From time to time the visitors were treated to delicately carved life-like statues. Sometimes they were scattered about the land, some in obscure places. Some of these statues were in the garden of the hilltop house. Some were there for as long as anyone could remember, some of the statues change.

The lavish house was protected by a spell, to keep everyone inside from harm, including the garden. These spells were fueled by enchanted orbs, energy collected on the Enchantress' travels and imbued into the crystal balls. Alone by themselves on the plinth, they were capable of spreading the energy across the protection spell efficiently. They performed better with a sentience behind them, a Sentinel.

It began to whisper to the creature, exploring it's mind as it came closer. It told of great things, immortality, though that was abandoned when the creature didn't fear death. It tickled the mind with power, to have over all those who enter, the creature would decide, but that failed. The light reached deep, penetrating the depths, to find a lure. It was some time, then it whispered of safety, security. It could give all of those, though to do so it required a... sacrifice.

Climbing on board the plinth, drawn in inexorably by the light's blue hue, it rose up to meet this creature. Blindly enamoured by it's siren call, the figure watched as it hovered overhead, the spelndor making the figure fall into a kneeling position, but it never got there. It remained frozen in place.

A normal Sentinel needed a break, time off to recover and sustain a normal body. That was why the magic contained inside the plinth began to creep over the entity, changing it slowly to a polished marble, constricting the flesh as it went, collpasing it down onto itself as stone. The figure kept lowering, as in a pledge to give itself to the aura surrounding it. Though as the magic crept, the creature lowered still, but never was able to take the pose.

The outstretched arms began to cradle the sphere, soon the dual blue tones shifted into the soft marble hues, crackling rung closer and closer to the ears. Unable to comprehend what was happening and filled with a lust to keep the orb in it's grasp, the creature soon became immobile.

The sphere glowed with a bright intensity, quelling the voices it was whispering, it's job was done. The creature had been petrified through and through. The fervor left, replaced with the totality of the situation, the creature began to recoil in horror as to the events that were put upon it.

There was no movement, stone doesn't have ambulitory functions. The vision it experienced was hazed over, a stone-like mist covered the eyes. Limbs felt heavy, as if being dragged down by gravity three times normal, but they were not pulled downward. The statue was feeling a stiff compression, the wieght was pulling inward, supporting every inch in confined comfort.

It still heard the water falling behind it, another statue holding a classic greek vase, pouring what seemed like an endless stream of water into a bathing pool. It wrestled with the facts it now was confronted with. There was no mobility, no movement, not even the eyes that were now locked forward in a gaze across the top of the sphere.

A figure floated into its vision, the first reaction was to cry out for help. In a surpise, the voice was cast out of the stone muzzle.

The avian figure, dressed in long robes grinned as she hovered over the floor.
"I see that you have found a place with us."

The creature screamed again and a clawed hand reached up to touch the muzzle, silencing it.
"I won't have you ruin my peaceful abode with that noise. For the time being, I shall leave you mute, until we can come to an agreement. You see, I have the power to take away everything you have left, speech, hearing and even sight." She ran her claws along the slender muzzle, the creature inside could feel it, her warm touch. "I'd rather not do that, I want all of my Sentinels to be here of their own accord."

She hovered near a balcony, looking over to the land below. "For the time being I want you to do one thing. You are to watch over my domain, keep all who inhabit it safe, all those physically living and those like you as well. Is that something I can entrust to you?"

The statue remained silent, it's ability to communicate removed. She could hear it though, the creature's thoughts, a powerful Enchantress as herself was able to do so. It was afraid, shivering internally, mentally falling apart. It was seeking safety, the mind on full alert, trying to make sense of what had happened and what would happen.

"I will give you a few weeks to think about it. After that we can have a talk, Western Sentinel."


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Based off of experiences in the "Enchanted Domain" in secondlife:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondli.....alley/4/150/22
Enchantress:  cirri