"I turned north-east on the second day, and was still walking long after the sun had sunk below the horizon behind me. I needed somewhere to settle, but somehow, even though the Temple was now many miles behind me, it didn't feel far enough away. I guess I wanted to make sure I'd never be tempted to return. "Walking was very comfortable that night: the air was still warm, with a slight breeze blowing gently from the north. Around midnight my mind started to play tricks on me. I started to believe I could hear music carried faintly on the breeze. I dismissed it and kept walking. But as the minutes went by, the music grew louder, more tangible, separating itself from the natural sound of the breeze. "The music was hauntingly beautiful. I found myself simultaneously anxious, yet drawn to its source. I knew it could be dangerous, possibly a trap, but my will had left me. I headed north. "I topped a sand dune and was met with the sight of three brilliant white lights on the horizon. They were without a doubt the source of the music. Upon seeing them my heart filled with wonder. There was no longer any question of keeping away. My legs moved automatically, inexorably, toward the lights. "As I came nearer I saw the lights were actually hovering just above the ground, moving slowly southward, towards me. Wings seemed to flutter either side of them, carrying them effortlessly through the warm night air. Finally, I could see them clearly: girls. Girls with wings. The white light, almost blinding now, shone directly from their chests. From their hearts. "They were the Shinkae. "Two orcs marched among them, their swords held loosely at their sides, expressions of pure wonder on their faces, completely under the spell of the Shinkae. It seemed like the girls were leading them somewhere. I didn't understand at the time. "Suddenly, even though I was still shrouded in darkness and three hundred yards away, the Shink in the lead stopped mid-flight and looked directly at me. I froze. I can't explain it, but I was suddenly overcome with a sense of my mind being probed, searched, explored. And then a powerful sense of danger washed over me. A warning. I collapsed to the ground, trembling. "The music reached a crescendo. And then it stopped. "And all hell broke loose." Credits: Orc by GhostOfMacbeth (DAZ) Michael's Changing Fantasy Suit from DAZ MCFS Orc Textures by GhostOfMacbeth (DAZ) Orc Scimitar Texture modified by me Some hair by Kozubra Universal Wings 2 by Thorneworks (DAZ) Sarodor modelled by me