"I am here, daughter."

Then louder, "I am here, daughter. Help me. Come to me."

The urge is overwhelming, Savi turns back on her course and flies past the prone body of Keridwynne. She plunges into the building like she had been there before. Racing down corridors in absolute blackness, she flies never slowing. Down into the depths of the building she travels. Light erupts as she flies into a large room. Columns set about 30 feet from the walls, run in two lenghts through 2/3rds of the room. On the far other end, a great pool of water is standing. Savi proceeds much slowly, no longer guided by the voice in her head. She passes column after column each bearing a name. Satri, Treong, Litika, names that have no meaning to Savi. The columns come to an end, the last one on the left side of the room bears the name Trelani, the last on the right bears just a number 7197. Savi looks at her arm and a chill passes through her. She lands by the water to look out over it. From the looks of it there is no exit on this side of the room, only the blue water that resides here. Savi stares at it for awhile. Its movement bothers here. How is it moving if it is a still pool, there has to be a passage out into the lake for the water to be moving. She slowly strips off her black armor and then on a whim and the fact that a bath is needed after the long trek here, she strips to nothing. Taking no more than her wits with her,

Savi dives into the water and surfaces a few feet away. Long strokes take her in short order to the other side of the pool. She pulls herself out the water to look about for another exit, but finds none. She returns and luxuriates in the warm water of this place. She dives deep to probe its depths and bobs back to the surface. She does this many times at various points around the pool. One dive reveals the flow of water back out into the lake. Savi breathes deeply and submerges. She finds the opening and starts in. It looks as if it is fairly short in distance but by the time she enters and swims for a minute. She realizes that it is much farther than she thought. Moving more rapidly, than she should for someone that is oxygen starved, she traverses the tunnel. Savi heads quickly for the surface of the water. Bursting through with a loud gasp for air, Savi hears the echo bounce from the walls. She strokes for the edge. Lifting herself out of the pool, she pads across the floor, leaving wet footprints behind her.

The combination of the water evaporating from her skin and the cold floor sends several shivers through her. Light shines from a single source in the room. Her copper shin glistening in it. She makes her way to an orb resting on a golden tripod, a circle of gold supporting it around the middle. The orb itself is a copper color not unlike the color of her skin. A black streak of blood mars its surface. The streak leads downward, a skeletal hand rests at the base. Following the hand back, Savi discovers the arm and then the body. The woman who died in Keridwynne's vision. She is dressed in armor, much like Savi's. Nothing more than a skeleton in armor remains. The orb's light passes over Savi in waves, its light brightening and dimming.

"Wow, and you've been alone here for fifty years? Well, I suppose you can't just pack it all up and go adventuring to the west, because you're blind. Ooops!" blunders Nightshade, reddening invisibly. "Um...maybe we should check the path to the Old Ones' city...although Savi did seem to go straight through here."

Jens just smiles in the direction of the voice of Nightshade.

"Jens, have you ever seen this island or have you learned everything from your hands?" Mero queries.

"I have been blind all my life, what I know of the island is all by touch, sound and smell." Jens replies.

"What does this show you?" Mero asks as he places the hilt of his short sword into Jens' hands.

Jens holds the sword in her hands and then hands the sword back to Mero, "Shapes and patterns of things I have never seen before. It is like the orb. It tried to teach me the names of those shapes but I could never remember them. Are you one of the ancient ones those that can project thoughts and visions in the minds of others or is that sword of the old ones make?"

"I am not an old one like Savi, and it never occurred to me that the sword could have been made by the old ones. To be honest, it never really occurred to me that the sword of my grandfather was even magical until a few hours ago." Mero says.

"Well, my suggestion is that I find a hidey hole and pray, while the rest of you, including, Jens, go after Savi. I am totally out of spells. I could memorize 2 cure blindnesses, but I expect that since you have lived your life with it Jens, you probably have no interest in a "cure"? Keridwynne asks.

"No need to try to cure me for even if you did, I would still be blind, just blind with colors and shapes that I couldn't fathom. I, for one, think that the input you receive from your eyes is far to confusing for me to understand."

"Hallo, Jens! I am Talorc, one of Keridwynne's friends," he says in an unnatural sing-song voice. Then turning to Keridwynne says "How long will it take you to pray for your guidance and the cure for Mero?"

Keridwynne says "Not more that 30 minutes to an hour."

Talorc turns to address the group, "I think we should wait for Keridwynne, the druegar are coming and I don't really want anybody left behind here when they show up."

The members of the party nod and those still invisible say their agreement. Keridwynne retreats to the water outside to pray.

"Jens, Do you know where the central room and the orb are? If so, I will follow." replies the still invisible Tieron.

"I do and I will lead you there, when Keridwynne gets back. Meanwhile get comfortable and I believe that I have enough stew still simmering for everyone to share." Jens says pulling out bowls and spoons.

Keridwynne steps back into the house of Jens. Most have eaten and are sitting around the house, looking as if they need a nap. Keridwynne steps over to Mero.

"Put your sword on the ground Mero." Keridwynne instructs.

Keridwynne starts a chant very Celtic sounding in nature. Her hands start to take on a blue haze of energy. It ripples over her hands as she reaches forward to grasp the face of Mero. The energy transfers from her hands to his face. It surrounds his face and then strengthens around his eyes. Mero, from reflex closes his eyes and waits. His eyelids letting out scant bits of strange blue energy from underneath them. The power of Keridwynne's goddess fades from his eyes. Mero opens them with a start.

"I'm sorry Keridwynne, I still can't see." he says.

"Wait a moment longer Mero. It may take a few seconds for your vision to return." Keridwynne says hopefully.

