He ran, his heart thumping violently in his chest, pursued by some shapeless fear that was always behind him. The faster he tried to escape, the quicker it became in its hunt. He couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't stop to do anything to relieve his intense weariness. All his energy was focused on his feet and forcing them to continue in his desperate escape. He had to run, had to get away. The alternative was... No, he couldn't think about the alternative. He would escape, would reach his goal, and then he could rest easy, knowing all would be safe. Until then, all he knew was that he was the prey, and he could only hope that he never met the predator.

        Meanwhile, in a time and place long since forgotten by our mortal memories, a tall, wizened old man pace back and forth across a bleak stone room in the midst of a mess of books and scattered papers. Back and forth, back and forth, he treaded the same path, his mind reeling in frustration. Suddenly he stopped mid-step and walked out onto the balcony just as a massive black eagle glided towards him and landed on the wall, gripping it with its colossal talons.
        "Yes?" growled the aged wizard.
        "Begging your pardons, sir, but we have seen no sign of the human." The eagle's eyes darted around nervously as he spoke, for all knew of and feared Urak's wrath.
        "And why is that?" he asked calmly, his silently blazing eyes saying so much more than his composed words.
        "W-we have all our best trackers on the hunt, but there has been no sign, from sky or earth. However, we do have many guards on the Ordan River, so we can guarantee that he won't get past that point." He paused a moment. "Sir, um, I think... Well, I think that we should unleash Balkoth."
        The wizard stopped. "Balkoth?" He turned and faced the eagle. "Has our situation become so desperate that we must awaken Balkoth to hunt down a mere human?!" The bird trembled fearfully as its master's voice rose to a roar.
        "Sir, um, sir, I'm sorry. We are unworthy of your grace, for we have failed as your servants, but this human is cunning. He moves without a footfall or a blade of grass bent. We cannot find what can become invisible, but Balkoth will catch him with ease."
        The wizard stared into him for a while, considering the situation thoughtfully. Then, deciding that the need was great enough, he sighed. "So be it."

        Miles away, at the edge of a wood on the banks of a great and mighty river, a ragged, exhausted young man finally stopped. For the better part of the last four days, Arius had traveled without rest or peace of mind, by no road or easy trail, in constant dread of discovery, but now he could go no further. He needed rest and food, and he needed to make a plan. He had counted on crossing the Ordan River, but he now found it heavily guarded, which he felt he should have foreseen.
        With a final glance at the river, the man turned away and hiked back into the woods. Stopping beneath a vast oak tree, he looked up into its branches and then jumped nimbly into them. He climbed higher and higher into the leafy treetop until he could see the guards, though he himself was hidden from their gaze.
        Digging into his small pack, he dug our some crusty pieces of bread and began to eat while surveying the river crossing below. Most of the guards were elven, with their lightweight bows held ever at ready, but of dwarves and griffins there were plenty. There was even a basilisk Arius noted to his dismay, sliding always back and forth ominously.
        He frowned. The elves alone would have been enough to make crossing by land perilous. They were able to see for miles and their aim with a bow was precise down to the width of a pin. Add to them the other river guards and Arius knew that he wouldn't stand a chance crossing here, and thinking back as far as his memory would allow, he could remember no other place to cross for hundreds of miles. The nearest he knew of lay north, near the city of Anduin, but he would never make it that far with the supplies he had. Even if he attempted to scout out some food along the way, the world was much too barren nowadays for anyone to survive off it for long. Most of every creature were retreating in fear of the dark days that were upon them.
        His mind was whirling as he sat back and pulled out the necklace, which he kept safely guarded around his neck. It was nothing but a mere lightning bolt, faintly glowing with a silvery light; it was so hard for him to believe that he was being hunted tirelessly for it. It had somehow gotten to Urak that he meant to destroy it in the mighty golden waters of Verdadia, and ever since that moment, he had been hunting Arius down with all that were faithful to him. If the pendant was unmade, it would mean that all of his powers and troops would simply cease to exist, for inside the small, undecorated bolt, the source of all things magical was balanced and kept safe. Arius' family had guarded it since time had begun, and now it was his job to destroy it. Though he grieved it, many had pondered the situation long and hard and found no other solution. The entire magical world was falling under Urak's command and no force could now battle his army. Even the leaders of the pure magicals had agreed that it would be better not to exist at all than to become his evil drone.
        So it had come to be that Arius, as the pendant's keeper, had set out to Verdadia, but he was now stuck. How would he get over the Ordan? He absolutely had to, for the remainder of his journey was on the other side of the river. Flying was the only way that he could see, but almost all of the creatures of the sky were in the service of the enemy, so what was there to do? He just did not know and was too exhausted to consider the matter any further. He needed rest and could only hope that things would look better in the morning. As he curled up deeper into the protection of the leaves, his last thoughts were wondering what evil at this very second in time was pursuing him; with a final shudder, he dropped off to sleep.

