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Rivulets of colored light poured from the stained-glass windows above alighting upon a solitary figure below.
“Find me…please…help me!”
Her words had been a beacon. They came to him while he stood vigil within the Sending Tower. The force of her need, her desperation hammered through the tower’s defenses. Thankfully, the mental barriers protected his mind during the Link. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d received a Sending so powerful. Kneeling before his blade, Lucan tightened his fingers around the hilt, intensifying his connection to the tower.
He sensed the Taint as well…There was no hiding it’s blemish. Her innocence undoubtedly had brought its wrath upon her, and now she was trapped within its malignant tendrils.
“Find me…save me!”
Yes, she was fierce, this one. Few alive could send their thoughts over such a distance. Losing her to the darkness would be a great defeat for the light. A defeat the light may never recover from. The balance would most likely shift! He had to act now if he planned to find where she was imprisoned.
Lucan's life-long training took over. With a practiced mind, he isolated the psionic energy that lingered around the tower. The energy itself had traveled many leagues over stony peaks, icy tundra, vast forests and rolling hills to finally be gathered by the tower’s psychic net. To Lucan’s mind, the energies were a beacon, a direct conduit to the sender.
At last he had what he needed. The woman’s location was as clear to him as his oath to the Order. Slowly, Lucan rose, pulling his sword from the stone monolith that dominated the room, severing his connection to the tower.
For centuries, his order had stood watch upon the towers. The coming of the Taint had brought with it a need to continuously monitor entire nations. The taint could emerge anywhere at any time, spreading its foulness and seizing servants of the light. The Sending Towers were a weapon for paladins such as himself to combat wickedness and preserve humanity throughout the realms.
Shaking his head, Lucan sighed. That's why it was such a shame.
“Another princess?” Greggorio’s intoned from the corner.
Lucan looked up, “Sixth one this week!” paused, then continued, “It’s becoming ridiculous, with the western and northern towers under maintenance, every single damsel in distress call gets routed here.”
Greggorio shrugged, “Tell me about it, managements got me pulling double shifts!” The arcane energies swirled around the force mage. “Hey, you want me to imprint this one’s location to your crystal?”
“Nah, don’t worry about it, go ahead and power her down Gregg, almost time for shift change, let’s go take a breather.”
“Thanks man, sounds good,” the mage began the slow process of withdrawing the mysterious energies that powered the tower. “Does this mean your shipping out again?”
“Doubt it, I’m way over my quota for the month, the union’s gonna have a fit. Saved three damsels last week, two of ‘em princesses!”
This notion seemed to depress Greggorio, “Man, this war’s never gonna end.”
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