Mero closes his eyes again and then reaches his hands up to touch them. Running his fingers over them, he is the first to feel a liquid start to stream down his face. The others watch as a mixture of wyvern poison and blood trickle down Mero's face. Keridwynne grabs a rag and hands it Mero. He wipes it away and then opens his eyes.

"Well, its not everyday your vision is restored and the first sight you get is the lovely nurse. Thank you, Keridwynne. Its a little blurry but that is fading." Mero rises to his feet, "now lets go find Savi."

Jens grabs her walking stick and starts out the door, the rest of the party in tow. She wanders around to the front of the building and climbs the steps to the entrance. Jens pauses.

"The first time I found the way to the orb, it took several hours of meandering the hallways, but once I found the orb it showed me a quicker way." Jens says.

(Savi reaches out and touches the orb.)

"Orb," Jens says, "This is Jens, unlock the way for friends and I."

(Nothing happens at first and then images flood Savi's mind. Her body goes rigid.)

A piece of the floor slides back in front of Jens showing a staircase leading down.

A cry is heard from above. The party turns as one to watch as ten wyverns scream into the cavern. They fly in unison over the building.

"We still have at least an hour or two," Tieron says, "before the scouts arrive, the army probably an hour behind them maybe more, based on the fact that wyverns can easily outdistance those lizard mounts."

Jens takes the first step into the darkness of the stairs.

("We have little time, Savi" the orb speaks inside her mind, "The druegar have never seen the island on which I stand. They are a violent race with a violent history. They tried in the past to kill your people, the Siamsa, but the Siamsa were far to powerful and flung them back without ever injuring one of themselves or the druegar. Illusions and suggestions of terror kept the druegar back. But we don't have time for a full history lesson. They will burn this place to the ground and crush all the remains of the Siamsa beneath their feet and finally they will think that they will be free of Sentares or Archelous or Dianactrik or one of many names he uses.")

The first hundred stairs go quickly, the first thousand not so quick but the party continues the descent.

("They will never be free of him until he is dead. He is an ancient evil born not of this world but of another. The Siamsa dabbled in gates and dimensions and pulled him through to this world. For a time he was controlled by the Siamsa but he grew to powerful for them. In his rage for the time that he was held captive by the Siamsa, he vowed that he would capture and control the entire race and finally destroy them when he tired of them. Time was on his side, never aging, never sleeping, he searched for a way to control them. Somewhere, he found it. The trouble was the Siamsa never knew what 'it' was. They had no defense. He came and they followed his instructions, no matter what those instructions were. He killed them, he tortured them and then he found that he could use them. Their telepathy gleaned information for him. Their powers he used, their bodies he used for both cannon fodder and bedmates. He conquered lands with them, he assassinated people with them, he did what he wanted. Some escaped his vengeance by secreting themselves down here. Here they prospered for centuries under the nose of Sentares until the druegar found them. Some of the druegar went to the surface and through these few, Sentares heard of the last of the Siamsa. He came and captured a few of the Siamsa and forced them to tell him of their plans. He learned of a plan that was put into effect, a set of bracers was commissioned to be built, that would destroy Sentares and the Siamsa started interbreeding with other races hoping that half breeds would not be affected by the magic of Lord Sentares. He watched for a time, placing spies in the midst. He found that the bracers had been built centuries ago. Worst of all, he found that some of the city's population could not be controlled by him. He exacted his revenge. He destroyed the city of your birth, child. The rest you know. He never found the bracers. Your mother and her mother before you passed the bracers from one generation to the next. They branded your arm and the arms of several others with different numbers just to confuse who was the real descendent. The bracers were stored here to be used when Sentares arrived. But your mother, Trelani, was caught in the first blast of the city. She should have died there, but strength of will carried her here to carry out her task. When she arrived, she knew she was dying and would never survive the battle with Sentares. She started the wards and guards that rendered this island invisible and the locking mechanism that would release all of it to her descendent, 7197. Savisorbs, daughter of Trelani. She hoped you would survive to retrieve them.)

Jens trips the secret door that allows access to the orb room. Its light floods the stairs, a pulsating copperish light. Before the orb stands a naked Savi, her hands resting on it.

"Your friends, they have arrived, Savi," the orb says its voice smooth and definitely male in its timbre, "Reach down, Savi and touch your mother's armor it has been in your family for generations. It was meant to be worn by you."

Savi reaches down and gently touches the black armor covering the skeleton of her mother, Trelani. It responds, surging forth like a black slime. It wraps itself onto her arm and then disperses along her body, leaving face hands and feet uncovered. Its smooth contours leaving nothing to hide as if she was hiding anything before.

Jens leads the way to the orb, they stand assembled behind Savi. Savi's eyes still intent upon the orb.

"The first of the druegar have arrived," the orb says, "Watch."

The light of the orb dies and changes to a scene on the outside of the building. The same druegar that were present on the surface and then later seen in the vision are here. They come around the corner and onto the path around the lake. The wyverns swoop to their masters and grab at the extended hands of the druegar. The grab and lift maneuver succeeds in most cases only one wyvern of five having to fly by again to retrieves its passenger. The wyverns fly over lake and slow as much as possible over the land. They release their passengers and the druegar drop to the ground. They start forward to the front of the building. One by one they start to dissolve into nothingness.

"The druegar have the innate ability to turn invisible. Five have come and a hundred more follow. Time is no longer a luxury, Savi. The bracers reside inside me, you will have to break me open to retrieve them. Do not do so yet, for in the breaking of me, the final process in the bracers creation is complete. I will supply the raw energy by which you will destroy Sentares, but in the conflagration, this building will be destroyed. Only the bracers will protect you, so once I am opened put them on quickly. Your friends will be safe in the water or if given enough time they can escape the same way they came it. It will take hours for the druegar to find the right path down but your friends will face an army by the time they crawl back up those stairs. Choices Savi that you and friends have to make. I await your decision."