        Deeper in those very woods a council of eagles was taking place that night. Arahorn had returned from his meeting with Urak and now there were decisions to be made.
        As the evening wore on, more and more eagles appeared until finally, when the night had reached its blackest, they all gathered in a fairly large clearing. There was much chatter and many conversations about the ill news of the world until one large gray eagle stepped forward.
        "Most of you here know what this council has gathered to decide, but before we make any rash decisions, we should first hear what news Arahorn brings from Urak's realm." He turned to the young eagle. "Step forward and tell us what you will."
        The sleek black bird came forth uneasily. "As promised, I have given no news to the enemy. I have scouted the land thoroughly and talked to many in his service, and we can rest assured that none but our superior eyes have encountered the human." He paused, bowing his head shamefully. "I faltered, though. I am deeply sorry. I feared Urak's wrath and had to give him something." The penitent bird looked up from his lowered head at the great leader of the eagles. "We are to awaken Balkoth."
        At this there was much dark murmuring. "Young fool!" cried a tall white bird. Arahorn flinched at the sharply harsh tone. "Do you know what this means to our cause?! If Balkoth is brought forth the enemy will surely triumph! The human won't stand a chance!" He calmed his voice, but his eyes were still ablaze with a furious passion. "You have doomed the world. Know that until the end of your days."
        The master of the eagles stepped forward once more. "Somotho, calm yourself. Our cause may yet be saved. Though awakening Balkoth from his slumber in the Western Ridge will surely hurt our purpose, it must now be done to avoid the punishments of Urak. Arahorn, since you brought this about, you will be appointed that task. Go now." The shamed eagle bowed his head deeper, but did not argue as he took off into the night.
        The rest watched as he departed westward before turning their attention back to their leader. "Speed now will be our greatest need in getting the human safely away. Who here wishes to take this task?" Many strong, broad eagles stepped forward that could bear much tribulation, but he chose from them one of the smallest. "Tomakin. You are light and quick of flight; this chore shall be yours. There is little time to spare now. The human rests high in and oak near the edge of the wood. Bear him secretly and hastily to the land of Verdadia and be forever blessed. If Balkoth should overtake you, do not fight, for you will not win and that is not your purpose. Just fly and fly faster than you would think possible of yourself. Go now and be of good heart."

