The sun rose as it always did in Solace, but this time it rose over a new sight. Below it was one figure who seem to be completely confused. She wore shining gold chain-mail and wore two beautiful longswords strapped to her belt. Her long dark hair streaked with gold gleamed in the morning sun. The woman herself was young and incredibly beautiful, almost angelic. Displayed upon the solid part of the amor which covered her chest was a war gauntlet with two swords crossed over it. The woman grimaced slightly as she tried to bring her senses back. The last thing she remembered was a bright flash of light as she sat within her palace in the immortal planes that gods and goddess dwelled upon. She sat up rubbing her head before looking around. She was sitting to the side of a long road that lead to a large forest, where she could see with her keen eyes a city built right in the trees. Then she realized that she wasn't alone! Lying close to her, were three other people. A tall armored man, at least 7 feet tall, was struggling to his feet as well, using his bastard sword to help him up. The man's face was concealed by his helm and he wore a vast red cloak as well. To the side of her, a serious faced young man was getting up as well, using his glaive to ease his task. He also wore a large sword strapped to his back and wore a mixture of leather and plate armor. He wore no helm, which revealed his stern but handsome face with bright blue eyes. To his side, a figure covered in long brightly colored robes also was rising to her feet. Her face was partially hidden beneath the hood of her robes but, curious and bright eyes peered out from under them. Her delicate hands were currently wearing two claw bracers over them.

"Mau! Cair! Helm! Are all of you alright?" The woman rose to her feet but still a little confused, she would have toppled over if the older looking and armored man had not caught her.

"Be at ease beloved Aridna, we are fine." The man helped her to her feet as she finally steadied herself.

"I'm fine Helm, just a little confused." Helm, as the man was now known as, gently let her go but kept an eye on her. Aridna shook her head slightly as she turned to her two other friends.

Mau, the second woman, shook herself slightly. "Esh, that wasn't exactly what I would call a pleasant experience."

Cair, having recovered himself, leaned slightly against a tree. "Hmph, it could have been worst Mau." Mau merely gave him a slight glare out of the corner of her eye.

Helm shook his head at the antics of the two younger deities while Aridna allowed a small smile to cross her face. Her smile disappeared son as she glanced around. "Where by the planes are we?"

The other three also studied their surroundings. As Aridna had already observed, they were on the side of a road leading to what appeared to be a tree city of some sort. Aridna also needed to know something else. She closed her eyes, allowing her divine energy to find the answer she wanted. Her eyes snapped open again.

"Our...our powers...they have lessoned! We are in the strength equal to our avatars!"

"WHAT?"

Mau held out one of her hands, calling to mind one of her spell-like abilities and saw she couldn't use a few of them. "Aridna is right! Our divine powers have weakened!" At this, Cair's eyes narrowed while Helm's turned worried.

Aridna now turned her divine powers elsewhere, the find out their locations. "S...S...Solace...Krynn...Ansalon." Aridna also sensed other divine beings, weak, but still there. "It would seem we were somehow transported to another world my friends."

Helm nodded gravely while the other two were perplexed. It was Mau who spoke up. "But...how?"

"I can't remember I'm afraid...perhaps we were sent here by the will of Lord Ao for some reason."

Cair muttered darkly. "Let's hope so." Helm merely shifted his sword back to his belt while wrapping his cloak around his well built form.

"I suggest we head for the city over there, perhaps we might find out some more information. I do not wish to overuse my abilities." Mau shrugged, Cair grunted, while Helm nodded. However, their thoughts were interrupted by the noise of the silvery jingle of harness and bridle and the whinny of a horse. Aridna spun around, hand on one of her swords while the others reacted similarly except for Mau, who's hand darted to one of the many secret pockets of her robe. Their eyes beheld a figure emerging from the approaching shadows of evening. It was seated on a small, furry-legged pony that walked with its head down as if it were ashamed of its rider. Gray, mottled skin sagged into folds about the rider's face. Two pig-pink eyes stared out at them from beneath a military-looking helmet. Its fat, flabby body leaked out between pieces of flash, pretentious armor.

