The kender looked about normal for one of his race. His childlike features betrayed only by a few old age lines. His topknot was highlighted with blonde streaks making him very attractive for one of his kind. His brown eyes sparkled as they stared into the fire of the inn. He sat by himself (much to everyone's relief) and appeared to be awaiting someone.

It was about time for inn to close for the night. The pale white moon, and the strange stars were being banished from the sky as the first signs of daylight lit up the eastern sky. As the first stragglers began leaving, a human shrouded in dark crimson robes entered the inn. His gray eyes took a quick sweep of the room and fell upon the kender resting near the fireplace. As the human walked by the bar he gestured to the innkeeper and requested a glace of wine.

Eiber Thistledown had remained in the same inn for two days! An astonishing feat for any ordinary kender, but Eiber was no ordinary kender. No one in Kendermore new quite what to think of their reclusive neighbor. Instead of being afflicted by wanderlust when he came of age, Eiber had remained home and built a trade store. He was considered a freak by his fellow kender but true to form everyone was always polite as gold to him. It wasn't until the Chaos War when his shop was burnt down that Eiber had decided to move on with his life.

As the shrouded figure approached Eiber, it untied a pouch at its side and began muttering strange words. The kender, recognizing the voice and this particular gesture, immediately sat bolt upright and stared at the oncoming human. With recognition in his eyes the kender murmured the most feared phrase on all of Kyrnn.

"I'm bored." Once spoken, the inn's patrons ran as fast as they could for every conceivable opening the inn had to offer—headed by the burly owner of the inn—crashing through chairs and tables, upsetting many a flask of ale in the process. The only person left aside from the smiling kender was the robed figure whom pulled a chair up to sit next to Eiber.

It still brought a smile to Lokki's face when Eiber and himself played the little trick he had taught the kender. The two had met by a chance on a road north of Sanction when Eiber chased down the startled mage and returned a pouch containing spell components that the mage had dropped a mile back on the road. Almost as shocking to Lokki was that all the pouches contents were had been left in the pouch! The two had immediately become friends and traveled all across Anasalon with one another.

For many years Lokki had been traveling Kyrnn in search of some way to enhance his own magic. He had learned magic still existed while passing through Solace and stumbling upon a mage school where he met the son of the famous Palin Majere, Ulin. Ulin showed him a fire spell and since then the mage had been determined to rediscover his magical abilities. Eiber had proved to have great talent at speaking, reading and most importantly, translating various languages from old texts into common.

It was because of the kender's abilities that the two stumbled upon a old dwarven scroll which hinted to the whereabouts of an extremely powerful magical artifact that was supposed to be hidden in one of the many Egrothian castles used as a summer retreat by Emperor Ulves II. The two had sailed to Egroth and had uncovered more of the tale reading through some books "borrowed" from a library they found in Castle Di'Thon (where a great mage of Lokki's order had once resided).

The Staff of Souls it was called. Forged by the original Red Robe of magic whom had studied among the three gods of magic to acquire the skills necessary to teach the art. The staff was said to be able to use the power from within a magi for use in casting spells. Lokki's studies led him to believe that the staff acted as a conductor of raw corporeal power and acted independently of the three moons of magic now missing from Kyrnn.

Now the two were ready to depart. Lokki had just returned from a small trip to the castle's supposed whereabouts leaving Eiber to buy supplies. The castle was located near the coast of Northern Egroth. It offered a great view of the Turbidus Ocean which was likely why Ulves II resided there.

The day long trek to the castle proved uneventful. The only part of the trip where the two received a "jump" was when a huge explosion erupted from Mount Nevermind. As they approached the remains of the once beautiful castle Eiber broke the silence, "I hear that a huge red dragon lives near here."

The only hint of emotion the kender could detect was a slight sparkle in the mage's gray eyes. His words were slightly raspy when he commented on the kender's observation. "Pray that we do not meet Pyrothraxus during our trip Eiber. He is among the most powerful of the overlord dragons and I fear we are deep within his domain."

This sparked another comment from the usually quiet kender. "The people in town didn't know his name or anything about him really. They just just he was big and mean." Eiber skipped over the remains of the stone wall as he talked. "Do you know the names of any more of the dragon overlords Lokki?" The kender's expert eyes had already scanned the immeadiate area and discovered a hidden doorway.

"No, Eiber I don't know anymore of the dragon's names. You might say that Pyrothraxus and I have unfinished business." The mage knelt beside the kender and helped him move a large stone blocking the passage. Lokki then began rearranging his packs for easier travelling underground.

The kender dissappearred in the dark entrance. After a minute of waiting Lokki heard the kender's voice echo; "It's awefully dark down here, Lokki. Maybe you might be able to do a magic trick that could help us see a little better." Lokki sighed. Eiber was still a kender, no matter how reclusive he appearred to be.

"Very well, Eiber." The mage lowered himself into the passage and murmmured the incantation that would bring light to his surroundings. "Tssk thalons est-al lios." A pale blue light arouse from Lokki's hand. Eiber appearred up tunnel with shining bright eyes that made Lokki's chest knot up.

"That was great Lokki! Oh my it moves around likes it's alive! Can I touch it? Make it do tricks!" Eiber's voice echoed alarmingly loud in the corridor. Lokki was beginning to think his friend had been suddenly afflicted with every kenderish symptom imaginable. The knot in his chest began to throb.

The kender prattled on after Lokki shot him a warning glance, "Well I guess I'll live without touching it." With a sigh of relief from Lokki and another of longing from the kender, the two started down the corridor.

After several minutes of walking the two ended up in an enormous cavern filled with trophies, swords, expensive paintings and—from where the mage stood—a staff could been seen mounted on a wall to his right. Forgetting the kender, Lokki rushed to examine the staff. As he approached, his mind sensed a familiar presence. Thinking it was just the feeling of magic renewing within himself, the mage shrugged and took hold of the staff.

Eiber had noticed a large shape against the far wall of the hall. Letting Lokki to himself the kender approached the mass with mild curiosity. It wasn't until he was about ten feet away from the form that he realized what it was he was looking at. The kender then managed to mouth the words "oh my!" before retreating to a hiding place behind a golden throne.

The throbing pain in Lokki's stomach left. In its stead was a sick feeling. The mage turned, staff in hand, fully expecting to see nothing less than Father Chaos bearing down on him. He turned and stared face to face with two enormous golden orbs. The dragon loomed over Lokki, appearing to revel in the mage's fear. It inhaled deeply. At the same moment the mage recoverred his wits and began yelling an incantation of his own. The room lit up with flames and lightning.

The kender watched as Lokki ran toward him with a pinkish barrier emenating from his staff. As the mage approached he held, out his hand and screamed for the kender to take it. As soon as Eiber touched his hand, the staff glowed blue and began making a humming noise. The two dissapearred just as the red dreagon's claw came crashing down. It connected with the empty stone. Pyrothraxus silently vowed that he would meet the young upstart and teach him what it was to mess with a dragon overlord...