        Later in the night, Arius awoke with a start after a terrible nightmare. Though all he could now remember was that the enemy had been close, it left him shaken and afraid. He decided then that rather than waiting until morning, he would like to push on immediately, though he still had no plan on how he would cross the Ordan, so he just sat in a quiet hopelessness for a while, wanting desperately to continue, but not having any idea how. He had almost returned to a fitful sleep when out of nowhere a dark black eagle swooped upon him.
        For a moment nothing happened. His heart had stopped dead in his throat and all he could think was that this was his doom. Then his mind connected once more with his body and he sprang into action. He was not going to go down helplessly. Grabbing a wide branch off the tree, he swung madly at the eagle who screeched in anger and annoyance as the human leapt from branch to branch out of the tree.
        Shrieking again as the human escaped, the eagle dived and grasped him mid-jump in its massive talons. Even as Arius struggled with all of his power, the grip remained true as they flew back up into the treetops.
        Dropping him on an isolated branch with nowhere to jump or climb to, the eagle waited as Arius realized that the fate of his mission now depended on what this bird decided to do with him.
        "Listen now," commanded Tomakin with all the authority that he possessed. "You're trapped. There's nowhere for you to run. However, you are not in the hands of Urak nor are you in my stomach. What does that say to you?"
        Arius only glared suspiciously.
        "Look, I've been sent to help you by the council of eagles. We are on your side against the enemy, and besides, without me you cannot go anywhere but back, in which case your mission would fail and you would be found and killed, so basically, you need me. Will you accept my help?"
        He stared for a moment, greatly doubting the eagle and its purpose. "It is widely known that the council of eagles has long served Urak faithfully, so what reason do I have to trust you?"
        "You may well be wiser not to," said Tomakin, "but unfortunately there is no time now for deciding whose side I'm on. I am with your cause, but if you do not believe me, I cannot do much about it for the time being. The thing of it is, though, you only have two choices right now: fly willingly with me upon my back or fly unwillingly with me in my talons. Which do you prefer?"
        Arius considered the situation deeply, but the fact was that the eagle was perfectly correct. He had nowhere to run and no other way of continuing his quest, so finally and reluctantly he climbed onto the eagle's smooth feathered back.
        "Just hang on tightly and keep yourself hidden well from the eyes on the ground," Tomakin instructed.
        He did not understand why, but Arius trusted this bird not to reveal him to the enemy. Though there no real proof of what he said, and every reason to doubt it all, he truly believed that the eagle actually was against Urak. Still, he couldn't be sure of his instincts and these times were too dark to give trust to even family without worry, so he kept his suspicions close in mind, although he could do nothing about them for the moment.
        An hour or two later, just after sunrise, they returned to the ground. "There. You are safely across the Ordan River, but before you decide to leave my help completely out of thought, know this. Balkoth will soon be awakened will be quicker in finding your trail. On your own, you do not stand a chance. Even with my help, hope is bleak, but it is there nonetheless. Also keep in mind that I could have turned you over to Urak's tower at any time, yet here you stand safely across the river with no force in accepting my help however strongly I wish it. Even is an era such as this, does that say nothing?" He gazed at the human as though he wished to say more, but decided against it and sighed heavily.
"Look, at least consider my offer for a while. I can give no more proof of my alliance, but perhaps giving my name will make me somehow easier to trust. Well, it's Tomakin in any case, and if you let go of your doubts and wish to accept my offer, you can give me yours. I will depart at midday, in whichever direction that may be."
        Arius fell to the ground as Tomakin left him alone to his thoughts. The news about Balkoth sent despair rippling through all his being, for the eagle was right in saying that he would be doomed on foot. He would be discovered and slain within a day. Through the air, though, on the wings of those not likely to be suspected by the enemy, he had two, possibly with luck three days. It shouldn't take much longer than that to reach Verdadia. If they flew by night and day as fast as Tomakin could bear him, there was a tiny glimmer of a chance. Even if the bird did turn out to betray him, he'd be no worse off than if he denied the help offered to him.
        His mind made up, he waited until Tomakin returned at midday, laden with water skins and food from the river guards. He stood and, nodding assuredly to himself, he spoke but one word. "Arius."

