We weighed anchor and set out for Moonglow. Elma wa there to see us off. Vlar had set full sail, and we seemed to be flying across the water. It would not be long before we reached the city. After we had been to sea a few moments, and everyone was settled in: i revealed the note I had found. Hans was the only one that had any information on the piece of paper. "Oni, Xander the scribe has a book in the Sanctuary of the Glade on gates to the stars or something like that. He told me he found some old scrolls in a cave in 'The land that forgot about time'. That is how he put it to me." "I did not know he had such a book," I replied. "Said he just recently found them. He has not even translated them all yet." "That would explain why I have not seen them. I have not been able to talk to him for a few days with all that is going on. I knew he was away, also," I said "And, Indeed, this is great news, Hans. It is all starting to fall together now. To stop time, land that forgot about time: they have to be connected. Perhaps the Lyceaeum will shed more light on the information we have. The book Xander has found will surely be of great importance. I feel we are close on the heels of the darkness that shrouds our way. The light is beginning to push the darkness back and we shall be able to figure out what is behind the disappearance of Jupiter." "Aye, Oni, I feel the same." A dashing smile came across his face as Hans finished his comment. We made very good time sailing to Moonglow. There was no disturbances to slow us. The wind was at our backs, and it was pushing us quickly to our destination, and to what I felt was our destiny. I had an incredible assurance that a greater power than the darkness, which had tried to thwart us, was now asserting control. We docked in Moonglow and headed post-haste to the teleporter park, and at least it was still functioning. As we neared the park, I saw some soldiers of fortune loitering in the area. I walked over to them and started a conversation with one, whose name was JUde. I thought perhaps they had seen Jupiter. "My comrades and I had seen a grey robed man and two other hooded fellas. Also, they invited us to join in a quest to the region known in the Lost Lands as a place of great evil and death. I told them we would not go there no matter how much they paid us." "Thank you so much for your time, Jude,' I said nicely. "No problem, Ma'am." Quickly, I made my way to the teleporter to the Lyceaeum. Everyone began to search diligently for any clue about the plans of Jupiter. Marjo and Vlar found an incomplete book on dimensional travel. But the greatest clue was found by Gareth. He found a book in the children's section. Why he was in that section is beyond the scope of my intellect; great though it is. Certainly, we were being blessed with goodness beyond measure. Good fortune was shining on us. Hans and I found a sage named Renaldo. "Do you know of the problems of gate travel that the realm is experiencing?" I asked, hoping be able to ask him of the gates of the stars. "Indeed, Ma'am, all the mages here in Moonglow are working on trying to correct it. I Believe they think some outside force has corrupted the cosmos." "Was there a man named Jupiter here asking of such things also?" asked Hans. "Aye, Sir. He was here asking questions on star and planetary rotations and such. He also asked about a book called 'Star Finder', But we do not have it. Frankly, I have never heard of it, and I have been here for years." "Thank you, Renaldo. I replied. " You have been most helpful. We turned to walk away, and Hans began to speak. "Oni, Xander... I cut him off with a jab of my elbow in his ribs. He winced and drew in his breath. "Ssshhh, I don't want anyone to know of that," I whispered quietly. I had become suspicious of everyone and anyone who wore a brown hooded robe. At the least, the sage was very open-mouthed, and others may come later and pump the same information out of him. Everyone met at the statue of the cat. Vlar had made it there first. For some reason he is strangely drawn to cat-type things. Must be the bear mask or some horrible childhood experience with the family dog. Gareth, Hans and I came to the statue at about the same time. "Anyone find anything?" I asked hopefully. "We found a book on dimensional travel, Vlar and I," said Marjo. "I also have more to add to it as I have information in my library." "Hans and I were able to talk to a sage about Jupiter's visit here. He told us Jupiter was looking for the book that Xander had only just found."As Gareth started to speak his face turned peaked. "I.. I.." He stammered. Then he just blurted it out. "I found this book in the children's section on something called the Portal of Oblivion. It says it is written by Jupiter. "Portal of Oblivion, ACH!" cried out Vlara. "Doesn't sound like to promising does it?" interjected Gareth. "Let me see that," Hans said gruffly as he grabbed the book from Gareth's hands. "It is definitely Ol' Jupe's handwriting." "It has to be a part of the clues we have found. I stated. "But what of this 'Portal of Oblivion'" Gareth asked with great concern in his voice. "It sounds so foreboding."Even Marjo and Vlar had great concern written on their faces. I had to get the party to reconcentrate their fears into devotion. "If we truly love Jupiter and want to bring him back to us, we must continue on. We must work the more diligently to affect release of our friend. He must be going through much anxiety and fear having to search for something now under force that he started out searching for on his own. Even if it means walking through a portal called oblivion." "Well said, Oni. We do love Ol' Jupe and want to see him again," Vlar replied with much bravado. "We must remain true and faithful to those we love and to that which we hold dear," I concluded. "For honor, for glory, for Ol' Jupe!" cried out hans. "AYE!" we all cheered. "Oni, I have been thinking," said Hans. "Apparently, Ol' Jupe does not have all the information necessary to stop time. We should have time to go back home and research all that we have found." "Indeed we should," commented Marjo. "Besides, I need to get back home and prepare my party." "A very good idea, Marjo, and we can use your party to pass information that we may have found. No one will be able to identify us as it is a masquerade." "Let us head for home then. We have a party to attend," Vlar said jubilantly. "And a friend to save," I commented. We returned to the docks and set sail for home. A friend's life hung in the balance....
