* * *
Quesha leaned on the balcony of the sorceress’ palace surveying the lake and the woods beyond it. Ernayn had told her to stay put. She hated being left out and wanted to join her mentor.
A bluish glow formed behind her. Curious, Quesha moved toward it. The Stone of Elya stood before her and seemed to be alive. Cautiously, Quesha stepped toward the magical stone. Pictures formed within the blue marble as she studied it.
The Stone of Elya summoned her, pulling the girl into its clutches. Suddenly, she found herself in a strange place. It was the throne room of a massive palace, but none that she knew of. The place appeared rundown. Jagged cracks shot up the marble stone walls. Bits of the ceiling rested on the floor where they landed when they fell. Quesha looked about her. Clearly, the place had once been beautiful, but had suffered from years of neglect.
A door opened behind her. Its creak echoed around the room. In stepped a young woman of about eighteen. Quesha watched intrigued as she cautiously entered the chamber. The woman walked silently as her eyes darted about. Remaining still, Quesha followed the movements of this stranger as she moved past the young sorceress unaware of her presence.
Then, Quesha noticed it. Tesnayr’s sword hung from the woman’s waist. How is that possible? As the young woman moved, a horn poked out from beneath her cloak. Upon closer inspection Quesha realized it was the same horn that the dragon Selexia had given to Tesnayr. Bewildered, Quesha moved closer.
The stranger turned toward Quesha looking straight through her. A peculiar necklace hung around her neck and it glowed green. The light from the pendant was soft, but enough to be seen clearly in the darkened room. Quesha knew at that moment that this was a vision of future events. She did not know how she knew this, but it was the only explanation.
Instantly, the great chamber vanished in a swirling fog. Quesha steeled her nerves remembering that the Stone of Elya had a will of its own. She waited patiently for the stone to take her back to Ernayn’s home. It never did.
When the fog cleared, Quesha found herself in some woods near Drynelle. Beside her was the Stone of Elya. Quesha stared at it. An image of her handing it to Ernayn appeared on the smooth surface. Quesha understood the message. She must hand the stone to her mistress and she must wait there for Ernayn.