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Windhammer, Copyright Wayne Densley 2008 All Rights Reserved
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522
 For a short time you stand before the vast wall of shimmering light and consider what it is. Many years before, at a time when you were safely within the walls of the Temple at Das Frontiere you knew a Maturi of great knowledge and wisdom. The Maturi would talk often of the wonders of EarthMagic, and specifically the all-encompassing power of the Shan'duil, the River of Life. For the River, he said, nothing was impossible and such was the breadth of its power that it could display to those who sought it the very secrets of time and space.
You remember very clearly one such conversation where he described the wonders of the Time Stream, a device artificed by the ancient Trell as a tool to observe the past and gain clues to the many diverging paths of the future. In your naivety you had put aside the idea of such a thing as an impossibility but here it stands before you, and in its moonlit reflections you mouth an apology to the Maturi for your disbelief.
There are two things however that you remember with great clarity. The first is that the Time Stream is not harmful to Men, and because of this you should be able to walk through it without difficulty, gaining access to the exit on the other side of the hall. The second does not provide you with equal confidence. A Time Stream it has been said, is a device that requires the proximity of the Shan'duil itself to function. Somewhere very close is the River of Life, and it is a Power beyond the reckoning of most Men. What its proximity may mean to you is unknown.
Carefully you move towards the Time Stream, placing your hand upon its rippling surface and finding that it is warm to the touch but not harmful. When you are sure that it is safe you take a deep breath and plunge into its flowing energy. To your surprise the Stream is thick, more than two metres in depth and it takes a few moments to force a path through it. Like a heavy fluid it clings to your skin and only releases its hold on you once you have passed cleanly through.
Once upon the other side the exit stands open and beckoning. Without looking back you make for the threshold and find that it is the entrance to another wide staircase, one that descends even further into the mountain. As you peer into the seemingly endless depths you can only wonder if there is an end to the delvings in this place. With only a small hesitation you take to the stairs and begin your descent.
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This book, and its associated books and other documents in the Chronicles of Arborell series are the intellectual property of the author, Wayne F Densley, and all rights are reserved by him. Windhammer is best viewed at 1024 x 768 resolution. Any questions regarding the Chronicles of Arborell can be answered by emailing the author at densleyw@shoal.net.au
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Windhammer, Copyright Wayne Densley 2001 - 2007 All Rights Reserved
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