"And what Alyson has not told us, your tales of bravery and cunning more than make up for," Willow concluded, "It is both a pleasure and an honor to meet you, good sir."

"Um, forgive my ignorance," Neven spoke up, "But aside from being Alyson's uncle, who are you really, sir?"

"Madeous Khyng. Fighter, knight, paladin in the service of the Platinum Dragon, Bahamut. King of a far off hidden land within the Realm beyond the Great Veil. My companions were once upon a time, my brother Jack, a master thief specializing trap mastery. Madeline, another master thief, specializing in lock picking, normal or magical. They are Alyson's parents. Lazheros, here was our healer and cleric. Seriah, Shadow Dancer assassin, originally sent by Venger to kill me but I gave her a better deal and she turned against him. And lastly, there was, Celestria, lady paladin of the Bahamut, who was banished to another world with our last fight with Venger. One that was meant to banish him instead backfired forcing those of us not of the Realm to return to Earth. Curses. They are a subtle and dangerous tool in the hands of an enemy with centuries of experience to back it up."

"I bet," Irzen agreed, "So if you don't mind my asking, why have you returned to The Realm? To find Alyson and bring her home? Or have you returned for another reason?"

Madeous Khyng grew quiet at the Swordsman's question at first. He seemed reluctant to reveal something yet he was asked a simple question therefore his response was, "Finding Alyson was not a simple task, Irzen. Technically, she's already home."

"What? What do you mean I am home, uncle?" The elementalist interrupted him.

Lazheros looked at Madeous then at the elementalist, "You were born here in the Realm but raised on Earth. That is the reason why magic comes so naturally to you. It is also the reason why Venger is drawn to you."

Alyson turned pale and felt sick to her stomach, "Ughhh!"

The Adventurers looked at each other in pure disbelief at this revelation.

"Simply put, The Realm's source of magic is mostly derived from the myths and legends from Earth but there are other worlds within the cosmos that contribute as well. Three, the curse that Venger placed on my friends and I took effect as soon as we left the Realm. Called The Curse of Misery. It worked. It succeeded in driving a wedge between my brother and I. He and Madeline took their skills using them for greed and grand theft larceny. They are now serving 15-20 years in prison. Not to mention Jacob, Alyson's older brother has also fell into a life of crime and completely despises Alyson for it. Seriah had gone with us to Earth but her true form revealed her as a old woman. Returning to the Realm was a death sentence for her it seems." Madeous paused to catch his breath for a moment, "I took on the role of raising Alyson for a time but the curse caused me to 'love' my business over my family. Just a friendly reminder don't underestimate Dungeon Master. He shows up when he chooses to but he's not infallible either."

"Fair enough," Irzen replied with a nod.

"I've returned to see my niece. To visit old friends, meet new ones, and return to my kingdom beyond the Great Veil for a time." Madeous told the swordsman.

Mention of the Great Veil again triggered a legend Willow had heard from his people growing up. The elders from time to time would tell tales of ancient civilizations as old as the elven cities.

As for Alyson, it took her a few minutes to collect herself from the news. Looking at both Madeous and Lazheros, "How is that possible that I'm from here? I have no memory except all the devious things my parents used me for in their schemes. Bad memories at that."

"You don't remember because you were made to FORGET them to protect you from the powerful enemies of this world." Lazheros went over to the fountain and walked over to her with a cup of wine.

She just looked at him in disbelief but took the cup and downed the wine. She needed it. Shrugging handed the empty cup back to the cleric. "Ummm....thanks I think."

"Well, I see you two have a lot of catching up to do," Irzen turned towards the other Adventurers, "And I think we can handle a few thieves running off with a relic or two."

The others nodded in agreement before Irzen turned towards Madeous and Alyson, "You are more than welcome to join us. But would it be safe to say that you two have other things in mind?"