole point.

Thus it was that Envoy met with considerable trouble trying to arrange a visit with Zahirinee. Simply flying up to the pool would have been met with resistance – and, if the locals are to be believed, it would have been violent resistance, as the guards have long tired of an endless parade of every self-appointed "hero" and "heroine" the planet has to offer.

To hear them tell it, every visitor comes claiming that his is the most important quest that the seer should find time to lend aid to. And, of course, there are plenty of ordinary mundane people who will grumble and nod heads at a farmer's insistence that finding his lost Rughrat is just as important – if not more so – than some powdered poodle knight finding the "Lost Diadem of Queen Whazzername". Needless to say, at the very hint on Envoy's part that she might have a quest of her own, she was met with eye-rolls, groans and "here we go again" face-pulling.

It does so spoil the mystique of a good and proper quest.

That said, Envoy of Lothrhyn is nothing if not distinctive, and it wasn't long before she was recognized, and someone recalled that she had something to do with defeating some ice monster years before. (The locals don't happen to be College mages, so hopefully they can be forgiven for not being on the scene and not knowing the precise details. The College Esoterica doesn't often advertise its disasters.) After being paraded in front of several bats who seemed to hold some indistinct level of importance in what must be a local bureaucracy in its infancy, Envoy was at last granted a chance to go and see Zahirinee. Even that would not guarantee that she'd get a moment of his time.

After a long list of warnings not to do so much as sneeze in the general direction of the pool (Wynona has not been forgotten, and, alas, neither has she been forgiven by most of the common folk), Envoy has been allowed into the clearing that includes the legendary pool, Zahirinee's pool, and a great many abandoned stone structures that look as if a giant grabbed heaps of clay from the ground, slapped them together, then magically turned them into stone. (Maybe in a few centuries or millenia, they will have degraded enough to pass for menhirs, and some future generation will look on them in awe as legacies of a great age of magic, not as the refuse of bad house guests.)

Zahirinee himself stands on the platform at the apex of the curved bridge over the pool, his ring-belled staff resting in a crook of the weaving wooden guard-rails. He has a strong, straight-backed bearing that one expects of a leader, but his face – even with that thin layer of downy Eeee fur – is lined with the beginnings of creases, and his eyes have a weary cast about them of seeing too many things and sleeping too little. Given how long Envoy was delayed in the unnamed village outside his domain, it shouldn't be surprising that he seems to anticipate her arrival – He nods by way of greeting, as she steps into the clear.

Envoy walks up to the foot of the bridge, and pauses until she gets a sign from Zahirinee that she should meet him at the center. "I'm glad you could see me, Master," she says politely after bowing.

Zahirinee says nothing by way of response, but inclines his head, and extends one arm, letting the sleeve slide back from the hand so that it can be seen, and waves with his hand for Envoy to approach.

Making her way across the bridge, the Exile is amazed at the tranquility of the place, never having seen it this way before.

The bat seer speaks in a voice little raised over a whisper, though uncharacteristically deep for an Eeee. "I understand that you have come seeking assistance on a quest."

Envoy nods, and keeps her voice to a whisper as well. "I was given a riddle by an Oracle, which spoke of four magical essences I should find that would help me repair the damage done to my mind when I battled with Inala."

Zahirinee nods. "Could you share with me this riddle? I may be a seer, but I am not omniscient."

Envoy nods, and recites,

"Dragon to Child as Fire is to Water,
Air to Probe as Earth is to Father,
A thing in a place, a place for a thing,
Metal, plant and stone, and of dirt do I sing.

In the hearts of four realms, far and away,
Live essences of each of the elements, I say.
A precious thing, potent to have and behold,
Find it there, bring it here, just as you're told."

Zahirinee nods, listening patiently, as rainwater collects upon his cowl, and runs down, dripping over his mantle. He pays the drizzle no heed.

"I'm supposed to … choose these realms myself, somehow," Envoy adds. "Fire, Water, Air and Earth suggest to me the worlds of Abaddon, Ashtoreth, Sinai and Behemoth, but I may be thinking too literally. Are there places here on Sinai that might be associated with the elements as well?"

Zahirinee says, "Quite possibly. As you may know, the concept of the four elements figures heavily into traditional Ashdodite understanding of magic. It is common in matters of magic for things to be arranged in a sort of symmetry, based upon those elements. Those worlds are indeed associated with those elements – This very world is thought of as the realm of 'air'." He reaches up with one hand, gesturing at a minor "sky island" – no more than a boulder, really – floating by high overhead, dimly seen as it is mostly obscured by the blanket of cloud covering the sky.

