"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."

Lazheros raised a hand, "One moment please." He turned around to the altar and gave the ranger a scroll of the missing relic. "This should help you in locating the relic. What your looking for is a gauntlet. Platinum with the crest of Bahamut on it. To a collector its a priceless artifact purely for display only. No real value to the naked eye unless you incite the inscription from the scroll. It will glow white in the presence of someone who is pure of heart and just. Too small for anyone of human, elven, dwarven to wear. Perhaps a child or halfling or gnome might be able to wear it, if they pass the test."

"Thank you, Lazheros, I shall do my best to return this scroll to you once our mission is done," Willow reassured the Bronze Man.

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?"

"....I think I'm gonna sit this one out. Got a lot on my mind." The elementalist told Irzen, "You could stop by the tavern and ask Quake, that is if she's sobered up from last night."

"Let's not and say I did," Irzen replied without hesitation, "Quake is a drunken hot mess! I have no problem letting sleeping elementals lie. Guys, let's go!"

Alyson glanced at Serna who was rather quiet for a change. No snotty comebacks, nothing. Perhaps she felt overwhelmed by the sheer ambiance of the temple or maybe she was put in her place in the presence of a true legend of the Realm. Madeous had that affect on people especially being flanked by the dragonee. On Earth, the two dragonee appeared as two stone lions that guarded the main entrance to the mansion, or the garden. She knew they liked to move around the property from time to time. Really spooked noisy visitors from getting too curious. Good times.

"Serna, you'll do right by this important quest to the find the relic, right?" Alyson asked the Shield Maiden. "It's a test to see if you are truly worthy. Good luck."

"Of course I will do right by this quest," Serna replied honestly, "Don't I always? And thanks, good luck to you too!"

-Cocky as ever, aren't you?- The elementalist quietly telling herself while smiling at the shield maiden boasting a success prematurely.

"Before we go Lazerhos, let me ask you a question," Irzen turned towards the Bronze Man, "How do you think those two Thieves got in here and stole the gauntlet?"

"The relic was among others on display for pilgrims and visitors alike for view purposes only. My fellow clerics and I did a full investigation about the matter here within the temple and found one suspect who's being detained on the temple grounds in the guard post." His brow furrowed with contempt, "a turncoat."

"Even I questioned this individual. Shady and downright despicable that he would do such a thing by stealing the relic and trying to make some coin. Needless to say, the man in question will be doing hard penance for this crime!" Madeous grumbled with hands on his hips. "Perhaps, you and your friends may find out something that Lazheros and I did not."

"Oh, I think we can persuade him to talk," Irzen turned towards his friends, "Right guys?"

Willow, Neven and Serna grinned and nodded in response.

The Bronze Man told the adventurers where to find the guard post on the temple grounds by following the main path and taking a left to the sparing area for the knights and paladins. "If they ask, tell them I sent you."

"Consider it done!" Irzen led the others out of the temple, "Gang, we have a mystery to solve and a traitor to interrogate. Let's see what we can learn."