Nightshade starts to roam the room periphery, musing on the best possible way to take down the druegar.

Tieron just stands there invisibly and starts cleaning his fingernails.

"Let me get this clear.  The final empowerment of the bracers creates an explosive reaction.  Is this instantly fatal to all-things Sentares-ish.  Or do we have to bring the bracers into his actual presence?  What are the actual powers of the bracers supposed to be?" Talorc asks of the orb.

The orb pulses and answers, "The final empowerment of the bracers destroys the building in an explosion.  Should Sentares be standing in it, he may be hurt by the explosion and falling rubble but he would recover.  If it were instantly fatal to Sentares by just having to activate the bracers,  we would have done so long ago.  The bracers are finely tuned to Sentares.  Savi will know his whereabouts as soon as she places them upon her wrists.  The other powers of the bracers are the ability to use the power to direct fire of an incredible heat that is the only thing that Sentares is vulnerable to.  It may be used on other targets as well but there is a finite amount of energy stored there.  I would refrain from overindulgence of the bracers.  I would say that you could effectively use the bracers a hundred times before the power would not be great enough to destroy Sentares for good.  Swords will hurt, magic will damage but only the power of the fire of these bracers will destroy him eternally.  Another function of the bracers is the ability to cause them to use the power on the wielder.  It will destroy the wielder, the bracers and nothing more.  It was built as a fail-safe in case the bracers fell into the wrong hands.  The last function can only be activated by telepathic command."

"Maybe the best way out of here is the way Savi got in.  It should get us around the duergar anyway.  Keridwynne has water breathing.  Do I still look elven?  If so I can transform into a good swimmer and drag people through."  Talorc continues, then as if an afterthought, "Can the dwarves detect invisible?"

Savi answers, "You still look elven, Talorc. But I do not know about the Druegar."

Jens says, "Druegar are trained from the time of birth to blind fight, in case the enemy that we seek is invisible or if we fight our own race as happens from time to time.  They have no innate ability to detect the presence of the invisible but are very skilled at fighting them once they are found."

Quietly, Keridwynne ponders the words of the orb.

"I think Talorc's plan for escape is best, Jens, what will you do, this will destroy your home as well?  Can you go back to your place and take your most valuable possessions out?  Will the druegar left up there harm you, or not?"

"I have very few possessions that I consider valuable and these I keep on my person.  The druegar will not harm that which they can not see."  Jens says as she fades from existence.

Keridwynne smiles, "I have enough water breathing for all.  I think if we clear out, and Savi hangs here, she can have the orb tell her when all/most of the evil dwarves are in range, and KABLEWIE, as it were.  Am I right, orb?"

"I can sense the presence of the druegar in the building, when most are in I will alert Savi."  the orb responds.

"Can you see normally now, Mero?  You LOOK marvelous, at any rate."  Keridwynne queries.

"I can see just fine, now.  Thank you again."

"I agree with Keridwynne's plan, wait for most of the drueger to enter this building then duck out the water way while it collapses around them.  If we do that we should close the short cut back to Jens' place before any of them stumble across it."  Mero says.

"I left most of my things on the other side of the water, if you could grab them on the way out I would appreciate it."  Savi says, her new black armor glistening in the light of the orb.

"The army has arrived at the water." the orb states matter of factly, "The wyverns are starting the transporting of the druegar to the island.  I would estimate about one hundred new druegar and five more wyverns.  The first wave of druegar are being brought across now."

A few minutes later the orb states, "They are being dropped off and vanishing."

A minute later, "I am now detecting the presence of the new druegar in the building."

"Time to go, I think."  Keridwynne says.

Calling upon her goddess to grant the ability to breathe water as if air, she touches each person and confers a piece of that power on each member of the party.

"The power conferred to you is about 30 minutes in duration.  After that..."  Keridwynne trails off.

The party starts to wander across the room to the edge of the pool.  Savi stands before the orb looking deep into its depths.

"Good luck."  Nightshade says quietly.

"What was that?" Talorc queries lifting one eyebrow.

"Nothing."  Nightshade responds.

Damn elven ears of his, wish he would turn back into the deaf half-elf he is, Nightshade thinks, though he is kind of cute this way.

Keridwynne slips into the water and disappears into its depths.  Talorc follows, his body contorting and changing.  His final form, a dolphin.  He dips beneath the water and picks up speed circling the pool.  He then leaps out of the water and flops back in, splashing those still waiting to come in.  He chitters his amusement.  Nightshade gets into the water and Talorc comes up behind her using her water displacement to find the ever invisible one.  Placing his dorsal fin in her hand, he waits until she grabs on.  Talorc dives and speeds away.   He passes Keridwynne in the tunnel connecting the two pools of water.  He does a slow barrel roll around her and then speeds on into the second pool.  Passing Keridwynne again, he slows as if to offer her a ride and she waves him on.  He passes back into the other pool and picks up Shateera.

Mero watches as Shateera grabs onto the fin of Talorc and disappears.  He is waiting to be last to leave.  Mero leans against the wall and feels raised bumps there.  He turns around to inspect it.  Images on the wall, long faded by the steam that rises from the surface of the water, he can pick out but they don't reveal much, too far gone.  It is the writing beneath the pictures that intrigue him.  It is written in Arabic.  Mero thinks back, he did encounter a lot of Savi's people in Greece, but all of them were in Sentares's control. Why would this be written in Arabic? A splash in the water brings him out of his reverie.  He watches as Talorc and Jens disappear beneath the water with a flip of Talorcs tail.