"But it would not be unreasonable to assume that there are other interpretations," he adds. "You might note that there seem to be other 'elements' referred to in this riddle you have described to me. Your 'Aspects' – if I understand them correctly – are here associated with each of those elements. Whatever you seek, most likely, should somehow be related to an Aspect and an Element at the same time."

The seer shrugs his wings. "Though, do keep in mind that the relationship may be somewhat strained. Oracular riddles are quite often like that. Any stretch for the achievement of symmetry."

"I wasn't sure how to associate things," Envoy admits. "Dragon and Fire certainly go together, and the order suggests Dragon and Metal … but I'm not sure if it means I should seek out the essence of metal in a realm of fire, or to seek out the essence of fire in a realm of metal."

"It could well be either," Zahirinee says. "The trick would be to find if such a thing exists."

"These essences would need to be … artifacts of some kind, I think," Envoy says. "How else could I bring them back? If they are meant to be essences of a primary element, then they might be sources of magic as well. Can you seek out an essence of Fire, in say … Chronotopia, or Titania … to see if such a thing exists?"

"One thing you should note," Zahirinee says, "is how an opposition is suggested. It is often observed that magic of fire is opposed to that of water, just as magic of air is opposed to that of earth. An attempt here is being made to link each of your Aspects to an element. You might try to discern in what way a given Aspect – linked to an element – is opposed to another element that is its opposite."

The bat seer then ponders. "I dare say, 'fire in a realm of metal' would seem to describe Chronotopia or Titania nicely enough. And certainly there is plenty of metal in the realm of fire, insofar as Abaddon is concerned. The trick might be to figure out how some artifact might be both related to metal, as well as to your Aspect of Dragon."

"Assuming, that is," Zahirinee says, "that metal is indeed associated with fire and Dragon. Keep all possibilities open at this stage."

Envoy nods, and looks down at her own reflection in the water. "Dragon and Child are certainly opposites. Chronotopia is a very orderly society, and Dragon was very orderly and logical as well. And as pointed out, it is a realm with plenty of metal. Child is … well, childlike. An association with water and plant though, I have trouble seeing. If it were just water and attitude, the Gigi Coast suggests itself, but I know little to nothing about the flora there, if a plant was what I should find."

Looking back to the sage, Envoy asks, "Do you think I should I focus on realms that associate best with each Aspect, and not worry about the metal, plant, stone and dirt elements until the realms are chosen?"

Zahirinee furrows his brow. "That would depend. It is ambiguous, from what you have told me, whether the 'realm' depends most upon the Element, the Aspect … or the Sub-Sphere. That could be crucial. But allow me to posit that if I were to guess at such a thing, I would suppose that metal is to Dragon as plant is to Child … and I would associate dirt with Probe, stone with Father. Why? Stone represents stability, whereas dirt implies something malleable, without cohesion." He rubs his fingers together, letting imaginary grains shake from his hand. "But that may seem to be too negative an association for your Probe Aspect, and I apologize if that is at all offensive. It is not meant to be."

Envoy thinks about this. "Metal is rigid, and so is Dragon certainly. Plants are living, growing things, or at least have the potential to be, so that suits Child. Dirt does relate well to Probe in some ways. Probe's thinking is rather unstructured, like dirt."

"I think with those associations, I would be searching for the sub-sphere elements as essences then, to represent my lost Aspects," Envoy decides. "That would leave the primary elements to associate with realms."

Zahirinee nods. "All of the Sub-Spheres are potentially solid objects, and the Sphere of Earth is largely concerned with the material world."

Envoy taps her claws on the railing of the bridge for a few moments, then stops once she realizes she's doing it. "Fire, Water, Air and Earth. How literally should I view those? Maybe I only need to seek realms that have the same qualities as the elements."

The bat seer says, "That I cannot tell you. Riddles often have many possible interpretations. Consider the phrase 'far and away'. In the Rephidim Standard, it sounds as if you are saying 'places far from here'. If it were literally translated in Babelite, it would suggest, 'somewhere that is far … and then somewhere that is completely removed'. It might be interpreted as saying, 'One of these places is far from here, and the rest are even further yet.'"

Zahirinee proposes, "That would lend credence, for example, to your theory that the realms might be associated with four of the worlds of the Primus System – Sinai, this one, being one of them. However, it could also lend credence to an interpretation that each location is to be found on Sinai. It could be that one of those locations is relatively nearby, whereas the others might be on other continents."

