-Z-
I am Zarlin, 22 years old, I have been raised by archmage Vilnur in the Temple of Magic in the city Celdon. I have never known my parents, they put me on the street after I was born.
I have strange hair, that is black near my head, slowly turns red and the tips are white. When I use magic, my hair glows like molten steel.
I have risen to high teacher at the Magic school in Fire and Light magic.

-M-
Well, I am Moran, I have grown up in the streets of the old part of Celdon.
After the death of my parents I lived there by stealing and disappearing. Now at the age of 17 I am looking for new adventures.

-I-
I am Ilion, a cobold blacksmith, so I am a mage. My age is forgotten, but although I have seen many human lives, I am still young for my species. After the disaster in my home-cave, I have been wandering from city to city as a repairsman.

-Z-
On this moment we are in the fourth month of the siege of Celdon, every day we are being attacked by the catapults of an army of shadow.
The city is weakened, but we are holding on.
My magic is not designed for fighting, but I am learning every day.

-M-
Days after days we're being held under fire by those guys. I don't really know who or what they are, but from what I've heard is that they are dark forces.
Rumors say they come straight out of the underworld. And why they're here, no one knows. Because I don't have anything better to do, I'm going to look around in the cityhall, trying to find something usefull. After I went trough my usual secret entrance, I crawl above the ceiling 'till the meeting chamber.
"...We have to find the 'Feather of Enlightment', and as soon as possible. That's the only way to put a halt to this attack."
"But the location of the feather is unknown since the beginning of the era."
The rest of the meeting didn't make much sense so I went back outside. After a brief walk around the city walls, I spotted a tired man. A nice prey. I sneak upon him...

-I-
"Ahh... war, I love it!" I repair all kinds of metal instruments, so in wars I make lots of money. I walk out of my guest house. The Kobolds from this place are weapontraders and for fixing some of their trade I get food and lodging.
Still, I have time to repair things in the city, with profit of course! I'm almost at my next task, a piece of cake: a small gate and parts of it's tower, they were taken under fire, but was filled with metals! Within a little amount of time, the tower stands tall again, and soon the wall as well.
But what's that? *stone! pain! black!*

-Z-
I am just walking back home, after a day of hard work on my battle magic.
Exhausted I look through the dark streets, wondering if the city will ever become normal again. On that moment I feel a movement to my bag, I urn around and see a shade running away. Trained by my battle magic exercises, my reflexes have scharpened, I immedately throw a Fireball at the running shade. I hit him full in his back and he falls on the ground.
I casually walk towards him and put the fire on his cape out. I take my money bag, which he had stolen, back.
"I'll let you go, it is tough enough with the war alone"

-M-
"There is a way to stop it, the attack I mean." I get up and dust down my coat.
"The Feather of Enlightment." I continued "The counclers spoke about it during a meeting."
"How do you know about that?"
"Uhmmmm... a little trip into the structural maze of the cityhall."
"What do you know about that feather?"
"Not that many, the location is unknown sinc the beginning of the era."
"Yes, something came up to me. Come, we'll take a look in the archives of my school."

-I-
I'm awake. Hands, female hands, it feels great... 'Healing magic'... WATER!
Okay, I'm awake! I'm in the hospital of the magic temple. One of the students has just healed my wounds. A teacher walks in my direction: "You've been lucky. The stone just missed you. You can return home in about a hour."
"And the tower?" I ask.
"Like a real cobold, always worried about his work. Unfortunately... You'll need to do that again."
"That's a pity!" I layed there for another hour and feeled the magic working.
Only bumps, nothing more, but the magic was nice. I was making plans to make the city pay me twice the normal fee, hehe. The hour was over in no time, and I got out of the bed. My washed clothes, they were cleaner than this morning, were laying next to me. I thanked the students and the teacher and stepped into the hall with the sign 'Exit'.

-Z-
After searching a long time in the archives, I have finally found something: an old writing with the text:
"Silver feathers come from silver birds"

It is between the pages of another book, which has nothing important written in it.
"Silver birds, silver birds..."
Moran's forehead wrinkles.
"I just saw something about silver birds in one of the books I was looking through"
Moran searches trought the books...
"Ah, here it is!" Moran holds up a thick gray book, withon the back, in peeled off black letters, the title: 'Mysteries of Corzaii'
"This says something about a bird, 'Diiloo', and it's silver", says Moran.
"Where does this Diiloo live?"
"In the Riverpeek Ranges"
"Then we should search there, but with these hostile armies, we will need good weapons and equipment"

On that moment a cobold walks by, who heard my last words. He comes towards us and says:
"If you are looking for weapons, I know where you have to be!"

-M-
During out trip to the armoury, Zarlin explaines to Ilion, what our intentions are. Arrived, we watched our eyes out on all the kinds of weapons, just laying around. Zarlin heads to the desk and asks for the staves.
"ey, Zarlin, all this stuff is nice and easy, but I don't have money to buy any of them."
".... Hmmm... I'll buy them for you, but then I must be able to trust you, in times of trouble."
"okay... that's settled, I'll just take a dagger and some shuriken..."
"What's it going to be? the black staf or the one with a sickle." the salesman asks.
"the one with the sickle will probably be more usefull. I'll also take two robes, one of them made from leather. Okay... The payment....then we're ready to go"

-I-
"Why are you doing this? Have you been summoned?"
"No." Zarlin says. "We're going to find a solution for this war."
I find it a pity of my business, but I saw reason in it. I couldn't control my curiosity, and asked:
"How?"
The two adventurers looked at each other, and told me about the silver bird. I know that creature! I saw one, after the disaster. It missed a feather. On the smooth feathercoat, it was clearly visible. The troops retreated, too late...
"I'm going with you!"
"Huh?" both adventurers exclaimed.
"I know of the silver birds, and I want to help this city to save it from the same disaster!"
"The same?" Moran thought, but welcomed the kobold into the team. I got my newest experimental weapons, and packed them with some food and other necesities, thaked my guest-family, and I was ready to go with Zarlin and Moran.