"Tieron, come here." Mero says.

"What?"

"I am going to translate some of this, can you grab a quill and paper and write it down."

Tieron fumbles for a quill and some paper and then retrieves it.

"In the time of the great purge, We came to this place to seek solace from Sentares, the demon we loosed upon this world.  We came to build that which could destroy him.  We searched the past for weapons that would destroy, none were found.  So we searched for any clue that would kill Sentares."

Tieron says, "Old news, Mero.  Its my turn to go, here is the paper and a waterproof case.  See you in a few minutes."

Tieron walks out into the water and grabs onto Talorc's fin and disappears beneath it.

Mero grabs the quill and takes up where he left off.

"We found the way in the heat and flame of his own world.  We tapped into that power and encased it into the orb that rests here.  A set of bracers lays inside absorbing the power and will for sometime to come.  Our searching also took us to the future and we looked forward to the rebirth of our race and found only its destruction by Sentares.  We insured steps that would hopefully prevent this.  An outside breeding program was adopted to insure that our people's blood would pass on to another race.  That our mental capabilities would be passed onto another people.  But we found that the other races gave back as well.  The children born of such unions were immune to the power that Sentares used to enthrall us all."

Talorc chitters in the background.

"Talorc," Mero calls back, "Go on and take them all out into the lake, come back for me if you can, otherwise I will be along shortly."

Talorc chitters some more.

"Go on.  I know what I am doing."

Talorc dives away and ponders what Mero is doing.  He emerges in the other pool to find the others waiting for him.

"Where's Mero?"  Keridwynne asks.

Talorc swings his body from side to side.

"He didn't come with?" Nightshade says.

Tieron answers for Talorc, "He found some inscription he was translating on the wall.  It looked like old news to me so I left."

Keridwynne emerges from the water and retrieves Savi's stuff from edge of the pool.  Stuffing the contents of Savi's backpack into those magically never full pockets of hers.

"So is he coming along shortly then?"  Keridwynne says from shore.

Talorc nods vigorously.

Nightshade smiles and strokes Talorcs streamlined head, "Good boy, Lassie."

Talorc dives and drags Nightshade along searching for the exit to the lake.  He finds it and moving through it far faster than he should he gives Nightshade a very bumpy ride to the outside lake.

Mero continues writing.

"In the future the one that will set the rest of us free will come but it will be far to late for us.  We will die in the great fire that will destroy our civilization.  She will be like us but her blood will make her immune to the will of Sentares.  Her travels will be many before she comes to claim that which is her birthright.  She will bring others tied to many causes but they will all seek answers.  The bearer of Zarakfen searches for the clue that will unlock his destiny.  The gnomes have the answer he seeks."

The orb speaks, "95 druegar have entered the building.  Ten stand guard on the outside including the leaders of the army and the leader of the first scouting party."

Mero looks up at Savi.  Mero slams the quill and paper into the scroll case and glances back at the inscription.

"In the future the one that will set the rest of us free will come."

Damn, Mero thinks, I read that already.  Where the hell was I?

'The bearer of Zarakfen, blah blah"  Mero recites as he reads farther down.

"Got it.  A sightless man he came here, leaving now sighted, explores the gift of his grandfather.  His weapon constructed by the hands of we and powered by the gods themselves.  His journey of discovery has just begun.   His past relationship the key to the death of Sentares.

 The woman who begot the stars and sons should find them..."

"Good bye Savisorbs,  Harbinger of Death."  The orb says before Savi's hand crashes down into the orb.  Mero runs for the lake as the first wash of flame propels him into the water.  He dives.

The party rests floating in the lake around the island.  Talorc dives back down about to go after Mero.  He feels the tremor in the lake as the building erupts in flame.  Great chunks of the building spew out into the lake crashing down around the party.  A body of a crushed and broken druegar splashes quite near.  The party dives deep to avoid the rubble being rained down on them.  Talorc, his sleek body knifing for the underwater entrance to the building suddenly slows as he feels his tail fin split in twain and resume the form of legs.  He slows to a stop as his face contorts back to its original form.  The potions effect wears off.  Talorc stops and waits by the underwater exit.  He is soon joined by the rest.

A minute passes and then a form spurts out of the exit.  Mero, looking a little stressed but otherwise in good condition swims by.  Another minute of time passes and the form of Savi swims out.  Strangely bubbles seem to be rising from the black bracers that she is now prominently wearing.  She passes near Talorc and he can feel the heat being generated by the bracers.  The water temperature rising as she passes by.  The party bobs to the surface of the lake.  They look out over the island.  A small corner of the building stands and 1 column that used to support the front entrance is still standing.  All about is rubble sinking into the water and bodies of druegar floating and bobbing here and there.  Some aren't even the bodies just a few parts.  A wyvern body floats near the island, caught in the blast most likely as it chose the wrong time to fly by the building.

From the island, a lone druegar hobbles to the shore and starts shouting, "Grea nob les par no sciaot..."

"What is he yelling?" Tieron asks no one in particular.

Nightshade looks about uncomfortably, relieved that no one can actually see her face, "He said, Cowards, that is not a warriors death to be blasted from a thousand yards distant.  It is not the way warriors are meant to die.  I give you a choice, face me on this island of doom that you have created as we should have faced each other or I will be order the wyverns to attack.  If you think that escape is possible, they try, but I know that the elves of your party are not water breathers and you can not stay in that water forever.  When you emerge the wyverns will kill you quickly and swiftly.  Face me on this island or be attacked by the wyverns, those are your choices.  I await your decision."

