The Chronicles of Lux Veritas

“I have a gift for you,” said Zoe to Amy. “Here, take it.”
The faery presented her with a tiny translucent object the size of a marble. The gift was active with a minute burst of light in its centre and a mix of rainbow colours swirling about inside the sphere.
“It’s amazing. What is it?” asked Amy.
“It’s called a Sylph-aura,” answered Zoe. “It will grant you the power of shape-shifting, but you can only use the Sylph-aura once. It will last only a few minutes, and then the effect will wear off.”
“Wow, that’s incredible,” said Amy, overwhelmed. “How do I use it?”
“Hold the Sylph-aura in the palm of your hands, close your eyes, and make a wish with all your heart and soul. Then utter these words: ‘Vincit omnia veritas’ three times. Release the sphere into the air above you, and you will be transformed into the being you wished to be. Just remember, however, that you will not have any supernatural powers. You are only an image. Will you remember this?”
“I think so,” answered Amy.
“Be wise. You can only use it once. I wish you good luck in your quest to reach Mirandia,” said Zoe.
“Thank you, Zoe. I will not forget you,” promised Amy.
Ariel and Zoe departed, and the six voyagers were now left in the company of Izzar the Troll Hermit.
“That is one wonderful gift you received, Amy,” said Xiao Ren. “It is pure Sylph magic.”
“I guess it is,” she replied, “but I hope I won’t need to use it.”

Solas decided to change the flow of conversation to try to find out more about their host.
“What convinced you to help us, Izzar?” asked Solas, as he sipped on his drink.
“There are two reasons, Solas,” replied the troll. “First, I trust Ariel. If she brings you here, it’s because she senses you need help and that you can be trusted. Second, you seem to be on a mission with a higher purpose. If I can help you even a little bit, I am glad to do it. That will be my good deed.”
“Is redemption important to you, Izzar?” asked Solas.
“Well, this is Purgator after all. Good deeds can take you a long way. The correct ones can bring you ‘home,’ if you know what I mean,” he answered.
“How long have you been here?” asked Senex.
“A long time! I don’t know for certain. It is so difficult to get into Elysium; it’s a wonder we don’t all end up in Tartarus out of sheer frustration. Now I live here. This forest is my home, and this forest is my haven. I don’t dream much of Elysium anymore. Whatever will be, will be,” replied a downcast Izzar. “What’s important is the here and now.”
“Never give up hope, Izzar,” advised the Master.
“Tomorrow, I will lead you to the edge of the western forest. From there, you can head north towards the Valley of the Leprechauns, and on to Mirandia as you see fit,” said the troll. “Good luck.”
“Is it still far from here?” asked Dorian.
“Yes, we will have to make a few stops on the way,” answered Izzar. “I doubt our legs will be able to carry us there in a single attempt, especially us old fellows. We will leave early.”
“Thank you in advance, Izzar, for your efforts on our behalf,” said Senex.
“Wait till tomorrow to thank me,” replied the troll.
The group continued to chit-chat until the late hours. They made their bed wherever they could and fell asleep for the night. Solas made sure to keep his weapon within easy reach. The six companions took turns on sentry duty, while the others rested.
“I don’t know, Solas,” whispered Dorian to his friend as they lay down to sleep, “Call me cynical, but I don’t trust that bug-eyed troll.”

In the early morning, Izzar woke up the troops. Only Fidem was already up, keeping vigil. It was an unusual wake-up call for Senex, who forfeited his daybreak ritual.
“Everyone up!” shouted the host. “The dawn is calling.”
Dorian was sleeping light and was first to his feet, followed by Solas and Amy. Xiao Ren and Senex were last. This was a sure sign that this day, deep in the Forsaken Forest of Outlandia, the world was indeed upside down.
The group exchanged few words, gathered their belongings, and without further ado, prepared to step out of the cavern to face the new day. Izzar led the way. As they approached the front door and the troll began to remove the crossbeam, Lux Veritas lit up.
“Stop!” yelled Solas. “Do not remove the bar!”
Izzar stopped and looked back at Solas in surprise.
“Well, what is the matter?”
Solas stepped forward, grabbed Izzar by the tunic, and slammed the hapless troll against the side wall of the cavern.
“I should have guessed!” he exclaimed. “You double-crossing vermin.”
The troll’s expression changed to one of contempt, and his voice grew deeper still.
“Get ahold of yourself, you paranoid brute! What is the meaning of this?”
“Yes, Solas,” interrupted Senex, “what is the matter here?”
“Well, Master Senex, behind that door, the army of Daemonia is waiting to swarm us. Our generous host the troll here has set us a trap and sold us out.”
“I knew it,” said Dorian.
“You are delirious, young man,” Izzar protested. “I have no idea what you are talking about. Open the door and find out for yourself. It’s the only way to put your mind at ease.”
“You wish,” retorted Solas. “Now show us the other way out of this rat hole.”
“There isn’t one,” cried the troll.
“Over here!” yelled Fidem. “I found the hidden trapdoor.”
Solas grimaced with clenched teeth at the smirking troll.
“Move it,” he said as he disarmed Izzar and pushed him along.
The friends hurried towards the new exit and drew their weapons in expectation of the worst possibilities awaiting them. The passageway was narrow and dark; it had been dug and carved straight into the rock. The long corridor was cool and damp; drops of running underground water dripped down from the upper walls, and the air was filled with the musky smell of rodents. Solas grabbed a torch and passed it to the troll, who walked down the corridor first. Fidem, holding the only other source of light, trailed at the end of the single-file line. Lux Veritas had returned to its normal state for the moment. The group followed the path until it reached a fork. Izzar turned around to ask for further instructions.
“Lead us to fresh air, my little troll friend. You best lead us out to daylight, if you ever hope to see it again,” ordered Solas.
“As you wish,” answered the troll with a snarl.
“And pick up the pace!” shouted Dorian. “I feel like the walls are closing in.”

As the group advanced, Senex laboured, and his breathing became more difficult by the minute. The first glimpse of daylight appeared down the tunnel. The friends let out a sigh of relief and pushed on harder, pressuring Izzar towards the exit.
“There you are,” said the troll as he reached the opening of the tunnel.
The trees did not reach the side of the mountains and were few in number there. The group exited, looked around, and stretched their limbs for a brief moment. As they glanced over to their left...