-Z-
While we are coming out of the smithy, Moran comes up with the idea to escape the city by boat. So we head for the harbor. When we run for the main city gate, Moran suddenly stops and calls Ilion and me back.
"This is shorter", he says, and points to the wall. Moran inspects the wall, then pushes out a stone and puts his arm through the hole. A click and the door opens with a grinding sound.
"A detour" Moran explains, and goes inside. Ilion and I follow him. It is pitch dark inside, so I make a little light. On the inside of the next door is a normal lock. While I keep making light, Moran professionally opens the lock. He tries to open the door, but it is still closed. I make some more light and another loch becomes visible. Moran tries to open this one too, but he can't do it.
"This lock is too strong, I can't open it" Moran explains.
"Stand back, Moran" I say.
I focus on the lock, it begins to glow, pieces of metal fall of. With a few kicks, the lock is broken. I am out of breath. Then...

..A deafening explosion makes the earth tremble. Moran kicks the door open and runs outside. We look into the direction the sound came from. Moran closes the door, which disappears into the wall. Screams are coming from the distance...

-M-
After the first people ran by, we spotted the soldiers of the Dark army.
"RUN!!!" I hear Ilion shout
I turn around and start running. After a couple 100 feet I hear, between the screaming sounds of the citizens, the panting sound or Zarlins voice:
"I can't keep up, I'm exhausted"

-I-
We're nearly at the dock. Zarlin stands still, sighing and wheezing.
"Come on!" Moran tells him.
Moran prepares to run on. I see a stack of barrels at the dock.
"There! We can defend ourselves behind that!"
Moran looks, and nods.
"Just a little while Zarlin" he tries to comfort the mage.
They saw us! I quickly get a mace from my bag. As soon as we disappear behind the barrels, I prepare myself.
"Wizard, prepare your spells! This will be a brawl!"
"Wha? No!" Zarlin pants.
I can barely make a rune before they come upon us. Shield and rune-mace prepared, I was ready!

-Z-
When the Dark Soldiers charge at us, Ilion jumps out from behind the barrels and goes in full attack. Moran makes sure that everyone who comes too close gets a knife in its back. I am the only one who doesn't do anything, I am just exhausted...
Right next to my head a barrel is suddenly smashed. Some black powder flows out of it.
...
...Huh?!
Black powder?
Gunpowder?!
Then I see a possibility..
"Moran!"
"Yeah, what?"
"Get the remains of that barrel with as much of that black powder as possible, and put it near the dock!"
"Why?"
"Just do it!"
Moran gets the barrel and starts dragging it to the dock. Exhausted, I get up and walk after him. Moran puts down the barrel.
"Now what?"
"Go to that boat and make it ready to leave"
Moran runs to the boat while I turn around and shout:
"Ilion, come this way! Hurry!"
Ilion comes running, the dark creatures are right behind him..
With my last strength I make a Fireball, Ilion runs past the broken barrel,
I throw...

Together with the broken barrel, the other barrels explode, the front troops of the dark army are wiped out or burned on the spot, the rest is blown back.
The explosion also sends me flying, I see that Ilion was safe for the bang, then I hit my head on the dock...

-M-
When the dust pulls away, I see a body at the edge of the dock.
"Ilion, It's Zarlin, give me a hand" I scream towards him.
Together we drag Zarlins body on the boat. Suddenly we're startled by a loud shriek.
"A Dragon!!"
"Ilion go to the helm, I'll detach the boat."
Before I even finished the sentence, I slided down the course beam onto the dock. Quickly I walk along the dock and cut through all the ropes holding the boat in place. With a final move, I kick the course beam away and grab on to the last rope. With a big arc I swing up, and land on deck.
The ship sets sail.

-I-
I jump at the helm on the boat. That steering wheel is quite big, so I take the chair nearby (probably for lazy captains) I start enjoying the peace and quiet.
"Ah, on a boat, at the helm, fanta- ... Boat? Sailing? Water? NOOO!" I run to the bow: "Guys, come on, I'm a kobold! Kobold belong in the ground, not on the water!"
"Back!" Moran shouts. "Zarlin here can't do anything now, and I'm already healing him." I go back to the helm.
Luckily, there's not a lot of wind, and no big waves. Or at least, there was not a lot of wind. A shdow passed the deck, followed by a gust of wind.
Damn, that dragon!
We sail on, but the wind keeps blowing harder. The wind seems to turn, but that was just logical: On top of the dragon, a sorcerer was making a mess of the weather. I never knew that a rivir could get such waves, even with magic!
Another gust. The sail is ripping, damn!
Thankfully, I could get to land again easily there. I'm steering towards an inlet with lots of trees around it. Those could provide protection!
"Ouch!" That felt like a stick. No, icicles, by the Elements! The sail is ripping apart further. Gales of icicles pierce anything softer than wood. I hide, more under the steering wheel than behind it, and don't see Zarlin and Moran anymore. But there, the inlet! A gust of headwind, but the ship's weight is enough. Cracking trees, cracking ship, but hopefully, finally, on the shore.