        For the next two days they flew with as much speed as Tomakin could muster, as burdened as he was. They had come many miles, and Arius could feel the apprehension as the moment drew near when he would have to do what he both wished for and dreaded. The eagle was exhausted, though, and could go no further without rest, so at the daybreak of their third day since leaving the Ordan, Tomakin found a small, damp, but half-concealed cave where they could rest for a few hours before finishing their journey.
        The eagle fell almost instantly into a deep slumber, but Arius had been able to sleep as they flew, so he stayed awake to keep watch, sitting silently, deep in thought at the cave entrance. They were close now, he thought as he pulled out his necklace. He gazed at it sadly, for by this time tomorrow it would no longer exist, as would nothing magical. He was going to miss much, he thought as he remembered back to his childhood when magic was uncorrupted and honorable, and even now it wasn't all bad. He looked over at Tomakin and wondered if the eagles knew what they were really doing when they sent him to aid the human, that they were helping in their own destruction as well as Urak's. He nodded in answer to his own question. They probably knew better than he did and were even more sure of his decision. He sighed soberly. It was no good to doubt himself now, but he still dreaded tomorrow from the pits of his soul.
        With a final nod to end his dismal thoughts, Arius stood and stretched his stiffening muscles. Blinking to wake his eyes, he noticed something odd on the horizon. It looked as though the sky itself was ablaze in a mix of shadow and fire. Though it was many miles away and couldn't know that they were here, it filled Arius with a kind of choking terror that he tried to reason away, though it only haunted him all the more.
        Nervously, he shook Tomakin awake, speaking as low as possible, as though the creature could hear him from that distance. "We must go now. I fear that the enemy is drawing near."
        At that moment, a terrible, ear-splitting bellow shook the earth. There was never before a sound so horrifying in Arius' ears; it was a sound that could only come from the deepest pits of purgatory. It awoke a fear in him that he didn't know could exist and filled him with a fresh panic. "Fly! Fly! The enemy has discovered us!"
        Tomakin leapt from his slumber and in mere seconds they were in the air frantically making their escape and cursing their weakness in resting. Another heart-stopping cry shook the very air as Balkoth, their creature of dread, spotted them and charged. Arius glanced back and was not only filled with an indescribable terror at the flaming shadow, but also a profound sadness. This most foul and evil of creatures rode upon the back of blackened phoenix, once the purest and most inspirational of creatures, its life and purpose now dark and cruel. He knew now more than ever that the magicals could not be saved.
        They flew on, Balkoth drawing ever nearer at an alarming rate, but then they saw it; they looked upon Verdadia at last, its inexplicable peace evident even now. Every fairy tale Arius had ever heard about it was true, from the golden tint in the leaves, right down to the pure, sparkling water of the river cutting through it. Time simply did not exist in that land and things happening in time had no power to destroy its splendor. They were in awe, forgetful for the moment of the danger they were in and the reason they came; they simply allowed themselves to become enveloped in the peacefulness of the land. "So it is true," Arius thought to himself. A heaven can exist amidst all the darknesses of this earth.
        Just then a dark yet silvery orb of light shot past them, bringing them sharply out of their reverie. "Fly, Tomakin, fly! We can still succeed!" cried Arius, a fresh hope suddenly alive in him. "We only have to get to the river! The end is finally in sight!"
        The eagle dove lower to the ground, aiming towards the golden riverbed, flying, as the head of eagles once told him, faster that he would have ever thought possible of himself. They were getting so close that they could already feel the cool, refreshing waters of Verdadia washing over them as they came to its banks.
        Then Tomakin just stopped. In an explosion of dark light and a victorious roar from Balkoth, the eagle froze completely as though dead. He and Arius plunged to the ground at a dizzying speed, hitting it with a sickening thud. Dazed, he vaguely noticed Tomakin land somewhere near him, but only as Balkoth gave another hellish howl did he remember his purpose. Jumping up unsteadily, he charged towards the river, barely noticing the pain of his broken arm or the blood on his brow, seeing only that the enemy was swooping down upon him. As he drew hear the banks, he tore the pendant free from his neck and threw it with all of his might and mind into the golden waters. He watched in a hollow awe as the perfectly pure waters consumed it and dimly noticed as he fell to his knees a lot of light and the scream of phoenix, but he knew no more after that.

        Several hours, or possibly day later, Arius finally awoke, confused, struggling to remember what had happened. He looked around him and saw that he was on the bank of a muddy brown river and that the land around him was turned to waste, yet beyond it the sun shone on the rest of the world. Lying his head back on the ground, he knew that they had just won and lost more that they would ever be able to comprehend.

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