Cair wrinkled his nose as a sour odor hit his nose along with the others. Although he didn't necessarily breath, he and his comrades still used their senses. "Hobgoblin!" He growled as he recognized the figure.

The hobgoblin sat astride the pony, watching them with a sneering, supercilious look on his flat face. His pink eyes reflected the last lingering traces of sunlight.

"Well well, what do we have here? You see what we've got here boys?" There was gritty laughter from the tree behind the hobgoblin. Five goblin guards, dressed in crude uniforms, came out on foot. They took up positions on either side of their leader's horse. Aridna's face grimaced just slightly at the sight of the ugly creatures, Helm's eyes narrowed.

"Now..." The hobgoblin leaned over hi saddle. Mau watched with disgust as the creature's huge belly completely engulfed the pommel. "I am Fewmaster Toede, leader of the forces that are keeping Solace protected from undesirable elements. You have no right to be walking in the city limits after dark. You are under arrest." Fewmaster Toede leaned down to speak to a goblin near him. "Bring me the blue crystal staff, if you find it on them," he said in the croaking goblin tongue. Aridna, Helm, Cair, and Mau, thanks to their divine abilities, understood every word he said. A blue crystal staff? What artifact would matter to these pathetic creatures?

"If they resist," added Fewmaster Toede, switching back to Common for grand effect, "kill them." With that, he yanked on the reins, flicked his mount with a riding crop, and galloped off down the path toward town.

Cair and Mau almost burst out laughing at that comment, the only thing that prevented them were the stern glares of Helm and Aridna. Aridna narrowed her eyes in warning and the two quickly quieted.

Helm, with obvious distain, spoke to the goblins. "I advise you to retreat." He flicked his cloak over his shoulder and drew his bastard sword, Ever Watchful. "We are not in the mood to fight with such pathetic creatures such as yourselves."

A bit taken aback, the goblins glanced at each other nervously. One cast a baleful look down the road where his leader had vanished. The goblins were accustomed to bullying peddlers and farmers traveling to the small town-not to challenging armed and obviously skilled fighters. But their hatred of the other races of Krynn was long-standing. They drew their long, curved blades, having no idea they were not even facing mortals.

One dove for Helm...and was promptly cut vertically in half before he could even draw breath. One tried diving for Aridna, but was sliced into four pieces, thanks to a powerful X-slash by the goddess, turned avatar. Cair used his superior reach to also slice a goblin foolish enough to attack him. The last was fried to a crisp by a lightning bolt from Mau. Aridna skillfully spun her two blades back into her belt while Helm, with an annoyed flick, thrust his sword back into his belt. Cair returned his glaive to a holder on his back while Mau folded her hands into her sleeves.

Cair snorted. "Idiots, it seems creatures in this world as just as dumb as the ones we know in ours." Mau giggled while Aridna gave a stern glance at him.

Helm spoke up his thoughts. "I believe we should enter this...Solace. Perhaps we will find our answers within. And find out what that...creature, was talking about a blue crystal staff." The other three agreed as Aridna waved her hands to form a black cloak which she put on and flicked over herself. Helm wrapped his cloak around him as well, while Cair merely folded his arms across his chest and Mau drew the hood of her robes over her head a little more. The four deities walked down the road, heading toward a city they had little knowledge of... HotShot: Well, what do you people think of that story? Aridna, Cair, and Mau belong to me. Helm belongs to Wizard of the Coast and Dragonlance also does not belong to me so no sueing!

Raze: Esh, give it a rest already. At least you're finally writing again.

HotSot: Hey, I had this fic planned out for a long time! I just needed something to boost my motivation to actually write it!

Raze: Whatever.

HotShot: Grrrr...anyhow please read and review!