"The primary continents," Zahirinee says, "are Ai, Ur and Lamu. But there is also the frigid expanse to the far, far south of Sinai. Few realize that there is actually another continent there, eternally buried under the ice."

"Therefore," he says, "it might be in keeping with the concept of fours, if there were one item on each of these continents. To use a wild interpretation, let us pretend that the one on Ai would be something metal found in Bosch. Bosch might be associated with fire. How does that relate to Dragon? By being as far opposite of logic as it could be. But if that were the case, then one would presume that the other aspects would be similarly reversed. There must be some sort of symmetry."

"If I knew where one of the objects was, it would probably tell me the relationship," Envoy says, brow furrowing around the base of her horn. "Your example of Bosch does fit though, as the opposite of the place you'd likely find something metal representing order."

Zahirinee nods. "And with the planets allegory … perhaps something metal on Abaddon that in some way represents Dragon … some sort of plant on Ashtoreth that relates to Child … dirt in some form from Sinai that relates to Probe … and a stone from Behemoth appropriate to Father. Really, given how many possibilities there are, it should be hoped that the oracle did not hope you to find specific items, or you may spend many years going about, bringing back items, only to find that they are not the right ones."

"They must be precious things, potent to have and behold," Envoy whispers. "So … they wouldn't necessarily be hidden. They'd be obvious once found."

"And they'll be in the heart of each realm," the Aeolun adds. "But that could mean anything, really."

"And whether that is good or bad remains to be seen," Zahirinee says, solemnly.

"Could we check?" Envoy asks, lashing her tail back and forth. "Can you look into the heart of Bosch, for instance, and see what's there?"

Zahirinee shudders. "One does not look into the heart of Bosch lightly. Scrying is normally mere observation … but not so with Bosch. Its magic defies the normal rules as we know them."

Envoy frowns and nods. "But then … they should be obvious artifacts. Are there any legends of such things in Bosch? Like … a metal talisman of the Great Gear or similar?"

"Actually, yes," Zahirinee says. "The Cascades of Fire are often the object of quests of some very brave – or desperate – Landsknechts of Chronotopia, where it is believed that even the most potent of artifacts might be destroyed. Many a Landsknecht has fallen short of that goal, and many potent artifacts have been littered along the way … perhaps as well kept from the outside world as if they were destroyed. But there is also an artifact known by many names … the Black Sword … The Sword of Order … The Meteoric Sword. It was a weapon supposedly fashioned of meteoric iron, but apparently possessing even more resistance to magic than weapons crafted of Abaddonian steel."

Envoy blinks at this revelation. "Why would anyone want to destroy something like that?"

"This weapon was kept by the monks of the Sanctuary of Order – the Bronze Lance – and used only in times of great need, when the Boschian Overlords were so bold as to march against the lands of the mortals. At some time past, a group of brave knights ventured into Bosch, using this sword, intent upon destroying Nosh'ma, Overlord of Chaos. Their numbers were overwhelmed, even though they possessed the sword, and so the sword was lost to chaos. The monks to this day have an enchanted compass that always points the way to the sword, so they know it yet exists, but none can reach it." He pauses, then explains, "I was merely giving two possible interpretations. I would suppose none would want to drop the Sword of Order in the Cascades."

"It certainly suits Dragon," Envoy admits. "But even if I could recover it, I don't think the monks would let me take it away to be used in a ritual. Or lend me the compass to find it."

Zahirinee nods. "I do not think I could help you there."

Envoy blinks at the Eeee. "You have influence among the monks, I take it?"

"None whatsoever," Zahirinee says. "They are interested in fighting magic, not using it. When I say that the compass is 'enchanted', they prefer to think of it as 'blessed'."

"How could you help me find the Black Sword?" Envoy asks, quite curious now.

"You misunderstand me," Zahirinee says. "I said 'I do not think I could help you there,' implying that I would be of little use to you on that quest. If I were, I would have told some knight long ago. You are not the first to ask about it."

"As to date," Zahirinee confesses, "I have never used this pool to scry into Bosch. It is uncertain what the consequences would be, given the potent magicks in this place, and those of Bosch. Given that scrying without such a pool is risk enough, it would be inadvisable."

"And, alas," Zahirinee says, "even this pool does not allow me to scry into the other worlds. Not directly, in any case, and indirect means are invariably flawed."