The druegar sits down on the shore and readies a hand crossbow.  He is the same one in Keridwynnes vision that gave the orders to attack with the army in the first place. An old grizzled military commander, he is.

(Bear with me and read on.  I realize that this is not the start of a battle as it should be but you will understand by the time you finish this very long turn 58.)

Pryderi strode through Lambor Castle with purpose.  He needed a meeting with Sentares.  He passed through the corridors of this old great castle without noticing the structure or the architecture or the stone gargoyles that adorned the walls of this place.  He noticed even less the presence of the servants and slaves.  Their black pupiless eyes and antenna always darting here and there.  They were the eyes and ears of Sentares and sometimes the thoughts of him as well.  The copper skinned people moving and sometimes cowering at the sight of him as he passed by.  It was the cowering that made Pryderi notice them for the first time.  He stopped as one of the cowering ones tried to cower even lower.  He looked down on her, past his long narrow nose to the Siamsa girl.  He reaches down and places a finger on her chin and forces her eyes to meet his.  Her face black and blue, her eyes nearly swollen shut.  He looked at her for a time and shook his head.  Only unbelievers should be punished thusly not those who followed the teachings of Ashler with such relish and abandon as these people.  Sentares took far to many liberties with these people that he had conquered so long ago.  Pryderi reached down and grabbed her face in his hands.  He looked deeply into those blackened eyes and spoke the words of Ashler.  Her eyes opened and the bruising left her face.  She smiled a wan little smile and Cardinal Pryderi walked on.  His eyes set as he approached the bed chambers of Sentares.  Kevanish already standing by the door waiting.  The sounds of grunts, groans and the occasionally shriek coming from the guarded doors of Sentares.  The guards, large specimens of the Siamsa race barred the door with crossed pole arms.

“They seem to think that Sentares wants to be alone with his concubine or concubines as the case may be.” Kevanish says nodding to the guards barring their way.

“Move.”  Pryderi says to them, “I won’t ask twice.”

The guards look confused for a second and then drop their polearms and stand back from the door.  Pryderi glances at them and then kicks the door, so that both the chamber doors slam inward and rebound from striking the side walls.  Two inside Siamsa guards move to block the way.  Sentares glances up from his bed.  A naked Lady Sentares and two naked Siamsa females scurry from the bed chamber.  Their modesty not intact.  Sentares had been having an unusually good time this evening.  His face was larger than usual, his lower canine teeth jutting up and out of his mouth.  His skin taking on a few scales here and there.  He appeared startled by the intrusion, something that very few have been able to do to Sentares.

Sentares roars “What is the meaning of this?!!”

Sentares sprang nude from the bed, his face flushed with anger and something more.  He stalked over to Pryderi and Kevanish.  His face reverting to normal as he walked.  His teeth retracting into the mouth and the scales departing from his skin.  His head shrinking back to its normal shape.  More jet black hair sprouting in as he walked.  Sentares ran a hand over it to smooth it back out of his face.

“It would seem that excitement causes you to lose your form, Demon Sentares.” Pryderi starts, “but you recover quickly I see.”

“Who let you in?” Sentares growls “and I am not a demon.  I am as fully human as you.”

“In that form, Demon, you may look human but you are never truly human.  I can see just by looking around the castle that you are more demon that man.  I have seen more deaths in the past month of these Siamsa than I have seen in all my years.  What right do you have to kill indiscriminately?”  Pryderi spits out.

“Gods kill indiscriminately and I am the Siamsa god so who am I to go against tradition.”  Sentares smiles.

Kevanish steps in as he has so many times before in these fights, “This argument never gets us anywhere and for gods sakes, Sentares, clothe yourself.  I have seen far more of you this night than I care too.”

Sentares, his original anger cooled somewhat returns to the bed and pulls on a set of leggings.

As he is tying them in front, “Why did you interrupt my evening?  I hope that it was something important or I will be very put out,” He pause briefly and then addresses the inner two guards, “The other guards on the door, put them to death.  My instructions were very clear, no one was to enter.  Disobeying my orders has only one price.”

The two guards file out of the room, one of them hesitates just for an instant.  A greenish glow from a cabinet pulses briefly and then the guard moves more swiftly towards his duty.  A brief scuffle is heard outside and the sound of muffled death cries is heard.  The guards file back in rehousing their bloodied swords.

“Now go out and just to make sure that my orders are never questioned again.  Kill ten more of your kind.  I don’t care which.”  Sentares says smiling so sweetly towards Pryderi.

The same guard hesitates again.  Sentares scowls and that same flash of greenish light bathes the room.  The guard fairly runs for the door.  Pryderi, right behind him.  Kevanish grabs Pryderi by front of the tunic and blocks his way.  He whirls Pryderi around and speaks quietly into his ear, “Pick the time for the battle, Pryderi and which battle to fight.  We have need of Sentares yet, I think.”

Pryderi nods and steps out from behind Kevanish to face Sentares.

“Something wrong, Pryderi?”  Sentares smiles again.

“We had a sighting of Savi and company this evening.  A druegar came to us this night, burned by a pattern consistent with a lightning bolt.  He spoke a little before, he lapsed into sleep.  I have healed his wounds but not completely.  He will live but he will need some rest before his whole tale can be told.  I gathered from him that he escaped or survived an encounter with Savi.  I was unable to determine from him if she lived or died but by the look of him and the fact that he claimed he was the only survivor of a hundred druegar.  I would guess that he was probably escaping.  He also claimed to have flown in on a wyvern, but it died before it reached here.  This part I can confirm, we found a wyverns body north of here.  Its body burned in the same lightning blast that nearly claimed the druegar.  From his words, a person fitting Mero’s description was also in the party.  We do not know who survived or any at all.  I thought that this may interest you.”  Pryderi say dryly stating the facts.

