“Most humans, they seem to prattle on about this and that, not even really seeming to care about what they are saying so long as someone is listening.”

“Have you ever heard of someone actually being eaten by a dragon? That's just an ugly rumor that lots of people passed out a long time ago, trying to give dragons a bad name." He seemed to think about it for a couple of moments. "But you probably still don't want to upset any of them too much, just in case.”

“The council said that we needed hep from a human... so here I am. You see," the haltija looked around to be sure that they were alone and that nobody else could overhear before continuing. "We need your help.”

“[Morgan] raised her arms to protect herself, wincing in pain but keeping her eyes squeezed shut...Somewhere nearby, she could hear someone whimpering, and she suspected that she was hearing herself.”

“Morgan's temper flared again, and she raised the staff again, intent on beating the answers out of him if she had to. "You used to be a chosen, too - I know you were. These were your friends, too, and now they're dying. Don't you care?”

“Many people have gotten lost out there and never found again. It's easy to get disoriented with nothing but white around you, even easier to freeze to death trying to find your way back.”

“She looked deep into the sphere and watched the colors swirl around. As she watched the whirling colors, she could feel herself being drawn into the hypnotic patterns inside the orb. Deeper and deeper into the patterns she fell, forgetting where she was and what she was here for.”