Envoy nods. "Let's move on to Water then. That could be an island, or a lake, or … a marshy place? A beach?"

"If Bosch were fire, then the realm for water would not need to be entirely water," Zahirinee suggests. "It would simply need to have some noteworthy feature of water – say, compared to the Cascades of Fire – or else something about it relates to 'water' as some other realm might relate to 'fire'."

After looking at the pool for a bit, Envoy offers, "Like here? Water is certainly key to this place."

Zahirinee lets out a long breath. "True. Quite true. Let us pursue that theory. Magical fire … Cascades of Fire. Magical water … my scrying pool. That would leave magical air and magical earth. There may be merit in this."

"This is where I began my career in Magic, essentially," Envoy says. "The point where I had … the most potential for growth. Heh, maybe I have roots here. I don't suppose you have any artifacts of wood, or magical plants or similar here?"

"Perhaps my staff," Zahirinee says, "or any number of enchanted parchments. Pursuing this line of reasoning, you might find it useful to know that there is indeed something magical associated with air to be found in the southernmost portions of Sinai. It is a realm that few outsiders know of: Isetia."

"A sky island?" Envoy asks.

"In a manner of speaking," Zahirinee says. "I am given to understand that there was once an outpost of the Knights Templar known as the Sanctuary of Ice, located at the very southern pole of Sinai, in the midst of a Forbidden Zone, and the orbits of many sky islands. There is very potent magic there, and it is said that the magic of the Sphere of Air itself coalesces into solid form, known to the natives as 'isetis'. Beyond that, even I know very little of that land, for it is a hazardous journey to go from here to there."

Envoy 's eyes go wide. "Solid magic? I didn't think illiaster was stable on Sinai. That may be worth looking into for that reason alone. I also have another thought about Water. Would the Sea of Sand be a kind of realm of Water? It's … fluid. Just not wet."

Zahirinee ponders this. "Perhaps … if it can be Water and Dirt at the same time. And as for isetis, I am given to understand that it is far from stable. In fact, it would be a problem to try to bring back any, for it is said that it melts if one takes it too far from its origin, regardless of any measures one takes."

"Ah, I didn't think it would be stable," Envoy says. "If the Sea of Sand can count as a realm of Water … then I know what the artifact representing the subsphere of plants is, and where to find it. A seed from the Earth Tower of Barabbas, I suspect."

"Ah," Zahirinee says, nodding. "A splendid interpretation. And, might I say, something of a relief: if this quest involves disrupting my scrying pool, I would have great difficulties with that. I suppose then, that so far we have no contenders for Earth and Stone."

Envoy grins. "I was also told a certain rite performed while bathing in your pool would solve my problem, but I didn't think it worth asking further about. Stone might refer to an old place … or perhaps a place that has some quality of hardness or stubborness?"

The seer raises an eyebrow at the "bathing in the pool" suggestion. Perhaps from Envoy's grin, he took as an attempt at a joke. "Or, it might refer to a Sifran artifact … though that hardly narrows down the possibilities."

Envoy blinks. "Oh, of course … Stone is Father, so it would make sense to look on Morpheus, where Sifran crystal is part of the landscape."

"Hmm," Zahirinee muses, rubbing his chin. "The planets again, eh? I'm almost certain that if any one of the artifacts is off of this world, you should look for some sort of symmetry in the locations of the others. A difference in worlds would be a very distinctive definition of 'realm', and I'm almost certain that any proper quest would be consistent on that point."

"In other words," Zahirinee says, "if you go off-world for one of those artifacts, expect to go off-world for at least two more of them, I dare say."

"Going off-world is not exactly easy to arrange," Envoy says, sounding somewhat downcast. "The Temple probably wouldn't let me visit any given world on my own, after all."

"The Temple?" Zahirinee echoes. "As I am given to understand, the Temple would have no say in that anymore, but rather that the Gateway Tower is the shared domain of an alliance between the Khattan Emirate and the human 'Kampfzengruppe' of Abaddon. Given that the Gateway Tower is perhaps one of the most spectacular Sifran sites known to exist, and Rephidim's long-standing declared authority over all things Sifran, this is surely a point of contention. I do not have to be a seer to predict this as being a source of trouble in the future. But I digress."

"Rather," the seer says, "in order to be able to visit the other worlds, you would need find favor in the eyes of either the Kampfzengruppe, or else the Khattan Emir."

