Stepping Stones - Part 1

Buntea setps oustside her parents house onto a wide lanturn lit street. On her back is a small pack and her dual bladed staff. Also consealed in her right boot, a small knife.

She turns around to face the door, and stares at it.

Under her breath Buntea wispers "so long then"

With eyes lingering on the door a moment longer the Dwarf starts to head off up the street, towards the heart of Terra.

From a nearby alley, a hooded figure steps out of the darkness

"And WHERE do you think your going?"

The tone of voice is sharp and synical, yet familiar to the ears of the female dwarf

Stopping on the spot, Buntea reaches up to rest her hand on the leather handle of her staff.

Ready to swing the staff out, she peers beneath the hood of the newcomer.

Quietly Buntea says "Who are you and what do you want?"

Saying this she notices the air suddenly seems close.

"Who am I?!? Surely your insignificant little mind can remember a simple voice? Was it not just the other day we last spoke? Now, I will ask you one more time BUNTEA! WHERE, are you GOING?!?"

The voice sounds much more angry and short tempered than last

Hesitantly Buntea says "uncle?"

No answer was forthcoming from the hooded figure, but, she thought, it did sound like the voice that she remembered giving her a hundred rebukes on her bladework.

Suddenly, unable to hold it in, Buntea starts talking very fast, "I'm sorry uncle but I'm leaving Terra for good, I'm going to help fight against Nyx, but first I'm need to find the Mage who gave me my name and get revenge for what he has done to me, and I know you wanted to carry on training me but I didn't think you would be back for at least another week... and... and, why are your wearing a cloak?"

Placing a hand on her shoulders, he sighs. Putting down his hood, h reveals his face of that of her uncle, Ironfang Crimson, a middleaged, scar ridden yet a ferociously stern dwarf. Turning her around on the spot, she can clearly see anger and a hint of worry in his eyes

"Child, you have no chance against that man, no form of revenge will EVER make you at peace with what he did. Just move on and come back to train you idiotic girl."

Breathing deeply, Buntea pulls away from har uncle.

"I'm not just going to run in and start swinging my staff around. I don't really want to fight him at all. I just want to give him a peice of my mind. I know I've always been proud of my name but it was a cruel thing to do. I mean, I was barely more than a child."

She stares into the eyes of the older dwarf. They are hard for her to read, but Buntea thinks there is something there that she has not seen before. Somehow this puts more strenght into her words.

"He can do what he wants, he can give me the name Dung for all I care. Perhaps he will even try to have me bannished, but even that dosn't matter because whatever happens I AM leaving Terra for good. I have to help fight! It seems wrong to me that of all the shaddows in the world, the safeest are beneath a mountain."

Looking into her eyes, Ironfang knows he cannot do anything to change her mind.

"Fine then, you ignorant little child...take this at least."

He hands over a small blade, in the light it shines slightly black

"It is a claw of a so called Nyxian I once fought. If it was it wasn't a very tough one, but it managed to stick that in me...I alwyas keep it as a memento, I suppose you may as well have it."

Buntea opens her mouth to speak, but her words seem lost. Instead she pulls the male dwarf into an embrace.

The embrace is alkward and after only a moment they pull apart.

"Thank you unc... Thank you Master Crimson"

Quickly, she moves to secure the blade in her small pack. Noticing, as she does so, that it is unusualy heavy and that her eyes can not help but be drawn to the black surface. Once the pack is closed she looks up at Ironfang once more.

"So...where will you go first? It is a big world out there, I should know, after all I have traversed most of it."

Looknig sternly at her, he awaits a response

"Ultimately I want to travel to Iona to offer my services to the Order, but I doubt I would be of much use to them as I am now. So I want to go to Lemuria. Perhaps there I might learn some magic."

Buntea looks down avoiding her uncle's eyes.

"One day I might be able to return and teach a certain mage a thing or two. I doubt he ever bothered to travel to Lemuria."

Looking up, she gazes at Ironfang expectantly

"Do as you please, but remember girl, your a Crimson and always will be! Do as you please, but do NOT taint our name!"

Turning his back on her he exits, leaving her alone with her thoughts, and the dagger.

Buntea stands still for a long while, until even the echoes of the echoes of Ironfang's boots have died. She wonders if it is a bad sign that the first person she met on her journey was the only one who ever intimidated her.

"I will leave my revenge here Uncle" she wispers "but if I ever return alive... I do not forget."

The words pull her from her thoughts and she too turns.

Buntea Crimson begins to walk up the slow incline of the tunnel that leads to the great halls of Terra. Then on up to the gates of the wide world...