“Where did this druegar come from, did he say?”  Sentares asks becoming more agitated by the second.  His control over his form becoming less as a scale or two wavers into existence on his face and chest.

Pryderi says in a very flat voice, “Daroken, Druegar city closest to the underground city of the Siamsa.”

“What in the hell would they be looking for there?  I turned that city to ash sometime ago.”  Sentares says regaining control of his polymorphed body.

“Seems that you missed something, Demon.  He claimed an island rose in the middle of the lake and then it blew up when they entered it.”  Pryderi answers.

“An Island? In the middle of that lake?  No way in hell would I have overlooked something so obvious.”  Sentares says pulling on a shirt.

“You seem to have overlooked those bracers for all these years Demon.  I would have no doubt that you could overlook an island in your arrogance.”  Pryderi says.

“Get the hell out.  Get out now before I kill you where you stand!”  Sentares shouts, “Return only when the druegar awakes!”

Pryderi turns on his heel and starts out the door.

“Why the hell do you do that?” Kevanish asks as they walk out the door, “he will only kill more Siamsa to rid himself of his rage.”

Pryderi smiles, “I know, but let me introduce you to someone.”

“Namid.” Pryderi says quietly.

A form detaches itself from the walls.  Kevanish startles from the sight of it.  A Siamsa, short and very muscular strides down the hall.

“Kevanish, this is Namid.  He like Savi can not be controlled by Sentares and I have a great many plans for him.  The first of which starts now.”

Pryderi turns to Namid, “Collect the bodies of the dead Siamsa and bring them back to my study.  I have need of them.”

Namid disappears down the corridor toward the bed chambers of  Sentares.

“But Sentares killed all but Savi that he could not control only because she was a plaything for him and then she escaped.  How is it that Namid is not controlled?”  Kevanish asks.

“It is a funny thing about Siamsa, that even in death they retain their skills far better that the rest of the Undead and even some mental capabilities but not enough for Sentares to control.”  Pryderi lets out a low chortle and then a loud guffaw which dies to a giggle as he walks down the corridor to his study.

In Pryderi’s study, Raina waits for her husband.

Raina’s voice is flat, no emotion intoned in the words, “The druegar has awakened.”

Raina turns and leaves the room by way of another corridor.

Pryderi walks to the recovery room of the druegar.  He steps into the room and quickly sees the burned and charred face of the druegar.  Pryderi’s spells have helped but the scabs on the face flake off, showing red scar tissue underneath.  The druegars face looking like some sort of sunburst pattern.

“Are you well enough to speak to Sentares about your encounter with Savi?”  Pryderi asks in that doctor tone of voice.

The druegar nods his head.

“What shall I call you, by the way?”  Pryderi says smiling.

“I am Pogralis of Clan Daroken of the rulers of Daroken.  I serve in the First legion as scout and guide.  It is with honor that I come to Ashler’s stronghold to inform our allies of the movements of our enemies.”  Pogralis states quickly and clipped.

“You serve with honor.  Come, Sentares waits for the report.”  Pryderi says.

Pogralis and Pryderi leave the room.  Pogralis walking with a slight limp.  A brief stop in the corridor to rap on Kevanish’s door.  Kevanish joins the group as they head back to Sentares’s door.  Pryderi steps in front of the guards, the new ones that have been posted in front of his door.  The polearms they carry the same as the guards before.  They could have been twins with the other guards except for the grim determination that no one would pass through this door unannounced.  Pryderi waits for the guards to clear his entrance with Sentares.  A grunt from behind the door can be heard as Sentares gives his blessing.  The door opens to see Sentare’s smiling face beaming back at Pryderi and company.

“Pryderi, my friend, It is great to see you back again so soon.  I take it that this is the fine guest that has information for us.  Well met, Druegar brethren.”  Sentares speaks.

Polgralis steps forward and bows to Sentares.

“Please...?” Sentares starts.

“Polgralis.”  Pryderi says.

“Please, Polgralis, start the tale of how you came to find Savi and the rest near Daroken.”

“Yes sir.  We had our orders that we were to search for the group that was moving into woods.  We as ordered sent the wyverns out to scout.”

“Wait just a second, Polgralis.  I think that I have something that will speed this along.”  Sentares says.

Sentares walks past the bed to the cabinet.  He carefully opens the doors to it and reveals a small orb, no bigger that the size of a peach resting on a silver stand.

“Think, Polgralis of the events of that day and the orb will project them for us to watch.  It will be much faster that way.”  Sentares smiles.

Polgralis shifts his weight uncomfortably and then turns his attention to the orb.  He stares deeply into it and then his thoughts become pictures and the pictures form into shape.  The view is the battle on the surface, the disappearance of the party, the orders to attack given in the Druegar city of Daroken, the long ride to the underground lake, the first sight of the island.  Sentares eyes narrow at this but he holds his tongue.  The arrival of the Druegar on the island, the placement of troops, Polgralis’s station near the front entrance of the building, the disappearance of the rest of the troops as they activate their invisibility.  The explosion as it carries Polgralis into the water.  A large chunk of stone embedded into the back of his thigh.  He anguish is shown as he pulls it free.  The sight of the blood swirling in the water.  The quick bandaging of his own leg.  The fast orders by the General about taking up positions on the rubble.

Polgralis now totally enthralled with the orb, even flinches and rubs his leg as if the events are occurring again.

Then the emergence of the party from the water, the challenge of the leader is clearly heard by the rest.

Then, these words spoken by the enemy.