"The Emir would probably grant me passage. I must assume the Oracle has the same limitations you do when it comes to the Gateway Worlds," Envoy says. "That would suggest the artifacts are here on Sinai, wouldn't it?"

Zahirinee nods, then stops. "Unless … " He rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Unless, that is, knowledge of the existence of such artifacts is something that can be found here on Sinai. We do not know the source of this oracle's inspiration. Consider this: When you journeyed through the Dream Realm, did you ever experience recreations of things that were entirely not of this world?"

Envoy nods. "Yes, but … they were things I knew. For it to apply to the riddle of the Oracle, wouldn't I also already need to know about the artifacts if they were on other worlds?"

"That, or else that knowledge was accessible from some other source by the Oracle," Zahirinee says. "Scrying magic is very peculiar in that fashion. In a sense, all of us within the reach of the magic of Sinai are being watched, monitored, at all levels, by a pervasive force. The Olympians would call this force 'Primus', while Ashdodites would call it 'Barada'. One could say that this force knows all things that can be known on Sinai, and that scryers are able to tap into but a fraction of that body of knowledge. The visions we receive often contain information that we could not possibly hope to deliberately find on our own, but are instead subject to the whims of Primus or Barada."

Envoy hmms. "I was led to this Oracle by a Yodhbarada. Still … I think the realms must be here on Sinai. I don't think finding the 'heart' of an entire planet would be practical, and if I go through the Gateway … well, I could have my problem taken care of in more direct ways at that point."

"Please refresh my memory," Zahirinee says. "Which part of the riddle again indicated that you needed the heart of a planet?"

"Not the heart of a planet, per se," Envoy says. "The riddle says, 'In the hearts of four realms, far and away.'"

Zahirinee nods. "Was there any more to the riddle than what you have told me?"

"There were some … addendums," Envoy says, and quotes,

"Where to find them? Where do they abide?
Is there an answer? Or is it for you to decide?
There is potency in the riddle, not so in the plain,
It is your own mind to heal, so easy answers are in vain."

After a moment, she adds, "… The gods have an answer in mind, but is it the best?
A quest is not simple, too cheap if done in ease,
So find fitting answers, and the gods your cleverness please."

The seer nods at this. "'The gods'. A curious reference. One does not usually speak of the Babelite pantheon as acting in concert. One does not usually imagine the Kindly Ones acting in unison, let alone the whole of the rest of the deities of the Ashdodites, and They are not generally referred to in such … generic terms."

Zahirinee adds, "It may also imply that there is no single answer. There may be several possible solutions. It may not be that the items hold any special potency in and of themselves, but rather than their acquisition holds special significance to you. In a sense, it could be the journey itself that is the treatment, and not the physical trophies you are to acquire."

"I had considered that," Envoy says, but with a frown. "But that leaves it up to me to choose the difficulty of each journey, and I wouldn't know if I'd chosen correctly until the end."

"In my current state of mind, I would probably just end up punishing myself," the Aeolun admits.

"As it is," Zahirinee says, "it is unlikely you will know for certain until you have reached the end. In any case, I believe I may be able to work a ritual to help you search for some possible solutions … but you will have to choose what interpretation you are going to make of this riddle, and my scrying will only be so reliable as your interpretation."

"This is why," the mage explains, "I have been spending this time with you trying to go over this riddle in more detail before we seek a magical solution. It is not possible to find the answer, until you know the question."

Envoy stares at her reflection in the water for a while longer before replying. "I think that looking for some sort of definite artifact in each case is the most worthwhile course for me. Even if it is the wrong one, at least my effort wouldn't necessarily be wasted then."

Zahirinee nods. "Let us go over, then, our best contenders for interpretation."

"That Black Sword certainly sounded appropriate," Envoy says, "except that it is a weapon that resists magic. These elements are supposed to be used in a Mind ritual at the end."

Zahirinee ponders this, rubbing his chin. "An item that resists magic is not necessarily anathema to a ritual. What has happened to you was magically caused. Perhaps all four elements might be resistant to magic, but in different ways. For instance, Sifran crystal is resistant to being shaped by Earth Magic, as I'm sure you're aware."

Envoy nods. "Yes. But would they all need to be resistant, or just one element of each opposing pair?"

Zahirinee laughs lightly. "If it were a matter of opposing elements, then I would suppose that one would be resistant, and the other would be especially conducive."

"If Isetia is one of the realms, for Air, then the dirt-essence being sought would probably be resistant to magic as well, given that that is an area saturated with magic, like Bosch," Envoy suggests.

