“Lived” by Titania, Mixed Nuts, Mandarb, Sea, The Frood, Positivefreak, and others

Story compiled by Soeasilyamused and Mandarb

Part One: The Far North

Deep in the coldest regions of the snow-covered Far North lurks great mystery, as well as the fabled You-Know-What.

Titania, Queen of the Elves shivered as she struggled through the gale-force winds that swept across the icy plains, threatening to knock her down. She sighed and clutched her winter cloak closer to keep out the chill.

Suddenly, a tall, dark figure loomed out of the depths of the storm and approached Titania. She gasped and drew away, a bit startled by its sudden appearance.

“I have been sent to aid you in your quest to find the You-Know-What,” the figure intoned in a deep voice. “Do you accept this help?”

Titania shivered again, but managed a smile at the foreboding figure before her. “I thank you, sir. Forcing my way through the storm has exhausted me. Would you mind taking the lead for a time? Please?”
Wordlessly, the dark shape turned and took the lead. Titania followed close behind, grateful that the looming figure provided her with some shelter from the storm.

“I am called Mandarb,” he said after a while.

“I am Titania,” she replied. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mandarb.”

“Do you know where we are to search for the Y-K-W?” Mandarb asked, apparently trying to make conversation.

Titania thought for a moment. “I can feel its power, even at this distance.”

“That must mean it is very powerful.”

“Its power is never-ending, greater than you could ever imagine. Our task is to find it and return it to the rightful ruler of the North,” she replied, thankful for the company after the long, lonely trek.

Their conversation quieted as the huge, snow-covered mountain loomed into view. Titania grew uneasy with the feeling that they were being watched. As she looked around, she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye.

Titania whirled around. “Mandarb! Stop!” He halted and turned to face her as she peered into the whirling storm. “I thought I saw something move out there.”

Warily, Mandarb looked around. “I sensed it as well. We shall proceed more swiftly.”

Titania shivered and began to follow the tall man again as they struggled through the blinding snowstorm toward the mountain.
Titania and Mandarb reached the foot of the mountain and began to look for an entrance. She discovered a wall of ice on one side of the mountain, with a thin crack running through it. She frowned, as the crack was too small for a person to fit through, but gasped as she peered inside to discover a cavern beautiful blue crystals on the other side of the ice wall.

“Mandarb! Look!” she cried. He peered through.

“It looks like a secret cave. But how do we get inside?”

Titania searched her pockets and pulled out her trusty elf emerald. “Maybe with this. Stand back,” she ordered.

Mandarb stepped back and a beam of light broke through the clouds to shine at his feet. He looked up to see a tiny break in the clouds as Titania tried with all her might to thaw the ice with the emerald. He frowned in thought.

“I can’t do it.”

Mandarb looked at Titania, startled, as if he had forgotten she was there. He looked at the emerald for a moment, then took Titania’s hand and moved it so the sunbeam shined onto the emerald in her open palm. The light reflected onto the crack in the ice and immediately the opening widened enough for them to pass through.

The cavern was beautiful. Every exposed surface glittered with dazzling blue sapphires. The light danced through them, casting reflections onto the two weary travelers as they stepped inside.

“Oh, it’s spectacular!” breathed Titania in awe.

“They’re the same color as your eyes,” commented Mandarb wryly. Titania looked at him to see that he had lowered the hood of his cloak to reveal a friendly and handsome face. Titania searched for something to say, but Mandarb spied a tunnel leading deeper into the mountain. “That way,” he said, pointing. He didn’t wait for her and she hurried to catch up.

Titania stopped as the tunnel split in three directions. “Left, right, or straight?” she asked, turning to Mandarb, who appeared to be pondering the very same question.

“Right,” he said after a moment. The turned right and continued on. Titania, excited to see what was ahead, moved slightly ahead of Mandarb.

Mandarb’s ears perked up in response to a noise. “Look out!” he cried, and grabbed Titania roughly, pulling her to the side of the tunnel. A gore-covered spike slammed into the ground where she had been standing. Titania stared at it, shocked.

“Nothing is as it seems, I fear,” said Mandarb carefully. “We must be cautious.”

Part Two: The Far North

Titania could do nothing but stare at the point where she had been standing only moments before.

"Thank…thank you…," she stammered, still stunned by what had just happened. "Would you mind taking the lead for a while?"

Saying nothing, Mandarb fished a length of rope from his pack, and tied it around Titania’s waist, in case of separation. "Follow me," he said quietly. They continued on, winding ever downwards, stopping only now and again to get their bearings. After a long silence Mandarb turned to Titania.

"Do you know what we’re looking for yet?" he asked curiously.

"I do not know exactly, but I have heard stories and such. The source of the power is reputed to be shaped like a large crystal, and is to be found in a beautiful hall of ice." Titania stares into the air, as if imagining this great beauty. "I believe that we will find the hall at the very heart of this mountain. I can feel the pull of the power.We’d better move carefully and quietly from here on, we don’t know what may be guarding the cavern."

The pair continued on towards the heart of the cave, when, upon rounding a corner, they were faced with a figure dressed completely in white fur. The unkown figure stared at them for a moment before running silently down a narrow corridor.

"Who or what was that?" asked Mandarb, shocked.

"I don’t know," came the reply, "but it didn’t feel hostile, and it may be able to help us. Come on."

And with that she lead Mandarb by the rope around his waist down the corridor after the figure.