"I think we should take him up on his offer."  The one called Mero said, then he continued, "The inscription on the wall in there was frighteningly accurate about some things.  One of the things it mentions is 'The bearer of Zarakfen searches for the clue that will unlock his destiny.  The gnomes have the answer he seeks' If nothing else, the stone giants will be interested in that answer.  It also prophecies that we will run into, "The woman who begot the stars and sons", but unfortunately I was interrupted before I could read that part.”
 

"There's always one, isn't there."  Talorc does his best doggie-paddle charge.

“I think we have little choice but to face the accursed dark dwarves.  I will sanctuary myself so
that I don't get taken out right away, and can be there to heal as needed.”

"So the gnomes have it." gasps a disembodied voice, trying to swim but just making a lot of splashes.  "Sorry I bailed out on you but it was time to go."

    "And I guess it is time to go to the island." The disembodied voice says again.

A minute or two passed as the Half Elven Talorc pulled his body up on the shore.  The human named Mero struggled a bit behind as if taking his time to reach the beach.  The human female, Keridwynne disappeared.

“What the hell happened to her?” Sentares asks Pryderi.

“Sanctuary spell, Pogralis is weak minded, he can no longer see here unless she attacks him directly.”  Pryderi says, “I doubt that you could have seen her either, Sentares.  A very potent spell.”

The drow, Shateera, moved onto the beach her crouch low and ready.

“It is too bad that the drow have not seen the ways of Ashler.  When the surface is conquered the drow will pay for their insolence.”  Pryderi comments.

Talorc pulled his sword from its sheath, its greenish glow lighting the area.  General Amorck pulled the great battle axe from its resting place.  Then all hell broke loose.  The two weapons clashed together like some great bell clanging.   The ringing echoing from the cavern walls.  Fifteen Siamsa rose from the water and started forward as if wakened from the dead by the bell.  The scene shifts as Polgralis moves.   A lot of ground is covered in a quick motion, even in the hobbling gait that Pogralis had.

“Where did they come from?”  Kevanish asks.

“Damn good tactic is what that was.  An illusion, I would bet, enough to scare the wits out of Pogralis and probably half the rest of them as well.  He ran at the sight of them.”  Pryderi says.

Sentares pulled out a short sword from the side of the bed and started to head over to the focusing form of Pogralis.

“Do not kill him for his cowardice, Sentares.  He got burned somehow and I want to see how.”  Pryderi states.  Sentares looks at Pryderi and then sets the sword back down.

Polgralis stopped and then turned back toward the beach area.  His duty overriding his fear.

Shateera broke off from the beach and headed to the rubble just to the right of the battling Talorc and Amorck.  A form became visible at the instant his dagger pierced the spinal cord of  Shateera.  She whirled on her attacker.

Several Druegar suddenly became illuminated by a purple haze as Keridwynne light them up with faerie fire.

Savi strode from the water, her sword in hand.  The nearest purple colored druegar, took a swipe to the side, followed by another to the throat.  He staggered and tripped over some rubble on the ground.  Savi righted her sword and pierced his body clean through with the sword.

Sentares calls out, “What a woman!”

A shriek from the back turned Polgralis’s attention from the purple coloring of his tunic to the sight of a Elven Nightshade withdrawing a sword from the back of one of the druegar.  Polgralis turned to find the human Mero not to far away.  He pulled his axe and ran after him.  Mero was tossing rocks at the combatants.  More annoying them than really causing much damage.  Polgralis scrabbled up the rubble in a hail storm of stones that Mero was pitching at him.

Talorc tried to twist out of the way of the double bladed axe of Amorck as it came screaming at him.  He did twist but not quick enough.  The blade bit into his midsection leaving a stream of blood.  Not the first wound but the first serious wound.  Amorck bled too, his wounds from the detonation still showing and the wounds that Altira had carved into his body.  Talorc moved again and sped a slice toward the throat of Amorck.  Blood welled from the side of Amorcks neck as the tip of Altira pierced his throat.  It was not a bad enough to kill him quickly but it would kill him from the amount of blood pouring from it.  Amorck knew enough that without help, he would lose this battle.  A long shrill whistle came from his lips.

The wyverns in the sky turned and started to descend into the battle.

The illusion of the Savi’s people have scared a number of the Druegar away, Tieron paused to consider the battle.  A druegar circled Shateera, pulling his short sword, he stepped forward to gauge an attack on the druegar.

Polgralis reached the summit of the hill, he grasped for Mero’s hands as Mero pitched another rock at him.  The rock flew by him just barely.  Polgralis swung his axe, it sliced deeply into nothing.  Mero had stepped off the back of the rubble and tumbled his way down to the base.  Polgralis raised his axe above his head and charged down after him.

The first strike of lightning tore through the descending wyverns.  It was enough of a shock to them that they broke formation.  They circled back upward to gain speed to dive again.  This time they took opposing positions and dived straight for the form of Keridwynne.  She could hit a few of them, but not all at once.  Four wyverns dived.  Two of them flew to close together, the staff of lightning spoke again.  Wyverns dropped into the water with a sizzle as the burned bodies cooled off rather quickly in the water.  The other wyverns, one struck the other flew by.  The claws extended, they knocked Keridwynne off her feet.  A large brownish wyvern did not pull up from his hit instead landing on Keridwynne, using its weight to cause more damage to the strike.  Keridwynne struggled in the water where she had been standing just moments ago.  Her face submerged, she struggled a bit more and then became quite still.  The wyvern bit at her but did not waste its poison tail on something that was already dead.  The wyvern gave out a little shriek of joy and turned to feast on the flesh of its fallen victim.  It turned its head back to its meal to see the business end of a lightning staff sticking up out of the water.  It went off.  Its head blown off its shoulders.  The body flumped into the water and twitched some then fell silent.  The fourth wyvern descending for its free food, was interrupted by the lightning that took its companions life.  It was hit by the lightning as well.  Its flesh burned it wheeled for a near outcropping and alighted on the cavern wall.  The final wyvern, flew high looking for an opportunity to attack.

