Melkor looked up from his tomes, annoyed to see yet another group of
people desperately seeking his Lord. He remembered the stern look on
Agatheis' face when He announced that He did not wish to be contacted.
"Not for any reason. None," Agatheis had said emphatically. At times
over the countless years, Melkor had been crippled by His absence,
wishing for nothing more than one glimpse of the Elemental Lord. But in
the end, he knew that Agatheis could be once again rendered powerless if
He failed on His mission.

Drawing his attention back to the small group, Melkor prepared to make
the same adamant refusal as usual, fondly remembering the days when the
temple doors remained locked. At the direct approach of the young
red-headed girl, who demanded that he contact the Elemental Lord
immediately, he soon lost patience and retreated further into the
temple.

The next few words struck deeply in the steward's heart. Speaking
calmly, Marisol, child of the Sun said to him, "What your Lord has been
seeking, the evil Prince has found." Not easily duped, Melkor pressed
the girl for more information.

"I do not know how he has come by them," she continued. "But you and I
both know that were he to unlock the secret of their activation, he
would gain full elemental mastery." Satisfied by her knowledge of the
subject, Melkor hurried to the office of the Elemental Lord.

As the group moved to join him, Melkor scanned the walls of the room
with great concentration. Striding purposefully across the room, he
tossed a fistful of powder against one painting, and it blinked out of
existence. A tall, silver-framed mirror appeared in its place, inscribed
with elemental runes upon its four corners. Approaching the mirror,
Marisol hesitantly reached out her palms, and its surface rippled with
her touch. She leaned closer, and the mithril sunburst amulet dangling
from her neck began to emit a radiance as warm and golden as the sun
itself, its light doubled by its reflection in the mirror.

Suddenly, the mirror's surface went black, and the image of a robed man
with greying hair appeared upon its surface, his booming voice demanding
an explanation of the interruption. Marisol stepped forward, reaching
out with her hand to pass through the mirrored glass and clasp the hand
of the robed man. Inexplicably, an ephemeral, ghostlike double image of
the girl-child floated into the mirror, leaving the child's corporeal
body slumped and immobile, eyes open and unseeing. Within the black
glass of the mirror, Marisol and the robed man conversed intently with
each other, their words inaudible. Finally, the robed man gave a
decisive nod, and the mirror's surface returned to black. The slumped
form of the young girl stirred, her eyes refocused on the room, and she
murmured, "He comes..."

~* * *~

All of Sapience paused as clouds rushed across the firmament, casting
deeper shadows throughout the realms. Streaks of silver lightning
traversed the sky to meet at an explosive focal point high in the
heavens. As the lightning persisted, a brilliant silver glow
intensified, and the form of a tall man wearing simple robes began to
solidify. The lightning tapered off, leaving the glowing form of
Agatheis, the Staff of the Elements high above His head and brown robes
billowing around His feet. In a blur of silver light, He bounded swiftly
across the sky to His temple in Delos, joining the assembled crowd in
His office.

To the Elemental Lord, the child spoke briefly: "I am ready. Do what you
must do." Agatheis lifted the Staff of the Elements above his head, the
multi-hued runes on its surface glowing brilliantly, and a burst of
silver light exploded from the metallic orb at the top of the staff,
streaming to the amulet around Marisol's neck. The room glowed with
crimson light as a bolt of energy erupted from the amulet, coalescing
into a powerful fire elemental minion. Without hesitation, the minion
reached to grasp the staff, causing the silver stream of energy
exploding from its tip to thread with strands of red. Rays of green,
yellow, and blue energy exploded from the amulet, quickly solidifying
into the forms of earth, air, and water elemental minions. At the
outbreak of energy, Marisol collapsed, breaking the connection between
the staff and the amulet. With a wave of Agatheis' hand, the fire
elemental leapt into the girl's body, engulfing her in roaring flames. A
fiery ball of crimson light shot out of Delos, rising high into the air,
fading and disappearing beyond the clouds.

No sign of Marisol remained. With reckless determination, Kirrh demanded
answers from the impassive Elemental Lord, asking what had happened to
the girl. Agatheis shook his head, admitting even He was uncertain of
her fate; he dismissed pleas for further explanation and secluded
Himself in His temple, leaving all with further questions. What has
become of Marisol, hidden so long under the care of the Abbess of New
Hope? Where has the powerful fire elemental, critical to Agatheis'
power, gone?

Penned by my hand on the 20th of Scarlatan, in the year 448 AF.