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Ravuna is a quiet, talented young student at the University of Yelni. She has a tendency to avoid any drama that comes about by focusing her thoughts on being studious. Unfortunately, not all trouble can be avoided. This was something that Ravuna learned when she met Kelmona.

Although Ravuna rarely ever spoke or came into contact with her fellow peer Kelmona, Ravuna seemed to have a way of irritating her. More than likely, this internal confrontation was probably due to Kelmona's jealousy toward the young eyrie.

For fear that Ravuna would take her placement in the coveted position known as a Spirit Guide, Kelmona finds a way to remove Ravuna from their planet Helmina and to one of the lesser worlds below where a Priestess by the name of Denvu of the village of Uzela, takes the tattered eyrie into her home. There, Ravuna is surprised by the natives that thrive in the desolate lands because her preconceived notions about them appear to be mostly false. Although her new surroundings aren't as grotesque as she would have assumed, Ravuna is desperate to return to her home in Yelni to see her family again. Denvu explains that there is no known way to return to Helmina because of a barrier that surrounds the planet, which prevents any wandering spirit to enter and be reborn in the realm.

Devastated, Ravuna refuses to accept her fate and begins to travel around the lesser planet of Exila to search for answers. Along the way, she stubbles upon Alirny who has also fallen victim to Kelmona's foul play. Alirny's fate is far worse with regard to the location of which she fell. Instead of being discovered by a village like Ravuna had, Alirny had been captured by a band of rogues who believe she pocesses a special power to grant them access into Helmina.

With quick wit, Ravuna comes up with a plan to free Alirny, and eventually, the rogues decide to release the gnorbu. Once free, Alirny explains to Ravuna that the city of Yelni is in complete chaos from Kelmona and that the administration at the school is nowhere to be seen. The two students then continue their journey together and discover the true fate of a spirit guide when they come across Alirny's mother who reveals the repercussions of being a spirit guide as well as the lie the the administration had kept a secret for so long.

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chapter 1: forbidden landscape

A bizarre and unfamiliar sulfur-like smell singed her nostrils. The scent was far from the light and flowery smell that was associated with the city of Yelni. Her mind was in a daze as she lay upon the warm earth with her eyes covered in soot. Ravuna tried to blink them open, but it seemed to cause more irritation than it was worth. She decided numbly that she would have to use her other senses to observe her surroundings.

Unfortunately, her other sense were hindered as well. Ravuna rolled to her side and attempted to leverage herself to her feet, but her arms shook in protest. Any space that formed between her head and the ground was quickly and swiftly shortened until the side of her face found itself once again in the familiar soil of the heated earth below. Discouraged and defeated, Ravuna began drifting off into an exhausted sleep. Even the voices in the distance refused to wake her.

She remembered her face. Despite her beauty, her expression was distorted and her eyes smiled with spite. "Kelmona?" she attempted to question in surprise, but no sound seemed to escape her lips. The world around her seemed to disintegrate after that moment as she fell into an abyss of darkness.

Is she awake?" A muffled sound reverberated through the cloudy haze that seemed to choke her mind. There was a soft-sounding conversation that followed, but Ravuna couldn't understand it. In an attempt to observe her whereabouts, she used her ever-gaining strength to open her eyes. At first, all she could see was the blurry, blending of warm colors. Once she began to focus her eyes properly, her other senses followed suit. A strong, dark and rosy scent flooded her nose and gave her the stimulation to sit up.

Take it easy." Ravuna turned her head toward the dark and mellow voice. "We wouldn't want you to black out again, now would we?" She was unlike any person Ravuna had ever seen. Her fur was a deep and matted, earthy brown which contrasted with the sheen of her long, burgundy hair. It seemed as if she tried to style it in the most elaborate of ways, but the hair seemed to refuse and often fell out in a highly unorganized fashion. This lady turned towards a now gaping older boy who showed similar rugged traits as the woman with the red hair. "Well?" she began, "It's already very late and I doubt your parents would be thrilled if they knew you were out. Especially on a night like this." A night like this? Ravuna questioned in her mind. What is she talking about? In the midst of pondering her question, the boy bowed slightly, turned and existed the tent. The woman shook her head slightly.

He's a stubborn boy, but he has his uses." The woman cast her gaze at Ravuna once again. Her stare was intense, and it made the young eyrie nervous. "So..." she began, "You are one of the god people?" God people? The woman must have noticed Ravuna's confusion and explained. "You know, the selected spirits who are prevented from traveling between the three worlds. It is your people who have deemed the rest of us unworthy of being in the presence of Helmina. And so, our spirits are not reincarnated on that world. Instead, we must be reborn between Sehja and Reii to protect the balance of spirits between the three planets. For if the worlds are unbalanced, the tri-system will be unstable and all of the worlds will collapse. I assumed that you know this, don't you? Or, are the higher-ups in Yelni feeding you lies?"

Ravuna did indeed know of the balance between worlds and the importance in which it held. That was the entire reason the spirit guides existed. When people died on the planets of Sehja and Reii, spirits must travel between one of the worlds in the Tri-System. However, since a barrier exists around Helmina, spirits can often attempt to cross and become confused. Insteed of moving onto the next world, spirits will often linger around the barrier. The build up of spirits puts the Tri-System at risk of collapsing and must be dealt with in some way. Spirit guides must then use their abilities to relocate these spirits to the proper planet.

When lost in thought, the eyrie remembered the woman's last statement. "Higher ups?" Ravuna questioned to the fiery woman. But before she could received some sort of response the lady began to sniff the air around her.

The lady stood quietly for a moment and then spoke. It's come here sooner than I thought. She walked over to the entrance of the tent and peered out for a moment. Ravuna could hear excited voices outside. The lady sighed and rushed over to one corner of the tent. Listen, she began, We don't have much time and I'll have to explain later. Just do as I say! She nervously fidgeted with the ropes that held the fabrics of the tent into place. With a proper tug, half of the woven wall had fallen to the sandy floor. Get that other side, and quickly! She motioned Ravuna to untie one of the knots in one of the still-tied corners.

HomeThe fear-drenched tone of the woman enabled the eyrie to follow directions without any questions necessary. Once all of the ropes and fabric had fallen off of the wooden frame, the woman desperately gathered up the materials on the ground. No longer protected by the thick fabric of the tent, Ravuna noticed the intense heat that overwhelmed her skin and lungs. What was this place? It was unlike anything she had ever heard of. This way! The woman's voice once again broke Ravuna's train-of-thought and she motioned the eyrie to follow.

With the heavy material in hand, the two women rushed as quickly as they could through the streets on what appeared to be some sort of gypsy-like village constructed with tents made from tattered, but colorful fabrics. The sand in the street was so think that keeping up with the rugged woman was difficult. All around them, the villagers were in a frenzy to collect whatever items they appeared to own. Everyone seemed to be headed the same direction. Although most were in too much of a panic to notice Ravuna, the few that did glance up at her became slightly dazed from her foreign appearance. This made the eyrie extremely nervous and she felt herself pick up the pace ever so slightly. Behind her, a scream was summoned from someone who was in obvious disarray.

Instinctively, Ravuna glanced behind her in order to determine who or what made the grimacing sound. Despite the hot, dry air, her eyes widened at the scene unfolding behind her. Off in the distance was a black cloud approaching the village with freight-like speed. The daunting cloak consumed the landscape as if it were some sort insatiable monster. Ravuna longed to cry out in despair, but her throat seemed to suddenly be afflicted with the aliment often known as fear. It was unlike anything she had felt before.

chapter 2: night of ashes

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