Tieron slammed his sword into the back of the attacking druegar.  Its blade slicing into the armor of the druegar and then it hit flesh.  The druegar wiggled some and reached for the blade that was embedded in his back.  He slumped forward in death.

Nightshade moved around to help Savi as she sized up another foe.  This one did not look that fearful of Savi.  It was the leader of the scouting party that they had encountered on the surface.  His eyes sized her up and then he launched an attack.  His quick strokes of the battle axe chopping through her guard.  He ripped deep into the left arm and leg of Savi.  Nightshade took this time to move for the backstab.  He must have been waiting for her.  He pressed a switch on the shaft of the battle axe and a blade appeared in the butt end of the axe.  He rammed it backward into Nightshade’s body.  He was incredibly strong, he pushed back and lifted Nightshade off the ground by six inches before he pulled forward again to fend a blow from Savi.

Amorck, parried and spun again to block another blow from Talorc.  The neck wound gouting blood as he did so.  He knew he had minutes to kill Talorc or die from blood loss.  Talorc’s grin widening as he knew it too.  Amorck twisted left and then right to avoid more blows being rained down on him.  He found himself about 10 feet from Tieron and Shateera.  He fended another blow from Talorc and grabbed for a hand axe on his belt.  He took quick aim at the back of Tieron and made motion to swing for it.  Talorc paused to shriek warning.  Amorck’s battle axe caught Talorc in the sword arm.  Altira nearly spinning from his grasp.  Amorck then threw the hand axe as well it spun harmlessly over Talorcs head.  Talorc tried to maneuver his hand.  It was pretty useless.  He didn’t fend the next blow or the next.  He knew he was in trouble.  He used his last recourse.  Altira’s green glow pierced the night of the cavern.  It
swept over Amorck and blood poured from the wound in the neck down the green beam.  Amorck convulsed once and fell silent.  His axe tumbling from his hands.  The blood flowed into Talorc, his arm healing as it washed over it.  He looked down at his fallen opponent.

“And you think me a demon, Pryderi?”  Sentares says lifting one eyebrow.

Savi’s opponent swung another time and connected again.  Her body shook from the impact.  He whirled again with the backstroke, it never landed.  Jens placed her staff between Savi and the blade.  The impact broke the staff but the blade never fell on Savi.  Jens turned the half a staff in the direction of the druegar.  His face was a look of shock and rage.  He advanced on Jens.  Savi turned her sword to strike again at the druegar, but he had turned to kill Jens.  Savi advanced toward him.  Nightshade staggered to her feet and moved with Savi.  Jens fended the first blow, but it was a blow intended to show that he could kill her anytime and that he was toying with her.  He stuck a similar blow but this time harder.  The staff creaked from the blow.  Savi struck hard from behind.  Her blade digging into the armor.  The druegar whirled around and swung again.  Now noticing Nightshade standing as well, the druegar called to the fifth wyvern that was circling for an attack on Keridwynne.  It dived straight for him,  he lifted his weapon into the air.  The wyvern snatched the weapon and the wielder from the ground.  His feet skidded along the ground for a snap or two of the wings of the wyvern.  Savi looked down at the bracers on her arm and then to the form of the escaping druegar.  She unleashed the power of the bracers on him.  A ball of flame rushed to overtake the wyvern and with a boom and a flash of fire the wyvern spun out of control into the water.  The druegar bounced along the water like a skipping stone and then he collapsed into it.

Polgralis struck Mero along side the head.  His battle axe ringing in his hands.  Mero turned again and dived into more rubble.  Grabbing more rocks, he continued the barrage on Polgralis.  It was beginning to hurt more than a little bit.  Polgralis swung again and chipped a piece of Mero’s shoulder off.  Mero scrabbled back some and then came up with a handful of dirt, which he threw at Polgralis.  Polgralis ducked but got some of it in his eyes.  He closed one eye and pressed his attack.  He lifted his weapon high and went charging over the hill of rubble toward where Mero was standing.  He crested the top of the hill to see Mero at the bottom of it.  Keridwynne saw Mero and his condition and fired her staff at the best clear target she has had all day.  Polgralis was slammed backward as the lightning blasted him in the face.  He shrieked as he rolled down the other side of the rubble.  He whistled feebly for his wyvern and prayed that it would come.  It did.  The one that took refuge from Keridwynne’s first barrage swooped down on him and grabbed him.  It flew with its cargo to the top of the cavern and then sped away into the tunnels.  Keridwynne pointed the staff at the retreating pair, but never fired.

Sentares looked down at Polgralis still sitting on the floor, his face one of rage.

“I, for one, would be worried, Sentares.”  Pryderi says with a smile, “Those bracers have your number all over them and I would say that that number is Siamsa 7197.”

“Thats it,”  Keridwynne says as the reflecting pool she cast into the waters of the lake expires.  She looks up at the bandaged and banged up crew.

“Thats all the scrying on Sentares I can do for the rest of this week.  I think that we should all get some rest.  I need the time to heal myself.”

(OK, I admit that was a weird way to due a battle but it was interesting to write. I need your next destination for the adventure to begin anew.  Below is a list a list of things that glowed with magic from the end of the battle pickings.

 3 wineskins full of brown liquid,  Looks and smells like beer.
1 Battle axe from General Amorck
1 plain silver ring also from Amorck
1 worn and battered book gleaned from a backpack of a druegar that had been killed in the collapse of the building.)