Titania slipped the rope off her waist, motioning for Mandarb to do the same. Suddenly they were faced once again by the mysterious being, at a fork in the tunnel. It motioned for Mandarb and Titania to stop, and human eyes peered out from under its hood. After a moment’s study, the hood was dropped to reveal the fresh young face of the Emperor’s daughter, Sea.

"Lady Sea! What on earth are you doing here?" Titania exclaimed.

"Just Sea will do. I’m here to help you find the You-Know-What. I know where it is," she said, a bit too matter-of-factly for Mandarb’s liking, but he let it pass.

Sea pointed down the right fork in the tunnel. "That’s the fastest way, but it’s guarded by a large black dragon, that would quite frankly eat us all for after dinner mints! But down that way," she pointed to the left, "is my dragon, Azrael."

"You have a dragon!?!" shouted Titania.

"Yes, I’ve had him since birth. But enough chat for now, let’s go"

It was not long before the group were on their way down towards Azrael’s lair. "We’re nearly there," said Sea, and not a minute had passed before she led them into a massive cave, with a large orange dragon sitting in the middle.

Sea approached the beast and it lowered its head to her so that she could stroke his nose. "I’m sorry, but I have to get back to the palace before Daddy notices I’m away. That passage there will lead you to the You-Know-What." She indicated a doorway behind Azrael, and with that she was gone.

"We should really get going now," Mandarb urged Titania, who was staring in awe at Azrael.

"Okay, but when this is over, I want a go on his back!"

"Before we go, I shall contact one of my brothers and ask him to pass on to Sea a gift for helping us." Seeing the confused look on Titania’s face, he continued. "He will give her a half-elven stone which she can use to contact one of us over great disatnce."

Mandarb’s eyes suddenly became blank for a second, before returning to normal. "It is done," he said, and turned towards the door.

They continued down the passageway for several hours, not needing to stop, as there were no forks in the tunnel. After a while Titania stopped.

"What is wrong?" asked Mandarb.

"I have just realised that we have been travelling all day. We should really set up camp here."

"Good idea," replied Mandarb, and laid down his pack, pulling blankets from them for Titania.

They slept well that night, not needing to keep watch, safe in the knowledge that Azrael wouldn’t let strangers pass. It was just before morning when Mandarb was awakened by a strange sensation. He was instantly awake, and he knew then that Sea was using the stone she had received only the night before. He heard her voice in his head, "Please help! My father has been…kidnapped! I don’t know what to do! I have sent Azrael for the You-Know-What. Please hurry!"

At that moment the flapping of Azrael’s great wings could be heard and then there was only the silence of the tunnel. "We will be there as soon as we can. Do not fear." He thought back at Sea.

He woke Titania straight away and told her what had happened. "We must head to the surface immediately!" she cried, and without another word they were away.

The passage back was a swifter one, as they remembered the directions to be taken, but it still took them several hours to reach the surface. Upon leaving the cave Mandarb was struck with the realisation that they had no means of transportation. As if reading his mind, Titania said "It’s my turn to surprise you." She raised her hands to her lips and blew through a slit in her fingers, making a loud "hoo-hoo" noise. It was not long before Mandarb spotted two fast moving black horses approaching. In another couple of moments they were on their way to the Emperor’s palace. "We should be there in about two days," Mandarb shouted to Titania over the whistling of the wind.

"That’s too long!" she shouted back.

Mandarb stopped and motioned for Titania to come near him. She did so and he slipped off his horse, as did Titania.

"My father taught me a spell for transpoting people over distances not unlike this one. But it is very dangerous. Do you want to risk it?"

"I don’t think we have any choice, do you?" Titania replied.

"OK then. Brace yourself. The world around you will swirl, and this will not be a pleasant experience."

As he said, when he raised his hands and began to chant in a foreign language, the world seemed to spin, and as suddenly as it had started, it stopped.

"You can look now. We are about two miles south of the palace. I have contacted Sea, and she will meet us soon.

"While we wait..." Titania began, "could you teach me that thing we just did?"

After a moments thought, Mandarb nodded his head. "Alright then. Place your arms like this…" he raised his arms above his head, and Titania imitated him. "Now memorise these words, and to activate the spell, you simply say them while picturing the place you wish to travel to."

He rhymed off several complicated words and repeated them again. Titania began to mouth them as she slowly memorised them.

"But it must be done very carefully, for if one slight mistake is made, there can be dire-"

Suddenly, Mandarb’s head recoiled as if he had been struck a blow.

"I have just been contacted by a dragon-being. It is the person who has kidnapped the Emperor in their natural form. She says that she is on our side, and that the royal family is in danger." Mandarb relayed, skeptically.

Moments later, Sea mounted the small hill they were waiting on, and hugged both of them.

"Thank you for coming!" she exclaimed, near to tears.

Mandarb sat her down on the grass and said, "It will be alright. I believe the dragon may return to the palace, possibly to get you, so I think it would be better if you stayed with us, agreed?"

"Agreed," stated Titania.

They made camp in a small patch of trees that night, and Sea was asleep as soon as the blankets were laid down. The other two kept watch alternatingly, and Mandarb decided to visit Sea in her dreams when Titania took over from him.

Sea was suddenly face to face with Mandarb, and rushed to him.

"I’m afraid I must ask you not to take anything your father says at face value. He may be under the control of the dragon which has him. I fear that she is after the You-Know-What."

"Okay," she replied, strangely calm, as if expecting this revelation.

And then Mandarb was gone, and Sea was left alone in her own dream world.

They awoke the next morning to the smell of cooked pork. Mandarb was rather surprised to see Sea standing over a makeshift spit with a small pig roasting over it. "Just in time," she said, offering them both several pieces of the meat.