5 Til'ka, the City of Wishes.

The journey through the fog would have been impossible if not for the magic boat. Multiple times the group did not know where they were, what direction they were going and occasionally something would bump the boat, startling them, a wave or maybe the hydra. They did not know. They asked their guide where they were going, who his master was and what he wanted with them, but the generic being kept quiet, their inquiry falling on deaf ears.

Without warning, the boat made landfall, and while still immersed in the fog, they disembarked. The instant one of them touched what they assumed was an island in the middle of the lake, the fog vanished for them. As they each stepped off the boat and onto the land, their vision cleared. Gathered together, they stood on a single square kilometer plain forested island with a clearing in the center.

"So, where is this city?" Garrok asked.

"Patience." The humanoid walked over to two large trees that nearly touched their branches and traced their hands, following an invisible line. Stepping back, they waited as the line they traced slowly formed a doorway. The trunks of the trees became the sides of a door and the branches above created an archway. A finished entryway to a hidden city lay ahead of them. The servant pushed it open. In awe, they watched as the door gave way to a bustling city street. Beings walking around and going about their business. At the end of the street sat an enormous tower directly ahead. Garrok looked behind the trees and the forest continued toward the clearing. Looking back at the door, he saw the city. He blinked, confused.

The servant being laughed, "Welcome to Til'ka, the City of Wishes."

This was like no city any of them had been in. Where walls, city guards and a sense of order existed in most of the Empire's cities, none existed here, a place of freedom and a gentle chaos. Another oddity was the lack of humans, which dominated the populace. Though there were humans, they were by far outnumbered and they were the type of human that would stand out in an Empire city. There were goblins, orcs, halflings, gnomes, and the odd demonblood. Even a few giants, minotaurs, lycans. Erigos gripped the hilt of his sword as he followed their guide past the creatures, some he had experienced killing.

Each house they passed was a different color, creating a vibrant atmosphere. None of the buildings even reached a quarter of the height of the tower. There were small shops selling various trinkets, jewels, food, and weapons. Upon reaching their destination, the tower at the center of the city, the servant produced a weird two-pronged key. The smooth stone of the tower moved to create a slot for the key. They clicked the lock open and a part of the tower wall vanished, revealing a simple entrance. They entered and disappeared. Unsure, Rothox went first and as he stepped into the tower, the plain room transformed into a luxurious waiting room. He took a step back in shock just as Garrok stepped into the room, shortly followed by the other two.

'What is this place?' Garrok thought.

A booming voice filled the room. "I am Tilamoka!" Floating from higher up the tower, a figure gracefully descended. "And this is my city." Gliding into view was a male being except where legs should be, was a wispy tall. He had a well-groomed beard, and an elongated goatee. He donned a wondrously colorful robe and his smile was just as infectious as his boisterous laugh. Taking his time, he inspected each of them, ending on Rothox.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I understand it must be very confusing why you are here and I know you all have many questions. Please let's discuss." With a flick of his hand, a purple smoke filled the room and as it settled away, what once was a lavish entrance turned into a grand dining hall. A table filled to the edges with exotic fruits, fresh vegetables, and an entire roast pig. Goblets of wine that when drunk refilled themselves and each acquaintance sat in a gold-painted chair with beautifully ornate carvings.

"Please eat!" The magical being, seated at the head table, twirled his goblet of wine. "And ask away."

While they ate, he wove a tale of his creation of his city to protect the outcasts and lost of the world. The pocket dimension he placed it in was part of the many protections in place. The fog and the hydra were all his doing, and he even admitted to using the hydra to make sure they had no choice but to accept his invitation. They couldn't tell if he was telling the truth, but he had an obvious power and aura about him, making his words seem true. Once they had their fill both of food and story, he waved his hand again and in that same whirl a study materialized. Not as lavish as the entrance hall, but much more than a typical study. Shelves of books of wondrous colors, plush seating chairs, large loungers, a crackling fireplace with flames dangerously high, although it offered no heat.

"Now, the reason I brought you here. Have you heard of Ottothal Blackthorne?"

Everyone but Erigos shook their heads no. "He's a member of the High Council in Zarcum. He works for the AQvour Empire. I heard he went missing," Erigos said.

"You are correct, he is a council member, but he wasn't missing. Rather imprisoned, here. Until recently, when he escaped."

"Why did you imprison him?" Erigos asked, clearly intrigued by why he had jailed a respected member of high society.

"Ottothal, known only to a select few, is an evil vampire. I say evil because I have a few vampires as citizens, amiable people. He is the leader of a certain society that seeks to overthrow the Empire by ending the world for all mortals. He was traveling nearby, and I sent word to parley with him. When he entered my tower, as you all did, he entered the dungeon."

"So, you want us to kill him?" asked Garrok abruptly.

"Haha, wouldn't that be nice? Unfortunately, it's not that simple. There are politics involved. I had hoped to keep him locked up for a while until after the Ascension Trial, but his escape, among other reasons, ruined that plan."

"How'd he escape if you are so powerful?" Alissa piped up. Erigos snapped a glare at her.

Tilamonka got serious. As he did, the shadows crept in, bringing the cheerful vibes of the room to a sinister place. "I let him escape. You think a measly vampire could best me?" As he spoke, his voice got louder, deeper, and angry. He rapidly doubled in size, a demonstration of his might. "A great prophecy must be fulfilled and Ottothal plays a role in it. As much as it pains me, he must be out in the world for that to occur. I was not aware of this prophecy until after I had detained him. I am unfortunately locked to this plane and can not intervene with other dimensions. Otherwise, I would deal with him and make sure this prophecy comes to be. Hence why I need the help of mortals."

"You can not leave?" Erigos asked.

Tilamonka's body slowly shrunk back to his normal form, his voice returning as well."I can not... but that discussion is for another time."

"Why the Ascension Trial?" Garrok asked, referring to a previous statement.

"As you know, the Trial grants the winning Kingdom the right to rule the Empire for the next five years. Sa'vour has ruled over the past hundred years uninterrupted. I believe Ottothal wants that rule to continue because the Emperor is aging and upon his death, the Council elects a new ruler if there are no heirs, of which there are none. Who do you think Ottothal wants them to select? He is planning something to make sure this happens, although I don't know what exactly. I need you to figure that out."

"Why couldn't you just imprison him again? Wouldn't that stop him?" Rothox said.

"I wish it were that simple, however something in his plan needs to occur preventing a greater evil."

"This all seems to happen so fast. I think we need to think before taking a job with a stranger, a powerful one at that, who locked up an official of the Empire. These are some serious accusations, treasonous ones, if they are true," Erigos said sternly.

"I appreciate and understand your apprehensiveness. However, time is of the essence. The Trial is just over a year away and the Champions of each Kingdom have to be announced exactly a year before the tournament. I will give you twenty-four hours to think about it. In that time you will stay in the city as my honored guests." One more flick of his hand and the purple smoke returned. In a second, they were back in his waiting room, the door to the street open.

Once everyone but Rothox had left, he turned to Tilamonka. Once everyone but Rothox had left, he turned to Tilamonka.

"Why us?"

"You'll have to figure that out for yourselves." Tilamonka winked.

With that, Tilamonka vanished, leaving Rothox standing at the entrance to the tower, which once again was just a plain stone wall. The rest of the group was standing, waiting for him. Looks of confusion, excitement, worry, as well as shock covered all their faces.

"What now?" Alissa asked.

"I guess we have to figure out if we believe him or not," Garrok replied.

Erigos, the de facto leader of the group, took charge. "Let's find a quiet place to discuss. Time is ticking."