"Most anything, I suppose," Zahirinee says, "is possible. In any case, I shall grant you the opportunity to ask a question of the pool, and one question only – I realize that you may well require many, but this is the way it is. Please craft your question carefully, and be certain that you are only asking one question. Simply stringing together several with 'and' may result in a vague answer that is not useful. Keep in mind that the pool will answer by showing you a scene. It rarely shows more than one."

Envoy sits down cross-legged on the bridge, and thinks of an appropriate question.

The drizzle continues to descend, making the pool's surface shimmer with a multitude of expanding and merging ripples.

Finally, Envoy asks, "What is the best candidate for a realm of Earth, wherein the essence of stone could be found?"

Zahirinee nods. "If that is your question, ask it of the pool, and focus upon it as you gaze into the waters, clearing your mind of all distractions. And please try to phrase your question in clear fashion. The pool has little concern for what is 'best' in a purely abstract sense. It must know 'the best at what?'" He takes up his staff in his hand, and gestures with it toward the pool's surface, making a circling motion that causes the rings on the top to jangle with each rotation.

Envoy clears her mind of everything but the Oracle's riddle, and then adds in that she has already associated Fire with Bosch, Air with Isetia, and the Sea of Sand with Water. "Given the riddle and these associations," she asks the pool, "what is the realm that fits Earth and the essence of stone?"

Ripples spread outward over the pool, as before, but it seems as if there is a pattern to the disturbance, echoing the whirling motions of Zahirinee's staff. The waters cloud up, and darken, even more so than the sky they reflect.

Leaning forward to see over the edge of the bridge, Envoy gazes into the darkness.

The pool ripples some more. It seems to be taking its time coming up with a vision to answer Envoy's question.

Envoy tries to keep focussed while she waits. She doesn't know how long it would normally take for the pool to answer something, after all.

The pool remains dark. As Envoy continues to gaze into its surface, she notices a few points of dim light … and at last it occurs to her that those are not reflections. What she is seeing is a very dark scene.

Someplace underground, Envoy thinks. Maybe Moltpaa? She tries to get a better idea of what the lights represent.

It seems that the lights might be some sort of phosphorescent moss … or perhaps bits of glowing crystal… Suddenly, something huge rushing toward Envoy! But no … it's just an image in the pond, of something rushing by the "viewer". It bears a strange resemblance to a vehicle totally out of place on Sinai, but which Envoy recalls from her knowledge of other universes … a subway train? One made of stone, that is, if it's to be called such. She can dimly see the vague outlines of Hookas riding inside the vehicle … and then the "train" is gone, leaving the dark scene again.

Envoy blinks at this, and pulls back from the water slightly. "Moltpaa," she whispers. "I think."

The points of light on the pool seem to move … giving the illusion that the viewer is descending … and then they vanish entirely … and then a new scene emerges, as if the viewer passed through solid rock, and into a brightly lit chamber, as the pool comes alive with a vision of fire and lava, somewhere deep beneath the surface of Sinai – if, that is indeed the world being depicted here.

There is a lake of molten lava, occasionally obscured by mists and smoke, and strange bridges of rock twisting this way and that, offering precarious passage through smoke and flame, and in the center is an island of rock and Sifran crystal, rising upward.

Leaning closer once more, Envoy examines the formation of crystal.

The crystal surface shimmers, and Envoy can tell that it is hollow … perhaps with several layers contained within the translucent, semi-luminescent material. And somewhere deep within it, there is a pin-point of glowing light … but no sooner does Envoy notice this last feature … then the pool's image fades.

Envoy leans back and exhales. "That was … amazing," she says.

Zahirinee nods solemnly. "Make of the pool's vision what you will. This is all I can offer you for now. I do this in gratitude for your efforts against the ice elemental. Please do not freely tell about your visit here, or your use of the pool. There are many people who would be jealous of your privilege, who would give me all the more grief to guarantee their use of the pool as well."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Envoy says. "I'd rather not have anyone know I was here at all. I haven't even decided if I'm going to tell anyone else about the Oracle's riddle, except for the Mind Mage that is supposed to perform the final ritual."

"Someone you can trust, I hope," Zahirinee says, nodding. "May fortune be with you, Envoy of Lothrhyn, as you undertake this quest."

Envoy stands up, and bows once more to the Eeee seer. "Thank you, Master Zahirinee, for all of your advice and insights." She keeps glancing at the water as she walks back towards the shore, as if making sure it's really still there.