After a long trek of two months, braving the treacherous canyons of Ghun-Amur, skirting hordes of demons and beasts, Iosef's party arrived at Jeybanae, Oasis-port of Thrun.

  "Finally... civilisation!" Fenia excimed happily as they marched to the now green pins towards the tall silhouette of Fort Rundmuth, the sanctuary of the faith of Hyhweid, one of the ndmarks of Jeybanae.

  Fenia was an elvish spellsword, born of the the deserts. She wore a fine braid of dark silver, and bore an olive countenance, and dressed in light armor and a khaki cloak decorated with twirling patterns of flowering cacti. Through their year-long journey with scimitar and spell, she had saved the party numerous times with her quick thinking and reflexes.

  "Indeed... We've fought long and hard. I thought we were goners after we lost our camels a few weeks ago... but, man, thank the Earthtouched Asetic! We made it through!" an energetic voice cheered.

  This was none other than Qilian. Half-ogre of a distant nd. Pugilist and accomplished healer through the use of herb and needle. With her strength she bore many of the party's burdens, and tended to the wounds sustained through battle.

  Of fair countenance and red-tipped raven bck hair tied as a disheveled bun, and bangs covering her left eye. On her forehead are two nubs twinged in pink - vestiges of her exotic ancestry.

  She wore a short foreign robe that bared her plump thighs and part of her hip - revealing a suspicious ck of loincloth - but obscured her arms in long, baggy sleeves of white decorated with exotic prints of red hydrangea flowers.

  "I just want to take a bath... and remove sand from my pores..." compined a honeyed but somewhat annoyed voice belonging to a tall wizardess who wore a very broad rimmed hat, covering her fair likeness in shadow.

  She was none other than Magic User, Fme-eye Khayacinth.

  She wore a long cloak of red that obscured her unsually pronounced bosom. And held up a gnarled staff of Bloodwood. Her long flowing silver hair formed curled curtains obscuring her eyes, reaching all the way to her knees.

  Though she had been with Iosef, long before Qilian and Fenia joined, he could not help but feel uneasy around her for she had little modesty behind the long curtains of red she wore around herself, and often teased him for stealing gnces at her.

  Yet of all members, he trusted her the most for she was his first companion, and her great mastery of magicks and alchemy rescued the party from all manner of odd happenings by way of spell and sorcery, little of which the others could fathom.

  "We're almost there... We should be able to rest for a few months..." Iosef heaved a sigh of relief. He wore a simple blue cloak and half-pte, with sword-breaker and sabre at his hip. Much younger than the rest of his party, he stood nearly half the height of his companions, though despite his youthfulness, his decisiveness and leadership had led them past obstacle after obstacle.

  Leading the party's march, Iosef and his party soon found themselves closer to the Southwestern Gates of Jeybanae, Oasis-Port of Thrun.

  ....

  Khayacinth spoke to the gatekeepers in the Thrunian tongue, as the party sat on the fgstone bridge that went across the moat to the city.

  Iosef could not help but steal gnces at the gatekeepers all of which were women, who wore a strange attire that bared much of their skin. The translucent face-veils they wore partly obscuring their mouth and noses. The odd bismuth-bronze jewelry they wore on they wrists and bare feet. And the belt that just barely hid their hairless mounts...

  Beginning to feel strange, Iosef quickly averted his focus on the line of termites crawling across the fgstone.

  After a few moments Khayacinth returned, sighing.

  "We are permitted access, but there are a few strange rules that we will have to abide by. It's nothing to me, but I'd advise you be prepared," Khayacinth spoke as poking her hat up with her staff to let out some air from the gap inside her broad hat.

  As Iosef shuddered from the musky fragrance of perspiration and perfume from Khayacinth that blew down on him, he spoke.

  "What kind of rules...?"

  "Well first, we'll have to be subject to an inspection of our belongings. Which is expected. But having experienced the inspection a number of times when I lived around these parts its best you lot be prepared for being handled in a rather demeaning manner."

  "What... are you saying have us strip bare and inspect all our holes...?" Qilian spoke in a rather uncouth manner, making Fenia nudge her angrily.

  Khayacinth gazed wistfully at Qilian to which a surprised look formed on her face.

  "You can't be serious..." Fenia muttered, her brows furrowing.

  "We've come at a bad timing. And it's a sort of bad-timing that can't be avoided or foreseen other than through Astromancy - of which, regrettably, I am but a journeyman...

  "The Red Star of Guhin hangs high to the west. And its a very bad omen to the Priestesses of Thrun. So if we wish to rest here, we have to show some respect to their practices, however exotic they be."

  "Surely it can't be that bad... Let's head in for now and rest for a day. If it is too much for any of us to take, we can leave they day after," Iosef spoke.

  "I agree. At the very least we should stock up on provisions," Fenia nodded.

  "And maybe with some luck, perhaps we might find somepce suited a brief respite," Khayacinth smiled as she spoke in her usual honeyed tone, casting a gaze at Iosef.

  "Yeah... I really want to have some pickled fish and wine tonight..." Qilian grinned as she rubbed her palms and licked her lips.

  Iosef gulped as he noticed a strange glint in Khayacinth's eyes.